he could not be said Exod. 32.8 unto the work of his hands Thou art my God Hâ—s 14.3 impose upon God without the intermediating righteousnesse of Jesus Christ offereth not prayses but affronts not thanksgivings but provocations The water which he bringeth he [15] Job 14.4 poureth forth of an unclean vessel the fruit which he tendereth he tendereth [16] Tit. 1.15 with a left hand with a left hand lame and leprous the prayer which he sacrificeth is no more then the cutting off of a dogs neck and his rejoycings are much like the shoutings of them who [17] Exod. 32.18 compared their glory unto a molten calfe Thus all the honour which God purchaseth from the heart refusing grace is only like unto that drudging work which just Masters [18] Quod faciunt contra voluntatâ—m Dei non impletur nisi voluntaâ— Dei Aug de praed Sanct. l. 1. c. 6. exact from their froward servants or much like those confessions which [19] Josh 7.19 Joshua extorted from accursed Achan like the assistance which wise Commanders squeeze from enemies taken in War else like that medicinal use which able Physitians make [20] As Philip of Macedon who made his enemies the Athenians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch of dangerous poysons In a word without faith it is impossible to please God for whatsoever is not of faith is sin viz. notoriously short of that reasonable service which the pure God may justly expect from every person since every person hath reason enough to thirst after the holy Spirit of Christ Jesus Sirs from those that do or may understand that such a Spirit is to be sought but seek it not all the honour which the Lord procureth is [21] Rom. 2.8 Job 21.30 Jude 15. Prov. 16.4 Rom. 9.22 Just as the Artist turnâ—th the natural violence of sire winds and water unto profitable works of Art as forced as that which through his transcendent power and wisdome he raiseth unto himself out of the hardnesse of Pharaohs heart or which is the same out of Adams disobedience out of sin as sin and out of Devils as Devils Wherefore the Lord perswade you to pant after the holy Spirit that you may with simplicity of mind endeavour to glorifie your God Object To pant after the holy Spirit of the holy God is a work of Regeneration and we are no more able to regenerate our selves then to beget our own substance in our mothers womb Answ To regenerate our selves in our power it is not we are meerly passive in our spiritual as well as in our natural birth It is tho [1] Ut letum Deo detur hâ—minis voluntatem boaaâ— praeparat adjuvandam adjuvat praeparatam Aug. sole work the sole act of the Holy Ghost to create anew The more [2] Ut velimus sine nobis operatur Deus cum autem volumus nobiscum co-operatur S Aug. de grat lib. arbitr cap. 7 observance and the more thanks is due from us unto that Father of Lights who is of his own will so ready to beget us with his word of truth that we should be any of us regenerated by his Spirit Object Though the word preached be spiritual we are [1] Rom. 7 carnal and sold under sin we are natural and [2] 1 Cor. 2 savour not the things of God Answ Naturally (1) Ratâ—o communionum opinionum consilii coelestis incapax hoc solum putat in naturâ rerum esse quod aut intra se intelligit aut praestare possit ex sese Hillar de Trin. lib. 1. we savour not the things that are of God but this we may do a natural man may be strength of reason so much as in him lyeth with humility and earnestnesse endeavour to know and taste of God as God is now manifested in his works and Word He may with (2) Plangendae tenebrae in quibus me mea facultas latet Aug. confess l. 10. cap. 32. the greatest of diligence he can observe and do the Will of God unto him in the holy Scriptures revealed As One most unworthy of so great a Treasure he may in a constant use of holy Ordinances wait for the (3) Luke 24.49 spirit of Promise moving causes for which the Spirit of grace is vouchsafed these are not Antecedent duties in which this Spirit is vouchsafed they are I say upon these waters of knowledge the Spirit delighteth to move Would a lost sinner patiently wait in the use of these appointed meanes should he never receive the Holy Ghost yet still he had done what in him lay he had submitted unto Christs Scepter he had glorified his God to his power he had made the best of a lost condition But the Scripture offereth more grace He that is faithful in a little natural abilities shall be entrusted with (4) Luke 119.17 16 16.10 gifts above nature True (5) See Mantoâ— upon James 2.4 confound nature with grace we may not sinful man may not justle the holy God may not reckon himself a co-adjutor in that wherein God will have the (6) See Bishop Reynolds Joy in the Lord in quarto mihi pag. 24. Videatur etiam Animalis homo habitus à D. D. Edvardo Reynoldo sole glory Mean while as we desire with all possible humility to acknowledge that the holy Spirit of the great God is infinitely a free Agent free as the wind which bloweth where it listeth so we are bound with all possible gratitude to confesse that this free Spirit hath tyed himself up * Deus promitteado se facit debitorem unto the truth of his Promises wherefore we dare not but expect to (7) Esay 64.5 meet God in those wayes wherein his free goodnesse hath appointed us to find him Saith one (8) Mr. Tillian a Dately of Banbury in his New Birth cap. 9. mihi p. 103. God hath appointed certain things to be done by men which they that will not refuse to do may do and the which they that shall do shall be Regenerate For saith (9) ibid. Neverthelesse Paedissequa noa praevia volantas saith St. Aug. Epist 106. he There is a common work of Illumination which so maketh way for Regeneration that it putteth into man a power of doing that which when he shall do the Spirit of God shall mightily work within him provided alwayes that he damp not the present motions of the Word and Spirit of God with procrastinations and delayes It is much-what in Regeneration by the Spirit as it is in generation of the flesh the fruit of Sarahs womb is expresly the gift of God but there was first a generation before a conception As to expect the fruit of the womb without generation so to expect the Regenerating Spirit without the use of meanes were to tempt nay to contradict and to controle the wise God Object The wind bloweth where it listeth Answ Most true it is that the blessed Spirit sanctifieth (1) John
they should [17] Psal 119.107 Heb. 12.11 James 1.12 advance our duties too they are brought not to flatten but to [18] 1 Pet. 5.10 quicken us to our sins they are [19] Rom. 6.11 compared with Col. 3.5 Exod. 20.20 sepulchres but unto our graces they [20] Rom. 1634 Deut. 8.16 Gen. 22.18 are Monuments if once they be sepulchres unto our duties then this good Angel in my Text [21] 1 Cor. 10.13 rolleth them away but where they are Monuments of his [22] 2 Cor. 12.9 power in our graces there he resteth there he 23 sitteth down upon them Reason 2. 2. Reason from the heart From the [1] Jer. 4.19 seat of these troubles the heart Let not your heart be troubled because a heart Chirurgeons in their Anatomies phrase such and such a part a vessel a vessel for the brains a vessel for the urine for the blood c. Now he that fashioned for himself all our limbs while as yet there were none of them he useth this language too Mans soul body and (2) 1 Thes 5.23 spirit they are (3) 1 Pet. 3.7 2 Cor 4.7 vessels in the hand of the Potter this vessel he formed for such and such uses and for (4) Rom. 9.22 Prov. 23.26 none other intents or purposes whatsoever I say the (5) Psal 2.9 1 Thes 4.4 whole man much more the (6) Mat. 25.4 heart is a vessel a vessel appointed like those of the Temple for (7) Pro 23.26 Gods service wherefore the heart may not at all be taken up (8) Luk. 21.34 with cares fill a heart with the (9) Hos 7.7 scalding waters of lust or with the (10) Phil. 3.19 muddy waters of an earthly mind and what (11) Hos 4.11 room can there be in that heart for either (12) 1 Joh. 3.3 purity or (13) Mat. 6.21 heavenliness So fill a heart with bitter waters of (14) 2 Cor. 7.10 unreasonable grief or with the unwholesome waters of (15) Isa 7.9 distrustful fears and what room is there in that heart for the exercise of faith waters of affliction are of a (16) Job 33.16 Isa 44.33 Hos 5.15 cooling (17) 〈◊〉 1.16 clensing (18) Psal 119.67 healing nature and the heart should be a vessel prepared to receive them as (19) Eccles 7.3 such Blessed are ye that (20) Isa 32.20 sow unto the spirit besides all waters for the Spirit of God delighteth to (21) Pro 1.23 move upon these and it concerneth us that he findeth a (22) Eph. 4.30 quiet habitation Let neither (23) Jam. 1.4 impatiency nor (24) Mat. 8.26 distrust nor (25) Job 33.16 compared with Pro. 15.32 21.11 insensibleness neither quench nor grieve in the least any motions of so holy a Spirit If we would find our chastisements chastisements of peaee let not the heart be troubled That a second Reason as the heart is the seat of the vital spirits so it should be the seat of spiritual graces too It is at lest it should be a vessel [26] 2 Tim. 2.21 compared with Heb. 10.5 prepared for the [27] Col. 2.12 operations of God It should be filled not with carefulness but with the [28] Eph 5 18 Spirit Reason 3. 