the Father had drawn it it sees that Christ hath done all for it taken away its sin and put upon it his righteousness so that the soul sees no cause to boast at all Fourthly Where there is true faith in the Son of God that soul sees a lustre in holiness in grace and glory in the person in the life in the sufferings in the doctrine in the ordinances of Jesus Christ others see no beauty nor worth in the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 1.14 The word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begtoten of the Father what a glory did we behold in the person of Christ though he was cloathed with flesh and had put on our Sack-cloth yet we beheld a glory in him even the glory of the Father full of grace and full of truth a believing soul sees a lustre in Jesus Christ more glorious than the Sun and so in his Life what a glorious sin-less life he liv'd and lead and so in his sufferings glorying in the Cross God forbid saith Paul that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ so in the Doctrine of Christ what a glorious Doctrine is it 2 Cor. 3. last but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord that 's in the Gospel are changed into tho same Image from glory to glory In the Doctrine of the Gospel there is a glory a marvellous glory 'T is called marvellous light in Peter so in all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ there is a lustre a glory in every thing of Jesus Christ he hath stamp'd something of his own Image and glory and excellency upon it In 5 Cant. say the daughters of Jerusalem What is thy beloved more than anothers beloved they saw no great matter in him O my beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand she saw a glory which they could not see Fifthly That faith which is right in the Son of God it interests the whole heart in Christ not a part but the whole heart Acts 8.37 Philip said if thou believest with all thine heart and he answered and said I believe that Jesus is the Son of God my whole heart runs out to this so that where faith in Christ is true there the whole heart is interested in Christ the understanding the will the affections they are taken up with Christ he is highly esteemed in the understanding he is fully closed with by the will he is greatly loved and delighted in by the affections the soul doth now love him and joy in him he is the exceeding joy of his heart When a woman is married to a rich man that is loving and suitable every way her whole heart is carried out to him so when the soul is married to Christ the whole heart is taken up with him and runs out strongly unto him Sixthly The soul that doth believe in Christ sets up Christ and all of Christ and nothing but Christ No King said the Jews but Caesar so saith the soul no King but Jesus Christ we have no King but Christ saith the believing soul it sets up the person of Christ it sets up the Laws of Christ it sets up the Ordinances of Christ no Prophet but Christ no High-Priest but Christ so saith the soul that is rightly united to Christ by faith believes aright in him yea it sets up the worst of Christ above the best of the world whatever place or profit or honour the world affords the soul that is rightly believing in Christ sets up the worst of Christ above it all Heb. 11.24 c By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharoah's Danghten What Moses will you refuse to be Son to Pharoah's Daughter to be Heir to the Crown will you refuse that I he refuses to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season what will you refuse the pleasures of the Court the choicest pleasures that can be invented I let them go for the afflictions of Gods people and mark in the 26. v. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt The reproach of Christ or reproach for Christ to be called a Phanatick a Seditious fellow a Schismatick and the like he did esteem that more than all the treasures in Egypt So that the worst of Christ which is reproaching and Persecution and Affliction and Imprisonment and Banishment it esteems all for Christ and therefore saith Paul Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Alas what 's in these sufferings to the glory that is to be had by Jesus Christ Seventhly The soul that doth rightly believe in Christ doth bring its heart and will to be one with the will of Christ As Christ who had faith in God and said My God my God he said Not my will but thy will be done So the Soul that believes in Christ rightly saith not my will but thy will be done It 's brought over to the will of Christ I live not saith Paul but Christ lives in me Christ hath his will altogether in me I have no will but Christs will What do you weeping and breaking my heart I am ready not to be bound onely but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ he dyed for him and laid down his life to fulfill the will of God and Paul had the same will that he had and we have the mind of Christ saith he Eighthly Lastly You have here one note in the Text and that is Love faith in the Son of God doth work love in the Soul and therefore mind the connexion of these Commands this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ And Love one another as he gave us Commandment The more saith you have in Christ the more love you will have to others for we do see in Christ so much love to us that were so unworthy so sinful in so damnable an estate and condition that we will have love and pity towards the worst and those are Godly we shall have love to them because they are in the same condition with our selves we see that they are Brethren they are Members of Christ and they have the same precious faith with our selves that they are glorious through the Robe of Christs Righteousness put upon them I we see that they are Heirs together with our selves of the same grace and in time shall be of the same Glory that they are Heirs with Christ and Co-heirs with him and so upon this account they come to love them and faith works by love O the love that is in the Soul that hath a right saith in Jesus Christ it 's full of
all in his own name and for himself and not for Christ he had a covetous heart So Annanias and Saphira miscarried they did things in their own name so Demas he did things in his own name the world was still upon him and he miscarried and Godly men and women they miscarry they begin not with Christ they do not things in the name of Christ they do not do things for Christ and therefore they miscarry fearfully because Christ is not taken along with them This is a true cause if not the onely cause why Saints and precious ones miscarry in their actions Secondly see hence why Godly men and women have so much guilt and fear upon their spirits which appears in ill times especially when Gods judgments are abroad and dangers are at hand Oh how guilty are they how fearful are they what 's the reason of this it's because the thoughts and words and actions have not been in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we have thought our own thoughts and spoke our own words and done our own wills and hence it comes to pass that we are full of guilt and full of fear in 12. Mat. 36. I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment God hath many dayes of judgment here in the world before the great day of judgment hereafter For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Our words condemn us and we find guilt upon us for our words and our actions do condemn us and we find guilt upon us for our actions Rom. 2.7 8. Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile We find fears and we fear tribulation and fear ruine and destruction because our actions have not been done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for his honour and glory but for our selves Fourthly if Christians must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus then nothing is to be done in but own names to do things in our own names is not currant is not legal is not warrantable who authorized you will Christ say to do this or that in your own name what warrant have you what word have you for it to do it in your own name no neither must we do things in our own strength nor in our own wisdom we think we are wise and we are able but Prov. 3.5 6 7. Lean not unto thine own understanding dont lean to thy own understanding thou art but a fool unto God and thy wisdom is nothing lean not to thine own understanding in all thy wayes acknowledge him Mark in all thy wayes acknowledge him look up to him do things in his name by his wisdom by his strength not by thy own and he shall direct thy path is not Gods direction better than our own Gods councel better than ours Gods strength better than ours lean not then to your own wisdom acknowledge him in all your wayes be not wise in thine own eyes We are loth to lay down our own wisdom and our own apprehensions and conceptions Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom make not that thy design I will be rich and like the great ones in the City and I will be high and I will be so and so this is thy own wisdom thy own folly indeed we are not to do any thing in our own names no nor in the name of Angels nor of Saints the Papists do many things in the name of this Saint and the other Saint and in the name of the Virgin Mary they do many things pray in her name and act in her name and suffer in her name but this is not in the name of Christ whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Therefore remember we are to do nothing in our own names or in the names of any but in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Fifthly I infer hence that whosoever would steer a right course in this world and have his thoughts words and actions accepted and blessed must have a special eye unto the Lord Christ we must look to him as the Pole-star as Marriners their eye is much upon the Pole-star or the compass upon which they sail by their eye is upon these otherwise they will go out of their way and miscarry but if we observe the courses of men and women they sail most by the compass of the world look what the world doth and such and such a man doth that they will do or if not so yet by the custome of places where they are why 't is the custom of the place to do thus and thus or else according to the tradition of the Elders our Elders did so they wash'd their hands before meat and we will do it or else they look to the Laws of men But this is not yet in the name of Christ or else they do things by their own wills and lusts they will have these fulfilled but where 's the name of Christ all this while men go wrong and out of the way not looking at Christ few direct their course by Christ his name his councel according to his will and his word It was otherwise with that blessed Apostle Paul Paul had his eye upon Christ therefore he saith in 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ I have Christ alwayes in my eye I begin with Christ I go on with Christ I end with Christ I have Christ alwayes in my eye dont follow me at all if I dont follow Christ I am a learned man and you think you may follow me because I am a learned man or I am an Apostle and you will follow me therefore but if I dont follow Christ notwithstanding my learning and my Apostleship dont follow me it is Christ you must have in your eye it is Christ you must regulate all by he must be your Pole star he must be your compass so in 5 Eph. 1. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children dont follow the world dont follow the customes of places dont follow any but God and be followers of God as dear Children Children will follow their Parents and follow no others So then if we would steer our course aright we must be followers of Christ and eye Christ and eye God and take up all from them and not from men Sixthly if we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ according as we have opened then here see to whom we owe the success of all we do 't is not to our selves
careful to please one another according to the word of God their hearts are not sound if Children be not obedient to their Parents Servants serving their Masters not with eye-service but with singleness of heart as unto the Lord their hearts are not sound many will hear the word of God and talk of good things but care not for doing their duties in their places how do they fill up their relations but now if you be sound hearted you will fill up your relations you stand in Seventhly a sound heart can bear sharp afflictions very quietly and meekly a sore Shoulder will bear no burthen a Horse with a gall'd back will winch and kick and fling take a hand that the skin is off and pour vinegar upon it or lay Salt upon it and how terrible is it but if the hand be sound it can bear it if the Shoulder be sound it can bear a burthen if the Horse be sound he can bear the Rider so a sound heart can bear any burthen Moses was a meek man and he bore all the burthen that was upon him But now if the heart be not sound there 's fretting murmuring and repining when the heart is not sound every little thing doth disturb and disquiet it but when its sound it 's like Christ's heart it can bear all burthens whatsoever Eighthly A sound heart is the same towards God in the darkest dispensations that can be as it is to God in the sweetest dispensations that may be when God carries it most strangely and most enemy-like unto the soul that soul is the same towards God still as it was towards God before in the most sweet and pleasing dispensations saith Hab. in his 3. ch Though the Fig-tree should not blossem neither should fruit be in the Vine the Labour of the Olive should fail the fields should yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the soul and there shall be no heard in the Stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation Though there be so great a famine as there is nothing left without or within yet will I rejoyce in God a man uses to rejoyce in God when he hath abundance of the creature but saith Hab. Though none of all these be and there be nothing but famine and I am ready to perish yet will I rejoyce in the Lord his heart was sound and he was the same towards God in one dispensation as in another So Job in the 13. ch 15. v. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him I trusted him when I had all things abounding about me and I will trust in him when all things are taken from me a sound heart is the same at all times Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant which walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God A sound heart will trust in God in Winter as well as in Summer in a Dark night as well as in a Sun shine day in Phil. 4. I have learned saith Paul in whatever estate I am therewith to be content I can want and I can abound God hath made my heart sound and I can rejoyce in all conditions The Cananitish woman Christ calls her Dog here was a dark dispensation but she calls him Lord Lord the Dogs eat the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table So that if your hearts be sound in the Statutes and in the things of God your hearts will be the same towards God in adversity as in prosperity in sickness as in health in poverty as in glory and honour Ninthly a sound heart will never turn aside from God or out of his way upon any pretence perswasion or advantage whatsoever but keeps on in Gods way in the Kings road in the way of holiness in the way of truth in the way of righteousness it keeps on in this way and will not be warp'd or turned aside it 's said in 1 K. 15.5 That David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittie 〈◊〉 through some violent temptations David turned aside once but now here was the integrity and soundness of his heart that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from the things that he commanded him all the dayes of his life so that a sound heart will not turn aside 't is not flattery 't is not fear 't is not advantage will make him do it but God is God Truth is Truth as Christ hated iniquity and loved righteousness so doth a sound heart this is the way of God and I will go this way saith a sound heart in the 11. Acts they cleave to God with purpose of heart the Apostle would not take money to give unto Simon Magus the gift of the Holy Ghost and a sound heart it will not be brib'd it will not be couzened it will not turn to the left hand or to the right hand but goes right forward to the end of the way Tenthly A sound heart hath a spiritual confidence and boldness in it and can come unto the Lord in another manner than an unsound and corrupt heart can I say it hath a spiritual boldness and considence in it Heb. 10.19.22 having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holyest by the blood of Jesus how comes any to have a spiritual boldness he must have his heart sound if he have any boldness in him if his heart be guilty if his heart be corrupt and rotten there can be no boldness nor confidence but being sound a man hath boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus A man that hath interest in the blood of Jesus hath a sound heart and v. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience here 's that makes the heart good and makes the heart bold when the heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ the Conscience is made sound and good and being thus now let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance such a heart as is sound may come with assurance and confidence unto God and beg of God what he stands in need of this is the nature of a sound heart 11. A sound heart depends upon God alone for all spiritual mercies in 1 Cor. 1. saith the Apostle But of him are ye in Christ Jesus that is of God are we in Christ Jesus God hath drawn you to Christ and stated you in Christ so that of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption who of God is made unto us Those that are in Christ Jesus have soundness of heart they have
