that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage Their affections were set upon those things When the affection is set upon any thing we love the thing Fifthly We are said to love the world when we imploy the chiefest or most of our strength in and upon and about the things of the world when our chiefest strength is imployed about them our time and strength goes out most that way In the 6. Joh. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth saith Christ but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you c. Labour not when our chief labour is about meat that perishes and upon these things we love them When the bent of the soul is that way when men rise early and lye down late and spend their time that way In the 13. Rom. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lust thereof When we make provision for the flesh and the lusts thereof to fulfil them to gratifie them and satisfie them 't is an Argument that we love the world men follow it with eagerness their time and strength are improved that way Sixthly We are said to love the world when as we do watch all opportunities and occasions to get the things of the world to buy cheap and sell dear to get great estates and houses and lands and things of that nature The Children of this world saith Christ are wiser in their Generation than the Children of light The Children of the world are wise in their generation to get all advantages whereby to raise themselves In the 8. Amos 4. Hear this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the poor of the Land to fail They do watch advantages even to swallow up the needy to make a prey of the needy and to have their labour for a song and for nothing They swallow up the needy and make the poor of the Land to fail They are like unto the Eagle or unto the Kite that sores aloft and looks downward to seize upon the prey the heart ranges and roves abroad after something or other in the world to settle upon In the 12. Luke 29. Seek not ye what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink neither be ye of doubtful mind Be not like Meteors in the air that hover there and then fall upon the earth so many are like Meteors in the air hovering about and at last they fall upon the earth Some do say if I had gotten such an estate then I would take my ease and be at rest as in the 18. Prov. 10 11. saith the wise man there The rich mans wealth is his strong City and as a high wall in his own conceit A rich man when he hath gotten wealth he will settle upon it it 's his strong City he will rest there it 's as a high wall in his own conceit 't is a wall to defend him against all his enemies and all injuries and wrongs So then we love the world when we watch advantages and hover over the things of the world to get something to rest upon and confide in and trust in and secure our selves by Seventhly We love the world when we can endure great hardships for it and the things of it That which we love we will endure any thing to accomplish it Jacob he loves Rachel and he will endure cold and heat Winter and Summer to accomplish his desires So when men can endure great difficulties and run through great dangers and venture upon any thing to get the world they do love the world It 's said of Souldiers they will venture their limbs and lives for eight pence a day And hose that are Duellers will venture their souls for their credit 't is not their credit their honour to put up an injury or a wrong but they must venture the hazzard of their lives and souls to maintain their credit and honour In Psal 107.23 24 25 26 27. you may see how men endure the dangers and the storms at Sea They that go down to the Sea in Ships and do business in great waters they see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof They mount up to the Heaven they go down again to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble They endure trouble even that melts their very souls They reel too and fro and stagger like a Drunken man and are at their wits end Men will endure any thing at Sea to get the wealth of the world which argues the love of the world All the difficulties that they meet with will not quench their love though they meet with storms and waves and dangers yet it doth not quench their love to the world they are not weary of any thing so they may get the world But as for the things of God and of the Soul the Gospel and the Sabbath how soon are men weary of these Amos 8.5 Hear this ye that swallow up the needy you say when will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat making the Ephah small and the Shekel great and falsifie the ballances by deceit They are not weary of the world but soon weary of the new Moon and weary of the Sabbaths and of the Ordinances of God Men can endure any difficulties and dangers to get estates but will hardly endure any thing to get Heaven and Grace and Interest in Christ Eighthly Men love the world when they savour much or most of the world When they savour most of the world in their discourses and the things of the world they are of the world Christ tells you out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaks When the world 's in the heart the heart loves it Now it 's an argument the world 's in the heart when mens discourses are of the world and savour most of the world In Joh. 3.31 saith the Lord Christ he that cometh from above is above all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth He that is of the earth is earthly when men are of the earth worldly and love the world they are earthly and speak of the earth and savour the things of the earth How savory are discourses of gain and pleasures and honours to them In Joh. 8.23 And he said unto them ye are from beneath I am from above ye are of this world I am not of this world Christ was not of the world and he was speaking of heaven and heavenly things and the things that concern the eternal good of mens souls but they were of the earth and spake of the earth He speaks of the Scribes and Pharises how they did love the applause of men and vain glory and sought high places and upper rooms and things of that nature They were of the
