are perpetuall and constant in a sense Therefore it is said Joh. 14. 21. If you keep my Commandements saith Christ I will manifest my self to you Saith Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the VVorld Saith he I and my Father will come and wil dwell with you and abide with you As for the world God passeth by as a wayfairing man that tarries but for a night but I and my Father will come and dwel with you Therefore in 1. Joh. 4. Seeing of God dwelling in God are Sinonomies one and the same thing God dwelling in us or we in God or seeing of God they are the same Because wheresoever God is seen rightly and truly it brings God by his Spirit to dwell in the Soule That is one thing you may know it by by your apprehensions Secondly you may know it by the impressions 2 By the impressions these apprehensions worke that those apprehensions have upon your hearts there will be a twofold impression upon thy soule when thou dost see God aright First as I told you before when a Saint seeth 1 Suitable to that they see in God God you are to understand that he seeth al in God with redundance he sees his love his goodnesse his power his faithfulnesse his mercy his justice Now the same apprehension of these things have such impressions upon thy heart that thou mayest clearely discerne if thy sight be right that is if every one of these doe worke upon thy heart a proportionable fitnesse or suitablenesse to that that is in God As for instance when thou lookest on God and thou seest his goodnes there is a sweet impression of love Thou seest the Justice and Righteousnesse of God it works an impression not a blaze that goes out but an habituall impression of pleasing God and of fearing God And so when thou seest his faithfulnesse it works an impression of trust that thou wilt trust him though he kill thee and so all that is in God will sinck into thy heart and worke suitable to that that is in God As to give you one instance for as it will doe by one so it will doe by all In Heb. 11. 27. It is said By faith Moses forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King For he endured as seeing him who is invisible Moses had a sight of him who is invisible Therefore he forsook Aegypt and feared not the wrath of the King What is the meaning of that The meaning of it is this he saw the King of Aegypt to be a great King a powerfull King But because he had seene God who is invisible that is he had seene the Power of God and the Greatnesse of God and that put such an impression on him that he did not feare Pharaoh And God had promised to doe him good and having seene the faithfulnesse of God he forsooke Aegypt So it will be with thee if thou see the Grace of God in Christ there will be an impression of love upon thy Soule If thou see the Greatnesse of God there will be Reverence imprinted upon thy heart or if thou see the Faithfulnesse of God there will be an impression of Trust upon thy heart But now if thou see God in Christ and see his goodnesse and mercy and grace and there be no such impression no love to God no delight in God no care to please him or to attend upon him thou hast not seene God aright Beloved these impressions you shall know them by these things in three words from any thing that is like the impressions of God upon you First they are reall Secondly they are through Impressions of seeing God upon Saints are Thirdly they are universall First they are reall By reall I meane this they 1. Reall are not idle speculations of God as a bare seeing of God and no more but only a meere contemplation but they are such reall impressions upon the heart as that they can bare up the Soule in any outward reall miserie As for instance you know the miseries of the world are reall When a man comes to Prison there is reall trouble and reall losse and Miseries of this life reall reall hunger and he is a Reall man that is the Keeper of the Prison Now an Hypocrite with all his speculations when he comes to a reall night of miserie for God all his knowledge of God proves a meere speculation and vanisheth into Ayre and there is no reality in it Now the other which is a true Saint let him be put into the worst condition let it be Reall put Bolts on his heeles let there be VVounds and Sores and Hunger and Thirst that he feeles beholds with his eyes yet he hath a thing in his Soule that is as real as the things that he feeles Therefore it is said in 1. John 1. where he speaks of Fellowship with God and walking in the light and seeing of God saith he Those things that wee have seene and heard and felt He makes the apprehension of God in Christ as reall as things that are subject to sense as the things that we see and heare and smell and feele Therefore see whether these impressions of God on thy soule be reall or no Doest thou finde when thou commest to reall miserie that there is reall comfort to hold thee up and not only imagination and vaine Speculations As you may observe many brave glorious Professors in the time of Peace that out strip all their Brethren and their expressions Why many Professors shrinke in Trouble are better then others they carry it gloriously and yet you shall have some poor creatures that can hardly speake to God in Prayer and can hardly remember any thing of the VVord and yet when they come to suffer there is a reall thing that holds them up though it may be it be but a poore little Boy or a VVench when you shall see those Brave glorious Professors that because they have no Reality they flee away and turne to the World Therefore pray to the Lord that these impressions may be reall That as the miseries wee meet withall are reall so the impressions of his blessed Majesty may be be reall Saith God to the Hypocrites Mal. 1. If I be a Father where is my Honour If I be a Master where is my feare You talke that I am your Father and your Master but there is no deepe impression of it upon your Soules Secondly as they are reall So they are thorow 2 They are thorow they fall not upon the heart of a Saint as they doe upon an Hypocrite The apprehensions of God fall upon an Hypocrite just like a little shower of raine upon the sandy ground there is some little impression but in two or three houres all is gone it never soaks to the root of the grasse An Hypocrite hath a root of bitternesse in his heart and all the
have partly heard it before therefore I will be the briefer The Question will be in case that any by Quest what hath been spoken doe see that he hath not seene God aright How shall I come to attaine it Beloved when I speak to you of meanes how Answ The order how Saints come to see God to come to any thing you must understand one thing we prescribe not meanes as Phisitians do to a sick man as Rew or Camomite or Orgaine and the like that are in his power he can goe to a Neighbours or to an Apothicaries shopp and buy them So when I speak of meanes it is not in your power to have them as a Ladder to get up and see God by but when I say the meanes I lay downe the series and order whereby God is manifested to the Soule though all bee his free grace Now that order or Series you have in Scripture If thou want this sight of God thou must first be 1 To be convinced that all meanes in the world will not make known God Simile convinced that all the meanes in the World will not make known God to thee unlesse he manifest himselfe That is one thing As the Sun when it is under a cloud all the Candles and Torches in the world cannot discover it till it come out it selfe and then you may see it if it hide it selfe you cannot So saith Christ Joh. â—4 I and my Father will manifest our selves to him As if he had said it is our prerogative we do it when and where we please all the world cannot help to it when we doe it not therefore say Lord it is thy priviledge I have not eyes to see thee it is not all that I can doe and that all the World can doe I cannot reach thee Lord manifest thy selfe to me That is the first thing A second thing that I finde in this series or order 2 A man must be borne againe that God takes to manifest himselfe is that he usually begets men againe or causeth them to be borne againe before they can see him These Phrases are oft joyned in Scripture of being borne again and seeing of God Joh. 3. Verily verily except a man be borne from above he cannot see the Kingdome of God And in the Kingdome of God God and Christ is the chiefe thing without this thou can'st not see it So in Joh. 6. 45. It is written they shall all be taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth to me Not that any man hath seene the Father except or save he that is of God he hath seene the Father To be of God and to be borne of God are promiscuous in the Epistle of John somtimes a man is said to be of God and somtimes to be borne of God No man hath seen God but he that is of God or that is born of God compare that with 1 John 3. VVhosoever committeth sin he hath not seen God nor known him little children let no man deceive you whosoever is borne of God committeth not sin Therefore whosoever seeth God must needs be born of God What is that to be borne of God Briefly for I cannot now open it at large to To be borne of God what be borne of God is when there are other pronciples put in you by the Spirit of God that are not in flesh and bloud When there is a new creature put in you That is when there is a heavenly wisedome and knowledge heavenly faculties heavenly principles when there is a new creature in the soule of a man by which he sees and knowes and apprehends and loves and doth things utterly beyond flesh and bloud Therefore to be borne of God and to be borne of flesh and bloud are contrary one to another Therefore if thou wilt see God thou must not thinke to doe it as to finde out a controversie in Divinity or to to know a mystery in a Trade it is not thy studie and straining of thy witt thou mayest doe that if thou wilt But desire of God to frame the new creature in thee thou must not only have other things presented before these eyes but thou must have another paire of eyes to see things another understanding other principles a new creature framed in thy heart that is the force of the argument of Christ to Nicodemus Joh. 3. Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the Kingdome of God As if he had said I know thou art a great student and thou takest paines to goe to Heaven but I will deale plainly with thee thou must be borne of God thou must be a new creature or else thou mayst study all thy life thou mayst study thy heart out and it will not doe therefore beg of God to make thee a new creature He is the Sun of righteousnesse that can shine where he pleaseth the blessed Spirit is that wind that bloweth where it listeth He must make thee a new creature or else thou hast no faculty to behold him For if God should shine upon the old creature thou hast no more eyes to see him then a blind man to behold the light Thirdly in this order of seeing God which is 3 God must deliver us from Satans Kingdome all of his free grace to doe this I only shew you the author of it it is none of it in thy power get the Lord to deliver thee from the Kingdome of Satan or else thou canst never see him The Kingdome of the Devill is a Kingdome of darknesse so darke that as long as a man lives in that Kingdome Satans Kingdome darknesse he is never like to see any thing of God Therefore if thou wilt see God or spirituall things labour to come into that Kingdom where light shines There are some Nations in the North that they have halfe the yeare night it is almost a Kingdome of darknesse a man though he have eyes cannot see there So the Devils Kingdome is a Kingdome of darknesse and marke it as farre as there is darknesse in any soule so farre the Devils Kingdome is there For the Devill hath no bodily outward Kingdome of Lands and estates and revenues but darknesse is his Kingdome and so much darknesse so much inheritance the Devill hath That is the reason that where there is none of the Gospell the Devill hath a great Kingdome he hath a great Kingdome in VVales and in the north of England and in Ireland because there is a great deale of darknesse there therefore doe thou desire the Lord to translate thee out of the Kingdome of darknesse to the Kingdome of his deare Sonne See this in 2. Cor. 4. saith the Apostle If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost He speaks of unfruitfull hearing of the word there is no fault in the Gospell but it is a signe that they are a People that must perish that the Gospell can doe
all sinners but there is some speciall time when God will make at his heart there is a time there is one day of peculiar grace that God hath reserved almost for every sinner which is called the day of his visitation Why now a poore humble hearted Saint thinks thus yonder is a man is now jeering of the people of God he is an enemie to all holinesse and sayth he yonder man his day of visitation is not yet come but then he will blesse God in that day and say O blessed be the Lord that sent me such a friend or such a neighbour he would oft come to call upon me to goe to Sermons and I did curse him when he intreated me to goe I would stay at home and drinke and sweare but now I remember his prayers and his instructions that I did then jeere at but now they are precious to my soul And therefore thinks a poore humbled Saint why is it that I am better then the worst sinner It is because God hath sent me the day of visitation before him When God shall send his day of visitation to him I have reason to think that he may be in the Kingdome of heaven before me and therefore let me be meeke and affable towards him Beloved that stir and rigour and ridgidnesse in Ridgidnesse to sinners ariseth from pride professors towards poore sinners it ariseth only from the pride of their hearts Now I say if thou have seene God in Jesus Christ thou shalt know it by thy humble carriage towards sinners There is but one thing more and so I shall have done with this text and that is how a heart that is rightly humbled by seeing of God in Jesus Christ doth carrie and behave it selfe towards other Saints But that I must leave to another opportunity SERMON 9. Isaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts THE last lesson that God taught us from these words you know was this that A saving sight of God in Christ is the principall meanes of the humiliation of the soule The last Use we were upon was of examination to know whether the Lord hath given us this grace or no. For the clearing of that I told you that we may know much of it by our carriage and demeanour First towards God Secondly towards man Concerning our carriage towards God I instanced in five perticulars which I shall not now repeat Secondly we may know it by our carriage towards men which is the last thing and so I shall finish what I have to say on these words I began to speake of this the last time I told you that men are of two sorts eyther Saints or sinners according to the Scripture language not according to the cursed language of these times that denominate men from every opinion and call them Seekers and Presbiterians and Anabaptists and Independents I know not what cursed languages but I say all men are eyther Saints or Sinners thou art eyther a Saint or a Sinner Christ hath but two names for men here and will have but two hands when he comes to judge his right hand and his left hand and there are but two places after judgement Heaven and Hell So by our carriage towards Saints and Sinners we may know whether we have this grace of humiliation or no. Of our carriage to sinners I spake somwhat the last time I shall now proceed to the last thing of all that is our carriage and demeanour to the Saints and therein because we are now upon examination I beseech you in a speciall manner to have an eye upon your hearts while I am speaking that God may make this as a lookinglasse to some proud souls that they may thereby see how it is with them I shall therefore endeavour to open this to you as I did the former Now I say thou mayest know if thy heart be humbled by the spirit of Christ in Quest Answ The carriage of a humble heart towards Saints the Gospell by thy carriage towards the Saints You will say how is that It will appeare these wayes First if thou be rightly humbled thou doest usually conceive thy selfe and thou art willing that 1. He thinks himselfe the least of Saints all men should so conceive of thee to be the least of Saints I pray thee remember that I say thou doest usually reflect upon thy selfe and doest conceive of thy selfe and art willing to be so conceived of and accounted of by others as the least of all Saints I will give you but a Scripture or two for it 1 Cor. 15. Paul you know was a glorious Saint and truly in many things as far as we may have leave to judg more glorious then any of the Apostles yet sayth he speaking of those that had seen our Lord meaning the Apostles He was seene of James and of Cephas c. And last of all he was seen of me as one borne out of due time for I am the least of all the Apostles and am not worthy to be called an Apostle The Greek word signifies a child that is borne dead or as it were into the World before the time We say somtimes of a child when it is borne there is the least child that ever was borne alive but yet it was borne alive and in season but an abortive is a child that is borne by miscarriage that is borne dead it is lesse then the least child and lesse esteemed Job sayth O that I had been an abortive that my mother had buried me in secret Paul could not compare himselfe to the least Saint but as it were to an abortive to a thing not worth the mentioning among the living I am an abortive sayth he not because of the time that I did come after them though it be true that Paul was made an Apostle after the rest but sayth he I am the least of all Saints this was the reason Take but one place more Ephes 3. 8. Unto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ To me that am lesse then the least The meaning of it is for in the Greek language in which the Apostles wrote they have six degrees of comparison now in English and in some other tongues there are but three as we say good better and best of all we goe no further a thing is little and lesse and least of all But they double it again and they say little and lesse and least and a thing lesse then the least and more little and lesse then the least of all Paul chose to goe to the lowest pin lesse then the least Saint Minor minimo lesse then the least As if he had sayd suppose we gather together all the tottered broken professors in the World that walke dishonourably to God the blind and the lame as it were that doe least resemble him yet let them
to you whether you doe not feele a strange power in your soules killing and subduing sin that you never imagined before or almost hoped to have There are some Saints that I know that when they came to know a little of Jesus Christ they have found a power to subdue their sins that they did not hope for in their other condition they were so strong it is an emynent power A poore Saint that sees another tugging and striveing and wrastling and bustling with his corruptions he knowes that there is a sweet power in his soule that pulls downe the highest and proudest imaginations As a godly man sayth there is as much difference between a man that walks after the flesh according to the law and he that walks according to the spirit as betweene a man that is in a great Lyter or in a great Boat that is fast upon the sand and there are it may be a dozen or twenty men tugging and striving to get it off and yet it sticks and another man that is in a Boat upon the water and needs onely to hoist sayle and sit downe and it is gone he goes with winde and tide So a man that walks according to grace he can go as a child and speake loving and plaine words to his Father and get power over his sins that all the bowling and roaring and crying of another a whole Yeare together cannot doe It is so and all you that know what grace is know it That is one thing therefore consider this if thou walke according to the spirit thou art dead to sin That is in respect of the condemnation and guilt of it thou hearest that Christ hath fulfilled the law and that sin is done away And secondly in respect of the power of it thou canst looke upon it as a dying gasping thing that must die and thou canst tread on it through the death of Christ. Thirdly thou findest no lust so strong in thy soul but thou canst ordinarily bring it downe thou canst bring it to the obedience of Jesus Christ another man may throw his cap at his sins and be wishing and woulding all the year long but there are strong lusts in his soule that will not out Therefore sayth the Apostle when you walked according to the law the motions of sin brought forth fruit unto death inevitably it will be so Then further you shall finde the fruits of walking Fruits of walking according to the spirit according to the spirit I will but name them to you and wish you to consider of them You have many set downe in this Eighth to the Romanes When a man walks according to the spirit you shall see this is one fruit of it a spirit of adoption whereby we crie abba Father As many as A spirit of adoption are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God for ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare but ye have received the spirit of adoption wherby we crie abba Father That is one fruit of it as soone as a man comes to walk according to the spirit he hath not a spirit of bondage any more What is that It is nothing but this a temper of soule like a slave just as you may conceive of a Spirit of bondage what man that is taken Prisoner in Turkie what temper he is of he is glad of a crust of bread and he feares whipping and beating and it may be killing such is the temper of a mans soule in a spirit of bondage when one is in such a temper that he is alway in feare of being whipped and scourged and he hath hard thoughts of God and he feares that he shall proove an hypocrite and the like Now sayth the Apostle we have not that spirit but we have the spirit of adoption whereby we crie abba Father That is there is a sweet temper such as is in a loving Child to his deare Father there is a boldnesse a love and delight and rejoycing and a sweetnesse c. This is one fruit of it therefore as far as thou art under horrour and mopeing and howling and crying thou commest short of walking according to the spirit for thy soule would be alway full of sweetnesse in the greatest affliction if there were a spirit of adoption and under the worst sins thou doest commit though their would be sorrow yet thou wouldest be full of sweetnesse and joy That is one thing Againe another fruit and consequent of it is Raysing up of the spirit that the spirit of God beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the Children of God If thou wilt be lead by the spirit and walk after the spirit the spirit of God will witnesse with thy spirit that thou art the Child of God What is that the meaning of it is this as I understand the spirit of God will rayse up my spirit to be able to see and know that I am the Child of God for the spirit of a man knowes the naturall things of a man and no more But the spirit of God witnesseth with my spirit that I am the Childe of God that is hee rayseth up my spirit whereby I may see and know that I am the Childe of God that as before by my owne spirit I was able to know whether I were poore or rich whether I were sick or well whether I were beloved or hated So now my spirit is raysed by the spirit of God I am able to reflect upon my selfe spiritually and look upon my selfe as beloved and chosen and holy and called and justified and this in a spirituall way Thirdly here is another expression of it and An earnest hope that is an earnest hope or expectation of the glory that is to be revealed I find and observe little of that to be in Professors and I have oft marvailed at it and the reason is because they have not the spirit of adoption and walk not fully according to the spirit therfore they are not filled with those expectations and those earnest desires that the Saints were ordinarily in the primitive times Sayth the Apostle in this Chapter The creature groaneth and desires to be delivered and not only they but we our selves which have the first fruits of the spirit we groane within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodie The meaning is there is no man knowes what that glory is that is to be revealed nor no man what it is to looke for it and expect it The word in the Originall is as one sayth as a woman looks for deliverance when her paines are on her O! she would faine be delivered or as a man in Prison that looks for his freind out of a window he puts out his head and looks but he cannot get out though he faine would Such an earnest hope and expectation and desire there is in the Saints that walke according to the spirit to see Jesus
if any of you have a mind to learning goe on I discourage you not from it learning is a thing in another Element take paines and dilligence to be learned it is good to doe so But if thou wilt be a Gospell Christian thou must thank the spirit of God for all Sayth Paul for all his learning I am not sufficient to speake a good word and he was a learned man that Festus sayd Much learning had made him mad Beza in his Comment upon 2 Cor. 11. Where the Apostle sayth Are they Hebrews so am I. Are they Jewes so am I. Sayth he I never read in any Latine or Greek Author so much eloquence and elegancie of speech as Paul hath there and yet he Professeth he could not think a good thought for all he was learned so much much lesse doe a good worke The will of God not knowne till we extoll the spirit As long as thou keepest the spirit an underling as a Cypher as many of the clergie and learned men they extoll learning to the Heavens and many of them upon purpose to despight the spirit of God as long as they doe so they shall never know the will of God We are not debtors to the flesh but we must be debtors to the spirit if we will have one true thought of Jesus Christ O prayse the spirit and prize the spirit If you have any thought of Christ thank the spirit if you have any glimps of him in your soules worth any thing prayse the Spirit That is the reason that the Saints in the Booke How Saints of Old spake of the spirit of God speake not of the spirit of God without some speciall epithite of commendation Guid me by thy HOLY spirit and sayth another thy BLESSED spirit and thy GRACIOVS spirit and the spirit of GRACE sayth another They never speake of it without some word that shewed their love to it and their high esteeme of it When the Lord shall come and his spirit shall be advanced in the hearts of men we shall have glorious times and never before that and those times will come I remember Calvin on those Prophesies in I say and Joell The SVN shall be darkned and the MOONE shall be turned into blood in that day Sayth he the meaning is all the excellencie that a man naturally hath his learning and endowments in the dayes of the Gospell when the spirit shall come with his light when God shall exalt the spirit The Sun shall be turned into darkenesse and the Moone into blood Men shal not so much esteem learning from Books but learned and great men and Schollers shall come to one classis and one rank and forme with simple people all waiting on God by his VVord through the spirit A man can take his Boy from Schoole that hath his Lattine and Greeke and send him to the Universitie and he assures himselfe that he shall be as good a Minister as his other Sonne that it may be hath served the spirit seaven yeares this is our way and a hundred more whereby we basely slight and disdaine the spirit of God and doe not honour him and therefore he will not honour us Thirdly if ever you will be true Gospell Saints 3. To be led by the spirit you must suffer your selves to be lead by the spirit of God That phrase you find oft in Rom. 8. Gal. 5. If you live in the spirit walk in the spirit be lead by the spirit We are not complementary to commend the spirit of God c. But give it scope to lead us You must heed more what the spirit of God saith unto you and what he works on you If there come a place of Scripture in your mind heare and consider whether the spirit of God hath not put it in thy mind and would have thee studie it and would have thee compare Scriptures And when thou commest to doe any action whatsoever not so much to advice with this man or that man but what sayth the spirit I meane according to the light of the Scripturs harken to that more then what all the World faith Therefore I have knowne some men that in their whole lives have often mist the will of God in circumstantiall things usually it may be for a yeare or two or three and they have mist it againe in another thing and in another thing And when they have examined how this comes about they can say if they had hearkned to the spirit of God they had not done so but they hearkned to men and so went against the dictates of the spirit in their conscience they would heare what this man said and what the other man did But now the spirit will say to them you see I would have shewed you the right way but you would not give me scope but made a Cypher of me And for my one particular I doe not yet see how I should ever have mist the will of God since I knew him if I had hearkned to the spirit of God if I had but observed so much light as the spirit had put into my heart Now we Ballance the spirit with this mans example and with the other mans opinion and so come home by Weeping Cross Therefore give scope to the spirit I meane not against the word or above the word but still I meane the spirit of God working according to the Scriptures and no otherwise Another thing and a speciall one is I wish you for the mysteries of the Gospell to study the 4. To studie Scriptures without mens glosses Scriptures in the simplicity of them without the glosses of Men For a man in extremity must doe that that a man that is not in extremity would not doe We have brought our selves in such slavery to Men that we must take that course that another sober man should not I meane thus when ever we goe to look for any truth of God for the will of God we have notions in our minds before hand according to the times and places we live in As concerning Baptisme what need I goe to the Scriptures saith one we have it in such and such Mens Writings And so we forestall the will of God that we are blinded and cannot see it Therefore if you will see the wil of God I wish you for a while at least to look on the naked Three uses of other Books besides the Scriptures Scriptures And for my part I know but three uses to be made of other Books As first there is this use of Books you have 1. To set forth Scripture in diverse languages Books that will read the Scriptures in diverse languages and shew the Originall and open the tongues now when I see a word in English and doubt of the meaning of it then I will goe to the Greek or Hebrew as God hath endowed me with knowledge Then there is another use of Books when I 2. To open one Scripture by another
