{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_24238/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_24238","id":"gutenberg_24238","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24238","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches","Category: History - British","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Presbyterian Church -- Sermons","Sermons, English","Theology -- Early works to 1800","Theology -- History -- 17th century"],"text":"The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning\n\n\nby Hugh Binning\n\n\n\n\nEdition 1, (January 10, 2008)\n\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\nNotanda.\nPreface by the Editor.\nThe Life of Mr. Hugh Binning.\nThe Common Principles of the Christian Religion, Clearly Proved, and\nSingularly Improved; Or, A Practical Catechism.\n   Original Preface.\n   God\u2019s Glory the Chief End of Man\u2019s Being\n   Union And Communion With God The End And Design Of The Gospel\n   The Authority And Utility Of The Scriptures\n   The Scriptures Reveal Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ\n   Of The Scriptures\n   What The Scriptures Principally Teach: The Ruin And Recovery Of Man.\n   Faith And Love Towards Christ.\n   Of The Name Of God\n   The Eternity And Unchangeableness Of God.\n   What God Is To Us.\n   What God Is\n   The Knowledge That God Is, Combined With The Knowledge That He Is To Be\n   Worshipped.\n   The Unity Of The Divine Essence, And The Trinity Of Persons.\n   Of The Unity Of The Godhead And The Trinity Of Persons\n   Of The Decrees Of God.\n   Of Predestination\n   Of Predestination\n   Of Creation\n   Of Creation\n   Of The Creation 0f Man\n   God\u2019s Works Of Providence\n   Of The First Covenant Made With Man\n   Of The First Covenant.\n   Of The State Wherein Man Was Created, And How The Image Of God Is\n   Defaced.\n   Of Sin By Imputation And Propagation.\n   Of The Way Of Man\u2019s Delivery.\nThe Sinner\u2019s Sanctuary, Or, A Discovery Made Of Those Glorious Privileges\nOffered Unto The Penitent And Faithful Under The Gospel: Unfolding Their\nFreedom From Death, Condemnation, And The Law, In Forty Sermons On The\nEighth Chapter Of The Epistle To The Romans.\n   The Preface.\n   Sermon I.\n   Sermon II.\n   Sermon III.\n   Sermon IV.\n   Sermon V.\n   Sermon VI.\n   Sermon VII.\n   Sermon VIII.\n   Sermon IX.\n   Sermon X.\n   Sermon XI.\n   Sermon XII.\n   Sermon XIII.\n   Sermon XIV.\n   Sermon XV.\n   Sermon XVI.\n   Sermon XVII.\n   Sermon XVIII.\n   Sermon XIX.\n   Sermon XX.\n   Sermon XXI.\n   Sermon XXII.\n   Sermon XXIII.\n   Sermon XXIV.\n   Sermon XXV.\n   Sermon XXVI.\n   Sermon XXVII.\n   Sermon XXVIII.\n   Sermon XXIX.\n   Sermon XXX.\n   Sermon XXXI.\n   Sermon XXXII.\n   Sermon XXXIII.\n   Sermon XXXIV.\n   Sermon XXXV.\n   Sermon XXXVI.\n   Sermon XXXVII.\n   Sermon XXXVIII.\n   Sermon XXXIX.\n   Sermon XL.\nFellowship With God\n   Preface.\n   Sermon I.\n   Sermon II.\n   Sermon III.\n   Sermon IV.\n   Sermon V.\n   Sermon VI.\n   Sermon VII.\n   Sermon VIII.\n   Sermon IX.\n   Sermon X.\n   Sermon XI.\n   Sermon XII.\n   Sermon XIII.\n   Sermon XIV.\n   Sermon XV.\n   Sermon XVI.\n   Sermon XVII.\n   Sermon XVIII.\n   Sermon XIX.\n   Sermon XX.\n   Sermon XXI.\n   Sermon XXII.\n   Sermon XXIII.\n   Sermon XXIV.\n   Sermon XXV.\n   Sermon XXVI.\n   Sermon XXVII.\n   Sermon XXVIII.\nHeart-Humiliation\n   To The Reader.\n   Sermon I.\n   Sermon II.\n   Sermon III.\n   Sermon IV.\n   Sermon V.\n   Sermon VI.\n   Sermon VII.\n   Sermon VIII.\n   Sermon IX.\n   Sermon X.\n   Sermon XI.\n   Sermon XII.\n   Sermon XIII.\n   Sermon XIV.\n   Sermon XV.\n   Sermon XVI.\n   Sermon XVII.\n   Sermon XVIII.\nAn Useful Case Of Conscience\n   That There Is A Malignant Party Still In The Kingdom.\n   That The Present Public Resolutions, Expressed In The Commission\u2019s\n   Answer To The Parliament\u2019s Query, And The Act Of The Levy, Do Not\n   Exclude That Party.\n   That The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party,\n   According As Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And\n   Unlawful.\n   That It Is Not Lawful For The Well Affected Subjects To Concur In Such\n   An Engagement In War, And Associate With The Malignant Party.\n   Scriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And\n   Ungodly Men.\nA Treatise Of Christian Love.\n   To The Reader.\n   Chapter I.\n   Chapter II.\n   Chapter III.\n   Chapter IV.\n   Chapter V.\nSeveral Sermons Upon The Most Important Subjects Of Practical Religion.\n   The Publisher To The Reader.\n   Sermon I.\n   Sermon II.\n   Sermon III.\n   Sermon IV.\n   Sermon V.\n   Sermon VI.\n   Sermon VII.\n   Sermon VIII.\n   Sermon IX.\n   Sermon X.\n   Sermon XI.\n   Sermon XII.\n   Sermon XIII.\n   Sermon XIV.\n   Sermon XV.\n   Sermon XVI.\n   Sermon XVII.\n   Sermon XVIII.\n   Sermon XIX.\n   Sermon XX.\n   Sermon XXI.\n   Sermon XXII.\nFootnotes\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Works Of\nThe Rev. Hugh Binning, M.A.,\nOne of the Regents in the University of Glasgow,\nAnd Afterwards\nMinister of Govan\nCollected and Edited\nby\nThe Rev. M. Leishman, D.D.,\nMinister of the Parish of Govan\n\n\n\n\n\nNOTANDA.\n\n\nThe following Notes, by the Editor, ought to have been inserted at the\nfoot of their respective pages.\n\nPage 1, line 25\n\nNulla est tam facilis res, quin difficilis siet, Quam invitus\nfacias\u2014_Terent. Heaut._ iv, vi. 1\n\n\u201cThere is nothing so easy, as not to become difficult should you do it\nunwillingly.\u201d\n\nP. 1, l. 35.  Nam illud verum est M. Catonis oraculum, nihil agendo,\nhomines male agere discunt. \u201cFor that is a true oracle of M. Cato\u2014by doing\nnothing, men learn to do ill.\u201d\u2014_Columel._ lib. xi, cap. 1.\n\nP. 5, last line. \u0395\u03b9 \u03b3\u03bf\u03c5\u03bd \u03b1\u03b7\u03b4\u03c9\u03bd \u03b7\u03bc\u03b7\u03bd, \u03b5\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03bf\u03c5\u03bd \u03c4\u03b1 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b1\u03b7\u03b4\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2, \u03b5\u03b9 \u03ba\u03c5\u03ba\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2, \u03c4\u03b1\n\u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ba\u03c5\u03ba\u03bd\u03bf\u03c5, \u03bd\u03c5\u03bd \u03b4\u03b5 \u03bb\u03bf\u03b3\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b5\u03b9\u03bc\u03b9, \u1f51\u03bc\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd \u03bc\u03b5 \u03b4\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03b8\u03b5\u03bf\u03bd. \u201cWere I a\nnightingale, I would perform the office of a nightingale, or a swan, that\nof a swan; but since I am a rational creature, it is right that I should\ncelebrate the praises of God.\u201d\u2014_Epictet. Dissert._ lib. i, cap. 16.\n\nP. 7, l. 53.  Quidam vivere tunc incipiunt, cum desinendum est. Si hoc\njudicas mirum, adjiciam quod magis admireris, quidam ante vivere\ndefecerunt, quam inciperent. \u201cSome then begin to live when they are near\nthe close of life. If you think this wonderful, I will add what you will\nwonder at still more, some have ceased to live before they have begun to\nlive.\u201d\u2014_Senec. Epist._ xxiii.\n\nP. 9, l. 18. Cicero represents the saying\u2014 _Amicorum omnia communia_\n(Friends have all things in common)\u2014to be a Greek proverb\u2014_De Offic._ lib.\ni, cap. xvi.\n\nP. 12, l. 50.  Ubi in contrarium ducit, ipsa velocitas majoris intervalli\ncausa fit. \u201cWhen it leads to an opposite direction, velocity becomes\nitself the cause of a wider separation.\u201d\u2014_Senec. De Vita Beata_, cap. i.\n\nP. 13. l. 7.  At hic, tritissima qu\u00e6que via, et celeberrima, maxime\ndecipit. \u201cBut here, every path that is most beaten, and most famous,\ndeceives most.\u201d\u2014_Ibid._\n\nP. 13. l. 16.\u2014pergentes, non qua eundum est, sed qua itur\u2014\u201cproceeding, not\nwhere we ought to go, but where others go.\u201d_\u2014Ibid._\n\nP. 15, l. 30.\n\nAut prodesse volunt, aut delectare\u2014_Hor. Ars Poet._, v. 333.\n\n\u201cThey wish either to improve or delight.\u201d\n\nP. 16, l. 6.\n\nOmne tulit punctum, qui miscuit utile dulci\u2014_Id._, v. 343.\n\n\u201cProfit and pleasure them to mix with art\nShall gain all votes.\u201d\u2014_Francis Translation_\n\nP. 37, l. 4.\n\nPluris est oculatus testis unus quam auriti decem\nQui audiunt audita dicunt, qui vident plane sciunt\u2014_Plaut. Trucul._ ii.\n            vi. 8.\n\n\u201cOne eye witness is worth more than ten witnesses who speak by hearsay.\nThey who hear tell what they hear, they who see have a perfect knowledge\nof what occurs.\u201d\n\nP. 37, l. 50.  The title \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03c5\u03c9\u03bd\u03c5\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 (distinguished by many names) was\noften applied by the Greeks to the principal object of their idolatrous\nworship. Cleanthes begins his Hymn to Jove in this way,\u2014\n\n\u03ba\u03c5\u03b4\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u1fbd \u03b1\u03b8\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03c5\u03c9\u03bd\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5\n\n\u201cMost illustrious of the immortals, having many names\u201d\n\nThe Ethiopians believed that there was one God, who was the cause of all\nthings, but they also reverenced another God, whom they supposed to be\ninferior to him, and to have _no name_ (\u03b1\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd\u03c5\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd)\u2014;_Strab. Geog._ lib.\nxvii, p. 822.\n\nP. 37, l. 52  Quid est Deus? Quod vides totum, et quod non vides totum.\n\n\u201cWhat is God? Every thing which you see, and every thing which you do not\nsee.\u201d\u2014_Senec. Nat. Quest._, lib. i.\n\nP. 38, l. 15 The author of the Asclepian Dialogue, uses _unus omnia_\n(one-all things) and _Creator omnium_ (the Creator of all things,) as\nequivalent expressions\u2014_Cudworth\u2019s Intellectual System_, vol. i. p. 346.\n\nP. 55, l. 44  God was represented by some of the ancient philosophers to\nbe \u201cthe soul of the world, and the soul of the souls of the world.\u201d\n\nP. 79, l. 4, and 8\n\nPrudens futuri temporis exitum\nCaliginosa nocte premit Deus,\n  Ridetque, si mortalis ultra\n    Fas trepidat\u2014_Hor. Carm._ lib. iii. Ode 29.\n\n    \"Future events wise Providence\n    Hath hid in night from human sense,\n    To narrow bounds our search confined\n    And laughs to see proud mortals try\n    To fathom deep eternity,\nWith the short line and plummet of their mind.\"\n\n_Creech\u2019s Translation_\n\nP. 164, l. 37\n\n            \u039f\u03c5\u03b4\u03b5 \u03b3\u03b1\u03c1 \u1f41 \u0396\u03b5\u03c5\u03c2\n\u039f\u03c5\u03b8\u1fbd \u1f51\u03c9\u03bd \u03c0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03c2 \u1f01\u03bd\u03b4\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9 \u03bf\u03c5\u03c4\u1fbd \u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c7\u03c9\u03bd\n\n_Theognidis Sententi\u00e6_ v. 25.\n\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE BY THE EDITOR.\n\n\nThe Rev. Hugh Binning entered upon his pastoral charge at a very eventful\nperiod. He was ordained in the interval between the death of Charles I.\nand the coronation of his son Charles II., which took place at Scone, on\nthe first of January, 1651. In the first year of the incumbency of\nBinning, the fatal battle of Dunbar was fought in different parts of\nScotland; three different armies, without concert with one another,\nsubsequently took the field, to oppose the progress of the parliamentary\nforces. And it was not till after the death of Binning, that General Monk\nsucceeded in reducing the country to a state of subjection. Meanwhile, the\nsame jealousies and animosities prevailed, which had previously divided\nthe Scottish nation. The nobility, as well as the clergy, were opposed to\none another, and adopted different views of the national interests. And\nwhat tended not a little to increase the public divisions, the\nAnabaptists, Quakers, and other sectarians, connected with the English\narmy, employed themselves wherever they went, in propagating with great\nindustry, their peculiar opinions. By keeping these things in view, the\nreader will be better able to understand, in the writings of Binning,\nnumerous allusions, more or less recondite, to the particular\ncircumstances of the times.\n\nIt was on Saturday the nineteenth of April, 1651, that Cromwell came to\nGlasgow, with the principal part of his army. The next day he went to hear\nsermon in the High church. In the forenoon, he entered the Choir, or Inner\nchurch, as it was called, and, as Principal Baillie says, \u201cquietly heard\nMr. Robert Ramsay preach a very good honest sermon, pertinent for his\ncase.\u201d(1) He appeared equally unexpectedly in the afternoon, in the Nave,\nor Outer church, when Mr. John Carstairs delivered in his presence a\nlecture, and Mr. James Durham, a sermon. Both of these discourses had,\nlike the former one, a special reference to the existing posture of public\naffairs. But as might have been expected, Cromwell was offended at the\nplain dealing of all the three clergymen, who considered it to be their\nduty to condemn him and his army, for their invasion of Scotland, for the\ncontempt they manifested for the religious institutions of the country,\nand likewise, for their persecution of the ministers of Ireland. On the\nfollowing day, therefore, he summoned them, and the other clergymen of the\ncity, to a meeting in his own lodgings, that he might vindicate himself\nand his confederates from the charges which had been brought against them,\nand at the same time hear what his accusers had to advance in their own\nbehalf.\n\nAt this conference, which appears to have been conducted with good temper\non both sides, they who spoke most on the part of the Scottish clergy,\nwere Mr. Patrick Gillespie, Principal of the University of Glasgow, and\nMr. James Guthrie, minister of Stirling, who forfeited his life at\nEdinburgh soon after the Restoration. On the other side, the principal\nspeakers were Cromwell himself, and General Lambert,(2) who, like many\nother of the parliamentary officers, was a preacher, as well as a\nsoldier.(3) Some of Cromwell\u2019s chaplains(4) are also represented to have\ntaken a share in the discussion, along with the Rev. Hugh Binning.\nCromwell, it is said, was struck with the fearlessness and ability of so\nyoung a minister. \u201cWho is that learned and bold young man?\u201d said he. When\nhe was told his name was Binning, he replied, \u201cHe has bound well. But,\u201d he\nadded, putting his hand, at the same time, to his sword, \u201cthis will loose\nall again.\u201d\n\nIn his Memoirs of the Life of Dr. John Owen, Mr. Orme adverts to this\nanecdote regarding Binning, simply on the authority of a note in the\nBiographia Scoticana. He does not seem to have been aware that, beyond\nthis note, there was any evidence to produce, that such a meeting as has\nnow been described, was ever actually held. But he observes, \u201cThere is\nnothing improbable in the meeting, and Cromwell\u2019s pun quite accords with\nother anecdotes of his conversation.\u201d(5) The part which Mr. Binning is\nreported to have acted on this occasion, was no less characteristical of\nhim. He was a very able disputant. But when giving utterance to his\nfeelings, or expressing his sentiments, he was sometimes led to employ\nstrong language.(6)\n\nThe following account of the object and result of the meeting at Glasgow\nis that which is given by Sir James Balfour\u2014\u201cOliver Cromwell, with his\narmy, being at this tyme in Glasgow, had a conference with 8 ministers,\nanent the lawfulness of his engagement against this countrey and kingdome.\nHe gave them some papers, wich they anssuered extempore, and proued to his\nface his periurey and breach of couenant and leauge, and his sinfull\nrebellion and murther, contrair to [the] expresse word of God, and leauge\nand couenant suorne by himselue, and most of his complices. He toke the\nmorrow at 3 in the afternoone to his furder conference with them, and\nmaney of his cheiffest officers did openly acknowledge, they were\nconuinced in reson, and neuer till now, did see the weekness of ther auen\ngrounds. In place of keiping the appoynted meitting, (seing a fyre to\nbegin to kindle amongest his auen,) about midnight, that same day, he\ncommands all his armey presently to march, wnder the paine of death, backe\ntowardes Edinburghe, and empties all his garisons be west Linhthgow, sends\nhis horses towardes the border, and with grate haist, with his footte\nreturns to Edinburgh and Leith, and is now bussie in repairring the\nbreaches of Edinburgh castle.\u201d(7)\n\nWe are informed, that a Report of the whole proceedings which took place\non this occasion, was drawn up by Principal Gillespie, and Mr. James\nGuthrie. (8) But whether that Report is now in existence or not, or was\never printed, the writer has not been able to ascertain.\n\nThe invasion of Scotland, which was one of the charges brought against\nCromwell, was condemned by Lord Fairfax, the commander in chief of the\nparliamentary forces. He looked upon it as an infraction of the Solemn\nLeague and Covenant, which had been very generally subscribed in England,\nas well as in Scotland. Feeling alarm at this, the Council of State\nappointed Cromwell, Lambert, Harrison, St John, and Whitelocke to converse\nwith him, with a view, if possible, to overcome his scruples. But after a\nlong interview, Fairfax remained unmoved by their arguments, and expressed\nhis determination to resign his commission rather than proceed to Scotland\nwith the army, which was preparing to act against that part of the\nkingdom. As he adhered firmly to this resolution, he was deprived of his\ncommission, and Cromwell was appointed to succeed him. Whitelock(9) has\nfurnished us with an account of what passed at the interview, which he and\nhis friends had with Lord Fairfax. The views expressed by the different\nparties, therefore, as Whitelock has recorded them, will enable any one to\nform, it is conceived, a tolerably correct idea of the nature of the\ndiscussion which took place at Glasgow, when the same point was one of the\nquestions at issue, and when two of the principal speakers were the very\nindividuals who had previously argued the matter with Fairfax.\n\nThe letters which passed between Cromwell, and Colonel Dundas, the\ngovernor of Edinburgh Castle will likewise assist us to conjecture what\nmay have been advanced on both sides on the occasion in question, at\nGlasgow. Some Scottish clergymen had taken refuge there after the battle\nof Dunbar. It was to them principally, through Colonel Dundas, that\nCromwell addressed himself. The letters were printed at the time. On\nexamining them, it will be perceived, that the invasion of Scotland, and\nthe other offences with which Cromwell and his party were charged at\nGlasgow, formed in this instance likewise, grounds of accusation on the\none hand, and called forth a vindication on the other. In Hume\u2019s opinion\nthe letters written by the parliamentary general are \u201cthe best of\nCromwell\u2019s wretched compositions that remain.\u201d(10) But Mr. Orme says of\nthem, \u201cFrom their phraseology, I strongly suspect then to have been the\nproduction of Owen\u2019s pen.\u201d(11) One of the letters, dated September 9,\n1630, addressed to \u201cThe Honourable the Governor of the Castle of\nEdinburgh,\u201d and signed by \u201cO Cromwell,\u201d contains this passage\u2014\u201cThe\nministers in England are supported, and have liberty to preach the\ngospell, though not to raile, nor under pretence thereof to overtop the\ncivill power, or debase it as they please. No man hath been troubled in\nEngland or Ireland for preaching the gospell, nor has any minister been\nmolested in Scotland since the coming of the army hither. The speaking\ntruth becomes the ministers of Christ. When ministers pretend to a\nglorious reformation, and lay the foundation thereof in getting to\nthemselves worldly power, and can make worldly mixtures to accomplish the\nsame, such as their late agreement with their king, and hopes by him to\ncarry on their designe, [they] may know, that the Sion promised and hoped\nfor will not be built with such untempered mortar. As for the unjust\ninvasion they mention, time was, when an army of Scotland came into\nEngland, not called by the supreame authority. We have said in our papers\nwith what hearts and upon what accompt we came, and the Lord hath heard\nus, though you would not, upon as solemn an appeal as any experience can\nparallell. And although they seem to comfort themselves with being the\nsons of Jacob, from whom (they say) God hath hid his face for a time, yet\nit\u2019s no wonder, when the Lord hath lifted up his hand so eminently against\na family, as he hath done so often against this, and men will not see his\nhand, if the Lord hide his face from such, putting them to shame, both for\nit, and their hatred at his people, as it is this day. When they purely\ntrust to the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, which is\npowerfull to bring down strongholds and every imagination that exalts\nitself, which alone is able to square and fitt the stones for the new\nJerusalem, then and not before, and by that meanes and no other, shall\nJerusalem, (which is to be the praise of the whole earth,) the city of the\nLord be built, the Sion of the Holy One of Israel.\u201d(12)\n\nThis letter was answered on the same day, and in the following terms, by\nthe Governor of the Castle. \u201cMy Lord,\u2014Yours I have communicate to those\nwith me, whom it concerned, who desire me to return this answer, that\ntheir ingenuitie in prosecuting the ends of the covenant, according to\nthen vocation and place, and adhering to then first principles, is well\nknown, and one of their greatest regrates is, that they have not been met\nwith the like, when ministers of the gospel have been imprisoned, deprived\nof their benefices, sequestrate, forced to flee from their dwellings, and\nbitterly threatned, for their faithful declareth the will of God against\nthe godless and wicked proceedings of men that it cannot be accounted an\nimaginary fear of suffering in such, as are resolved to follow the like\nfreedom and faithfulness in discharge of their master\u2019s message, that it\nsavours not of ingenuitie to promise liberty of preaching the gospel, and\nto limit the preachers thereof, that they must not speak against the sins\nand enormities of civill powers, since their commission carryeth them to\nspeak the word of the Lord unto, and to reprove the sins of persons of all\nranks from the highest to the lowest, that to impose the name of railing\nupon such faithfull freedom was the old practice of malignants against the\nministers of the gospell, who laid open to people the wickedness of their\nways, that they should not be ensnared thereby; that their consciences\nbear them record, and all their hearers do know, that they meddle not with\ncivill affairs further than to hold forth the rule of the word, by which\nthe straightnes and crookednes of men\u2019s actions are made evident. But they\nare sorry, that they have just cause to regrate, that men of meer civill\nplace and employment should usurp the calling and employment of the\nministry, to the scandall of the reformed kirks, and particularly in\nScotland, contrary to the government and discipline therein established,\nto the maintenance whereof, you are bound by the solemn league and\ncovenant. Thus far they have thought fitt to vindicate their return to the\noffer in Colonell Whalley\u2019s letter. The other part of yours, which\nconcerns the public as well as them, they conceive that all have been\nanswered sufficiently in the public papers of the state and kirk. Onely,\nto that of the successe upon your solemn appeal, they say again, what was\nsaid to it before, that they have not so learned Christ, as to hang the\nequity of their cause upon events; but desire to have their hearts\nestablished in the love of the truth in all the tribulations that befall\nthem.\u201d(13)\n\nOther letters followed these previous to the surrender of the Castle. From\nthem, and the public papers of the time, we discover that the English army\njustified their invasion of Scotland and their oppressive treatment of\ntheir opponents, in Scotland and Ireland, by representing that their part\nof the kingdom had been previously invaded from Scotland; that the\npresbyterian party was friendly to monarchy; that that party had\ninterfered with their attempts to reform the government of England, and\ndeclared against them as sectaries; and that a second invasion of England\nby the Scottish nation was known to have been contemplated. On the other\nhand, it was affirmed that the invasion of England, by the Marquis of\nHamilton, had been always disapproved of, and opposed by those who were\nnow in power in Scotland; that in taking up arms against the people of\nScotland, the English were proclaiming themselves the enemies of those who\nhad formed a covenant with them, and helped them in the day of their\ndistress; and that although the necessity or lawfulness of a war with\nEngland, in present circumstances, had never been determined upon, nor\nbeen even discussed either in parliament or in the assembly, there could\nbe no doubt a design was formed to overturn both the civil and\necclesiastical institutions of the northern part of the island, and make\nit a mere province of England.\n\nRichard Baxter felt the warmest sympathy at this period with the Scottish\npeople, and with his usual intrepidity and honesty, openly arraigned the\nconduct of his countrymen for invading Scotland. Binning, and the ablest\nof his friends, could not have pled their own cause in the presence of\nCromwell, and his officers, with greater power and eloquence, than he did\nfor them, with the parliamentary soldiers and others, over whom he\npossessed any influence. \u201cWhen the soldiers were going against the king\nand the Scots,\u201d says he, \u201cI wrote letters to some of them to tell them of\ntheir sin, and desired them at last to begin to know themselves. They were\nthe same men who had boasted so much of love to all the godly, and pleaded\nfor tender dealing with them, and condemned those that persecuted them, or\nrestrained their liberty, who were now ready to imbrue their swords in the\nblood of such as they acknowledged to be godly; and all because they dared\nnot be as perjured, or disloyal, as they were. Some of them were startled\nat these letters, and thought me an uncharitable censurer, who would say\nthat they could kill the godly, even when they were on the march to do it;\nfor how bad soever they spoke of the cavaliers (and not without too much\ndesert as to their morals), they confessed, that abundance of the Scots\nwere godly men. Afterwards, however, those that I wrote to better\nunderstood me.\u201d\n\n\u201cAt the same time, the Rump, or Commonwealth, which so much abhorred\npersecution, and were for liberty of conscience, made an order that all\nministers should keep certain days of humiliation, to fast and pray for\ntheir success in Scotland; and that we should keep days of thanksgiving\nfor their victories; and this upon pain of sequestration so that we all\nexpected to be turned out; but they did not execute it upon any, save one,\nin our parts. For myself, instead of praying and preaching for them, when\nany of the committee or soldiers were my hearers, I laboured to help them\nto understand what a crime it was to force men to pray for the success of\nthose who were violating their covenant and loyalty, and going, in such a\ncause, to kill their brethren,\u2014what it was to force men to give God thanks\nfor all their bloodshed, and to make God\u2019s ministers and ordinances vile,\nand serviceable to such crimes, by forcing men to run to God on such\nerrands of blood and ruin,\u2014and what it is to be such hypocrites as to\npersecute, and cast out those that preach the gospel, while they pretend\nthe advancement of the gospel, and the liberty of tender consciences, and\nleave neither tenderness nor honesty in the world, when the guides of the\nflocks, and preachers of the gospel, shall be noted to swallow down such\nheinous sins. My own hearers were all satisfied with my doctrine, but the\ncommittee men looked sour, yet let me alone.\u201d(14)\n\nWith regard to Binning\u2019s own opinion of those whom he calls \u201cour enemies\nthe invaders,\u201d we find that expressed in his Case of Conscience. \u201cThey\nthink themselves,\u201d says he, \u201cgodly and righteous, yet are not purged from\ntheir filthiness. They are given up to strong delusions to believe lies;\nand there is no lie greater than this, that they are a godly party, in a\ngodly cause and way. They wipe their mouth after all their bloodshed, and\nsay, I have done no evil. They wash their hands, as Pilate, as if they\nwere free of the blood of those just men, whose souls cry under the\naltar.\u201d(15)\n\nLike his friend Principal Gillespie, however, Binning appears to have kept\nup an amicable intercourse with some of the Independents in the army of\nthe Commonwealth. He even gave the use of his church to the chaplain\nattached to Colonel Overtoun\u2019s regiment, and not only went himself to hear\nhim preach, but exhorted his people likewise to do so. Such conduct, on\nhis part, will be viewed differently by different people. It will be\ncondemned by those who are servilely attached to their own particular\ncommunion, and disposed to extend the line of separation between\nthemselves and others, even beyond the limits prescribed by their own\ncanonical rules; but it will be approved of by all whose charity is not\nbounded by their own narrow pale; who, when they agree with others\nrespecting the fundamental doctrines of religion, would grant to them, as\nto smaller matters, the toleration they claim for themselves; and who,\nwithal, believe, that much of that asperity and jealousy which disturb the\npeace, and sully the character of the Christian world, would in all\nlikelihood be destroyed and prevented, were they, who unhappily are\nseparated from one another by names and forms, to become better acquainted\nwith each other\u2019s principles, and each other\u2019s feelings. Binning was\nblamed by some of his brethren for his liberality. The part he had acted\nwas brought under the consideration of one of the inferior church courts.\nHe endeavoured to justify himself, and to show that he had done nothing\ninconsistent either with his Christian or his ministerial character. But\nnot succeeding in the attempt, with true Christian forbearance, he\nexpressed his desire to avoid giving offence to his brethren, and\nintimated his willingness that his conduct in similar cases should\nhenceforward be regulated by their wishes.(16)\n\nAs a proof of the influence which, along with Cromwell, some of the\nindependent chaplains in his army possessed over a number of the Scottish\nclergy, it has been asserted that it was owing to them that a change was\neffected in some of the forms of the presbyterian mode of worship. \u201cIt is\nvery observable,\u201d it has been said, \u201cthat all the presbyterian ministers\nin Scotland made use of the Christian forms of the Lord\u2019s Prayer, Creed,\nand Doxology, until Oliver\u2019s army invaded Scotland, and the independent\nchaplains in that army thought their own dispensation was above that of\nGeneva. Upon this, such of the presbyterians as would recommend themselves\nto the Usurper, and such as had his ear, forbore those forms in the public\nworship, and by degrees they fell into desuetude.\u201d(17)\n\nThe friendship which thus subsisted between some of the English\nindependent ministers, and some of the Scottish clergy, during the time\nthat the parliamentary army was in Scotland, has been differently\naccounted for. It has been inferred that a number of the Protesters were\n\u201csomewhat favourable to Independency, among the chief of whom was Mr\nPatrick Gillespie.\u201d(18) On the other hand, it has been supposed, that some\nof the Independent clergy had no decided objection to presbyterianism, in\nthe form in which that system of ecclesiastical polity existed in\nScotland. Dr. Owen, in particular, has been said to have expressly\ndeclared this; nay, that he would have thought it an honour to sit as a\nmember in one of her Assemblies.(19) There can be no doubt that the\ndifferences betwixt some of the Presbyterians and the Independents, were\nnot originally so great as these were afterwards discovered to be, between\npersons distinguished by the same names. They professed to believe the\nsame great doctrines, and conscientiously preached them; and they differed\nonly in regard to their mode of church government. But even in regard to\nthis, some of the earlier Independents were far from differing widely from\ntheir presbyterian brethren. The Rev. Charles Herle, who, after the death\nof Dr. Twisse, was made prolocutor in the Westminster Assembly, has been\nrepresented to have said, \u201cThe difference between us, and our brethren who\nare for independency, is nothing so great as some may conceive; at most,\nit does but ruffle the fringe, not any way rend the garment of Christ. It\nis so far from being a fundamental, that it is scarce a material\ndifference.\u201d(20) We are informed that Richard Baxter was likewise\naccustomed to observe, that \u201cif all the Presbyterians had been like Mr.\nMarshall, and the Independents like Mr. Burroughs, their differences might\neasily have been compromised.\u201d(21) The only part of the country in which\nany ministers connected with the Church of Scotland appear to have\nseparated from it, and joined themselves to the Independents was the town\nor county of Aberdeen. A small work on Independency, bearing the title of\n\u201cA Little Stone out of the Mountain, or Church Order briefly opened,\u201d\nwhich was written by Nicholas Lockyer, who accompanied the English army to\nScotland, was printed at Leith in 1652. This was replied to, in a work\nfrom the pen of James Wood, professor of theology in St. Andrews, which\nwas printed at Edinburgh in 1654. The title of Professor Wood\u2019s\npublication is, \u201cA Little Stone pretended to be out of the Mountain,\nTried, and Found to be a Counterfeit,\u201d &c. In that work, Wood animadverts\nupon a letter from \u201cthe new Independents of Aberdene,\u201d dated May 1652, and\nlaments that \u201csome of them had been for some years ministers\u201d of the\nEstablished church.(22) It is singular enough, that in a memoir of that\nunhappy man, Archbishop Sharp, which was published in his own lifetime,\nand dedicated to himself, it is stated that Provost Jaffrey, who\nafterwards became a Quaker, was known to declare that Sharp \u201cwas the first\nman who had confirmed him in the way of Independency.\u201d(23)\n\nAlong with other circumstances, the disunion which prevailed throughout\nthe church, and the causes which gave rise to it, must have had a tendency\nto mitigate the hostility with which the Protesting clergy regarded the\narmy of Cromwell in general, and the effect, at the same time, of\nrecommending them to him, and his adherents. The Protesters doubted the\nsincerity of Charles. Though he had subscribed their covenant, they were\npersuaded he had no real attachment to their church. They were of opinion,\nthat, were he once firmly seated on the throne, their civil and religious\nliberties would be alike endangered. So far, therefore, could they\nsympathize with the parliamentary general, and the soldiers whom he\ncommanded, in their opposition to their monarch. The Protesters drew off\nfrom the army, which after the battle of Dunbar was embodied, with the\nconcurrence of the king, the parliament, and the commission of the church,\nfor the defence of the monarchy, and the liberation of Scotland. This army\nwas recruited with men of every description. Numerous commissions in it\nwere given to known malignants. The success of an army so constituted, the\nProtestors thought, was to be dreaded rather than wished for. Binning and\nothers declared they could not even pray for its success.(24) Here was\nanother point, in regard to which they and the invading army must have\nfelt sympathy with one another, and which must have materially altered\ntheir relative position, leading them to assume such an equivocal\nattitude, that it must have been difficult, even for themselves, to\ndetermine whether they were more the friends or the foes of each other.\n\nInjustice, however, has been done to the Protesters, by representing them\nto have been republicans. This was by no means their character as a body,\nwhatever may have been the opinions of individuals among them. One of the\nmost active and able of them, was the unfortunate Mr. James Guthrie,\nminister of Stirling. Though he was executed after the Restoration, for\nhis conceived disloyalty, in opposition, it is believed, to the personal\nwishes of the king, he never abjured his lawful prince. He wished the\nroyal prerogative to be limited by law, as it afterwards was at the\nRevolution, but he did not wish it to be abolished. At great personal\nhazard, Guthrie maintained a public disputation on the subject of the\nroyal authority, in the church of Stirling, with the noted Hugh Peters one\nof Cromwell\u2019s chaplains, and in the presence of a number of the\nparliamentary officers. And in the same place, and near the same period,\nhe showed himself to be a staunch presbyterian, by engaging in a public\ndiscussion(25) with Mr. J. Brown, an Anabaptist, who was chaplain to\nColonel Fairfax\u2019s regiment. In his speech at his trial, he declared his\nloyalty in the strongest possible terms, and made the following touching,\nthough unavailing, appeal to his judges.\u2014\u201cAlbeit, it does become me to\nadore God in the holiness and wisdom of his dispensations, yet I can\nhardly refrain from expressing some grief of spirit, that my house and\nfamily should not only be so many months together cessed, by a number of\nEnglish soldiers, and myself kept from the pulpit, for preaching and\nspeaking against the Tender, and incorporating this nation in one\ncommonwealth with England, and that I should thereafter, in time of Oliver\nCromwell his usurping the government to himself, under the name of\nProtector, be delated by some, and challenged by sundry of his council in\nthis nation, for a paper published by me, wherein he was declared to be an\nusurper, and his government to be usurpation, that I should have been\nthreatened to have been sent to the court, for writing a paper against\nOliver Cromwell his usurping the crown of these kingdoms, that I should\nhave been threatened with banishment for concurring in offering a large\ntestimony, against the evil of the times, to Richard Cromwell his council,\nimmediately after his usurping the government, I say, my lord, it grieves\nme, that, notwithstanding of all those things, I should now stand indicted\nbefore your lordships as intending the eradicating and subverting of the\nancient civil government of this nation, and being subservient to that\nusurper in his designs. The God of heaven knows that I am free of this\ncharge, and I do defy all the world, allowing me justice and fair\nproceeding, which I hope your lordships will, to make out the same against\nme.\u201d(26)\n\nFrom the Case of Conscience and from some expressions which Binning\nuttered under strong excitement, and which were repeated to Principal\nBaillie,(27) it would appear that his loyalty was somewhat shaken by the\npassing of the public resolutions, after the battle of Dunbar if not\nbefore that time, by a conviction of the dissimulation of the king. He\nprobably thought, with the framers of the western remonstrance,(28) in\nwhich he seems to have concurred, that they would not be justifiable in\nfighting for Charles, without some additional security being provided for\nthe maintenance of their religious privileges, and unless some adequate\nrestraint were imposed upon the exercise of the royal authority. His dread\nof arbitrary power is strongly expressed in the Case of Conscience \u201cThe\nplea of necessity,\u201d says he,(29) \u201cis but a pretence to cover some design,\nthat under its specious and plausible covering, the power of the land may\nbe engrossed in the hands of malignants, and so by this means, all power\nand trust may return, as the rivers to the sea or fountain, as they judge\nthe king, that so, in his person, there may be established an unlimited\nand arbitrary power.\u201d\n\nThat Binning was the author of the Case of Conscience cannot reasonably be\ndoubted.\n\nI. It was published, in 1693,(30) under the name of \u201cMr. Hugh Binning,\nsometime Professor of Philosophie in the Universitie of Glasgow, and\nthereafter minister of God\u2019s word at Goven.\u201d Nor, so far as can be\nascertained, was it denied to be his by any person, at the time of its\npublication. It was printed in Holland, and although, as has been objected\nto it, it has not attached to it the name of the printer, nor the name of\nthe place where it was printed, neither have \u201cThe Apologeticall Relation,\u201d\n\u201cThe True Non Conformist,\u201d \u201cThe Apology for, or Vindication of, Oppressed\nPersecuted Ministers,\u201d \u201cThe History of the Indulgence,\u201d \u201cRectius\nInstruendum,\u201d \u201cThe Hind Let Loose,\u201d and various other works by Scottish\nwriters, which, for obvious reasons were printed abroad, after the\nRestoration. In his dying Testimony, however, it is declared by Mr. Robert\nSmith, a graduate of Groningen, that the Rev. James Kid, who was\nsubsequently minister of Queensferry, was sent to Holland by the Society\npeople to superintend the printing of the Sanquhar Declaration of 1692,\nand \u201cMr. Hugh Binning\u2019s piece against association,\u201d that Mr. Kid was\nimprisoned for this for a considerable time in Holland, and that after he\nobtained his liberty, he and Kid studied for one session together at the\nUniversity of Utrecht.(31)\n\nII. It seems almost certain that the manuscript must have been obtained\nfrom the widow of the author, or from his son, both of whom were living\nwhen the pamphlet first appeared, and both of whom were intimately\nconnected with the Society people. At a general meeting of the Society\npeople at Edinburgh, 28th May, 1683, \u201cIt was resolved that _Mr. John\nBinning_ should be desired to wait upon a school, for teaching some young\nmen, and for his pains he was to have twenty five pounds Scots per\nQuarter. According to this resolution, Mr. Binning did teach Latin to some\nof these young men for some time.\u201d(32) And in a letter from the Rev. James\nRenwick, to Sir Robert Hamilton of Preston, dated Sept 26th, 1683, and\nprinted from the original, he says, \u201cLikeways, according to your\ndirection, I challenged Mrs. Binning upon her intimacie with your sister,\nbut she says there is noe ground for it, and I think not such as your\nhonour apprehends. As also I challenged her upon the commendation she gave\nJo Wilsone, in her letter unto you, but she says she had not then seen his\ntestimonie, and was sorrie when she saw it, it was so contrary both to her\nthoughts, and to her commendation of him.\u201d(33) This letter is curtailed in\nthe printed collection of Renwick\u2019s Letters,(34) and the passage in it,\nwhich refers to Mrs. Binning, is only partially quoted by John Howie of\nLochgoin, in a note to Shields\u2019 Faithful Contendings.(35)\n\nIII.   A copy of the original manuscript is at present in my possession,\nbelonging to David Laing, Esq., Edinburgh, which, so far as one can judge\nfrom the orthography and hand writing, must have been written near the\ntime of the author. It formed part of a collection of papers chiefly of\nthat period, of which some are docketed by Sir Archibald Johnston of\nWarriston. It is entitled \u201cThe Tractat, proving that there is still a\nMaligt Party, and that wee should not associate with them, written in\nJanuar 1651\u201d. The writer of the Life of Binning was of opinion that as\n\u201cMr.  Binning died in the year 1653, and the pamphlet was not published\ntill the year 1693\u201d, some of the Protesters would have published it, in\nthe course of that period, \u201chad they known that Mr Binning was the author\nof it.\u201d But various circumstances may have occurred to prevent its being\nmade public at an earlier period. And although it was not printed, it may\nhave been read by many in manuscript. I cannot but think, though he has\nmistaken the Christian name of the author, that it is to Hugh Binning\u2019s\nCase of Conscience, that Samuel Colvill, the ungodly son of a pious\nmother, alludes, in that mass of ribaldry and indecency, \u201cThe Whigs\nSupplication,\u201d when describing the library of the Covenanters, he says,\n\n\u201cSome reads the cases of Richard Binning\u201d(36)\n\nThis mock poem of Colvill was printed for the first time in the year 1681,\nbut according to the poet\u2019s own statement, it was circulated in MS\nprevious to this.(37)\n\nIV. The views of Binning are known to have accorded with the general\nstrain of the Case of Conscience. The object of his tractate was to expose\nand counteract the purposes and proceedings of the Resolutioners. This was\nlikewise Binning\u2019s object in the part he acted, on different occasions, in\nthe presbytery of Glasgow. In the Minutes of that ecclesiastical court, he\nis always found opposed to the Resolutioners, and co operating with\nPrincipal Gillespie, and the other Protesters. This will account for the\ntone in which Baillie speaks of him. \u201cBehold,\u201d says he in a letter from\nPerth, 2d January, 1651, \u201cthe next presbytery day, when I am absent, Mr.\nPatrick [Gillespie] causes read again the Commission\u2019s letter, and had led\nit so, that by the elders\u2019 votes, the men of greatest experience and\nwisdom of our presbytery were the two youngest we had, Mr. Hugh Binning\nand Mr. Andrew Morton.\u201d(38) The following fact proves that the opponents,\nas well as the friends, of Binning in the presbytery, knew him to be\ndecidedly averse to the public resolutions. On the 28th of May, 1651, Mr.\nPatrick Gillespie, Mr. John Carstairs, and Mr. Hugh Binning were chosen by\nthe presbytery to be their representatives at the ensuing General\nAssembly. But Mr. Robert Ramsay, and the other Resolutioners who were\npresent, protested against their election, on the ground that they had not\nreceived notice of what was intended to be done, that Mr. Gillespie and\nMr. Binning were opposed to the public resolutions in Church and State,\nand that the commission of the Church might yet give them some directions\nas to this matter. Accordingly, when the Assembly met at St Andrews, from\nprotesting against which as an illegal Assembly, the Protesters derived\ntheir name, among the numerous commissions which were objected to on that\noccasion, were those of Mr. Patrick Gillespie and Mr. Hugh Binning the\nResolutioners in the presbytery having, it appears, made a different\nappointment of commissioners, at a meeting of their own.(39) So much\nopposed, indeed, was Binning to the public resolutions that we find him,\non the 20th of June 1651, protesting against the insertion of a letter,\nfrom the Commission of the Church regarding them, in the presbytery\nMinutes. And on the 20th of August, we in like manner perceive him voting\nagainst the registration, in the Minutes of the presbytery, of various\nActs of the Assembly, which had met at St. Andrews and Dundee, in July,\n1651 \u201cbecause yet were sinful in themselves, and came from an unlawful and\nnull assemblie.\u201d(40)\n\nBut this is not all Binning wrote. \u201cSome ammadversions upon a paper\nentituled, _no separation from the armie_, &c.\u201d These, it is believed,\nwere never printed. The manuscript copy, which I have perused, is in the\nhand writing of Mr. David Anderson, the clerk, or amanuensis of Sir\nArchibald Johnston of Warriston, who has written on it with his own hand,\n\u201cMr H Binny his reply to M D Dickson.\u201d The title itself of the manuscript\nindicates the views of the author. But the summary of its style and\nreasoning, and those of the Case of Conscience, is very evident. Although\nhe was thus led under an imperative sense of duty, to enter the lists of\ncontroversy with Mr. David Dickson, who was now Professor of Theology in\nthe University of Edinburgh, but who at the time of the induction of the\nauthor, being a member of the presbytery, had presided at his ordination,\nit is pleasant to observe, that even when expressing himself most\nstrongly, Binning treats his former colleague in the University of\nGlasgow, with uniform courtesy and respect. In one place he says, \u201cIf I\nknew not the integritie of the writter, I could hardlie spare a hard\ncensure of him, either for dissembling what he knowes, or not reading what\nhe condemns. But I will think neither, but rather that he is too confident\nof his own assertion.\u201d In another place he exclaims, \u201cAlas! should a\ndivine speak so? If a carnall polititian had said it, I had not thought it\nstrange, but a godlie tender man to speake in these terms.\u201d Should it be\nasked how this manuscript has not formed a part of the present collection\nof the works of the Author, the reason is simply this: It was not\nconceived that the degree of interest felt at this distant period, in the\ncontroversy to which it relates, would warrant its publication, and more\nparticularly as any one, wishing to obtain a knowledge of the principles\nand the policy which it advocates, may be gratified, by consulting some of\nthe numerous pamphlets and manifestoes, which were printed at the time.\n\nAlong with the Case of Conscience, the present edition of the works of the\nAuthor includes the \u201cTreatise of Christian Love,\u201d first printed at\nEdinburgh in 1743, and \u201cSeveral Sermons upon the most Important Subjects\nof Practical Religion,\u201d which were printed for the first time at Glasgow\nin 1760. Neither of these is contained in the quarto edition of Binning\u2019s\nworks that was published in 1768, at Glasgow. That was a mere reprint of\nthe edition of 1735, which issued from the Edinburgh press. In his Address\nto the Reader, the publisher of the Treatise on Christian Love says, \u201cThis\ntreatise, with a great number of excellent sermons, preached by this able\nminister of the gospel, many of which have never been printed, in a\nmanuscript in folio, was found in the late Reverend Mr. Robert Woodrow,\nminister of Eastwood, his library.\u201d The editor of the Practical Sermons,\nhowever, informs us, in his preface, that the manuscript from which the\n\u201celegant and judicious treatise of Christian Love was first printed,\u201d _was\nin his hand_.(41) And he adds, \u201cAs Mr. Wodrow wrote large collections upon\nthe lives of our most eminent Reformers, which he designed to publish if\nhe had lived longer, so the Lives and Letters of Mr. John Knox, who was\ncommonly styled the Reformer, is now preparing for the press, to which\nwill be added some of his essays on religious subjects, never before\nprinted. If the publication of Mr. Knox\u2019s life be duly encouraged, some\nmore lives of other ministers in that period will be transcribed and\nrevised, for the benefit of the public, who desire to have them\nprinted.\u201d(42) Hence we are led to conclude, that those additional works of\nBinning found their way to the press through the Rev. Robert Wodrow,\nminister of Eastwood, the son and successor of the historian. The preface\nto the Practical Sermons is dated \u201cBrousterland, Sept 12th, 1760.\u201d This is\nthe name of a place in the parish of Kilbride, in the county of Lanark, to\nwhich it has been ascertained the son of the historian retired, for a\nshort time, after resigning his cure in the year 1758. I observe,\nlikewise, that a letter now before me, written in the year 1806, by the\nRev. Dr. James Wodrow, minister of Stevenston, the youngest son of the\nhistorian, and addressed to the Rev. Dr. Robert Finlay, of the University\nof Glasgow, contains a statement, which, in the absence of more direct\nevidence, may be referred to, as furnishing us with some other grounds for\nbelieving that the anonymous writer of the \u201cBrousterland\u201d preface was the\nretired minister of Eastwood. The statement is, that the writer of the\nletter, who was much younger than his two brothers, the ministers of\nTarbolton and Eastwood, had \u201cheard\u201d that they \u201chad some thoughts of\npublishing Buchanan and Knox\u2019s Lives,\u201d written by their father.\n\nIt is to be regretted that none of Binning\u2019s writings were published by\nhimself, or in his own lifetime. The indulgence of the reader is on this\naccount justly claimed for them. We cannot be certain that the author\u2019s\nmeaning has been always correctly expressed. And every one accustomed to\ncomposition must be aware, that in transcribing, or revising what has been\npreviously written, even with some degree of care, the change of a single\nexpression, or the insertion of an additional word, or the transposition\nof a solitary clause in a sentence, often makes the meaning of the writer\ninfinitely clearer, and gives a new character altogether to his style. But\nwe ought also to bear in mind, that the following sermons were prepared\nfor a country audience, and that they were the ordinary weekly production\nof a very young clergyman, struggling with bad health, and burdened with\nthe performance of various other arduous duties. Many, I have no doubt,\nwill think this apology for the author unnecessary. The facts now stated,\nhowever, when taken into consideration, must increase their admiration of\nBinning, his copiousness, his variety, both in regard to matter and style,\nthe beauty of his imagery, the grandeur of his conceptions, his felicitous\napplication of the language of scripture, being all the more wonderful,\nwhen viewed in connexion with the unfavourable circumstances in which his\nsermons were composed.\n\nThe discourses of Binning are unquestionably a very favourable specimen of\nthe talents and learning, as well as of the piety of the clergy of\nScotland in his day. At the same time, that class of men have not had\njustice done to them. Adopting the tone of their persecutors, it was long\nthe practice of court sycophants, and others, to ridicule and calumniate\nthem. Their sermons were burlesqued, sometimes through ignorance, and\nsometimes through malice. Many of them were printed from the notes, or\nimperfect recollections of pious but illiterate persons. And if a minister\nwas known to possess any portion of eccentricity, absurd sayings were\ninvented for him, and when, at any time, a singular statement, or an\nuncouth expression, was heard to proceed from him, it was seized upon with\navidity, treasured up, and repeated as an illustration of the kind of\npreaching that was common among the ministers of his church. It is almost\ninconceivable, therefore, how many, even among the intelligent classes of\nsociety, in the present day, have been led, most unwarrantably, to form\ntheir estimate of the literary qualifications of the ministers of\nScotland, in the seventeenth century, from the grotesque \u201cPockmanty\nSermon\u201d of the Rev. James Row, minister at Monnivaird and Strowan, from\nHobbes\u2019s Behemoth, from the unpolished, unauthenticated(43) discourses of\nsome of the field preachers, or from that collection of profanity and\nobscenity entitled \u201cScotch Presbyterian Eloquence Display\u2019d.\u201d(44)\n\nBishop Hall bears honourable testimony to the character and professional\naccomplishments of the ministers of Scotland, in the early part of the\nseventeenth century. In a sermon preached by him in London, on Easter\nMonday, 1618, he says, \u201cFor the northern part of our land, beyond the\nTweed, we saw not, we heard not, of a congregation without a preaching\nminister, and though their maintenance generally hath been small, yet\ntheir pains have been great, and their success answerable. As for the\nlearning and sufficiency of those preachers, whether prelates or\npresbyters, our ears were for some of them sufficient witnesses; and we\nare not worthy of our ears, if our tongues do not thankfully proclaim it\nto the world.\u201d\n\nWhen we approach somewhat nearer the time of Binning, we can point, in the\nChurch of Scotland, to such men as Robert Leighton, who was then the\nPresbyterian minister of the parish of Newbottle, and to Alexander\nHenderson, minister of the parish of Leuchars, in the county of Fife, men\nwho would have done honour to any Protestant church in Europe. Nothing\nneed be said of the piety and eloquence of Leighton, whose name has been\npreserved from obscurity, by his subsequent elevation to the episcopal\nchair, and the publication of his admirable writings. The name of\nHenderson may not be so familiar to some. But what says an English\nhistorian of him? \u201cAlexander Henderson, the chief of the Scottish clergy\nin this reign, was learned, eloquent, and polite, and perfectly well\nversed in the knowledge of mankind. He was at the helm of affairs in the\nGeneral Assemblies in Scotland, and was sent into England in the double\ncapacity of a divine and plenipotentiary. He knew how to rouse the people\nto war, or negotiate a peace. Whenever he preached, it was to a crowded\naudience, and when he pleaded or argued, he was regarded with mute\nattention.\u201d(45) Mr. William Guthrie, minister of Fenwick in the county of\nAyr, was another of Binning\u2019s contemporaries. His memory, like that of\nother Scottish ministers of that century, has suffered from his name\nhaving been attached to sermons falsely said to be his, at least in the\nform in which they have been printed. Let any person, however, of\nunsophisticated taste and true piety read \u201cThe Christian\u2019s Great\nInterest,\u201d which was the only work published by Guthrie himself, and it\nwill not surprise him that a church, which had many such village pastors,\nshould have fixed itself in the affections of the nation at large, and\nthat instructed by such men, the humblest classes of the community should\nhave had so much religious knowledge, as Bishop Burnet(46) somewhat\nreluctantly admits they possessed. The wife of Wodrow the historian was\nthe granddaughter of William Guthrie.(47) In his Analecta, Wodrow says, it\nwas well ordered that Mr. Guthrie died in Angus, \u201cfor his congregation\nwould have idolized his grave had he died among them.\u201d He also mentions\nthat his Treatise was highly valued by Queen Mary, who caused it to be\ntranslated into the French language, and to whom it had been presented by\nMr. William Carstares, chaplain to William III, and afterwards Principal\nof the University of Edinburgh, that Archbishop Tillotson commended it as\none of the best written books in the language, and that Dr John Owen\ndeclared, he valued it so highly, he had made it his vade mecum.(48)\nContrary to the general belief, the ministers of Scotland, in Binning\u2019s\ntime, not only included among them many individuals, who were highly\nesteemed on account of their talents, literature, and piety, but a great\nnumber of them \u201cwere related to the chief families in the country, either\nby blood or marriage.\u201d(49) Binning himself, and Mr. William Guthrie\nminister of Fenwick, were the sons of respectable landed proprietors. Mr.\nGabriel Semple, minister of Kirkpatrick of the Muir, was the son of Sir\nBryce Semple of Cathcart, Mr. James Hamilton, minister of Dumfries, was\nthe nephew of Lord Claneboy, afterwards Earl of Clanbrassil, Mr. David\nFletcher, minister of Melrose, was the brother of Sir John Fletcher,\nKing\u2019s Advocate, Mr. Patrick Scougal, minister of Saltoun, was the son of\nSir John Scougal of that ilk, Mr. John Nevoy, minister of Newmills, was\nthe brother of Sir David Nevoy of that ilk, Mr. James Hamilton, minister\nof Cambusnethan, was the son of Sir John Hamilton of Broomhill, and\nbrother of the first Lord Belhaven, and to mention no others, Mr. Robert\nMelvil, minister at Culross, was the son of Sir James Melvil of Halhill.\n\nOne of the distinguishing peculiarities of Binning is his rejection of the\nendless divisions and subdivisions which, along with their subtle\ndistinctions, were borrowed from the schoolmen, and which disfigured and\nincumbered the sermons of that age. In Scotland, as well as in England,\nbefore his time, sermons were formed as Dr. Watts expresses it, \u201cupon the\nmodel of doctrine, reason, and use.\u201d(50) Those sermons often contained\nmuch excellent theology, which was faithfully and aptly applied to the\nheart and life. But the numerous parts into which they were divided, must\nhave marred their effect, and operated as a restraint upon the eloquence\nof the preacher. This was plainly the opinion of Binning. \u201cPaul speaks,\u201d\nsays he, \u201cof a right dividing of the word of truth, (2 Tim ii. 15) not\nthat ordinary way of cutting it all in parcels, and dismembering it, by\nmanifold divisions, which I judge makes it lose much of its virtue, which\nconsists in union. Though some have pleasure in it, and think it\nprofitable, yet I do not see that this was the apostolic way.\u201d(51)\nBinning, accordingly, had the courage and the good taste to adopt in\nconjunction with Leighton, a more simple and natural manner of preaching.\nAfter a building was completed, he did not think it added either to its\nbeauty or convenience, to retain the scaffolding. For this, he was\ncensured at the time, by Robert Baillie. But whoever will read the sermon\nof that learned divine, entitled \u201cErrors and Induration,\u201d which was\npreached by him in Westminster Abbey, in the month of July, 1645, will not\nbe astonished to find, that Baillie disapproved of a mode of preaching,\nwhich was so completely at variance with his own. \u201cHe has the new guise of\npreaching,\u201d said Baillie, speaking of Mr. Andrew Gray, who was the son of\nSir James Gray, and one of the ministers of the High Church of Glasgow,\n\u201cwhich Mr. Hugh Binning and Mr. Robert Leighton began, [not] containing\nthe ordinary way of expounding and dividing a text, of raising doctrines\nand uses, but runs out on a discourse on some common head, in a high,\nromancing, and unscriptural style, tickling the ear for the present, and\nmoving the affections in some, but leaving, as he confesses, little or\nnought to the memory and understanding. This we must misken, for we cannot\nhelp it.\u201d(52)\n\nIt has been said that Binning himself, when on his death bed, regretted to\none of his friends, that his sermons had been framed after a different\nmodel from that to which his countrymen had been accustomed, and had he\nlived, that \u201che was fully resolved to have followed that way of preaching\nby doctrine, reasons, and uses, and he declared he was then best pleased\nwith.\u201d(53) We can easily believe this. The faithful Christian minister is\nnot a man that is likely to be pleased with his own performances, in any\ncircumstances, and more particularly, when he sees the hour approaching,\nwhen he expects to be called upon, to render an account of his stewardship\nand should his hopes of usefulness have been disappointed, he will be more\ndisposed, even than others, to blame the teacher. Binning, it is not\nimprobable, thought he had done wrong, in discarding from many of his\nsermons formal divisions altogether, and, like many English preachers who\ncame after him, that in passing from one extreme, he had sometimes\nproceeded to another. He may likewise have discovered, when catechizing\nsome of his simple parishioners, that from want of the usual landmarks to\nguide them, they were not always able to follow him, when addressing them\nfrom the pulpit, or to give such a good account of his sermons, as of the\ndiscourses of some other ministers, who in preaching adhered to the rules\nand method of the period.(54)\n\nA small volume, having for its title \u201cEvangelical Beauties of the late\nRev. Hugh Binning,\u201d was prepared for the press, by the Rev. John Brown of\nWhitburn, and published at Edinburgh, in the year 1828. Along with this\ninteresting little work, a letter from the late Dr M\u2019Crie was printed, in\nwhich that judicious and popular writer says, \u201cI am fond of Binning, he is\nthoroughly evangelical, is always in earnest and full of his subject,\nabounds in new and striking thoughts, and has many natural and unaffected\nbeauties in his style and manner of writing. Had he paid a little more\nattention to order and method, and lived to correct his sermons for the\npress, he would, in my opinion, have carried every point of a good and\ngreat preacher. As it is, very few writers please me more. I will rejoice\nif the plan you propose shall be the means of producing a new edition of\nhis works, which are far less known than they deserve to be, and have\nhitherto been chiefly in the hands of that class of persons least\nqualified for relishing some of his distinguishing excellencies.\u201d There\ncan be little doubt, as Dr. M\u2019Crie has here hinted, that in Binning\u2019s\ndiscourses, there is occasionally an apparent neglect of order and method,\nand that we could have wished, for the sake of his hearers particularly,\nor with a view to attract attention and assist the memory, he had more\nfrequently stated the outlines of his plan in two or three general heads.\nBut few surely will feel sorry that his eloquent periods are not broken\ndown into detached fragments, or will wish that he had substituted a dry\ndetail of disjointed particulars for his powerful and impassioned appeals\nto the understanding and feelings of his auditors. Few will wish that he\nhad discussed all his texts in the way he has handled 1 Tim. i. 5.(55) The\npresbytery of Glasgow prescribed to him this text as the subject of one of\nhis probationary discourses. That is the reason, probably, that his\nsermons upon it are composed upon a different plan from his others, and\nmore in accordance with the conventional mode of the day.\n\nAlthough Binning held the doctrine of predestination, in what the enemies\nof that scriptural doctrine consider its most repulsive form, being, like\nSamuel Rutherford, and David Dickson, the author of Therapeutica Sacia,\nand many other eminent divines of that time, a supralapsarian, he was far\nfrom exacting in others a rigid conformity to his particular opinions. It\nis impossible not to admire the Christian spirit that dictated the\nfollowing passage in one of his sermons, \u201cIf we search the scriptures, we\nshall find that they do not entertain us with many and subtile discourses\nof God\u2019s nature, and decrees, and properties, nor do they insist upon the\nmany perplexed questions that are made concerning Christ and his offices,\nabout which so many volumes are spun out, to the infinite distinction of\nthe Christian world. They do not pretend to satisfy your curiosity, but to\nedify your souls, and therefore they hold out God in Christ, as clothed\nwith all his relations to mankind, in all those plain and easy properties,\nthat concern us everlastingly,\u2014his justice, mercy, grace, patience, love,\nholiness, and such like. Now, hence I gather, that the true knowledge of\nGod consists not in the comprehension of all the conclusions that are\ndeduced, and controversies that are discussed anent these things, but\nrather, in the serious and solid apprehension of God, as he hath relation\nto us, and consequently in order and reference to the moving of our\nhearts, to love, and adore, and reverence him, for he is holden out only\nin those garments that are fit to move and affect our hearts. A man may\nknow all these things, and yet not know God himself, for to know him,\ncannot be abstracted from loving him.\u201d(56)\n\nThe practical character of the theology of Binning is not less remarkable.\nHe never lost sight of the connection between truth and the conscience.\nAll who are acquainted with his writings must be aware, that from the\nconsideration of the more profound doctrines of Divine Revelation, he did\nnot permit himself to be deterred by any false humility, or any mistaken\nidea of the incompetency of the human mind to follow in the track of the\nsacred writers. In the works of no author of the period, or of the\ntheological school to which he belonged, shall we find more frequent\nreferences to the high and sacred mysteries of revealed truth. Yet are we\nunable to perceive, in his discourses, any symptoms of the paralyzing\ninfluence, which the discussion of such topics has not unfrequently\nexerted, on the compositions of other equally sound, but less skilful and\ncomprehensive writers. His divinity was drawn immediately from the sacred\nscriptures, and finding it there, not only in its sublime, and often\nmysterious relations to the mind, and purposes of the Almighty, but also\nin its application to the conscience and affections of the finite\ncreature, for whose use it was revealed,\u2014he presented it to his hearers in\nall its native majesty, and at the same in all its practical simplicity.\n\nIn dealing with the consciences of sinners, in particular, this\npeculiarity of Binning is displayed in a manner that is singularly\nstriking. In the sermons of those who are most opposed to the doctrines\nwhich he was at such pains to inculcate, we shall search in vain for more\npungent addresses to the consciences of mankind, or more unfettered\nexhibitions of the gospel as a remedial scheme, in which all the\ndescendants of Adam are warranted to regard themselves as having an\ninterest. Some of his contemporaries were evidently shackled by their\nconceptions of the place which the doctrine of the divine decrees holds in\nthe system of revealed truth. They hesitated to proclaim a free salvation\nand a willing Saviour to all man kind, simply on the ground of their\ncommon destitution as sinners, and they sought to extricate themselves\nfrom the difficulties, arising out of the doctrine of election on the one\nhand, and the common offers of the gospel on the other, by the chilling\nhypothesis, that these offers were made in reality, whatever might be\ntheir form, to convinced, or in the language of the period, \u201csensible\u201d\nsinners only. Binning, spurning at such systematic trammels, took his\nstand upon the clear testimony of God in the gospel. He not only taught\nthat Christ is the Saviour of sinners, but pressed upon every sinner the\noffer of the Saviour. Instead of requiring those whom he addressed, to\naccept of salvation, by the discovery of convictions, or feelings, or any\nthing else in themselves, constructive of an initial work of grace, he\nsimply and unreservedly taught them that sinners, as such, are addressed\nin the gospel, and that all who are sinners have an equal warrant to\naccept freely that which is thus so freely proffered. \u201cI think,\u201d he says,\n\u201ca man should seek nothing in himself whereupon to build his coming to\nChrist. Though it be true, no man can come to a Saviour, till he be\nconvinced of sin and misery, yet no man should seek convictions, as a\nwarrant to come to Christ for salvation. He that is in earnest about this\nquestion, how shall I be saved?\u2014I think he should not spend the time in\nreflecting on, and examination of himself, till he find some thing\npromising in himself, but, from discovered sin and misery, pass\nstraightway over to the grace and mercy of Christ, without any intervening\nsearch of something in himself to warrant him to come. There should be\nnothing before the eye of the soul but sin and misery and absolute\nnecessity, compared with superabounding grace and righteousness in Christ,\nand thus it singly devolves itself over upon Christ, and receives him as\noffered freely, \u2018without money and without price.\u2019 I know it is not\npossible that a soul can receive Christ, till there be some preparatory\nconvincing work of the law, to discover sin and misery. But I hold, that\nto look to any such preparation, and fetch an encouragement or motive\ntherefrom, to believe in Christ, is really to give him a price for his\nfree waters and wine, it is to mix in together, Christ and the law, in the\npoint of our acceptation. And for souls to go about to seek preparations\nfor a time, resolving not at all to consider the promise of the gospel,\ntill they have found them, and satisfaction in them, is nothing else but\nto go about to establish their own righteousness, being ignorant of the\nrighteousness of Christ.\u201d(57)\n\nBinning, however, it will be found, did not give his sanction to the views\nof those who confounded faith in Christ and the assurance of salvation.\nThis was one of the numerous errors of the day. It was prevalent in\nEngland, and along with other heresies, it had no doubt insinuated itself,\nby means of the parliamentary soldiers, into some parts of Scotland. So\nfar from the assurance of salvation being of the essence of faith, or a\nconstant attendant upon it, there are some sincere Christians, we have\nreason to believe, who are all their lifetime strangers to it; while they\nwho have attained to it, from discovering in themselves the fruits and\nevidences of faith, have it oftentimes clouded and suspended. This is\nconsistent with the personal experience of many humble and pious persons,\nand with what we read in the Diaries of many, whose life when upon the\nearth was the best of all proofs that the Spirit of God dwelt in them. It\nis likewise confirmed by the recorded experience of the man according to\nGod\u2019s own heart. If he was at one time elevated with hope, he was at\nanother time depressed by fear. If, when meditating upon the divine love\nand mercy, he was on some occasions filled with peace and joy, he was on\nother occasions, when contemplating his own guilt and unworthiness, a prey\nto grief and perplexity. If he was heard to exclaim, \u201cThou, Lord, hast\nmade me glad through thy work, I will triumph in the works of thy hands,\u201d\nhe was also heard to cry out, \u201cWill the Lord cast off for ever? And will\nhe be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his\npromise fail for evermore?  Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in\nanger shut up his tender mercies?\u201d A man who believes Christ to be the Son\nof God and the Saviour of the world, if he has searched the scriptures,\nhas been made acquainted with the deceitfulness of the human heart, and\nthe devices of our great adversary. It is on this account he does not\nalways feel assured of his salvation. He is afraid that he may be\ndeceiving himself, and be thinking more highly of himself then he ought to\nthink. He has learned, from the parable of the sower, that some \u201creceive\nthe word with joy,\u201d and \u201cfor a while believe,\u201d but as they have \u201cno root,\u201d\nthey \u201cin time of temptation fall away.\u201d This leads him to examine himself,\nand to prove himself, whether he be in the faith. This indeed is what the\napostle has enjoined us all to do, thereby showing that a man may be in\nChrist Jesus, and yet be doubtful of his salvation; and, on the other\nhand, that a man may have a complete assurance of his salvation, and yet\nbe still \u201cin the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.\u201d It is\nfrom the fruits of the Spirit, therefore, that in himself as well as in\nothers, the believer discovers the presence of the Spirit. \u201cBoth in\nphilosophy and divinity, yea, in common sense, it is allowed to reason\nfrom the effects to the causes. Here is burning, therefore here is fire.\nHere is the blossoming of trees and flowers, therefore it is spring, and\nthe sun is turning again in his course. Here is perfect day light,\ntherefore the sun is risen. Here is good fruit growing; therefore here is\na good tree. \u2019Tis a consequence no less sure and infallible, here is\nunfeigned love to the brethren, therefore here is regeneration. Here are\nspiritual motions, affections, desires, acts, and operations, therefore\nhere is spiritual life.\u201d(58)\n\nThese were plainly the sentiments of Binning. He distinguished, with\nlogical precision, between faith in Christ and its consequences. In regard\nto the doctrine of the Antinomians, he says, \u201cThat every man is bound to\npersuade himself at the first, that God hath loved him, and Christ\nredeemed him, is the hope of the hypocrite,\u2014like a spider\u2019s web, which,\nwhen leaned to, shall not stand. That man\u2019s expectation shall perish, he\nhath kindled sparks of his own,\u2014a wild fire, and walketh not in the true\nlight of the word, and so must lie down in sorrow.\u201d(59) Employing language\nvery similar to that of Gillespie, which it would almost seem he had\nbefore him at the moment, he also says, \u201cIf the question be, as it is\nindeed, about the grounds of our assurance, and knowledge of our own\nfaith, certainly it is clear as the noonday, that as the good tree is\nknown by the fruits thereof, and the fire by the heat thereof, so the\nindwelling of faith in the heart is known by its purifying of the heart\nand working by love. It makes a man a new creature, so that he and others\nmay see the difference. Neither is this any derogation to the free grace\nof Christ, or any establishing of our own righteousness, except men be so\nafraid to establish their own righteousness, that they will have no\nholiness at all, but abandon it quite, for fear of trusting in it, which\nis a remedy worse than the disease, because I make it not a ground of my\nacceptation before God, but only a naked evidence of my believing in\nChrist, and being accepted of God, it being known that these have a\nnecessary connexion together in the scriptures, and it being also known\nthat the one is more obvious and easy to be discerned than the other.\u201d(60)\n\nIt will be thought that the Latin quotations, which the author has\nintroduced into his sermons, might have been spared. These show a mind\nrichly stored with classical learning. They are not forced or unnatural.\nAll of them are appropriate, and many of them singularly felicitous. Still\nit will be conceived that they would have appeared with more propriety and\nbetter effect, in an academical disquisition, or a _concio ad clerum_,\nthan in sermons preached in a country church. But in justice to Binning,\nit is proper to observe, he did nothing more than follow the example of\nthe most celebrated preachers who had preceded him. Bishop Burnet remarks\nwith considerable severity of the English divines, who appeared before\nTillotson, Lloyd, and Stillingfleet, that their sermons were \u201cboth long\nand heavy, when all was pye balled, full of many sayings of different\nlanguages.\u201d(61) The sermons of the learned Joseph Mede, who died in 1638,\nare filled not only with Greek and Latin quotations, but with Hebrew, and\nChaldee, and Syriac. But his biographer very ingenuously admits, that when\nhe had occasion to quote from a work written in any of the Eastern\nlanguages, if the testimonies were long, Mede usually gave a Latin version\nof them, \u201cas judging it perhaps more fit and useful to quote them in a\nlanguage which might be understood by all that heard him, even by the\nyounger students, than to make an astonishing clatter, with many words of\na strange sound, and of an unknown sense to some in the auditory.\u201d(62) In\nthe discourses of Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down, who outlived Binning we\nlikewise meet with innumerable quotations, both in Greek and Latin, from\nthe classics and from the fathers. And though we might be disposed to\ninfer the contrary, those discourses were not composed for the benefit of\nthe learned members of a university. As the author himself has informed us\nthey were all preached at Golden Grove, to the family and domestics of his\npatron and perhaps in addition to these, to a few of their neighbours and\nas many of the peasantry on the estate as could understand English.(63)\nThe common people in England were so much accustomed in those days to hear\nLatin spoken in the pulpit, that they were sometimes led to undervalue a\npreacher who did not make some use of it. When Dr. Pollock, the celebrated\norientalist, was presented to the rectory of Childry, near Oxford, he\nconsidered it to be his duty to adapt his instructions to what he thought\nto be the capacity of his rustic parishioners. This made some of them\nlament to one of his friends that he was \u201cno Latiner.\u201d(64) An unseasonable\ndisplay of learning by Dr. Manton, on the other hand, when preaching in\nSt. Paul\u2019s, on some public occasion, instead of awakening admiration,\nsubjected him to a reproof which he felt very keenly. On returning home in\nthe evening, a poor man following him, gently pulled him by the sleeve of\nhis gown, and asked him if he were the gentleman who had preached that day\nbefore my Lord Mayor. He answered he was \u201cSir,\u201d said he, \u201cI came with\nearnest desires after the word of God, and hopes of getting some good to\nmy soul, but I was greatly disappointed, for I could not understand a\ngreat deal of what you said,\u2014you were quite above me.\u201d The Doctor replied,\nwith tears in his eyes, \u201cFriend, if I did not give you a sermon, you have\ngiven me one.\u201d(65) Massillon was one of the first French preachers who\nabstained, in the pulpit, from the use of citations from profane authors.\nIn the first sermon of his \u201cPetit Careme,\u201d he has a quotation from\nSallust. But he does not name the author, nor does he give the words in\nthe original. He merely gives the meaning of them, introducing his\nquotation in this manner, _as one of the ancients says_, \u201ccomme dit un\nancien.\u201d This, it is believed, is the only instance of the kind that is to\nbe found in the sermons of that eloquent preacher.(66)\n\nSome may be desirous to know how it was that a practice so different from\nours, and so much opposed to the good sense and the good taste of modern\ntimes, was formerly so common, or by what arguments it was attempted to be\ndefended. Abraham Wright, one of the Fellows of St John the Baptist\u2019s\nCollege, Oxford, undertook this task. He published a book in 1656, under\nthis title, \u201cFive Sermons in Five several Styles, or Waies of Preaching.\u201d\nThese different ways of preaching were what he characterized as Bishop\nAndrews\u2019 way, Bishop Hall\u2019s way, Dr. Maine and Mr. Cartwright\u2019s way, the\nPresbyterian way, and the Independent way. All of the sermons, with the\nexception of the last, contain specimens of the \u201cBabylonish dialect\u201d of\nthe age. But this, in the estimation of Abraham Wright, was not their\nleast recommendation. \u201cYou are also taught from these leaves,\u201d says\nhe,(67) \u201cthat secular learning is not so heathenish, but it may be made\nChristian. Plato, and Socrates, and Seneca, were not of such a reprobate\nsense, as to stand wholly excommunicate. The same man may be both a poet\nand a prophet, a philosopher and an apostle. Virgil\u2019s fancie was as high\nas the Magi\u2019s star, and might lead wise men in the West as clearly to\ntheir Saviour, as that light did those Eastern sages. And so, likewise,\nSeneca\u2019s positions may become Saint Paul\u2019s text; Aristotle\u2019s metaphysicks\nconvince an atheist of a God, and his demonstrations prove Shiloes advent\nto a Jew. That great apostle of the Gentiles had never converted those\nnations, without the help of their own learning. It was the Gentiles\noratorie, yet not without the Holy Ghost\u2019s rhetorick, that did almost\nperswade Agrippa to be a Christian; and it was the Gentiles poetrie, but\nnot without a Deitie in the verse, that taught the Athenians to know an\nunknown God. By which you see it is possible that Gamaliel\u2019s feet may be a\nstep to an apostleship.\u201d This failed to convince the pious editor of the\nWorks of the ever-memorable John Hales of Eaton, if ever he chanced to see\nit. The learned prebendary, for the purpose of enforcing his arguments\nagainst intemperance, chose to quote the concluding words of the Symposium\nof Xenophon. Lord Hailes was of opinion that this was \u201cimproper in a\npopular discourse,\u201d and therefore he used the liberty to leave out the\nquotation in his edition of the works of the author.\n\nBut this much may likewise be stated in behalf of Binning. He did not\nengage, like some other preachers, his contemporaries, in nice critical\ndiscussions, which could be appreciated, or understood, by none but\nscholars like himself; and when he brought forth a classical quotation in\nhis sermons, if a literal translation did not accompany it, he took care\nat least to put all who heard him in possession of the sentiment which it\ncontained. In this way, none of his hearers were left ignorant of what he\nsaid, while the varied and attractive form in which the important truths\nhe inculcated were exhibited, may have recommended them to that portion of\nhis audience whose minds were more highly cultivated, among whom it is not\nunlikely were some, who, on account of his fame, may have come to hear\nhim, more or less frequently, from the contiguous city and university.\n\nWhen Binning quotes the sacred scriptures, it will be perceived he does\nnot always make use of the authorized version. In the Case of Conscience,\nhe appears to do this; but we find from the old manuscript already\nreferred to, that he sometimes contented himself with mentioning the\nchapter and verse to which he wished to direct attention, without giving\nthe words. These, therefore, we may suppose, were added by the\ntranscriber, when the work was about to be printed. It was not till after\nthe death of the author that the nation generally can be said to have\nadopted the translation of the scriptures which was completed in the reign\nof King James, and which is now in common use. Before the introduction\ninto Scotland of what is called the Geneva Bible, the translation of\nTyndale and Coverdale was employed. This was superseded in a great measure\nby the Geneva Bible, which was an English version of the scriptures that\nwas executed in Geneva in the year 1560, by Protestant refugees from\nEngland. In the year 1575, the General Assembly required that every parish\nkirk in Scotland should be provided with a copy of Bassandyne\u2019s edition of\nthe Geneva Bible. The first edition of the present authorized version was\npublished in 1611. But as many preferred the Geneva Bible to it, the\nformer continued to maintain its place in Scotland for some time longer.\nIn Boyd\u2019s \u201cLast Battle of the Soul,\u201d printed at Edinburgh in 1629, the\nGeneva translation is used. It was likewise used by Dr. Balcanquhall in a\nsermon which was preached by him in the presence of Charles the First, in\nthe year 1632, and published under the title of \u201cThe Honour of Christian\nChurches, and the Necessitie of frequenting Divine Service, and Publike\nPrayers in them.\u201d And we learn from Dr. Lee, that so late as the year\n1639, the celebrated Alexander Henderson, in preaching before the General\nAssembly at Edinburgh, read a long text from the Geneva Bible, which, he\ntells us, appears from the proceedings of that Assembly still extant in\nmanuscript.(68) About the time, however, when Binning began to preach, the\nversion now universally adopted seems to have become much more common.\nBinning generally employs it. But he occasionally quotes from the Geneva\ntranslation, and sometimes from memory. It is easy to conceive that, in\nthis transition state of the two versions, he may have been nearly equally\nfamiliar with both, and unable from his recollection at the moment to\ndistinguish the words of the one from those of the other. We therefore\nfind, in point of fact, that when trusting to his memory, he quotes a\npassage of scripture, he sometimes gives it, partly in the language of the\none, and partly in the language of the other translation. One of the texts\nof his first sermon is Rom. xi. 36. The English reading of that text,\naccording to the Geneva version is, \u201cFor of him, and through him, and\n_for_ him are all things;\u201d but according to the authorized version, it is,\n\u201cFor of him, and through him, and _to_ him are all things.\u201d Any person,\nhowever, who reads the sermon attentively, will be convinced, that when\nthe author wrote it, he must have had before him at the time, the Geneva\nversion, and not the other. \u201c \u2018All things,\u2019 says he(69) are of him, and\n_for_ him; but man in a peculiar and proper way. As God in making of man,\nwas pleased of his goodness to stamp him with a character of his own\nimage\u2014and in this he puts a difference between man and other creatures,\nthat he should have more plain and distinct engravings of divine majesty\nupon him, which might show the glory of the workman,\u2014so it appears that he\nis in a singular way made _for_ God, as his last end. As he is set nearer\nGod, as the beginning and cause, than other creatures, so he is placed\nnearer God as the end. All creatures are made _ultimo_, lastly, _for_ God,\nyet they are all made _proxime_, nextly _for_ man.\u201d\n\nThe sacred scriptures are the Christian teacher\u2019s treasury. The knowledge\nof these evinced by the young and interesting author, apprizes us that he\nhad carefully studied them, as his rule of faith and manners. But his\nbeautiful and appropriate illustrations were not derived from the Bible\nalone. The stores of profane history, philosophy, and science, the\napologues and mythology of the ancients, were all made tributary to him.\nHis scholastic habits evidently gave a tinge to his discourses. When\nperusing some of these, we could almost imagine we are listening to the\nyouthful Regent, while delivering, within the walls of the University of\nGlasgow, his dictates to a class of admiring and enthusiastic students. We\nare at once reminded of the \u201cProfessor of Philosophy,\u201d for instance, when\nwe find him borrowing from Plato, and other ancient philosophers, such\nnames as these, applied by them \u201cto the unknown God\u201d \u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf \u03bf\u03bd,(70) \u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf\n\u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u03c5\u03bc\u03b1,(71) and _primum intelligibile, et primum intelligens_,(72) when he\nmakes mention of \u201cthe astronomers\u201d who \u201cdo cut and carve in their\nimagination cycles, orbs, and epicycles, in the heavens, because of the\nvarious and different appearances and motions of stars in them, whereas it\nmay be, really, there is but one celestial body in which all these various\nlights and motions do appear,\u201d(73) and when he tells us, that \u201cif two\nsuperficies were exactly plain and smooth, they could join so closely\ntogether, that no air could come between them, and then they could hardly\nbe pulled asunder.\u201d(74) All the while, however, it is evident that the\nknowledge of the philosopher is made subservient to the nobler purposes of\nthe divine. The idea never occurs to us, that his secular learning is\nproduced for display, and not to give interest to a sacred subject, or to\nfurnish him with the means of explaining it.\n\nThe following extract will show the holy use to which the pious author\nconsecrated his knowledge of \u201cphysiology,\u201d which, when a Regent he was\nbound to teach, by the foundation charter of the University\u2014\u201cWe can do\nnothing except we have some pattern or copy before us, but now, upon this\nground which God hath laid man may fancy many superstructures. But when he\nstretched out the heaven, and laid the foundation of the earth, \u2018who,\nbeing his counsellor taught him?\u2019 At whom did his Spirit take counsel?\nCertainly, none of all these things would have entered into the heart of\nman to consider or contrive, Isa. xl. 12, 13. Some ruder spirits do gaze\nupon the huge and prodigious pieces of the creation, as whales and\nelephants, &c., but a wise Solomon will go to the school of the ant to\nlearn the wisdom of God, and choose out such a simple and mean creature\nfor the object of his admiration. Certainly there are wonders in the\nsmallest and most inconsiderable creatures which faith can contemplate. O\nthe curious ingenuity and draught of the finger of God, in the composition\nof flies, bees, flowers, &c. Men ordinarily admire more some extraordinary\nthings, but the truth is, the whole course of nature is one continued\nwonder, and that greater than any of the Lord\u2019s works without the line.\nThe straight and regular line of the wisdom of God, who, in one constant\ncourse and tenor, hath ordained the actions of all his creatures,\ncomprehends more wonders and mysteries, as the course of the sun, the\nmotion of the sea, the hanging of the earth in the empty place upon\nnothing. These, we say, are the wonders indeed, and comprehend something\nin them which all the wonders of Egypt and the wilderness cannot parallel.\nBut it is the stupid security of men, that are only awakened by some new\nand unusual passages of God\u2019s works beyond that straight line of\nnature.\u201d(75)\n\nFrom an eloquent passage in his sermon on the text (1 John i. 5,) \u201cGod is\nlight,\u201d it will likewise be seen that if Binning spoke, like a\nphilosopher, of the properties of light, his was the language of a\nChristian philosopher\u2014\u201cThe light is, as it were, a visible appearance of\nthe invisible God. He hath covered his invisible nature with this glorious\ngarment, to make himself in a manner visible to man. It is true, that\nlight is but, as it were, a shadow of that inaccessible light, _umbra\nDei_. It is the dark shadow of God, who is himself infinitely more\nbeautiful and glorious. But yet, as to us, it hath greater glory and\nmajesty in it, than any creature besides. It is the chief of the works of\nGod, without which the world would be without form and void. It is the\nvery beauty of the creation, that which gives lustre and amiableness to\nall that is in it, without which the pleasantest paradise would become a\nwilderness, and this beautiful structure, and adorned palace of the world,\na loathsome dungeon. Besides the admirable beauty of it, it hath a\nwonderful swift conveyance throughout the whole world, the upper and\nlower, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. It is carried from the one\nend of heaven to the other in a moment, and who can say by what way the\nlight is parted? Job xxxviii. 24. Moreover, it carries alongst with it a\nbeautiful influence, and a refreshing heat and warmness, which is the very\nlife and subsistence of all the creatures below. And so, as there is\nnothing so beautiful, so nothing so universally and highly profitable. And\nto all this, add that singular property of it, that it is not capable of\ninfection, it is of such absolute purity, that it can communicate itself\nto the dunghill, as well as to the garden, without receiving any mixture\nfrom it. In all the impurities it meets withal, it remains unmixed and\nuntainted, and preserves its own nature entire. Now you may perceive, that\nthere is nothing visible that is fitter to resemble the invisible God,\nthan this glorious, beautiful, pure, and universally communicable\ncreature, light.\u2026\n\n\u201cThen add unto this, to make up the resemblance fuller, the bounty and\nbenignity of his influence upon the world, the flowings forth of his\ninfinite goodness, that enrich the whole earth. Look, as the sun is the\ngreatest and most universal benefactor,\u2014his influence and heat is the very\nrenovation of the world. It makes all new, and green, and flourishing; it\nputs a youth upon the world, and so is the very spring and fountain of\nlife to all sublunary things. How much is that true of the true light, of\nthe substantial, of whom this sun is but a shadow!\u2026\n\n\u201cAnd to complete the resemblance more, there may be something of the\ninfallibility and incomprehensibility of the divine majesty here\nrepresented. For though nothing be clearer than the light, yet there is\nnothing in its own nature darker than light, that which is so manifest to\nthe eyes, how obscure is it to the understanding. Many debates and\ninquiries have been about it, but yet it is not known what that is by\nwhich we know all things. Certainly such is the divine light. It is\ninconceivable and inexpressible, therefore is he said to dwell in light\ninaccessible and full of glory, 1 Tim. vi. 16. There is a twofold darkness\nthat hinders us to see God, a darkness of ignorance in us, and a darkness\nof inaccessible light in him. The one is a vail upon our hearts, which\nblinds and darkens the souls of men, that they do not see that which is\nmanifest of God even in his works. O that cloud of unbelief that is spread\nover our souls, which hinders the glorious rays of that divine light to\nshine into them. This darkness Satan contributes much to, who is the\nprince of darkness, 2 Cor. iv. 4. This makes the most part of souls like\ndungeons within, when the glorious light of the gospel surrounds them\nwithout. This earthliness and carnality of our hearts makes them like the\nearth, receive only the light in the upper and outward superfice, and not\nsuffer it to be transmitted into our hearts to change them. But when it\npleaseth him, who at the first, by a word of power, commanded light to\nshine out of darkness, he can scatter that cloud of ignorance, and draw\naway the vail of unbelief, and can by his power and art, so transform the\nsoul, as to remove its earthly quality, and make it transparent and pure,\nand then the light will shine into the heart, and get free access into the\nsoul. But though this darkness were wholly removed, there is another\ndarkness, that ariseth not from the want of light, but from the excessive\nsuperabundance of light,\u2014_caligo lucis nimi\u00e6_, that is, a divine darkness,\na darkness of glory, such an infinite excess and superplus of light and\nglory above all created capacities, that it dazzles and confounds all\nmortal or created understandings. We see some shadows of this, if we look\nup to the clear sun. We are able to see nothing for too much light. There\nis such an infinite disproportion here between the eye of our mind, and\nthis divine light of glory, that if we curiously pry into it, it is rather\nconfounding and astonishing, and therefore it fills the souls of saints\nwith continual silent admiration and adoration.\u201d(76)\n\nThe comparisons, employed by Binning, have sometimes a degree of\nquaintness in them which is far from being displeasing, if it does not\nheighten their effect, as when he observes of that Great Being, whose\nthoughts are not as our thoughts, that he \u201cspeaks in our terms, and _like\nnurses with their children_, uses our own dialect.\u201d(77) He employs an\nequally vivid, though somewhat quaint comparison, when he observes, that\n\u201cthe best way to behold the sun, is to look at it _in a pail of water_,\nand the surest way to know God by, is to take him up in a state of\nhumiliation and condescension, as the sun in the rainbow, in his words and\nworks, which are mirrors of the divine power and goodness, and do reflect\nupon the hearts and eyes of all men the beams of that uncreated\nlight.\u201d(78) We are offended, however, with the homeliness of such\nexpressions as these, \u201csin\u2019s ugly face,\u201d(79) \u201cour legs are cut off by\nsin,\u201d(80) \u201cthe legs of the soul,\u201d(81) men opposing God are \u201clike dogs\nbarking at the moon,\u201d(82) \u201cthe pull of the Father\u2019s arm,\u201d(83) the\nChristian is \u201con speaking terms with God,\u201d(84) \u201che drives a trade with\nheaven,\u201d(85) Christ \u201ctook up a shop, as it were, in our flesh, that he\nmight work in us.\u201d(86) Nevertheless, an obvious excuse suggests itself to\nus for the employment, by the author, of these, and such like familiar\nexpressions, which are besides of singularly rare occurrence in his\nwritings. The great object which a Christian minister, like Binning, will\nconstantly propose to himself, when addressing his people, will be, to\nmake himself useful to them. But he knows he cannot be useful, without\nbeing intelligible to his audience. He is thus led sometimes to lower his\nstyle, as well as to simplify his ideas, that he may reach the\nunderstandings and hearts of the youngest and the most illiterate among\nhis hearers. This was evidently Binning\u2019s case. To the least intelligent\nof those whom he addressed, he sometimes spoke in their own dialect, or,\nto adopt his own comparison, \u201clike nurses with their children.\u201d In so far\nas he did this, he followed the maxim of the great German Reformer. _Hi\nsunt optimi ad populum concionatores_, said Luther, _qui pueriliter,\npopulariter, et quam simplicis sime docent_. \u201cThey are the best preachers\nto the people, who teach them in a plain, familiar, and perfectly simple\nway.\u201d\n\nA preacher, however, who is desirous to make his instructions exceedingly\nsimple, is in danger of bringing his language too low, or of expressing\nhimself in a manner which may not please persons of refined taste. His own\ngood sense will teach him to avoid this if possible. But in the hurry of\nwriting or speaking, he may not always succeed. When this happens, the\nfault into which he has been betrayed ought to be overlooked by those who\nare aware, that the business of a minister of Christ is not to interest\nmerely, but to convince, not to afford pleasure, but to enlighten,\nreclaim, and admonish, \u201crightly dividing the word of truth.\u201d\n\nIt is right that the reader should know what changes have in the present\nedition been made upon the text of the author. To make the work as perfect\nas possible, it has been carefully collated with the earliest editions\nwhich could be procured of his different writings. From his style being so\nmuch in advance of that of his countrymen in general, at the time he\nlived, it may be supposed that his language has been modernised to a\nconsiderable extent. But such is not the fact. The orthography has been\naltered. Greater attention than formerly has been paid to the punctuation.\nThis was so defective in many places, as completely to obscure and pervert\nthe meaning of the author. The references to scripture have also been\ncorrected in numerous instances. But beyond this, nothing almost whatever\nhas been done, with the exception of the occasional emendation of what,\naccording to existing rules, would now be considered an ungrammatical\nexpression, or the substitution of a modern word for one that was obsolete\nor provincial. The text itself, however, will show that very few changes\nindeed of this description have been ventured upon. It was thought better,\nfor various reasons, that the author should be allowed to speak in his own\nfamiliar tongue, than that he should be transformed into a modern\npreacher. The remodelling of his style might have made it more agreeable\nto some readers, but it would no longer have been the style of Binning,\nnor characteristic of his age and country. His language, moreover, would\nhave lost much of its raciness in the attempt to mellow it.\n\nAn explanation of such words as have been employed by Binning, and are not\nnow in common use, or generally understood beyond the limits of Scotland,\nhas been given in the Notes. Many of his Latin quotations, when not\ntranslated by himself, have likewise been explained, and verified, and\ntheir authors pointed out. This, it is confessed, has been a very irksome\nand laborious undertaking. As the classical quotations of the author, like\nhis quotations from scripture, have not unfrequently been made from\nmemory, the difficulty of tracing them to their proper sources was thereby\nmuch increased. The necessary books were not always at hand to consult,\nand even when these were obtained, it was sometimes found to be\nimpossible, after the most patient research, to discover the place where\nthe saying of some ancient writer was concealed. There are few notes\ncomparatively attached to the first part of the work, as the printing of\nit commenced sooner than was expected. To supply this defect, some\n_Notanda_ have been inserted after the Life of the Author.\n\nBut in addition to some of the classical quotations of the author, various\nhistorical allusions required to be elucidated, along with certain obscure\nreferences to passing events, and the opinions and proceedings of\ndifferent sects and parties. It is not pretended that every thing of this\nkind has had light thrown upon it. But I can say this much with\nconfidence, that it has been my constant endeavour to discover the latent\nor partially disclosed meaning of the author, and to give to the candid\nreader the benefit of my researches, and of any knowledge, which, in\nconsequence of my position, I possessed, of a minister of the Church of\nScotland, of whom I deem it no small honour to have been a successor.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nWhen this edition of the works of the Rev. Hugh Binning had nearly passed\nthrough the press, the Editor had unexpectedly put into his hands a\nmanuscript volume of the sermons of the author. About fifty of these, he\nfinds, on examination, have never been printed, most of which have been\ntranscribed by the Rev. Robert Macward, whose handwriting is perfectly\nwell known. The remaining part of the volume contains the forty sermons on\nthe eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, entitled \u201cThe Sinner\u2019s\nSanctuary.\u201d These are believed to be in the handwriting of Binning\nhimself. There can be no doubt whatever that this is the manuscript volume\nin folio, which is described in the preface to \u201cSeveral Sermons upon the\nmost important Subjects of Practical Religion,\u201d dated \u201cBrousterland, Sept.\n12th, 1760.\u201d It is there said to have been for \u201cmany years concealed in\nthe library of John Graham, a pious and learned man, much abstracted from\nthe world, who was a near relation of Mr. M\u2019Ward\u2019s, with a large\ncollection of Mr. M\u2019Ward\u2019s own papers, which are yet among the curious and\nlarge collection of manuscripts, that were left by Mr. Wodrow, the author\nof the History of the Sufferings of this Church, to his sons\u201d (Pp. xix,\nxx.). The writer of that preface also tells us, that he had in his\npossession a \u201cquarto volume\u201d of manuscript sermons, belonging to Binning.\nThe Editor has not been able to ascertain what has become of this latter\nvolume; nor can any thing be learned of the \u201cCourse of Philosophy,\u201d which\nthe author of Binning\u2019s Life, states, he was assured was in the hands of a\ngentleman in Edinburgh, at the time he wrote that Life, which was about\nthe year 1735. (See Life of the Author, p. liv.) The sermons which have\nnot hitherto been printed, and which are contained in the manuscript\nvolume now brought to light, may be expected to be given to the world at\nno distant period.\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE LIFE OF MR. HUGH BINNING.\n\n\nThere being a great demand for the several books that are printed under\nMr. Binning\u2019s name, it was judged proper to undertake a new and correct\nimpression of them in one volume. This being done, the publishers were\nmuch concerned to have the life of such an useful and eminent minister of\nChrist written, in justice to his memory, and his great services in the\nwork of the gospel, that it might go along with this impression. We living\nnow at so great distance from the time wherein he made a figure in the\nworld, must be at a considerable loss in giving an exact and particular\nrelation. However, his pious and exemplary life may in some measure be\nknown from his writings; and for this end, a great many bright passages\nmight be gathered out of them, which would raise his character highly in\nthe eyes of all good men; for the Rev. Mr. Robert M\u2019Ward, minister in\nGlasgow, observed, \u201cThat his life was his sermons put in print, by which\nmeans they who did forget what he had said in the pulpit, by seeing what\nhe did in his conversation might remember what they had forgot; he lived\nas he spoke, and spoke as he lived.\u201d All due pains have been taken to\nprocure proper materials, and good vouchers of the following narration.\nSome few things are learned from the prefaces prefixed to his several\npieces, by worthy and able divines, who revised and published them; more\naccounts of him were furnished by persons of great credit, on whose\nveracity we can safely rely. But the most remarkable passages in his life\nare happily preserved, in a letter written by Mr. M\u2019Ward,(87) to the Rev.\nMr. James Coleman,(88) sometime minister at Sluys in Flanders. The writer\nof his life must in the entry confess that his part is so small, that he\ncan scarce assume any thing to himself, but the procuring the materials\nfrom others, the copying out of those things that were of any moment, and\ndisposing them in the best and most natural order he could think of;\nhaving studied the strictness of a severe historian, without helping out\nthings with his invention or setting them off by a rhetorical style of\nlanguage. Nay, all that is contained in Mr. M. Ward\u2019s large letter\nconcerning him, is told almost in his very words with a little variation\nof the order wherein he had placed the same, omitting the many long\ndigressions on several subjects which that worthy person judged fit to\ninsist upon, taking occasion from what he had noticed concerning Mr.\nBinning to enlarge on the same.\n\nJohn Binning of Dalvennan was married to Margaret M\u2019Kell, a daughter of\nMr. Matthew M\u2019Kell,(89) minister at Bothwell, and sister to Mr. Hugh\nM\u2019Kell.(90) one of the ministers of Edinburgh; he had by her Mr. Hugh and\nAlexander. The father was possessed of no inconsiderable estate in the\nshire of Ayr, for Mr. Hugh having died before his father, John, the only\nson of Mr. Hugh, was served heir to his grandfather in the lands of\nDalvennan. Alexander, the second son, who died about ten years ago, got\nthe lands of Machrimore, and was married to a daughter of Alexander\nCrawford of Kerse, and is succeeded therein by his son John Binning, at\npresent a writer in Edinburgh.\n\nThe worldly circumstances of the grandfather being so good, he was thereby\nenabled to give his son Hugh a liberal education, the good and desirable\neffects of which appeared very early upon him; the greatness of his spirit\nand capacity gave his parents good ground to conceive the pleasant hope of\nhis being a promising child. When he was at the grammar school, he made so\ngreat proficiency in the knowledge of the Latin tongue, and Roman authors,\nthat he outstripped his condisciples, even such as were some years older\nthan himself. When his fellow schoolboys went to their play and diversion,\nhe declined their society, and choosed to employ himself, either in secret\nduty with God, or conference with religious people. His pastime was to\nrecreate himself in this manner. He had an aversion to sports, games, and\nother diversions, not from any moroseness, or melancholy of temper, being\nrather of an affable, cheerful and debonair disposition, but thinking that\ntime was too precious to be lavished away in these things. Religion and\nreligious exercises were his choice, and the time he had to spare from his\nstudies he spent that way. He began to have sweet familiarity with God,\nand to live in near communion with him, before others began seriously to\nlay to heart their lost and undone condition by nature, and that\nadditional misery they expose themselves to, by walking in a wicked way\nand sinful course. When he arrived at the thirteenth or fourteenth year of\nhis age, he had even then attained so much experience in the ways of God,\nthat the most judicious and exercised Christians in the place confessed\nthey were much edified, strengthened, and comforted by him, nay, that he\nprovoked them to diligence in the duties of religion, being abundantly\nsensible that they were much outrun by a youth.\n\nBefore he was fourteen years old, he entered upon the study of philosophy\nin the university of Glasgow, wherein he made very considerable progress,\nand with as much facility outstripped his fellow students, as he had done\nhis condisciples in the Latin school, by which means, he came to be taken\nnotice of in the college by the professors and students. And at the same\ntime that he made proficiency in the liberal sciences, he advanced\nremarkably in religion. The abstruse depths of philosophy, which are the\ntorture of slow engines and weak capacities, he dived into without any\ntrouble or pain. And notwithstanding his surprising attainments and\nimprovements, his great acumen and ready apprehension of things, whereby\nhe was able to do more in one hour, than others in some days by hard study\nand close application, and though on these accounts he was much respected\nby the eminent ministers of the city, and learned professors of the\nuniversity, yet was he ever humble, never exalted above measure, nor\nswelled with the tympany of pride and self conceit, the common foible and\ndisease of young men of any greatness of spirit.\n\nSo soon as he had finished his course of philosophy, he was made Master of\nArts(91) with great applause, and having furnished his mind with an\nuncommon measure of the ancillary knowledge of letters, he began the study\nof divinity, with a view to serve God in the holy ministry. At which time\nthere happened to be a vacancy in the college of Glasgow, by the\nresignation of Mr. James Dalrymple of Stair, who had been Mr. Binning\u2019s\nMaster. This gentleman was so great and so good a man, that it is\nimpossible to avoid giving an account of some of the remarkable things of\nhis life. The first employment he had, was in the army, being a captain in\nWilliam Earl of Glencairn\u2019s regiment of foot; but as he had made his\nstudies with great application, at the earnest request of the professors\nof the university of Glasgow, he stood as candidate for a chair of\nphilosophy, in a comparative trial, (in buff and scarlet, the military\ndress of those days,) to which he was with great applause preferred. In\nthis station he was greatly esteemed for his uncommon abilities in\nphilosophy, and other parts of learning. But being resolved to follow the\nstudy of the law, he soon resigned his office of professor, and entered\nAdvocate upon the 7th of February, 1648; and quickly distinguished himself\nby his pleadings before the Court of Session, avoiding always to take any\nemployment, either as advocate, or judge, in criminal matters, though\noften respectively pressed to accept of both; which proceeded from a\ndelicacy in his opinion, lest, to wit, he might possibly be the instrument\neither of making the innocent suffer, or to acquit the guilty. In this\nsituation he continued, till the Tender was imposed, when he, with many\nother eminent lawyers, withdrew from the bar. On June 26th, 1657, he was,\nby a commission signed by General Monk,(92) in name of the Protector\u2019s\ncouncil of Scotland, appointed to be one of the Judges, which was soon\nconfirmed by a nomination directly from the Protector himself, in the\nmonth of July thereafter, which he had no inclination to accept of, being\nhimself no favourer of the usurpation. For as he had been secretary to the\ncommission which had been sent to the king to Breda, he had waited upon\nhis majesty upon his landing in the North. However, being importunately\npressed to accept by many eminent men, and amongst them by several\nministers, who all distinguished between his serving as one of the Council\nunder the Protector, and exercising the office of a Judge, by\nadministrating justice to his fellow subjects, he did accept, and his act\nof admission only bears his giving his oath, _de fideli administratione_.