the very heart and mind of Christ now saith he who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption That soul depends upon God for Wisdome from Christ for Sanctification from Christ for Righteousness from Christ for Redemption from Christ it doth not depend upon its own Acts it s own Experiences it s own Graces it s own Comforts it doth not depend upon the Law it doth not depend upon the Gospel but upon God through Christ so that a sound heart sees through all unto God who is the root and fountain and fetches all from thence it takes up all from God from God through a Covenant of Grace from God through Christ so that as it is in Isa 45.24 Verily shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength I have it not from an Ordinance I have it not in my self but from God through Christ from God through an Ordinance saith David my soul wait thou onely upon the Lord for from him cometh thine expectation 12. Lastly for discovery of a sound heart a sound heart is that conforms to Gods word not to the world in Rom. 12. beginning be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God When a man is transformed by the renewing of his mind he is a sound minded a sound hearted man but till then he is a corrupt hearted man Now if you be sound hearted you will not conform to the world but to the word which is the will of God revealed That good that acceptable that perfect will of God you will conform to saith Paul in 6. Gal. 14. I am Crucified to the world he now conforms to the good and acceptable will of God for God would have us to look at Christ Crucified and to dye to sin through the death of Christ and Paul looks at Christ Crucified and is dead to the world and the world was dead to him he would not conform to the world a sound heart conforms not to the world worldly worship worldly customes worldly fashions worldly manners but conforms to the word therefore look to it for few sound hearted there are so many conform to the world and so few to the word but a sound heart will conform to sound Doctrine the sound word and not to the world that lyes in wickedness and thus you see several discoveries of a sound heart Use 4. The fourth Use is of consolation of comfort to all those that find they have sound hearts have you sound hearts hearts well principled with divine truth have you hearts undivided and carried wholly to God have you hearts that are healthy and sound have you hearts that have truth of grace in them hearts without hypocrisie and guile hearts set for God to do his will you are then fit for Gods use and service you are then like to the Lord Jesus Christ you are precious in the sight of God you are dear unto him you have a blessedness then upon you I you are differenced from all hypocrites and such as shall perish you are those that shall hold out to the end you will be the honour and glory of the Gospel you will be the honour and glory of the Ministry 1 Thess 3.8 For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord O you Thessalonians we live if you stand fast if you be sound hearted you will stand fast you will continue to the end and this will be our life I it will be your honour and your Crown and Glory if you stand fast So that here 's comfort and great comfort to those are sound hearted Vse 5. The fifth and last use of this point is to exhort men and women to labour to get soundness of heart sound minds sound spirits see to it for 't is of concernment that you have sound hearts Lord saith David let my heart be sound in thy Statutes O Lord let me have a heart sound in thy Statutes though I have no Kingdom though I have no Army though I have no outward Comforts yet let me have a sound heart I shall here first shew you how you may get a sound heart Secondly how you may keep a sound heart Thirdly some motives to press you on to it First how to come to have a sound heart First If you would have soundness of heart then labour to cleanse out of your hearts all that may corrupt your hearts or make your hearts unsound you know a Garment if it have Dirt in it Moths in it wet in it it will corrupt the Garment therefore you will take a course to get out the Moths and to dry it and to beat out the dust that so your Garments may be sound if there be worms in the timber it will rot and consume the timber If there be ill humors in the body you must out with them or they will destroy the body so if you would have sound hearts you must cleanse out all that is of a corrupting nature there are two things that make a corrupt heart principally First Erroneous opinions and principles Secondly Mens lusts Now as for errors they are call'd the errors of the wicked wicked men take in wicked errors wicked opinions corrupt opinions and these make corrupt minds corrupt consciences corrupt hearts and corrupt men and women and so lusts they are deceitful lusts defiling lusts Ephe. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts if you have a lust of envy envy is rottenness to the bones if a lust of pride uncleanness of covetousness c. you must put them off you must cleanse your selves from them you must wash and scower your hearts so that if you would have sound hearts away with corrupt opinions away with deceitful and corrupt lusts Secondly if you would have sound hearts then labour to get sound truths into them 2. Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast learned of me Timothy I have taught thee wholsom and sound Doctrine I have Preached unto thee the Gospel of Christ I have given thee Rules and Laws whereby to direct thee hold fast the pattern or form of sound words or of wholsom words there are corrupt words which are not sound there are corrupting words and such words do a great deal of hurt as in the 2 Ch. 17. v. and their words do eat as doth a Canker c. These are corrupting words gangreening words words that eat out soundness when men come with such opinions as there 's no Christ no God no Heaven no Hell and these Scriptures are not the word of God Oh what Gangreening words are these therefore hold fast the pattern of wholsom words get sound words into your hearts and they will make your hearts found Solomon tells you of sound wisdom Prov. 3.21 keep sound wisdom and discretion there is
give account to God and be judged to all Eternity Now some Arguments or motives why men and women should keep their hearts sound First you should do this because there 's an hour of Temptation coming upon you Rev. 3 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them there is an hour of Temptation that must come upon the whole world to try them what will become of you now if you have unsound hearts when the time of Temptation comes if you be stubble you will burn if you be rotten you will be thrown by if you be unsound wo be to you there is an hour a coming and an hour of Temptation and it will try men and women to the quick well if God will come and try you then get sound hearts and keep sound hearts for there will be such an hour e're long Nay is there not such an hour at this time God is sifting and trying the Nation by wayes and means that seem best in his wisdom to discover Men what they are and it may come upon you and your Families very suddainly a fiery Tryal may come upon you Secondly We should do it because there are very few men ad women in the world have sound hearts In Sodom there was one Lot had a sound heart but what had all the rest in the old world there was one Noah found favour and grace in the eyes of God and had a sound heart he was sound in the faith and sound hearted towards God and his worship 't is very rare and hard to find a sound hearted man a faithful man saith Solomon who can find one of a thousand he found but one man of a thousand and in Phil. 2. All seek their own and none seek the things of Christ It 's very rare very hard to find out a sound hearted man Thirdly Consider that an unsound heart is very grievous and burthensom like a sore leg or a sore arm O how burthensom and grievous is it but what if a broken leg or arm that 's more burthensom if you have unsound hearts you will be full of guilt and full of fears and this will be a burthen unto you and a great burthen unto you to have guilt and fears upon your spirits they may sink you see what the wise man saith in Pro. 14.30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh but envy the rottenness of the bones A sound heart is the life of the flesh if a man be sound hearted he will be lively and chearful but if he be unsound hearted he will be like a dead man envy is the rottenness of the bones every sin tends to it if a man have an unsound heart he will have many lusts and sins and every one will be rottenness to his bones Nabal his heart was as a stone within him the righteous is bold as a Lyon he is full of courage and mettle but a wicked man he that hath an unsound heart he flyes when none pursues him his heart is his torment his heart is his hell it will be a burthen unto him Fourthly A man should labour to keep his heart sound otherwise he can never love the Lord Jesus Christ in truth an unsound hearted man will love somewhat else more than Christ but Eph. 6. last grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity a man of an unsound heart cannot love Christ in sincerity for sincerity is one part of a sound heart if therefore you would love the Lord Jesus in sincerity in truth get soundness of heart and keep your hearts sound let not your hearts be divided let not your hearts be Hypocritical they are unsound hearts but let your hearts be sincere and then you will love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity but if you do not what saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ that is if he love him not in sincerity for if he seem to love him and it be otherwise so much the worse he will have Anathema and Maranâ—â—ha with advantage if you have an unsound heart you cannot love Christ sincerely but now if you would have this testimony that you love the Lord Jesus in sincerity get soundness of heart keep soundness of heart Fifthly you should do this because the Lord himself is coming to Judgment James 5.9 grudge not one against another Brethren least ye be condemned behold the Judge standeth before the door The Judge is very near he is knocking at your door he is coming to Judge you and it will not be long but you must be Judged and the Lord I say stands at the door therefore look to it that your hearts be sound what will become of you if the Lord find you Hypocrites if the Lord find you unsound hearted men and women if he find your hearts are divided between him and the world that they are sick with lusts that you are under the dominion of sin that you have but seeming grace and not real grace what will become of you the Judge is at the door and you may go this night for ought you know Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee look to it that your hearts be sound for God will search you to the quick he will discover men and women what they are to the full and open every secret Sixthly Lastly labour for soundness of heart upon the account of the Text Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed you will be ashamed one day if your hearts be not sound And so I come to the last point and that is Obs 4. That those that have not soundness of hearts sooner or later will be made ashamed In Prov. 26.26 whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole Congregation when men do cover up their wickedness and have unsound hearts they hate their Neighbor and give them sweet words and the like but they hate them in their hearts and the man whose hatred is covered by deceit his wickedness shall be discovered before the whole Congregation Laodicea was luke-warm and had a rotten heart and did not God say I will spew thee out of my mouth Judas had a rotten heart and was he not discovered and ashamed Judas the Traytor and the Scripture is full of such instances every where there is no need to stick upon it Now for the word Shame not to trouble you with many things There be three things make a man ashamed all which will be found in an unsound heart First when a man shall be found that which others did not think him to be and he thought not himself to be as when a man is prov'd a Bankrupt others thought him to be a man of credit
interest that the Saints have in God and the ground of it Their great interest in God is this that whatsoever they ask they receive of him they have such interest that God grants their Prayers whatever they ask And the ground of it is because they keep his Commandements and do those things that are pleasing in his fight Now least they might scruple what Commandements they were that he mean't he tells them in the Verse read of two especially and that is That they believe and that they love one another There be three great Commandements in the Gospel Believing Loving and Repenting Two you have here in the Verse the third in Acts 17.30 The Lord commands every man every where to repent and these two of Loving and Repenting cannot be rightly performed without the first Believing Believing in the Son of God for that love which is without faith is but natural love and that Repentance which is without faith in the Son of God is but legal repentance but that love and that repentance which springs from faith in the Son of God is spiritual love and spiritual repentance The Apostle tells you in 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandement is charity out of a Pure heart and of a good Conscience and of faith unfeigned If love dont come from faith unfeigned it is not spiritual love In the words read you have First the Commander in the word his Secondly The thing commanded Believing Thirdly The object or person in whom they are to believe or we are to believe set out First by his Relation the Son of God Secondly by his Titles Jesus and Christ The Commander here is God there is none greater than he and therefore his Commands are of greatest authority if in the word of a King there be power how much more in the word of the great and high God and 't is not a verbal Command onely but 't is a written Command that all may take notice of it and may yield obedience unto it The point that I shall commend unto you is this Doct. That believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is a duty under Command In Mark 1.15 saith he Repent ye and believe the Gospel Repentance is commanded and believing the Gospel is commanded and a man cannot believe the Gospel unless he believe in the Son of God I shall not multiply Scriptures to prove it the Text is enough This is his command that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ Now I shall in the prosecution of this point shew you what is imployed in Believing 2. What 's meant by the Name of the Son of God 3. What believing in the name of the Son of God doth also imply And then answer some questions and improve the point For the first what is implyed in believing First Knowledge is implyed in it 't is a blind faith where there is no knowledge the Papists believe as the Church believes and such a faith is a fancy rather than true faith Paul saith I know in whom I have believed and in Joh. 17.3 knowledge there is put for faith so essential is it to faith that it is put for faith it self this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God So that in believing there must be knowledge and understanding else it will be a blind believing a blind faith Secondly In believing there is implyed assent of the understanding to the truth that is propounded truth is the object of the