ungodly and doth deale despightfully with us as Christ saith then to doe him good and blesse when he curseth and pray for him that injureth us Beloved this is Gospell goodnesse I have had many thoughts of it had I time to proove that this Gospell goodnesse is a peice of the new Creature that was not in old Adam There was goodnesse in Adam but not this as for instance there are diverse things we find among Professors that in the last day will be found to be nothing but the Old Adam but Ishmaells that are humbled to the height and ye shall see in them a great deale of diligence in Gods service but where will you finde a Professor one of 500. and I speake with the least that you may clearly reade Gospell goodnesse in him that you may say younder is a man that if you curse him he will love you and if you doe him hurt and that despitefully he will pray for you It is an easie thing to kindle a brand that hath been once lighted to doe that which Adam did but to doe this is a higher matter As man was created after the Image of God so the Creatures in a sort were created after the Image of man Now as in Creatures in a Dogg there is love and the like But where is there a Creature that if you doe him mischiefe will not endeavour to doe you the like againe or at least wise runne away But where is a piece in the Old creation that doth lâ—ve his enemies And whereas it is said Adam was created after the image of God and God loves his enmies I answer God then in that Covenant was not in a disposition to love his enemies but to hate his enemies and sinners and curse them and damne them but now in Jesus Christ he loves his Enemies and therefore according to his minde he revealed to Adam it was not so and many other reasons I had but this I present to you with submission I doe not speake curiosities but I finde and see very little of this scarcely any there was a candid goodnesse in the primitive Church which is not now to be which is not now to be found now nothing but biting and teareing and devouring one another well there is one word he doth it by a spirituall Creation 2. By spirituall illumination Then Secondly he brings the soule to this way of spirituall reasoning by spirituall illumination he created faculties before and now he casteth in light as he did in the old creation you know he made Heaven and Earth in the lumpe and then said let there be light Now that is the reason when the Gospell is Preched and there is the spirit of God going with the Word and thou are darke and canst not receive this light the new creature is not framed in thee if thou hast no eyes thou canst not see and if a man have eyes he cannot see in a darke roome Now when the new man is made then the Lord sends in light and it is not every light for there are many lights a blind man as it were hath an Hypocrite hath them but it is a powerfull light that God Saints have a powerfull light puts in for we doe finde that there is a kinde of light in Hypocrites but yet there is not power in them there is not light to bring them to such kinde of reasoning as will bring them to any good or from any evill they will talke of drunknesse and Whoredome and the like but have not power to bring them off from any of these things Indeed a Saint may be overcome of his lusts that warre in his Members but there is a law in his mindâ— that is there is a light that is like unto a Law that hath power in it that he seeth Christ doing them away I am sorry I have not time to open this unto you farther but remember it Thirdly the Lord will doe it by suggestion that is the spirit of God puts light into the soule he puts a measure of light to dwell in every new creature and that powerfully But because the way of of the Saints are so darke in this World and thorow so much difficulty the spirit of God prompts a Saint allwayes when he is at a loss As among Schollers we shall see somtimes a man is almost borne downe and then another giveth him an Argument or distinction to helpe him and then he carries it and so the flesh hath reasons and arguments as we are going along and now though there be a measure of light a stock of light dwelling in us yet we are nonplussed by the flesh and then the spirit of God suggesteth somwhat to us and we are carried thorow as you have it in Mat. 20. When you are brought before Governours it is not you that speake but the spirit of God that prompteth you Fourthly the spirit doth it by Conviction that 4. By conviction is another way we have it Joh. 16. Saith Christ when I goe I will send my spirit and my spirit shall convince the World of sin reproove you have it he shall convince the World of sin of righteousnesse judgement The word signifies when he saith the spirit will convince that is by way of Argument the meaning is that in every carnall mans heart there are arguments against faith and for his owne destruction and strong ones too And when we Preach to you ye bring reason against reason and so goe away unconvinced unconverted but the spirit will ronvince you that is he will bring such strong arguments as Doctor PRESTON saith from Heaven that will convince you As when a stronger man commeth he disarmeth the other as before we thought godlinesse nothing but Heresie and Puritansme and the like but now the spirit convinceth you you see this is the only way and out of this way I shall never see God and the like Another way I find the spirit doth it by is by 5. By commemoration commemoration by minding us of what we have heard or somthing we have knowne before it is our remembrance Therefore saith Christ I will send my spirit and he shall bring to your remembrance what you have heard not that you shall remember a whole Sermon and Repeate it every word but thus it is he will either suggest thoughts Nenever had before or bring to our remembrance a word we have heard of such a Preacher in such a place or Read in such a place or thought in such a walke or the like and so setteth on and carrieth on the worke And he doth it by consolation he is the Comforter 6. By consolation the consolation of the spirit Beloved this is certaine that ye know trouble of mind exceedingly hinders the acts of reason That 's the reason men are madd because some fumes rise up in the braine and trouble the mind that they cannot reason but are madd Beloved our troubles of mind and soule
doe the worke of tame beasts So Adam's righteousnesse commends not to God we are only accepted in the beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ingratiated through that beloved The divine treasures of righteousnesse are first in Christ and by our union with him wee come to enjoy them by way of participation Fourthly Substantiall and reall holinesse set out to be farre more excellent then all empty formes or mere professions Holinesse is God stamped and printed upon the soule 't is Christ formed in the heart 't is the very image frame and disposition of the holy spirit within us The Philosopher could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God was but an empty name without vertue so are all our professions of Christ without holinesse that being the very marrow and quintessence of all religion Holinesse is something of God in us it proceed from him it lives in him God can no more be separated from it then the beames from the Sunne Holinesse is happinesse and the more of it we have the more wee have of the life and image of God upon us Holinesse is nothing but our conformity to God and our being like him to be as he is Holinesse is the new frame the new creation the workmanship of the Lord in our hearts it is the Lord building and setting up his owne Temple Tabernacle and new Jerusalem within us filling of us with his owne glory writing his name in our fore heads by imprinting his owne divine image upon us Oh what happinesse what sweet delight and harmony of heart what soule-musicke and spirituall joy is there in having our soule wrapt up in the divine life light and beauty of the Lords holinesse Fifthly Thou hast a discovery of the inability of mans carnall principles or reason to judge of spirituall things or the things of God every truth is discovered by principles of light suitable to it selfe Hence it is that the Apostle tels us of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an animate sensual or natural man and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirituall man one enlightned by the spirit of God Now the naturall man is not able to judge of things above the principles of nature The Apostle tells us no man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2. 11. The things of man are all created things man is therefore said to be as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little world or an Epitome or Compendium wherein all created things are described as in a mappe or short abridgement Now the principle of reason in mans heart is able to search out the hidden things of nature But this large principle of man is too narrow to search into the things of the spirit so saith the Apostle The things of God knoweth 1 Cor. 2. 11. 12. 14 15. no man but the spirit of God The spirit searches the deepe things of God And againe he saith The wisdome of the spirit is but foolishnesse to the naturall man And why so because saith hee spirituall things are spiritually discerned That is they are to be understood in a spirituall sense to which mans carnall reason cannot reach But now saith hee the spirituall man discerneth all things so that divine things are only known by the spirit 't is the spirit of all truth that leads into all truth Then 't is not all Maximes and rules 't is not syllogisticall reasonings and disputes 't is not Bookes and Treatises 't is not all Systems and Bodies of Divinity that can reveal the secret mysteries of truth but it is the work of the spirit for the mystery of Christ is not meerly letter and forme without us but a quickning spirit within us Yet Sixthly Wee are taught that there is a most profound spirituall reasoning in godlinesse and that it is the highest act of the minde which is the highest faculty of the soule The mind of a Saint is Gods Throne and the motions of the mind or the reasonings thereof is nothing but Christ swaying the soule according to his good pleasure It 's true that reason as t is in man is a most imperfect and weak light and fals short of the light of God being depraved and mixt with much darknesse and so is unsuitable to judge divine things but reason considered in it's height and excellency is no other then Jesus Christ and the spirit then so much as reason hath of the light of God so much it hath of Jesus Christ Then the most excellent the most supreame and the sublimest reason is in godlinesse because in it is the greatest clearenesse certainety and light The Apostle calls it demonstration now divine reason is demonstration which is an evidencing of things by the clearest surest and most irresistible light that can be Now Christ is this spirituall reason for saith the Apostle that which manifests is light Eph. 5. 13. And what is that light but Christ and his Spirit Thus I have given thee a tast of things to set an edge to thy appetite that thou mayest make a fuller meal of Divine Dainties by reading the ensuing Treatise where thou hast a Table richly spread Now if thou art one of CHRISTS Friends then come and eate of this honey and drinke of this wine yea eate and drinke abundantly O beloved Here thou maist eate and not surfet here thou maist drinke and not be drunken the more thou eatest the stronger will thy appetite be and the more thou drinkest the more thou wilt thirst and yet with the greatest saturation and consent To conclude Thou mayest find much of CHRIST in this Booke but see also whether thou canst finde much of him also in thine owne heart Now that these things which are here written with Paper and Inke may bee written upon the Table of thy soule by the finger of the Spirit is the prayer of him who is Thine in the service of Christ John Robotham Octob. 24. 1650. THE CONTENTS OF THE Former Nine SERMONS Serm. I. Doct. 1. THE peculiar priviledge of the Saints to see God page 3 Severall wayes of seeing God 4 Peculiar sight of God what 8 The manner of the Saints seeing God 15 Use I. To shew the happy estate of saints in this World 17 Use 2. The sight of God should humble Saints 21 Use 3. Highly to prize the Preaching of the Gospell 24 Serm. II. Saving sight of God known first by the apprehensions of God which are First cleare 31 Secondly precious 34 Thirdly joyfull 38 Fourthly perpetuall 40 Secondly the sight of God known by the impressions 41 First they are reall 43 Secondly through 44 Thirdly universall 45 Serm. III. Thirdly the saving sight of God known by the expressions of it 47 First purity of heart 48 Secondly changing us into Gods image 54 Thirdly love to the Brethren 56 Fourthly Fellowshipp with Saints 57 Fifthly desire to bring others to the light 59 Sixthly it enableth to suffering 60 In what order Saints come to see
Grave and the like but they doe not spiritually know them So also the other mysterie of that spiritual knowledge The Saints know that they know the things of God is in the knowing that they did know It is one thing to believe and another thing to know that I doe believe and it is one thing to know spirituall misteries and another thing to know that I doe know them Now when the Apostle had done with the former he comes to the latter and tels them that they had a light whereby they knew the things that were freely given them of God As he saith no man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him So I have the Spirit of God that I know the things and I know that I know them So the mysterie of spirituall knowledg is to know heavenly things in a spirituall manner and then to know that I know them It is one thing to know spirituall things and it is another to know that I know them It is one thing for God to give heavenly things and it is another to know that God hath given them This is the meaing of it when I say that the people of God have a sight of God and it is a cleare sight that is it carries such a kind of evidence to the soule that thou knowest assuredly as thou knowest any thing in the world that thou seest God in Jesus Christ Therefore it was a knowne case among them in the old Testament and much more must it be in the new it was so certaine that if God were away but for a moment they presently missed him and they cryed Thou hast hid thy face and when wilt thou come againe and over night he would be gone and they were troubled and they knew him as soone as he came and they missed him when ever he went Now when thou hast but a blind confused apprehension of God and it is but thinking and hoping and thou missest God and thou knowest not what is become of him nor thou lookest not after him suspect thy apprehension of him that it is not right for if it be a right knowledge it is as cleare as the Sun though it be not fully cleare yet it is so cleare that thou knowest that thou hast God and thou doest misse him if he be gone but for a time That is one thing Secondly these apprehensions as they are cleare 2 Precious apprehensions so they are precious they are sweet apprehensions to thy soule Thou accountest one thought of God one right apprehension of God in Jesus Christ worth a whole world therefore we see in Psal 137. 17. The Prophet David who was well acquainted with God saith he how precious also are the thoughts of thee O God! how great is the summe of them if I account them they are more in number then the sands when I awake I am still with thee They are many then and that is a shame for us in the New Testament that they had such apprehensions and we should have so few And how precious are they saith he As if he had said I love my Wife well and my Husband well and I love to have things about me and to have health after sicknes But Lord how precious are the thoughts of thee O God! how rich is one thought of God! What a rich man am I when I have one thought of God Now these apprehensions are precious in these 3 respects First they are precious because every one of those 1 They satisfie the Soule thoughts fully satisfy the soule Take any thing in this world as it may be thou hast an estate or thou hast such friends or thou hast such comforts Take any thing whatever thou canst there is an emptines left still in some corner of the soule it is not filled A man may say when he is highest in the comforts of the world I am not fully satisfied there is some disquiet in my Spirit there is somwhat whatsoever it is behind the back of that comfort that I look for But when a man hath thoughts and apprehensions of God aright they satisfie the soule and fill it with such contentednesse that a man can say I have enough and he can say with Peter when he saw the glory of God It is good to be here though he had neither meat nor drink but were upon a mountaine only he saw the glory of God and saith he It is good to be here Therefore we might see in divers places that I could reckon in Scripture as in Psal 17. As for me I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I will behold thee in Christ and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine Image I shall be satisfied saith he So also in Psal 63. 3 4 5. I shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and that is a choice thing in this world though it come farre short of this And so Paul Phil. 3. I account all Dung for the precious and excellent knowledge of Christ As if he had said I would be satisfied with this though I had not a penny in the world Now it is not so with an Hypocrite therefore examin your heart and look upon Apprehensions of Hypocrits satisfie not it an Hypocrite when he is enlightned he may have some sweetnes and there is some pleasure as when his gifts are enlarged or when spiritual things especially when new notions come in his minde for ever the knowledge of new things is pleasant both naturall and spirituall Yet notwithstanding an Hypocrite is not satisfied with the sight of God in Christ he cannot say I desire no more but he saith I will be Rich for all this I will cozen and cheat for all this Therefore I have alway observed that the best of wicked men those that we have reason to suspect that they are not right and they may have a great deale of joy and such like yet they are as greedy and griping after the world and as proud and vain as others and that is an argument that they are not satisfied Another poore Christian though he make not such a blaze with gifts and expressions yet he sees God now and then and he can tread and trample upon the world he can despise pleasures and friends and honours and riches and can look on them as crucified things as Paul did and can say I remember in such a Countrey in such a Chamber in such a place where God shew'd himself to me and I was satisfied I saw every thing vanish before me and I desired nothing but that and I could desire to change my wealth and all for that so that might be continued and enlarged That is one thing Secondly they are precious because he is not satisfied 2 There is a desire of more This is no contradiction though it seeme to be one My meaning is this that wherever there is this apprehension of God though it satisfie
a man Now this is an impure heart an impure conscience And to the pure every thing is pure but to the impure every thing is defiled That is when a man hath an impure conscience that is not washed effectually by the bloud of Christ through the power of the holy Ghost then his meat and his drinke and his bed and his recreations every thing defiles him every lawfull thing defiles him as well as unlawfull Now then thou mayst reason thus if I have seene God I have a pure heart What is that I have no more conscience of sinne That is I finde an exceeding great power of the Spirit that makes my conscience cleane that notwithstanding my frailties there is no guilt lying or soaking in my Conscence That is one thing The second expression there you shall see afterwards verse 10. that they are said to be sanctified sanctification in this place is not meant as you usually take sanctification that is for mortification and vivification as we say the killing of sin and the quickning of grace though that may be called sanctification too But sanctification in this place is in the same sense as I said before when the conscience is washed and cleansed from the guilt of sin as it is interpreted in the third expression in verse 2â— Let us draw neare with a true heart in the full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled that is our consciences sprinkled having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water An evill Conscience is an unbelieving Conscience for evill in the New Testament is ordinarily taken for unbeliefe Take heed saith the Apostle least there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe to draw back from the living God That evill conscience Judas had and Saul had For sin did lye on their consciences and was not washed Now saith he Let us draw neare with full assurance Full assurance is opposed to an evill Conscience and that cannot be if you take sanctification in that sense that you use to take it Now that is one thing wherever God manifests himselfe and reveals his glory in his Son to the Soule he gives that man a pure heart a good conscience he washeth that mans conscience by the bloud of his Son that is his Spirit applies the vertue of the bloud of his Sonne to our Soules and Consciences to make them pure and peaceable 2ly a pure heart for there are but two ways in 2 Aheart cleansed from the power of sin generall that it is taken in Scripture a pure heart is a heart cleansed also from the power of sinne that is a pure heart And indeed both are comprehended here in one word because wheresoever the one is the other is also For it is impossible for a man to have his Conscience made truly peaceable by the bloud of Christ but it will be made pure and holy also Therefore in that place in Heb. 12. VVithout holinesse it is impossible to see God I suppose it is meant of Personall holinesse of Reformation and amendment of life and not of the imputed holinesse of Christ and the washing of the conscience as I said before But you will say if it be so then no man can see Object God till he go to Heaven for no man is free from sinne in this World There are many Answers that godly men give to this Objection that I cannot stand on It is ture there is sinne and corruption left in the Answ Saints yet they are said to be a pure People People Saints pure notwithstanding the remainder of corruptions 1 They grow purer every day Simile of a pure language to have pure hearts Why Because they are growing every day purer and purer that is the reason they are purified As a godly man compares them to a Well when you throw dirt or any thing into a standing poole it makes it fouler and fouler but throw it into a Well and it workes it out it bubbles and is never quiet till all be out So the Saints have pure hearts because however foule things are working and stirring in them yet they are still stirring against them and get ground of them though they be not pure that is quite free from sinne yet they are purer every day then other Then some say and they say truly that a man 2 The streame of the heart is pure hath a pure heart though there be corruption there when the streame of the heart the very streame of the heart is pure and holy Some conceive and those godly men as I told you before that there is a coare in the heart of a godly man that is pure and holy without sinne Which godly men take to be that that is meant by Spirit so frequently in Scripture saith the Apostle I serve God in my Spirit Rom. 1. And I pray God to preserve your soule and body and spirit 1 Thess 5. And that Spirit they take to be the quintessence of the soule somthing more inward then the Soule There is somthing in a pure heart that opposeth sinne and opposeth temptation there is some non ultra in the heart of a godly man Sinne gets the advantage over his eyes and over his hand and over his tongue but there is a baracado in his heart that it can goe no farther As you see betweene two Women chiding and striving who shall have the last word and one replyes and the other replyes and at last one hath the last word So there is somthing in the heart of a godly man that will have the last word As in a naturall man sinne hath the last word saith an Hypocrite I have a mind to over reach my Neighbour in such a bargaine thou wert not best to doe it saith enlightned conscience thou hearest the Preacher and hearest the Scripture say the contrary But I am resolved to doe it saith the Hypocrite then I will trouble thee saith the conscience Now there is no sinne that a Saint doth fall into but there is a coare in him that goes beyond As you see in an Onion you may pull off one scale and then another and another and at last you may come to the coare and can goe no farther Such a thing there is in a Saint this is that that is called the spirit the streame and quintessence of the Soule is holy and though there be corruption there yet there is something that is pure and holy and that coare will eat out the rest in time As to give you but one instance more looke upon your hearts as I speak and see how they agree with it take any corruption that a Saint falls into throughout the yeare there are many chidings and brawlings betweene grace and corruption I will have my will sayth corruption I will be vaine and fine and finer then my Neighbours saith grace I will not have it so But I will saith corruption I will have my will but if you
them no good In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not least the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the image of God should shine upon them How came it to passe that the Gospell that Paul preached did the Soules of the People no more good Paul saith the fault was not in the Gospell the Gospell was pleasing to God however but the God of this world that is the Devill the Devill of Why the Devil is called the God of this world Hell as you call him God calls him the God of this world not because he is absolute and may doe what he will but he is under Gods power and God gives him such a stroake and power as if he were a God in the world he hath so many Subjects and such pollicie and spirits The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not that is they were blind before but he hath made them more blind O consider this thou wert blind before thou didst heare the Gospell but when a man heares the Gospell that Prince of darknesse that is the Devill the God of the world he blinds thy minde more and more he draws a new vaile over thy eyes Why so That the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the image of God should not shine on them He drawes the Curtaine that the Sun may not come on them that the light of the knowledge of God in Christ may not come on them Therefore consider what a Monarch the Devill is and how great the Kingdom of the Devill is in thee And if ever thou come to the light desire God to translate thee into the Kingdome of his deare sonne that Kingdome is all light As far as there is a cleare light in my Soule so far Christ hath his Kingdome in me Then if thou wilt see God thou must labour 4 Purity of heart to be pure in heart as I told you for without holinesse no man shall see God Let a prophane man use all the meanes in the world as long as he is so he shall never see God Lastly thou must looke for the shining of this glorious Sun through the Word and by the spirit It must come through the VVord and expect the Spirit to bring it or else it will never shine upon thy Soule This in few words is the series or order in which God manifests himselfe to his people I will now conclude only with this word It may be thou wilt say I hope I have seene God and I remember the Lord did manifest himself to me but truly it is but a little I will speake but a word to you that have seene Use Those that have seen God should walke holily God I beseech you walk like People that are before God Gods eye is upon you and you have seene him walke uprightly walk not like the people of the world for ye are lyars if you doe if you say that you have seene God and walke in darknesse and walke in sinne you are lyars and there is no truth in you O! walke holily and labour more and more to see God as Paul did he forgate that which was behind and would see more of God more of his glory that is the meaning of that word in Joh. 14. saith Christ to his Disciples for he spake not to wicked People at that time He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them loveth me and he shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my selfe to him Without doubt God had manifested himselfe to these before they were Saints before but he meanes I will manifest my selfe more and more but they must love him and keepe his commandements The meaning is not that you shall finde the Commandements of God and the things of God are as a bottome of Thred that is all shufled together that you can finde no end of it you thinke to have an end and yet you cannot and you thinke to finde a place where to get all grace whereas notwithstanding if you had all the gifts in this world you cannot keepe the Commandements but the meaning is you shall finde in the things of God that God hath made one thing the condition of another if you love God you will keepe his Commandements and if you keepe his Commandements you love God I say God hath made one thing the condition of another to whet us on if you keep my Commandements you love me and if you love me I will manifest my selfe to you So I know by experience though all be by free grace yet the People of God by making one thing the condition of another it hath made their Journey that they have not been weary Though Heaven be the reward of all yet God hath made little baits for us The great reward is He that holds out to the end shall be saved but that is a great way off and we are weake and cannot see a farre off therefore God hath made little baits and little rewards He that loves me I will manifest my selfe to him A weake Saint may doe that so that is the meaning though God doth all by his free grace yet God doth use meanes to get us on Therefore that God may manifest himselfe more and more to thee labour to keepe his commandements labour to be more holy this weeke then the last Add to faith virtue to virtue patience to patience temperance c. God teacheth us as we teach our Children one letter after another add such a grace and such a grace If these things be in you and abound ye shall not be barren and unfruitfull but shall be able to see a farre off What a farre off Things that are farre off are hardly seene and of all things the glory of God in Christ is the hardest Now if you add one grace to another by the assistance of God and endeavouring to keepe his Commandements and to walke in your callings as you are Husband or VVife or Master or Servant or Tradesman c. if you endeavour to do that which is pleasing in Gods eye God will reveale himselfe more and more clearly and fully to your soules SERMON 4. Isaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts TWo lessons I observed from these words The first was that Every true Saint hath a peculiar sight of God even in this VVorld Secondly that A true saving sight of God is the way to true Humiliation Concerning the first I opened it and proved it to you and have already made severall uses of it The last use was to examine your selves whether God have bestowed this priviledge upon you or no. And that I shewed you is to be known By your apprehensions of it By the impressions it hath on you By the expressions of it as it shewes it selfe in your lives I have but two words of uses farther of that Doctrine and so I