\nAfter the Restoration, he was made by the king one of the ordinary Lords\nof Session, by his majesty\u2019s nomination, dated at Whitehall, February\n13th, 1661-2. And in the year 1671, he was created President of that\nCourt, in the room of Sir John Gilmour of Craigmiller. In the parliament\n1681, he made a great appearance for securing the Protestant religion, and\nby reason of the difficulties of the times, he desired leave of his\nmajesty to retire from business, and live quietly in the country. But in\nthis he was prevented by a commission, dated the 14th of October, 1681,\nwhich having passed the great seal, was produced the 1st of November\nthereafter, by which commission he was superseded as President of the\nSession, and in the year 1682, was obliged for his safety to retire to\nHolland. For though he had the king\u2019s promise that he should live\nundisturbed, yet he was let know that he could not be in safety, and after\nhis retreat to Holland, several unjust but fruitless attempts were made to\nhave him tried for treason, both before the parliament and justiciary, for\nno other reason than that he had always with sincerity and firmness, given\nhis opinion to the king and his ministers, against the measures that were\nthen followed, and which in the following reign, at length brought about\nthe glorious Revolution, at which time, anno 1668, he attended King\nWilliam in that expedition, by the success of which we were most happily\ndelivered from tyranny and slavery. On November 1st, 1689, Sir James\nDalrymple of Stair, his letter as President of the Session was produced\nand recorded, and he was accordingly admitted and restored to his office.\nIn the year 1690 he was created a Viscount upon account of his great\nservices and merit. He published, while in Holland, his Institutions of\nthe law of Scotland, (a more full edition of which came out in 1693,) and\ntwo volumes in folio, of Decisions, from the year 1661, to 1681 inclusive.\nHe also published a system of physics,(93) valued greatly at the time. And\na book entitled, A Vindication of the divine attributes, was also his, in\nwhich there is discovered great force of argument and knowledge. He was\nlooked upon before his death, as the living oracle of our law, and at\npresent his Institutions are appealed to, as containing the true and solid\nprinciples of it.(94)\n\nMr. Binning, who had lately been his scholar, was determined after much\nentreaty, (of which we shall presently give an account,) to stand as a\ncandidate for that post. The Masters of the college, according to the\nusual laudable custom, emitted a programme, and sent it to all the\nuniversities in the kingdom, inviting such as had a mind to dispute for a\nprofession of philosophy, to sist themselves before them, and offer\nthemselves to compete for that preferment, giving assurance that without\npartiality and respect of persons, the place should be conferred upon him\nwho should be found _dignior et doctior_.\n\nThe Ministers of the city of Glasgow considering how much it was the\ninterest of the Church, that well qualified persons be put into the\nprofession of philosophy, and that Universities by this means become most\nuseful seminaries for the Church; and that such as had served as Regents\nin the college, were ordinarily brought out to the ministry, who, as the\nDivinity chairs became vacant, were advanced to that honour,\u2014many\ninstances of which I am able to condescend upon, and they knowing that Mr.\nBinning was eminently pious, and one of a solid judgment, as well as of a\nbright genius, set upon him to sist himself among the other competitors,\nbut had great difficulty to overcome his modesty. However, they at last\nprevailed with him to declare, before the Masters, his willingness to\nundertake the dispute with others.\n\nThere were two candidates more, one of them had the advantage of great\ninterest with Doctor Strang, principal of the college at that time, and\nthe other a scholar of great abilities, and of the same sentiments with\nthe Doctor, in some problematical points of divinity, which with great\nsubtilty had been debated in the schools. Mr. Binning so managed the\ndispute and acquitted himself in all the parts of trial, that to the\nconviction of the judges he very much darkened his rivals. And as to the\nprecise point of qualification, in respect of literature, cut off all\nshadow of a demur and pretence of difficulty in the decision. However, the\nDoctor and some of the Faculty who joined him, though they could not\npretend that the candidate they appeared for, had an equality, much less a\nsuperiority in the dispute, yet they argued, a _c\u0153teris paribus_, that the\nperson they inclined to prefer, being a citizen & son, having a good\ncompetency of learning, and being a person of more years, had greater\nexperience than Mr. Binning could be supposed to have, and consequently\nwas more fit to be a teacher of youth. Mr. Binning being but yesterday a\nfellow student with those he was to teach, it was not to be expected, that\nthe students would behave to him with that respect and regard which should\nbe paid to a master. But to this it was replied, that Mr. Binning was such\na pregnant scholar, so wise and sedate as to be above all the follies and\nvanities of youth, that he knew very well how to let no man despise his\nyouth, his wit was neither vain nor light, and his fancy was obedient to\nhis reason, and what was wanting in years was sufficiently made up by his\nsingular endowments, and more than ordinary qualifications. A Member of\nthe Faculty, perceiving the struggle among them to be great (and indeed\nthe affair seemed to have been argued very plausibly on both sides),\nproposed a dispute between the two candidates extempore, upon any subject\nthey should be pleased to prescribe. This being considered by the Faculty,\ndid quickly put a period to the division among them, and those who had\nopposed him not being willing to engage their friend again in the lists,\nwith such an able antagonist, yielded the question, and Mr. Binning was\nelected.(95)\n\nMr. Binning was not full nineteen years of age, when he commenced Regent\nand Professor of Philosophy,(96) and though he had not time to prepare a\nsystem of any part of his profession, being instantly after his election\nto take up his class, yet such was the quickness and fertility of his\ninvention, the tenaciousness of his memory, and the solidity of his\njudgment, that his dictates(97) to the scholars had a great depth of\nlearning of that kind, and perspicuity of expression. And I am assured,\nthat he was among the first in Scotland that began to reform Philosophy\nfrom the barbarous terms, and unintelligible distinctions of the\nschoolmen, and the many vain disputes and trifling subtilties, which\nrather perplexed the minds of the youth, than furnished them with solid\nand useful knowledge.(98)\n\nHe continued in this profession for the space of three years, and\ndischarged his trust so well, that he gained the general applause of the\nuniversity for his academical exercises. And this was the more wonderful,\nthat having turned his thoughts towards the ministry, he carried on his\ntheological studies at the same time, and made vast improvements therein,\nto which he was enabled, by his deep penetration, and a memory so\nretentive, that he scarcely forgot any thing he had read or heard. It was\neasy and ordinary for him to transcribe any sermon, after he returned to\nhis chamber, at such a full length, as that the intelligent and judicious\nreader who heard it preached  should not find one sentence to be wanting.\n\nDuring this period of his life, he gave a proof and evidence of the great\nprogress he had made in the knowledge of Divinity, by a composure on that\nchoice passage of the Holy Scripture, 2 Cor. v. 14, \u201cFor the love of God\nconstraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then\nwere all dead.\u201d\n\nThis performance he sent to a certain gentlewoman for her private\nedification, who had been detained at Edinburgh for a long time with\nbusiness of importance, and having perused the same, she judged it was a\nsermon of some eminent minister in the West of Scotland, and put it into\nthe hands of the then Provost of Edinburgh for his opinion, who was so\nwell satisfied with it, that supposing it to be taken from the mouth of\none whom the city had formerly resolved to call, was restless till a call\nwas brought about to him, to be one of the ministers of the city. But when\nthe lady returned back to Glasgow, she found her mistake, by Mr. Binning\u2019s\nasking the discourse from her. This was the first discovery he had given\nof his great dexterity and ability in explaining of Scripture. At the\nexpiration of his third year as a professor of philosophy, the parish of\nGovan, which lies adjacent to the city of Glasgow, and is within the\nbounds of that presbytery, happened to be vacant. Before this time,(99)\nwhoever was principal of the college of Glasgow, was also minister of\nGovan. For Mr. Robert Boyd of Trochrigg,(100) (a person of very great\nlearning, as his commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians, and his\n_Hecatombe Christiana_ testify) after he had been minister at Vertuille in\nFrance, and professor of Divinity in Saumur, returned to Scotland, and was\nsettled principal of the college, and minister of Govan. But this being\nattended with inconveniences, an alteration was made, and the presbytery\nhaving a view of supplying that vacancy with Mr. Binning, did take him\nupon trials, in order to his being licensed as a preacher(101) and after\nhe was licensed, he did preach at Govan, to the great satisfaction of that\npeople. Mr. Binning was sometime after called and invited to be minister\nof the said parish, which call the presbytery heartily approved of, and\nentered him upon trials for ordination, about the 22d year of his age, and\nas a part of trials, they prescribed to him a common head, _De concursu et\ninfluxu divino cum actionibus creaturarum_,\u2014the occasion of which was,\nthat Dr. Strang, principal of the College, and a member of the presbytery,\nhad vented some peculiar notions upon that profound subject. And having\ndelivered a very elaborate discourse, _viva voce_, to the admiration of\nall who heard it, he gave in, according to custom, his thesis to be\nimpugned by the members of the presbytery, which was the direct antithesis\nof Doctor Strang\u2019s opinion in his dictates to the students on that\ncontroversy. The Doctor being pitched upon to be one of his opponents,\nfound his credit and reputation much engaged, and exerted his metaphysical\nand subtile talent on that occasion. But Mr. Binning maintained his ground\nby the weight and solidity of his defence, to the great satisfaction of\nall that were present, so that some were pleased to say, that young Mr.\nBinning appeared to be the old learned Doctor; Nay, the Doctor himself\nafter the recounter, admiring Mr Binning\u2019s abilities and parts, said,\n\u201cWhere hath this young man got all this learning and reading?\u201d.(102) When\nhe had finished his trials, he had the unanimous approbation of the\npresbytery, nay, their declaration and testimony of his fitness to be one\nof the ministers of the city, upon the first vacancy. And I am assured,\nthat at the very same time the Masters of the University had it in their\nview to bring him back again to their society, whenever the profession of\nDivinity should become vacant.\n\nHe was, considering his age, a prodigy of learning, for before he had\narrived at the 26th year of his life, he had such a large stock of useful\nknowledge, as to be philologus, philosophus, and theologus pr\u00e6stans,(103)\nand might well have been an ornament to the most famous and flourishing\nuniversity in Europe. This was the more astonishing, if we consider his\nweakness and infirmity of body, not being able to read much at one time,\nor to undergo the fatigue of assiduous study. But this was well supplied,\npartly by a memory that retained every thing he heard or read, and partly\nby a solid penetrating judgment, whereby he digested it well, and made it\nhis own, so that with a singular dexterity, he could bring it forth\nseasonably, and communicate it to the use and advantage of others, drained\nfrom the dregs he found about it, or intermixed with it; insomuch that his\nknowledge seemed rather to be born with him, than to have been acquired by\nhard and laborious study.\n\nFrom his childhood he knew the Scriptures, and from a boy had been under\nmuch deep and spiritual exercise, until the time (or a little before it)\nof his entry upon the office of the ministry, when he came to a great calm\nand lasting tranquillity of mind, being mercifully relieved of all those\ndoubtings which had for a long time greatly exercised him, and though he\nwas of a tender and weakly constitution, yet love to Christ, and a concern\nfor the good of precious souls committed to him, constrained him to such\ndiligence in feeding the flock, as to spend himself in the work of the\nministry. It was observed of him, that he was not much averse at any time\nfrom embracing an invitation to preach before the most experienced\nChristians, even the learned professors of the university, and the\nReverend ministers of the city, and when one of his most intimate friends\nnoticed herein a difference from that modesty and self denial, which\nappeared in the whole of his way and conduct, he took the freedom to ask\nhim, how he came to be so easily prevailed with to preach before persons\nof so great experience and judgment, whose eminent gifts and graces he\nhighly valued and esteemed? He made this excellent reply, that when he had\na clear call to mention his blessed Master\u2019s name in any place, he had no\nmore to say, but, \u201cHere am I, send me. What am I that I should resist his\nheavenly call? And when he, whose name is holy and reverend, is spoken of\nand to, and is there present, the presence of no other person is to be\nregarded or dreaded, and under that impression, I forget who is present,\nand who is absent.\u201d\n\nThough he was bookish, and much intent upon the fulfilling of his\nministry, he turned his thoughts to marriage, and did marry a virtuous and\nexcellent person, Mistress Barbara Simpson,(104) daughter of Mr. James\nSimpson, a minister in Ireland.(105) Upon the day on which he was to be\nmarried, he went accompanied with his friends (amongst whom were some\ngrave and worthy ministers) to an adjacent country congregation, upon the\nday of their weekly sermon. The minister of the parish(106) delayed sermon\ntill they should come, hoping to put the work upon one of the ministers he\nexpected to be there. But all of them declining it, he next tried if he\ncould prevail with the bridegroom, and succeeded, though the invitation\nwas not expected, and the nature of the occasion seemed to be somewhat\nalien from his being employed in that work. It was no difficult task to\nhim upon a short warning to preach, having a prompt and ready gift. He was\nnever at a loss for words and matter, and having stepped aside a little\ntime to premeditate and implore his Master\u2019s presence and assistance (for\nhe was ever afraid to be alone in that work) he went immediately to the\npulpit, and preached upon 1 Pet i. 15 \u201cBut as he who hath called you is\nholy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.\u201d At which time, he was\nso remarkably helped, that all acknowledged that God was with him of a\ntruth. And the people of the parish, who had come to hear their own\nminister, (a truly pious and excellent man,) were so surprised and taken\nwith him, as if God, besides his ordinary resident (so Mr. McWard\nexpresses it) had sent them an extraordinary ambassador to negotiate a\npeace between God and them, and a prompt paranymph unto, and a skilful\nsuitor of a spouse for Jesus Christ the blessed Bridegroom, that he might\npresent them as a chaste virgin to this divine Husband.\n\nHowever he studied in his public discourses to condescend to the capacity\nof the meaner sort of hearers, yet it must be owned, that his preaching\ngift was not so much accommodated and suited to a country congregation, as\nit was to the judicious and learned. (107) The subjects of sermons are so\nnumerous and various, and the order of men\u2019s disposing of their thoughts\nupon these subjects so different, that a suit of clothes may be as soon\nmade to answer every man\u2019s back, as a fixed and invariable method may be\nprescribed, that shall agree to every subject, and every man\u2019s taste. Mr.\nBinning\u2019s method was singular and peculiar to himself, much after the\nharanguing way.(108) He was no stranger to the rules of art, and knew well\nhow to make his method subservient to the subjects he handled. And though\nhe tells not his discourse has so many parts, yet it wanted not method, it\nbeing _mani __ mum artis celare artem_.(109) His diction and language is\neasy and fluent, neat and fine, void of all affectation and bombast. His\nstyle is free from starch lusciousness and intricacy, every period has a\nkind of undesigned negligent elegance, which arrests the reader\u2019s\nattention, and makes what he says as apples of gold set in pictures of\nsilver, so that, considering the time when he lived, it might be said,\nthat he had carried the orator\u2019s prize from his cotemporaries in Scotland,\nand was not at that time inferior to the best pulpit orators in England,\nthe English language having got its greatest embellishments and refinings\nbut of late years. In his Sermons, his matter gives life to his words, and\nhis words add a lustre to his matter. That great divine, Mr. James\nDurham,(110) an excellent judge of men, gave this verdict of him, that\n\u201cthere is no speaking after Mr. Binning,\u201d and truly he had the tongue of\nthe learned, and knew how to speak a word in season. The subject-matter of\nhis Sermons is mostly practical, and yet rational and argumentive, fit to\ninform the understanding of his hearers, and move their affections and\nwhen controversies come in his way, he shows great acuteness and judgment\nin discussing and determining them, and no less skill in applying them to\npractice. His discourses are so solid and substantial, so heavenly and\nsublime, that they not only feed but feast the reader, as with marrow and\nfatness. In the most of them, we meet with much of the sublime, expressed\nin a most lofty, pathetic, and moving manner. Mr. M\u2019Waid says in his\nletter, \u201cThat as to the whole of Mr. Binning\u2019s writings, I know no man\u2019s\npen on the heads he hath handled more adapted for edification, or which,\nwith a pleasant violence, will sooner find or force a passage into the\nheart of a judicious experienced reader, and cast fire, even ere he is\naware (O happy surprise!) into his affections, and set them into a flame.\u201d\nAnd in another part of the same letter, he says, \u201cThe subjects he\ndiscourses upon are handled with such a pleasant and profitable variety of\nthought and expression, that the hearer or reader is taken with it, as if\nhe had never met with it before. He was such a skilful scribe, as knew how\nto bring out of his store things new and old; the old with such sweetness\nand savour as it seemed still new, and the new retained its first\nsweetness so as never to grow old.\u201d\n\nHe and some young ministers in the same presbytery, who had been students\nof divinity when he was professor of philosophy, did keep private meetings\nfor Christian fellowship, and their mutual improvement. But finding that\nhe was in danger of being puffed up with the high opinion they had of him,\nhe broke up these meetings, though he still kept up a brotherly\ncorrespondence with them, for the rigorous prosecution of their\nministerial work. He studied to be clothed with humility, and to hide his\nattainments under that veil. Though he wanted not matter and words\nwherewith to please and profit all his hearers, yet at every thought of\nhis appearing in public to speak of God and Christ to men, his soul was\nfilled with a holy tremor, which he vented by saying, \u201cAh! Lord, I am a\nchild and cannot speak. Teach me what I shall say of thee, who cannot\norder my speech by reason of darkness.\u201d In his first Sermon, on the fourth\nquestion of our Shorter Catechism, he expresses himself in a most elegant\nand rapturous manner. \u201cWe are now,\u201d says he, \u201cabout this question, What\nGod is? But who can answer it? Or if answered, who can understand it? It\nshould astonish us in the very entry, to think we are about to speak and\nto hear of his majesty, \u2018whom eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,\u2019 nor hath\nit entered into the heart of any creature to consider what he is. Think\nye, blind men could understand a pertinent discourse of light and colours?\nWould they form any suitable notion of that they had never seen, and\ncannot be known but by seeing? What an ignorant speech would a deaf man\nmake of sound, when a man cannot so much as know what it is, but by\nhearing of it? How then can we speak of God who dwells in inaccessible\nlight, since though we had our eyes opened, yet they are far less\nproportioned to that resplendent brightness, than a blind eye is to the\nsun\u2019s light?\u201d\n\nHe was a great student in the books of creation and providence, and took\nmuch pleasure in meditating upon what is written in these volumes. The\nwonders he discovered in both, led him up to the infinitely wise and\npowerful Maker and Preserver of all things. Once, when he came to visit a\ngentleman of good learning, and his intimate acquaintance, the gentleman\ntook him to his garden, and in their walk he discoursed with him to his\ngreat surprise of the objective declarations, which every thing makes of\nits Almighty Creator and talked of the wisdom and goodness of God,\nparticularly in clothing the earth with a green garb, rather than with a\ngarment of any other colour, and having plucked a flower from it, he made\na most savoury spiritual discourse. He so dissected and anatomized the\nsame, as to set forth the glorious perfections of its Maker in a most\ntaking and entertaining manner.\n\nBut the main object of his pious and devout contemplations was God in\nChrist reconciling the world to himself. For God who commanded the light\nto shine out of darkness, had shined into his heart to give him the light\nof the knowledge of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, so that he not only\nunderstood the mysteries of the kingdom of God himself, but it was given\nto him to make others know them. His preaching was in the demonstration of\nthe Spirit, and of power. His Sermons are the very transcript of what had\npast betwixt God and his own soul. He spoke and wrote his experimental\nknowledge, and did both speak and write because he believed He did\nearnestly contend for the articles of faith and truths of religion, and\ncould never think of parting with one hoof, or the least grain of truth,\nbeing persuaded, that Christian concord must have truth for its\nfoundation, and holiness for its attendant, without which it will decline\ninto a defection, and degenerate into a conspiracy against religion. As to\nthe duties of Christianity, he enforced the performance of these with all\nthe arguments of persuasion, so that, through the blessing of God, his\npulpit discourses became the power of God to the illumination of the\nunderstandings of his hearers, the renovation of their natures, the\nreformation of their lives, and the salvation of their souls.\n\nThe difficult part of a reprover he acted in the most prudent and gaining\nmanner, when he did lick with his tongue the mote out of his brother\u2019s\neye, he did it with all tenderness, and with the tear in his own. His\nwords wanted neither point nor edge for drawing the blood, when the case\nof the offender made it an indispensable duty; and when he was\nnecessitated to use sharpness with any, they were convinced that he\nhonestly and sincerely intended their spiritual good. His compassion on\nthe ignorant and them that were out of the way, made it evident how much\nhe considered himself as encompassed with infirmities, and so within the\nhazard of being tempted.\n\nHe was a person of exemplary moderation and sobriety of spirit, had\nhealing methods much at heart, and studied to promote love and peace among\nhis brethren in the ministry. He vigorously contributed to the recovery of\nthe humanity of Christianity, which had been much lost in the differences\nof the times, and the animosities which followed thereupon. These virtues\nand graces had such an ascendant in his soul, that when he carried coals\nabout with him, taken from the altar to warm the souls of all, with whom\nhe conversed, with love to God, his truths, interests and people, so he\ncarried sanctuary water about with him to cool and extinguish what of\nundue passion he perceived to accompany the zeal of good and well\ndesigning persons; a temper that is rarely found in one of his age. But\nripe harvest grapes were found upon this vine in the beginning of spring;\nand no wonder, since he lived so near the Sun of Righteousness, and lay\nunder the plentiful showers of divine grace, and the ripening influences\nof the Holy Spirit.\n\nThe prevailing of the English sectarians under Oliver Cromwell, to the\noverthrow of the Presbyterian interest in England, and the various\nattempts which they made in Scotland, on the constitution and discipline\nof this church, was one of the greatest difficulties which the ministry\nhad then to struggle with. Upon this he made the following most excellent\nreflection, in a Sermon preached on a day of public humiliation, \u201cWhat if\nthe Lord hath defaced all that his kingdom was instrumental in building up\nin England, that he alone may have the glory in a second temple more\nglorious?\u201d(111) And when he observed, that the zeal of many for the Solemn\nLeague and Covenant, (by which they were sworn to endeavour the\npreservation of the reformed religion in Scotland, and the reformation of\nreligion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland,) was not attended with a\nsuitable amendment of their own lives, he takes up a bitter lamentation\nover them in a very remarkable paragraph. \u201cAlas! we deceive ourselves with\nthe noise of a covenant, and a cause of God, we cry it up as an antidote\nagainst all evils, use it as a charm, even as the Jews did their temple,\nand in the mean time we do not care how we walk before God, or with our\nneighbours. Well, thus saith the Lord, \u2018Trust ye not in lying words,\nsaying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the\nLord are these. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings, if ye\nthroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; if ye oppress\nnot the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent\nblood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt,\u2019 &c. Jer.\nvii. 4-6. If drunkenness reign among you, if filthiness, swearing,\noppression, cruelty reign among you, your covenant is but a lie, all your\nprofessions are but lying words, and shall never keep you in your\ninheritances and dwellings. The Lord tells you what he requires of you, is\nit not to do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with God? Mic. vi. 8.\nThis is that which the grace of God teaches, to deny \u2018ungodliness and\nworldly lusts,\u2019 and to \u2018live soberly, righteously, and godly,\u2019 towards\nGod, your neighbour, and yourself, Tit. ii. 11, 12, and this he prefers to\nyour public ordinances, your fasting, covenanting, preaching, and such\nlike.\u201d(112)\n\nWhen the unhappy distinction betwixt the public Resolutioners and\nProtesters(113) took place in this church. Mr. Binning was of the last\ndenomination. This distinction proved to be of fatal consequences. He saw\nsome of the evils of it in his own time, and being of a catholic and\nhealing spirit, with a view to the cementing of differences, he wrote an\nexcellent Treatise of Christian love,(114) which contains very strong and\npathetic passages, most apposite to this subject, some of which we will\nafterwards have occasion to quote. He was no fomenter of faction, but\nstudious of the public tranquillity. He was a man of moderate principles\nand temperate passions. He was far from being confident, or vehement in\nthe managing of public affairs, never imposing or overbearing upon others,\nbut willingly hearkened to advice, and yielded to reason.\n\nAfter he had laboured four years in the ministry, serving God with his\nspirit in the gospel of his Son, whom he preached, warning every man and\nteaching every man in great ministerial wisdom and freedom, that he might\npresent every man perfect in Christ Jesus\u2014whereunto he laboured, strong\naccording to his working, which wrought in him mightily,\u2014;he died of a\nconsumption, when he was scarce come to the prime and vigour of life,\nentering on the twenty sixth year of his age, leaving behind him a sweet\nsavour after he was gone, and an epistle of commendation upon the hearts\nof his hearers. While he lived, he was highly valued and esteemed, having\nbeen a successful instrument of saving himself and them that heard him, of\nturning sinners unto righteousness, and of perfecting the saints, and died\nmuch lamented by all good people, who had the opportunity and advantage of\nknowing him. He was a person of singular piety, of a humble, meek, and\npeaceable temper, a judicious and lively preacher, nay, so extraordinary a\nperson, that he was justly accounted a prodigy for the pregnancy of his\nnatural parts, and his great proficiency in human learning, and knowledge\nof divinity. He was too shining a light to shine long and burned so\nintensely that he was soon put out. But he now shines in the kingdom of\nhis Father, in a more conspicuous and refulgent manner, even as the\nbrightness of the firmament, and as the stars for ever and ever.\n\nThe last Sermons he preached were those on Rom. viii. 14, 15: \u201cFor as many\nas are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not\nreceived the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the\nSpirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.\u201d He concluded the last\nof these discourses with a reflection on these words. \u201cWe cry, Abba,\nFather.\u201d \u201cThis (says he,) is much for our comfort, that from whomsoever,\nand whatsoever corner in the world, prayers come up to him, they cannot\nwant acceptance. All languages, all countries, all places are sanctified\nby Jesus Christ, that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord from the\nends of the earth, shall be saved. And truly it is a sweet meditation to\nthink, that from the ends of the earth the cries of souls are heard; and\nthat the end is as near heaven as the middle, and a wilderness as near as\na paradise, that though we understand not one another, yet we have one\nloving and living Father, that understands all our meanings. And so the\ndifferent languages and dialects of the members of this body make no\nconfusion in heaven, but meet together in his heart and affection, and are\nas one perfume, one incense, sent up from the whole catholic church, which\nis here scattered upon the earth. O that the Lord would persuade us to cry\nthis way to our Father in all our necessities!\u201d(115) Thus having\ncontemplated that subject concerning the adoption of children, he was\ntaken hence to the enjoyment of the inheritance reserved in the heavens\nfor them, and the Spirit called him by death, as the voice did John the\ndivine, Rev. iv. 1, \u201cCome up hither.\u201d\n\nHe was buried in the churchyard of Govan, where Mr. Patrick\nGillespie,(116) then principal of the university of Glasgow, at his own\nproper charges, (as I am credibly informed,) caused a monument(117) to be\nerected for him, on which there is to this day the following inscription\nin Latin:\n\nHIC SITVS EST MR. HVGO BINNINGVS,\nVIR PIETATE, FACVNDIA, DOCTRINA\nCLARVS, PHILOLOGVS, PHILOSOPHVS,\nTHEOLOGVS PRS\u00c6, PR\u00c6CO\nDENIQVE EVANGELII FIDELIS ET\nEXIMIVS, QVI E MEDIO RERVM CVRSV\nSVBLATVS, ANNO \u00c6TATIS 26, DOM\nAVTEM 1653. MVTAVIT PATRIAM NON\nSOCIETEM, EO QVOD VIVVS CVM\nDEO AMBVLAVIT, ET SI QVID VLTRA\nINQVIRAS C\u00c6TERA SILEO, CVM NEC\nTV NEC MARMOR HOC\nCAPIAT\n\nHe left behind him a disconsolate widow, and an only son, called John\nafter the grandfather, to whom the grandfather at his death had left the\nestate of Dalvennan,(118) but John having been engaged in the insurrection\nat Bothwell bridge, anno 1679, it was forfeited, and he continued\ndispossessed of it till the year 1690, when, by the 18th act of parliament\nin the said year, the forfeitures and fines past since the year 1665, to\nthe 5th day of November, 1688, were rescinded.(119) His widow was\nafterwards married to one Mr. James Gordon,(120) a presbyterian minister\nfor some time in the kingdom of Ireland. She lived to a great age, and\ndied in the year 1694, at Paisley in the shire of Renfrew, about four or\nfive miles from Govan; which, when the people of that parish heard, the\nsavoury memory they still had of their worthy pastor, made them to desire\nthe friends of the defunct, to allow them to give her a decent and\nhonourable burial, beside her deceased husband, undertaking to defray all\nthe charges of the funeral, which was done accordingly. And to this day\nMr. Binning is mentioned among them with particular veneration. He was\nsucceeded by Mr David Vetch,(121) who likewise died young.\n\nBefore I conclude this Relation, it is proper I give some account of his\nwritings. The books published at different times under his name, which are\ncontained in this volume, are all posthumous. Wherefore it will not be\nstrange, if the reader shall meet with some passages in them that are less\nperfect and complete, since he did not intend them for the press, and that\nthey want those finishing strokes, which such a masterly pen was able to\ngive them. The good effects his discourses had upon the hearers, and the\nimportunity of many judicious and experienced Christians to have them\npublished, that they might have the same influence on such as should read\nthem, encouraged some worthy ministers to revise and print them. And since\nthese sermons have for a long time had the approbation both of learned\ndivines and serious Christians, they need not any recommendation of mine.\n\nThe first of his works that was printed,(122) is entitled, \u201cThe Common\nPrinciples of the Christian Religion, clearly proved, and singularly\nimproved, or a Practical Catechism, wherein some of the most concerning\nfoundations of our faith are solidly laid down, and that doctrine which is\naccording to godliness, is sweetly, yet pungently pressed home, and most\nsatisfyingly handled.\u201d Mr. M\u2019Ward speaking of this performance, says,\n\u201cThat it was not designed for the press, that it contained only his notes\non those subjects he preached to his flock, and which he wrote (I suppose\nhe means(123) in a fair hand) for the private use and edification of a\nfriend, from whom he had them, and when put into his hand to be revised,\nhe says, he did not so much as alter, or add one word, to make the sense\nmore plain, full, or emphatical.\u201d This book is an excellent exposition of\nthe Westminster Catechism, so far as it goes, viz. to the twenty first\nquestion, \u201cWho is the Redeemer of God\u2019s elect?\u201d Mr. Patrick Gillespie\nwrites a preface to the reader, wherein he expresses his high opinion of\nit in the following encomium. \u201cIn this book Mr. Binning explains many of\nthe fundamental articles of the Christian faith and had he lived to have\nperfected and finished this work, he had been upon this single account\nfamous in the church of Christ.\u201d The Assembly\u2019s Catechism has had many\nexpositions by pious and learned ministers, some of them by way of sermon,\nand others by way of question and answer. But this, so far as it goes, is\nnot inferior to any. A learned layman, Sir Matthew Hales chief justice of\nthe king\u2019s bench, the divine of the state in King Charles II.\u2019s reign,\njudged the Assembly\u2019s Catechism to be an excellent composure, and thought\nit not below him, or unworthy of his pains to consider it. For in the\nsecond part of his \u201cContemplations moral and divine,\u201d we have his most\ninstructive meditations upon the first three questions. These had been the\nemployment of his _hor\u0153 sacr\u0153_, and it is a pity he did not go on to the\nother questions. The shortness of Mr. Binning\u2019s life has deprived us of a\ncomplete course of useful catechetical discourses. This book was so\ngreatly esteemed in this country, that before the year 1718, there had\nbeen no less than five impressions cast off the press,(124) and all these\nbeing sold off, a sixth was made in the said year. As they were much\nvalued at home, so they were highly prized abroad, and as an evidence of\nthis, I find that Mr. James Coleman, minister at Sluys in Flanders,\ntranslated them into the Dutch language.(125)\n\nIn the year 1670, another posthumous work was printed; it is entitled,\n\u201cThe Sinner\u2019s Sanctuary, being forty Sermons upon the Eighth chapter of\nthe Epistle to the Romans, from the first verse down to the sixteenth.\u201d\nThe Publishers in their preface acquaint us, that they were encouraged to\nprint it because the former treatise was universally received by the\nintelligent and judicious in the principles of the Christian faith. In\nthis book, as in all his other writings, the readers will perceive a pure\nstream of piety and learning running through the whole, and a very\npeculiar turn of thought, that exceeds the common rate of writers on this\nchoice part of the Holy Scriptures. Dr. Horton, Dr. Manton, and others,\nhave printed a great number of useful practical discourses, but so far as\nhe goes, he is not exceeded by any of them.\n\nA third treatise was printed at Edinburgh, in the year 1671. The title of\nit is, \u201cFellowship with God, being twenty eight Sermons on the First\nEpistle of John, Chap. 1st, and Chap. 2d, Verses 1, 2, 3.\u201d In this book,\nwe have the true ground and foundation of attaining the spiritual way of\nentertaining fellowship with the Father and the Son, and the blessed\ncondition of such as attain to it, most succinctly and distinctly\nexplained. This book was revised and published by one A. S. who, in his\npreface to the reader, styles himself, his servant in the gospel of our\ndearest Lord and Saviour. I need give no other commendation of it, than\nthat summary eulogium which that minister has left us. \u201cIn a word, (says\nhe,) here are to be found, convictions for atheists, piercing rebukes to\nthe profane, clear instructions to the ignorant, milk to the babes in\nChrist, strong meat for the strong, strength to the weak, quickening and\nreviving for such as faint in the way, restoratives for such as are in a\ndecay, reclamations and loud oyesses after backsliders to recall them,\nbreasts of consolation for Zion\u2019s mourners. And to add no more, here are\nmost excellent counsels and directions to serious seekers of fellowship\nwith God, to guide them in their way, and help them forward to the\nattainment of that fulness of joy which is to be had in fellowship with\nthe Father and the Son.\u201d\n\nThe last treatise that has been printed is, \u201cHeart Humiliation, or\nMiscellany Sermons, preached upon some choice texts at several solemn\noccasions.\u201d These likewise were revised and published by the above A. S.\nin the year [1676]. Mr. Binning considering the great confusions and\nlamentable divisions that prevailed in the church in his day, and the\nabounding immorality and profaneness of the age, was deeply weighed\ntherewith. His righteous soul was so vexed and grieved on these accounts,\nthat he vented his mind in a most pathetic and moving manner, when the\ndays of public humiliation and fasting were observed. With respect to the\nmany fasts then appointed, and the few good effects they had, he says in\nhis sermon on Isa. lxiv. 7\u2014\u201cThere is none that calleth upon thy name, that\nstirreth up himself to take hold of thee,\u201d\u2014\u201cThe fasting days of Scotland\nwill be numbered in the roll of the greatest provocations, because there\nis no real and spiritual conviction of sin among us, custom now hath taken\naway the solemnity, and there remaineth nothing but the very name.\u201d(126)\nAnd in this same sermon, he says, \u201cDoth any of you pray more in private\nthan ye used? Or what edge is upon your prayers? Alas! the Lord will get\ngood leave to go from us, it feareth me we would give Christ a testimonial\nto go over seas. Hold him, hold him! Nay the multitude would be gladly\nquit of him,\u2014they cannot abide his yoke, his work is a burden, his word is\na torment, his discipline is bands and cords, and what heart can ye have\nto keep Christ? What violence can ye offer to him to hold him still? All\nyour entreaties may be fair compliments, but they would never rend his\ngarment.\u201d(127) There are still several manuscripts of Mr. Binning\u2019s\ncarefully preserved, which are in nothing inferior to any of his printed\nworks. There is a valuable Treatise upon Christian Love, consisting of\nseveral sheets writ in a very small character,\u2014it is divided into\nchapters, and several sermons upon very edifying subjects, useful and\nprofitable for our times,\u2014which are designed to be printed in a separate\nvolume, which every body may easily discover from the style and genius of\nthe author to be his genuine writings, his manner of thinking and writing\nbeing a talent so peculiar to himself, that it scarcely can be imitated by\nany other person.\n\nHad it pleased the Almighty to have spared so valuable a life for some\ntime longer, he would have vindicated divinity from the many fruitless\nquestions, unintelligible terms, empty notions, and perplexed subtilties,\nwherewith it had been corrupted for a long time by the schoolmen. As he\nwas excellently fitted for this, so it was much upon his heart to have\nreduced divinity to that native simplicity, which had been lost in most\nparts of the world. A good specimen of his ability this way he hath given\nus in his catechism, and so, though he lived but a short time, he yet\nlived long enough to raise the greatest expectation that hath been known\nof any of his standing.\n\nMr. M\u2019Ward assures us, That if Dr. Strang\u2019s dictates _De Voluntate Dei\ncirca peccata_(128) had been published before Mr. Binning\u2019s death, Mr.\nBinning had an examen of them ready for the press. But this treasure, to\nthe great loss of the learned world, cannot now be found. As for his\nphilosophical writings which he taught in the University, I am assured\nthat his course of philosophy is in the hands of a learned gentleman in\nthis city, who gives them an high commendation.\n\nThere is a book published under his name in 4to, consisting of fifty-one\npages, with this title, \u201cAn Useful Case of Conscience, learnedly and\naccurately discussed and resolved, concerning associations and\nconfederacies with idolaters,  infidels, heretics, malignants or any other\nknown enemies of truth and godliness.\u201d But it is very much questioned by\nthe most intelligent, if that book was really Mr.  Binning\u2019s. The\npublisher does indeed put Mr. Binning\u2019s name to the title page, but\nconceals his own, and he brings no manner of voucher, showing that Mr.\nBinning was the author, but sends it abroad into the world in a\nclandestine manner.  Neither the name of the printer, nor of the place\nwhere it was printed is mentioned in the title page.(129) It was printed\nin the year 1693, when the first General Assembly of this church after the\nRevolution, which consisted of both Public Resolutioners and Protesters,\nhad agreed to bury for ever all their differences about the Public\nResolutions, concerning the question of employing malignants in the army,\nthat was raised against the kingdom of England. It seems that he dreaded\nthe frowns and censure of those worthy and faithful ministers of Jesus\nChrist, who had been a long time in the fire of persecution. But if we\nfurther consider, that our late glorious deliverer, King William, was in\nthe year 1693 engaged in a defensive war with the Emperor of Germany and\nthe King of Spain, against Louis XIV., the bloody tyrant of France and\nterror of Europe, who aimed at the universal monarchy thereof, and to\noverturn the happy revolution, the blessed benefits of which we have\nenjoyed ever since, it is evident, that the publisher was afraid of the\nresentment of the civil powers, especially when the spreading of that\npamphlet might have an unhappy tendency to alienate the affections of his\nsubjects, when he was carrying on that just and necessary war, for the\npreservation of our civil and religious liberties, to which we had been\nbut lately restored. Nay, it is said, that when this pamphlet was\nspreading in the army in Flanders, it was like to have a bad influence on\nthe soldiers, which made King William take an effectual method to suppress\nit. Further, Mr. Binning died in the year 1653, and this pamphlet was not\npublished till the year 1693, so that, for the space of forty years it was\nnever heard of nor made public by any of the Protesters themselves in that\nperiod, which would not have been neglected, had they known that Mr.\nBinning was the author of it. And lastly, Mr. Binning was of a pacific\ntemper, and his sentiments with respect to public differences were\nhealing, which are evident from the accounts already given of his printed\nbooks. And to show that he was a promoter of brotherly love, and of the\npeace of the church, I shall set down a few passages taken from his\nTreatise of Christian Love, which are as bright and strong for\nrecommending the same, as any that I have met with in the writings of any\nof our divines, so that I can\u2019t allow myself to think he could be the\nauthor thereof. In chapter 2d of that Treatise, he says, \u201cThere is a\ngreater moment and weight of Christianity in charity, than in the most\npart of those things for which Christians bite and devour one another. It\nis the fundamental law of the gospel, to which all positive precepts and\nordinances should stoop. Unity in judgment is very needful for the well\nbeing of Christians. But Christ\u2019s last words persuade this, that unity in\naffection is more essential and fundamental. This is the badge he left to\nhis disciples. If we cast away this upon every different apprehension of\nmind, we disown our Master, and disclaim his token and badge.\u201d(130) He\ngoes on in the same strain in the following paragraph\u2014\u201cThe apostle Paul\nputs a high note of commendation upon charity, when he styles it the bond\nof perfection. \u2018Above all things (says he) put on charity, which is the\nbond of perfectness,\u2019 Col. iii. 14. I am sure it hath not so high a place\nin the minds and practice of Christians now, as it hath in the roll of the\nparts and members of the new man here set down. Here it is above all. With\nus it is below all, even below every apprehension of doubtful truths. An\nagreement in the conception of any poor petty controversial matter of the\ntimes, is made the badge of Christianity, and set in an eminent place\nabove all.\u201d(131) And in the same chapter he adds, \u201cThis is the sum of all,\nto worship God in faith and purity, and to love one another. And,\nwhatsoever debates and questions tend to the breach of this bond, and have\nno eminent and remarkable advantage in them, suppose they be conceived to\nbe about matters of conscience, yet the entertaining and prosecuting of\nthem to the prejudice of this, is a manifest violence offered to the law\nof God, which is the rule of conscience. It is a perverting of scripture\nand conscience to a wrong end. I say then, that charity and Christian love\nshould be the moderatrix of all our actions towards men. From thence they\nshould proceed, and according to this rule be formed. I am persuaded if\nthis rule were followed, the present differences in judgment of godly men,\nabout such matters as minister mere questions, would soon be buried in the\ngulf of Christian affection.\u201d(132) I shall mention only another in the\nsame chapter. \u201cIs not charity more excellent than the knowledge and\nacknowledgment of some present questionable matters about government,\ntreaties, and such like, and far more than every punctilio of them? But\nthe apostle goes higher. Suppose a man could spend all his substance upon\nthe maintenance of such an opinion, and give his life for the defence of\nit, though in itself it be commendable, yet if he want charity and love to\nhis brethren, if he overstretch that point of conscience to the breach of\nChristian affection and duties flowing from it, it profits him nothing.\nThen certainly charity must rule our external actions, and have the\npredominant hand in the use of all gifts, and in the venting of all\nopinions.\u201d(133) And now, having given a just character of this eminent\nminister of the gospel, a true account of his life, and some slight\nremarks upon his writings, I shall no longer detain the reader from the\nperusal of those treatises that are contained in this volume; from which\nyou will know more of Mr. Binning, than from all I and others have said in\nhis just praise. I shall now conclude, by acquainting the purchasers and\nreaders of this volume, that I am allowed by the publishers to assure\nthem, that the rest of his practical manuscripts are revising for the\npress; and that with all expedition they shall be printed; from which I am\nhopeful they shall receive as great satisfaction, as from any of his\npieces already published.\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, CLEARLY PROVED, AND\nSINGULARLY IMPROVED; OR, A PRACTICAL CATECHISM.\n\n\n\n\nOriginal Preface.\n\n\nTo The Reader\n\n_Christian Reader_,\u2014The holy and learned author of this little book,\nhaving outrun his years, hastened to a maturity before the ordinary\nseason, insomuch that ripe summer fruit was found with him by the first of\nthe spring, for before he had lived twenty five years complete, he had got\nto be _Philologus_, _Philosophus_, _Theologus eximius_, whereof he gave\nsuitable proofs, by his labours, having first professed in philosophy\nthree years, with high approbation, in the university of Glasgow, and\nthence was translated to the ministry of the gospel in a congregation\nadjacent, where he laboured in the work of the gospel near four years,\nleaving an epistle of commendation upon the hearts of his hearers. But as\nfew burning and shining lights have been of long continuance here so he\n(after he had served his own generation by the will of God, and many had\nrejoiced in his light for a season) was quickly transported to the land of\npromise, in the 26th year of his age. He lived deservedly esteemed and\nbeloved, and died much lamented by all discerning Christians who knew him.\nAnd, indeed, the loss which the churches of Christ, in these parts,\nsustained in his death was the greater upon a double account; first, that\nhe was a person fitted with dexterity to vindicate school divinity and\npractical theology from the superfluity of vain and fruitless perplexing\nquestions wherewith latter times have corrupted both, and had it upon his\nspirit, in all his way to reduce(134) that native gospel simplicity,\nwhich, in most parts of the world where literature is in esteem, and where\nthe gospel is preached, is almost exiled from the school and from the\npulpit,\u2014a specimen whereof the judicious reader may find in this little\ntreatise. Besides, he was a person of eminent moderation and sobriety of\nspirit, (a rare grace in this generation,) whose heart was much drawn\nforth in the study of healing-ways and condescensions of love among\nbrethren, one who longed for the recovering of the _humanity of\nChristianity_, which hath been well near lost in the bitter divisions of\nthese times, and the animosities which have followed thereupon.\n\nThat which gave the rise to the publishing of this part of his\nmanuscripts, was partly the longing of many who knew him after some fruit\nof his labours for the use of the church, and partly the exceeding great\nusefulness of the treatise, wherein, I am bold to say, that some\nfundamentals of the Christian religion, and great mysteries of faith, are\nhandled with the greatest gospel simplicity and most dexterous plainness\nand are brought down to the meanest capacity and vulgar understanding,\nwith abundant evidence of a great height and reach of useful knowledge in\nthe author, who, had he lived to have perfected the explication of the\ngrounds of religion in this manner\u2014as he intended, in his opening the\ncatechism unto his particular congregation\u2014he had been, upon this single\naccount, famous in the churches of Christ. But now, by this imperfect\n_opus posthumum_, thou art left to judge _ex ungue leonem_.\n\nThe author\u2019s method was his peculiar gift, who, being no stranger to the\nrules of art, knew well how to make his method subserve the matter which\nhe handled; for, though he tell not always that his discourse hath so many\nparts, thou mayest not think it wants method, it being _maximum artis\ncelare artem_. That the same Spirit which enabled him to conceive, and\ncommunicate to others, these sweet mysteries of salvation, may help thee\nwith profit to read and peruse them, is the desire of him who is,\n\nThine in the service of the Gospel, PATRICK GILLESPIE\n\n\n\n\n                                Lecture I.\n\n\nGod\u2019s Glory the Chief End of Man\u2019s Being\n\n\n    Rom. xi. 36.\u2014\u201cOf him and through him, and to him, are all things,\n    to whom be glory for ever.\u201d And 1 Cor. x. 31\u2014\u201cWhatsoever ye do, do\n    all to the glory of God.\u201d\n\n\nAll that men have to know, may be comprised under these two heads,\u2014What\ntheir end is, and What is the right way to attain to that end? And all\nthat we have to do, is by any means to seek to compass that end. These are\nthe two cardinal points of a man\u2019s knowledge and exercise. _Quo et qua\neundum est_,\u2014Whither to go, and what way to go. If there be a mistake in\nany of these fundamentals, all is wrong. All arts and sciences have their\nprinciples and grounds that must be presupposed to all solid knowledge and\nright practice, so hath the true religion some fundamental principals\nwhich must be laid to heart and imprinted into the soul, or there can be\nno superstructure of true and saving knowledge and no practice in\nChristianity that can lead to a blessed end. But as the principles are not\nmany, but a few common and easy grounds, from which all the conclusions of\nart are reduced, so the principles of true religion are few and plain;\nthey need neither burden your memory, nor confound your understanding.\nThat which may save you \u201cis nigh thee,\u201d says the apostle, (Rom. x. 8)\n\u201ceven in thy mouth.\u201d It is neither too far above us, nor too far below us.\nBut, alas! your not considering of these common and few and easy grounds\nmakes them both burdensome to the memory, and dark to the understanding.\nAs there is nothing so easy but it becomes difficult of you do it against\nyour will,\u2014_Nihil est tam facile, quin difficile fiat, si invitus\nfeceris_,\u2014so there is nothing so plain, so common, but it becomes dark and\nhard if you do not indeed consider it and lay it to heart.\n\nThat which is, in the first place, to be considered is, Our end. As in all\nother arts and every petty business, it hath the first place of\nconsideration, so especially in the Christian religion. It is the first\ncause of all human actions, and the first principle of all deliberate\nmotions. Except you would walk at random not knowing whither you go, or\nwhat you do, you must once establish this and fix it in your\nintention\u2014What is the great end and purpose wherefore I am created, and\nsent into the world? It this be not either questioned, or not rightly\nconstituted, you cannot but spend your time, _Vel nihil agendo, vel aliud\nagendo, vel male agendo_, you must either do nothing, or nothing to\npurpose, or, that which is worse, that which will undo you. It is\ncertainly the wrong establishing of this one thing that makes the most\npart of our motions either altogether irregular, or unprofitable, or\ndestructive and hurtful. Therefore, as this point hath the first place in\nyour catechism, so it ought to be first of all laid to heart, and pondered\nas the one necessary thing. \u201cOne thing is needful,\u201d says Christ, Luke x.\n42, and if any thing be in a  superlative degree needful, this is it. O\nthat you would choose to consider it, as the necessity and weight of it\nrequire!\n\nWe have read two scriptures, which speak to the ultimate and chief end of\nman, which is the glorifying of God by all our actions and words and\nthoughts. In which we have these things of importance: 1. That God\u2019s glory\nis the end of our being. 2. That God\u2019s glory should be the end of our\ndoing. And, 3. The ground of both these; because both being and doing are\nfrom him, therefore they ought to be both for him. He is the first cause\nof both, and therefore he ought to be the last end of both. \u201cOf him, and\nthrough him, are all things;\u201d and therefore all things are also for him,\nand therefore all things should be done to him.\n\nGod is independent altogether, and self-sufficient. This is his royal\nprerogative, wherein he infinitely transcends all created perfection. He\nis of himself, and for himself; from no other, and for no other, \u201cbut of\nhim, and for him, are all things.\u201d He is the fountain-head; you ought to\nfollow the streams up to it, and then to rest, for you can go no farther.\nBut the creature, even the most perfect work, besides God, it hath these\ntwo ingredients of limitation and imperfection in its bosom: it is from\nanother, and for another. It hath its rise out of the fountain of God\u2019s\nimmense power and goodness, and it must run towards that again, till it\nempty all its faculties and excellencies into that same sea of goodness.\nDependence is the proper notion of a created being,\u2014dependence upon that\ninfinite independent Being, as the first immediate cause, and the last\nimmediate end. You see then that this principle is engraven in the very\nnature of man. It is as certain and evident that man is made for God\u2019s\nglory, and for no other end, as that he is from God\u2019s power, and from no\nother cause. Except men do violate their own conscience, and put out their\nown eyes\u2014as the Gentiles did, Rom. i. 19 &c.\u2014\u201cthat which may be known\u201d of\nman\u2019s chief end, \u201cis manifest in them,\u201d so that all men are \u201cwithout\nexcuse.\u201d As God\u2019s being is independent, so that he cannot be expressed by\nany name more suitable than such as he takes to himself, \u201cI am that I\nam,\u201d\u2014importing a boundless, ineffable, absolute, and transcendent being,\nbeside which, no creature deserves so much as to have the name of being,\nor to be made mention of in one day with his name, because his glorious\nlight makes the poor derived shadow of light in other creatures to\ndisappear, and to evanish out of the world of beings,\u2014so it is the\nglorious perfection of his nature, that he doth \u201call things for himself,\u201d\nProv. xvi. 4, for his own name; and his glory is as dear to him as\nhimself. \u201cI am the Lord, that is my name, and [therefore] my glory will I\nnot give to another,\u201d Isa. xlii. 8; and xlviii. 11. This is no ambition.\nIndeed, for a man to seek his own glory, or search into it, \u201cis not\nglory,\u201d (Prov. xxv. 27), but rather a man\u2019s shame. Self-seeking in\ncreatures is a monstrous and incongruous thing; it is as absurd, and\nunbeseeming a creature, to seek its own glory, as to attribute to itself\nits own being. Shall the thing formed say to the potter, Thou hast not\nmade me? That were ridiculous. And shall the thing formed say, \u2019Tis made\nfor itself? That were as ridiculous. Self-denial is the ornament and\nbeauty of a creature, and therefore humility is an ornament and clothing,\n1 Pet. v. 5; and honour upholds the humble spirit, Prov. xxix. 23. But\nGod\u2019s self-seeking, and seeking of his own glory, is his eminent\nexcellency. It is indeed his glory, because he is, and there is none else;\nthere is nothing, besides him, but that which hath issued forth from his\nincomprehensible fulness. And therefore it is all the reason of the world,\nthat as he is the beginning, so he should be the end of all things, Rev.\ni. 8. And there is the more reason of it, that his majesty\u2019s seeking of\nhis own glory is not prejudicial to the creature\u2019s good, but the very\ncommunication of his fulness goes along with it: so that in glorifying\nhimself, he is most beneficial to his own creatures. Poor creatures,\nindigent at home, are yet proud of nothing, and endeavour, in seeking of\nthemselves, to engross all perfections into their own bosoms! Ambition and\nvainglory robs and spoils others\u2019 excellencies to clothe itself withal;\nand then boasts itself in these borrowed feathers! But our blessed Lord is\nthen doing most for our advantage when he does all for his own glory. He\nneeds not go abroad to seek perfection, but to manifest what he is in\nhimself; he communicates of himself to us. O blessed self-seeking that\ngave us a being and well-being; that makes no advantage by it, but gives\nadvantage! He hath the honour of all, but we have the profit of all.\n\n\u201cAll things are of him, and for him;\u201d but man in a peculiar and proper\nway. As God, in making of man, was pleased of his goodness to stamp him\nwith a character of his own image\u2014and in this he puts a difference between\nman and other creatures, that he should have more plain and distinct\nengravings of divine majesty upon him, which might show the glory of the\nworkman\u2014so it appears that he is in a singular way made for God, as his\nlast end. As he is set nearer God, as the beginning and cause, than other\ncreatures; so he is placed nearer God as the end. All creatures are made\n_ultimo_, lastly, for God, yet they are all made _proximo_, nextly, for\nman. Therefore David falls out a wondering, \u201cLord, what is man, that thou\nart mindful of him,\u201d \u201cand hast made him to have dominion over the works of\nthy hands, and put all things under his feet!\u201d Psal. viii. 4, 6. The\ncreature comes out in a direct line from God, as the beams from the body\nof the sun; and it is directed towards the use and service of mankind,\nfrom whom all the excellency and perfection that is in it should reflect\ntowards God again. Man is both _proximo et ultimo_ for God. We are to\nreturn immediately to the fountain of our being; and thus our happiness\nand well-being is perpetuated. There is nothing intervening between God\nand us that our use and service and honour should be directed towards: but\nall the songs and perfections of the creature, that are among the rest of\nthe creatures, meet all in man as their centre, for this purpose that he\nmay return with them all to the glorious fountain from whence they issued.\nThus we stand next God, and in the middle between God and other creatures.\nThis, I say, was the condition of our creation. We had our being\nimmediately from God, as the beginning of all; and we were to have our\nhappiness and well-being by returning immediately to God as the end of\nall. But sin coming in between God and us, hath displaced us, so that we\ncannot now stand next God, without the intervention of a Mediator; and we\ncannot stand between God and creatures, to offer up their praises to him;\nbut \u201cthere is one Mediator between God and man,\u201d that offers up both man\u2019s\npraises and the creature\u2019s songs which meet in man.\n\nNow, seeing God hath made all things for himself, and especially man for\nhis own glory, that he may show forth in him the glory and excellence of\nhis power, goodness, holiness, justice, and mercy; it is not only most\nreasonable that man should do all things that he doth to the glory of God,\nbut it is even the beauty and perfection of a man,\u2014the greatest accession\nthat can be to his being,\u2014to glorify God by that being. We are not our\nown, therefore we ought not to live to ourselves, but to God whose we are.\n\nBut you may ask, What is it to glorify God? Doth our goodness extend to\nhim? Or is it an advantage to the Almighty that we are righteous? No\nindeed! And herein is the vast difference between God\u2019s glorifying of us\nand sanctifying of us, and our glorifying and sanctifying of him. God\n\u201ccalls things that are not,\u201d and makes them to be: but we can do no more\nbut call things that are, and that far below what they are. God\u2019s\nglorifying is creative,\u2014ours only declarative. He makes us such,\u2014we do no\nmore but declare him to be such. This then is the proper work that man is\ncreated for, to be a witness of God\u2019s glory, and to give testimony to the\nappearances and out-breakings of it in the ways of power and justice and\nmercy and truth. Other creatures are called to glorify God, but it is\nrather a proclamation to dull and senseless men, and a provocation of them\nto their duty. As Christ said to the Pharisees, \u201cIf these children hold\ntheir peace, the stones would cry out,\u201d so may the Lord turn himself from\nstupid and senseless man, to the stones and woods and seas and sun and\nmoon, and exhort them to man\u2019s duty, the more to provoke and stir up our\ndulness, and to make us consider that it is a greater wonder that man,\nwhom God hath made so glorious, can so little express God\u2019s glory, than if\nstupid and senseless creatures should break out in singing and praising of\nhis majesty. The creatures are the books wherein the lines of the song of\nGod\u2019s praises are written; and man is made a creature capable to read\nthem, and to tune that song. They are appointed to bring in brick to our\nhand; and God has fashioned us for this employment, to make such a\nbuilding of it. We are the mouth of the creation; but ere God want praises\nwhen our mouth is dumb, and our ears deaf, God will open the mouths of\nasses, \u201cof babes and sucklings,\u201d and in them perfect praises, Psal. viii.\n1, 2. Epictetus said well, _Si Luscinia essem, canerem ut Luscinia: cum\nautem homo sim, __ quid agam? Laudabo Deum, nec unquam cessabo_\u2014If I were\na lark, I would sing as a lark, but seeing I am a man, what should I do,\nbut praise God without ceasing? It is as proper to us to praise God, as\nfor a bird to chaunt. All beasts have their own sounds and voices peculiar\nto their own nature, this is the natural sound of a man. Now as you would\nthink it monstrous to hear a melodious bird croaking as a raven, so it is\nno less monstrous and degenerate to hear the most part of the discourses\nof men savoring nothing of God. If we had known that innocent estate of\nman, O how would we think he had fallen from heaven! We would imagine that\nwe were thrust down from heaven, where we heard the melodious songs of\nangels, into hell, to hear the howlings of damned spirits. This then is\nthat we are bound unto, by the bond of our creation, this is our proper\noffice and station God once set us into, when he assigned every creature\nits own use and exercise. This was our portion, (and O the noblest of all,\nbecause nearest the King\u2019s own person!) to acknowledge in our hearts\ninwardly, and to expires in our words and actions outwardly, what a One he\nis, according as he hath revealed himself in his word and works. It is\ngreat honour to a creature to have the meanest employment in the court of\nthis great king, but, O, what is it to be set over all the King\u2019s house,\nand over all his kingdom! But, then, what is that in respect of this,\u2014to\nbe next to the King\u2014to wait on his own person, so to speak? Therefore the\ngodly man is described as a waiting maid, or servant. Psal. cxxiii. 2.\n\nWell then, without more discourse upon it, without multiplying of it into\nparticular branches, to glorify God is in our souls to conceive of him,\nand meditate on his name, till they receive the impression and stamp of\nall the letters of his glorious name, and then to express this in our\nwords and actions in commending of him, and obeying of him.  Our souls\nshould be as wax to express the seal of his glorious attributes of\njustice, power, goodness, holiness, and mercy, and as the water that\nreceives the beams of the sun reflects them back again, so should our\nspirits receive the sweet warming beams of his love and glorious\nexcellency, and then reflect them towards his Majesty, with the desires\nand affections of our souls. All our thoughts of him, all our affections\ntowards him, should have the stamp of singularity, such as may declare\nthere is none like him, none besides him, our love, our meditation, our\nacknowledgement should have this character on their front,\u2014\u201cThere is none\nbesides thee; thou art, and none else.\u201d And then a soul should, by the\ncords of affection to him and admiration of him, be bound to serve him.\nCreation puts on the obligation to glorify him in our body and spirits\nwhich are his, but affection only puts that to exercise. All other bonds\nleave our natures at liberty, but this constrains, 2 Cor. v. 14, it binds\non all bonds, it ties on us all divine obligations. Then a soul will\nglorify God, when love so unites it to God, and makes it one spirit with\nhim, that his glory becomes its honour, and becomes the principle of all\nour inward affections and outward actions. It is not always possible to\nhave and express particular thoughts of God and his glory, in every action\nand meditation, but, for the most part it ought to be so. And if souls\nwere accustomed to meditation on God, it would become their very\nnature,\u2014_altera natura_,\u2014pleasant and delightsome. However, if there be\nnot always an express intention of God\u2019s glory, yet there ought to be kept\nalways such a disposition and temper of spirit as it may be construed to\nproceed from the intention of God\u2019s glory, and then it remains in the seed\nand fruit, if not in itself.\n\nNow when we are speaking of the great end and purpose of our creation, we\ncall to mind our lamentable and tragical fall from that blessed station we\nwere constitute into. \u201cAll men have sinned and come short of the glory of\nGod,\u201d Rom. iii. 23. His being in the world was for that glory, and he is\ncome short of that glory. O strange shortcoming! Short of all that he was\nordained for! What is he now meet for? For what purpose is that chief of\nthe works of God now! The salt, if it lose its saltness, is meet for\nnothing, for wherewithal shall it be seasoned? Mark ix. 50. Even so, when\nman is rendered unfit for his proper end, he is meet for nothing, but to\nbe cast out and trode upon, he is like a withered branch that must be cast\ninto the fire, John xv. 6. Some things, if they fail in one use, they are\ngood for another, but the best things are not so,\u2014_Corruptio optimi\npessima_. As the Lord speaks to the house of Israel, \u201cShall wood be taken\nof the vine tree to do any work?\u201d Even so the inhabitants of Jerusalem,\nEzek. xv. 2-6. If it yield not wine, it is good for nothing. So, if man do\nnot glorify God,\u2014if he fall from that,\u2014he is meet for nothing, but to be\ncast into the fire of hell, and burnt for ever, he is for no use in the\ncreation, but to be fuel to the fire of the Lord\u2019s indignation.\n\nBut behold! the goodness of the Lord and his kindness and love hath\n\u201cappeared toward man. Not by works of righteousness which we have done,\nbut according to his mercy he saved us,\u201d \u201cthrough Jesus Christ,\u201d Tit. iii,\n4, 5, 6. Our Lord Jesus, by whom all things were created, and for whom,\nwould not let this excellent workmanship perish so, therefore he goes\nabout the work of redemption,\u2014a second creation more laborious and also\nmore glorious than the first, that so he might glorify his Father and our\nFather. Thus the breach is made up, thus the unsavoury salt is seasoned,\nthus the withered branch is quickened again for that same fruit of praises\nand glorifying of God. This is the end of his second creation, as it was\nof the first: \u201cWe are his workmanship created to good works in Christ\nJesus,\u201d Eph. ii. 10. \u201cThis is the work of God to believe on him whom he\nhath sent, to set to our seal, and to give our testimony to all his\nattributes,\u201d John vi. 29 and iii. 33. We are \u201cbought with a price,\u201d and\ntherefore we ought to glorify him with our souls and bodies. He made us\nwith a soul, and that bound us, but now he has made us again, and paid a\nprice for us, and so we are twice bound not to be our own but his, \u201cand so\nto glorify him in our bodies and spirits,\u201d 1 Cor. vi. ult. I beseech you,\ngather your spirits, call them home about the business. We once came short\nof our end,\u2014God\u2019s glory and our happiness, but know, that it is attainable\nagain. We lost both, but both are found in Christ. Awake then and stir up\nyour spirits, else it shall be double condemnation\u2014when we have the offer\nof being restored to our former blessed condition\u2014to love our present\nmisery better. Once establish this point within your souls, and therefore\nask, Why came I hither? To what purpose am I come into the world? If you\ndo not ask it, what will you answer when he asks you at your appearance\nbefore his tribunal? I beseech you, what will many of you say in that day\nwhen the Master returns and takes an account of your dispensation? You are\nsent into the world only for this business\u2014to serve the Lord. Now what\nwill many of you answer? If you speak the truth (as then you must do\nit,\u2014you cannot lie then!) you must say, \u201cLord, I spent my time in serving\nmy own lusts, I was taken up with other businesses, and had no leisure, I\nwas occupied in my calling,\u201d &c. Even as if an ambassador of a king should\nreturn him this account of his negociation. \u201cI was busy at cards and dice,\nI spent my money, and did wear my clothes.\u201d Though you think your\nploughing and borrowing and trafficking and reaping very necessary, yet\ncertainly these are but as trifles and toys to the main business. O what a\ndreadful account will souls make! They come here for no purpose but to\nserve their bodies and senses, to be slaves to all the creatures which\nwere once put under man\u2019s feet. Now man is under the feet of all, and he\nhas put himself so. If you were of these creatures, then you might be for\nthem. You seek them as if you were created for them, and not they for you,\nand you seek yourselves, as if you were of yourselves, and had not your\ndescent of God. Know, my beloved, that you were not made for that purpose,\nnor yet redeemed either to serve yourselves, or other creatures, but that\nother creatures might serve you, and ye serve God, Luke i. 74, 75. And\nthis is really the best way to serve ourselves and to save ourselves,\u2014to\nserve God. Self seeking is self-destroying, self denying is self-saving,\nsoul saving. \u201cHe that seeketh to save his life shall lose it, and he that\nloseth his life shall find it, and he that denies himself and follows me,\nis my disciple.\u201d Will ye once sit down in good earnest about this\nbusiness? \u2019Tis lamentable to be yet to begin to learn to live, when ye\nmust die! Ye will be out of the world almost, ere ye bethink yourself, Why\ncame I into the world? _Quindam tunc vivere incipiunt, cum desinendum est,\nimo quidam ante vivere desierunt quam inciperent_, this is of all most\nlamentable,\u2014many souls end their life, before they begin to live. For what\nis our life, but a living death, while we do not live to God, and while we\nlive not in relation to the great end of our life and being,\u2014the glory of\nGod? It were better, says Christ, that such \u201chad never been born.\u201d You who\nare created again in Jesus Christ, it most of all concerns you to ask, Why\nam I made? And why am I redeemed? And to what purpose? It is certainly\nthat ye may glorify your heavenly Father, Mat. v. 16; Ps. lvi. 13. And you\nshall glorify him if you bring forth much fruit, and continue in his love,\nJohn xv. 8, 9. And this you are chosen and ordained unto, ver. 16, and\ntherefore abide in him, that ye may bring forth fruit, ver. 4. And if you\nabide in him by believing, you do indeed honour him, and he that honoureth\nthe Son honoureth the Father, John v. 23. Here is a compendious way to\nglorify God. Receive salvation of him freely, righteousness and eternal\nlife, this sets to a seal to God\u2019s truth and grace and mercy, and whoso\ncounts the Son worthy to be a Saviour to them, and sets to their seal of\napprobation to him whom God the Father hath sent and sealed, he also\nhonours the Father, and then he that honoureth the Father, hath it not for\nnothing, \u201cfor them that honour me I will honour,\u201d 1 Sam ii. 30, says the\nLord, and \u201che that serves me, him will my Father honour,\u201d John xii. 26. As\nthe believing soul cares for no other, and respects no other but God, so\nhe respects no other but such a soul. \u201cI will dwell in the humble, and\nlook unto the contrite,\u201d there are mutual respects and honours. God is the\ndelight of such a soul, and such a soul is God\u2019s delight. That soul sets\nGod in a high place, in a throne in its heart, and God sets that soul in a\nheavenly place with Christ, Eph. ii. 6, yea he comes down to sit with us\nand dwells in us, off his throne of majesty, Isa. lxvi. 1, 2, and lvii.\n15.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture II.\n\n\nUnion And Communion With God The End And Design Of The Gospel\n\n\n    Psalm lxxiii. 24-28.\u2014\u201cThou wilt guide me with thy counsel, &c.\n    Whom have I in heaven but thee? &c. It is good for me to draw near\n    to God.\u201d\u20141 John i. 3. \u201cThat which we have seen and heard declare\n    we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly\n    our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus\n    Christ.\u201d\u2014John xvii. 21-23. \u201cThat they all may be one, as thou,\n    Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us,\n    &c.\u201d\n\n\nIt is a matter of great consolation that God\u2019s glory and our happiness are\nlinked together, so that whoever set his glory before them singly to aim\nat, they take the most compendious and certain way to true blessedness.\nHis glory is the ultimate end of man, and should be our great and last\nscope. But our happiness\u2014which consists in the enjoyment of God\u2014is\nsubordinate to this, yet inseparable from it. The end of our creation is\ncommunion and fellowship with God, therefore man was made with an immortal\nsoul capable of it, and this is the greatest dignity and eminency of man\nabove the creatures. He hath not only impressed from God\u2019s finger, in his\nfirst moulding, some characters resembling God, in righteousness and\nholiness, but is created with a capacity of receiving more of God by\ncommunion with him. Other creatures have already all they will have,\u2014all\nthey can have,\u2014of conformity to him, but man is made liker than all, and\nis fitted and fashioned to aspire to more likeness and conformity, so that\nhis soul may shine more and more to the perfect day.\n\nThere was an union made already in his first moulding, and communion was\nto grow as a fragrant and sweet fruit out of this blessed root. Union and\nsimilitude are the ground of fellowship and communion. That union was\ngracious,\u2014that communion would have been glorious, for grace is the seed\nof glory. There was a twofold union between Adam and God,\u2014an union of\nstate, and an union of nature, he was like God, and he was God\u2019s friend.\nAll the creatures had some likeness to God, some engravings of his power\nand goodness and wisdom, but man is said to be made according to God\u2019s\nimage, \u201cLet us make man like unto us.\u201d Other creatures had _similitudinem\nvestiga_, but man had _similitudinem faciet_. Holiness and righteousness\nare God\u2019s face,\u2014the very excellency and glory of all his attributes, and\nthe Lord stamps the image of these upon man. Other attributes are but like\nhis back parts, and he leaves the resemblance of his footsteps upon other\ncreatures. What can be so beautiful as the image of God upon the soul?\nCreatures, the nearer they are to God, the more pure and excellent. We see\nin the fabric of the world, bodies the higher they are, the more pure and\ncleanly, the more beautiful. Now then, what was man that was \u201cmade a\nlittle lower than the angels\u201d?\u2014in the Hebrew, \u201ca little lower than God,\u201d\n_tantum non deus_. Seeing man is set next to God, his glory and beauty\ncertainly surpasses the glory of the sun and of the heavens. Things\ncontiguous and next other are like other. The water is liker air than the\nearth, therefore it is next the air. The air is liker heaven than water,\ntherefore is it next to it. _Omne contiguum spirituali, est spirituale_.\nAngels and men next to God, are spirits, as he is a spirit. Now similitude\nis the ground of friendship. _Pares paribus congregantur, similitudo\nnecessitudims vinculum_. It is that which conciliates affections among\nmen. So it is here by proportion. God sees all is very good, and that man\nis the best of his works and he loves him, and makes him his friend, for\nhis own image which he beholds in him.\n\nAt length from these two roots this pleasant and fragrant fruit of\ncommunion with and enjoyment of God grows up. This is the entertainment of\nfriends, to delight in one another, and to enjoy one another. _Amicorum\nomnia communia_. Love makes all common. It opens the treasure of God\u2019s\nfulness, and makes a vent of divine bounty towards man, and it opens the\nheart of man, and makes it large as the sand of the sea to receive of God.\nOur receiving of his fulness is all the entertainment we can give him. O\nwhat blessedness is this, for a soul to live in him! And it lives in him\nwhen it loves him. _Anima est ubi amat, non ubi animat_. And to taste of\nhis sweetness and be satisfied with him, this makes perfect oneness, and\nperfect oneness with God, who is \u201cthe fountain of life, and in whose\nfavour is life,\u201d is perfect blessedness.\n\nBut we must stand a little here and consider our misery, that have fallen\nfrom such an excellency. How are we come down from heaven wonderfully? Sin\nhas interposed between God and man and this dissolves the union, and\nhinders the communion. An enemy has come between two friends, and puts\nthem at odds, and oh! an eternal odds. Sin hath sown this discord, and\nalienated our hearts from God. Man\u2019s glory consisted in the irradiation of\nthe soul from God\u2019s shining countenance, this made him light, God\u2019s face\nshined on him. But sin interposing has eclipsed that light and brought on\nan eternal night of darkness over the soul. And thus we are spoiled of the\nimage of God, as when the earth comes between the sun and the moon. Now\nthen, there can no beams of divine favour and love break through directly\ntowards us, because of the cloud of our sins, that separates between God\nand us, and because of \u201cthe partition wall,\u201d and \u201cthe hand writing of\nordinances that was against us,\u201d\u2014God\u2019s holy law, and severe justice, Eph.\nii. 14, Col. ii. 14.\n\nThen, what shall we do? How shall we see his face in joy? Certainly it had\nbeen altogether impossible, if our Lord Jesus Christ had not come, who is\n\u201cthe light and life of men.\u201d The Father shines on him, and the beams of\nhis love reflect upon us, from the Son. The love of God, and his\nfavourable countenance, that cannot meet with us in a direct and immediate\nbeam, they fall on us in this blessed compass, by the intervention of a\nmediator. We are rebels standing at a distance from God, Christ comes\nbetween, a mediator and a peace maker, to reconcile us to God. \u201cGod is in\nChrist reconciling the world.\u201d God first makes an union of natures with\nChrist, and so he comes near to us, down to us who could not come up to\nhim, and then he sends out the word of reconciliation,\u2014the gospel, the\ntenor whereof is this, \u201cThat which we have seen and heard declare we unto\nyou, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is\nwith the Father, and with his Son,\u201d 1 John i. 3. It is a voice of peace\nand invitation to the fellowship of God. Behold, then the happiness of man\nis the very end and purpose of the gospel. Christ is the repairer of the\nbreaches, the second Adam aspired to quicken what Adam killed. He hath\n\u201cslain the enmity,\u201d and cancelled the hand writing that was against us,\nand so made peace by the blood of his cross, and then, having removed all\nthat out of the way, he comes and calls us unto the fellowship which we\nwere ordained unto from our creation. We who are rebels, are called to be\nfriends, \u201cI call you not servants, but friends.\u201d It is a wonder that the\ncreature should be called a friend of God, but, O great wonder, that the\nrebel should be called a friend! And yet that is not all. We are called to\na nearer union,\u2014to be the sons of God, this is our privilege, John i. 12.\nThis is a great part of our fellowship with the Father and his Son, we are\nthe Father\u2019s children, and the Son\u2019s brethren \u201cand if children then heirs,\nheirs of God,\u201d and if brethren, then co-heirs with Christ, Rom. viii. 17.\n\nThus the union is begun again in Christ, but as long as sin dwells in our\nmortal bodies it is not perfect, there is always some separation and some\nenmity in our hearts, and so there is neither full seeing of God, for \u201cwe\nknow but in part,\u201d and we see \u201cdarkly,\u201d nor full enjoying of God, for we\nare \u201csaved by hope,\u201d and we \u201clive by faith, and not by sight.\u201d But this is\nbegun which is the seed of eternal communion, we are here partakers of the\ndivine nature. Now then it must aspire unto a more perfect union with God\nwhose image it is. And therefore the soul of a believer is here still in\nmotion towards God as his element. There is here an union in affection but\nnot completed in fruition,\u2014_affectu non effecta_. The soul pants after\nGod,\u2014\u201cWhom have I in heaven or earth but thee? My flesh and my heart\nfaileth,\u201d &c. A believing soul looks upon God as its only\nportion,\u2014accounts nothing misery but to be separated from him, and nothing\nblessedness but to be one with him. This is the loadstone of their\naffections and desires, the centre which they move towards, and in which\nthey will rest. It is true, indeed, that oftentimes our heart and our\nflesh faileth us, and we become ignorant and brutish. Our affections\ncleave to the earth, and temptations with their violence turn our souls\ntowards another end than God. As there is nothing more easily moved and\nturned wrong than the needle that is touched with the adamant, yet it\nsettles not in such a posture, it recovers itself and rests never till it\nlook towards the north, and then it is fixed\u2014even so, temptations and the\ncorruptions and infirmities of our hearts disturb our spirits easily, and\nwind them about from the Lord, towards any other thing, but yet we are\ncontinuing with him, and he keeps us with his right hand, and therefore\nthough we may be moved, yet we shall not be greatly commoved, we may fall,\nbut we shall rise again. He is \u201cthe strength of our heart,\u201d and therefore\nhe will turn our heart about again, and fix it upon its own portion. Our\nunion here consists more in his holding of us by his power, than our\ntaking hold of him by faith. Power and good will encamp about both faith\nand the soul. \u201cWe are kept by his power through faith,\u201d 1 Pet i. 5. And\nthus he will guide the soul, and still be drawing it nearer to him, from\nitself, and from sin and from the world, till he \u201creceive us into glory,\u201d\nand until we be one as with the Father and the Son,\u2014\u201cHe in us and we in\nhim, that we may be made perfect in one,\u201d as it is in the words read.\n\nThis is strange. A greater unity and fuller enjoyment, a more perfect\nfellowship, than ever Adam in his innocency would have been capable of!\nWhat soul can conceive it? what tongue express it? None can, for it is\nthat which \u201ceye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into\nman\u2019s heart to conceive.\u201d We must suspend the knowledge of it till we have\nexperience of it. Let us now believe it, and then we shall find it. There\nis a mutual inhabitation which is wonderful. Persons that dwell one _with_\nanother have much society and fellowship, but to dwell one _in_ another is\na strange thing,\u2014\u201cI in them, and they in me,\u201d and therefore God is often\nsaid to dwell in us, and we to dwell in him. But that which makes it of\nall most wonderful and incomprehensible is that glorious unity and\ncommunion between the Father and the Son, which it is made an emblem of.\n\u201cAs thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in\nus.\u201d Can you conceive that unity of the Trinity? Can you imagine that\nreciprocal inhabitation,\u2014that mutual communion between the Father and the\nSon? No, it hath not entered into the heart to conceive it. Only thus much\nwe know, that it is most perfect, it is most glorious, and so much we may\napprehend of this unity of the saints with God. Oh love is an uniting and\ntransforming thing. \u201cGod is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in\nGod, and God in him.\u201d He dwelleth in us by love, this makes him work in\nus, and shine upon us. Love hath drawn him down from his seat of majesty,\nto visit poor cottages of sinners, Isa. lxvi. 1, 2 and xlvi. 3, 4. And it\nis that love of God reflecting upon our souls that carries the soul upward\nto him, to live in him, and walk with him. O how doth it constrain a soul\nto \u201clive to him,\u201d and draw it from itself! 2 Cor. v. 15. Then the more\nunity with God, the more separation from ourselves and the world, the\nnearer God the farther from ourselves, and the farther from ourselves the\nmore happy, and the more unity with God, the more unity among ourselves,\namong the brethren of our family. Because here we are not fully one with\nour Father, therefore there are many differences between us and our\nbrethren because we are not one perfectly in him, therefore we are not\none, as he and the Father are one. But when he shall be in us, and we in\nhim, as the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father, then shall we\nbe one among ourselves, then shall we meet in the unity of the faith, into\na perfect man, \u201cinto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,\u201d\nEph. iv. 13. Christ is the uniting principle. While the saints are not\nwholly one, _uni tertio_, they cannot be perfectly one _inter se_, among\nthemselves. Consider this, I beseech you Christ\u2019s union with the Father is\nthe foundation of our union to God, and our union among ourselves. This is\ncomfortable, the ground of it is laid already. Now it is not simply the\nunity of the Father and the Son in essence that is here meant, for what\nshadow and resemblance can be in the world of such an incomprehensible\nmystery? But it is certainly the union and communion of God with Christ\nJesus as mediator, as the head of the church which is his body. Therefore\nseeing the Father is so wonderfully well pleased and one with Christ, his\nwell beloved Son and messenger of the covenant, and chief party\ncontracting in our name, he is by virtue of this, one with us, who are his\nseed and members. And therefore, the members should grow up in the head\nChrist, from whom the whole body maketh increase \u201caccording to the\neffectual working [of the Spirit] in it,\u201d Eph. v. 1, 16. Now, if the union\nbetween the Father and Christ our head cannot be dissolved, and cannot be\nbarren and unfruitful, then certainly the Spirit of the Father which is\ngiven to Christ beyond measure, must effectually work in every member,\ntill it bring them to \u201cthe unity of the faith,\u201d and, \u201cto the measure of\nthe perfect man, which is the fulness of Christ.\u201d So then every believing\nsoul is one with the Father as Christ is one, because he is the head and\nthey the members, and the day is coming that all the members shall be\nperfectly united to the head Christ and grow up to the perfect man, which\nis \u201cthe stature of Christ\u2019s fulness.\u201d \u201cAnd then shall we all be made\nperfect in one,\u201d we shall be one as he is one, because he and we are one\nperfect man, head and members.\n\nNow, to what purpose is all this spoken? I fear, it doth not stir up in\nour souls a desire after such a blessed life. Whose heart would not be\nmoved at the sound of such words? \u201cOur fellowship is with the Father and\nwith his Son.\u201d We are made perfect, he in us, and we in him. Certainly,\nthat soul is void of the life of God that doth not find some sparkle of\nholy ambition kindled within, after such a glorious and blessed condition!\nBut these things savour not, and taste not to the most part, \u201cthe natural\nman knoweth them not, for they are spiritually discerned.\u201d How lamentable\nis it, that Christ is come to restore us to our lost blessedness, and yet\nno man almost considers it or lays it to heart! O how miserable,\u2014twice\nmiserable\u2014is that soul that doth not draw near to God in Christ, when God\nhath come so near to us in Christ, that goes a whoring after the lust of\nthe eyes and flesh, and after the imaginations of their own heart, and\nwill not be guided by Christ, the way and life, to glory! \u201cThou shalt\ndestroy them, O Lord,\u201d Psal. lxxiii. 27. All men are afar off from God,\nfrom the womb behold, we may have access to God in Christ. Wo to them that\nare yet afar off, and will not draw near, \u201cthey shall all perish.\u201d \u201cI\nexhort you to consider what you are doing the most part of you are going\naway from God, you were born far off, and you will yet go farther, know\nwhat you will meet with in that way,\u2014destruction.\u201d\n\nYou have never yet asked in earnest, For what purpose you came into the\nworld? What wonder ye wander and walk at random, seeing ye have not\nproposed to yourselves any certain scope and aim! It is great folly, you\nwould not be so foolish in any petty business, but O how foolish men are\nin the main business! \u201cThe light of the body is the eye,\u201d if that be not\nlight, \u201cthe whole body is full of darkness.\u201d If your intention be once\nright established, all your course will be orderly, but if you be dark and\nblind in this point, and have not considered it, you cannot walk in the\nlight, your whole way is darkness. The right consideration of the great\nend would shine unto you, and direct your way But while you have not\nproposed this end unto yourselves\u2014the enjoyment of God\u2014you must spend your\ntime either in doing nothing to that purpose,  or doing contrary to it.\nAll your other lawful business, your callings and occupations, are but in\nthe by; they are not the end, nor the way, but you make them your only\nbusiness; they are altogether impertinent to this end. And the rest of\nyour walking, in lusts and ignorance, is not only impertinent, but\ninconsistent with it and contrary to it. If you think that you have this\nbefore your eyes, to enjoy God,\u2014I pray you look upon the way you choose.\nIs your drunkenness, your swearing, your uncleanness, your contentions and\nrailings, and such works of the flesh,\u2014are these the way to enjoy God?\nShall not these separate between God and you? Is your eating and drinking,\nsleeping as beasts, and labouring in your callings,\u2014are these all the\nmeans you use to enjoy God? Be not deceived; you who draw not near God by\nprayer often in secret, and by faith in his Son Christ, as lost miserable\nsinners, to be saved and reconciled by him, you have no fellowship with\nhim, and you shall not enjoy him afterward! You whose hearts are given to\nyour covetousness, who have many lovers and idols besides him, you cannot\nsay, Whom have I besides Thee in earth? No; you have many other things\nbesides God. You can have nothing of God, except ye make him all to\nyou.\u2014unless you have him alone. \u201cMy undefiled is One,\u201d Cant. vi. 9. He\nmust be alone, for \u201chis glory he will not give to another.\u201d If you divide\nyour affections, and pretend to give him part, and your lusts another\npart, you may be doing so, but he will not divide his glory so, he will\ngive no part of it to any other thing. But as for those souls that come to\nhim and see their misery without him, O know how good it is! It is not\nonly good, but best, yea only good; it is _bonum_, and it is _optimum_;\nyea, it is _unicum_. \u201cThere is none good, save one, even God;\u201d and there\nis nothing good for us but this one, to be near God, and so near, that we\nmay be one,\u2014one spirit with the Lord,\u2014\u201cfor he that is joined to the Lord\nis one spirit.\u201d Rejoice in your portion, and long for the possession of\nit. Let all your meditations and affections and conversation proclaim\nthis, \u201cWhom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none in the earth whom\nI desire besides thee.\u201d And certainly he shall guide you to the end, and\nreceive you into glory. Then you shall rest from your labours, because you\nshall dwell in him, and enjoy that which you longed and laboured for. Let\nthe consideration of that end unite the hearts of Christians here. O what\nan absurd thing is it, that those who shall lodge together at night, and\nbe made \u201cperfect in one,\u201d should not only go contrary ways, but have\ncontrary minds and affections!\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture III.\n\n\nThe Authority And Utility Of The Scriptures\n\n\n    2 Tim. iii. 16.\u2014\u201cAll scripture is given by inspiration of God, and\n    is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for\n    instruction in righteousness.\u201d\n\n\nWe told you that there was nothing more necessary to know than what our\nend is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part\nof men walking at random,\u2014running an uncertain race,\u2014because they do not\npropose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct\ntheir whole course. According to men\u2019s particular inclinations and humours\nso do the purposes and designs of men vary; and often do the purposes of\none man change, according to the circumstances of time and his condition\nin the world. We see all men almost running cross one to another. One\ndrives at the satisfaction of his lust by pleasure; another fancies a\ngreat felicity in honour; a third in getting riches; and thus men divide\nthemselves; whereas, if it were true happiness that all were seeking, they\nwould all go one way towards one end. If men be not in the right way, the\nfaster they seem to move toward the mark, the farther they go from it.\nWandering from the right way, (suppose men intend well) will put them\nfarther from that which they intend. _Si via in contrarium ducat, ipsa\nvelocitas majoris intervalli causa est._ Therefore it concerns us all most\ndeeply to be acquainted with the true path of blessedness; for if we once\nmistake, the more we do, the swifter we move, the more distant we are from\nit indeed. And there is the more need, because there are so many by-paths\nthat lead to destruction. What say I? By-paths! No; highways, beaten\npaths, that the multitude of men walk in, and never challenge, nor will\nendure to be challenged as if they were in an error! In other journeys,\nmen keep the plain highway, and are afraid of any secret by-way, lest it\nlead them wrong: _At hic, via qu\u00e6que tritissima maxime decipit._ Here the\nhigh-pathed way leads wrong, and O, far wrong!\u2014to hell. This is the\nmeaning of Christ\u2019s sermon, \u201cEnter in at the strait gate, but walk not in\nthe broad way where many walk, for it leads to destruction.\u201d Therefore I\nwould have this persuasion once begotten in your souls, that the course of\nthis world,\u2014the way of the most part of men,\u2014is dangerous, is damnable. O\nconsider whither the way will lead you, before you go farther! Do not\nthink it a folly to stand still now, and examine it, when you have gone on\nso long in their company. Stand, I say, and consider! Be not ignorant as\nbeasts, that know no other things than to follow the drove; _qu\u00e6 pergunt,\nnon quo eundum est, sed quo itur_; they follow not whither they ought to\ngo, but whither most go. You are men, and have reasonable souls within\nyou; therefore I beseech you, be not composed and fashioned according to\ncustom and example, that is, brutish, but according to some inward\nknowledge and reason. Retire once from the multitude, and ask in earnest\nat God, What is the way? Him that fears him he will teach the way that he\nshould choose. The way to his blessed end is very strait, very difficult;\nyou must have a guide in it,\u2014you must have a lamp and a light in it,\u2014else\nyou cannot but go wrong.\n\nThe principles of reason within us are too dark and dim; they will never\nlead us through the pits and snares in the way. These indeed shined so\nbrightly in Adam that he needed no light without him, no voice about him;\nbut sin hath extinguished it much; and there remains nothing but some\nlittle spunk or sparkle, under the ashes of much corruption, that is but\ninsufficient in itself, and is often more blinded and darkened by lusts.\nSo that if it were never so much refined\u2014as it was in many heathens\u2014yet it\nis but the blind leading the blind, and both must fall into the ditch. Our\nend is high and divine,\u2014to glorify God and to enjoy him; therefore our\nreason _caligat ad suprema_; it can no more steadfastly behold that\nglorious end, and move towards it, than our weak eyes can behold the sun.\nOur eyes can look downward upon the earth, but not upward to the heavens:\nso we have some remnant of reason in us, that hath some petty and poor\nability for matters of little moment, as the things of this life; but if\nwe once look upward to the glory of God, or eternal happiness, our eyes\nare dazzled, our reason confounded, we cannot steadfastly behold it, Eph.\niv. 18; 2 Cor. iii. 13, 14.\n\nTherefore the Lord hath been pleased to give us the scriptures, which may\nbe \u201ca lamp unto our feet,\u201d and a guide unto our way; whereunto we shall do\nwell \u201cto take heed, as unto [a candle or] a light that shineth in a dark\nplace, until the day dawn,\u201d 2 Peter i. 19. These are \u201cable to make us wise\nunto salvation.\u201d Let us hear what Paul speaks to Timothy, 2 Tim. iii. 16,\n\u201cAll scripture is given by inspiration of God,\u201d &c.: where you have two\npoints of high concernment,\u2014the authority of the scriptures, and their\nutility. Their authority, for they are given by divine inspiration; their\nutility, for they are \u201cprofitable for doctrine,\u201d &c., and can make us\nperfect, and well \u201cfurnished to every good work.\u201d\n\nThe authority of it is in a peculiar way divine. \u201cOf him and through him\nare all things.\u201d All writings of men, according to the truth of the\nscriptures, have some divinity in them, inasmuch as they have of truth,\nwhich is a divine thing. Yet the holy scriptures are by way of excellency\nattributed to God, for they are immediately inspired of God. Therefore\nPeter saith that \u201cthe scriptures came not in old time by the will of man,\nbut holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,\u201d 2 Peter i. 21.\nGod by his Spirit, as it were, acted the part of the soul in the prophets\nand apostles; and they did no more but utter what the Spirit conceived.\nThe Holy Ghost inspired the matter and the words, and they were but\ntongues and pens to speak and write it unto the people; there needed no\ndebate, no search in their own minds for the truth, no inquisition for\nlight; but light shined upon their souls so brightly, so convincingly,\nthat it put it beyond all question that it was the mind and voice of God.\nYou need not ask, How they did know that their dreams or visions were\nindeed from the Lord, and that they did not frame any imagination in their\nown hearts and taught it for his word, as many did? I say, you need no\nmore ask that than ask, How shall a man see light or know the sunshine?\nLight makes itself manifest, and all other things. It is seen by its own\nbrightness. Even so the holy men of God needed not any mark or sign to\nknow the Spirit\u2019s voice, his revelation needed not the light of any other\nthing, it was light itself. It would certainly overpower the soul and\nmind, and leave no place of doubting. God, who cannot be deceived, and can\ndeceive no man, hath delivered us this doctrine. O with what reverence\nshall we receive it, as if we heard the Lord from heaven speak. If you\nask, How you shall be persuaded that the scriptures are the word of\nGod,\u2014His very mind opened to men and made legible. Truly there are some\nthings cannot be well proved, not because they are doubtful but because\nthey are clear of themselves, and beyond all doubt and exception.\nPrinciples of arts must not be proved, but supposed, till you find by\ntrial and experience afterward that they were indeed really true. There\nare, no question, such characters of divinity and majesty imprinted in the\nvery scriptures themselves, that whosoever hath the eyes of his\nunderstanding opened, though he run he may read them, and find God in\nthem. What majesty is in the very simplicity and plainness of the\nscriptures! They do not labour to please men\u2019s ears, and adorn the matter\nwith the curious garments of words and phrases, but represent the very\nmatter itself to the soul, as that which in itself is worthy of all\nacceptation, and needs no human eloquence to commend it. Painting doth\nspoil native beauty. External ornaments would disfigure some things that\nare of themselves proportioned and lovely, therefore the Lord chooses a\nplain and simple style which is foolishness to the world, but in these\nswaddling clothes of the scriptures, and this poor cottage the child\nJesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, is contained. There is a jewel of the\nmysterious wisdom of God, and man\u2019s eternal blessedness, in this mineral.\nWhat glorious and astonishing humility is here! What humble and homely\nglory and majesty also! He is most high, and yet none so lowly. What\nexcellent consent and harmony of many writers in such distant times!\nWonder at it. All speak one thing to one purpose,\u2014to bring men to God, to\nabase all glory, and exalt him alone. Must it not be one spirit that hath\nquickened all these and breathes in them all this one heavenly song of\n\u201cglory to God on high and good will towards men.\u201d Other writers will\nreason these things with you to convince you and persuade you, and many\nthink them more profound and deep for that reason, and do despise the\nbaseness of the scriptures, but to them whose eyes are opened, the majesty\nand authority of God commanding and asserting and testifying to them, is\nmore convincing from its own bare assertion, than all human reason.\n\nAlthough there be much light in the scriptures to guide men\u2019s way to God\u2019s\nglory and their own happiness, yet it will all be to small purpose if \u201cthe\neyes of our understanding be darkened and blinded.\u201d If you shall surround\na man with day light, except he open his eyes he cannot see. The\nscriptures are a clear sun of life and righteousness, but the blind soul\nencompassed with that light is nothing the wiser, but thinks the lamp of\nthe word shines not, because it sees not, it hath its own dungeon within\nit. Therefore the Spirit of God must open the eyes of the blind, and\nenlighten the eyes of the understanding, that the soul may see wonderful\nthings in God\u2019s law, Psal. cxix. 5, 18. The light may shine in the\ndarkness, but \u201cthe darkness comprehendeth it not,\u201d John i. 5. I wonder not\nthat the most part of men can see no beauty, no majesty, no excellency in\nthe holy scriptures to allure them, because they are natural, and have not\nthe Spirit of God, and so cannot know these things \u201cfor they are\nspiritually discerned,\u201d 1 Cor. ii. 14. Therefore as the inspiration of God\ndid conceive this writing at first, and preached this doctrine unto the\nworld, so there can no soul understand it, or profit by it, but by the\ninspiration of the Almighty. \u201cVerily there is a spirit in man, and the\ninspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding,\u201d saith Job. When the\nSpirit comes into the soul to engrave the characters of that law and truth\ninto the heart which were once engraven on tables of stone, and not\nwritten with pen and ink, then the Spirit of Christ Jesus writes over and\ntranscribes the doctrine of the gospel on \u201cthe fleshly tables of the\nheart,\u201d\u2014draws the lineaments of that faith and love preached in the word\nupon the soul, then the soul is \u201cthe epistle of Christ,\u201d \u201cwritten not with\n[pen and] ink, but with the Spirit of the living God,\u201d 2 Cor. iii. 3. And\nthen the soul is manifestly declared to be such, when that which is\nimpressed on the heart is expressed in the outward man in walking, that it\nmay be \u201cread of all men.\u201d Now the soul having thus received the image of\nthe scriptures on it, understands the Spirit\u2019s voice in them, and sees the\ntruth and divinity of them. The eye must receive some species and likeness\nof the object before it see it, it must be made like to the object ere it\ncan behold it,\u2014_Intelligens in arta fit ipsum intelligibile_, so the soul\nmust have some inspiration of the Holy Ghost, before it can believe with\nthe heart the inspired scriptures.\n\nNow, for the utility and profit of the scriptures, who can speak of it\naccording to its worth? Some things may be over commended,\u2014nay, all things\nbut this one,\u2014God speaking in his word to mankind. Many titles are given\nto human writings, some are called accurate, some subtile, some ingenious\nand some profound and deep, some plain, some learned, but call them what\nthey please, the scripture may vindicate to itself these two titles as its\nown prerogative,\u2014holy and profitable. The best speaker in the world in\nmany words cannot want sin, the best writer hath some dross and refuse,\nbut here, all is holy, all is profitable. Many books are to no purpose but\nto feed and inflame men\u2019s lusts, many serve for nothing but to spend and\ndrive over the time, without thought most part are good for nothing but to\nburden and over weary the world to put them in a fancy of knowledge which\nthey have not, many serve for this only, to nourish men\u2019s curiosity and\nvain imaginations, and contentions about words and notions, but here is a\nbook profitable,\u2014all profitable. If you do not yet profit by it, you can\nhave no pleasure in it, it is only ordained for soul\u2019s profiting, not for\npleasing your fancy, not for matter of curious speculation, not for\ncontention and strife about the interpretation of it. Many books have\nnothing in them, but specious titles to commend them, they do nothing less\nthan what they promise, they have a large and fair entry, which leads only\ninto a poor cottage, but the scriptures have no hyperbolic and superlative\nstyles to allure men, they hold out a plain and common gate and entry\nwhich will undoubtedly lead to a pleasant palace, others _et prodesse\nvolunt et delectare_, but these certainly _et prodesse volunt et\npossunt_,\u2014they both can profit you and will profit you. I wish that souls\nwould read the scriptures as profitable scriptures with the intention to\nprofit. If you do not read with such a purpose, you read not the\nscriptures of God, they become as another book unto you. But what are they\nprofitable for? For doctrine, and a divine doctrine, a doctrine of life\nand happiness. It is the great promise of the new covenant, \u201cYou shall be\nall taught of God.\u201d The scriptures can make a man learned and wise,\nlearned to salvation, it is foolishness to the world, \u201cbut the world\nthrough wisdom know not God.\u201d Alas! what then do they know? Is there any\nbesides God? And is there any knowledge besides the knowledge of God? You\nhave a poor petty wisdom among you to gather riches and manage your\nbusiness. Others have a poor imaginary wisdom that they call learning, and\ngenerally people think, to pray to God is but a paper-skill, a little\nbook-craft, they think the knowledge of God is nothing else but to learn\nto read the Bible. Alas! mistake not, it is another thing to know God. The\ndoctrine of Jesus Christ written on the heart is a deep profound learning\nand the poor, simple, rudest people, may by the Spirit\u2019s teaching become\nwiser than their ancients, than their ministers. O, it is an excellent\npoint of learning, to know how to be saved. What is it, I pray you to know\nthe course of the heavens,\u2014to number the orbs, and the stars in them\u2014to\nmeasure their circumference,\u2014to reckon their motions,\u2014and yet not to know\nhim that sits on the circle of them, and not know how to inhabit and dwell\nthere? If you would seek unto God, and seek eyes opened to behold the\nmystery of the word, you would become wiser than your pastors, you would\nlearn from the Spirit to pray better, you would find the way to heaven\nbetter than they can teach you, or walk in it.\n\nThen, it is \u201cprofitable for reproof and correction.\u201d It contains no\ndoctrine very pleasant to men\u2019s natural humours, but it is indeed most\npleasant to a right and ordered taste. You know, the distemper of the eye,\nor the perverting of the taste, will misrepresent pleasant things, and\nsweet things to the senses, and make them appear ill savoured and bitter.\nBut, I say, to a discerning spirit there is nothing so sweet, so comely.\n\u201cI have seen an end of all perfection,\u201d but none of thy law. \u201cThy word is\nsweeter to me than the honey, or the honey comb.\u201d If a soul be\nprepossessed with the love of the world, and the lusts of the world, it\ncannot savour and taste of them, that vicious quality in the mind will\nmake the pleasant gospel unpleasant. \u201cI piped unto you and ye have not\ndanced.