without all impediment shall cry with the blessed Angels Holy holy holy is y e God of heaueÌ„ the Whole World is full of his glory There shall it find in his countenance saciety of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euer Marke here last I shal end with it that the seeling of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ bringeth out obedience chearful seruice of God yea of al argumeÌ„ts to moue a man to abstein from sin to serue the Lord with pleasure that is y e most pithie forcible The shame of y e world the feare of temporal judgement the horror of conscience the feare of the paines of hel wil not be so steadable it may be â— they represse raging lusts furious affections â—â—r a time but they wil not mortify sin slay corruptioÌ„ wil neuer cause a man with pleasure to serue obey God but if a man hath fouÌ„d â— God hath loued him so well that he hath giueÌ„ his only son to dy that he might liue it is not possible but that maÌ„ in some measure wil set himself with alacrity chearfulnes to serue God Therfore the Apostle wheÌ„ he wold perswade christiaÌ„s to abstein from sin to serue God what argument vseth he chiefly read Rom. 12. 1. he proponeth the mercy of God offering Iesus to die for them for there hee saith I beseech you brethreÌ„ through the mercies of God â— ye offer vp your selues a liuing sacrifice therfore if thou wouldest couet to do y e Lords wil chearfully pray the Lord that he would not so much threateÌ„ thee propone terrors to thee as that he would make thee sensible of His mercies in Iesus Christ The vaine Papist speakes litle or nothing almost to the people of this mercy of God in Iesus Christ but propones to the people the pains of hell fire of purgatory to stay them from sin to make them serue God and do good works but if there be no more it wil neuer make them to bring forth such obedience as either is acceptable to God or yet profitable to themselues The Lord therfore make vs to bee sensible of his vnspeakeable loue in Iesus that wee may set our selues with pleasure to serue and glorify him here that so we may be assured that hee shall glorify vs in the kingdome of Heauen which Iesus hath purchased to vs by his precious blood To this Iesus with the Father the H. Spirit be all praise honor and glory for euer Amen THE XIII SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 5 I haue waited on the LORD my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word verse 6 My soule waiteth on the LORD more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning verse 7 Let Israel wait on the LORD for with the LORD is mercie and with Him is great redemption verse 8 And He shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities WELBELOVED in the LORD IESVS The last day we diuided this Psalme into these three partes First the proposition whosoeuer hee was that writ this Psalme hee maketh mention and rehearsall of that prayer that hee made to his God in the time of his great danger and this hee doeth to the fift verse Then finding in experience a comfortable answere and howe good a thing it was to pray to God and to waite on Him he professeth that as before he had awaited on Him so still in time comming hee woulde awaite on Him and this hee doeth to the seuenth verse In the third and last part he turneth him to Israel to the Church and exhorteth them to await on God as hee had done promising them mercie and redemption from all their iniquities if they would awaite on Him The last day we ended the first part so wee haue now to follow out the other two parts which remaine Then as for the second The prophet finding in experience the fruite of his prayer hee professeth that hee will yet still waite on the Lord I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word As though he would saye I depend yet still on His word for the presence of the Lord that wee haue in this life is in His worde and in His Holy Spirite that accompanieth it So all the dependance we haue on GOD is in His worde and promise Take that away and then wee haue no sight no presence no faith here till wee see Him face to face Yet the wordes are better to bee marked hee saith I haue waited on the Lord Then hee saith My soule hath waited on the Lord as if he woulde saye I haue not awaited on the Lord onely with my bodily eyes but with mine heart and secrete inward affections I haue depended on Him from my verie heart For Brethren marke it well It is the heart of a man or woman that draweth GOD downe from Heauen sucketh in His presence Marueilous is the power that a faithful heart hath when it sendeth vp sighes and sobbes to Heauen for grace to pull down Gods presence and grace if there be no more but the eye it will not doe the turne but where the Spirit of the Lord dwelleth in the heart it maketh it to â—igh with sobbes that cannot be expressed It is not possible but GOD who giueth His Spirite to no man in vaine and who knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirite will grant that for which the Spirit maketh intercession Paul in the 8. chap. to the Rom. setting downe the waiting on of the godly how they wait on the Lord he setteth downe both the forceable operation of Gods Spirit in our hearts as also the fruit of his operation Wee sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies there the vvaiting on of the godly is conjoyned vvith sighes and sobbes Then after hee letteth vs see what followeth vpon that What to seeke wee knowe not but when the Spirite of the Lord interceadeth for vs with sighes and sobbes vnspeakeable then the Lord who searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirit granteth that thing for the which the Spirite maketh intercession for what els meaneth that vnspeakeable joye vvhich many a time the Saincts of God finde before they haue ended their prayers but that their prayers are fauourably accepted What meaneth that vnspeakeable joy when he saith Belieuing we rejoyce with joy vnspeakeable and glorious That joye witnesseth that the Lord giueth his presence for there is a sure ground There is no true joy but in the presence of God and so the joy testifieth to thee that thou sighest not so soone but the Lord giueth his presence to thee Now when hee hath saide My soule hath waited then he subjoyneth I will waite still vpon His word I will hold vp mine eare to Heauen as it were and heare what He wil speake vnto me There is no consolation nor joy in this world but in the hearing of His
the Spirite of God euerie spirite is a searcher it is the nature of a spirite euer to pierce in and to search for it is a subtile thing and will pierce in very subtilely to the secrets of things The spirit of an Angell is a searcher and a subtile thing the spirit of the Deuill is subtile and will pierce in subtilely he will pierce in to thine heart and insinuate himselfe therein likewise the spirit of a man is a subtile spirit and a searcher also he will search out the things that are in heauen and in the sea and in the earth for he is wonderfully inclined to searching But all the spirites except the Spirit of that Holy One search onely the creatures The spirite of an Angell of the deuill of a man search but the creatures As for the Creator no spirit is able to search in Him but His owne Spirit yea they knowe nothing in Him but so much as He will reueale vnto them As for man hee is very busie but for all his businesse hee could neuer yet search out his owne heart â—â—there is a mysterie of sinne lying in the foldes of his heart which hee shall neuer see except this Spirite enter in and giue him light But the blessed Spirit of God and of Iesus Christ hee is the Spirit both of the Father and of the Sonne for one Spirit proceedeth froÌ„ both He searcheth the Father He searcheth the Sonne Hee discouereth all And no man can bee a good searcher or a sanctified searcher except hee haue this Spirite If thy spirit be not sanctified by this Spirite which is the onlie searcher and sanctifier of all thinges all thy searching is but vanitie Nowe to goe forward Before Hee was called a searcher and now He is called a reuealer First He searcheth out then He reuealeth vnto vs There is the order He reuealeth the hiddeÌ„ things in God because He Himselfe of His owne nature is a searcher of them and before that euer Hee reueale them He searcheth them out first TheÌ„ he that will be a reuealer and will set himself to reueale those things to men I speak it in plain talk he that will bee a Preacher of these hidden thinges to others looke that first hee bee a searcher and let him bee occupied in searching and heartilie beseech GOD that the Holie Spirite would lead him in to those things that haue none accesse For hee is not fit to bee a Preacher of the Gospell that searcheth not with all his might first to see these things in God which he speaketh to others Woe to him that commeth in of purpose to speake the things to others which he neuer saw nor felt first in his owne heart Dauid saith Psalme 116. 10. I beleeued and therefore I spake Paule afterwardes saieth We beleeue and therefore wee speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. What is this beliefe None other thing but before hee speake to others to get an assurance of them in his owne heart Now looke the maner of the reuealing of these things The Spirit he reuealeth because hee openeth our heartes and taketh away the vaile off our heartes to let vs see them otherwise in vaine were it to laye them before vs. I see another maner of this reuelation and therefore looke what more the Spirit doeth Hee is not content only to take the vaile froÌ„ thine heart but hee taketh thy soule by the hand as it were and leadeth it in thorow the deepnesse of God he will rauish it out of the bodie as it were and leade it in to that light which hath none accesse and will say Loe there is the mercie loe there is the righteousnesse loe there is the euerlasting Life which is spoken of seest thou not them all in Him So he will point out euerie thing in God Therefore no doctrine auaileth without this Holie Spirit seeing Hee alone taketh the vaile from our heartes and leadeth vs in to see the thinges which are spoken of There is no perfect Doctor but the Spirite of Iesus onlie There is no creature although hee be an Angell that can take the vaile off thine heart to let thee see that can bore thine care to let thee heare perfectlie And therefore in preaching depend not vpon the mouth of men but onlie vpon the Spirit of Iesus Christ Yet I shall make the matter more plaine and shew how the Spirit will take thee and let thee see the thinges which are in God I will vse a supposition which cannot bee yet it will make the matter more cleare I suppose that my spirit or soule entered into thee if my spirite or my soule bee in thee there woulde bee nothing within mee but thou wouldest see it all my thoughtes would bee patent to thee Now to applie this This is no supposition God will put His Spirite into a man or woman for if His Spirit be not in vs wo be vnto vs for euer and euer If God put His Spirit into anie of vs must it not follow of necessitie that wee must see in God at least the things which concerne our weale and saluation That spirite in mee in thee must reueale to mee to thee the thinges which lie in the verie deepnesse of God which concerne our weale and saluation and that man that hath the Spirite of God will see the verie heart of God His mind he will see the remission of his sinnes in the mind of GOD and all by the benefite of the Spirite of IESVS that dwelleth in him Marke this yee that account so lightlie of the Spirite of Iesus in whom consisteth the onlie felicitie of man For if thou want His Spirite woe to thee thou shalt goe to Hell So wee haue a great vantage heere that by the benefite of the Spirite wee see the thinges that are in GOD. But Brethren God hath as great an aduantage of vs for if Gods Spirit be in vs by His Spirit Hee seeth all that is in our heartes for if my spirit were in thee as I spake before as thou wouldest see all that is in mine heart so I would see all that is in thy soule the least thought of thine heart would bee patent vnto mee so much more that Spirit seeth the least motion thoght of the heart of man in whom He is will present them all to the Father and lay them open before Him So al serueth to this end that we should take heed to the least thought of our hearts and beware to thinke one thought to displease Him for the Spirit as He is called the searcher of the deepnesse of God so He is called the searcher of the heartes of men There is not one thought nor one grone in thine heart or one motion of joy in thy soule but He reporteth all to the Father We haue neede to take heede to all the motions of our heartes and neuer to thinke one thought but that which wee thinke is acceptable to the Father neuer to anger the Spirit