lifted up to thinke he is something more then his brethren but then even with a haire you may pull him downe to the lowest forme with the least and lowest of Saints This you have Rom. 12. Mind not high things but condescend to them of low estate A humble heart can rank himselfe with the meanest sort of Christians Proud hearts especially in this Cittie tread poore Saints under feet you have many that are only for disputing professors if he can hold an argument bravely and sophistically or be a controversiall Christian that can discourse upon this or that controversie such your spirits are carried after But a poore Saint that can hardly pray in his familie or speake a little broken fragments of godlinesse you despise him But a humble heart knows how to suite to the poorest Saint let him be weak in any thing he can be weak also As the Apostle sayth 2 Cor. 11. 9. Who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burne not If any one be weake I will come downe and be weak with him if any be offended I burne that is I suit my selfe to all men that I may win some as he speaks of sinners so it is with Saints when they can be weake with the weake and ignorant with the ignorant and suite themselves with the meanest So you have two words The Third is this breifly observe it that a 3. He is jealous of those truths he knowes humble heart you shall see it by his carriage towards his brethren towards Saints by this that out of the high and honourable opinion that he hath of all other Saints he alway hath a kind of jealousie even of those truths which he is most assured of I say meerly out of the very honour and esteeme and respect that he hath of all Saints he sees them all over and above him and from thence even those truths that he is most assured off he is jealous of O the pride and the wretchednesse of some that are ready to say what doe I care what all the World thinks all the World now or they that were before and it may be it is but a conceit of yesterday or it may be it is a truth but it argueth a vile proud heart Shall I say what doe I care what others think why should I be perswaded that I am so sainted that I should not care what the Generation of the Saints that are otherwise minded say There are many things in our preaching that we may have full assurance of but there may be full assurance of understanding concerning truths that a man may preach with boldnesse and suffer and die for it with fearlesnesse and yet there may be a kind of jealousie in the soul concerning it when the Generation of the Saints that he looks on as above him are of another mind This is a mysterie and a riddle that is only knowne to humble men Acts 2â— 9. Say they let us not be too violent against Paul Who knoweth but that an Angel hath revealed this to him So a humble heart thinks this is the will of God and I dare die for it but this is the time of pouring out of the spirit and such men as are above me they are of another mind and how doe I know but God may be in it So there is a holy suspicion that yet hinders not full assurance that riseth meerly out of reverence and respect of all the Saints that he sees and thinks are above him Therefore we have proud spirits a devillsh spirit of pride among us when a man shall conceit that he only is in the right and slight others We have every good gift from above and I must not be angrie with yonder man because he doth not beleive as I say for he hath received of God what he hath But when a man shall say this thing I think to be so and all the rest of the World are Schismaticks and factious people it is an argument of a devillish spirit of a proud spirit at the best Fourthly from this for they depend one upon another you may know a humble heart in his demeanour to the Saints he is very meek 4. He is meek to Saints of another mind and patient and long-suffering towards other Saints that are otherwise minded and hence it is from his humilitie that hee is meeke and patient For he thinks eyther be is in the truth or I he thinks one thing and I another if he be in the truth and I be not God will reveale it in due time to me and if I be in the truth and he be not God will reveale it to him in due time Therefore he sayth that is a golden rule Rom. 14. 5. Let every man be perswaded in his owne mind whatsoever is not of faith is sin Therefore he will not doe as many men doe in our times if men differ a tittle from them they crie out we shall have the Common-wealth and the Kingdome undone and such and such are Hereticks and schismaticks and one will have them â—â—â—â—shed and another will have them imprisoned and there must be fire and fagot and it may be some of Gods people may be carried with the rous of blaspheming creatures that raile at the people of God who have various dispensations various graces in a various measure and manner But these are not humble persons for I never heard a humble Saint use that language And I dare say it is for want of grace eyther men have no grace at all or else it is because they have not this grace of humility in their soules Fiftly the demeanour of a humble heart toward 5. He yeelds to the reproofe or instruction of others the Saints will appeare also in this marke it a humble heart he dares not resist or slight reproofe or instruction from the meanest Saint because he sees him above him that is the reason you know the Scripture is full of it how David was a man after Gods owne heart therefore he had a humble and good heart when Ahigal a woman comes to give him instruction that he should not shed innocent bloud blessed be the Lord sayth he and blessed be thy councel it is good councel And Job sayth If I have not hearkened to my maid servant it were a wickednesse to be punished by the Judg he would hearken to her if shee reprooved him and admonished him and instructed him in any thing How was Apollo an eloquent man taken and instructed by a crafts-man and his Wife and the wife did teach him for ought I know as much if not more then her husband the holy-Ghost puts her first he learned the Gospell of God and Christ from them David did learne from his enemies he did take a reproofe from one of the worst of his enemies And sayth Paul Rom. 2. 12. When I come we shall be edified by our mutuall faith Paul thought they would doe him good and he would
those things that now you know not nor cannot know Therfore labour to learne that lesson it is one of the greatest Mysteries in the World and that is the reason that carnall people carp at these things What greater Mysterie then for me being a just and righteous man through Christ yet to be so sinfull that I can say there is none more sinfull and yet I am as righteous as Abraham or Paul in respect of the righteousnesse of Christ I have as large a share as Abraham or Paul and yet I am full of sin A Christian knowes this and he knowes how it is so Well that is one lesson consider of it that you may know where to plant your justification upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ The Lord teach it to you and me Secondly if the righteousnesse of the law be Vse 2. Saints should see their condition in Christ glorious fulfilled in all that are beleivers through Jesus Christ Then all you that are Saints all you that beleive in Jesus Christ labour to see the glorious condition that you are in that you may be able to reflect upon your selves not according to what you are out of Christ but what you are considered to be as Members of Jesus Christ as unyted to Jesus Christ Therfore you shall have Paul and it doth me good to see his spirit he never reckons himselfe as in himselfe but as in Jesus Christ I can doe all things I can want and I can abound I can doe this and that and all in Christ So I To look on our selves as unyted to Christ must never conceive of God out of Christ nor of my selfe out of Christ I must never conceive of my selfe and Christ as two but I should indeavour clearly and constantly that whatsoever good there is in Christ it is myne as if it were in myne owne person And so we should have our spirits raysed above the temptations of the World and above the afflictions of the World and above corruptions It is a pittifull thing to see poore Professors Why many Christians have such low Spirits there is not one of many but they are ordinarily below temptations and they lie under burdens and are below their sins Nay there are many professors that are more sad and drooping then carnall people Surely this was not the way of those Saints that we read of in the New Testament they had glorious spirits how doe you think else they could goe to the stocks and to Prisons and from one Compter to another and have their spirits so raysed and yet sometimes they were to die the next morning for ought they knew Your spirits will never be heightened and raysed to live the life of Paul by beholding any thing that is in you personally in your posession but what you are by relation and marriage to Christ Reckon your selves dead with Christ and so conceive I am a just man I was bound once to the law of God a terrible law and there are thousands in hell paying the debt and cannot pay it and yet I have paid every farthing and the law cannot ask me more I have offered a perfect righteousnesse to God and I am now sitting at Gods right hand in Heaven by my unyon with Jesus Christ This is the life of faith that we may be able to The life of faith tryumph over all these things below from our Justification as Paul doth Rom. 8. It is God that Justifieth and who shall condemne Who shall seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Shall Tribulation or distresse or Famine or nakednesse or perill or Sword Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerors through Christ that loved us Indeed Tribulation and hunger and Famine they are sad things but these are the least troubles of a Christian these outward miseries Over these we are more then Conquerers sayth Paul I can tie my right hand at my back and with my left hand beat all these back I can beat them with a finger Nay I say more Neyther death nor life that is more nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. See there how he dares all the Enemies to come upon the Stage and tramples them under feet As in Malachy it is said that in the time of the Gospell they shall tread their Enemies as ashes under their feet So there is a place also in 1 Cor. 1â— Death is swallowed up in victorie As if he had sayd you that have received Christ Jesus I will tell you news Death is swallowed up in victorie O death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victorie He feares the grave and death and triumphs over them O death where is thy sting thou thoughtest to overcome me but where is thy sting The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be unto God who hath given us Victorie through Jesus Christ our Lord. He doth not say which will give us Victory when we are dead and then we shall be perfect in Heaven It is true then we shall be more perfect but he saith which hath given us Victorie for the present I have already overcome Hell and death and the Devill for all hangs on the law the law is Gods writ and the Devill is Gods Sergeant that executes that writ and Hell is the Prison Therefore if the law be satisfied if the righteousnesse of the law be fulfilled death and Hell and the Devill have nothing to doe with me So in Rom. 4. ult Who was delivered for our offences and was raysed for our justification And then it followes Chap. 5. 1. Beeing Justified by faith we have peace with God See where the Apostle layes justification And we glory in tribulation knowing that it worketh patience c. We rejoyce in tribulation and affliction Why Because we are Justified by Christs death and Resurection O what kind of spirits should we have How full of joy and comfort should we be in the greatest tribulation How should we tread all this World under our feet the evills of this World and the comforts of the World How should we insult and tryumph over the Devill and over death and Hell for all their power as I sayd is from the law and if the righteousnesse of the law be fulfilled then all our Enemies are subdued and all is cleare Heaven is open and God is mine and the favour of God is to me For know this that there is no naturall imbred What hinders the creature from enjoying God hatred in God to his creature there is nothing that keeps the creature from the full injoyment of God but the law not being satisfied God made a law and we made the breach of it and there falls out the distance betweene
Christ come and to enjoy that glory that is to be revealed There are many more expressions there that are the fruits of it as the spirit of supplication Vers 26. And there is also a triumphing over all our spirituall enemies Vers 31. What shall we say then if God be for us who can be against us c. And then there is an absolute dependance upon God for all things He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him give us all things And then there is also a patient suffering of all afflictions Sayth the Apostle Vers 18. I neckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed And then there is lastly an absolute eternal union with Christ Jesus in respect of his love I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor any thing shall ever be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord these are the expressions of the fruits of the spirit of God in the soule when men walk according to the spirit when they walk according to grace Take a man that walks according to the flesh or according to the law you shall find none of these kind of things in his soule So much concerning that Use In the next place as this Doctrine is a Touchstone Vse 3. Tryall of our actions whereby you may trie and judg of mens persons so hereby also you may trie your services and actions I say this is a rule whereby you may come to know what your services are what worth is in them For as they only are Saints who walk according to the spirit let the World judg how they will and those that walk carnally according to the flesh according to the law are not Saints so I say those actions or services of ours that proceed from the spirit of God they are only pleasing to God and those that proceed from the flesh from Old Adam those are not pleasing to him Now I say by this we may trie our services and actions as well as our persons for there is the same reason for both in all my actions all that I expect from them is that they be pleasing to God that is the end of all that we doe for they cannot justifie us that is done already or if it be not they cannot doe it but all is to be pleasing to God Now then the maine rule by which I am to judg of my actions it is this not to judg of them according as they are plausible to men or according as they have affection or enlargment in them as we call it but we are to judg of our actions cheifly if not principally by the principle that they flow from if it be the weakest and meanest action if it be the least sigh or prayer if it proceed from the new Adam the Lord Jesus it is sweet and pleasing to God it is an acceptable Sacrifice But if it be the most glorious thing in the World if it proceed from old Adam not only from sinfull Adam but from naturall Adam as he is called the naturall man 1. Cor. 15. I say that that riseth from naturall wisdome and invention and understanding and memory c. it is but flesh and Whatsoever is borne of flesh is flesh and as we say Pepper is Pepper that is it is deare so flesh is flesh that is it is a filthy abominable thing to God As it is in this Chapter they that walk according to the flesh cannot please God So that that is borne of the flesh that service that ariseth from the flesh that is done from the flesh cannot please God But you will say cannot the actions that proceed Quest from the principles of naturall Adam be pleasing to God Every man knowes that of corrupt Adam cannot but cannot that of naturall Adam as a man may pray meerly by a naturall wit and bravely to please man and to please himself and he may preach by a naturall wit and doe other Excercises and doe them finely cannot they be pleasing to God No this is a certaine rule that there is nothing Answ Nothing that comes from naturall Adam pleaseth God that comes from flesh from a principle of old Adam whither it be naturally good or evill there is nothing whether from pure Adam or corrupt Adam that is pleasing to God The reason is this because as it is Gen. 3. 5. That when Adam sinned against God you know his punishment was that he should die he was not to eat or touch the forbidden fruit least he should die Now when Adam eat of that fruit you know the curse came upon him And in reference to this you shall find those phrases in this Epistle whosoever walks according to the flesh shall die whosoever walks as old Adam is in the State of the old curse he shall die and O miserable man who shall deliver me from this body of death He calls it a body of death alluding to the maine curse of old Adam which was that he should die Now when the Lord sayd that Adam should Adam to dye as a publick person die for sin conceive not that the meaning is only that he should die personally that his person now should be subject to the wrath of God to damnation of soule and body for ever in Hell that is not the only meaning of it it is true he fell under that but the meaning is this also that whole Adam Adam as thou art a publike person thou shalt die that whereas I made and appoynted thee to be the spring and Foundation of all mankind and every man in the World is to have thy Image on him and I have filled thee with righteousnesse and wisdome and good things that may tend much to thy happinesse and thy posteritie that thou mayest derive a principle to them to be like thee in good and to be pleasing to me But when Adam sinned now sayth God thou shalt die I made thee a happie creature and put abundance of excellencies in thee for thy selfe and thy posterity as a publike person but now thou hast sinned and extinguished all that good Now I will blast them all thy wisdome and thy righteousnesse thy soule and thy body thy very being Adam shall die Thy person as thou art a private man and as thou art a publike man soule and body flesh and bone all that is in the and all that comes from thee shall die this is that great curse that God laid on him a curse of a great extent Therefore I say whatsoever now ariseth from All that springs from old Adam condemned the Sons of Adam that springs from old Adam be it good or evill it is condemned to die it must die it cannot please God As Adam when he had eaten the forbidden fruit the Lord set an Angell with a Sword
proud that you cannot rule your hearts but you are lifted up with pride when you have done duties it is because every fine thing you doe from old Adam makes you proud you take all in the bulke and consider not whence you doe things you consider not how much of the old Adam or of the new there is in your Prayers and Duties Therfore let this be an universall eternall rule to know the worth of all your services and actions by whatsoever is of the flesh is flesh and whatsoever of my Preaching and of your praying and lending and giving and of your publike actions if it be not from a spirituall principle from Jesus Christ according to the Gospell planted in you it is of old Adam and it is condemned labour to leave that I shall conclude with one Word more and Vse 4. To expect the fulfilling of Prophesies and promises that is this that this beeing so that this is to walk according to the spirit Then we should long very much for the fulfilling of those Prophesies and Promises that God hath made unto us concerning the latter times There is no Saint almost now that I know but expects glorious times only one Saint thinks that the glory of the Saints shall be in this thing and another in that thing but every Saint expects continually the fulfilling of those Prophesies and promises set downe in the latter end of the Revelations and they are glorious ones whatsoever the meaning of them is and I think the cheife thing there promised which shall be the height of our happinesse that the new Jerusalem shall come downe from Heaven mistake me not though it be a consequent yet it is not cheifly and properly such a way of government this or that or the other way though it be true that Government will follow upon it yet if the meaning of it were only to reforme our Churches though that were a blessing or that Christ should come and reigne here temporally and give us Inheritances and riches and the like truly a Saint would not long much for these things But the New Jerusalem shall come downe from Heaven and abundance of blessings that shall goe along with it What is that The meaning of New Jerusalem comming downe from Heaven what it is we shall have the light of the Gospell clearly revealed unto us and we shall have Gospell principles fully put into our soules which by Antichrist by Babilon we have been seduced of these thirteene or fourteene hundred yeares For that was the mischeife of Antichrist he hath kept us all his reigne under the old Testament with Altars and Sacrifices and Preists and I know not what every thing just as they used under Moses and we are not wholly gone out of Antichrist yet But the Lord will send a light into our hearts to know the truth in the power and spirit and to square our hearts to it For that is new Jerusalem if you compare it with Heb. 12. where the holy Jerusalem the heavenly Jerusalem is clearly opposite to Mount Sinai So compare it with Gal. 4. he tells us that Jerusalem which is above us is Mother of us all that is the Covenant of grace and the principles thereof in the soules of men Therefore I wish that the Lord would set your hearts and mine a longing after that that we may have more of the spirit of the Gospel and of the Principles of the New Testament in us and then for matter of Government of Churches those things would follow For to set up Government and Discipline before this comes into the soule truely it is to build Castles in the ayre for let a man take us and frame us in the Independent or Presbyterian way in what way he will unlesse the Principles of Jesus Christ in the Gospel be spiritually planted it will be a fleshly Independent and a fleshly Presbyterian service Therefore labour chiefly for that and pray the Lord to fulfill that and then your Government whatsoever it shall be God will reveale it more fully People are now generally going to build and order Churches and I know not what unlesse the spirit of the New Testament governe in the New Testament it is a vaine thing thing for if wee have our former fleshly hearts that walke according to the Law and according to the flesh all the Government in the World will never doe us good because God hath cursed Flesh and it will never be regulated and brought to good And this also should move us exceedingly to Upon what ground to long for the comming of Christ long for the comming of Jesus Christ to glory for his comming to us or our comming to him and the reason of that you shall have in 1 Cor. 15. 49. a glorious word that hath dwelt much in my thoughts I told you the reason why every man must dye a naturall death because of that absolute grand curse that Adam did fall in as a publick person and we being from him we must dye Now here is the comfort of it a blessed word it is As we have borne the Image of the earthly so we shall beare also the Image of the heavenly that is when the redemption of our bodies comes at the day of Christ then as we have borne the Image of the earthly so we shall beare the Image of the heavenly We have borne hitherto and doe beare the Image of naturall Adam we are all his Sons and Daughters just like him in our wisedome and understandings and bodies and soules poore earthly creatures naturall fraile creatures we are and by that curse that was layd upon him we must all dye and lay downe these earthly Tabernacles these earthly creatures must be dissolved As we have borne the Image of the earthly not onely as we have borne the Image of old Adam sin and wickednesse and pride and frowardnesse so now we shall beare the Image of the new not onely in respect of grace and holinesse and righteousnesse that if I be in him all those corruptions of nature shall out and I shall have a new nature That is true but that is not all but as I wholly beare the Image and shape of old Adam his body and soule and senses and all those must dye so when these bodies shall be raised we shall as absolutely and largely beare the Image of the new Adam the Lord Jesus in our body and senses and all our whole man soule and body in respect of substance as well as quality we shall beare the Image of the second dam as lively and in as large an extent as ever wee bore the Image of the earthly Adam Therefore that is a Not onely sinfulnesse but earthynesse troubles a Christian great comfort I will tell you why because it is not onely the sinfulnesse of a Christian that troubles him but his earthinesse so many distempers and troubles that it is a misery the spirit is willing but the flesh
men are so flesh and fleshly in their principles and actions that there is nothing of the spirit of God in them So it is principally to be taken here Though for the former two I may say this that as farr as a Saint either in the measure of his graces or in his actions is Fleshly he minds Fleshly things but a man that is wholly fleshly wholly minds Fleshly things And so much concerning the first Question The second thing is what is meant here by the Quest 2. VVhat meant by the things of the flesh and of the spirit things of the Flesh and by the things of the spirit If you remember what I have told you of Flesh before you will understand much what is meant by the things of the Flesh I told you Flesh was old Adam both in his good and in his evill pure Adam and corrupt Adam and every thing that came from him or every thing that leads to him that was Flesh So the things of the flesh are these things and all opportunities belonging to them in generall But that you may understand it a little better I will shew you what the holy Ghost calls these things of the Flesh and the things of the spirit that so by the Scriptures you may understand Scriptures We will put them both together the one will open the other to you In 1 Cor. 2. 11. There you shall see the things of the flesh are called the things of a man For what man knoweth the 1. The things of the flesh are the things of a man things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him The things of a man The things of the Flesh are the things of a man that is proper to a man as man Therefore Mark 8. 32. They are called The things that be of men The things of the Flesh are called the things that men deal about the things that men as men naturally deale about and look after the things of men But the things of the spirit of God in that 1 Cor. 2. You have diverse expressions The things of the spirit of them Vers 9. They are the things that Eye hath not seen nor Eare heard nor hath entred The things that eye hath not seen c. into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him What are these things These glorious things that no carnall man hath ever seene or heard or understood any thing of them that God hath prepared for them that love him They are as we see there afterwards clearly the things of the spirit of God They are called the deep things of God Vers 10. They are deepe because no carnall man can reach them and in Vers 11. They are called the things of God And in Vers 12. The things that are freely given to us of The deep things of God God And in Vers 14. They are called the things of the spirit of God The things of the spirit of God are foolishnesse to him In 2 Cor. 4. ult There you shall have both these things described for in that we shall have a little light from that description of it the things of the flesh are called there Things of the flesh are seen the things that are seene and the things of the spirit are called the things that are not seene the one are said to be temporall and the other eternall The things of the Flesh are temporall things that may be seene that is not so much seene with the eyes of the body but he meanes that a man every carnall man may perceive and understand them All the things of old Adam a meere narurall man is able to comprehend them but the other things are things that are not seene that is that eye hath not seene nor eare beard nor hath entred into the heart of man Therefore Christ in Mat. 11. 25. saith I thank thee O heavenly Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to Babes What were these things the things of the spirit of God they are the things that are hid from the wise and prudent of the World they are not possible to be seene of them but God reveales them to the least Babe of his owne Kingdome In Collos 3. 1. 2. You have another description for you may put these together and so the better understand They are things on Earth Things of the spirit above them In Vers 2. The things of the flesh are called things on Earth and the things of the spirit are called the things that are above The things of the flesh are the things that are beneath as it were things on the Earth That is though in old Adam there be many excellent things you must not conceive earth here in a gross sence there is fine refined wisdome and understanding and prudence which the spirit of God usually slights and despiseth Where is the wise and the disputer c. Notwithstanding all old Adam is but Earthly all the spirituality as it were of old Adam are but things on the Earth It is no wonder they are called things of the Earth when the Doctrine and Preaching of John Baptist he himselfe calls it Earthly I am from the Earth I speake earthly he is from above he speaks Heavenly and spiritually It was Earthly in comparison of Christ though there was some Gospell in it Much more earthly is all the devotion and Religion and what is best in Fleshly man that hath nothing in him but old Adam In Philip. 3. 7. there is another large description Gaine and losse of these things The things of the flesh there they are those things that Paul once accounted gaine to him and those things that Paul now accounted losse to him see there what those things are those excellent fine things the things of the flesh a man while he is in the flesh accounts them gaine a great gaine to him he lives by his wit and his wisedome and it is a mighty gaine to him to increase and build up old Adam in him But when a man comes to spirituall things he accounts all these things losse I account them losse saith Paul Now the things of the Spirit were those things that Paul desired to win and to gaine in the Things behind and before verses following That I may gaine Christ and his righteousnesse And a little further you shall see Paul calls the things of flesh the things behind and the things of the spirit the things before And in verse 19. the things of the flesh he calls them earthly things They mind earthly things and so by contraries the other things are heavenly I can not open every perticular expression only I would point out the descriptions to you as the holy-Ghost layes them downe In 2. Cor. 5. there the things of the flesh are called old things and the things of the Spirit are called new things for saith
So the reasonings of the soule are the chiefest weapons of the minde because I told you that these they doe come immediately from it The third thing was that the reasoning is the chief character of a man as reason in a man considered in a naturall way is the most proper way of distinguishing of him from other things because it is most essentiall to him for you cannot distinguish a man so properly from a horse because he hath two leggs and that a horse hath foure but by his essence he is a rationall creature and therefore I told you a man may know good excellently a man may love good and godlines and a man may do good and suffer for good and yet be an hypocrite yet be a carnall man Why Because he may doe good and love good and suffer for good and all out of carnall reasoning he may love the good because of some fine circumstantiall things And therefore I concluded last day with two words of use but I must endeavor to make good my promise Now the last thing is how it comes to passe for I have as in reference to the Doctrine you heard That spirituall men are swayed 3. How it comes that Saints are guided by spirituall reason with spirituall reasons How comes it to passe that they are enabled so to reason and to be so guided by such Reasons Beloved in generall certainly it is only by the same spirit of God for I must advance the spirit still Not in opposition to the Scriptures mistake me not for the spirit takes of the things of By the spirit Christ and in the Scriptures sheweth you them but it is the Spirits teaching you And therefore it is said they are after the spirit that doe mind spirituall things because it is the spirit that doth worke them to mind spirituall things yee would never mind spirituall things else All the Learning in the World and all the wit in the World will never teach a man to make one sincere argument to doe good or draw him from evill But you will say how doth the Spirit doe this Beloved I told you heretofore that I doe not approove of those that doe endeavour to shew you too particularly and disbiastly how the spirit of God works in the soule as many men have done and many a godly man but they have lost much time and have puzelled the soules of poore people for thou knowest not how a Child is formed in the VVombe how his eye is made and how his Nose is made And how are we able to discover how the Spirit of God works grace in the soule which ordinarily is done that he doth this first and then that and will not doe this untill he hath done that which hath brought forth a deale of curiositie and needlesse distinctions troubling the People of God But I will give you some particulars how he doth it The wayes whereby he doth it without curiositie not saying he doth this first or that first He doth it by a Creation by spirituall Creation 1. By a creation he doth make a Caeation in the soule which is called the new man Thou that art there now sitting in the Pew that creature that old creature cannot reach the spirit of God It cannot be mended for we have hearts of stone that will not be cobled nor mended but taken out wholly our natures are so naught that they cannot be mended but God comes and by his Holy spirit makes a new Creature in the soule As man is said to be a man and hath not his denomination from the grosser part as his Legs or the like but from the more noble part his soule and his mind for where as in one place it is said What will it availe a man to get the World and loose his soule in another it is loose himselfe So as my soule is my selfe So there is an old man not according to outward age but according to the inward Now he makes thee a new creature not New legs and hands but new mind new affections and new powers in thy soule Now most people say that the Lord doth infuse new qualities into the soule that whereas thou hast an under standing and it is rotten and all is full of bad qualities thou shalt have new qualities thou shalt have an under standing that will mind More then new qualities in Saints Heavenly things Beloved that is true but I very much doubt whiter there be not something more because the Lord calls it a man and we never Reade in the Scripture where he will worke new qualities but a new man We are created a new Creature Now that is the way and therefore if ever thou wilt be a spirituall man thou must have the Lord to make thee a new creature Now the Saints heretofore pray understand me did not looke upon things as we doe we have had so many false distinctions and subdistinctions we have not the same notions and distinctions they had They alwayes looked upon rhe inward man or the new craature Now we looke without saith Paul my inward man gaineth dayly If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Beloved that ye may understand this beare with me a little I doe find in the Scripture that a man is made a Saint made spirituall and holy two wayes One is by renewing a man to that which he was in Old Adam Secondly by creating things in him that were never there before And we have these two expressions A Saint made spirituall how in Scripture Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and created unto good works So that a Saint he is made up unto that condition two wayes Either God hath renewed in him those things he had in Adam Or else God hath created in him that which was never there before As for instance God revealeth in him Sobrietie and continuance and the like These things were in Adam and now when a man is made a Saint they are renewed only upon a new Foundation And withall the Lord creates some things that were never in Adam as for instance he creates faith there that is the the faith of the Gospell There was a faith in Adam without doubt but that faith of the Gospell to beleive in another to renounce his owne righteousnesse this was not in Adam because it was point-blanke contrary to his owne condition for he was to have righteousnesse in himselfe and to renounce it was contrary to his condition Now God Creates such a faith in us And Beloved there is another thing and it may be there are many things more I have had many thoughts of it with submission to the godly and wise I thinke that Gospell-goodnesse is a peice of the new man which was not in Adam Some thing in Saints that was not in Adam as to doe good to Enemies to love them that hate us to give drinke to a thirstie Enemy When one is wicked and