\u201d But however, the scriptures are then most profitable when they\nare least pleasant to our corruptions, and, therefore, it is an absolute\nand entire piece. _Ut prodesse volunt et delectare. Omne tulit punctum,\nqui miscuit utile dulci._ There are sharp reproofs, and sad corrections of\nhis holy law which must make way for the pleasant and sweet gospel. There\nis a reproof of life\u2014a wounding before healing\u2014that whoso refuse them,\ndespise their own soul, but \u201cthe ear that heareth them abideth among the\nwise,\u201d Prov. xv 31, 32. Woe unto that soul that correction or reproof or\nthreatening is grievous unto, \u201che shall die,\u201d Prov. xv. 10, \u201che is\nbrutish,\u201d Prov. xii. 1. There is a generation of men that can endure to\nhear nothing but gospel promises, that cry out against all reproving of\nsins, and preaching of God\u2019s wrath against unbelieving sinners as legal,\nand meddling with other men\u2019s matters, especially if they reprove the sins\nof rulers, their public state enormities, as if the whole word of God were\nnot profitable, as if reproofs were not as wholesome as consolations, as\nif threatenings did not contribute to make men flee from the wrath to come\ninto a city of refuge. Let such persons read their own character out of\nwise Solomon, \u201cCorrection is grievous to them that forsake the way.\u201d\n\u201cRebuke a wise man, and he will love thee, give instruction to a wise man,\nand he will be yet wiser,\u201d Prov. ix. 8, 9. If we were pleasers of men,\nthen were we not the servants of Jesus Christ, let us strive to profit\nmen, but not to please them. Peace, peace, which men\u2019s own hearts fancy,\nwould please them, but it were better for them to be awakened out of that\ndream, by reproof, by correction, and he that will do so, shall \u201cfind more\nfavour of him afterwards, than he that flattereth with the tongue,\u201d  Prov.\nxxviii. 23.\n\nWell then, let this be established in your hearts as the foundation of all\ntrue religion, that the scriptures are the word of the eternal God, and\nthat they contain a perfect and exact rule both of glorifying God and of\nthe way to enjoy him. They can make you perfect to every good work. I\nshall say no more on this, but beseech you, as you love your own souls, be\nacquainting yourselves with them. You will hear, in these days of men\npretending to more divine and spiritual discoveries and revelations than\nthe scriptures contain but, my brethren, these can make you \u201cwise to\nsalvation,\u201d these can make you \u201cperfect to every good work.\u201d Then, what\nneeds more? All that is besides salvation, and beyond perfection, count it\nsuperfluous and vain, if not worse, if not diabolical. Let others be wise\nto their own destruction,\u2014let them establish their own imaginations for\nthe word of God, and rule of their faith,\u2014but hold you fast what you have\nreceived, and \u201ccontend earnestly for it.\u201d Add nothing, and diminish\nnothing, let this lamp shine \u201ctill the day dawn, \u2019till the morning of the\nresurrection,\u201d and walk ye in the light of it, and do not kindle any other\nsparkles, else ye shall lie down in the grave in sorrow, and rise in\nsorrow. Take the word of God as the only rule, and the perfect rule,\u2014a\nrule for all your actions, civil, natural, and religious, for all must be\ndone to his glory, and his word teacheth how to attain to that end. Let\nnot your imaginations, let not others example, let not the preaching of\nmen, let not the conclusions and acts of Assemblies be your rule, but in\nas far as you find them agreeing with the perfect rule of God\u2019s holy word.\nAll other rules are _regul\u00e6 regulat\u00e6_, they are but like publications and\nintimations of the rule itself. Ordinances of assemblies are but like the\nherald promulgation of the king\u2019s statute and law, if it vary in any thing\nfrom his intention, it is not valid and binding. I beseech you, take the\nscriptures for the rule of your walking or else you will wander, the\nscripture is _regula regulans_, a ruling rule. If you be not acquainted\nwith it, you must follow the opinions or examples of other men, and what\nif they lead you unto destruction?\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture IV.\n\n\nThe Scriptures Reveal Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ\n\n\n    John v. 39\u2014\u201cSearch the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have\n    eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.\u201d Eph. ii.\n    20\u2014\u201cAnd are built upon the foundation of the apostles and\n    prophets.\u201d\n\n\nAs in darkness there is need of a lantern without and the light of the\neyes within\u2014for neither can we see in darkness without some lamp though we\nhave never so good eyes, nor yet see without eyes, though in never so\nclear a sunshine\u2014so there is absolute need for the guiding of our feet in\nthe dangerous and dark paths to eternal life (that are full of pits and\nsnares,) of the lamp, or word written or preached, without us, and the\nillumination of the Holy Ghost within us. These are conjoined, Isa. liv.\n21, \u201cThis is my covenant,\u201d \u201cThe Spirit that is upon thee, and my words\nwhich I have put in thy mouth, will not depart out of thy mouth, nor out\nof the mouth of thy seed,\u201d &c. There are words without, and there must\nneeds be a spirit within, which makes us to behold the truth and grace\ncontained in these words. There is a law written without, with pen and\nink, and there is a law written within, upon the heart, with the Spirit of\nthe living God. The law without is the pattern and exact copy, the law\nwithin, is the transcript or the image of God upon the heart, framed and\nfashioned according to the similitude of it, 2 Cor. iii. 3, Heb. viii. 10.\nSo then, there needs be no more question about the divine authority of the\nscriptures among those who have their senses exercised to discern between\ngood and ill, than among men who see and taste, concerning light and\ndarkness, sweet and bitter. The persuasion of a Christian is fetched\ndeeper than the reasons of men. Their faith is \u201cthe evidence of things not\nseen.\u201d It is an eye, a supernatural eye whereby a soul beholds that\nmajesty and excellency of God shining in the word, which, though it shine\nabout the rest of the world, yet tis not seen, because they cannot know it\nnor discern it. Wonder not that the multitude of men cannot believe the\nreport that is made, that there are few who find any such excellency and\nsweetness in the gospel as is reported, because saith Isaiah, liii. 1, the\narm of \u201cthe Lord is not revealed to them.\u201d The hand of God must first\nwrite on their heart, ere they understand the writings of the scriptures,\nhis arm must create an eye in their souls, an internal light, before it\ncan behold that glorious brightness of God shining in the word. The word\nis God\u2019s testimony of himself, of his grace and mercy, and good will to\nmankind. Now no man can receive this testimony, unless it be sealed and\nconfirmed by the Holy Ghost into the heart, saith Peter, \u201cWe are his\nwitnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath\ngiven to them that obey him,\u201d Acts v. 32. The word witnesses to the ear,\nand the Spirit testifieth to our spirits, the truth and worth of that, and\ntherefore the Spirit is a seal and a witness. The word is the Lord\u2019s voice\nto his own children, bastards cannot know it, \u201cbut my sheep know my\nvoice,\u201d John x. 4, 16. You know no difference between the bleating of one\nsheep from another, but the poor lambs know their mother\u2019s voice, there is\na secret instinct of nature that is more powerful than many marks and\nsigns, even so those who are begotten of God know his voice,\u2014they discern\nthat in it which all the world that hear it cannot discern\u2014there is a\nsympathy between their souls and that living word. That word is the\nimmortal seed they are begotten of and there is a natural instinct to love\nthat, and to meditate in it, such an inclination to it, as in new born\nbabes to the breasts, so the children of God do desire the sincere milk of\nthe word, that they may grow thereby, as they were born of it, 1 Pet. ii.\n2. In those scriptures which we read in your audience, you have something\nof their excellency, and our duty. There is a rich jewel in them, a\nprecious pearl in that field, even Jesus Christ and in him eternal life;\nand therefore we ought to search the scriptures for this jewel, to dig in\nthe field for this pearl, the doctrine of the prophets and apostles, as a\nsure foundation whereupon souls may build their eternal felicity, and the\nhope of it. Jesus Christ is the very chief stone in that foundation,\nwhereupon the weight of all the saints and all their hope hangs. And\ntherefore we ought to lean the weight of our souls only to this truth of\nGod, and build our faith only upon it, and square our practice only by it.\n\nWe shall speak something of the first, that it may be a spur to the\nsecond. The Jews had some respective opinion of the word of God; they knew\nthat in them was eternal life; they thought it a doctrine of life and\nhappiness, and so cried up Moses\u2019 writings, but they would not believe\nChrist\u2019s words. They erred, not understanding the scriptures, and so set\nthe writings of Moses\u2019 law at variance with the preaching of Christ\u2019s\ngospel. What a pitiful mistake was this! They thought they had eternal\nlife in the scriptures, and yet they did not receive nor acknowledge him\nwhom to know was eternal life. Therefore our Lord Jesus sends them back\nagain to the scriptures:\u2014\u201cGo and search them; you think, and you think\nwell, that in them ye may find the way to eternal life; but while you seek\nit in them you mistake it; these scriptures testify of me, the end of the\nlaw, but you cannot behold the end of that ministry, because of the\nblindness of your hearts, (Rom. x. 3; 2 Cor. iii. 13, 14.) Therefore\nsearch again, unfold the ceremonies; I am wrapt in them, and life eternal\nwith me. Dig up the law till you find the bottom of God\u2019s purpose in\nit,\u2014till you find the end of the ministration,\u2014and you shall find me, \u2018the\nway, the truth, and life;\u2019 and so you shall have that eternal life which\nnow you do but think you have, and are beguiled. While you seek it out of\nme, in vain you think you have it, for it is not in the scriptures, but\nbecause they testify of me, the life and the light of men.\u201d May not this\nnow commend the word to us? eternal life is in it. Other writings and\ndiscourses may tickle the ears with some pleasing eloquence, but that is\nvanishing; it is but like a musician\u2019s voice. Some may represent some\npetty and momentary advantage, but how soon shall an end be put to all\nthat? So that within a little time the advantage of all the books of the\nworld shall be gone. The statutes and laws of kings and parliaments can\nreach no further than some temporal reward or punishment; their highest\npain is the killing of this body; their highest reward is some evanishing\nand fading honour, or perishing riches; but \u201che showeth his word and\njudgments unto us, and hath not dealt so with any nation,\u201d Psal. cxlvii.\n19, 20. And no nation under the whole heaven hath such laws and\nordinances; eternal life and eternal death is wrapt up in them. These are\nrewards and punishments suitable to the majesty and magnificence of the\neternal Lawgiver. Consider, I beseech you, what is folded up here,\u2014the\nscriptures show the path of life; life is of all things the most\nexcellent, and comes nearest the blessed being of God. When we say _life_,\nwe understand a blessed life, that only deserves the name. Now this we\nhave lost in Adam. Death is passed upon all men, but that death is not the\nworst: \u2019tis but a consequence of a soul-death. The immortal soul\u2014whose\nlife consisteth in communion with God, and peace with him\u2014is separated\nfrom him by sin, and so killed, when it is cut off from the fountain of\nlife; what a life can it have more, than a beam that is cut off by the\nintervention of a dark body from the sun. Now then, what a blessed\ndoctrine must it be that brings to light, life and immortality? especially\nwhen we have so miserably lost it, and involved our souls into an eternal\ndeath. Life is precious in itself, but much more precious to one condemned\nto die,\u2014to be caught out of the paws of the lion,\u2014to be brought back from\nthe gibbet. O how will that commend the favour of a little more time in\nthe world! But then if we knew what an eternal misery we are involved\ninto, and stand under a sentence binding us over to such an inconceivable\nand insupportable punishment as is the curse and wrath of God; O how\nprecious an esteem would souls have of the scriptures, how would they be\nsweet unto their soul, because they show unto us a way of escaping that\npit of misery, and a way of attaining eternal blessedness as satisfying\nand glorious as the misery would have been vexing and tormenting! O that\nye would once lay these in the balance together,\u2014this present life and\nlife eternal! Know ye not that your souls are created for eternity; that\nthey will eternally survive all these present things? Now how do ye\nimagine they shall live after this life? Your thoughts and projects and\ndesigns are confined within the poor narrow bounds of your time. When you\ndie, in that day your thoughts shall perish. All your imaginations and\npurposes and providences shall have an end then; they reach no farther\nthan that time. And if you should wholly perish too, it were not so much\nmatter. But for all your purposes and projects to come to an end, when you\nare but beginning to live, and enter eternity, that is lamentable indeed!\nTherefore I say, consider what ye are doing, weigh these in a\nbalance,\u2014eternal life and the present life; if there were no more\ndifference but the continuance of the one, and the shortness of the\nother,\u2014that the world\u2019s standing is but as one day, one moment to\neternity,\u2014that ought to preponderate in your souls. Do we not here flee\naway as a shadow upon the mountains? Are we not as a vapour that ascends,\nand for a little time appears a solid body, and then presently vanisheth?\nDo we not come all into the stage of the world, as for an hour, to act our\npart and be gone; now then, what is this to endless eternity? When you\nhave continued as long as since the world began, you are no nearer the end\nof it. Ought not that estate then to be most in your eyes, how to lay up a\nfoundation for the time to come? But then, compare the misery and the\nvexation of this life with the glory and felicity of this eternal life.\nWhat are our days? But few and full of trouble. Or, if you will, take the\nmost blessed estate you have seen and heard of in this world, of kings and\nrich men, and help all the defects of it by your imaginations; suppose\nunto yourselves the height and pitch of glory and abundance and power that\nis attainable on earth; and when your fancy hath busked up such a\nfelicity, compare it with an eternal life: O how will that vanish out of\nyour imaginations! If so be you know any thing of the life to come, you\nwill even think that an odious comparison,\u2014you will think all that earthly\nfelicity but light as vanity, \u201cevery man at his best estate is altogether\nvanity.\u201d Eternal life will weigh down eternally, 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. O but\nit hath an exceeding weight in itself,\u2014one moment of it, one hour\u2019s\npossession and taste of it! but then what shall the endless endurance of\nit add to its weight? Now there are many that presume they have a right to\neternal life, as the Jews did. You think, saith he, that you have it; you\nthink well, that you think \u2019tis only to be found in the scriptures; but\nyou vainly think that you have found it in them: and there is this reason\nfor it, because \u201cyou will not come to me that you might have life,\u201d John\nv. 40. If you did understand the true meaning of the scriptures, and did\nnot rest on the outward letter and ordinances, you would receive the\ntestimony that the scriptures give of me. But now you bear not me, the\nFather\u2019s substantial Word, therefore \u201cye have not his word abiding in\nyou,\u201d ver. 38. There was nothing more general among that people, than a\nvain carnal confidence and presumption of being God\u2019s people, and having\ninterest in the promise of life eternal, as it is this day in the visible\nchurch. There is a multitude that are Christians only in the letter, and\nnot in the spirit, that would never admit any question concerning this\ngreat matter of having eternal life; and so by not questioning it, they\ncome to think they have it, and by degrees their conjectures and thoughts\nabout this ariseth to the stability of some feigned and strong persuasion\nof it. In the Old Testament the Lord strikes at the root of their\npersuasions, by discovering unto them how vain a thing it was, and how\nabominable it was before him, to have an external profession of being his\npeople, and to glory in external ordinances and privileges, and yet to\nneglect altogether the purging of their hearts and consciences from lust\nand idol-sins, and to make no conscience of walking righteously towards\nmen. Their profession was contradicted by their practice, \u201cWill ye steal,\nmurder, and commit adultery, and yet come and stand in my house?\u201d Jer.\nvii. 9, 10. Doth not that say as much as if I had given you liberty to do\nall these abominations? Even so it is this day; the most part have no more\nof Christianity but a name. They have some outward privileges of baptism\nand hearing the word; and, it may be, have a form of knowledge, and a form\nof worship; but in the meantime they are not baptized in heart,\u2014they are\nin all their conversation even conformed to the heathen world,\u2014they hate\npersonal reformation, and think it too precise and needless. Now, I say,\nsuch are many of you, and yet you would not take well to have it\nquestioned whether ye shall be partakers of eternal life. You think you\nare wronged when that is called in question. Oh that it were beyond all\nquestion indeed! But know assuredly that you are but Christians in the\nletter,\u2014in the flesh and not in the spirit. Many of you have not so much\nas \u201ca form of knowledge\u201d\u2014have not so much as the letter of religion. You\nhave heard some names in the preaching often repeated,\u2014as Christ, and God,\nand faith, and heaven, and hell,\u2014and you know no more of these but the\nname. You consider not and meditate not on them, and though you know the\ntruth of the word, yet the word abideth not nor dwelleth in you. You have\nit in your mouth, you have it in your mind or understanding, but it is not\nreceived in love, it doth not dwell in the heart. \u201cLet the word of Christ\ndwell in you richly,\u201d Col. iii. 16. You have it imprisoned in your minds,\nand shut up in a corner where it is useless, and can do no more but\nwitness against you, and scarce that. As the Gentiles incarcerated and\ndetained the truth of God, written by nature within them, in\nunrighteousness, (Rom. i. 18) so do many of you detain the knowledge of\nhis word in unrighteousness. It hath no place in the heart, gets no\nliberty and freedom to walk through the affections and so to order the\nconversation of men, and therefore the most part of men do but fancy to\nthemselves an interest and right to eternal life. You think it, and do but\nthink it, it is but a strong imagination, that hath no strength from the\ngrounds of it, no stability from any evidence or promise, but merely from\nitself, or it is but a light and vain conjecture that hath no strength in\nit because there is no question or doubts admitted which may try the\nstrength of it. But then I suppose that a man could attain some answerable\nwalking, that he had not only a form of knowledge, but some reality of\npractice, some inward heat of affection and zeal for God and godliness,\nyet there is one thing that he wants, and if it be wanting will spoil all,\nand it is this, which Christ reproves in the Jews, \u201cyou will not come to\nme to have life, the scriptures testify of me, but you receive not their\ntestimony.\u201d Suppose a man had as much equity and justice towards men,\npiety towards God, and sobriety towards himself, as can be found amongst\nthe best of men, let him be a diligent reader of the scriptures, let him\nlove them, and meditate on them day and night, yet if he do not come out\nof himself, and leave all his own righteousness as dung behind him, that\nhe may be found in Jesus Christ, he hath no life, he cannot have any right\nto the eternal. You may think this is a strange assertion, that if a man\nhad the righteousness and holiness of an angel, yet he could not be saved\nwithout denying all that, and fleeing to Christ as an ungodly man, and you\nmay think it as strange a supposal, that any person that reads the\nscriptures, and walks righteously, and hath a zeal towards God, yet are\nsuch as will not come to Christ and will not hear him whom the Lord hath\nsent.\n\nBut the first is the very substance of the gospel. \u201cThere is none other\nname whereby men may be saved, but by Jesus Christ,\u201d Acts iv. 12. Life\neternal is all within him. All the treasures of grace and wisdom and\nknowledge are seated in him, Col. i. 19, ii. 3. All the light of life and\nsalvation is embodied in this son of righteousness, since the eclipse of\nman\u2019s felicity in the garden. Adam was a living soul, but he lost his own\nlife, and killed his posterity. Christ Jesus, the second common man in the\nworld, is a quickening spirit. He hath not only life in himself, but he\ngives it more abundantly, and therefore you have it so often repeated in\nJohn, who was the disciple most acquainted with Christ, \u201cin him was life,\nand the life was the light of men,\u201d John i. 4. And he is \u201cthe bread of\nlife, that gives life to the world,\u201d John vi. 33, 35. He is \u201cthe\nresurrection and the life,\u201d xi. 23, and \u201cthe way, the truth, and the\nlife,\u201d xiv. 6. The scriptures do not contain eternal life, but in as far\nas they lead to him who is life, and whom to know and embrace is eternal\nlife and therefore, saith he, \u201cthese are they which testify of me.\u201d Man\nlived immediately in God when he was in innocency, he had life in himself\nfrom God, but then he began to live in himself without dependence on God\nthe fountain of life, and this himself being interposed between God and\nlife, it vanished even as a beam by the intervening of any gross body\nbetween it and the sun. Now man\u2019s light and life being thus eclipsed and\ncut off, the Lord is pleased to let all fulness dwell in his Son Jesus\nChrist, and the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily, Col ii. 9,\nthat since there was no access immediately to God for life (a flaming\nfire, and sword of divine justice compassing and guarding the tree of\nlife, lest man should touch it) there might be access to God in a mediator\nlike unto us that we might come to him, and might have life from God by\nthe intervention of Jesus Christ.\n\nLook then what is in the Holy Scriptures, and you shall find it but a\nletter of death and ministration of condemnation while it is separated\nfrom him. Christ is the very life and spirit of the scriptures by whose\nvirtue they quicken our souls. If you consider the perfect rule of\nrighteousness in the law, you cannot find life there, because you cannot\nbe conformed unto it, the holiest man offends in every thing, and that\nholy law being violated in any thing will send thee to hell with a cure.\n\u201cCursed is he that abideth not in all things.\u201d  If you look upon the\npromise of life, \u201cdo this and live,\u201d what comfort can you find in it,\nexcept you could find doing in yourselves? And can any man living find\nsuch exact obedience as the law requires? There is a mistake among many.\nThey conceive that the Lord cannot but be well pleased with them if they\ndo what they can. But be not deceived,\u2014the law of God requires perfect\ndoing, it will not compound with thee and come down in its terms, not one\njot of the rigour of it will be remitted. If you cannot do all that is\ncommanded, all you do will not satisfy that promise, therefore thou must\nbe turned over from the promise of life to the curse, and there thou shalt\nfind thy name written. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that Jesus\nChrist be made under the law, and give obedience in all things, even to\nthe death of the cross, and so be made a curse for us, and sin for us,\neven he \u201cwho knew no sin.\u201d And thus in him you find the law fulfilled,\njustice satisfied, and God pleased. In him you find the promise of life\nindeed established in a better and surer way than was first propounded.\nYou find life by his death, you find life in his doing for you. And again,\nconsider the ceremonial law,\u2014what were all those sacrifices and\nceremonies? Did God delight in them? Could he savour their incense and\nsweet smells, and eat the fat of lambs and be pacified? No, he detects and\nabhors such abominations! Because that people did stay in the letter, and\nwent no further than the ceremony, he declares that it was as great\nabomination to him as the offering up of a dog. While they were separated\nfrom Jesus Christ, in whom his soul rested and was pacified, they were not\nexpiations, but provocations; they were not propitiations for sin, but\nabominations in themselves. But take these as the shadow of such a living\nsubstance; take them as remembrances of him who was to come, and behold\nJesus Christ lying in these swaddling clothes of ceremonies, until the\nfulness of time should come, that he might be manifested in the flesh, and\nso you shall find eternal life in those dead beasts, in those dumb\nceremonies. If you consider this Lamb of God slain in all these\nsacrifices, from the beginning of the world, then you present a sweet\nsmelling savour to God,\u2014then you offer the true propitiation for the sins\nof the world,\u2014then he will delight more in that sacrifice than all other\npersonal obedience.\n\nBut what if I should say, that the gospel itself is a killing letter, and\nministration of death, being severed from Christ? I should say nothing\namiss, but what Paul speaketh, that his gospel was \u201ca savour of death\u201d to\nmany. Take the most powerful preaching, the most sweet discourse, the most\nplain writings of the free grace and salvation in the gospel,\u2014take all the\npreaching of Jesus Christ himself and his apostles,\u2014and you shall not find\nlife in them, unless ye be led by that Spirit of Christ unto himself, who\nis \u201cthe resurrection and the life.\u201d It will no more save you than the\ncovenant of works, unless that word abide and dwell in your hearts, to\nmake you believe in him, and embrace him with your souls, whom God hath\nsent. Suppose you heard all, and heard it gladly, and learned it, and\ncould discourse well upon it, and teach others, yet if you be not driven\nout of yourselves, out of your own righteousness, as well as sins, and\npursued to this city of refuge, Jesus Christ, you have not eternal life.\nYour knowledge of the truth of the gospel, and your obedience to God\u2019s\nlaw, will certainly kill you, and as certainly as your ignorance and\ndisobedience, unless you have embraced in your soul that good thing Jesus\nChrist, contained in these truths, who is the diamond of that golden ring\nof the scriptures, and unless your soul embrace these promises as\nsoul-saving, as containing the chief good, and \u201cworthy of all\nacceptation,\u201d as well as your mind receive these as true and faithful\nsayings, 1 Tim. i. 15.\n\nThus ye see Jesus Christ is either the subject of all in the scriptures,\nor the end of it all. He is the very proper subject of the gospel. Paul\nknew nothing but Christ crucified in his preaching, and he is the very end\nand scope \u201cof the law for righteousness,\u201d Rom. x. 3. All the preaching of\na covenant of works, all the curses and threatenings of the Bible, all the\nrigid exactions of obedience, all come to this one great design, not that\nwe set about such a walking to please God, or do something to pacify him,\nbut that we being concluded under sin and wrath on the one hand, and an\nimpossibility to save ourselves on the other hand, Gal. iii. 22, Rom. v.\n20, 21, may be pursued unto Jesus Christ for righteousness and life, who\nis both able to save us and ready to welcome us. Therefore, the Gospel\nopens the door of salvation in Christ, the law is behind us with fire and\nsword, and destruction pursuing us, and all for this end, that sinners may\ncome to him and have life. Thus the law is made the pedagogue of the soul\nto lead to Christ, Christ is behind us, cursing, condemning, threatening\nus, and he is before with stretched out arms ready to receive us, bless\nus, and save us, inviting, promising, exhorting to have life. Christ is on\nMount Sinai, delivering the law with thunders, Acts vii. 38, and he is on\nthe Mount Zion in the calm voice, he is both upon the mountain of cursings\nand blessings, and on both doing the part of a mediator, Gal. iii. 10, 20.\nIt is love that is in his heart which made him first cover his countenance\nwith frowns and threats; and it is love that again displays itself in his\nsmiling countenance. Thus souls are enclosed with love pursuing and love\nreceiving, and thus the law, which seems most contrary to the Gospel,\ntestifies of Christ. It gives him this testimony, that except Salvation be\nin him, it is nowhere else. The law says, \u201cIt is not in me, seek it not in\nobedience, I can do nothing but destroy you, if you abide under my\njurisdiction.\u201d The ceremonies and sacrifices say, \u201cIf you can behold the\nend of this ministry,\u2014if a veil be not upon your hearts, as it was upon\nMoses\u2019 face, (2 Cor. iii. 13) you may see where it is, it is not in your\nobedience, but in the death and suffering of the Son of God whom we\nrepresent.\u201d Then the Gospel takes all these coverings and veils away and\ngives a plain and open testimony of him \u201cThere is no name under heaven to\nbe saved by, but Christ\u2019s.\u201d The Old Testament spake by figures and signs,\nas dumb men do but the New speaks in plain words and with open face. Now I\nsay, for all this that there is no salvation but in him, yet many\nsouls\u2014not only those who live in their gross sins and have no form of\ngodliness, but even the better sort of people that have some \u201cknowledge\u201d\nand civility and a kind of \u201czeal for God,\u201d\u2014yet they do not \u201ccome to him\nthat they may have life,\u201d they do not \u201csubmit to the righteousness of\nGod,\u201d Rom. x. 2, 3. Here is the march that divides the ways of heaven and\nhell,\u2014coming to Jesus Christ, and forsaking ourselves. The confidence of\nthese souls is chiefly or only in that little knowledge, or zeal, or\nprofession they have, they do not as really abhor themselves for their own\nrighteousness as for their unrighteousness. They make that the covering of\ntheir nakedness and filthiness which is in itself as menstruous and\nunclean as any thing. It is now the very propension and natural\ninclination of our hearts, to stand upright in ourselves  Faith bows a\nsoul\u2019s back to take on Christ\u2019s righteousness, but presumption lifts up a\nsoul upon its own bottom. \u201cHow can ye believe that seek honour one of\nanother?\u201d The engagements of the soul to its own credit or estimation,\u2014the\nengagements of self-love and self honour,\u2014do lift up a soul that it cannot\nsubmit to God\u2019s righteousness, to righteousness in another. And therefore\nmany do dream and think that they have eternal life, who shall awake in\nthe end, and find that it was but a dream, a night-fancy.\n\nNow from all this I would enforce this duty upon your consciences, to\n\u201csearch the Scriptures\u201d if you think to have eternal life, search them if\nye would \u201cknow Christ, whom to know is life eternal,\u201d then again search\nthem, for \u201cthese are they that testify of him.\u201d Searching imports\ndiligence,\u2014much diligence,\u2014it is a serious work, it is not a common\nseeking of an easy and common thing, but a search and scrutiny for some\nhidden thing, for some special thing. It is not bare reading of the\nScriptures that will answer this duty, except it be diligent and daily\nreading, and it is not that alone, except the spirit within meditate on\nthem, and by meditation accomplish a diligent search. There is some hidden\nsecret that you must search for that is enclosed within the covering of\nwords and sentences. There is a mystery of wisdom that you must apply your\nhearts to search out, Eccl. vii. 25. Jesus Christ is the treasure that is\nhid in this field. O a precious treasure of eternal life! Now then, souls,\nsearch into the fields of the Scriptures for him \u201cas for hid treasure,\u201d\nProv. ii. 4. It is not only truth you must seek and buy, and not sell it,\nbut it is life you would search, here is an object that may not only take\nup your understandings, but satisfy your hearts. Think not you have found\nall when you have found truth there, and learned it, no, except you have\nfound life there, you have found nothing, you have missed the treasure. If\nyou would profit by the Scriptures, you must bring both your understanding\nand your affections to them, and depart not till they both return full. If\nyou bring your understanding to seek the truth, you may find truth, but\nnot truly, you may find it, but you are not found of it. You may lead\ntruth captive, and enclose it in a prison of your mind, and encompass it\nabout with a guard of corrupt affections, that it shall have no issue, no\noutgoing to the rest of your souls and ways, and no influence on them. You\nmay \u201cknow the truth,\u201d but you are not \u201cknown of it,\u201d nor brought into\ncaptivity to the obedience of it. The treasure that is hid in the\nScriptures is Jesus Christ, whose entire and perfect name is, \u201cWay, Truth,\nand Life.\u201d He is a living truth and true life, therefore Christ is the\nadequate object of the soul, commensurable to all its faculties. He has\ntruth in him to satisfy the mind, and has life and goodness in him to\nsatiate the heart, therefore if thou wouldest find Jesus Christ, bring thy\nwhole soul to seek him, as Paul expresseth it. He is true and faithful,\nand \u201cworthy of all acceptation,\u201d then bring thy judgment to find the light\nof truth, and thy affections to embrace the life of goodness that is in\nhim. Now, as much as ye find of him, so much have ye profited in the\nScriptures. If you find commands there which you cannot obey, search\nagain, and you may find strength under that command. Dig a little deeper,\nand you shall find Jesus the end of an impossible command. And when you\nhave found him, you have found life and strength to obey, and you have\nfound a propitiation and sacrifice for transgressing and not obeying. If\nyou find curses in it, search again, and you shall find Jesus Christ under\nthat, \u201cmade a curse for us,\u201d you shall find him \u201cthe end of the law for\nrighteousness to every one that believes.\u201d When you know all the letter of\nthe Scripture, yet you must search into the spirit of it, that it may be\nimprinted into your spirits. All you know does you no good but as it is\nreceived in love, unless your souls become a \u201cliving epistle,\u201d and the\nword without be written on the heart, you have found nothing. As for you\nthat cannot read the Scriptures, if it be possible, take that pains to\nlearn to read them. O if you knew what they contain, and whom they bear\nwitness of, you would have little quietness till you could read at least\nhis love-epistles to sinners! And if you cannot learn, be not discouraged,\nbut if your desires within be fervent, your endeavours to hear it read by\nothers will be more earnest. But it is not so much the reading of much of\nit that profiteth, as the pondering of these things in your hearts, and\ndigesting them by frequent meditation, till they become the food of the\nsoul. This was David\u2019s way, and by this he grew to the stature of a tall\nand well bodied Christian.\n\n\n\n\n                                Lecture V.\n\n\nOf The Scriptures\n\n\n    Eph. ii. 20.\u2014\u201cAnd are built upon the foundation of the apostles\n    and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.\u201d\n\n\nBelievers are \u201cthe temple of the living God,\u201d in which he dwells and\nwalks, 2 Cor. vi. 16. Every one of them is a little sanctuary and temple\nto his Majesty, \u201csanctify the Lord of hosts in your hearts.\u201d Though he be\n\u201cthe high and lofty One that inhabits eternity,\u201d yet he is pleased to come\ndown to this poor cottage of a creature\u2019s heart, and dwell in it. Is not\nthis as great a humbling and condescending for the Father to come down off\nhis throne of glory, to the poor base footstool of the creature\u2019s soul, as\nfor the Son to come down in the state of a servant, and become in the form\nof sinful flesh? But then he is a temple and sanctuary to them. \u201cAnd he\nshall be for a sanctuary,\u201d (Isa. viii. 14.) a place of refuge, a secret\nhiding place. Now, as every one is a little separated retired temple, so\nthey all conjoined make up one temple, one visible body, in which he\ndwells. Therefore Peter calls them \u201cliving stones built up a spiritual\nhouse\u201d to God, 1 Pet. ii. 5. All these little temples make up one house\nand temple fitly joined together, in which God shows manifest signs of his\npresence and working. Unto this the apostle in this place alludes. The\ncommunion and union of Christians with God is of such a nature, that all\nthe relations and points of conjunction in the creatures are taken to\nresemble it and hold it out to us. We are citizens, saith he, and\ndomestics, household-men, and so dwell in his house, and then we are this\nhouse besides. Now ye know there are two principal things in a house\u2014the\nfoundation and the cornerstone, the one supports the building the other\nunites it and holds it together. These two parts of this spiritual\nbuilding are here pointed at. The foundation of every particular stone,\nand of the whole building, is the doctrine of the prophets and apostles,\nas holding out Jesus Christ to souls, \u201cthe rock on which our house shall\nbe builded,\u201d not the apostles or prophets, far less pastors and teachers\nsince,\u2014for they are but at best, \u201cworkers together with God, and employed\nin the building of the house,\u201d nor yet their doctrine, but as it holds out\nthat \u201csure foundation\u201d that God has laid in Zion, (Isa. xxviii. 16.) which\nis Jesus Christ for \u201cother foundation can no man lay.\u201d And then, \u201cthe\ncorner stone\u201d is that same Jesus Christ, who reaches from the bottom even\nto the top of the building, and immediately touches every stone, and both\nquickens it in itself, and unites them together.\n\nWell then, here is a sure foundation to build our eternal happiness upon,\nthe word of God, that endures for ever, holds it out to us. All men are\nbuilding upon something. Every man is about some establishment of his\nhopes,\u2014lays some foundation of his confidence which he may stand upon.\nThey are one of the two that Christ speaks of, Luke vi. 48, 49; one builds\non the rock, another on the sand. Now as the foundation is, so is the\nhouse. A changeable foundation makes a falling house, a sure foundation\nmakes an unchangeable house, a house without a foundation will prove\nquickly no house. Now whatsoever men build their hope and confidence\nupon,\u2014besides the word of God, his sure promise and sure covenant, and\nJesus Christ in them,\u2014they build upon no foundation, or upon a sandy\nfoundation. \u201cAll flesh is grass, and the flower and perfection of it is as\nthe flower of the field.\u201d Here is the name and character of all created\nperfections,\u2014of the most excellent endowments of mind,\u2014of all the specious\nactions of man it is all but vanishing and vanity! \u201cEvery man at his best\nestate is such, yea, altogether such.\u201d You who have no more to build upon\nbut your prosperity and wealth, O that is but sand and dung! Would any man\nbuild a house upon a dunghill? You who have no other hope but in your own\ngood prayers and meanings,\u2014your own reformations and repentances,\u2014your\nprofessions and practices\u2014know this, that your hope is like a spider\u2019s\nhouse, like the web that she has laboriously exercised herself about all\nthe week over, and then when you lean upon that house it shall fall\nthrough, and not sustain your weight. Whatsoever it be, besides this\n\u201cliving stone,\u201d Jesus Christ, who is the very substance of the word and\npromises, it shall undoubtedly prove thy shame and confusion. But behold\nthe opposition the prophet makes between the word and these other things.\n\u201cThe word of our God shall stand for ever,\u201d Isa. xl. 6-8. And therefore\nPeter makes it an \u201cincorruptible seed\u201d of which believers are begotten, 1\nPeter i. 23. It is the unchangeable truth and immutable faithfulness of\nGod that makes his word so sure, \u201cit is builded up to the heavens.\u201d\nTherefore the Psalmist often commends the word of the Lord as \u201ca tried\nword,\u201d\u2014as \u201cpurified seven times.\u201d It hath endured the trial and proof of\nall men,\u2014of all temptations\u2014of all generations. It hath often been put in\nthe furnace of questions and doubtings,\u2014it hath often been tried in the\nfire of afflictions,\u2014but it came forth like pure gold, without dross. This\nis faith\u2019s foundation, \u201cGod hath spoken in his holiness,\u201d and therefore,\nthough \u201call men be liars, yet God will be found true, he deceives none,\nand is deceived of none.\u201d The Lord hath taken a latitude to himself in his\nworking, he loves to show his sovereignty in much of that, and therefore\nhe changes it in men and upon men as he pleaseth. Yet he hath condescended\nto limit and bound himself by his word, and in this to show his\nfaithfulness. And therefore, though heaven and earth should pass\naway,\u2014though he should annihilate this world, and create new ones,\u2014yet\n\u201cnot one jot of his word shall fail.\u201d The earth is established sure,\nthough it hath no foundation, for the word of his command supports it, and\nyet a believer\u2019s confidence is upon a surer ground. \u201cThough the earth\nshould be removed, yet it cannot pass or fail\u201d saith our Lord. And\ntherefore the Psalmist useth to boast in God, that though the earth were\nmoved, and the floods lifted up their voice, yet he would not fear,\nbecause his foundation was unshaken for all that, the word is not moved\nwhen the world is moved, and therefore he was not moved. The world\u2019s\nstability depends upon a word of command, but our salvation depends on a\nword of promise. Now ye know, promises put an obligation upon the person,\nwhich commands do not. A man may change his commands as he pleases to his\nchildren or servants, but he may not change his promises. Therefore the\npromises of God put an obligation upon him who is truth itself, not to\nfail in performance, or rather he is to himself, by his unchangeable will\nand good pleasure, by his faithfulness and truth, an obliging and binding\nlaw. When no creature could set bounds to him, he encloses himself within\nthe bounds of promises to us, and gives all flesh liberty to challenge him\nif he be not faithful.\n\nNow all \u201cthe promises of God are yea and amen in Jesus Christ,\u201d that is,\nestablished and confirmed in him. Christ is the surety of them, and so the\ncertainty and stability of them depend upon him, at least to our sense,\nfor God in all his dealing condescends to our weakness that we may have\nstrong consolation. A promise might suffice to ground our faith, but he\naddeth an oath to his promise, and he takes Christ surety for the\nperformance, and therefore Christ may be called the truth indeed,\u2014the\nsubstantial word of God,\u2014for he is the very substance of the written and\npreached word. And then he is the certainty and assurance of it, the\nScriptures testify of him, and lead us to this \u201crock higher than we,\u201d to\nbuild upon, and against this \u201cthe gates of hell cannot prevail.\u201d If the\nword lead not a soul into Christ himself, that soul hath no foundation.\nThough thou hear the word,\u2014though thou know the word,\u2014yea, suppose thou\ncouldest teach others, and instruct the ignorant,\u2014yet all that will be no\nfoundation, as good as none, except thou do it. And what is it to do the\nword but believe in him whom the word testifies of? This is the work of\nGod, to resign thy soul to his mercies and merits, and have no confidence\nin the flesh, to scrape out all the rubbish of works and performances and\nparts out of the foundation, and singly to roll thy soul\u2019s weight upon\nGod\u2019s promises and Christ\u2019s purchase, to look with Paul on all things\nbesides, in thee, and about thee, as dung and dross that thou can lean no\nweight upon, and to remove that dunghill from the foundation of thy hope,\nthat Jesus Christ may be the only foundation of thy soul, as God hath laid\nhim in the church for \u201ca sure foundation that whoso believeth in him may\nnot be ashamed.\u201d Whatever besides a soul be established on, though it\nappear very solid, and the soul be settled and fixed upon it, yet a day\nwill come that will unsettle that soul and raze that foundation. Either it\nshall be now done in thy conscience, or it must be done at length, when\nthat great tempest of God\u2019s indignation shall blow from heaven \u201cagainst\nall unrighteousness of men,\u201d in the day of accounts. Then shall thy house\nfall, and the fall of it shall be great! But a soul established upon the\nsure promises and upon Christ, in whom they \u201care yea and amen\u201d shall abide\nthat storm, and in that day have confidence before God,\u2014have wherewith to\nanswer in Jesus Christ, all the challenges of divine justice, and the\naccusations of conscience. \u201cHe that trusts in him shall be as mount Sion,\nwhich cannot be moved.\u201d You see all things else change, and therefore\nmen\u2019s hopes and joys perish. Even here the temptations and revolutions of\nthe times undermine their confidence and joy, and the blasts of the\nnorthern wind of affliction blow away their hopes.\n\nNow as Christ is \u201cthe foundation,\u201d so he is \u201cthe corner stone\u201d of the\nbuilding. It is Christ who hath removed that \u201cpartition wall between Jews\nand Gentiles, even the ceremonies of the one, and the atheism of the\nother.\u201d \u201cHe is our peace, who hath made both one.\u201d The two sides of the\nhouse of God are united by this corner-stone, Jesus Christ. Thus we, who\nwere the temples of Satan, are made the temples of God. Thus poor stranger\nGentiles, who had no interest in the covenant of promises, come to share\nwith Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to be founded upon the doctrine of the\nprophets who taught the Jewish church. Christ is the bond of Christians;\nthis is \u201cthe head\u201d into which all the members should grow up into a body.\nDistance of place, difference of nations, distinction of languages, all\nthese cannot separate the members of Jesus Christ, they are more\none\u2014though consisting of divers nations, tongues, and customs and\ndispositions\u2014than the people of one nation, or children of one family, for\none Lord, one spirit, unites all. Alas, that all are not united in\naffection and judgment! Why do the sides of this house contend, and\nwrestle one against another, when there is such a cornerstone joining them\ntogether? Are there not many Christians who cannot endure to look upon one\nanother, who are yet both placed in one building of the temple of God?\nAlas, this is sad and shameful! But that which I would especially have\nobserved in this, is, that Jesus Christ is such a foundation that reacheth\nthroughout the whole building, and immediately toucheth every stone of the\nbuilding. It is such a foundation as riseth from the bottom to the top,\nand therefore Jesus Christ is both \u201cthe author and finisher of our faith,\u201d\n\u201cthe beginning and the end.\u201d The first stone and the last stone of our\nbuilding must rise upon him, and by him, the least degree of grace and the\ngreatest perfection of it, both are in him, and therefore Christians\nshould be most dependent creatures,\u2014dependent in their first being, and in\nafter well-being,\u2014in their being, and growing, wholly dependent upon\nChrist; that out \u201cof his fulness they may receive grace,\u201d and then more\n\u201cgrace for grace,\u201d that all may appear to be grace indeed.\n\nNow, I beseech you, my beloved in the Lord, to know whereupon ye are\nbuilded, or ought to be builded. There are two great errors in the time,\ntake heed of them; one is the doctrine of some, and another is the\npractice of the most part. Some do prefer their own fancies and\nnight-dreams, and the imaginations of their own heart, to the word of God,\nand upon pretence of revelation of new light,(135) do cast a mist upon\nthat word of God which is a light that hath shined from the beginning. \u201cBe\nnot deceived,\u201d but \u201ctry the spirits whether they be of God,\u201d or not. There\nare many pretend to much of the Spirit, and therefore cry out against the\nword, as letter, as flesh. But, my brethren, believe not every doctrine\nthat calls itself a spirit. That spirit is not of God that hears not God\u2019s\nvoice as Christ reasoneth against the Jews. Seek ye more of the Spirit of\nChrist which he promiseth, who is a Spirit that teacheth all things, and\nbringeth to remembrance these blessed sayings, and leads us in all truth.\nIt shall be both safest and sweetest to you to meditate on that word of\nthe prophets and apostles, and the entrance into it shall give you\nlight,\u2014an old light which was from the beginning, and therefore a true\nlight\u2014for all truth is eternal\u2014and yet a new light to your sense and\nfeeling. It is both an old command, and a new command; an old word, and a\nnew word; if thou search it by the Spirit\u2019s inspiration, that old word\nshall be made new, that letter made spirit and life. Such are the words\nthat Christ speaks. But yet there are many who do not reject the\nScriptures in judgment, who, notwithstanding, do not build on them in\npractice. Alas, it may be said of the most part of professed Christians\namong us, that they are not built upon the foundation of the apostles and\nprophets, but upon the sayings of fallible and weak men! What ground have\nmany of you for your faith, but because the minister saith so, you believe\nso? The most part live in an implicit faith, and practise that in\nthemselves which they condemn in the papists. You do not labour to \u201csearch\nthe scriptures,\u201d that upon that foundation you may build your faith in the\nquestioned truths of this age, that so you may be able to answer those\nthat ask a reason of the faith that is in you. Alas! simple souls, you\nbelieve every thing, and yet really believe nothing, because you believe\nnot the word, as the word of the living God, but take it from men upon\ntheir authority! Therefore when a temptation cometh, from any gainsayings\nof the truth,\u2014you cannot stand against it, because your faith hath no\nfoundation but the sayings of men, or acts of assemblies. And therefore,\nas men whom you trust with holding out light unto you, hold out darkness\ninstead of light, you embrace that darkness also. But, I beseech you, be\nbuilded upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, not upon _them_,\nbut upon that whereon they were builded, the infallible truths of God. You\nhave the Scriptures, search them; since you have reasonable souls, search\nthem. Other men\u2019s faith will not save; you cannot see to walk to heaven by\nother men\u2019s light, more than you can see by their eyes. You have eyes of\nyour own, souls of your own, subordinate to none but the God of spirits,\nand the Lord of consciences, Jesus Christ, and therefore examine all that\nis spoken to you from the word, according to the word, and receive no more\nupon trust from men but as you find it upon trial to be the truth of God.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture VI.\n\n\nWhat The Scriptures Principally Teach: The Ruin And Recovery Of Man. Faith\nAnd Love Towards Christ.\n\n\n    2 Tim. i. 13.\u2014\u201cHold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast\n    heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.\u201d\n\n\nHere is the sum of religion. Here you have a compend of the doctrine of\nthe Scriptures. All divine truths may be reduced to these two heads,\u2014faith\nand love; what we ought to believe, and what we ought to do. This is all\nthe Scriptures teach, and this is all we have to learn. What have we to\nknow, but what God hath revealed of himself to us? And what have we to do,\nbut what he commands us? In a word, what have we to learn in this world,\nbut to believe in Christ, and love him, and so live to him? This is the\nduty of man, and this is the dignity of man, and the way to eternal life.\nTherefore the Scriptures, that are given to be \u201ca lamp to our feet, and a\nguide to our paths,\u201d contain a perfect and exact rule,\u2014_credendorum et\nfaciendorum_,\u2014of faith and manners,\u2014of doctrine and practice. We have in\nthe scriptures many truths revealed to us of God, and of the works of his\nhands,\u2014many precious truths, but that which most of all concerns us, is to\nknow God and ourselves. This is the special excellency of the reasonable\ncreature, that it is made capable to know its Creator, and to reflect upon\nits own being. Now, we have to know ourselves, what we are now, and what\nman once was, and accordingly to know of God, what he once revealed of\nhimself, and what he doth now reveal. I say, the Scriptures hold out to\nour consideration a twofold estate of mankind, and according to these, a\ntwofold revelation of the mystery of God. We look on man now, and we find\nhim another thing than he was once, but we do not find God one thing at\none time, and another thing at another time, for there is no \u201cshadow of\nchange\u201d in him, and \u201che is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.\u201d\nTherefore we ask not, what he was, and what he is now; but how he\nmanifests himself differently, according to the different estates of man.\nAs we find in the Scriptures, man once righteous and blessed, Eccles. vii.\n29, and God making him such according to his own image, \u201cin righteousness\nand true holiness,\u201d Col. iii. 10, Eph. iv. 24; we find him in communion\nand friendship with God, set next to the divine majesty, and above the\nworks of his hand, and all things \u201cunder his feet.\u201d How holy was he \u201cand\nhow happy.\u201d And happy he could not choose but be, since he was holy, being\nconformed and like unto God in his will and affection,\u2014choosing that same\ndelight, that same pleasure with God, in his understanding,\u2014knowing God\nand his will, and likewise, his own happiness. In such a conformity he\ncould not but have much communion with  him, that had such conformity to\nhim\u2014union being the foundation of communion\u2014and great peace and solid\ntranquillity in him.\n\nNow, in this state of mankind God expresses his goodness and wisdom and\npower, his holiness and righteousness. These are the attributes that shine\nmost brightly. In the very morning of the creation, God revealed himself\nto man as a holy and just God, whose eyes could behold no iniquity; and\ntherefore he made him upright, and made a covenant of life and peace with\nhim, to give him immortal and eternal life,\u2014to continue him in his happy\nestate, if so be he continued in well doing, Rom. x. 5, \u201cdo this and\nlive.\u201d In which covenant, indeed, there were some outbreaking of the\nglorious grace and free condescendency of God, for it was no less free\ngrace and undeserved favour to promise life to his obedience, than now to\npromise life to our faith. So that if the Lord had continued that covenant\nwith us, we ought to have called it grace, and would have been saved by\ngrace as well as now, though it be true, that there is some more occasion\ngiven to man\u2019s nature to boast and glory in that way, yet not at all\n\u201cbefore God,\u201d Rom. iv. 2.\n\nBut we have scarcely found man in such an estate, till we have found him\nsinful and miserable and fallen from his excellency. That son sinned in\nthe dawning of the creation, but before ye can well know what it is, it is\neclipsed and darkened with sin and misery as if the Lord had only set up\nsuch a creature in the firmament of glory, to let him know how blessed he\ncould make him, and wherein his blessedness consists, and then presently\nto throw him down from his excellency. When you find him mounting up to\nthe heavens, and spreading himself thus in holiness and happiness, like a\nbay-tree, behold again, and you find him not, though you seek him, you\nshall not find him, his place doth not know him.  He is like one that\ncomes out with a great majesty upon a stage, and personates some monarch,\nor emperor, in the world, and then ere you can well gather your thoughts,\nto know what he is, he is turned off the stage, and appears in some base\nand despicable appearance. So quickly is man stript of all those glorious\nornaments of holiness, and puts on the vile rags of sin and wretchedness,\nand is cast from the throne of eminency above the creatures, and from\nfellowship with God, to be a slave and servant to the dust of his feet,\nand to have communion with the devil and his angels. And now, ye have man\nholden out in Scripture as the only wretched piece of the creation, as the\nvery plague of the world the whole creation groaning under him, (Rom.\nviii.) and in pain to be delivered of such a burden, of such an execration\nand curse and astonishment. You find the testimony of the word condemns\nhim altogether, concludes him under sin, and then under a curse, and makes\nall flesh guilty in God\u2019s sight. The word speaks otherwise of us than we\nthink of ourselves! \u201cTheir imagination is only evil continually,\u201d Gen. vi.\n5. O then, what must our affections be, that are certainly more corrupt!\nWhat then must our way be! All flesh hath corrupted their way, and done\nabominable works, and \u201cnone doeth good,\u201d Psal. xiv. 1, 2, 3. But many flee\nin unto their good hearts as their last refuge, when they are beaten from\nthese outworks of their actions and ways. But the Scripture shall storm\nthat also. \u201cThe heart is deceitful above all things,\u201d who can know it? it\nis \u201cdesperately wicked,\u201d Jer. xvii. 9. In a word, man is become the most\nlamentable spectacle in the world, a compend of all wickedness and misery\nenclosed within the walls of inability and impossibility to help himself,\nshut up within a prison of despair, a linking, loathsome, and irksome\ndungeon. It is like the miry pit that Jeremiah was cast into, that there\nwas no out-coming, and no pleasant abode in it.\n\nNow, man\u2019s state being thus,\u2014nay, having made himself thus, and \u201csought\nout\u201d to himself such sad \u201cinventions,\u201d Eccl. vii. 29,\u2014and having\n\u201cdestroyed\u201d himself, Hos. xiii. 9, What think ye? Should any pity him? If\nhe had fallen into such a pit of misery ignorantly and unwittingly, he had\nbeen an object of compassion, but having cast himself headlong into it,\nwho should have pity on him? Or, who should \u201cgo aside to ask\u201d how he did,\nor bemoan him? Jer. xv. 5. But behold the Lord pities man as a father doth\nhis children, Psal. ciii. \u201cHis compassions fail not,\u201d he comes by such a\nloathsome and contemptible object, and casts his skirts over it, and\nsaith, \u201cLive!\u201d (Ezek. xvi.) and maketh it a time of love. I say, no flesh\ncould have expected any more of God than to make man happy and holy, and\nto promise him life in well-doing, but to repair that happiness after it\nwas wilfully lost, and to give life to evil-doers and sinners,\u2014O how far\nwas it from Adam\u2019s expectation when he fled from God!  Here then is the\nwonder, that when men and angels were in expectation of the revelation of\nhis wrath from heaven against their wickedness, and the execution of the\ncurse man was concluded under, that even then God is pursuing man, and\npursues him with love, and opens up to him his very heart and bowels of\nlove in Jesus Christ! Behold then the second revelation and manifestation\nof God, in a way of grace, pure grace\u2014of mercy and pity towards lost\nsinners \u201cThe kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man [hath]\nappeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according\nto his abundant mercy showed in Christ Jesus,\u201d Tit. iii. 4-6. So then, we\nhave this purpose of God\u2019s love unfolded to us in the Scriptures, and this\nis the substance of them\u2014both Old and New Testament\u2014or the end of them,\n\u201cChrist is the end of the law\u201d (Rom. x. 4) to all sinners concluded under\nsin and a curse. By it, our Lord Jesus, the good Ebedmelech, comes and\ncasts down a cord to us, and draws us up out of the pit of sin and misery.\nHe comes to this prison, and opens the door to let captives free. So then\nwe have God holden out to us as a redeemer, as a repairer of our\nbreaches,\u2014\u201cGod in Christ reconciling the world,\u201d\u2014\u201cO Israel, thou hast\ndestroyed thyself, but in me is thine help,\u201d Hos. xiii. 9. He finds to\nhimself \u201ca ransom to satisfy his justice,\u201d Job xxxiii. 24. He finds a\npropitiation to take away sin,\u2014a sacrifice to pacify and appease his\nwrath. He finds one of our brethren, but yet his own Son in whom he is\nwell pleased, and then holds out all this to sinners that they may be\nsatisfied in their own consciences, as he is in his own mind. God hath\nsatisfied himself in Christ, you have not that to do. He is not now to be\nreconciled to us, for he was never really at odds, though he covered his\ncountenance with frowns and threats, since the Fall, and hath appeared in\nfire and thunders and whirlwinds which are terrible, yet his heart had\nalways love in it to such persons; and therefore he is come near in\nChrist, and about reconciling us to himself. Here is the business then, to\nhave our souls reconciled to him, to take away the enmity within us, and\nas he is satisfied with his Son, so to satisfy ourselves with him, and be\nas well-pleased in his redemption and purchase as the Father is, and then\nyou believe indeed in him. Now if this were accomplished, what have we\nmore to do but to love him and to live to him? When you have found in the\nScripture, and believed with the heart, what man once was, and what he now\nis, what God once appeared, and what he now manifests himself in the\ngospel, ye have no more to do but to search in the same Scriptures what ye\nhenceforth ought to be. Ye who find your estate recovered in Christ, ask,\n\u201cWhat manner of persons ought we to be?\u201d And the Scripture shall also give\nyou that \u201cform of sound words,\u201d which may not only teach you to believe in\nhim, but to love him and obey his commands. The law that before condemned\nyou is now by Christ put in your hands to guide you and conduct you in the\nway, and teacheth you how to live henceforth to his glory. \u201cThe grace of\nGod that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, reaching us, that\ndenying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,\nrighteously, and godly in this present world,\u201d Tit. ii. 12. Here is the\nsum of the rule of your practice and conversation, piety towards God,\nequity towards men, and sobriety towards ourselves; self-denial, and world\ndenial, and lust-denial, to give up with the world and our own\nlusts,\u2014henceforth to have no more to do with them,\u2014to resign them, not for\na time, not in part, but wholly and for ever in affection, and by parts in\npractice and endeavour; and then to resign and give up ourselves to him,\nto live to him, and to live in him.\n\nThus we have given you a sum of the doctrine of the Scriptures, of that\nwhich is to be believed, and that which is to be done as our duty. Now we\nshall speak a word of these two cardinal graces which are the compend of\nall graces,\u2014as the objects of them are the abridgment of the\nScriptures,\u2014faith and love. These \u201csound words\u201d can profit us nothing,\nunless we hold them fast with faith and love.\n\nFaith is like the fountain-gate. Streams come out of it that cleanse the\nconscience from the guilt of sin, and purify the heart from the filth of\nsin, because it is that which cometh to the \u201cfountain opened up in the\nhouse of David,\u201d and draweth water out of these \u201cwells of salvation.\u201d If\nyou consider the fall and ruin of mankind, you will find infidelity and\nunbelief the fountain of it as well as the seal of it. Unbelief of the law\nof God,\u2014of his promises and threatenings. This was first called in\nquestion, and when once called in question, it is half denied. Hath God\nsaid so, that you shall die?\u2014It is not far off.\u2014\u201cYe shall not surely die.\u201d\nHere then was the very beginning of man\u2019s ruin. He did not retain in his\nknowledge, and believe with his heart, the truth and faithfulness and\nholiness of God, which unbelief was conjoined and intermingled with much\npride\u2014\u201cye shall be as gods.\u201d He began to live out of God, in himself, not\nremembering that his life was a stream of that divine fountain, that being\ncut off from it, would dry up. Now therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ\u2014an\nexpert Saviour, and very learned and complete for this work,\u2014he brings man\nout of this pit of misery by that same way he fell into it. He fell down\nby unbelief, and he brings him up out of it by faith. This is the cord\nthat is cast down to the poor soul in the dungeon, or rather his faith is\nthe dead grip of the cord of divine promises which is sent unto the\ncaptive-prisoner, and by virtue thereof he is drawn out into the light of\nsalvation. Unbelief of the law of God did first destroy man, now the\nbelief of the gospel saves him. The not believing of the Lord\u2019s\nthreatenings was the beginning of his ruin, and believing of his precious\npromises is salvation. I say no more, as our destruction began at the\nunbelief of the law, so our salvation must begin at the belief of it. The\nlaw and divine justice went out of his sight and so he sinned now the law\nentering into the conscience, discovers a man\u2019s sins, and makes sin\nabound, and that is the beginning of our remedy, to know our disease. But\nas long as this is hid from a man\u2019s eyes, he is shut up in unbelief, he is\nsealed and confirmed in his miserable estate, and so kept from Jesus\nChrist the remedy. Thus unbelief first and last destroys. Faith might have\npreserved Adam and faith again may restore thee who hast fallen in Adam.\n\nThere is a great mistake of faith among us, some taking it for a strong\nand blind confidence that admits of no questions or doubts in the soul,\nand so vainly persuading themselves that they have it, and some again\nconceiving it to be such an assurance of salvation as instantly comforts\nthe soul and looseth all objections, and so foolishly vexing their own\nsouls, and disquieting themselves in vain, for the want of that which, if\nthey understood what it is, they would find they have. I say, many souls\nconceive that to be the best faith that never doubted, and hath always\nlodged in them and kept them in peace since they were born. But, seeing\nall men were once \u201caliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to\nthe covenant of promise, and without God in the world,\u201d and so without\nChrist also, it is certain that those souls who have always blessed\nthemselves in their own hearts, and cried \u201cPeace, peace,\u201d and were never\nafraid of the wrath to come, have embraced an imagination and dream of\ntheir own heart for true faith. It is not big and stout words that will\nprove it. Men may defy the devil and all his works, and speak very\nconfidently, and yet, God knows, they are captives by him at his pleasure,\nand not far from that misery which they think they have escaped. Satan\nworks in them with such a crafty conveyance that they cannot perceive it.\nAnd how should they perceive it? For we are \u201cby nature dead in sins,\u201d and\nso cannot feel or know that we are such. It is a token of life to feel\npain, a certain token, for dead things are senseless. You know how\njugglers may deceive your very senses, and make them believe they see that\nwhich is not, and feel that which they feel not. Oh! how much more easy is\nit for Satan\u2014such an ingenious and experimented spirit\u2014assisted with the\nhelp of our deceitful hearts, to cast such a mist over the eyes of hearts,\nand make them believe any thing! How easily may he hide our misery from\nus, and make us believe it is well with us! And thus multitudes of souls\nperish in the very opinion of salvation. That very thing which they call\nfaith,\u2014that strong ungrounded persuasion,\u2014is no other thing than the\nunbelief of the heart, unbelief, I mean, of the holy law, of divine\njustice, and the wrath to come, for if these once entered into the soul\u2019s\nconsideration, they would certainly cast down that stronghold of vain\nconfidence that Satan keeps all the house in peace by. Now this secure and\npresumptuous despising of all threatenings and all convictions, is\nvarnished over to the poor soul with the colour and appearance of faith in\nthe gospel. They think, to believe in Christ is nothing else but never to\nbe afraid of hell, whereas it is nothing else but a soul fleeing into\nChrist for fear of hell, and fleeing from the wrath to come to the city of\nrefuge.\n\nNow again, there are some other souls quite contrary minded, that run upon\nanother extremity. They once question whether they have faith, and always\nquestion it. You shall find them always out of one doubt into another, and\nstill returning upon these debates, Whether am I in Christ, or not? And\noften peremptorily concluding that they are not in him, and that they\nbelieve not in him. I must confess, that a soul must once question the\nmatter, or they shall never be certain. Nay, a soul must once conclude\nthat it is void of God, and without Christ; but having discovered that, I\nsee no more use and fruit of your frequent debates and janglings about\ninterest. I would say then unto such souls, that if you now question it,\nit is indeed the very time to put it out of question. And how? Not by\nframing or seeking answers to your objections,\u2014not by searching into\nthyself to find some thing to prove it,\u2014not by mere disputing about it,\nfor when shall these have an end? But simply and plainly by setting about\nthat which is questioned. Are you in doubt if you be believers? How shall\nit be resolved then but by believing indeed? It is now the very time that\nthou art called to make application of thy soul to Christ, if thou\nthinkest thou cannot make application of Christ to thy soul. If thou\ncannot know if he be thine, then how shalt thou know it but by choosing\nhim for thine and embracing him in thy soul? Now I say, if that time which\nis spent about such unprofitable debates, were spent in solid and serious\nendeavours about the thing in debate, it would quickly be out of debate.\nIf you were more in the obedience to those commands, than in the dispute\nwhether you have obeyed or not, you would sooner come to satisfaction in\nit. This I say the rather, because the weightier and principal parts of\nthe gospel are those direct acts of faith and love to Jesus Christ, both\nthese are the outgoings of the soul to him. Now again examination of our\nfaith and assurance are but secondary and consequent reflections upon\nourselves, and are the soul returning in again to itself, to find what is\nwithin. Therefore, I say, a Christian is principally called to the first,\nand always called. It is the chief duty of man, which, for no evidence, no\ndoubting, no questioning, should be left undone. If ye be in any\nhesitation whether you are believers or not, I am sure the chiefest thing,\nand most concerning, is, rather to believe than to know it. It is a\nChristian\u2019s being to believe, it is indeed his comfort and well being to\nknow it, but if you do not know it, then by all means so much the more set\nabout it presently. Let the soul consider Christ and the precious\npromises, and lay its weight upon him; this you ought to do, and not to\nleave the other undone.\n\nSecondly, I say to such souls, that it is the mistake of the very nature\nof faith that leads them to such perplexities, and causeth such\ninevidence. It is not so much the inevidence of marks and fruits that\nmakes them doubt, as the misapprehension of the thing itself, for as long\nas they mistake it in its own nature, no sign, no mark, can satisfy in it.\nYou take faith to be a persuasion of God\u2019s love that calms and quiets the\nmind. Now, such a persuasion needs no signs to know it by, it is manifest\nby its own presence, as light by its own brightness. It were a foolish\nquestion to ask any, how they knew that they were persuaded of another\u2019s\naffection? The very persuasion maketh itself more certain to the soul than\nany token. So then, while you question whether you have faith or not, and\nin the mean time take faith to be nothing else but such a persuasion, it\nis in vain to bring any marks or signs to convince you that you have\nfaith, for if such a persuasion and assurance were in you, it would be\nmore powerful to assure your hearts of itself than any thing else, and\nwhile you are doubting of it, it is more manifest that you have it not,\nthan any signs or marks can be able to make it appear that you have it. If\nany would labour to convince a blind man that he saw the light, and gave\nhim signs and tokens of the lights shining, the blind man could not\nbelieve him, for it is more certain to himself that he sees not, that any\nevidence can make the contrary probable. You are still wishing and seeking\nsuch a faith as puts all out of question. Now, when ministers bring any\nmarks to prove you have true faith, it cannot satisfy or settle you,\nbecause your very questioning proves that ye have not that which ye\nquestion. If you had such a persuasion, you would not question it. So\nthen, as long as you are in that mistake concerning the true nature of\nfaith, all the signs of the word cannot settle you. But I say, if once you\nunderstood the true nature of faith, it would be more clear in itself unto\nyou, than readily marks and signs could make it especially in the time of\ntemptation. If you would know, then, what it is indeed, consider what the\nword of God holds out concerning himself, or us, and the solid belief of\nthat in the heart hath something of the nature of saving faith in it. The\nLord gives a testimony concerning man, that he is \u201cborn in sin,\u201d that he\nis \u201cdead in sin,\u201d and all his \u201cimaginations are only evil continually.\u201d\nNow, I say, to receive this truth into the soul, upon God\u2019s testimony, is\na point of faith. The Lord in his word \u201cconcludes all under sin\u201d and\nwrath, so, then, for a soul to conclude itself also under sin and wrath is\na point of faith. Faith is the soul\u2019s testimony to God\u2019s truth, the word\nis God\u2019s testimony. Now then, if a soul receive this testimony within,\nwhether it be law or gospel, it is an act of faith. If a soul condemn\nitself, and judge itself, that is a setting to our seal that God is true\nwho speaks in his law, and so it is a believing in God. I say more to\nbelieve with the heart that we cannot believe, is a great point of sound\nbelief, because it is a sealing of that word of God,\u2014\u201cThe heart is\ndesperately wicked,\u201d and \u201cof ourselves we can do nothing.\u201d Now, I am\npersuaded, if such souls knew this, they would put an end to their many\ncontentions and wranglings about this point, and would rather bless God\nthat hath opened their eyes to see themselves, than contend with him for\nthat they have no faith. It is light only that discovers darkness, and\nfaith only that discerns unbelief. It is life and health only that feel\npain and sickness, for if all were alike, nothing could be found,(136) as\nin dead bodies. Now, I say to such souls as believe in God the Lawgiver,\nbelieve also in Christ the Redeemer. And what is that? It is not to know\nthat I have an interest in him. No, that must come after, it is the\nSpirit\u2019s sealing after believing which puts itself out of question when it\ncomes. And so if you had it you needed not many signs to know it by, at\nleast you would not doubt of it, more than he that sees the light can\nquestion it. But, I say, to believe in Christ is simply this:\nI,\u2014whatsoever I be,\u2014ungodly, wretched, polluted, desperate, am willing to\nhave Jesus Christ for my Saviour, I have no other help, or hope, if it be\nnot in him. It is, I say, to lean the weight of thy soul on this\nfoundation stone laid in Zion, to embrace the promises of the gospel,\nalbeit general, as \u201cworthy of all acceptation,\u201d and wait upon the\nperformance of them. It is no other thing but to make Christ welcome, to\nsay, \u201c \u2018Even so, Lord Jesus,\u2019 I am content in my soul that thou be my\nSaviour, to be found in thee, \u2018not having my own righteousness.\u2019 \u201d I am\nwell pleased to cast away my own as dung, and find myself no other than an\nungodly man. Now it is certain that many souls that are still questioning\nwhether they have faith, yet do find this in their souls, but because they\nknow not that it is faith which they find, they go about to seek that\nwhich is not faith, and where it is not to be found, and so disquiet\nthemselves in vain, and hinder fruitfulness.\n\nNow, the faith of a Christian is no fancy, it is not a light vain\nimagination of the brain, but it dwells in the heart,\u2014\u201cwith the heart man\nbelieves,\u201d and it dwells with love. Faith and love, we need not be curious\nto distinguish them. It is certain that love is in it, and from it. It is\nin the very bosom of it, because faith is a soul embracing of Christ, it\nis a choosing of him for its portion and then upon the review of this\ngoodly portion, and from consideration of what he is, and hath done for\nus, the soul loves him still more, and is impatient of so much distance\nfrom him. We find them conjoined in Scripture, but they are one in the\nheart. O that we studied to have these jointly engraven on the heart! As\nthey are joined in the word, so our heart should be a \u201cliving epistle.\u201d\nFaith and love are two words but one thing under different notions. They\nare the outgoings of the soul to Christ for life,\u2014the breathings of the\nsoul after him, for more of him, when it hath once tasted how good he is.\nFaith is not a speculation, or a wandering thought of truth, it is the\ntruth, not captivated into the mind, but dwelling in the heart, and\ngetting possession of the whole man. You know a man and his will are one,\nnot so a man and his mind, for he may conceive the truth of many things he\nloves not, but whatever a man loves, that and he in a manner become one\nwith another. Love is unitive, it is the most excellent union of distant\nthings. The will commands the whole man, and hath the office of applying\nof all the faculties to their proper works _Illa imperat, ali\u00e6\nexsequuntur_. Therefore when once divine truth gets entry into the heart\nof a man, and becomes one with his will and affection, it will quickly\ncommand the whole man to practise and execute, and then he that received\n\u201cthe truth in love\u201d is found a walker in the truth. Many persons captivate\ntruth in their understandings, as the Gentiles did, they hold or detain it\nin unrighteousness, but because it hath no liberty to descend into the\nheart, and possess that garrison, it cannot command the man. But oh! it is\nbetter to be truth\u2019s captive than to captivate truth, saith the apostle,\n\u201cYe have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered\nyou,\u201d Rom. vi. 17. O a blessed captivity! to be delivered over to\ntruth,\u2014that is indeed freedom, for truth makes free, John viii. 32. And it\nmakes free where it is in freedom. Give it freedom to command thee, and it\nshall indeed deliver thee from all strange lords; and thou shalt obey it\nfrom the heart when it is indeed in the heart. When the truths of\nGod,\u2014whether promises, or threatenings or commands,\u2014are impressed into the\nheart, you shall find the expressions of them in the conversion. Faith is\nnot an empty assent to the truth, but a receiving of it \u201cin love,\u201d and\nwhen the truth is received in love, then it begins to work by love. \u201cFaith\nworketh by love,\u201d saith Paul, Gal. v. 6. That now is the proper nature of\nits operation which expresses its own nature. Obedience proceeding from\nlove to God flows from faith in God, and that shows the true and living\nnature of that faith. If the soul within receive the seal and impression\nof the truth of God, it will render the image of that same truth in all\nits actions.\n\nLove is put for all obedience. It is made the very sum and compend of the\nlaw, the fulfilling of it; for the truth is the most effectual and\nconstraining principle of obedience, and withal the most sweet and\npleasant. The love of Christ constrains us to live to him, and not\nhenceforth to ourselves, 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. As I said, a man and his will\nis one; if you engage it, you bind all, if you gain it, it will bring all\nwith it. As it is the most ready way to gain any party, to engage their\nhead whom they follow and upon whom they depend, let a man\u2019s love be once\ngained to Christ, and the whole train of the soul\u2019s faculties of the\noutward senses and operations, will follow upon it. It was an excellent\nand pertinent question that Christ asked Peter, when he was going away,\n(if Peter had considered Christ\u2019s purpose in it, he would not have been so\nhasty and displeased) \u201cPeter, \u2018lovest thou me?\u2019 then \u2018feed my sheep.\u2019 \u201d If\na man love Christ, he will certainly study to please him, and though he\nshould do never so much in obedience, it is no pleasure except it be done\nout of love. O this, and more of this in the heart, would make ministers\nfeed well, and teach well, and would make people obey well! \u201cIf ye love\nme, keep my commandments.\u201d Love devotes and consecrates all that is in a\nman to the pleasure of him whom he loves, therefore it fashions and\nconforms one\u2014even against nature\u2014to another\u2019s humour and affection. It\nconstrains not to live to ourselves, but to him,\u2014its joy and delight is in\nhim, and therefore all is given up and resigned to him. Now as it is\ncertain, that if you love him you will do much, so it is certain that\nlittle is accepted for much that proceeds from love, and therefore, our\npoor maimed and halting obedience is called \u201cthe fulfilling of the law.\u201d\nHe is well pleased with it, because love is well pleased with it. Love\nthinks nothing too much\u2014all too little, and therefore his love thinks any\nthing from us much, since he would give more. He accepts that which is\ngiven, the lover\u2019s mite cast into the treasury, is more than ten times so\nmuch outward obedience from another man. He meets love with love. If the\nsoul\u2019s desire be towards the love of his name, if love offer, though a\nfarthing, his love receiving it counts it a crown. Love offering a present\nof duty, finds many imperfections in it, and covers any good that is in\nit, seems not to regard it, and then beholds it as a recompense. His love,\nreceiving the present from us, covers a multitude of infirmities that are\nin it. And thus, what in the desire and endeavour of love on our part, and\nwhat in the acceptation of what is done on his part, \u201clove is the\nfulfilling of the law.\u201d It is an usual proverb. All things are as they are\ntaken; \u201cLove is the fulfilling of the law,\u201d because our loving Father\ntakes it so, he takes as much delight in the poor children\u2019s willingness,\nas in the more aged\u2019s strength, the offer and endeavour of the one\npleaseth him, as well as the performance of the other.\n\nThe love of God is the fulfilling of the law, for it is a living law, it\nis the law written on the heart, it is the law of a spirit of life within.\n_Quis legem det amantibus? Major lex amor sibi ipsi est._ You almost need\nnot prescribe any rules, or set over the head of love the authority and\npain of a command, for it is a greater law to itself. It hath within its\nown bosom as deep an engagement and obligation to any thing that may\nplease God as you can put upon it,  for it is in itself the very\nengagement and bond of the soul to him. This is it, indeed, which will do\nhim service, and that is the service which he likes. It is that only\nserves him constantly and pleasantly and constantly; it cannot serve him\nwhich doth it not pleasantly, for it is delight only that makes it\nconstant. Violent motions may be swift, but not durable; they last not\nlong. Fear and terror is a kind of external impulse that may drive a soul\nswiftly to some duty, but because that is not one with a soul, it cannot\nendure long, it is not good company to the soul. But love, making a duty\npleasant, becomes one with the soul. It incorporates with it and becomes\nlike its nature to it, that though it should not move so swiftly, yet\nmoves more constantly. And what is love but the very motion of the soul to\nGod? And so till it have attained that, to be in him, it can find no place\nof rest. Now this is only the service that he is pleased with, which comes\nfrom love, because he sees his own image in it; for love in us is nothing\nelse but the impression and stamp that God\u2019s love to us makes on the\nheart. It is that very reflection of that sweet warm beam. So then when\nhis love reflects back unto himself carrying our heart and duty with it,\nhe knoweth his own superscription, he loves his own image in such a duty.\n\u201cIf a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and\nwe will come unto him, and make our abode with him,\u201d John xiv. 23. Here\nnow is an evidence that he likes it, for he must needs like that place he\nchooses to dwell in. He who hath such a glorious mansion and palace above\nmust needs love that soul dearly, that he will prefer it to his high and\nholy place.\n\nNow I know it will be the secret question and complaint of some souls, how\nshall I get love to God? I cannot love him, my heart is so desperately\nwicked, I cannot say as Peter, \u201cLord thou knowest that I love thee.\u201d I\nshall not insist upon the discovery of your love unto him by marks and\nsigns; only I say, if thou indeed from thy heart desirest to love him, and\nart grieved that there is not this love in thy soul to him which becomes\nso love-worthy a Saviour, then thou indeed lovest him, for he that loveth\nthe love of God, loveth God himself. And wherefore art thou sad for the\nwant of that love, but because thou lovest him in some measure, and withal\nfindest him beyond all that thou canst think and love? But I say, that\nwhich most concerns thee is to love still more, and that thou wouldest be\nstill more earnest to love him than to know that thou lovest him.\n\nNow I know no more effectual way to increase love to Jesus Christ, than to\nbelieve his love. Christ Jesus is \u201cthe author and finisher both of faith\nand love;\u201d and \u201cwe love him because he first loved us.\u201d Therefore the\nright discovery of Jesus Christ, what he is, and what he hath done for\nsinners, is that which will of all things most prevail to engage the soul\nunto him. But as long as ye suspend your faith upon the being or increase\nof your love and obedience\u2014as the manner of too many is\u2014you take even such\na course as he that will not plant the tree till he see the fruits of it,\nwhich is contrary to common sense and reason.\n\nSince this then, is the sum of true religion, to believe in Christ and to\nlove him, and so live to him,\u2014we shall wind up all that is spoken into\nthat exhortation of the apostle\u2019s: \u201cHold fast the form of sound words\nwhich thou hast heard.\u201d You have this doctrine of faith and love delivered\nunto you which may be able to save your souls. Then I beseech you, hold\nthem fast, salvation is in them. They are \u201csound words and wholesome\nwords,\u201d words of life, spirit and life, (as Christ speaks,) as well as\nwords of truth. But how will you hold them fast that have them not at\nall\u2014that know them not though you hear them? You who are ignorant of the\ngospel and hear nothing but a sound of words, instead of sound and\nwholesome words, how can you hold them fast? Can a man hold the wind in\nthe hollow of his hand, or keep a sound within it? You know no more but a\nsound and a wind that passeth by your ear, without observing either truth\nor life in it. But then again, you who understand these sound words, and\nhave \u201ca form of knowledge, and of the letter of the law,\u201d what will that\navail you? You cannot hold it fast, except you have it within you, and it\nis within you indeed when it is in your heart,\u2014when the form of it is\nengraven upon the very soul in love. Now, though you understand the sound\nof these words, and the sound of truth in them, yet you receive not the\nliving image of them which is faith and love. Can you paint a sound? Can\nyou form it, or engrave it on any thing? Nay, but these sound words are\nmore substantial and solid. They must be engraven on the heart, else you\nwill never hold them. They may be easily plucked out of the mouth and hand\nby temptation, unless they be enclosed and laid up in the secret of the\nheart as Mary laid them. The truth must hold thee fast or thou canst not\nhold it fast; it must captivate thee, and bind thee with the golden chains\nof affection, which only is true freedom, or certainly thou wilt let it\ngo. Nay, you must not only have the truth received by love unto your heart\nbut, as the apostle speaks, you must also \u201chold fast the form of sound\nwords.\u201d Scripture words are sound words; the Scripture method of teaching\nis sound and wholesome. There may be unsound words used in expressing true\nmatter, and if a man shall give liberty to his own luxuriant imagination\nto expatiate in notions and expressions, either to catch the ear of the\nvulgar, or to appear some new discoverer of light and gospel mysteries, he\nmay as readily fall into error and darkness as into truth and light. Some\nmen do brisk up old truths, Scripture truths, into some new dress of\nlanguage and notions and then give them out for new discoveries, new\nlights, but in so doing, they often hazard the losing of the truth itself.\nWe should beware and take heed of strange words that have the least\nappearance of evil such as _Christed_ and _Godded_.(137) Let us think it\nenough to be wise according to the Scriptures, and suspect all that as\nvain empty, unsound, that tends not to the increase of faith in Christ and\nlove and obedience unto him, as ordinarily the dialect of those called\nAntinomians is. Giving, and not granting, that they had no unsound mind,\nyet I am sure they use unsound words to express sound matter. The clothes\nshould be shaped to the person. Truth is plain and simple; let words of\ntruth also be full of simplicity. I say no more but leave that upon you\nthat you hold fast even the very words of the Scriptures and be not\nbewitched by the vain pretensions of spirit\u2014all spirit,\u2014pure and spiritual\nservice,\u2014and such like, to the casting off of the word of truth, as\n_letter_, as _flesh_. And such is the high attainment of some in these\ndays\u2014an high attainment indeed, and a mighty progress in the way to\ndestruction\u2014the very last discovery of that Antichrist and man of sin. Oh,\nmake much of the Scripture for you shall neither read not hear the like of\nit in the world! Other books may have sound matter, but there is still\nsomething, in manner or words, unsound. No man can speak to you truth in\nsuch plainness and simplicity, in such soundness also. But here is both\nsound matter, and sound words, the truth holden out truly; health and\nsalvation holden out in as wholesome a matter as is possible. Matter and\nmanner are both divine.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture VII.\n\n\nOf The Name Of God\n\n\n    Exod. iii. 13, 14.\u2014\u201cAnd Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come\n    unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them,  The God of\n    your fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say to me, What\n    is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses,\n    I AM THAT I AM and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children\n    of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.\u201d\n\n\nWe are now about this question, What God is. But who can answer it? Or, if\nanswered, who can understand it? It should astonish us in the very entry\nto think that we are about to speak and to hear of his majesty whom \u201ceye\nhath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of any\ncreature to consider what he is.\u201d Think ye that blind men could have a\npertinent discourse of light and colours? Would they form any suitable\nnotion of that they had never seen, and which cannot be known but by\nseeing? What an ignorant speech would a deaf man make of sound which a man\ncannot so much as know what it is but by hearing of it?  How then can we\nspeak of God who dwells in such inaccessible light that though we had our\neyes opened, yet they are far less proportioned to that resplendent\nbrightness, than a blind eye is to the sun\u2019s light?\n\nIt used to be a question. If there be God? Or, how it may be known that\nthere is a  God? It were almost blasphemy to move such a question, if\nthere were not so much Atheism in the hearts of men, which makes us either\nto doubt, or not firmly to believe and seriously to consider it. But what\nmay convince souls of the Divine Majesty?  Truly, I think, if it be not\nevident by its own brightness, all the reason that can he brought is but\nlike a candle\u2019s light to see the sun by! Yet, because of our weakness the\nLord shines upon us in the creatures, as in a glass and this is become the\nbest way to take up the glorious brightness of his majesty by reflection\nin his word and works. God himself dwells in light inaccessible that no\nman can approach unto, if any look straight to that Sun of Righteousness,\nhe shall be astonished and amazed and see no more than in the very\ndarkness. But the best way to behold the sun is to look at it in a pail of\nwater, and the surest way to know God by, is to take him up in a state of\nhumiliation and condescension, as the sun in the rainbow. In his word and\nworks, which are mirrors of the divine power and goodness and do reflect\nupon the hearts and eyes of all men the beems of that uncreated light. If\nthis be not the \u201cspeech that\u201d day uttereth unto day, and night unto night,\n\u201cOne self Being gave me a being,\u201d and if thou hear not that language that\nis \u201cgone out into all the earth,\u201d and be not, as it were, noised and\npossessed with all the sounds of every thing about thee, above thee,\nbeneath thee, yea, and within thee, all singing a melodious song to that\nexcellent name which is above all names and conspiring to give testimony\nto the fountain of their being if this, I say, be not so sensible unto\nthee as if a tongue and a voice were given to every creature to express\nit, then, indeed, we need not reason the business with thee who hast lost\nthy senses. Do but, I say, retire inwardly, and ask in sobriety and\nsadness, what thy conscience thinks of it, and undoubtedly it shall\nconfess a divine majesty, or at least tremble at the apprehension of what\nit either will not confess or slenderly believes. The very evidence of\ntruth shall extort an acknowledgment from it. If any man denied the divine\nmajesty, I would seek no other argument to persuade him than what was used\nto convince an old philosopher who denied the fire: they put his hand in\nit till he felt it. So I say, return within to thy own conscience and thou\nshalt find the scorching heat of that Divine Majesty burning it up, whom\nthou wouldst not confess. There is an inward feeling and sense of God that\nis imprinted in every soul by nature that leaves no man without such a\ntestimony of God, that makes him \u201cwithout excuse there is no man so\nimpious so atheistical, but whether he will or not, he shall feel at some\ntimes that which he loves not to know or consider of, so that what rest\nsecure consciences have from the fear and terror of God, it is like the\nsleep of a drunken man, who, even when he sleeps, does not rest quietly.\u201d\n\nNow, although this inward stamp of a Deity be engraven on the minds of\nall, and every creature without have some marks of his glory stamped on\nthem, so that all things a man can behold above him, or about him, or\nbeneath him, the most mean and inconsiderable creatures, are pearls and\ntransparent stones that cast abroad the rays of that glorious brightness\nwhich shines on them, as if a man were enclosed into a city built all of\nprecious stones, that in the sunshine all and every parcel of it, the\nstreets, the houses, the roofs, the windows all of it, reflected into his\neyes those sunbeams in such a manner as it all had been one mirror\u2014though,\nI say, this be so, yet such is the blockishness and stupidity of men that\nthey do not, for all this, consider of the glorious Creator, so that all\nthese lamps seem to be lighted in vain to show forth his glory, which,\nthough they do every way display their beams upon us, that we can turn our\neye nowhere but such a ray shall penetrate it, yet we either do not\nconsider it, or the consideration of it takes not such deep root as to\nlead home to God. Therefore the Scripture calls all natural men atheists.\nThey have \u201csaid in their heart, there is no God,\u201d Psal. xiv. 1. All men\nalmost confess a God with their mouth, and think they believe in him, but\nalas! behold their actions and hearts, what testimony they give for a\nman\u2019s walking and conversation is like an eye witness, that one of them\ndeserves more credit than ten ear-witnesses of professions,\u2014_Plus valet\noculatus testis unus, quam auriti decem_. Now, I may ask of you, what\nwould ye do, how would ye walk, if ye believed there were no God? Would ye\nbe more dissolute and profane, and more void of religion? Would not human\nlaws bind you as much in that case as they now do? For that is almost all\nthe restraint that is upon many,\u2014the fear of temporal punishment, or shame\namong men. Set your walking beside a heathen\u2019s conversation, and save that\nyou say, ye believe in the true God, and he denies him, there is no\ndifference. Your transgressions speak louder than your professions, \u201cthat\nthere is no fear of God before your eyes\u201d, Psal. xxxvi. 1. Your practice\nbelies your profession, you \u201cprofess that you know God, but in works you\ndeny him,\u201d saith Paul, Tit. i. 16 _Ore quod dicitis, opere negatis_.\n\nIn the words read in your audience, you have a strange question, and a\nstrange answer: a question of Moses and an answer of God. The occasion of\nit was the Lord\u2019s giving to Moses a strange and uncouth message. He was\ngiving him commission to go and speak to a king to dismiss and let go six\nhundred thousand of his subjects, and to speak to a numerous nation to\ndepart from their own dwellings and come out whither the lord should lead\nthem. Might not Moses then say within himself, \u201c \u2018Who am I, to speak such\na thing to a King? Who am I, to lead out such a mighty people? Who will\nbelieve that thou hast sent me? Will not all men call me a deceiver, an\nenthusiastical fellow, that take upon me such a thing?\u2019 Well then, saith\nMoses to the Lord,\u2014\u2018Lord, when I shall say, that the God of their fathers\nsent me unto them, they will not believe me, they have now forgotten thy\nmajesty, and think that thou art but even like the vanities of the\nnations, they cannot know their own portion from other nations vain idols\nwhich they have given the same name unto, and call gods as well as thou\nart called. Now therefore,\u2019 says he, \u2018when they ask me what thy proper\nname is by which thou art distinguished from all idols, and all the works\nof thine own hands, and of men\u2019s hands, what shall I say unto them? Here\nis the question.\u2019 But why askest thou my name? saith the Lord to Jacob,\u201d\nGen. xxxii. 29. Importing, that it is high presumption and bold curiosity\nto search such wonder. Ask not my name, saith the angel to Manoah, for \u201cit\nis secret or wonderful.\u201d Judges xiii. 18. It is a mystery, a hidden\nmystery, not for want of light, but for too much light. It is a secret, it\nis wonderful, out of the reach of all created capacity. Thou shalt call\nhis name \u201cWonderful,\u201d Isa. ix. 6. What name can express that\nincomprehensible Majesty? The mind is more comprehensive than words, but\nthe mind and soul is too narrow to conceive him. O then! how short a\ngarment must all words, the most significant and comprehensive and\nsuperlative words be? Solomon\u2019s soul and heart was enlarged as the sand of\nthe sea, but O it is not large enough for the Creator of it! \u201cWhat is his\nname, and what is his Son\u2019s name, if thou canst tell?\u201d Prov. xxx. 4. The\nLord himself expresses it to our capacity, because we are not capable of\nwhat he can express, much less of what he is. If he should speak to us of\nhimself as he is, O, it should be \u201cdark sayings,\u201d hid from the\nunderstandings of all living! We could reach no more of it, but that it is\na wonder, a secret. Here is the highest attainment of our knowledge, to\nknow there is some mystery in it, but not what that mystery is. Christ\nhath a name above all names, how then can we know that name? It was well\nsaid by some of old, _Deus est_ \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03c5\u03c9\u03bf\u03bd\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 and yet \u03b1\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd\u03c5\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 _multorum\nnominum, et tamen nullius nominis_, he hath all names, and yet he hath no\nname. _quia est omnia, et tamen nihil omnium_, because he is all in all,\nand yet none of all, _Deus est quod vides, et quod non vides_. You may\ncall him by all the works of his hands, for these are beams of his\nuncreated light, and streams of his inexhaustible sea of goodness, so that\nwhatever perfection is in them, all that is eminently, yea, infinitely in\nhim. Therefore saith Christ, \u201cThere is one good, even God and he calls\nhimself \u2018the light of life,\u2019 \u201d and therefore you have so many names of God\nin Scripture. There is no quality, no property, or virtue, that hath the\nleast shadow of goodness, but he is that essentially, really, eternally,\nand principally, so that the creature deserves not such names but as they\nparticipate of his fulness. He is the true light, the true life, the sun\nis not that true light though it give light to the moon and to men, for it\nborrows its light and shining from him. All creatures are and shine but by\nreflection, therefore these names do agree to them but by a metaphor so to\nspeak, the propriety and truth of them is in him. As it is but a borrowed\nkind of speech to call a picture or image a man\u2014only because of the\nrepresentation and likeness to him it communicates in one name with\nhim\u2014even so, in some manner, the creatures are but some shadows, pictures,\nor resemblances, and equivocal shapes of God, and whatever name they have\nof good, wise, strong, beautiful, true, or such like, it is borrowed\nspeech from God whose image they have. And yet poor vain man would be\nwise,\u2014thought wise really, intrinsically in himself, and properly,\u2014calls\nhimself so; which is as great an abuse of language as if the picture\nshould call itself a true and living man. But then, as you may call him\nall things, because he is eminently and gloriously all that is in all, the\nfountain and end of all, yet we must again deny that he is any of these\nthings. _Unus omnia, et nihil omnium_. We can find no name to him; or what\ncan you call him, when you have said, \u201cHe is light?\u201d You can form no other\nnotion of him but from the resemblance of this created light. But alas!\nthat he is not, he as infinitely transcends that, and is distant from it,\nas if he had never made it according to his likeness. His name is above\nall these names, but what it is himself knows, and knows only.\n\nIf ye ask what he is, we may glance at some notions and expressions to\nhold him out. In relation to the creatures, we may call him Creator,\nRedeemer, Light, Life, Omnipotent, Good, Merciful, Just, and such like;\nbut if you ask, what is his proper name in relation to himself, _ipse\nnovit_, himself knows that, we must be silent, and silence in such a\nsubject is the rarest eloquence. But let us hear what the Lord himself\nspeaks, in answer to this question. If any can tell, sure he himself knows\nhis own name best. \u201cI am (saith he) what I am.\u201d _Sum qui sum._ \u201cGo tell\nthem that I AM hath sent thee.\u201d A strange answer, but an answer only\npertinent for such a question. What should Moses make of this? What is he\nthe wiser of his asking? Indeed he might be the wiser, it might teach him\nmore by silence than all human eloquence could instruct him by speaking.\nHis question was curious, and behold an answer short and dark, to confound\nvain and presumptuous mortality,\u2014\u201cI am what I am,\u201d an answer that does not\nsatisfy curiosity, for it leaves room for the first question, and What art\nthou? But abundant to silence faith and sobriety, that it shall ask no\nmore, but sit down and wonder.\n\nThere are three things I conceive imported in this name: God\u2019s\nunsearchableness, God\u2019s unchangeableness, and God\u2019s absoluteness. His\nineffability, his eternity, and his sovereignty and independent\nsubsistence, upon whom all other things depend. I say,\n\n1. His unsearchableness. You know it is our manner of speech when we would\ncover any thing from any, and not answer any thing distinctly to them, we\nsay, \u201cIt is what it is, I have said what I have said, I will not make you\nwiser of it.\u201d Here then is the fittest notion you can take up God into, to\nfind him unsearchable beyond all understanding, beyond all speaking. The\nmore ye speak or think, to find him always beyond what ye speak or think,\nwhatever you discover of him, to conceive that infiniteness is beyond\nthat, _ad finem cujus pertransire non potest_, the end of which you cannot\nreach, that he is an unmeasurable depth, a boundless ocean of perfection,\nthat you can neither sound the bottom of it, nor find the breadth of it!\nCan a child wade the sea, or take it up in the hollow of its hand?\nWhenever any thing of God is seen, he is seen a wonder, \u201cWonderful is the\nname he is known by\u201d. All our knowledge reacheth no further than\nadmiration. \u201cWho is like unto thee?\u201d Exod. xv. 11, Psalm lxxxix. 6, 7, and\nadmiration speaks ignorance. The greatest attainment of knowledge reacheth\nbut to such a question as this, Who is like to thee? to know only that he\nis not like any other thing that we know, but not to know what he is. And\nthe different degrees of knowledge are but in more admiration or less at\nhis unconceivableness, and in more or less affection expressed in such\npathetic interrogations, O who is like the Lord? How excellent is his\nname? Here is the greatest degree of saints knowledge here away, to ask\nwith admiration and affection such a question that no answer can be given\nto or none that we can conceive or understand so as to satisfy wondering\nbut such as still more increaseth it. There is no other subject but you\nmay exceed it in apprehensions and in expressions. O how often are men\u2019s\nsongs and thoughts and discourses above the matter! But here is a subject\nthat there is no excess into; nay, there is no access unto it, let be\nexcess in it. Imagination that can transcend the created heavens and\nearth, and fancy to itself millions of new worlds, every one exceeding\nanother, and all of them exceeding this in perfection, yet it can do\nnothing here. That which at one instant can pass from the one end of\nheaven to the other, walk about the circumference of the heavens, and\ntravel over the breadth of the sea, yet it can do nothing here. \u201cCanst\nthou by searching find out God?\u201d Job xi. 7. Imagination cannot travel in\nthese bounds, for his centre is everywhere, and his circumference nowhere,\nas an old philosopher speaks of God _Deus est, cujus centrum est ubique,\ncircumferentia nusquam._ How shall it then find him out? There is nothing\nsure here, but to lose ourselves in a mystery, and to follow his majesty\ntill we be swallowed up with an\u2014_O altitudo!_ O the depth and height and\nlength and breadth of God! O the depth of his wisdom! O the height of his\npower! O the breadth of his love! And O the length of his eternity! It is\nnot reason and disputation, saith Bernard, will comprehend these, but\nholiness, and that by stretching out the arms of fear and love, reverence\nand affection. What more dreadful than power that cannot be resisted, and\nwisdom that none can be hid from? and what more lovely than the love\nwherewith he hath so loved us, and his unchangeableness which admits of no\nsuspicion? O fear him who hath a hand that doth all, and an eye that\nbeholds all things, and love him who hath so loved us, and cannot change!\nGod hath been the subject of the discourses and debates of men in all\nages; but oh! _Quam longe est in rebus qui est tam communis in vocibus?_\nHow little a portion have men understood of him? How hath he been hid from\nthe eyes of all living? Every age must give this testimony of him,\u2014we have\nheard of his fame, but he is hid from the eyes of all living. I think,\nthat philosopher that took it to his advisement, said more in silence than\nall men have done in speaking. Simonides being asked by Hiero, a king,\nwhat God was, asked a day to deliberate in and think upon it. When the\nking sought an account of his meditation about it, he desired yet two days\nmore; and so as oft as the king asked him, he still doubled the number of\nthe days in which he might advise upon it. The king wondering at this,\nasked what he meant by those delays; saith he, _Quanto magis considero,\ntanto magis obscurior mihi videtur_,\u2014\u201cthe more I think on him, he is the\nmore dark and unknown to me.\u201d This was more real knowledge than in the\nmany subtile disputations of those men who, by their poor shell of finite\ncapacity and reason, presume to empty the ocean of God\u2019s infiniteness, by\nfinding out answers to all the objections of carnal reason against all\nthose mysteries and riddles of the Deity. I profess, I know nothing can\nsatisfy reason in this business, but to lead it captive to the obedience\nof faith, and to silence it with the faith of a mystery which we know not.\nPaul\u2019s answer is one for all, and better than all the syllogisms of such\nmen, \u201cWho art thou, O man! who disputest? Dispute thou: I will believe.\u201d\n_Ut intelligatur, tacendum est._ Silence only can get some account of God,\nquiet and humble ignorance in the admiration of such a majesty is the\nprofoundest knowledge. _Non est mirum si ignoretur, majoris esset\nadmirationis si sciatur._ It is no wonder that God is not known, all the\nwonder were to know and comprehend such a wonder, such a mystery. It is a\nwonder indeed, that he is not more known, but when I say so, I mean that\nhe is not more wondered at because he is passing knowledge. If our eyes of\nflesh cannot see any thing almost when they look straight and steadfastly\nupon the sun, O what can the eye of the soul behold, when it is fixed upon\nthe consideration of that shining and glorious majesty! Will not that very\nlight be as darkness to it, that it shall be as it were darkness and\ndazzled with a thick mist of light in _superlucente caligine_,\u2014confounded\nwith that resplendent darkness? It is said that the Lord \u201ccovers himself\nwith light as with a garment,\u201d Psal. civ. 2, and yet \u201cclouds and darkness\nare round about him,\u201d Psal. xcvii. 2, and he makes darkness his [covering]\nsecret place, Psal. xviii. 11. His inaccessible light is this glorious\ndarkness, that strikes the eyes of men blind; as in the darkness, the\nsun\u2019s light is the night owl\u2019s night and darkness. When a soul can find no\nbetter way to know him by, than by these names and notions by which we\ndeny our own knowledge, when it hath conceived all of him it can, then, as\nbeing overcome with that dazzling brightness of his glory, to think him\ninconceivable and to express him in such terms as withal expresses our\nignorance. There is no name agrees more to God, than that which saith, we\ncannot name him, we cannot know him, such as invisible, incomprehensible,\ninfinite, &c. This, Socrates, an heathen, professed to be all his\nknowledge, that he knew he did know nothing, and therefore he preached an\nunknown God to the Athenians, to whom, after, they erected an altar with\nthat inscription, \u201cTo the unknown God.\u201d I confess, indeed, the most part\nof our discourses, of our performances, have such a writing on them, \u201cto\nthe unknown God!\u201d because we think we know him, and so we know nothing.\nBut oh! that Christians had so much knowledge of God, so much true wisdom,\nas solidly, and willingly to confess in our souls our own ignorance of\nhim, and then I would desire no other knowledge, and growing in the grace\nof God, but to grow more and more in the believing ignorance of such a\nmystery, in the knowledge of an unknown, unconceivable and unsearchable\nGod; that in all the degrees of knowledge we might still conceive we had\nfound less, and that there is more to be found than before we apprehended.