as y e Apostle saith Eph. 4. 30. neither in word or thought And therefore as thou wouldest keep Him not anger Him study to sanctificatiō sanctification shall bring on saluation for it is y e very means that shall make thee to see God look what th'Apostle saith Heb. 12. 14. Without sanctification no man shall see GOD. Now vpon all this discourse I marke shortly There were neuer two things so straitly joyned together as God man is there was neuer such kinred betwixt two things in y e world as is betwixt the God of glory and an earthly man thou wilt count thy kinred with this man and that man if thou be joyned with him in blood or alliance But I aske this question Is his spirite within thee is his soule within thee or is thy soule in him Indeede it is true the affection may goe out of thee to him but giuest thou him thy spirit with thy affection or giueth he thee his spirit with his affection knowest thou y e thought of his heart or knoweth he the thought of thine heart who will say it O! but God with His affection giueth thee His Spirit within thee that thou mayest know the thought of His heart and He of thine This is the conjunction that is betwixt God thee there is a narrow conjunction indeed betwixt y e members of that mysticall body for they are conjoyned together by y e Spirit of Christ by loue but no member putteth his spirit into another member there is y e other cōjunction betwixt the head and the members of the naturall bodie for the soule will as it were come downe and the spirit of the head to the members and they will vnderstand the thought of the head and the head will vnderstand the thought of the members but there was neuer such a conjunction betwixt the members the head as is betwixt God man and all conjunctions among men are but a pendicle of that which is betwixt GOD and man In this conjunction with thy GOD and with thine Head IESVS for thou art joyned with GOD in Him standeth thy felicitie and blessednesse To come to the next verse It might haue bene said to the Apostle Thou dedicatest all to the Spirit of God may not the spirite of man doe something in this purpose may not my spirit search in to God and discouer the deepnes that is in Him He answereth Noman can see the thinges that are in God but His owne Spirit Then hee declareth his answere by a comparison Euen as no man can see the thinges which are in man but by the spirit of a man so nothing can search the things which are in God but the Spirit of God Thou canst not see the things that are in me onlie I my selfe will see the thinges that are in me euen so no man can see the things that are in God but onlie His owne Spirit Nowe the Apostle heere hee meeteth the verie pride of the heart of man that hee will conciet of himself that he by his spirit will search the things that are in God Paule had this experience in the Corinthians who were but carnall they tooke vpon them to judge vpon his doctrine that was spirituall Hast thou but that spirite which is carnall albeit thou bee a Monarch thou art too bolde to take vpon thee to judge of thinges which are spirituall and spoken spirituallie This same is the pride of the Papists this daye There will come out a Thomist a Scotist who hath the spirit of a man onlie and a verie subtile or rather a Sophisticall spirit an humane Philosopher and hee will judge of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and turne it ouer into humane Philosophie They haue turned the Gospell of Iesus to Aristotle all their writings are but spiritlesse There is not so much as a smell of the Spirit of Iesus in them all But O that terrible judgement that abideth such Doctors as are prophane polluters of the Gospell of Iesus Christ There is none of vs all but if a man would stand vp and say to mee or to thee I knowe thine heart and what is in thine heart wee would be angrie at him Then will not that glorious God bee angrie at a prophane villane that will say hee will search in to that profunditie hauing only his owne spirit Brethren when I was younger than I am if I had seene one of great engine great capacitie great graces I thought immediately he would comprehend the whole Bible but I protest before God that the longer I liue I thinke euer the lesse of the wit of man I had rather haue y e least sponk of the Spirit of Christ nor all the engine knowledge of y e world No a silly body that hath y e Spirit of Iesus will conceiue more of spiritual things than all the high headed bodies in the worlde Therefore alwayes renounce thine owne wit and be a foole that thou mayest be wise Another thing I marke heere When hee hath magnified the Spirit and made Him the searcher of all the deepnesse of God see howe hee holdeth off him the proude conceites of men hee will not let thee touch him or his priuiledges that is to search the deepnesse of God Therefore if yee will speake of God to His honour He is inuiolable saue him from the proude conceites of men Hold proude men off God let them not touch Him or violate that inuiolable Majestie or else thou shalt be guiltie if Hee be violated by thy default Alas wherefore art thou set in this world but to preach His glorie and to keepe it inuiolate from the injuries of all flesh in the worlde Looke what he doeth next in the last verse when he hath as it were holden off GOD the proude conceites of men who woulde take vpon them to search in to the deepnesse of God what doeth he He draweth that Spirit to himselfe and saieth Nowe wee haue receiued not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God whereby hee learneth thee this lesson It auaileth thee not to magnifie to glorifie God and His Spirit except in the end thou take that Spirit to thy selfe and mayest challenge Christ and His Spirit as thine owne propertie Men haue spoken verie highlie of Christ and haue had little adoe with Him Speake thou not of Him so but as thou speakest of Him to His praise take Him to thy selfe otherwise in all thy speaking of Him thou art but a verie babler if thou haue not that Spirite within thee For the Apostle saith No man can call Iesus Lord except he haue the Spirit of Iesus 1. Cor. 12. 3. Therefore as thou wouldest saue thy selfe from prophaning of God and of His Spirit and of His graces when thou art praising and magnifying Him looke that thou haue the Spirite that thou mayest say to thy selfe This Spirit whom I praise is mine this God whom I haue bene magnifying and all His
graces is mine In the end of the verse hee setteth downe the ende wherefore GOD hath giuen vs this Spirit The end is this To make vs to know the things which are giueÌ„ vnto vs by God I see here the Spirit of Iesus when He maketh our eye to looke in to that deepnesse of God to that store of mercie He will let vs see nothing in GOD but meere grace mercy As this Euangell preacheth nothing but meere grace and mercie so the Spirit of Iesus when He letteth thee see al the hidden things in GOD Hee letteth thee see nothing but meere mercie and grace And therefore hee that will tell the people of the merits of men or of the Saints that they are not justified by meere grace but must ad to their own deseruings I wil tell you my judgmeÌ„t of such a man suppose he be neuer so glorious a Doctor neuer so sacond or so learned hee neuer spake by the Spirite of IESVS Papist Doctors who leade men to leane to their owne merites and to the merites of Saincts neuer spake nor wrote by the Spirit of Iesus For the Spirite of Iesus letteth thee see nothing in God but meeâ—e mercie for one merite of man will destroye all grace so contratie is the Spirit of God the spirit of man the grace of Christ the merit of man And this is y e spirit that men striue to put amoÌ„gst vs againe for if they bring in Papistrie amoÌ„gst vs again farewell y e Spirit of Iesus No I speak it from mine heart if that Idolatrie come in againe I shall stand vp in my last Preaching and saye Farewell the Spirit of Iesus For no more than Hell can accompanie Heauen no more can that blessed Spirit of Iesus accompanie that dirt dung of mans doctrine Therefore as thou wouldest keepe the Spirit of Iesus holde abacke these men for thou shalt not enjoye them both in despite of thine heart The Lord Iesus cannot remaine amongst Idolaters and if thou haue not His Spirite thou art not His Roman 8. 9. if thou be not His thou art the Deuils and shalt goe to euerlasting damnation Therefore I say ouer againe Holde them away as thou wouldest keepe that blessed Spirit of IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the Holie Ghost be all Honour Praise Power Glorie and Dominion both now and euer worlde without ende AMEN THE EIGHT SERMON II. COR. CHAP. IIII. verse 3 If our Gospell bee then hidden it is hidden to them that are lost verse 4 In whome the god of this worlde hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infideles that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine vnto them verse 5 For wee preach not our selues but CHRIST IESUS the LORD and our selues your seruants for IESUS sake IN the verse immediatelie going before this Text which wee haue read in your audience the Apostle hath beene speaking of that sinceritie of that plainnesse which hee vsed in the preaching of the Gospell of CHRIST which he vttered with such an euidence that whosoeuer hearde him might vnderstand him might haue seene the light of the Gospell and haue apprehended it Nowe because this people of Corinth were stiffe-necked hard to conceiue full of conceits and liked nothing but humane wisdome and eloquence scorning mocking the euidence of the Spirit Therefore some of them might haue objected immediatelie Paule thou speakest of thy plainnesse in vttering the Gospel yet for thy plainnesse there is manie amongst vs who knowe not what thou speakest thy Gospell is hidden to manie manie vnderstand thee not The Apostle meeteth this in the first wordes which wee haue read If our Gospell be hidden it is hidden to them that perish A sore sentence as if hee woulde saye Corinthians blame me not nor my Gospell the fault is in that miserable corruption which is in you yee cannot see the light of my gospel because ye are adjudged to perdition and damnation so the blame is in your blindnesse who are appointed to damnation before all eternity So this verse being plaine let vs obserue some lessons The first is this There hath beene and is many in the world in all ages that neuer saw seeth nor shall see the light of the Gospell Ye haue an example of these Corinthians howbeit the Gospel should shine clearer than y e Sunne at noone time of the day it shall neuer be seene of them it will be hidden to them howbeit it should bee as a booke laide open before them yet it will bee a clasped booke to them Let euerie man beware of himselfe for this is a necessitie laide vpon the multitude of this worlde A multitude hath bene in all ages a multitude is in this age a multitude shal be in euerie age to come who shal neuer see the light of the Gospell The next lesson is These folke haue this propertie and disposition beeing pleasurers of themselues they are euer quarreling with the Gospell amongst all the hearers of the worlde they are the most quarrellous they I say who get the least good of it are alwayes the moste quarrellous and euermore laying the fault either vpon the Gospel or vpon the teachers thereof because they neither get light nor consolation thereby Beware of this quarrellous complexion I marke thirdlie where is the fault or in whome They blame the Gospell and the teachers therof but where is the fault indeed Paule telleth thee heere If my Gospell bee hidden it is hidden to them that perish That perdition and destruction wherunto thou art appointed from all eternitie is the cause wherefore thou receiuest no consolation no light in thy soule thorow the Gospell of Iesus Christ Thou layest the fault where it is not thou art like a blinde man that will stand vp against the Sunne shining at the noone time of the daye and accuse it because it shineth not when in the meane time it is shining vpon the face of him Thou art a vessel of perdition if there bee not a remedie and because the sentence is past therefore as when a thiefe or a murtherer is once condemned to death the gracious presence of the Prince is with-drawne from him that hee may looke on him no more Euen so if once a creature bee adjudged to death the gracious countenance of Iesus Christ is with-drawne from him lest hee should beholde it in the Gospell Another thing followeth There are manie tokens of damnation that men and women are adjudged to death Amongst the rest this is a sure token If the Gospell be hidden to thee euen as it is preached in SCOTLAND wee haue neither Peter nor Paul to teach vnto vs yet if it be hidden to thee if thou receiue neither light nor consolation by it as it is now preached if thou continue so till thy life be in thy lips as wee speake till the last gaspe thou hast a seale in thine owne bosome of euerlasting damnation thine heart
are very foule and vncleane A cloth that is very foule will require much vvater washing euen so vvee must haue aboundance of grace because vvee vvere so foule through sin but suppose vve vvere neuer so foule except vve get a sight of our filthinesse vve vvill neuer desire to be vvashen when Dauid felt himselfe verie filthie in murther and adulterie he cryed Wash mee O Lord and make mee cleane PSAL. 51. When a bodie commeth to a remorse of conscience it is a vvonder to see howe hee vvill drinke in that Spirite and desire to bee satiate vvith that vvater A foule bodie that hath not the sense of his filthinesse will neuer crie for vvashing The murtherer and the harlot vvill neuer crie Lord vvashe mee except they gette a sight of their owne vncleannesse Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be filled MATTH 5. 6. There may bee mooued a question heere Howe is it saide that the Spirite is powred out so aboundantly how many feeleth this riches Will a man or vvoman discende into their selues they will finde great lacke and scarcitie of this Spirit Brethren I answere One droppe of the Spirite of Iesus Christ is coūted great riches one droppe of grace is great riches one droppe of the vvater of life is greater riches than all the vvater in the vvorlde it vvill vveigh downe all the precious things that are vpon the face of y e earth Thou that hast gotten one droppe of grace in Iesus Christ thou art richer than all the kinges in the worlde Moreouer if this droppe of grace could bee dried vp in the heartes of the regenerate it were lesse to be coūted of but there is stil droppe after droppe and none ende of dropping Continually thou art refreshed now and then vvith new drops of grace so long as thou liuest So this cōtinuance in dropping is a great riches thou hast no cause to complaine that hath this continuance Well is the soule that getteth droppe after droppe for that soule may saye it hath gotten great riches Thus much for the first part of our saluatiō called regeneration when God putteth to His hande to saue vs He putteth to His hād vvasheth vs inwardly and outwardlie and giueth vs His Spirit Nowe followeth the next part That being justified by grace we may be made heyres according to the hope of life euerlasting The next part standeth in justification I vvill not insist I shall touch it in a worde It is none other thing but the imputing of the righteousnesse of IESVS CHRIST vnto vs. This righteousnesse is not inherent in vs but the satisfaction of IESVS CHRIST is imputed to vs. This Iustification in effect is none other thing but forgiuenesse of sinnes when God forgiueth thee thy sinnes accounteth Christs righteousnesse to bee thine and laieth not thy sinne to thy charge Al is one thing Iustification is not this y ◠men dreame of to wit a righteousnes inherēt in our selues but it is another mans justice which by imputation is made ours Compare these two together Iustification and Regeneration and consider the naturall order of them Iustification is first A man is justified by the blood of IESVS CHRIST imputed to him ere euer he be regenerate by the Spirit The Spirite that vvasheth him in regeneration commeth through the blood the blood first and then commeth in regeneration and vvasheth awaye the mother sinne and the foule stinking corruption that is in thee and both thy justification and regeneration commeth of free grace without merites for these two are euer opponed grace and mercie preasse not to deale these two to giue GOD one part and to attribute another part to thy selfe leaue thy merites behinde thee and take thee to the mercy