they are like fumes that come up into the braine and distract us A spirituall man is many times as it were a distracted man there are so many fumes such horrour and guilt that he is almost starck mad he can talke of naturall things but in spirituall things he is as it were mad the Chaine of spirituall reason is broken and now the spirit is the Comforter and he quiets the spirits and when a man is in a quiet temper the disease is gone and reason comes into the mind and as the Philosopher said ye know in naturall things a man can reason when he is not troubled so is it in the spirituall Another way is by sanctification by the spirit 7. By sanctification hee is the spirit of Sanctification it makes the soule holy it takes away lust and sin from the soule This I find in Mat. 6. 22. 23. I would open that place but cannot therefore pray consider it saith Christ the light of the body is the eye if therefore thy eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light He doth oppose singlenesse unto evill if thy eye be single that is if thy eye be purged from all guile that there is no sin there not when a man hath one eye to God and the other to sin to the World But if thy eye be evill that is sinfull then thy whole body is full of darknesse Therefore blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Well Lastly there is another way there are 8. By excercising diverse more but I will name but one more And that is the spirit of God doth teach the Saints thus to reason by excercising that is helpeth them to excercise and improove that light that they have There is a little light naturall light and there is a kind of spirituall light that an Hypocrite hath but the spirit of God doth not helpe him to improove that light and therefore that light dyeth he blowes not up the sire you know men come to reason by reasoning and excercise of reason makes men rationall I mean makes them know how to reason Now Hypocrites doe not thus as you may see Rom. 1. There they knew God and because they glorified him not as God they became vaine in their imaginations or in their reasonings as it is in the Originall God gave them up to a reprobate mind because they glorified not God Beloved I have three or foure uses but I feare Use The Fountaine of all good and evill in the soule I shall not reach them all I am overloath to tire you and my selfe Therefore I will conclude with one word and that is this That from hence from this that hath been said you may see what is the Fountaine of all goodnesse and of all evill in the soule Of all good as I have at large lookt upon it but 1. Of good can but touch take any good and you shall see it is carried on by spirituall reasoning as take faith Abraham reasoned he that gave him a Sonne at a hundred yeares old could raise him up againe Take your consolation it comes out by spirituall reasoning take Paul and Silas they were in Prison and ready to be brought out the next day to die now one would thinke they were madd there to sing but they did it upon spirituall reasons for they accounted themselves blessed to suffer for Christ and if they die they shall then be with Christ for hating of evill you shall see whence is it as pulling out the right eye or cutting off the right hand that is one would thinke a most unreasonable thing but Christ giveth a reason for it It is better to goe into Heaven it is better to enter into life halt or maimed rather then having two hands or two feete to he cast into everlasting fire So a Saint can reason spiricually and thus he loves the Saints and hates sin and denieth himselfe and performeth every dutie he so reasoneth that it is the blessed will of God he should doe it 2. Evill And so for evill whence comes sin from the vanitie of the mind whence comes persecution they thinke they doe God good service There is reason it is a good thing to suppresse these Schismatiques say some and to have Conformitie and be all of one mind and to banish them and let them all goe whence is this it is either from corrupt or naturall reason And so when men heare the Word of God and forget it they like it well as a man doth that sees his face in a glass but they goe away and forget it and whence is it why James tells you Deceive not your selves Deceiving your selves the word in the Originall is by false reasonings A man heares the Word and thinks surely I am in this evill condition and I am out of the way and I must looke after Christ and the like But afterwards comes naturall reason saying these are but new denies and what is become of our Fathers and the like Beloved all good is carried into the soule upon the wings of spirituall reason and all evill upon naturall and corrupt reason and therefore I conclude all beseeching you that you would studie and endeavour to get up your soules To labour to be swayed by spirituall reasoning and your conversations accordingly to be swayed and carried on by a spirituall mind by spirituall reasoning for here we speake of your Consciences not of your lives so much as of your hearts and minds And that you may so doe take the motive which followes in the Text which I did purpose had God given me strength and time to open but take it in the gross For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Be perswaded to goe home and pray the Lord to create this in you yea and enlighten you For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Two things I have here to say To be carnally Carnall reasoning brings death minded is death you must expound it by the other that opposeth it its contrary to life and peace it is death and trouble and the other is life and peace Death and trouble if thou wilt be a carnal man and go on so there is nothing in all thy course but death and trouble that is there is death at the end of it Remember that the end of thy Journey is death Remember as the Apostle saith Phil. 3. they minde earthly things and I write weeping that there end is destruction It is a fine thing to be carried all our life long from one carnall thing to another and provide for my Honour and wealth and preferment and the like and doe this and that good action upon carnall reasons and with a carnall eye but God hath put a sad end to it it is Death Spirituall reasoning life And now the other it is life it is eternall life though
it be rough for me every day to dispute with my carnall heart and not only carry on good but deny my selfe in good upon spirituall reason this is a warrefare but the end is life and it is peace too This is a hard worke you will say and therefore we will take the easiest and smallest worke Beloved I say there is more ease and sweetnesse and contentednesse in going on in the wayes of God spiritually upon spirituall reasons an hundred fold than in the other for the other will be rough and God hath cast it so God hath put a curse upon all Old Adam he curseth it with death and therefore he must dye that walks carnally and that is the reason all your naturall thoughts and actions are so bitter God hath cursed them they must dye and now all the wayes of Holinesse have enough to induce thee to endeavour to walke holily as one saith the gleanings of the Saints are better than the harvest of the wicked men if there were no Hell nor Heaven hereafter but only the wicked to have the pleasures of sinne here and the Saints to have the consolations of the Spirit dwelling in them it is more an hundred fold the one is nothing but crackling of Thornes under a Pot and the end is smoake and stinke and the other is sweet here and in the end blessed eternally if it were not suppose though the way to Heaven be bitter here yet it is sweet in the End and the way of the world sweet here and bitter in the end yet you should choose holinesse as a Philosopher said if a man were to take a bitter and sweet thing which were he best to take first saith he to take the sower or the evill first and the sweet for the hope of the good to come will sweeten the present evill but when a man hath the good first the feare of the evill to come will marre al but therefore seeing there is a reward in the way in Holinesse as well as in the end for holinesse it should move us to labour after holinesse THE TABLE A Abraham ABraham juflified how page 231 Absurd Absurd what 369 Act The cheife act of the mind 358 See Reasoning Action Actions carnall denominate men 323 Adam Two things from Adam 252 The best have somwhat of old Adam 270 All from old Adam condemned 28â— Somthing in Saints that was not in Adam 405 See please Adoption Spirit of adoption 280 Affliction Carriage of a humble heart in affliction 124 Ten Instances of the carriage of a humble heart in afflictions 126 See fire All Christ died not for all 107 Saints willing to know all Gods truthes 110 Amiable Sight of God to Saints amiable 16 Another Saints content with the righteousnesse of another 102 Antinomians Antinomians who Apprehensions Sight of God knowne by our apprehensions 31 Apprehensions of God how to trie them 40 See cleare pretious perpetuall Assurance Assurance in the apprehensions of Saints 32 Assurance wanting to ordinary Professors why 106 B Beleivers Beleiving None satisfie the law but Beleivers 249 Spirituall reasoning in Beleiving 363 See righteousnesse Blind Mind of a Carnall man blind 349 Bondage Spirit of bondage what 280 Books three uses of other books besides the Scriptures 311 Borne againe He that will see God must be borne againe 62 To be borne againe what 69 To labour to be borne againe 312 Bribe God such a Lawgiver as cannot be brided 209 C Change A true sight of God changeth men 54 Carnall Men meerly carnall are called flesh 323 See actions Christ Saving sight of God only in Christ 11 A Saint in the worst condition repents not of taking Christ 137 The law fulfilled by Christ 210 Motive to come to Christ 214 Invitation to come to Christ 381 See example father comming meeke lycenciousnesse rule unyon Cleare Apprehensions of God cleare to Saints 31 Coach-man The mind the coach-man of the soule 347 Coare The coare of a naturall mans heart fleshly 335 Commands A proud heart dissobeys Gods commands 117 A proud heart wearie of Gods commands 118 Who offer violence to Gods commands 119 A Saint in affliction neglects not Gods commands 142 Comfort The godly more carefull of benefite then comfort in afflictions 142 why Saints have comfort in the worst condition 371 Comming Upon what ground to long for Christs comming 292 Communion Communion with sinners wherein forbidden 169 Condemne See Adam Condiscend A humble Saint will condiscend to the weake 186 Conscience Conscience purified what 49 Consolation consolations of the spirit 409 Conversation Vnnecessary conversation with sinners forbidden 171 Constant Sight of God in this World not constant 17 Ground of Saints constancy 369 Conviction Conviction of the spirit 409 Correction Wicked men see not God in corrections 96 Corporeall Corporeall sight of God 4 Corrupt corruption Saints pure notwithstanding their corruptions 52 Corruption how discovered 149 Saints called fleshly because of their corruptions 322 Mind corrupted 360 Reasoning corrupted 361 Covenant Saints stick close to the covenant in afflictions 143 Covenant in man to keepe Gods law 208 Ishmael and Isaac types of the Covenants 266 See workes Creation Sight of God in works of creation 4 New creation by the spirit 403 Creature Creatures resemblances of spirituall things 55 Curse Sin a curse in Hell 288 D Darknesse Satans Kingdome darknesse 64 Naturall principles darke 377 Day See son of man Death die Hypocrites why â—oth to die 38 Why godly men die 287 Carnall reasoning brings death 413 See sin works Deliberation Deliberation wherein excluded 215 Deliverance Saints desire somthing more then deliverance 140 Discretion Sadnesse of Christians in Discretion 74 Devill see God Divinity Divinitie mistaken 289 Doing No man can fulfill the law by doing 212 Spirituall reasoning in doing 365 Draw How God drawes mens hearts 92 Dutie In what duties we may converse with sinners 170 Men proud of duties why 290 E Earthly earthlynesse Wicked men live on earthly things 72 Earthlynesse troubleth Christians 294 Things of the flesh things on earth Enjoy see God Envie Prosperity of the wicked not to be envied 73 Escape No escape from Gods law 209 Eve How the DEVILL tempted Eve 302 Evill Fountaine of evill in the soule 412 Example Christs example to be looked on 242 Excercise Excercise of spirituall reasoning by the spirit 410 Extoll see learning F Face Christ the face of God 11 Saints live by seeing Gods face 72 Faculties Naturall faculties corrupted by sin 378 Faith Faith the life of it 237 Justification known by faith 258 Fall Not to fall from the liberty of the Gospell 304 Father The Father shews Christ 13 Christ shews the Father 14 Fellowship Fellowship of Saints whence 59 Ground of fellowship with others 272 Few Few shall be saved 267 Flesh Flesh what meant by it 252 Walking according to the flesh what 255 Why walking after the law is after the flesh 265 Not to use liberty for the flesh 298 VVho mind the things of the flesh
319 To be after the flesh what 321 see works weaknesse spirit corruptions actions carnall righteousnesse Fire Afflictions as fire 125 G Garrison The Devills strongest Garrison 389 Gentlenesse Ground of gentlenesse in the godly 373 Giving To looke to God in his giving 92 Glory glorious Saints condition glorious 235 Glory in Heaven unspeakable 294 Expectation of glory in former Saints 295 Glosses Scripture to be studied without mens glosses 310 God The Devill God of this world how 65 True humiliation known by our carriage to God 100 What hinders from enjoying of God 239 Godlinesse See Reason Good We are not more justified for the good we doe 220 Naturall men in great place do little good 385 The fountaine of all good in the soule 411 Gospell Preaching of the Gospell to be highly prized 24 Excellency of the Gospell why not seene 25 See rules liberty fall Grace Saints rejoyce at grace in others 198 See nature undervalue greater Greater Saints not discouraged by greater grace in others 193 Grow Growth A pure heart labours to grow in purity 52 See grace Guilt Saints dead to sin in regard of guilt 275 See conscience H. Happie happinesse Foundation of a Christians happinesse 297 See World Heart Saints thankfull for a heart to receive mercy 159 See pure Heaven Christs ascending to Heaven shews God is satisfied 228 See joy High A humble heart hath High thoughts of God in affliction 128 Hypocrite Difference betweene saints and Hypocrites 54 See satisfie dye Holy holinesse Those that have seen God should be holy 67 Holinesse wrought by seeing of God 87 Best motive to holinesse 244 Saints more holy then others 277 Hope Hope of glory in saints 281 Humble humiliation Causes of humiliation 2 Sight of God in Christ the true way to humiliation 75 Difference in working humiliation and other graces 79 Unregenerate Men not truely humbled 93 Wicked men may doe acts of humiliation 94 Wicked Men shall one day be humbled 96 True humiliation how known 100 Ground of humilitie 232 Saints to walke humbly 301 See Ministers afflictions Revelations I Jealous see Truth Jerusalem Jerusalem from above 291 Illumination Sight of God by common illumination 5 Saints illumination by the spirit 407 Impression True sight of God known by the impressions of it â—1 Imperfect Sight of God in this world imperfect 8 Infirmities Saints gentle to others infirmities 197 Instruct Saints willing to be instructed by others 189 Intellectuals Godlinesse hath that that will excercise the intellectuals 382 Job Why Satan desired to tempt Job 125 Joy Saints apprehensions of God full of joy 38 Joy of Heaven what 39 Judge Judgement Sight of God at the day of judgment 5 How godly men judge of things 337 A spirituall man judgeth all things 385 Justice Justice of God how thought of by Saints in affliction 129 Justification A humble Saints carriage to God in Justification 101 Justification upon what it is built 219 See good faith K. Kingdome He that will see God must be delivered from Satans Kingdome 64 Know Knowledge A misery in the knowledge of Saints 33 Of such as thinke they know more then others 185 Carnall men know not spirituall things 320 See Saving Licentiousnesse L. Lasting Comfort of spirituall duties lasting 375 Law Saints content that God make Lawes for his mercies 160 Law fulfilled three wayes 210 Vanity of such as think to fulfill the Law 211 See Righteousnesse Beleevers Spirit Learne Humble Saints readier to learne then teach 192 Learning Learning too much extolled by some 306 Learning of what use it is 307 Learning of Christians and others different 311 Led see Spirit Least A humble heart thankfull for the least mercy 158 A humble Saint thinks himselfe the least 181 How a Saint judgeth himselfe the least 183 Liberty Liberty not to be abused 298 Liberty brought by the Gospell 299 Danger of abusing Liberty ibid. Life The minde not good if the life be naught 352 A Saint can look with comfort on his past life 374 Spirituall reasonings bring life 413 See Vision earthly face faith Light Those that have seene God desire to bring others to the light 59 A humble Saint will abate of his owne light 196 A new light in the soules of godly men 376 Saints have a powerfull light 407 Licentiousnesse Knowledge of Christ no ground of licentiousnesse 315 Love Love to our Brethren how wrought 56 How Saints should bee loved 57 Love of God how esteemed by Saints in affliction 130 True Saints can love though not loved 199 Ground of Saints loving good things 392 Low Why Christians spirits are so low 236 Lust Worldly mens lust their rule 240 To fulfill sinfull lusts called flesh 332 Lusts may drive men to duty 395 M. Man True humiliation known by our carriage to Man 166 Things of the flesh called the things of a Man 324 Meanes Saints humbled in regard of the meanes they have had 183 Meeke Meeknesse Humble hearts are meeke to sinners 166 Christs meeknesse to sinners 167 Cautions in meeknesse to sinners 169 Ground of meeknesse to sinners 173 see mind Mercies Mercies abused humble saints 21 Carnall men cannot see God in his mercies 95 Carriage of humble Saints to God for mercies 148 See least denyed waite heart Minde minding Saints meek to those of another minde 188 Minding the things of the flesh what 334 Best thing in a carnall man his minde 344 Misery of a carnall man in his minde 345 God inflicts the greatest punishment on the minde 347 Greatest happinesse of a Chrstian in his minde 348 Misery of a carnall minde in six particulars ibid. Minde of three sorts 360 Spirituall minde what 378 See Throne Life Ministers God humbles his Ministers before he sends them 1 Mistery see Knowledge More Those that see God desire to see him more 37 Saints what humbles them more 182 Motions Motions of the spirit neglected humbles Saints 148 Mourne The right way to mourne for sin 232 N. Nature naturall Grace crosseth not principles of nature 153 Sinners may be conversed with in naturall things 170 And in naturall duties ibid. Prayer a naturall duty 171 Naturall minde 360 Naturall reasonings 362 O Offend A humble Saint will not offend others 106 Liberty Not to be used to offend others 300 Old How Saints of old spake of the spirit 308 Things of the flesh old things 327 Old man what 378 Ordinances Carnall men see not God in Ordinances 95 In what Ordinances wee may converse with sinners 170 Why people care not for Gods Ordinances 340 Others Saints humbled to see more good and lesse evill in othes Outward A Christian may provide and care for outward things 334 P. Patience Patience wrought by seeing God 87 Why Saints beare injuries with patience 341 Part. Saints see God but in part 15 Perpetuall Sight of God to his Children perpetuall 40 Persecution Ground of persecution 313 Please Nothing from naturall Adam can please God 284 Power Pure hearts cleansed from the power of sin 51 Sin dead in
God 1. All meanes in the world cannot make God known 62 2. Men must be borne againe ibid. 3. They must be delivered from Satans Kingdome 64 4. They must have pure hearts 66 Use 1. They that have seen God should walke holily 67 Serm. IV. Use 2. The reason of the difference between the godly and the wicked 72 Vse 3. Not to envie the prosperity of the wicked 74 Doct. 2. The sight of God in Christ the way to true humiliation 75 Reas 1. All graces are wrought by seeing of God 87 Reas 2. All that is in God is of humbling nature 90 Use 1. Unregenerate men cannot be truely humbled 93 Serm. V. Tryall whether we have seen God aright 100 By our humiliation 1. By our carriage to God ibid. 2. In Justification 101 1. To take the righteousnesse of another 102 2. Upon Christs bare word 104 3. Upon a generall word 107 4. To renounce our owne righteousnesse 108 5. Notwithstanding our sins and want of preparation 109 2. By our carriage towards Gods truths revealed 2. To be willing to know all 111 Wicked mens carriage towards Gods truths 112 3. By our carriage towards Gods commands 116 Carriage of proud hearts towards Gods commands 118 Serm. VI. 4. By our carriage towards God in afflictions 124 1. A humble heart seeth God in affliction 126 2. Hee bath high thoughts of God 128 3. Hee humbly submits in affliction 133 4. Envies not the prosperity of others 135 5. Repents not of receiving Christ 137 6. Is more carefull of his carriage then for deliverance 140 7. Is more carefull of benefit then comfort in affliction 142 8. Neglects not Gods commands in affliction ibid. 9. Sticks close to Gods Covenant in affliction 143 10. Is apt to pray in affliction 144 11. Is not weary of waiting on God 145 Serm. VII The carriage of a humble heart to God for mercies 148 1 He is content to be denyed any mercy 150 2. That God should take away any mercy 154 3. Hee will wait for mercies 156 4. Hee is content with the least mercy 158 5. He is thankfull for a heart to receive mercies 159 6. Hee is content that GOD should make Lawes for his mercies 160 7. New mercies add to his thankfulnesse 161 Serm. VIII True humiliation known by our carriage towards men 166 1. Towards sinners 1. With meeknesse ibid. Cautions in meeknesse to sinners 169 Why Saints should be meeke to Sinners 173 1. They consider what they once were ibid. 2. They thinke themselves bad still 174 3. It is God makes them differ ibid. 4. Others may come to be as good as they ibid. Serm. IX The carriage of a humble heart towards Saints 180 1. He thinks himselfe the least of Saints 181 2. He condiscends to the weakest Saints 186 3. He is jealous of those truthes he knowes 187 4. Meâ—ke to Saints of another mind 188 5. Yeilds to the reproofe or instruction of others 189 6. Vndervalues not grace in others 191 7. He is readier to learne then teach 192 8. He is not discouraged by greater grace in others 194 9. There is a sweetnesse to all Saints 194. 10. He will not offend other Saints 196 11. Gentle to other Saints infirmities 197 12. Glad to doe service for the Saints ibid. 13. Rejoyceth at the growth of grace in others 198 14. He can love though he be not loved 199 15. He measures not himselfe by himselfe ibid. THE CONTENTS OF THE Ten latter SERMONS Serm. I. Doct. 1. THe Law requires a perfect righteousnesse page 209 Reas 1. From Gods Soveraignties ibid. Reas 2. From mans Covenant ibid. Reas 3. Nothing can exempt from the Law 210 Three wayes to fulfill the Law 211 Use 1. Vanity of those that thinke to fulfill the Law ibid. Use 2. Motive to come to Christ 214 Doct. 2. The righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled in all Beleives 217 Use To see upon what our justification is buylt 219 Serm. II. The Law fulfilled in us by our unyon with Christ 224 Reas 1. Christ a publike person 226 Reas 2. Vnyon betwixt Christ and Beleivers 227 Reas 3. God the Father satisfied ibid. Use 1. To learne the ground of our justification 229 Use 2. The glorious condition of Saints in Christ 235 Use 3. Ta conforme our selves to the will of God 240 Three rules that all conforme to ibid. Serm. III. True beleevers no Antinomians 248 Doct. 3. Those that Christ satisfied the Law for walke according to the spirit 250 To walke what 251 To walk according to the spirit what 255 Three things meant by walking according to the flesh ibid. Use Few shall be saved 267 How to judge who are Saints 270 Serm. IV. Use 1. How to judge who are Saints 274 Use 2. How to know wee walke according to the spirit ibid. Use 3. Tryall of our actions 283 Serm. V. Use 4. Exhortation to those that have the spirit 298 Use 5. How men may come to walke spiritually 305 Use 6. Ground of persecution and division 313 Serm. VI. Doct. 4. They that are after the flesh doe minde the things of the flesh 319 Reas 1. Every thing workes according to its principles ibid. Reas 2. Carnall men know not spiritual things 320 Quest 1. What meant by being after the flesh 321 Quest 2. What meant by the things of the flesh 324 Quest 3. VVhat meant by minding the things of the flesh 334 Use 1. Why most people understand not spirituall things 338 Serm. VII Use 2. The misery of a carnall Man what 345 Vse 3. The minde cannot be good if the life be naught 352 Vse 4. Christ dyed not for all alike ibid. Vse 5. To see whether we be fleshly minded 354 Serm. VIII Doct. 5. Those that are after the flesh are swayed by fleshly reasonings 360 Three sorts of minds ibid. Three sorts of reasonings 361 Godlinesse hath the best reason 368 Vse 1. Not to reject all reason in godlinesse 380 Vse 2. Invitation to come to Christ 381 Vse 3. Godly men the wisest 384 Serm. IX The reasonings of the mind the highest act of it 388 Vse The most rationall men without grace the worst 38 The reasoning of the mind the chiefe distinguishing character 390 How a good man may be moved with naturall and carnall reasoning 393 Use 1. To try what grace or corruption is in us 394 Use 2. Why good men misse the will of God 395 Serm. X. How Saints come to be led by spirituall reasoning 402 1. The spirit-workes by creation 403 2. By spirituall illumination 407 3. By suggestion ibid. 4. By conviction 408 5. By commemoration 409 6. By consolation ibid. 7. By sanctification 410 8. By exercising ibid. Use 1. To see the fountaine of all good and evill in the soule 411 Use 2. To labour to be swayed by spirituall reasoning A saving sight of God Isaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hosts IN this verse we have a description of true Gospell humiliation the most that
the originall God hath put this treasure As we find in naturall things Pearles are in the shels of little fishes and the shell is worth nothing So though we be little worth God hath made the preaching of the Gospell by us the way to bestow these glorious priviledges He will make known himself in Christ the same that shall be for ever hereafter which only the Saints enjoy and this is by the word And it is by the Spirit as it is in 2 Cor. 3. VVhere And by the Spirit the spirit is there is liberty where it is not there is a vaile over the heart and minde that none can take a-away but the spirit of God Where the spirit is there is liliberty What is that When a man hath the Spirit he is freed from that Vaile his eyes are opened as he saith after we that are S t s we have no vaile but we behold with pen face the glory of God Through the Gospel we see Christ and through Christ the Father the glory of the Lord but how By the spirit of the Lord that is the Spirit of the Lord uncovers the face and annoints the eyes Therefore the Spirit is called Oyntment because he annoints the eyes and he is called Eye-salve Revel 3. he helps us to see So thus you have a little for it is an unspeakable thing and therefore we can only speak a little aloofe afarr off that you may know that there is such a thing but it is God himselfe that must bestow it on you and me I will add one more particular because I find it in the Scripture concerning this seeing of God I finde it is spoken of 3 wayes or as it were in 3 pathes First the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when The Father shews us Christ we were dead in sins and when we saw nothing at all the Father shews us Christ Before we have any thing to doe with Christ actively the Father hath many things to doe on us passively as Christ saith Joh. 17. Father all that were thine thou gavest them to me Before Christ comes the Father is making the match and commending his Sonne to us when we are meerly passive in it For that is a generall rule a man never acts but by Jesus Christ therefore let men talke what they will God may doe what he will passively on me but I am not to acts at all till Jesus Christ come but I say passively the Father was woing us to his Son and no man saith Christ comes to me except the Father draw him and those that have learned and are taught of the Father come to me Joh. 6. 45. That I say is one sight that a poore sinner hath a sight of the Excellency of Jesus Christ Now it may be if thou look back and consider how God did deale with thee at the first thou canst remember when many times Jesus Christ was presented to thee in his excellencie sometimes more sometimes lesse and thou sawest him an excellent person and wouldest have given a world for him and didst account it a heaven and happinesse to enjoy him Now whence was this but that the Father was willing to make the match between his Son and thee and shewed this excellency of him Secondly I finde on the other side in Scripture Christ shews us the Father that the Son Christ gives us to see the Father for the Father is not seene all this while thou seest not who shews thee that Excellency thou seest Christ before and wouldest give a world for him but thou knowest not who opened the Window it is the Father and then Christ only shews the Father that is after thou art married to Christ and Christ will shew thee thy Friends When Christ hath married the Soule he will shew it what riches is in him what grace righteousnes and goodnesse and saith Christ I have a Father and I am willing that you should be acquainted with him and know him so Christ leads us to the Father that is that Christ speaks Joh. 14. Ye know me and ye know the Father And saith he hast thou seene me and not known the Father he that hath seene me hath seene the Father for wee see the Father through Christ that is all the knowledge we have of the Father for the Father is another person just like Christ he is invisible no eye ever saw him but through Christ that is I see what pitty and love and grace and goodnesse is in Christ and such is in the Father There are no two things in all the creation of God that are so like one another as the Father is to Jesus Christ so that as though I know one Egg I may know another yet two Eggs are not comparable or to be mentioned for likenesse as the Father is to Christ So that if a man have perfect understanding of Christ he will have also of the Father Thirdly both these though the one be passive and Both done by the Spirit the other active that now I must looke with mine owne eyes that Christ hath put in my head to see the Father though the Father shewed Christ to me when I was blind and dead I say both are done by the Spirit of God who is called sometimes the spirit of God and sometimes the spirit of Christ and Christ saith the spirit shall take of my things and shew them to you So the Spirit from the one and the other makes manifestations So you have seene a little towards the opening of this glorious priviledge that the Saints have of seeing God in this world The manner how the Saints see God There are 4 or 5. things more which the Scripture speaks of our seeing of God and which the Saints finde by experience I shall but briefly touch them I have told you that a Saint sees God but in part 1 They see but a part and yet a Saint sees but a part of God as it were at any time He sees not God fully in any thing and yet he sees but a part as it were of God almost at any time that is the Lord doth not discover al his glory to any Saint at once but somtimes the Lord reveales to his child and lets him see his glorious power in such a way as no carnall man ever shall Another while he lets him see the glory of his Justice and that it may be ravisheth him for a time Another while God sheds his love into his heart and sets that before him God might shew himselfe at once he might shew himselfe fully if he pleased but this is his manner and dealing as we see in the Scriptures and as the Saints finde generally in Experience That is one thing Then secondly in this sight of God though the 2. What they see is amiable Lord shew but part of himselfe at once sometimes it may be a greater part then at an other time yet that part be it what it