understanding As Christ came into the World to save sinners I must assent unto this truth God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Such truths and Propositions as these there must be the assent of the understanding unto and Papists will go thus far in the point of faith and make the very formal nature of faith to lye in assent 't is a truth there must be assent but assent is not enough They place it altogether in the understanding and fix it there but the Devils believe and tremble and give assent unto truths they said Christ was the Son of God they gave assent yea the Devils believe and tremble therefore this is not enough though this is required and necessary assent there must be but there must be more than assent But Thirdly There must be Consent which brings in the heart and will and looks at the goodness of the truth or person some good that is in any truth propounded or any person to be believed in Rom. 10.9 10. If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart Not in thine head for with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness with the heart man believes there must be the heart in believing and not the head and understanding onely so that there must be consent of the will and heart unto the thing believed Now this consent must be free and full to have Christ and whole Christ to have Christ at the best and have Christ at the worst whatever may fall out in true believing there is such a free and full consent that it will have Christ whatever it cost Fourthly Lastly in believing there must be affiance a confidence or trust and that you will find express'd in Eph. 1.12 that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ there must be trusting After we know and give assent and consent then we must trust and depend and rely upon Christ So in 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed in your margin it is whom I have trusted so that there is a trust a confidence a relyance a recumbency a dependance upon the Lord Jesus Christ where there is a right believing Thus you see what is implyed in believing Secondly What 's meant by the name of Jesus Christ Not the Letters or Syllables as many bow at the name of Jesus that is not the meaning but Name is put for the Thing or put for the person Psal 34.3 Let us exalt his Name together that is God himself let us exalt God himself so thou shalt reverence that dreadful name Jehovah that 's God himself and when you read of Sanctifying the name of God in Scripture that is God himself And so here Rom. 10.13 you will find by Name is meant God himself whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved that is shall call upon God himself And Acts 4.12 There is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved that is there is no person but Jesus whereby you can be saved And Joh. 3.18 he that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God Now what is it to believe in his name or in him First it implyes the receiving into our heads and hearts all things God hath revealed from Heaven concerning him As that he is the Son of God that God gave him for
our good that God sent him to be bread and water of Life unto us that we might live through him God sent him to be our Mediator our Saviour our Redeemer and the like we are to receive these truths that God hath revealed concerning Jesus Christ Secondly It is to take Christ for the foundation and building and top stone of our Salvation 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundations can no man lay then that is lay'd which is Jesus Christ To take the Lord Christ to be our Prophet to be our King to be our High Priest to be all in all unto us Thirdly It is to rely upon him and trust in him for the removal of all our sins supply of all our wants and investment of us in his own Righteousness this is to believe in the Name or in the Son and to depend upon him for Redemption for Sanctification for Reconciliation for Adoption for Salvation So then you see the point is that believing lyes under a command this is his Commandement that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ I shall now come to some questions and the Qu. First is Have we power to believe can any do it may they not as easily keep the Law as believe on the Son of God is there any power in us to do it An. You know that there are in the world divers sorts of people that do acknowledge power in us to do it But know that man simply considered in himself hath no power to believe in the Son of God 2 Cor. 3.5 we are not sufficient of our selves to think a good thought but all our sufficiency is from him if we ben't sufficient of our selves to think any thing of our selves as good but our sufficiency is of God surely we cannot believe then which is so great a work and glorious a work and in Col. 2.12 Faith is said to be the opperation of God not of Man But for the further clearing of the point know First that as God commandeth us to believe so he hath promised to give us faith Mat. 12.21 it 's said in him shall the Gentiles trust here is a promise made to us that are Gentiles that we shall trust in the name of Christ God will work that power in them that they shall trust in Christ and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and Joh. 6.37 all that the father giveth me shall come to me here 's a promise they shall come that is they shall believe And faith is called the gift of God Eph. 2.8 By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God None but God can give Christ and none but God can give power to believe in Christ As faith is the Command of God so faith is likewise the work of God Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent that 's the first answer Secondly The Lord giveth the means whereby it is wrought namely the Gospel The Gospel is the means whereby faith is wrought which he hath appointed and ordained for that very purpose and therefore the Gospel is called faith Gal. 1.23 speaking of Paul that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed preacheth the faith that is the Gospel which works faith and is the means that God uses to work faith in the Souls of Men and Women The brazen Serpent was appointed of God to cure the stingings of the fiery Serpent no other Serpent would do it nor no other means would do it if they had used all the Physitians in the world they could not have done it but the brazen Serpent which God had appointed So no other word will work it but the Gospel which he hath appointed to work faith and therefore the Apostle tells you that faith comes by hearing hearing of the Gospel which is appointed by God for that very end Thirdly The Lord he doth accompany his word with his spirit to make it effectual the word without the spirit would not be effectual and therefore God doth accompany his word with his spirit that it may be effectual to work faith in the hearts of Men and Women Hence it is that the spirit is called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 We having faith the Apostle the same spirit of faith it 's called the spirit of faith because by the Gospel it doth work faith in the hearts of Merrand Women and Gal. 3.2 This would I know of you saith the Apostle received you the spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith why you heard the Doctrine of Faith the Gospel and by the hearing of Faith you received the spirit for the Gospel is the Ministration of the spirit and the Chariot of the spirit and so God doth by the Gospel convey the spirit into the hearts of men and women and by the spirit works faith in their Souls Fourthly The Lord commands things that are hard for us yea impossible unto us that so we may seek to him to whom nothing is impossible Luke 1.37 for with God nothing shall be impossible no word is impossible to God whatever he hath said he is able to make it good and you know in the Gospel that blind Bartemeus he seeks unto Christ for the Cure of his eyes The blind man in Joh. 9. that was born blind his eyes were opened so we that were born blind and born dead still-born without grace without faith without spiritual life the Lord commands us to believe that we may look to him to convey life and work grace and faith in our souls But Fifthly There is in the Gospel the offer of Christ to sinners you shall see it clear in 13 Acts that the offer of the Lord Jesus Christ is offered in the Gospel and tendered unto sinners v. 26. Men and Brethren Children of the Stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent to you it 's sent and v. 38. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this man is Preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and in the 46. and 47. verses Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and Judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turn to the Gentiles For so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles so that Christ and salvation and all spiritual mercies are offered and tendered in the Gospel unto us unto us Gentiles unto us Sinners And surely such an offer is worthy of acceptation This very offer hath some efficacy and virtue in it to stir up souls to receive Christ 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners O 't is a faithful
love Thus then you see now to know whether your faith be right in Jesus Christ being commanded to believe in him One thing more and that is if faith lye under a Command let us all then be obedient to this Command and labour to believe in his Son Jesus Christ more and more if we have no faith let us do it if we have faith let us do it more and more I shall give you two or three motives and answer a question and so conclude First for Motives know you can never truly love God till your sins are forgiven you you will think God is not your God till your sins are forgiven but if you find that your sins are forgiven you you will love God then to purpose you will love God then in truth and in strength Mary loved much why many sins were forgiven her now unless you believe in Jesus Christ you cannot have the forgiveness of your sins and so you will be questioning whether God love you or whether he be not a hard God and a hard Master and dont pardon your sins and so you cannot love God truly and love God with strength If therefore you would love God with truth and strength believe in his Son Jesus Christ that you may know your sins are forgiven Secondly This believing in the Lord Jesus Christ makes our persons very acceptable unto God Eph. 1.6 he hath made us accepted in his Beloved How are we made accepted by faith in him if we have not faith in him we are not accepted therefore the Apostles put us to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 There 's the acceptation of your persons And so of your Prayers our Prayers will never speed in Heaven and have gracious Returns unless we believe in the Son of God 't is for Christs sake that our Prayers are heard as you may see in the verse before the Text and the Text together whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments And what 's one Command That we belieive on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ why now our Prayers come to be heard when we keep his Commandments Lastly It is that which doth exalt the grace of God and honours him very much to believe in his Son Jesus Christ It 's said in 1 Joh. 5. He that believes not hath made God a Lyar. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself There 's encouragement to believe in the Son of God He that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is one record that God hath given us eternal life in him And this is another that he Commands us to believe in him that we may have this eternal life Now what a dishonour is this to the God of truth to make him a lyar but now to believe in his Son doth exalt the free grace of God God hath made all the promises to Jesus Christ and in Christ they are all yea and Amen And mark it All the promises of God in him are Yea and and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 When we believe in his Son Jesus Christ in whom they are all concentred in whom they are all yea and Amen but if you do not believe in the Son of God They are not all to the honour of God God hath not his glory in that way that he looks for by Jesus Christ So that we should believe in the Son of God because it doth exalt his honour and his free grace and promotes his Glory abundantly and the contrary brings reproach and dishonour upon God One question more But happily some will say I cannot believe what should I do To that Soul and to all of us I would say thus much First attend diligently unto the means by which God works faith Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Attend now unto the means the Gospel especially which is the means that God hath appointed to work faith by and doth work faith by Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation When they heard the word of truth the Gospel of Salvation then they came to trust in him So when people do attend unto the means of Grace and attend seriously unto it God doth work faith and increase faith where it is by the same means You know Pipes dont give water but water comes through Pipes so the Gospel is the Pipe through which God lets out this water of grace and conveys it unto us and will you see it performed in Acts 13.48 And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed When they heard the Gospel Preached as many as were ordained to eternal life believed they attended upon the word and the means of grace and it was not in vain they believed Attend therefore upon the Gospel and the word Preached as an Ordinance of God appointted and designed of God purposely to work faith in your Souls many persons they come to hear the Word they come only to hear a man what he can say and what notions and new things there may be but they come not to it as an ordinance of God appointed to work grace and faith in the soul and so miss of their expectation upon that account Secondly Consider how freely Jesus Christ is offered in the Gospel and offered unto you and at what a cheap rate Christ is to be had In Isa 55 come without money and without price come and drink of the waters of life freely Why the Lord Jesus Christ is a free gift Rom. 5.15 saith the Apostle not as the offence so also is the free gift A free gift Jesus Christ and grace is and Joh. 4.10 If thou haddest known the gift of God O Christ is the gift of God and what is required now but receiving of this gift will you not receive a gift and such a gift as this is when it is tendred to you by God himself and tendred to you in such a glorious manner and God doth put off this rich gift at a very low rate if you will receive it Rev. 3.20 I stand at the dore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come into him and Ch. 22.17 whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely here 's Christ with the water of life and bread of life with his Righteousness with all that is useful for you for the present and to eternity here he is receive him O how great will our condemnation be if we dont receive him when as he is offered so freely to us 3. Lastly you cannot believe you say and I believe you too you cannot believe I but pray unto God to inable you