\nThis is the most perfect knowledge of God, that doth not drive away\ndarkness, but increases it in the soul\u2019s apprehension. Any increase in it\ndoth not declare what God is, or satisfy one\u2019s admiration in it, but\nrather shows him to be more invisible and unsearchable. So that the\ndarkness of a soul\u2019s ignorance is more manifested by this light, and not\nmore covered; and one\u2019s own knowledge is rather darkened, and disappears\nin the glorious appearance of this light. For in all new discoveries,\nthere is no other thing appears but this, that that which the soul is\nseeking is supereminently unknown, and still further from knowledge than\never it conceived it to be. Therefore, whatever you conceive or see of\nGod, if you think ye know what ye conceive and see, it is not God ye see,\nbut something of God\u2019s less than God; for it is said, \u201ceye hath not seen,\nnor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what\nhe hath laid up far them that love him.\u201d Now certainly, that is himself he\nhath laid up for them; therefore, whatever thou conceivest of him, and\nthinkest now thou knowest of him, that is not he; for it hath not entered\ninto man\u2019s heart to conceive him. Therefore, this must be thy soul\u2019s\nexercise and progress in it, to remove all things, all conceptions from\nhim, as not beseeming his majesty, and to go still forward in such a dark\nnegative discovery, till thou know not where to seek him, nor find him.\n_Si quis Deum videat et intelligat quod vidit, Deum non vidit_, if any see\nGod, and understand what they see, God they do not see; for, \u201cGod hath no\nman seen,\u201d 1 John iv. 12; \u201cand no man knows the Father but the Son, and\nnone knows the Son but the Father.\u201d It is his own property to know himself\nas it is to be himself. Silent and seeing ignorance is our safest and\nhighest knowledge.\n\n\n\n\n                              Lecture VIII.\n\n\nThe Eternity And Unchangeableness Of God.\n\n\n    Exod. iii. 14.\u2014\u201cI AM THAT I AM.\u201d\u2014Psal. xc. 2.\u2014\u201cBefore the\n    mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth\n    and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art\n    God.\u201d\u2014Job xi. 7-9.\u2014\u201cCanst thou by searching find out God? canst\n    thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as\n    heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou\n    know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader\n    than the sea.\u201d\n\n\nThis is the chief point of saving knowledge, to know God; and this is the\nfirst point or degree of the true knowledge of God, to discern how\nignorant we are of him, and to find him beyond all knowledge. The Lord\ngives a definition of himself, but such an one as is no more clear than\nhimself to our capacities; a short one indeed, and you may think it says\nnot much\u2014\u201cI am.\u201d What is it that may not say so, \u201cI am that I am?\u201d The\nleast and most inconsiderable creature hath its own being. Man\u2019s wisdom\nwould have learned him to call himself by some high styles, as the manner\nand custom of kings and princes is, and such as the flattery of men\nattributes unto them. You would think the superlatives of wise, good,\nstrong, excellent, glorious, and such like, were more beseeming his\nmajesty; and yet there is more majesty in this simple style than in all\nothers; but a \u201cnatural man\u201d cannot behold it, for it is \u201cspiritually\ndiscerned.\u201d \u201cLet the potsherd,\u201d saith he, \u201cstrive with the potsherds of\nthe earth,\u201d [Isa. xlv. 9,] but let them not strive with their Maker. So I\nsay, let creatures compare with creatures; let them take superlative\nstyles, in regard of others. Let some of them be called good, and some\nbetter, in the comparison among themselves; but God must not enter in the\ncomparison. Paul thinks it an odious comparison, to compare present\ncrosses to eternal glory: \u201cI think them not worthy to be compared,\u201d saith\nPaul, Rom. viii. 18. But how much more odious is it, to compare God with\ncreatures? Call  him  highest, call him most powerful, call him most\nexcellent, almighty, most glorious in respect of creatures, you do but\nabase his majesty, to bring it down to any terms of comparison with them\nwhich is beyond all the bounds of understanding. All these do but express\nhim to be in some degree eminently seated above the creatures, as some\ncreatures are above all others! so you do no more but make him the head of\nall as some one creature is the head of one line or kind under it; but\nwhat is that to his majesty? He speaks otherwise of himself, Isa. xl. 17.\n\u201cAll nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less\nthan nothing.\u201d Then, certainly, you have not taken up the true notion of\nGod when you have conceived him the most eminent of all  beings, as long\nas any being appears as a being in his sight before whom all beings\nconjoined are as nothing. While you conceive God to be the best, you still\nattribute something to the creature; for all comparatives include the\npositive in both extremes: so then, you take up only some different\ndegrees between them who differ so infinitely, so incomprehensibly. The\ndistance betwixt heaven and earth is but a poor similitude to express the\ndistance between God and creatures. What is the distance betwixt a being\nand nothing? Can you measure it? Can you imagine it? Suppose you take the\nmost high, and the most low, and measure the distance betwixt them, you do\nbut consider the difference betwixt two beings, but you do not express how\nfar nothing is distant from any of them. Now, if any thing could be\nimagined less than nothing, could you at all guess at the vast distance\nbetween it and a being? so it is here. Thus saith the Lord, \u201call nations,\u201d\ntheir glory, perfection, and number, all of them, and all their\nexcellencies united,\u2014do not amount to the value of an unit in regard of my\nMajesty; all of them like ciphers, join never so many of them together,\nthey can never make up a number, they are nothing in this regard, and less\nthan nothing. So then, we ought thus to conceive of God, and thus to\nattribute a being and life to him, as in his sight and in the\nconsideration of it all created beings might evanish out of our sight;\neven as the glorious light of the sun, though it do not annihilate the\nstars, and make them nothing, yet it annihilates their appearance to our\nsenses, and makes them disappear as if they were not. Although there be a\ngreat difference and inequality of the stars in the night,\u2014some lighter,\nsome darker, some of the first magnitude, and some of the second and\nthird, &c. some of greater glory, and some of less,\u2014but in the day-time\nall are alike, all are darkened by the sun\u2019s glory, even so it is\nhere,\u2014though we may compare one creature with another, and find different\ndegrees of perfection and excellency, while we are only comparing them\namong themselves; but let once the glorious brightness of God shine upon\nthe soul, and in that light all these lights shall be obscured, all their\ndifferences unobserved. An angel and a man, a man and a worm, differ much\nin glory and perfection of being: but oh! in his presence there is no such\nreckoning. Upon this account all things are alike, God infinitely distant\nfrom all, and so not more or less. Infiniteness is not capable of such\nterms of comparison. This is the reason why Christ says, \u201cThere is none\ngood but one, even God.\u201d Why, because in respect of his goodness, nothing\ndeserves that name. Lesser light, in the view of the greater, is a\ndarkness, as less good in comparison of a greater appears evil; how much\nmore then shall created light and created goodness lose that name and\nnotion, in the presence of that \u201cuncreated  Light, and self-sufficient\nGoodness.\u201d And therefore it is, that the Lord calls himself after this\nmanner, \u201cI am as if nothing else were. I will not say,\u201d saith he, \u201cthat I\nam the highest, the best and most glorious that is\u2014that supposeth other\nthings to have some being, and some glory that is worthy the accounting\nof\u2014but I am, and there is none else; I am alone; I lift up my hand to\nheaven, and swear I live for ever.\u201d There is nothing else can say, I am, I\nlive, and there is nothing else; for there is nothing hath it of itself.\nCan any boast of that which they have borrowed, and is not their own? As\nif the bird that had stolen from other birds its fair feathers should come\nforth and contend with them about beauty; would not they presently every\none pluck out their own, and leave her naked, to be an object of mockery\nto all! Even so, since our breath and being is in our nostrils, and that\ndepends upon his Majesty\u2019s breathing upon us, if he should but keep in his\nbreath, as it were, we should vanish into nothing; he looketh upon man and\nhe is not, Job vii. 8. That is a strange look, that looks man not only out\nof countenance, but out of life and being. He looks him into his first\nnothing; and then can he say, \u201cI live, I am\u201d? No, he must always say of\nhimself in respect of God, as Paul of himself in respect of Christ, \u201cI\nlive, yet not I, but Christ in me.\u201d I am, yet not I, but God in me. I\nlive, I am, yet not I, but in God, in whom I live and have my being. So\nthat there is no other thing, besides God, can say, \u201cI am;\u201d because all\nthings are but borrowed drops of this self-sufficient fountain, and\nsparkles of this primitive light. Let any thing intervene between the\nstream and the fountain, and it is cut off and dried up; let any thing be\ninterposed between the sun and the beam, and it evanishes. Therefore, this\nfountain-being, this original light, this self-being, \u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf \u03bf\u03bd, as Plato\ncalled him, deserves only the name of being; other things that we call\nafter that name are nearer nothing than God, and so, in regard of his\nmajesty, may more fitly be called nothing than something. You see then how\nprofound a mystery of God\u2019s absolute self-sufficient perfection, is\ninfolded in these three letters, I AM, or in these four, _Jehovah_. If you\nask what is God? There is nothing occurs better than this, \u201cI am,\u201d or, he\nthat is. If I should say he is the almighty, the only wise, the most\nperfect, the most glorious, it is all contained in that word, \u201cI am that I\nam,\u201d _Nempe hoc est ei esse, h\u00e6c omnia esse_; for that is to be, indeed,\nto be all those perfections simply, absolutely, and, as it were, solely.\nIf I say all that, and should reckon out all the scripture-epithets, I add\nnothing; if I say no more, I diminish nothing.\n\nAs this holds out God\u2019s absolute perfection, so we told you that it\nimports his eternity and unchangeableness. You know Pilate\u2019s speech, \u201cWhat\nI have written I have written;\u201d wherein he meant that he would not change\nit; it should stand so. So this properly belongs to God\u2019s eternity,\n\u201cBefore the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the\nearth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God,\u201d\nPsal. xc. 2. Now this is properly to be; and this only deserves the name\nof being, which never was nothing, and never shall be nothing; which may\nalways say, \u201cI am.\u201d You know it is so with nothing else but God. The\nheavens and earth, with the things therein, could not say, six thousand\nyears ago, \u201cI am.\u201d Adam could once have said, \u201cI am,\u201d but now he cannot\nsay it; for that self-being and fountain-being hath said to him, return to\ndust. And so it is with all the generations past; where are they now? They\nwere, but they are not. And we then were not, and now are; for we are come\nin their place, but within a little time, Who of us can say, \u201cI am.\u201d No,\n\u201cwe flee away; and are like a dream, as when one awaketh!\u201d We \u201care like a\ntale that is told,\u201d that makes a present noise, and it is past. Within few\nyears this generation will pass, and none will make mention of us; our\nplace will not know us, no more than we do now remember those who have\nbeen before. Christ said of John, \u201che was a burning and shining light;\u201d\n\u201che was,\u201d saith he, but now he is not. But Christ may always say, \u201cI am\nthe light and life of men.\u201d Man is; but look a little backward, and he was\nnot; you shall find his original. And step a little forward and he shall\nnot be, you shall find his end. But God is \u201cAlpha and Omega, the beginning\nand the end.\u201d But oh! who can retire so far backward as to apprehend a\nbeginning; or go such a start forward as to conceive an end in such a\nbeing as is the beginning and end of all things, but without all beginning\nand end? Whose understanding would it not confound? There is no way here\nbut to flee to Paul\u2019s sanctuary, \u201cO the height and breadth, and length and\ndepth!\u201d We cannot imagine a being, but we must first conceive it nothing,\nand in some instant receiving its being; and, therefore, \u201cCanst thou by\nsearching find out God?\u201d Therefore what his being is hath not entered into\nthe heart of man to consider. If any man would live out the space but of\ntwo generations he would be a world\u2019s wonder; but if any had their days\nprolonged as the patriarchs before the flood, they would be called ancient\nindeed, but then the heavens and earth are far more ancient. We may go\nbackward the space of near six thousand years in our own minds, and yet be\nas far from his beginning as we were. When we are come to the beginning of\nall things, a man\u2019s imagination may yet extend itself further, and suppose\nto itself as many thousands of years before the beginning of time, as all\nthe angels and men of all nations and generations from the beginning, if\nthey had been employed in no other thing but this, could have summed up;\nand then suppose a product to be made of all the several sums of years, it\nwould be vast and unspeakable; but yet your imagination could reach\nfurther, and multiply that great sum into itself as often as there are\nunits in it. Now when you have done all this, you are never a whit nearer\nthe days of \u201cthe Ancient of days.\u201d Suppose then this should be the only\nexercise of men and angels throughout all eternity; all this marvellous\narithmetic would not amount unto the least shadow of the continuance of\nhim who is \u201cfrom everlasting.\u201d All that huge product of all the\nmultiplications of men and angels, hath no proportion unto that\nnever-beginning and never-ending duration. The greatest sum that is\nimaginable hath a certain proportion to the least number, that it\ncontaineth it so oft and no oftener; so that the least number being\nmultiplied will amount unto the greatest that you can conceive. But O!\nwhere shall a soul find itself here? It is enclosed between infiniteness\nbefore and infiniteness behind,\u2014between two everlastings; which way soever\nit turns, there is no outgoing; which way soever it looks, it must lose\nitself in an infiniteness round about it. It can find no beginning and no\nend, when it hath wearied itself in searching, which, if it find not, it\nknows not what it is, and cannot tell what it is. Now what are we then? O\nwhat are we, who so magnify ourselves! \u201cWe are but of yesterday, and know\nnothing,\u201d Job viii. 9. Suppose that we had endured the space of a thousand\nyears, yet saith Moses, Psal. xc. 4, \u201cA thousand years are but as\nyesterday in thy sight.\u201d Time hath no succession to thee. Thou beholdest\nat once what is not at once, but in several times; all that may thus\nhappen hath not the proportion of one day to thy days. We change in our\ndays, and are not that to-day we were yesterday; but \u201che is the same\nyesterday, and to-day, and for ever,\u201d Heb. xiii. 8. Every day we are\ndying, some part of our life is taken away; we leave still one day more\nbehind us, and what is behind us is gone and cannot be recovered. Though\nwe vainly please ourselves in the number of our years, and the extent of\nour life, and the vicissitudes of time, yet the truth is, we are but still\nlosing to much of our being and time as passeth. First, we lose our\nchildhood, then we lose our manhood; and then we leave our old age behind\nus also; and there is no more before us. Even the very present day we\ndivide it with death. But when he moves all things, he remains immoveable.\nThough days and years be in a continual flux and motion about him, and\nthey carry us down with their force, yet he abides, the same for ever.\nEven the earth that is established so sure, and the heavens that are\nsupposed to be incorruptible, yet they \u201cwax old as doth a garment;\u201d but he\nis the same, and \u201chis years have no end,\u201d Psal. cii. 26, 27. _Sine\nprincipio principium; absque fine finis; cui pr\u00e6teritum non abit, haud\nadit futurum; ante omnia post omnia totus unus ipse_,\u2014He is the beginning\nwithout any beginning; the end without an end: there is nothing bypast to\nhim, and nothing to come. _Sed uno mentis cernit in ictu, qu\u00e6 sunt, qu\u00e6\nerunt, qu\u00e6 fuerantque._\u2014he is one that is all, before all, after all, and\nin all. He beholds out of the exaled and supereminent tower of eternity,\nall the successions and changes of the creatures; and there is no\nsuccession, no mutation in his knowledge, as in ours. \u201cKnown to him are\nall his works from the beginning.\u201d He can declare the end before the\nbeginning; for he knows the end of all things, before he gives them\nbeginning. Therefore he is never driven to any consultation upon any\nemergence, or incident, as the wisest of men are, who could not foresee\nall accidents and events; but \u201che is in one mind,\u201d saith Job; and that one\nmind and one purpose is one for all, one concerning all. He had it from\neverlasting, and who can turn him? For he will accomplish what his soul\ndesires.\n\nNow, \u201ccanst thou by searching find out God?\u201d Canst thou, a poor mortal\ncreature, either ascend up into the height of heaven, or descend down into\nthe depths of hell? Canst thou travel abroad, and compass all the sea and\ndry land, by its longitude and latitude? Would any mortal creature\nundertake such a voyage, to compass the universe? Nay, not only so, but to\nsearch into every corner of it, above and below, on the right hand and on\nthe left? No certainly, unless we suppose a man whose head reaches unto\nthe height of heaven, and whose feet is down in the depths of hell, and\nwhose arms, stretched out, can fathom the length of the earth, and breadth\nof the sea; unless, I say, we suppose such a creature, then it is in vain\nto imagine, that either the height of the one, or the depth of the\nother,\u2014the length of the one, and the breadth of the other, can be found\nout and measured. Now, if mortal creatures cannot attain the measure of\nthat which is finite, O then, what can a creature do? What can a creature\nknow of him that is infinite, and the maker of all these things? You\ncannot compass the sea and land, how then can a soul comprehend him, \u201cwho\nhath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and comprehended the\ndust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and\nthe hills in a balance?\u201d Isa. xl. 12. Thou canst not measure the\ncircumference of the heaven, how then canst thou find out him, \u201cwho metes\nout heaven with the span,\u201d \u201cand stretcheth them out as a curtain?\u201d Isa.\nxl. 12, 22. You cannot number the nations, or perceive the magnitude of\nthe earth, and the huge extent of the heavens, what then canst thou know\nof him, \u201cwho sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants\nthereof are as grasshoppers before him?\u201d and he spreadeth out the heavens\n\u201cas a tent to dwell in!\u201d Isa. xl. 22. He made all the pins and stakes of\nthis tabernacle, and he fastened them below but upon nothing, and\nstretches this curtain about them and above them; and it was not so much\ndifficulty to him, as to you to draw the curtain about your bed; for \u201che\nspake, and it was done, he commanded, and it stood fast.\u201d Canst thou by\nsearching find him out? And yet thou must search him; not so much out of\ncuriosity to know what he is, for he dwelleth in \u201cthe light which no man\ncan approach unto,\u201d which no man hath seen, and no man can see, 1 Tim. vi.\n16; not so much to find him, as to be found of him, or to find what we\ncannot know when we have found. _Hic est qui nunquam qu\u00e6ri frusta potes,\ncum tamen inveniri non potest._ You may seek him, but though you never\nfind him, yet ye shall not seek him in vain, for ye shall find blessedness\nin him. Though you find him, yet can you search him out unto perfection?\nThen what you have found were not God. How is it possible for such narrow\nhearts to frame an apprehension, or receive an impression of such an\nimmense greatness, and eternal goodness? Will not a soul lose its power of\nthinking and speaking, because there is so much to be thought and spoken;\nand it so transcends all that it can think or speak? Silence then must be\nthe best rhetoric; and the sweetest eloquence, when eloquence itself must\nbecome dumb and silent. It is the abundance and excess of that\ninaccessible light, that hath no proportion to our understandings, that\nstrikes us as blind as, in the darkness, the wont of light. All that we\ncan say of God is, that whatsoever we can think or conceive, he is not\nthat, because he hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive, and\nthat he is not like any of those things which we know, unto which if he be\nnot like, we cannot frame any similitude or likeness of him in our\nknowledge. What then shall we do? Seek him and search him indeed: but, if\nwe cannot know him, to reverence and fear and adore what we know. So much\nof him may be known as may teach us our duty and show unto us our\nblessedness. Let then all our inquiries of him have a special relation to\nthis end, that, we may out of love and fear of such a glorious and good\nGod, worship and serve him, and compose ourselves according to his will\nand wholly to his pleasure. Whatever thou knowest of God, or searchest of\nhim, it is but a vain speculation, and a work of curiosity, if it do not\nlead to this end,\u2014to frame and fashion thy soul to an union and communion\nwith him in love; if it do not discover thyself unto thyself, that in that\nlight of God\u2019s glorious majesty thou mayest distinctly behold thy own\nvileness and wretched misery, thy darkness and deadness and utter\nimpotency. The angels that Isaiah saw attending God in the temple, had\nwings covering their faces, and wings covering their feet. Those excellent\nspirits who must cover their feet from us, because we cannot behold their\nglory, as Moses behoved to be veiled, yet they cannot behold his glory,\nbut must cover their face from the radiant and shining brightness of his\nmajesty. Yet they have other two wings to fly with. And being thus\ncomposed in reverence and fear to God, they are ready to execute his\ncommands willingly and swiftly, Isa. vi. 1-3, &c. But what is the use\nIsaiah makes of all this glorious sight? \u201cWoe is me! I am a man of unclean\nlips,\u201d &c. Oh! all is unclean,\u2014people, and pastor! He had known,\ndoubtless, something of it before, but now he sees it of new, as if he had\nnever seen it. The glory of God shining on him doth not puff him up in\narrogancy and conceit of the knowledge of such profound mysteries, but he\nis more abased in himself by it. It shines into his heart and whole man,\nand lets him see all unclean within and without. And so it was with Job,\nJob xliii. 5, 6. \u201cI have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear;\u201d but as\nlong as it was hearsay, I thought myself something,\u2014I often reflected upon\nmyself and actions, with a kind of self-complacency and delight; but now,\nsaith he, since I have seen thee by the seeing of the eye, \u201cI abhor myself\nand repent in dust and ashes;\u201d I cannot look upon myself with\npatience,\u2014without abhorrency and detestation. Self-love made me loathe\nother men\u2019s sins more than mine own, and self-love did cover mine own sins\nfrom me; it presented me to myself in a feigned likeness; but now I see\nmyself in my true shape, and all coverings stripped off. Thy light hath\npierced into my soul, and behold, I cannot endure to look upon myself.\nHere now is the true knowledge of God\u2019s majesty, which discovers within\nthee a mystery of iniquity: and here is the knowledge of God indeed, which\nabases all things besides God, not only in opinion but in affection, that\nattracts and unites thy soul to God, and draws it from thyself and all\ncreated things. This is a right discovery of divine purity and glory, that\nspots even the cleanness of angels, and stains the pride of all glory;\nmuch more will it represent filthiness, as filthiness without a covering.\nIt is knowledge and science, \u201cfalsely so called,\u201d that puffeth up; for\ntrue knowledge emptieth a soul of itself, and humbleth a soul in itself,\nthat it may be full of God. He that thinks he knows any thing, knows\nnothing as he ought to know.\n\nThis then is the first property or mark of the saving knowledge of God. It\nremoves all grounds of vain confidence that a soul cannot trust unto\nitself. And then the very proper intent of it is, that a soul may trust in\nGod, and depend on him in all things. For this purpose the Lord hath\ncalled himself by so many names in scripture, answerable to our several\nnecessities and difficulties, that he might make known to us how\nall-sufficient he is, that so we may turn our eyes and hearts towards him.\nThis was the intent of this name, I AM, that Moses might have a support of\nhis faith; for if he had looked to outward appearance, was it not almost a\nridiculous thing, and like a vain fancy, for a poor inconsiderable man to\ngo to a king with such a message, that he would dismiss so many subjects?\nAnd was it not an attempt of some madman to go about to lead so many\nthousands from a wicked tyrannical king, into another nation? Well, saith\nthe Lord, \u201cI am;\u201d I, who give all things a being, will give a being to my\npromise. I will make Pharaoh hearken, and the people obey. Well then, what\nis it that this name of God will not answer? It is a creating name,\u2014a name\nthat can bring all things out of nothing by a word. If he be such as he\nis, then he can make of us what he pleases. If our souls had this name\nconstantly engraven on our hearts, O what power would divine promises and\nthreatenings have with us! \u201cI, even I, am he that comforteth thee,\u201d saith\nhe, Isaiah xli. 12. If we believed that it were he indeed, the Lord\nJehovah, how would we be comforted! How would we praise him by his name\nJAH! How would we stoop unto him, and submit unto his blessed will! If we\nbelieved this, would we not be as dependent on him as if we had no being\nin ourselves? Would we not make him our habitation and dwelling-place; and\nconclude our own stability, and the stability of his church from his\nunvariable eternity? as the Psalmist, Psal. xcix. 1. Psal. cii. ult. How\ncan we think of such a Fountain-Being, but we must withal acknowledge\nourselves to be shadows of his goodness, and that we owe to him what we\nare, and so consecrate and dedicate ourselves to his glory! How can we\nconsider such a Self-Being, Independent, and Creating Goodness, but we\nmust have some desire to cleave to him, and some confidence to trust in\nhim! Now, this is to know him.\n\nWhen we think on his unchangeableness, let us consider our own vanity,\nwhose glory and perfection is like a summer flower, or like a vapour\nascending for a little time, whose best estate is altogether vanity. Our\npurposes are soon broken off, and made of none effect, our resolutions\nchange. This is a character of mortality, we are not always alike. _Non\nsibi constare, nec ubique et semper sibi parem eundemque esse._ To be now\none thing, and then another thing, is a properly of sinful and wretched\nman. Therefore let us \u201ccease from man whose breath is in his nostrils,\u201d\nand \u201ctrust not in princes\u201d who shall die, far less in ourselves who are\nless than the least of men, but let us put our trust in God, \u201cwho changeth\nnot,\u201d and we shall not be consumed,\u2014our waters shall not fail,\u2014we shall\nnever be ashamed of any hope we have in him. There is nothing else you\ntrust in, but undoubtedly it shall prove your shame and confusion.\nWhatever you hear or know of God, know that it is vain and empty, unless\nit descend down into the heart to fashion it to his fear and love, and\nextend unto the outward man to conform it to obedience, you are but \u201cvain\nin your imaginations, and your foolish hearts are darkened\u201d while \u201cwhen\nyou know God\u201d you glorify him not as God. If that be not the fruit and end\nof knowledge, that knowledge shall be worse to thee than ignorance, for it\nboth brings on judicial hardening here, and will be thy solemn accuser and\nwitness against thee hereafter, Rom. i. 21-24. The knowledge of Jesus\nChrist truly so called, is neither barren nor unfruitful for out of its\nroot and sap spring humility, self-abasing confidence in God, patience in\ntribulations, meekness in provocations, temperance and sobriety in lawful\nthings &c. 2 Pet. i. 5-8.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture IX.\n\n\nWhat God Is To Us.\n\n\n    Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.\u2014\u201cThe lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious,\n    long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy\n    for thousands.\u201d\n\n\nThere is nothing can separate between God and a people but iniquity, and\nyet he is very loath to separate even for that. He makes many shows of\ndeparting, that so we may hold him fast, and indeed he is not difficult to\nbe holden. He threatens often to remove his presence from a person or\nnation, and he threatens, that he may not indeed remove, but that they may\nentreat him to stay, and he is not hard to be entreated. Who is a God like\nunto him, slow to anger, and of great mercy? He is long of being provoked,\nand not long provoked, for it is like the anger of a parent\u2019s love. Love\ntakes on anger as the last remedy, and if it prevail, it is as glad to put\nit off as it was unwilling to take it on. You may see a lively picture of\nthis in God\u2019s dealing with Moses and this people in the preceding chapter.\nHe had long endured this rebellious and obstinate people,\u2014had often\nthreatened to cut them off,\u2014and yet, as it were, loath to do it, and\nrepenting of it, he suffers himself to be entreated for them, but all in\nvain to them,\u2014they corrupted their way still more, and in the 32d chapter\nfall into gross idolatry, the great trespass that he had given them so\nsolemn warning of often, whereupon great wrath is conceived. And the Lord\n(chap. xxxiii. 2) threatens to depart from them,\u2014Go your way, saith he to\nCanaan, but I will not go with you, take your venture of any judgments,\nand the people of the land\u2019s cruelty. Here is a sad farewell to Israel,\nand who would think he could be detained after all that? Who would think\nthat he could be entreated? And yet he is not entreated, he is not\nrequested, before he gives some ground of it, and before he first\ncondescends; go, saith he, and put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may\nknow what to do unto thee. Will he then accept a repenting people, and is\nthere yet hope of mercy? Should he that is going away show us the way to\nkeep him still? And he that flees from us, will he strengthen us to pursue\nand follow after him? This is not after the manner of men, it is true,\nwhose compassions fail when their passion ariseth, but this is the manner\nand method of grace, or of him who waits to be gracious. He flees so as he\nwould have a follower. Yea, while he seems to go away, he draws the soul\nthat he might ran after him. Hence is that word, Psal. lxiii. 8, \u201cMy soul\nfolloweth hard after thee, thy light hand upholdeth me.\u201d Well, the people\nmourn, and put off their ornaments in sign of humiliation and abasement,\nbut all this doth not pacify and quench the flame that was kindled. Moses\ntakes the tabernacle out of the camp, the place of judgement where God\nspake with the people, and the cloud, the sign of God\u2019s presence, removes.\nIn a word, the sign of God\u2019s loving and kind presence departs from them,\nto signify that they were divorced from God, and, in a manner, the Lord by\nMoses excommunicates all the people and rulers both, and draws away these\nholy things from the contagion of a profane people. But yet all is not\ngone. He goes far off, but not out of sight, that you may always follow\nhim, and if you follow, he will stand still. He is never without the reach\nof crying, though we do not perceive him. Now, in this sad case you may\nhave a trial who is godly. Every one that seeks the Lord will separate\nfrom the unholy congregation, and follow the tabernacle, and this affects\nthe whole people much, that they all worship in the tent door.\n\nNow, in the meantime, God admits Moses to speak with him. Though he will\nnot speak to the people, yet he will speak with their mediator, a typical\nmediator, to show us that God is well pleased in Christ, and so all\nChrist\u2019s intercessions and requests for us will get a hearing. When they\nare come once in talking, the business is taken up, for He is not soon\nangry, and never implacably angry,\u2014\u201cslow to anger, and keeps it not long.\u201d\nMoses falling familiar with God, not only obtains his request for the\npeople, but becomes more bold in a request for his own satisfaction and\nconfirmation. He could not endure to lead that people unless God went with\nhim, and having the promise of his going with them he cannot endure\ndistance with him, but aspires to the nearest communion that may be. Oh!\nthat it were so with us. His great request is, that the Lord will show him\nhis glory. Had he not seen much of this already and more than any man ever\nsaw, when he spake in the mount with God, &c.? Nay, but he would see more,\nfor there is always more to be seen, and there is in a godly soul always\nmore desire to see it. The more is seen, the more is loved and desired.\nTasting of it only begets a kindly appetite after it, and the more tasted,\nstill the fresher and more recent but yet it is above both desire and\nfruition,\u2014\u201cThou canst not see my face, &c.\u201d All our knowledge of God,\u2014all\nour attainments of experience of him,\u2014do but reach to some dark and\nconfused apprehension of what he is. The clearest and nearest sight of God\nin this world is, as if a man were not known but by his back, which is a\ngreat point of estrangement. It is said, in heaven we shall see him \u201cface\nto face,\u201d and fully as he is, because then the soul is made capable of it.\n\nTwo things in us here put us in an incapacity of nearness with\nGod,\u2014infirmity and iniquity. Infirmity in us cannot behold his glory. It\nis of so weak eyes, that the brightness of the sun would strike it blind.\nAnd iniquity in us, he cannot behold it, because he is of pure eyes, that\ncan look on no unclean thing. It is the only thing in the creation that\nGod\u2019s holiness hath an antipathy at, and therefore he is still about the\ndestroying of the body of sin in us, about the purging from all filthiness\nof flesh and spirit, and till the soul be thus purged of all sin, by the\noperation of the Holy Ghost, it cannot be a temple for an immediate vision\nof him, and an immediate exhibition of God to us. Sin is the will of\npartition, and the thick cloud that eclipses his glory from us. It is the\nopposite hemisphere of darkness, contrary to light, according to the\naccess or recess of God\u2019s presence, it is more or less dark. The more sin\nreigns in thee, the less of God is in thee, and the more sin be subdued,\nthe readier and nearer is God\u2019s presence. But let us comfort ourselves\nthat one day we shall put off both infirmity and iniquity, mortality shall\nput on immortality, and corruption be clothed with incorruption. We shall\nleave the rags of mortal weakness in the grave, and our menstruous clothes\nof sin behind us, and then shall the weak eyes of flesh be made like\neagles\u2019 eyes, to behold the sun, and then shall the soul be clothed with\nholiness, as with a garment, which God shall delight to look upon, because\nhe sees his own image in that glass.\n\nWe come to the Lord\u2019s satisfying of Moses\u2019 desire, and proclaiming his\nname before him. It is himself only can tell you what he is. It is not\nministers preaching, or other discourse, can proclaim that name to you. We\nmay indeed speak over those words unto you, but it is the Lord that must\nwrite that name upon your heart. He only can discover his glory to your\nspirit. There is a spirit of life which cannot be enclosed in letters and\nsyllables, or transmitted through your ears into your hearts, but he\nhimself must create it inwardly, and stir up the inward sense and feeling\nof that name, of those attributes. Faith indeed, \u201ccometh by hearing,\u201d and\nour knowledge in this life is \u201cthrough a glass darkly, through ordinances\nand senses,\u201d but there must be an inward teaching and speaking to your\nsouls to make that effectual, \u201cthe anointing teacheth you of all things,\u201d\n1 John ii. 27. Alas! it is the separation of that from the word that makes\nit so unprofitable. If the Spirit of God were inwardly writing what the\nword is teaching then should your souls be \u201cliving epistles, that ye might\nread God\u2019s name on them.\u201d O! be much in imploring of and depending on him\nthat teacheth to profit, who only can declare unto your souls what he is!\n\nThese names express his essence or being, and his properties, what he is\nin himself, and what he is to us. In himself he is Jehovah, or a Self\nBeing, \u03b1\u03c5\u03c4 \u03bf\u03bd as we heard in the 3d chapter, \u201cI am that I am\u201d, and EL, a\nstrong God, or Almighty God, which two hold out unto us the absolute\nincomprehensible perfection of God, eminently and infinitely enclosing\nwithin himself all the perfections of the creature; the unchangeable and\nimmutable being of God, who was, and is, and is to come, without\nsuccession, without variation, or shadow of turning, and then the almighty\npower of God, by which without difficulty by the inclination and beck of\nhis will and pleasure, he can make or unmake all,\u2014create or annihilate\u2014to\nwhom nothing is impossible. Which three, if they were pondered by us till\nour souls received the stamp of them, they would certainly be powerful to\nabstract and draw our hearts from the vain changeable, and empty shadow of\nthe creature, and gather our scattered affections that are parted among\nthem, because of their insufficiency, that all might unite in one and join\nwith this self sufficient and eternal God. I say, if a soul did indeed\nbelieve and consider how all-sufficient he is, how insufficient all things\nelse are, would it not cleave to him and draw near to him? Psal. lxxiii.\nult. It is the very torment and vexation of the soul to be thus racked,\ndistracted, and divided about many things, and therefore many, because\nthere is none of them can supply all our wants. Our wants are infinite,\nour desires insatiable and the good that is in any thing is limited and\nbounded, it can serve, one but for one use, and another for another use\nand when all are together they can but supply some wants but they leave\nmuch of the soul empty. But often these outward things cross one another,\nand cannot consist together and hence ariseth much strife and debate in a\nsoul. His need requireth both, and both will not agree. But O that you\ncould see this one universal good, one for all, and above all, your souls\nwould choose him certainly\u2014your souls would trust in him! Ye would say,\n\u201cAsshur shall not save us, we will not ride on horses.\u201d Creatures shall\nnot satisfy us, we will seek our happiness in thee and nowhere else; since\nwe have tasted this new wine, away with the old, the new is better. I\nbeseech you, make God your friend, for he is a great one, whether he be a\nfriend or an enemy, he hath two properties that make him either most\ncomfortable, or most terrible, according as he is at peace or war with\nsouls,\u2014eternity, and omnipotency. You were all once enemies to him. O\nconsider what a party you have, an almighty party, and an unchangeable\nparty! and if you will make peace with him and that in Christ, then know\nhe is the best friend in the world, because he is unchangeable and\nalmighty. If he be thy friend, he will do all for thee he can do and thou\nhast need of. Many friends willing to do, have not ability, but he hath\npower to do what he wills and pleases. Many friends are changeable,\u2014their\naffections dry up and of themselves die, and therefore even princes\u2019\nfriendship is but a vain confidence, for they shall die, and then their\nthoughts of favour perish with them, but he abides the same for all\ngenerations. There is no end of his duration and no end of his affection;\nhe can still say, \u201cI am that I am. What I was, I am, and I will be what I\nam.\u201d Men cannot say so, they are like the brooks that the companies of\nTeman looked after, and thought to have found them in summer as they left\nthem in winter, but behold they were dried up, and the companies ashamed.\nGod cannot make thee ashamed of thy hope, because he is faithful and able.\nAbility and fidelity is a sure anchor to hold by in all storms and\ntempests.\n\nSuch is God in himself. Now, there are two manner of ways he vents himself\ntowards the creatures,\u2014in a comfortable way, or in a terrible way. This\nglorious perfection and almighty power hath an issue upon sinners, and it\nruns in a twofold channel, of mercy or justice, of mercy towards miserable\nsinners that find themselves lost, and flee unto him and take hold of his\nstrength, and justice towards all those that flatter themselves in their\nown eyes, and continue in their sins and put the evil day far off. There\nis no mercy for such as fear not justice, and there is no justice for such\nas flee from it unto mercy. The Lord exhibits himself in a twofold\nappearance, according to the condition of sinners. He sits on a throne and\ntribunal of grace and mercy, to make access to the vilest sinner who is\nafraid of his wrath and would fain be at peace with him, and he sits on a\nthrone of justice and wrath, to seclude and debar presumptuous sinners\nfrom holiness. There were two mountains under the law,\u2014one of cursings,\nand another of blessings. These are the mountains God sets his throne\nupon, and from these he speaks and sentences mankind. From the mountain of\ncursings, he hath pronounced a curse and condemnatory sentence upon all\nflesh, \u201cfor all have sinned.\u201d Therefore he concludes all under sin that\nall flesh might stop their mouth, and the whole world become guilty before\nGod. Now, the Lord having thus condemned all mankind because of\ndisobedience, he sits again upon the mountain of blessings, and pronounces\na sentence of absolution, of as many as have taken with the sentence of\ncondemnation, and appealed to his grace and mercy, and those which do not\nso, the sentence of condemnation stands above their heads unrepealed. He\nerects his tribunal of justice in the world for this end, that all flesh\nmight once be convicted before him, and therefore he cites, as it were,\nand summons all men to present themselves and appear before his tribunal,\nto be judged. He lays out an accusation in the word against them. He takes\ntheir consciences witness of the truth of all that is charged on them, and\nthen pronounces that sentence in their conscience, \u201cCursed is he that\nabideth not in all things,\u201d which the conscience subsumes, and concludes\nitself accursed, and subscribes to the equity of the sentence. And thus\nman is guilty before God, and his mouth stopped. He hath no excuses, no\npretences, he can see no way to escape from justice, and God is justified,\nby this means, in his speaking and judging. Psal. li. 4. The soul ratifies\nand confirms the truth and justice of all his threatenings and judgements,\nRom. iii. 4. Now, for such souls as join with God in judging and\ncondemning themselves, the Lord hath erected a throne of grace and\ntribunal of mercy in the word, whereupon he hath set his Son Jesus Christ,\nPsal. ii. 6, lxxxix. 14, xlv. 6, Heb. i. 8. And O! this throne is a\ncomfortable throne. Mercy and truth go before the face of the king to\nwelcome and entertain miserable sinners, and to make access to them. And\nfrom this throne Jesus Christ holds out the sceptre of the gospel, to\ninvite sinners, self-condemned sinners, to come to him alone, who hath\ngotten all final judgment committed to him, that he may give eternal life\n\u201cto whom he will,\u201d John v. 21, 22. O! that is a sweet and ample commission\ngiven to our friend and brother, Jesus Christ,\u2014power to repeal sentences\npassed against us,\u2014power and authority to absolve them whom justice hath\ncondemned, and to bless whom the law hath cursed, and to open their mouth\nto praise whose mouth sin and guiltiness hath stopped,\u2014power to give the\nanswer of a good conscience to thy evil self-tormenting conscience! In a\nword, he hath power to give life, to make alive and heal those who are\nkilled or wounded by the commandment. Now, I say, seeing God hath of\npurpose established this throne of mercy in the word, thou mayest well,\nafter receiving and acknowledging of the justice of the curse of the law,\nappeal to divine mercy and grace sitting on another throne of the gospel.\nThou mayest\u2014if thy conscience urge thee to despair, and to conclude there\nis no hope\u2014thou mayest, I say, appeal from thy conscience, from Satan,\nfrom justice, unto Jesus Christ, who is holding out the sceptre to thee.\nThe minister calls thee, rise and come, stand no longer before that bar,\nfor it is a subordinate judicatory, there is a way to redress thee by a\nhigher court of grace. Thou mayest say to justice, to Satan, to thy own\nconscience,\u2014\u201cIt is true, I confess, that I deserve that sentence, I am\nguilty, and can say nothing against it, while I stand alone. But though I\ncannot satisfy, and have not; yet there is one, Jesus Christ, who gave his\nlife a ransom for many, and whom God hath given as a propitiation for\nsins. He hath satisfied and paid the debt in my name; go and apprehend the\ncautioner, since he hath undertaken it, nay, he hath done it, and is\nabsolved. Thou hadst him in thy hands O Justice! Thou hadst him prisoner\nunder the power of death. Since thou hast let him go, then he is acquitted\nfrom all the charge of my sins; and therefore, since I know that he is now\na king, and hath a throne to judge the world and plead the cause of the\npoor sheep, I will appeal to him, refer the cause to his decision, I will\nmake my supplication to him, and certainly he will hear, and interpose\nhimself between wrath and me. He will rescind this sentence of\ncondemnation, since he himself was condemned for us and is justified,\u2014\u2018It\nis Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again,\u2019 who shall condemn\nme? He is near that justifies me, Rom. viii. 33, 34.\u201d Now if thou do\nindeed flee unto him for refuge, that city is open for thee, and nothing\nto prejudge thy entry. But no curse, no condemnation can enter in it, Rom.\nviii. 1. He will justify and absolve thee from all things whereof the law\ncould not justify thee, but condemn thee. There is forgiveness with him,\nthat he may be feared. David may teach thee this manner of application,\n(Psal. cxxx. and cxlii. 2) of appealing from the deserved curse, to free\nundeserved blessing and mercy in Christ.\n\nLet us consider this name of the Lord, and it shall answer all our\nsuspicions of him,\u2014all our objections against coming to him and believing\nin him. It is certain, ignorance is the mother of unbelief, together with\nthe natural perverseness of our hearts. If we knew his name, we would\ntrust in him; if his names were pondered and considered, we would believe\nin him. Satan knows this, and therefore his great sleight and cunning is\nto hold our minds fixed on the consideration of our misery and desperate\nestate. He keeps the awakened conscience still upon that comfortless\nsight, and he labours to represent God by halves, and that it is a false\nrepresentation of God. He represents him as clothed with justice and\nvengeance,\u2014as a consuming fire, in which light a soul can see nothing but\ndesperation written; and he labours to hold out the thoughts of his mercy\nand grace, or diverts a soul from the consideration of his promises;\nwhence it comes, that they are not established, that though salvation be\nnear, yet it is far from them in their sense and apprehension. Therefore I\nsay, you should labour to get an entire sight of God, and you shall see\nhim best in his word, where he reveals himself, and there you find, if you\nconsider, that which may make you fear him indeed, but never flee from\nhim,\u2014that which may abase you, but withal embolden you to come to him\nthough trembling. Whatever thought possess thee of thine own misery, of\nthy own guiltiness, labour to counterpoise that with the thought of his\nmercy and free promises. Whatever be suggested of his holiness and\njustice, hear himself speak out his own name, and thou shall hear as much\nof mercy and grace as may make these not terrible unto thee, though high\nand honourable. The Lord hath so framed the expression and proclamation of\nhis name in this place, that first a word of majesty and power is\npremised,\u2014\u201cthe Lord, the Lord God,\u201d\u2014that it may compose our hearts in fear\nand reverence of such a glorious one, and make a preparatory impression of\nthe majesty of our God, which indeed is the foundation or all true faith.\nIt begins to adore and admire a deity, a majesty hid from the world. The\nthoughts of his power and glory possess the soul first, and make it begin\nto tremble to think that it hath such a high and holy one to deal with.\n\nBut, in the next place, you have the most sweet, alluring, comforting\nstyles that can be imagined, to meet with the trembling and languishing\ncondition of a soul that would be ready to faint before such a majesty.\nHere Mercy takes it by the hand, and gives a cordial of grace, pardon,\nforgiveness, &c. to it, which revives the soul of the humble, and\nintermingles some rejoicing with former trembling. Majesty and greatness\ngo before to abase and humble the soul in its own eyes; and mercy and\ngoodness second them to lift up those who are low and exalt the humble.\nAnd in the description of this, the Lord spends more words, according to\nthe necessity of a soul, to signify to us how great and strong consolation\nmay be grounded on his name,\u2014how accessible he is, though he dwell in\naccessible light,\u2014how lovely he is, though he be the high and the lofty\none,\u2014how good he is, though he be great,\u2014how merciful he is, though he be\nmajestic. In a word, that those that flee to him may have all invitation,\nall encouragement to come, and nothing to discourage, to prejudge their\nwelcome; that whoever will, may come, and nothing may hinder on his part.\nAnd then, after all this, he subjoins a word of his justice, in avenging\nsin, to show us that he leaves that as the last; that he essays all\ngaining ways of mercy with us; and that he is not very much delighted with\nthe death of sinners, that so whosoever perishes may blame themselves for\nhating their own salvation and forsaking their own mercy.\n\nNow whoever thou art that apprehendest a dreadful and terrible God, and\nthyself a miserable and wretched sinner, thou canst find no comfort in\nGod\u2019s highness and power, but it looks terrible upon thee, because thou\ndoubtest of his good-will to save and pardon thee. Thou sayest with the\nblind man, If thou wilt, thou canst do it; thou art a strong God, but what\ncomfort can I have in thy strength, since I know not thy good-will? I say,\nthe Lord answers thee in this name, I am \u201cmerciful,\u201d saith the Lord. If\nthou be miserable, I am merciful as well as strong; if thou have sin and\nmisery, I have compassion and pity. My mercy may be a copy and pattern to\nall men to learn it of me, even towards their own brethren, Luke vi. 36.\nTherefore he is called \u201cthe father of mercies,\u201d 2 Cor. i. 3. _Misericors\nest cui alterius miseria cordi est_. Mercy hath its very name from misery,\nfor it is no other thing than to lay another\u2019s misery to heart; not to\ndespise it, not to add to it, but to help it. It is a strong inclination\nto succour the misery of sinners, therefore thou needest no other thing to\ncommend thee to him. Art thou miserable, and knowest it indeed? Then he is\nmerciful; and know that also, these two suit well.\n\nNay, but saith the convinced soul, I know not if he will be merciful to\nme, for what am I? There is nothing in me to be regarded. I have nothing\nto conciliate favour, and all that may procure hatred. But, saith the\nLord, I am \u201cgracious,\u201d and dispense mercy freely, without respect to\ncondition or qualification. Say not, if I had such a measure of\nhumiliation as such a one,\u2014if I loved him so much,\u2014if I had so much godly\nsorrow and repentance,\u2014then, I think he would be merciful to me. Say not\nso, for behold he is gracious. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy;\nand there is no other cause, no motive to procure it; it comes from within\nhis own breast. It is not thy repentance will make him love thee, nor thy\nhardness of heart will make him hate thee or obstruct the vent of his\ngrace towards thee. No! if it be grace, it is no more of works,\u2014not works\nin that way that thou imaginest. It is not of repentance, not of faith in\nthat sense thou conceivest; but it is freely, without the hire, without\nthe price of repentance or faith, because all those are but the free gifts\nof grace. Thou wouldst have these graces to procure his favour, and to\nmake them the ground of thy believing in his promises, but grace is\nwithout money. It immediately contracts with discovered misery, so that if\nthou do discover in thyself misery and sin, though thou find nothing else,\nyet do not cast away confidence, but so much the more address thyself to\nmercy and grace, which do not seek repentance in thee, but bring\nrepentance and faith with them unto thee. Yet there is something in the\nawakened conscience. I have gone on long in sin; I have been a\npresumptuous sinner; can he endure me longer? Well, hear what the Lord\nsaith, I am \u201clong-suffering\u201d and patient. And if he had not been so, we\nhad been damned ere now. Patience hath a long term, and we cannot outrun\nit, outweary it. Why do we not wonder that he presently and instantly\nexecuted his wrath on angels, and gave them not one hour\u2019s space for\nrepentance, but cast them down headlong into destruction, as in a moment;\nand yet his majesty hath so long delayed the execution of our sentence,\nand calls us unto repentance and forgiveness, that we may escape the\ncondemnation of angels? His patience is not slackness and negligence, as\nmen count it, 2 Pet. iii. 9. He sits not in heaven as an idol, and idle\nspectator of what men are doing; but he observes all wrongs, and is\nsensible of them also. And if we were mindful and sensible of them also,\nhe would forget them. He is long-suffering. This is extended and\nstretched-out patience beyond all expectation, beyond all deserving, yea\ncontrary to it. Therefore, as long as he forbears, if thou apprehend thy\nmisery and sin, and continuance in it; do not conclude that it is\ndesperate. \u201cWhy should a living man complain?\u201d As long as patience\nlengthens thy life, if thou desire to come to him, believe he will accept\nthee.\n\nBut, saith the doubting soul, I am exceeding perverse and wicked, there is\nnothing in me but wickedness. It so abounds in me that there is none like\nme. But, saith the Lord, I am \u201cabundant in goodness.\u201d Thy wickedness\nthough it be great, it is but a created wickedness, but my goodness is the\ngoodness of God. I am as abundant in grace and goodness as thou art in\nsin\u2014nay, infinitely more. Thy sin is but the transgression of a finite\ncreature, but my mercy is the compassion of an infinite God,\u2014it can\nswallow it up. Suppose thy sin cry up to heaven, yet mercy reaches above\nheaven, and is built up for ever. Here is an invitation to all sinners to\ncome and taste\u2014O come and taste, and see how good the Lord is! Goodness is\ncommunicative; it diffuses itself, like the sun\u2019s light. There is riches\nof his goodness. Rom. ii. 4. Poor soul, thou canst not spend it though\nthou have many wants!\n\nBut I am full of doubtings, fears, and jealousies. I cannot believe in his\npromises. I often question them. How, then, will he perform them? I say,\nsaith the Lord, I am abundant in truth. He will certainly perform. Shall\nour unbelief, or doubting, \u201cmake the faith of God without effect?\u201d &c.\nRom. iii. 3. God forbid! His faithfulness reaches unto the clouds; he will\nkeep covenant with thee whose soul hath chosen him, though thou often\nquestion and doubt of him. Indeed, thou shouldst not give indulgence to\nthy doubtings and jealousies, but look on them as high provocations. For\nwhat can be more grievous to fervent love than to meet with jealousy?\nJealousy would quench any creature\u2019s love, but though it grieve and\nprovoke him, yet he will not change, he will not diminish his. Only do not\nthink your disputings and quarrelling innocent and harmless things. No\ncertainly, they grieve the Spirit\u2014stir up the beloved to go away, as it\nwere, before he please\u2014and make thee walk without comfort, and without\nfruit. Yet he will bear with, and not quench \u201cthe smoking flax\u201d of a\nbeliever\u2019s desires, though they do not arise to the flame of assurance.\n\nBut the wounded spirit hath one or two burdens more. I have abused much\nmercy; how can mercy pity me? I have turned grace into wantonness so that\nwhen I look to mercy and grace to comfort me, they do rather challenge me.\nThe sins of none are like mine,\u2014none of such a heinous and presumptuous\nnature. But let us hear what God the Lord speaks. I keep \u201cmercy for\nthousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin. Thou hast\nwasted much mercy, but more is behind, all the treasure is not spent.\nThough there were many thousand worlds besides, I could pardon them all,\nif they would flee unto my mercy. Thou shalt not be straitened in me.\u201d\nMercy will pardon thy abuse of mercy, it will forgive all faults thou dost\nagainst itself. Thou that sinnest against the Son of man, the Redeemer of\nthe world, and remedy of sin\u2014yet there is pardon for thee, whatever the\nquality, condition, or circumstance of thy sin be. Whoever, convinced of\nit, and loadened with it, desirest rest to thy soul, thou mayest find it\nin Christ, whose former kindness thou hast answered with contempt. Many\nsins, many great sins, and these presumptuous sins cannot exclude, nay, no\nsin can exclude a willing soul. Unbelief keeps thee unwilling, and so\nexcludes thee.\n\nNow, as the spider sucks poison out of the sweetest flower, so the most\npart of souls suck nothing but delusion and presumption and hardening out\nof the gospel. Many souls reason for more liberty to sin from mercy. But\nbehold, how the Lord backs it with a dreadful word, \u201cwho will by no means\nclear the guilty.\u201d As many as do not condemn themselves before the\ntribunal of justice, there is no rescinding of the condemnatory sentence,\nbut it stands above their heads, \u201che that believeth not is condemned\nalready.\u201d Justice hath condemned all by a sentence. He that doth not, in\nthe sense of this, flee unto Jesus Christ from sin and wrath is already\ncondemned. His sentence is standing. There needs no new one. Since he\nflees not to mercy for absolution, the sentence of condemnation stands\nunrepealed. You guilty souls who clear yourselves, God will not clear you.\nAnd, alas! how many of you do clear yourselves! Do you not extenuate and\nmince your sins? How hard is it to extort any confession of guilt out of\nyou, but in the general! If we condescend to particulars, many of you will\nplead innocency almost in every thing, though you have, like children,\nlearned to speak these words that ye are sinners. I beseech you consider\nit; it is no light matter, for God will by no means clear the guilty, by\nno means, by no entreaties, no flatteries. What! will he not pardon sin?\nYes indeed! his name tells you he will pardon all kind of sins, and\nabsolve all manner of guilty persons, but yet such as do condemn\nthemselves, such as are guilty in their own conscience, and their mouths\nstopped before God,\u2014you who do not enter into the serious examination of\nyour ways, and do not arraign yourselves before God\u2019s tribunal daily till\nyou find yourselves loathsome and desperate, and no refuge for you,\u2014you\nwho do flatter yourselves always in the hope of heaven, and put the fear\nof hell always from you,\u2014I say, God will by no means, no prayers, no\nentreaties, clear or pardon you, because you come not to Jesus Christ, in\nwhom is preached forgiveness and remission of sins. You who take liberty\nto sin, because God is gracious, and delay repentance till the end,\nbecause God is long suffering,\u2014know God will not clear you, he is holy and\njust as he is merciful. If his mercy make thee not fear and tremble before\nhim, and do not separate thee from thy sins,\u2014if remission of sins be not\nthe strongest persuasion to thy soul of the removing of sin,\u2014certainly\nthou dost in vain presume upon his mercy.\n\nNow consider what influence all this glorious proclamation had on Moses.\nIt stirs up in him reverence and affection,\u2014reverence to such a glorious\nMajesty, and great desire to have him amongst them, and to be more one\nwith him. If thy soul rightly discover God, it cannot but abase thee. He\n\u201cmade haste\u201d to bow down and worship. O, God\u2019s majesty is a surprising and\nastonishing thing! It would bow thy soul in the dust if it were presented\nto thee. Labour to keep the right and entire representation of God in thy\nsight,\u2014his whole name, strong, merciful, and just,\u2014great, good, and holy.\nI say, keep both in thy view, for half representations are dangerous,\neither to beget presumption and security when thou lookest on mercy alone,\nor despair when thou lookest on justice and power alone. Let thy soul\nconsider all jointly, that it may receive a mixed impression of all. And\nthis is the holy composition and temper of a believer,\u2014Rejoice with\ntrembling, love with fear, let all thy discoveries of him aim at more\nunion and communion with him who is such a self sufficient, all\nsufficient, and eternal Being.\n\n\n\n\n                                Lecture X.\n\n\nWhat God Is\n\n\n    John iv. 24.\u2014\u201cGod is a Spirit, and they that worship him must\n    worship him in spirit and in truth.\u201d\n\n\nWe have here something of the nature of God pointed out to us, and\nsomething of our duty towards him. \u201cGod is a Spirit,\u201d that is his nature,\nand \u201cman must worship him,\u201d that is his duty, and that \u201cin spirit and in\ntruth,\u201d that is the right manner of the duty. If these three were well\npondered till they did sink into the bottom of our spirits, they would\nmake us indeed Christians, not in the letter, but in the spirit. That is\npresupposed to all Christian worship and walking, to know what God is, it\nis indeed the _primo cognitum_ of Christianity, the first principle of\ntrue religion, the very root out of which springs and grows up walking\nsuitably with, and worshipping answerably of, a known God. I fear much of\nour religion is like the Athenians, they built an altar to the unknown\nGod, and like the Samaritans, who worshipped they knew not what. Such a\nworship, I know not what it is, when the God worshipped is not known. The\ntwo parents of true religion are the knowledge of God and of ourselves.\nThis, indeed, is the beginning of the fear of God, which the wise preacher\ncalls \u201cthe beginning of true wisdom.\u201d And these two, as they beget true\nreligion, so they cannot truly be one without the other. It is not many\nnotions and speculations about the divine nature,\u2014it is not high and\nstrained conceptions of God,\u2014that comprise the true knowledge of him. Many\nthink they know something when they can speak of those mysteries in some\nsingular way, and in some terms removed from common understandings, while\nneither themselves nor others know what they mean. And thus they are\npresumptuous, self conceited, knowing nothing as they ought to know. There\nis a knowledge that puffs up and there is a knowledge that casts down, a\nknowledge in many that doth but swell them, not grow them. It is but a\nrumour full of wind, a vain and empty, frothy knowledge that is neither\ngood for edifying other, nor saving a man\u2019s self, a knowledge that a man\nknows and reflects upon so as to ascend upon the height of it, and measure\nhimself by the degrees of it. This is not the true knowledge of God, which\nknows not itself, looks not back upon itself, but straight towards God,\nhis holiness and glory and our baseness and misery, and therefore it\nconstrains the soul to be ashamed of itself in such a glorious presence,\nand to make haste to worship, as Moses, Job, and Isaiah did.\n\nThis definition of God\u2014if we did truly understand it, we could not but\nworship him in another manner. \u201cGod is a Spirit.\u201d Many ignorant people\nform in their own mind some likeness and image of God, who is invisible.\nYe know how ye fancy to yourselves some bodily shape. When you conceive of\nhim, you think he is some reverend and majestic person sitting on a throne\nin heaven. But, I beseech you, correct your mistakes of him. There is\noutward idolatry and there is inward, there is idolatry in action, when\nmen paint or engrave some similitude of God, and there is idolatry in\nimagination, when the fancy and apprehension run upon some image or\nlikeness of God. The first is among Papists, but I fear the latter is too\ncommon among us, and it is indeed all one, to form such a similitude in\nour mind and to engrave or paint it without. So that the God whom many of\nus worship is not the living and true God, but a painted or graven idol.\nWhen God appeared most visible to the world, as at the giving out of the\nlaw, yet no man did see any likeness at all. He did not come under the\nperception of the most subtle sense, he could not be perceived but by the\nrefined understanding going aside from all things visible. And therefore\nyou do but fancy an idol to yourselves, instead of God, when you apprehend\nhim under the likeness of any visible or sensible thing, and so whatever\nlove or fear or reverence you have, it is all but misspent superstition,\nthe love and fear of an idol.\n\nI. Know then, \u201cthat God is a Spirit,\u201d and therefore he is like none of all\nthose things you see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch. The heavens\nare glorious indeed, the light is full of glory, but he is not like that.\nIf all your senses should make an inquiry, and search for him throughout\nthe world, you should not find him. Though he be near at hand to every one\nof us yet our eyes and ears and all our senses, might travel the length of\nthe earth and breadth of the sea, and should not find him even as you\nmight search all the corners of heaven ere you could hear or see an angel.\nIf you would saw a man asunder and resolve him into atoms of dust, yet you\ncould not perceive a soul within him. Why? Because these are spirits, and\nso without the reach of your senses.\n\nII. If God be a Spirit, then he is invisible, and dwells in light\ninaccessible, \u201cwhich no man hath seen or can see.\u201d Then our poor narrow\nminds, that are drowned, as it were, and immersed in bodies of clay, and\nin this state of mortality, receive all knowledge by the senses, cannot\nframe any notion of his spiritual and abstracted nature. We cannot\nconceive what our own soul is, but by some sensible operation flowing from\nit, and the height that our knowledge of that noble part of ourselves\namounts to, is but this dark and confused conception that the soul is some\ninward principle of life and sense and reason. How then is it possible for\nus to conceive aright of the divine nature, as it is in itself, but only\nin a dark and general way? We guess at his majesty, by the glorious\nemanations of his power and wisdom, and the ways thereof, which he\ndisplays abroad in all the work of his hands, and from all these\nconcurring testimonies, and evidences of his majesty, we gather this\nconfused notion of him, that he is the fountain, self independent Being,\nthe original of these things, and more absolute in the world than the soul\nis in the body, the true _Anima mundi_, the very life and the light of\nmen, and the soul that quickens, moves, and forms all this visible world,\nthat makes all things visible, and himself is invisible. Therefore it is\nthat the Lord speaks to us in Scripture of himself, according to our\ncapacities,\u2014of his face, his right hand, and arm, his throne, his sceptre,\nhis back parts his anger, his fury, his repentance, his grief, and\nsorrow,\u2014none of which are properly in his spiritual, immortal, and\nunchangeable nature. But because our dulness and slowness is such in\napprehending things spiritual, it being almost without the sphere and\ncomprehension of the soul while in the body, which is almost addicted unto\nthe senses in the body, therefore the Lord accommodates himself unto our\nterms and notions, _balbutit nobiscum_,\u2014he, like a kind father, stammers\nwith his stammering children, speaks to them in their own dialect, but\nwithal, would have us conceive he is not really such an one, but\ninfinitely removed in his own being from all these imperfections. So when\nyou hear of these terms in scripture, O beware of conceiving God to be\nsuch a one as yourselves! But, in these expressions not beseeming his\nMajesty, because below him, learn your own ignorance of his glorious\nMajesty, your dulness and incapacity to be such as the holy One must come\ndown as it were in some bodily appearance, ere you can understand any\nthing of him.\n\nIII. If God be a Spirit, then he is most perfect and most powerful. All\nimperfection, all infirmity, and weakness in the creature, is founded in\nthe gross and material part of it. You see the more matter and bodily\nsubstance is in any thing, it is the more lumpish, heavy, and void of all\naction. It is the more spiritual, pure, and refined part of the creation\nthat hath most activity in it, and is the principle of all motions and\nactions. You see a little fly hath more action in it than a great\nmountain, because there are spirits in it which move it. The bottom of the\nworld contains the dregs of the creation, as it were,\u2014a mass and lump of\nheavy earth, but the higher and more distant bodies be from that, the more\npure and subtile they are, and the more pure and subtile they be, the more\naction, virtue, and efficacy they have. The earth stands like a dead lump\nbut the sea moves, and the air being thinner and purer than both, moves\nmore easily and swiftly. But go up higher and still the motion is swifter,\nand the virtue and influence is the more powerful. What is a dead body\nwhen the soul and spirit is out of it? It hath no more virtue and efficacy\nthan so much clay, although by the presence of the spirit of it, it was\nactive, agile, swift, strong and nimble. So much then as any thing hath of\nspirit in it, so much the more perfect and powerful it is. Then I beseech\nyou consider what a One the God of the spirits of all flesh must be,\u2014the\nvery Fountain spirit,\u2014the Self being spirit,\u2014\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf \u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u03c5\u03bc\u03b1. When the soul of\na man, or the spirit of a horse, hath so much virtue, to stir up a lump of\nearth, and to quicken it to so many diverse operations, even though that\nsoul and spirit did not, nay could not make that piece of earth they dwell\nin, then, what must his power and virtue be that made all those things?\nWho gave power and virtue even to the spirits of all flesh? \u201cTheir horses\u201d\nsaith God, are \u201cflesh and not spirit,\u201d (Isa. xxxi. 3) because, in\ncomparison of his majesty, the very spirits in them are but like a dead\nlump of flesh. If he should draw in his breath, as it were, they would\nhave no more virtue to save the Israelites, than so many lumps of flesh or\nclay. For he is the Spirit of all spirits, that quickens, actuates and\nmoves them to their several operations and influences. _Anima mundi, et\nAnima animarum mundi_. An angel hath more power than all men united in one\nbody. Satan is called the prince of the air, and the god of this world,\nfor he hath more efficacy and virtue to commove the air, and raise\ntempests than all the swarms of multiplied mankind, though gathered into\none army. If the Lord did not restrain and limit his power, he were able\nto destroy whole nations at once. An angel killed many thousands of\nSennacherib\u2019s army in one night, what would many angels do then, if the\nLord pleased to apply them to that work? O what is man that he should\nmagnify himself, or glory in strength, or skill? Beasts are stronger than\nmen, but man\u2019s weaker strength being strengthened with more skill, proves\nstronger than they. But in respect of angels he hath neither strength nor\nwisdom.\n\nIV. If God be a Spirit, then he is not circumscribed by any place, and if\nan infinite Spirit, then he is everywhere, no place can include him, and\nno body can exclude him. He is within all things, yet not included nor\nbounded within them, and he is without all things, yet not excluded from\nthem. _Intra omnia, non tamen inclusus in illis, extra omnia, nec tamen\nexclustts ab illis_. You know every body hath its own bounds and limits\ncircumscribed to it, and shuts out all other bodily things out of the same\nspace, so that before the least body want some space, it will put all the\nuniverse in motion, and make every thing about it to change its place, and\npossess another. But a spirit can pass through all of them and never\ndisturb them, a legion may be in one man, and have room enough. If there\nwere a wall of brass or tower, having no opening, neither above nor\nbeneath, no body could enter but by breaking through, and making a breach\ninto it, but an angel or spirit could storm it without a breach, and\npierce through it without any division of it. How much more doth the Maker\nof all spirits fill all in all! The thickness of the earth doth not keep\nhim out, nor the largeness of the heavens contain him. How then do we\ncircumscribe and limit him within the bounds of a public house, or the\nheavens? O! how narrow thoughts have we of his immense greatness, who,\nwithout division or multiplication of himself, fills all the corners of\nthe world,\u2014whose indivisible unity is equivalent to an infinite extension\nand divisibility! How often, I pray you, do you reflect upon this? God is\nnear to every one of us. Who of us thinks of a divine Majesty nearer us\nthan our very souls and consciences, \u201cin whom we live and move, and have\nour being\u201d? How is it we move, and think not with wonder of that first\nMover in whom we move? How is it we live and persevere in being and do not\nalways consider this fountain-Being in whom we live and have our being? O,\nthe atheism of many souls professing God! We do speak, walk, eat, and\ndrink, and go about all our businesses, as if we were self being, and\nindependent of any, never thinking of that all present quickening Spirit,\nthat acts us, moves us, speaks in us, makes us to walk and eat and drink,\nas the barbarous people who see, hear, speak and reason, and never once\nreflect upon the principle of all these, to discern a soul within. This is\nbrutish, and in this, man who was made of a straight countenance to look\nupward to God, and to know himself and his Maker, till he might be\ndifferenced from all creatures below, is degenerated, and become like the\nbeasts that perish. Who of us believes this all present God? We imagine\nthat he is shut up in heaven, and takes no such notice of affairs below,\nbut certainly, he is not so far from us, though he show more of his glory\nabove, yet he is as present and observant below.\n\nV. If he be a Spirit, then as he is incomprehensible and immense in being,\nso also there is no comprehension of his knowledge. The nearer any\ncreature comes to the nature of a spirit, the more knowing and\nunderstanding it is. Life is the most excellent being, and understanding\nis the most excellent life. _Materia est iners et mortua._ The nearer any\nthing is to the earthly matter, as it hath less action, so less life and\nfeeling. Man is nearer an angel than beasts, and therefore he hath a\nknowing understanding spirit in him. There is a spirit in man, and the\nmore or less this spirit of man is abstracted from sensual and material\nthings, it lives the more excellent and pure life, and is, as it were,\nmore or less delivered from the chains of the body. These souls that have\nnever risen above, and retired from sensible things, O, how narrow are\nthey,\u2014how captivated within the prison of the flesh! But when the Lord\nJesus comes to set free he delivers a soul from this bondage, he makes\nthese chains fall off and leads the soul apart to converse with God\nhimself, and to meditate on things not seen\u2014sin, wrath, hell, and heaven.\nAnd the farther it goes from itself, and the more abstracted it is from\nthe consideration of present things, the more it lives a life like angels.\nAnd therefore, when the soul is separated from the body, it is then\nperfectly free, and hath the largest extent of knowledge. A man\u2019s soul\nmust be almost like Paul\u2019s \u201cwhether out of the body, or in the body, I\nknow not,\u201d\u2014if he would understand aright spiritual things. Now then, this\ninfinite Spirit is an all knowing Spirit, all seeing Spirit, as well as\nall-present, \u201cthere is no searching of his understanding,\u201d Isa. xl. 28,\nPsalm. cxlvii. 5. \u201cWho hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his\ncounsellor, hath taught him?\u201d Isa. xl. 13, Rom. xi. 34. He calls the\ngenerations from the beginning, and known to him are all his works from\nthe beginning. O that you would always set this God before you, or rather\nset yourselves always in his presence, in whose sight you are always! How\nwould it compose our hearts to reverence and fear in all our actions, if\nwe did indeed believe that the Judge of all the world is an eye witness to\nour most retired and secret thoughts and doings! If any man were as privy\nto thy thoughts, as thy own spirit and conscience, thou wouldst blush and\nbe ashamed before him. If every one of us could open a window into one\nanother\u2019s spirits, I think this assembly should dismiss as quickly as that\nof Christ\u2019s, when he bade them that were without sin cast a stone at the\nwoman. We could not look one upon another. O then, why are we so little\napprehensive of the all-searching eye of God, who can even declare to us\nour thought, before it be? How much atheism is rooted in the heart of the\nmost holy! We do not always meditate, with David, Psal. cxxxix., on that\nall searching and all knowing Spirit who knows our down sitting and\nuprising, and understands our thoughts afar off, and who is acquainted\nwith all our ways. O how would we ponder our path, and examine our words,\nand consider our thoughts beforehand if we set ourselves in the view of\nsuch a Spirit, that is within us and without us, before us and behind us!\nHe may spare sinners as long as he pleases, for there is no escaping from\nhim. You cannot go out of his dominions, nay, you cannot run out of his\npresence, Psal. cxxxix. 7-10. He can reach you when he pleases, therefore\nhe may delay as long as he pleases.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XI.\n\n\nThe Knowledge That God Is, Combined With The Knowledge That He Is To Be\nWorshipped.\n\n\n    John iv. 24.\u2014\u201cGod is a Spirit, and they that worship him must\n    worship him in spirit and in truth.\u201d\n\n\nThere are two common notions engraven on the hearts of all men by\nnature,\u2014that God is, and that he must be worshipped, and these two live\nand die together, they are clear, or blotted together. According as the\napprehension of God is clear, and distinct, and more deeply engraven on\nthe soul, so is this notion of man\u2019s duty of worshipping God clear and\nimprinted on the soul, and whenever the actions of men do prove that the\nconception of the worship of God is obliterate or worn out,\u2014whenever their\ntransgressions do witness that a man hath not a lively notion of this duty\nof God\u2019s worship,\u2014that doth also prove that the very notion of a godhead\nis worn out, and cancelled in the soul, for how could souls conceive of\nGod as he is indeed, but they must needs, with Moses, (Exod. xxxiv. 8)\nmake haste to pray and worship? It is the principle of the very law of\nnature which shall make the whole world inexcusable, \u201cbecause that when\nthey knew God, they glorified him not as God.\u201d A father must have honour,\nand a master must have fear, and God, who is the common parent and\nabsolute master of all, must have worship, in which reverence and fear,\nmixed with rejoicing and affection, predominate. It is supposed, and put\nbeyond all question that he must be; \u201che that worships him, must worship\nhim in spirit and in truth.\u201d It is not simply said, God is a Spirit and\nmust be worshipped, no, for none can doubt of it. If God be, then\ncertainly worship is due to him, for who is so worshipful? And because it\nis so beyond all question, therefore woe to the irreligious world that\nnever puts it in practice! O, what excuse can you have, who have not so\nmuch as a form of godliness! Do you not know, that it is beyond all\ncontroversy that God must be worshipped? Why then do you deny that in your\npractice, which all men must confess in their conscience? Is not he God,\nthe Lord, a living and self being Spirit? Then must he not have\nworshippers? Beasts are not created for it, it is you, O sons of men! whom\nhe made for his own praise, and it is not more suitable to your nature\nthan it is honourable and glorious. This is the great dignity and\nexcellency you are privileged with, beyond the brute beasts,\u2014to have\nspirits within you capable of knowing and acknowledging the God of your\nspirits. Why then do you both rob and spoil God of his glory, and cast\naway your own excellency? Why do you love to trample on your ornaments and\nwallow in the puddle; like beasts void of religion, but so much worse than\nbeasts, that you ought to be better, and were created for a more noble\ndesign? O base spirited wretches, who hang down your souls to this earth,\nand follow the dictates of your own sense and lust, and have not so much\nas an external form of worshipping God! How far are you come short of the\nnoble design of your creation, and the high end of your immortal souls! If\nyou will not worship God, know, he will have worshippers. Certainly he\nwill not want it; because he hath designed so many souls to stand before\nhim, and worship him, and that number will not fail. He might indeed have\nwanted worshippers: for what advantage is it to him? But in this he\ndeclares his love and respect to man, that he will not want honour and\nservice from him. It is rather to put honour upon him, and to make him\nblessed and happy, than for any gain that can amount to himself by it. For\nthis is indeed the true honour and happiness of man, not to be worshipped\nand served of other fellow-creatures, but to worship and serve the\nCreator. This is the highest advancement of a soul, to lie low before him,\nand to obey him, and have our service accepted of his Majesty. I beseech\nyou, strive about this noble service! Since he must have worshippers, O\nsay within your souls, \u201cI must be one! If he had but one, I could not be\ncontent if I were not that one.\u201d Since the Father is seeking worshippers,\n(ver. 23,) O let him find thee! Offer thyself to him, saying, Lord, here\nam I. Should he seek you, who can have no advantage from you? Should he go\nabout so earnest a search for true worshippers, who can have no profit by\nthem? And why do ye not seek him, since to you all the gain and profit\nredounds? Shall he seek you to make you happy? And why do ye not seek him\nand happiness in him? It is your own service, I may truly say, and not his\nso much; for in serving him thou dost rather serve thyself; for all the\nbenefit redounds to thyself, though thou must not intend such an end, to\nserve him for thyself, but for his name\u2019s sake; else thou shalt neither\nhonour him, nor advantage thyself. I pray you let him not seek in vain,\nfor in these afflictions he is seeking worshippers; and if he find you,\nyou are found and saved indeed. Do not then forsake your own mercy, to run\nfrom him who follows you with salvation.\n\nAs none can be ignorant that God is, and must be worshipped, so it is\nunknown to the world in what manner he must be worshipped. The most part\nof men have some form in worshipping God, and please themselves in it so\nwell that they think God is well pleased with it; but few there are who\nknow indeed what it is to worship him in a manner acceptable to his\nMajesty. Now you know it is all one not to worship him at all, as not to\nworship him in that way he likes to be worshipped. Therefore, the most\npart of men are but self-worshippers, because they please none but\nthemselves in it. It is not the worship his soul hath chosen, but their\nown invention; for you must take this as an undeniable ground, that God\nmust be worshipped according to his own will and pleasure, and not\naccording to your humour or intention. Therefore, his soul abhors\nwill-worship, devised by men out of ignorant zeal or superstition, though\nthere might seem much devotion in it, and much affection to God. As in the\nIsraelites sacrificing their children, what more seeming self-denial,\u2014and\nyet what more real self-idolatry? God owns not such a service, for it is\nnot service and obedience to his will and pleasure, but to men\u2019s own will\nand humour. Therefore, a man must not look for a reward but from himself.\nNow, it is not only will-worship, when the matter and substance of the\nworship is not commanded of God, but also when a commanded worship is not\ndischarged in the appointed manner. Therefore, O how few true worshippers\nwill the Father find! True worship must have truth for the substance, and\nspirit for the manner of it; else it is not such a worship as the Father\nseeks and will be pleased with. Divine worship must have truth in it,\u2014that\nis plain,\u2014but what was that truth? It must be conformed to the rule and\npattern of worship, which is God\u2019s will and pleasure revealed in the word\nof truth. True worship is the very practice of the word of truth. It\ncarries the image and superscription and command upon it, which is a\nnecessary ingredient in it, and constituent of it. Therefore, if thy\nservice have the image of thy own will stamped on it, it is not divine\nworship but will-worship. Thus all human ceremonies and ordinances\nenjoined for the service of God, carry the inscription not of God, but of\nman, who is the author and original of them, and so are but adulterated\nand false coin that will not pass current with God. I fear there be many\nrites and vain customs among ignorant people, in which they place some\nreligion, which have no ground in the word of God, but are only \u201cold\nwives\u2019 fables\u201d and traditions. How many things of that nature are used\nupon a religious account, in which God hath placed no religion! Many have\na superstitious conceit of the public place of worship, as if there were\nmore holiness in it than in any other house; and so they think their\nprayers in the church are more acceptable than in their chamber. But\nChrist refutes that superstitious opinion of places, and so consequently\nof days, meats, and all such external things. The Jews had a great opinion\nof their temple, the Samaritans of their mountain,\u2014as if these places had\nsanctified their services. But saith our Lord, (ver. 21,) \u201cThe hour cometh\nwhen ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the\nFather,\u201d but it is any where acceptable, if so be ye worship in spirit and\ntruth. Many of you account it religion to pray and mutter words of your\nown in the time of public prayer; but who hath required this at your\nhands? If ye would pray yourselves, go apart; shut the door behind thee,\nsaith Christ. Private prayer should be in private and secret; but where\npublic prayer is, your hearts should close with the petitions, and offer\nthem up jointly to God. It is certainly a great sleight of that deceitful\ndestroyer, the devil, to possess your minds with an opinion of religion in\nsuch vain babblings, that he may withdraw both your ears and your hearts\nfrom the public worship of God; for when every one is busied with his own\nprayers, you cannot at all join in the public service of God which is\noffered up in your name. The like I may say of stupid forms of prayer, and\ntying yourselves to a platform, written in a book, or to some certain\nwords gotten by the heart? Who hath commanded this? Sure, not the Lord,\nwho hath promised his Spirit to teach them to pray, and help their\ninfirmities, who know not how, nor what to pray. It is a device of your\nown, invented by Satan to quench the spirit of supplication, which should\nbe the very natural breathing of a Christian. But there are some so\ngrossly ignorant of what prayer is, that they make use of the ten\ncommandments, and creed, as a prayer. So void are they of the knowledge\nand Spirit of God that they cannot discern betwixt God\u2019s commands to\nthemselves and their own requests to God; betwixt his speaking to men, and\ntheir speaking to him; between their professing of him before men, and\npraying and confessing to him. All this is but forged, imaginary\nworship,\u2014worship falsely so called, which the Father seeks not, and\nreceives not.\n\nBut what if I should say, that the most part of your worship, even that\nwhich is commanded of God, as prayer, hearing, reading, &c., hath no truth\nin it, I should say nothing amiss. For though you do those things that are\ncommanded, yet not as commanded, without any respect to divine\nappointment; and only because you have received them as traditions from\nyour fathers, and because you are taught so by the precepts of men, and\nare accustomed so to do: therefore the stamp of God\u2019s will and pleasure is\nnot engraven on them, but of your own will, or of the will of men. Let me\npose(138) your consciences, many of you, what difference is there between\nyour praying and your plowing; between your hearing, and your harrowing;\nbetween your reading in the Scriptures, and your reaping in the harvest;\nbetween your religious service and your common ordinary actions; I say,\nwhat difference is there in the rise of these? You do many civil things\nout of custom, or because of the precepts of men; and is there any other\nprinciple at the bottom of your religious performances? Do you at all\nconsider these are divine appointments,\u2014these have a stamp of his\nauthority on them? And from the conscience of such an immediate command of\nGod, and the desire to please him and obey him, do you go about these? I\nfear many cannot say it. O, I am sure all cannot, though it may be all\nwill say it. Therefore your religious worship can come in no other account\nthan will-worship, or man-worship. It hath not the stamp of truth on\nit,\u2014an express conformity to the truth of God as his truth.\n\nBut we must press this out a little more. Truth is opposed to a ceremony\nand shadow. The ceremonies of old were shadows, or the external body of\nreligion, in which the soul and spirit of godliness should have been\nenclosed; but the Lord did always urge more earnestly the substance and\ntruth than the ceremony,\u2014the weightier matters of the law, piety, equity,\nand sobriety, than these lighter external ceremonies. He sets a higher\naccount upon mercy than sacrifice, and upon obedience than ceremonies. But\nthis people turned it just contrary. They summed up all their religion in\nsome ceremonial performance, and separated those things God had so nearly\nconjoined. They would be devout men in offering sacrifices, in their\nwashings, in their rites, and yet made no conscience of heart and soul\npiety towards God and upright just dealing with men. Therefore the Lord so\noften quarrels with them, and rejects all their service as being a device\nand invention of their own, which never entered into his heart. Isa. v.\n10-15, Jer. vii. throughout, Isa. lxvi. 3-4, Isa. xxviii. Now, if you will\nexamine it impartially, it is even just so with us. There are some\nexternal things in religion which, in comparison with the weightier things\nof faith and obedience are but ceremonial. In these you place the most\npart if not all your religion, and think yourselves good Christians, if\nyou be baptized, and hear the word, and partake of the Lord\u2019s table, and\nsuch like, though in the meantime you be not given to secret prayer, and\nreading, and do not inwardly judge and examine yourselves that ye may flee\nunto a Mediator\u2014though your conversation be unjust and scandalous among\nmen. I say unto such souls as the Lord unto the Jews, \u201cWho hath required\nthis at your hands? Who commanded you to hear the word, to be baptized, to\nwait on public ordinances? Away with all this, it is abomination to his\nmajesty!\u201d Though it please you never so well, the more it displeases him.\nIf you say, Why commands he us to hear? &c., I say, the Lord never\ncommanded these external ordinances for the sum of true religion; that was\nnot the great thing which was in his heart, that he had most pleasure unto\nbut the weightier matters of the law, piety, equity, and sobriety, a holy\nand godly conversation adorning the gospel. \u201cWhat doth the Lord require of\nthee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy\nGod?\u201d So then, thou dost not worship him in truth, but in a shadow. The\ntruth is holiness and righteousness. That external profession is but a\nceremony. While you separate these external ordinances from these weighty\nduties of piety and justice, they are but a dead body without a soul. If\nthe Lord required truth of old, much more now, when he hath abolished the\nmultitude of ceremonies, that the great things of his law may be more seen\nand loved.\n\nIf you would then be true worshippers, look to the whole mind of God, and\nespecially the chief pleasure of God\u2019s mind, that which he most delights\nin, and by any means do not separate what God hath conjoined. Do not\ndivide righteousness towards men from a profession of holiness to God,\nelse it is but a falsehood, a counterfeit coin. Do not please yourselves\nso much in external church privileges, without a holy and godly\nconversation adorning the gospel, but let the chief study, endeavour, and\ndelight of your souls be about that which God most delights in. Let the\nsubstantiate of religion have the first place in the soul. Pray more in\nsecret, that will be the life of your souls. You ought, indeed, to attend\npublic ordinances, but, above all, take heed to your conversation and\nwalking at home, and in secret. Prayer in your family is a more\nsubstantial worship than to sit and hear prayer in public, and prayer in\nsecret is more substantial than that. The more retired and immediate a\nduty be, the more weighty it is, the more it crosses thy corruptions and\nevidences the stamp of God on thy affections, the more divine it is, and\ntherefore to serve God in these is to serve him in truth. Practice hath\nmore of truth in it than a profession. \u201cWhen your fathers executed\njudgment, was not this to know me?\u201d Duties that have more opposition from\nour nature, against them, and less fuel or oil to feed the flame of our\nself love and corruption, have more truth in them, and if you should\nworship God in all other duties, and not especially in these, you do not\nworship him in truth.\n\nNext, let us consider the manner of divine worship, and this is as needful\nto true worship as true matter, that it he commanded, and done as it is\ncommanded,\u2014that completes true worship. Now, I know no better way or\nmanner to worship God in, than so to worship him, as our worship may carry\nthe stamp of his image upon it as it may be a glass wherein we may behold\nGod\u2019s nature and properties. For such as himself is, such he would be\nacknowledged to be. I would think it were true worship indeed, which had\nengraven on it the name of the true and living God, if it did speak out so\nmuch of itself. \u201cThat God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek\nhim diligently.\u201d Most part of our service speaks an unknown God, and\ncarries such an inscription upon it, \u201cTo the unknown God.\u201d There is so\nlittle either reverence, or love, or fear, or knowledge in it, as if we\ndid not worship the true God, but an idol. It is said, that \u201cthe fool says\nin his heart, there is no God, because his thoughts and affections and\nactions are so little composed to the fear and likeness of that God, as if\nhe did indeed plainly deny him.\u201d I fear it may be said thus of our\nworship. It says, There is no God. It is of such a nature that none could\nconclude from it that it had any relation to the true God. Our prayers\ndeny God, because there is nothing of God appears in them. But this is\ntrue worship when it renders back to God his own image and name. _Unde\nrepercussus redditur ipse sibi._ As it is a pure fountain, in which a man\nmay see his shadow distinctly, but a troubled fountain or mire in which he\ncannot behold himself, so it is pure worship, which receives and reflects\nthe pure image of God, but impure and unclean worship which cannot receive\nit and return it. I pray you, Christians, consider this for it is such\nworshippers the Father seeks. And why seeks he such, but because in them\nhe finds himself? So to speak, his own image and superscription is upon\nthem, his mercy is engraven on their faith and confidence, his majesty and\npower is stamped on their humility and reverence, his goodness is to be\nread in the soul\u2019s rejoicing, his greatness and justice in the soul\u2019s\ntrembling. Thus there ought to be some engravings on the soul answering\nthe characters of his glorious name. O how little of this is among them\nthat desire to know something of God! How little true worship, even among\nthem whom the Father hath sought out to make true worshippers! But alas,\nhow are all of us unacquainted with this kind of worship! We stay upon the\nfirst principles and practices of religion, and go not on to build upon\nthe foundation. Sometimes your worship hath a stamp of God\u2019s holiness and\njustice in fear and terror at such a majesty which makes you tremble\nbefore him, but where is the stamp of his mercy and grace which should be\nwritten in your faith and rejoicing? Tremble and fear indeed, but \u201crejoice\nwith trembling, because there is mercy with him.\u201d Sometimes there is\nrejoicing and quietness in the soul, but that quickly degenerates into\ncarnal confidence, and makes the soul turn grace into wantonness and\nesteem of itself above what is right, because it is not counterpoised with\nthe sense and apprehension of his holiness and justice. But O to have\nthese jointly written upon the heart in worship, fear, reverence,\nconfidence, humility and faith! That is a rare thing; it is a divine\ncomposition and temper of spirit that makes a divine soul. For the most\npart, our worship savours and smells nothing of God, neither his power,\nnor his mercy and grace, nor his holiness and justice, nor his majesty and\nglory; a secure, faint, formal way, void of reverence, of humility, of\nfervency, and of faith. I beseech you let us consider, as before the Lord,\nhow much pains and time we lose, and please none but ourselves, and profit\nnone at all. Stir up yourselves as in his sight for it is the keeping of\nour souls continually as in his sight which will stamp our service with\nhis likeness. The fixed and constant meditation on God and his glorious\nproperties, this will beget the resemblance between our worship and the\nGod whom we worship and it will imprint his image upon it, and then it\nshould please him, and then it should profit thee, and then it should\nedify others.\n\nBut more particularly, the worship must have the stamp of God\u2019s spiritual\nnature, and be conformed to it in some measure, else it cannot please him.\nThere must be a conformity between God and souls. This is the great end of\nthe gospel, to repair that image of God which was once upon man, and make\nhim like God again. Now, it is this way that Jesus Christ repairs this\nimage, and brings about the conformity with God, by the soul\u2019s worshipping\nof God suitable to his nature, which, as it grows more and more suitable\nto God\u2019s nature, it is the more and more like God, and happy in that\nlikeness. Now, \u201cGod is a Spirit, therefore,\u201d saith Christ, you \u201cmust\nworship him in spirit and in truth.\u201d The worship then of saints must be of\na spiritual nature, that it may be like the immortal divine Spirit. It is\nsuch worshippers the Father seeks. He seeks souls to make them like\nhimself and this likeness and conformity to God is the very foundation of\nthe soul\u2019s happiness, and eternal refreshment. This is a point of great\nconsequence, and I fear not laid to heart. The worship must be like the\nworshipped. It is a spirit must worship the eternal Spirit. It is not a\nbody that can be the principal and chief agent in the business. What\ncommunion can God have with your bodies, while your souls are removed far\nfrom him, more than with beasts? All society and fellowship must be\nbetween those that are like one another. A man can have no comfortable\ncompany with beasts, or with stones, or with trees. It is men that can\nconverse with men, and a spirit must worship the self being Spirit. Do not\nmistake this as if under the cays of the gospel we were not called to an\nexternal and bodily worship\u2014to any service to which our outward man is\ninstrumental. That is one of the deep delusions of this age, into which\nsome men, \u201creprobate concerning the faith,\u201d have fallen, that there should\nbe no external ordinances, but that Christians are now called to a worship\nall spirit, pure spirit, &c. This is one of the spirits, and spiritual\ndoctrines (that call themselves so) which ye must not receive, for it is\nneither the Spirit of God nor of Christ that teacheth this. Not the Spirit\nof God the Creator, because he hath made the whole man, body and soul, and\nso must be worshipped of the whole man. He hath created man in such a\ncapacity as he may offer up external actions in a reasonable manner, with\nthe inward affections. As the Lord hath created him, so should he serve\nhim\u2014every member every part in its own capacity,\u2014the soul to precede, and\nthe body to follow,\u2014the soul to be the chief worshipper, and the body its\nservant employed in the worship. True worship hath a body and a soul as\nwell as a true man, and as the soul separated is not a complete man, so\nneither is the soul separated a complete worshipper without the body. The\nexternal ordinances of God is the body, the inward soul affection is the\nspirit, which being joined together make complete worship. Neither is it\nthe Spirit of Christ which teacheth this, because our Lord Jesus hath\ntaught us to offer up our bodies and spirits both as a reasonable service,\nRom. xii. 1, 2. The sacrifice of the bodily performance offered up by the\nspiritual affection and renewed mind is a living sacrifice, holy,\nacceptable and reasonable. That Spirit which dwelt in Christ above\nmeasure, did not think it too base to vent itself in the way of external\nordinances. He was, indeed, above all, above the law, yet did willingly\ncome under them to teach us, who have so much need and want, to come under\nthem. He prayed much, he preached, he did sing and read, to teach us how\nto worship, and how much need we have of prayer and preaching. This was\nnot the spirit Christ promised to his disciples and apostles, which spirit\ndid breathe most lively in the use of external ordinances all their days,\nand this is not the spirit which was at that hour in which Christ spoke\n\u201cthe hour is come and now is,\u201d ver. 23, in which the true worship of God\nshall not be in the external Jewish ceremonies and rites, void of all life\nand inward sense of piety, but the true worship of God shall be made up of\na soul and body,\u2014of spirit and truth\u2014of the external appointed ordinances\naccording to the word of truth, and the spirit of truth,\u2014and of the spirit\nand inward soul-affection and sincerity which shall quicken and actuate\nthat external performance. There were no such worshippers then as had no\nuse of ordinances. Christ was not such, his disciples were not such,\ntherefore it is a new gospel, which, if an angel should bring from heaven,\nye ought not to receive it.\n\nAs it is certain, then, that both soul and body must be employed in this\nbusiness, so it is sure that the soul and spirit must be the first mover\nand chiefest agent in it, because it is a spiritual business, and hath\nrelation to the Fountain spirit, which hath the most perfect opposition to\nall false appearances and external shows. That part of man that cometh\nnearest God, must draw nearest in worshipping God, and if that be removed\nfar away, there is no real communion with God. Man judges according to the\noutward appearance, and can reach no farther than the outward man, but God\nis an all searching Spirit, who trieth the heart and reins, and therefore\nhe will pass another judgment upon your worship than men can do, because\nhe observes all the secret wanderings and escapes of the heart out of his\nsight. He misses the soul when you present attentive ears or eloquent\ntongues. There is no dallying with His Majesty, painting will not deceive\nhim, his very nature is contrary to hypocrisy and dissimulation; and what\nis it but dissimulation, when you present yourselves to religious\nexercises as his people, but within are nothing like it, nothing awaking\nnothing present? O consider, my beloved, what a one you have to do with!\nIt is not men, but the Father of spirits, who will not be pleased with\nwhat pleases men, of your own flesh, but must have a spirit to serve him.\nAlas! what are we doing with such empty names and shows of religion?\nBusied with the outside of worship only, as if we had none to do with but\nmen who have eyes of flesh. All that we do in this kind is lost labour,\nand will never be reckoned up in the account of true worship. I am sure\nyou know and may reflect upon yourselves, that you make religion but a\nmatter of outward fashion and external custom; you have never almost taken\nit to heart in earnest. You may frequent the ordinances,\u2014you may have a\nform of godliness consisting in some outward performances and\nprivileges,\u2014and O, how void and destitute of all spirit, and life, and\npower! Not to speak of the removal of affection and the employing of the\nmarrow of your soul upon base lusts and creatures, or the scattering of\nyour desires abroad amongst them, for that is too palpable, even your very\nthoughts and minds are removed from this business, you have nothing\npresent but an ear, or eye, and your minds are about other business, your\ndesires, your fears, your joys, and delights, your affections, never did\nrun in the channel of religious exercises, all your passion is vented in\nother things. But here you are blockish and stupid, without any sensible\napprehension of God, his mercy, or justice, or wrath, or of your own\nmisery and want. You sorrow in other things, but none here, none for sin!\nYou joy for other things, but none here, you cannot rejoice at the gospel!\nPrayer is a burden, not a delight. If your spirits were chiefly employed\nin religious duties, religion would be almost your element, your pleasure\nand recreation; but now it is wearisome to the flesh, because the spirit\ntaketh not the chief weight upon it. O! \u201cbe not deceived, God is not\nmocked.\u201d You do but mock yourselves with external shows, while you are\nsatisfied with them. I beseech you, look inwardly, and be not satisfied\nwith the outward appearance, but ask at thy soul, where it is, and how it\nis. Retire within, and bring up thy spirit to this work. I am sure you may\nobserve that any thing goes more smoothly and sweetly with you than the\nworship of God, because your mind is more upon any thing else. I fear the\nmost part of us who endeavour, in some measure, to seek God, have too much\ndross of outward formality, and much scum of filthy hypocrisy and guile.\nO! pray that the present furnace may purge away this scum. It is the great\nground of God\u2019s present controversy with Scotland, but, alas! the bellows\nare like to burn, and we not to be purged. Our scum goes not out from us.\nWe satisfy ourselves with some outward exercises of religion. Custom\nundoes us all, and it was never more undoing than when indignation and\nwrath are pursuing it. O! that you would ponder what you lose by it,\u2014both\nthe sweetness and advantage of godliness, beside the dishonour of God. You\ntake a formal, negligent, and secure way as the most easy way, and the\nmost pleasing to your flesh, and I am persuaded you find it the most\ndifficult way, because you want all the pleasant and sweet refreshment and\nsoul delights you might have in God, by a serious and diligent minding of\nreligion. The pleasure and sweetness of God tasted and found, will make\ndiligence and pains more easy than slothfulness can be to the slothful.\nThis oils the wheels, and makes them run swiftly, formality makes them\ndrive heavily. Thus you live always in a complaining humour,\u2014sighing, and\ngoing backward,\u2014because you have some stirring principle of conscience\nwithin which bears witness against you, and your formal sluggish\ndisposition on the other hand refuses to awake and work. You are perplexed\nand tormented between these two. When thy spirit and affections go one\nway, and thy body another, when thy conscience drives on the spirit, and\nthy affections draw back, it must needs be an unpleasant business.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XII.\n\n\nThe Unity Of The Divine Essence, And The Trinity Of Persons.\n\n\n    Deut. vi. 4.\u2014\u201cHear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord.\u201d\u20141 John\n    v. 7. \u201cThere are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the\n    Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.\u201d\n\n\n\u201cGreat is the mystery of godliness,\u201d 1 Tim. iii. 16. Religion and true\ngodliness is a bundle of excellent mysteries\u2014of things hid from the world,\nyea, from the wise men of the world, (1 Cor. ii. 6.) and not only so, but\nsecrets in their own nature, the distinct knowledge whereof is not given\nto saints in this estate of distance and absence from the Lord. There is\nalmost nothing in divinity, but it is a mystery in itself, how common\nsoever it be in the apprehensions of men. For it is men\u2019s overly,(139) and\ncommon and slender apprehensions of them, which make them look so commonly\nupon them. There is a depth in them, but you will not know it, till you\nsearch it, and sound it, and the more you sound, you shall find it the\nmore profound. But there are some mysteries small and some great. There is\na difference amongst them; all are not of one stature, of one measure. The\nmystery of Christ\u2019s incarnation and death and resurrection, is one of the\ngreat mysteries of religion, \u201cGod manifest in the flesh.\u201d Yet I conceive\nthere is a greater mystery than it, and of all mysteries in nature or\ndivinity I know none equal to this,\u2014the Holy Trinity. And it must needs be\ngreatest of all, and without controversy greatest, because it is the\nbeginning and end of all,\u2014_fons et finis omnium_. All mysteries have their\nrise here, and all of them return hither. This is furthest removed from\nthe understandings of men,\u2014what God himself is, for himself is infinitely\nabove any manifestation of himself. God is greater than God manifested in\nthe flesh, though in that respect he be too great for us to conceive.\nThere is a natural desire in all men to know, and, if any thing be secret\nand wonderful the desire is the more inflamed after the knowledge of it.\nThe very difficulty or impossibility of attaining it, instead of\nrestraining the curiosity of man\u2019s spirit, doth rather incense it.