while thou livest and to let Christ be wisedome in thee that thou wouldest be a poore infirme fraile creature and let Christ Jesus be thy righteousnesse that thou art content to walke in raggs and let Christ be thy riches This is one thing In that place Rom. 10. 3. It was the pride of the Jews that kept them from salvation by the righteousnesse of the Gospell they would not submit to the righteousnesse of God they were a proud people So that is it that keeps many a soule that hears the word it is that that keepes you weake What it is that keepes men in inward trouble and full of woe and sorrow all your dayes You thinke it is the want of this grace and the want of that grace and other things but it is nothing but your owne stubborne heart that you will not submit to the righteousnesse of Christ You would have this grace and that grace that is you would fill up every corner of your owne shop and you would amend your owne trading but you would not shut up shop and be journey-men as I may speake with reverence to Jesus Christ That is one thing Then againe the second particular I have to demonstrate 2. To take the righteousnes of Christ on his bare word that whether you be humbled or no is this whether the Lord have brought you to be content to take the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ upon his owne bare and naked word Whether now you can say there is Jesus Christ full of righteousnesse for me and my own righteousnesse is full of raggs What evidence have you for it Here is a word Jesus Christ is come to dye for sinners I find nothing in me but here is a bare word and hereupon I am content to take his righteousnesse and throw away mine owne I doe not say but that a good Christian may Christians may make use of signes make good use of signes and marks even in earthly things Christians see the love of God by temporall outward things for God useth what Pipes he pleaseth to convey his love But the question is in matter of believing whether I should not throw away my owne righteousnesse and wholly believe in Jesus Christs righteousnesse before I see any grace or any signe A humble heart can doe it and is content that marks should come after he believes after I believe God will sanctifie me and worke grace and then I shall see his love more But the first bargain betweene God and me is his bare word therefore that Rom. 10. is glorious and cleare and comfortable The Apostle lays downe the difference betweene salvation by the Law and by faith saith he the Righteousnesse of the Law speaketh on this wise The man that doth these things shall live by them but the righteousnesse which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thy heart who shall ascend into Heaven or who shall descend into the Deepe but he that believeth shall be saved Marke it this is the straine and streame and language of the Gospell that is salvation by Jesus Christ and whosoever believeth on that salvation shall not be ashamed he shall be sure of it But how shall we come to believe and to be sure of this salvation Say not in thy heart who shall goe up to heaven or who shall descend into the deep but what saith it the word is nigh thee that is God hath given a word and he will give a spirit of faith with it and there are but two words to the bargaine there is the spirit in thee and the word without thee and this is the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of faith saith so Say not who shall goe up to heaven or downe to the earth For the eyes of a fool are scattered about the world And when men come to believe in Christ they aske who shall ascend into Heaven how shall I come to know that I am a Saint and that I am predestinated The Lord would have us believe the word that Christ Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Here is a word if the heart now could apply this by the spirit of faith That is another thing I would have you thinke on Your ordinary Professors most of them they Why ordinary professors want assurance have not assurance of salvation why They cannot believe Why so because they finde so many corruptions in them and they finde so many graces wanting and they have ill memories and hard hearts and if it were not for these things they could believe What is the meaning of it It is as if they should say I will never trust God in the righteousnesse of the Gospell upon his bare word God will have us trust him ere he will trust us we must take God upon his word God wil bring every child of his to this to take his salvation upon a bare word and he will blesse his name for it I have but one soule and if I had a thousand I would venture them all upon his word and say there my soule lyes sinck or swim or goe to heaven or hell here is the word that Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Now if there be pride in the heart it will not come and rest on a bare word The Lord make you understand these things that they may not be lost Thirdly a humble heart will be content not only 3. With a generall word with a bare word but with the least word and the most generall word A proud heart will not be content unlesse he hath a perticular word For my part I may mistake but I will tell you my opinion that those men how Christ dyed not for all ever otherwise they be godly some of them that doe hold that Christ did dye for all men and that he came to save Judas as well as Peter If Christ came to save all and yet many shall goe to Hell how come they to be saved It is a proud thought in the heart that would teach God how to speake and how to make promises and we poore wretched damnable creatures must shew him what language he shall speake in whereas now a humble heart will take the least and most generall word and thanke God as we see in the woman of Canaan Christ gives her never a word a great while but frownes and then he gives her a terrible word and bids her goe he calls her Dogg why that was something a Dogg hath some priviledge he hath the crums that fall from the Table he looks for outward mercies and therefore in that he calls me Dogg I have so much of that word that I will follow him for the crums Saith Christ to her O Woman great is thy faith be it unto thee as thou wilt So Benhadads servants when they came with Halters about their necks saith the King Is my brother Benhadad alive that was a comfortable word they harpt upon
the proud happy yea they that Worke wickednesse are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered Here is the temper of proud spirits and hearts of wicked men they are all for Honour and wealth what profit shall we have by humbling our soules and keeping Gods Ordinances O! these were stout words and stout hearts and spirits to envy the prosperity of other people while they were corrected And in Job 2â— You shall read that Job did almost fall in that poynt also but it was because he was not throughly humbled as in the end he was for then he abhorred himselfe The Fift thing is this that a soul that is truely 5. Humble hearts repent not of receiving Christ humbled in his afflictions as he doth not envie the prosperity of others the while so he doth not repent of his bargaine that he hath made in receiving of Jesus Christ though all his afflictions and miseries it may be fall on him for his sake or the most of them he never repents that he hath been so holy but that he is not more holy A proud heart repents of what it hath done for God O saith a proud heart If I had not heard Puritans and followed their Sermons and gone their wayes and lived in their Conventicles I had not been noted and hated and afflicted It is a proud heart that repents of any jot of good it hath done for God or that repents of his receiving of Christ for any affliction or misery that may befall him it is a signe of a base heart There is a blessed expression Psal 44. 9. Of David and the people of God I have oft thought of the great sufferings of the Saints there spoken of Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame and goest not forth with our Armies Thou makest us to turne back from the Enemy and those that hate us spoyle for themselves Thou hast given us like Sheepe appointed for meat and hast scattered us among the Heathen Thou sellest thy people for nought and doest not increase thy wealth by their price A strange thing thou sellest them and takest no money for them Thou makest us a reproach to our Neighbours a scorne and derision to them that are round about us c. Here is as it were an inventorie of all the troubles of the Church and wherefore doth he speake all this you shall see after For all this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neyther have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neyther have our steps declined from thy way Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons yet we have not stretched forth our hands to a strange God He reckons up all these troubles and yet sayth he notwithstanding all this though God have brought all these miseries upon us yet We have not been false in the Covenant nor stretched out our hands to a strange God we doe not repent that we have received thee and are married to thee and have chosen thee for our God I remember the practice of a godly Minister many yeares agoe who speaking of the manner how God useth to bring in sinners to Christ though there were a great deale of curiositie in those dayes more if I may speak with reverence to the worthy men that then lived then should have been as if a man should go about to describe the forming of a child in the wombe which it were better leave to God then studie too much how it is framed But I remember his expression sayth he God takes a sinner the first time and shewes him his miserie and shuts him up that he sees no way of deliverance at all and then after a little while he opens a little crevice that he may see deliverance and Salvation but he gives him not the least occasion of hope that he shall have deliverance but in the meane while what doth the sinner He leaves his sins as fast as he can and turnes them off and throwes them away He sees Salvation and he sayth yonder is Salvation but I have no reason to hope to have it but whether I have it or no I will never goe back to sin I am resolved whether Christ will give me pardon and Salvation or not I will not take sin any more I applie it to this when afflictions and miseries come in stormes on a poore soule shower after shower that there is no end the soule sayth I know not how I shall be delivered from these troubles here is death and misery and sicknesse upon me and I know not what the issue will be but be the end what it will by the helpe of God I will not goe back to sin I will not repent that I have received Christ but will keepe close to the Lord. This is the meaning of that phrase Mat. 13. Where Christ saith when the sun is up upon the corne it scorcheth it that is when there is Persecution for every Persecution is an affliction though every affliction be not a Persecution now when the sun of Persecution is up men are offended What is the meaning of that Men repent of their bargaine they begin to be sorrie that ever they were Professors of Religion Therefore the Lord Christ would have a man cast up the cost For when a man enters into Religion it is as if he were to fight a Field there will be losse and trouble and danger there will be tribulation and hot Persecution consider if thou be able to goe through it thou must have the shell as well as the kernell it is a decree of Heaven Therefore consider before hand that thou mayest not repent when troubles come There may be base times worse then yet if worse may be and if when tribulations come thou shalt repent that thou hast gone so farr in Religion and that thou hast been acquainted with the Saints and that thou hast been so oft in their companie thou hast to speake the least and the best of thee an unhumbled heart Sixtly a Saint that hath a humbled heart you 6. He is more carefull to carry himselfe aright then to be delivered may know it by his carriage in afflictions by this he is more carefull by far of his right carriage in it then of deliverance out of it That is alway in a humble heart he studies more how to behave himselfe like a Saint under the rod then how to get away and be delivered from it You may read in Acts 4. There was very hot persecution and great affliction upon the Saints and yet there they are blessing God notwithstanding all their Persecution to see the Scripture fullfilled that which was spoken in Psal 2. The Kings of the Earth stand up and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his anoynted they rejoyced to see that fullfilled as if they had said they killed Christ the other day and now they Persecute us Now what would
you and I have asked had we been in their condition O that God would deliver us that he would shew us an Iland where we might never be troubled more many of us would have done this out of weaknesse but what doe they doe Vers 29. And now Lord behold their threatnings And what then They doe not say Lord deliver us from their threatnings But grant unto thy servants that with all boldnesse they may speak thy word By stretching forth thine hand to heale and that signes and wonders may be done by the name of the holy child Jesus Lord say they thou hearest their threatnings and we feare that our base hearts will be fearfull and so we shall be loath to Preach the Gospell of Christ and to doe signes and wonders as thou hast commanded therefore good Lord give us boldnesse This is the carriage of an honest holy heart So you have it of Paul ordinarily in Phil. 1. 13. There he was in bonds And in Vers 19. He doth implicitly desire the Prayers of the People for him VVhat to doe For I know sayth he that this shall turne to my Salvation through your prayers and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all holdnesse as alwayes so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death I doe not pray you Phillippians that you would pray that God would bind the hands of Nero that he may not put me to death or that he would open the Prison gates to let me out but I pray that in nothing I may be ashamed but that with all boldnesse as alway so now Christ may be magnified in my body I care not whether it be by life or by death so God may be glorified that if I live I may doe good there and if I die I may die as a Saint and a Christian So in Ephes 6. 18. I beseech you sayth he give your selves much to prayer above all things and pray for me VVhat to doe That utterance may be given me that I may open my mouth boldly to make knowne the Mysteries of the Gospell for which I am an Ambassador in bonds that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak He was in bonds and he desires them not once to pray that God would break his bonds O but pray that I may open my mouth boldly I find feare comes upon me many times feare of Cesar and feare of the Sword and feare of putting me to death therefore Pray that I may open my mouth boldly This is the carriage of a heart that is truly humbled Another a Seaventh thing is this a humble 7. A humble heart more carefull of benefit then comfort in afflictions heart he is alway more carefull to reape benefit from afflictions then to fetch comfort to himselfe in afflictions A proud heart is altogether for comfort he will doe any thing for comfort As Saul he will goe to the VVitch if need be for to fetch comfort but he studies not how to pertake of Gods holinesse by his afflictions Eightly to draw to a conclusion a humble 8. He neglects not Gods commands in afflictions heart doth not remit one jot of his obedience to the commands of God notwithstanding all his afflictions Proud dogged spirits I have oft observed it in my selfe and others there are some hearts that will not serve God and take paines for him otherwise then when the Lord dandleth them and cockers them and feeds them with white bread and if he doe not they will give over their callings and sit mopeing in their Closets there are diverse VVomen and other Professors that will sit mopeing in their Chambers a whole week together and why Because God hath laid such afflictions upon their spirits they will doe nothing for God all the businesse of their generall and particular callings must lie at six and seavens they will doe nothing for God when his hand is on them Now a humble heart as Job said in another case Though he kill me yet will I trust in him So sayth a humble heart let him kill me yet I will obey him I believe that he loves me there is a designe of a great reach in it there is the glory of God and the wisdome of God and the greatnesse of God in it Let him doe his work let him doe what he will and by Gods helpe I will doe my work in my generall and particular calling notwithstanding all the task that he layes on me I will not abate any thing of the obedience I am to bring in Another thing is this a humble heart alway 9. Hee sticks close to the Covenant in afflictions sticks closer to the Covenant of God in affliction then otherwise and the more the Lord will afflict him the more he will stir up his soul as Isaiah sayth to lay hold upon the Covenant As a loving child the more you whipp him the more he will endeavour in love to close with you and cling to you and catch the rod in a reverent manner in a loving way so a humble heart will get to God in affliction and lay hold upon him And this was the fault as Isay sayth of that people Isa 64. VVhen the Lord had layd his hand on them and suffered others to be Lords over them Sayth he V. 7. There is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee for thou hast hid thy face from us and hast consumed us because of our iniquities Here was a great affliction on them they were consumed and God had hid his face yet there was none that did stir up himselfe to lay hold on God out of the pride of their owne hearts A proud heart alwayes goes from God in affliction As we see Judas he went not to God but to the halter and Caine he went to the Land of Nod when God was angrie he went to buyld Townes he did not goe to God and lay hold upon the Covenant so Saul he goes to Endor to the VVitch in stead of going to God and laying better hold of the Covenant So a proud heart departs from God and growes further off and looser from God whereas alway in afflictions a humble heart sticks closer to God and gets better hold of his blessed covenant Another thing is this that in afflictions a humble 10. A humble heart apt to pray in afflictions heart desires in nothing to be troubled but in every thing to make his requests knowne with thanksgiving and that implies two things First he doth not restrayne prayer as Jobâ— 1. To make requests friends sayd to him Thou art a wicked man for thou restraynest prayer before God in thy afflictions And indeed if they had sayd true of Job he had been so he had been proud at the least proud people they will not
be but Saints though the blindest and loosest and foolishest and giddiest professors put them all in a company and put me in the middest and I am lesse then the least of them Canst thou say so and thinke so when thou walkest in the street or when thou art in the congregation of Saints I am lesse then the least The Apostle Paul could say so That now is one thing that is this Gospell grace Gospell humilitie to think so Not but that man understand me may conceive 1. Though God have bestowed more mercy on him that there is more grace shewed to him then to all the World besides I meane in a passive way God hath conferred more mereie and I have had more mercie from God more patience and long suffering God hath borne more with me and suffered longer then with any Saint that I know This is not contrary to the grace of humiliation for this Paul that said he was the least of Saints in 2 Tim. 1. 16. He sayth that he had received more mercy then any other and that he was made a patterne to all that should beleive not of any good in him but of grace and mercie bestowed on him from God Nay a man may goe further and yet be a humble 2. And may doe more service for God hearted Christian He may say as I have received more favours from God then others so God hath carried me on to doe more then many others I am lesse then the least of them sayth Paul yet I laboured more abundantly then they all That was no pride in him I am lesse then the least yet I Preached the Gospell from Jerusalem to Illiricum but not I but the grace of God That is the goodnesse of God that carries us on if any man be carried on to a good worke and God blesseth it let him looke on it when he hath done and he will say he was passive in it and was carried on by grace Now take those two cautions and then a humble hearted Saint will say put me into the regiment of broken professors and I am lesse then the least and the raggedest of them But you will say how can that be that a Saint A humble Saint judgeth himselfe the least should be taught in the communion of Saints should so conceive of himselfe it seemes impossible I answer there are many wayes I shall only 1. In regard of the great meanes hee hath had name a few First a humble Saint may generally conceive so of himselfe in respect of the greatnesse of the meanes he hath had It may be he hath lived in a glorious familie that he hath lived under a glorious Gospell ministerie and so he may thinke Chorazin and Bethsaida better then he he hath been planted in the Vineyard and if others had had the Gospell and the meanes that he hath had they would have been better And others it may be may think thus in respect 2. In regard of the time of the time it may be they are old professors and have but little grace and according to the rate and time they have had they see they have little or nothing for professors of a yeare or two old have more grace and more knowledge of Christ then they have in seaventeen it may be in twentiseaven yeares So another in respect of the motions of Gods 3. Motions of Gods spirit spirit he may think with himselfe the spirit of God hath striven more with me then with others I have seen other people runn mad that have not committed one of my sins and God hath cast them off and I have greived the spirit and vexed him a thousand times over and yet the blessed spirit hath come into my heart againe and restored all againe Others are carried with this consideration because 4. Seeing more good and lesse evill in others for all other S t s they see more good in them and but little ill but in themselves they see a World of ill and little good for humble hearted Saints studie their owne evills and other mens good Sayth a humble Saint I know yonder man he hath more grace and holinesse in his heart then is in mine owne I have a world of pride and frowardnesse It may be I have seen him once or twice angrie and to love the World too well but he did not continue so but mine owne heart loves the World every day too well and I am often sinfully angrie With these and the like considerations the Lord leads his people that are humbled by his spirit and by the sight of God in Christ to think themselves the least of all Saints If you say I but I canot be brought to think Ob. They that think they know more then others that I am the least in knowledge it may be in holinesse and grace I am the least but I know more then they and am able to teach and instruct others For that take these two or three words First I tell you when people conceive that 1. They know nothing they know more then others ordinarily they know nothing The Scripture sayth If any man think that be knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing And it may be thy knowledge is nothing else but darknesse there is a knowledge called ignorance and a light called darknesse Secondly it may be thou mayest know more in 2. They have not more saving knowledge divinitie there is a kind of knowledge of godlinesse that thou mayest have but in the pure saving knowledge of Christ if thou be a humble man thou canst not think that thou knowest more then another that is a Christian I may thinke I know more in the common rode but in saving knowledge and light revealed by the spirit out of the Scriptures I cannot but thinke I am least Thirdly thou mayest know more by way of 3. They have not more knowledg for the manner expression beeing a Scholler thou mayest be able to expresse thy selfe better and thou mayest know more matters more subjects and discourse of many things that another Saint it may be cannot but for the manner of knowing what thou knowest thou canst not conceit but that the least Saint knowes more then thee if thou be a humbled Saint I may know more in the rode of divinitie and more matters and subjects in godlinesse but for the manner of knowing it the poorest Saint in the World if he were able to expresse hemselfe he may know more of God in Christ then I. This is one way whereby you may know whether you be rightly humbled by your carriage to the Saints if you look on your selves as the very least of Saints Secondly if at any time your hearts in any 2. By condiscending to the weakest Saint consideration think your selves above others yet notwithstanding if your hearts be humbled you will then be willing and will easily condiscend to the weakest Saints Sometimes a humble heart may be
brother doth good and I strive and cannot doe so much as he therfore I am discouraged and will doe none at all that is emulation Emulation is taken in a good sence sometimes to do good before another but not to be discouraged because another can doe more good A Ninth thing is there is a constant sweetnesse 9. There is a sweetnesse in his heart to all Saints in the soul towards all the Saints where there is a humble heart I cannot expresse this sweetnesse but a little by the contrary 2 Cor. 12. 20. sayth the Apostle I am afraid when I come among you I shall find this and this among the rest he names swellings Now a swelling a boile or a plague sore where a swelling or any tumour is there is continuall aches and stitches and prickings and uneasinesse and the partie cannot sleep or wag or stir but is ankward and unquiet in his body So it is in the soul where there is pride there is swellings it is puffed up and blowne as a bladder And where there are swellings in the heart so much swelling so much uneasinesse and unquyet The Lord humble thee and me for it there are in our hearts stitches and aches many times towards this and that Saint I am unquyet I find fault with this and that and the other man I wrangle with him and I think the fault is in him but the swelling is in mine owne heart for we finde by experience if the Lord prick that bladder and let downe that swelling the heart will be sweet as a nut and looke on all Saints with joy Whereas take a proud professor put him into what assemblie of Saints you will he is alway jangling and wrangling there is a swelling and plague sore and prickings in the heart in Ephes 4. It is called bitternesse The Apostle may allude to a feaver when people are in a feaver there is a bitternesse on the tongue the man can take nothing in while he is in that disposition he is angrie with every thing his wife and his children cannot speake to him VVhat is the reason Not because his wife is not a loving wife and his children good children but there is a bitter humour on his tongue and the disease puts him into that aukardnesse So where there is pride in the heart there is bitternesse to the Saints we are mooved with this Saint and displeased with that and fall out with the other and we are well no where we like no way in Gods Kingdome but the reason is there is a bitternesse on thy tongue and there is a swelling in thee Therefore a humble heart hath the gallantest life of any man in the World it is full of sweetnesse there is no bitternesse nor swelling but it is alway filled with love and joy when he sees the least Saint notwithstanding all his owne graces In the Tenth place as he is not easily offended 10. He is carefull not to offend other Saints with others for I might speake much of that so he is carefull of avoyding the least offence to others Indeed a humble heart you cannot easily provoke him A hand that is full of swellings if you touch it you provoke it and make it burne or else if it be whole you cannot easily chafe and distemper it And he is very carefull also of avoyding just offence to others and therefore he doth these two things First he will if need be abate much of his light 1 In abating of his own light in his practice for offence sake There is a lesson for these times It may be some doe thus but not the Generalitie of these times Pray Evodiach and beseech Syntiche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. A humble heart will abate of his light and knowledge Paul knew many things that he did not preach nor practise We have men that say this is my light let all the World say as they will this is my light and I must contend for the faith O this is contending for corruption when there is not respect to all the Saints and a doing of our utmost to avoid offence And Secondly when he must practice any thing 2. He is sorry that he must do that which offends them that offends them there is a kind of sorrow at his heart unspeakable sorrow that he must doe any thing that shall give them offence I mean the doing of good things and his conscience foreeth him to it but he is sorry for it that he must doe them A proud heart is glad and joyfull of any new nik or notion whereby he may provoke the Saints I know diverse such that live upon found conceits as Taylors invent new fashions and though they provoke the generalitie of other Saints yet it must out every weeke or fortnight it is not so with a humble heart he will see two steps before he will tread one as we say in VVales and when he sees it and must goe a step that crosseth the light and spirit of the Saints it makes his heart ake though he must obey God The Eleaventh is this a humble heart in his demeanour 11. He is gentle to other Saints in their infirmities to the Saints is very gentle towards the Saints in their Infirmities and falls Gall. 5. 1. If any one be fallen by infirmitie ye that are spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse He should be like a Phisitian or Chirurgeon that gently sets a bone Considering thy selfe When a man is rough to another he doth not consider himselfe what he hath been and what he may be how God may leave him or her to that corruption that he sees his brother or sister fall into it proceeds from a proud heart if a professor fall men are ready to say I expected no other I thought he was an Hypocrite and so farewell he No thou shouldst goe to him and with pitty and love labour to heale him it may be when you fall you will fall lower and worser then he This is the nature of an humble heart Another thing breiflly is this he is heartily 12. He is glad to doe any service for the Saints glad of any service he can doe for the Saints he rejoyceth in any service he can doe for the least Saint nay as he is glad to doe the service so he earnestly desires that his service may be accepted of the Saints he will blesse God if such a Saint will accept of such a service There is the strangest word one of them in the Book of God for ought I know Rom. 15. 30. I have oft wondred at it Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus sake and for the love of the spirit you would thinke there were some great businesse that you strive together with me in prayer to God for me Why what was the matter Paul did never more earnestly desire their prayers That I may be delivered from them that doe