How precious are thy thoughts unto me saith David so precious are the thoughts of Christ and of God towards poor sinners The Lord Christs thoughts were publick thoughts pure thoughts heavenly thoughts thoughts of mercy and loving kindness I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith God Jer. 29.11 They were good thoughts peaceable thoughts loving thoughts so there is in Christ choice thoughts towards poor sinners Prov. 12.5 The thoughts of the righteous are right Christ was the righteous one and all his thoughts were right thoughts righteous thoughts so now to have the same mind that Christ had is to have the same thoughts that Christ had have the same thoughts of God the Father that he had have the same thoughts of Truth that Christ had have the same thoughts of Sin that Christ had as an evil as the greatest evil have the same thoughts of Grace as Christ had have the same thoughts of the Church as Christ had have the same thoughts of the worth of Souls as Christ had what will you give in exchange for your Souls Christ valued a soul above all the world now to have the mind of Christ is to have the same thoughts of God of persons and things that the Lord Jesus Christ had Secondly to have the same mind that Christ had is to be carried forth with the same will and affections towards God and Man as Christ was Now how was Christ carried forth towards God and man Heb. 10.7.9 there you shall see then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy will O God I come I come freely I am coming to do thy will whatever it be be it hard matters disgraceful matters be it in the matter of my life Loe I come to do thy will O God and so in the 9 v. Lo I come to do thy will I am not backward but I come to do thy will he was ready to make hast as David saith I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandments so that to be carried out towards God to do good and to do the will of God as Christ was is to have the very mind of Christ Joh. 5.30 saith Christ I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me I came and I came freely and willingly and nor to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me so now to be carried out to do the will of God as Christ was towards God and towards man is to have the same mind that Christ had Thirdly to have the same mind that Christ had is to live the same life that Christ did where there is the same mind there will be the same motions and the same operations now to have the mind of Christ is to live the very life of Christ Gal. 2.20 I live not saith Paul but Christ lives in me O 't is Christs life that I live so in the 1 Phil. 21. To me to live is Christ I dont account my life any life if I dont live the life of Christ and Tit. 1.11 12. The Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men what 's the Grace of God Christ and the Gospel the mind of Christ Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world Now to have the mind of Christ is to live soberly Righteously and Godly in this world Soberly in regard of our selves Righteously in regard of men Godly in regard of God To have the mind of Christ is to live the very life of Christ 1 Pet. 4.1 2. For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin If you have suffered as Christ hath done you will cease from sin he hath ceased from dying for sin and you must cease from committing of sin That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God So that if we have the mind of Christ we will live the rest of our time to the will of God we must walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2.3 Fourthly Lastly to have the same mind that Christ had is to be carried out to the same end that he was and his end was to do good to others and to glorifie God these were the intentions and end and mind of Christ Acts 10.38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil for God was with him here was his design to do good to others and his great design was to glorifie the Father also Joh. 8.50.54 and I seek not mine own glory saith he there is one that seeketh and judgeth I seek not mine own glory 't is the glory of the Father that I seek and v. 5 4. Jesus answered iâ— I honour my self my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth me of whom ye say that he is your God My Father doth honour me indeed and I do honour my Father Joh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on the earth c. That was the great design of the L. Jesus Christ to go up and down and do good and to glorifie the Father and honour him now to be carried out to the same ends and to have the same aim that Christ had is to have the same mind that Christ had Thus you see what was the mind of Christ and what it is to have the same mind that Christ had Now I shall shew you the Reasons why we should have the same mind that Christ had Reas First we should have the same mind because we are Christians we have Christs name as you know those that are Lutherans they have the mind of Luther those that are Calvinists have the mind of Calvin those are Platonists have the mind of Plato those are Gallenists have the mind of Gallen So we are Christians and we should have the mind of Christ what a Christian and not the mind of Christ why we are his Disciples and Disciples use to have the mind of their Masters and of their Teachers we should learn his mind and be of his mind Eph. 4.21 22. ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus If you have heard Christ and learned of him you will be of his mind you are his Disciples and the Disciple is of the mind of the Teacher Col. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him As ye have received his Doctrine his mind so walk in his Doctrine and in his mind we are Christians and therefore we should be of the same mind with Jesus Christ Secondly those that are true Churches and true Christians
Gomorrah Tyre and Sidon then for such at the day of Judgment So much for reproof Secondly this may be matter of humiliation to us all that we are no more like to Christ that we have not the same thoughts of God of Truth of Sin of the World that he had the Lord Christ saith be not conformed to the world the fashions of the world the manners of the world the worship of the world that we should not love the world nor things of the world that was Christs mind that we should forgive our Enemies but we are not of Christs mind though we have been long in the School of Christ Disciples of Christ yet we are not of the mind of Christ O how slow and dull and untoward are we to learn the mind of Christ It 's the mind of Christ that people should not cast off Ordinances and forsake the assembling of themselves and the like but how many do it in these dayes O this should be matter of humiliation to us all that we come so short of the mind of Christ Thirdly it may be an use of examination to us to examine whether we be of the same mind that the Lord Jesus Christ was of you may know it by what I have delivered to you already have we a publick mind a pure mind a humble mind a heavenly mind a compassionate mind and the like but I 'le add something else would you know whether you are of the mind of Christ yea or no then First if you are of Christs mind you will love what Christ loved and hate what he hated now look into Heb. 1.9 he loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity do you love Righteousness you have many go for Christians and Professors but come to dealing and there 's no righteousness in their actions they are all for what they can get and wring and scrape to themselves and don't love righteousness thou art no true Christian whosoever thou art thou art but a bastardly Christian at the best for where there is the same mind of Christ and a true Christian there 's loving of Righteousness and hating of Iniquity See in 1 Joh. 2. last If ye know that he is Righteous ye know that every one that doth Righteousness is born of him If ye be true Christians ye are born of God and you do Righteousness and Ch. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God Many borrow and never pay again is here any Righteousness many have pledges and never restore them is here any righteousness many they will put off ill wares with lying and swearing is here righteousness if so be there be not Righteousness in mens actions they have not the mind of Christ they are not born of God but they have the mind of the Devil and of the World and the flesh and it 's a sad condition but here 's the way to know whether we have the mind of Christ we will love righteousness and hate Iniquity hate evil thoughts and lusts and all fraud and cheating and over-reaching one another Secondly if we would know whether we have the mind of Christ we shall know it by this then we will judge of things as Christ judged of them Joh. 7.24 saith Christ Judge not according to appearance but judge righteous Judgement so in 2 Cor. 10.7 Do ye look on things according to outward appearance Men that have Christs mind will not judge according to outward appearance and semblances and seemings but they will judge righteous judgment judge as Christ himself judged Christ saith blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Do you judge right now where blessedness lyes not in honours nor pleasures nor things of this nature no it lyes in mourning for sin in poverty of spirit in pureness of heart if you be of Christs mind you will be of Christs judgment Luke 16.15 The things that are highly esteemed among men are abomination with God Now do you judge of the world as Christ judged Christ look'd upon the world as a perishing thing as a defiled thing and as that which will not satisfie the soul but endanger every man and woman do you judge of the world so Why do you lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Do you judge of all these things thus now they are not bread for my soul nor they will not satisfie my soul I must use the world while I am here and if I have enough to carry me to my Journeys end 't is well in Acts 19.28 Great is Diana of the Ephesians say those of Ephesus So say Catholicks of their Cathedrals and pompous worship great is Diana of the Ephesians yea but Diana and all her worship was abominable to God many cry up their worship and such and such things as are the inventions of men but they are no more pleasing to God than Diana's Idols Temple and Worship Paul would know no man after the flesh no not Christ himself he had the mind of Christ and yet he would not know Christ after the flesh upon fleshly grounds and considerations so do you know no man after the flesh but upon spiritual grounds as they relate to God Thirdly if you have the mind of Christ then you will see that in the truths of Christ as will make you love the truth and stand to it and to venture all for truth rather than part from it Christ he did witness to truth in Joh. 18. and did testifie a good confession before Pontius Pilate and lay'd down his life for truth now hence he saith in Heb. 10. If any draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him what of my mind and draw back from my truth and my wayes my soul shall have no pleasure in him what draw back from Christ's Doctrine and from the principles that have been wrought in you by that Doctrine draw back from his worship and from profession of Christ and practice of the Gospel my soul shall have no pleasure in you that is my soul shall be exceedingly exasperated against you if you draw back from me and my Doctrine Antipas held fast the faith the Church of Pergamus held fast the faith of Christ and Paul who had the mind of Christ saw so much in the truth of Christ as he saith I am ready not onely to be bound but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus He saw reality and eternal life in the truths of Christ so that if you have Christs mind you will see that in Christs truth and Doctrines and wayes and worship which will make you go on and venture all rather than part with the same Fourthly Lastly if you have
created an understanding knowing man a holy man and a righteous man now by Adam's eating the forbidden fruit this Image was lost but Christ he came to restore this again it being lost Eph. 4.24 And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness And in the Collossians knowledge is mentioned now by the Lord Jesus Christ we have this restor'd again and the more we know of Christs mind the more that Image is renewed in us 't is a pure mind an humble mind a righteous mind and it is an understanding mind so that the more you know of Christ the more purity the more righteousness the more knowledge you have and so the Image of God is renewed in you and there 's your happiness and when this comes to perfection then you are perfectly happy and that will be in heaven But you will say what should we do to get more of the mind of Christ into us First if you would have more of the mind of Christ then be you less conformable to the world be more and more off from the world and oâ— more and more transformed by the renewing of your minds Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this world but be ye transtormed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God You will come to know this good and perfect and acceptable will of God more and more that is the mind of Christ 't is the world keeps us from knowledge the world doth blind us and indispose us from receiving the divine truths and mysteries of the Gospel that man that is most alienated from the world and most contemplative of the Gospel will have most of the mind of God and Christ in him Secondly if you would have more and more of the mind of Christ see you love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more daily The more you love the more Christ will let out his mind unto you Job 15.14 15. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I câ—mmand you henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Well you are my friends you love me one friend loves another and Christ made known all things unto them that he had received of his Father so Christ will make all things known to your souls that he hath received of the Father which is needful and good for you if you love him so in the 14. Ch. 21. he that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Would you have manifestations of the Lord Jesus Christ secrets revealed unto you and hidden things that the world knows not of love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more a Wife the more she loves her Husband the more her Husband will communicate his secrets unto her so the more you love Christ the more of his mind shall you have communicated unto you Thirdly Lastly if you would have more of the mind of Christ then pray more and more for the spirit of Christ for the spirit of Christ reveals the things of God and searches them and gives them out unto those where it is pray unto Christ to fill you with his spirit and that spirit will fill you with the knowledge of Christs mind the spirit of God is a spirit of wisdom and Revelation Joh. 16.14 the Spirit shall take of mine and shew unto you there 's a treasury in Christ in him are hid all the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge and the spirit will take of Christs and shew unto you 2 Cor. 3. last we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. What 's this Glass the Gospel is the glass and in the glass there 's Christ and the mind of Christ and when we come to look in there we are changed into the same Image from glory to glory we have more and more of the mind of Christ and of the holiness of Christ and righteousness of Christ as by the Spirit of the Lord so that pray for the spirit and the spirit will interpret and open the mind of Christ in all the mysteries of the Gospel which are hidden from most men in the world All in Christs Name Colloss 3.17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus THis Chapter is full of exhortations First general ones to the end of my Text. Secondly particular ones to the end of the Chapter For the general ones he exhorts them first to seek the things which are above and to set their affections on things above v. 1 2. which he presses with several Arguments to the beginning of the fifth verse Secondly He exhorts them to mortification in the fifth verse Mortifie your members which are upon the earth Fornication Uncleanness Inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry He exhorts them to mortifie all these earthly members and gives reasons and arguments for it even to the twelfth verse Thirdly He exhorts them to Christian vertues to Christian practices put on bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another and above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also you are called in one body and be ye thankful let the word of Christ dwell in you richly These be Christian vertues and Christianpractices he puts them upon and that by three Arguments especially First from their election put on as the elect of God you are elect and choice vessels of God therefore put on these they become elect ones Secondly you are holy and 't is not for holy ones to meddle with unholy things but to do holily Thirdly you are beloved of God God he loves you and you are dear unto him and therefore you should look after such virtues and your practices should be accordingly and then in the 17. verse he exhorts them to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus If you teach and admonish one another if you sing Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus and then afterwards in the Chapter he comes to particular duties of Wives to Husbands and Husbands to Wives of Children to Parents and Parents to Children of Servants to Masters and Masters to Servants and the like In the words you may consider First the act doing Secondly the extent of the act whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all Thirdly the manner in the