\n_Nitimur in vetitum_(140) is the fruit, the sad fruit we plucked and eat\nfrom the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If the Lord reveal any\nthing plainly in his word to men, that is despised and set at nought,\nbecause it is plain, whereas the most plain truths, which are beyond all\ncontroversy, are the most necessary, and most profitable, for our eternal\nsalvation. But if there be any secret mystery in the Scriptures, which the\nLord hath only pointed out more obscurely to us, reserving the distinct\nand clear understanding of it to himself, (Deut. xxix. 29.),\u2014that is the\napple which our accursed natures will long for, and catch after, though\nthere be never so much choice of excellent saving fruit in the paradise of\nthe Scriptures besides. If the ark be covered to keep men from looking\ninto it, that doth rather provoke the curious spirit of man to pry into\nit, 1 Sam. vi. 10. If the Lord show his wonderful glory in the mount, and\ncharge his people not to come near, lest the glorious presence of God kill\nthem, he must put rails about it, to keep them back, or else they will be\nmeddling. Such is the unbridled license of our minds, and the perverse\ndispositions of our natures, that where God familiarly invites us to\ncome,\u2014what he earnestly presseth us to search and know,\u2014that we despise as\ntrivial and common, and what he compasseth about with a divine darkness of\ninaccessible light, and hath removed far from the apprehensions of all\nliving, that we will needs search into, and wander into those forbidden\ncompasses, with daring boldness. I conceive this holy and profound mystery\nis one of those \u201csecret things\u201d which it belongs to God to know, for who\nknoweth the Father but the Son, or the Son but the Father, or who knoweth\nthe mind of God but the Spirit? Yet the foolish minds of men will not be\nsatisfied with the believing ignorance of such a mystery, but will needs\ninquire into those depths, that they may find satisfaction for their\nreason. But, as it happeneth with men who will boldly stare upon the sun,\ntheir eyes are dazzled and darkened with its brightness, or those that\nenter into a labyrinth, which they can find no way to come out, but the\nfurther they go into it, the more perplexed it is, and the more intricate,\neven so it befalls many unsober and presumptuous spirits, who, not being\nsatisfied with the simple truth of God, clearly asserting that this is,\nendeavour to examine it according to reason, and to solve all the\nobjections of carnal wit and reason, (which is often \u201cenmity against\nGod,\u201d) not by the silence of the Scriptures, but by answers framed\naccording to the several capacities of men. I say, all this is but daring\nto behold the infinite glory of God with eyes of flesh, which makes them\ndarkened in mind, and vanishing in their expressions, while they seek to\nbehold this inaccessible light, while they enter into an endless labyrinth\nof difficulties out of which the thread of reason and disputation can\nnever extricate them or lead them forth. But the Lord hath showed us \u201ca\nmore excellent way,\u201d though it may be despicable to men. Man did fall from\nblessedness by his curious and wretched aim at some higher happiness and\nmore wisdom; the Lord hath chosen another way to raise him up again, by\nfaith rather than knowledge, by believing rather than disputing. Therefore\nthe great command of the gospel is this, to receive with a ready and\nwilling mind whatsoever the Lord saith to us, whatsoever it may appear to\nsense and reason, to dispute no more, to search no more into the secret of\ndivine mysteries, as if by searching we could find them out \u201cunto\nperfection,\u201d but to believe what is spoken, \u201ctill the day break, and the\nshadows flee away,\u201d and the darkness of ignorance be wholly dispelled by\nthe rising of the Sun of righteousness. We are called then to receive this\ntruth,\u2014That God is one, truly one, and yet there are three in this one,\nthe Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This, I say, you must believe, because\nthe wisdom of God saith it, though you know not how it is, or how it can\nbe. Though it seem a contradiction in reason, a trinity in unity, yet you\nmust lead your reason captive to the obedience of faith, and silence it\nwith this one answer, The Lord hath said it. If thou go on to dispute, and\nto inquire, \u201cHow can these things be?\u201d thou art escaped from under the\npower of faith, and art fled into the tents of human wisdom, where thou\nmayest learn atheism, but no religion, for \u201cthe world by wisdom knew not\nGod,\u201d 1 Cor. i. 21. And certainly, whoever he be that will not quiet his\nconscience, upon the bare word of truth in this particular, but will call\nin the help of reason and disputation, how to understand and maintain it,\nI think he shall be further from the true knowledge of God and\nsatisfaction of mind than before. There is no way here, but to flee into\nPaul\u2019s sanctuary, \u201cWho art thou, O man, that disputest?\u201d  Whenever thou\nthinkest within thyself? How may this be, how can one be three, and three\none? then withal let this of Paul sound in thine ears, \u201cWho art thou, O\nman, who disputest?\u201d Think that _thou_ art man, think that _he_ is God!\nBelieving ignorance is much better than rash and presumptuous knowledge.\nAsk not a reason of these things, but rather adore and tremble at the\nmystery and majesty of them. Christianity is \u201cfoolishness\u201d to the world\nupon this account, because it is an implicit faith so to speak, given to\nGod. But there is no fear of being deceived,\u2014though he lead the blind  by\na way thou knowest not, yet he cannot lead thee wrong. This holy\nsimplicity in believing every word of God, and trusting without more\ntrying by disputation, is the very character of Christianity, and it will\nbe found only true wisdom. For if any will become wise, he must be a fool\nin men\u2019s account. That he may be wise, he must quit his reason to learn\ntrue religion, which indeed is a more excellent and divine reason, neither\nis it contrary to it, though it be high above it.\n\nIn this place of Moses, you have the unity of God asserted, \u201cThe Lord thy\nGod is one Lord,\u201d and it is indeed engraven on the very hearts of men by\nnature, that God is one. For all may know that the common notion and\napprehension of God is, that he is a most perfect Being,\u2014the original of\nall things,\u2014most wise, most powerful, and infinite in all perfections. Now\ncommon reason may tell any man that there can be but one thing most\nperfect and excellent, there can be but one infinite,\u2014one almighty,\u2014one\nbeginning and end of all,\u2014one first mover, one first cause, \u201cof whom are\nall things, and who is of none.\u201d\n\nAgain, in this place of John ye have a testimony of the blessed trinity of\npersons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in that holy unity of essence. The\ngreat point which John hath in hand is this fundamental of our salvation\nthat Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and Saviour of the world, in whom all\nour confidence should be placed, and upon whom we should lean the weight\nof our souls. And this he proves by a two-fold testimony\u2014one out of\nheaven, another in the earth. There are three bearing witness to this\ntruth in heaven, \u201cthe Father the Word,\u201d (that is, Jesus Christ, the\neternal Son of God, whom this apostle calls the Word of God, or Wisdom of\nGod, John i. 1) and the Holy Ghost. The Father witnessed to this truth in\nan audible voice out of heaven, when Christ was baptized, (Mat. iii. 17)\n\u201cThis is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.\u201d Here is the Father\u2019s\ntestimony of the Son when he was baptized which was given very solemnly in\na great congregation of people, and divinely, with great glory and majesty\nfrom heaven, as if the heavens had opened upon him, and the inaccessible\nlight of God had shined down on him This was confirmed in the\ntransfiguration, (Mat. xvii. 5) where the Lord gave a glorious evidence\u2014to\nthe astonishment of the three disciples\u2014how he did account of him\u2014how all\nsaints and angels must serve him, \u201chim hath God the Father sealed,\u201d saith\nJohn. Indeed, the stamp of divinity, of the divine image in such an\nexcellent manner upon the man Christ, was a seal set on by God the father,\nsignifying and confirming his approbation of his well beloved Son and of\nthe work he was going about. Then the Son himself did give ample testimony\nof this. This was the subject of his preaching to the world, \u201cI am the\nlight and the life of men, he that believeth in me shall be saved.\u201d And\ntherefore he may be called the Word of God, (John i. 1) and the Wisdom of\nGod, (Prov. viii.) because he hath revealed unto us the blessed mystery of\nwisdom concerning our salvation. He is the very expression and character\nof the Father\u2019s person and glory, (Heb. i. 3) in his own person, and he\nhath revealed and expressed his Father\u2019s mind, and his own office, so\nfully to the world that there should be no more doubt of it. Out of the\nmouth of these two witnesses this word might be established, but for\nsuperabundance, behold a third, the Holy Ghost witnessing at his\nbaptism,\u2014in his resurrection,\u2014after his ascension. The Holy Ghost\nsignifieth his presence and consent to that work, in the similitude of a\ndove, the Holy Ghost testifieth it in the power that raised him from the\ndead, the Holy Ghost put it beyond all question when he descended upon the\napostles according to Christ\u2019s promise. For the other three witnesses on\nearth, we shall not stay upon it, only know, that the work of the\nregeneration of souls by the power of the Word and Spirit signified by\nwater, the justification of guilty souls signified by the blood of Jesus\nChrist, and the testimony of the Spirit in our consciences, bearing\nwitness to our spirits, is an assured testimony of this, that Jesus\nChrist, in whom we believe, is \u201cthe Only Begotten of the Father, full of\ngrace and truth.\u201d The changing, pacifying, and comforting of souls in such\na wonderful manner, cries aloud that he in whom the soul believes is the\ntrue and living God, whom to know is eternal life. But mark, I pray you,\nthe accuracy of the apostle in the change of speech. \u201cThese three\u201d\nwitnesses on earth, saith he, \u201cagree in one, in giving one common\ntestimony to the Son of God and the Saviour of sinners.\u201d But as for the\nheavenly witnesses\u2014the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost,\u2014however they\nbe three after an inconceivable manner, and that they do also agree in one\ncommon testimony to the Mediator of men, yet moreover they are One. They\nnot only agree in one but are one God,\u2014one simple, undivided, self-being,\ninfinite Spirit,\u2014holden out to us in three persons, the Father, Son, and\nHoly Ghost, to whom be praise and glory.\n\n\n\n\n                              Lecture XIII.\n\n\nOf The Unity Of The Godhead And The Trinity Of Persons\n\n\n    Deut. vi. 4.\u2014\u201cHear, O Israel The Lord our God is one Lord.\u201d\u20141 John\n    v. 7 \u201cThere are three that bear record in heaven the Father, the\n    Word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one.\u201d\n\n\n\u201cAll Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for\ndoctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,\u201d\n2 Tim. iii. 16. There is no refuse in it, no simple and plain history, but\nit tends to some edification, no profound or deep mystery, but it is\nprofitable for salvation. Whatsoever secrets there be in the mysteries of\nGod which are reserved from us, though it be given us but to \u201cknow in\npart,\u201d and \u201cdarkly through a vail,\u201d yet as much is given to us to know as\nmay make the man of God perfect in every good work. As much is given us to\nknow as may build us up to eternal salvation. If there were no more use of\nthese deep mysteries of the holy Trinity, &c. but to silence all flesh,\nand restrain the unlimited spirits of men, and keep them within the bounds\nof sobriety and faith, it were enough. That great secret would teach as\nmuch by its silence and darkness, as the plainer truths do by speaking out\nclearly. O that this great mystery did compose our hearts to some reverend\nand awful apprehension of that God we have to do with, and did imprint in\nour soul a more feeling sense of our darkness and ignorance. This were\nmore advantage then all the gain of light, or increase of knowledge that\ncan come from the search of curiosity. If men would labour to walk in that\nlight they have attained, rather than curiously inquire after what they\ncannot know by inquiry, they should sooner attain more true light. If men\nwould set about the practice of what they know, without doubt they would\nmore readily come to a resolution and clearness in doubtful things.\nReligion is now turned into questions and school debates. Men begin to\nbelieve nothing but dispute everything, under a pretence of searching for\nlight and resolution. But for the most part, while men look after light,\nthey darken themselves, this is the righteous judgment of the Lord upon\nthe world that doth not receive the truth in love, or walk in the light of\nwhat they have already attained, therefore he gives men up to wander in\ntheir search into the dark dungeons of human wisdom and fancy, and to lose\nwhat they have already. If those things which are \u201cwithout controversy\u201d\n(as the apostle speaks, 1 Tim. iii. 16) were indeed made conscience of,\nand embraced in love, and practised, it were beyond all controversy that\nthe most part of present controversies would cease. But it falls out with\nmany, as with the dog, that, catching at a shadow in the water, lost the\nsubstance in his teeth, so they, pursuing after new discoveries in\ncontroverted things, and not taking a heart hold and inward grip of the\nsubstantial truths of the gospel, which are beyond all controversy, do\neven lose what they have. Thus, even that when they have not is taken from\nthem, because though they have it in judgment, yet they have it not surely\nand solidly in affection, that it may be holden. So, to this present point\nif we could learn to adore and admire this holy, holy, holy One,\u2014if we\ncould in silence and faith sit down and wonder at this mystery,\u2014it would\nbe more profitable to us, and make way for a clearer manifestation of God,\nthan if we should search and inquire into all the volumes that are written\nupon it, thinking by this means to satisfy our reason. I think there is\nmore profoundness in the sobriety of faith than in the depths of human\nwisdom and learning. When the mystery is such an infinite depth, O but\nmen\u2019s eloquence and wisdom must be shallow, far too shallow either to find\nit out, or unfold it.\n\nBut there is yet both more instruction and consolation to be pressed out\nof this mystery, and, therefore, if you cannot reach it in itself, O\nconsider what it concerns us, how we may be edified by it, for this is\ntrue religion! Look upon that place of Moses\u2014what is the great instruction\nhe draws from this unity of God\u2019s essences? ver. 5 \u201cThou shalt love the\nLord thy God with all thy heart.\u201d Since God is one, then have no God but\none, and that the true and living God, and this is the very first command\nof God, which flows as it were immediately from his absolute oneness and\nperfection of being. There is no man but he must have some God, that is\nsome thing whereupon he placeth his affection most. Every man hath some\none thing he loves and respects beyond all other things, some lord and\nmaster that commands him. Therefore saith Christ \u201cno man can serve two\nmasters.\u201d Before a man will want a god to love and serve he will make\nthem, and then worship them. Yea he will make himself, his belly, his\nback, his honour, and pleasure, a god, and sacrifice all his affections\nand desires and endeavours to these. The natural subordination of man to\nGod, the relation he hath as a creature to a Creator, is the first and\nfundamental relation beyond all respects to himself or other fellow\ncreatures. This is the proto natural(141) obligation upon the creature,\ntherefore it should have returned in a direct line to his majesty all its\naffections and endeavours. But man\u2019s fall from God hath made a wretched\nthraw(142) and crook in the soul that it cannot look any more after him,\nbut bows downwards towards creatures below it, or bends inwardly towards\nitself, and so since the fall man hath turned his heart from the true God,\nand set it upon vanity,\u2014upon lying vanities,\u2014upon base dead idols which\ncan neither help him nor hurt him. \u201cYour hearts are gone a whoring from\nGod. O that ye would believe it.\u201d None of you will deny but ye have broken\nall the commands. Yet such is the brutish ignorance and stupidity of the\nmost part, that you will not confess that when it comes to particulars,\nand especially, if you should be challenged for loving other things more\nthan God, or having other gods besides the true God, you will instantly\ndeny it, and that with an asseveration and aversation\u2014\u201cGod forbid that I\nhave another God.\u201d Alas! this shows, that what you confess in the general\nis not believed in the heart, but only is like the prating of children,\nwhom you may learn to say any thing. I beseech you consider, that what you\ngive your time, pains, thoughts, and affections to, that is your God. You\nmust give God all your heart, and so retain nothing of your own will if\nGod be your God. But do ye not know that your care and grief and desire\nand love vents another way, towards base things? You know that you have a\nwill of your own which goeth quite contrary to his holy will in all\nthings, therefore Satan hath bewitched you, and your hearts deceive you,\nwhen they persuade you that you have had no other God but the true God.\nChristianity raises the soul again, and advances it by degrees to this\nlove of God, from which it had fallen. The soul returns to its first\nhusband, from whom it went a whoring, and now the stamp of God is so upon\nit that it is changed into his image and glory. Having tasted how good\nthis one self sufficient good is, it gladly and easily divorces from all\nother lovers. It renounces former lusts of ignorance, and now begins to\nlive in another. Love transplants the soul into God, and in him it lives,\nand with him it walks. It is true, this is done gradually, there is much\nof the heart yet unbroken to this sweet and easy yoke of love, much of the\ncorrupt nature untamed, unreclaimed, yet so much is gained by the first\nconversion of the soul to God, that all is given up to him in affection\nand desire. He hath the chief place in the soul. The disposition of the\nspirit hath some stamp and impression of his oneness and singularity. My\nbeloved is one. Though a Christian is not wholly rid of strange lords, yet\nthe tie of subjection to them is broken. They may often intrude by\nviolence upon him, but he is in a hostile posture of affection and\nendeavour against them. I beseech you, since the Lord is one, and there is\nnone beside him, O let this be engraven on your hearts, that your inward\naffections and outward actions may express that one Lord to be your God,\nand none other beside him! It is a great shame and reproach to Christians\nthat they do not carry the stamp of the first principle of religion upon\ntheir walking. The condition and conversation of many declare how little\naccount they make of the true God. Why do ye enslave your souls to your\nlusts and the service of the flesh, if ye believe in this one God? Why do\nye all things to please yourselves, if this one Lord be your one God? As\nfor you, the Israel of God, who are called by Jesus Christ to partake with\nthe commonwealth of Israel in the covenant of promises hear, I beseech\nyou, this, and let your souls incline to it, and receive it. Your God is\none Lord; have, then, no other lords over your souls and consciences, not\nyourselves, not others.\n\nBut in the next place: Let us consider to what purpose John leads such\nthree witnesses, that we may draw some consolation from it. The thing\ntestified and witnessed unto is the ground work of all a Christian\u2019s hope\nand consolation, that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and Saviour\nof the world\u2014one, able to save to the uttermost all that put their trust\nin him, so that every soul that finds itself lost, and not able to\nsubsist, nor abide the judgment of God, may repose their confidence in\nhim, and lay the weight of their eternal welfare upon his death and\nsufferings, with assurance to find rest and peace in him to their souls.\nHe is such an one as faith may triumph in him over the world, and all\nthings beside. A believer may triumph in his victory, and in the faith of\nhis victory, over hell and death and the grave may overcome personally,\n\u201cFor this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith,\u201d ver.\n4. And how could a soul conquer by faith, if he in whom it believes were\nnot \u201cdeclared to be the Son of God with power?\u201d There is nothing so mean\nand weakly as faith in itself. It is a poor despicable thing of itself,\nand that it sees, and that it acknowledges. Yea, faith is a very act of\nits self denial. It is a renouncing of all help without and within itself,\nsave only that which is laid on Christ Jesus. Therefore it were the most\nunsuitable mean of prevailing and the most insufficient weapon for gaining\nthe victory, if the object of it were not the strong God the Lord\nAlmighty, from whom it derives and borrows all its power and virtue,\neither to pacify the conscience, or to expiate sin or to overcome the\nworld. O consider, Christians, where the foundation of your hope is\nsituated! It is in the divine power of our Saviour. If he who declared so\nmuch love and good will to sinners, by becoming so low, and suffering so\nmuch, have also all power in heaven and earth, if he be not only man near\nus, to make for us boldness of access, but God near God to prevail\neffectually with God then certainly he is \u201ca sure foundation laid in Zion,\nelect and precious.\u201d He is an immovable Rock of Ages, whosoever trusts\ntheir soul to him shall not be ashamed. I am sure that many of you\nconsider not this, that Jesus Christ, who was in due time born of the\nvirgin Mary and died for sinners, is the eternal Son of God equal to his\nFather in all glory and power. O how would this make the gospel a great\nmystery to souls, and the redemption of souls a precious and wonderful\nwork, if it were considered! Would not souls stand at this anchor\nimmoveable in temptation, if their faith were pitched on this sure\nfoundation and their hope cast upon this solid ground! O know your\nRedeemer is strong and mighty, and none can pluck you out of his hand, and\nhimself will cast none out that comes! If the multitude of you believed\nthis you would not make so little account of the gospel that comes to you,\nand make so little of your sins which behoved to be taken away by the\nblood of God and could be expiated by no other propitiation, you would not\nthink it so easy to satisfy God with some words of custom, and some public\nservices of form, as you do, you would not for all the world deal with God\nalone without this Mediator. And being convinced of sin, if you believe\nthis solidly, that he in whom forgiveness of sin and salvation is preached\nis the same Lord God whom you hear in the Old Testament, who gave out the\nlaw, and inspired the prophets,\u2014the Only Begotten of the Father, in a way\ninfinitely removed from all created capacities,\u2014you could not but find the\nFather well satisfied in him and find a sufficient ransom in his death and\ndoings to pacify God, and to settle your consciences.\n\nBut as the thing testified is a matter of great consolation, so the\nwitnesses testifying to this fundamental of our religion may be a ground\nof great encouragement to discouraged souls. It is ordinary, that the\napprehensions of Christians take up Jesus Christ as very lovely, and more\nloving than any of the persons of the Godhead, either the Father or the\nHoly Ghost. There are some thoughts of estrangedness and distance of the\nfather, as if the Son did really reconcile and gain him to love us, who\nbefore hated us and upon this mistake, the soul is filled with continual\njealousies and suspicions of the love of God. But observe I beseech you,\nthe Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, all of them first agreeing in one\ntestimony. The Father declares from heaven that he is abundantly well\npleased with his Son, not only because he is his Son, but even in the\nundertaking and performing of that work of redemption of sinners. It is\ntherefore his most serious invitation and peremptory command to all to\nhear him, and believe in him, Mat. iii. 17, John iii. 23. Nay, if we speak\nmore properly, our salvation is not the business of Christ alone, as we\nimagine it, but the whole Godhead is interested in it deeply, and so\ndeeply, that you cannot say who loves it most or likes it most. The Father\nis the very fountain of it, his love is the spring of all\u2014\u201cGod so loved\nthe world, that he gave his only begotten Son.\u201d Christ hath not purchased\nthat eternal love to us, but is rather the gift, the free gift of eternal\nlove. And therefore, as we have the Son delighting among the sons of men,\nProv. viii. 31, and delighting to be employed and to do his will, Psal.\nxl. 8, so we have the Father delighting to send his Son, and taking\npleasure in instructing him and furnishing him for it, Isa. xlii. 1. And\ntherefore Christ often professed that he was not about his own work, but\nthe Father\u2019s work who sent him, and that it was not his own will, but his\nFather\u2019s he was fulfilling. Therefore we should not look upon the head\nspring of our salvation in the Son but rather ascend up to the Father,\nwhose love and wisdom did frame all this. And thus we may be confident to\ncome to the Father in the Son, knowing that it was the love of the Father\nthat sent the Son, though indeed we must come to him only in the Son, in\nthe name of Christ, and faith of acceptation through a Mediator, not\nbecause the Mediator purchaseth his goodwill, but because his love and\ngood will only vents in his beloved Son Christ, and therefore he will not\nbe known or worshipped but in him, in whom he is near sinners, and\nreconciling the world to himself. And then the Holy Ghost concurs in this\ntestimony, and as the Son had the work of purchasing rights and interests\nto grace and glory, so the great work of applying all these privileges to\nsaints and making them actually partakers of the blessings of Christ\u2019s\ndeath, is committed in a special way to the Holy Ghost. \u201cI will send the\nComforter,\u201d &c. So then Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all agree in one,\nthat Jesus Christ is a sure refuge for sinners\u2014a plank for ship-broken\nmen\u2014a firm and sure foundation to build everlasting hopes upon. There is\nno party dissenting in all the gospel. The business of the salvation of\nlost souls is concluded in this holy council of the Trinity with one\nvoice. As at first, all of them agreed to make man,\u2014\u201clet us make man,\u201d so\nagain, they agree to make him again, to restore him to life in the second\nAdam. Whoever thou be that wouldst flee to God for mercy, do it in\nconfidence. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are ready to welcome\nthee,\u2014all of one mind to shut out none, to cast out none. But to speak\nproperly, it is but one love, one will, one counsel, and purpose in the\nFather, Son, and Spirit, for \u201cthese Three are One,\u201d and not only agree in\nOne, they are One, and what one loves or purposes, all love and purpose. I\nwould conclude this matter with a word of direction how to worship God,\nwhich I cannot express in fitter terms than these of Nazianzen: \u201cI cannot\nthink upon one, but by and by I am compassed about with the brightness of\nthree, and I cannot distinguish three but I am suddenly driven back unto\none.\u201d There is great ignorance and mistake of this even among the best\nChristians. The grosser sort, when they hear of one God only, think Christ\nbut some eminent man, and so direct their prayers to God only, excluding\nthe Son and Holy Ghost, or when they hear of three persons,\u2014the Father,\nSon, and Holy Ghost,\u2014they straightway divide their worship, and imagine a\ntrinity of gods. And I fear, those of us who know most, use not to worship\nGod as he hath revealed himself,\u2014Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and yet one\nGod. Our minds are reduced to such a simple unity as we think upon one of\nthem alone or else distracted and divided into such a plurality, that we\nworship in a manner three gods instead of one. It is a great mystery to\nkeep the right middle way. Learn, I beseech you, so to conceive of God,\nand so to acknowledge him, and pray to him as you may do it in the name of\nJesus Christ, that all the persons may have equal honour, and all of them\none honour, that while you consider one God, you may adore that sacred and\nblessed Trinity, and while you worship that Holy Trinity, you may\nstraightway be reduced to an unity. To this wonderful and holy One,\nFather, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all praise and glory.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XIV.\n\n\nOf The Decrees Of God.\n\n\n    Eph. i. 11.\u2014\u201cWho worketh all things after the counsel of his own\n    will.\u201d\u2014Job xxiii. 13. \u201cHe is in one mind, and who can turn him?\n    and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.\u201d\n\n\nHaving spoken something before of God, in his nature and being and\nproperties, we come, in the next place, to consider his glorious majesty,\nas he stands in some nearer relation to his creatures, the work of his\nhands. For we must conceive the first rise of all things in the world to\nbe in this self-being, the first conception of them to be in the womb of\nGod\u2019s everlasting purpose and decree, which, in due time, according to his\nappointment, brings forth the child of the creature to the light of actual\nexistence and being. It is certain that his majesty might have endured for\never, and possessed himself without any of these things. If he had never\nresolved to create any thing without himself, he had been blessed then, as\nnow, because of his full and absolute self-sufficient perfection. His\npurposing to make a world, and his doing of it, adds nothing to his inward\nblessedness and contentment. This glorious and holy One encloses within\nhis own being all imaginable perfections, in an infinite and transcendent\nmanner, that if you remove all created ones, you diminish nothing, if you\nadd them all, you increase nothing. Therefore it was in the superabundance\nof his perfection, that he resolved to show his glory thus in the world.\nIt is the creature\u2019s indigence and limited condition which maketh it\nneedful to go without its own compass, for the happiness of its own being.\nMan cannot be happy in loving himself. He is not satisfied with his own\nintrinsic perfections, but he must diffuse himself by his affections and\ndesires and endeavours, and, as it were, walks abroad upon these legs, to\nfetch in some supply from the creature or Creator. The creature is\nconstrained out of some necessity thus to go out of itself, which speaks\nmuch indigence and want within itself. But it is not so with his majesty.\nHis own glorious Being contents him; his happiness is to know that, and\ndelight in it, because it comprehends in itself all that is at all\npossible, in the most excellent and perfect manner that is\nconceivable,\u2014nay, infinitely beyond what can be conceived by any but\nhimself. So he needs not go without himself to seek love or delight, for\nit is all within him, and it cannot be without his own Being, unless it\nflow from within him. Therefore ye may find in Scripture what complacency\nGod hath in himself, and the Father in the Son, and the Son in the Father.\nWe find, Prov. viii., how the wisdom of God, our Lord Jesus, was the\nFather\u2019s delight from all eternity, and the Father again his delight, for\nhe rejoiced always before him, ver. 30.  And this was an all sufficient\npossession that one had of another, ver. 22. The love between the Father\nand the Son is holden out as the first pattern of all loves and delights,\nJohn xvii. 23, 24. This then flows from the infinite excess of perfection\nand exundation of self being, that his majesty is pleased to come without\nhimself, to manifest his own glory in the works of his hands, to decree\nand appoint other things beside himself, and to execute that decree. We\nmay consider in these words some particulars for our edification.\n\nI. That the Lord hath from eternity purposed within himself and decreed to\nmanifest his own glory in the making and ruling of the world, that there\nis a counsel and purpose of his will which reaches all things, which have\nbeen, are now, or are to be after this. This is clear, for he works all\nthings \u201caccording to the counsel of his own will.\u201d\n\nII. That his mind and purpose is one mind, one counsel. I mean not only\none for ever, that is, perpetual and unchangeable, as the words speak\u2014but\nalso one for all, that is, with one simple act or resolution of his holy\nwill he hath determined all these several things, all their times, their\nconditions, their circumstances.\n\nIII. That whatsoever he hath from all eternity purposed, he in time\npractiseth it, and comes to execution and working; so that there is an\nexact correspondence betwixt his will and his work, his mind and his hand.\nHe works according to the counsel of his will, and whatsoever his soul\ndesireth that he doeth.\n\nIV. That his purpose and performance is infallible,\u2014irresistible by any\ncreated power. Himself will not change it, for \u201che is in one mind;\u201d and\nnone else can hinder it, for \u201cwho can turn him?\u201d He desireth and he doeth\nit, as in the original. There is nothing intervenes between the desire and\nthe doing, that can hinder the meeting of these two.\n\nThe first is the constant doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, of which ye\nshould consider four things: 1st, That his purpose and decree is most\nwise. Therefore Paul cries out upon such a subject, \u201cO the depth of the\nriches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!\u201d Rom. xi. 33. His will is\nalways one with wisdom; therefore you have the purpose of his will\nmentioned thus, \u201cthe counsel of his will;\u201d for his will, as it were, takes\ncounsel and advice of wisdom, and discerns according to the depth and\nriches of his knowledge and understanding. We see among men these are\nseparated often, and there is nothing in the world so disorderly, so\nunruly and uncomely, as when will is divided from wisdom. When men follow\ntheir own will and lusts as a law, against their conscience, that is\nmonstrous. The understanding and reason are the eyes of the will; if these\nbe put out, or if a man leave them behind him, he cannot but fall into a\npit. But the purposes of God\u2019s will are depths of wisdom, nay, his very\nwill is a sufficient rule and law; so that it may be well used of him,\n_Stat pro ratione voluntas_,(143) Rom. ix. 11-18. If we consider the\nglorious fabric of the world,\u2014the order established in it,\u2014the sweet\nharmony it keepeth in all its motions and successions,\u2014O it must be a wise\nmind and counsel that contrived it! Man now having the idea of this world\nin his mind, might fancy and imagine many other worlds bearing some\nproportion and resemblance to this. But if he had never seen nor known\nthis world, he could never have imagined the thousandth part of this\nworld; he could in nowise have formed an image in his mind of all those\ndifferent kinds of creatures. Creatures must have some example and copy to\nlook to; but what was his pattern? \u201cWho hath been his counsellor\u201d to teach\nhim? Rom. xi. 31. Who gave him the first rudiments or principles of that\nart? Surely none. He had no pattern given him,\u2014not the least idea of any\nof these things furnished him,\u2014but it is absolutely and solely his own\nwise contrivance.\u20142d, This purpose of God is most free and absolute; there\nis no cause, no reason, why he hath thus disposed all things, and not\notherwise, as he might have done, but his own good will and pleasure. If\nit be so in a matter of deepest concernment, (Rom. ix. 18.) it must be so\nalso in all other things. We may find, indeed, many inferior causes,\u2014many\npeculiar reasons for such and such a way of administration,\u2014many ends and\nuses for which they serve,\u2014for there is nothing that his majesty hath\nappointed but it is for some use and reason,\u2014yet we must rise above all\nthese, and ascend into the tower of his most high will and pleasure, which\nis founded on a depth of wisdom; and from thence we shall behold all the\norder, administration, and use of the creatures to depend. And herein is a\ngreat difference between his majesty\u2019s purpose and ours. You know there is\nstill something presented under the notion of good and convenient, that\nmoves our will, and inclines us for its own goodness to seek after it, and\nso to fall upon the means to compass it. Therefore, the end which we\npropose to ourselves hath its influence upon our purposes, and pleasures\nthem; so that from it the motion seems to proceed first, and not so much\nfrom within; but there is no created thing can thus determine his majesty.\nHimself, his own glory, is the great end which he loves for itself, and\nfor which he loves other things. But among other things, though there be\nmany of them ordained one for another\u2019s use, yet his will and pleasure is\nthe original of that order. He doth not find it, but makes it. You see all\nthe creatures below are appointed for man, as their immediate and next\nend, for his use and service. But was it man\u2019s goodness and perfection\nwhich did move and incline his majesty to this appointment? No, indeed!\nbut of his own good will be makes such things serve man, that all of them\ntogether may be for his own glory.\u20143d, The Lord\u2019s decree is the first rise\nof all things that are, or have been, or are to come. This is the first\noriginal of them all, to which they must be reduced as their spring and\nfountain. All of you may understand that there are many things possible,\nwhich yet actually will never be. The Lord\u2019s power and omnipotency is of a\nfurther extent than his decree and purpose. His power is natural and\nessential to his being; his decree is of choice, and voluntary. The Father\ncould have sent a legion of angels to have delivered his Son; the Son\ncould have asked them, but neither of them would do it, Matt. xxvi. 53.\nThe Lord could have raised up children to Abraham out of stones, but he\nwould not, Matt. iii. 9. His power then comprehends within its reach all\npossible things which do not in their own nature and proper conception\nimply a contradiction; so that infinite worlds of creatures more perfect\nthan this,\u2014numbers of angels and men above these,\u2014and creatures in glory\nsurpassing them again,\u2014are within the compass of the boundless power and\nomnipotency of God. But yet for all this it might have fallen out that\nnothing should actually and really have been, unless his majesty had of\nhis own free will decreed what is, or hath been, or is to be. His will\ndetermines his power, and, as it were, puts it in the nearest capacity to\nact and exercise itself. Here, then, we must look for the first beginning\nof all things that are. They are conceived in the womb of the Lord\u2019s\neverlasting purpose, as he speaks, Zeph. ii. 2. The decree is, as it were,\nwith child of beings, Isa. xliv. 7. It is God\u2019s royal prerogative to\nappoint things to come, and none can share with him in it. From whence is\nit, I pray you, that of so many worlds which his power could have framed,\nthis one is brought to light? Is it not because this one was formed, as it\nwere, in the belly of his eternal counsel and will? From whence is it that\nso many men are, and no more\u2014that our Lord Jesus was slain, when the power\nof God might have kept him alive,\u2014that those men, Judas, &c. were the\ndoers of it, when others might have done it? From whence are all those\nactions, good or evil, under the sun, which he might have prevented, but\nfrom his good will and pleasure, from his determinate counsel? Acts iv.\n28. Can you find the original of these in the creature, why it is thus,\nand why not otherwise? Can you conceive why, of all the infinite numbers\nof possible beings these are, and no other? And, what hath translated that\nnumber of creatures, which is, from the state of pure possibility to\nfuturition or actual being, but the decisive vote of God\u2019s everlasting\npurpose and counsel? Therefore we should always conceive, that the\ncreatures, and all their actions, which have, or will have any being in\nthe world, have first had a being in the womb of God\u2019s eternal counsel,\nand that his will and pleasure hath passed upon all things that are and\nare not. His counsel has concluded of things that have been, or will be,\nthat thus they shall be; and his counsel determined of all other things\nwhich are also possible, that they shall never come forth into the light\nof the world, but remain in the dark bowels of omnipotency, that so we may\ngive him the glory of all things that are not, and that are at all.\u2014Then,\n4th. We should consider the extent of his decree and counsel; it is passed\nupon all things; it is universal, reaching every being or action of the\nuniverse. This is the strain of the whole Scripture. He did not, as some\ndream, once create the creatures in a good state, and put them in capacity\nhenceforth to preserve themselves, or exercise their own virtue and power,\nwithout dependence on him, as an artificer makes an horologe, and orders\nit in all things, that it may do its business without him. He is not only\na general original of action and motion, as if he would command a river to\nflow by his appointed channels; as if he did only work, and rule the world\nby attorneys and ambassadors. That is the weakness and infirmity of\nearthly kings, that they must substitute deputies for themselves. But this\nKing appoints all immediately, and disposes upon all the particular\nactions of his creatures, good or evil; and so he is universal absolute\nLord of the creature, of its being and doing. It were a long work to\nrehearse what the Scripture speaks of this kind; but O! that ye would read\nthem oftener, and ponder them better, how there is nothing in this\nworld,\u2014which may seem to fall out by chance to you, that you know not how\nit is to come to pass, and can see no cause nor reason of it,\u2014but it falls\nout by the holy will of our blessed Father. Be it of greater or less\nmoment,\u2014or be it a hair of thy head fallen, or thy head cut off,\u2014the most\ncasual and  contingent thing,\u2014though it surprised the whole world of men\nand angels, that they wonder from whence it did proceed,\u2014it is no\nsurprisal to him, for he not only knew it, but appointed it. The most\ncertain and necessary thing, according to the course of nature, it hath no\ncertainty but from his appointment, who hath established such a course in\nthe creatures, and which he can suspend when he pleaseth. Be it the sin of\nmen and devils which seems most opposite to his holiness, yet even that\ncannot appear in the world of beings, if it were not, in a holy righteous,\nand permissive way first conceived in the womb of his eternal counsel, and\nif it were not determined by him, for holy and just ends, Acts iv. 28.\n\nThe second thing propounded is, that his mind and counsel is one, one and\nthe same, \u201cyesterday, today, and forever.\u201d Therefore the apostle speaks of\nGod, that there is no shadow of change or turning in him, James i. 17. He\nis not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should\nrepent; hath he said, and shall he not do it? Numb. xxiii. 19. And shall\nhe decree, and not execute it? Shall he purpose, and not perform it? \u201cI am\nthe Lord, I change not,\u201d that is his name, Mal. iii. 6. \u201cThe counsel of\nthe Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations,\u201d\nPsal. xxxiii. 11. Men change their mind oftener than their garments. Poor\nvain man, even in his best estate, is changeableness, and vicissitude\nitself, altogether vanity! And this ariseth partly from the imperfection\nof his understanding, and his ignorance because he does not understand\nwhat may fall out. There are many things secret and hidden, which if he\ndiscovered, he would not be of that judgment, and many things may fall out\nwhich may give ground of another resolution and partly from the weakness\nand perverseness of his will, that cannot he constant in any good thing\nand is not so closely united to it as that no fear or terror can separate\nfrom it. But there is no such imperfection in him, neither ignorance nor\nweakness. \u201cAll things are naked before him,\u201d all their natures, their\ncircumstances, all events, all emergencies, known to him are they, and\n\u201call his works from the beginning, as perfectly as in the end.\u201d And\ntherefore he may come to a fixed resolution from all eternity and being\nresolved he can see no reason of change because there can nothing appear\nafter, which he did not perfectly discover from the beginning. Therefore,\nwhenever ye read in the Scripture of the Lord\u2019s repenting\u2014as Gen. vi. 7,\nJer. xviii. 8.\u2014ye should remember that the Lord speaks in our terms, and\nlike nurses with their children uses our own dialect, to point out to us\nour great ignorance of his majesty, that cannot conceive more honourably\nof him nor more distinctly of ourselves. When he changeth all things about\nhim, he is not changed, for all these changes were at once in his mind,\nbut when he changeth his outward dispensations he is said to repent of\nwhat he is doing, because we use not to change our manner of dealing,\nwithout some conceived grief, or repentance and change of mind. When a man\ngoes to build a house, he hath no mind but that it should continue so. He\nhath not the least thought of taking it down again, but afterwards it\nbecomes ruinous, and his estate enlarges, and then he takes a new\nresolution, to cast it down to the ground and build a better. Thus it is\nwith man, according as he varies his work, he changes his mind. But it is\nnot so with God. All these changes of his works\u2014all the successions of\ntimes, the variation of dealings the alteration of dispensations in all\nages\u2014were at once in his mind, and all before him, so that he never goes\nto build a house but he hath in his own mind already determined all the\nchanges it shall be subject to. When he sets up a throne in a nation, it\nis in his mind within such a period to cast it down again, when he lifts\nup men in success and prosperity he doth not again change his mind when he\nthrows them down, for that was in his mind also so that there is no\nsurprisal of him by any unexpected emergence. Poor man hath many\nconsultations ere he come to a conclusion, but it is not thus with his\ncounsel. Of all those strange and new things which fall out in our days,\nhe hath one thought of them all from eternity. He is in one mind, and none\nof all these things have put him off his eternal mind or put him to a new\nadvisement about his great projects. Not only doth he not change his mind,\nbut his mind and thought is one of all, and concerning all. Our poor,\nnarrow, and limited minds, must part their thoughts among many\nbusinesses,\u2014one thought for this, another for that, and one after another.\nBut with him there is neither succession of counsels and purposes, nor yet\nplurality, but, as with one opening of his eye, he beholds all things as\nthey are, so with one inclination, or nod of his will he hath given a law,\nand appointed all things.(144) If we can at one instant, and one look, see\nboth light and colours, and both the glass and the shadow in it and with\none motion of our wills move towards the end and the means\u2014O, how much\nmore may he, with one simple undivided act of his good will and pleasure,\npass a determination on all things, in their times and orders and in his\nown infinite and glorious Being perceive them all with one look! How much\nconsolation might redound from this to believing souls! Hath the Lord\nappointed you to suffer persecution and tribulation here? Hath he carved\nout such a lot unto you in this life? Then withal consider, that his\nmajesty hath eternal glory wrapt up in the same counsel from which thy\nafflictions proceed. Hath he made thy soul to melt before him? Hath he\nconvinced thee, and made thee to flee unto the city for refuge, and expect\nsalvation from no other but himself? Then know, that life eternal is in\nthe bosom of that same purpose which gave thee to believe this; though the\none be born before the other, yet the decree shall certainly bring forth\nthe other. And for such souls as upon this vain presumption of the\ninfallibility of God\u2019s purposes, think it needless to give diligence in\nreligion, know, that it is one mind and purpose that hath linked the end\nand the means together as a chain\u2014and therefore, if thou expectest to be\nsaved according to election, thou must, according to the same counsel,\nmake thy calling home from sin to God sure.\n\nThirdly, What thing soever he hath purposed, he in due time applies to the\nperformance of it, and then the counsel of his will becomes the works of\nhis hands, and there is an admirable harmony and exact agreement between\nthese two. All things come out of the womb of his eternal decree, by the\nword of his power, even just fashioned and framed as their lineaments and\ndraughts were proportioned in the decree, nothing failing, nothing\nwanting, nothing exceeding. There is nothing in the idea of his mind but\nit is expressed in the work of his hands. There are no raw half wishes in\nGod. Men have such imperfect desires\u2014I would have, or do such a thing if\nit were not, &c. He wavers not thus in suspense, but what he wills and\ndesires, he wills and desires indeed. He intends, doubtless, it shall be\nand what he intends he will execute and bring to pass, therefore his will\nin due time applies almighty power to fulfil the desire of it, and\nalmighty power being put to work by his will, it cannot but work all\nthings \u201caccording to the counsel of his will,\u201d and whatsoever his soul\ndesireth, that he cannot but do, even as he desires seeing he can do it.\nIf he will do it, and can do it, what hinders him to work and do? Know\nthen that his commands and precepts to you signifying what is your duty\nthey do not so much signify what he desires or intends to work, or have\ndone, as his approbation of such a thing in itself to be your duty, and\ntherefore though he have revealed his will concerning our duty, though no\nobedience follow, yet is not his intention frustrated or disappointed, for\nhis commands to you say not what is his intention about it, but what is\nthat which he approves as good, and a duty obliging men. But whatsoever\nthing he purposes and intends should be, certainly he will do it, and make\nit to be done. If it be a work of his own power alone, himself will do it\nalone. If he require the concurrence of creatures to it,\u2014as in all the\nworks of providence,\u2014then he will effectually apply the creatures to his\nwork, and not wait in suspense on their determination. If he have\nappointed such an end to be attained by such means,\u2014if he have a work to\ndo by such instruments,\u2014then, without all doubt, he will apply the\ninstruments when his time comes, and will not wait on their concurrence.\nYou see now strange things done, you wonder at them how we are brought\ndown from our excellency,\u2014how our land is laid desolate by strangers,\u2014how\nmany instruments of the Lord\u2019s work are laid aside, how he lifts up a rod\nof indignation against us, and is like to overturn even the foundations of\nour land,\u2014all(145) were not in our mind before, but they were in his mind\nfrom eternity, and therefore he is now working it. Believe, then, that\nthere is not a circumstance of all this business, not one point or jot of\nit, but is even as it was framed and carved out of old. His present works\nare according to an ancient pattern which he carries in his mind. All the\nmeasures and decrees of your affliction\u2014all the ounces and grain weights\nof your cup, were all weighed in the scales of his eternal counsel, the\ninstruments, the time, the manner, all that is in it. If he change\ninstruments, that was in his mind, if he change dispensations that was in\nhis mind also, and seeing ye know by the scriptures that a blessed end is\nappointed for the godly, that all things work for their good, that all is\nsubservient to the church\u2019s welfare, seeing, I say, you know his purpose\nis such as the scripture speaks, then believe his performance shall be\nexact accordingly, nothing deficient, no joint, no sinew in all his work\nof providence, no line in all his book and volume of the creature, but it\nwas written in that ancient book of his eternal counsel, and first\nfashioned in that, Psal. cxxxix. 16.\n\nThen, lastly, His will is irresistible, his counsel shall stand, who can\nturn him from his purpose and who can hinder him from performance?\nTherefore he attains his end in the highest and most superlative degree of\ncertainty and infallibility. Himself will not change his own purpose, for\nwhy should he do it? If he change to the better, then it reflects on his\nwisdom, if he change to the worse, it reflects both on his wisdom and\ngoodness. Certainly he can see no cause why he should change it. But as\nhimself cannot change, so none can hinder his performance, for what power,\nthink you, shall it be, that may attempt that? Is it the power of men, of\nstrong men, of high men, of any men? No sure! for their breath is in their\nnostrils; they have no power but as he breathes in them. If he keep in his\nbreath, as it were, they perish. All nations are as nothing before him and\nwhat power hath nothing? Is it devils may do it? No, for they cannot,\nthough they would; he chains them, he limits them. Is it good angels? They\nare powerful indeed, but they neither can nor will resist his will. Let it\nbe the whole university of the creation,\u2014suppose all their scattered force\nand virtue conjoined in one,\u2014yet it is all but finite; it amounts to no\nmore, if you would eternally add unto it, but all victory and resistance\nof this kind must be by a superior power, or at least by an equal.\nTherefore we may conclude that there is no impediment or let, that can be\nput in his way, nothing can obstruct his purpose; if all the world should\nconspire as one man to obstruct the performance of any of his promises and\npurposes, they do but rage in vain. Like dogs barking at the moon, they\nshall be so far from attaining their purpose, that his majesty shall\ndisabuse them, so to speak, to his own purpose. He shall apply them quite\ncontrary to their own mind, to work out the counsel of his mind. Here is\nthe absolute King only worth the name of a King and Lord, whom all things\nin heaven and earth obey at the first nod and beckoning to them! Hills,\nseas, mountains, rivers, sun and moon and clouds, men and beasts, angels\nand devils,\u2014all of them are acted, moved, and inclined according to his\npleasure, all of them are about his work indeed, as the result of all in\nthe end shall make it appear, and are servants at his command, going where\nhe bids go, and coming where he bids come, led by an invisible hand,\nthough in the meantime they know it not but think they are about their own\nbusiness and applaud themselves for a time in it. _Ducunt volentem fata,\nnolentem trahunt._(146) Godly men who know his will and love it, are led\nby it willingly, for they yield themselves up to his disposal, but wicked\nmen, who have contrary wills of their own, can gain no more by resisting,\nbut to be drawn along with it.\n\nNow to what purpose is all this spoken of God\u2019s decrees and purposes,\nwhich he hath called a secret belonging to himself? If his works and\njudgments be a great depth, and unsearchable, sure his decrees are far\nmore unsearchable, for it is the secret and hidden purpose of God, which\nis the very depth of his way and judgment. But to what purpose is it all?\nI say, not to inquire curiously into the particulars of them, but to\nprofit by them. The Scripture holds out to us the unchangeableness,\nfreedom, extent, holiness, and wisdom of them, for our advantage, and if\nthis advantage be not reaped, we know them in vain. Not to burden your\nmemory with many particulars, we should labour to draw forth both\ninstruction and consolation out of them. Instruction, I say, in two things\nespecially\u2014to submit with reverence and respect to his majesty in all his\nworks and ways, and to trust in him who knows all his works, and will not\nchange his mind.\n\nThere is nothing wherein I know Christians more deficient than in this\npoint of submission, which I take to be one of the chiefest and sweetest,\nthough hardest duties of a Christian. It is hardly to be found among\nmen,\u2014a thorough compliance of the soul to what his soul desires, a real\nsubjection of our spirits to his good will and pleasure. There is nothing\nso much blessed in scripture as waiting on him, as yielding to him to be\ndisposed upon,\u2014\u201cBlessed are all they that wait on him.\u201d Pride is the\ngreatest opposite, and he opposes himself most to that, for it is in its\nown nature most derogatory to the highness and majesty of God, which is\nhis very glory. Therefore submission is most acceptable to him, when the\nsoul yields itself and its will to him. He condescends far more to it, he\ncannot be an enemy to such a soul. Submission to his majesty\u2019s pleasure,\nis the very bowing down of the soul willingly to any thing he does or\ncommands,\u2014whatever yoke he puts on, of duty or suffering, to take it on\nwillingly, without answering again, which is the great sin condemned in\nservants, to put the mouth in the dust, and to keep silence, because he\ndoth it\u2014\u201cI was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it.\u201d\n_There_ is submission indeed,\u2014silence of mind and mouth\u2014a restraint put\nupon the spirit to think nothing grudgingly of him for any thing he doth.\nIt is certainly the greatest fault of Christians and ground of many more,\nthat ye do not look to God, but to creatures in any thing that befalls\nyou, therefore there are so frequent risings of spirits against his yoke,\nfrequent spurnings against it, as Ephraim, unaccustomed with the yoke. So\ndo ye, and this it is only makes it heavy and troublesome. If there were\nno more reason for it but your own gain, it is the only way to peace and\nquietness. _Durum, sed levius fit patientia, quicquid corrigere est\nnefas._(147) Your impatience cannot help you, but hurt you, it is the very\nyoke of your yoke, but quiet and silent stooping makes it easy in itself,\nand brings in more help beside, even divine help. Learn this, I beseech\nyou, to get your own wills abandoned, and your spirits subdued to God,\nboth in the point of duty and dispensation. If duties commanded cross thy\nspirit\u2014as certainly the reality and exercise of godliness must be\nunpleasant to any nature\u2014know what thou art called to, to quiet thy own\nwill to him, to give up thyself to his pleasure singly, without so much\nrespect to thy own pleasure or gain. Learn to obey him simply because he\ncommands, though no profit redound to thee, and by this means thou shalt\nin due time have more sweet peace and real gain, though thou intendedst it\nnot. And in case any dispensation cross thy mind, let not thy mind rise up\nagainst it. Do not fall out with Providence, but commit thy way wholly to\nhim, and let him do what he pleases in that. Be thou minding thy duty. Be\nnot anxious in that, but be diligent in this, and thou shalt be the only\ngainer by it, besides, the honour redounds to him.\n\nThen I would exhort you, from this ground, to trust in him. Seeing he\nalone is the absolute Sovereign Lord of all things,\u2014seeing he has passed a\ndetermination upon all things, and accordingly they must be,\u2014and seeing\nnone can turn him from his way,\u2014O then, Christians, learn to commit\nyourselves to him in all things, both for this life and the life to come!\nWhy are ye so vain and foolish as to depend and hang upon poor, vain,\ndepending creatures? Why do ye not forsake yourselves? Why do ye not\nforsake all other things as empty shadows? Are not all created powers,\nhabits, gifts, graces, strength, riches, &c., like the idols in comparison\nof him, who can neither do good, neither can they do ill? Cursed is he\n\u201cthat trusteth in man,\u201d Jer. xvii. 5. There needs no other curse than the\nvery disappointment you shall meet withal. Consider, I beseech you, that\nour God can do all things, whatever he pleases, in heaven and earth, and\nthat none can obstruct his pleasure. Blessed is that soul for whom the\ncounsel of his will is engaged. And it is engaged for all that trust in\nhim. He can accomplish his good pleasure in thy behalf, either without or\nagainst means; all impediments and thorns set in his way, he can burn them\nup. You who are heirs of the promises, O know your privilege! What his\nsoul desireth, he doth even that, and what he hath seriously promised to\nyou, he desires. If you ask, who are heirs of the promises? I would\nanswer, simply those and those only, who do own them and challenge them,\nand cling to them for their life and salvation, those who seek the\ninheritance only by the promise, and whose soul desires them and embraces\nthem. O, if you would observe how unlike ye are to God! Ye change often,\nye turn often out of the way, but that were not so ill if ye did not\nimagine him to be like yourselves, and it is unbelief which makes him like\nto yourselves,\u2014when your frame and tender disposition changes,\u2014when\npresence and access to God is removed. That is wrong, it speaks out a\nmortal creature indeed, but if it be so, O do no more wrong! Do not, by\nyour suspicions and jealousies and questionings of him, imagine that he is\nlike unto you and changed also. That is a double wrong and dishonour to\nhis majesty. Hath he not said, \u201cI am the Lord, and change not.\u201d \u201cHe is in\none mind, who can turn him?\u201d How comes it then, that ye doubt of his love\nas oft as ye change? When ye are in a good temper, ye think he loves you;\nwhen it is not so ye cannot believe but he is angry, and hates you. Is not\nthis to speak quite contrary to the word, that he is a God that\nchanges\u2014that he is not in one mind, but now in one, and then in another,\nas oft as the inconstant wind of a soul\u2019s self pleasing humour turns\nabout? Here is your rest and confidence, if you will be established, not\nwithin yourselves,\u2014not upon marks and signs within you, which ebb and flow\nas the sea, and change as the moon,\u2014but, upon his unchangeable nature and\nfaithful promises. This we desire to hold out to you all, as one ground\nfor all. You would every one have some particular ground in your own\ndisposition and condition, and think it general doctrine only which layeth\nit not home so, but believe it, I know no ground of real soul\nestablishment, but general truths and principles common to you all, and\nour business is not to lay any other foundation,\u2014or more foundations,\naccording to your different conditions,\u2014but to lay this one foundation,\nChrist and God unchangeable, and to exhort every one of you to make that\ngeneral foundation your own in particular, by leaning to it, and building\nupon it, and clinging to it. All other are sandy and ruinous.\n\nLet us now, in this sad time, press consolation from this. The Lord\u2019s hand\nis in all this. It is immediate in every dispensation, and it is only\ncarnal mindedness that cannot see him stretching out his hand to every\nman, with his own portion of affliction. Know this one thing, that God is\nin one mind, for all these many ways and judgments, he is in one mind,\u2014to\ngather the saints, to build up the Church, the body of Christ. This is his\nend\u2014all other businesses are in the by,(148) and subservient to this.\nTherefore he will change it as he pleases, but his great purpose of good\nto his people, all the world cannot hinder. Let us then establish our\nsouls in this consideration, all is clear above, albeit cloudy below, all\nis calm in heaven, albeit tempestuous here upon earth. There is no\nconfusion, no disorder in his mind. Though we think the world out of\ncourse, and that all things reel about with confusion, he hath one mind in\nit, and who can turn him? And that mind is good to them that trust in him\nand therefore, who can turn away our good? Let men consult and imagine\nwhat they please,\u2014let them pass votes and decrees what to do with his\npeople,\u2014yet it is all to no purpose, for there is a counsel above, an\nolder counsel which must stand and take place in all generations. If men\u2019s\nconclusions be not according to the counsel of his will, they are but\nimaginary dreams, like the fancies of a distracted person, who imagining\nhimself a king, sits down on the throne, and gives out decrees and\nordinances. May not he who sits in heaven laugh at the foolishness and\nmadness of men who act in all things as if they had no dependence on him,\nand go about their business as if it were not contrived already? It is a\nridiculous thing for men to order their business, and settle their own\nconclusions, without once minding One above them, who hath not only a\nnegative, but an affirmative vote in all things. It is true that God, in\nhis deep wisdom, hath kept up his particular purposes secret, that men may\nwalk according to an appointed rule, and use all means for compassing\ntheir intended ends, and therefore it is well said _Prudens futuri\ntemporis exitum caliginosa nocte premit Deus_. But yet withal we should\nmind that of James, \u201cif the Lord will, and go about all things even the\nmost probable, with submission to his will and pleasure.\u201d And therefore,\nwhen men go without their bounds either in fear of danger, or joy\nconceived in successes,\u2014_ridetque, si mortalis ultra fas trepidet_,\n&c.,\u2014Excess of fear, excess of hope, excess of joy in these outward\nthings, is, as it were ridiculous to him, who hath all these things\nappointed with him. To him be praise and glory.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XV.\n\n\nOf Predestination\n\n\n    Eph. i. 11.\u2014\u201cIn whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being\n    predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all\n    things after the counsel of his own will.\u201d\u2014Rom. ix. 22, 23.\u2014\u201cWhat\n    if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known,\n    endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to\n    destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory\n    on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory.\u201d\n\n\nIn the creation of the world, it pleased the Lord, after all things were\nframed and disposed, to make one creature to rule over all, and to him he\ngave the most excellent nature, and privileges beyond the rest, so that it\nmay appear that he had made all things for man and man immediately for his\nown glory. As man was the chief of the works of his hands so we may,\naccording to the Scriptures, conceive that he was chiefly minded in the\ncounsels of his heart. And that, as in the execution of his purpose in\ncreating the world, man had the pre-eminence assigned unto him, and all\nseemed subordinate unto him, so in the Lord\u2019s purposes concerning the\nworld, his purpose about man has the pre-eminence. He, indeed, has\nresolved to declare the glory of his name in this world, therefore the\nheavens and the firmament are made preachers of that glory, Psal. xix. 1,\n2, &c. But in a special manner, his majesty\u2019s glorious name is manifested\nin man, and about man. He hath set man, as it were, in the centre or midst\nof the creation, that all the creatures might direct or bring in their\npraises unto him, to be offered up in his and their name, to the Lord\ntheir Maker, by him, as the common mouth of the world, and the Lord hath\nchosen this creature above all the creatures, for the more solemn and\nglorious declaration of himself in his special properties. Therefore, we\nshould gather our thoughts in this business, to hear from the Lord what\nhis thoughts are towards us, for, certainly, the right understanding of\nhis everlasting counsel touching the eternal state of man, is of singular\nvirtue to conform us to the praise of his name, and establish us in faith\nand confidence. Predestination is a mystery, indeed, into which we should\nnot curiously and boldly inquire beyond what is revealed, for then a soul\nmust needs lose itself in that depth of wisdom, and perish in the search\nof unsearchableness. And thus the word speaks in Scripture of this\nsubject, intimating to us, that it is rather to be admired than conceived,\nand that there ought to be some ignorance of these secrets, which,\nconjoined with faith and reverence, is more learned than any curious\nknowledge. But withal, we must open our eyes upon so much light as God\nreveals of these secrets, knowing that the light of the word is a saving,\nrefreshing light, not confounding, as is his inaccessible light of secret\nglory. As far as it pleaseth his majesty to open his mouth, let us not\nclose our ears, but open them also to his instruction, knowing, that as he\nwill withhold no necessary thing for our salvation, so he will reveal\nnothing but what is profitable. This is the best bond of sobriety and\nhumble wisdom, to learn what he teacheth us, but when he makes an end of\nteaching, to desire no more learning. It is humility to seek no more, and\nit is true wisdom to be content with no less.\n\nThere is much weakness in our conceiving of divine things. We shape and\nform them in our minds according to a mould of our own experience or\ninvention, and cannot conceive of them as they are in themselves. If we\nshould speak properly, there are not counsels and purposes in God, but one\nentire counsel and resolution concerning all thing which are in time, by\nwhich he hath disposed all in their several times, seasons, conditions,\nand orders. But because we have many thoughts, about many things, so we\ncannot well conceive of God but in likeness to ourselves, and therefore,\nthe Scripture, condescending to our weakness, speaks so. \u201cHow many are thy\nprecious thoughts towards me,\u201d saith David, and yet indeed, there is but\none thought of him and us and all, which one thought is of so much virtue,\nthat it is equivalent to an infinite number of thoughts concerning\ninfinite objects. The Lord hath from everlasting conceived one purpose of\nmanifesting his own glory in such several ways and this is the head spring\nof all that befalls creatures, men, and angels. But because, in the\nexecution of this purpose there is a certain order and succession, and\nvariety, therefore men do ordinarily fancy such or such a frame and order\nin the Lord\u2019s mind and purpose. And as the astronomers do cut and carve in\ntheir imagination cycles, orbs, and epicycles in the heavens, because of\nthe various and different appearances and motions of stars in them,\nwhereas it may be, really, there is but one celestial body in which all\nthese various lights and motions do appear, so do men fancy unto\nthemselves an order in the Lord\u2019s decree according to the phenomena or\nappearances of his works in the world; whereas it is one purpose and\ndecree, which in its infinite compass comprehends all these vanities and\norders together. This much we may indeed lawfully conceive of his decree,\nthat there is an exact correspondence and suitableness between his\nmajesty\u2019s purpose and execution, and that he is a wise Lord, \u201cwonderful in\ncounsel and excellent in working,\u201d having some great plot and design\nbefore his eyes, which he intends to effect, and which is, as it were, the\ngreat light and sun of this firmament, unto which, by that same wonderful\ncounsel, all other things are subordinate, and so in the working it shall\nappear exactly as his counsel did delineate and contrive it.\n\nThere is no man so empty or shallow, but he hath some great design and\npurpose which he chiefly aims at; shall we not then conceive, that the\nLord, who instructs every man to this discretion, and teaches him, (Isa.\nxxviii. 26,) is himself wise in his counsel, and hath some grand project\nbefore him in all this fabric of the world, and the upholding of it since\nit was made? Certainly he hath. And if you ask what it is, the wise man\nwill teach you in general\u2014\u201cHe made all things for himself, yea, even the\nwicked for the day of evil,\u201d Prov. xvi. 4. Here, then, is his great design\nand purpose\u2014to glorify himself,\u2014to manifest his own name to men and\nangels. Now, his name comprehends wisdom, goodness, power, mercy, and\njustice. The first three he declares in all the works of his hands. All\nare well done and wisely done. The excellency of the work shows the\nwonderful counsellor and the wise contriver. The goodness of any creature\nin its kind, declares the inexhausted spring of a self-being from whom it\nproceeds, and the bringing all these out of nothing, and upholding them,\nis a glorious declaration of his power. But yet, in all the works of his\nhands, there is nothing found to manifest his glorious mercy and justice,\nupon which are the flower and garland of his attributes, and unto which\nwisdom and power seem to be subservient. Therefore his majesty, in that\none entire purpose of his own glory, resolves to manifest his wrath and\nhis mercy upon men and angels, subjects capable of it, which two\nattributes are as the poles about which all the wheels of election and\nreprobation turn as you see in that place, Rom. ix. 22, 23. Let this then\nbe established as the end of all his works, as it is designed in his\ncounsel, and nothing else. It is not the creature, nor any thing in the\ncreature, which is first in his mind, but himself, and therefore of him,\nand for him, are all things. Here they have their rise, and thither they\nreturn, even to the ocean of God\u2019s eternal glory, from whence all did\nspring.\n\nThe right establishing of this will help us to conceive aright of his\ncounsel of predestination. It is a common cavil of carnal reason: how can\nthe Lord reject so many persons, and fore-ordain them to destruction? It\nseems most contrary to his goodness and wisdom, to have such an end of\neternal predestination before him, in the creating of so many, to make men\nfor nothing, but to damn them? Here carnal reason, which is enmity to God,\ntriumphs, but consider, I say, that this is not the Lord\u2019s end and chief\ndesign, to destroy men. Even as it is not his majesty\u2019s first look, or\nfurthest reach, to give unto others eternal life, so it is not his prime\nintent to sink them into eternal death, as if that were his pleasure and\ndelight. No, indeed! Neither is the creature\u2019s happiness nor its misery\nthat which first moves him, or is most desired of him, but himself only,\nand he cannot move out of himself to any business, but he must return it\nunto himself. Therefore the wise preacher expresses it well, \u201cHe made all\nfor himself, even the wicked for the day of evil.\u201d It was not his great\nend of creating wicked men to damn them, or creating righteous men to save\nthem, but both are for a further and higher end,\u2014for himself and his own\nglory.\n\nAll seem to agree about this, that the great end of all the Lord\u2019s\ncounsels and decrees is his own glory, to be manifested on men and angels,\nand that this must be first in his mind; not that there is first or last\nwith him, but to speak after the manner of men. If he had many thoughts,\nas we have, this would be his first thought and in this one purpose this\nend is chiefly aimed at, and all other things are by the Lord\u2019s counsel\nsubordinate to this, as means to compass that. But as concerning the order\nof these means, and consequently of his majesty\u2019s purpose about them, men,\nby examining his majesty according to the creature\u2019s rules, or according\nto sense, bring him down far below his own infinite greatness. Some\nconceive that that was first, as it were, in his mind which is first done.\nLooking upon the execution of his purpose in the works of his power, they\nimagine, that as he first created man righteous, so this was his first\nthought concerning man, to create man for the glory of his goodness and\npower, without any particular determination as yet of his end. And I\nconceive, this is the thought of the multitude of people. They think God\nwas disappointed in his work, when they hear he created such a glorious\ncreature that is now become so miserable. They cannot believe that his\nmajesty had all this sin and misery determined with him when he purposed\nto create him, but look upon the emergent of man\u2019s fall into sin and\nmisery as a surprisal of his majesty,\u2014as if he had meant another thing in\ncreating him, and so was, upon this occasion of man\u2019s sin, driven to a new\nconsultation about the helping of the business, and making the best out of\nit that might be. Thus \u201cthrough wisdom, the world knows not God.\u201d They\nthink God altogether like themselves, and so liken him to the builder of a\nhouse, who set nothing before him in doing so, but to build it after that\nmanner for his own ends, but then being surprised with the fall and ruin\nof it, takes a new advisement, and builds it up again upon another and a\nsurer foundation. But because they cannot say, that God takes any new\nadvisements in time, but must confess that all his counsels are\neverlasting concerning all the works of his hands, therefore they bring in\nforeknowledge to smooth their irreligious conceit of God, as if the Lord,\nupon his purpose of creating man, had foreseen what should befall him, and\nso purposed to permit it to be so, that out of it he might erect some\nglorious fabric of mercy and justice upon the ruins of man. And that\nlittle or nothing may be left to the absolute sovereign will of God, to\nwhich the Scripture ascribes all things, they must again imagine, that\nupon his purpose of sending Christ to save sinners, he is yet undetermined\nabout the particular end of particular men, but watches on the tower of\nforeknowledge to espy what they will do, whether men will believe on his\nSon or not, whether they will persevere in faith or not, and according to\nhis observation of their doings, so he applies his own will to carve out\ntheir reward or portion of life or death. These are even the thoughts\nwhich are inbred in your breasts by nature. That which the learned call\nArminianism is nothing else but the carnal reason of men\u2019s hearts, which\nis enmity to God. It is that very disputation which Paul in this chapter\nexclaims against, \u201cWho art thou, O man, that disputest?\u201d\n\nBut certainly, all this contrivance is nothing beseeming the wisdom or\nsovereignty of God, but reflects upon both: upon his wisdom, that he\nshould have thoughts of creating the most noble of his creatures, and yet\nbe in suspense about the end of the creature, and have that in uncertainty\nwhat way his glory shall indeed be manifested by it. Is it not the first\nand chief thought of every wise man, what he intends and aims at in his\nwork, and according to the measure and reach of his wisdom, so he reaches\nfurther in his end and purpose? Shall we then conceive the only wise God\nso far to have mistaken himself, as to do that which no wise man would do?\nHe who is of such an infinite reach of wisdom and understanding, to fall\nupon the thoughts of making such an excellent creature, and yet to lie in\nsuspense within himself about the eternal estate of it, and to be in a\nwaiting posture what way his glory should be manifested by it; whether in\na way of simple goodness only, or in a way of justice, or in a way of\nmercy, till he should foresee, off the tower of foreknowledge, how that\ncreature should behave itself. Our text speaks not thus; for in the place,\n(Eph. i.) we have the Lord, in his eternal purpose, carving out to such\nand such particular persons \u201can inheritance,\u201d and \u201cadoption of children,\u201d\nfor that great end \u201cof the glory of his grace,\u201d ver. 11, and 5, 6. And\npredestination falls out, not according to our carriage, but according to\nthe purpose of him who \u201cworks all things\u201d that he works, \u201cafter the\ncounsel of his own will,\u201d without consulting our will. And if you inquire\nwhat are these \u201call things,\u201d certainly we must take it simply for all\nthings that are at all, or have any real being: his power, his hand must\nbe in it, and that according to his own counsel, without respect had to\nthe creature\u2019s will, according to his own good pleasure, ver. 5, 11. He\nhad no sooner a thought of working and making man, but this purpose was in\nit, to make such men to the praise of his glorious grace, and to\nfore-ordain them to an inheritance, and others to make or fit them for\ndestruction, as the text, Rom. ix. 22, bears. Herein the great and\nunsearchable wisdom of God appears to be a great depth, that when he hath\na thought of making such a vessel, he hath this purpose in the bosom of\nit, what use it shall be for, whether for honour or dishonour; and\naccordingly, in his counsel, he prepares it either to glory or\ndestruction, and in time makes it fit for its use, either by sin or grace.\nHere is the depth that cannot be sounded by mortal men. \u201cO the depth of\nthe riches both of his wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable are his\njudgments, and his ways past finding out!\u201d The whole tenor of the\nScriptures shows that his majesty was not surprised and taken at unawares\nby Adam\u2019s fall, but that it fell out according to the determinate counsel\nof his will. If he knew it, and suffered it to be, certainly he permitted\nit, because he willed it should be so; and why may he not determine that\nin his holy counsel which his wisdom can disabuse to the most glorious end\nthat can be? Why may not he decree such a fall, who out of man\u2019s ruins can\nerect such a glorious throne for his grace and justice to triumph into? It\nis more for the glory of his infinite wisdom, to bring good, and such a\ngood out of evil, than only to permit that good should be.\n\nThen such doctrine is repugnant to the Lord\u2019s absolute power and\nsovereignty, which is Paul\u2019s sanctuary, whither he flies unto as a sure\nrefuge, from the stroke or blast of carnal reason. \u201cHath not the potter\npower over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel to honour, and\nanother to dishonour?\u201d ver. 21. Hath not the Lord more absolute dominion\nover us, than the potter hath over the clay, for the potter made not the\nclay, but the Lord hath made us of nothing? so that simply and absolutely\nwe are his, and not our own, and so he hath an absolute right to make any\nuse of us he pleases, without consulting our wills and deservings. Can any\nman quarrel him for preparing him to destruction, seeing he owes nothing\nto any man, but may do with his own what he pleases? What if God, willing\nto make known his power, and justice, and wrath, have fitted and prepared\nsome vessels for destruction, with which in time he bears much, and\nforbears long, using much patience towards them, ver. 22. Can any man\nchallenge him for it? And what if God, willing to make known the riches of\nhis grace, have prepared some vessels to glory, shall any man\u2019s eye be\nevil because he is good? ver. 23. Shall man be left to be his own\ndisposer, and the shaper of his own fortune? Sure it was not so with Esau\nand Jacob: they were alike in the womb. If there was any prerogative, Esau\nthe eldest had it,\u2014they had done neither good nor evil. What difference\nwas then between them to cast the balance of his will? Can you imagine\nany? Indeed carnal reason will say that God foreknew what they would do,\nand so he chose or rejected them. But, why doth not the apostle answer\nthereunto that objection of unrighteousness in God? ver. 14. It had been\nready and plain. But rather he opposes the will and calling of God, to all\nworks past or to come. He gives no answer but this, \u201che will have mercy\nbecause he will have mercy;\u201d that is the supreme rule of righteousness,\nand hitherto must we flee, as the surest anchor of our hope and stability.\nOur salvation depends not on our willing or running, on our resolving or\ndoing, but upon this primitive good pleasure and will of God, on which\nhangs our willing and running and obtaining. It is certainly an unorderly\norder, to flee unto that in men, for the cause of God\u2019s eternal counsels,\nwhich only flows from his eternal counsel, Eph. i. 4. Hath he chosen us\nbecause he did foreknow that we would be holy, and without blame, as men\nthink? Or hath he not rather chosen us to be holy and without blame? He\ncannot behold any good or evil in the creatures, till his will pass a\nsentence upon it; for from whence should it come?\n\nSeeing then this order and contrivance of God\u2019s purpose is but feigned, it\nseems to some that the very contrary method were more suitable even to the\nrules of wisdom. You know what is first in men\u2019s intention is last in\nexecution. The end is first in their mind, then the means to compass that\nend. But in practice again, men fall first upon the means, and by them\ncome at length to attain their end; therefore those who would have that\nfirst, as it were, in God\u2019s mind, which he doth first, do even cross\ncommon rules of reason in human affairs. It would seem then, say some,\nthat this method might do well; that what is last in his execution, was\nfirst in his purpose, and by him intended as the end of what he doth\nfirst, and so some do rank his decrees; that he had first a thought of\nglorifying man, and to attain this end he purposed to give him grace, and\nfor this purpose to suffer him to fall, and for all to create him. But we\nmust not look thus upon it either. It were a foolish and ridiculous\ncounsel, unbeseeming the poor wisdom of man, to purpose the glorifying of\nman whom he had not yet determined to create. Therefore we should always\nhave it in our mind that the great end and project of all is the glory of\nhis mercy and justice upon men; and this we may conceive is first in\norder, neither men\u2019s life nor death, but God\u2019s glory to be manifested upon\nmen. Now, to attain this glorious end, with one inclination or\ndetermination of his will, not to be distinguished or severed, he\ncondescends upon all that is done in time, as one complete and entire mean\nof glorifying himself, so that one of them is not before another in his\nmind, but altogether. For attaining this, he purposes to create man. He\nordains the fall of all men into a state of sin and misery; and some of\nthose, upon whom he had resolved to show his mercy, he gives them to\nChrist to be redeemed, and restored by grace; others, he fore-ordains them\nto destruction; and all this at once, without any such order as we\nimagine. Now though he intend all this at once and together, yet it doth\nnot hence follow that all these must be executed together. As when a man\nintends to build a house for his own accommodation, there are many things\nin the house upon which he hath not several purposes; but yet they must be\nseverally, and in some order done. First the foundation laid; then the\nwalls raised; then the roof put on; yet he did not intend the foundation\nto be for the walls, or the walls for the roof, but altogether for\nhimself. Even so the Lord purposes to glorify his mercy and justice upon a\ncertain number of persons, and for this end to give them a being, to\ngovern their falling into misery, to raise some out of it by a Mediator,\nand to leave some into it to destruction; and all this as one entire mean\nto illustrate his glorious mercy and justice. But these things themselves\nmust be done not all at once, but one before another, either as their own\nnature requires, or as he pleases. The very nature of the thing requires\nthat man be created before he sin; that he sin and fall before a Mediator\nsuffer for his sin; that he have a being before he have a glorious being;\nand that he have a sinful and miserable being, before he have this\nglorious and gracious being which may manifest the grace and mercy of God.\nBut it is the pleasure of the Lord that determines in what time and order\nChrist shall suffer, either before or after the conversion of sinners, or\nwhether sinners shall be presently instated in glory, and perfectly\ndelivered from all sin at their first conversion, or only in part during\nthis life.\n\nSeeing then this was his majesty\u2019s purpose, to make so many vessels of\nhonour, upon whom he might glorify the riches of his grace and mercy; and\nso many \u201cvessels of wrath,\u201d upon whom he might show the power of his\nanger; you may think what needed all this business of man\u2019s redemption.\nMight not God have either preserved so many as he had appointed to glory\nfrom falling into sin and misery; or at least have freely pardoned their\nsin without any satisfaction; and out of the exceeding riches of his mercy\nand power, have as well not imputed sin to them at all, as imputed their\nsins to Christ, who was not guilty? What needed his giving so many to the\nSon, and the Son\u2019s receiving them? What needed these mysteries of\nincarnation, of redemption, seeing he might have done all this simply\nwithout so much pains and expense? Why did he choose this way? Indeed,\nthat is the wonder; and if there were no more end for it, but to confound\nmortality that dare ask him what he doth, it is enough. Should he be\ncalled down to the bar of human reason, to give an account of his matters?\n\u201cWho hath known the mind of the Lord, or, being his counsellor, hath\ntaught him,\u201d that is in the depths of his unsearchable understanding, that\nhe chose to go this round, and to compass his end by such a strange\ncircuit of means, when he might have done it simply and directly without\nso much pains? Yet it is not so hidden, but he hath revealed as much as\nmay satisfy or silence all flesh. For we must consider, that his great\nproject is not simply to manifest the glory of his goodness, but of his\ngracious and merciful goodness, the most tender and excellent of all; and\ntherefore man must be miserable, sinful, and vile, that the riches of his\ngrace may appear in choosing and saving such persons. But that it may\nappear also how excellent he could make man, and how vain all created\nperfections are, being left to themselves, therefore he first made man\nrighteous, and being fallen into sin and misery, he might straightway have\nrestored him without more ado. But his purpose was to give an exact\ndemonstration of mercy, tempered and mixed with justice; and therefore he\nfinds out the satisfaction in his eternal counsel, \u201cI have found a\nransom.\u201d And so he chooses Jesus Christ to be the head of these chosen\nsouls, in whom they might be again restored unto eternal life. And these\nsouls, he, in his everlasting purpose, gives over to the Son to be\nredeemed, and these the Son receives. And thus the glory of mercy and\njustice shines most brightly, yea, more brightly, than if he had at first\npardoned. O how doth his love and mercy appear, that he will transfer our\nsins upon his holy Son, and accept that redemption for us; and his\njustice, that a redemption and price he must have, even from his Son, when\nonce he comes in the stead of sinners! And in this point do the songs of\neternity concentre.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XVI.\n\n\nOf Predestination\n\n\n    Rom. ix. 22.\u2014\u201cWhat if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make\n    his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of\n    wrath fitted to destruction.\u201d Eph. i. 11.\u2014\u201cIn whom also we have\n    obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the\n    purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own\n    will.\u201d\n\n\nWe are now upon a high subject; high indeed for an eminent apostle, much\nmore above our reach. The very consideration of God\u2019s infinite wisdom\nmight alone suffice to restrain our limited thoughts, and serve to sober\nour minds with the challenge of our own ignorance and darkness; yet the\nvain and wicked mind of man will needs quarrel with God, and enter the\nlists of disputation with him, about his righteousness and wisdom in the\ncounsel of election and reprobation: \u201cBut, O man, who art thou that\nrepliest against God, or disputest?\u201d ver. 20. This is a thing not to be\ndisputed, but believed; and if ye will believe no more than ye can\ncomprehend by sense or reason, then ye give his majesty no more credit\nthan to weak mortal man. Whatever secret thoughts do rise up in thy heart\nwhen thou hearest of God\u2019s foreordaining men to eternal life, without\nprevious foresight or consideration of their doings, and preparing men to\neternal wrath, for the praise of his justice, without previous\nconsideration of their deservings, and passing a definitive sentence upon\nthe end of all men, before they do either good or evil; whenever any\nsecret surmises rise in thy heart against this, learn to answer thus;\nenter not the lists of disputation with corrupt reason, but put in this\nbridle of the fear of God\u2019s greatness, and the consciousness of thy own\nbaseness, and labour to restrain thy undaunted and wild mind by it. Ponder\nthat well, who thou art who disputest; who God is, against whom thou\ndisputest\u2014and if thou have spoken once, thou wilt speak no more\u2014what thou\nart, who is as clay formed out of nothing; what he is, who is the former;\nand hath not the potter power over the clay? Consider but how great\nwickedness it is so much as to question him, or ask an account of his\nmatters. After you have found his will to be the cause of all things, then\nto inquire farther into a cause of his will, which is alone the self-rule\nof righteousness, is to seek something above his will, and to reduce his\nmajesty into the order of creatures. It is most abominable usurpation and\nsacrilege, for it both robs him of his royal prerogative, and instates the\nbase footstool into his throne; but know, that certainly God will overcome\nwhen he is judged, Psal. i. 6. If thou judge him, he will condemn thee; if\nthou oppugn his absolute and holy decrees, he will hold thee fast bound by\nthem to thy condemnation; he needs no other defence but to call out thy\nown conscience against thee, and bind thee over to destruction. Therefore,\nas one saith well, \u201cLet the rashness of men be restrained from seeking\nthat which is not, lest peradventure they find that which is.\u201d Seek not a\nreason of his purposes, lest peradventure thou find thy own death and\ndamnation infolded in them.\n\nPaul mentions two objections of carnal and fleshly wisdom against this\ndoctrine of election and reprobation, which indeed contain the sum of all\nthat is vented and invented even to this day, to defile the spotless truth\nof God. All the whisperings of men tend to one of these two,\u2014either to\njustify themselves, or to accuse God of unrighteousness; and shall any do\nit and be guiltless? I confess, some oppose this doctrine, not so much out\nof an intention of accusing God, as out of a preposterous and ignorant\nzeal for God; even as Job\u2019s friends did speak much for God. Nay, but it\nwas not well spoken, they did but speak wickedly for him. Some speak much\nto the defence of his righteousness and holiness, and, under pretence of\nthat plea, make it inconsistent with these to fore-ordain to life or death\nwithout the foresight of their carriage; but shall they speak wickedly for\nGod, or will he accept their person? He who looks into the secrets of the\nheart, knows the rise and bottom of such defences and apologies for his\nholiness to be partly self-love, partly narrow and limited thoughts of\nhim, drawing him down to the determinations of his own greatest enemy,\ncarnal reason. Since men will ascribe to him no righteousness, but such an\none of their own shaping, and conformed to their own model, do they not\nindeed rob him of his holiness and righteousness?\n\nI find two or three objections which may be reduced to this head. First,\nit seems unrighteousness with God, to predestinate men to eternal death,\nwithout their own evil deserving, or any forethought of it,\u2014that before\nany man had a being, God should have been in his counsel fitting so many\nto destruction. Is it not a strange mocking of the creatures, to punish\nthem for that sin and corruption, unto which by his eternal counsel they\nwere fore-ordained? This is even that which Paul objects to himself, \u201cIs\nthere unrighteousness with God?\u201d Is it not unrighteousness to hate Esau\nbefore he deserves it? Is he not unrighteous, to adjudge him to death\nbefore he do evil? ver. 14. Let Paul answer for us, \u201cGod forbid!\u201d Why,\nthere needs no more answer, but all thoughts or words which may in the\nleast reflect upon his holiness are abomination. Though we could not tell\nhow it is righteous and holy with him to do it, yet this we must hold,\nthat it is. It is his own property to comprehend the reason of his\ncounsels; it is our duty to believe what he reveals of them, without\nfarther inquiry. He tells us, that thus it is clearly in this chapter;\nthis far then we must believe. He tells us not how it is; then farther we\nshould not desire to learn. God, in keeping silence of that, may put us to\nsilence, and make us conceive that there is a depth to be admired, not\nsounded. Yet he goeth a little farther, and indeed as high as can be, to\nGod\u2019s will\u2014\u201cHe hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.\u201d\nNow, farther he cannot go, for there is nothing above this. We may descend\nfrom this but we cannot ascend, or rise above it. But is this any answer\nto the argument? A sophister could press it further, and take advantage\nfrom that very ground\u2014What! is not this to establish a mere tyranny in the\nLord, that he doeth all things of mere will and pleasure, distributes\nrewards and punishments without previous consideration of men\u2019s carriage?\nBut here we must stand, and go no farther than the scriptures walk with\nus. Whatever reasons or causes may be assigned, yet certainly we must at\nlength come up hither. All things are, because he so willed, and why\nwilled we should not ask a reason, because his will is supreme reason, and\nthe very self rule of all righteousness. Therefore if we once know his\nwill, we should presently conclude that it is most righteous and holy. If\nthat evasion of the foreknowledge of men\u2019s sins and impenitency had been\nfound solid, certainly Paul would have answered so, and not have had his\nrefuge to the absolute will and pleasure of God, which seem to perplex it\nmore. But he knew well that there could nothing of that kind, whether good\nor evil, either actually be without his will, or be to come without the\ndetermination of the same will, and so could not be foreseen without the\ncounsel of his will upon it and therefore it had been but a poor shift to\nhave refuge to that starting hole of foreknowledge, out of which he must\npresently flee to the will and pleasure of God, and so he betakes him\nstraightway to that he must hold at, and opposes that will to man\u2019s\ndoings. \u201cIt is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of\nGod that showeth mercy.\u201d If he had meant only that Jacob and Esau had\nactually done neither good or evil, he needed not return to the sanctuary\nof God\u2019s will, for still it might be said, it is of him that runs and\nwills and not of God\u2019s will as the first original, because their good and\nevil foreseen did move him to such love and hatred. It is all alike of\nworks of men, whether these works be present or to come; therefore I would\nadvise every one of you, whatever ye conceive of his judgment or mercy, if\nhe have showed mercy to you, O then rest not in thyself, but arise and\nascend till thou come to the height of his eternal free purpose! And if\nthou conceive the sin, and misery, and judgment, thou mayest go up also to\nhis holy counsels, for the glory of his name, and silence thyself with\nthem. But it shall be most expedient for thee in the thought of thy\nmiseries, to return always within, and search the corruption of thy\nnature, which may alone make thee hateful enough to God. If thou search\nthy own conscience, it will stop thy mouth, and make thee guilty before\nGod. Let not the thought of his eternal counsels diminish the conviction\nof thy guilt, or the hatred of thyself for sin and corruption, but dwell\nmore constantly upon this, because thou art called and commanded so to do.\nOne thing remains fixed,\u2014though he hath fore-ordained man to death, yet\nnone shall be damned till his conscience be forced to say, that he is\nworthy of it a thousand times.\n\nThere is another whispering and suggestion of the wicked hearts of men\nagainst the predestination of God, which insinuates that God is an\naccepter of persons, and so accuses him of partial and unrighteous\ndealing, because he deals not equally with all men. Do ye not say this\nwithin yourselves\u2014If he find all guilty, why does he not punish all? Why\ndoes he spare some? And if ye look upon all men in his first and primitive\nthought of them, as neither doing good nor evil, why does he not have\nmercy on all? But is thine eye evil because he is good? May he not do with\nhis own as he pleases? Because he is merciful to some souls, shall men be\ndispleased, and do well to be angry? Or, because he, of his own free\ngrace, extends it, shall he be bound by a rule to do so with all? Is not\nhe both just and merciful, and is it not meet that both be showed forth?\nIf he punish thee, thou canst not complain, for thou deservest it, if he\nshow mercy, why should any quarrel, for it is free and undeserved grace.\nBy saving some, he shows his grace; by destroying others, he shows what\nall deserve. God is so far from being an accepter of persons according to\ntheir qualifications and conditions, that he finds nothing in any creature\nto cast the balance of his choice. If he did choose men for their works\u2019\nsake, or outward privileges, and refuse others for the want of these, then\nit might be charged on him, but he rather goes over all these, nay, he\nfinds none of these. In his first view of men he beholds them all alike,\nand nothing to determine his mind to one more than another, so that his\nchoice proceedeth wholly from within his own breast,\u2014\u201cI will have mercy on\nwhom I will.\u201d But then, thirdly, Our hearts object against the\nrighteousness of God, that this fatal chain of predestination overturns\nall exhortations and persuasions to godliness, all care and diligence in\nwell-doing. For thus do many profane souls conceive\u2014If he be in one mind,\nwho can turn him? Then, what need I pray, since he has already determined\nwhat shall be, and what shall become of me? His purpose will take effect\nwhether I pray or pray not; my prayer will not make him change his mind,\nand if it be in his mind he will do it, if he hath appointed to save us,\nsaved we shall be, live as we list; if he hath appointed us to death, die\nwe must, live as we can. Therefore men, in this desperate estate, throw\nthemselves headlong into all manner of iniquity, and that with quietness\nand peace. Thus do many souls perish upon the stumbling-stone laid in\nZion, and wrest the truths and counsels of God to their own destruction,\neven quite contrary to their true intent and meaning. Paul, (Eph. i. 4 )\nspeaks another language\u2014\u201cHe hath chosen us in him,\u2014that we should be holy\nand without blame.\u201d His eternal counsel of life is so far from loosing the\nreins to men\u2019s lusts, that it is the only certain foundation of holiness;\nit is the very spring and fountain from whence our sanctification flows by\nan infallible course. This chain of God\u2019s counsels concerning us, hath\nalso linked together the end and the means,\u2014glory and grace,\u2014happiness and\nholiness,\u2014that there is no destroying of them. Without holiness it is\nimpossible to see God, so that those who expect the one without any desire\nof, and endeavour after the other, they are upon a vain attempt to loose\nthe links of this eternal chain. It is the only eternal choosing love of\nGod, which separated so many souls from the common misery of men. It is\nthat only which in time doth appear, and rise as it were from under\nground, in the streams or fruits of sanctification. And if the ordinance\nof life stand, so shall the ordinance of fruits, John xv. 16, Eph. ii. 10.\nIf he hath appointed thee to life, it is certain he has also ordained thee\nto fruits, and chosen thee to be holy; so that whatever soul casts by the\nstudy of this, there is too gross a brand of perdition upon its forehead.\nIt is true, all is already determined with him, and he is incapable of any\nchange, or \u201cshadow of turning.\u201d Nothing then wants, but he is in one mind\nabout it, and thy prayer cannot turn him. Yet a godly soul will pray with\nmore confidence, because it knows that as he hath determined upon all its\nwants and receipts, so he hath appointed this to be the very way of\nobtaining what it wants. This is the way of familiarity and grace. He\ntakes with his own to make them call, and he performs his purpose in\nanswer to their cry. But suppose there were nothing to be expected by\nprayer, yet I say, that is not the thing thou shouldst look to, but what\nis required of thee, as thy duty, to do that simply out of regard to his\nmajesty, though thou shouldst never profit by it. This is true obedience,\nto serve him for his own pleasure, though we had no expectation of\nadvantage by it. Certainly he doth not require thy supplications for this\nend, to move him, and incline his affections toward thee, but rather as a\ntestimony of thy homage and subjection to him; therefore, though they\ncannot make him of another mind than he is, or hasten performance before\nhis purposed time\u2014so that in reality they have no influence upon him\u2014yet\nin praying, and praying diligently, thou declarest thy obligation to him,\nand respect to his majesty, which is all thou hast to look to, committing\nthe event solely to his good pleasure.\n\nThe second objection Paul mentions, tends to justify men. \u201cWhy then doth\nhe yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?\u201d Since by his will he\nhath chained us with an inevitable necessity to sin, what can we do? Men\ncannot wrestle with him, why then doth he condemn and accuse them? \u201cBut\nwho art thou, O man, who disputest against God?\u201d As if Paul had said, thou\nart a man, and so I am, why then lookest thou for an answer from me? Let\nus rather both consider whom we speak of, whom thou accusest, and whom I\ndefend. It is God; what art thou then to charge him, or what am I so to\nclear him? Believing ignorance is better than presumptuous knowledge,\nespecially in those forbidden secrets in which it is more concerning to be\nignorant with faith and admiration, than to know with presumption. Dispute\n_thou_, O man, _I_ will wonder, reply _thou_, _I_ will believe! Doth it\nbecome thee, the clay, to speak so to thy Former, \u201cWhy hast thou made me\nthus?\u201d Let the consideration of the absolute right and dominion of God\nover us,\u2014more than any creature hath over another, yea, or over\nthemselves,\u2014let that restrain us, and keep us within bounds. He may do\nwith us what he pleaseth, for his own honour and praise, but it is his\nwill that we should leave all the blame to ourselves, and rather behold\nthe evident cause of our destruction in our sin, which is nearer us, than\nto search into a secret and incomprehensible cause in God\u2019s counsel.\n\n\n\n\n                              Lecture XVII.\n\n\nOf Creation\n\n\n    Heb. xi. 3.\u2014\u201cThrough faith we understand that the worlds were\n    framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not\n    made of things which do appear.\u201d\u2014Gen. i. 1. \u201cIn the beginning God\n    created the heaven and the earth.\u201d\n\n\nWe are come down from the Lord\u2019s purposes and decrees to the execution of\nthem, which is partly in the works of creation and partly in the works of\nprovidence. The Lord having resolved upon it to manifest his own glory did\nin that due and predeterminate time apply his own power to this business.\nHaving in great wisdom conceived a frame of the world in his mind from all\neternity, he at length brings it forth, and makes it visible. We shall not\ninsist upon the particular story of it, as it is set down in general, but\nonly point at some things for our instruction.\n\nFirst, Ye see who is the Maker of all things, of whom all things visible\nand invisible are\u2014it is God. And by this he useth to distinguish himself\nfrom idols and the vanities of the nations, that he is that self being who\ngave all things a being, who made the heavens and the earth. This is even\nthe most glorious manifestation of an invisible and eternal Being. These\nthings that are made, show him forth. If a man were travelling into a far\ncountry, and wandered into a wilderness where he could see no inhabitants\nbut only houses, villages and cities built, he would straightway conceive\nthere hath been some workmen at this; this hath not been done casually but\nby the art of some reasonable creatures. How much more may we conceive\nwhen we look on the fabric of this world\u2014how the heavens are stretched out\nfor a tent to cover them that dwell on the earth, and the earth settled\nand established as a firm foundation for men and living creatures to abide\non\u2014how all are done in wisdom and discretion\u2014we cannot but straightway\nimagine that there must be some curious and wise contriver, and mighty\ncreator of these things. It is here said \u201cThrough faith we understand that\nthe worlds were framed.\u201d Indeed faith only in the word of God, gives true\nand distinct understanding of it. Innumerable have been the wanderings and\nmistakes of the wise of the world about this matter, wanting this lamp and\nlight of the word of God, which alone gives a true and perfect account of\nthis thing. Many strange dotages and fancies have they fallen into; yet\ncertain it is that there is so much of the glory of God engraven without\non the creature, and so much reason imprinted on the souls of men within,\nthat, if it were not for that judicial plague of the Lord\u2019s darkening\ntheir understandings, who do not glorify him in as far as they know him,\nno man could seriously and soberly consider on the visible world, but he\nwould be constrained to conceive an invisible God. Would not every one\nthink within himself\u2014all these things, so excellent as they are, cannot be\nout of chance, neither could they make themselves, so that of necessity\nthey must owe what they are to something beside themselves? And of this it\nis certain, that it cannot have its original from any other thing, else\nthere should be no end; therefore it must be some Supreme Being, that is\nfrom no other, and of which are all things.\n\nBut next, consider when these things were made\u2014\u201cIn the beginning.\u201d And\nwhat beginning is that? Certainly the beginning of the creation, and of\ntime, to exclude eternity. Whatever may be said of that subtilty, that God\nmight have created the world from all eternity, for it appears, even in\ncreated things, that there is no necessity of the precedent existence of\nthe cause, since in the same instant that many things are brought into\nbeing, in the same do they bring forth their effects, as the sun in the\nfirst instant of its creation did illuminate, yet certainly we believe,\nfrom the word of the Lord, that the world is actually but of a few\nthousand years standing. Six are not yet run out since the first creating\nword was spoken, and since the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the waters.\nAnd this we know also, that if it had pleased his majesty, he might have\ncreated the world many thousand years before that so that it might have\nbeen at this day of ten hundred times ten thousand years standing, and he\nmight have given it as many years as there are numbers of men and angels,\nbeasts yea, and pickles(149) of sand upon the sea coast. But it was his\ngood pleasure that that very point of time in which it was created should\nbe the beginning of time; and from that he gives us a history of the\nworld, upon which the church of God may rest, and so seek no other god but\nthe God that made these heavens and earth.\n\nThis will not satisfy the ungodly curiosity and vanity of men\u2019s spirits,\nwho will reproach the Maker for not applying sooner to his work, and\nsitting idle such an immeasurable space of eternity. Men wonder what he\ncould be doing all that time, if we may call it _time_ which hath no\nbeginning, and how he was employed. I beseech you, restrain such thoughts\nin you with the fear of his glorious and incomprehensible majesty who\ngives no account of his matters! It is enough that this is his good\npleasure to begin then, and he conceals his reasons, to prove the sobriety\nof our faith, that all men may learn an absolute and simple stooping to\nhis majesty\u2019s pleasure. Remember that which a godly man answered some\nwanton curious wit, who in scorn demanded the same of him\u2014\u201cHe was\npreparing hell for curious and proud fools,\u201d said he. Let us then keep our\nhearts as with a bridle, and repress their boundless wanderings within\nbounds, lest we, by looking upward, before the beginning of the world, to\nsee what God was doing, fall headlong into the eternal pit of destruction,\nand into the hands of the living God. God hath shown himself marvellously\nthese six thousand years in the upholding this world. If we did consider\nthese continued and repeated testimonies of his glory, we should be\noverwhelmed with what we find, though we search no farther. And suppose we\nwould please ourselves to imagine that it had been created many years\nbefore, yet that doth not silence and stop the insolence of men\u2019s minds,\nfor it always might be inquired, what the Lord was doing before that time.\nFor eternity is as immensurable before those multiplied thousands of years\nas before naked six. Let our imagination sit down to subtract from\neternity as many thousands as it can multiply by all the varieties and\nnumbers in the world, yet there is nothing abated from eternity.(150) It\nis as infinite in extent before that, as before the present six thousand,\nand yet we may conceive that the Lord hath purposed in the beginning of\nthe world to declare more manifestly to our understanding his eternity,\nhis self sufficiency, and liberty,\u2014his eternity, that when we hear of how\nshort standing the creature is, we may go upward to God himself, and his\neverlasting being, before the foundations of it were laid, may shine forth\nmore brightly to our admiration, when we can stretch our conceptions so\nimmensurably as far beyond the beginning of the world; and yet God is\nstill beyond the utmost reach of our imagination,\u2014for who can find out the\nbeginning of that which hath not a beginning to be found out,\u2014and our most\nextended apprehensions fall infinitely short of the days of the Ancient of\ndays. O how glorious, then, must his being be, and how boundless! His\nself-sufficiency and perfection doth herein appear, that from such an\ninconceivable space he was as perfect and blessed in himself as now. The\ncreatures add nothing to his perfection or satisfaction. He was as\nwell-pleased with his own all-comprehending being, and with the very\nthought and purpose of making this world, as now he is when it is made.