of God otherwise there is no saluation for thee Thereafter commeth on another part of saluation vvee are made heires of euerlasting Life but there is something going betwixt that is not set downe here For yee see that when wee are justified and regenerated vvee are made sonnes by adoption before we be heyres vve must bee children But I leaue this because the Apostle speaketh not of it heere Then the last part is Wee are made heyres of the Kingdome of Heauen vvhat more can be required in saluation there is the highest degree Thou art placed in thine inheritance there is thy perfection According to the hope of eternall Lift lest vvee should thinke that vvee are alreadie put in possession of this inheritance he meeteth this and sheweth that albeit vve are in this life made heyres yet vvee are not in this life put into a reall possession of this heyrship but hee saieth according to hope vvee are heyres by hope but once hope and all shall goe awaye and vvee shall bee heyres in very deede Yet hope is necessarie so long as vvee liue heere so long as the Father is liuing the heyres haue a to-looke and a hope of the heyrship Hope thou or else thou shalt neuer see Heauen Nowe this hope is not so bare that in the meane time vvee haue no fruition of the thing hoped for yea euen in this life the fruition of Heauen is begunne in effect and if thou haue not the beginning of it heere hope neuer for the accomplishment of it heereafter Wee haue a beginning in this life but as for the full possession and fruition of our inheritance it is reserued to the life to come And therefore it is that the Godly in this life hope still for the comming of IESVS CHRIST till they bee set and placed vvith Him in that inheritance purchased to vs by His blood To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all Honour Prayse and Glory for euer and euer AMEN THE TWELFTH SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 1 Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto Thee O LORD verse 2 LORD heare my voyce let Thine eares attende to the voyce of my prayers verse 3 If Thou O LORD straightly markest iniquities O LORD who shall stand verse 4 But mercie is with Thee that Thou mayest bee feared THE inscription of this PSALME Brethren declareth that it is a PSALME most excellent The excellencie of it wee remit to the matter contained therein it hath bene penned by some holy man and Prophet of old but by whom it is not certaine It is sufficient to vs to knowe that the Spirite of GOD was the dyter of it To come to the matter and partes thereof The Prophet whosoeuer he was first setteth downe the estate and disposition of his soule in trouble to wit that he ranne to the Lord and prayed to Him for deliuerie and this hee doeth to the fift verse Next finding in verie deede the effectes of the prayer hee made and finding mercy and deliuerie as hee craued hee professeth before all the worlde that as he had before awaited vpon GOD so hee will await still vpon Him and He will put his confiden̄ce in Him and this he doeth to the seuenth
verse lastly from the seuenth verse to the ende he recommendeth this duetie to Israel that is to the Church of GOD to waite vpon the LORD and with the recommendation hee giueth in forceable reasons to mooue them To come to the first part first hee saith that in his greatest danger hee cryed to the Lord IEHOVAH Next hee setteth downe the prayer To come to the proposition he saith Out of the deepe yet more Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O IEHOVAH By these deepe places hee vnderstandeth great miseries great dangers wherein his body was great terror and feare in his conscience for his sinne offerding of God for the Scripture as ye may see Psal 69. 2. 3 compareth great afflictions to deepe waters wherein a man is like to drowne and manie a time when the body is in danger the soule will bee like to drowne in desperation No doubt the greatnesse of the danger made him to vtter to the Lord voyces coÌ„ming from the very deapth of the heart If we felt our selues in great daÌ„ger we wold call from the deapth of our hearts to God he vttered not a voyce onely but a lowde voyce with a crie This is the meaning of the words We so here first that the children of God whom God loueth most intirely are many times subject to great and extreame dangers and troubles and if euer thou thinkest to come to Heauen make thee in thine owne course to suffer one trouble or other Let no man thersore judge euill of a man because he suffereth Next we see the greater the danger bee the heauier y e distresse the afflictioÌ„ wherwith y e godlie is exercised bee the more vehement feruent earnest will their prayer be they haue to God and howe commeth this to passe Euen in this maner by these degrees OppressioÌ„ afflictioÌ„ worketh in the hearts of the faithfull a sense of y e common misery of nature WheÌ„ the hand of y e Lord is vpon afaithful man then he begins to feele his sinne corruption And except the LORD exercise vs in this life either one way or other the best of vs all will fall into such a sound sleepe that we will neither remember what we haue bene what wee are nor what wee shall bee neither acknowledge our selues to be sinners So there is a necessity of afflictions for affliction bringeth vs to a feeling of our misery Next when through affliction the heart is prepared and brought to some sense of sin then it is capable of grace theÌ„ it prayeth to God Look neuer to come to Heauen if thou feelest not thy finne yea and that thou art a miserable sinner Then if once thine heart bee prepared with some sense of sinne and miserie then commeth in that holy Spirit of Iesus Christ which in y e Scripture is called the Spirit of adoption who finding y e heart dejected and made lowlie the Spirite will nerer looke in to a proude heart beginneth to worke to touch the heart of the miserable sinner with a sweet sense of mercie through Iesus hee beginneth to shedde abroade the loue of Christ into the soule and when once the heart hath tasted of the sweetnesse of mercie and as Peter saieth hath tasted how sweet and gracious the Lord is and findeth this passing loue of God in Iesus Christ then iâ—…eth a boldnesse and beginneth with confidence peartnesse to present itselfe before God and to put vp prayers and requestes Roman 8. 26. When once that Spirite hath giuen libertie then we crie with an open mouth for the heart is wide opened Abba Father Roman 8. 15. Because wee haue gotten a sense of that fatherlie loue in Iesus Christ The prayer of the faithfull is most effectuall when they are in greatest danger and then the voyce is lowdest for it is the Spirit of GOD who maketh intercession for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed but God knoweth the meaning of his Spirit Now Brethren surely few of vs haue yet beene in this deepnesse and extreamitie of miserie the Lord hath not yet so pressed vs with His hand as Hee hath done many others and therefore â—eâ—â— there is amongst vs who hath this feeling of sinne and miserie and consequently few of vs can pray so earnestly Howe many are there amongst you that dare say that yee feele sensibly the common miserie of nature Goe to your hearts and looke if yee feele it not sleeping in sinne and so long as thou sleepest thus and knowest not thy miserie howe wilt thou bee carefull to feele the loue of Christ and how wilt thou earnestly pray to God And certainly I take this coldnesse in prayer to be a fore-runner of a judgement to ouer-take this Land No it were better to bee swimming in the waters of affliction praying earnestly to GOD than to bee this way lying in prosperitie without prayer Nowe I goe forward After hee hath proponed that out of the deepnesse hee cryed to IEHOVAH then to let vs see his cryes hee setteth downe the forme of prayer that hee vsed in his great miseries first he saieth O Lord heare my voyce Next in the other wordes hee doubleth ouer the same petition Attende to the voyce of my prayers for hee prayeth not coldly but hee cryeth earnestly certainly the doubling of the crie would be opened vp from the ground Wee should gripe downe to the heart from whence the prayers of the godlie do flow that when we heare them or reade them we may get such an heart disposition in prayer as they had The doubling of the prayer and the mouth wide opening commeth of the doubling of the graces of the Spirite of GOD in the heart and of a double opening of the heart for except the heart be opened in prayer the mouth cannot be opened with pleasure otherwise if thou speake anie thing I will not giue one pennie for it So the opening of the mouth commeth from the opening of the heart When the Holy Spirit so sweetly maketh manifest the loue of God to the creature then y e tongue is loosed the second cry coÌ„meth of the second grace of y e second opening of the heart so oft as thou cryest so oft is there a new grace motion within the heart wrought by the Holy Spirite for it is Hee onely that openeth the mouth piece and piece to speake to God for take this for a certainty that Paul saith There is none that can call Iesus Lord without that Spirit come in 1. Corin. 12. 3. And againe hee saith We knowe not what wee should pray or how wee ought to pray without that Spirit teach vs Romanes chap. 8. verse 26. And if Hee teach not no man or woman is able once to open the mouth with confidence and liberty to pray And so Brethren if yee would speake well pray well or doe well looke euer to the disposition of the heart and night and daye pray for that
it is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glorie it is sowne in weakenesse and is raised in power The weakest bodie in Heauen shall be stronger than the strongest man in earth Then saieth hee it is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie So the change is in qualitie and therefore he saith to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 21. When CHRIST commeth Hee shall transforme not abolish but transforme in qualitie our vile bodies like to His owne glorious body Christ keepeth in y e Heauen that same very body which he had in the earth thou shalt keep the same bodie in HeaueÌ„ which thou hast in earth but it shall be altered in qualitie as far as y e HeaueÌ„ earth is different BrethreÌ„ this ministreth comfort there is none of vs but naturally we loue this body then let this comfort thee that suppose thy soule shall bee for a time without this bodie yet thou shalt get it again Another comfort death cannot destroy it the graue shall not bee able to swallow vp that body but the graue shal keep it the dust substance thereof till the comming of Christ then it shall be compelled to render it againe Life shall swallow vp death but death nor the graue shall not be able to swallow vp the bodie of Godâ— Elect But the reprobate shall be swallowed vp of death both in soule bodie In the 8. chap. to the ROMANES the 10. and 11. verses Paul ministreth these two consolations against death Hee saieth The bodie must die because of sinne but hee subjoyneth The soule in the meane time shall liue and the Spirit of Iesus shall take it couer it with that blood And albeit it was a sinfull soule yet assoone as the Father blinketh vpon it wimpled and wrapped as it were in the blood of Iesus immediately hee biddeth it passe to glorie He goeth forward And where it might haue bene said shall we haue no consolation in the body He answereth If the Spirite of Him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in your mortall body what then He that is GOD the Father that raised vp Christ from the dead He by His Spirit shall raise your bodies that same body that is dead and laid in graue that same body by Gods Spirit for the Spirit of Iesus and the Spirite of the Father is all one shall be raised vp Learne then if this holy Spirit of God once take lodging in you He shall neuer leaue you in soule nor body He shal accompanie the body in the graue and conuoy the soule to Heauen The Spirit of Iesus shall goe with y e soule lift it vp The earth getteth the body when the soule is separated from it yet the Holy Spirit shall goe to the graue with the body and shall remain with it in the graue and with the least part of the dust thereof And when Christ shall come He shall gather it together and make it a whole body So happy are they that haue once lodged this guest in their soules for neither fire nor water nor none other power euer shall bee able to destroy them because that Holy Spirit euer remaineth with theÌ„ Now in the next verse because it might haue bene said and objected Thou wouldst not want the bodie why sighest thou then and what meaneth this desire if thou wouldst keepe the body Wee the faithfull that are in this tabernacle we sigh are burthened but marke our desire because wee would not be vnclothed as some will say Soule to God and bones to the dung-hill in contempt of the body but thinkest thou to be glorified in HeaueÌ„ without a body No but would be clothed vpon that mortalitie might bee swallowed vp of Life As if hee would say I wold haue this faire cloke of glory put vpon this body that it might consume and swallow vp all this stinke of sinne that is in the body Learne then first the body as it is now is a burthen Hee saieth Wee that are in this tabernacle sigh and are burthened It is a loade laide vpon the backe of the soule it is a tabernacle but a burthenable tabernacle as an house smoothering him down and he holding the same vpon his shoulders that appearantly it would be better for him to bee out of it Learne secondly the estate of them that dwell in this tabernacle If the body be a burthen then the soule must sigh grone as a man vnder a heauie burthen And the body is nothing but an house of mourning to the faithfull soule as long as it dwelleth therein The wanton light man thinketh this body which he beareth about to bee no burthen and will run and leape with it as though this carcasse were as light as a fether Alas hee feeleth not the burthen hee is senselesse and like one in a feuer and in a rage that knoweth not what hee doeth nor what hee suffereth A mountaine is lying vpon him and hee feeleth it not Woe to those men that are so wanton vnder this miserie Amend in time or the LORD shâ—ll thrust thee downe to Hell Fye on thee that dwellest in Bethania the house of mourning canst not mourn Mourne in time or else I assure thee thou shalt mourne for euer This beeing the condition of men who dwell in this tabernacle sighing and desiring as a womâ—n with childe to bee relieued what is the ende of this desire The ende of the mourning of the Godlie is not that they woulde bee quite of the house as manie desire that were wrong for manie will mourne vnder this house desperatelie and the bodie will bee a burthen to the soule in them and their life will be vnpleasant to them they will thinke to get a reliefe of the burthen by the want of this present life and will put hand in themselues but then beginneth their euerlasting mourning for they neuer knew what mourning was till that end come So then this is not the way to bee deliuered of the burthen but the way is To seeke to put on a cloathing on this bodie and heere is the ende of our desire It is clothed with mortalitie and that is all the matter of thy mourning It is not the substance of the bodie that causeth thee to mourne but sinne that possesseth thy bodie and corrupteth the marowe of thy bones death accompanying sinne Then this mortalitie beeing an accident of sinne which is the chiefe cause thereof the remedie is Seeke to bee cloathed with the life that commeth from Christ Sucke in by Faith a droppe of that life of Christ This will not destroy thy bodie but it will destroy the death sinne that possesseth thy bodie And the life of Iesus Christ in a moment wil swallowe vp all that death and sinne and all that miserie that laye on thee There is the way to dwell with ease in the bodie Seeke not to destroy the bodie But seeke the slaughter of that sinne and death that lieth