of the Gospell Why Because the Gospell all along offers Christ to sinners to the cheife of sinners to aliens and to the ungodly Then againe if this were so sanctification 2. Sanctification should be before justification should be before justification a man must be holy before he should be justified As for the latter sence to wit that the Apostle should meane this that no man can know any other way that the righteousnesse of Christ did belong to him but only by not walking after the flesh or by walking after the spirit this cannot be neyther for however we may know a little in a way of sence by our walking yet the maine way to know our justification is the same way that we come by justification for faith is the evidence of Justification cheifly known by Faith things not seen The maine evidence whereby I know I am justified is because the word of faith sayth so the word tells me so and faith evidenceth it That faith that I beleive by it shewes me that I beleive Therfore though I be inconstant in my way of grace that to sence shewes me a little yet it doth it not solely and cheifly and primarily So that this is the substance of it that that sence which godly reverend men give of this place it is true but it is not all nor the first and the cheife part of the meaning of it Secondly flesh in the Scriptures and so here 2. Flesh taken for Jewish priviledges and in diverse other places it may be understood concerning the priviledges those various prerogatives and priviledges that the people of God the Israelites had in a naturall fleshly way from Generation to Generation Being borne of such Parents of such Tribes they had such priviledges belonging to them they had the Oracles and the Covenant and the Tables c. And this is called flesh and I doubt not but the Apostle had this in his eye Sayth he The righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh As if he had said doe not think because you are of the seed of Abraham or because you have the Covenants and Circumcision and that you are borne of such Parents that therfore you shall the sooner have this priviledg to have the law fulfilled take heed of that for now it springs from another root and it comes now in a spirituall and not in a fleshly way as it did before for they had their mercies generally in the Old Testament according to the flesh that is by Generation I saak as he was Abrahams Son and Jacob his Son c. but now it is in a spirituall way Now that flesh is so taken in Scripture I will give you that one place in Phil. 3. 4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh sayth Paul If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more What doth he meane by flesh here He tells you Circumcised the eight day of the stock of Israell of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law a Pharisee concerning zeale Persecuting the Church Touching the righteousnesse which is in the law blameless As if he had said I had all the priviledges if any man might boast in the flesh I might I am an Hebrew of the Hebrews a Gentleman of the best descent c. So in 2 Cor. 11. 18. Seeing that many glory after the flesh I will glory also yee suffer fooles gladly Wherein any is bold I am bold also Are they Hebrews so am I are they Israelites so am I are they the seed of Abraham so am I. They had priviledges beeing Israelites more then other People and this is called flesh So I am confident that the Apostle had this in his eye in a speciall manner when he saith They that walke not according to the flesh And you shall find that they attributed all priviledges to them because they were Israelites As you see in Mat. 3. Say they We are the Children of Abraham Sayth John The Jewes boasted of outward priviledges Baptist Ye are a Generation of Vipers And so in John 8. Say they we are free men we are the Sons of Abraham Sayth Christ Yee are of your Father the Devill See the Gospell takes away that fleshlyness and puts all in another streame and course and way The Apostle aymes at that here when he sayth Those that walke not according to the flesh As if he had sayd you shal never have this righteousnesse to satisfie the law the sooner because you are the Sons of Abraham no more then if you were Scithians or Barbarians Thirdly and lastly the maine and cheife 3. Flesh taken for the old Covenant of works meaning of this place is this though the other be included when the Apostle sayth those that walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit By flesh here the Apostle meanes walking according to the old Covenant according to the Covenant of works in the way of the law And by spirit is meant walking in the way of faith or in the way of the gospell or in the way of Christ. There be diverse expressions in Scripture that help us to understand it as in Rom. 4. 14. It is called they that are of the Law that is those that walk according to the law In Gal 3. there are two or three phrases Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith The walking according to the spirit is the hearing of faith and it is twise there they that are of faith they that are of faith To be of faith and to walk according to the spirit is the same to be of the law or of circumcision is to walk according to the flesh In Rom. 10. 5. The righteousnesse which is of the law sayth on this wise The righteousnesse of the law that is the way of the law that Scripture sets out the way of those that walk according to the Covenant of works now the way of the law is the same as walking after the flesh and sayth hee the righteousnesse of faith sayth on this wise that is the grace of the Gospell or the way of faith So the meaning is this we neare of a glorious privilidg that the righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us and there is no man in the World can get it by his owne works or in reference to the Covenant of works no not Abraham himselfe but it is meerly by Jesus Christ Therefore if any of you think to have this righteousnesse fulfilled in him and goe in the old way to Mount Synai to the Covenant of Works he is deceived he shall never have it but by walking according to the spirit no man can injoy this privilidg by a Covenant of works by their owne doing by seeking to fulfill the law of God by their owne righteousnesse but they that walk after the spirit as if he
plant Christ and the principles of Christ in their hearts and I feare that there is not one in ten but will miscarrie in the remooving as you find it often with your Trees when you remove and transplant them I say abundance of those Professors will come to nothing for when the feare of Hell and damnation is gone from their conscience when the Whip is gone they will turne the grace of God into Wantonnesse Nay some will turne downe right Enemies and persecuters of the Gospell as the Pharisees and of those that would come in in all probabilitie in removing and translating them from the law to the Gospell there is not one in ten but would turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and there goes all their Religion The way to Heaven is narrow our Lord Christ saith and I think it will be found far more narrow then we conceive of it Therfore as another godly man sayth we are exceedingly mistaken in judging of Professors we looke upon them and those that begin to amend from their sins we call them Professors But this Professors to be judged by their principles is the true way of judging that there are but two roots in the World the old Adam and the new Adam There are but two Covenants Sinai and Jerusalem there are but two wayes of walking after the flesh and after the spirit after the law and after the Gospell Now I judge him to be a Saint and a beleiver and God calls and ownes him as a Saint though he be weake and be not so glorious in the eye of the World as many formall Professors yet if I see any principles of the Gospell in him if there be a little of Christ in him in power though it be but in a little measure and he can pray but little and he cannot keepe fasting dayes and dayes of Humiliation so plausibly as many that make a Trade of it in this Cittie yet if that prayer and repeating and reading and hearing or preaching or whatsoever it be if it flow from the Lord Jesus Christ as a naturall man knowes naturall things soone Saint knowes another the spirit of God knowes the things of God It is true we all of us have a great deale of flesh The best have somwhat of old Adam in them and there is somewhat of good old Adam as well as of corrupted Adam but surely we ought not to conceive him to be a Saint let him be never so glorious in the eye of the World and in the performance of duties if there be not somwhat of Christ in him You may see a poore despicable creature and see a great deale of Christ in him and on the other side you may see great Professors that are Ringleaders of others and yet there is not a jot of Christ in them but all is old Adam scrued up in his brave parts and all is but Flesh a little more Resined and he that is Flesh and all that is Flesh cannot inherite the Kingdome of God Looke to your selves seriously especially you that are most emynent that think best of your selves that are ancient Professors unless you look to your selves you may take a great deale of pains and when all comes to all after all your praying fasting and repeating and preaching you may be found to be nothing in the world but men that walk according to the Flesh that is according to the refined and well educated principles of old Adam you may be Ishmaeils and be built upon Mount Sinai when all is done Therfore I say we may hence learne to judg How to judg who are Saints and who not rightly of Persons who are Saints and who are not who are the Children of God and who are not For in most things we doe not judg rightly we doe not judg as God judgeth We usually judg of men and things according to naturall wisdome or according to some distinctions and desinitions that we have of things in that naturall divinitie we have As for instance If a man leave his drunkennesse and whordome and come up to some kind of holinesse in his lips in appearance if he come to heare Sermons and repeat them and pray a little in his Familie that man we call a Saint a godly man and it may be he may be so and it may be not so Now the way that God judgeth of all men is as they are the Children oyther of the old or of the new Adam and not according to such a proportion of strictness in their lives for the Pharisees went beyond many weak Professors in common righteousnesse And this should be a mayne ground of our Ground of fellowship with others communion and fellowship and delight in others whether in Churches or otherwise It should not be grounded on this if such a man be of my opinion in such things if he agree with me he is for me and another that agrees with another he is for him These kind of communions will proove nothing but faction in the end But the true communion is when Saints together keepe fellowship Church fellowship or other upon spirituall grounds That is when Christ in his soule and Christ in myne close together this is the maine ground that makes communion and fellowship whatsoever comes in besides that is additionall but if there be a communion of people without this I say it will proove but faction but walking according to the Flesh I should shew now what course we should take to bring our selves to spirituall walking And Secondly what they should doe that God hath brought up in some measure to this condition But I must leave that till God give another opportunitie SERMON IIII. Rom. 8. 4. That the righteousnesse of the law might be fullfilled in us who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit THERE were three Lessons that the Lord did Teach us from these words The First is implied in the begining of the Verse that Every man is bound to get him a righteousness to fulfill the law of God And Secondly that All those that rightly beleive in Christ have in them a righteousnesse perfectly to fulfill it And Thirdly that Those that thus beleive and have this great priviledg for it is the Foundation of all others they are knowne or described by this they walk not after the Flesh but after the spirit The two former I have finished I entred upon the third the last day I opened it at larg and prooved it to you and came to make one Use of it That from hence we may learne how to judg of Use How to judge who are Saints and who are not Persons how to judg of those that are Saints and those that are not Saints not according to some kind of holynesse they may come up to but according to the principles they walk by eyther as they walk according to the Flesh or according to the spirit For I told you there be diverse Profesors among
us that it may be are emynent in the eye of the World before men yet when all coms to all their fasting and praying and preaching and repeating c. will be found to be nothing in the World but a walking according to the Flesh that is according to the refined well educated principles of old Adam But I shall goe on a little further Therfore in the next place the Question will be how shall I know whether I walk according Use 2. How to know whether we walk according to the spirit to the flesh or according to the spirit How shall I know whether I be one of those that walk according to the spirit I will only give you a few expressions of it I will not say signes for it may be you could not all beare that word and these expressions are most of them layd downe in this Chapter and hereabout whereby you may have a guess of it whether you be men that walk according to the spirit or no. First you shall find in Rom. 6. that those that 1. Such are dead to sin are under grace or that walk according to the spirit sin is destroyed in them they are dead to sin and alive to righteousnesse And there are many expressions of the same thing in diverse phrases As in Vers 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified that the bodie of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin If thou be a man that walkest according to the spirit thou canst say the body of sin is destroyed and thou doest not serve sin Then it is sayd in Vers 11. That those that are under grace they are dead indeed to sin and alive to God that is another expression And in Vers 12. Sin shall not raigne in their Mortall bodies that they should obey it in the lusts thereof And in Vers 13. Yeild not your members as instruments of unrighteousnesse And in Vers 14. Sin shall not have dominion over them So there are diverse expressions of one and the same thing Now from all for I cannot open them particularly how much is held forth in each of these expressions but to help thee to see a little the State of thy soule I would gather these three things from all these expressions there is I say meant by them these three things The first thing is this that those that walk according 1. Sin is dead in respect of guilt to grace and according to the spirit sin is dead in them That is they are dead in respect of the guilt of sin they doe see and understand in some measure that Jesus Christ by his death hath abolished and destroyed and done away all their sins in respect of the guilt of them they are not under the law in that respect They see that there is a full righteousnesse in Jesus Christ that hath satisfied the law and so their sins are done away that they shall never condemne them This is one thing Now a man that walks according to the flesh he sees not that neyther can see it for these things are spirituall Now take a man that walks according to the flesh that is according to the most refined principles of old Adam and he alway carries guilt upon his Conscience he will alway be as a man that is rouling of a Snow-ball the more he goes on in his Service the more guilt and horrour But a man that walks according to the spirit let him be weake or strong he sees this in some measure and probably for the most part that his sins are done away and that there is no condemnation to him because he is in Christ and beleives in him therfore as it is Rom. 5. 7. He that is dead is freed from sin or justified from sin That is one thing Secondly in all these phrases this is held forth 2. Sin is dead in respect of the power to us as I understand that a beleiver being planted into Christ for so he looks upon himselfe and ingrafted and united to Christ in respect of the power of sin he accounts it as dead that is when he sees any sin stirring in him he considers I am one with Christ I am planted with him in his death and resurrection and this sin was condemned when Christ was condemned and as sure as Christ did die this sin must die therfore he looks upon all his sins and lusts as things that are gasping for life as things that are ready to die and that will surely die as surely as Christ did die Another man that walks according to the law when he sees sin in him and finds lusts to rise in his soul he sayth as David in another case Surely I shall one day fall by the hands of Saul Surely I shall prove an Hypocrite one time or other this sin will break my neck and so he is discouraged and his heart is hardened But a man that is under grace that walks according to the Gospell let sin be never so strong and prevalent he looks on it as a condemned thing he can triumph over it when it is strongest and can say I know thou must be layd in the Grave with Jesus Christ he reckons himselfe dead to sin That is another thing Thirdly and lastly from all these expressions 3. They are more holy then others here in Rom. 6. We gather this that surely all those that are under grace or that walk according to the spirit in some eminent way are more holy and more freed from sin then once they were and then all those are that walk under the law in some eminent way I say they are more holy though I doe not say there is no sin in them for then we should lye as John sayth but certainly there is a power in their soules against sin that is exceedingly transcendent in respect of the best morall men in respect of the exactest men in the World that walk according to the law what else is the meaning of all this Yee are dead to sin and sin shall not reigne and have dominion over you and you shall not yeild your members as instruments to sin Shall we turne all this into speculation No certainly there is some eminent reall holynesse and power against sin that they had not before Therfore saith he VVhat pleasure had you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed those sins that you committed before you are now ashamed of them And let me looke a little upon my owne soule or appeale to you take any man or woman that understands what it is to be under the law what it is to walke according to the Covenant of works and according to the flesh and what covenants and resolutions and promises and fastings he had and let him looke upon himselfe what he is now since he hath knowen a little of Christ and hath knowen that he is a justified Person and that he is dead to the law and the like I appeale
is weake there is so much weaknesse and earthinesse and frailty sometimes a mans heart is right for God yet his head akes or his stomack is full of wind or he is weary and wants sleep there is some frailty or other This is all earthly Adam all this shall be gone and this kind of body and soule shall be altered and changed to the Image of the blessed second Adam we shall put off our earthynesse as well as our sinfulnesse and have his blessed compleat Image Now how glorious that shall be as you never The glory of Saints in Heaven unspeakable saw the first Adam but onely by hear-say and by reading of the Word of God so you have not seen the second Adam but you may partly know by the manifestation of his glory on earth you have heard much of his glory We saw his glory as of the onely begotten Son of God we shall then see him Phil. 3. 19. Our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies He meanes vile not onely in respect of sinfulnesse but of dustinesse of earthynesse and weaknesse that they may be like his glorious body according to his mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe that is according to his usuall manner of working he can doe what he will in Heaven and Earth We cannot conceive what an Imnge we shall have upon our bodies and soules but according to his wisedome and mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things he will doe it Therefore let me tell you this I finde few or Saints formerly had more lively expectations of glory by Christ none that have those live by expectations in these times of that glory that is to be revealed that the Saints of old had See how they speake of it What manner of love is this that we should be called the Sons of God But yet it doth not appeare what we shall be for we shall be like him And gird up the loynes of your minds be sober and watch for the glory that shall be revealed The Saints heretofore more then halfe their hearts were in Heaven before hand That is the meaning of that Our conversation is in Heaven Just as you see men that goe a long journey or as you see people that have been plundered that are returning to their owne homes their conversation is there halfe a yeare before their hearts and their thoughts are there and they wish they were there and think the time long and are thinking what they will doe and what they will be when they come there So our conversation is in Heaven the Saints doe so long after the glory that is to be revealed in the day of adoption and redemption of our bodies that the most part of them is there already Now we doe not consider of this because the new Jerusalem is not yet come into our hearts We have not that Gospel-temper and frame of spirit that the Saints had before That which remaines is a little to shew you what your duty is that the Lord hath brought up to walk according to the spirit And two or three words I have to shew you how you should every one endeavour to attaine to it or to attaine it more and more But I shall leave that till the after-noone SERMON V. Rom. 8. 4. Who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit IT is the Foundation of all our happinesse to have the righteousnesse The foundation of a Christians happinesse of the law fulfilled in us for thereby we are exempted from all misery freed from all our enemies and therby we are made capable to enjoy all happinesse and blessednesse For all the misery that man suffers here and hereafter is because he hath not a righteousnesse to fulfill the law And therefore whatsoever man or woman it is that the Lord hath bestowed this great priviledge upon they must needs be in a blessed condition Now that we may know whether we are of that number the Apostle tells us that they that have this priviledge they walk not according to the Flesh but according to the spirit which was the last thing I was upon I told you what was meant by walking after the flesh and what by walking after the spirit I gave the Reasons of it and made two or three Uses There are two things remaine which I shall endeavour to speake of at this time First you that have received the spirit of God Vse 4. Exhortation to those that have the spirit how to walke and in some measure doe walk according to the spirit and not according to the flesh that the new-Jerusalem from Heaven is in some measure come into your hearts I will give you a few Exhortations from the Lord how you should carry your selves That is the first thing I shall doe and that shall be in four or five short words The first is this that the Lord having called 1. Not to abuse this liberty you to this glorious free estate to this free condition that you would take heed of abusing your liberty that you would take heed of turning the grace of God into wantonnesse as many doe And by that I meane but two things That you would take heed of using your liberty as an occasion for the flesh And Secondly of using your liberty so as to give offence to your Brethren or indeed to any I say first beware of using your liberty for an occasion 1. Not to use it as an occasion to the flesh to the flesh That you shall have Gall. 5. 13. For Brethren sayth the Apostle you have been called to liberty only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another The Apostle shewes them in that Epistle the glorious condition and estate that they were in through grace And here in this Verse there are two things that he tells them the one is implied it is worth observing yee are called to liberty That The Gospell brings liberty is there is a freedome there is a liberty in the Gospell in diverse things that did seeme to be sinfull when ye were under the law for else what sence can you make of this ye are called to liberty onely use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh For we find that the people under the law eyther they made the law stricter or looser then it was And there is no man in the World that walks according to the law but he makes many lawes to himselfe that Christ hath not made Now when the Gospell coms in clearly all those lawes that you made of your owne head vanish Ye are called to liberty that is you see more freedome you are not bound to every thing that before you were Before you must not smile it was a sin if you seemed to laugh or smile and a hundred such things Now
evill thought shee what kind of good and evill shee goes to this sublime conceit and so was lost Now sayth Paul I am afraid of you least the Devill should beguile you so I am loath to offend you for I had rather win 4. To het the comfort of our priviledges you or else I could instance in twenty or forty conceits and distinctions of things Ideas that are above the simplicity of the Gospell and that is enough to make us leave them because they are above the simplicity of the Gospell and the excellency of the Gospell is not in those Ideas but in knowing the power of plaine things as the death of Jesus Christ Every man in Jerusalem knew the death of Christ but to know the power of that death keepe close to the simplicity of the Gospell Another thing is this you that have knowne a little of the spirit of God and have inlarged hearts and enlightned eyes Let not God rest till thou find the comfort and power of what thou knowest O we know that the righteousnesse of the law by Christ is fulfilled in us and the like but we have not the full comfort of such a truth and many others We know Christ hath paid our debt and that we are one with him as he is one with the Father but we have not the power and the comfort of these things Beloved for thy comfort know that Paul in a Pauls condition sort was in thy condition Phil. 3. Not as though I had attained or apprehended but I would apprehend him of whome I am apprehended and I would know the vertue of his death and the power of his Resurrection Paul saw something that he did not fully apprehend but he would feele more of the power of Gospell spirituall truthes and if he saw that he wanted it much more we O doe not content your selves to have an old frozen knowledge of Gospell truths whereby you are able to proove that men are legallists and that men are under Mount Sinai and yet have cold and frozen hearts cold truths without life therefore thinke of minding God of this Then lastly labour to take heed that you be 5. Not to fall back from the light of the Gospell not by any meanes bewitched so as to fall back from that little light in the Gospell that you have received it is an easie thing so to doe I doe beleive and it is my comfort and will be when I am farr from this place that the Lord hath enlightened diverse of you to know the Gospell to know Jesus Christ a little clearer Now I know not whaâ— the Lord may doe for you but I say it is wonderous easie you may under one quarter of a yeares fleshly Preaching lose that that you have been under two or three yeares Preaching a getting I have knowne after a quarter of a yeares buylding up of my soule in the knowledg of Christ and the setling of my faith and assurance I have heard one Sermon that hath routed and dasht all that work in my soule Therefore I beseech you beware faith is a tender thing especially the light we have that is but very weake and very tender therefore sayth Paul Who hath bewitched you you foolish Gallatians before whome Jesus Christ hath been lively painted As the word signifies Christ was drawne lively before the Gallatians and yet they did fall If Paul that was an Apostle and had the spirit of God in such a measure laying open the spirit of Christ and yet his people did goe back to Moses and to Sinai the Lord help and uphold us Therfore stand fast in your liberty in Jesus Christ This is all in short I have to say to you for that I hope you will lay up these words Now I have a few words of advice and counsell Vse 5. How those that walk after the flesh may come to walk spiritually to those poor souls that do yet in a great measure walk according to the flesh in one fashion or other Their religion is a fleshly Religion from old Adam and according to the law in a great measure Now the Question is what shall they doe that they may be spirituall Christians that they may walke according to the spirit I will only name a few things 1. Study the difference between the two Testaments The first is this I would desire you to endeavor to studie much the difference between the two Testaments the new and the old I meane not the two Bookes but the two Testaments that we read of in Heb. 8. Heb. 9. Whereof the one is faulty and the other is excellent the one is done away the other remaines Studie the difference between them for thereby you lay the foundation of your Gospell happinesse for there is the misery of many Professors and will be their misery if they should live a thousand yeares they jumble both Testaments without knowledge and distinction and so they will never be better Another thing that I would exhort you to is 2. To prize the spirit this to prize the spirit of Christ more then you doe There is nothing in the Gospel but it is a Mystery you cannot know it but by the spirit and there is no duty in the Gospell to be done that can be done but by the power of the spirit We may doe many things in the law by the strength of old Adam in the Gospell we can doe nothing but the spirit is all And that is the reason I think for I speake according to the grace given me why people now are left so bare and poore and confused and know not which way to goe or what to doe they doe not prize the spirit of God Many men extoll Learning mightily and it is Learning extolled to the disparagement of the spirit accounted almost Heresie to commend the spirit of God There are many men I and many Professors that doe not love to heare a man in a few modest words to commend the spirit of God but all must be by studie and reading and learning and for the spirit of God it is a plaine meere Cypher and there is an end But my life on it if I had a hundred I would say so they shal be beholding to the spirit of God and extoll him before they be taught spiritually they shall be willing to lay downe all their learning as I have seene a learned godly man of late even with the Plow-boy I do not say but that learning is good for some Learning of what use it is uses and God may blesse it to help a man to expresse what he knowes the better but as I told you Adam must die he cannot by it come to know one jot of the spirituall meaning of God in the Gospell or one jot of power or assurance to be happie or to doe any thing for God towards this all learning is not worth a straw therefore labour to extoll the spirit And