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
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
their very minds are defiled it speaks of a carnal mind Rom. 8.6 It speaks of a fleshly mind Col. 2.18 But Christ had no defiled mind no carnal mind no fleshly mind but the Lord Jesus Christ had a pure mind pure heart pure affections pure will pure intentions and the like his mind was a pure mind and therefore he saith Joh. 14. The Devil comes and finds nothing of his in me when the Devil comes he finds no impurity in Christ and which of you convinceth me of sin saith Christ he had a pure mind and therefore it 's said Heb. 7.26 he was holy and harmless separate from sinners he was holy in his nature and understanding and will and affections and heart and spirit He was pure from all errors and all opinions that do defile the understanding or the judgment 2 Cor. 11.3 I fear least by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Christs spirit was pure and there was no mixture where there is a mixture there is not simplicity Christ had a pure mind from all errors and all defilements Now let this mind be in you also which was in Christ Jesus this pure mind be in you Thirdly The Lord Christs mind was a willing and a ready mind to do good Math. 8.3 If thou wilt thou canst make me clean I will saith he presently be thou clean how willing and ready was the Lord Christ he was not backward he did not shift off doing good as we use to do many times but he would rather prevent men as you may see in the impotent man Joh. 5.6 Wilt thou be made whole such a ready mind was in Christ to do good that where it was not look'd for he would do it and prevent men rather then not do good Psa 40.8 I delight to do thy will O God it was a great delight to Christ he was very ready and forward to do good Well let this mind which also was in Christ be in you a readiness a willingness to do good Fourthly The Lord Christs mind was a yeilding a humble and a condescending mind v. 7. he made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant O here was an humble condescending mind in Christ that the Lord of glory the Heir of the world would take upon him the form of a Servant Joh. 13. you read there how humble Christ was that he riseth from the Table girds himself with a Towel takes a Bason of water and goes and washes his Disciples feet Here was condescending indeed when the Lord and Master would go and wash his Disciples feet when they were sinful and he himself without sin Christ saith he came not to be Ministred unto but to Minister and he did Minister indeed In Mat. 11. Learn of me saith he for I am humble never was there a greater person in the world and never a greater person more humble than Christ was O how did he condescend to the poor and weak and mean and all sorts and conditions of people he would not break a bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking flax so yeilding and humble was he he would converse with sinners and Publicans when Pharisees and great ones stumbled at him he became all things to all men that he might do them good well let this mind be in you which was in Christ Fifthly the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ was a single mind we read in Scripture of a double mind James 1.8 a double minded man But there was no doubleness of mind in Christ he had a single mind Job 23.13 he is in one mind the Lord Christ he is alwayes in one mind others have many minds so many minds that they hardly know their own mind but Christ had one single sincere mind there was no doubleness no dissembling no equivocating no guile in his heart nor in his lips 1 Pet. 2.22 who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth As Christ said of Nathaniel behold an Israelite in whom is no guile so may we say of Christ much more behold an Israelite in whom is no guile there was nothing but singleness in Jesus Christ he had a single mind a single spirit a single heart and let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus Sixthly The Lord Christs mind was a fixed and a setled mind he was not lead away with the Traditions of the Elders with the opinions of the Herodians of the Sadduces of the Scribes and Pharisees with any wind of Doctrine but it was a setled sollid fixed firm mind Heb. 13.8 it 's said Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever he was in the same setled mind alwayes he did not chop and change his thoughts and mind and judgment but was setled and fixed and not carried away with any opinions or the like and see what follows upon it v. 9. be not carried away with divers and strange Doctrines Christ was not be not you therefore carried about with divers and strange Doctrines How many in these dayes are carried up and down with every wind of Doctrine with every opinion but let this setled fixed firm mind be in you which also was in Christ Seventhly Christs mind it was a heavenly mind Joh. 7.46 Never man spake like this man rever man spake so heavenly so graciously as this man did Christ was full of Heaven heavenly in his Doctrine heavenly in his Prayers heavenly in his Discourse altogether heavenly In 3. Joh. 12. there 's something seems to cross it If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things What did Christ tell them of earthly things and not heavenly things The meaning of the place is this 't is true I have drawn Parables taken from earthly things but in them are couched heavenly matters and if you dont understand them when I bring them down thus to your capacities how would you understand then if I should tell you of heavenly things in their own nature and kind and not suit them to your apprehensions or comprehensions Christ here spake of earthly things in this Chapter to Nicodemus he spake of Generation and of the wind and water these were earthly things I but he had heavenly things in them Regeneration and the wind and water of the Spirit so that Jesus Christ he minded heavenly things and so the next verse No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven why the Son of man is in heaven though he be here upon earth his affections are there his heart is there his aims and intentions are there O how heavenly was Christ in all his wayes he breathed out heavenliness and made spiritual uses of all things he saw and met with of the Vine of the Dore of the Sheep of the