this naturall life shall bee taken from thee thou shalt get another life euerlasting in glory but if thou findest thy self not renewed by the Spirit of grace take this life from thee thou shalt not get life euerlasting in glorie So looke if thou be a newe creature thou hast gotten a greater grace than to be borne to an earthly kingdome if so be thou mayst assure thy selfe of lif euerlasting What is this newnesse in the new creature This newnes that is in the new creature is nothing els but that same life which we shall liue in Heauen and is begun here This newnesse is only this new life of regeneration which life so long as thou liuest heere from the time that thou hast gotten a sponke thereof piece and piece eateth vp the olde and cankered nature The life of God within thee will consume euen as thou consumest the meat thou eatest the olde corruption which lieth in thy nature and in the ende in the glorious resurrection of the dead it shall bee altogether abolished This life then which is begunne heere it shall open the mouth and swallow vp death and death thereafter shall haue no more place This life is onely eating vp by little and little death heere but at that time it shall swallowe it vp wholly and thou shalt say with Paule Death is swallowed vp 1. Cor. 15. 54. So well is the soule that hath a warrande of his new creation whether he die in his bed or out of it he shall die with joy Then my counsell is seeing death is daylie threatned let euery one striue to get this assurance of this new life begun in him heere that it may swallowe vp death Woe bee to them that haue not this assurance This is the second assuraÌ„ce of life euerlasting I pray you marke these assurances for Paule had such an earnest desire that hee sought all assurances and warrandes of this life and hee is reigning now in Heauen So thou who thirstest after life learne at him Nowe resteth the thirde warrande in the next wordes Who also hath giuen vs the earnest of the Spirite Learne the words for al the doctrine riseth of the words Then the third warrand is the Spirit of Christ Iesus in thee If euer thou mindest to haue life hereafter thou must haue Gods Spirit in thee not onlie thine owne Spirite but Gods Spirite flowing from God through Iesus Christ entering into thy bodie soule Beholde the liberality of God when Hee by His Spirite hath renewed thee Hee will not take that Spirite from thee as a man will doe when he hath builded a worke hee will take his hand from it stand if it will or not But the Lord doeth not so Hee hath renewed thee by His Holie Spirite which Hee putteth within thee O how the Lord putteth the third person of the Trinitie in thee and maketh Him an earnest-pennie to thee of Life euerlasting Because thy regeneration is vnperfect and thou hast not yet attained to that Life therefore Hee letteth His Spirit abide in thee assuring thee as an earnest-pennie that whatsoeuer God hath promised He shal perform it to thee and thou shalt not bee disappointed of a jot thereof Such is the infidelitie of our nature that all the promises all the othes which He maketh to confirme His promises all His SacrameÌ„ts which Hee hath joyned to His promises cannot perswade vs. But looke to this thirde warrande Hast thou the Spirit of God if Hee bee in thee He will bee quicke working joye with sighs He cannot be idle Hee will be working the worke of regeneration both day and night Then anger Him not Ephes 4. 30. Away with filthie cogitations away with euerie rotten worde away with euerie euill deede labour to pleasure Him day night and striue to keepe Him and thou shalt hauea warrande of life in thy bosome and when thou art dying thou shalt find such sweetnesse in death as is wonderfull to tell None euer had the Spirite of God but in death they had vnspeakable joye Then seeke to bee in Christ and get His Spirite within thee and hauing gotten this Spirite keepe Him diligently and powre out thine owne spirite but never Gods Spirit for then in all distresses thou shalt have comfort Now to resume all Yee who take great pleasure in your Charters the Evidences of your inheritance and land take heed to this Your inheritance is in Heaven and thou art a foole who thinkest that thou hast an inheritance in earth For either shalt thou be pulled from it or it shall bee pulled from thee Nay looke as ever thou wouldest be an inheriter that thine inheritance be in Heaven Thou art the foolishest begger and the poorest that ever was if thou bee a King if thou thinkest thine inheritance to be in earth Having laid this count with thy selfe Mine inheritance is in Heaven then next looke that thou have thine evidence For thou shalt never possesse Heaven except thou have the evidence thereof laid up in thy charter kist Now thine evidences are the same euidences that Paul had and the same kind of evidences serve for all it is an inheritance that all men must get one sort of charter must serve for one inheritance What then can be the charter and evidence Canst thou sigh for that Heavenly inheritance Canst thou have a desire of it There is thy first evidence Then findest thou thy selfe to bee renewed Findest thou CHRISTS life in thee The life of Iesus is manifest in me saith Paul 2. Cor. 4. 10. Findest thou the wicked life of this world reformed There is the second evidence Yet more findest thou the worker of the desire and the worker of thy regeneration the Spirit of Christ within thee then keepe him well There is the best evidence of all the evidences of thine inheritance having these assure thy selfe of Heaven but wantest thou these or any of them thou shalt never get that inheritance in Heaven As these three are three evidences of thine heavenly inheritance so they are three props of Faith that gripe this Heavenly life They are the three pillars that hold up Faith which is builded upon them cut one of these pillars away and thou shalt lose Faith and Hope But here it may be asked Are all these three of the nature of the life to come I answere As for the desire sighing and sobbing for that heavenly inheritance it endeth with this life and in that life to come all weeping shall bee taken away REVEL 21. 4. Mourne and groane in time then heereafter shall come ioy aud pure ioy A troubled ioy is â—eere in this life but heereafter there shall bee a pure and solid ioy and nothing but ioy So this mourning ceaseth then and is not of the nature of the life to come but as to the new creature and regeneration it is of the nature of the life to come and it is the beginnning and first part of that heavenly glorie so that our
heavenly glorie shall bee none other thing but the perâ—yting of our regeneration For when all this pelffrie shall be taken away then wee shall fully bee renewed As to the Spirit if ever hee was powerfull in earth he shall be more powerfull in Heaven so that the same Spirit that heere dwelt in thy body shall then glorifie thy body and make it to shine brighter than the Sunne Therefore let vs seeke this regeneration and the Spirit of CHRIST For in these two standeth the perfection and the glorie of the life to come Now when he hath reckoned out all the warrands of life whereby he assureth himselfe thereof hee concludeth in the next veâ—se Then saieth he wee haue confidence alwayes as if hee would say Hauing these warrandes I haue confidence alwayes that is I am assured of my glory and yet the wordes import not only an assurance but the effect thereof which is a sweete securitie in the soule for whensoeuer any man is assured of life then the soule with sweetnesse wil rest then commeth that peace of Conscience assuring vs whether wee liue or wee die wee are CHRISTES so this draweth on that boldnesse confidence Then looke the nature the beginning and â—ising of Faith it is builded and standeth vpon these three pillars An earnest desire of life Regeneration and the Spirit of GOD These are the three proppes thereof which are sensible to them who haue faith and wee shoulde bee acquainted with them Then of this riseth the sweete confidence of glory and security the repose and rest of the soule and conscience and from the soule it commeth vp to the mouth and breaketh out in a glorying As this same Apostle vpoÌ„ this confidence in his soule breaketh out saith What shal seuer vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or peâ—il or sword No in all these things we are more than victorious through Him that loued vs. Rom. 8. 35. c. So that faith being builded vpon these three pillers securitie and confidence beeing builded vpon Faith then boldnâ—sse in mouth will say I defie all contrarie powers lay the sword lay fire lay death before mee it will say I defie them all yea let all the Deuils of Hâ—ll come before a man his faith be well builded and confidence on faith hee will defie them all yea albeit they threateÌ„ damnation to him for it thou stand in Christ thou shalt liue albeit thou must bee separated from this mortall life yet all the worlde cannot separate thee from the life of Christ Seeke this life now in time that in trouble wee may say that wee will rest in Christ and all the world shall not seuer thee from Him Yet to goe forward in the words The Apostle as yet hath not the full contentation in heart for all this assurance For saith he wee knowe that while wee are at home in the bodie wee are absent from the LORD If wee bee at home with a thing we are farre from a better thing which is abroade Alas thou beeing â—t home aâ— thine house and fire thou art farre abroade from thine home in Heauen whilst wee are at home in this mortall bodie wee are strangers and Pilgrimes from the LORD Brethren yee shall learne heere a great difference betweene confidence contentation It is one thing to haue contentation another thing to haue confidence This Apostle had confidence but not contentation Thou art farre decâ—aued that thinkest thou hast sufficient contentation in this worlde Woe is thee yea although thou haue Heauenly graces and if thou thinkest thou hast contentation either of glory or of sight all is nothing Why Because there cannot nor shoulde not bee contentation heere no the best and moste confident man that liueth shoulde not thinke hee hath contentation in this prâ—sâ—nt life All thine holinesse faith confidence and hope shoulde not giue thee full contentation All the kingdomes honours and riches of this worlde which is nothing but dirt and pelffrie in respect of those Heauenly thinges shoulde not giue thee full contentation And yet the worldly foole will saye in his heart I haue contentation and sufficiencie O! but what saide CHRIST to him that decreed with his hart to make wide barnes Foole this night thy soule shall be taken from thee Luâ—e 12. 20. Away with an opinion of contentation in this earth and thou bee a king of all the earth Wilt thou haue contentation without CHRIST Wilt thou hauâ— sufficiencie and not haue Him who is thy life glorie When thou art a pilgrime from CHRIST and wandring from thy countrey and inheritance wilt thou saye thou hast thine hearts desire Had euer pilgrime full contentation during the time of his pilgrimage Then no contentation to the faithfull soule but in CHRIST I shall neuer thinke coÌ„tentation to be in my soule till I see CHRIST face to face I giue thee the same counsell yea and if I had all spirituall graces in neuer so great a measure yet no coÌ„tentation for my soule till I see CHRIST for all our blessednesse standeth in the sight of CHRIST and thou canst not see CHRIST heere because thou art absent from Him For as long as I am at home speaking of the soule so long as it is closed heere within this earthly tabernacle I am absent from CHRIST And this prison of my bodie so closeth mee about that I cannot see CHRIST Brethren it is this mortall bodie that is clothed with sinne and mortality wherewith we must be clothed as long as wee are heere that holdeth vs from the sight of CHRIST It is impossible so long as thou art clothed with the sinfull bodie to get that full sight of IESVS albeit Hee were standing on the earth cloathed with His glorie So thou must be vnclothed of this mortalitie ere thou canst see Him And there is the grounde wherefore wee shoulde thinke no contentation whilst wee are in this body Because so long as wee dwell in this mortall body we shall neuer see CHRIST nor get a full fruition of His countenance Therefore Brethren take not so much pleasure and delight in this mortall bodie for I assure thee it is but a prison holding the faithfull soule and the eye of the faithfull soule from the sight of CHRIST but assoone as it shall bee loosed from it it shall mount immediatelie with joye to CHRIST and there get full contentation in His face yee thinke so long as yee want these earthly thinges yee cannot get contentation I speake not of the wicked but euen of the regenerated man but when the soule getteth this glorious presence of CHRIST in Heauen it shall haue joye in infinite degrees greater than euer it had in earth And albeit the body shall lie heere in graue and ignominie for a time yet all that shall bee recompensed by the glorious sight of CHRIST which the soule shall enjoye in the Heauens beeing separated from the body Wee