thy pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord thou wilt find sweetness in the Lord and sweetness in the words and wayes of the Lord in all things of the Lords thou wilt find sweetness such sweetness as will make thy soul to delight in the Lord. Thirdly If you would find sweetness in the word of God then take that which is suitable to your conditions There is somthing alwayes suitable to your conditions when you read the word or hear the word Preach'd something will concern you now that which is most suitable to your condition will be most sweet unto you If one want peace and there be a word suits you take that if one want comfort take that if one want counsel take that that that is suitable to the soul that 's sweet Fourthly Lastly make the word your delight Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies are my delight So in the 77. v. Thy Law is my delight They were the delight of David and so he delighted in them that he meditated in them day and night Thy Testimonies are my Meditation v. 99. what you delight in you find a sweetness in so if you would delight much in the word of God you would find much sweetness in the word of God Thus you see those questions answered I shall now come to some Inferences or Conclusions First If the word of God be sweet and sweeter than the Honey and the Honey-comb then they that find no sweetness in the word of God they are in an ill condition they are in a state of death they are dead men and dead women A dead man tastes nothing so that man or woman that tastes no sweetness in the word of God is a dead man you read in Scripture of men dead in sins and trespasses and twice dead Let the dead bury their dead saith Christ how can the dead bury their dead let them who are dead in sins bury those that are dead in body if you find no sweetness in the word of God you are dead men dead women Secondly If the word be so sweet then it 's no wonder if some persons are so taken with the word of God they are always reading the word of God and looking into the word of God and meditating in it and why its sweet and delightful to their souls Those that have Gardens full of sweet flowers they love to be often looking into their Gardens so those that are Godly how do they find sweetness in the word of God In every promise in every truth in all the providences and experiences of the Saints they find a great deal of sweetness therein Thirdly If the word of God be so sweet then praise and bless the Lord for the sweetness of his word that he hath given you out such a word praise him for his sweet invitations for his sweet promises for the sweet and heavenly doctrines for the sweet titles you meet with therein In the 56. Psal you have it three times I will praise his word praise the word and praise God who hath given you such a word such a word that is so sweet that is so precious have you not found the sweetness of it in your affliction in your temptations in your darkness in your desertions O praise the Lord for his sweet word and let God have the glory of it Fourthly If the word of God be sweet and sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb then surely they do ill that cast off the word of God and cast off his Ordinances and leave off the things that are good Many in these dayes they cast off Ordinances and lay aside the word of God and are altogether for the light within and nothing but for the light within but it is to be seared that their light is but darkness for the light of the Scripture will never direct men to cast off it self The word of God is to be a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our paths therefore they do ill who cast off the word of God that is sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb and that lay aside the Commands of God and the Ordinances of God But they will say we lay aside the Honey-comb and we take the Honey For answer to that look into the 5. Cant. 1. I am come into my garden c. I have eaten my Honey-comb with my Honey The Church would eat the Honey-comb with the Honey she would have the Ordinances and the sweetness through the Ordinances by the Ordinances The Ordinances are the Honey-comb and the sweetness that God conveys through them is the Honey Fifthly If the word be sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb then in all your afflictions and bitter waters you have to drink sweeten them with this Honey and this Honey-comb sweeten them with the word of God Afflictions are very sowr sad and heavy many times but the word of God is Honey to sweeten them when they came to the waters of Marah and could not drink them they were murmuring and troubled and they should perish for want of water but Moses takes a bough and throws in and sweetens the waters so that they could drink them and were revived and refreshed So if men and women would but sweeten their afflictions with the word of God they would go down very sweetly The steps of a good man saith the Psalmist are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down what though you fall into afflictions you shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand and James 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth Temptations that is afflictions for when he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him who would now be troubled at temptations and afflictions when a blessedness is fixed to them Blessed is the man that endureth Temptations c. You shall have a crown of life for your temptations what if they take away life you shall have another life and a crown of life so that we should sweeten our afflictions with the consolations of the word 2 Cor. 4.17 The outward man decayes but the inward man is renewed daily and saith he our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Here 's light affliction here 's weighty glory here 's glory opposed to affliction here 's weight opposed to light here 's eternal opposed to momentary and here 's exceeding above all that How sweet would this be in our afflictions if we did lay it to heart and receive in these truths to sweeten our afflictions Sixthly If the word of God be sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb Then esteem the word of God very
THE Sound-hearted Christian OR A TREATISE OF Soundness of Heart With several other SERMONS As Of Believing Of being of Christs mind Of doing all in his Name Of the preciousness of the Word Of the sweetness of the Word and Against the Love of the World By William Greenhill Non progredi est regredi London Printed for Nath. Crouch at the Cross Keys in Bishopsgate-street near Leaden-hall 1670. To that little Flock the Author of the ensuing Treatise relates unto DEarly beloved knowing that shortly I must put off my earthen Tabernacle I thought it meet whilst I am in it to mind you of something Preached amongst you and to present the same in Print unto you that ye might be able after my decease to have the same alwayes in remembrance The chief part of the Treatise is about Soundness of Heart and what is my desire but that you may be found sound hearted The times we live in are discovering times and the unsoundness of many is lay'd open before the Sun they began in the spirit and now are ending in the flesh many are declined and too many declining The Jews rejoyced in John's light for a season Those of Asia followed Paul while the Sun shined but when it was cloudy weather they turn'd aside Those that came out of Egypt meeting with hardships unlook'd for would have gone back to Egyptian flesh-pots and of six hundred thousand men only Caleb and Joshuah who had sound hearts entred into Canaan The holy Scripture mentions but one Demas who imbrac'd the world now there are many so drench't in it that they are in danger of erring from the faith Have not some of all perswasions amongst us manifested their unsoundness by deserting their principles and practices Have not some forsaken their first love and are become lukewarm Laod ceans Are not many halting between God and Baal Are not multitudes return'd to the Romish Synagogne whose Head they pretend is Peter's Successor but unlike him altogether except in denyal of his Lord and Master Have not some gone out from you that were not of you and left Christ the only true light for their own light is it not an hour of Temptation Are there not blustring winds of Doctrine abroad that would blow away the grace and gospel of Christ and have only morality for grace and gospel Is not the Dragon wroth with the Woman and making war with the remnant of her seed which keep the Commandments of God now manifest your selves to be of that seed admit of nothing against the command of Christ without you or the light and motions of the spirit within you The Rabbins say that in the Kingdom of Messiah there is nothing of mans invention In regno Messiae nil mundanum If the Whores golden Cup be offer'd you look not at the glittering outside but the poyson within and drink not thereof least you dye keep your garments clean meddle not with any thing that defileth or is defiled Think not Ordinances needless things for if so the taking away the Kingdom of Heaven from the Jews was no great judgement nor the bestowing of it upon another people any great mercy Have an high esteem of the Word and Oudinances for where there is no vision people perish Hold fast what you have heard and stand fast in the Lord and so shall ye live and you shall be our hope our joy and crown of Rejoycing That you may do so and be so in this day of Tryal and Tribulation this little Treatise is commended unto you wherein you will find what soundness of heart is how greatly desirable and excellent whether your hearts be so how to get such hearts and how to keep them being gotten with something of faith something of being of Christs mind of doing all in his name something of the preciousness and sweetness of the Word and somewhat against the love of the world which if you will read mind and practice you will never fall from the principles and stedfastness but be stronger and stronger and hold on the way until you appear before the Lord in glory The God of all grace be with you dwell in you and inable you all in all things to do his will Yours in the work of the Lord to serve you W. G. ERRATA PAge 10. line 24. read are p. 11. l. 16. r. his p. 15. l. 18. r. 1st Use p. 29. l. 3. r. Obs 2. p. 31. l. 7. r. hereupon p. 35. l. 11. r. do p. 37. l. 29. r. Hezekiah p. 44. l. 6. r. do p. 46. l. 30. r. Jannes p. 47. l. 17. r. Thirdly p. 53. l. 30. r. for p. 58. l. 23. r. fold p. 59. l. 17. r. that fall p. 64. l. 23. r. therefore p. 81. l. 12. r. souls p. 94. l. 9. r. for are will be p. 100. l. 6. r. beautiful l. 20. r. not p. 112. l. 4. r. it 's p. 116. l. 30. r. if p. 128. l. 2. r. if p. 174. l. 9. r. Doctr. without first p. 175. l. 1. r. what things p. 199. l. 32. dele of p. 213. l. 26. r. lamps p. 219. l. 11. r. 140. p. 243. l. 18. r. cares p. 267. l. 2. after no add and leave things certain is unreasonable p. 269. l. 12. r. knee p. 287. l. 28. r. with p. 293. l. 26. d a. p. 295. l. 22. r. doth p. 299. l. 12. r. wares p. 304. l. first r. yea These with some other Errata's especially in the last sheets which the Author had not opportunity to review the Reader is desired to correct and Pardon Of Soundness of Heart The Substance of several Sermons upon Psal 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed THis Psalm doth consist of as many parts as there be Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet and every eight verses begins with a distinct Letter of the A phabet and it 's a Psalm that some of the Antients do call the very marrow and heart of the Scripture it being in the middest of the Book of God And divers Eulogies they have of it precious truths are contained in it And twice in this Psalm doth David make request unto God about his heart the one is in the 36. v. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness O Lord saith David I desire my heart may go the right way but I am not able to manage nor carry my heart as I would I would fain have it cleave to thy testimonies but it runs out here and there and therefore Lord saith he incline thou my heart unto thy testimonies thy testimonies are very precious they testifie of thy Nature they testifie of thine attributes they testifie of thy promises they testifie of thy will and good pleasure they testifie what will be the advantage of man for his present and eternal good incline my heart unto thy testimonies and 〈◊〉 to covetousness Alas what are the honours the pleasures the riches of the world to thy testimonies they
and not live here was the King of fears the King of terrours now saith he Remember O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and done that which is good in thy sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a heart full of peace a perfect heart with a sound heart see how this now bears him up Fourthly A Godly soul is desirous of soundness of heart because such a one hath Gods favour and will be intrusted by God it 's something to have God's favour something to be trusted by God that knows hearts a sincere heart God favours and God will trust in the 11 Psa 7. v. for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright the upright a man that 's sound sincere and upright and the upright dwells in his presence God he doth regard the righteous he loves righteousness and who doth righteousness but the sound hearted man And his countenance doth behold the upright his favour is towards him and God will trust such a man call him forth to excellent service and employ him in great matters in Psal 78. he chose David also his Servant and took him from the Sheepfold why will God look to the Sheepfold and mind a man tending of his Sheep From following the Ews great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance so he fed them according to the integrity of his heart he had a sound and entire heart a heart for God a heart for good a heart for his people and so God looks upon him he takes him and brings him from the Sheepfold to feed his people and he did it according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his hand Gods favour was towards him and God's favour is towards such and he doth intrust them with great matters 1 Tim. 1.11.12 according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust why who are you that you should have the Gospel and the glorious Gospel of the blessed God committed to your trust I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me worthy putting me into the Ministery O the Lord made me sound hearted when I had rotten principles he took them all away he made my heart sound and imployed me in great things so that where there is soundness of heart God favours and will trust such when men have deceitful and hypocritical hearts God will not trust them Fifthly Soundness of heart is earnestly desired by those that are good because otherwise the means of grace whatsoever they be will do little good very little or no good look into Mich. 2.7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob is the Spirit of the Lord streightned are these his doings do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly saith he you complain of judgments and afflictions that are upon you but I tell you your hearts are not right do not my words do good to him that walks uprightly if your hearts were sound upright and sincere you would walk according to my Statutes according to my wayes and your hearts would be with me and not with your Idols nor with the world therefore my words do you no good because your lives and hearts are corrupt do not my words do good to them that walk uprightly every one can tell you they do to a corrupt Stomach you know the meat doth little or no good it feeds a corrupt humour and kills at last So now when men and women have unsound hearts the means doth them little good the means will be their death at last there was Judas what gracious words did he hear from Christ how many miracles and examples did he see but all did him no good why he was not sound at the heart he had a covetous heart and so Simon Magus was not sound at heart the word doth men no good when they have unsound hearts Sacraments do them no good they eat and drink their own damnation afflictions doth them no good Prayer doth them no good therefore saith a Godly man O Lord let my heart be sound in thy Statutes Sixthly Lastly soundness of heart is to be desired because without this you will never be admitted into Heaven never be presented by Christ unto the Father In a word you will never be sav'd unless your hearts be sound look into the 15. Psal Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill he that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart that is he that hath a sound heart free from hypocrisie a sound heart he shall do it and in the 24 Psal who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart c. Now if a mans heart be not sound 't is impure there is some guilt some lusts some distempers some rotten and false tenets and opinions some hypocrisie in it some dividedness in it there 's some withholding of truth in unrighteousness in it now this man shall not ascend into the holy hill he shall not have the blessing saith Christ in Math. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophecyed in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity What do all these things and yet be workers of iniquity and not known of Christ there was nothing but rottenness of heart for mark what follows in the Chapter whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a Rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not he is one that builds his house upon the Sand So that if mens hearts be not sound they will never build upon the Rock they will never be sav'd Doth not Christ tell them plainly woe to Scribes Pharisees Hyppocrites why they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven they are not sound hearted if men are not sound in the things of God sound in the Gospel and the mysteries of it sound in the faith there 's no coming to Heaven no coming to Glory Christ will never own a rotten hearted man or woman never own a man that hath a form of Godliness and not the power of it therefore if you would be sav'd if you would be presented by Jesus Christ unto the Father you