\nThe idea of it in his mind gave him as great contentment as the work\nitself when it is done! O, to conceive this aright,\u2014it would fill a soul\nwith astonishing and ravishing thoughts of his blessedness! Poor men weary\nif they be not one way or other employed without; so indigent are all\ncreatures at home, that they would weary if they went not abroad without\nthemselves. But to think how absolutely God is well-pleased with himself,\nand how all imaginable perfections can add nothing to his eternal\nself-complacency and delight in his own being, it would certainly ravish a\nsoul to delight in God also. And as his self-sufficiency doth herein\nappear, so his liberty and freedom is likewise manifested in it. If the\nworld had been eternal, who would have thought that it was free for his\nmajesty to make it or not, but that it had flowed from his glorious being\nwith as natural and necessary a resistance as light from the body of the\nsun? But now it appears to all men, that for his pleasure they are made,\nand we are created; that it was simply the free and absolute motion of his\nwill that gave a being to all things, which he could withhold at his\npleasure or so long as he pleased.\n\nThirdly, We have it to consider in what condition he made all these\nthings, \u201cvery good;\u201d and that to declare his goodness and wisdom. The\ncreature may well be called a large volume, extended and spread out before\nthe eyes of all men, to be seen and read of all. It is certain, if these\nthings,\u2014all of them in their orders and harmonies, or any of them in their\nbeings and qualities,\u2014were considered in relation to God\u2019s majesty, they\nwould teach and instruct both the fool and the wise man in the knowledge\nof God. How many impressions hath he made in the creatures, which reflect\nupon any seeing eye the very image of God! To consider of what a vast and\nhuge frame the heavens and the earth are, and yet but one throne to his\nmajesty, the footstool whereof is this earth, wherein vain men erect many\npalaces; to consider what a multitude of creatures, what variety of fowls\nin the heaven, and what multiplicity of beasts upon the earth, what hosts,\nas Moses speaks (Gen. ii. 1,) and yet that none of them all are useless,\nbut all of them have some special ends and purposes they serve for, so\nthat there is no discord nor disorder, nor superfluity nor want in all\nthis monarchy of the world: all of them conspire together in such a\ndiscord, or disagreeing harmony, to one great purpose,\u2014to declare the\nwisdom of him who \u201cmade every thing beautiful in its time,\u201d and every\nthing most fit and apposite for the use it was created for; so that the\nwhole earth is full of his goodness. He makes every creature good one to\nanother, to supply one another\u2019s necessities; and then, notwithstanding of\nso many different natures and dispositions between elements, and things\ncomposed of them, yet all these contrarieties have such a commixion, and\nare so moderated by supreme art, that they make up jointly one excellent\nand sweet harmony or beautiful proportion in the world. O how wise must he\nbe who alone contrived it all! We can do nothing except we have some\npattern or copy before us; but now, upon this ground which God hath laid,\nman may fancy many superstructures. But when he stretched out the heaven,\nand laid the foundation of the earth, \u201cwho, being his counsellor, taught\nhim?\u201d At whom did his Spirit take counsel? Certainly, none of all these\nthings would have entered into the heart of man to consider or contrive,\nIsa. xl. 12, 13. Some ruder spirits do gaze upon the huge and prodigious\npieces of the creation, as whales and elephants, &c.; but a wise Solomon\nwill go to the school of the ant to learn the wisdom of God, and choose\nout such a simple and mean creature for the object of his admiration.\nCertainly, there are wonders in the smallest and most inconsiderable\ncreatures which faith can contemplate. O the curious ingenuity and draught\nof the finger of God, in the composition of flies, bees, flowers, &c. Men\nordinarily admire more some extraordinary things; but the truth is, the\nwhole course of nature is one continued wonder, and that greater than any\nof the Lord\u2019s works without the line. The straight and regular line of the\nwisdom of God, who, in one constant course and tenor, hath ordained the\nactions of all his creatures, comprehends more wonders and mysteries, as\nthe course of the sun, the motion of the sea, the hanging of the earth in\nthe empty place upon nothing. These, we say, are the wonders indeed, and\ncomprehend something in them which all the wonders of Egypt and the\nwilderness cannot parallel. But it is the stupid security of men, that are\nonly awakened by some new and unusual passages of God\u2019s works beyond that\nstraight line of nature.\n\nThen, fourthly, Look upon the power of God in making all of nothing, which\nis expressed here in Heb. xi. There is no artificer but he must have\nmatter, or his art will fail him, and he can do nothing. The mason must\nhave timber and stones laid to his hand, or he cannot build a house; the\ngoldsmith must have gold or silver ere he can make a cup or a ring. Take\nthe most curious and quick inventor of them all,\u2014they must have some\nmatter to work upon, or their knowledge is no better than ignorance. All\nthat they can do is, to give some shape or form, or to fashion that in\nsome new model which had a being before. So that, whatever men have done\nin the world, their works are all made up of those things which appear,\nand art and skill to form and fashion that excellently which before was in\nanother mould and fashion. But he needs not sit idle for want of\nmaterials, because he can make his materials; and therefore, in the\nbeginning he made heaven and earth, not as they now are, but he made first\nthe matter and substance of this universe, but it was as yet a rude and\nconfused chaos or mass, all in one lump, without difference. But then his\nmajesty shows his wisdom and art, his excellent invention, in the\nfollowing days of the creation, in ordering and beautifying and forming\nthe world as it is, and that his power might be the more known; for how\neasy is it for him to do all this? There needs no more for it but a\nword,\u2014let it be, and it is. \u201cHe spake, and it was done; he commanded, and\nit stood fast.\u201d Not a word pronounced, and audibly composed of letters and\nsyllables\u2014mistake it not so\u2014but a word inwardly formed, as it were, in his\ninfinite Spirit. Even the inclination and beck of his will suffices for\nhis great work. Ye see what labour and pains we have in our business,\u2014how\nwe toil and sweat about it,\u2014what wrestlings and strivings in all things we\ndo; but behold what a great work is done without pain and travail? It is a\nlaborious thing to travel through a parcel of this earth, which is yet but\nas the point of the universe; it is troublesome to lift or carry a little\npiece of stone or clay; it is a toil even to look upward and number the\nstars of heaven. But it was no toil, no difficult thing to his majesty, to\nstretch out these heavens in such an infinite compass; for as large as the\ncircumference of them is, yet it is as easy to him to compass them, as it\nis to us to span a finger-length or two. It is no difficulty to him to\ntake up hills and mountains as \u201cthe dust of the balance,\u201d in his hand, and\nweigh them in scales. Hath he not chained the vast and huge mass of the\nweighty earth and sea, in the midst of the empty place, without a\nsupporter, without foundations or pillars? He hangeth it on nothing. What\nis it, I pray you, that supports the clouds? Who is it that binds up their\nwaters in such a way that the clouds are not rent under them, even though\nthere be more abundance of water in them than is in all the rivers and\nwaters round about us? Job xxvi. 7, 8. Who is it that restrains and sets\nbounds to the sea, that the waters thereof, though they roar, yet do not\noverflow the land, but this almighty Jehovah, whose decree and commandment\nis the very compass, the bulwark over which they cannot flow? And all this\nhe doth with more facility than men can speak. If there were a creature\nthat could do all things by speaking, that were a strange power. But yet\nthat creature might be wearied of speaking much. But he speaks, and it is\ndone. His word is a creating word of power, which makes things that are\nnot to be, and there is no wearying of him besides, for he is almighty and\ncannot faint. But why then did he take six days for his work? Might he not\nwith one word of his power have commanded this world to issue out of his\nomnipotent virtue thus perfect as it is? What needed all this compass? Why\ntook he six days, who in a moment could have done it all with as much\nfacility? Indeed herein the Lord would have us to adore his wisdom as well\nas his power. He proceeds from more imperfect things to more perfect;\u2014from\na confused chaos to a beautiful world,\u2014from motion to rest,\u2014to teach man\nto walk through this wilderness and valley of tears, this shapeless world,\ninto a more beautiful habitation; through the tossings of time, into an\neternal sabbath of rest, whither their works shall follow them, and they\nshall rest from their labours. He would teach us to take a steadfast look\nof his work, and that we should be busied all the days of our pilgrimage\nand sojourning in the consideration of the glorious characters of God upon\nthe works of his hands. We see that it is but passing looks and glances of\nGod\u2019s glory we take in the creatures; but the Lord would have us to make\nit our work and business all the week through, as it was his to make them.\nHe would in this teach us his loving care of men, who would not create man\ntill he had made for him so glorious a house, replenished with all good\nthings. It had been a darksome and irksome life to have lived in the first\nchaos without light, but he hath stretched over him the heavens as his\ntent, and set lights in them to distinguish times and seasons, and\nordained the waters their proper bounds and peculiar channels, and then\nmaketh the earth to bring forth all manner of fruit, and when all is thus\ndisposed, then he creates man. To this God, the Maker of heaven and earth,\nbe glory and praise.\n\n\n\n\n                              Lecture XVIII.\n\n\nOf Creation\n\n\n    Heb. xi. 3.\u2014\u201cThrough faith we understand that the worlds were\n    framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not\n    made of things which do appear.\u201d\u2014Heb. i. 14.\u2014\u201cAre they not all\n    ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be\n    heirs of salvation?\u201d\n\n\nThere is nothing more generally known than this, that God at the beginning\nmade the heaven and the earth, and all the host of them, the upper or the\ncelestial, the lower or sublunary world. But yet there is nothing so\nlittle believed or laid to heart. \u201cThrough faith we understand that the\nworlds were framed.\u201d It is one of the first articles of the creed,\nindeed,\u2014\u201cFather, almighty Maker of heaven and earth.\u201d But I fear that\ncreed is not written in the tables of flesh, that is, the heart. There is\na twofold mistake among men about the point of believing. Some, and the\ncommoner sort, do think it is no other than simply to know such a thing,\nand not to question it, to hear it, and not to contradict it, or object\nagainst it, therefore they do flatter themselves in their own eyes, and do\naccount themselves to have faith in God, because they can say over all the\narticles of their belief. They think the word is true, and they never\ndoubted of it. But, I beseech you, consider how greatly you mistake a main\nmatter of weighty concernment. If you will search it, as before the Lord,\nyou will find you have no other belief of these things than children use\nto have, whom you teach to think or say any thing. There is no other\nground of your not questioning these truths of the gospel, but because you\nnever consider them, and so they pass for current. Do not deceive\nyourselves, \u201cwith the heart man believes.\u201d It is a heart-business, a soul\nmatter, no light and useless opinion, or empty expression, which you have\nlearned from a child. You say, you believe in God, the Maker of heaven and\nearth, and so say children, who doubt no more of it than you, and yet in\nsadness they do not retire within their own hearts, to think what an One\nhe is. They do not remember him in the works of his hands. There is no\nmore remembrance of that true God than if no such thing were known. So it\nis among you,\u2014you would think we wronged you if we said, ye believed not\nthat God made the world, and yet certainly, all men have not this faith,\nwhereby they understand truly in their heart, the power and wisdom and\ngoodness of God appearing in it, that is the gift of God, only given to\nthem that shall be saved. If I should say, that you believe not the most\ncommon principles of religion, you will think it hard, and yet there is no\ndoubt of it, that the most common truths are least believed. And the\nreason is plain, because men have learned them by tongue, and there is\nnone that question them, and therefore, very few ever, in sadness and in\nearnest, consider of them. You say that God made heaven and earth, but how\noften do ye think on that God? And how often do you think on him with\nadmiration? Do ye at all wonder at the glory of God when ye gaze on his\nworks? Is not this volume always obversant before your eyes\u2014every thing\nshowing and declaring this glorious Maker? Yet who is it that taketh more\nnotice of him than if he were not at all? Such is the general stupidity of\nmen, that they never ponder and digest these things in their heart, till\ntheir soul receive the stamp of the glory and greatness of the invisible\nGod, which shines most brightly in those things that are visible, and be\nin some measure transformed in their minds, and conformed to those\nglorious appearances of him, which are engraven in great characters in all\nthat do at all appear. There is another mistake peculiar to some,\nespecially the Lord\u2019s people, that they think faith is limited to some few\nparticular and more unknown and hidden truths and mysteries of the gospel.\nYe think that it is only true believing, to embrace some special gospel\ntruths, which the multitude of people know nothing of, as the tenor of the\ncovenants of grace and works, &c. And for other common principles of God\u2019s\nmaking and ruling the world, you think that a common thing to believe\nthem. But, saith the apostle, \u201cthrough faith we understand that the worlds\nwere framed.\u201d It is that same faith spoken of in the end of the 10th\nchapter, by which the \u201cjust shall live.\u201d So then, here is a point of\nsaving faith, to believe with the heart in God, the Creator and Father\nAlmighty, to take a view of God\u2019s almighty power, and sufficient goodness\nand infinite wisdom, shining in the fabric of the world, and that with\ndelight and admiration at such a glorious fountain being; to rise up to\nhis majesty by the degrees of his creatures. This is the climbing and\naspiring nature of faith. You see how much those saints in the Old\nTestament were in this and certainly they had more excellent and beseeming\nthoughts of God than we. It should make Christians ashamed, that both\nheathens, who had no other book opened to them but that of nature, did\nread it more diligently than we, and that the saints of old, who had not\nsuch a plain testimony of God as we now have, did yet learn more out of\nthe book of the creature than we do both out of it and the scriptures. We\nlook on all things with such a careless eye, and do not observe what may\nbe found of God in them. I think, verily, there are many Christians, and\nministers of the gospel, who do not ascend into those high and ravishing\nthoughts of God, in his being and working, as would become even mere\nnaturalists. How little can they speak of his majesty, or think as it\nbecomes his transcendent glory! There is little in sermons or discourses\nthat holds out any singular admiring thoughts of a Deity, but in all these\nwe are as common and careless as if he were an idol.\n\nIt is not in vain that it is expressed thus: \u201cthrough faith we know that\nthe worlds were framed.\u201d For certainly the firm believing and pondering of\nthis one truth would be of great moment and use to a Christian in all his\njourney. You may observe in what stead it is to the saints in scripture\nthis raises up a soul to high thoughts, and suitable conceptions of his\nglorious name, and so conforms the worship of his majesty unto his\nexcellency. It puts the stamp of divinity upon it, and spiritualizes the\nthoughts and affections, so as to put a true difference between the true\nGod, and the gods that made not the heavens and the earth. Alas! the\nworship of many Christians speaks out no diviner or higher object than a\ncreature, it is so cold, so formal and empty, so vain and wandering. There\nis no more respect testified unto him, than we would give unto some\neminent person. You find in the scripture how the strain of the saints\u2019\naffections and devotion rises, when they take up God in his absolute\nsupremacy above the creatures, and look on him as the alone fountain of\nall that is worth the name of perfection in them. A soul in that\nconsideration cannot choose but assign unto him the most eminent seat in\nthe heart, and gather those affections which are scattered after the\ncreatures, into one channel, to pour them out on him who is all in all,\nand hath all that which is lovely in the creatures in an eminent degree.\nTherefore know what you are formed for,\u2014to show forth his praise, to\ngather and take up from the creatures all the fruits of his praise, and\noffer them up to his majesty. This was the end of man, and this is the end\nof a Christian. You are made for this, and you were redeemed for this, to\nread upon the volumes of his works and word, and from thence extract songs\nof praise to his majesty.\n\nAs this would be of great moment to the right worshipping of God, and to\nthe exercise of true holiness, so it is most effectual to the establishing\nof a soul in the confidence of the promises of God. When a soul by faith\nunderstands the world was made by God, then it relies with confidence upon\nthat same word of God, as a word of power, and hopes against hope. There\nare many things in the Christian\u2019s way betwixt him and glory, which look\nas insuperable. Thou art often emptied into nothing, and stripped naked of\nall encouragements, and there is nothing remaining but the word of God\u2019s\npromises to thee and to the church, which seems contrary to sense and\nreason. Now, I say, if thou do indeed believe that the world was made by\nGod, then out of all question thou mayest silence all thy fears with this\none thought\u2014God created this whole frame out of nothing, he commanded the\nlight to shine out of darkness then certainly he can give a being to his\nown promises. Is not his word of promise as sure and effectual as his word\nof command? This is the grand encouragement of the church, both offered by\nGod, from Isa. chap. xl., and made use of by his saints, as David,\nHezekiah, &c. What is it would disquiet a soul if it were reposed on this\nrock of creating power and faithfulness? This would always sound in its\nears,\u2014\u201cFaint not, weary not, Jacob, I am God, and none else. The portion\nof Jacob is not like others.\u201d Be it inward or outward\ndifficulties,\u2014suppose hell and earth combined together,\u2014let all the\nenemies of a soul, or of the church assemble,\u2014here is one for all. The God\nthat made the heaven and the earth can speak, and it is done, command, and\nit stands fast! He creates peace, and who then can make trouble, when he\ngives quietness to a nation, or to a person? Almighty power works in\nsaints, and for saints. Let us trust in him.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XIX.\n\n\nOf The Creation 0f Man\n\n\n    Gen. i. 26, 27.\u2014\u201cAnd God said, Let us make man in our image, after\n    our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,\n    and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all\n    the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the\n    earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God\n    created he him, male and female created he them.\u201d\u2014With Eph. iv.\n    24.\u2014\u201cAnd that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in\n    righteousness and true holiness.\u201d\u2014And Heb. iii. 10.\u2014\u201cWherefore I\n    was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in\n    their heart, and they have not known my ways.\u201d\n\n\nWhile we descend from the meditation of the glory of God shining in the\nheavens, in sun, moon, and stars, unto the consideration of the Lord\u2019s\nframing of man after this manner, we may fall into admiration with the\nPsalmist, (Psal. viii.) \u201cLord, what is man that thou art mindful of him?\nand the son of man, that thou visitest him?\u201d It might indeed drown us in\nwonder, and astonish us, to think what special notice he hath taken of\nsuch a creature from the very beginning, and put more respect upon him\nthan upon all the more excellent works of his hands. You find here the\ncreation of man expressed in other terms than were used before. He said,\n\u201cLet there be light,\u201d and it was, \u201clet there be dry land,\u201d &c. But it is\nnot such a simple word as that, but \u201clet us make man in our image,\u201d as if\nGod had called a consultation about it. What! was there any more\ndifficulty in this than in the rest of his works? Needed he any advisement\nabout his frame and constitution? No certainly, for there was as great\nwork of power, as curious pieces of art and wisdom, which were instantly\ndone upon his word. He is not a man that he should advise or consult. As\nthere is no difficulty nor impediment in the way of his power,\u2014he doth all\nthat he pleases, _ad nutum_, at his very word or nod, so easy are\nimpossibilities to him,\u2014so there is nothing hard to his wisdom, no knot\nbut it can loose, nothing so curious or exquisite but he can as curiously\ncontrive it, as the most common and gross pieces of the creation, and\ntherefore, \u201che is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.\u201d But ye\nhave here expressed, as it were, a counsel of the holy and blessed Trinity\nabout man\u2019s creation, to signify to us what peculiar respect he puts upon\nthat creature, and what special notice he takes of us, that of his own\nfree purpose and good pleasure he was to single and choose out man from\namong all other creatures, for the more eminent demonstration of his\nglorious attributes of grace, mercy, and justice upon him, and likewise to\npoint out the excellency that God did stamp upon man in his creation\nbeyond the rest of the creatures, as the apostle shows the excellency of\nChrist above angels, \u201cTo which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art\nmy son?\u201d Heb. i. 5. So we may say, of which of the creatures said he at\nany time, \u201cCome, let us make them in our image after our likeness?\u201d O how\nshould this make us listen to hear, earnest to know what man once was, how\nmagnified of God, and set above the works of his hands? There is a great\ndesire in men to search into their original, and to trace backward the\ndark footsteps of antiquity, especially if they be put in expectation of\nattaining any honourable or memorable extraction? How will men love to\nhear of the worth of their ancestors? But what a stupidity doth possess\nthe most part, in relation to the high fountain and head of all, that they\ndo not aim so high as Adam, to know the very estate of human nature? Hence\nit is that the most part of people lie still astonished, or rather stupid\nand senseless, after this great fall of man, because they never look\nupward to the place and dignity from whence man did fall. It is certain,\nyou will never rightly understand yourselves or what you are, till ye know\nfirst what man was made. You cannot imagine what your present misery is,\ntill you once know what that felicity was in which man was made,\u2014\u201clet us\nmake man in our image.\u201d Some have called man \u03bc\u03b9\u03ba\u03c1\u03bf\u03ba\u03bf\u03c3\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 \u201ca little world,\u201d\na compend of the world, because he hath heaven and earth as it were\nmarried together in him\u2014two most remote and distant natures, the dust of\nthe earth, and the immortal spirit, which is called the breath of God,\nsweetly linked and conjoined together, with a disposition and inclination\none to another. The Lord was in this piece of workmanship as it were to\ngive a narrow and short compend of all his works, and so did associate in\none piece with marvellous wisdom, being, living, moving, sense and reason,\nwhich are scattered abroad in the other creatures, so that a man carries\nthese wonders about with him, which he admires without him. At his bare\nand simple word, this huge frame of the world started out of nothing, but\nin this, he acts the part of a cunning artificer,\u2014\u201cLet us make man.\u201d He\nmakes rather than creates, first raises the walls of flesh, builds the\nhouse of the body with all its organs, all its rooms, and then he puts in\na noble and divine guest to dwell in it. He breathes in it the breath of\nlife. He incloses as it were an angel within it, and marries these\ntogether in the most admirable union and communion that can be imagined,\nso that they make up one man.\n\nBut that which the Lord looks most into in this work, and would have us\nmost to consider, is that image of himself that he did imprint on\nman,\u2014\u201cLet us make man in our own image.\u201d There was no creature but it had\nsome engravings of God upon it, some curious draughts and lineaments of\nhis power, wisdom, and goodness upon it, and therefore the heavens are\nsaid to show forth his glory, &c. But whatever they have, it is but the\nlower part of that image, some dark shadows and resemblances of him, but\nthat which is the last of his works, he makes it according to his own\nimage, _tanquam ab ultima manu_. He therein gives out himself to he read\nand seen of all men as in a glass. Other creatures are made as it were\naccording to the similitude of his footstep,\u2014_ad similitudinem\nvestigii_,\u2014but man _ad similitudinem faciei_,\u2014according to the likeness of\nhis face,\u2014\u201cin our image, after our likeness.\u201d It is true there is only\nJesus Christ his Son, who is \u201cthe brightness of his glory, and the express\nsubstantial image of his person,\u201d who resembles him perfectly and\nthoroughly in all properties, so that he is _alter idem_, another self\nboth in nature, properties, and operations,\u2014so like him that he is one\nwith him, so that it is rather an _oneness_, than a likeness. But man he\ncreated according to his own image, and gave him to have some likeness to\nhimself,\u2014likeness I say, not _sameness_ or _oneness_. That is high indeed,\nto be like God. The notion and expression of it imports some strange\nthing. How could man be like God, who is infinite, incomprehensible, whose\nglory is not communicable to another? It is true, indeed, in those\nincommunicable properties he hath not only no equal, but none to liken\nhim. In these he is to be adored, and admired as infinitely transcending\nall created perfections and conceptions, But yet in others he has been\npleased to hold forth himself to be imitated and followed. And that this\nmight be done, he first stamps them upon man in his first moulding of him.\nAnd if ye would know what these are particularly, the apostle expresses\nthem, \u201cin knowledge,\u201d (Col. iii. 10) \u201cin righteousness and true holiness,\u201d\nEph. iv. 21. This is the \u201cimage of him who created him,\u201d which the Creator\nstamped on man, that he might seek him, and set him apart for himself to\nkeep communion with him, and to bless him. There is a spirit given to man\nwith a capacity to know and to will, and here is a draught and lineament\nof God\u2019s face which is not engraven on any sensitive creature. It is one\nof the most noble and excellent operations of life, in which a man is most\nabove beasts, to reflect upon himself and to know himself and his Creator.\nThere are natural instincts given to other things, natural propensions to\nthose things that are convenient to their own nature, but none of them\nhave so much as a capacity to know what they are, or what they have. They\ncannot frame a notion of him who gave them a being but are only\nproportionate to the discerning of some sensible things, and can reach no\nfurther. He hath limited the eye within colours and light, he hath set a\nbound to the ear that it cannot act without sounds, and so to every sense\nhe hath assigned its own proper stanse, in which it moves. But he teaches\nman knowledge, and he enlarges the sphere of his understanding beyond\nvisible or sensible things to things invisible,\u2014to spirits. And this\ncapacity he has put in the soul,\u2014to know all things, and itself among the\nrest. The eye discerns light, but sees not itself, but he gives a spirit\nto man to know himself and his God. And then there is a willing power in\nthe soul, by which it diffuses itself towards any thing that is conceived\nas good, the understanding directing, and the will commanding according to\nits direction, and then the whole faculties and senses obeying such\ncommands, which makes up an excellent draught of the image of God. There\nwas a sweet proportion and harmony in Adam, all was in due place and\nsubordination. The motions of immortal man did begin within. The lamp of\nreason did shine and give light to it, and till that went before, there\nwas no stirring, no choosing, no refusing, and when reason\u2014which was one\nsparkle of the divine nature, or a ray of God\u2019s light reflected into the\nsoul of man,\u2014when once that did appear to the discerning of good and evil\nthis power was in the soul, to apply the whole man accordingly, to choose\nthe good and refuse the evil. It had not been a lively resemblance of God\nto have a power of knowing and willing simply, unless these had been\nbeautified and adorned with supernatural and divine graces of spiritual\nlight and holiness and righteousness. These make up the lively colour, and\ncomplete the image of God upon the soul.\n\nThere was a divine light which did shine in upon the understanding, ever\ntill sin interposed and eclipsed it, and from the light of God\u2019s\ncountenance did the sweet heat and warmness of holiness and uprightness in\nthe affections proceed, so that there was nothing but purity and cleanness\nin the soul, no darkness of ignorance, no muddiness of carnal affections,\nbut the soul pure and transparent, to receive the refreshing and\nenlightening rays of God\u2019s glorious countenance. And this was the very\nface and beauty of the soul. It is that only that is the beauty and\nexcellency of the creature,\u2014conformity to God. And this was throughout, in\nunderstanding and affections, the understanding conformed to his\nunderstanding, discerning between good and evil. And conformed it behoved\nto be, for it was but a ray of that sun, a stream of that fountain of\nwisdom, and a light derived from that primitive light of God\u2019s\nunderstanding. And then the will did sympathize as much with his will,\napproving and choosing what he approved, and refusing that which he hated\n_Idem velle atque nolle, ea demum firma amicitia est_.(151) That was the\nconjunction, and it was more strict than any tie among men. There were not\ntwo wills, they were, as it were, one. The love of God reflecting into the\nsoul, did, as it were, carry the soul back again unto him, and that was\nthe conforming principle which fashioned the whole man without and within,\nto his likeness and to his obedience. Thus man was formed for communion\nwith God, this likeness behoved to be, or they could not join as friends.\n\nBut now this calls us to a sad meditation, to think from whence we have\nfallen, and so how great our fall is. To fall from such a blessed estate,\nthat must be great misery! Satan hath spoiled us of our rich treasure,\nthat glorious image of holiness, and hath drawn upon our souls the very\nvisage of hell, the lineaments of his hellish countenance. But the most\npart of men lie stupid, insensible of any thing, as beasts that are felled\nwith their fall, that can neither find pain nor rise. If we could but\nreturn and consider what are all those sad and woful consequences of sin\nin the world,\u2014what a strange distemper it hath put in the creation,\u2014what\nmiseries that one fall hath brought on all mankind,\u2014I am sure by these\nbruises we might conjecture what a strange fall it hath been. Sin did\ninterpose between God and us, and this darkened our souls and killed them.\nThe light of knowledge was put out, and the life of holiness extinguished,\nand now there remains nothing of all that stately building, but some ruins\nof common principles of reason and honesty engraven on all men\u2019s\nconsciences, which may show unto us what the building hath been. We have\nfallen from holiness, and so from happiness. Our souls are deformed and\ndefiled. You see what an ill favoured thing it is, to see a child wanting\nany members. O if sin were visible, how ugly would the shape of the soul\nbe to us, since it lost the very proportion and visage of it, that is,\nGod\u2019s image! Let us consider this doctrine, that we may know from whence\nwe have fallen, and into what a gulf of sin and misery we have fallen,\nthat the news of Jesus Christ, a Mediator and Redeemer of fallen man, may\nbe sweet unto us. Thus it pleased the lord to let his image be marred and\nquite spoiled in us, for he had this design to repair it and renew it\nbetter than of old, and for this end he hath created Christ according to\nhis image. He hath stamped that image of holiness upon his flesh to be a\npattern,\u2014and not only so, but a pledge also,\u2014of restoring such souls as\nflee unto him for refuge, unto that primitive glory and excellency. Know\nthen, that he hath made his Son like unto us, that we might again be made\nlike unto him. He said, let one of us be made man, in the counsel of\nredemption, that so it might again be said, let man be made like unto us,\nin our image. It is a second creation must do it, and O that you would\nlook upon your hearts to inquire if it be framed in you! Certainly you\nmust again be created into that image if you belong to Christ. To him be\npraise and glory.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XX.\n\n\nGod\u2019s Works Of Providence\n\n\n    Rom. xi. 36.\u2014\u201cFor of him, and through him, and to him are all\n    things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen.\u201d\u2014Psal. ciii. 19.\u2014\u201cThe\n    Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens and his kingdom\n    ruleth over all.\u201d\u2014Matt. x. 29.\u2014\u201cAre not two sparrows sold for a\n    farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without\n    your Father.\u201d\n\n\nThere is nothing more commonly confessed in words, than that the\nprovidence of God reaches to all the creatures and their actions, but I\nbelieve there is no point of religion so superficially and slightly\nconsidered by the most part of men. The most part ponder none of these\ndivine truths. There is nothing above their senses which is the subject of\ntheir meditations. And for the children of God, I fear many do give such\ntruths of God too common and coarse entertainment in their minds. I know\nnot what we are taken up with in this age,\u2014with some particular truths\nmore remote from the knowledge of others in former times, or some\nparticular cases concerning ourselves? You will find the most part of\nChristians stretch not their thoughts beyond their own conditions or\ninterests, or some particular questions about faith and repentance, &c.\nAnd in the mean time the most weighty points of religion, which have been\nthe subject of the meditation and admiration of saints in all ages, are\nwholly laid aside through a misapprehension of their commonness as if a\nman would despise the sun and the air, and prefer some rare piece of stone\nor timber to them. Certainly, as in the disposal of the world, the Lord\nhath in great wisdom and goodness made the most needful and useful things\nmost common\u2014those without which man cannot live are always obvious to us,\nso that if any thing be more rare, it is not necessary\u2014so in this universe\nof religion, he in mercy and wisdom hath so framed all, that those points\nof truth and belief which are most near the substance of salvation and\nnecessary to it, and most fit to exercise us in true godliness,\u2014 these are\neverywhere to be found, partly engraven on men\u2019s hearts, partly set down\nmost clearly and often in scripture, that a believing soul can look\nnowhere but it must breathe in that air of the gospel, and look upon that\ncommon Sun of righteousness, God the Creator, and the healing Sun, Christ\nthe Redeemer, shining everywhere in scripture. The general providence of\nGod and the special administration of Christ the Saviour, these are\ncommon, and these are essential to our happiness. Therefore the meditation\nof Christians should run most upon them, and not always about some\nparticular questions or debates of the time. It is a strange thing how\npeople should be more affected with a discourse on the affairs of the\ntime, or on some inward thoughts of their own hearts, than if one should\nspeak of God\u2019s universal kingdom over all men and nations. That is\naccounted a general and ordinary discourse, even as if men would set at\nnought the sun\u2019s light, because it shines to all, and every day, or would\ndespise the water, because it may be found everywhere. Let the sun be\nremoved for some few days, and O what would the world account of it beyond\nall your curious devices or rare enjoyments! This is it which would\nincrease to more true godliness, if rightly believed, than many other\nthings ye are busied withal. It is our general view of them makes them but\ngeneral. I spoke once upon this word, Rom. xi. 36, but only in reference\nto the end of man, which is God\u2019s glory, but the words do extend further,\nand we must now consider what further they hold forth. The apostle hath\nbeen speaking of the Lord\u2019s unsearchable ways and judgments towards men in\nthe dispensation of grace and salvation, how free and how absolute he is\nin that. And this he strengthens by the supreme wisdom of God, who did\ndirect him. Why dost thou, O man, take upon thee to direct him now? For,\nwhere was there any counsellor when he alone contrived all the frame of\nthis world, and then, by sovereign highness and supremacy over the\ncreatures, disposed of them? For he is a debtor to none, therefore none\ncan quarrel him for giving or not giving, for who was it that gave him\nfirst, for which he should give a recompense? Was there any could prevent\nhim with a gift? Nay, none could, saith he, \u201cfor of him, and through him,\nand to him are all things\u201d and therefore he must prevent men. For from\nwhence should that gift of the creature, which could oblige him, have its\nrise? It must be of God, if it be a creature, and therefore he is in no\nman\u2019s common, he must give it ere we have it to give him again.\n\nThe words are most comprehensive. They comprehend all things, and that is\nvery large. There is nothing without this compass, and they comprehend all\nthe dependence of things. Things depend upon that which made them, that\nwhich preserves them, and that for which they are made. All things depend\non him as their producing cause that gives them a being, \u201cfor of him are\nall things.\u201d They also depend on him as their conserving cause, who\ncontinues their being by that selfsame influence wherewith he gave it,\n\u201cfor through him are all things.\u201d And then they depend on him as their\nfinal cause, for whose glory they are and are continued, for, \u201cto him are\nall things.\u201d Thus you have the beginning, the continuance, and the end of\nthe whole creation. This word may lead us through all, from God, as the\nbeginning, the alpha and original of their being, through God, as the only\nsupporter, confirmer and upholder of their being, and unto God, as the\nvery end for which they have their being. Now, to travel within this\ncompass,\u2014to walk continually within this circle, and to go along this\nblessed round\u2014to begin at God, and to go along all our way with him, till\nwe arrive and end at God,\u2014and thus to do continually in the journey of\nmeditation, when it surveys any of his works\u2014this were, indeed, the very\nproper work, and the special happiness man was created for, and, I may\nsay, a great part of that which a Christian is created for. Again, there\nwould be nothing more powerful to the conforming of a soul to God, and to\nhis obedience and fear than this, to have that persuasion firmly rooted in\nthe heart\u2014that of God \u201care all things,\u201d that whatever it be, good or evil\nthat befalls us or others,\u2014whatever we observe in the world, that is the\nsubject of the thoughts and discourses of men, and turns men\u2019s eyes after\nthem\u2014that all that is of God, that is, it is in the world, it started out\nof nothing at his command, it is, because his power gave it a being, and\nin this consideration to overlook, and in a manner forget, all second\ncauses, to have such affecting and uptaking thoughts of the first\nprinciple of all these motions, as to regard the lower wheels, that are\nnext us, no more than the hand or the sword that a man strikes us with as\nif these second causes had no influence of their own but were merely acted\nand moved by this supreme power, as if God did nothing by them, but only\nat their presence. We should so labour to look on those things he doth by\ncreatures, as if he did them alone without the creatures, as if he were\nthis day creating a world. Certainly, the solid faith of God\u2019s providence\nwill draw off the covering of the creature, and espy the secret almighty\npower which acts in every thing to bring forth his good pleasure\nconcerning them. And then to consider, with that same seriousness of\nmeditation that the same everlasting arm which made them, is under them to\nsupport them, that the most noble and excellent creatures are but streams,\nrays, images and shadows of God\u2019s majesty, which, as they have their being\nby derivation, so they have then continuance by that same continued\ninfluence, so that if he would interpose between himself and them, or\nwithdraw his countenance, or stop his influence, the most sufficient of\nthem all should evanish, as the sun beams dry up the streams of a\nfountain, and disappear as the image of the glass, Psal. civ. 29, 30. O\nthat place were a pertinent object of a Christian\u2019s meditation, how much\nof God is to be pressed out of it by a serious pondering of it! \u201cThou\nhidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they\ndie and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are\ncreated.\u201d It is even with the very being and faculties of the creature as\nwith the image in the glass, which, when the face removes, it is seen no\nmore. The Lord, as it were, breathes into them a being, and when he takes\nin his breath they perish, and when he sends it out again they are\nrenewed. We do not wonder at the standing of the world, but think, if we\nhad been witnesses of the making of it, we would have been filled with\nadmiration. But certainly it is only our stupidity that doth not behold\nthat same wonder continued, for what is the upholding of this by his power\nbut a very continued and repeated creation,\u2014which influence were able to\nbring a world out of nothing? If this had not been before the virtue and\npower he employs now in making them subsist, that same alone, without any\naddition of power, would have in the beginning made all thus to be of\nnothing, so that the continuance of the world is nothing else but an\nuninterrupted and constant flux and emanation of these things from God, as\nof light from the body of the sun. And then to meditate how all these\nthings are for him and his glory, though we know no use nor end of them,\nyet that his majesty hath appointed them to show forth, one way or other,\nthe glory of his name in them, and those things which to our first and\nfoolish apprehensions seem most contrary to him, and, as it were, to\nspread a cloud of darkness over his glorious name\u2014the sins and perverse\ndoings of men and angels, the many disorders and confusions in the world,\nwhich seem to reflect some way upon him, that yet he hath holy and\nglorious ends in them all, yea, that himself is the end of all, I say, to\nmeditate on these things till our soul received the stamp of reverence,\nand fear, and faith in God,\u2014this would certainly be the most becoming\nexercise of a Christian, to bring all things down from God, that we might\nreturn and ascend with all things again unto God.\n\nThis is the most suitable employment of a man, as reasonable, much more as\na Christian, that very duty he was created for. \u201cThis people have I formed\nfor myself, they shall show forth my praise,\u201d Isa. xliii. 21. And this is\nthe showing forth of his praise, to follow forth the footsteps of God in\nthe word and in the world, and to ponder these paths of divine power and\ngoodness and wisdom, and to acknowledge him with our heart in all these.\nHe made many creatures on which his glory and praise is showed forth, and\nhe made this creature man to show forth that praise and that glory which\nis showed forth in other creatures. O but this is a divine office! It is\nstrange how our hearts are carried forth towards base things, and busied\nin many vain, impertinent, and base employments and scarce ever mind this\ngreat one we were created for.\n\nCertainly, this is the employment we were made for, to deduce all things\nfrom God till we can again reduce all to him with glory, to bring all down\nfrom his everlasting counsels, until we send all up to his eternal glory,\ntogether with the sacrifice of our hearts, to behold all things to be of\nhim, that is, of his eternal counsel and decree.\u2014to have their rise in the\nbosom of that, and then, through him, to proceed out of the bosom of his\ndecree and purpose, by his power, _quasi obstetricante potentia_, and then\nto return with all the promise and glory to his ever glorious name, \u201cfor\nwhom are all things.\u201d There is none but they will allow God some\ngovernment in the world. Some would have him as a king, commanding and\ndoing all by deputies and substitutes. Some would have his influence\ngeneral, like the sun\u2019s upon sublunary things, but how shallow are all\nmen\u2019s thoughts in regard of that which is? God has prepared, indeed, his\nthrone in the heavens. That is true, that his glory doth manifest itself\nin some strange and majestic manner above, but the whole tenor of\nScripture shows that he is not shut up in heaven, but that he immediately\ncares for, governs, and disposes all things in the world, for his kingdom\nis over all. It is the weakness of kings, not their glory, that they have\nneed of deputies, it is his glory, not baseness, to look to the meanest of\nhis creatures. It is a poor resemblance and empty shadow that kings have\nof him, he rules in the kingdoms of men, and to him belongs the dominion\nand the glory. He deserves the name of a king, whose beck heaven and earth\nobey. Can a king command that the sea flow not? Can a parliament act and\nordain that the sun rise not? Or will these obey them? Yet at his decree\nand command the sun is dark, the sea stands still, the mountains tremble;\n\u201cat thy rebuke the sea fled.\u201d Alas! what do we mean that we look upon\ncreatures, and act ourselves as if we were independent in our being and\nmoving? How many things fall out and you call them casual and attribute\nthem to fortune? How many things do the world gaze upon, think upon, and\ndiscourse upon, and yet not one thought, one word of God all the time?\nWhat more contingent than the falling of a sparrow on the ground? And yet\neven that is not unexpected to him, but it flows from his will and\ncounsel. What less taken notice of or known than the hairs of your head?\nYet these are particularly numbered by him, and so that no power in the\nworld can add to them or diminish from them without his counsel. O what\nwould the belief of this do to raise our hearts to suitable thoughts of\nGod above the creatures, to increase the fear, faith, and love of God, and\nto abate from our fear of men, and our vain and unprofitable cares and\nperplexities? How would you look upon the affairs of men,\u2014the counsels,\ncontrivances, endeavours, and successes of men,\u2014when they are turning\nthings upside down, and plotting the ruin of his people, and establishing\nthemselves alone in the earth? What would you think of all these\nrevolutions at this time? Many souls are astonished at them, and stand\ngazing at what is done and to be done. And this is the very language of\nyour spirits and ways. The Lord hath forsaken the earth, the Lord seeth\nnot. This is the language of our parliaments and people. They do imagine\nthat they are doing their own business and making all sure for themselves.\nBut, O what would a soul think that could escape above them all, and arise\nup to the first wheel of present motions! A soul that did stand upon the\nexalted tower of the word of God, and looked off it by the prospect of\nfaith, would presently discover the circle in which all these wanderings\nand changes are confined, and see men, states, armies, nations, and all of\nthem doing nothing but turning about in a round, as a horse in a mill,\nfrom God\u2019s eternal purpose, by his almighty power, to his unspeakable\nglory. You might behold all these extravagant motions of the creatures,\ninclosed within those limits, that they must begin here, and end here,\nthough themselves are so beastly that they neither know of whom nor for\nwhom their counsels and actions are. Certainly, Satan cannot break without\nthis compass, to serve his own humour. Principalities and powers cannot do\nit. If they will not glorify him, he shall glorify himself by them, and\nupon them.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XXI.\n\n\nOf The First Covenant Made With Man\n\n\n    Gen. ii. 17.\u2014\u201cBut of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,\n    thou shall not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof,\n    thou shalt surely die.\u201d\u2014Gen. i. 26.\u2014\u201cAnd God said, Let us make man\n    in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over\n    the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the\n    cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that\n    creepeth upon the earth.\u201d\n\n\nThe state wherein man was created at first, you heard was exceeding\ngood,\u2014all things very good, and he best of all, the choicest external and\nvisible piece of God\u2019s workmanship, made according to the most excellent\npattern,\u2014\u201cafter our image.\u201d Though it be a double misery to be once happy,\nyet seeing the knowledge of our misery is, by the grace of God, made the\nentry to a new happiness, it is most necessary to take a view of what man\nonce was, that we may be more sensible of what he now is. You may take up\nthis image and likeness in three branches.\n\nFirst, there was a sweet conformity of the soul in its understanding,\nwill, and affections unto God\u2019s holiness and light,\u2014a beautiful light in\nthe mind, derived from that fountain-light, by which Adam did exactly know\nboth divine and natural things. What a great difference doth yet appear\nbetween a learned man and an ignorant rude person, though it be but in\nrelation to natural things! The one is but like a beast in comparison of\nthe other. O how much more was there between Adam\u2019s knowledge and that of\nthe most learned! The highest advancement of art and industry in this life\nreaches no further than to a learned ignorance of the mysteries in the\nworks of God, and yet there is a wonderful satisfaction to the mind in it.\nBut how much sweet complacency hath Adam had, whose heart was so enlarged\nas to know both things higher and lower, their natures, properties, and\nvirtues, and several operations! No doubt could trouble him, no difficulty\nvex him, no controversy or question perplex him, but above all, the\nknowledge of that glorious and eternal Being, that gave him a being, and\ninfused such a spirit into him,\u2014the beholding of such infinite treasures\nof wisdom, and goodness, and power in him, what an amiable and refreshful\nsight would it be, when there was no cloud of sin and ignorance to\ninterpose and eclipse the full enjoyment of that uncreated light! When the\naspect of the sun makes the moon so glorious and beautiful, what may you\nconceive of Adam\u2019s soul framed with a capacity to receive light\nimmediately from God\u2019s countenance!  How fair and beautiful would that\nsoul be, until the dark cloud of sin did interpose itself! Then consider,\nwhat a beautiful rectitude and uprightness, what a comely order and\nsubordination would ensue upon this light, and make his will and\naffections wonderfully good \u201cGod made man upright,\u201d Eccles. vii. 29. There\nwas no thraw(152) or crack in all,\u2014all the powers of the soul bending\nupright towards that Fountain of all goodness. Now the soul is crooked and\nbends downward towards those base earthly things that are the abasement of\nthe soul, then it looked upright towards God,\u2014had no appetite, no delight\nbut in him and his fulness, and had the moon or changeable world under its\nfeet. There was a beauty of holiness and righteousness which were the\ncolours that did perfect and adorn those lineaments of the image of God\nwhich knowledge did draw in the soul. \u201cHe was a burning and a shining\nlight,\u201d may be truly said of Adam, who had as much life as light, as much\ndelight in God as knowledge of him. This was the right constitution and\ndisposition of man,\u2014his head lifted up in holiness and love towards God,\nhis arms stretched out in righteousness and equity towards man and all the\naffections of the man under their command, they could not trouble this sea\nwith any tempest, because they were under a powerful commander, who kept\nthem under such awe and obedience as the centurion his servants\u2014saying to\none, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, sending out\nlove one way, holy hatred another way. These were as wings to the bird to\nflee upon, as wheels to the chariot to run upon, though now it be turned\njust contrary, that the chariot draws the coachman, because the motion is\ndownward. There could be no motion in an upright man\u2019s soul till the holy\nand righteous will gave out a sentence upon it. That was the _primum\nmobile_ which was turned about itself by such an _intelligentia_ as the\nunderstanding. And so it was in Christ,\u2014affection could not move him, but\nhe did move his own affections, he troubled himself. In us the servant\nrides on horses, and the prince walks on foot, even as in a distempered\nsociety, the laws and ordinances proceed by an unnatural way from the\nviolence of unruly subjects usurping over their masters. Holy and\nrighteous man could both raise up his affections, and compose them again,\nthey were under such nurture and discipline. He could have said, Hitherto,\nand no further, in which there was some resemblance of God ruling the\nraging and unruly sea. But now, if once they get entry into our city, they\nare more powerful than the governor, and will not take laws from him, but\ngive him rather. When we have given way to our passions, they do next what\nthey please, not what we permit.\n\nNext his excellency consisted in such an immunity and freedom from all\nfear of misery and danger, from all touch of sorrow or pain, and did enjoy\nsuch a holy complacency and delight in his own estate, as made him\ncompletely happy. In this he was like God. This is his blessedness, that\nhe is absolutely well pleased in himself, that he is without the reach of\nfear and danger, that none can impair it, none can match it. \u201cI am God and\nnone else,\u201d that is sufficiency of delight to know himself, and his own\nsufficiency. Indeed, man was made changeable, mutably good, that in this\nhe might know God was above him, and so might have ground of watchfulness\nand dependence upon him for continuance of his happiness who made him\nhappy. But being made so upright, no disquieting fear nor perplexing care\ncould trouble him. Then lastly, if you add unto this, holy satisfaction\nwith his own state and freedom, the dominion and sovereignty he had over\nthe creatures as a consequent flowing from that image, you may imagine\nwhat a happy creature he was. Whatsoever contentment or satisfaction the\ncreatures could afford, all of them willingly and pleasantly would concur\nto bestow it upon man, without his care or toil, as if they had accounted\nit then happiness to serve him. What more excellent than this order? Man\ncounting it his happiness and delight to serve God and creatures esteeming\nit their happiness to serve man, all things running towards him with all\ntheir goodness, as to a common centre, and he returning all to God, from\nwhence they did immediately flow. Thus, besides the fulness and riches of\nGod\u2019s goodness immediately conferred upon man, he was enriched with all\nthe store and goodness that the earth was full of.\n\nGod having made man thus and furnished him after this manner, he gave him\na law, and then he made a covenant with him. There was a law first\nimprinted into Adam, and then a law prescribed unto him. There was a law\nwritten in his heart, the remainder of which Paul saith makes the Gentiles\n\u201cinexcusable,\u201d but it was perfectly drawn in him. All the principles and\nnotions of good and evil were exactly drawn in it. He had a natural\ndiscerning of them, and a natural inclination to all good, and aversion\nfrom all evil, as there is a kind of law imposed by God upon other\ncreatures, which they constantly keep and do not swerve from, even his\ndecree and commandment, to the obedience of which they are composed and\nframed. The sea hath a law and command to flow and ebb, and it is that\ncommand that breaks its proud waves on the sand, when they threaten to\noverflow mountains. The beasts obey a law, written in their natures, of\neating and drinking, of satisfying their senses, and every one hath its\nseveral instinct and propension to several operations, so God gave a more\nnoble instinct unto man, suitable to his reasonable soul,\u2014an instinct and\nimpulse to please God, in such duties of holiness and righteousness, a\nsympathy with such ways of integrity and godliness, and an innate\nantipathy against such ways as were displeasing to him or dishonourable to\nthe creature. There is a kind of comeliness and sweet harmony and\nproportion between such works, as the love of God and man, the use of all\nfor his glory, of whom all things are, and man\u2019s reasonable being. Such a\nthing doth suit and become it. Again, other things, as the hatred of God\nand men, neglect and forgetfulness of him, drunkenness and abasing lusts\nof that kind, do disagree, and are indecent to it. O how happy was Adam,\nwhen holiness and righteousness were not written on tables of stone, but\non his heart, and when there was no need of external persuasion, but there\nwas an inward impulse, inclining him strongly, and laying a kind of sweet\nnecessity upon him to that which was both his duty to God and men and his\nown dignity and privilege! This was, no question, the very beauty of his\nsoul\u2014to be not only under a law proper and peculiar to himself, but to be\ninwardly framed and moulded to it\u2014to be a living law unto himself.\n\nBut besides this inward imprinted law of holiness and righteousness, which\ndid without more rules direct and determine him to that which is in itself\ngood, it pleased the Lord to prescribe and impose a positive law unto him,\nto command him abstinence from a thing neither good nor evil, but\nindifferent, and such a thing as of itself he might have done as well as\nmade use of any other creature. There was no difference between the fruit\nwhich was discharged him, and the fruit of the rest of the garden, there\nwas nothing in it did require abstinence, and nothing in him either. Yet\nfor most wise and holy ends, the Lord enjoins him to abstain from that\nfruit, and puts an act of restraint upon him, to abridge his liberty in\nthat which might prove his obedience, and not hinder his happiness, or\ndiminish it, because he furnished him abundantly beside. You may perceive\ntwo reasons of it. One is, that the sovereign power and dominion of God\nover all men, may be more eminently held forth, and that visibly in such a\nsymbol and sign. He who put man in such a well furnished house, and placed\nhim in a plentiful and fruitful garden, reserves one tree, \u201cthou shalt not\neat thereof,\u201d to let Adam see and know, that he is the sovereign owner of\nall things, and that his dominion over the creatures and their service\nunto him, was not so much for any natural prerogative of man above them,\nas out of divine bounty and indulgence, because he had chosen a creature\nto himself to beautify and make happy. This was a standing visible\ntestimony, to bring man continually to remembrance of his sovereignty,\nthat being thus far exalted above other creatures, he might know himself\nto be under his Creator, and that he was infinitely above him, that he\nmight remember his own homage and subjection to God, whenever he looked\nupon his dominion over the creatures. And truly in other natural duties\nwhich an inward principle and instinct drives unto, the suitableness and\nconveniency or beauty of the thing doth often preponderate, and might make\nman to observe them without so much regard of the will and pleasure of the\nMost High. But in this the Lord would have _no other reason of obedience\nto appear but his own absolute will and pleasure_, to teach all men to\nconsider in their actings rather the will of the commander than the\ngoodness or use of the thing commanded. And then, for this reason, it was\nenjoined to make a more exact trial, and to take a more ample proof of\nAdam\u2019s obedience. Oftentimes we do things commanded of God, but upon what\nground or motive? Because our own interest lies in them,\u2014because there is\nan inward weight and _pondus_ of affection pressing us to them. The Lord\ncommands the mutual duties between parents and children, between man and\nwife, between friends, duties of self-preservation and defence, and such\nlike, and many are very exact and diligent in performing these, but from\nwhat principle? It is easy to discern. Not because they are commanded of\nGod,\u2014not so much as a thought of that for the most part,\u2014but because of an\ninward and natural inclination of affection towards ourselves and our\nrelations, which is like an instinct and an impulse driving us to those\nduties. And truly we may say, it is the goodness and bounty of the Lord\nthat hath conjoined in most parts of commanded duties our own interest and\nadvantage, our own inclination and propension with his authority, or else\nthe toil and pain of them would overbalance the weight of his authority.\nNow then, in such duties as are already imprinted on man\u2019s heart, and\nconsonant to his own reason, there cannot be a clear proof of obedience to\nGod\u2019s will. The pure and naked nature of obedience doth not so clearly\nshine forth in the observation of these. It is no great trial of the\ncreature\u2019s subjection of its will to his supreme will, when there are so\nmany reasons besides his will, which may incline man\u2019s will unto it. But\nhere, in a matter in itself pleasant to the senses, unto which he had a\nnatural inclination, the Lord interposes himself by a command of\nrestraint, to take full probation whether man would submit to his good\npleasure merely for itself, or whether he would obey merely because God\ncommands. And indeed in such like duties as have no commendation but from\nthe will and authority of the lawgiver, it will appear whether man\u2019s\nobedience be pure and simple obedience, and whether men love obedience for\nitself alone, or for other reasons. Therefore the Lord saith, Obedience is\nbetter than sacrifice, and disobedience is rebellion. Suppose, in such\nthings as can neither hurt us nor help us, God put a restraint upon\nus\u2014though obedience may be of less worth than in other more substantial\nthings, yet disobedience in such easy matters is most heinous, because it\nproclaims open rebellion against God. If it be light and easy, it is more\neasily obeyed, and the more sin and wickedness in disobeying; and\ntherefore is Adam\u2019s sin called \u201cdisobedience\u201d in a signal manner, (Rom. v.\n19,) because, by refusing such a small point of homage and subjection, he\ndid cast off God\u2019s power and authority over him, and would not acknowledge\nhim for his superior. This should teach us, who believe the repairing of\nthat image by Jesus Christ, to study such a respect and reverence to God\u2019s\nholy will as to do all things without more asking why it is so. If we once\nknow what it is, there is no more question to be asked. Of creatures we\nmust inquire a _quare_ after a _quid_,\u2014a why, after we know what their\nwill is. But Christians should have their wills so subdued unto God\u2019s,\nthat though no profit nor advantage were to redound by obedience, though\nit were in things repugnant and cross to our inclination and humour, yet\nwe should serve and obey him as a testimony of our homage and subjection\nto him. And till we learn this, and be more abstracted from our own\ninterests in the ways of obedience, even from the interests of peace, and\ncomfort, and liberty, we do not obey him because he commands, but for our\nown sakes. It is the practice of Antinomians, and contrary to true\ngodliness, to look upon the law of God as the creature\u2019s bondage, as most\nof us do in our walking. A Christian, in whom the image of God is renewed\naccording to righteousness and holiness, should esteem subjection and\nconformity to a law, and to the will of God, his only true liberty, yea,\nthe very beauty of the soul; and never is a soul advanced in conformity to\nGod, till this be its delight, not a burden or task.\n\n\n\n\n                              Lecture XXII.\n\n\nOf The First Covenant.\n\n\n    Gal. iii. 12.\u2014\u201cThe law is not of faith; but the man that doeth\n    them shall live in them.\u201d\u2014Gen. ii. 17.\u2014\u201cBut of the tree of the\n    knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the\n    day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.\u201d\n\n\nThe Lord made all things for himself, to show forth the glory of his name;\nand man in a more eminent and special manner, for more eminent\nmanifestations of himself; therefore all his dealings towards men, whether\nrighteous or sinful, do declare the glory of God. Particularly, in\nreference to the present purpose, he resolved to manifest two shining\nproperties,\u2014his sovereignty and goodness. His sovereignty is showed, in\ngiving out a law and command to the creature; and his goodness is\nmanifested in making a covenant with his creature; as here you see the\nterms of a covenant, a duty required, and a promise made, and, in case of\nfailing, a threatening conformed to the promise. He might have required\nobedience simply, as the Lord and sovereign owner of the being and\noperations of the creatures; and that was enough of obligation to bind all\nflesh, that the Creator is lawgiver, that he who gives a being doth set\nbounds and limits to the exercise and use of that being. But it pleased\nthe Lord, in his infinite goodness and love, to add a promise and\nthreatening to that law and command, and so turns it to the nature of a\nvoluntary covenant and agreement, whereby he doth mitigate and sweeten his\nauthority and power, and condescends so low to man as to take on himself a\ngreater obligation than he puts upon man, \u201cDo this, and thou shalt live.\u201d\nHe might then, out of his absoluteness and power, have required at the\ncreature\u2019s hand any terms he pleased, even the hardest which could be\nimagined, and yet no injustice in him. He might have put laws on men to\nrestrain all their natural liberty, and in every thing, to proclaim\nnothing but his own supremacy. But O what goodness and condescension is\neven in the very matter of the law; and then in the manner of prescribing\nit with a promise! In the matter, so just and equitable to convince all\nmen\u2019s consciences, yea, even engraven on their hearts, that he lays not\nmany burdens on, but what men\u2019s consciences must lay on themselves; that\nthere is nothing in it all, when summed up, harder than this,\u2014love God\nmost of all, and thy neighbour as thyself, which all men must proclaim to\nbe due, though it had not been required; and but one precept added by his\nmere will, which yet was so easy a thing, as it was a wonder the Lord of\nall put no other conditions on the creatures. And then for the manner;\nthat it is propounded covenant-wise, with a promise, not to expect the\ncreature\u2019s consent\u2014for it did not depend on his acceptation, he being\nbound to accept any terms his Lord propounded\u2014but because the matter and\nall was so equitable, and the conditions so ample, that if it had been\npropounded to any rational man, he would have consented with an admiration\nat God\u2019s goodness. Indeed, if we speak strictly, there cannot be a proper\ncovenant between God and man,\u2014there is such an infinite distance between\nsuch unequal parties, our obedience and performance being absolutely in\nhis power. We cannot promise it as our own, and it being but our duty, we\ncannot crave or expect a reward in justice, neither can he owe any thing\nto the creature. Yet it pleased his majesty to propound it in these terms,\nand to stoop so low unto men\u2019s capacities, and, as it were, come off the\nthrone of his sovereignty, both to require such duties of men, and to\npromise unto them such a free reward. And the reasons of this may be plain\nupon God\u2019s part and upon ours. In such dealing, he consulted his own\nglory, and man\u2019s good. His own glory, I say, is manifested in it, and\nchiefly the glory of his goodness and love, that the Most High comes down\nso low as to article with his own footstool, that he changes his absolute\nright into a moderate and temperate government, and tempers his lordly and\ntruly monarchical power by such a commixture of gentleness and goodness,\nin requiring nothing but what man behoved to call reasonable and due, and\nin promising so much as no creature could challenge any title to it. When\nthe law was promulgated, \u201cDo this,\u201d eat not of this tree, Adam\u2019s\nconscience behoved to say, \u201cAmen, Lord; all is due, all the reason in the\nworld for it.\u201d But when the promise is added, and the trumpet sounds\nlonger, \u201cThou shalt live!\u201d O more than reason, more than is due, must his\nconscience say! It was reason, that the most high Lord should use his\nfootstool as his footstool, and set his servant in the place of a servant,\nand so keep distance from him. But how strange is it that he humbles\nhimself to make friendship with man, to assume him in a kind of\nfamiliarity and equality? And this Christ is not forgetful of. When he\nrestores men, he puts them in all their former dignities; \u201cI call you not\nservants but friends.\u201d Next, his wisdom doth appear in this, that when he\nhad made a reasonable creature, he takes a way of dealing, suitable to his\nnature, to bring forth willing and free obedience by the persuasion of\nsuch a reward, and the terror of such a punishment. He most wisely did\nenclose the will of man, as it were, on both sides, with hedges of\npunishment and reward, which might have been a sufficient defence or guard\nagainst all the irruptions of contrary persuasions, that man might\ncontinue in obedience, and that when he went to the right hand or left, he\nmight be kept in, by the hope of such an ample promise, and the fear of\nsuch a dreadful threatening. But then the righteousness of God doth appear\nin this; for there is nothing doth more illustrate the justice of the\njudge, than when the malefactor hath before consented to such a punishment\nin case of transgression, when the law is confirmed by the consent and\napprobation of man. Now he has man subscribing already to his judgment,\nand so all the world must stop their mouth and become guilty in case of\ntransgression of such a righteous command after such warning.\n\nBut, in the next place, it is no less for man\u2019s good. What an honour and\ndignity was put upon man, when he was taken into friendship with God! To\nbe in covenant of friendship with a king, O what a dignity is it\naccounted! And some do account it a great privilege to be in company, and\nconverse with some eminent and great person. But may not men say with the\nPsalmist, Lord, \u201cwhat is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of\nman that thou visitest him?\u201d Psal. viii. Again, what way more fit and\nsuitable to stir up and constrain Adam unto a willing and constant\nobedience, when he had the encouragement of such a gracious reward, and\nthe determent of such a fearful punishment? Between these two banks might\nthe silver streams of obedience have run for ever without breaking over.\nHe was bound to all, though nothing had been promised. But then to have\nsuch a hope, what spirits might it add to him? The Lord had been free,\nupon man\u2019s obedience, either to continue him his happy estate, or to\ndenude him of it, or to annihilate him. There was no obligation lying on\nhim. But now, what confirmation might man have by looking upon the certain\nrecompense of reward\u2014when God brings himself freely under an obligation of\na promise, and so ascertains it to his soul, which he could never have\ndreamed of, and gives him liberty to challenge him upon his faithfulness\nto perform it!\n\nAnd then, lastly, There was no way so fit to commend God, and sweeten him\nunto his soul as this. Adam knew that his goodness could not extend to\nGod; that his righteousness could not help him, nor his wickedness hurt\nhim, and so could expect nothing from his exact obedience. But now, when\nGod\u2019s goodness doth so overflow upon the creature, and the Lord takes\npleasure to communicate himself to make others happy, though he had need\nof none, O how must it engage the heart of man to a delightful\nremembrance, and converse with that God! As his authority should imprint\nreverence, so his goodness thus manifested should engrave confidence. And\nthus the life of man was not only a life of obedience, but a life of\npleasure and delight; not only a holy, but a happy life, yea, happy in\nholiness.\n\nNow, as it was Paul\u2019s great business in preaching, to ride marches between\nthe covenant of grace, and the covenant of works,\u2014to take men off that old\nbroken ship to this sure plank of grace that is offered by Jesus Christ to\ndrowning souls,\u2014so it would be our great work to show unto you the nature\nof this covenant, and the terms thereof, that you may henceforth find and\nknow that salvation to be now impossible by the law which so many seek in\nit. We have no errand to speak of the first Adam, but the better to lead\nyou to the second. Our life was once in the first, but he lost himself and\nus both; but the second, by losing himself, saves both. We have nothing to\ndo to speak of the first covenant, but that we may lead you, or pursue you\nrather to the second, established on better terms and better promises.\n\nThe terms of this covenant are,\u2014Do this and live. Perfect obedience\nwithout one jot of failing or falling,\u2014an entire and universal\naccomplishment of the whole will of God,\u2014that is the duty required of man.\nThere is no latitude left in the bargain to admit endeavours instead of\nperformance, or desire instead of duty. There is no place for repentance\nhere. If a man fail in one point, he falls from the whole promise; by the\ntenor of this bargain, there is no hope of recovery. If you would have the\nduty in a word, it is a love of God with all our heart and soul, and our\nneighbour as ourselves; and that testified and verified in all duties and\noffices of obedience to God, and love to men, without the least mixture of\nsin and infirmity. Now, the promise on God\u2019s part is indeed larger than\nthat duty, not only because undeserved, but even in the matter of it, it\nis so abundant,\u2014life, eternal life, continuance in a happy estate. There\nis a threatening added, \u201cIn the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die;\u201d\nthat is, thou shalt become a mortal and miserable creature, subject to\nmisery here and hereafter; which is more pressingly set down in that word,\n\u201cCursed is he that abideth not in all things written in the law to do\nthem.\u201d It is very peremptory; that men dream not of escaping wrath when\nthey break but in one, suppose they did abide in all the rest. Cursed is\nevery man from the highest to the lowest; the Lord Almighty is engaged\nagainst him. His countenance, his power is against him, to destroy him and\nmake him miserable. Whoever doth fail but in one jot of the commands, he\nshall not only fall from that blessed condition freely promised, but lose\nall that he already possessed, fall from that image of God, dominion over\nthe creatures, and incur, instead of that possessed and expected\nhappiness, misery here on soul and body, in pains, sicknesses, troubles,\ngriefs, &c., and eternal misery on both, without measure,\nhereafter,\u2014\u201ceternal destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the\nglory of his power.\u201d\n\nNow, \u201cthe law is not of faith,\u201d saith the apostle. This opens up the\nnature of the bargain; and the opposition between the present covenant and\nthat which is made with lost sinners with a Mediator. This covenant is\ncalled, of works, \u201cDo this, and live;\u201d _to him that worketh is the promise\nmade, though freely too_. It is grace, that once a reward should be\npromised to obedience; but having once resolved to give it, herein justice\nappears in an equal and uniform distribution of the reward, according to\nworks; so that where there is an equality of works there shall be an\nequality of reward, and no difference put between persons equal; which is\nthe very freedom of the covenant of grace, that it passes over all such\nconsiderations, and deals equally in mercy with unequal sinners, and\nunequally, it may be, with them that are equal in nature.\n\nYou may ask, was not Adam to believe in God and did not the law require\nfaith? I answer, Christ distinguishes a twofold faith: \u201cYou believe in\nGod, believe also in me.\u201d No question he was called to believe in God the\ncreator of the world, and that in a threefold consideration.\n\nFirst, to depend on God the self-being and fountain-good. His own goodness\nwas but a flux and emanation from that Sun of Righteousness, and so was to\nbe perpetuated by constant abiding in his sight. The interposition of\nman\u2019s self between him and God did soon bring on this eternal night of\ndarkness. Nature might have taught him to live in him in whom he had life\nand being and motion, and to forget and look over his own perfections as\nevanishing shadows. But this quickly extinguished his life, when he began\nto live in himself.\n\nNext, he was obliged to believe God\u2019s word, both threatening and promise,\nand to have these constantly in his view. And certainly, if he had kept in\nhis serious consideration, the inestimable blessing of life promised, and\nthe fearful curse of death threatened,\u2014if he had not been induced first to\ndoubt, and then to deny the truth and reality of these,\u2014he had not\nattempted such a desperate rebellion against the Lord.\n\nThen, thirdly, he was to believe and persuade himself of the Lord\u2019s\nfatherly love, and that the Lord was well-pleased with his obedience; and\nthis faith would certainly beget much peace and quietness in his mind, and\nalso constrain him to love him, and live to him who loved him, and gave\nhim life and happiness out of love. Yet this holds true that the apostle\nsaith, \u201cthe law is not of faith,\u201d to wit, in a Mediator and Redeemer. It\nwas a bond of immediate friendship; there needed none to mediate between\nGod and man; there needed no reconciler where there was no odds nor\ndistance. But the gospel is of faith in a Mediator; it is the soul\nplighting its hope upon Jesus Christ in its desperate necessity, and so\nsupposes man sinful and miserable in himself, and in his own sense too,\nand so putting over his weight and burden upon one whom God hath made\nmighty to save. The law is not of faith, but of perfect works,\u2014a\nwatch-word brought in of purpose to bring men off their hankering after a\nbroken and desperate covenant. It admits no repentance, it speaks of no\npardon, it declares no cautioner or redeemer. There is nothing to be\nexpected, according to the tenor of that covenant, but wrath from heaven;\neither personal obedience in all, or personal punishment for ever. That is\nthe very terms of it, and it knows no other thing. Either bring complete\nrighteousness and holiness to the promise of life, or expect nothing but\ndeath.\n\nThis may be a sad meditation to us, to stand and look back to our former\nestate, and compare it with that into which we are fallen. That image we\nspoke of, is defaced and blotted out, which was the glory of the creation;\nand now there is nothing so monstrous, so deformed in the world as man.\nThe corruption of the best things is always worst; the ruins of the most\nnoble creature are most ruinous; the spot of the soul most abominable. We\nare nothing but a mass of darkness, ignorance, error, inordinate lust;\nnothing but confusion, disorder, and distempers in the soul, and in the\nconversation of men; and, in sum, that blessed bond of friendship with God\nbroken, discord and enmity entered upon our side and separated us from\nGod, and so we can expect nothing from that first covenant but the curse\nand wrath threatened. \u201cBy one man\u2019s disobedience\u201d sin entered upon all,\n\u201cand death by sin;\u201d because in that agreement Adam was a common person\nrepresenting us, and thus are all men once subject to God\u2019s judgment, and\ncome short of the glory of God, fallen from life into a state of death,\nand, for any thing that could be expected, irrecoverably. But it hath\npleased the Lord, in his infinite mercy, to make a better covenant in\nChrist his Son, that, what was impossible to the law, by reason of our\nweakness and wickedness, his Son, sent in the flesh, condemned for sin,\nmight accomplish, Rom. viii. 3. There is some comfort yet after this; that\ncovenant was not the last, and that sentence was not irrevocable. He makes\na new transaction, lays the iniquity of his elect upon Christ, and puts\nthe curse upon his shoulders which was due to them. Justice cannot admit\nthe abrogation of the law, but mercy pleads for a temperament of it. And\nthus the Lord dispenses with personal satisfaction, which in rigour he\nmight have craved; and finds out a ransom, admits another satisfaction in\ntheir name. And in the name of that Cautioner and Redeemer is salvation\npreached upon better terms: Believe and thou shalt be saved, Rom. x. 9.\nThou lost and undone sinner, whoever thou art, that findest thyself guilty\nbefore God, and that thou canst not stand in judgment by the former\ncovenant,\u2014thou who hast no personal righteousness, and trustest in\nnone,\u2014come here, embrace the righteousness of thy Cautioner,\u2014receive him,\nand rest on him, and thou shalt be saved.\n\n\n\n\n                              Lecture XXIII.\n\n\nOf The State Wherein Man Was Created, And How The Image Of God Is Defaced.\n\n\n    Eccl. vii. 29.\u2014\u201cLo, this only have I found, that God hath made man\n    upright; but they have sought out many inventions.\u201d\n\n\nThe one half of true religion consists in the knowledge of ourselves, the\nother half in the knowledge of God; and whatever besides this men study to\nknow and apply their hearts unto, it is vain and impertinent, and like\nmeddling in other men\u2019s matters, neglecting our own, if we do not give our\nminds to the search of these. All of us must needs grant this in the\ngeneral, that it is an idle and unprofitable wandering abroad, to be\ncarried forth to the knowledge and use of other things, and in the mean\ntime to be strangers to ourselves, with whom we should be most acquainted.\nIf any man was diligent and earnest in the inquiry and use of the things\nin the world, Solomon was. He applied his heart to seek out wisdom, and\nwhat satisfaction was in the knowledge of all things natural; and in this\nhe attained a great degree beyond all other men. Yet he pronounces of it\nall after experience and trial, that \u201cthis also is vanity and vexation of\nspirit,\u201d\u2014not only empty and unprofitable, and not conducing to that true\nblessedness he sought after,\u2014but hurtful and destructive, nothing but\ngrief and sorrow in it. After he had proved all, with a resolution to be\nwise, yet it was far from him; \u201cI said, I will be wise, but it was far\nfrom me,\u201d ver. 23. And therefore, after long wandering abroad, he returns\nat length home to himself, to know the estate of mankind. \u201cLo, this only\nhave I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out\nmany inventions.\u201d When I have searched all other things, and found many\nthings by search, yet, says he, what doth it all concern me, when I am\nignorant of myself? There is one thing concerns me more than all,\u2014to know\nthe original of man, what he once was made, and to know how far he is\ndeparted from his original. This only I have found profitable to men: and\nas the entry and preparation to that blessedness I inquire for,\u2014to have\nthe true discovery of our misery.\n\nThere are two things, then, concerning man, that you have to search and to\nknow; and that not in a trifling or curious manner, as if you had no other\nend in it but to know it as men do in other things, but in a serious and\nearnest way, as in a matter of so much concernment to our eternal\nwell-being. In things that relate particularly to ourselves, we labour to\nknow them for some advantage besides the knowing of them, even though they\nbe but small and lower things; how much more should we propose this unto\nourselves in the search and examination of our own estate, not merely to\nknow such a thing, but so to know it that we may be stirred up and\nprovoked in the sense of it to look after the remedy that God holds forth.\nThere are two things that you have to know,\u2014what man once was made, and\nhow he is now unmade; how happy once, and how miserable now. And\nanswerable to these two, are branches of the text: \u201cGod made man upright;\u201d\nthat he was once; \u201cand they have sought out many inventions;\u201d not being\ncontented with that blessedness they were created into, by catching at a\nhigher estate of wisdom, have fallen down into a gulf of misery; as the\nman that gazed on the stars above him, and did not take notice of the pit\nunder his feet till he fell into it; and thus man is now. So you have a\nshort account of the two estates of men; of the estate of grace and\nrighteousness without sin, and the estate of sin and misery without grace.\nYou have the true story of man from the creation unto his present\ncondition; but all the matter is to have the lively sense of this upon our\nhearts. I had rather that we went home bewailing our loss, and lamenting\nour misery, and longing for the recovery of that blessedness, than that we\nwent out with the exact memory of all that is spoken, and could repeat it\nagain.\n\n\u201cGod made man upright.\u201d At his first moulding, the Lord showed excellent\nart and wisdom, and goodness too. Man did come forth from under his hand\nin the first edition very glorious, to show what he could do; upright,\nthat is, all right and very exactly conformed to the noble and high\npattern,\u2014endued with divine wisdom, such as might direct him to true\nhappiness,\u2014and furnished with a divine willingness to follow that\ndirection. The command was not above his head as a rod, but within his\nheart as a natural instinct. All that was within him was comely and\nbeautiful; for that glorious light that shined upon him, having life and\nlove with it, produced a sweet harmony in the soul. He knew his duty, and\nloved it, and was able to perform it. O how much is in this one word\n\u201cupright!\u201d Not only sincerity and integrity in the soul, but perfection of\nall the degrees and parts; no part of holiness wanting, and no measure of\nthose parts; no mixture of darkness or ignorance,\u2014no mixture of\nindisposition or unwillingness. Godliness was sweet and not laborious. The\nlove of God, possessing the heart, did conform all within and without to\nthe will of God; and O how beautiful was that conformity! And that love of\nGod, the fountain-being, did send forth, as a stream, love and good-will\nto all things, as they did partake of God\u2019s image; and so holiness towards\nGod did beget righteousness towards men, and made men to partake of one\nanother\u2019s happiness.\n\nThis is a survey of him in his integrity as God made him, but there\nfollows a sad \u201cbut,\u201d\u2014a sad and woful exception,\u2014\u201cbut they have sought many\ninventions.\u201d We cannot look upon that glorious estate whereunto man was\nmade, but straightway we must turn our eyes upon that misery into which he\nhath plunged himself, and be the more affected with it, that it was once\notherwise. It is misery in a high degree to have been once happy. This\nmost of all aggravates our misery, and may increase the sense of it, that\nsuch man once was, and such we might have been, if we had not destroyed\nourselves. Who can look upon these ruins, and refrain mourning? It is\nsaid, that those who saw the glory of the first temple, wept when they\nbeheld the second, because it was not answerable to it in magnificence and\nglory; so, I say, it might occasion much sadness and grief, even to the\nchildren of God, in whom that image is in part repaired, and that by a\nsecond creation, to think how much more happy and blessed man once was,\nwho had grace and holiness without sin. But certainly, it should and must\nbe at first, before this image be restored, the bitter lamentation of a\nsoul, to look upon itself wholly ruinous and defaced, in the view of that\nglorious stately fabric which once was made. How lamentable a sight is it\nto behold the first temple demolished, or the first creation defaced, and\nthe second not yet begun in many souls, the foundation-stone not yet laid!\nIt was a sad and doleful invention which Satan inspired at first into\nman\u2019s heart, to go about to find out another happiness,\u2014to seek how to be\nwise as God, an invention that did proceed from hell,\u2014how to know evil\nexperimentally and practically by doing it! That invention hath invented\nand found out all the sin and misery under which the world groans. It is a\npoor invention to devise misery and torment to the creature. This was the\nheight of folly and madness, for a happy creature to invent how to make\nitself miserable and all others. Indeed, he intended another thing\u2014to be\nmore happy, but pride and ambition got a deserved fall, the result of all\nis sin and misery.\n\nAnd now from the first devilish invention, the heart of man is possessed\nwith a multitude of vain imaginations. Man is now become vain in his\nimaginations, and his foolish heart is darkened. That divine wisdom he was\nendued withal is eclipsed, for it was a ray of God\u2019s countenance, and now\nhe is left wholly in the dark without a guide, without a director or\nleader. He is turned out of the path of holiness, and so of happiness. A\nnight of gross darkness and blindness is come on, and the way is full of\npits and snares, and the end of it is at best eternal misery. And there is\nno lamp, no light to shine on it, to show him either the misery that he is\nposting unto, or the happiness that he is fleeing from. There is nothing\nwithin him sufficient to direct his way to blessedness, and nothing\nwilling or able to follow such a direction. And thus man is left to the\ninvention and counsel of his own desperately wicked and deceitful heart,\nand that is above all plagues, to be given up to a reprobate mind. He is\nnow left to such a tutor and guider, and it is full of inventions indeed.\nBut they are all in vain, that is, all of them insufficient for this great\npurpose. All of them cannot make one hair that is black, white, much less\nredeem the soul. But besides, they are destructive. They pretend to\ndeliver, but they destroy. A desperate wicked heart imagineth evil\ncontinually, evil against God, and evil to our own souls. And a deceitful\nheart smooths over the evil, and presents it under another notion, and so,\nunder pretence of a friend, it is the greatest enemy a man hath,\u2014a\nbosom-enemy. All men\u2019s inventions, thoughts, cogitations, projects, and\nendeavours, what do they tend to but to the satisfaction of their\nlusts,\u2014either the lusts of the mind, as ambition, pride, avarice, passion,\nrevenge, and such like,\u2014or the lust of the body, as pleasure to the ears\nand eyes, and to the flesh? Man was made with an upright soul, with a\ndominion over that brutish part, more like angels, but now, all his\ninvention runs upon that base and beastly part, how to adorn it, how to\nbeautify it, how to satisfy it, and for this his soul must be a drudge and\nslave. And if men rise up to any thoughts of a higher life, yet what is it\nfor, but to magnify and exalt the flesh\u2014to seek an excellency within,\nwhich is lost, and so to satisfy the pride and self-love of the heart. If\nany man comes this length, as to apprehend some misery, yet how vain are\nhis inventions about the remedy of it. Not knowing how desperate the\ndisease is, men seek help in themselves, and think, by industry and care\nand art, to raise them up in some measure, and please God by some\nexpiations or sacrifices of their own works. Now, this tends to no other\npurpose but to satisfy the lusts of man\u2019s pride, and so it increases that\nwhich was man\u2019s first malady, and keeps them from the true physician. In a\nword, all man\u2019s inventions are to hasten misery on him, or to blindfold\nhimself till it come on; all his invention cannot reach a delivery from\nthis misery. Let us therefore consider this which Solomon hath found out,\nand if we carefully consider it, and accurately ponder it in relation to\nour own souls, then have we also found it with him. Consider, I say, what\nman once was, and what you are now, and bewail your misery and the\nfountain of it\u2014our departure from the fountain of life and blessedness.\nKnow what you are, not only weak but wicked, whose art and power lies only\nin wickedness, skilful and able only to make yourselves miserable. And let\nthis consideration make you cast away all your confidence in yourselves,\nand carry you forth to a Redeemer who hath found a ransom\u2014who hath found\nout an excellent invention to cure all our distempers and desperate\ndiseases. The counsel of the Holy Trinity that met about\u2014if I may so\nspeak\u2014our creation in holiness and righteousness after his own image, that\nsame hath consulted about the rest of it, and hath found out this course,\nthat one of them shall be made after man\u2019s image, and for this purpose,\nthat he may restore again God\u2019s image unto us. O bless this deep invention\nand happy contrivance of heaven, that could never have bred in any breast,\nbut in the depths of eternal wisdom, and let us abandon and forsake our\nown vain imaginations, and foolish inventions! Let us become fools in our\nown eyes, that we may become wise.\n\nMan by seeking to be wise, became a fool, that was an unhappy invention.\nNow it is turned contrary, let all men take with their folly and desperate\nwickedness. Let not the vain thoughts and dreams of our own well being and\nsufficiency lodge within us, and we shall be made wise. Come to the\nFather\u2019s wisdom,\u2014unto Jesus Christ, who is that blessed invention of\nheaven for our remedy. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within you? O\nwhen will you be washed from them? How long shall not your thoughts\ntranscend this temporal and bodily life? How long do you imagine to live\nin sin, and die in the Lord,\u2014to continue in sin and escape wrath? Why do\nyou delude your souls with a dream of having interest in the love of God,\nand purchasing his favour by your works? These are some of those many\ninventions man hath sought out.\n\n\n\n\n                              Lecture XXIV.\n\n\nOf Sin By Imputation And Propagation.\n\n\n    Rom. v. 12.\u2014\u201cWherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,\n    and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all\n    have sinned.\u201d\n\n\nThis is a sad subject to speak upon, yet it is not more sad than useful.\nThough it be unpleasant to hold out a glass to men, to see their own vile\nfaces into, yet is it profitable, yea, and so necessary, that till once a\nsoul apprehend its broken and desolate condition in the first Adam, it can\nnever heartily embrace and come to the second Adam. You have here the\nwoful and dreadful effects and consequents of the first transgression upon\nall mankind. The effect is twofold,\u2014sin and misery, or sin and death. The\nsubject is universal in both,\u2014\u201call men,\u201d the whole world. Behold what a\nflood of calamity hath entered at a small cranny\u2014by one man\u2019s\ntransgression! May it not be said of sin in general, what the wise man\nspeaks of strife,\u2014\u201cthe beginning of\u201d sin \u201cis as when one letteth out\nwater?\u201d Therefore it had been good leaving it oft before it had been\nmeddled with, it entered at a small hole, but it hath overflowed a whole\nworld since.\n\nThat which first occurs, is, that all mankind, proceeding from Adam by\nordinary birth are involved in sin by Adam\u2019s transgression. But that may\nseem a hard saying, that sin and death should flow unto the whole\nposterity who had no accession to Adam\u2019s transgression. It would seem,\nthat every man should die for his own iniquity, and that it should reach\nno further injustice. But consider, I pray you, the relation that Adam\nstood into, and in which he is here holden out as a figure of Christ.\nAdam, the first man, was a common person, representing all mankind, in\nwhose happiness or misery all should share. God contracts with him on\nthese terms that his posterity\u2019s estate should depend on his behaviour.\nNow, if all mankind would have reaped the benefit and advantage of Adam\u2019s\nperseverance,\u2014if such an undeserved reward of eternal life would have\nredounded by the free promise unto them all,\u2014what iniquity is it that they\nalso be sharers in his misery? Our stock and treasure was ventured in this\nvessel, and if we were to partake of its gain, why not of its loss? You\nsee among men, children have one common lot with their parents. If the\nfather be forfeited, the heirs suffer in it, and are cast out of the\ninheritance. It might appear a surer way to have the fortunes of all\u2014so to\nspeak\u2014depend upon one, and their happiness assured unto them upon the\nstanding of one, than to have every one left to himself, and his own\nwell-being depending upon his own standing, as it is more likely one, and\nthat the first one, shall not sin, than many; and especially when that one\nknew that the weight of all his posterity hung upon him, it might have\nmade him very circumspect, knowing of how great moment his carriage was.\nBut certainly we must look a little higher than such reasons, there was a\nglorious purpose of God\u2019s predominant in this, else there was no natural\nnecessity of imputing Adam\u2019s sin to the children not yet born, or\npropagating it to the children. He that brought a holy One and undefiled\nout of a virgin who was defiled, could have brought all others clean out\nof unclean parents. But there is a higher counsel about it. The Lord would\nhave all men subject to his judgment,\u2014all men once guilty, once in an\nequal state of misery, to illustrate that special grace showed in Christ\nthe more, and demonstrate his power and wrath upon others. That which\nconcerns us most is to believe this, that sin hath overspread all, and to\nhave the lively impressions of this were of more moment to true religion\nthan many discourses upon it. I had rather you went home not cursing Adam,\nor murmuring against the Most High, but bemoaning yourselves for your\nwretched estate than be able to give reasons for the general imputation\nand propagation of sin. You all see it is, and therefore you should rather\nmourn for it than ask why it is.\n\nThere is \u201csin entered into the world\u201d by imputation, and also by\npropagation. Adam\u2019s first sin and heinous transgression is charged upon\nall his posterity, and imputed unto them, even unto them who have not\nsinned according to \u201cthe similitude of Adam\u2019s transgression,\u201d that is,\nactually as he did. Infants, whom you call innocents,\u2014and indeed so they\nare in respect of you, who are come to age,\u2014yet they are guilty before God\nof that sin that ruined all. Now, that ye may know what you are, and what\nlittle reason you have to be pleased  with  yourselves, and absolve\nyourselves as ye do, I shall unbowel that iniquity unto you. First, There\nwas in it an open banner displayed against God. When the sovereign Lord\nhad enjoined his creature such a testimony of his homage and loyalty, and\nthat so easy to be performed, and such as not a whit could abate from his\nhappiness, what open rebellion was it to refuse it! It was a casting off\nthe sovereign dominion of God, than which nothing can be more heinous, as\nif the clay should refuse to serve the potter\u2019s pleasure, and therefore it\nis eminently and signally styled disobedience, as having nothing in it but\nthe pure naked nature of disobedience, no difficulty to excuse it, for it\nwas most easy, no pleasure to plead for it, for there were as good fruit\nbeside, and a world of them, no necessity to extenuate it, so that you can\nsee nothing in it but the ugly face of disobedience  and  rebellion, (ver.\n19.) whereby man draweth himself from his allegiance due to his Maker, and\nshaketh off the yoke in reproach of the Most High. Next, you may behold\nthe vile and abominable face of ingratitude and unthankfulness in it, and\ntruly heathens have so abhorred unthankfulness towards men, that they\ncould not digest the reproach of it,\u2014_Ingratum si dixeris, omnia dixeris,_\nif you call me unthankful, you may call me any thing or all things.(153)\nIt is a compend of all vices. It is even iniquity grown to maturity and\nripeness. But that such a fruit should grow out of such a holy and good\nsoil, so well dressed and manured by the Lord was a wonder! Lord, what was\nman that thou didst so magnify him, and make him a little lower than the\nangels,\u2014that thou didst put all things sublunary under his feet, and exalt\nhim above them! For that creature chosen and selected from among all, to\nbe his minion, to stand in his presence, adorned and beautified  with such\ngifts and graces, magnified with such glorious privileges, made according\nto the most excellent pattern, his own image, to forget all, and forget so\nsoon, and when he had such a spacious garden to make use of as is supposed\nto make up the third part of the earth, to eat of no fruit but that which\nwas forbidden,\u2014there is no such monstrous ingratitude can be imagined as\nhere was acted! But then consider the two fountains from which this\nflowed, unbelief and pride, and you shall find it the heaviest sin in the\nworld,\u2014unbelief of his word and threatening. First, he was brought to\nquestion it, and to doubt of it, and then to deny it. A word so solemnly\nand particularly told him by the truth itself, that ever a question of it\ncould arise in his mind or  get entry, what else was it than to impute\niniquity to the holy One, and that iniquity, falsehood and lying, which\nhis nature most abhors? What was it but to blaspheme the most high and\nfaithful God, by hearkening to the suggestions of his enemy, and to credit\nthem more than the threatenings of God,\u2014to give the very flat\ncontradiction to God,\u2014we shall not die, and to assent so heartily to\nSatan\u2019s slanders and reproaches of God? And this unbelief opened a door to\nambition and pride, the most sacrilegious ingredient of all, which is most\nopposite to God, and unto which he most opposed himself from the\nbeginning: \u201cYe shall be as gods.\u201d Was he not happy enough already, and\naccording to God\u2019s image? Nay, but this evil principle would arise up to\nthe throne of God, and sit down in his stead. Pride hath atheism in it; to\ndeny the true God, and yet would be a god itself! For the footstool to\nlift up itself thus, what an indignity was it! And indeed this wretched\naim at so high an estate hath thrown us down as low as hell. You see then\nhow injurious this transgression was to God. There was disobedience and\nrebellion in it, which denies his dominion and supremacy; there was\nunthankfulness in it, denying his goodness and bounty; there was unbelief\nin it, contradicting his truth and faithfulness; and finally, pride,\nopposing itself to all that is in God, reaching up to his very crown of\nMajesty to take it off. You see then what you are guilty of, in being\nguilty of Adam\u2019s transgression. Many of you flatter yourselves in your own\neyes that you have not done much evil, and you will justify yourselves in\nyour comparisons with others; but I beseech you, consider this, though you\nhad never done personally good or evil here, that which drowned the world\nin misery is your sin, and charged upon you. You are guilty of that which\nruined all mankind, and makes the creation \u201csubject to vanity\u201d and\ncorruption. O if ye believe this, you would find more need of the second\nAdam than you do! O how precious would his righteousness and obedience be\nto you, if you had rightly apprehended your interest in the first man\u2019s\ndisobedience!\n\nBut besides this imputation, there is much more propagated unto all, and\nthat is a total corruption and depravation of nature in soul and body,\nwhereby man is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite unto all\nthat is truly and spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and\nthat continually, which is commonly called original sin,\u2014a total\naverseness from God and from all goodness, an antipathy against the ways\nof holiness,\u2014and a propension and strong impulse towards evil, even as a\nstone moves downwards. This poison and contagion of sin entering into the\nworld hath infected all, and gone through all the members. Neither is it\nany wonder that it is so, when this leprosy hath defiled the walls and\nroof of the house,\u2014I mean, hath made the creation \u201csubject to vanity\u201d and\ncorruption; it is no wonder that it spread abroad in his issue, and makes\nall unclean like himself. And truly this is it which most abases man\u2019s\nnature, and, being seen, would most humble men. Yea, till this be\ndiscerned, no man can be indeed humbled. He will never apprehend himself\nso bad as he is, but still imagine some excellency in himself, till he see\nhimself in this glass. You talk of good natures, and good dispositions,\nbut in our flesh, saith the apostle, \u201cdwelleth no good thing.\u201d The seeds\nof all wickedness are in every one of us; and it is the goodness of God\nfor preserving of human society, that they are restrained and kept down in\nany from the grossest outbreakings. They know not themselves, who know any\ngood of themselves; and they know not themselves, who either are in\nadmiration at, or in bitterness or contempt against, other sinners, whose\nsins are manifest to all. This were the only way to profit by looking on\ntheir evils, if we could straightway retire within and behold the root of\nthat in ourselves, the fountain of it within us, and so grow in loathing,\nnot of those persons, but of human nature, and in suitable thoughts of\nourselves and others, and might wonder at the goodness and undeserved\nbounty of the Lord, that passes an act of restraint upon our corruption,\nand dams it up. O that we could learn to loathe ourselves in other men\u2019s\nevils! Thus we might reap good out of the evil, and prevent more in\nourselves. But the looking upon gross provocations as singularities, makes\nthem more general, because every man does not charge himself with the\ncorruption that is in all these, but prefers himself to another. Therefore\nare reins loosed to corruption, and a sluice opened that it may come\nout\u2014that he who would not see his own image in another\u2019s face, may behold\nit in the glass of his own abominations. There is no point less believed\nthan this though generally confessed, that man is dead in sins and\ntrespasses, and impotent to help himself. You will hardly take with\nwickedness when you confess weakness, as if nature were only sick, but not\ndead,\u2014hurt, but not killed. Therefore it is that so many do abide in\nthemselves, and trusting to their own good purposes and resolutions and\nendeavours, do think to pacify God and help themselves out of their\nmisery. But O look again, and look in upon yourselves in the glass of the\nword, and there is no doubt but you will straightway be filled with\nconfusion of face, and be altogether spoiled of good confidence and hope,\nas you call it! You will find yourself plunged in a pit of misery, and all\nstrength gone, and none on the right hand, or the left to help you; and\nthen, and not till then, will the second Adam\u2019s hand, stretched out for\nhelp, be seasonable.\n\nThat which next follows is that which is the companion of sin\ninseparably,\u2014\u201cDeath hath passed upon all,\u201d and that by sin. Adam\u2019s one\ndisobedience opened a port for all sin to enter upon mankind, and sin\ncannot enter without this companion, death. Sin goes before, and death\nfollows on the back of it; and these suit one another, as the work and the\nwages, as the tree and the fruit. They have a fitness one to another.\nSowing to corruption reaps an answerable harvest, to wit, corruption.\nSowing to the wind, and reaping the whirlwind, how suitable are they! That\nmen may know how evil and bitter a thing sin is, he makes this the fruit\nof it in his first law and sanction given out to men,\u2014he joins them\ninseparably,\u2014sin and death, sin and wrath, sin and a curse. By death is\nnot only meant bodily death, which is the separation of the soul from the\nbody, but first the spiritual death of the soul, consisting in a\nseparation of the soul from God\u2019s blessed, enlightening, enlivening, and\ncomforting countenance. Man\u2019s true life, wherein he differs from beasts,\nconsists in the right aspect of God upon his soul,\u2014in his walking with\nGod, and keeping communion with him. All things besides this are but\ncommon and base, and this was cut off. His comfort, his joy and peace in\nGod extinct, God became terrible to his conscience; and therefore man did\nflee and was afraid, when he heard his voice in the garden. Sin being\ninterposed between God and the soul, cut off all the influence of heaven.\nHence arises darkness of mind, hardness of heart, delusions, vile\naffections, horrors of conscience. Look what difference is between a\nliving creature and a dead carcase, so much is between Adam\u2019s soul,\nupright, living in God, and Adam\u2019s soul separated from God by sin. Then\nupon the outward man the curse redounds. The body becomes mortal which had\nbeen incorruptible. It is now like a besieged city. Now some outer forts\nare gained by diseases, now by pains and torments; the outward walls of\nthe body are at length overcome; and when life hath fled into a castle\nwithin the city, the heart, that is, last of all, besieged so straitly,\nand stormed so violently, that it must render unto death upon any terms.\nThe body of man is even a seminary of a world of diseases and grievances,\nthat if men could look upon it aright, they might see the sentence of\ndeath every day performed. Then how many evils in estate, in friends and\nrelations, in employments, which being considered by heathens, hath made\nthem praise the dead more than the living, but him not yet born most of\nall, because the present life is nothing else but a valley of misery and\ntears, a sea of troubles, where one wave continually prevents another, and\ncomes on like Job\u2019s messengers; before one speaks out his woful tidings,\nanother comes with such like, or worse. But that which is the sum and\naccomplishment of God\u2019s curse and man\u2019s misery is that death to\ncome,\u2014eternal death,\u2014not death simply, but an \u201ceverlasting destruction\nfrom the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power;\u201d\u2014an infinite\nloss, because the loss of such a glorious life in the enjoyment of God\u2019s\npresence; and an infinite hurt and torment beside, and both eternal.\n\nNow this is what we would lay before you. You are under such a heavy\nsentence from the womb, a sentence of the Almighty, adjudging you for\nAdam\u2019s guilt and your own, to all the misery in this world and in the\nnext,\u2014to all the treasures of wrath that are heaped up against the day of\nwrath. And strange it is, how we can live in peace, and not be troubled in\nmind, who have so great and formidable a party! Be persuaded, O be\npersuaded, that there shall not one jot of this be removed,\u2014it must be\nfulfilled in you or your cautioner! And why then is a Saviour offered, a\ncity of refuge opened, and secure sinners will not flee into it? But as\nfor as many as have the inward dreadful apprehension of this wrath to\ncome, and know not what to do, know that to you is Jesus Christ preached,\nthe second Adam, a quickening spirit, and in that consideration, better\nthan the first,\u2014not only a living soul himself, but a spirit to quicken\nyou who are dead in sins,\u2014one who hath undertaken for you, and will hold\nyou fast. Adam, who should have kept us, lost himself; Christ in a manner\nlost himself to save us. And as by Adam\u2019s disobedience all this sin and\nmisery hath abounded on man, know, that the second Adam\u2019s obedience and\nrighteousness are of greater virtue and efficacy to save and instead of\nsin to restore righteousness, and instead of death to give life. Therefore\nyou may come to him, and you shall be more surely kept than before.\n\n\n\n\n                               Lecture XXV.\n\n\nOf The Way Of Man\u2019s Delivery.\n\n\n    1 Tim. i. 15\u2014\u201cThis is a faithful saying, and worthy of all\n    acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save\n    sinners.