to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the LORD There are two good thinges The one confidence the other light The Apostle maketh a choise heere he will leaue confidence here in the bodie and hee chooseth to die that he may attaine to the light and in this respect he would change all the confidence hee hath with death Thou wilâ— not change a foot of earth with death but th' Apostle will change confidence with death and confidence is more preciou than all y e earth Few will doe this and yet thou wi 't die and thou hadst sworne it Well is that bodie that is so resolued to die as Paule was But maketh Paule a choise of death for death it selfe Certainely no man wil choose death for death it selfe for except the LORD lighten death and transforme it it is an entrie to Hell And if thou haue none other respect in death but to be quite of this miserable life as some will sâ—y Would GOD I were dead that I might bee quite of this miserie thou shalt bee in greater miserie after death than euer thou was whilst thou was liuing What then should bee the speciall cause that should mooue a man to say Would GOD I were dissolued euen this I am burthened with sinne I am burthened with mortalitie This burthen should bee a great motiue Well is the soule that is freede of sinne What pleasure is it to a soule that woulde faine serue GOD to liue euer in sinne Nay no pleasure This is the speciall motiue that should mooue vs to make choise of death To bee with IESVS CHRIST to dwell with Him and to bee in His companie in the participation of that glorie that is in the countenance of CHRIST For that caâ—se I would flit that I might bee with my LORD and embrace that joye So as the miserie of this worlde will put thee forwarde to GOD. so the sweetenesse of CHRISTS companie will draw thee forward Then to ende The Apostle hath preconceaued in himselfe a wonderfull joye of that glorie when hee sawe it not yet so must wee doe All his walking was by faith and not by sight but hee seeth before the hand an Heauenlie joy and pleasure in respect of that â—ruition that he shall once get of the countenance of CHRIST This shoulde learne thee to looke euer for more than thou â—eest thinke not that thou hast seene all the glorie that shall come to thee and hast felt all the pleasures that are laid vp for thee in Heauen But thinke that there is greater joye and glorie there thaÌ„ euer thou couldi heare of for CHRIST him selfe neuer vttered al the glory that is laid vp for the Sainctes All that wee see heere is but in a mirrour All the glorie of CHRIST in the Scripture is but in a mirrour liâ—e as when the Sunne shineth in the mirrour thou lookest not to the Sunne that shineth but to the glauncing thereof in the mirrour And as there is greater shining in the Sunne than in the glauncing thereof which thou seest so thinke euer there is greater glorie in Heauen than euer thou hearde of in the Scripture Suppose not that thou canst thinke of the joyes of Heauen as men on earth thinke on earthly thinges Who can thinke a thing greater than it is No the glory of Heauen and the joye with CHRIST mounteth vp aboue the reach of thy faith and hope and all thing that is able to conceiue the same It mounteth vp higher that the Heauen of Heauens is aboue the earth Therefore thinke not with thy selfe it is too much that I looke for Thou failest only in narrownesse thy Faith and Hope is so narrowe that they cannot comprehende the thousande part of that glorie And so wee should say I hope and I belieue more than I am able to comprehend And here is the cause that thou canst not get that full sight of glorie that is laide vp for thee The weake begunne grace of Faith and the Spirite of GOD in thee is not able to attaine to the thousand part of that glorie The LORD giue vs grace to preconceaue this glorie in some measure that wee may seeke the same and say with PAVL I haue Faith and Hope but that glorie passeth all The LORD grant vs this euen for CHRISTES sake So bee it THE THIRD SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 9 Whereâ—ore also we couet that both dwelling at home and remoouing from home wee may bee acceptable to Him verse 10 For we must all appeare before the judgement seate of CHRIST that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that that he hath done whether it be good or euill verse 11 Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORD wee perswade men and wee are made manifest vnto GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences WEe haue hearde Brethren these dayes past the remedie that the Apostle setteth downe against this temporall death the dissolution of the body In a worde it is a full assurance and perswasion of the heart that when we are dead concerning the body yet we shall liue againe and shall receiue at the handes of God a more glorious body than euer this bodie was It is an harde matter to get this assurance for the naturall reason of man cannot nor will not perswade him that hee once beeing dead the bodie beeing dissolued in ashes that euer that bodie shall bee recouered againe Therefore the Apostle bringeth in three argumentes of this assurance The first is the earnest desire that the Godly haue in this life to be glorified It is a thing impossible that this desire can bee in vaine Hee that giueth thee a desire of glorie and sighing for it He must giue thee the life and glorie that is desired and sighed for For otherwise Hee would neuer giue thee grace to sigh once for this life and glorie except Hee were purposed to put thee in possession of that glorie one day The second argument is taken from our regenâ—ration or the end of our regeneration GOD is Hee that maketh vs of new againe after we were dismaide by the fall of Adam Hee createth vs of newe againe to this ende that wee should liue the first creation It ended indeede and wee haue lost the right thereof euen in the first creation Wee were created to liue euerlastingly yet wee died But the second creation in IESUS will neuer breake but as in him wee are renewed to life liue shall wee in the Heauens euerlastingly it can neuer faile Peter saith in his first epist chap. 1. vers 3. Wee are regenerate againe into that liuely hope The third argument is the Spirit of CHRIST whereby GOD worketh in vs both the desire and regeneration hauing once giuen vs that Spirit He taketh Him not from vs againe but letteth Him dwell in soule and bodie to bee an earnest-pennie in vs assuring vs He shal neuer leaue vs till the whole promises in
sixteenth Chapter and the two and twentie verse of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Louest thou Him assure thy selfe howbeit thou canst not get such a loue to Him or such a sight of these thinges as thou wouldest haue they are prepared for thee Onelie thou art to take heede to see if that loue of GOD bee in thine heart Goe not to search what is in Heauen and thinke not to get a full sight of that glorie in this life that is laide vp for thee But rest on Him yea though it were halfe blindlinges Well is the soule that can loue the LORD IESVS I will ende heere and will recommende to euerie soule that Loue of IESVS as euer they woulde see the thinges that the eye neuer sawe nor the eare neuer hearde nor hath euer entered into the heart of man to their euerlasting comfort and consolation at the comming of the LORD IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holy GHOST bee all Honour Prayse and Glorie for euer and euer world without ende So bee it THE SEVENTH SERMON I. COR. CHAP. II. verse 10 But GOD hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of GOD. verse 11 For what man knoweth the thinges of man except the spirite of a man which is in him Euen so the thinges of GOD knoweth no man but the Spirite of GOD. verse 12 Nowe wee haue receaued not the spirit of the world but the Spirite which is of GOD that wee may know the things that are giuen to vs of GOD. THE last day Brethren we heard a cleare description commendation of that wisedome which ` Paul spake and preached which is none other in effect but this same blessed EVANGELL that is preached to you We shewed you that there was nothing that might commende a science or wisedome in this world but it concurred with him to the commendation praise and glorie of this wisdome that is here described The author of it is not the world nor the Princes of the world but God the maker of the worlde The secrecie of it was hidden vp in a mysterie so manie ages from the creation to the comming of Christ and manifestation of Him in the nature of man The antiquitie of it it was predestinated from all Eternitie The end of it our glorie The sublimitie and highnesse of it when it was reuealed at the cumming of CHRIST none of the Princes of this world could vnderstand it for if they had known it they had not crucified the LORD of glorie The subject of it the thinges which the eye neuer sawe the eare neuer hearde which neuer entered into the heart of man and yet for all this prepared for them that loue the LORD Nowe to come to the Text which wee haue in hand It might haue bene asked of the Apostle If such thinges as were neuer seene neuer heard of nor neuer entred into the heart of man were contained in that wisdom which he taught what profite haue we by that wisedome what profite haue wee of the thinges whereof wee are not capable The Apostle meeteth this in the first verse which we haue read But saith hee God hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit It is true indeed they passe the sight of our eyes they surmount aboue our hearing they passe the capacitie of our mind yet that LORD hath dimitted Himselfe vnto vs by His Spirit He hath reuealed those things to vs the sillie ones of y e world not to the princes of y e world but to the sillie simple ones Hee hath reuealed them not by our spirit but by His owne Spirit There is the summe of the answere shortlie He giueth the reason in the next part of the verse and letteth vs see that the Spirite of Iesus is able to reueale all these high and hidden things to vs setting out the nature of the Holie Spirit For saieth hee the Spirite searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of God The Spirite is a searcher and hee is a searcher of all things created in Heauen and earth Nothing can escape him but hee will seâ—rch into the secretest things in the world and into the secretest parts of thine heart What more Hee is a searcher of the God of glorie Himselfe and will pierce into the infinite deepnesse that is in God Hee being such a Spirit as this is he not able to reueal the things whereof wee are not capable There is the meaning of the whole verse shortlie Then we see these things contained in the Heauenlie wisedome as the riches of God in IESVS CHRIST our remission of sinne our justification our regeneration our saluation and life euerlasting euen common thinges which yee heare of daylie together with Iesus Christ the Mediator in whome and thorowe whome all thinges are wrought are the thinges which the eare hath not hearde nor the eye hath not seene neither haue they eâ—â—ered into the heart of man Yet wee see that these thinges passe not so the capacitie of man nor they are not so altogether hidden from man but they are reuealed And they are reuealed to whom To them for whom they are prepared They are reuealed when euen in this life there is none for whom they are prepared from all Eternitie but in this life before the soule goe out of the bodie they shall receiue some reuelation and vnderstanding of these same things and thou that gettest no reuelation of them in this life and gettest not a sight of them ere the soule goe out of the bodie I will say to thee They were neuer prepared for thee Remission of sinnes was neuer prepared for thee Iustification before the Tribunall of GOD Regeneration Life euerlasting was neuer prepared for thee There is not a better token of life after this life than a blink of life in this life if it were but a glimmering for the best of vs hath but a glimmering a blinke of IESVS Christ and of the graces that are in Him in this life is the surest token that thou canst haue of the life to come And by the contrarie There is not a worse token of darkenesse after this life than to haue thine eyes so closed that thou hast no blinke heere of that life to come And when thou diest hauing no sight of the life to come thou shalt die a miserable catiue a faggot for the fire of Hâ—ll Let vs goe forward to the rest God hath reuealed them by His Spirit Now yee see heere a reuelation by the Spiritâ— Marke it I shall tarie somwhat vpon these wordes Yee heard before of a reuelation by the word which is this wisedome Now yee heare of a reuelation by the Spirite It is not enough to receaue a reuelation by the word though it were neuer so faire and so soundly preached it will neuer doe thee good it is nothing but as if thou wouldest holde a light before a blinde man say to him Man seest