a sound heart he must live upon the word he cannot go a day and not read the word nor meditate on the promises that 's a sickly if not a dead heart which doth so but a sound heart will be feeding upon sound truths relish and digest the same Thirdly A heart that is sound in the Statutes of God doth look at the Statutes of God for themselves for their own sakes many you know do look at learning they will learn at the Grammar School and they will profit at the University but they do not look at learning for learning but for credit and to get a living and be some body in the world this is base So many look at the Statutes of God but not for the Statutes sake but that they may be encreased in knowledge and be sav'd at last but a sound heart looks at Gods Statutes for themselves in Psal 119. I have chosen the way of truth and v. 31. I have stuck unto thy Testimonies O God and he saith he doth prize them above thousands of Gold and Silver and above great spoils and they are his Songs in the house of his Pilgrimage why he look'd at them for themselves O! Gods Statutes they are such precious truths that let me have them though I have nothing of the world Some you know look at a Diamond because of the shining and sparkling of it self not because they shall Merchandize with it and make themselves rich So that 's sound when a man looks at Gods divine truths they are full of Glory they are beams of Gods wisdom there 's excellency in them this argues soundness of heart but many look at the truths of God as suitable to their humours they have such a lust and this will agree with their lust and so they will pick here and there which argues unsoundness as a sickly Stomach will pick a bit here and there but a sound heart looks at Gods Statutes for themselves and that excellency and worth is in them Fourthly A sound heart labours to know the will of God and seeing it to be the will of God sticks not at hard things at reproachful things let the things be never so hard never so reproachful it sticks not at it well is this the will of God saith the sound heart I will embrace it saith Christ It is written in the volume of thy Book that I should do thy will and loe I come but consider what this will is thou must be a servant thou must be persecuted into Egypt thy life must be sought among the little Children thou must be accounted an enemy to Caesar a breaker of the Sabbath thou must be reproach'd and hanged upon a Cross and be Crucifyed between Thieves and Murderers what wilt thou go now I it 's written in the volume of thy Book that I must do thy will and loe I come he sticks not at any or all of these things saith God to Abraham Abraham go and Sacrifice your onely Son Isaac unto me O Lord might he say this is a hard business what murder my Son what will my Wife say it will be her death what will the Nations say here was a bloody man to murther his Son and so I may be put to death for it I but it was the will of God and so he stuck not at it Fifthly a sound heart may be known by this that it is willing and ready to part with any thing for the Lords sake saith a sound heart what will this do me good if I lose my integrity if I lose my sincerity if I lose now my fitness to do God service by defiling my self what shall I get you know the young man comes to Christ and saith Good Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life saith he keep the Commandements Why all these things have I kept from my youth up saith Christ go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and come and follow me and thou shalt have treasure in heaven One would think here had been promise enough for him and treasure enough for him but he had rotten principles in him he had the world in him his heart was for the world and the creature and nothing of it for God Simon Magus went further than this man did he was a Professor and got into a Church Relation he brings out his bags of Gold and Silver and would give them to the Apostles that he might have that power they had to give the Holy Ghost but saith Peter thy heart is not right therefore pray if it be possible that the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee But now a gracious heart indeed will part with all saith Paul I account all less and dung Phil. 3. All my priviledges all my learning all that ever I have I account it loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and say the Disciples Master we have left all to follow thee and you know Galeatius left all for Christs sake and comes to Geneva that he might enjoy the Gospel And the Martyrs they left their lives what dearer than a mans life yet they were ready to let go their lives rather then to let go their foundness Sixthly A sound heart is that which doth fill up all its relations what relation soever it stands in towards God towards man towards the publick towards its family it will fill up its relations Acts 24.16 saith Paul herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man saith Paul I stand in relation to God and I do exercise my self in this that I may have my Conscience cleer and free I will do all my duties towards God that he calls for otherwise I shall not have a Conscience free and towards men in every relation I stand in towards men I am careful to fill up those relations So that a sound heart is wonderful cautious in doing any thing in any relation that may not fill up its relation as Joshua Ch. 24.15 Let others do what they will I and my house will serve the Lord Others will serve their lusts and serve the times and serve men and serve Devils but I and my house will serve the Lord I am Master of this Family and I will see my Wife and Children and Servants and all under my roof to serve the Lord so saith God of Abraham I know that he will instruct and teach his Family Gen. 18.19 And so David in Psal 101. I will walk in my house with a perfect heart I will not suffer a wicked person to stay within my Family No Drunkard no Swearer no Sabbath-Breaker no prophane wretch shall stay in my Family So that a sound heart fills up its relations some make no Conscience at all of their places they are unfaithful they can hardly be trusted in any place they are in but they have no sound hearts Husbands to Wives Wives to Husbands if not
not able to finish it all that behold him begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish c. if a man have not seriously considered what it may cost him to build up Christianity to build up his Soul he will faint and not finish why it may cost him the hatred of Father and Mother of Wife and Children of Brethren and Sisters yea loss of life it may cost him all these if he have not considered this and cast up what it may cost him this man will never finish but give over and give back when it comes to the tryal therefore in v. 53. it s said So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple If a man do not sit down and seriously weigh it may cost me all that I have the Jews would not forsake the honour of the people Joh. 5. How can ye believe that seek honour one of another it may cost you a right hand a right eye it may cost you all your wisdom and all your parts 1 Cor. 3. Let him that thinketh himself wise become a fool that he may be wise Christ tells you in Math. 13. of the good Merchant The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls who when he had found one Pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it he considered what a Pearl this was a goodly Pearl a rich Pearl not such a Pearl again in the world well is it such a Pearl I will part with all that I have for it Now if men and women do not cast aforehand what it may cost them to be Christians a thousand to one but they will let go Christ the Gadarens let him go for their Swine Judas let him go for thirty pieces of Silver Buy the truth and sell it not buy it whatsoever it cost when hard things come and men have not considered how they are like to part with their livelyhoods liberties and lives they will bid farewel to Christ and farewel to the Gospel and farewel to Profession and thus many have done in our dayes and in former times Such are like to prove unsound Fourthly They are like to prove unsound who do not mind the love of the truth as well as truth it self and receive the love of the truth 2. Thess 2.9.10 saith the Apostle there because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved There are three things in every truth very considerable there 's the notion there 's the loving of truth or love of truth and there 's the power The notion respects the head and that every man may have The love respects the affections and that few have The Power respects the whole man head heart and all and that onely the Godly have Now though men receive the notion of truth as the Devils may and so wicked men yet they may have unsound hearts and if you have not the love you will never have the power and unless you have the love and the power your hearts will be rotten and unsound for ever Therefore see what 's said here And for this cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Fifthly That man or woman which doth receive truth and withhold truth in unrighteousness so that he doth not glorifie the God of truth nor walk answerable unto truth that man will be found unsound at the last he will be discovered and made ashamed many receive truth and then they imprison it as they did John they shut him up in Prison and so many have truth but they Imprison it and if it makes a bustle in their hearts they put a gag into the mouth of truth that it shall not speak any further Rom. 1.21 26. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful When they knew God they had notions and truths and received the knowledge of God They did not glorifie God as God but imprisoned those truths therefore For this Cause God gave them up to vile affections God left them now to the corruption of their own hearts they were unsound and were ashamed and confounded at last Therefore if truth comes in from a God of truth and you do not glorifie that God of truth nor walk answerable to the truth fear unsoundness there it 's said in Luke that he that knew his Masters will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes if thou knowest thy Lord and Masters will he hath reveal'd his mind unto thee and now thou doest not walk answerable to that thou hast an ill heart thou hast a corrupt Spirit and thou shalt be made ashamed yea thou shalt be beaten and that with many stripes do not many know they should not prophane the Lords day and yet will do it they will be Drunk Whore Game idle it abroad in the Fields these men shall be beaten with many stripes Many know they should not wrong their Neighbors nor oppress the poor and grind the faces of them but they will do it these men are ill Servants and the Lord will appear one day and discover them and beat them â—nd grind them to powder so that wheresoever truth comes and is imprisoned and the God of truth is not glorified nor men walk answerable there 's rottenness of heart and men will be ashamed at the last Sixthly Those who are forward to censure and judge others when themselves are guilty either of the same sins or of sins equivalent and proportionable for their nature to the sins of others that they condemn this argues unsoundness of heart and will prove a shame unto those persons at the last in Math. 7. Judge not that ye be not Judged for with what Judgment ye Judge ye shall be Judged and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again and why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye hast thou no beam no mote thou shouldest cast out that but now when a man hath a beam in his own eye and sees a mote in anothers that 's evil Or how wilt thou say to thy Brother let me pull out the moat out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye Thou Hypocrite mark here 's unsoundness art thou a greater sinner and condemnest lesser sinners Thou Hypocrite and woe to Scribes and to Hypocrites in Rom. 2. beginning Therefore thou art inexcuseable O man whosoever thou art that Judgest For wherein thou Judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that Judgest doest the same things But we are sure that the Judgment of God is according to truth against them that commit such things thou judgest and condemnest another and
unsound hearted men and women oh how sad then is the condition of unsound hearted men 4. Look to your hearts look to your spirits that you be sound hearted and so may not be ashamed What shall we do I have told you before how to get soundness of heart and how to keep it and press'd it with arguments I shall add a little First if you would neither be unsound hearted nor ashamed at any time labour to get God to be your Father and to be in Gods house and in Gods way Isa 54. And all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children if God be your Father and you be his Children he will teach you and he will teach you that which shall make your hearts sound All thy Children whose Children the Children of Sion the Church is Gods house all that get into Sion are in Gods house are in Gods way they shall be taught of God and great shall be their peace such a Mother and such a Father will Instill good Doctrine into you make you sound hearted and train you up in the nurture of the Lord and in Isa 48.17 Thus saith the Lord the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit and leadeth thee in the way that thou shouldest go but now if it be not so you must wander you shall go in by wayes you will have an unsound heart and perish for ever Secondly if you would have hearts neither unsound nor such as shall make you ashamed at the last day keep your hearts humble and low in the sight of God be whose heart is lifted up in him is not right as Habbak 2.4 his soul is not sound keep your hearts humble and low through the sense of your own emptyness nothingness guilt wretched deserving the account you must give to God danger of miscarriage and in the 25 Psal saith David The meek will he guide in Judgment and the meek will he teach his way God loves humble and low and meek spirits and v. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose No man fears God that is proud and lifted up no man that is humble and meek but fears God and God will teach that man and keep him that he shall never be ashamed Thirdly If you would not have unsound hearts nor be ashamed then let me intreat you to receive the whole word of God into your hearts receive the whole truth and with love and as the truth of God First receive the whole truth for if you be partial and will receive some truth and not all you shew your hearts to be unsound and you will be ashamed Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements what if David should have respect to all but one he would be ashamed and confounded if he should not have respect unto all he that breaks one Command saith James is guilty of all Secondly receive all with love and unless you do so all is nothing receive the truths of God because they are holy truths because they have the stamp of God upon them because they will bring you to God and Glory Thirdly receive them as the truths of God 1 Thess 2.13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of Men Mark many say the word of the Apostles and Ministers is the word of men and they will not receive it nor hear it but mark you received it as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh in you that believe The word is the word of God let them say what they will and it works and works effectually in them that receive it so Therefore receive the whole word receive it with love receive it as the word of God and not as the word of men Fourthly Lastly if you would be neither unsound hearted nor ashamed in time of affliction in an hour of Death in the day of Judgment make the Lord Jesus Christ your friend whosoever hath Christ for a friend shall never be ashamed but if Christ be not your friend let whose will plead for you you will be ashamed you must be confounded 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous it is as if the Apostle had said we do know Christ and we have union with Christ and interest in Christ and Christ is our Friend and our Advocate and he will plead our cause though Devils accuse and Conscience accuse yet Christ will keep us from shame see then that you get the Lord Christ to be your friend how is that how give up your selves wholly to him Let your understandings conceive of his worth and excellency that he hath all fullness in him that he is the Mediator that he is the Prince of life that he is the great reconciler of man to God the father and that Christ invites men to come to himself in Isa 55. Hoe every one that thirsteth it's Christs invitation Come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price put forth an act of Faith in me close with me choose me for your Husband for your Portion for your Righteousness for your satisfaction choose me for your Advocate and surety choose me to be your friend saith Christ and such a friend is worth the having Joh. 15.15 Henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends If you choose Christ to be your friend he will own you and call you friends therefore receive all that Christ hath given out I have told you all that I have heard of my Father Therefore whatsoever Christ hath made known from the father to you receive it embrace it obey it practice it testifie love and friendship to Christ and then he will testifie love and friendship to you but if you will not do this in Luk. 9.26 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my word of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own Glory and in his Fathers and of the holy Angels And then confusion shall be upon you to all Eternity The Lord teach you all to mind these things and to remember the Text and make use of that and pray it over once a day at least to the Lord Lord let my heart be found in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed If the heart be not sound you will be ashamed to all eternity Believing lyeth under Command 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ c. IN the Verse before the Apostle tells us the great
will require it of him It 's spoken of Christ who was the Prophet to be raised up in the room of Moses and saith God whosoever will not hearken to what he shall speak in my name in my stead I will require it of him what Christ did was in the Fathers stead they were his words he spake his works that he did so that to do in the name of Christ is to do as Christ himself would do as if Christ were present to do what Christ would do and speak what Christ would speak and think what the Lord Christ would think that 's to do things in his name in his stead Fourthly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them according to the will of Christ Joh. 16.23 compared with the 1 Joh. 5.14 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name shall be given unto you now in 1 Joh. 5.14 saith John who was the beloved Disciple and told you Christs words in the Gospel he interprets them here and tells you this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us What is according to his will is in his name whatsoever we ask or whatsoever we do according to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ that is in the name of Christ and so the proposition En is taken in Scripture for according Joh. 3.21 he that doth the truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God according to the will of God Men don't properly do their works in God but according to the will and mind of God so that when we do act either in word or deed according to the will of Christ then we do things in the name of Christ Fifthly to do all in the name of Christ is to do all for the sake of Christ so you will find the name of Christ to be taken Mark 9.37 whosoever shall receive one such Child in my name receiveth me that is whosoever receiveth one of such Children for my name sake receiveth me so in the 41 v. whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name that is for my sake so that to do things for the sake of Christ is to do things in the name of Christ Joh. 17.12 I kept them in thy name that is for thy sake in 4. Eph. 1. I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord a Prisoner in the Lord saith your Margin but properly 't is a Prisoner for the Lord 't is for the Lords sake that I am a Prisoner so that to do things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is to do them for his sake and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the same force with other Prepositions as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall be hated of all Nations for my sake Mat. 24.9 and so in Acts 9.16 how great things he must suffer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for my name And in the 19 Mat. 29. he that hath forsaken houses or any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for my name sake so then to do things in the name of Christ is to do them for Christs sake as when Beggars do beg of you for Christs sake to bestow an alms upon them if you give them an Alms for Christs sake that 's in the name of Christ Sixthly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them to the honour and glory of his name to do them to Christs account so that Christ may not be damnified nor suffer any way but that Christs name may be honoured 2 Cor. 8.7 saith the Apostle as ye abound in every thing in faith in utterance in knowledge and in your love to us the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your love towards us so that the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies towards So here to do all in the name of Christ is to do all towards Christ towards the honouring of Christ suitable to that in 1 Cor. 10.31 whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God do all to the glory of his name do all to the manifestation of Christ and his name let our words and actions be such as may hold forth something of Christ hold forth the name of Christ Rev. 2.13 Antipas did hold fast the name of Christ the truths of Christ the graces of Christ the profession of Christs Doctrine and Acts 9.15 Go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel he must hold forth my name and declare something of me that may be for my honour and glory it 's said in 2 Phil. 16. holding forth the word of life when we hold forth the word of life we hold forth the name of Christ and this is for the honour of Christ when Christians hold forth Christs meekness Christs humility Christs patience Christs love any truth of Christ any thing of Christ then they do things in the name of Christ they do honour and glorifie Christ 1. Cor. 14.25 if one come into the Church that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all and the secreâ—s of his heart are made manifest and so falling down upon his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth They held forth something of God they held forth the name of God and God was glorified and a heathen or a stranger coming in saith of a truth God is in you Christs works declared the Father to be in him Joh. 14.10.11 The Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me or else believe me for the very works sake The works that I do do hold forth the Father why they are done in the Fathers name and he is glorified by the works that I do and Christ glorified his Father here on earth by doing of his Fathers will and his Fathers works Seventhly Lastly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them by invocating of Christ by invocating of the name of Christ and so Beza and Zanchy and others interpret this place Mat. 18.20 where two or three are gathered together in my name that is invocating of me calling upon my name to call upon the Lord for councel for direction for our thoughts for our words for our actions this is doing things in the name of Christ It was the practice of the Saints to do so 1 Cor. 1.2 unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord they called upon the name of Jesus Christ to have councel and direction and advice from him for their words and actions and all their
either some profit or pleasure or some sweetness and therefore would enjoy it and delight in it So that desire is the reaching out of the Soul after some good affected not present but absent 2. The second thing is that as Gold is desirable so upon the same account are the truths of God the Laws and Statutes and Judgements of God We shall see upon several accounts that Gold is commendable and desirable and upon the same the word of God is so too 1. Gold is precious there 's a preciousness in it Ezr. 8.27 precious as Gold The Heathens yea and many others to did so esteem it as they made Gods of Gold they thought nothing more precious to make their Gods of than Gold 1 King 12.28 Jeroboam made two Golden Calves and said to Israel these are thy Gods and in the 115. Psal 4. v. Their Idols are Silver and Gold speaking of the Nations So addicted were Nations unto this practice of making Gods of Gold that God forbids his people to make Gods of Silver or Gold Exod. 20.23 yea in the 17. Acts 29. you will find that they did liken the very Godhead unto Gold So then Gold is very precious and as that is precious so is the Word of God that is precious as Gold 't is of great worth and value The word is full of great and precious promises and every promise is a Pearl of great price Prov. 3.13 14 15. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the Merchandize of it is better than the Merchandize of Silver and the Gain thereof than fine Gold It 's more worth then all Rubies The Word of God is very precious Psal 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name what 's the Name of God The whole creation all his works are his Name they hold forth his power his wisdom his goodness his mercy his loving kindness bounty and the like now God doth magnifie his Word or his Law above all his Name he prizes it above the wrole creation hence saith Christ that not one jot or syllable of it shall fall to the ground So that if Gold be precious the Word of God is precious and so desirable upon that account 2. Gold contains much in a little A little piece of Gold contains many Shillings And Gold is Ductile a little piece of Gold may be drawn out to cover a great piece of ground So the Word of God contains much in a little Fear God there 's a great deal contain'd in these words God manifested in flesh how much is contained in that word And Cast all your care upon him a great deal contained in that word who can tell what treasure is in any one Text of holy Scripture There is more than any man than all men can find or draw out Christ is the Image of the invisible God who can find out all that is in those words In him is all fullness who can find out all the fullness of Christ So that if Gold contains much in it and is desirable upon that account the Word of God contains much in it and is desirable upon the same account 3. Gold is very pure Rev. 21.18 The City was of pure Gold and Psal 21.3 Thou settest a Crown of pure Gold on his head Gold is very pure 't is purified and cleansed from all dross so the Word of God If Gold be desirable because of its purity so it the Word of God being very pure Prov. 30.5 Every Word of God is pure Not onely one word but every word of God is pure and Psal 114.140 Thy word is very pure there is nothing comparable to the Word of God for purity and therefore desirable as Gold is upon that account 4. Gold hath a beautiful splendor in it therefore Rev. 21.21 'T is put for the Glory of the new Jerusasalem a Similitudine aurorae aurum ab aura dictum i. e. a Splendore Martinius in Lexic v. aurum or Heaven it hath it's name from its splendor and the word of God is very beautiful and shining Prov. 6.23 The Law is light and light is a shining and a glorious thing and the Gospel is light and the Gospel is glorious 2 Cor. 4.4 The Glorious Gospel Full of Glory and beauty and splendor is the Word of God and therefore desirable as Gold is upon that account 5. Gold is sollid and weighty the Hobrew word for fine Gold is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mippaz and Phaz or Phez is from Phazaz to consolidate to strengthen and make firm such is the Word of God it is firm and sollid hold fast the pattern of sound words and Tit. 1.9 sound Doctrine The Doctrine of Law and Gospel is sound Doctrine and Prov. 2.7 he layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous wisdom that hath substance and being for the righteous and the truths of God are called Gold 1 Cor. 3.12 for the sollidity of them now if any man build upon this Foundation Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble Build Gold upon the Foundation that is if he build sound Doctrine upon the Foundation Christ that 's sollid masly and weighty Corrupt Doctrines are wood and stubble and will burn The Word of God is very sollid and weighty The soul that sins shall dye what a weighty truth is this Every â—dâ—e word we speak we shall give account thereof a weighty truth We must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ a weighty truth 2 Cor. 10.10 say they his words are weighty and so are all the Words of God they are sollid and weighty 6. Gold it is of great use it is of use First to adorn and beautifie what an Ornament was the Gold Chain about Joseph's neck Gen. 41.42 So Saul he put on Ornaments of Gold upon the Apparel of the Daughters of Israel 2 Sam. 1.24 Gold doth adorn and beautifie things you beautifie many things your Rooms and Books and many other things with Gold So the Word of God is of an adorning and beautifying nature Prov. 4.9 She shall give to thine head an Ornament of Grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver to thee The word of God the wisdom of God 't is an ornament of Grace a crown of Glory nothing becomes a Christian more than the Truths of God they adorn the soul and the very outward man and makes the outward man lovely and beautiful when we hold forth the word of Life and the word of God and of Jesus Christ Secondly Gold is of use to make Vessels for they made Vessels for the Sanctuary and for the Temple there were Golden Tongs Golden Candlesticks and Golden Lamds c. as you may find in the 1. King 7. and 2 Chron. 7. and Heb. 9.4 So the word the word makes Golden Vessels it makes Golden Candlesticks Golden Churches All true Christians and Believers are Golden Vessels in the Temple of God Lam. 4.2 The precious Sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold
Church of God and to believing souls the Church is called the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 So is every believer the Church is said to be the Lords portion and his treasure Jer. 12.10 So is every believing soul Gods portion and his pleasant portion Again it 's called the ransomed ones Isa 35.10 the ransomed of the Lord. God hath been at great cost and charges to ransome the Church purchased it with his own blood Acts. 20.28 It 's called Christs body and how sweet is it to the thoughts of Saints to think I am a member of Christs own body I am a member of the precious body of the Lord Jesus It 's called Gods beloved Psal 108.6 The dearly beloved of his Soul Jer. 12.10 The Church is the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21.9 The Church is the blessed of God and so is every believing soul Isa 61.9 It 's the seed which the Lord hath blessed The other seed is a cursed seed but this seed is a seed which the Lord hath blessed yea blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Lastly it 's the glory of God the Church is the glory of God and every believing soul is the very glory of God Isa 4.5 Upon all the glory shall be a defence All true believers they are accounted the glory of God Thus you see there is sweetness in the word But wherein is the word sweeter than Honey and sweeter than the Honey-comb In several particulars First the sweetness of Honey is Natural that of the Word is Divine and Spiritual and look how much spiritual doth exceed natural so much the sweetness of the word doth exceed the sweetness of honey All spiritual things do exceed natural things and the word is from Heaven a divine word a heavenly word and honey is but from the earth Rom. 7.14 The Law is spiritual and the Gospel is spiritual it is the Ministration of the Spirit and Heb. 6.4 and have tasted of the heavenly gift The word is a heavenly gift and it hath heavenly sweetness in it It is sweeter in the taste than any earthly gift whatsoever Secondly The sweetness of the word refresheth the heart of a man so doth not honey honey dont affect the soul it doth affect the pallate and the taste but it dont refresh the heart and the soul but the word doth affect the soul and the heart of a man or woman Psal 110.111 Thy Testimonies are the rejoycing of my heart the Testimonies Statutes and truths of God they do rejoyce the very heart and soul of a man or of a woman and v. 77. Thy Law is my delight and Psal 19.8 The Statutes of the Lord rejoyce the heart when the heart is heavy and sad the word of God will rejoyce it and revive it which all the honey in the world can never do Thirdly Honey and Honey-combs they cannot sweeten bitter afflictions they may sweeten bitter waters or bitter things but they cannot sweeten bitter afflictions But the word of God doth sweeten bitter afflictions and can do that which honey cannot do If a man eat never so much honey it will not sweeten his affliction Psal 119.49 Remember the word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my Comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me The word of God will comfort you in any affliction whatsoever it will sweeten the bitterest waters that can be and so in the 92. v. Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction Men and Women would perish in their afflictions if they had not some word of God to uphold them and to comfort them and in the 54. v. Thy Statutes have been my Songs in the house of my pilgrimage So that they are sweeter than honey and can sweeten any affliction that we meat withall As the bough that was cast into the bitter waters it sweetned them so doth this bough the word of God sweeten the most bitter waters that are Fourthly The Word doth sanctifie all things and makes them sweeter than they were yea the word doth sweeten honey it self 1 Tim. 4.5 Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer Sanctified by the word of God let your mercies be covenant mercies and choice mercies they are sanctified more now by the Word of God They are sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer your very honey which is so sweet is made sweeter when it is sanctified honey by the Word of God and Prayer So that the word of God is sweeter than honey it sweetens all things unto us Fifthly Men may eat too much of honey Prov. 25.27 'T is not good to eat much Honey and in the 16. v. you have the reason of it Hast thou found honey eat so much as is sufficient for thee lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it If you eat too much honey you may vomit it But now for the word of God we can never eat too much of that honey John did eat up the little book Rev. 10. he eat up the whole book So if we should eat up the whole book of God 't would never be too much it will never make us vomit Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and in the 119. Psal 27. O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day you can never meditate too much in the Law of God nor feed too much upon the promises invitations c. Sixthly Lastly The word is the savour of life unto life so is not honey honey cannot produce life it cannot work in any man a spiritual life but the word is the savour of life unto life it begets life in the soul 't is called the word of life and Phil. 2.16 't is the savour of life of spiritual life yea of eternal life The words that I speak they are spirit and they are life And saith Peter Thou hast the words of eternal life how sweet is life and how sweet is eternal life and the word of God hath this sweetness in it Qu. Now having shown you that the word is sweeter than honey and wherein a question may arise here if the word be so sweet what is the cause that persons taste not the sweetness of it There be many read the word and hear the word but dont taste the sweetness of the word There be several reasons for it An. First Because some have no spiritual taste no spiritual sense We read of Barzillai that said to David when he would have had him gone with him to the Court saith he thy Servant cannot taste what I eat or what I drink so many there be that have no spiritual taste at all in them And where there is no taste all things are alike Cant. 2.3 his fruit was sweet unto my taste the Church had a taste and found sweetness in the
highly dont think meanly of the word of God Phil. 3.8 Paul did esteem the knowledge of Christ above all knowledge in the world the excellency of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that is the knowledge of the Gospel and the knowledge of the word There 's an excellency in it beyond all knowledge all Histories and all Arts and Sciences whatsoever there is not that excellency in them as in the word of God therefore esteem it highly Psal 84.10 A day in thy courts is better than a thousand In the courts of God There was the word of God preached and held forth and read and interpreted and therefore a day there is worth a thousand dayes elsewhere Seventhly If the word of God be so sweet sweeter than the Honey and the Honey-comb then feed much upon the word of God in the 24. Prov. 13. saith Solomon to his Son My Son eat thou Honey because it is good So let me say to you Eat this Honey because it is good Honey hath three great properties Honey doth cleanse it doth preserve and honey doth please Eat this spiritual Honey 't will please your spiritual souls and appetites it will preserve you from all evil it will cleanse you from all your pollutions David loved to be in the courts of God and to be feeding upon this Honey continually and to be satisfied with it Psal 65.4 We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house it will satisfie me in point of cleansing in point of preserving in point of pleasing I am never better pleased nor safer nor in a purer condition then when I am under thy word seed much upon this others feed upon Acorns and upon the Wind and Ashes and the like but Saints feed upon Honey the Honey of Gods word the Honey that will do your souls good to eat it will sweeten all of your afflictions Eighthly Lastly if the word be sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb then try whether it be so to you or no Try whether you have found the word to be sweet to you sweet as Honey and as the Honey comb Honey will sweeten other things so if the word have been Honey to you it will sweeten you it sweetens men and women it sweetens their spirits men have harsh sowr and bitter spirits of themselves but if the word have been Honey to them it hath sweetned their spirits and calm'd and meekned their spirits Eph. 4.31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamur and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice put away all of this nature this is sowr leaven and be ye kind one to another tender hearted for giving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Have you found the word to be Honey to you to sweeten your spirits and make them peaceable and plyable to the will of God it 's an argument that you have tasted the sweetness that is in the word of God and so in the 4. Cant. 11. where it 's said Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the Honey-comb That is her words and expressions were sweet a Law of kindness was in her lips so if the word of God have been sweet to us there will be sweetness and meekness of spirit in us therefore try whether the word have been Honey unto you Thus you see that the Statutes and Law of the Lord they are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb And the Lord make them sweet to every one of your Souls Against Love of the World 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World IOhn was the beloved Disciple of Christ and he writes this Epistle unto those that were dear unto Christ and his great scope is to confirm them in the faith of Christ and to put them on to holiness and love as may appear in the 23. v. of the third Chapter This is his Commandment saith he that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment And in the second Chapter he lay'd down a remedy against the infirmities of weak Christians in the first and second verses that if any sinned they had an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And lest that should be abused and men take liberty to sin seeing there was such a remedy he puts them upon keeping the Commandments of the Lord in the 3 4 5 6. verses that if they have any benefit by Christ they will love Christ and if they love Christ they will keep the commands of Christ and walk as Christ walked And in the 7 8 9 10 11. verses he puts them on to love shewing that it is a new Commandment and an old Commandment in divers respects And then he comes and speaks in particular unto little Children verse 12. and to young men in the 13 verse and to fathers in the 14 verse and tells them in the Text that they must not love the world neither the things that are in the world for this is a great impediment both to holiness of life and love one to another The words will afford us two observations Obs The first is that there is a proness even in Saints to love the world There would not be a prohibition against it unnless there were a proness in us to it Even Christians and Believers are too apt and prone to love the world and the things of the world There is a great suitableness between the world and our corrupt hearts and natures Pleasures Profits Honours and things of that nature do suit with our sancies and suit with our affections dispositions and inclinations and therefore he saith Love not the world but this I shall not stand upon Obs The second observation which I shall insist upon is this That those that are in a state of Grace be they little Children or be they young Men or be they Fathers they are not to love the world Love not the World nor the things that are in the world Now here I must shew you what is meant by the World 2. What it is to love the World 3. Some reasons why we should not love the World 4. Answer a question or two For the first what is meant by the World By world in the first place is meant the visible Heavens and Earth with all the creatures in them as they came out of the hand of God Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth and afterwards he tells you of particulars that were created Joh. 1.3 It 's said By him all things were made and verse 10. he was in the world and the world was made by him The world and all things were made by Christ God imployed Christ in making of the world and the things of the world So that all the visible things in this world are the workmanship of God and Christ and are
them to do them good to build them up so far was he from seeking himself in his calling Thirdly For a man to seek to be rich in his calling and to make that his end is against that great and glorious principle of the Gospel self-denyal It 's a great principle and a glorious truth self-denyal in the 16. Matth. saith our blessed Saviour v. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Crose and follow me he must deny himself now if I make gain or profit my end in my calling I dont deny my self but I set up my self and this is complained of by the Apostle Phil. 2.21 Every man seeks his own things and no man seeks the things of Christ every man is for himself his own honour profit and pleasure and dont deny himself Now self-denyal is a great and glorious truth that every man and woman should take notice of and put in practice else he is none of the Disciples of the Lord Christ Fourthly It is but a base and low end and directly against Scripture for a man to propound gain in his calling to be his end Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich that must not be your end most men do labour to be rich and to be great in the world but it should not be their end Labour not to be rich so that it 's directly against the Scripture it self Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but labour for that which endures to everlasting life There should be a mans end to labour for the meat that endureth to everlasting life and not for the meat that perisheth Fifthly Lastly men should follow a calling whether they get any gain or no they are to follow a calling and that to glorifie God God set Adam in a calling that he might glorifie him 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God This should be the end of men in their callings do all to the glory of God And in the 6. Eph. 5 6 7. speaking of servants in their calling Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ They must serve Christ and glorifie Christ in their callings be they never so mean the lowest and meanest Servant in a family should serve Christ Not with Eye-service as men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men They should not be men-pleasers they should not seek themselves but serve the Lord and seek to honour the Lord knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free They shall have a reward of the Lord if they be right in their callings and dont make gain profit to be their aim end And so much for that question I shall now come to the uses of the point that those that are in a state of grace whether they be little children or young men or fathers ought not to love the world or the things of it Vse 1. This doth inform us of the corruption of our natures which are very prone to love the world and the things of the world and therefore God gives a flat prohibition Love not the world nor the things of the world intimating that men and women since the fall are most prone to lvoe the creature for in their fall they were turned from God to the creature to leave the creator and to run to the creature and we are so turned to the creature that we do Idolize the creatures affect the creatures dote upon the creature and spend our time and strength about creatures and forget God and the things of God The water is not more prone to run downward nor the fire to go upwards then our hearts are to run out to creatures this is common to all men an universal sickness and disease in all men and their hearts and natures are exceeding corrupt that are so prone to these things that are forbidden It should humble us that we are so corrupt and go the wrong way and mind poor perishing vain things and neglect God himself who only can say I am that I am I am Substance and Being I am excellency I am worthy of love and yet I am not beloved 2. If those in a state of grace should not love the world nor the things of the world then I infer from hence that the number of such is very few there are very few that are truly in the state of grace very few little children very few young men very few fathers that love not the world the love of the world is so common that it proclaims to the world they have no grace or but seeming grace not saving grace All men seek their own saith Paul no man the things of Christ 't was so in the Apostles dayes they loved the world the things of the world the honours of the world and the preferments of the world and places of power and riches and pleasures and things of that nature which were sutable to the flesh and the old man they loved these and Christ was not regarded so in the Revelations All the world wondered after the Beast 'T is rare to find a man estranged from the world to live above the world Our conversation saith Paul is in Heaven where is a man now whose conversation is in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Common-wealth is in heaven we are Citizens of heaven our affections are in heaven our trading is in heaven 't is very rare to find such a man Thirdly If such should not love the world then those who are gracious godly should be content with a little of the world a little of the world should serve their turns a little will suffice nature and less will suffice grace a little will carry us to our Journeys end and 't is not wisdom to load our selves with thick clay when we have a Journey to go a Race to run The Apostle saith in the 13. Heb. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have You are Christians you are in a Church state you are Young men you are Children you are Fathes be content with such things as ye have and be not covetous after the world and the things of the world and in the 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and rayment let us be therewith content A gracious heart should consider I brought nothing into the world I shall carry nothing our if I have Food and Rayment and things convenient for me while I am in the world what should I trouble my self any further to moyl and labour and keep a do for I know