read one single Scripture it may be I have a book that will point out halfe a dozen Scriptures to open one Scripture by And it may be I have some books that take 3. To presse Scriptures on the soule some Scripture and presse it upon my soule as Doctor Prestons and other godly books But to take books and say Jerome thinks this and Austin that and fill our heads with notions they blind us that we cannot see the will of God Therefore in reading of Scriptures there should Difference in the learning of Christians and others be this difference from our reading of other Books I meane in respect of age When we are Children and young we use not Spectacles it may be at twenty or thirty or fourty yeares old we can read without Spectacles but when we come to fifty or sixty then we can see nothing but through Spectacles It should be just contrary with us when we are Christians When we are young we usually never read the Word of God but through the Spectacles of mens glosses but when we are older Christians and stronger Saints we should learne to read better without Spectacles wee should daily make lesse use of Mens Books and more of Gods Book That whereas before a man turned over twenty Authors upon a point Now he can goe humbly to God with his Bible and without Spectacles he can see what the will of God is Therefore lay aside Spectacles sometimes and onely take the spirit of God and compare Scipture with Scripture that you may come to know the mind of Christ Shall I name one thing more If you would 5. To be borne againe come to be spirituall Gospel-Saints you must be borne againe you must be borne from above A Gospell-profession is Jerusalem from above and there are none that can come into Jerusalem that is from above but those that are borne from above Therefore marke our Saviours reasoning John 3. Nicodemus asks Christ which was the way to Heaven And he tells him Verily thou must be borne againe or thou must be borne from above or else thou canst not see it Nichodemus wonders why hee must be borne from above saith he Shall I goe into my Mothers belly c. Saith Christ marvell not wonder not why should he not wonder at such a strange speech Here is the reason That which is borne of flesh is flesh therefore think it not strange that I say thou must be borne againe So I say whatsoever you do by the power of nature by your owne wisedome by your owne righteousnesse or your owne strength all comes but to this but to flesh and whatsoever comes of flesh is flesh Flesh cannot bring out the spirit no more then a thorne can bring out Grapes as Christ speak Therefore wonder not that thou must be borne from above that is thou must have the Lord from above to beget thee againe You have every one been borne once you must be borne once more you must have a new creation in you the Lord must create new strange properties and dispositions that no flesh and blood is able to comprehend Lastly take the councell of the Holy Ghost 6. To pray for the spirit of wisedome and revelation and that is in Ephes 1. 16 As Paul prayed for them so doe thou pray for thy selfe and there is all the reason in the World that thou shouldest I cease not sayth he to give thanks for you making mention of you in my Prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory would give to you the spirit of wisedome and revelation in the knowledge of him Pray for the spirit of wisedome and revelation in the knowledge of Christ Sleight not these words because some wicked men abuse them and others reproach them but because Paul saith so pray that the Lord would give thee the spirit of wisedome and revelation So much concerning the directions I had to give you There is one word of Information and with Vse 6. The true ground of persecutions and divisions that I will conclude From what I have said before concerning the flesh and the spirit learne this instruction more hence to see what is the true ground of all persecution nay even of all the divisions that are among us Men may pretend what they will and deceive themselves but all the strife and persecution in the World is meerly between the flesh and the spirit between the old and the new Adam There are two Princes in this World and these are contrary the one to the other The flesh lusteth against the spirit Old Adam seeks to get up and the new Adam will have him downe Therefore you shall have these two in every Towne in one Church in one Family in one soule and wheresoever they are the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary Are contrary what is that That is there is no true contrariety between any things in the World but between the old Adam and the new between the flesh and the spirit Now by Flesh I meane not onely corruption but whole flesh fleshly wisedome The wisedome of old Adam is enmity against the wisedome of the new the righteousnesse of old Adam is quite contrary to the righteousnesse of the new this is the cause of persecution Let people pretend what they will you shall see godly men persecuted you may see Christ in their soules as clearly as the Sun and people keep a coile about Independency and Presbytery but the truth is it is old Adam in those that persecute and the new Adam in the other a man with one eye may see it There are many pretences but all the strife is between the old Adam and the new For to give a little illustration take Gospell godly Saints that have the spirit of God in them they agree well enough they will not strive sometimes they may differ a little but for the generality they live well enough together nay take some Gospell Saints that are filled with the spirit of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ in these times and in this City which is the center of all division and they cannot attest divisions they cannot make a partie and give rayling for rayling and strife for strife they cannot but love their enemies and bless them that blaspheme them As James sayth Whence come all wars You think they come from your zeale for your way and yours for your way but it is from your lusts The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh It is from old Adam And I was going to say but I will but name it Cause of Saints weakness This is the cause also of the weaknesse generally that is among you It is not wickednesse that troubles a Saint but weaknesse it is not positive ills but weaknesse And whence is this weaknesse Because he walks after the flesh The spirit is powerfull but the
flesh is weake As the Scripture saith Their horses are flesh and not spirit so I may say your Prayers are flesh and not spirit and it may be my Preaching and it may be our endeavours to resist sin But as farr as they are flesh they are weak enough But where the spirit is there is power I can doe all things sayth Paul I can preach the Gospell from Jerusalem to Illyricum and I shall come to you in the fulnesse of Christ A man would think he had been mad but it was the strength of his spirit A poore weake Christian he doth nothing but wish and would and confesseth his sins to day and falls into it againe to morrow and then confesseth againe and when will it once be O Jerusalem But the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation and all the principles of it are powerfull and all the precepts of it have a power through the Knowledg of Christ no ground of licentiousnes spirit for a man to keepe and observe them Men talk that the learning of Christ and the knowledg of the Gospell is to make men loose and lycencious It is true carnall vayne hearts the better any thing is the worse they be but assure your selves concerning true Saints it is false for the only way to be lively and lustie and fruitfull in good is to know Christ more according to the Gospell Let men please themselves and say so as long as they will they shall be but poore old barren creatures You will be wishing but you shall never overcome your sins I have knowne some Saints that by the knowledge of Jesus Christ have had power to subdue those sins and to bring them under that before they never so much as hoped to bring under in this World yet the power of Christ hath brought them under when all their fastings and humiliations would never doe it when they were in that way without the cleare knowledg of Christ but when they have come to Christ they have found it done In 2 Pet. 3. You shall find there men that were carnall men that were as Doggs that returned to their Vomit yet the common knowledg of Jesus Christ did make them cleane from the pollutions of the World and did give them power against their sins what then will the spirituall effectuall knowledge of Christ doe Therefore never entertaine any prejudice against Christ or against his Gospell or against his spirit and his wayes for if there be any power in this World it is there All the rest is but a flourish but a shew of mortification when the heart is as full of lusts as a Toad is of Poyson There is no true mortification or holinesse but what comes from Christ and his holy spirit SERMON VI. Rom. 8. 5. For they that are after the flesh doe minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit IN the former Verse you remember how I shewed you that there was a great priviledge to Scope of the words all true Beleevers which indeed is the cheife of all Priviledge for it is the inlet of all mercies and the principall deliverance from all evills It is conteined in the beginning of Verse 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us In the latter end of the Verse I shewed the persons more largely described to whom this priviledge doth belong that is Not those that walke after the flesh but those that walke after the spirit And I have as God enabled me opened the meaning of that to you what it was to walk after the Flesh and what to walke after the spirit Now the Apostle in this fifth Verse goes forward a little more particularly to discover those that have a right to this priviledge by drawing one thing from another The maine was They walke not after the flesh but after the spirit I but that is a generall word and how shall we know that Saith he you shall know that also by this They that are after the flesh doe minde fleshly things and they that are after the spirit doe mind spirituall things You shall know whether you have the righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled in you if you walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And you shall know that also by your minding by the frame of your mindes if you walke after the flesh you will minde fleshly things if you walke after the spirit you will minde spirituall things And then he goes on to prove that also as we see oft in Scripture as in 1 John 5. where one thing is made the marke of another by a gradation there are five or six things and one thing proves another We know that we are the children of God if we keep his Commandements and we know we keepe his Commandements by another thing and wee know that by another thing So that I say the scope of the Apostle is to cleare unto the Saints their right and title to this great priviledge and also withall to convince those that are carnall that they are without it and to shew them their great miserie in being so for you shall see after how as he discovers them so also he shews their misery he saith they are enmity to God and they that walke after the flesh must dye c. Now that we may goe on breifly to handle this a little to you you may take the Doctrine as it lyes here in the words for I will not nor need not frame it otherwise That Those that are after the flesh doe minde the Doct. They that are after the flesh doe mind the things of the flesh things of the flesh Onely remember what I said before for it is of great concernment for that great priviledge depends upon this If you have the righteousnes of the Law fulfilled in you you must be those that walke according to the spirit and not according to the flesh And then would you know that Saith the Apostle Those that are after the Flesh doe minde the things of the Flesh and those that are after the spirit the things of the spirit so let that be the Doctrine or Lesson I will give you but two short words to prove this to you and then to open it as God shall helpe us The first thing to prove it is this that it must Reas 1. Every thing works according to its principle be so because that every thing in the World in all the creation of God doth act according to the nature of its principle from whence it flowes As Saint James saith Jam. 3. 11 12. Doth a Fountaine send forth from the same place sweet water and bitter Can a Fig-tree my Brethren beare Olive-berries or can a Vine beare Figs You know that a Fig-tree beares Figs and a Vine-tree beares Grapes an Apple-tree beares Apples and a Peare-tree Peares and every Tree and every thing will work according to its principle Make the tree
good sayth Christ and then the fruit will be good such as the tree is such will be the fruit such as the Fountaine is such will the streame be And when a mans principles the frame of his heart is nothing but flesh then of necessitie his actions must be fleshly his affections must be fleshly If he have a fleshly mind he must have a fleshly will a fleshly love fleshly hatred a fleshly life fleshly prayers fleshly Sacraments fleshly every thing for every thing must be according to its principle So on the other side where the principle is spirituall there a man will mind spirituall things he will love spirituall things he will doe spirituall things he will delight in spirituall things That is one reason of it And the second is this for I will give you but Reas 2. Carnall men know not spirituall things these two because the cheife thing that I intend at this time is the opening of it fleshly carnall men that are after the flesh they must mind fleshly things because they know not spirituall things they understand not spirituall things Or if you will and it may be that word hath something more in it 1 Cor. 2. They perceive not spirituall things they doe not ken and Perceive them Now you know that a man minds not I meane look upon it as the acting of the understanding a man cannot mind but what he knowes a man cannot think of things he knowes not That is the reason to proove that poore ignorant people speak an untruth and deceive themselves when they say we remember God we mind God wheresoever we are and yet they know not God For God is not minded but when he is knowne As in that place of the Corinthians A naturall man cannot perceive the things of the spirit he doth not know Jesus Christ therefore he cannot mind him he doth not Know the things of the spirit of God therefore he cannot set his heart upon them Without Knowledg the mind cannot be good That is till a man have a stock of knowledg of things he can never act his understanding and mind about it There are two short reasons why those that are carnall and fleshly those that are after the flesh they mind the things of the flesh and they mind nothing else nor cannot and those that are after the spirit mind the things of the spirit because they know them they understand them and understanding them they cannot choose as David saith Psal 1. But excercise themselves in them day and night They excercise their thoughts and affections and all in them Now for the opening of it unto you here are The Point opened by 3 questions three questions First what is meant by beeing after the flesh And Secondly what is meant by the things of 1. What meant by beeing after the flesh the flesh and the things of the spirit I will put them both together For the one will open the other And what is meant by minding the things of the flesh and by minding the things of the spirit First by beâ—ing after the flesh it is in effect the same that I told you before to walk as to the Flesh therefore if you have not forgotten that you will easily understand this But yet to make it clearer you must understand that a man is said to be after the flesh or carnall for so they read it in Latine Qui carnalis c. Men are said to be carnall or after the flesh three wayes The first is when a man is a true Saint but hath 1. VVhen a Saint hath little grace and much corruption but a little measure of grace and hath much corruption much flesh It pleaseth the holy Ghost many times to denominate such a man by the greatest part that is in him which is flesh and so to call him carnall As in Rom. 7. Sayth Paul speaking how spirituall the law is but sayth he I am carnall sold under sin sold to sin Not that there was no grace in Paul but that there was such abundance of corruption at least in his feeling So in 1 Cor. 3. Are yee not carnall sayth Paul have ye not need of milk are ye noâ— Babes When I heare there are such divisions that some are for Paul and some for Apollo and some for Cephas Are yee not carnall are ye not after the flesh That is is there not a World of corruption in you doth not corruption rule and beare sway over that little grace that is in you So in Gal. 6. 1. If any man be overtaken with sin ye that are spirituall restore such done That is as if he had sayd there are some carnall and they cannot keepe themselves from beeing overtaken freequently with sin and much lesse can such restore others but a spirituall man one that the spirit hath prevailed in some measure over the flesh in keeping him from the foyles and falls that weake men fall into and making him able in some measure to rayse and heale others Now so we are not to Understand it here in this place when he sayth They that are after the flesh Secondly a man may be said to be after the Flesh or to be carnall A man that is a true Saint may be 2. VVhen a Saint doth a carnall action called carnall when he doth some one action that may in a sence be wholly carnall For a Saint may doe an action that he nor none about him may perceive any thing but carnallitie in As in Mat. 16. 23. Compared with Mark 8. 32. There you shall see a godly Saint Peter by name when his Master was Preaching to him what he should suffer at Jerusalem and how he should be put to death and the like Then Peter tooke him and began to rebuke him saying be it farr from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee This was a Fleshly Speech a meere carnall Speech Christ was going to Jerusalem to die for Peter and for other poore sinners and Peter takes him aside and rebukes his Master and tells him it should not be so Farr be it from thee Christ takes him and tells him Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence to mee for thou savourest not the things of God but the things of men Thou speakest as a carnall fleshly man thou hast no tast of spirituall things If thou diddest looke on it spiritually thou wouldest rejoyce and pray the Lord to help thee to suffer in that temptation with thy Master or to make a spirituall use of it but thou art carnall and savourest of Flesh Now when the Apostle sayth here They that are after the Flesh doe mind the things of the flesh he doth not properly meane that neither But thirdly and lastly a man is sayd to be after the Flesh when he is in his pure naturalls when he 3. VVhen men are meerly carnall is meerly carnall when he is wholly flesh when he is destitute of the spirit of God when
Old and new the Apostle We know no man after the flesh yea though we have knowne Christ after the flesh yet know we him so no more therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away All the things of the Flesh are old things the things of the Spirit of God are new things Therfore in the Acts the Athenians desired to know that new strange doctrine that Paul brought What was this new doctrine Only the things concerning the Spirit of God the other things are old things Gal. 2. 18. there the things of the flesh are described to be the things That Paul destroyed and built up that Paul destroyed and the things of the Spirit the things that Paul sought to build up 1 Cor. 7. 32 33. The things of the flesh are called the things of the world but the things of the Spirit are called there the things of the Lord The married The things of the world and of the Lord. cares for the things of the world but the unmarried for the things of the Lord. Philip. 2. 20. The things of the flesh are called our owne things and the things of the Spirit are called the things of Jesus Christ Saith the Apostle I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state Mark that expression it is well worth observing in these self-seeking times We may well say so now if Paul said so then I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your estate A man can hardly find a Professor in a multitude that will naturally and freely care for the state of others of the Saints The things that are a mans owne and that are Jesus Christs For saith he All seeke their owne and not the things that are Jesus Christs all seeke their owne things the things that make for old Adam that make for the Flesh and for mans selfe Joh 6. 27. the things of the Flesh are called meat that perisheth and the things of the Spirit meat endureth to everlasting life Luk. 10. 41. they are called many things perishing and induring meat and the things of the spirit are called one thing Martha Martha thou art cumbred about many Many and one thing things for indeed there are many distracting businesses in the things of the world therefore in Mat. 13. when the seed was sowen among thornes it is said the deceitfulnesse of riches and pleasures and the lusts of other things who knowes how many it may be a thousand two thousand other things the things of the flesh are endlesse but the things of the Spirit are called one thing the ruinous building of old Adam is going into a thousand pieces but there is but one Jesus Christ and in Trouble and peace the things of Jesus Christ there is a greater union then in the things of the Flesh and old Adam In Luke 19. they are called the things of trouble and the things of the Spirit the things that belong to our peace O that thou hadst known in this Vaine and excellent thy day the things that belong to thy peace In Jerem. 2. 8. they are called things that doe not profit vaine things and the things of the spirit in Phil. 1. 10. they are called excellent things that ye may be able to know the things that are excellent that is the things of the Spirit of God and to conclude this Philip. 4. 8. speaking of the things of the Spirit saith he whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things of good report these things do These are the things of the Spirit of God Then impure things dishonest things dishonourable things unjust things unlovely things these are the things of the flesh Thus much in generall according to the description The things of the flesh in perticular of the things of the flesh in Scripture But now in perticular I will summe up the things of the Flesh or of old Adam one or other of which Fleshly men doe wholly mind to these three heads The first is to establish their owne righteousnesse 1. To establish mans owne righteousnesse by the law to procure to themselves justification by their works This is the master-peice of old Adam for I told you that man is more prone to this then to sinne though he be prone to that also and old Adam works stronger towards his righteousnesse such as it is in a forbidden way then to sinne Therefore it is said Rom. 10. 3. They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse went about to establish their owne righteousnesse went about to establish their owne righteousnesse He speaks there of the Jewes The word in the originall is they went to make it stand just as a tottered house that every blast is ready to throw downe and it must be underpropped on this side on that side to keepe it up So every fleshly man in the world this is halfe his worke to make the Babel of his owne righteousnesse to stand he is alway peicing and patching and doing some good worke he is wishing and woulding or in one fashion or other to make up a good estate against the latter day Therefore that was the question Act. 2. and Luke 3. and it is the grand question of all mankind What shall we doe to be saved and we see when they came to Christ it was alway with this Master what shall I doe to be saved As if he had said I know it must be by doing and I am willing to goe about it to frame some kinde of righteousnesse or other Therefore in Joh. 6. say they What shall we doe to work the works of eternall life saith Christ This is the worke of God to believe he takes them off Now this is one thing whereby you may know what it is to be a fleshly man and to minde fleshly things when people mind and cast projects and wayes to procure righteousnesse to themselves or justification to their soules any other way then only by the Lord Jesus Christ Men may be as it were drunke sometimes and mind neither heaven nor hell but there is no fleshly carnall man when he is his owne man but he thinks there is some good worke or other that he must doe either giving or lending or building an Almes-house or giving to the poore or somewhat to get him a righteousnes But remember thou art a carnal man and all thy minding and all thy thoughts this way are but according to the flesh and those that are after the flesh must dye it was the first and the greatest curse that ever was in the world when God said to old Adam he must dye it is a generall rule all old Adam must dye either thou must get that peice of old Adam that is in thee to dye or thou shalt dye with it one of the two Then another thing that is
called the things of 2 Carnall priviledges the flesh it is carnall priviledges either men that are Fleshly mind their justification out of Christ or else their carnall priviledges I told you before that those are called Flesh saith the Apostle if any might I may glory in the Flesh What is that I am an Hebrew of the Hebrews c. and so the Jews in Mat. 3. Joh. 8. and 2. Cor. 11. They were apt as to stablish their own righteousnes so to glory in their priviledges we are the children of Abraham we were never slaves nor Servants We have not their priviledges to glory in yet this is a maine piece of old Adam a great part of the things of the Flesh outward priviledges let them be Church-priviledges or what you will when people rejoyce and mind and contemplate outward priviledges and doe not regard the inward power nor what is in and through and by them this is but flesh I feare you will not beare with me you will account me your enemy for telling you the truth but I am perswaded there are many among us that talke of churches and government and ordinances and priviledges and yet all is but flesh and you cannot well judge of them by their strictnesse in it for flesh will goe as strictly in its way as the Spirit but it is to be feared that diverse build of it and glory in it and it is a great part of their religion I warne you in love to looke to it and if those priviledges were taken away as Christ takes away the priviledge of being the Children of Abraham from the Jewes such people would be poore carnall people Take heed of it and let him that glories glory in the Lord. Thirdly and lastly the things of the flesh for 3 To fulfill sinfull lusts all old Adam is included in these three things that fleshly men mind is to fulfill their lusts which are many To make provision for the flesh Rom. 13. that is to be casting how to feed one lust or other Now if you would know what those lusts are in particular though in a sort it be generall you have it in 1 Joh. 16. saith he all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life These are the lusts of the world all the lusts in the world may be reduced it seemes to those 3. heads so I say these are the fleshly things that al Carnall people mind all their thoughts throughout the yeare every one runns either in stablishing their own righteousnes or in glorying and contemplating their outward priviledges or in projecting for the fulfilling of some lust or other thus they spend their whole life these are the things of the flesh that carnall men mind Now the other the things of the Spirit that are contrary to these you may comprehend them all Things of the spirit in three words That is They are either the things of faith Or else their hope and happinesse in Jesus Christ Or else their Obedience to the will of Christ All the things of the Spirit are comprehended in these three Either the things of faith They mind the 1 The things of faith things of the Spirit that is they alway mind and study how to believe in Jesus Christ and how to lay firmer and righter hold on him how they may know him more distinctly and hold him more firmly and get fuller assurance this is their worke Or they are excercised about the things of hope 2. The things they hope for by Christ that is they are contemplating and rejoycing in their happinesse by Christ how their persons are justified and their sins pardoned and the righteousnesse of the law fulfilled in them and all in Heaven and earth bestowed on them As Paul sayth Phil. 3. This is our Religion we glory in the flesh as if not but we reioyce in Jesus we have no confidence in the flesh but we rejoyce in Jesus that is in all the happinesse we have in Jesus Christ Or thirdly and lastly the things of the spirit 3 Obedience to the wil of Christ are the will of God or the commands of Jesus Christ they alway studie how they may obey and fulfill the good and acceptable and perfect will of God So that a Saint if he be spirituall he is alway either acting his faith and increasing and strengthening that or he is contemplating his happinesse in Jesus Christ Or studying which way to glorifie God to know what part of the will of God he knowes not and to studie what part of the will of God he knowes and remembers this is his excercise And let this suffice to shew what the things of the Flesh and what the things of the spirit are Now the third question breifly is what is meant Quest 3. VVhat meant by minding the things of the flesh and of the spirit by the minding of the things of the Flesh and the things of the spirit You must understand first that the meaning is not as though a man might not think upon Fleshly 1. Not but that a Saint may provide outward things things For a spirituall Saint oft thinks upon Fleshly things in a spirituall manner as to consider his sins to bewayle and to mourne for them and he may mind Earthly Worldly things to provide things honest to provide for his Familie as the Apostle saith he may think of his businesse Therfore the holy Ghost here doth not use the word Frounesis but Frounena Frounesis signifies prudence or discretion or providence in businesse He doth not use that least we should think that the holy Ghost forbids to provide to be mindfull and carefull of Worldly businesse but Frounena that signifies a further thing as I shall shew presently Now then you must understand this also 2. The understanding is not only meant that when the Apostle sayth they mind the things of the Flesh The word doth not onely signifie the understanding but it signifies all the affections also I could give you divers places of Scripture where this word is set downe to expresse the working of any affection in the soule Therefore the meaning is not only of the mind that studies but his affections his will the way of his delight his joy is in earthly things his care is after fleshly things But in particuler there are these four or five Five things meant by minding of fleshly things things implied in the word when they are said to mind the things of the Flesh The first is that the very care of his heart as 1. The caâ—e of the heart is fleshly I told you before is Fleshly and carnall A Christian hath outward VVorldly things in an outward Roome and Jesus Christ next his heart There is sayth one godly man a closet in the heart of a Saint onely to entertaine Jesus Christ. Which the Scripture calls the spirit frequently I worship God in