sixt Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes the twentie verse then yee were free from righteousnesse Marke heere a wonderfull power of God in this base and sillie Ministerie O! would to GOD men coulde knowe this power destroying the deceite of reason and beating down the pride of the heart of man mounting vp against GOD. Alas so great is the power of sinne that it hath no match vnder heauen but this Ministerie I will tell it ouer againe There is nothing to throw this power downe but this Ministerie When this Ministerie was not in the world amongst the Gentiles of the which SCOTLAND was one part for our Progenitors were Gentiles without GOD in the world sinne raigned to death Roman 5. 21 Multitudes of Gentiles perished but from the time that Iesus Christ the author of grace came into the world and brought with Him this Ministery first He himselfe thereafter His Apostles amongst whome Paul was as painfull as anie man made it manifest howe powerfull this Ministerie was by demolishing the kingdom of sinne for then grace beganne to reigne and the power of GOD was manifested Brethren I dare affirme the onelie thing that holdeth down the power of sinne is this sillie base Ministerie take it away for men wold faine haue it away and shoote it to the doore and for ought that I can sâ—â— I thinke it shall goe away sinne shall come to an hight Take away the thing that holdeth downe the head of sinne and it shall reigne Then O miserable Scotland heere I denounce shame ignominie shall come to thee shame and confusion to King and Court Land and Burgh if this candlesticke be remoued This shall be found by experience if euer thing was true And thou that wouldest â—un to damnation hast the remoouing of it that thou mayest hasteÌ„ thine own damnation Nowe the last thing I see is the proper effect of this Ministery of the blessed God would to God the worlde could see the glorie of it the proper effect is not to slay men but to saue them This worlde thinketh that wee are come to slaye them No wee are come to slay sinne in you that will slay you if it be not slaine Paul in the 1. epist to the Cor. chap. 3. vers 12. 13. compareth the Ministery to a burning fire that burneth vp haye stubble and trees euen so it burneth vp thy sinne and the drosse of thy nature andâ—â—l the vanities of thine heart but saueth thy selse Howe is this that the world cannot abide the meane of their saluation they cannot get rest neither night nor day till they get away the thing that saueth them Nowe it saueth the man by taking him and leading him captiue vnder the King of glorie Ye see they that are superiours in the battell when they say to anie man Bee taken if hee will not bee taken they will slay him there Euen so as truelie iâ— thou wilt bee stubburne and wilt not bee taken in this fielde this word shall slay thee Therefore blessed are they that can suffer the ordinance of GOD and stand still vntill sinne bee slaine and they themselues bee ledde captiues vnder Christ for that captiuitie vnder Him is true freedome To that immortall and euerlasting King bee all honour and glorie for euermore Amen THE TENTH SERMON PHILIPPIANS CHAP. I. verse 18 What then yet CHRIST is preached all maner of wayes whether it bee vnder a pretence or sincerelie and I therein joye and will joye verse 19 For I knowe that this shall turne to my saluation through your prayers and by the helpe of the Spirit of IESUS CHRIST verse 20 As I heartilie looke for and hope that in nothing I shall bee ashamed but that with all confidence as alwayes so nowe CHRIST shall bee magnified in my bodie whether it bee by life or by death verse 21 For CHRIST is to mee both in life and in death aduantage 22. And whether to liue in the flesh were profitable for mee and what to choose I know not verse 23 For I am greatlie in doubt on both sides desiring to bee loosed and to bee with CHRIST which is best of all verse 24 Neuerthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needefull for you verse 25 And this I am sure of that I shall abide and with you all continue for your furtherance and joye of your faith verse 26 That yee may more aboundantlie rejoyce in JESUS CHRIST for me by my comming to you againe PAVL lying in bandes at ROME there riseth vp two sortes of Preachers The first sort of them that preached sincerelie that GOD and His glorie might be aduanced The second sort of them that preached not sincerelie not for the aduancement of Christ nor His Gospell but to adde afflictions to Paule bands moued with ambition and enuie towards him In the first verse which wee haue read in your audience Paule vttereth his minde concerning these two sortes of Preachers and this is his mind in effect Let them saieth hee preach as they will preach let them preach of sinceritie for the glorie of Christ let them preach for the fashion howeuer they preach preaching the trueth of God CHRIST is preached euen by them who preacheth not sincerelie And therfore because Christ is preached I rejoyce notwithstanding of all that injurie which I receiue by their preaching I rejoyce and will rejoyce and no man will bee able to take my joye from me Shortlie then there is Paules minde concerning these two sortes My doctrine shall bee generall And the first thing that I marke heere is this and anie of you may see it The Lord is glorified Christ is magnified euen by a counterfeite doing of men when they doe the thing that is good yet not in sinceritie nor of purpose to glorifie GOD in their doing But their purpose not beeing to glorifie God in their doing they not doing sincerelie howbeit Hee getteth His owne glorie by their doing yet they shall get little thankes It is not so much the turne it selfe the action it selfe preaching or whatsoeuer it bee that procureth to a man thanks and grace at the handes of God as it is the purpose intention in doing I had rather doe the soberest thing in the world and if it were 〈…〉 eate my meate and drinke my drinke of purpose to glorifie God in my doing than to do the greatest and fairest worke that can be seene to the eye of man without purpose to glorifie God in that doing Marke it Whether yee eat whether ye drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe little or much do all to the glorie of God saieth Paul 1. Cor. 10. 31. And therefore Brethren there is nothing that a man should so much looke to in his doinges and actions as to his purpose and to the intention of his heart Looke thou as thou wilt the Lord looketh chiefelie to euerie mans intention and purpose He that preacheth what is to bee respected with what measure of grace he preach if in preaching
certaine the sufficiencie of grace is not giuen to one man or to one woman onelie but to the whole members of the bodie And therefore there must bee a concurrance of the whole all must concurre for thy good and saluation for if the hand will stand vp and saye to the eye to the mouth to the foote or to the rest of the members Care for your selues foote care for thy selfe wombe care for thy selfe c. I will care for my selfe were not this a foolish hand woulde not this hand perish and wither yea it woulde perish if the mouth fedde it not if the foote caried it not if the wombe receiued not sustenance to nourish it Euen so if thou sayest to the rest of the members of the Church Care for your selues I will care for my selfe thou shalt die like a drie member and be cut off no saluation but in the vnion of that blessed bodie of CHRIST which is the Church And none yet euer came to Heauen but by a certaine concurrance of the rest of the members of the Bodie by praying by preaching by admonishing exhorting and rebuking If thou refuse this concurrance in teaching admonishing and comforting thee thou shalt neuer get Heauen Paul in the 8. chap. to the Romanes vers 28. saith Wee knowe that all thinges worke together for the best to them that loue GOD. Marke the force of the wordes If there bee not a working-together for thy saluation thou shalt not come to Heauen There are two of the meanes whereby trouble and damnage is turned to saluation Yet there are more of them for hee saieth And by the helpe of the Spirite of IESUS CHRIST There is another meane As it is a fault to one member to refuse the helpe of the rest of the members of the body of the Church their prayers intercession so it is as great a fault to leane so vpon the care of anie of the members of the body of the Church or of the Ministerie in preaching praying exhorting and comforting that in the meane time thou haue no care of thy selfe to get the spirite and life within thee for Christs Spirit is thy life thou wilt not praye for thy selfe but wilt bid the Church Ministery pray for thee as if that were enough No except that Spirite bee within thee which is the Spirit of Adoption to make intercession with sighes vnspeakeable at the hands of God downe shalt thou goe albeit that the Church and whole members thereof would please to holde thee vp What if the hand had no motion life nor streÌ„gth in it selfe would the foote and the eye bee able to holde it vp No if the foote and the eye striue to holde it vp they should rotte with the hand and behoued to bee cut of For whereto serueth a rotten member It will infect the whole bodie if it be not cut off So if thou bee without spirite and life within thy selfe how beit all the rest of the members of the body of the Church would holde their hands about thee to holde thee vp thou shalt fall downe and die So as ye would haue others caring for you care for your selfe and see that yee haue the Spirit of God caring for you If Moses Abraham and all other faithfull men woulde praye for you it is nothing What good did Samuels prayers for Saul The Lord stopped his mouth and forbad him to praye for him Thus yee haue heard of three meanes whereby this wonderfull change is made The first is the care of God and His glorie The second is the intercession of the rest of the members of the body the third is the Spirite of Christ interceading for vs and the care which we haue of our selues We haue need of these meanes And certainlie the day is approaching that experience will tell the trueth of these thinges Paul a man euer afflicted in trouble and vnder danger telleth of his owne experience what hee founde But are there yet anie more meanes Looke the verse that followeth As I saith hee heartilie looke for and hope c. The worde importeth such an hope as when a man hath his head raised vp his eyes open and bent awayting for anie thing attentiuely Wee see when a man looketh earnestlie for any other his head will bee lifted vp his eyes will be bent looking to that place where from he should come and if he loue him well he wil looke attentiuely hauing both heart and eyes bended vp with hope of his comming The like worde in the 8. chap. to the Rom. vers 19. is ascribed to the creatures They awaite with feruent desire when the sonne of God shall be reuealed I shall make the words more plaine I hope according to mine attentiue exspectation that in nothing I shall bee ashamed that is that I shall neuer thinke shame of my Maister Iesus Christ because that if I thinke shame for any thing which I suffer for His cause I thinke shame of Himselfe Hee saith that in nothing I shall bee ashamed There is the negatiue I will be ashamed of nothing But what more With all boldnesse of spirite I shall magnifie Him in my bodie not in my soule onelie but in my bodie also and that Whether it bee in my life or in my death Hee casteth in the argument of this assurance as in all times by-gone euer to this houre I haue magnified Him in my bodie So this by-gone experience would he say maketh me to be assured by hope neuer to be ashamed of Him but to glorifie Him in life and death Then take vp the lesson Amongest the rest of the mean s whereby this change is made of miserie to felicitie of death to life and all thinges are made to serue to our saluation Hope is one and it is the fourth in number Wherein standeth this Hope That in no affliction which I suffer for Christes sake I will bee ashamed and so shame the Lord. For in suffering if thou blâ—shest and thinkest shame thou shamest Him But by the contrarie in all thinges that I shall doe or suffer in this bodie I shall doe with courage confidence and libertie I shall suffer with courage confidence and libertie And so in doing in suffering in the bodie I shall magnifie my LORD So this is the point If I glorifie Him before men with courage and boldnesse in mine afflictions I may bee assured Hee shall glorifie me before His Father in Heauen Mat. 10. 32. They that suffer with Him shall reigne with Him 2. Timoth. 2. 12. But by the contrary if thou with blushing think shame of Him and of His Gospel and of the afflictions of the Gospel if thou shame Him before the world He shall shame thee before His Father Mark 8. 38. So this Hope is no small matter for if thou haue an assured Hope during thy whole life thou shalt magnifie Christ whatsoeuer falleth out in life or death assure thy selfe all shall bee turned to the glory of God and thy
saluation All the troubles that shall bee laide vpon thee in this worlde shall bee so turned ouer that they shall serue to thy good and consolation But if this hope be away if thou lie sluggishly not hauing thine head raised vp with closed eyes not looking and hoping that thou shalt glorifie thy Lord not caring for His glorie either in thy life or in thy death all thy miserie that lighteth vpon thee shall remaine miserie and shall presse thee down to euerlasting damnation Looke then how precious this hope is Learne another thing here There standeth much in these two in shame and blushing in confidence libertie and courage I say to thee there standeth more in the consequeÌ„ts of suffering and doing than standeth in the suffering and doing it selfe I suppose thou suffer the death for Christes sake if thou bee ashamed in suffering and hast not libertie and courage thou sufferest not so much for CHRIST as for thy selfe and thy death is nothing else but a death to thee and thy suffering is nothing but a suffering to thy selfe Euen so do what thou wilt doe to glorifie Him if it be not done with libertie freedome and courage thou losest thy trauell Seeing then that so much standeth in the disposition of the heart let euery man looke that hee prepare himselfe with courage and confidence against the daye of triall that with confidence in suffering he may magnifie God Paul saith to Timothie in his 2. epist chap. 1. vers 8. Bee not ashamed of Christ nor of me that am His captiue Thinke shame of none that suffer for Christ but rather bee thou partaker of that affliction to suffer with courage and confidence those things with them Yet marke another thing here he saith that he might magnifie Christ in his bodie Hee speaketh not of the soule And so I obseru that of the very bodie let bee of the soule euen of the very bodily masse which thou bearest about with thee a great duety is required for the glorifying of God and His Christ When thou art liuing in thine actions when thou art dying in thy death it must be an instrument glorifying God when thou art going vpon thy feete it must bee an instrument of His glorie when thou art lying in thy bedde yea the Lord must bee glorified in it when it is dissolued into ashes in the graue I marke this against that vaine conceite of men who will saye What care I so I keepe a good minde to God let mee prostitute my body to harlotrie gluttony and all vices yet I will keepe my soule to God No either God will haue all or the Deuill will haue all Awaye thou idolater who wilt keepe thy soule to GOD and wilt bowe thy knee to Baal the Deuill will get both soule and bodie Paul saieth not that the Lord hath only bought thy soule with a price but that Hee hath bought both soule and body that they should glorifie God 1. Corin. 6. 20 â—ee are bought with a price yee are not your owne Fye filthie bodie that wilt say May I not doe with my bodie as I please Hast thou power to reaue it out of the handes of the Lord The Lord hath the power of thy body and in that last day thou shalt bee challenged with theft and sacriledge And when hee hath said ye are bought with a price hee subjoyneth Glorifie God not in your spirite onely but also in your bodies Either Hee will haue both or else none Thinkest thou to send thy soule to God and thy body to the Deuill No either the Lord shall get both or both shall goe to Hell Take heed how ye keepe these bodies ye shall render accompt of them Thy body should be the Temple of the holie Spirit if thou defile the seate of that holy One shame shall light vpon thee I marke heere To assure himselfe of continuance that hee shall continue in glorifying God in life and death he taketh an argument from his former experience Euer hitherto I haue glorified God in my body I haue a stedfast hope that I shall continue that all the actions of my body shall glorifie Him and when I am dead He shall be glorified in my body It is good then to begin well and to haue experience that thou hast serued GOD well in thy calling for experience bringeth hope and hope maketh thee no wayes ashamed Rom. 5. 