\u201d\n\n\nOf all doctrines that ever were published to men, this contained here is\nthe choicest, as you see the very preface prefixed to it imports. And\ntruly, as it is the most excellent in itself, it could not but be sweet\nunto us, if we had received into the heart the belief of our own\nwretchedness and misery. I do not know a more sovereign cordial for a\nfainting soul, than this faithful saying, \u201cThat Christ Jesus came into the\nworld to save sinners.\u201d And therefore we are most willing to dwell on this\nsubject, and to inculcate it often upon you, that without him you are\nundone and lost, and in him you may be saved. I profess, all other\nsubjects, howsoever they might be more pleasing to some hearers, are\nunpleasant and unsavoury to me. This is that we should once learn, and\never be learning\u2014to know him that came to save us, and come to him.\n\nWe laboured to show unto you the state of sin and misery that Adam\u2019s first\ntransgression hath subjected all mankind unto, which if it were really and\ntruly apprehended, I do not think but it would make this saying welcome to\nyour souls. Man being plunged into such a deep pit of misery, sin and\ndeath having overflowed the whole world, and this being seen and\nacknowledged by a sinner, certainly the next question in order of nature\nis this, hath God left all to perish in this estate? Is there any remedy\nprovided for sin and misery? And this will be indeed the query of a\nself-condemned sinner. Now there is a plank after this broken ship; there\nis an answer sweet and satisfactory to this question; \u201cChrist Jesus came\ninto the world to save sinners.\u201d\n\nWe shall not expatiate into many notions about this, or multiply many\nbranches of this. The matter is plain and simple, and we desire to hold\nout plainly and simply, that this is the remedy of sin and misery. When\nnone could be found on the right hand or left hand, here a Saviour from\nheaven comes down from above, whence no good could be expected, because a\ngood God was provoked. \u201cCan there any good thing come out of\nNazareth?\u201d\u2014that was a proverb concerning him. But I think in some sense it\nmight be said, Can any good come down from heaven, from his holy\nhabitation to this accursed earth? Could any thing be expected from heaven\nbut wrath and vengeance? And if no good could be expected that way, what\nway could it come? Sure if not from heaven, then from no airth.(154) Yet\nfrom heaven our help is come, from whence it could not be looked for,\u2014even\nfrom him who was offended, and whose justice was engaged against man. That\nhe might both satisfy justice and save man,\u2014that he might not wrong\nhimself nor destroy man utterly,\u2014he sends his only begotten Son, equal\nwith himself in majesty and glory, into the world, in the state of a\nservant, to accomplish man\u2019s salvation, and perform to him satisfaction.\nTherefore Christ came into the world to save sinners.\n\nThere were two grand impediments in the way of man\u2019s salvation, which made\nit impossible to man; one is God\u2019s justice, another is man\u2019s sin. These\ntwo behoved to be satisfied or removed, ere there can be access to save a\nsinner. The sentence of divine justice is pronounced against all mankind,\n\u201cdeath passed upon all,\u201d\u2014a sentence of death and condemnation. Now, when\nthe righteousness and faithfulness of God is engaged unto this, how strong\na party do you think that must be? What power can break that prison of a\ndivine curse, and take out a sinner from under Justice\u2019s hand? Certainly\nthere is no coming out till the uttermost farthing be paid that was\nowing,\u2014till complete satisfaction be given for all wrongs. Now, truly, the\nredemption of the soul had ceased for ever\u2014it is so precious that no\ncreature can give any thing in exchange for it\u2014except Jesus Christ had\ncome into the world, one that might be able to tread that wine-press of\nwrath alone, and give his life a ransom, in value far above the soul, and\npay the debt of sin that we were owing to God. And, indeed, he was\nfurnished for this purpose, a person suited and fitted for such a work\u2014a\nman, to undertake it in our name, and God, to perform it in his own\nstrength\u2014a man, that he might be made under the law, and be humbled even\nto the death of the cross, that so he might obey the commandment, and\nsuffer the punishment due to us; and all this was elevated beyond the\nworth of created actions or sufferings, by that divine nature. This\nperfumed all his humanity, and all done by it, or in it. This put the\nstamp of divinity upon all, and imposed an infinite value upon the coin of\nfinite obedience and sufferings. And so in his own person, by coming into\nthe world, and acting and suffering in the place of sinners, he hath taken\nthe first great impediment out of the way; taken down the high wall of\ndivine justice which had enclosed round about the sinner, and satisfied\nall its demands, by paying the price; so that there is nothing upon God\u2019s\npart to accuse or condemn, to hinder or obstruct salvation.\n\nBut then there is an inner wall, or dark dungeon of sin, into which the\nsinner is shut up, and reserved in chains of his own lusts, until the time\nof everlasting darkness; and when heaven is opened by Christ\u2019s death, yet\nthis keeps a sinner from entering in. Therefore Jesus Christ, who came\nhimself into the world to satisfy justice and remove its plea, that there\nmight be no obstruction from that airth, he sends out his powerful Spirit\nwith the word, to deliver poor captive sinners, to break down the wall of\nignorance and blindness, to cast down the high tower of wickedness and\nenmity against God, to take captive and chain our lusts that kept us in\nbondage. And, as he made heaven accessible by his own personal obedience\nand sufferings, so he makes sinners ready and free to enter into that\nsalvation by his Spirit\u2019s working in their persons. In the one, he had\nGod, as it were, his party, and him he hath satisfied so far, that there\nwas a voice came from heaven to testify it, \u201cThis is my beloved Son, in\nwhom I am well pleased;\u201d and therefore, in testimony of it, God raised him\nfrom the dead. In the other, he hath Satan and man\u2019s wicked nature as his\nparty, and these he must conquer and subdue. These he must overcome, ere\nwe can be saved. A strange business indeed, and a great work, to bring two\nsuch opposite and distant parties together,\u2014a holy and just God, and a\nsinful and rebellious creature; and to take them both as parties, that he\nmight reconcile both.\n\nNow what do you think of this, my beloved, that such a glorious person is\ncome down from heaven, for such a work as the salvation of sinners? I put\nno doubt, it would be most acceptable unto you, if you knew your misery,\nand knowing your misery, you could not but accept it, if you believed that\nit were true and faithful. I find one of these two the great obstruction\nin the way of souls receiving advantage by such glad tidings. Either the\nabsolute necessity and excellency of the gospel is not considered, or the\ntruth and reality of it is not believed. Men either do not behold the\nbeauty of goodness in it, or do not see the light of truth in it. Either\nthere is nothing discovered to engage their affections, or nothing seen to\npersuade their understandings. Therefore the apostle sounds a trumpet, as\nit were, in the entry, before the publication of these glad news, and\ncommends this unto all men as a true and faithful saying, and as worthy of\nall acceptation. There is here the highest truth and certainty to satisfy\nthe mind: It \u201cis a faithful saying.\u201d And there is here also the chiefest\ngood to satiate the heart: It is \u201cworthy of all acceptation.\u201d Now, if you\ndo really apprehend your lost and miserable estate, you cannot but behold\nthat ravishing goodness in it; and behold that you cannot, till you see\nthe other first. Whence is it, I pray you, that so many souls are never\nstirred with the proposition of such things in the gospel,\u2014that the riches\nand beauty of salvation in Jesus Christ doth not once move them? Is it not\nbecause there is no lively apprehension of their misery without him?(155)\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE SINNER\u2019S SANCTUARY, OR, A DISCOVERY MADE OF THOSE GLORIOUS PRIVILEGES\nOFFERED UNTO THE PENITENT AND FAITHFUL UNDER THE GOSPEL: UNFOLDING THEIR\nFREEDOM FROM DEATH, CONDEMNATION, AND THE LAW, IN FORTY SERMONS ON THE\nEIGHTH CHAPTER OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.\n\n\n\n\nThe Preface.\n\n\nCourteous Reader,\u2014It floweth more from that observance\u2014not to say\nhonour\u2014which is due to the laws of custom, than from any other motive,\nthat the stationers hold it expedient to salute thee at thy entry into\nthis book, by any commendatory epistle, having sufficient experience, that\nbooks are oft inquired after, and rated according to the respect men\ngenerally have of the author, rather than from the matter contained\ntherein, especially if the book be divine or serious; upon which ground\nthis treatise might have come abroad merely upon the virtue of the title\npage,\u2014Mr. Hugh Binning being so well known, and his other treatise so\nuniversally, as deserving, received by the intelligent and studious in the\ngreat mysteries of the Trinity, and other dark principles of the Christian\nfaith.\n\nYet if worthiness of matter\u2014as the curious carved stones of the temple\nwere to the disciples\u2014be amiable to thine eyes, and nervous sentences,\nsolid observations, with a kind of insinuating, yet harmless behaviour, be\ntaking with thy spirit, here they are also, and acquainting thyself with\nthem, either as the sinner or the saint, which thine own conscience shall\nbest inform thee of, there shall be virtue found to proceed from them,\neither for thy souls refining from the dross of this corrupt age, or to a\ndiligent heed taking to preserve thyself pure from the pollutions which\nare in the world through lust, to be more and more pure against the day\nand coming of Christ our Saviour.\n\nThough many elaborate pieces are already extant, and treatises of many\nworthies of the church be already abroad upon this golden chapter, yet he\nwho hath seen the manyest, and knows the sublimity and darkness withal the\nexcellency of the subjects therein treated, shall know this work, or lamp,\nto have its weight and light and though small, yet as a candle, shall\nincrease, and add to those lights already burning upon the table of his\nmemory or museol.(156) There is but one Spirit, one faith, one baptism,\nyet about and in these, there are diversities of gifts, and though all men\nnaturally have but one face, yet the variety to be seen in each one,\nprocureth both wonder and delight, there being in every one something new,\nsomething which makes it differ from all other. There is here to be found\nsomething enlarged, enlightened, and applied, which in other volumes may\nnot be heeded, or but slenderly touched, or if it were otherwise, here it\nis in some other way, method, or expression; besides which, there is no\nnew thing under the sun. And have we not, nay, choose we not, to have\nvariety of gems, agates, rubies, and diamonds shining about us, some\nsquared, some angled, each having their own excellency, because so formed?\nIf this instance take not, it is because the children of this generation\nare wiser than the children of light.\n\nThat the work is imperfect, is for a lamentation save for this, that while\nthe author was contemplating upon the Spirit of adoption, and being with\nGod, the Spirit called upon him by death, as the voice did upon the\ndivine, saying, \u201cCome up hither, and I will show thee,\u201d Rev. iv. 1. So\nthat what David said of the waters of Bethlehem, may be said of this lame\norphan, \u201cIs not this the blood of this good man?\u201d The great and wise\nMaster builder of the church, giving this young man order to lay the\nfoundation, and raise the building but thus high, appointing, it must be,\nsome others to perfect and lay on the roof, yea, possibly it is squared\nand framed already for thy use in other treatises, and thyself to perfect\nthe edifice of the salvation, by joining this and that together in thy\npractice. Mr. Hugh Binning, showing thee in his lot, how to be rid of, or\ndelivered from the law\u2019s condemnation, ver 1, and some other in his\nquarter to demonstrate because of that, \u201cneither height nor depth shall be\nable to separate thee from the love of God,\u201d ver. 39 of this chapter.\n\nHad this work come directly from the authors own hands, he had spoken in\nhis own style, his own mind; but that being denied, receive this posthume\ninfant, as David did Mephibosheth, first, for its father\u2019s sake, next for\nits own. Though it be lame in the feet, yet it is of goodly countenance,\nand speaketh so well, that its language hath got an _imprimatur_, and\nwhere it is silent rest satisfied with that old refreshing cordial in such\ncases, _c\u00e6tera desiderantur_.\n\n\n\n\nSermon I.\n\n\n    Rom. viii. 1.\u2014\u201cThere is therefore now no condemnation to them\n    which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after\n    the Spirit.\u201d\n\n\nThere are three things which concur to make man miserable,\u2014sin,\ncondemnation, and affliction. Every one may observe that \u201cman is born unto\ntrouble as the sparks fly upward,\u201d that his days here are few and evil. He\npossesses \u201cmonths of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed\u201d for him.\nJob v. 6, 7, vii. 3. He \u201cis of few days and full of trouble,\u201d Job xiv. 1.\nHeathens have had many meditations of the misery of man\u2019s life, and in\nthis have outstripped the most part of Christians. We recount amongst our\nmiseries, only some afflictions and troubles, as poverty, sickness,\nreproach, banishment, and such like. They again have numbered even these\nnatural necessities of men amongst his miseries,\u2014to be continually turned\nabout, in such a circle of eating, drinking, and sleeping. What burden\nshould it be to an immortal spirit to roll about perpetually that wheel!\nWe make more of the body than of the soul. They have accounted this body a\nburden to the soul. They placed posterity, honour, pleasure, and such\nthings, which men pour out their souls upon, amongst the greatest miseries\nof men, as vanity in themselves, and vexation, both in the enjoying and\nlosing of them, but, alas! they knew not the fountain of all this\nmisery,\u2014sin and the accomplishment of this misery,\u2014condemnation. They\nthought trouble came out of the ground and dust, either by a natural\nnecessity, or by chance, but the word of God discovereth unto us the\nground of it, and the end of it. The ground and beginning of it was man\u2019s\ndefection from God, and walking according to the flesh, and from this head\nhave all the calamities and streams of miseries in the world issued. It\nhath not only redounded to men, but even to the whole creation, and\nsubjected it to vanity, ver. 20 of this chapter. Not only shall thou, O\nman, (saith the Lord to Adam,) eat thy meat in sorrow, but thy curse is\nupon the ground also, and thou who wast immortal, shalt return to that\ndust which thou magnifiedst above thy soul, Gen. iii. 17. But the end of\nit is suitable to the beginning. The beginning had all the evil of sin in\nit, and the end hath all the evil of punishment in it. These streams of\nthis life\u2019s misery, they run into an infinite, boundless, and bottomless\nocean of eternal wrath. If thou live according to the flesh, thou shalt\ndie, it is not only death here, but eternal death after this. The miseries\nthen of this present life are not a proportionable punishment of sin, they\nare but an earnest given of that great sum which is to be paid in the day\nof accounts, and that is condemnation, \u201ceverlasting destruction from the\npresence of the Lord, and the glory of his power.\u201d Now, as the law\ndiscovers the perfect misery of mankind, so the gospel hath brought to\nlight a perfect remedy of all this misery. Jesus Christ was manifested to\ntake away sin, and therefore his name is Jesus, \u201cfor he shall save his\npeople from their sins.\u201d This is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins\nof the world. Judgment was by one unto condemnation of all, but now there\nis \u201cno condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,\u201d so these two evils\nare removed, which indeed have all evil in them. He takes away the curse\nof the law, being made under it, and then he takes away the sin against\nthe law by his Holy Spirit. He hath a twofold virtue, for he came by blood\nand water, (1 John v. 6, 7,)\u2014by blood, to cleanse away the guilt of sin,\nand by water, to purify us from sin itself. But in the meantime, there are\nmany afflictions and miseries upon us, common to men: why are not these\nremoved by Christ? I say, the evil of them is taken away, though\nthemselves remain. Death is not taken away, but the sting of death is\nremoved. Death, afflictions, and all, are overcome by Jesus Christ, and so\nmade his servants to do us good. The evil of them is God\u2019s wrath and sin,\nand these are removed by Jesus Christ. Now they would be taken away\nindeed, if it were not good they remained, for \u201call things work together\nfor good to them that love God.\u201d ver. 28. So then we have a most complete\ndeliverance in extent, but not in degree. Sin remains in us but not in\ndominion and power. Wrath sometimes kindles because of sin, but it cannot\nincrease to everlasting burnings. Afflictions and miseries may change\ntheir name, and be called instructions and trials,\u2014good and not evil; but\nChrist hath reserved the full and perfect delivery till another day, which\nis therefore called \u201cthe day of complete\u201d redemption, and then all sin,\nall wrath, all misery, shall have an end, and \u201cbe swallowed up of life and\nimmortality,\u201d ver. 23.\n\nThis is the sum of the gospel, and this is the substance of this chapter.\nThere is a threefold consolation answerable to our threefold evils there\nis \u201cno condemnation to them which are in Christ.\u201d Here is a blessed\nmessage to condemned lost sinners who have that sentence within their\nbreasts, ver. 1. This was the end of Christ\u2019s coming and dying, that he\nmight deliver us from sin as well as death, and the righteousness of the\nlaw might be fulfilled in us, and therefore he hath given the Holy Spirit,\nand dwells in us by the Spirit, to quicken us who are \u201cdead in trespasses\nand sins.\u201d O what consolation will this be to souls, that look upon the\nbody of death within them, as the greatest misery, and do groan with Paul,\nO wretched man that I am! &c., Rom. vii. 24. This is held forth to ver.\n17. But because there are many grounds of heaviness and sadness in this\nworld, therefore the gospel opposes unto all these, both our expectation\nwhich we have of that blessed hope to come, whereof we are so sure, that\nnothing can frustrate us of it, and also the help we get in the meantime\nof the Spirit to hear our infirmities, and to bring all things about for\ngood to us, ver. 28. And from all this the believer in Jesus Christ hath\nground of triumph and boasting before the perfect victory,\u2014even as Paul\ndoth in the name of believers, from ver. 31 to the end. Upon these\nconsiderations, he that cried out not long ago, \u201cO miserable man, who\nshall deliver me?\u201d doth now cry out, \u201cwho shall condemn me?\u201d The\ndistressed wrestler becomes a victorious triumpher; the beaten soldier\nbecomes more than a conqueror. O that your hearts could be persuaded to\nhearken to this joyful sound\u2014to embrace Jesus Christ for grace and\nsalvation! How quickly would a song of triumph in him swallow up all your\npresent complaints and lamentations!\n\nAll the complaints amongst men may be reduced to one of these three. I\nhear the most part bemoaning themselves thus: Alas, for the miseries of\nthis life, this evil world! Alas for poverty, for contempt, for sickness!\nOh! miserable man that I am, who will take this disease away? Who will\nshow me any good thing, (Psal. iv. 6,) any temporal good? But if ye knew\nand considered your latter end, ye would cry out more, ye would refuse to\nbe comforted, though these miseries were removed. But I hear some\nbemoaning themselves more sadly\u2014they have heard the law, and the sentence\nof condemnation is within them. The law hath entered and killed them. Oh!\n\u201cwhat shall I do to be saved?\u201d Who will deliver me from the wrath to come?\nWhat are all present afflictions and miseries in respect of eternity? Yet\nthere is one moan and lamentation beyond all these, when the soul finds\nthe sentence of absolution in Jesus Christ, and gets its eyes opened to\nsee that body of death and sin within, that perfect man of sin diffused\nthroughout all the members. Then it bemoans itself with Paul\u2014\u201cO wretched\nman\u2014who shall deliver me from this body of death?\u201d Rom. vii. 24. I am\ndelivered from the condemnation of the law, but what comfort is it, as\nlong as sin is so powerful in me? Nay, this makes me often suspect my\ndelivery from wrath and the curse, seeing sin itself is not taken away.\n\nNow, if you could be persuaded to hearken to Jesus Christ, and embrace\nthis gospel, O what abundant consolation should ye have! What a perfect\nanswer to all your complaints! They would be swallowed up in such a\ntriumph as Paul\u2019s are here. This would discover unto you a perfect remedy\nof sin and misery, that ye should complain no more, or at least, no more\nas those without hope. You shall never have a remedy of your temporal\nmiseries unless ye begin at eternal, to prevent them. \u201cSeek first the\nkingdom of God,\u201d and all other things \u201cshall be added unto you.\u201d Seek\nfirst to flee from the wrath to come, and ye shall escape it, and besides\nthe evil of time, afflictions shall be removed. First remove the greatest\ncomplaints of sin and condemnation, and how easy is it to answer all the\nlamentations of this life, and make you rejoice in the midst of them!\n\nYou have in this verse three things of great importance to consider,\u2014the\ngreat and precious privilege, the true nature, and the special property of\na Christian. The privilege is one of the greatest in the world, because it\nis of eternal consequence, and soul concernment, the nature is most\ndivine,\u2014he is one that is in Jesus Christ, and implanted in him by faith,\nhis distinguishing property is noble, suitable to his nature and\nprivileges,\u2014he walks not as the world, according to his base flesh, but\naccording to the Spirit. All these three are of one latitude,\u2014none of them\nreaches further than another. That rich privilege and sweet property\nconcentres and meets together in one man, even in the man who is in Jesus\nChrist. Whoever enters into Jesus Christ, and abideth in him, he meets\nwith these two, justification and sanctification, these are nowhere else,\nand they are there together.\n\nIf ye knew the nature and properties of a Christian, ye would fall in love\nwith these for themselves, but if these for your own sakes will not allure\nyou, consider this incomparable privilege that he hath beyond all others,\nthat ye may fall in love with the nature of a Christian. Let this love of\nyourselves and your own well-being pursue you into Jesus Christ, that ye\nmay walk even as he walked, and I assure you, if ye were once in Christ\nJesus, ye would love the very nature and walking of a Christian, no more\nfor the absolution and salvation that accompanies it, but for its own\nsweetness and excellency beyond all other. Ye would, as the people of\nSamaria, no more believe for the report of your own necessity and misery,\nbut ye would believe in Jesus Christ, and walk according to the Spirit,\nfor their own testimony they have in your consciences. You would no more\nbe allured only with the privileges of it to embrace Christianity, but you\nwould think Christianity the greatest privilege, a reward unto itself.\n_Pietas ipsa sibi merces est_,\u2014godliness is great gain in itself, though\nit had not such sweet consequents or companions. That you may know this\nprivilege, consider the estate all men are into by nature. Paul expresses\nit in short, Rom. v. \u201cBy the offence of one, judgment came upon all unto\ncondemnation and the reason of this is, by one man sin came upon all, and\nso death by sin, for death passed upon all, because all have sinned,\u201d ver.\n18, 12. Lo, then, all men are under a sentence of condemnation once! This\nsentence is the curse of the law\u2014\u201cCursed is every one that abideth not in\nall things commanded to do them.\u201d If you knew what this curse were, ye\nwould indeed think it a privilege to be delivered from it. Sin is of an\ninfinite deserving, because against an infinite God, it is an offence of\nan infinite majesty, and therefore the curse upon the sinner involves\neternal punishment. O what weight is in that word, (2 Thess. i. 9,) Ye\n\u201cshall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the\nLord and the glory of his power.\u201d If it were duly apprehended, it would\nweigh down a man\u2019s soul, and make it heavy unto death. This condemnation\nincludes both _damnum et p\u0153nam, p\u0153nam damni et p\u0153nam sensus_, and both are\ninfinite in themselves, and eternal in their continuance. What an\nunpleasant and bitter life would one lead, that were born to a kingdom,\nand yet to be banished it and lose it? But what an incomparable loss is it\nto fall from an heavenly kingdom, which heart cannot conceive, and that\nfor ever? In God\u2019s favour is life, and in his presence are rivers of\npleasures for evermore. When your petty penny losses do so much afflict\nyour spirits, what would the due apprehension of so great a loss do? Would\nit not be death unto you, and worse than death, to be separated from this\nlife, to be eternally banished from the presence of his glory? If there\nshould be no more punishment but this only; if the wicked were to endure\nfor ever on earth, and the godly, whom they despised and mocked, were\ntranslated to heaven, what torment would it be to your souls to think upon\nthat blessedness which they enjoy above, and how foolishly ye have been\nput by it for a thing of no value? What would a rich man\u2019s advantages and\ngains be to him, when he considereth what an infinite loser he is? How he\nhath sold a kingdom for a dunghill? Now if there were any hope, that after\nsome years his banishment from heaven might end, this might refresh him,\nbut there is not one drop of such consolation. He is banished, and\neternally banished, from that glorious life in the presence of God, which\nthose do enjoy whom he despised. If a man were shut up all his life-time\nin a pit, never to see the light once more, would not this be torment\nenough to him? But when withal there is such pain joined with this loss;\nwhen all this time he is tormented within with a gnawing worm, and without\nwith fire; those senses that did so greedily hunt after satisfaction to\nthemselves, are now as sensible in the feeling of pain and torment. And\nwhen this shall not make an end, but be eternal, O whose heart can\nconsider it! It is the comfort and ease of bodily torments here, that they\nwill end in death. Destruction destroys itself, in destroying the body;\nbut here is an immortal soul to feed upon, and at length the body shall be\nimmortal. That destruction cannot quite destroy it, but shall be an\neverlasting destruction and living death.\n\nThis is the sentence that is once passed against us all in the word of\nGod, and not one jot of this word shall fall to the ground: heaven and\nearth may fail sooner. Ye would think it were an irrepealable decree, if\nall the nations in the earth, and angels above, convened to adjudge a man\nto death, did pass sentence upon him. Nay, but this word that is daily\nspoken to you, which passeth this sentence upon you all, is more certain:\nand this sentence of death must be executed, unless ye be under that\nblessed exception made here and elsewhere in the gospel. I beseech you,\nconsider what it is to have such a judge condemning you. Would not any of\nyou be afraid, if ye were under the sentence of a king? If that judgment\nwere above your head, who of you would sit in peace and quietness? Who\nwould not flee from the wrath of a king, that is like the roaring of a\nlion? But there is a sentence of the _King_ of kings and nations above\nyour heads. \u201cWho would not fear thee,\u201d to whom it doth appertain, \u201cO King\nof nations?\u201d It is not a great man that can destroy the body, that is\nagainst thee; it is not he who hath power to kill thee, and he hath also a\ngreat desire so to do. This were indeed much; but it is the great and\neternal _Jehovah_, who lifts up his hand to heaven, and swears he lives\nforever,\u2014he is against thee. He who hath all power over body and soul is\nagainst thee, and so is obliged to improve his omnipotency against thee;\nhe can kill both soul and body, and cast them into hell, and by virtue of\nthis curse he will not spare thee, but pour out all the curses in this\nbook. Thou wouldst be at no peace if thou wert declared rebel by the king\nand parliament; but alas! that is a small thing. They can but reach thy\nbody, nay, neither can they always do that; thou mayest flee from them,\nbut whither canst thou flee from him? Thou canst not go out of his\ndominions; for the earth is his, and the sea, and all that therein is.\nDarkness cannot hide thee from him. He may spare long, because he can\ncertainly overtake when he pleases; men may not, because they have no\nassurance of finding. I beseech you, then, consider this. It is of soul\nconsequence; and what hath a man gained, if he gain the world, and lose\nhis soul? If the gainer be lost, what is gained? And it is of eternal\nconsequence; and what are many thousand years to this? You can look beyond\nall these, and might comfort yourselves in hope; but you cannot see to the\nend of this. There is still more before than is past; nay, there is\nnothing past,\u2014it is still as beginning.\n\nO that ye would consider this curse of God that stands registrate upon us\nall? What effects had it on Christ, when he did bear it? It made his soul\nheavy to death:\u2014it was a cup that he could scarcely drink. He that\nsupported the frame of this world was almost near succumbing under the\nweight of this wrath. It made him sweat blood in the garden. He that could\ndo all things, and speak all things, was put to this, \u201cWhat shall I say?\u201d\nWhen this condemnation was so terrible to him, who was that Mighty One\nupon whom all help was laid, what shall it be to you? No man\u2019s sorrow was\never like his, nor pain ever like his, if all the scattered torments were\nunited in one; but because he was God he overcame, and came out from under\nit. But what do you think shall be the estate of those who shall endure\nthat same torment?\u2014and not for three days, or three years, or some\nthousands of years, but beyond imagination,\u2014to all eternity?\n\nI beseech you consider this condemnation which ye are adjudged unto, and\ndo not lie under it. Do ye think ye can endure what Christ endured? Do ye\nthink ye can bear wrath according to God\u2019s power and justice? And yet the\njudgment is come upon all men to this condemnation. But alas! who fears\nhim according to his wrath? Who knows the power of his anger? Ye sleep\nsecure, as if all matters were past and over your head. We declare unto\nyou in the Lord\u2019s name, that this condemnation is yet above you, because\nyou have not judged yourselves. It is preached unto you that ye may flee\nfrom it; but since ye will not condemn yourselves, this righteous Judge\nmust condemn you.\n\nNow, since it is so, that such a condemnatory sentence is passed on all\nmen, what a privilege must it be, to be delivered from it,\u2014to have that\nsentence repealed by some new act of God\u2019s mercy and favour? David\nproclaims him a blessed man whose sins are forgiven and covered; and\nindeed he is blessed who escapes that pit of eternal misery, though there\nwere no more. Though there were no title to an inheritance and kingdom\nabove, to be delivered from that wrath to come upon the children of\ndisobedience, this is more happiness than the enjoyment of all earthly\ndelights. \u201cWhat shall a man give in exchange for his soul?\u201d \u201cSkin for\nskin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.\u201d These riches\nand advantages and pleasures that men spend their labour for, all these\nthey part with in such a hazard. The covetous man, he will cast his\ncoffers overboard ere he will lose his life; the voluptuous man, he will\nsuffer pain and torment in cutting off a member, ere he die. But if men\nknew their souls, and what an immortality and eternity expects them, they\nwould not only give skin for skin, and all that they have, for their soul,\nbut their life also. Ye would choose to die a thousand deaths to escape\nthis eternal death. But \u201cwhat shall a man give in exchange for his soul?\u201d\nMatt. xvi. 26; though he would give, yet what hath he to give? There are\ntwo things endear any privilege to us, and heighten the rate of it,\u2014the\nnecessity of it, and the preciousness of it; and these two are eminent\nhere. Is it not necessary to be, to live, and have a being? All men think\nso, when they will give all they have to redeem themselves. All other\nthings are accidental to them, they are nearest to themselves; therefore\nall must go, ere themselves go. But I say this is more necessary,\u2014to be\nwell eternally, than to be simply; to escape this condemnation, than to\nhave a being. And this shall be verified in the last day, when men shall\ncry for hills and mountains to fall on them, and save them from the wrath\nof the Lamb, Rev. vi. 16. Men will choose rather not to be, than to fall\nin that wrath. O how acceptable would a man\u2019s first nothing be to him in\nthat great day of wrath! Who shall be able to stand in it?\u2014when kings and\nprinces, bond and free, great and small, shall desire mountains to grind\nthem into powder, rather than to hear that sentence of condemnation, and\nyet shall not obtain it. O blessed are all they that trust in him, \u201cwhen\nhis wrath is kindled but a little,\u201d Ps. ii. 12. Ye toil and vex\nyourselves, and spend your time about that body and life; but for as\nprecious as they are to you now, ye would exchange them one day for\nimmunity and freedom from this wrath and curse. How will that man think\nhis lines are fallen in pleasant places,\u2014how will he despise the glory of\nearthly kingdoms, though all united in one,\u2014who considers in his heart how\nall kings, all tongues and nations, must stand before the judgment-seat of\nGod, and the books of his law be opened, to judge them by, as also the\nbooks of their consciences, to verify his accusation, and precipitate\ntheir own sentence, and then, in the open view of all the sons of Adam,\nand the angels, all secrets be brought out,\u2014their accusation read as large\nas their life-time, and as many curses be pronounced against every one, as\nthere be breaches of the law of God, whereof they are found guilty; and\nthen all these will seek into corners, and cry for mountains, but there is\nno covering from his presence. What do ye think the man will think within\nhimself, who will stand before God, and be absolved in judgment by Jesus\nChrist, notwithstanding his provocations above many of them? What will a\nking then think of his crown and dominions, when he reflects on them? What\nwill the poor persecuted Christian then think of all the glory and\nperfection of this world, when he looks back upon it? O know, poor foolish\nmen, what madness is in venturing your souls for trifles! Ye run the\nhazard of all greatest things for a poor moment\u2019s satisfaction. Ye will\nrepent it too late, and become wise to judge yourselves fools, when there\nis no place to mend it.\n\nBut this privilege is no more necessary than it is precious. Your souls\nare now kept captive under that sentence of everlasting imprisonment. Ye\nare all prisoners, and know not of it. What will ye give in ransom for\nyour souls? Your sins and iniquities have sold you to the righteous Judge\nof all the earth, as malefactors, and he hath passed a sentence of your\nperpetual imprisonment under Satan\u2019s custody in hell. Now what will you\ngive to redeem your souls from that pit? How few know the worth of their\nsouls! And so they offer unto God some of their riches for them. Doth not\nmany of you think ye have satisfied for sins, if ye pay a civil penalty to\nthe judge? Many think their own tears and sorrow for sin may be a price to\njustice, at least if it be joined with amendment in time coming. And so\nmen conceive their sins are pardoned, and their souls redeemed. But alas!\nthe redemption of the soul is precious, yea, it ceaseth for ever; all your\nsubstance will be utterly contemned, though ye offered it. How few of you\nwould give so much for your souls! And yet though ye give it, it will not\ndo it,\u2014ye must pay the uttermost farthing, or nothing. Your sorrow and\nreformations will not complete the sum, no, nor begin it. \u201cThough thou\nwash thee with nitre, and take much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked\nbefore me,\u201d\u2014yet there is still condemnation for thee. Though all the world\nshould convene about this matter, to find a ransom for man; suppose all\nthe treasures of monarchs, the mines and bowels of the earth, the coffers\nof rich men were searched; nay, let the earth, the sea, the heavens, and\nsun and moon be prized at the highest;\u2014join all the merits of angels above\nand men below, all their good actions and sufferings, yet the sum that\namounts of all that addition, would not pay the least farthing of this\ndebt. The earth would say, it is not in me; the heaven behoved to answer\nso; angels and men might say, we have heard of it, but it is hid from all\nliving. Where then is this redemption from the curse? Where shall a ransom\nbe found? Indeed God hath found it; it is with him. He hath given his Son\na ransom for many, and his blood is more precious than souls,\u2014let be(157)\ngold and silver. Is not this then a great privilege, that if all the\nkingdoms of the world were sold at the dearest, yet they could not buy it?\nWhat a jewel is this! What a pearl! Whoever of you have escaped this\nwrath, consider what is your advantage. O consider your dignity ye are\nadvanced unto, that you may engage your hearts to him, to become his, and\nhis wholly! for \u201cye are bought with a price,\u201d and are no more your own; he\ngave himself for you, and was made a curse to redeem you from the curse. O\nhow should you walk as privileged men, as redeemed ones!\n\nI beseech you all to call home your thoughts, to consider and ponder on\nthis sentence that is passed against us. There is now hope of delivery\nfrom it, if ye will take it home unto you; but if ye will still continue\nin the ways of sin, without returning, know this, that ye are but\nmultiplying those curses, platting many cords of your iniquities, to bind\nyou in everlasting chains. Ye are but digging a pit for your souls, ye\nthat sweat in your sins, and travel in them, and will not embrace this\nransom offered. The key and lock of that pit is eternal despair. O\nconsider how quickly your pleasures and gains will end, and spare some of\nyour thoughts from present things, to give them to eternity, that thread\nspun out for ever and ever;\u2014the very length of the days of the Ancient of\ndays, who hath no beginning of days nor end of time! Remember now of it,\nlest ye become as long miserable as God is blessed, and that is for ever.\n\nAll men would desire to have privileges beyond others, but there is one\nthat carries it away from all the world, and that is the believer in Jesus\nChrist, who is said to be in Christ, implanted in him by faith, as a\nlively member of that body whereof Christ is the head. Christ Jesus is the\nhead of that body, the church; and this head communicates life unto all\nthe members, for \u201che filleth all in all.\u201d There is a mighty working power\nin the head, which diffuseth itself throughout the members, Eph. i. 19,\n22, 23. There are many expressions of union between Christ and believers.\nThere is no near conjunction among men, but this spiritual union of Christ\nwith believers is represented to us under it. The foundation and the\nbuilding have a near dependence, the corner-stone and the wall\u2014these knit\ntogether; and Christ Jesus is the foundation and \u201cthe chief corner-stone,\nin whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy\ntemple,\u201d Eph. ii. 20, 21. The head and members are near united, so is\nChrist and believers; they \u201cgrow up into him,\u201d Eph. iv. 15. Parents and\nchildren are almost one, so is Christ Jesus the everlasting Father, and he\nshows to the Father the children which he hath given him. We are his\nbrethren, and he is not ashamed to call us so; but which is more, we are\none flesh with him. There is a marriage between Christ and the church, and\nthis is the great meditation of the song of Solomon. He is the vine tree,\nand we are branches planted in him. Nay, this union is so strict, that it\nis mutual, \u201cI in them,\u201d and they \u201cin me.\u201d Christ dwelleth in us by faith,\nby making us to believe in him, and love him; we dwell in Christ by that\nsame faith and love, by believing in him, and loving him. Christ Jesus is\nour house where we get all our furniture; he is our store-house and\ntreasure, our place of strength and pleasure, a city of refuge, a strong\ntower and a pleasant river to refresh us. We again are his habitation\nwhere he dwelleth by his Spirit; we are his workhouse, where he works all\nhis curious pieces of the new creature, forming it unto the day of his\nespousals, the great day of redemption.\n\nThis gives us to understand what we once were. We may stand here and look\nback upon our former condition, and find matter both of delight and\nsorrow. We were once without Christ in the world, and if without Christ,\nthen without \u201chope and without God in the world,\u201d Eph. ii. 12. I wish this\nwere engraven on the hearts of men, that they are born out of Christ\nJesus; wild olives, growing up in the stock of degenerated Adam. He was\nonce planted a noble vine; but how quickly turned he into a degenerate\nplant, and instead of grapes, brought forth wild grapes, and sour! We all\ngrow upon an \u201colive tree which is wild by nature,\u201d Rom. xi. 24. It grows\nout of the garden of God, in the barren wilderness, and is meet for\nnothing but to bring forth fruit unto death, to be cut down and cast into\nthe fire. It is a tree which the Lord hath cursed,\u2014\u201cnever more fruit grow\nupon thee henceforth:\u201d this was the fatal sentence pronounced on Adam. O\nthat you would know your condition by nature! how all your good\ninclinations, dispositions, and education, cannot make your stock good,\nand your fruit good! \u201cIsrael is an empty vine,\u201d\u2014this is our name. Nay, but\nmany think they bring forth fruit. Have not heathens spread forth their\nbranches, and brought forth many pleasant fruits of temporal patience,\nsobriety, magnanimity, prudence, and such like? Do not some civil men many\nacts of civility profitable to men? Doth not many a man pray and read the\nscriptures from his youth up? Yes, indeed, these are fruits, but for all\nthat, he is an empty vine, for he brings forth fruit to himself; and so,\nas in the original, he is a vine emptying the fruit which it gives, Hos.\nx. 1. All these fruits are but to himself, and from himself; he knows not\nto direct these to God\u2019s glory, but to his own praise or advantage, to\nmake them his ornament; and he knows not his own emptiness, to seek all\nhis furniture and sap from another. What were all these fair blossoms and\nfruits of heathens? Indeed they were more and better than any now upon the\nmultitude of professed Christians: and yet these were but _splendida\npeccata_, shining sins. What is all your praying and fasting, but to\nyourselves, as the Lord charges the people, Zech. vii. \u201cDid ye at all fast\nunto me?\u201d No, ye do it to yourselves. Here is the wildness and\ndegenerateness of your natures. Either you bring forth very bitter fruits,\nsuch as intemperance, avarice, contention, swearing, &c., or else fruits\nthat have nothing but a fair skin, like apples of Sodom that are beautiful\non the tree, but being handled, turn to ashes; so there is nothing of them\nfrom God, or to God. I think every man almost entertains this secret\npersuasion in his breast,\u2014that his nature may be weak, yet it is not\nwicked; it may be helped with education, and care, and diligence, and\ndressed till it please God, and profit others. Who is persuaded in heart\nthat he is an enemy to God, and cannot be subject to God\u2019s law? Who\nbelieves that his \u201cheart is desperately wicked?\u201d Oh! it is indeed\n\u201cdeceitful above all things,\u201d and in this most deceitful, that it\npersuades you ye have a good heart to God. Will not profane men, whose\nhands are defiled, maintain the uprightness of their hearts? _Nemo\nnascitur bonus sed fit_. I beseech you once, consider that ye are born out\nof Christ Jesus. Ye conceive that ye are born and educated Christians; ye\nhave that name indeed from infancy, and are baptized. But I ask about the\nthing; baptism of water doth not implant you into Jesus Christ. Nay, it\ndeclares this much unto you, that by nature ye are far off from Jesus, and\nwholly defiled,\u2014all your imaginations only evil. Now, I beseech you, how\ncame the change? Or is there a change? Are not the most part of men the\nold men,\u2014no new creatures? He that is in Christ is a new creature, 2 Cor.\nv. 17. Ye have now Adam\u2019s nature, which ye had first. Ye have borne the\nimage of the earthly, and are ye not such yet, who are still earthly?\nThink ye that ye can inherit the kingdom of God thus? Can ye pass over\nfrom a state of condemnation to a state of life and no condemnation,\nwithout a change? No, believe it, ye cannot inherit incorruption with\nflesh and blood, which ye were born with. Ye must be implanted in the\nsecond Adam, and bear his image, ere ye can say that ye are partakers of\nhis blessings, 1 Cor. xv. 47-49, &c. Now I may pose your consciences,\u2014how\nmany of you are changed? Are not the most part of you even such as ye were\nfrom your childhood? Be not deceived, ye are yet strangers from the\npromises of God, and without this hope in the world.\n\n\n\n\nSermon II.\n\n\n    Verse 1.\u2014\u201cThere is therefore now no condemnation to them which are\n    in Christ Jesus, &c.\u201d\n\n\nAll the promises are yea and amen in Christ Jesus; they meet all in him\nand from him are derived unto us. When man was in integrity, he was with\nGod, and in God, and that immediately, without the intervention of a\nMediator. But our falling from God hath made us without God, and the\ndistance is so great, as Abraham speaks to the rich man, that neither can\nthose above go down to him, nor he come up to them. There is a gulf of\nseparation between God and us, that there can be no meeting. And so we who\nare without God, are without hope in the world, Eph. ii. 12; no hope of\nany more access to God as before. The tree of life is compassed about with\na flaming fire and a sword. God is become a consuming fire unto us, that\nnone can come near these everlasting burnings, much less dwell with them.\nSince there can be no meeting so, God hath found out the way how sinners\nmay come to him, and not be consumed. He will meet with us in Jesus\nChrist, that living temple, and this is the trysting place.(158) There was\na necessity of this Mediator, to make up the difference, and make a bridge\nover that gulf of separation, for us to come to God, and this is his human\nnature, the new and living way, the vail of his flesh. God is in Christ\ntherefore, reconciling the world to himself. All the light of consolation\nand salvation that is from God, is all embodied in this Sun of\nrighteousness. All the streams of grace and mercy run in the channel of\nhis well beloved Son. It follows then, that God is not to be found out of\nJesus Christ, and whosoever is without Christ, is without God in the\nworld. \u201cGod was in Christ reconciling the world,\u201d and \u201cthere is therefore\nno condemnation to them that are in Christ,\u201d but God out of Christ is\ncondemning the world, and therefore condemnation is to all that are not in\nChrist. When all the sons of Adam were declared rebels, because of his and\ntheir own rebellion, the Lord hath appointed a city of refuge, that\nwhosoever is pursued by the avenger of blood, may enter into it, and get\nprotection and safety. Without is nothing but the sword of the avenger,\njustice reigning in all the world beside, within this city, justice may\nnot enter to take out any into condemnation. And therefore those souls\nthat flee for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before them in Jesus\nChrist, justice may pursue them to the ports of this city, condemnation\nmay follow them hard, till they enter in, but these may not enter into the\nports of the city. What a miserable estate then are these souls in, that\nbe in their own natures in the open fields without this city! How many\nfoolish men apprehend no danger, but sport about the ports of the city of\nrefuge, and will not enter in! O the avenger of blood shall be upon thee\nere thou know, and if it find thee out of the city, woe unto thee! All thy\nprayers and entreaties will not prevail. Justice is blind and deaf,\u2014cannot\ndeal partially, or respect persons, cannot hear thy supplications. It is\nstrange, that men are taken up with other petty inconsiderable things, and\nyet neglect to know what this is, to be in Jesus Christ, upon which their\nsalvation depends.\n\nFaith in Jesus Christ is the soul\u2019s flight into the city of refuge. Now\nnone flieth but when they apprehend danger, or are pursued. This danger\nthat a soul apprehends, is perishing and condemnation for ever. The\npursuer is the law of God, and his justice, these have a sword in their\nhand, the curse of God, and the sentence of condemnation. God erects a\ntribunal in his word, wherein he judgeth men. Whosoever he hath a purpose\nof good-will unto, he makes the law to enter into their consciences, that\nthe offence might abound. He sends out some messenger of affliction, or\nconviction, to bring them before the judgment seat, and hear their\naccusation read unto them. There the soul stands trembling, and the\nconscience witnesseth and approveth all that the word challengeth of, so\nthat the sinner\u2019s mouth is stopped, and can have no excuse to this\naccusation. Then the judge pronounces the sentence upon the guilty person,\n\u201cCursed is every one that abideth not in all things, &c.\u201d The soul cries,\nGuilty, O Lord, guilty, I deserve the curse indeed. Oh! \u201cwhat shall I do\nto be saved?\u201d Then the soul looks about on the right hand, and on the left\nhand, to seek some refuge, but there is none. Whither shall he go from\nhim? He looks within himself, and beholds nothing within, but the accusing\nwitnessing conscience becomes a tormentor. The fire is kindled within,\nwhich feeds upon the fuel of innumerable sins. Now the soul is almost\noverwhelmed, and spies if there be any place to flee to from itself, and\nfrom that wrath, and behold the Lord discovers a city of refuge near hand,\nwhere no condemnation is, even Christ Jesus, who hath sustained the curse,\nthat he might redeem us from it. The vision of peace is here, and thither\nthe soul flies out of itself, and from justice, into that discovered\nrighteousness of Christ, and so the more that the offence abounded, now\nthe more hath grace super-abounded, so that there is now no more\ncondemnation to him.\n\nI beseech you consider this, and let it be written on the table of your\nhearts. There are two tribunals that God sits upon,\u2014one out of Christ\nJesus, another in Christ Jesus. There is a throne of justice, where no\nsentence passes but pure unmixed justice, without any temperament of mercy\nand this all men must once compear before. You know what a covenant of\nworks God once made with us,\u2014if thou do these things thou shalt live, if\nnot, thou shalt die the death. According to this we must once be judged,\nthat justice suffer no prejudice. Therefore God speaks out of his law,\nupon this throne, the language of mount Sinai, he reads our charge unto\nus, and because all the world is guilty, therefore the sentence of death\nis once passed upon all. Now, whoever of you come before this tribunal to\nbe judged, know that it is a subordinate court, there is a higher court of\nmercy and judgment, both justice and mercy mixed together. Though mercy be\nthe predominant, justice and judgment are the habitation of it, but mercy\nand truth go before the Judge\u2019s face, and come nearest sinners to give\nthem access. And this you may appeal unto from that tribunal of justice.\n\u201cBut there is forgiveness with thee, &c.,\u201d Ps. cxxx. 4, 5. And whoever\ncomes here, Christ Jesus sits on this throne to absolve him from that\nsentence. If you ask what equity is in it, is not this a prejudice to\njustice, and an abomination to the Lord, to justify the wicked and ungodly\nsinner? I say, it is no iniquity, because Jesus Christ hath paid the price\nfor us, and was made a curse for our sins, that we might be the\nrighteousness of God in him, and therefore it is just with God to forgive\nsins, to relax that sinner from the condemnation of the law, that flees\ninto Jesus Christ. You may answer justice\u2014I will not take this for God\u2019s\nlast word. I hear that all final judgment is committed to the Son, that he\nmay give life to whom he will; he calls me, and to him will I go, for he\nhath the words of eternal life, he will justify, and who shall condemn?\n\nNow, if any man will not now arraign himself before the tribunal of God\u2019s\njustice, if he will not search his guiltiness till his mouth be stopped,\nand hear his sentence of condemnation read, and take with it,\u2014that man\ncannot come to Jesus Christ, to be absolved, for he justifieth none but\nself-condemned and lost sinners. So your day is but yet coming, when you\nmust answer to justice. The tribunal of mercy shall be removed, and Christ\nshall sit upon a throne of pure justice, to judge those who judged not\nthemselves. Alas for your loss, the most part of you! I pity you. You live\nin great peace and quietness without the ports of the city of refuge. We\ndeclare unto you in the Lord\u2019s name, you are under the curse of God: will\nyou yet sit secure, and put the evil day far from you? Oh! rather trouble\nyour peace for a season, with the consideration of your sins! Enter into\njudgment with yourselves till you see nothing but perishing in\nyourselves;\u2014and there is no hazard, because salvation is brought near in\nthe gospel. If you would not trouble yourselves so much as to judge\nyourselves, then you shall be judged when there is no Mediator to plead\nfor you, none to appeal unto.\n\nBut whosoever takes the sentence of condemnation unto them, and subscribes\nto the righteousness of the Lord\u2019s curse upon them, we do invite all such\nin the Lord\u2019s name, to come in hither, even to Jesus Christ. There is no\ncondemnation to them that are in him. If you stand scrupulous, making many\nquestions in such a matter of so great necessity, you wrong your own soul\nand dishonour him. Know this, that God is in Christ reconciling the world\nto himself. Therefore thou condemned sinner mayest come to God in Christ.\nIf you ask any warrant, we think there should be no such questioning, when\nyou are in so great necessity. If a man were starving without a city, and\nit were told him there is plenty within, were he not a fool that would\nmake any more business, but labour to enter in? This is enough to cross\nall your objections; you are in extreme necessity, and like to perish\nwithin yourself; \u201che is able to save to the uttermost all that come to\nhim.\u201d What would you more? Let there be then a closure between absolute\nnecessity and sufficient ability to save. Will you yet stand disputing\nwithout the city, when the avenger of blood is above your head? If you\nwill yet press for some more ground and warrant of believing,\u2014then I will\ntell you all that I know is in the word for a ground of faith. You have\ngreat misery and necessity within you,\u2014that you grant, and it is your\ncomplaint. Christ hath mercy and sufficiency of grace in him; he is able\nto save to the uttermost,\u2014that you cannot deny. But I do add this third,\nhe is also willing to save thee, whoever will be saved by him; nay, he is\nmore willing than thou art. If you question this, I desire you but to\nconsider the whole tenor of the gospel. How many invitations! How many\npersuasions! How many promises to those who come! Yea, how many commands,\nand that peremptory, to believe on him! Yea, how many threatenings against\nyou, if you will not come to him to have life! Hath he given himself for\nthe sins of the world, and will he not be willing that sinners partake of\nthat he was at so much pains to purchase? Think you that Christ will be\ncontent his death should be in vain? And it should be in vain, if he did\nnot welcome the worst sinners; yea, it should be in vain if he did not\ndraw them to him, and make them willing. But besides this, he hath\npromised so absolutely, and freely, and fully, as there should be no\nexception imaginable against it; \u201chim that cometh to me, I will in no wise\ncast out,\u201d John vi. 37. Why do you imagine any case where Christ hath made\nnone? Why do you sin against your own souls? Oh, if I were in Christ, say\nyou, I would be well! and oh, that he would welcome such a sinner! Christ\nanswers thee in express terms; \u201cwhosoever will, let him take and drink\nfreely.\u201d Thou declarest thy willingness in so speaking; and he declares\nhis willingness in so promising. Nay, thy looking afar off on him, is a\nfruit of his willingness; \u201cye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,\u201d\nand loved you first. If ye will not yet believe this, look upon his\ncommand; this is his command, that ye believe on the Son, 1 John iii. 23.\nWhat warrant have ye to do any duty he commands? And why do ye more\nquestion this? Is not this his command? And is it not more peremptory,\nbecause a new command, and his last command? And when withal he\nboasts(159) us into his Son, that we may have life, oh, who should have\nthe face to question any more his willingness! Other grounds than these I\nknow none; and I think if any come to Christ, or pretend to come, on other\ngrounds, he comes not right. If the most holy man come not in among\nungodly sinners; if he do not walk upon the grounds of his own extreme\nnecessity, and Christ\u2019s sufficiency, he cannot come to Jesus Christ. There\nis a conceit among people, which, if it were not so common as it is, I\nwould not mention it, it is so ridiculous\u2014how can I come to Christ so\nunclean and so guilty, nothing but condemnation in me? If I were such and\nsuch, I would come to him. Alas! there can nothing be imagined more\nabsurd, or contrary even to sense and reason. If thou wert such and such,\nas thou fanciest a desire to be, thou wouldst not come to Christ; thou\nneededst him not. That which thou pretendest as a reason why thou shouldst\nnot come, is the great reason pressed in the gospel why thou shouldst\ncome. What madness is this? I am so unclean, I will not come to the\nfountain to wash;\u2014wherefore was the fountain opened, but for sin and\nuncleanness? And the more uncleanness, the more need; and the more need,\nthe more reason to come. Necessity is a great errand, and our errand is a\nsufficient warrant. I am pursued by the law, I have condemnation within\nme, and nothing but condemnation. Well then, come to Christ Jesus, the\ncity of refuge, where no condemnation is. Wherefore was this city\nappointed, but for this end? I beseech you every one who useth those\ndebates, and taketh a kind of delight in them, know what they mean, how\nthey wrong your own souls; how they dishonour Christ, and so God the\nFather; nay, how foolish and ridiculous they are,\u2014that if it were not your\nperplexity indeed, they deserved no answer, but a rebuke or silence. I\nhave seen people take delight in moving objections against the truth, yea,\nand study earnestly how to object against any answers given from the\ntruth. Alas! thou meddlest to thine own hurt; thou art upon a way which\nshall never yield thee any comfort, but keep thy soul from establishment,\nas a wave tossed up and down! If ye believe not, but dispute, ye shall not\nbe established.\n\nBut I would speak a word to those that have believed, that have fled for\nrefuge to Christ. Oh! it concerns you most of all men to study to know\nthis condemnation that ye are delivered from, that ye may be thankful, and\nmay keep close within this city. I say, there is no man within the world\nshould have more thoughts, more deep and earnest meditations on the curse\nand wrath of God, than those who are delivered from them through Christ;\nand my reason is, that ye may know how great a salvation ye have received,\nhow great a condemnation ye have escaped, and may henceforth walk as those\nwho are bought with a price. Your creation makes you not your own, but\nhis, because he gave that being. But your redemption should make you twice\nmore his, and not your own, because, when that being was worse than if it\nhad not been at all, he made it over again. So ye are twice his: first, he\nmade you with a word, but now he hath bought you with a price, and that a\ndear price,\u2014his blood. Again, the keeping this curse always in your view\nand sight and application of it unto your sins, will make much employment\nfor Christ. O how will ye often flee into that city! I think they are the\ngreatest enemies of Jesus Christ, and his grace, who would have a believer\nhave no more use of the law. I know not who can use the law if he do it\nnot. I know not who can apply it unto Christ, the end of it, but he.\nCertainly he hath not only use of the commands as a rule of obedience, but\nthe curse also, not to make him fear again unto bondage; no, no, but to\nmake him see always the more necessity of Jesus Christ, that he may take\nup house in him, and dwell in him.\n\n\n\n\nSermon III.\n\n\n    Verse 1.\u2014\u201cWho walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.\u201d\n\n\nIt is difficult to determine which of these is the greatest privilege of a\nChristian,\u2014that he is delivered from condemnation, or that he is made to\nwalk according to the Spirit, and made a new creature; whether we owe more\nto Christ for our justification, or sanctification: for he is made both to\nus: but it is more necessary to conjoin them together, than to compare\nthem with each other. The one is not more necessary\u2014to be delivered from\nwrath, than the other, to walk according to the Spirit. I think it were an\nargument of a soul escaped from condemnation, to have the great stream and\ncurrent of its affections and endeavours towards sanctification, not that\nthey may be accepted of God, but because they are accepted of God. It is\nnot said, there is nothing condemnable in those that are in Christ, but\nthere is no condemnation to them. There is, indeed, a body of death, and\nlaw of sin within them, a nature defiled with original pollution, and many\nstreams flowing from it, which the sprinkling of the blood of Christ in\njustification doth not take away. If any man say there is no sin in him,\nhe is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But here is the grace and mercy\nof God in Jesus Christ; that removes the curse where the sin is,\u2014that\ntakes away the condemnation where all worthy of condemnation is. And thus\nthe soul\u2019s justification is parallel to Christ\u2019s condemnation. There was\nin him nothing condemnable, no sin, no guile in his mouth; yet there was\ncondemnation to him, because he was in stead and place of sinners. Our\niniquities were laid on him, not in him; he who knew no sin was made a\ncurse for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. So\nthen, the soul that fleeth into Jesus Christ\u2019s righteousness, though it\nhave in it all that deserveth condemnation, yet there is no condemnation\nto it, because his righteousness is laid upon it, and Christ hath taken\naway the curse. The innocent Son of God was condemned, therefore are\nguilty sinners absolved. The curse was applied unto him who had no sin,\nbut only was made sin, or sin laid on him, and therefore the sentence of\nabsolution from the curse is applied unto them who have no righteousness,\nbut are made the righteousness of God by free and gracious imputation.\nThis I speak, because of many unsavoury and unsound expressions in this\nloose generation, that there is no sin in the justified, that\njustification removes it close, as if it had never been at all. I say, as\nthe condemnation of Jesus Christ did not blot out his innocency and\nholiness within him, but only justice considered him on that account as a\ntransgressor, who yet was the holy and spotless Lamb of God in himself; so\nlikewise the justification of a sinner before God, doth not remove or blot\nout the very corruption and defilement of our natures, but only scrapes\nout our names out of the roll of his debtors, as having satisfied in our\ncautioner, and considers us as righteous on that account before God. And\nthis likewise I speak for your use, that ye may loathe and abhor\nyourselves, as much in yourselves, who are made clean by the blood of\nJesus Christ, as if ye were not washen. Nay, so much the more ye ought to\nremember your own sins, which he doth not remember as debt any more; and\nto be ashamed and confounded because they are pardoned. It is ordinary for\nsouls to look on themselves with an eye of more complacency in themselves,\nwhen they apprehend that God looks favourably on them. I do not think that\nany soul can duly consider the gracious aspect of God in Jesus Christ to\nthem, but they will the more loathe themselves. But I find it ordinary,\nthat slight and inconsiderate thoughts of pardon beget jolly conceits in\nmen\u2019s hearts of themselves. And this is even the sin of God\u2019s children;\nsomething is abated of our self-abhorring, when we have peace and favour\nspoken unto us. But I beseech all who believe there is no condemnation for\nthem, to consider there are all things worthy of it in them, yea, nothing\nbut what deserves it; and therefore let that aspect of God beget\nself-loathing and self-detestation in you. The more you apprehend he is\npleased with you, be ye the more displeased with yourselves, because it is\nnot yourselves he is pleased with, but his own well-beloved Son. The day\nof redemption is coming, when there shall be no condemnation, and nothing\ncondemnable either. In heaven you shall be so, but while ye are here, this\nis the most important duty ye are called to,\u2014to loathe yourselves, because\nof all your abominations, and because he is pacified towards you, Ezek.\nxvi. at the close; and chap. xxxvi. 31; and xx. 43, 44. There is a new and\nstrange mortification now pleaded for by many,(160) whose highest\nadvancement consisteth in not feeling, or knowing, or confessing sin, but\nin being dead to the sense and conviction of the same. Alas! whither are\nthese reforming times gone? Is not this the spirit of Antichrist? I\nconfess it is a mortification of godliness, a crucifying of repentance and\nholiness, a crucifying of the new man; but it is a quickening of the old\nman in the lusts thereof, a living to sin. This is a part of that new (but\nfalsely so called) gospel that is preached by some; which, if an angel\nwould bring from heaven, we ought not to believe it. \u201cOther foundation can\nno man lay than that which is laid\u201d already, upon which the prophets and\napostles are builded,\u2014even Christ Jesus. Lord, give the Spirit to\nunderstand these mysteries already revealed; but save us from these new\ndiscoveries and lights. That which we have received is able to make us\nperfect to salvation.\n\nEvery one pretends a claim and right to this privilege of Christians, to\nbe pardoned and absolved from condemnation, who doth not put it out of\nquestion, though in the mean time their iniquities testify against them;\nand their transgressions say in the heart of a godly man, that \u201cthere is\nno fear of God before their eyes.\u201d Therefore the apostle describes the man\nthat is in Jesus Christ, to be such an one, that walks \u201cnot after the\nflesh, but after the Spirit,\u201d\u2014not only to guard against the presumptuous\nfancy of those that live in their sins, that pretend to hope for heaven,\nbut to stir up every justified soul to a new manner of conversation, since\nthey are in Jesus Christ. We would speak a word of two things from this:\nFirst, That the Scripture gives marks and characters of justified and\nreconciled persons, that they may be known by, both to themselves and\nothers. Next, That, the Christian having escaped condemnation, hath a new\nmanner of walking, and is a new creature in Christ.\n\nIt might seem a strange thing, that this first were questioned in this\ngeneration, (if any the most clear and important truth could pass without\nscanning) the very tenor of the Scripture holds out so much of it. I\nwonder that any man that reads this chapter, or the epistles of James and\nJohn, should have any more doubt of it. \u201cHereby we do know that we know\nhim, if we keep his commandments.\u201d Is not this a conclusion of our state\nand condition, from the conformity of our walking to the will of God? What\ndivine truth can we be sure of, if this be uncertain? When the beloved\ndisciple, who knew how to preach Christ, asserts it in express terms, 1\nJohn v. 13, \u201cThese things have I written unto you that believe, that ye\nmay know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of\nthe Son of God.\u201d This very thing was the great scope and purpose of that\nevangelic and divine epistle.\n\nI find that Antinomians(161) confound this question, that they may have\nthe more advantage in their darkness. The question is not concerning the\ngrounds of a man\u2019s believing in Christ, but concerning our assurance, or\nknowledge of our believing. There is a great mistake in Christians\npractice, in confounding these two. It makes Christians very unreasonable\nin their doubtings and exercises; therefore let us have this before our\neyes,\u2014faith, in its first and pure acting, is rather an adherence and\ncleaving of a lost soul to Christ, than an evidence of its interest in\nhim, or of his everlasting love. You know all, that it is one thing to\nknow a thing, or love a thing, and another thing to reflect upon it, and\nknow that I know and love it. John did write to believers, that they might\nknow they did believe, and believe yet more. These things then are both\nseparable, and the one is posterior to the other,\u2014\u201cafter that ye believed\nye were sealed.\u201d The persuasion of God\u2019s love and our interest in Christ,\nis the Spirit\u2019s seal set upon the soul. There is a mutual sealing here.\nThe soul, by believing and trusting in Jesus Christ, \u201csets to its seal\nthat God is true,\u201d as John speaks, John iii. 33. When God speaks in his\nlaw, the soul receives that testimony of his justice and holiness,\nsubscribes to the equity and righteousness of the sentence, by condemning\nitself. And when Christ speaks in the gospel, the soul seals that doctrine\nof free salvation, by approving and consenting with all its heart to the\noffer, subscribes to the way of salvation in Christ, and the truth of his\npromises. And thus is the truth of God and Christ sealed, by the soul\u2019s\nbelieving. Then the Spirit of Jesus Christ afterward, when he pleaseth,\nirradiates and shines upon the soul, and discovers those things that are\nfreely given, and witnesseth to the conscience of the believer, that he is\na son of God. Thus the Spirit seals the believer, and gives his testimony\nto his truth.(162)\n\nNow if we speak of the ground of the first, viz. of believing in Christ to\nsalvation, I know none, but that which is common to sinners, and holden\nout in the gospel generally to all,\u2014our sin and misery, and absolute\nnecessity, and Christ\u2019s invitation of all to come, and receive his full\nand perfect salvation. I think a man should seek nothing in himself,\nwhereupon to build his coming to Christ. Though it be true, no man can\ncome to a Saviour, till he be convinced of sin and misery, yet no man\nshould seek convictions as a warrant to come to Christ for salvation. He\nthat is in earnest about this question, how shall I be saved?\u2014I think he\nshould not spend the time in reflecting on, and examination of himself,\ntill he find something promising in himself; but from discovered sin and\nmisery, pass straightway over to the grace and mercy of Christ, without\nany intervening search of something in himself to warrant him to come.\nThere should be nothing before the eye of the soul but sin, and misery and\nabsolute necessity, compared with superabounding grace and righteousness\nin Christ; and thus it singly devolves itself over upon Christ, and\nreceives him as offered freely, \u201cwithout money and without price.\u201d I know\nit is not possible that a soul can receive Christ till there be some\npreparatory convincing work of the law, to discover sin and misery. But I\nhold, that to look to any such preparation, and fetch an encouragement or\nmotive therefrom, to believe in Christ is really to give him a price for\nhis free waters and wine,\u2014it is to mix in together Christ and the law, in\nthe point of our acceptation. And for souls to go about to seek\npreparations,\u2014for a time resolving not at all to consider the promise of\nthe gospel, till they have found them, and satisfaction in them, is\nnothing else but to go about to establish their own righteousness, being\nignorant of the righteousness of Christ. And therefore many do corrupt the\nsimplicity of the gospel, by rigid exactions of preparations, and measures\nof them, and by making them conditions or restrictions of gospel commands\nand promises; as in this, \u201cCome ye that are wearied.\u201d And from thence they\nseem to exclude persons not so qualified, from having a warrant to\nbelieve. Alas! it is a great mistake of these and such words. Certainly\nthese are not set down on purpose to exclude any who will come,\u2014for,\n\u201cwhosoever will, let him take the water of life freely,\u201d but rather to\nencourage such wearied and broken souls as conceive themselves to be the\nonly persons excluded, and to declare unto us in some measure, the nature\nof true faith, that a soul must be beaten out of itself, ere it can come\nto Christ. Therefore, I conclude, that not only is it a ridiculous and\nfoolish conceit of many Christians that use to object against\nbelieving,\u2014if I were as such and such a person, if I did love God, if I\nhad these fruits of the Spirit, if I walked according to the Spirit, then\nI might believe. Alas! how directly opposite is this to the terms of the\ngospel! I say, if thou place satisfaction in these, and from that ground\ncome to Jesus Christ, then thou dost not come really,\u2014thou dost indeed\nestablish thine own righteousness. Doth any saint, though ever so holy,\nconsider himself under such notions of grace, when he comes to be\njustified? No indeed; but as an ungodly man rather, he must deny all that,\nthough he had it. And besides, it is most unreasonable and incongruous, to\nseek the fruits before the tree be planted, and to refuse to plant the\ntree, till you can behold the fruits of it. But also, it is contrary to\nthe free and comfortable doctrine of the gospel, for a soul to seek the\ndiscovery of any thing in itself but sin, before it apply to Jesus Christ.\nI say, there must be some sense of sin, otherwise it hath not rightly\ndiscovered sin, but a soul should not be at the pains to discover that\nsense of sin, and find it out, so as to make it a motive of believing in\nChrist. He ought to go straight forward, and not return as he goes. He\nmust indeed examine himself,\u2014not to find himself a sensible humble sinner,\nthat so he may have ground of believing, but that he may find himself a\nlost perishing sinner, void of all grace and goodness, that he may find\nthe more necessity of Jesus Christ. And thus I think the many contentions\nabout preparations of conditions preparatory to believing, may be\nreconciled.\n\nNow if the question be, as it is indeed, about the grounds of our\nassurance, and knowledge of our own faith, certainly it is clear as the\nnoonday, that as the good tree is known by the fruits thereof, and the\nfire by the heat thereof, so the indwelling of faith in the heart is known\nby its purifying of the heart and working by love. It makes a man a new\ncreature, so that he and others may see the difference. Neither is this\nany derogation to the free grace of Christ, or any establishing of our own\nrighteousness, except men be so afraid to establish their own\nrighteousness, that they will have no holiness at all, but abandon it\nquite, for fear of trusting in it, which is a remedy worse than the\ndisease, because I make it not a ground of my acceptation before God, but\nonly a naked evidence of my believing in Christ, and being accepted of\nGod. It being known that these have a necessary connection together in the\nScriptures, and it being also known that the one is more obvious and easy\nto be discerned than the other. Sure I am, the Lamb\u2019s book of life is a\ngreat mystery, and unless this be granted, I see not but every man\u2019s\nregeneration and change shall be as dark and hidden, as the hidden and\nsecret decrees of God\u2019s election; for the Spirit may immediately reveal\nboth the one and the other. Is it any derogation to the grace of Christ,\nto know what is freely given us? Doth it not rather commend his grace,\nwhen a soul looks upon itself, beautified with his comeliness, and adorned\nwith his graces, and loathes itself in itself, and ascribes all the honour\nand praise to him? Is it not more injury to the fountain and fulness of\ngrace in Christ, not to see the streams of it at all nor to consider them,\nthan to behold the streams of grace that flow out of this fountain, as\ncoming out of it? I think Christians may be ready to idolize their graces,\nand make them mediators, when they are known, but is this a good remedy of\nthat evil, to abandon all sight and knowledge of the things freely given\nus of God? Shall we not speak of the freeness of grace, because men\u2019s\ncorruptions turn grace into carnal liberty and wantonness? If these graces\nbe in us, sure I am, it is no virtue to be ignorant of them, but rather a\nweakness and darkness. It must then be the light and grace of God to know\nthem, and from thence to conclude(163) that assurance of faith, which is\nnot a forced, ungrounded persuasion, and strong fancy, without any\ndiscovered reason of it. Sure I am, the apostles counsel is, to make our\nelection sure, by making our calling sure. How shall any venture to look\ninto those secrets of the Lamb\u2019s book of life, and read their name there?\nUndoubtedly they belong not to us,\u2014they are a light inaccessible, that\nwill but confound and darken us more. Therefore, whoever would know their\nelection, according to the Scriptures, must read the transcript and copy\nof the book of life, which is written in the hearts and souls of the\nelect.\n\nThe thoughts of God are written in his works upon the spirits of men. His\nelection hath a seal upon it,\u2014\u201cThe Lord knoweth them that are his;\u201d and\nwho can break up this seal? \u201cWho hath known the mind of the Lord?\u201d None\ncan, until the Lord write over his thoughts in some characters of his\nSpirit, and of the new creature, in some lineaments and draughts of his\nown image, that it may be known they are the epistle of Christ, not\nwritten with ink and paper, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on\ntables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart, 2 Cor. iii. 3. Christ\nwrites his everlasting thoughts of love and good-will to us in this\nepistle; and that we may not think this doth extol the creature, and abase\nChrist, it is added, ver. 5,\u2014\u201cNot that we are sufficient of ourselves,\u2014but\nour sufficiency is of God.\u201d The seeing of grace in ourselves doth not\nprejudge the grace of God, unless we see it independent of the fountain,\nand behold not the true rise of it, that we may have no matter to glory\nof. It is not a safe way of beholding the sun, to look straight on it. It\nis too dazzling to our weak eyes,\u2014you shall not well take it up so. But\nthe best way is to look on it in water; then we shall more steadfastly\nbehold it. God\u2019s everlasting love, and the redemption of Jesus Christ, is\ntoo glorious an object to behold with the eyes of flesh. Such objects\ncertainly must astonish and strike the spirits of men with their\ntranscendent brightness. Therefore we must look on the beams of this sun,\nas they are reflected in our hearts; and so behold the conformity of our\nsouls, wrought by his Spirit, unto his will; and then we shall know the\nthoughts of his soul to us. If men shall at the first flight climb so\nhigh, as to be persuaded of God\u2019s eternal love, and Christ\u2019s purchase for\nthem in particular, they can do no more, but scorch their wings, and melt\nthe wax of them, till they fall down from that heaven of their ungrounded\npersuasion, into a pit of desperation. The Scripture way is to go downward\nonce, that ye may go up. First go down in yourselves, and make your\ncalling sure, and then you may rise up to God, and make your election\nsure. You must come by this circle; there is no passing by a direct line,\nand straight through, unless by the immediate revelation of the Spirit,\nwhich is not ordinary and constant, and so not to be pretended unto.\n\nI confess, that sometimes the Spirit may intimate to the soul God\u2019s\nthoughts towards it, and its own state and condition, by an immediate\noverpowering testimony, that puts to silence all doubts and objections,\nthat needs no other work or mark to evidence the sincerity and reality of\nit. That light of the Spirit shall be seen in its own light, and needs not\nthat any witness of it. The Spirit of God sometimes may speak to a\nsoul,\u2014\u201cSon, be of good comfort, thy sins are forgiven thee.\u201d This may\nbreak into the soul as a beam darted from heaven, without reference to any\nwork of the Spirit upon the heart, or word of Scripture, as a mids(164) or\nmean to apply it. But this is more extraordinary. The ordinary testimony\nof the Spirit is certainly conjoined with the testimony of our own\nconsciences, Rom. viii. 16. And our consciences bear witness of the work\nof the Spirit in us, which the Spirit discovers to be according to the\nword. The Spirit makes known to us things that are freely given; but, by\n\u201ccomparing spiritual things with spiritual,\u201d 1 Cor. ii. 10, 13. The fruit\nand special work of the Holy Ghost in us is the _medium_, and the Spirit\u2019s\nlight irradiates and shines upon it, and makes the heart to see them\nclearly. For, though we be the children of light, yet our light hath so\nmuch darkness, as there must be a supervenient and accessory light of the\nSpirit, to discover that light unto us. Now what is all this to us? I fear\nthat there be many ungrounded persuasions among us,\u2014that many build on a\nsandy foundation, even a strong opinion that it is well with them, without\nany examination of their souls and conversations according to the word;\nand this certainly, when the tempest blows, cannot stand. Some teach, that\nno man should question whether he believe or not, but presently believe. I\nthink none can believe too suddenly; it is always in season, _nunquam sera\nest fides nec p\u00e6nitentia_,\u2014it is never late in respect of the promise; and\nit is never too early in respect of a man\u2019s case. But I cannot think any\nman can believe, till the Spirit have convinced him of his unbelief; and\ntherefore I would think the most part of men nearer faith in Jesus Christ,\nif they knew they wanted faith. Nay, it is a part of faith, and believing\nGod in his word, and setting to our seal that God is true, for a man to\ntake with his unbelief, and his natural inability, yea, averseness to it.\nI would think that those who could not believe in Christ, because they\nsought honour one of another, and went about to kill him, they had done\nwell to have taken with that challenge of Christ\u2019s; and if men ought to\ntake with their sin, they ought to search and try their sin, that they may\nfind it out, to take with it. I wonder, since Antinomians make unbelief\nthe only sin in the world, that they cannot endure the discovery and\nconfession of it. It seems they do not think it so heinous a sin. I\nconfess, no man should of purpose abstain from believing in Christ, till\nhe find out whether he hath believed or not; but whatever hath been, he is\nbound presently to act faith in Jesus Christ; to flee unto him as a lost\nsinner, to a saving Mediator. But that every man is bound to persuade\nhimself at the first, that God hath loved him, and Christ redeemed him, is\nthe hope of the hypocrite,\u2014like a spider\u2019s web, which, when leaned to,\nshall not stand. That man\u2019s expectation shall perish; he hath kindled\nsparks of his own,\u2014a wild-fire, and walketh not in the true light of the\nword, and so must lie down in sorrow. Many of you deceive yourselves, and\nnone can persuade you that ye do deceive yourselves, such is the strength\nof that delusion and dream. It is the great part of the heart\u2019s\ndeceitfulness, to flatter itself in its own eyes: to make a man conceive\nwell of himself and his heart. I beseech you, do not venture your soul\u2019s\nsalvation on such groundless opinions; never to question the matter, is to\nleave it always uncertain. If you would judge yourselves according to the\nScriptures, many of you have the marks and characters of those who are\nkept without the city, and are to have their part in the lake of fire. Is\nthere no condemnation for you, who have never condemned yourselves?\nCertainly the more you are averse to condemn yourselves, this sticks the\ncloser to you. You are not all in Christ; \u201cthey are not all Israel which\nare of Israel.\u201d Many (nay the most part) are but said Christians; have no\nreal union with Christ, or principle of life from him. The love you carry\nto yourselves, makes you easily believe well of yourselves; know, that\nself-love can blind the eyes, and make you apprehend that God loves you\nalso. Nay, every one readily fancies that to be, which he desires to be. I\nbeseech you, consider if you have any ground for your hopes and\nconfidences, but such as those that will not bear out always. It would be\nno disadvantage to you, to have your hope shaken, that instead of a vain\npresumption, you may have the anchor of hope, which shall be fixed within\nthe vail. I think one thing keeps men far from the kingdom of God,\u2014because\nthey know not that they believe not in him. We had gained much ground on\nyou by the word, if we could persuade you that ye believe not, and have\nnot believed from the womb. We might then say to you, as Christ to his\ndisciples, \u201cYe believe in God, believe also in me.\u201d Ye have given credit\nto God the judge and lawgiver, pronouncing a curse on you, and a sentence\nthat ye have hearts desperately wicked,\u2014now, believe also in me, the\nRedeemer. Ye have believed God in the law, in as far as ye have judged\nyourselves under sin and wrath; now, believe me in the gospel, that brings\na ransom from wrath, and a remedy for sin. It is this very unbelief, that\nis the original of the world\u2019s perishing,\u2014unbelief of the law. Ye do not\nconsider ye are under the condemnation of it. Ye do not believe that ye\nhave not yet fled to Jesus Christ to escape it; and these two keep souls\nin a deep sleep, till judgment awake them.\n\nBut unto every one of you, I would give this direction: Let not\nexamination of what you are, hinder you from that which is your chief\nduty, and his chief commandment,\u2014to believe in him. I know many Christians\nare puzzled in the matter of their interest, and always wavering, because\nthey are more taken up with that which is but a matter of comfort and joy,\nthan that which is his greatest honour and glory. I say, to consider the\nprecious promises; to believe the excellency and virtue of Jesus Christ,\nand love him in your souls, and delight in him, is the weightiest matter\nof the gospel. To go out of yourselves daily into his fulness, to\nendeavour new discoveries of your own naughtiness and his grace, this is\nthe new and great commandment of the gospel. The obedience of it is the\nmost essential part of a Christian walk. Now, again, to know that ye do\nbelieve, and to discern your interest in Christ, this is but a matter of\ncomfort and of second concernment. Therefore, I say, whenever ye cannot be\nclear in this, ye should be always exercised in the first. For it is that\nwe are first called to; and if souls were more exercised that way, in the\nconsideration and belief of the very general truths and promises of the\ngospel, I doubt not, but the light of these would clear up their\nparticular interest in due time. \u201cThese ought ye to have done, and not to\nleave the other undone.\u201d It is still safest to waive such a question of\ninterest, when it is plunging,(165) because it puts you off your special\nduty, and this is Satan\u2019s intent in it. It were better if ye do question,\npresently to believe and abide in him, till it were put out of question.\n\n\n\n\nSermon IV.\n\n\n    Verse 1.\u2014\u201cWho walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.\u201d\n\n\nChrist is made to us of God both righteousness and sanctification; and\ntherefore, those who are in Christ do not only escape condemnation, but\nthey walk according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh. These\ntwo are the sum of the gospel. There is not a greater argument to holy\nwalking than this,\u2014there is no condemnation for you, neither is there a\ngreater evidence of a soul having escaped condemnation, than walking\naccording to the Spirit. We have spoken something in general of the\nevidence that may be had of a man\u2019s state, from his walking, and the\nSpirit\u2019s working in him; we would now speak of the conjunction of these\ntwo, and the influence that that privilege hath on this duty, and\nsomething of the nature of this description, \u201cwho walk not after the\nflesh, but after the Spirit.\u201d\n\nIn the creation of man, man was composed of soul and body. There was a\nright order, and subordination of these, suitable to their nature. In his\nsoul he reached angels above,\u2014in his body he was like the beasts below;\nand this part, his flesh, was a servant to the soul, that was acted and\naffected according to the desires and motives of the soul. Now sin\nentering, as it hath defaced all the beauty of the creation, as it hath\nmisplaced man, and driven him out from that due line of subordination to\nGod his Maker, for he would have been equal to God, so it hath perverted\nthis beautiful order in men, and turned it just contrary,\u2014hath made the\nservant to ride on horses, and the prince to walk on foot. This is the\njust punishment of our first sin. Adam\u2019s soul was placed by creation under\nthe sole command of its Creator, above all the creatures, and his own\nsenses; but in one sin, he proudly exalted himself above God, and\nlamentably subjected himself below his senses, by hearkening to their\npersuasion. He saw it was good, and tasted it, and it was sweet, and so he\nate of it. What a strange way was this! To be like God, he made himself\nunlike himself, liker the miserable beasts. Now, I say, this is the\ndeserved punishment of man. His soul, that was a free prince, is made a\nbond slave to the lusts of his flesh; flesh hath gotten the throne, and\nkeeps it, and lords it over the whole man. Now therefore it is, that the\nwhole man unregenerate, is called flesh, as if he had no immortal spirit,\nJohn iii. 6, \u201cthat which is born of the flesh is flesh;\u201d and this chap.\nver. 8, has a description of natural men, \u201cthey that are in the flesh;\u201d\nbecause flesh is the predominant part that hath captivated a man\u2019s reason\nand will. Nay, not only the grosser corruptions in a man, that have their\nuse and seat in his flesh and body, are under that name;\u2014but take the\nwhole nature of man, that which is most excellent in him, his soul and\nspirit, his light and understanding, the most refined principles of his\nconversation,\u2014all these are now but flesh. Nay, not only such natural\ngifts and illuminations but even the light of the gospel, and law of God,\nthat someway enters his soul, changeth the nature and name,\u2014it is all but\ndarkness and flesh in him, because the flesh hath a dominion over all\nthat. The clouds and vapours that arise from the flesh, bemist(166) and\nobscure all these; the corruptions of the soul are most strengthened in\nthis sort, and most vented here. Sin is become connatural to the flesh,\nand so a man, by the flesh, is ensnared and subjected to sin. Christ\ncomprehends all our prerogatives and endowments under this. John i. 13,\n\u201cborn not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh;\u201d and Matt. xvi. 17,\n\u201cflesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee.\u201d Even all the outwards of\nreligion, and all the common privileges of Christians may be called so.\nWhat hath Abraham found according to the flesh? Rom. iv. 1, Phil. iii.\n3;\u2014which imports so much, that all those outward privileges, many\nilluminations, and reformations, may so far consist with the corruption of\nman\u2019s nature, may unite so with that, as to have one name with it. It is\nnot all able to conquer our flesh, but our flesh rather subdues all that,\nand makes it serve itself, till a stronger than it come, even the Spirit,\nto subdue it and cast it out of the house. Thus the image of God in man is\ndefaced; nay, the very image and nature of man, as man, spoiled. The first\ncreation,\u2014sin hath marred and disordered it. Now, when this second\ncreation, or regeneration comes, the creature is made new, and formed\nagain by the powerful Spirit of Jesus Christ. This change is made, flesh\nis put out of the throne, as an usurper; the spirit and soul of a man is\nput in a throne above it, but placed according to its due order, under a\nholy and spiritual law of God. And thus Jesus Christ is the repairer of\nthe breaches, and restorer of the ancient paths and old wastes, to dwell\nin. Now the soul hath a new rule established to act according to, and new\nprinciples to act from. He whose course of walking was after the corrupt\ndictates and commands of his fleshly affections, and was of no higher\nstrain than his own sparks of nature, and acquired light would lead him\nto, now he hath a new rule established,\u2014the Spirit speaking in the word to\nhim, and pointing out the way to him. And there is a new principle, that\nSpirit leading him in all truth, and quickening him to walk in it. Now\nthis is the soul\u2019s perfect liberty, to be from under the dominion of sin\nand lusts; and thus the Son makes free indeed by the free Spirit. The Son\nwas made a servant, that we might be made free, no more servants of sin in\nthe lusts thereof: and the Spirit of the Lord, where he comes, there is\nliberty; there the spirit and reasonable soul of a man is elevated into\nits first native dignity; there the base flesh is dethroned, and made to\nserve the spirit and soul in a man. Christ is indeed the greatest friend\nof men, as they are men. Sin made us beasts, Christ makes us men.\nUnbelievers are unreasonable men, \u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2, brutish, yea, in a manner,\nbeasts;\u2014this is an ordinary compellation in scripture. Faith makes a man\nreasonable,\u2014it gives the saving and sanctified use of reason. It is a\nshame for any man to be a slave to his lusts and passions. It is the\ncharacter of a beast upon him. He that is led by senses and affections, is\ndegenerated from human nature; and yet such are all out of Christ. Sin\nreigns in them, and flesh reigns, and the principles of light and reason\nwithin are captivated, incarcerated within a corner of their minds. We see\nthe generally received truths among men, that God is, that he is holy, and\njust, and good; that heaven and hell is,\u2014these are altogether ineffectual,\nand have no influence on men\u2019s conversations, no more than if they were\nnot known, even because the truth is detained in unrighteousness. The\ncorruptions of men\u2019s flesh are so rank, that they overgrow all this seed\nof truth, and choke it, as the thorns did the seed, Matt. xiii. 7. Now,\nfor you, who are called of Jesus Christ, O know what ye are called unto!\nIt is a liberty indeed, a privilege indeed. Ye are no more debtors to the\nflesh;\u2014Christ hath loosed that obligation of servitude to it. O let it be\na shame unto you, who are Christians, to walk so any more, to be entangled\nany more in that yoke of bondage! \u201cHe that ruleth his spirit\u201d is greater\nthan the mighty, \u201cthan he that taketh a city.\u201d Thus we are called to be\nmore than conquerors. Others, when they conquer the world, are slaves to\ntheir own lusts; but let it be far from you to be so. Ye ought to conquer\nyourselves, which is more than to conquer the world. It is not only\nunbeseeming a Christian, to be led with passions and lusts, but it is\nbelow a man, if men were not now through sin below beasts. I beseech you,\naspire unto, and hold fast, the liberty Christ hath obtained for you. Be\nnot fashioned any more according to former lusts. Know, ye are men,\u2014that\nye have reasonable and immortal spirits in you. Why will ye then walk as\nbeasts? \u201cUnderstand, ye brutish! and ye fools, when will ye be wise!\u201d But\nI say more; know, ye are Christians, and this is more than to be a man,\u2014it\nis to be a divine man, one partaker of the divine nature, and who is to\nwalk accordingly. Christians are called to a new manner of walking, and\nthis walking is a fruit that comes out of the root of faith, whereby they\nare implanted in Christ. You see these agree well together. Those who are\nin Christ, \u201cwalk not after the flesh,\u201d &c. Walking after the flesh, is the\ncommon walk of the world, who are without God and without Christ, but\nChrist gives no latitude to such a walk. This is a new nature to be in\nChrist, and therefore it must have new operations,\u2014to walk after the\nSpirit. While we look upon the conversations of the most part of men, they\nmay be a commentary to expound this part of the words, what it is to walk\nafter the flesh. \u201cThe works of the flesh,\u201d saith the apostle, Gal. v. 19,\n\u201care manifest,\u201d\u2014and indeed they are manifest, because written in great\nletters on the outside of many in the visible church, that who runs may\nread them. Do but read that catalogue in Paul, and then come and see them\nin congregations. It is not so doubtful and subtile a matter, to know that\nmany are yet without the verge of Christ Jesus, without the city of\nrefuge. You may see their mark on their brow. Is not drunkenness, which is\nso frequent, a palpable evidence of this,\u2014your envyings, revilings, wrath,\nstrife, seditions, fornications, and such like? O do not deceive\nyourselves! There is no room in Jesus Christ for such impurities and\nimpieties. There is no toleration of sin within this city and kingdom.\nSinners are indeed pardoned, yea received and accepted, drunkards, unclean\npersons, &c., are not excluded from entering here,\u2014but they must renounce\nthese lusts, if they would stay here. Christ will not keep both,\u2014he must\neither cast out the sin, or the sinner with it, if he will not part with\nit. I beseech you, know what ye walk after, the flesh is your leader, and\nwhither will it lead you?\u2014O! it is sad to think on it,\u2014to perdition, ver.\n13, \u201cIf ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.\u201d Ye think flesh your great\nfriend, ye do all ye can to satisfy and please it, and, O how pleasant is\nthe satisfaction of your flesh to you! Ye think it liberty to follow it,\nand count it bonds and cords to be restrained. But, oh! know and consider,\nthat flesh will lead you by the kingdom, that guide of your way, to which\nyou committed yourself, will lead you by heaven, Gal. v. 21. It is a blind\nguide, corruption and humour, and will have no eyes, no discerning of that\npit of eternal misery. They choose the way that is best pathed and\ntrodden\u2014that is easiest, and that most walk into, and this certainly will\nlead you straight into this pit of darkness. Be called off this way, from\nfollowing your blind lusts, and rather suffer them to be crucified. Be\navenged on them for your two eyes that they have put out, and their\ntreacherous dealing to you, in leading you the high way to destruction.\nCome in to Jesus Christ, and ye shall get a new guide of the way,\u2014the\nSpirit that shall lead you into all truth, unto the blessed and eternal\nlife. Christ is the way ye must walk in, and the life that we must go into\nat the end of our way, and the truth according to which we must walk. Now\nhe hath given his Spirit, the Comforter, to be our leader in this way,\naccording to this rule and pattern unto that life. In a word the Spirit\nshall lead you the straight way unto Christ. You shall begin in him, and\nend in him. He shall lead you from grace to glory. The Spirit that came\ndown from heaven, shall lead you back to heaven. All your walk is within\nthe compass of Christ,\u2014out of him is no way to heaven.\n\nBut we must not take this so grossly, as if no other thing were a walking\nafter the flesh, but the gross abominations among men, though even these\nwill scrape a great number from being in Christ Jesus, but it must be\nfurther enlarged, to the motions and affections of the unrenewed spirit,\nand the common principles according to which men walk. And therefore the\napostle, Col. iii., Gal. v., nameth many things among the works of the\nflesh, and members of the old man, which I doubt whether many will account\nso of,\u2014some natural passions that we account nothing of, because common,\nas anger, wrath, covetousness. What man is there amongst us, in whom some\nof these mentioned stir not? Many of your hearts and eyes are given to\ncovetousness, your souls bow downward as your bodies do, and many times\nbefore your bodies. Is not the heart of men upon this world, and cannot\nrise above to a treasure in heaven? And therefore your callings otherwise\nlawful, and all your pains and endeavours in them, hath this seal of the\nflesh stamped on them, and pass no otherwise with God. We see how rank the\ncorruptions of men are, anger domineering in them, and leading them often\ncaptive. And this is counted a light matter, but it is not so in\nscripture. How often is it branded with folly by the wise man! And this\nfolly is even the natural fleshly corruption that men are born with, and\nin how many doth it rise up to the elevation of malice and hatred of\nothers? And then it carries the image of the devil, rather than of human\ninfirmity. And if we suppose a man not much given to any of these, yet\nwhat a spirit of pride and self love is in every man, even those that\ncarry the lowest sail, and the meanest port among men,\u2014those that are\naffable and courteous and those that seem most condescending to inferiors\nand equals. Yet, alas! this evil is more deeply engraven on the spirit. If\na man could but watch over his heart, and observe all the secret\nreflections of it, all the comparisons it makes, all the desires of\napplause and favour among men, all the surmises and stirrings of spirit\nupon any affront, O how would they discover diabolic pride! This sin is\nthe more natural and inbred, for that it is our mother-sin that brought us\ndown from our excellency. This weed grows upon a glass window, and upon a\ndunghill. It lodges in palaces and cottages. Nay, it will spring and grow\nout of a pretended humility, and low carriage. In a word, the ambitious\ndesigns of men, the large appetite of earthly things, the overweening\nconceit of ourselves, and love to ourselves, the stirring of our\naffections, without observing a rule upon unlawful objects, or in an\nunlawful manner,\u2014all these are common to men, and men walk after them.\nEvery man hath some predominant or idol, that takes him most up. Some are\nfiner and subtiler than others, some have their pleasures and gains\nwithout, others their own gifts and parts within, but both are alike\nodious before God, and both gross flesh and corruption before him.\n\nThere are two errors among men concerning this spiritual walking,\u2014the one\nis the doctrine of some in these days, the other is the practical error of\nmany of us. Many pretending to some near and high discoveries, as to\nChrist and the Spirit, have fallen upon the most refined and spiritualized\nflesh instead of the Spirit indeed. They separate the Spirit from the\nword, and reckon the word and law of God, which was a lamp to David\u2019s\nfeet, among the fleshly rudiments of the world. But if they speak not\n\u201caccording to the law and to the testimony,\u201d saith Isaiah, \u201cit is because\nthere is no light in them.\u201d Thus their new light is but an old darkness,\nthat could not endure even the darker light of the prophets. If they speak\nnot according to the word, it is because there is no spirit in them. Is it\nnot the Spirit the Comforter, which Christ promised to send to the\napostles, and all that should believe in his name through their word? For\nthat Spirit was a Spirit of truth, that should lead into all truth. And\nlest men should father their own fancies and imaginations on the Spirit of\nGod, Christ adds, \u201che shall bring all things to your remembrance\u201d\u2014those\nthings that Christ hath spoken, and we have here written. The holy apostle\nto the Colossians, chap. iii. when he reproves the works of the flesh, and\ndeclares they had put them off, commends unto them, in opposition to\nthese, \u201clet the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching\none another in psalms and spiritual songs, with grace in your hearts to\nthe Lord,\u201d ver. 16,\u2014the Spirit here, not casting out the word, but\nbringing it in plentifully, and sweetly agreeing with it. The Spirit that\nChrist sent, did not put men above ordinances, but above corruptions, and\nthe body of death in them. It is a poor and easy victory to subdue grace\nand ordinances\u2014every slave of the devil doth that. I fear, as men and\nangels fell from their own dignity, by aspiring higher, so those that will\nnot be content with the estate of Christ and his apostles, but soar up in\na higher strain of spirit, and trample on that ministration as fleshly and\ncarnal,\u2014I fear they fall from Jesus Christ, and come into greater\ncondemnation. It is true indeed, 2 Cor. iii. 6, \u201cthe letter killeth,\u201d that\nis, the covenant of works preacheth now nothing but condemnation to men,\nbut the Spirit of the gospel giveth life, nay, even the gospel separated\nfrom the Spirit of life in Jesus, is but a savour of death to souls. Shall\nwe therefore separate the Spirit from the gospel and word, because the\nword alone cannot quicken us? David knew how to reconcile this,\u2014\u201cQuicken\nthou me according to thy word,\u201d Psal. cxix. 25\u2014\u201cThy Spirit is good, lead\nme into the land of uprightness, quicken me, O Lord,\u201d Psal. cxliii. 10,\n11. The word was his rule, and the Spirit applied his soul to the rule.\nThe word holds out the present pattern we should be conformed unto. Now if\nthere be no more, a man may look all his days on it, and yet not be\nchanged, but the Spirit within, transforms and changes a man\u2019s soul to\nmore and more conformity to that pattern, by beholding it. If a man shall\nshut his eyes on the pattern, he cannot know what he is, and ought to be.\nIf he look only on the Spirit\u2019s work within, and make that his rule, he\ntakes an imperfect rule, and an incomplete copy. And yet this is the\nhighest attainment of these aspirers to new light. They have forsaken the\nword as their rule, and instead of it, have another law within them, as\nmuch as is already written on their hearts, which is in substance this, as\nthey suppose,\u2014I am bound to do no more than I have already power to do; I\nam not to endeavour more holiness than I have already. These men are\nindeed perfect here in their own apprehension, and do not know in part,\nand believe in part, and obey in part, because they are advanced the\nlength of their own law and rule, their rule being of no perfection. Paul\nwas not so, but forgetting what he had attained, he followed on to what\nwas before him, and was still reaching forward. Let not us, my brethren,\nbelieve every spirit, and every doctrine that comes out under that\nname,\u2014Christ hath forewarned us. Pray for more of that Spirit, which may\nquicken the word to us, and quicken us to obey the word. There must be a\nmutual enlivening. The word must be made the ministration of life by the\nSpirit of Jesus, which can use it as a sword to divide the soul and\nspirit; and we must be quickened to the obedience of the truth in the\nword. The word is the seed incorruptible; but it cannot beget us, or be a\nprinciple of new life within us, except a living spirit come along to our\nhearts. Know that the word is your pattern and rule; the Spirit your\nleader and helper, whose virtue and power must conform you to that rule, 1\nPet. i. 22. Peter joins these two,\u2014the purification and cleansing the\nsoul, which Christ attributes to the word, \u201cYe are clean through the word\nwhich I have spoken,\u201d John xv. 3. Peter attributes it to the Spirit\nworking according to the pattern of truth. It is true the Spirit of God\nneeds no pattern to look to; nay, but we must have it, and eye it, else we\nknow not the Spirit of truth from a lie and delusion. We cannot try the\nspirits but by this rule; and it is by making us steadfastly look on this\nglorious pattern in the word, and the example of Christ Jesus\u2019 life, that\nwe are conformed unto Christ, as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii.\n13. Certainly that must be fleshly walking, which is rather conformed unto\nthe imaginations of a man\u2019s own heart, than the blessed will of God\nrevealed in his word. Can such walking please God, when a man will not so\nmuch as hearken to what is God\u2019s will and pleasure? As other heresies, so\nespecially this, is a work of the flesh.\n\nNow there is another principle amongst many of us. We account it spiritual\nwalking, to be separated from the gross pollutions of the world, to have a\ncarriage blameless before men. This is the notion that the multitude fancy\nof it. Be not deceived,\u2014you may pass the censure of all men, and be\nunreprovable among them, and yet be but walkers after the flesh. It is not\nwhat you are before the world can prove you spiritual men, though it may\nprove many of you carnal. Your outside may demonstrate of many of you that\nye walk after the flesh; and if ye will not believe it, I ask you if ye\nthink drunkenness a walking in the Spirit? Do ye think ye are following\nthe Spirit of God in uncleanness? Is it not that Holy Spirit that purgeth\nfrom all filthiness? Look but what your walk is, ye that are not so much\nas conformed to the letter of the word in any thing; who care not to read\nthe scriptures and meditate on them. Is this walking after the Spirit of\ntruth? If drunkenness, railing, contention, wrath, envy, covetousness, and\nsuch like, be the Spirit\u2019s way, then I confess many of you walk after the\nSpirit; but if these be the manifest works of the flesh, and manifestly\nyour way and work, then why dream ye that ye are Christians?\n\nBut I suppose, that ye could be charged with none of these outward things;\nthat you had a form of religion and godliness, yet I say, all that is\nvisible before men cannot prove you to be spiritual walkers. Remember it\nis a Spirit ye must walk after; now, what shall be the chief agent here?\nSure, not the body,\u2014what fellowship can your body have with him that is a\nSpirit? The body, indeed, may worship that eternal Spirit, being acted by\nthe spirit; but I say, that alone can never prove you to be Christians. We\nmust then lay aside a number of professors, who have no other ground of\nconfidence but such things as may be seen of men; and if they would enter\ntheir hearts, how many vain thoughts lodge there! How little of God is\nthere! God is not almost in all our thoughts; we give a morning and\nevening salutation, but there is no more of God all the day throughout.\nAnd is this walking after the Spirit, which imports a constancy? And what\npart can be spared most, but the spirit of a man? The body is distracted\nwith other necessary things, but we might always spare our souls to God.\nNow, thus should a man obey that command,\u2014\u201cpray always.\u201d It is impossible\nthat he should do nothing else but pray in an express formal way; but the\nsoul\u2019s walking with God, between times of prayer, should compensate that.\nAnd thus prayer is continued, though not in itself, yet in meditation on\nGod, which hath in it the seed of all worship, and is virtually prayer and\nthanksgiving, and all duties.\n\nLet us then consider, if our bodies be not more exercised in religion than\nour souls, yea, if they be not the chief agents. How many impertinencies,\nand roveries, and wanderings, are throughout the day? The most part of our\nconversation, if it be not profane, yet it is vain, that is, unprofitable\nin the world. It neither advantageth us spiritually, nor glorifies God. It\nis almost to no purpose; and this is enough to make it all flesh. And for\nour thoughts, how do they go unlimited and unrestrained?\u2014like a wild ass,\ntraversing her ways, and gadding about, fixed on nothing,\u2014at least not on\nGod; nay, fixed on any thing but God. If it be spiritual service, should\nit not carry the seal of our spirit and affection on it? We are as so many\nshadows walking, as pictures and statues of Christians, without the soul\nand life, which consists in the temper and disposition of the spirit and\nsoul towards God.\n\n\n\n\nSermon V.\n\n\n    Verse 1.\u2014\u201cWho walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.