3 Reason from You. From you your heart Let not the heart be troubled because yours because it is as a vessel so a [1] Isa 66.20 consecraâ—ed vessel As for the wicked the heart of the wicked [2] Pro 10.20 is little worth but the heart of a believer is a [3] Jer. 31.20 dear heart unto her Bridegroom The heart of a believer is a rich [4] Mat. 25.4 Ephet 3.19 cabinet which holdeth vertuâ—s more graceful then gems graces more precious then jewels The heart of a believer is a heart not taken up with the blood of the fabulous Duck at Hales no nor yet with the blood of bulls or of goats but [5] Heb. 10.22 1 Cor. 2.2 Gal. 2 20 Acts 20.28 with the blood of the sacrificed lamb it carrieth within it self the blood of the Lord Jesus It is I say the mansion (6) Vita est mansio animae in corpore rectiùs spiritus in animâ say I. where the spirit of God dwelleth and is it fit think you that such a Temple as this such a Mercy-seat as this should be prophaned with fears and jealousies 4. Reason from God with cares and with destructive sorrows Reason 4. From God Almighty Let not your heart be troubled for ye believe in God The true Christian hath a (1) Exod. 34.6 2 Chro. 30.9 Neh 9.17 Isa 30.18 Psal 84.11 86.15 116.5.145.8 gracious God to believe in an all-knowing a merciful an (2) Gen. 17.1 all sufficient God to believe in and shall he not endure affliction according to the [3] Rom. 16.25 Eph. 1.19.3.28 power of God working mightily [4] Col. 1.29 in him shall a believers heart stoop should such a man as Nehemiah (5) Nehe 6.11 flee The Disciples were at the [6] Mark 16 5 first affrighted with the sight of their good Angel but what [7] Mark 16 6 followed There is if ye mark it there is a good Angel in this burning (8) Exod. 3.4 Dent. 33.16 bush Be not far off O Lord for trouble is (9) Psal 22.11 hard at hand Do thine afflictions make thee cry out Be [10] Psal 34.18.85.9 145.8 of good chear If once the child cryeth the Nursing-mother runneth If troubles be upon us be ye sure God [11] Psal 46.1 is a present help in those troubles That a fourth Reason V. from me also Reason 5. From Christ beleive also in me Let not your heart be troubled for ye have the [1] Act. 26.18 Lord Jesus to beleive in True no man can upon a well-grounded and a well-experienced [2] 2 Tim. 1.12 Knowledge say that Jesus is [3] 1 Cor. 12.3 the Lord but [4] Mat. 3.17 1 Tim. 3.16 John 6.44 by the Holy Ghost neverthelesse where once the Holy Ghost enableth to say of Christ My Lord and my God there the soul [5] Phil. 4.4 rejoyceth in this Lord as in the horn of her salvation God revealeth much of his goodness in the [6] 1 Chro. 29 14. Psal 57.2 workes of his Common providence thus the Roman Seneca the Greek Aratus and other Gentiles saw that the Lord was good and that his mercy endureth for ever More of his goodnesse he revealeth in [7] as in Esa 41.10.13 14 his word of promise five several times is that one promise repeated I will never leave thee nor forsake thee But the goodnesse of God is (8) Hos 3.5 most of all revealed in his own [9] Joh. 1.18.14.9 10 11 Son in him are [10] 2 Cor. 1.20 all the promises Yea and Amen for a Son ye know resembleth his Father Hence it is that [11]
just sicabitur omnis case coâ—am illo accipentes quippe mandatum seatientes defectum clamabimus in coelum miserebitur nostri Deus S. Bernardus Serm. 50 in Contic seek Gods face in vain Object Where then lyeth the Controversie Answ In mans pronesse to [1] Rom. 9.20 We are like him in Seneca Dic aliquid ut simus duo dispute against God Sirs Truth [2] John 8.32 would free us from extreams would we receive a love of the truth For instance Them that are without the pales of the Church God [3] 1 Cor. 5.13 judgeth therefore What have we to do to [4] 1 Cor. 5.12 judge them that are without Next since we of this Kindom are a people near [5] Psal 148 14 unto the Lord let every man mind his own Duty [6] Phil. 2.12 2 Pet. 1.10 If the Lord will that John should tarry in the flesh until Jesus [7] John 21.21 22 come in his fury against Jerusalem what hath Cephas to do with that Let Peter follow Jesus and leave John unto his Masters pleasure Thitdly The good Angel in my Text would quickly roll away the stone would we cease to interpose our thoughts [8] Esay 55.8 9 against Gods thoughts Had the woman of Samaria known the [9] John 4.10 gift of God instead of urging [10] John 4.12 Art thou greater then our Father Jacob she would have asked [11] John 4.15 Sir give me of this water that I thirst not On the other side While Naaman is wroth [12] 2 Kings 5.10 11 12 13 14 Omnis fessinatio caecaest Seneca de Renefic l. 3. c. 3. Lukc 16.15 to see his opinion crossed he continueth as leprous as ever The Question was not whether had been the better manners in home-bred Elisha