4. 5. And if thou haue experience that thou hast serued GOD and Hee hath beene with thee and kept thy bodie in puritie thou mayest bee assured to continue to the ende Not that our continuance standeth in our self no our continuance standeth not in our selues for the best man that liueth is not able of himselfe to stand one moment but out standing is in God for if Hee would take His grace from vs in one moment we would fall It is the loue that He beareth to vs that holds vs vp be once assured of that loue of GOD towardes thee and then thou mayest bee assured that thou shalt glorifie God both in life and death Now in the next verse he saith For Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage Hee giueth a reason wherefore hee saide hee would magnifie God in his bodie both in life and death The reason is because of the aduantage hee hath of Him CHRIST IESVS is aduantage to him And when Not when I liue onelie saieth hee but in my death also Is it not good reason that I should glorifie Him both in life and death in whome I haue aduantage both in life and death All men doe for aduantage When a man hath done and suffered hee woulde haue aduantage When wee honour the Prince or anie man all is for aduantage If gaine mooueth to honour men to serue them where was there euer such a gaine and aduantage as may bee looked for at the handes of CHRIST If gaine will mooue thee where wilt thou get it if not in CHRIST Would thou haue gaine aduantage for thy doing in thy lifetime He will giue thee it Thou shalt not do one deed but thou shalt haue thine hire in thine hande Wouldest thou haue gain in thy death if thou die for Him thou shal get as fair an aduaÌ„tage as euer man got Indeede a man will giue thee gaine for honouring him in thy life-time but when thou art lying in thy deathbedde canst thou get aduantage out of the hand of a man Suppose a Monarch would giue thee a kingdome what aduantage is it to thee if thou liuest not to brooke it But I tell you plainelie The LORD is greater aduantage to vs in death than in life and all this aduantage which wee haue of Him in this life is nothing in respect of that aduantage which we shall get in the life to come Paul in the third chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians when hee hath counted al his aduantages and numbered out all the prerogatiues which hee had in this worlde
take it vpon thee it will presse thee to euerlasting damnation Then there is the meane of our saluation The mercie of GOD. Next hee laieth out the partes of our saluation abroade one by one that yee may see what saluation meaneth hee saieth By the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holie Ghost There is the first part It is a washing of vs when GOD putteth to His hand to saue vs. Yee knowe washing presupponeth foulenesse therefore it must follow when GOD beganne to saue vs we were vnclene full of byles and botches conceiued and borne in filthinesse and then warbling and wallowing in our owne sinne and filthinesse and euer the longer wee liue we are still the filthier It is a maruell that that Holy GOD should euer sustaine to looke to thy filthy byles or to put His holie and pure hand to thy vile botches or to sende downe His cleane Spirit to dwell in thine vncleane heart or that any wayes His purity should meddle with thine impurity Amongst all the argumentes of His loue this is one When Hee putteth to His fair baÌ„d to thee that art so foule Findest thou thy sinnes pardoned and thy selfe purged washed assure thy selfe thou art safe and GOD hath loued thee For except the loue of GOD had beene all the greater towardes thee Hee woulde neuer haue purged thee from thy sinnes It is a sure token of His loue towards thee that it is infinite exceeding that He hath not loathed thee and thy filthie byles botches I see heere two washings one outwarde another inwarde the first in these wordes The lauer of regeneration the next Therenewing of the Holie Spirite The first is our Baptisme the next the inward washing and renewing by the Holie Spirite represented by this outwarde Baptisme As the vvater vvasheth away the filth from the bodie so the Holie Spirite purgeth vvasheth the heart from sinne I vvill speake but thus farre shortly of Baptisme The outwarde vvashing in Baptisme is not to bee looked to lightlie the powring on of the vvater is but a base signe to looke to yet it is not a bare signe of the vvashing of the Holie Spirite but it is the instrument that God taketh in His hand vvhereby He applieth â—o vs the inwarde vvashing of the Holie Spirite Col. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 4 hee ascribeth our regeneration to Baptisme Wee by Baptisme are buried vvith Christ risen vvith Christ and if this meane bee conâ—emned there shall bee no regeneration if a man lightlie this Baptisme I affirme there shall be no renewing inwardlie by the Holie Spirit and if he be not renewed hee shall neuer bee saued for vvithout regeneration no saluation Ye see 2. Kin. 5. 10 vvhat vvas injoyned to Naaman the Syrien vvhen hee sought cleansing the Prophet bad him goe to the Iordane and vvash him seuen times But hee thought vvith himselfe What is this Are not there faire Riuers at home at Damascus Yea hee would not goe till hee tooke better counsell but so soone as hee vvent and vvashed himselfe seuen times hee vvas cleansed Euen so it is in Baptisme if a man contemne the outward vvashing hee shall neuer be cleansed by the Spirit This same is also true of the Sacrament of the Supper Count not therefore little of the Sacraments because God hath promised to giue Himselfe vvith the Sacrament if it bee rightly receiued Now looke howe long our regeneration is in working in this life the force of Baptisme continueth as long thou must be continually renewed tiâ—l thy last breath therefore the force of Baptisme must continue vvith thee to thy last breath It is a vanitie to thinke that the force of Baptisme standeth in the ministration of the action onelie no it leaueth vs neuer after wee haue once receiued it till vve be placed vvith Iesus Christ Haue thine eye still vpon Baptisme for it is a meane vvhereby the Lord vvill saue thee Further Brethren hee beginneth heere at regeneration Yee may see then the necessitie of regeneration Wouldest thou be safe looke that there bee a newe birth looke that thou bee borne ouer againe as Christ said to Nicodemus Iohn 3. 3. Verilie I say vnto you except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. If thou bee not a new creature thou art not in CHRIST but without CHRIST and without IESVS CHRIST there is no saluation Yee see men woulde beguile themselues if they shoulde saye when yee aske of them Whether they will goe to Heauen or not They will answere Wee will goe to Heauen and yet in the meane time they will holde on the olde man and will neuer change their maners but that vaine opinion wil deceiue them 2. Corin. 6. 9. Bee not beguiled for no â—ornicaters adulterers murtherers drunkardes c. shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen If thou holde on the olde man thou shalt neuer bee safe IESVS CHRIST must beget thee a newe againe or els thou shalt neuer enter within the gates of Heauen Now when hee hath spoken of this inward and outward washing hee insisteth in this point concerning the Spirit and declareth from whom this Spirit commeth which Hee shedde on vs aboundantlie through IESUS CHRIST our Sauiour We haue Him not our selues He that washeth vs is He that powreth on the precious lauer of the Spirit vvherby vve are vvashen Then the Spirit is from GOD. Is that Spirit from the Father immediately No He powreth Him in through IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour so immediatly this Spirit commeth from IESVS CHRIST but mediately from GOD as the Fountaine Hee commeth from the Father to the Sonne from the Sonne to vs. Iohn 15. 26. The cause of this order is this Hee is our Sauiour and hath bought vs vvith a deare price the Spirite is bought to vs by the blood of IESVS CHRIST His blood hath bought all which vve receiue and get by Him so He giueth His holy Spirit vvith all His graces by the hand of IESVS CHRIST the man Then if ye would haue the Spirit dresse your selues to that treasure in HeaueÌ„ and beseech God that He would vouchsafe to send that Spirit vpon you through IESVS CHRIST and giue you His grace by the hand of the man CHRIST Yet to open vp the vvordes more narrowly Which Hee powreth out c. He speaketh of the Spirit as it were of vvater the Spirite heere is compared to vvater because of the vvashing for as the one vvasheth the filth of the body so the other vvasheth the filth of the soule Hee is not content to say Hee powreth out the Spirit simply but hee saith aboundantly in a great measure as a flood in aboundance This teacheth two things to vs first the liberality of GOD Hee giueth not grace niggardly as men but vvhatsoeuer vvee gette it is in aboundance His loue is rich His mercy is rich the Spirit vvhich He giueth vnto vs is rich so Hee is liberall vnto vs. Then it followeth of this also that vve
Spirit who may transchange thee transforme thee and take thee out of nature and plant thee in grace for so long as thou remainest in nature thou canst not thinke well thou canst not speake well thou canst doe nothing well yea thou art worse than a very beast But because the wordes are very weightie wee will yet consider them better What meaneth hâ—â— when he saieth Lord let thine eare bee attentiue to my prayer Thought he that the Lord heard him noâ—â— and that the Lord played the part of a deafe man No He meaneth not this look to the estate of the godly when y e hand of the Lord is vpoÌ„ them when y e Lord afflicteth vs any way we think that He neither heareth nor seeth vs nor remembreth vpoÌ„ vs Indeed I grant it is not so in effect for God neuer altereth His affection towardes His owne but the faithfull oftentimes judge and apprehend so and all the fault of this is in vs. Yee see how Dauid oftentimes complaineth to the Lord that Hee had forsaken him Hee had left him and desireth that He shold look vpoÌ„ him I aske Is it so indeed that when the faithfull soule crieth Lord heare see and remeÌ„ber that He heareth not He sâ—eth not He remembreth not No question but He doth for Hee that made the eye seeth Hee not Hee that made the eare heareth He not Hee that formed the heart of man vnderstandeth He not remembreth He not Psal 94. Yea all things are patent to His Majesty albeit when Hee maketh it not manifest by some sensible effectes and operation we think He heareth not He seeth not He remembreth not His fauour affection is neuer indeed altered noâ— chaÌ„ged froÌ„ his own children Then wheÌ„ they cry for His presence are they altogether destitute depriued of his preseÌ„ce no they want it not for who gaue the heart to saye Lord heare me Lord see and remember me if that thou hadst not some presence of the Lord in thine heart thou couldest neuer vtter these voyces to God TheÌ„ I say If I haue the presence of God when I crie vnto Him why crie I and pray I as though I had not His presence Are not such prayers in vaine No for although we haue the presence of God when wee praye yet for all that our prayers to God are not in vaine for if we had Him of before in any measure by our prayers He will manifest Himselfe more sensibly piece and piece more and more And looke howe much more strongly thou cryest so much the more will the Lord bee drawne to thy soule and so much the more shalt thou finde the increase and grouth of grace in thy soule It is vnpossible that the prayer of a faithfull man if it were but one worde that proceedeth from the Spirit of adoption can passe away without comfort for the Lord giueth His Spirit to no man in vaine but because He knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirit therefore He will graunt that thing for which hee maketh request there is nothing more certaine And therefore the Lord Matth. 5. 6. pronounceth them blessed who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for saith hee they shall bee filled and satisfied And so Christ speaketh to that woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. 13. 14. If thou soughtest a drinke I shoulde giue thee a drinke of the water of life for the water that I shall giue shall bee in a man or woman a Well of water springing vp into eternall life meaning generally that whosoeuer hath gotten the first fruites of the Spirite and the beginnings of grace desireth and seeketh for further progresse and increase that the LORD shoulde euer furnish them with something to quench their thirst and that because they shoulde euer haue a fountaine within their bellie to furnishe something to them when they thirsted so that when as they shoulde seeke refreshment they might gette it in aboundance And if we felt this thirst and drinesse of the soule we would seeke earnestly for there was neuer such a drynesse and such an heate in any man naturally as there is in vs through sinne Consider thine owne experience when thou hast felt somtimes the great burthen of sinne and the terrours of the wrath of God for sinne whensoeuer in this estate thou camest to God and prayedst for mercie and said I am a miserable sinner LORD giue mee mercie hast thou not felt that the Lord hath answered thee comfortably and hath filled thine heart with joye euen when in thy prayer thou sighest and sobbest vnspeakeablie What meaneth that joye Euen that as soone as thou openest thy mouth with libertie to seeke that water of life the Lord conuayeth some portion of it into thine heart to quench thy thirst Now after hee hath cryed twise hee subjoyneth in the next wordes If thou O Lord straightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand This no question followeth by way of preoccupation It might haue bene objected to him in his prayer for manie are the temptations of the godly by his conscience pleading for GOD against him or GOD Himselfe might haue saide Thou prayest to mee and yet thou art a sinner how should I heare thee How darest thou stand before mee It is a wonder that in my fierce wrath I destroye thee not To this hee answereth first by waye of confession It is true O LORD that if thou wilt straitelie marke iniquitie that no flesh can stand in thy presence but they must bee consumed through the rage of thy displeasure Then hee answereth by waye of correction But mercie is with thee the meaning is Thou takest none heede to our iniquities but of thy free mercie and grace thou pardonest them all in thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST for none of the Saincts none of the Fathers none of the Prophets euer got mercy but thorow that blood of IESVS CHRIST who was slaine from the beginning of the worlde through His blood only was the wrath of God pacified except Gods justice bee first satisfied there is no place left to mercy therefore saith he my refuge is to thy mercie Indeed our estate who liue now is farre better than the estate of them who liued before Christ came into the world for they saw the death satisfaction of Christ remission of sin in his blood but a far of but we see now all already past wee may say that now God in Christ is merciful to vs is become our Father and hath forgiuen all our sins Now out of these words by this example of the Prophet yee maye see what is the estate of Gods children in prayer to wit when in affliction they seeke to repaire to GOD by prayer they will not so soone begin to pray but as soone their guiltie consciences will beginne to knocke and challenge them as vnworthie to bee heard the conscience will stand vp and if it be not cleansed it will present thy sinnes before thee and set them in order in all their circumstances