my spirit Rom. 1. And in 1 Thes 5. That ye may be sanctified in your spirit That is in the very Coare and quintessence of the soule Now a godly man may have many hurries of VVordly things and lusts cross and come through but the coare of his heart is for God and for holines Therefore saith Paul Rom. 7. I serve the law of the flesh with my members and the law of Christ with my mind That is inwardly with the care of my heart I shewed the meaning of that word before I shall not now goe on further in that Secondly a man is sayd to mind worldly things 2. VVhen a man savours fleshly things when a man not only thinks of Worldly and fleshly things but savours of worldly and Fleshly things Therefore the same word Frounena that is here minding is oft read to savour As in the Speech of Christ to Peter Thou savourest the things of the VVorld thou hast a smack of it thou hast a relish of carnall things So then to mind Fleshly things is when a man not only thinks of them and considers them but when a man finds most joy and tast and delight in such kind of things Put a Fleshly man about Worldly or carnall or if you will about sinful businesse O there he is as a fish in the VVater there he is his owne man he is well but put him about any spirituall thing let him come to learne a little for his soule or let his Neighbour come to teach him and admonish and reproove him he is upon thornes then he hath no tast of it at all now if thou be a Fleshly man thou mindest Fleshly things that is thou doest not onely in thy understanding consider of them but thy soule relisheth them there thou art thy owne man when thou art in the middest of the VVorld and the Flesh and earth and hell therefore looke to thy selfe Thirdly to mind Fleshly things is when the 3. When the streame of the soule goes that way streame the maine of the soule goes upon Fleshly earthly carnall things when the things of God are but by businesse to a man It is not so in a spirituall man 1 Cor. 7. He useth the world as if he used it not he minds little of the World as little as may be but the maine streame of his soule is upon Jesus Christ there he excerciseth himselfe day and night as David speaks Fourthly when a man doth studie and plod continually 4. To studie and plod for fleshly things upon Worldly things upon Fleshly carnall things When a man takes care for so the word is used oft in Scripture as it is used Rom. 14. 6. If any man doth observe a day or care for a day Curare diem as we read it in the Latine if one observe it and another will not or will not regard it When a man observes and regards and takes care and studies and plods for earthly Fleshly things this is to mind Fleshly things Therefore in Phil. 4. 7. Saith the Apostle I am glad that your care is renewed towards me saith B E Z A it is more then care there is a kind of sollicitude it is addicere animam it is a word that signifies when a man addicts himselfe when he is given wholly to a thing when a man is addicted and gives his mind wholly to the World to fulfill his lusts or to enjoy his pleasures this is to mind Fleshly things Then fiftly and lastly it is when a man doth judg of things according to the Flesh Non est Cogitare c. To mind is not only to think of it but to judge of things As you have it 2 Cor. 5. I judge no man according to the flesh If Christ Jesus were here againe I would not looke on him according to the Flesh Now when he saith they mind the things of the flesh this is the meaning of it that is they judge of things in an earthly fleshly way they judge of the worth of things by the fleshlinesse not by the spirituallnesse of them A godly How godly men judge of things man doth not so all that he accounts of in the World are the things of God and of the spirit were it not for that this World would be a Hell to him and he judgeth of every man as he hath the spirit of God he accounts of him as without that not worth any thing a carnall man judgeth of things carnally as they are fleshly and carnall and as old Adam is set up so he judgeth by carnall arguments of spirituall things Thus I have as breifly as I could opened the meaning of it I will only at this time name one Use and leave the rest till God give another opportunitie You have heard what it is to be after the flesh and what the things of the flesh and the things of the spirit are and what it is to mind the things of the flesh and the things of the spirit for we may judge of the one by the other Now the Lesson or the Use as we call it is use 1. VVhy most people understand not spirituall things this Hence we may learne and see what the reason is why diverse people notwithstanding all the meanes used even among us in this place and in other places why they cannot come to understand any thing of Heavenly things of spirituall things What is the reason Because they mind them not and why doe they not mind them Because they are fleshly I have wondred oft times and I doe beleive in my Conscience that had I been here but a twelve month and had taken any naturall thing under Heaven had I read a Lecture of Philosophie or of Logick or any thing in your Trades or State businesse there are none eyther great or small but could have given some account what the man had sayd and yet there are some among you that though we have been speaking to you as the Lord hath enabled us almost these two yeares yet you are as ignorant and as unknowing in any thing that hath been said as if you had been a sleepe or had been in your Graves all the while It is a wonderfull thing that no word should stick nothing in the world of all that hath been said If we should ask some among us doe you remember any one passage or any one thing that the Preacher hath spoken of these two yeares they remember not one word What is the reason You did not mind it that is the meaning of that word Seeing they see not and hearing they heare not that was the plague upon that people in Isaiah When a mans mind is taken up with other things a man may ride by the doore and one may say did you see such a man he came by your eye I saw him not sayth he seeing he saw not his eye was on him but his mind was not he was thinking seriously of something else so hearing they
the same kind of reasoning sayth the Apostle Whosoever beleiveth that Jesus is Christ is borne of God How shall we know that we doe beleive Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him How shall we know that we love God we love them that are begotten of God How shall we know that we love them that are borne of God If we love God and keepe his commandements And how shall we know that we keepe his commandements They are not greivious and so he goes from a more generall to a more particular thing So the Apostle in this place after he had given a generall he comes more particularly to shew it They that are after the flesh doe mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit doe mind the things of the spirit As if he had said if you doe not know whether you walk in the flesh or in the spirit I will shew you I will instance in one thing I will pitch The bestthing in a carnall man is his mind upon the best thing that is in a naturall man and that is his mind I will instance but in that for you may know the Lion by his Paw you may know the man by his mind for he that is fleshly minds Fleshly things As if he had said if the mind of a man which is his best thing be altogether about Fleshly things then his will is so and his affections and actions are so And if the mind of a man be upon spirituall things then his will is so his affections his actions his whole life is so This is the drift and scope of the Apostle Now the Lesson we had in hand the last time from the words it was I told you the same with the Text here that Those that are after or walke after the flesh they doe mind fleshly things and those that are after the Spirit doe mind spirituall things I gave you two reasons of it I opened it by answering three Questions I came to make some use of it and finished only one which was to see the reason why carnall Fleshly people doe know so little of the things of God though they have so much meanes and Ordinances and have time to enjoy them and have Eares to heare and Books to read and yet they know nothing of spirituall things the reason is because they mind them not But I shall now proceed Another word is this from this way and method Use 2. The misery of a carnall man is the fleshlynesse of his mind of reasoning that the Apostle useth here you may learne this that the maine and cheife misery of a Fleshly carnall man is the fleshlynesse and carnallnesse of his mind As the cheife happinesse of a Christian the choicest peice that is in a Christian is the spiritualnesse of his mind so the worst peice in a carnall man is the fleshlynesse of his mind Therefore the Apostle doth pitch upon the worst peice to demonstrate the rest he that is after the flesh minds fleshly things As if he had said you may easily guess at the rest if the mind be naught You are wonderfully mistaken when you see a little of your misery you complaine O I have a weak memory when I am hearing spirituall things I think they are written upon my heart but I presently forget it and I am passionate c. And that is all my fault O but here is the root thou hast a fleshly mind and therefore there are fleshly thoughts and fleshly actions all proceed from that The mind of a man is either the cheifest Seat The mind the Throne of Christ or Satan for Jesus Christ or the cheifest Throne for the Devill If Christ be in thee there is his Throne in thy mind and if Satan the Prince of darknesse be in the there is his Palace Therefore you shall read in Luke 12. Christ throwes out the strong man the Armed man Now what is the royall seat that the Devill hath in a man Compare that with 2 Cor. 10. You shall see there it is the Imaginations of the mind the reasonings of the mind of which God willing I shall speak more after for as the mind is the cheifest facultie of the soule so the reasonings of the mind are the cheifest acts of the mind Now the strong holds of Satan must be throwne downe and be brought into captivitie to Jesus Christ every thought of them If thine eye be single sayth Christ the whole body is full of light but if thine eye be evill the whole body shall be full of darknesse You know that if the eye have light in it the hands have light to worke and the feet have light to goe and a man knowes where hee is what hee is doing and wither hee is going but if the eye be darke the whole body is darknesse Just so if the eye of the mind have spirituall light in it then all the whole man hath light then the will hath light and the affections and the actions all have light but if the eye be dark if the mind be darke the whole body is full of darkenesse If the Coachman as a godly man saith be The minde the Coachman of the soule blind then you know where the Coach must be The mind is to the soule and body of a man as a Coachman is to the Coach and Horses he guides them and if he be blind or mad or drunke then all goes out of order Therefore you shall find that when God in God inflicts the greatest misery on the minde Scripture doth expresse the height of the misery of people he sets it out by some misery that is upon their minds and when the holy Ghost would set out the height of what God doth for Christians he sets it forth by something that he doth upon their minds As you have it in Rom. 11. 7. What then Israell hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded To be blind or to be without judgement in the Scriptures language is to be a Reprobate Therefore when the holy Ghost speakes of Reprobates he takes a word that is the same in the Originall and Reprobate is the worst word that is in the Scripture for it is farr worse to say a man is a Reprobate then to say he is a wicked man or a cursed man for he that is in a cursed condition for the present may be in a blessed But saith he the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded So on the other side when God will shew the The greate happinesse of a Christian in his mind cheife happinesse of a man he sets it forth by some good he doth to the mind As in Heb. 8. I will put my law in their hearts and write it in their minds And if it be said what shall we doe with our wills and affections and actions O
c. The Lord helpe thee to looke to this SERMON VIII Rom. 8. 5. For they that are after the flesh doe minde the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit I Have spoken of these words in generall and now I will according to the strength that God shall give me speak of them a little in partiticular that seeing those that enjoy this great priviledg to have the law fulfilled in them are those that walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit That we may find whether we walke after the flesh or after the spirit I would urge it a little further and that according to the Apostles method He pitcheth upon the mind and the mind not simply considered but as it is acting and setting forth the mind in minding therefore as he takes the chiefest facultie to judge the rest by so I will take the chiefest act in that facultie that so you may judge of the rest by that one and so keep to the Apostles method Now the chiefest act of the mind doubtlesse The chiefe act of the mind is the reasoning part of the mind There are many acts in the mind as it understands it thinks it imamagines but especially the reasoning part It belongs to the mind to reason concerning things and reason is the chiefest part and is called and accounted by Schollers the chiefest part of man and therefore they say that man is a reasonable creature Now I say if we will find out by the Scriptures what we are whether we be according to the flesh or according to the spirit for there is the hinge of it we must examine it by the mind not by the mind simply as it is a faculty but the mind acting and exercising And if we speak of the exercise of it let us take the reasoning part of it that is he best part for of all the acts of the mind the reasoning is the strongest and that that most immediatly flowes from the understanding therefore if the reasoning of the soule be carnall the whole soule is so and if the reasoning of it be spiritual the whole soule is spiritual that was one thing that did move me to pitch upon that it being the chiefest Besides I find that the Apostle in 1 Cor. 5. 16. How Paul distinguisheth Saints and others he distinguisheth those that walke according to the flesh from those that walke according to the spirit by the reasoning part for saith he Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have knowne Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more We doe not saith he henceforth walke according to the flesh and we know it by our knowledge we do know things not according to the flesh but according to the spirit if Christ himselfe were here we would not looke upon him with a fleshly eye What this knowledge is you may see in the verses before For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge we thus reason that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose againe We know saith he that we are spirituall and not fleshly by our judging of things by our reasoning of things for thus we judge or thus we reason that if one man dyed for all that is did dye for others then surely we all are dead And we reason further that if one man did dye for us and we are suffered to live we should imploy our life not for our selves but for him that dyed for us This kind of reasoning we have that walke after the Spirit and not after the Flesh therefore I will pitch upon that And the rather because the Lord hath been pleased for ends best knowne to him to keep that in my mind and to fix it so on my thoughts that I could not passe it by and I usually judge in such cases that God doth often doe it for your sakes And therefore according to this method wee shall observe this Doctrine or this lesson that Doct. Carnall men guided by fleshly reasoning Those that are according to the flesh or that walke according to the flesh are swayed and guided by fleshly reasonings and those that are according to the Spirit are swayed and ruled by spirituall reasonings True Gospell Beleivers are ruled and swayed with spirituall reasonings and all carnall fleshly men are ruled by carnall fleshly reasonings For such as the mind is so is the whole man and if your reasoning be right then I dare say that all the acts of your mind are right for that is the cheifest you may judge of all the acts of your mind by your reasoning and therefore we cull out that for the triall of the rest I say carnall men are swayed and led with fleshly reasonings and spirituall men with spirituall reasonings And this is the most distinguishing Character that I know in the Booke of God betweene a Christian and another man And as the Lord presents it unto me I shall a little open unto you these termes reasoning spirituall reasoning and fleshly reasoning That you may understand these you must conceive that there are three sorts of mindes in the World and therefore there be three sorts of reasonings Three sorts of minds For our Reasonings are according as the minde is There is first a corrupt mind as you have it 1. Corrupt Ephes 4. The old man that is corrupt that is to speake in your language or according to your thoughts a sinfull mind a mind that is exercised about sinfull things When a mans mind is an evill one simplie evill Secondly there is a naturall mind 1 Cor. 2. at 2. Naturall the latter end it is called there the naturall man where I would have you observe by the bye that the mind is called the man there the naturall man that is the naturall mind The naturall man knoweth not the things of God that is the naturall mind for a man is denominated by his excellentest part which is his mind as I told you before And there is also the spirituall mind which is 3. Spirituall called there the spirituall man The spirituall man judgeth all things that is the spirituall mind judgeth all things for it is the mind properly that doth judge and the man is said to judge because he hath the mind or the mind is in the man according Three sorts of reasonings to these three sorts of minds flow forth sorts of reasonings One is corrupt reasoning and that is when men 1. Corrupt doe reason meerly sinfully according to that in 1 Cor. 15. The Apostle useth their carnall phrase Let us eate and drinke for tomorrow we shall die Now here was a kind of reasoning in this here was an argument to morrow we expect to die that is shortly therefore let us
have naturall reason and corrupt reason enough but he is an unreasonable man he hath no spirituall reason Ground of Saints constancie And hence it is that godly spirituall men are so constant in their Spirits and in their wayes indeed they are not absolutely constant because they are godly but in part but so far as a man is godly so far he is constant As you may see in naturall things the difference betweene a man that is at full age and hath reason and a Child that is not come up to reason as the Scripture saith be not as little children tossed too and fro Now what is the reason that a Child is so inconstant he will love a thing to day and have it to bed with him and to morrow he will cast it in the dirt it is because his actions are carryed by fancie and he hath not reason to rule and sway him Now you know a man doth not doe and undoe things like a Child See what difference there is in a naturall way between a man at full age and a Child at three or foure yeares old so much and more difference there is betweene a godly spirituall man and a naturall man and that is the reason that when a godly man heares a naturall man discourse and say he will do this and that he will go to the Wars and he will take this and that garrison he smiles at it because he knowes he will not be constant Take men all along in these wars for some yeares past whither they were Commanders or others you shall see how many brave resolute men both went forth and were here in the Parliament at home and where are they now But now take a godly man either in the Army or elsewhere and you cannot say of him he was so but he is so because he hath some reason to carry him along that the other hath not he went for the glory of God the respect of that continues with him the other went out for a shew for a blast and so are turned about with every winde like a Wether-cock and all this for want of spirituall reason Why the Saints are comfortable in the worst condition Moreover it appeares by this why the Saints that are godly and spirituall are so comfortable even in the worst condition and why other men are so apt to be dejected Take a Saint and put him into any condition and he knowes how to rejoyce in the Lord. Take a Paul or a Sylas and put them in Prison and let them be to be hanged to morrow and yet they can rejoyce and sing they can rejoce in tribulation as well as in prosperity but now men that have not faith that are not spirituall though they laugh loud sometimes when they are in Prosperitie yet when affliction comes they are downe againe and this comes from hence not beeause godly men are mad men that they can rejoyce in Chaines as men in bedlome doe but it is from spirituall reasoning When they are in affliction they can reason I am now in much shame and povertie but I know that they that are in Christ all shall turne to their good they are Christs and all is for their Salvation And thus they will draw from the Scriptures by the help of the Spirit of God such kind of arguments as will draw them up and fill them with joy even in the worst condition which because the others have not they are up and down though their laughter be louder as Solomon saith yet it is but as the crackling of thornes that end in smoake and smother and ashes O the godly are endued with a great deale of spirituall reasoning And hence it was because there is so much reason in godlinesse that the Doctrine of the Gospell of Jesus Christ by a few Fisher-men and contemptible men without any force of rme without any Sword drawne they have bene able to breake the great Emperour of the World and to plant Religion over a great part of the World It is true there is no naturall reason in it in the World that a hundred or halfe a hundred should goe forth and tell a Storie of a man that was a Carpenters sonne a poore man that was at last hanged upon a Tree by the Jewes and buryed in a Grave and for a company of poore men that had no oratorie in the world to goe and tell People that by this man is salvation and that they must believe in him and that they had no power in themselves to doe it and that if they did believe in him they must deny themselves and Father and Mother and Lands and Life and then they should have a Reward they knew not where nor whence hereafter in Heaven but nothing in this World which there was no naturall reason to perswade them to and there was no Sword to Command them for their Commission was onely to tell men that if they beleived they should be saved and if they did not beleive they must be damned and yet we see the Gospell hath prevailed in many Kingdomes of the World more or lesse Now when Mahomet came he comes as a great man and when he was asked how will you proove your Religion to be true He takes a Sword and saith by this Such is the Doctrine of the Turks and Persians but the Doctrine of the Gospell came not so Now you must not conceive that the Gospell works like a charme that it works upon men like mad men but hence it comes to pass that though there be no naturall reason in it nor the wisedome of men yet they speake in demonstration of the spirit they speake the wisedome of God to them that are perfect There is spirituall reason in every peice of that Doctrine that is able to satisfie a man and were there not stronger reason then any is in the World men would never yeild to it Thus I have given you a few hints to shew you that there is abundance of profound reason in godlinesse Besides when we see that godly men are so meek Gentlenesse in gody men whence it is so gentle so easie to be intreated Whence is this From the strength of spirituall reason that is in them As it is in naturall things you know women are the weaker Vessells the Scripture saith so and they are more apt to be froward then men Why so Because there is not such strength of reason in them Now men that are at full age and have strength of reason they will beare unkindneses it is the glory of a man to pass by an offence it is the wisedome of a man to pass by an injurie Now as it is in naturall things betweene a Man at full age and a Child such a difference there is between godly spirituall men and naturall men most naturall men are froward and peevish and very ungentle and hardly to be intreated but the godly as farr as they are godly as farr as they
the godly in respect of power 276 Pray A humble heart apt to pray in afflictions 144 See naturall Precious Saints apprehensions of God precious 34 Preparation Christs righteousnesse to be taken notwithstanding want of preparation 109 Principle Two principles whence all men worke 253 Professors to be judged by their principles 270 Every thing workes according to its principle 319 See Darke Prison Christ being out of prison shews God is satisfied 227 Priviledge Jewish priviledges how taken 258 Outward priviledge boasted of by the Jewes 259 To get the comfort of our priviledges 303 Carnall Priviledges called flesh 331 Prize The spirit to be prized 306 Prosperity Prosperity of others not envied by Saints 135 See Envy Proud Carnall minde proud 351 See commands ridgednesse truths unthankfull Publike Christ a publike person 226 Two publike persons 25â— Adam to dye as a publike person 285 Who to be imployed in publike affaires 385 Pure Purity Purity of heart an effect of seeing God 48. 66 Pure heart what 49 See conscience corrupt grow Q. Qualities More then new qualities in Saints 404 R. Rationall The most rationall man without grace the worst 389 Reall Impressions of God upon Saints reall 43 Miseries of this life reall ibid. Reason reasoning Reasoning of three sorts 361 Godlinesse hath the best reason 368 Not to reject all reason in godlinesse 380 Reasoning the highest act of the minde 388 Men mad with reason 389 Reasoning of the minde a distinguishing character 390 How a good man may be moved with naturall and carnall reasoning 393 How Saints come to be led by spirituall reason 402 To labour to be swayed by spirituall reasoning 412 See beleeving doing suffering Reforming Hindrances of reforming our wayes 234 Religion Carnall men may goe farre in Religion 392 Repeale The Law of God not repealed 209 Repent see Christ Reprobate Carnall minde reprobate 350 Revelation Saints to walke humbly for abundance of Revelations 301 Spirit of revelation to be prayd for 313 Reward Proud men obey GOD onely for reward 121 Ridgednesse Ridgednesse to sinners from pride 176 Righteousnesse True humiliation knowne by submitting to Christs righteousnesse 101 Men naturally cleave to their owne righteousnesse ibid. Righteousnesse of our owne to be renounced 108 Righteousnesse perfect required by the Law 208 Righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled in beleevers 217 We are saved by Gods righteousnesse 225 Fleshly men stablish their owne righteousnesse 330 Rotten Minde of a Carnall man rotten 349 Rules Three rules that all men conforme to 240 Rules of Christ to be looked to 242 Severall Gospell rules 243 S. Saint Carriage of a humble heart towards Saints 180 How to judge who are Saints 271. 274 Saints and others how distinguisht 358 See sight old Sanctification How the Spirit works by Sanctification 410 Satan See Kingdome Darknesse Satisfie Saints apprehensions of GOD satisfie them 25 Apprehensions of Hypocrites satisfie not 36 God the Father satisfied in Christ 227 See Spirit Saving Saving knowledge 185 Savour Fleshly men savor fleshly things 335 Scripture see Glosse Secret Secret works in nature and grace 91 See seen seeing The priviledge of Saints to see God 3 Severall wayes of seeing God 4 Order how Saints come to see God 61 All graces wrought by seeing God 87 Why God will humble men by seeing him 91 A wicked man may see his sins 93 Carnall men cannot see God 95 Tryall of seeing God aright 100 A humble heart seeth God in afflictions 126 Things of the flesh are things that are seene 325 Service Saints humble though they doe God more service 183 Humble Saints glad to doe service for others 197 Shift see truths Shrink see trouble Sight Saints have a peculiar sight of God 6 True sight of God how known 30 Signes Christians may make use of signes 103 Simplicity Saints to walke in simplicity 302 Sin Sight of God should preserve from sin 23 Sin what 102 Not to comply with others in sin 172 Justification not broken by sin 233 Who are dead to sin 275 See Guilt Sinners Carriage of a humble heart to sinners 166 Son of Man Two sorts of dayes of the Son of man 26 Soveraignty Soveraignty of God to make a Law 208 Spirit Spirituall Saving sight of God by the spirit 12 The Spirit shewes Christ and the Father 15 The priviledge of those that walk after the spirit 250 To walke according to the Spirit what 255 How to know we walke according to the spirit 274 Fruit of walking according to the spirit 279 How those are to walk that have the spirit 298 How men may come to walk spiritually 305 To labour to be lead by the spirit 309 Things of the spirit what 333 Minde spirituall 361 Reasoning spirituall 363 A Saint made spirituall how 404 Streame Streame of a Saints heart pure 52 Submit Submission A humble heart submits in affliction 133 Ground of true submission to God 154 Suffering True sight of God enables to suffering 60 Law fulfilled by suffering 210 Law cannot be fulfilled by suffering 213 Spirituall reasoning in suffering 366 Sweetnesse Sweetnesse in humble Saints to others 194 T. Take A humble heart content that God should take mercies 154 Teach Christians should be ready to teach others 59 Temptations Godly Men not taken with temptations why 375 See Job Eve Termes Proud men obey God upon their owne termes 120 Terrified Wicked men may be terrified 93 Testaments Difference between the two Testaments to be studyed 305 Thankfull A humble heart thankfull for mercies 161 Themselves Why Saints sometimes differ from themselves 73 Saints measure not themselves by themselves 199 Who build Justification upon themselves 230 Things What meant by things of the flesh 324 Throne The minde the throne of Christ or Satan 346 Through Right impressions of God through 44 Troubles Why professors shrink in troubles 44. 61 What keeps men in inward troubles 104 Truth Saints carriage to Gods truths 110 Proud hearts cavill at Gods truths 113 Proud men shift off Gods truths 114 Saints jealous of the truths they know 187 Time Saints humbled in regard of the time they have had 184 V. Vaine Carnall minde vaine 349 Various God shewes himselfe to his Children variously 16 Violence see Command Vision Beatificall vision in this life 18 Visitation Day of visitation what 176 Understand Why most people understand not spirituall things 338 Christ onely can satisfie the understanding 383 Undervalue A humble Saint undervalues not grace in others 153 Union Too neere union with sinners forbidden 172 The Law fulfilled by our union with Christ 224. 227 To look on our selves as united to Christ 236 Unregenerate Unregenerate men how farre they may goe towards humiliation 93 Unspeakable Saints sight of God unspeakable 10 Unthankfull Proud hearts unthankfull 161 Universall Impressions from the sight of God universall 45 W. Waiting A humble heart not weary of waiting in affliction 145 Waiting for mercies 156 Walke To walke what 251 Way Godly men see their way in confusion 374 Weak Weak Saints in Christ satisfie the Law 224 Flesh put for weaknesse 267 Weaknesse of Saints the cause of it 215 Weary see Commands Wicked Misery of wicked men 20 Winning see Ordinances Wise Wisedome Saints in affliction have high thoughts of Gods wisedome 131 Two wisedomes great in the eyes of Saints ibid. Godly men the wisest 384 Will. Our hearts and lives to conform to Gods will 240 Will of God when knowne 307 Why good men misse Gods will 395 Word Saving sight of God by the word 12 Christs righteousnesse to be taken on his bare word 104 Works Many besides Papists seeke Justification by Workes 213 VVe are dead to the Law as a Covenant of works 218 Good workes by whom to be done 231 Flesh taken for the Covenant of works 260 World Saints see God in this world 3 Happy estate of Saints in this world 17 The rule of most men in the world 241 FINIS