to send his messenger or to come out himself unto Prince Naaman Nor whether was a more probable course like our Princes which heal the Kings Evil to move the hand over the place affected or meerly to wash it with cold water no nor yet what was most seemly in a Prophet whether to send a stranger unto an unheard of practice or to stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God no nor whether were to be preferred Abana and Pharpar or the Rivers of Israel nor lastly whether the waters of Jordan were cleansing waters No The state of the question was Whether [13] 1 Cor. 1.20 25 27 28 29 How brâ—â—ish and below our thoughts is the manner of mans generation and yet God is pleased from that brutishnesse of humane nature to raise unto himself his own Image even a nature exalted above the nature of Angels Water in Baptism how common an element Bread Wine are ordinary food and yet by these God vouchsaseth to convey his Spirit â—rby Answ The more inconsiderable the meanes of any mercy or grace the more plainly God is seen to be the Author of that mercy and grace 1 Cor. 3.7 Jordan could cleanse from the Leprosie then when the Lord said Wash in Jordan and Jordan shall cleanse Just so The Question is not whether a natural man can discern the things of God for we are all of us born spiritually blind no nor yet whether the Lords Christ can give sight unto the blind for unto God all things are possible but whether clay and spittle even earthen Vessels may not then help men to their sight when Christ so ordaineth Sure I am in every Ordinance of His the power of his [14] Luke 5.17 Spirit is ready to heal A leprosie we all bring with us into the world and let Gehazi reprobate as he is accompt upon it that he shall dye leprous but if Christ bid a man shew himself unto the Priest though that man were a Samaritane I would not [15] Luke 17.16 question his recovery Except a man be born ugain drawn of God endued with Christs Spirit c. there can be no entring into the Kingdom of Heaven It is confessedly true And of this truth both the Jewes were frequently animadvertized and the Gentiles throughly informed and herein great was the loving kindnesse of God unto both Jew and Gentile but Christian in the mean space what signifieth the ministery of the Gospel Is not the ministration of the Gospel the [16] 2 Cor. 3.8 administration of the Spirit Verily it is Unto them who are without [17] 2 Cor. 4.3 the pales of the Church our Gospel is hid unto them within hid it need not be It is I say the savour of death unto death [18] 2 Cor. 2.16 only unto such as chuse death rather then life Object Without me ye [1] John 15.5 can do nothing Answ By God thou [1] Acts. 17.28 movest Tell me is that a pretence for thee that thou canst not stir Rather as I have already answered it is [2] Phil. 2.13 an argument that thou mayest stir if thou wilt That which thou sowest thou sowest not [3] 1 Cor. 15.37 that body that shall be but bare grain yet be not deceived [4] Gal. 6.7 God is not mocked What thou sowest that thou [5] Gal. 6.8 therefore reapest because unto [6] 1 Cor. 15.38 every seed God giveth his [7] Matth. 7.7 Luke 11.13 sim own body The same God which [8] Matth. 16.27 maketh our obedience the measure of his heavenly gifts the same God which maketh our mortal life the beginning of life everlasting the same God which useth the blood in our veines to conveigh animal spirits the same God which frameth the body for the benefit of the soul the same God blessed for ever maketh use of our natural senses while he infuseth into us spiritual graces If we desire that God should [9] Heb. 2.3 12.25 Hos 2.15 Psalm 126.5 Phil. 2.12 Despice ne parùm sit providum sperare ex aliis quod tibi ipse non praestes Plin. lib. 2. Epist. 10. Neverthelelse Ille facit ut nos faciamus quae praecipit nos non facimus ut ille faciat que-promisit Aug. Epist 143. see Psalm 57.3 Inspirat Charitatem ut quae discende novimus diligendo faciamus Therefore Phil. 2.12 13. Take the ball at the bound not be wanting unto us let not us be wanting unto our selves Unto your finest and smallest white thred tye that thred which you call brown tye unto that pack-threds unto that the smallest Twist unto the Twist a small cord to that a threefold cord to a threefold cord a Cart-roap to a Cart-roap a strong Cable and although the weaknesse of the first thred could not yet the strength of the Cable may wind up an Anchor of hope at the last Object But certainly it is non in mans power to come unto Christ Answ Where [1] Matth. 11.28 compared with Mat. 14.27 28 Christ calleth there is hope given that he will [2] John 6.37 give a power Samuel knew not the Lord at the first and