vnto him then if thou takest no care of the purging of that corruption which hee hath contracted from thy loynes that same pest shall bee laide to thy charge in that great day Therefore nowe hauing spoken something of the fleshe and the generation thereof let vs nowe speake shortlie of the Spirite and His generation What is meaned by the Spirite This Spirite is the Spirite of the LORD IESVS this Spirit is y â— Spirit of Regeneration who reneweth men women of olde and sinfull creatures maketh them new and holy againe For as soone as a sinfull man beginneth to laye holde on the Lord Iesus by a true and liuely faith so soone findeth hee power and grace conuoyâ—d by His Spirit into his soule to renew it Then to speake of Christ because this Spirit is His Spirit As Iesus Christ is our elder Brother so is Hee also our Father Hee is called the Father of Eternitie Esai 9. 6. He is called the second Adam Rom. 5. 14. He is our spirituall Father who begetteth vs by His Holy Spirit Nowe compare the naturall parent with this spirituall parent Our naturall parent is not onely culpable and guilty of that first defection but also of innumerable sinnes and transgressions following thereupon Our spirituall parent Christ is culpable of no sinne at all but is full of all kinde of obedience for Hee was obedient to the Father to the death euen to the death of the Crosse Our naturall parent is altogether naturally corrupt yea a lumpe of sinne but Christ our spirituall parent is not only cleane in nature from all spot of sinne and perfectly holie as Hâ—e is man but also Hee is Holinesse it selfe because He is the Sonne of God from all Eternitie and what can bee cleaner than Cleannesse it selfe Now to come to their generation The naturall parent begetteth by the force of nature there is a force in nature to beget our spirituall parent Iesus is farre more able to beget by the power of His Spirit who is the author of nature The naturall parent by the force of nature will beget flesh a corrupt masse a sinfull creature yea the image of the deuill this will hee giue to his childe but our Heauenly parent the Lord Iesus by His Spirit begetteth the Spirit that is a spirituall man an holy cleane man who hath no delite nor pleasure in sinne for Sainct Iohn saith in his 1. Epistle Chap. 3. verse 9. Hee that is borne of God sinneth not that is sinneth not as the worldlinges doe with pleasure and delight sinne reigneth not in him why sinneth hee not because saieth hee the seede of God remaineth in him that is His Spirit by whom as a liuely seede wee are begotten and made newe creatures And what saith he more He saith such a man cannot sinne that is he cannot sinne that is he cannot sinne as the naturall and vnregenerate man sinneth hee cannot follow the course of this worlde and wallow in the puddle of sinne as they doe And why can he not sinne so because saieth hee he is borne of God It is a marueilous force that the Spirit of GOD hath Hee maketh a man that he cannot sinne all the worlde will not make him to sinne The naturall man can doe nothing but sinne all his actions are sinnes but hee that is borne of God cannot sinne Nowe this generation of the Spirite is called Regeneration which word albeit it be commonlie in many mens mouthes yet fewe vnderstand what it meaneth therefore wee shall set downe the nature and definition thereof and touch some particular circumstances which may serue for the better vnderstanding thereof Then what is Regeneration It is an alteration and changing of the whole nature of man accomplished and performed by the powerfull operation of the Holie Spirite When I call Regeneration a changing of nature I meane not that there shoulde be any change of the substance essence it selfe either of the soule or of y â— bodie as if that by Regeneration the olde substance were quite abolished and a newe substance brought foorth but I meane that there is a change and alteration of the qualities which are in the substance I will let you see this in the powers and faculties of the soule as in the minde and reason in the will and in the affections In the minde and reason there must bee a change of the vvisedome of the flesh into the vvisedome of GOD nothing is a greater enemie to GOD and His glorie to thy selfe and thy saluation than the vvisedome of the flesh And therefore if thou wouldest be saued this wisedome must be mortified thou must become a foole that thou mayest bee wise as yee maye reade in the first Epistle of S. Paule to the Corinthians the 3. Chapter and the 18. verse In stead of this vvisedome must bee powred into the minde the wisedome of GOD. In the vvill and affections there must bee a change of the frowardnesse and wicked inclination into holinesse and a good inclination Whereas before there was nothing in them but frowardnesse LORD that man is a froward creature when GOD commandeth him to goe one waye hee will goe the plaine contrarie that must be mortified and slain and in stead of it there must bee wrought in the heart a propension and willingnesse in some measure to pursue and to doe that which the LORD commandeth and hath pleasure into Nowe howbeit I call Regeneration a change onelie of the qualities yet it is not so light a matter and so easilie performed as men would think for it is a greater worke to renewe man than to create him In the beginning GOD created all thinges with His word but before man could bee renewed the Sonne of God behooued to become the sonne of man and suffer shame and ignominy die an accursed death euen the death of the Crosse It is an easie thing for thee to saye I must bee changed ere euer I see Heauen But Brethren it is not so soone done it is the moste difficill thing vnder the Sunne to gette the heart of a creature changed And they who haue found this vvorke sensiblie to haue beene begunne in them haue found howe harde it is by their owne experience for I tell thee that before thou bee renewed thou must denie thine owne selfe CHRIST saieth Thou must renounce thy selfe and take vp thy crosse daylie and followe Him LVKE Chapter 9. verse 23. If the LORD had onelie bidden vs renounce our friendes our father our mother our riches our landes and such other thinges as are without vs we would haue thought it a matter hard enough and scarcely would we haue bene induced to giue obedience as ye see in the young man in the Gospell Matth. 19. 16. But when the Lord commandeth vs to renounce our selues euen that thing that is moste excellent that which is moste wise this reason it selfe the wisedome of the flesh that furnisheth so many reasons to disswade meÌ„ either to
professe or followe Christ what can bee more hard But suppone reason were conuinced and the mouth thereof closed that it coulde gette no shift to answere yet thinkest thou so to bee quite of thy selfe No the will and the affections will stand obstinately against the judgement of the minde and follow out and pursue that which the minde discearneth to be euill So thou mayest easily see that there is nothing more harde than to gette this Regeneration yea thou mayest see that it is a thing altogether impossible except that Almighty Spirit of God be present and worke it effectually in the soule all the kings of the earth with all their weapons and engines of warre cannot be able to doe it No all the Angels in Heauen are not able to accomplish this worke The weapons of our warre-fare saith Paul are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe strong holdes casting downe imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 4. 5. There is no power in Heauen or earth but onely the Spirit of God that is able to renewe one creature And this power is granted to this our Ministerie the preaching of the Euangell Let great men let worldly men esteeme of it as they please God hath ordained this Ministery to minister this wonderfull power whereby the soules of men shall be regenerate Further thou must vnderstand that this Regeneration is not perfected in an instant but in processe of time it must continue all the dayes of thy life so long as thou liuest albeit thou liue a thousand yeeres this olde man will not bee perfectly and altogether mortified and slaine till the houre of death Thou must all the dayes of thy life-time be groaning vnder the burthen of sinne subject to crosses and troubles away with light-headed sinners who saye they woulde alwayes haue their heartes vp sadnesse becommeth a sinner well and thou must striue to finde the newe man to bee renewed degree by degree piece and piece euen till at last death bee swallowed vp of life and mortalitie of immortalitie And if thou wouldest haue this worke to goe forward in thee then set euermore Iesus thy Lord and thine head before the eyes of thy soule looke vpon Him with the eyes of faith for it is only His presence the sight of His glory that worketh this marueilous change for there is a great oddes betweene the sight of His glorie and the sight of the glorie of worldlie Princes for the sight of their glorie will not change thee nor make thee glorious but vanisheth awaye in a moment But the sight of the glorie of IESVS shall change thee and make thee glorious whensoeuer thou beholdest Him either by faith in this worlde or else face to face in the Kingdome of Glorie For when thou beholdest Him with the eyes of faith heere thou shalt bee changed according to the measure of thy faith and because thy faith is imperfect thy change heere must bee imperfect but when thou shalt see Him face to face and beholde Him as Hee is then shalt thou bee like vnto Him in glorie thy change shall bee perfect His presence shall bee effectuall to change thy vile bodie and to fashion it like vnto His owne glorious bodie when thou beholdest His glorie thou shalt bee changed into the same glorie Therefore yee see what neede wee haue to finde this Regeneration begunne in vs heere and to finde a continuall progresse therein all the dayes of our life that so wee maye bee assured that the LORD shall crowne His worke in vs with glorie in IESVS And nowe to ende then surelie yee see that corruption mischiefe and venome euerie man without exception communicate vnto their children by naturall generation Therefore Brethren this is mine exhortation to all both to great and small I except none from the King to the Begger Striue as yee are instrumentes of generation so to bee instrumentes of regeneration that your children maye bee taken out of nature and planted in grace and so bee made members of the mysticall bodie of IESVS CHRIST Striue to bring them vp in the knowledge of CHRIST that so yee maye bee free of that heauie judgement which remaineth for all such as neglect this duetie towardes their children and that yee maye see GODS blessing vpon your children heere and maye haue hope of that eternall life and glorie heereafter which the LORD hath promised to His owne in CHRIST IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holie SPIRIT three persons and one GOD be all Honour Glorie Praise Power Dominion both now and euermore So bee it THE XVII SERMON I. TIMOTH CHAP. I. verse 12 Therefore I thanke him who hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for hee counted mee faithfull and put me in his seruice verse 13 When before I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an oppressour but I was receiued to mercie for I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe verse 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Jesus IN this Text beloued Brethren in Iesus Christ there is set downe to vs a notable example of thankfulnesse to God in the person of the Apostle Paul for that great and incomparable mercy which the Lord bestowed vpon him not onely in forgiuing him his grosse and manifold sinnes but also for setting of him in His seruice and for the committing to him the message of reconciliation making him an Apostle to preach repentance and remission of sinnes to others As the mercies which he found were wondrous great so is hee wondrous carefull alwayes to testifie his thankfulnesse to GOD And to the ende the more chearefully he may praise thanke God hee considereth and setteth downe by degrees and in order his vnworthinesse and the euill deedes that he did notwithstanding whereof the Lord extended His mercy most aboundantlie towardes him To come to the wordes Hee saieth Therefore I thanke him who hath made me strong that is Christ Jesus our Lord These wordes depend vpon the verse immediately going before hee saide before that the glorious Euangell of Iesus Christ was concredite to him for the which cause he bursteth forth in thankesgiuing and hee saieth Therefore I will be thankfull to Him who hath concredited it vnto mee Then yee see his thankfulnesse ariseth on two considerations First vpon the consideration of the excellency of the Euangel of Iesus Christ The Gospell is glorious in it selfe and it is come down from the blessed God next vpon the consideration of his owne vnworthinesse looke howe worthie the Gospell was as vnworthie was hee then considering that so worthy a thing was giuen vnto him and that hee himselfe was so vnworthy hee knoweth not what thankes to giue he cannot deuise what manner of waye to testifie his thankfulnesse If once wee could see what God were howe