counsel thee saith Christ unto the Church of Laodicea To buy of me tryed Gold that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thy nakedness may be covered and the shame thereof may not be seen was not this good and sweet counsel that the Lord Christ did give to the Church that was poor and naked and shameful and destitute of all good So that the counsels of God are sweet counsels Secondly Are not the invitations that we find in the word very sweet sweet invitations are there made unto poor sinners Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye unto the waters and he that hath no money come buy and eat come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Here is a Hive of Honey and Honey-combs in these words come come come here 's water to quench your thirst here 's wine to comfort your hearts here 's milk to nourish you and cause you to thrive and grow in the wayes of God here 's bread to strengthen you and here 's all free without money How sweet are these invitations come come come and for such things as are so excellent and so precious so that of the Lord Christ in Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and all of you come unto me and I will give you rest how sweet is this now to a burthened soul to a burthened conscience for a man or woman that is in straights and knows not what to do to come to the Lord Christ and they shall have rest in the 14. Hos 1. saith the Lord there O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity one would have conceived that Israel should have first sought to God who had offended God but God comes to delinquent Israel and saith O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquities Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our lips he puts words into their mouths how sweet are these invitations of the Lord to poor sinners So in Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world There 's sweetness in the invitations that the word holds out unto us Thirdly Are not the promises in the word of God very sweet sweet yea sweet as the Honey-comb There are many great and gracious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 they are exceeding great precious promises to have a promise from a great man that is able to perform his promise and faithful is sweet unto a poor man but to have exceeding great and precious promises from the great God who is able and willing to perform and faithful and will not fail how sweet are these promises to the Sons of men Ezek. 36.25 26. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Are not here sweet promises very sweet promises promise upon promise And all the promises of God they are very sweet Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me what a sweet promise is this to poor souls that fear they shall fall away and shall not hold out to the end God will put his fear into them and they shall not depart from him I will heal their backslidings and love them freely Hos 14. full of sweet and precious promises is the word of God Fourthly Is not the Gospel and the Doctrines of it very sweet Is not the Gospel glad tidings Luke 2.10 11. Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy to you this day is born a Saviour 'T is a Gospel of reconciliation that declares the reconciliation of poor sinners unto the great and holy God 2 Cor. 5.19 it is the Ministration of life and of Righteousness 2 Cor. 3.8.9 it is the Doctrine of Christ 2 Joh. 9. what gracious words came out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus never man said his enemies spake like this man but there 's sweetness in this Doctrine is it not sweet that rich mercy is held out unto the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief what a sweet saying is this here is mercy held out to the chief of sinners so that all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven how sweet is this Matth. 12.31 So that God hath freely given his Son Joh. 3.16 God hath so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here is a sweet truth unto those that will understand truth there is more sweetness in it than they can taste or find out he is a propitiation in this is manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and to be the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.9 10 14 15. By him we shall live he is the Saviour of his body the Saviour of sinners So how sweet is that 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Here 's sweetness in these things that we are freely justified by him Rom. 3.24 Acts 13.38 39. How sweet is that saying of the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 6.37 if there were no more in all the Gospel but that all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Let any poor creatures come unto me in their rags in their filth in their guilt in their sores I will not cast them out I will not send them away discouraged but they shall find favour in mine eyes So the Doctrine of Christs intercession with the Father 1 Joh. 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous He is an Advocate to intercede for us and to order all things for our good so that there 's a great deal of sweetness in the word of God Fifthly There is sweetness in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ Christ washed his Disciples feet what sweetness is there in it to think that the Lord of glory and the Prince of life and the Heir of the world should humble himself so as to