\u201d\n\n\nIt is no wonder that we cannot speak any thing to purpose of this subject,\nand that you do not bear with fruit, because it is indeed a mystery to our\njudgments, and a great stranger to our practice. There is so little of the\nSpirit, both in teachers and those that come to be taught, that we can but\nspeak of it as an unknown thing, and cannot make you to conceive it, in\nthe living notion of it as it is. Only we may say in general,\u2014it is\ncertainly a divine thing, and another thing than our common or religious\nwalk is. It is little experienced, so we can know the less of it; but this\nmuch we should know,\u2014it is another thing than we have attained. It is\nabove us, and yet such a thing as we are called to aspire unto. How should\nit stir up in our spirits a holy fire of ambition to be at such a thing,\nwhen we hear it is a thing attainable: nay, when Christ calls us unto\nhimself, that we may thus walk with him! I would have Christians men of\ngreat and big projects and resolutions; of high and unlimited desires, not\nsatisfied with their attainments, but still aspiring unto more of God,\nmore conformity to his will, more walking after the Spirit, more\nseparation from the course of the world. And this is indeed to be of a\ndivine spirit. The divine nature is here, as it were, in a state of\nviolence, out of its own element. Now, it is known by this, if it be still\nmoving upwards, taking no rest in this place, and these measures and\ndegrees, but upon a continual motion towards the proper centre of it,\u2014God,\nhis holiness, and Spirit.\n\nWe desire to speak a word of these three. First, The nature of the\nspiritual walking. Next, Its connection and union with that blessed state\nof non-condemnation. And then of the order of this, how it flows from a\nman\u2019s being implanted in Christ Jesus;\u2014which three are considerable(167)\nin the words.\n\nThis spiritual walking is according to a spiritual rule, from spiritual\nprinciples, for spiritual ends. These three being established aright, the\nwalk is even the motion of a Christian within the compass of these. It is\naccording to the word, as the holy rule; it is from the faith and love of\nJesus Christ, as the predominant principles. Nay, from the Spirit of\nJesus, living in the heart by faith, and dwelling in it by love, as the\nfirst wheel of this motion, the _primum mobile_. And as it begins in the\nspirit, so it ends there, in the glory of Jesus Christ, and our heavenly\nFather. Consider this then\u2014it is not a lawless walking and irregular walk,\nit is according to the rule, and the rule is perfect, and it is a motion\nto perfection, not a rest in what is now attained to. The course of this\nworld is the way and rule of the children of disobedience; Eph. ii. 2.\nThere is a spirit indeed that works in them, and a rule it works by. The\nspirit is that evil spirit, contrary to the Holy Spirit of God, and you\nmay know what spirit it is that works, by the way it leads men unto\u2014a\nbroad way, pathed and trodden in by many travellers. It is the kings high\nstreet, the common way that most part walk into according as their\nneighbours do, as the most do. But that king is the prince of this world,\nSatan, who blinds the eyes of many, that they may not see that pit of\nmisery before them, which their way leads them to. A Christian must have a\nkind of singularity, not in opinion but in practice rather, to be more\nholy, and walk more abstracted from the dregs of the worlds pollution.\nThis were a divine singularity. Indeed men may suspect themselves, that\nseparate from the godly in opinion. They have reason to be more jealous of\nthemselves when they offend against the generation of the just. But if\nthis were the intention and design of men, or be very unlike the multitude\nof men, nay, to be very unlike the multitude of professors, in the\naffection and practice of holiness humility, and spiritual walking, I\nthink this were an allowed way, though a singular way. Men may aspire to\nas great a difference as may be, from the conversations and practice of\nothers, if there be a tending to more conformity to the word, the rule of\nall practice. The law is spiritual and \u201choly,\u201d saith Paul \u201cbut I am\ncarnal.\u201d Thus, therefore, were spiritual walking,\u2014to see its excellent\nspiritual rule before our eyes that we who are carnal may be transformed\nand changed into more likeness to that holy and spiritual law. If a man\nhad not an imperfect rule of his own fancy and imagination before his\neyes, he could not be satisfied with his attainments, but, with Paul,\nwould forget them,\u2014in a manner, not know them, but reach forward still to\nwhat is before. Because so much length would be before us, as would\nswallow up all our progress,\u2014this would keep the motion on foot and make\nit constant. A man should never say, \u201cMaster, let us make tabernacles, it\nis good to be here.\u201d No, indeed, the dwelling place and resting would be\nseen to be above. As long as a man had so much of his journey to\naccomplish, he would not sit down in his advancement, he would not compare\nwith others, and exalt himself above others. Why? Because there is still a\nfar greater distance between him and his rule, than between the slowest\nwalker and him. This made Paul more sensible of a body of death, (Rom.\nvii.) than readily lower Christians are. Reflections on our attainments\nand comparisons with others, which are so often the work of our spirit,\nare a retrograde motion, it makes no way but spends the time,\u2014is a\nreturning as we go, whereas we ought to go straight forward. I beseech\nyou, Christians, consider what you are doing, if you would prove\nyourselves so indeed. I know not how you can evidence it better than by\nhonouring and esteeming his word and commandments,\u2014exceeding large and\nprecious, no end of their perfection. The word is much undervalued in the\nopinions of many, but it is as little cared for in the practice of most.\nThere is certainly little of God there where this is not magnified and\nhonoured. There must be darkness in that way, where this candle, which was\na lamp to David\u2019s feet, shines not. Some promise to us liberty, but they\nthemselves are the servants of corruption, it is no liberty to be above\nall law and rule. It was innocent Adam\u2019s liberty to be conformed to a holy\nand just command, nay, this was his beauty. This Spirit indeed gives\nliberty where he is, but this liberty is from our sins and corruptions,\nnot to them. It looses the chains of a man\u2019s own corrupt lusts off him, to\nwalk at freedom in the way of his commandments. The Spirit enlargeth the\nprisoner\u2019s heart, and then he runs, but not at random, but the way of his\ncommands, Psalm cxix. 32. It was our bondage to be as wild asses,\ntraversing our ways,\u2014to be gadding abroad, to change our way. Now, here is\nthe Spirit\u2019s liberty to bring us into the way and that way is one. Let us\nthen learn this one principle,\u2014the word must be the rule of your walking\nboth common and religious. Alas! it is not spiritual walking to confine\nreligion to some solemn duties. Remember, it is a walk, a continued thing,\nwithout interruption, therefore your whole conversation ought to be as so\nmany steps progressive to hearer. Your motion should not be to begin only\nwhen you come to pray, or read, or hear, as many men do. They are in a\nquite different way and element when they step out of their civil callings\ninto religious ordinances. But Christians, your motion should be continued\nin your eating and drinking, and sleeping, and acting in your callings,\nthat when you come to pray or read, you may be but stepping forward in the\nway, out of one darker, obscurer path, into a more beaten way. Remember,\nthis word can make us perfect to salvation. It is a principle in the\nhearts of folks, which is vented now by many, that the word doth not reach\ntheir particular carriages and conversations in civil matters. These are\napprehended to be without the sphere and compass of the word, while it is\ncommonly cast up to ministers\u2014meddle with the word and spiritual things\nand not with our matters.(168) Truly I think, if we separate these from\nthe word, we may quickly separate all religion from such actions, and if\nsuch actings and businesses be without the court of the word, they are\nalso without the court of conscience, conscience, religion, and the word\nbeing commensurable. Therefore I beseech every one of you, take the word\nfor the ruling of your callings and conversations among men. Extend it to\nall your actions, that in all these you may act as Christians as well as\nmen. It is certainly the licentiousness of the spirits of men, that cannot\nendure the application of the word unto their particular actions and\nconversation.\n\nNow this spiritual walk proceeds from spiritual principles. It is certain,\nthe Spirit of Jesus Christ is he \u201cin whom we live, and move, and have our\nbeing\u201d spiritually. Without him we can do nothing. And therefore\nChristians ought to walk with such a subordination to, and dependence on\nhim, as if they were mere instruments, and patients under his hand. Though\nI think in regard of endeavoured activity they should bestir themselves\nand give all diligence, as if they acted independently of the Spirit, yet\nin regard of denial of himself, and dependence on the Spirit, each one\nought to act as if he did not act at all but the Spirit only acted in him.\nThis is the divinity of Paul,\u2014\u201cI laboured more abundantly than they all,\nyet not I, but grace in me. I live, yet not I, but Christ in me.\u201d O how\ndifficult a thing is it to reconcile these two in the practice of\nChristians which yet cannot really be, except they be together! It is\ncertainly one of the great mysteries of Christianity, to draw our strength\nand activity from another, to look upon ourselves and our actings, as\nthese that can do nothing\u2014as empty vines, and that notwithstanding of all\ninfused and acquired principles. Whatever we ought to do in judging and\ndiscerning of our condition, yet sure I am, Christians, in the exercise\nand practice of godliness, should look upon themselves void of any\nprinciple in themselves either to do or think. Not that we are sufficient\nof ourselves. The proficient and growing Christian should look no more on\nhis own inclinations and habits than if he had none. He should consider\nhimself an ungodly man, that no fruit can grow upon, one that cannot pray,\nas he is in himself. But, alas we come to duties in the confidence of\nqualifications for duties, act more confidently in them because accustomed\nto them, and so make grace and religion a kind of art and discipline, that\nuse and experience make expert unto. Learn now this one thing, which would\nbe instead of many rules and doctrine to us,\u2014to shut out of your eyes the\nconsideration of what you are by gifts, or grace, or experience. Do not\nconsider that, but rather fix your eyes on the grace of Jesus Christ, and\nupon the power and virtue of the Holy Spirit, which is given by promise,\nthat when the way is all the easier to you, both by delight and custom,\nyet you may find it to your natural principles as insuperable as at the\nbeginning, and may still cry out, \u201cDraw me, and I will run after thee,\nlead me, and I will walk with thee.\u201d Do not measure the call into duties\nby the strength thou findest in thyself, but look unto him who\nstrengtheneth us with all might. Now, the Spirit worketh in us by\nsubordinate spiritual principles, as believing in Christ and loving of\nhim, as our Lord and Saviour, and these two acts drive on a soul sweetly\nin the way of obedience. Fear, where not mixed in its actings with faith\nand love, is a spirit of bondage, but the Christian ought to walk\naccording to the spirit of adoption which cries \u201cAbba, Father.\u201d Yet how\nmany Christians are rather in a servile and slavish manner driven on by\nterrors and chastisements to their duty than by love! There is a piece of\nliberty in Christian walking, when there is not a restraint upon the\nspirit, by this slavish fear. This, I say, is not beseeming those that are\nin Christ Jesus. You ought to have the Spirit of your Father for your\nleader and guide. O how sweet, and how certain and necessary also, would\nthis walking be! The love of Christ would be an inward principle of\nmotion, and would make our spiritual actings as easy and pleasant as\nnatural motions are. Fear is but a violent principle, that is like the\nimpulse of a stone thrown upward, as long as that external impression\nremains, it moves, but still slower and slower, and at length evanisheth.\nBut if you believed in him, and your hearts were engaged to love him, O\nhow would it be a pleasant and native thing to walk in his way, as a stone\ngoeth downward! Consider your principles, that act you to matters and\nduties of religion. Many men there be, in whom there appears no difference\nof their work to beholders; but O how wide a difference doth God discern\nin them! Engines and artifice may make dead and lifeless things move and\nwalk as orderly as things that have life. But the principle of this motion\nmakes a huge difference:\u2014the one is moved from without, the other from\nitself. The most part of us act as irrational and brute beasts in\nreligion: nay, we walk as inanimate and senseless creatures. It is some\none or other consideration without us moves us,\u2014custom, censure,\neducation, and such like. Ah! these are the principles of our religion.\nHow many would have no religion, no form of it, if they were not among\nsuch company! And therefore we see many change it according to companies,\nas the fish doth its skin, according to the colour of that which is\nnearest it. How many would do many things they dare not for punishment and\ncensure, and for that same dare not leave other things undone! In a word,\nthe most part of us are such as would walk in no path of godliness, if it\nwere not the custom of the time and fear of men that constrained us. But,\nmy brethren, let it not be so among you, you who are in Christ Jesus. Let\nthis be predominant in your hearts to constrain you not to live to\nyourselves, but unto God, even this,\u2014that you believe Christ hath died for\nsinners, that they might live from sin. And from this let your hearts be\ninflamed with his love, that it may carry you on in a sweet and blessed\nnecessity to walk in all well-pleasing. Let the consideration of his love\nlay on a constraint, but a constraint of willingness, to live to him who\nhath thus loved you. But as the principle is spiritual, so must the end\nbe; and I think these two complete the mystery of the practice of\nChristianity,\u2014to act from another principle unto another end; even as\nthese two make up the mystery of iniquity in our hearts,\u2014to act from\nourselves unto ourselves. Every man naturally makes a god of himself, is\nhis own Alpha and Omega, the beginning of his actions, and the end of\nthem, which is proper to God. As the fall hath cut off the subordination\nof the soul to God in its actions, that it cannot now derive all from that\nblessed Fountain of all-being and well-being, so is this channel of\nreference of all our actions to God stopped, that they do not tend unto\nhim, as they are not derived from him; and thus they return unto a man\u2019s\nself again. There is one point of self, and making it our aim and design,\nwhich possibly many do not take heed unto. It is ordinary for us to act\nand walk in Christian duties, for our salvation,\u2014for obtaining of life\neternal, as our chief and only end, which is but an inferior end; because\nwe ought not to walk mainly for life, but to life. We should not walk\nafter the command only for heaven, but in the way of it unto heaven. Our\nspiritual walking can never purchase us a right unto the least of his\nmercies. When we have done all, this should be our soul\u2019s language,\u2014We are\nunprofitable servants, our righteousness extends not to thee. What gain is\nit to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Yet for the most part, we make\nour walking as a hire for the reward. The covenant of works,\u2014doing for\nlife, is some way naturally imprinted in our hearts, and we cannot do, but\nwe would live in doing; we cannot walk unto all well-pleasing, but we\nwould also walk unto pacifying of God. Self-righteousness is men\u2019s great\nidol, which, when all other baser and grosser idols are down, they do\nstill seek to establish. But, Christians, observe this evil in yourselves\nand suffer this mystery of godliness to be wrought in you,\u2014the abasing of\nyourselves, the denial of yourselves. I would have you, in respect of\ndiligence and earnestness, doing, walking, and running, as if ye were to\nbe saved by it only. But again, you must deny all that, and no more\nconsider it, or lean upon it, than if ye ought to do nothing, or did\nnothing. But your ends should be more divine and high, as your nature\nis,\u2014to glorify God in your mortal bodies, since ye are his, and bought\nwith a price. O how ought ye not to be your own! The great purpose of your\nobedience should be, a declaration of your sense of his love, and of your\nobligation to him. Ye ought to walk in his way, because ye are escaped\ncondemnation, and saved by him, and not that ye may be saved only. It is\nthe glory of our heavenly Father, and the honour of the Redeemer, for\nChristians to walk, even as he walked, and follow his footsteps. It\ncommends the grace of Jesus Christ exceedingly. Therefore this cannot but\nbe the choice and delight of a believing soul,\u2014to walk unto all\nwell-pleasing, to have the glory of him as their great design to aim at:\nwho for our salvation laid aside his glory, and embraced shame and\nreproach. We use to walk in obedience to God, that we may pacify God for\nour disobedience. But let a Christian abhor such a thought. Christ\u2019s blood\nmust pacify, but the walking of his child pleaseth him in his well-beloved\nSon. When he is once pacified for sin, when he once accepts your persons,\nyour performances are his delight. Now this should be the great scope of a\nsoul, that all its powers should be fixed on,\u2014to please him, and live to\nhim.\n\nNow these three being established, we must conceive that the chief agent\nand party in this walking must be spiritual; therefore men\u2019s bodies are\nnot capable of this walk after the Spirit principally. Outward ordinances\nare but the shell wherein the kernel must be enclosed. All our walking\nthat is visible to men, is but like a painted or engraven image and\nstatue, that hath no breath nor life in it, unless the Spirit actuate and\nquicken the same. I say not only the Spirit of God, but the spirit and\nsoul in man; for the Spirit\u2019s immediate and divine operations are upon\nsuch a suitable subject as the immortal soul. Verily, there is a spirit in\nman, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding. We must\nnot abolish the outward form, because it hath some divinity in it, even\nthe stamp of God\u2019s authority; and therefore, those who are swelled above\nordinances, I fear they be monstrous Christians. A man is composed of a\nspirit and a body, acted and quickened by that Spirit. Without either of\nthese he is not a complete man. So I say, he is not a Christian that doth\nnot worship God in the spirit and in truth both; and it is not religion\nthat excludes either the inward soul-communion with God, or the outward\nordinance and appointment of God. But, alas! this may be our complaint,\u2014we\ncome and worship God, and draw nigh with our bodies, but our hearts are\nfar removed. Here is the death of many\u2019s worship,\u2014the soul is separated\nfrom the body of it. These are but pictures and images of Christians. We\nhave mouths and faces of saints: but O how little of divine affection or\nof soul-desires, breathes in us! We are deniers of the power of godliness,\nby resting in a form, and this is the great sin of this generation. The\nessentials, the vital spirits of Christianity are exhausted, and some dry\nbones, like an anatomy of a Christian, remain behind. I beseech you,\ngather your spirits to this spiritual walking: they only can follow the\nSpirit. Your bodies are earthly and lumpish, and the way is all upward to\nthe holy hill. Look inwardly and measure yourselves so. Outward appearance\nis no just measure. Retire within your souls, and engage them in this\nexercise, and enter them to this motion, and your spirits will sweetly and\nsurely act your bodies and externals, in all matters of godliness.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VI.\n\n\n    Verse 1.\u2014\u201cWho walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.\u201d\n\n\nIt is one of the greatest mysteries in a Christian\u2019s practice, to join\nthese two together, which the gospel hath conjoined,\u2014justification and\nsanctification, and to place them in their due order. There is much\nmiscarrying in both these, if they are either separated or misplaced. But\nthe truth is, they cannot really be, except they be jointly. Yet, often it\nfalls out, that in men\u2019s apprehensions and endeavours, they are disjoined.\nThis, then, were the argument of a living, and believing Christian,\u2014to\njoin the study of holiness, with the exercise of faith in Christ, for\nremission of sin and righteousness; and not only to join it, but also to\nderive it from that principle. There is both an union between these and an\norder established in Scripture. The most part of those that profess the\ngospel are of two sorts; they do either divide holiness from imputed\nrighteousness, or Christ\u2019s righteousness from holiness. I do not say, that\nany man truly seeks to be covered with the righteousness of Jesus Christ,\nand to have his sins freely pardoned, but he will also study to walk\nbefore God in all well-pleasing. But the truth is, many do pretend and\nprofess to seek salvation and forgiveness in Christ\u2019s blood, and have the\nmercy of God, and merits of Christ always in their mouth, who yet declare\nby their conversation that they do not so much as desire or propose to\nseek after holiness. I do not speak of those who are Antinomians in\nprofession, but of a great multitude in the visible church, who are really\nmore Antinomians, to wit, in practice, than most part of our professed\nAntinomians. You hear all of free grace, and free redemption in Jesus\nChrist, of tender and enduring mercies in God, and this you take for the\nwhole gospel; and presently, upon the notion of mercy and grace, you\nconclude unto yourselves, not only immunity and freedom from all the\nthreatenings of the word, and from hell, but likewise ye proclaim secretly\nin your own hearts, a liberty to sin so much the more securely. The door\nof mercy cast open in the gospel, and the free access to Christ manifested\ntherein, through the corruption that is within us, proves the very\noccasion of many\u2019s giving indulgence to their lusts\u2014of delaying\nreformation, and turning to God. You all profess, that you seek to be\njustified and saved by Jesus Christ; yea, you persuade yourselves to have\nescaped condemnation by Christ. Now then, conjoin that profession and\npersuasion with your walk, and O how contrary you may find them to one\nanother! \u201cYour faith is vain,\u201d for \u201cye are yet in your sins,\u201d 1 Cor. xv.\n17. The grace of God appearing to some men, effectually teacheth them to\ndeny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live righteously, soberly, and\ngodly, Tit. ii. 11, 12. But if we may conjecture your teaching by your\nwalking, it seems the notion of grace and the gospel that is formed in\nyour minds, hath taught you another doctrine,\u2014to avow ungodliness and\nfollow worldly lusts. Is there so much as a shadow of this spiritual\nwalking in many? I confess, it is natural for every man to seek his own\nrighteousness, and it is the arm of God that must bow men to submit to\nChrist\u2019s imputed righteousness. Yet, the most part of men seem to be so\nfar from seeking any righteousness, that they are rather seeking the\nfulfilling of their own carnal lusts, working wickedness with greediness,\nnot caring how little they have to put confidence into. And yet, certain\nit is, that how much soever a man attains to of a form of religion or\ncivil honesty, he is ready to put his trust in it, and to lean the weight\nof his soul upon it. But seeing this is natural to you all, to seek heaven\nby doing and working, I wonder that ye do no more. How do you satisfy your\nconsciences in the expectation of heaven, who take so little pains in\nreligion, and are so loose and profane in your conversation? I wonder,\nseeing ye have it naturally engraven in your hearts to establish your own\nrighteousness, that ye labour not to have more of it to fill your eye\nwithal.\n\nBut again, on the other hand, there are some men, who have a form of\nreligion, and labour to be of a blameless conversation among men, that\npossibly persuade themselves they are seeking holiness, and walking\nspiritually. But, alas! you may find it but a painted and seeming\nreligion, that is an abomination in the sight of God; because it is to\nthem, all the ground of their acceptation before God. If ever this\nquestion was moved in some of you, \u201cWhat shall I do to be saved?\u201d you have\ncondescended on such a walk, such a profession for the answer of it. It is\nnatural to all, even those who have least appearance of godliness, to seek\nheaven by doing God\u2019s will. Those that have no more to speak of than their\nbaptism, or receiving the Lord\u2019s Supper, or attending well the solemn\nassemblies, will ground their hope of salvation on these things. How much\nmore will the civil and honest men, commonly so called, who pray and read,\nand profess godliness,\u2014how much more, I say, will they establish that\nwhich they attain to, as the ground of their confidence before God! Now,\nthis is a general unknown ill that destroys the world, and yet few are\nconvinced of it, how hard it is to be driven out of ourselves, and to seek\nlife in another. O know, that it is in a manner the crucifying of a man\u2019s\nself thus to deny himself,\u2014to have a sort of righteousness, and not to\ntrust in it. Who is he that cannot endure to look upon himself for moral\nvileness? Alas, men flatter themselves in their own eyes, and look with a\nmore favourable eye on their own actions, than they ought! Who is he that\nabhors himself even for abominable works? But who shall be found to abhor\nhimself for his most religious and best actions? Who casts these out of\nhis sight as unclean and menstruous things? Therefore, I say, though thy\nrighteousness were equal to, or exceeded any Pharisee\u2019s righteousness,\nthou canst not enter into heaven. The poor publican, that was a vile and\nprofane sinner, yet had a righteousness exceeding the Pharisee\u2019s. Though\nhe had none of his own, yet he had a righteousness without blemish, of\nChrist\u2019s purchasing, having by faith fled to the mercy of God, in and\nthrough a Mediator. It is not more doing, more praying, more exact\nwalking, that can make you more righteous in God\u2019s account, in order to\nabsolution from law-condemnation, than the profanest and most wretched\nsinner. But the baser and viler thou be in thine own eyes, the more thou\nhidest thy best doings from thine eyes, and lookest on thy uncleanness,\nand betakest thyself to Christ, his unspotted and perfect righteousness,\nthe more honourable and precious thou art in his eyes. Therefore, God is\nsaid to dwell in the heart of the humble and contrite one, not for the\nworth of his humility and repentance; no, no, but for the pleasure he hath\nin the Well-beloved\u2019s righteousness. That is the beautiful garment, only\nin the eye of a humbled soul, that seeth nothing in itself desirable.\n\nTherefore, I wish that this conjunction which is made in the gospel, were\nalso engraven in your hearts, and on your practices, that is, that you\nwould seek after holiness, without which no man shall see God. Seek to\nperfect it in the fear of God, but not as though ye were to be thereby\njustified. Seek it with that diligence and earnest study, as if ye were to\nbe saved by it, and yet seek it, so as to be denied to your diligence, or\nas if ye sought it not at all. How sweet a conjunction were this in the\nChristian\u2019s practice, to walk and run so after the prize, as if his\nwalking did obtain it, and yet to look upon his walking, as if it were not\nat all. Your diligence and seriousness in godliness should be upon the\ngrowing hand, as if doing did save you; yet you ought to deny all that,\nand look to the righteousness of another, as if nothing were done at all\nby you. How doth Paul, (Phil. iii. 8,) unite these in his practice, \u201cI\ncount all loss and dung to be found in Christ, not having mine own\nrighteousness, and yet I press forward, and follow after perfection, as\nhaving attained nothing yet.\u201d One of these two is the original of many\nstumblings and wanderings in our Christian way. Either there is not a\nnecessity and constraint laid upon the souls of many to walk in all\nwell-pleasing, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God,\u2014we look on it\nas a thing indifferent, that is to be determined according to the measure\nof our receivings from God, or we look on it as a thing not urging all,\nbut belonging to ministers, or more eminent professors; and hence there\nariseth much carnal liberty, in walking without the line of Christian\nliberty, because there is an indifference in the spirit that gives that\nlatitude in walking; or else there is not that following of holiness in\nsuch a way, as can consist with the establishing of Christ\u2019s\nrighteousness,\u2014no denial of ourselves in our actions. We act as if we were\nsufficient of ourselves, and walk as if we were thereby justified, and\ncommend ourselves to God in our own consciences, whenever we can have the\ntestimony of our consciences for well-doing. And by this means the Lord is\nprovoked. Because we do not honour the Son, the Father counts himself\ndespised, and the Spirit is grieved and tempted to depart, and leave us to\nour own imaginations, till our idol which we established fall down, and\nour understanding return to us.\n\nAs it would be of great moment to the peace of Christians, and increase of\nholiness, to have that union of justification and sanctification stamped\non their hearts, so especially to have the due and evangelic method and\norder of these impressed on their consciences, would conduce exceedingly\nboth to their quickening and comforting. As there is nothing, that either\nso deadens or darkens, and saddens the spirits of the godly, as darkness\nin this particular, the ignorance and mistake of the method and order of\nthat well-ordered covenant must certainly be very prejudicial to the life\nand consolation tendered by the gospel. This spiritual walking flows from\nthe believer\u2019s state of non condemnation in Christ. He is once in Jesus\nChrist, and then he walks after the Spirit of Christ. You may make engines\nto cause a dead statue walk, but it cannot walk of itself till it have a\nprinciple of life in it. Walking is one of the operations of life, that\nflows from some inward principle, and so this spiritual walk and motion of\na Christian in his course, is the proper operation of the new nature that\nhe is a partaker of in Christ Jesus. As, then, you know it is impossible\nthat there can be true and unfeigned walking, where there is no life, no\nprinciple within, to put the creature to motion, though a man may by art\nand some external impulse so act a piece of timber or stone, as it may\nresemble to you a walking like to living creatures, so it is not possible\nthat any of the sons of Adam, who are by nature dead in sins, can walk\nspiritually, before they be united to Jesus Christ, by believing in him\nfor righteousness and salvation. There may be such a walking of carnal\nunregenerate men, as may deceive all the senses and judgments of\nbeholders. Men may be acting from base external principles in matters of\nreligion, so that a beholder shall perceive no difference between them and\nothers in whom Christ lives and walks; but before God it is nothing else\nbut an artificial walk, a painted and dead business, because the Spirit\nthat raised up Christ is not stirring in them. They are not living members\nof that Head that quickens all, have not been driven out of their own\nrighteousness to Christ, the city of refuge. Their principles are no\nhigher than walking to obtain salvation, and acceptation of God in a legal\nway, walking to pacify him, walking to please men and their own\nconsciences, walking for gain or credit, or advantage in the way, walking\naccording to custom or education in the way. These are not living\nprinciples. But when once a soul hath embraced Christ Jesus within it, he\nbecomes in a manner a soul to actuate and quicken that soul. He animates\nit, and moves it in God\u2019s ways, according to the covenant of grace,\u2014\u201cI\nwill put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.\u201d\nThere is first quickening, and then walking. You who were dead in sins,\nhath he quickened together with Christ, Eph. ii. 1, 5; and then it follows\nin due order,\u2014\u201cI will cause you to walk in my statutes,\u201d Ezek. xxxvi. 27.\nChrist comes into the heart to dwell, and then he walks in it, 2 Cor. vi.\n16. And what is that,\u2014Christ to walk in believers? It is nothing else but\nChrist by his Spirit making them to walk in his way. There is so little in\nus to principle a spiritual action, even when renewed and quickened, that\nwe should look on ourselves not so much as workers with him, but as being\nacted by him. We should look on soul and body as pieces of organized clay\nthat cannot move, but as they are moved by him as the soul and life of\nthem; so that, according to the Scripture dialect, a Christian is nothing\nelse, but Christ living and walking in such a person. This is it which\nChrist, when he is to go out of the world, instructs his disciples into,\nJohn xv. 1. He is the vine, and we the branches. The branch must be first\nunited to the tree, and implanted into the tree, ere it bring forth fruit.\nWithout the tree it withers. So must a soul be first ingraft in Jesus\nChrist, implanted in him by faith in his death and sufferings, before it\ncan grow up into the similitude of his resurrection, or \u201cwalk in newness\nof life,\u201d as Paul speaks, Rom. vi. 4, 5. \u201cWithout me ye can do nothing.\u201d\nYe must first be one with him, by believing in him, and receiving him as a\ncomplete Saviour, and then the sap and virtue of the tree flows into the\ndead branch, and it shoots forth, and blossoms and bears.\n\nNow, if this doctrine of Christ and his apostles were duly pondered and\nbelieved, O what a change would it make on the lives and spirits of\nChristians! Since this is the order established in the gospel, and an\norder suitable both to his grace and our necessity, (as all that is in it\nspeaketh forth an excellent contriver)\u2014when we go about to establish our\nsouls in another method, how is it possible that we should not weary and\nvex our souls in vain? How can we choose but torment ourselves and\nintricate ourselves still more? Our method and way is just contrary. We\nperplex our souls how to find the fruits of the Spirit of Christ, how to\nwalk after the Spirit, without first closing entirely with Christ himself.\nWe trouble ourselves to find the operations of a spiritual life, before we\nlay hold on Christ, who is the life of our souls. It is made an argument\nby many, to keep them from believing in Christ, because they do not find\nthat spiritual life stirring in them. How cross is this to the declared\nmind of Christ in the gospel! It cannot choose but both darken the spirit\nmore, and dry up the influences of the Spirit of God, because it keeps\nthee from the fountain of all consolation. You may disquiet your souls by\nthis means, but you shall never make advantage this way. Without him \u201cye\ncan do nothing:\u201d and yet ye will not come to him, because ye have done\nnothing. It is strange how little reason is in it, if your eyes were\nopened. You refuse or delay to abide in the vine till you bring forth\nfruit, and fruit ye cannot bring forth till you be in the vine. You would\nwalk, and you will not have the life from which you must walk. Paul lived\nindeed, but what a life! \u201cThe life that I live is by the faith of the Son\nof God.\u201d Faith in Christ transported him out of himself to Christ, or\nreceived Christ into the soul, and Christ in the soul was the life of his\nsoul, Gal. ii. 20. Your walking is as if a dead man would essay to go.\nWill one expect figs of thorns, or grapes of thistles? I beseech you, know\nwhat wrong ye do to yourselves, and to Christ. Ye wrong yourselves,\nbecause ye stand in the way of your own mercy, ye stand aback from your\nlife,\u2014him that is \u201cthe way, the truth, and the life.\u201d You would walk in\nthe way, but no man can walk in this way, but by this way. Christ must\nquicken you to walk in himself. Ye must get life in him, and not bring it.\nYou are in a vain expectation of fruits from yourselves,\u2014they will never\nsee the sun; and when you have wearied yourselves in such a vain pursuit,\nyou must at length come and begin here. Ye wrong Christ\u2019s grace and mercy.\nThis order is suited of purpose for our desperate condition, and yet ye\npresume to reject it, and seek another. You prescribe to your skilful and\ntender Physician, that which would undo you. I beseech you, know the\noriginal of your miseries, doubts, barrenness, and darkness. Here it\nis,\u2014you are still puzzling yourselves about grace and duties, how to fill\nyour eyes with these, and ye neglect Christ as your righteousness, as one\ndead and risen again, and now sitting at God\u2019s right hand for us. You must\nfirst close with him, as ungodly men. Though you were godly, you must shut\nyour eyes on any such thing, and lay living Jesus upon your dead and\nbenumbed hearts. Answer all your challenges with his absolution, and stand\nbefore God, in his clothing. Put his garment immediately on your nakedness\nand vileness, and we may persuade you it shall yield you abundant\nconsolation and life. Because he lives, ye shall live, and walk. If you\nwere more frequent and serious in the consideration of his excellent\nmajesty, of his beautiful and lovely qualifications, as the Mediator for\nsinners, and of the precious promises which are all \u201cyea and amen,\u201d\nconfirmed in him, and less in the vain and unprofitable debates of\nself-interest, and such like, I am persuaded ye would be more fruitful\nChristians. This is not as the business of a holiday, to be done at your\nfirst coming to Christ, and no more. No, it must run alongst, all your\nlife. The aged experienced Christian must come along as an ungodly sinner,\nto a blessed and living Saviour, and have no other ground of glory or\nconfidence before God, but Christ Jesus crucified.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VII.\n\n\n    Verse 2.\u2014\u201cFor the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath\n    made me free from the law of sin and death.\u201d\n\n\nYou know there are two principal things in the preceding verse,\u2014the\nprivilege of a Christian, and the property or character of a Christian. He\nis one that never enters into condemnation; He that believeth shall not\nperish, John iii. 15. And then he is one that walks not after the flesh,\nthough he be in the flesh, but in a more elevate way above men, after the\nguiding and leading of the Holy Spirit of God. Now it may be objected in\nmany consciences,\u2014how can these things be? Have not all sinned, and come\nshort of the glory of God, and so the whole world is become guilty before\nGod? Is not every man lying under a sentence of death? \u201cCursed is he that\nabides not in all things,\u201d &c. How then can he escape condemnation? Again,\nyou speak of walking after the Spirit, as proper to the Christian; but\nwhose walk is not carnal? Who is he that doth not often step aside out of\nthe way, and follow the conduct and counsel of flesh and blood? Is not sin\ndwelling here in our mortal bodies? Who can say, my heart or way is clean?\nTherefore both that privilege and this property of a Christian, seem to be\nbut big words, no real thing. And indeed I confess the multitude of men\nhath no other opinion of them but as fancied imaginary things; few believe\nthe report of the gospel concerning the salvation of elect ones, and few\nunderstand what this spiritual walking is. Many conceive it is not a thing\nthat belongs to men, who are led about with passions and affections, but\nrather to angels or spirits perfected.\n\nHowever, we have in these words an answer to satisfy both objections. He\ngrants something implicitly, and it is this: It is true indeed, Christians\nare under a twofold law, captives and bondmen to these,\u2014a law of sin in\ntheir members, bringing them in subjection to the lusts of the flesh. Sin\nhath a powerful dominion and tyranny over every man by nature. It hath a\nsort of light and power over him. And likewise, every one was under a law\nof death, the law of God cursing him, and sentencing him to condemnation\nbecause of sin. These two were joint conquerors of all mankind. But, saith\nhe, there is a delivery from this bondage. Freedom is obtained to\nbelievers by Jesus Christ, and so \u201cthere is no condemnation to them which\nare in Christ,\u201d and so they walk not after the leading and direction of\nthat law of sin within them, but after the guiding of our blessed\nTutor,\u2014the Spirit of God. If you ask how this comes to pass,\u2014by what\nauthority, or law, or power, is this releasement and freedom obtained?\nHere it is,\u2014\u201cby the law of the Spirit of life, which is in Christ.\u201d Christ\nis not an invader, or unjust conqueror, he hath fair law for what he doth,\neven against those laws which detain unbelievers in bondage. There is a\nhigher and later law on his side, and he hath power and strength to\naccomplish his design. He opposes law unto law, and life unto death, and\nspirit unto flesh; a law of spirit unto a law of sin and flesh; a law of\nlife unto a law of death;\u2014in a word, the gospel, or covenant of grace,\nunto the law or covenant of works. The powerful and living Spirit of grace\nthat wrought mightily in him, is set fore-against the power of sin and\nSatan in us, and against us. The one gives him right and title to conquer,\nthe other accomplisheth him for the work; and by these two are believers\nin Jesus Christ made freemen, who were bondmen. That, then, which we would\nspeak from these words, is the common lot of all men by nature, viz. to be\nunder the power of sin, and sentence of death; the special exemption of\nbelievers in Christ, and immunity from this, or delivery from it; and then\nthe true ground and cause of this delivery from that bondage;\u2014which three\nare contained in the words, it is a purpose indeed of a high nature, and\nof high concernment to us all. Our life and death is wrapt up in this. You\nmay hear many things more gladly, but if you knew it, none so profitable.\nTherefore let us gather our spirits to the consideration of these\nparticulars.\n\nAs to the first, all men are under the bondage of a twofold law,\u2014the law\nof sin within them, and the law of death without them. Man was created\nrighteous; but, saith the wise man, he \u201csought out many inventions.\u201d A sad\ninvention indeed! He found out misery and slavery to himself, who was made\nfree and happy. His freedom and happiness was to be in subjection to his\nMaker, under the just and holy commands of his Lord, who had given him\nbreath and being. It was no captivity or restraint to be compassed about\nwith the hedges of the Lord\u2019s holy law, no more than it is a restraint on\na man\u2019s liberty to have his way hedged in, where he may safely walk, that\nhe may keep himself within it, from pits and snares on every hand. But,\nalas!\u2014if we may say alas, when we have such a redemption in Jesus\nChrist,\u2014Adam was not content with that happiness, but seeking after more\nliberty, he sold himself into the hands of strange lords,\u2014first sin, and\nthen death. \u201cOther lords besides thee, O Lord, have had dominion over us,\u201d\nIsa. xxvi. 13. This is too true in this sense; Adam seeking to be as the\nLord himself, lost his own lordship and dominion over all the works of\nGod\u2019s hands, and became a servant to the basest and most abominable of\nall, even that which is most hateful to the Lord,\u2014to sin and death. And\nthis is the condition we are now born into. Consider it, I pray you,\u2014we\nare born captives and slaves, the most noble, the most ingenuous, and the\nmost free of us all. Paul speaks of it as a privilege to be born free; to\nbe free in man\u2019s commonwealth. It is counted a dignity to be a free\ncitizen or burgess of a town. Liberty is the great claim of people\nnow-a-days; and indeed it is the great advantage of a people to enjoy that\nmother and womb privilege and right. But, alas! What is all this to be\nfree-born in a civil society? It is but the state of a man among men. It\nreaches no further than the outward man, his life or estate. But here is a\nmatter of greater moment,\u2014know you what state your souls are in? Your\nsouls are incomparably more worth than your bodies, as much as eternity\nsurpasseth this inch of time, or immortality exceeds mortality. Your souls\nare yourselves, indeed; your bodies are but your house or tabernacle you\nlodge into for a season. Now then, I beseech you, ask whether you be born\nfree or not. If your souls be slaves, you are slaves indeed; for so the\nevangelist changeth these. Matthew saith, in chap. xvi. 26, \u201cwhat hath a\nman gained, if he lose his own soul?\u201d And Luke, chap. ix. 25, saith, what\nhath he gained, if he \u201close himself?\u201d Therefore you are not free indeed\nexcept your souls be free. What is it, I pray you, to enjoy freedom among\nmen? I ask you, what are you before God, whether bond or free? This is the\nbusiness indeed. The Pharisees pleaded a claim to the liberty and\nprivilege of being Abraham\u2019s sons and children, and thought they might\nhence conclude they were God\u2019s children. But our Lord Jesus discovers this\nmistake, when he tells them of a freedom and liberty that he came to\nproclaim to men, to purchase to them, and bestow on them. They stumbled at\nthis doctrine. What, say they, talkest thou to us of making us free? We\nwere never in bondage, because we be Abraham\u2019s children. This is even the\nlanguage of our hearts, when we tell you, that ye are born heirs of wrath,\nand slaves of sin and Satan. Here is the secret whispering of hearts;\u2014we\nbe Abraham\u2019s seed; we were never in bondage to any. We be baptized\nChristians; we have a church state,\u2014have the privileges, and liberties,\nnot only of subjects in the state, but of members in the church; why\nsayest thou, we are bondmen? I would wish ye were all free indeed, but\nthat cannot be till you know your bondage. Consider then, I beseech you,\nthat you may be free subjects in a state, and free members in a church,\nand yet in bondage, under the law of sin and death. This was the mistake;\nthat was a ground of presumption in the Jews, and occasioned their\nstumbling at this stone of salvation laid in Sion. You think you have\nchurch privileges, and what needs more? Be not deceived,\u2014you are servants\nof sin, and therefore not free. There are two sorts or rather two ranks of\npersons in God\u2019s house,\u2014sons and slaves. The son abides in the house for\never, the slave but for a time. When the time expires, he must go out, or\nbe cast out. The church is God\u2019s house, but many are in it that will not\ndwell in it. Many have the outward liberties of this house, that have no\ninterest in the special mercies and loving kindness proper to children.\nThe time will come, that the most part of the visible church, who are\nbaptized, and have eaten with him at his table, and had a kind of\nfriendship to him here, shall be cast out as bondmen, and Isaac only shall\nbe kept within, the child of the promise. The house that is here hath some\ninward sanctuary, and some outer porches. Many have access to these, that\nnever enter within the secret of the Lord, and so shall not dwell in the\nhouse above. It is not so much the business, who shall enter into the holy\nhill, but who shall stand and dwell in it. The day of judgment will be a\ngreat day of excommunication. O how many thousands will be then cut off\nfrom the church of the living God, and delivered over to Satan, because\nthey were really under his power, while they were church-members and\nAbraham\u2019s sons! Let me tell you then, that all of us were once in this\nstate of bondage which Christ speaks of,\u2014he that \u201ccommitteth sin is the\nservant of sin,\u201d John viii. 34; \u201cand the servant abideth not in the house\nfor ever.\u201d So that I am afraid, many of us who are in the visible church,\nand stand in this congregation, shall not have liberty to stand in the\nassembly of the first-born, when all the sons are gathered in one to the\nnew Jerusalem. Sin hath a right over us, and it hath a power over us, and\ntherefore it is called a law of sin. There is a kind of authority that it\nhath over us, by virtue of God\u2019s justice, and our own voluntary consent.\nThe Lord in his righteousness hath given over all the posterity of Adam,\nfor his sin, which he sinned, as a common person, representing us,\u2014he hath\ngiven us all over to the power of a body of death within us. Since man did\nchoose to depart from his Lord, he hath justly delivered him into the\nhands of a strange lord to have dominion over him. The transmitting of\nsuch an original pollution, to all men, is an act of glorious justice. As\nhe in justice gives men over to the lusts of their own hearts now, for\nfollowing of these lusts contrary to his will; so was it, at first, \u201cby\none man\u2019s disobedience many were made sinners,\u201d and that, in God\u2019s holy\nrighteousness, sin entered into the world, and had permission of God to\nsubdue and conquer the world to itself, because man would not be subject\nto God. But as there is the justice of God in it, so there is a voluntary\nchoice and election, which gives sin a power over us. We choose a strange\nlord, and he lords it over us. We say to our lusts, come ye and rule over\nus. We submit our reason, our conscience, and all, to the guidance and\nleading of our blind affections and passions. We choose our bondage for\nliberty. And thus sin hath a kind of law over us, by our own consent. It\nexerciseth a jurisdiction; and when once it is installed in power and\nclothed with it, it is not so easy again to put it out of that throne.\nThere is a conspiring, so to speak, of these two, to make out the\njurisdiction and authority of sin over us. God gives us over to iniquity\nand unrighteousness, and we yield ourselves over to it. Rom. vi. 16, 19,\nWe yield our members servants to iniquity. A little pleasure or commodity\nis the bait that ensnares us to this. We give up ourselves, and join to\nour idols, and God ratifies it, in a manner, and passeth such a\nsentence,\u2014Let them alone, he says, go ye every one and serve your idols,\nHos. iv. 17. Since ye would not serve me, be doing,\u2014go serve your lusts,\nlook if they be better masters than I; look what wages they will give you.\n\nNow, let us again consider what power sin hath, being thus clothed with a\nsort of authority. O but it is mighty, and works mightily in men! It\nreigns in our mortal bodies, Rom. vi. 12. Here is the throne of sin\nestablished in the lusts and affections of the body, and from hence it\nemits laws and statutes, and sends out commands to the soul and whole man.\nMan chose at first to hearken to the counsel of his senses, that said, it\nwas pleasant and good to eat of the forbidden fruit; but that counsel is\nnow turned into a command. Sin hath gotten a sceptre there, to rule over\nthe spirit which was born a free prince. Sin hath conquered all our\nstrength, or we have given up unto it all our strength. Any truth that is\nin the conscience; any knowledge of God, or religion, all this is\nincarcerated, detained in a prison of unrighteous affections. Sin hath\nmany strongholds and bulwarks in our flesh, and by these commands the\nwhole spirit and soul in man, and leads captive every thought to the\nobedience of the flesh. You know how strong it was in holy Paul, Rom.\nvii.; what a mighty battle and wrestling he had, and how near he was to\nfainting and giving over. How then must it have an absolute and sovereign\nfull dominion over men in nature!  There being no contrary principle\nwithin, by nature, to debate with it, it rules  without much controlment.\nThere may be many convictions of conscience, and sparkles of light against\nsin, but these are quickly extinguished and buried. Nay, all these\nprinciples of light and knowledge in the conscience, do oftentimes\nstrengthen sin, as some things are confirmed, not weakened, by opposition.\nUnequal and faint opposition strengthens the adversary, as cold,\ncompassing springs, makes them hotter. So it is here. Sin takes occasion,\nby the command, to work \u201call manner of concupiscence,\u201d Rom. vii. 8.\nWithout the law, sin is in a manner dead; but when any adversary appears,\nwhen our lusts and humours are crossed, then they unite their strength\nagainst any such opposition, and bring forth more sinful sin.  The\nknowledge and conscience that many have, serve nothing but to make their\nsins greater; to exasperate and imbitter their spirits and lusts against\nGod. \u201cWhy tormentest thou me before the time?\u201d It is a devilish\ndisposition that is in us all,\u2014We cannot endure the light, because our\ndeeds are evil.\n\nLet us but consider these particulars, and we shall know the power and\ndominion of sin. 1st, Consider the extent of its dominion, both in regard\nof all men, and all in every man. I say, all men,\u2014there is none of us\nexempted from it; the most noble, and the most base. Sin is the catholic\nking, the universal king, or rather Satan, who is the prince of this\nworld, and he rules the world, by this law of sin, which is even the\ncontradiction of the law of God. Who of you believes this, that Satan\u2019s\nkingdom is so spacious,\u2014that it is even over the most part of the visible\nchurch? This is the emperor of the world. The Turk vainly arrogates this\ntitle to himself, but the devil is truly so, and we have God\u2019s own\ntestimony for it. All kings, all nobles, all princes, all people, rich and\npoor, high and low, are once subjects of this prince, ruled by this  black\nlaw of sin. O know your condition, whose servants ye are! Think not within\nyourselves, \u201cwe have Abraham for our father,\u201d\u2014we are baptized Christians.\nNo, know that all of us are once the children of Satan, and do his works,\nand fulfil his will. But moreover, all that is in us is subject to this\nlaw of sin,\u2014all the faculties of the soul. The understanding is under the\npower of darkness, the affections under the power of corruption, the mind\nis blinded, and the heart is hardened, the soul alienated from God, who is\nits life; all the members and powers of a man yielded up as instruments of\nunrighteousness, every one to execute that wicked law, and fulfil the\nlusts of the flesh. This dominion is over all a man\u2019s actions, even those\nthat are in best account and esteem among men. Your honest, upright\ndealing with men, your most religious performances to God, they are more\nconformed to the law of sin, than to the law of God,\u2014Hag. ii. 14. \u201cThis\nnation, and the work of their hands, and that which they offer, is\nunclean.\u201d All your works, your good works, are infected with this\npollution. Sin hath defiled your persons, and they defile all your\nactions,\u2014the infection is mutual. These actions again defile your persons\nstill more: To the impure all things are impure, \u201ceven their mind and\nconscience is defiled,\u201d Tit. i. 15. Do what ye can, ye who are in nature\ncannot please God; it is but obedience to the law of sin that is in you.\n\nBut 2d, Consider the intenseness and force of his power, how mighty it is\nin working against all oppositions whatsoever, unless it be overcome by\nalmighty power. Nothing but All-might can conquer this power. The spirit\nthat works in men by nature, is of such activity and efficacy, that it\ndrives men on furiously, as if they were possessed to their own ruin. How\nmuch hath it of a man\u2019s consent! And so it drives him strongly and\nirresistibly. Much will, desire, and greediness, will make corruption run\nlike a river, over all its banks set in the way thereof,\u2014counsel,\npersuasion, law, heaven, hell, yet men\u2019s corruption must be over all\nthese. Preaching, threatenings, convictions of conscience, are but as\nflaxen ropes to bind a Samson. Sin within easily breaks them. In a word,\nno created power is of sufficient virtue to bind the strong man; it must\nbe one mightier than he, and that is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Do ye not\nsee men daily drawn after their lusts, as beasts, following their senses\nas violently as a horse rusheth to the battle! If there be any gain or\nadvantage to oil the wheels of affection, O how men run headlong! There is\nno crying will hold them. In sum, sin is become all one with us; it is\nincorporate into the man, and become one with his affections, and then\nthese command.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VIII.\n\n\n    Verse 2.\u2014\u201cFor the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath\n    made me free from the law of sin and death.\u201d\n\n\nThat whereabout the thoughts and discourses of men now run, is freedom and\nliberty, or bondage and slavery. All men are afraid to lose their\nliberties, and be made servants to strangers. And indeed liberty, whether\nnational or personal, even in civil respects, is a great mercy and\nprivilege. But alas! men know not, neither do they consider, what is the\nground and reason of such changes, and from what fountain it flows, that a\nnation for a long time free from a foreign yoke, should now be made to\nsubmit their necks unto it. Many wonder that our nation, unconquered in\nthe days of ignorance and darkness, should now be conquered in the days of\nthe gospel; and there want not many ungodly spirits, that will rather\nimpute the fault unto the reformation of religion, than take it to\nthemselves. There are many secret heart jealousies among us, that Christ\nis a hard master, and cannot be served. But would you know the true\noriginal of our apparent and threatened bondage? Come and see; come and\nconsider something expressed in these words. All your thoughts are busied\nabout civil liberty; but you do not consider that you are in bondage while\nyou are free, and that to worse masters than you fear. We are under a law\nof sin and death, that hath the dominion and sway in all men\u2019s affections\nand conversations; and when the glorious liberty of the sons of God is\noffered unto us in the gospel, when the Son hath come to make us free, we\nlove our own chains, and will not suffer them to be loosed. Therefore it\nis that a nation that hath despised such a gracious offer of peace and\nfreedom in Jesus Christ, is robbed and spoiled of peace and freedom. When\nthis law of the Spirit of life in Christ is published, and proclaimed\nopenly unto congregations, unto judicatories, and unto persons, yet few do\nregard it. The generality are in bondage to a contrary law of sin, and\nthis they serve in the lusts thereof. Yea,\u2014which most of all aggravates\nand heightens the offence,\u2014even after we have all of us professed a\nsubjection to the law of God, and to Jesus Christ, the King and Lawgiver,\nwe are in an extraordinary way engaged to the Lord, by many oaths and\ncovenants, to be his people; we did consent that he should be our King,\nand that we should be ruled in our profession and practice by his word and\nwill, as the fundamental laws of this his kingdom; we did solemnly\nrenounce all strange lords, that had tyrannized over us; and did swear\nagainst them, never to yield willing obedience unto them; namely, the\nlusts of the world, ignorance of God, unbelief, and disobedience. Now what\nbecame of all this work, you may know. The generality of all ranks have\nrebelled against that Lord and Prince, and withdrawn from his allegiance,\nand revolted unto the same lusts and ways\u2014these same courses against which\nwe had, both by our profession of Christianity and solemn oaths, engaged\nourselves. And so men have voluntarily and heartily subjected themselves\nunto the laws of sin, and desires of the flesh. Hence is the beginning of\nour ruin. Because we would not serve our own God and Lord in our own land,\ntherefore are so many led away captive(169) to serve strangers in another\nland, therefore we are like to be captives in our own land. Because we\nrefused homage to our God, and obeyed strange lords within, therefore are\nwe given up to the lust of strangers without.\n\nI would have you thinking, and that seriously, that there are worse\nmasters you serve than those you most hate, and that there is a worse\nbondage, whereof you are insensible, than that you fear most. You fear\nstrangers, but your greatest evil is within you. You might retire within,\nand behold worse masters, and more pernicious and mortal enemies to your\nwell-being. This is the case of all men by nature, and of all men as far\nas in nature; sin ruling, commanding in them, and lording it over them,\nand they willingly following after the commandment, and so oppressed and\nbroken in judgment. If you could but rightly look upon other men, you\nmight see, that they who are servants of divers lusts, are not their own\nmen, so to speak; they have not the command of themselves. Look upon a man\ngiven to drunkenness, and what a slave is he! Whither doth not his lust\ndrive him? Let him bind himself with resolutions, with vows, yet he cannot\nbe holden by them. Shame before men, loss of estate, decay of health,\ntemporal punishment, nay, eternal, all set together, cannot keep him from\nfulfilling the desires of that lust, when he hath opportunity. A man given\nto covetousness, how doth he serve that idol! How doth he forget himself\nto be a man!\u2014or to have a reasonable soul within him, he is so devoted to\nit! And thus it is with every man by nature. There may be many petty\nlittle gods that he worships upon occasion, but every unrenewed man hath\nsome one thing predominant in him, unto which he hath sworn obedience and\ndevotion. The man most civilized, most abstracted from the grosser outward\npollutions,\u2014yet certainly, his heart within is but a temple full of idols,\nto the love and service of which he is devoted. There are some of the\nfundamental laws of Satan\u2019s kingdom, that rule in every natural\nman,\u2014either the lust of the eyes, or the lust of the flesh, or the pride\nof life. Every man sacrificeth to one of these his credit and honour, or\nhis pleasure, or his profit. Self, whatever way refined and subtilized in\nsome, yet at best it is but an enemy to God; and without that sphere of\nself cannot a man act upon natural principles, till a higher Spirit come\nin, which is here spoken of.\n\nOh! that you would take this for bondage, to be under this woful necessity\nof satisfying and fulfilling the desires of your flesh and mind, Eph. ii.\n2. Many account it only liberty and freedom, therefore they look upon the\nlaws of the Spirit of life as cords and bonds, and consult to cast them\noff, and cut them asunder. But consider what a wretched life you have with\nyour imperious lusts. The truth is, sin is for the most part its own\npunishment. I am sure you have more labour and toil in fulfilling the\nlusts of sin, than you might have in serving God. Men\u2019s lusts are never at\nquiet, they are continually putting you on service, they are still driving\nand dragging men headlong, hurrying them to and fro, and they cannot get\nrest. What is the cause of all the disquiet, disorder, confusion, trouble,\nand wars in the world? From whence do contentions arise? \u201cCome they not\nhence,\u201d saith James, iv. 1, \u201ceven of your lusts that war in your members?\u201d\nIt is these that trouble the world, and these are the troublers of\nIsrael\u2019s peace. These take away inward peace, domestic peace, and national\npeace. These lusts, covetousness, ambition, pride, passion, self-love, and\nsuch like, do set nation against nation, men and men, people and people,\nby the ears. These multiply businesses beyond necessity; these multiply\ncares without profit, and so bring forth vexation and torment. If a man\nhad his lusts subdued, and his affections composed unto moderation and\nsobriety, O what a multitude of noisome and hurtful cares should he then\nbe freed from! What a sweet calmness should possess that spirit! Will you\nbe persuaded of it, beloved in the Lord, that it were easier to serve the\nLord than to serve your lusts,\u2014that they cost you more labour, disquiet,\nperplexity, and sorrow, than the Lord\u2019s service will; that so you may\nweary of such masters, and groan to be from under such a law of sin.\n\nBut if that will not suffice to persuade you, then consider, in the next\nroom, if you will needs serve a law of sin, you must needs be subject to a\nlaw of death. If you will not be persuaded to quit the service of sin,\nthen tell me, what think you of your wages? \u201cThe wages of sin is\ndeath,\u201d\u2014that you may certainly expect; and can you look and long for such\nwages? God hath joined these together by a perpetual ordinance. They came\ninto the world together,\u2014\u201csin entered, and death by sin;\u201d and they have\ngone hand in hand together since. And think you to dissolve what God hath\njoined? Before you go farther, and obey sin more, think, I pray you, what\nit can give you,\u2014what doth it give you for the present, but much pain, and\ntoil, and vexation, instead of promised pleasure and satisfaction? Sin\ndoth with all men, as the devil doth with some of his sworn vassals and\nservants. They have a poor wretched life with him. They are wearied and\ntroubled, to satisfy all his unreasonable and imperious commands. He loads\nthem with base service, and they are still kept in expectation of some\ngreat reward; but for the present, they have nothing but misery and\ntrouble. And at length he becomes the executioner, and perpetual tormentor\nof them whom he made to serve him. Such a master is sin, and such wages\nyou may expect. Consider then, what your expectation is, before you go on,\nor engage further,\u2014death. We are under a law of bodily death, therefore we\nare mortal. Our house is like a ruinous lodge, that drops through, and one\nday or other it must fall. Sin hath brought in the seeds of corruption\ninto men\u2019s nature, which dissolve it, else it had been immortal. But there\nis a worse death after this, a living death, in respect of which simple\ndeath would be chosen rather. Men will rather live very miserably than\ndie. Nature hath an aversion to it,\u2014\u201cskin for skin, and all for life will\na man give.\u201d Death imports a destruction of being, which every thing\nnaturally seeks to preserve. But O what a dreadful life is it, worse than\ndeath, when men will choose death rather than life! O how terrible will it\nbe to hear that word, \u201cHills and mountains, fall on us, and cover us!\u201d Men\nnewly risen, their bodies and souls meet again after a long separation,\nand this to be their mutual entertainment one to another,\u2014the body to wish\nit were still in the dust, and the soul to desire it might never be in the\nbody! Surely if we had so much grace as to believe this, and tremble at\nit, before we be forced to act it, there were some hope. If we could\npersuade ourselves once of this, that the ways of sin, all of them, how\npleasant, how profitable soever, whatsoever gain they bring in, whatsoever\nsatisfaction they give, that they are nothing else but \u201cthe ways of\ndeath,\u201d and go down to the chambers of hell; that they will delude and\ndeceive us, and so in end destroy us;\u2014if we might once believe this with\nour heart, there were some hope that we would break off from them, and\nchoose the untrodden paths of godliness, which are pleasantness and peace.\nHowever, this is the condition of all men, once to be under sin, and under\na sentence of death for sin. It is the unbelief of this, and a conceit of\nfreedom, that securely and certainly destroys the world, by keeping souls\nfrom Jesus Christ, the Prince of Life.\n\nBut there is a delivery, and that is the thing expressed in the words.\nThere is freedom from both attainable. And I think, the very hearing of\nsuch a thing, that there is a redemption from sin and misery possible,\nyea, and that some are actually delivered from it; this might stir up in\nour hearts some holy ambition, and earnest desire after such a state. How\nmight it awaken our hearts after it! But this is the wofulness of a\nnatural condition, that a soul under the power of sin can neither help\nitself nor rightly desire help from another, because the will is captive\ntoo. This makes it a very desperate and remediless business to any human\nexpectation, because such a soul is well-pleased with its own fetters, and\nloves its own prison, and so can neither long for freedom, nor welcome the\nSon who is come to make free. But yet, there is a freedom and delivery;\nand if ye ask who are partakers of it, the text declares it to you,\u2014even\nthose who are in Jesus Christ, and walk according to the Spirit of Christ.\nAll those, and those only, who, finding themselves \u201cdead in trespasses and\nsins,\u201d under the power and dominion of sin, and likewise under the\nsentence of death and condemnation, begin to lift up their heads upon the\nhope of a Saviour, and to look unto their Redeemer as poor prisoners,\nwhose eyes and looks are strong entreaties, and instead of many\nrequests;\u2014such as give an entire renounce unto their former ways and\nprevailing lusts, and give up themselves, in testimony of their sense of\nhis unspeakable favour of redemption, to be wholly his, and not their own.\nThere are some souls who are free from the dominion of sin, and from the\ndanger of death, some who were once led about with divers lusts, as well\nas others, who walked after the course of this world, and fulfilled the\ndesires of the flesh, and were children of wrath, as well as others; but\nnow they are quickened in Christ Jesus, and have abandoned their former\nway. They have another rule, another way, other principles. Their study is\nnow to please God, and grow in holiness. The ways they delighted in, in\nformer times, are now loathsome. They think that a filthy puddle, which\nthey drank greedily of; and now it is all, or their chiefest grief and\nburden, that so much of that old man must be carried about with them,\u2014and\nso this expresseth many groans from them with Paul, \u201cWoe is me, miserable\nman! who shall deliver me?\u201d Such souls are, in a manner, so to speak, half\nredeemed, who being made sensible of their bondage, groan and pant for a\nRedeemer. The day of their complete redemption is at hand. All of you are\nwitnesses of this, that there are some thus freed, but they are signs and\nwonders indeed to the world. Their kinsmen, their acquaintance, their\nfriends and neighbours, wonder what is become of them. They think it\nstrange they walk not, and run not into that same excess of riot with\nthem. But whosoever thou art, that art escaped from under the slavery of\nsin, wonder at the world, that doth run so madly on their own destruction.\nThink it strange, that thou didst run so long with them, and that all will\nnot run in these pleasant ways with thee. Think it strange that thou\nrunnest so slowly, when so great a prize is to be obtained,\u2014an immortal\nand never-fading crown. If mortifying and crucifying the lusts of the\nflesh, if dying to the world, and to thyself, seem very hard and\nunpleasant to thee, if it be as the plucking out of thine eye, and cutting\noff thine hand; know then, that corruption is much alive yet, and hath\nmuch power in thee. But remember, that if thou canst have but so much\ngrace and resolution, as to kill and crucify these lusts, without foolish\nand hurtful pity,\u2014if thou canst attain that victory over thyself, thou\nshalt never be a loser. Thou canst not repent it afterward. To die to\nourselves and the world, to kill sin within\u2014O that makes way to a life hid\nfrom the world, one hour whereof is better than many ages in sinful\npleasure! Quicken thyself often with this thought, that there is a true\nlife after such a death, and that thou canst not pass into it, but by the\nvalley of the death of thy lusts. Remember, that thou dost but kill thine\nenemies, which embrace that they may strangle thee; and then stir up\nyourself with this consideration,\u2014the life of sin will be thy death.\nBetter enter heaven without these lusts, than go to hell with them.\n\n\n\n\nSermon IX.\n\n\n    Verse 2.\u2014\u201cFor the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath\n    made me free from the law of sin and death.\u201d\n\n\nThat which makes the delivery of men from the tyranny of sin and death\nmost difficult, and utterly impossible unto nature, is, that sinners have\ngiven up themselves unto it, as if it were true liberty, that the will and\naffections of men are conquered, and sin hath its imperial throne seated\nthere. Other conquerors invade men against their will, and so they rule\nagainst their will. They retain men in subjection by fear and not by love.\nAnd so whenever any occasion offers, they are glad to cast off the yoke of\nunwilling obedience. But sin hath first conquered men\u2019s judgment, by\nblinding it,\u2014putting out the eye of the understanding, and then invaded\nthe affections of men, drawn them over to its side; and by these, it keeps\nall in a most willing obedience. Now, what hopes are there then of\ndelivery, when the prisoner accounts his bondage liberty, and his prison a\npalace? What expectation of freedom, when all that is within us conspires\nto the upholding that tyrannous dominion of sin, against all that would\ncast off its usurpation, as if they were mortal enemies?\n\nYet there is a delivery possible, but such as would not have entered into\nthe heart of man to imagine; and it is here expressed,\u2014\u201cthe law of the\nSpirit of life,\u201d &c. This declares how, and by what means, we may be made\nfree. Not indeed by any power within us, not by any created power without\nus. Sin is stronger than all these, because its imperial seat is within,\nfar without the reach of all created power. There may be some means used\nby men, to beat it out of the outworks of the outward man, to chase it out\nof the external members; some means to restrain it from such gross\nout-breakings; but there is none can lay siege to the soul within, or\nstorm the understanding and will, where it hath its principal residence.\nIt is inaccessible, and impregnable by any human power. No entreaties or\npersuasions, no terrors or threatenings, can prevail; it can neither be\nstormed by violence, nor undermined by skill, because it is within the\nspirit of the mind; until at length some other spirit stronger than our\nspirit come; till the Spirit of life which is in Christ, come and bind the\nstrong man, and so make the poor soul free. You heard that we were under a\nlaw of death, and under the power of sin. Now there is another law,\nanswering this law, and a power to overcome this power. You may indeed\nask, by what law or authority can a sinner that is bound over, by God\u2019s\njustice, unto death and condemnation, be released? Is there any law above\nGod\u2019s law, and the sentence of his justice? The apostle answers, that\nthere is a law above it, a law after it,\u2014\u201cthe law of the Spirit of life.\u201d\nJesus Christ opposes law unto law, the law of life unto the law of death;\nthe gospel unto the law, the second covenant unto the first. Thus it is\nthen, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, full of grace and truth, did\ncome in man\u2019s stead, when the law and sentence of death was passed upon\nall mankind, and there was no expectation, from the terms of the first\ncovenant, that there should be any dispensation or mitigation of the\nrigour of it. He obtains this, that so many as God had chosen unto life,\ntheir sins and their punishment might be laid on him. And so he took part\nof our flesh, for this end, that he might be made a curse for us, and so\nredeem us from the curse. Thus, having satisfied justice, and fulfilled\nthe sentence of death, by suffering death,\u2014\u201cHim hath God exalted to be a\nPrince and a Saviour,\u201d and the head of all things. In compensation of this\ngreat and weighty work given him by his Father, all judgment is committed\nto him, and so he sends out and proclaims another law in Zion; another\nsentence, even of life and absolution, unto all, and upon all them that\nshall believe in his name. Thus you see the law of death abrogated by a\nnew law of life, because our Lord and Saviour was made under the law of\ndeath, and suffered under it, and satisfied it, that all his seed might be\nfreed from it, and might come under a life-giving law. So that it appears\nto be true, that was said at first, \u201cthere is no condemnation to them that\nare in Christ,\u201d\u2014there is no law, no justice against them.\n\nBut then another difficulty as great as the former is in the way. Though\nsuch a law and sentence of life and absolution be pronounced in the\ngospel, in Christ\u2019s name, yet we are dead in sins and trespasses. We\nneither know nor feel our misery, nor can we come to a Redeemer. As there\nwas a law of death above our head, so there is a law of sin within our\nhearts, which rules and commands us; and there is neither will nor ability\nto escape from under it. It is true, life and freedom is preached in\nChrist, to all that come to him for life. To all that renounce sin\u2019s\ndominion is remission of sin preached. But here is the greatest\ndifficulty,\u2014how can a dead soul stir, rise, and walk,\u2014how can a slave to\nsin, and a willing captive, renounce it, when he hath neither to will nor\nto do? Indeed, if all had been purchased for us, if eternal life and\nforgiveness of sins had been brought near us, and all the business done to\nour consent, and that only wanting; if these had been the terms, I have\npurchased life, now rise and embrace it of yourselves, truly it had been\nan unsuccessful business. Christ had lost all that was given him, if the\nmoment and weight of our salvation had been hung upon our acceptation.\nTherefore, it is well provided for this also, that there should be a power\nto overcome this power, a spirit of life in Christ to quicken dead\nsinners, and raise them up, and draw them to him. And so, the second Adam\nhath this prerogative beyond the first, that he is not only a living soul\nin himself, but a quickening Spirit to all that are given him of the\nFather, 1 Cor. xv. 45. So then, as Christ Jesus hath law and right on his\nside, to free us from death, so he hath virtue and power in him to\naccomplish our delivery from sin. As he hath fair law to loose the chains\nof condemnation, and to repeal the sentence passed against us, without\nprejudice to God\u2019s justice, he having fully satisfied the same in our\nname, so he hath sufficient power given him to loose the fetters of sin\nfrom off us. When he hath paid the price, and satisfied the Father, so\nthat justice can crave nothing, yet he hath one adversary to deal with.\nSatan hath sinners bound with the cords of their own lusts, in a prison of\ndarkness and unbelief. Jesus Christ therefore comes out to conquer this\nenemy, and to redeem his elect ones from that unjust usurpation of sin,\u2014to\nbring them out of the prison by the strong hand. And therefore, he is one\nmighty and able to save to the uttermost; he hath might to do it, as well\nas right to it.\n\nConsider, then, my beloved, these two things, which are the breasts of our\nconsolation, and the foundation of our hope. We are once lost and utterly\nundone, both in regard of God\u2019s justice, and our own utter inability to\nhelp ourselves, which is strengthened by our unwillingness, and thus made\na more desperate business. Now, God hath provided a suitable remedy; he\nhath \u201claid help on one that is mighty,\u201d indeed, who hath almighty power;\nand by his power he first conflicted with the punishment of our sins, and\nwith his Father\u2019s wrath, and hath overcome, discharged, and satisfied\nthat, and so hath purchased a right unto us, to give salvation to whom he\nwill. He conquered, and by his power obtained this supreme authority of\nlife and death.\n\nNow, having this authority established in his person, the next work is to\napply this purchase,\u2014actually to confer this life. And therefore he hath\nalmighty power to raise up dead sinners; to create us again to good works;\nto redeem us from the tyranny of sin and Satan, whose slaves we are. He\nhath a Spirit of life, which he communicates to his seed; he breathes it\ninto those souls that he died for, and dispossesseth that powerful\ncorruption that dwells in us. Hence it comes to pass, that they walk after\nthe Spirit, though they be in the flesh; because the powerful Spirit of\nChrist hath entered, and taken possession of their spirits, Isa. lix. 20,\n21.\n\nLet us not be discouraged in our apprehensions of Christ. When we look on\nour ruinous and desperate estate, let us not conclude, it is past hope,\nand past his help too. We do proclaim, in the name of Jesus Christ, that\nthere is no sinner, howsoever justly under a sentence of death and\ndamnation, but they may in him find a relaxation from that sentence, and\nthat without the impairing of God\u2019s justice. And this is a marvellous\nground of comfort, that may establish our souls, (1 John i. 9.) even this,\nthat law and justice is upon Christ\u2019s side, and nothing to accuse or plead\nagainst a sinner that employs him for his advocate. But know this also,\nthat you are not delivered from death that you may live under sin; nay,\nyou are redeemed from death, that you may be freed from the law of sin.\nBut that must be done by his almighty Spirit, and cannot be otherwise\ndone.\n\nI know not whether of these is matter of greatest comfort,\u2014that there is\nin Christ a redemption from the wrath of God and from hell; and that there\nis a redemption too, from sin, and corruption which dwells within us. But\nsure I am, both of them will be most sweet and comfortable to a believer;\nand without both, Christ were not a complete Redeemer, nor we completely\nredeemed. Neither would a believing soul, in which there is any measure of\nthis new law and divine life, be satisfied without both these. Many are\nmiserably deluded in their apprehensions of the gospel. They take it up\nthus, as if it were nothing but a proclamation of freedom from misery,\nfrom death and damnation; and so the most part catch at nothing else in\nit, and from thence take liberty to walk after their former lusts and\ncourses. This is the woful practical use that the generality of hearers\nmake of the free intimation of pardon, and forgiveness of sin, and\ndelivery from wrath. They admit some general notion of that, and stop\nthere, and examine not what further is in the gospel; and so you will see\nthe slaves of sin professing a kind of hope of freedom from death,\u2014the\nservants and vassals of corruption, who walk after the course of this\nworld, and fulfil the lusts and desires of their mind and flesh, yet\nfancying a freedom and immunity from condemnation,\u2014men living in sin, yet\nthinking of escaping wrath,\u2014which dreams could not be entertained in men,\nif they did drink in all the truth, and open both their ears to the\ngospel; if our spirits were not narrow and limited, and so excluded the\none half of the gospel, that is, our redemption from sin. There is too\nmuch of this, even among the children of God,\u2014a strange narrowness of\nspirit, which admits not whole and entire truth. It falls out often, that\nwhen we think of delivery from death and wrath, we forget in the mean time\nthe end and purpose of that, which is, that we may be freed from sin, and\nserve the living God without fear. And if at any time we consider, and\nbusy our thoughts about freedom from the law of sin, and victory over\ncorruption, such is the scantiness of room and capacity in our spirits,\nthat we lose the remembrance of delivery from death and condemnation in\nChrist Jesus. Thus we are tossed between two extremes,\u2014the quicksands of\npresumption and wantonness, and the rocks of unbelief and despair or\ndiscouragement, both of which do kill the Christian\u2019s life, and make all\nto fade and wither. But this were the way, and only way, to preserve the\nsoul in good ease,\u2014even to keep these two continually in our sight, that\nwe are redeemed from death and misery in Christ, and that not to serve\nourselves, or to continue in our sins, but that we may be redeemed from\nthat sin that dwells in us, and that both these are purchased by Jesus\nChrist, and done by his power,\u2014the one in his own person, the other by his\nSpirit within us. I would have you correcting your misapprehensions of the\ngospel. Do not so much look on victory and freedom from sin as a duty and\ntask, though we be infinitely bound to it; but rather as a privilege and\ndignity conferred upon us by Christ. Look not upon it, I say, only as your\nduty, as many do; and by this means are discouraged from the sight of\ntheir own infirmity and weakness, as being too weak for such a strong\nparty; but look upon it as the one half, and the greater half, of the\nbenefit conferred by Christ\u2019s death,\u2014as the greater half of the redemption\nwhich the Redeemer, by his office, is bound to accomplish. He will redeem\nIsrael from all his iniquities; \u201cwith him is plenteous redemption,\u201d Psal.\ncxxx. 7, 8. This is the plenty, this is the sufficiency of it,\u2014that he\nredeems not only from misery, but from iniquity, and that all iniquities.\nI would not desire a believer\u2019s soul to be in a better posture here\naway,(170) than this,\u2014to be looking upon sin indwelling as his bondage,\nand redemption from it as freedom; to account himself in so far free, as\nthe free Spirit of Christ enters and writes that free law of love and\nobedience in his heart, and blots out these base characters of the law of\nsin. It were a good temper to be groaning for the redemption of the soul,\nand why doth a believer groan for the redemption of the body, but because\nhe shall then be freed wholly from the law of sin, and from the presence\nof sin? I know not a greater argument to a gracious heart, to subdue his\ncorruption, and strive for freedom from the law of sin, than the freedom\nobtained from the law of death. Nor is there any clearer argument and\nevidence of a soul delivered from death than to strive for the freedom of\nthe spirit from the law of sin. These jointly help one another. Freedom\nfrom death will raise up a Christian\u2019s heart to aspire to a freedom and\nliberty from sin, and again, freedom from sin will witness and evidence\nthat such an one is delivered from death. When freedom from death is an\ninducement to seek after freedom from sin, and freedom from sin a\ndeclaration of freedom from death, then all is well, and indeed thus it\nwill be in some measure with every soul that is quickened by this new law\nof the Spirit of life, for it is the entry of this that expels its\ncontrary, the law of sin. And indeed the law must enter, the command and\nthe promise must enter into the soul, and the affections of the soul be\nenlivened thereby, or rather the soul changed into the similitude of that\nmould or else the having of it in a book, or in one\u2019s memory and\nunderstanding, will never make him the richer or freer. A Christian looks\nto the pattern of the law, and the word of the gospel without, but he must\nbe changed into the image of it, by beholding it, and so he becomes a\nliving law to himself. The Spirit writes these precepts and practices of\nChrist\u2019s, in which he commands imitation, upon the fleshly tables of the\nheart. And now the law is not a rod above his head, as above a slave, but\nit is turned into a law of love within his heart and hath something like a\nnatural instinct in it. All that men can do, either to themselves or\nothers, will not purchase the least measure of freedom from predominant\ncorruptions, cannot deliver you from your sins, till this free Spirit that\nblows where he pleases, come. It is our part to hoise up sails, and wait\nfor the wind, to use means, and wait on him in his way and order. But all\nwill be in vain, till this stronger one come and cast out the strong man,\ntill this arbitrary and free wind blow from heaven, and fill the sails.\n\n\n\n\nSermon X.\n\n\n    Verse 3.\u2014\u201cFor what the law could not do, in that it was weak\n    through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of\n    sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.\u201d\n\n\nThe greatest design that ever God had in the world, is certainly the\nsending of his own Son into the world. And it must needs be some great\nbusiness, that drew so excellent and glorious a person out of heaven. The\nplot and contrivance of the world was a profound piece of wisdom and\ngoodness, the making of men after God\u2019s image was done by a high and\nglorious counsel. \u201cLet us make man after our image.\u201d There was something\nspecial in this expression, importing some peculiar excellency in the work\nitself, or some special depth of design about it. But what think you of\nthis consultation,\u2014let one of us be made man, after man\u2019s image and\nlikeness. That must be a strange piece of wisdom and grace. \u201cGreat is the\nmystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh.\u201d No wonder though Paul\ncried out, as one swallowed up with this mystery, for indeed it must be\nsome odd matter beyond all that is in the creation, wherein there are many\nmysteries, able to swallow up any understanding, but that in which they\nwere first formed. This must be the chief of the works of God, the rarest\npiece of them all\u2014God to become man, the Creator of all to come in the\nlikeness of a creature,\u2014he by whom all things were created, and do yet\nconsist to come in the likeness of the most wretched of all. Strange, that\nwe do not dwell more, in our thoughts and affections, on this subject.\nEither we do not believe it or if we did, we could not but be ravished\nwith admiration at it. John, the beloved disciple who was often nearest\nunto Christ, dwelt most upon this, and made it the subject of his\npreaching, \u201cthat which was from the beginning, which we have heard, and\nseen, and handled, &c.\u201d 1 John i. 1. He speaks of that mystery, as if he\nwere embracing Jesus Christ in his arms, and holding him out to others,\nsaying \u201cCome and see.\u201d This divine mystery is the subject of these words\nread, but the mystery is somewhat unfolded and opened up to you in them,\nyet so as it will not diminish, but increase the wonder of a believing\nsoul. It is ignorance that magnifies other mysteries, which vilifies\nthorough knowledge; but it is the true knowledge of this mystery that\nmakes it the more wonderful, whereas ignorance only makes it common and\ndespicable.\n\nThere are three things then, of special consideration in the words, which\nmay declare and open unto you something of this mystery.\n\nFirst, What was the ground and reason, or occasion of the Son\u2019s sending\ninto the world; next, What the Son, being sent, did in the world; and the\nthird, For what end and use it was,\u2014what fruit we have by it.\n\nThe ground and reason of God sending his Son, is because there was an\nimpossibility in the law to save man, which impossibility was not the\nlaw\u2019s fault, but man\u2019s defect, by reason of the weakness and impotency of\nour flesh to fulfil the law. Now, God having chosen some to life, and man\nhaving put this obstruction and impediment in his own way, which made it\nimpossible for the law to give him life, though it was first given out as\nthe way of life; therefore, that God should not fail in this glorious\ndesign of saving his chosen, he chose to send his own Son, in the likeness\nof flesh, as the only remedy of the law\u2019s impossibility. That which\nChrist, being sent into the likeness of flesh did, is the condemning of\nsin in the flesh, by a sacrifice offered for sin,\u2014even the sacrifice of\nhis own body upon the cross. He came in the likeness not of the flesh\nsimply, for he was really a man; but in the likeness of sinful\nflesh,\u2014though without sin, yet like a sinner,\u2014as to the outward\nappearance, a sinner, because subject to all those infirmities and\nmiseries which sin did first open a door for. Sin was the inlet of\nafflictions, of bodily infirmities and necessities, of death itself; and\nwhen the floods of these did overflow Christ\u2019s human nature, it was a\ngreat presumption to the world, who look and judge according to the\noutward appearance, that sin was the sluice opened to let in such an\ninundation of calamity. Now, he being thus in the likeness of a sinner,\nthough not a sinner,\u2014he, for sin, that is, because of sin, that had\nentered upon man, and made life impossible to him by the law; by occasion\nof that great enemy of God which had conquered mankind, he condemned sin\nin his flesh, he overthrew it in its plea and power against us. He\ncondemned that which condemned us, overcame it in judgment, and made us\nfree. By sustaining the curse of it in his flesh, he cut off all its plea\nagainst us. This is the great work and business, which was worthy of so\nnoble a messenger, his own Son, sent to conquer his greatest enemy that he\nhates most. And then, in the third place, you see what benefit or fruit\nredounds to us by it; what was the end and purpose of it,\u2014verse 4, \u201cthat\nthe righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us;\u201d that seeing it was\nimpossible for us to fulfil the righteousness of the law, and that so it\nbecame impossible to the law to fulfil our reward of life, it might be\nfulfilled by him in our name; and so the righteousness of the law being\nfulfilled in us by Christ, the reward also of eternal life might be\nfulfilled by the law to us,\u2014he having removed the impediment of our\nweakness, it might be not only possible, but certain to us.\n\nYou would consider then the reason of Christ\u2019s coming. God made at first a\ncovenant with man, promising him life upon perfect obedience to his law;\nand threatening death and damnation upon the transgression thereof. You\nsee then, what was the way of life to Adam in the state of innocency. He\nwas made able to satisfy the law with obedience, and the law was\nabundantly able to satisfy him, by giving life unto him. God\u2019s image upon\nman\u2019s soul instructed him sufficiently for the one and the Lord\u2019s promise\nmade to him was as sufficient to accomplish the other; so that there was\nno impossibility then in the law, by reason of the strength which God gave\nman. But it continued not long so. Sin entering upon man, utterly disabled\nhim; and because the strength of that covenant consisted in that mutual\nand joint concurrence of God\u2019s promise and man\u2019s obedience\u2014this being\nbroken, (the one party falling off,) that life and salvation becomes\nimpossible to the promise alone to perform. It is sin that is the weakness\nand impotency of man. This is the disease which hath consumed his\nstrength, and concluded man under a twofold impossibility, an\nimpossibility to satisfy the curse, and an impossibility to obey the\ncommand. There are three things in the covenant of works,\u2014a command of\nobedience, and a threatening of wrath and condemnation upon disobedience,\nand a promise of life upon obedience. Sin hath disabled us every way. In\nrelation to the curse and threatening, man cannot satisfy it\u2014no price, no\nransom being found sufficient for the soul for the redemption of it is\nprecious, and ceaseth for ever. That curse hath infinite wrath in it,\nwhich must needs swallow up finite man. And then in relation to the\ncommand, there is such a diminution of all the powers of the soul, such a\ncorruption and defilement, by reason of the first sin, that that wherein\nman\u2019s strength lay, which was God\u2019s image, is cut off and spoiled, so that\nhenceforth it is become impossible to yield any acceptable obedience to\nthe commandment. And hence it is, from our impossibility to obey in time\nto come, that there is a holy and faultless impossibility upon the\npromise, to give life unto mankind. So you see that the law cannot do it,\nbecause of our weakness. If either man, while he was made upright, had\ncontinued in obedience, or man now fallen from uprightness, could satisfy\nfor the fault done, and walk without any blemish in time coming, then it\nwere feasible for the law to give life to us. But the one was not done,\nand the other now cannot be done, and so the impossibility of life by\nworks, is refounded upon ourselves, who would not when we could, and now\nneither will nor can obey. Thus we may see clearly, that all mankind must\nneeds perish, for any thing that man can do, and according to that first\ntransaction of God with man, unless some other way and device be found\nout, which indeed was far from the eyes of all living,\u2014without the reach\nof their invention or imagination. I believe if all the creatures, higher\nor lower, that have any reason, had convened to consult of this business,\nhow to repair that breach made in the creation by man\u2019s sin, they might\nhave vexed their brains, and racked their inventions unto all eternity,\nand yet never have fallen upon any probable way of making up this breach.\nThey might have taken up a lamentation, not as the bemoaners of Babylon\u2019s\nruin,\u2014\u201cwe would have healed thee, and thou wouldst not,\u201d\u2014but rather\nthus,\u2014we would heal thee, but we could not, and thou wouldst not. This\ndesign, which is here mentioned of repairing the breach, by destroying\nthat which made it, sin, lay hid in the depth of God\u2019s wisdom, till it\npleased himself to vent and publish it unto poor, forlorn, and desperate\nman, who, out of despair of recovery, had run away to hide himself. A poor\nshift indeed, for him to think that he could hide himself from him to whom\ndarkness is as light, and to flee from him whose kingdom is over all, and\nwho is present in all the corners of his universal kingdom,\u2014in hell, in\nheaven, in the utmost corners of the earth. But this silly invention shows\nhow hopeless the case was.\n\nThough this be the case and condition of man by nature, yet strange it is,\nto see every man by nature attempting his own delivery, and fancying a\nprobability, yea, a certainty of that which is so impossible, that is an\nattaining of life by ourselves, according to the law and first covenant of\nworks. Though our strength be gone, yet, like Samson, men rise up and\nthink to walk and rouse up themselves as in former times, as if their\nstrength were yet in them, and many never perceive that it is gone, till\nthey be laid hold on by Satan according to the law\u2019s injunction, and bound\nin the chains of everlasting darkness. But then, alas! it is too late, for\nthey cannot save themselves, and the season of a Saviour is gone. And\nthis, no doubt, will be the accession of the bitterness and torment that\ndamned souls shall be into,\u2014that they dreamed of attaining life by a law\nthat now is nothing but a ministration of death,\u2014that they lost life by\nseeking their own righteousness, and made the law more able to condemn\nthem, by their apprehending in themselves an ability to satisfy it, and by\nresting in a form of obedience to it. There is something natural in it.\nAdam and all his posterity were once to be saved this way,\u2014so the terms\nrun at first, \u201cdo this and live.\u201d No wonder that something of that\nimpression be retained; but that which was a virtue in Adam, while he\nretained integrity, and fulfilled his duty, is a mighty fault, and\npresumptuous madness in us, who have fallen from that blessed estate. If\nman, doing his duty, expected a reward, according to the promise, it was\ncommendable, but for man, now rebellious and stubborn, and come short of\nthe glory of God, to look for a reward from God, against whom he warneth\ncontinually, and that for rebellion and enmity, it is damnable. But\nbesides this, I think this principle of self righteousness is much\ncorrupted in man now, by what it was in Adam. I conceive, though Adam\nlooked for life upon obedience, according to the promise, yet he rested\nnot on, and trusted not in, his obedience. I believe, a holy and righteous\nman would be a humble man too, and would rather glory in God\u2019s grace than\nin his own works. The sense of a free and undeserved promise would not\nsuffer him to reflect so much upon his own obedience, or put such a price\nupon it. But now, it is conjoined with unmeasurable pride, and arises only\nfrom self-love. There is no ground of men\u2019s looking to be saved by their\nown doings, but the inbred pride and self love of the heart, together with\nthe ignorance of a better righteousness. Adam hid himself among the trees,\nand covered his nakedness with leaves, and truly the shift of the most\npart is no better. How vain and empty things do men trust unto, and from\nthem conclude an expectation of eternal life! The most part think to be\nsafe in the midst or thick of the trees of the church. If they be in the\nthrong of a visible church, and adorned with church privileges, as\nbaptism, hearing the word, and such like, they do persuade themselves all\nwill be well. Some have civility, and a blameless conversation before men,\nand with such acts of righteousness, or rather wants of some gross\noutbreakings, do many cover their nakedness. If there be yet a larger and\nfiner garment of profession of religion, and some outward performances of\nservice to God, and duties to men, O then, men do enforce upon their own\nhearts the persuasion of heaven, and think their nakedness cannot be seen\nthrough it! These are the coverings, these are the grounds of claim and\ntitle, that men have to eternal life, and in the meantime they are\nignorant of that large glorious robe of righteousness, which Christ, by\nhis obedience and sufferings, did weave for naked sinners.\n\nBut as the impossibility of the law\u2019s saving us, by reason of the weakness\nof the flesh, was the ground and occasion of Christ\u2019s coming into the\nflesh for to supply that defect, and take away that impossibility, so the\nsense and sight of this impossibility in us to satisfy and fulfill the\nlaw, and of the law to give life, is the very ground and reason of a\nsoul\u2019s coming to Jesus Christ for the supplying of this want. As the Son\nshould not have come in the likeness of sinful flesh, unless it had been\notherwise impossible, by man\u2019s doing or suffering, that life should be\nobtained, so will not a soul come to Christ, the Son of God, through the\nvail of his flesh, until it discern and feel that it is otherwise\nimpossible to satisfy the law or attain life. That was the impulsive cause\n(if we may say that there was any cause beside his love) why Christ\ncame,\u2014even man\u2019s misery, and remediless misery. And this is the strong\nmotive and impulsive, that drives a poor sinner unto Jesus Christ,\u2014the\nsense and impression of his desperate and lost estate without him. As\nthere was first sin, and then a Saviour dying for sin, because nothing\nelse could suffice, so there must be in the soul, first, the apprehension\nof sin, and that remediless sin, sin incurable by any created power or\nact, and then a sight of a Saviour coming to destroy sin and the works of\nthe devil, and destroying it by dying for it. There is no employment for\nthis Physician upon every slight apprehension of a wound or sickness, till\nit be found incurable, and help sought elsewhere be seen to be in vain.\nIndeed, upon the least apprehension of sin and misery, men ought to come\nto Christ. We shall not set or prescribe any measure of conviction to\nexclude you, if you can but come to him indeed. Upon the least measure of\nit, you will not be cast out, according to his own word, but as certain it\nis, that men will not come to this Physician till they find no other can\nsave them. These two things I wish were deeply and seriously thought\nupon,\u2014that you cannot satisfy God\u2019s justice for the least point of guilt,\nand then, that you cannot do any thing in obedience to please God. There\nis a strange inconsideration, yea, I may say, ignorance among us. When you\nare challenged and convinced of sin, (as there is no conscience so\nbenumbed, but in some measure it accuseth every man of many wrongs,) what\nis the course you fall on to pacify it or please God? Indeed, if you can\nget any shadow of repentance, if it were but a bare acknowledgment of the\nfault, you excuse yourselves in your own consciences, and answer the\naccusation by it. Either some other good works formerly done occur to you,\nor some resolution for amendment in time coming. And this you think shall\npacify God and satisfy justice. But, alas! you are far from the\nrighteousness of God, and you do err even in the very foundation of\nreligion. These are but sparks of your own kindling, and for all these,\nyou shall lie down in darkness and sorrow. These are but the vain\nexpiations and excuses of natural consciences, which are led to some sense\nof a deity by the law written in their heart. But consider this once,\u2014you\nmust first satisfy the curse of the law which you are under, before you\ncan be in any capacity to please him by new obedience. Now, if you should\nundertake to pay for your former breaches of the law, that will eternally\nruin you; and therefore, you see the punishment is lengthened throughout\neternity to them who have this to undergo alone. Go then, and first suffer\nthe eternal wrath of an infinite God, and then come and offer obedience if\nthou can. But now, thou art in a double error, both of which are damnable;\none is, thou thinkest thou art able, by consideration and resolution, to\nperform some acceptable obedience to God; another, that performance of\nobedience, and amending in time coming, will expiate former\ntransgressions. If either of these were true, Christ needed not to have\ncome in the likeness of sinful flesh, because it had been possible for the\nlaw to save thee. But now, the truth is, such is the utter disability and\nimpotency of man through sin, that he can neither will, nor do the least\ngood, truly good and pleasant to God. His nature and person being defiled,\nall he doth is unclean. And then, suppose it were possible that man could\ndo any thing in obedience to his commands, yet it being unquestionable\nthat all have sinned, satisfaction must first be made to God\u2019s\nthreatening, \u201cthou shalt die,\u201d before obedience be acceptable, and that is\nimpossible too. This, then, I leave upon your consciences, beseeching you\nto lay to heart the impossibility you are encompassed with on both hands;\njustice requiring a ransom, and you have none, and justice requiring new\nobedience again, and you can give none; old debts urging you, and new duty\npressing you, and ye alike disabled for both; that so finding yourselves\nthus environed with indigency and impossibility within, you may be\nconstrained to flee out of yourselves unto him that is both able and\nwilling. This is not a superficial business, as you make it. It is not a\nmatter of fancy, or memory, or expression, as most make it. Believe me, it\nis a serious business, a soul-work, such an exercise of spirit as useth to\nbe when the soul is between despair and hope. Impossibility within,\ndriving a soul out of itself, and possibility, yea, certainty of help\nwithout, even in Christ, drawing a soul in to him. Thus is the closure\nmade, which is the foundation of our happiness.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XI.\n\n\n    Verse 3.\u2014\u201cFor what the law could not do, in that it was weak\n    through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of\n    sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.\u201d\n\n\nFor what purpose do we meet thus together? I would we knew it,\u2014then it\nmight be to some better purpose. In all other things we are rational, and\ndo nothing of moment without some end and purpose. But, alas! in this\nmatter of greatest moment, our going about divine ordinances, we have\nscarce any distinct or deliberate thought of the end and rise of them.\nSure I am, we must all confess this, that all other businesses in our life\nare almost impertinent to the great end, the salvation of our souls, in\nrespect of these, in which God in a manner trysts with men, and comes to\ndwell with them. These have the nearest and most immediate connection with\nGod\u2019s glory and our happiness; and yet so wretched and unhappy are we,\nthat we study and endeavour a kind of wisdom and diligence in other petty\nthings, which are to perish with the using, and have no great reach to\nmake our condition either better or worse; and yet we have no wisdom, nor\nconsideration, or attention to this great and momentous matter\u2014the\nsalvation of our souls. Is it not high time we were shaken out of our\nempty, vain, and unreasonable custom, in going about such solemn duties,\nwhen the wrath of God is already kindled, and his mighty arm is shaking\nterribly the earth, and shaking us out of all our nests of quietness and\nconsolation, which we did build in the creature? God calls for a\nreasonable service: but I must say, the service of the most is an\nunreasonable and brutish kind of work,\u2014little or no consideration of what\nwe are about, little or no purpose or aim at any real soul advantage.\nConsider, my beloved, what you are doing, undoing yourselves with\nignorance of your own estate, and unacquaintedness with a better; whence\nit comes, that you live contented in your misery, and have no lively\nstirrings after this blessed remedy. That for which we meet together is to\nlearn these two things, and always to be learning them,\u2014to know sensibly\nour own wretched misery and that blessed remedy which God hath provided.\nIt is the sum of the Scriptures, and we desire daily to lay it out before\nyou, if at length it may please the Lord to awake you out of your dream,\nand give you the light of his salvation.\n\nYou hear of a weakness of the flesh; but if you would understand it\naright, it is not properly and simply a weakness. That supposeth always\nsome life, and some strength remaining. It is not like an infirmity, that\nonly indisposeth to wonted action in the wonted vigour; but it is such a\nweakness, as the apostle elsewhere, (Eph. ii. 1,) calls deadness. It is\nsuch a weakness, as may be called wickedness, yea, enmity to God, as it is\nhere. Our souls are not diseased properly, for that supposeth there is\nsome remnant of spiritual life, but they are dead in sins and trespasses.\nAnd so it is not infirmity but impossibility,\u2014such a weakness as makes\nlife and salvation impossible by us, both utter unwillingness and extreme\ninability. These two concur in all mankind, no strength to satisfy justice\nor obey the law, and no willingness either. There is a general practical\nmistake in this. Men conceive that their natures are weak to good, but few\napprehend the wickedness and enmity that is in them to God and all\ngoodness. All will grant some defect and inability, and it is a general\ncomplaint. But to consider that this inability is an impossibility, that\nthis defect is a destruction of all spiritual good in us,\u2014the saving\nknowledge of this is given to few, and to those only whose eyes the Spirit\nopens. There may be some strugglings and wrestlings of natural spirits to\nhelp themselves, and upon the apprehension of their own weakness, to raise\nup themselves by serious consideration, and earnest diligence, to some\npitch of serving God, and to some hope of heaven. But I do suspect that it\nproceeds in many from the want of this thorough and deep conviction of\ndesperate wickedness. Few really believe that testimony which God hath\ngiven of man,\u2014he is not only weak, but wicked, and not only so, but\ndesperately wicked. And that is not all, the heart is deceitful, too, and\nto complete the account, \u201cdeceitful above all things,\u201d Jer. xvii. 9. A\nstrange character of man, given by him that formed the spirit of man\nwithin, and made it once upright, and so knows best how far it hath\ndeparted from the first pattern. O who of us believes this in our hearts!\nBut that is the deceitfulness of our hearts to cover our desperate\nwickedness from our own discerning, and flatter ourselves with\nself-pleasing thoughts. If once this testimony were received, that the\nweakness of the flesh is a desperate wickedness, such a wretched and\naccursed condition as there is no hope therein, as is incurable to any\ncreated power, and makes us incurable, and certainly lost,\u2014then, I say,\nthe deceitfulness of the heart were in some measure cured. Believe this\ndesperate wickedness of your natures, and then you have deceived the\ndeceitfulness of your hearts to your own advantage; then you have known\nthat which none can know aright, till the searcher of the heart and reins\nreveal it unto them.\n\nThus man stands environed with impossibilities. His own weakness and\nwickedness, and the law\u2019s impossibility by reason of that,\u2014these do shut\nup all access to the tree of life, and are instead of a flaming sword to\nguard it. Our legs are cut off by sin, and the law cannot help us; nay,\nour life is put out, and the law cannot quicken us. It declares our duty,\nbut gives no ability; it teacheth well, but it cannot make us learn, While\nwe are in this posture, God himself steps in to succour miserable and\nundone man; and here is the way,\u2014he sends his Son in the likeness of\nsinful flesh, and grace and truth come by him, which do remove those\nimpediments that stopped all access to life.\n\nThis is a high subject, but it concerns the lowest and most wretched\namongst us; and that is indeed the wonder of it, that there should be such\na mystery, such a depth in this work of redemption of poor sinners, so\nmuch business made, and such strange things done for repairing our ruins.\nIn the consideration of this we may borrow that meditation of the\nPsalmist\u2019s, Psal. viii. 4, \u201cLord, what is man, that thou shouldest thus\nmagnify him; and make him not a little lower than the angels, but far\nhigher?\u201d \u201cFor he took not on him the nature of angels,\u201d Heb. ii. 14, 16;\nbut took part with the poor children of flesh and blood. This deserves a\npause,\u2014we shall stay a little, and view it more fully in the steps and\ndegrees that this mystery rises and ascends up by. But, oh! for such an\nascending frame of heart as this deserves. It is a wonder it doth not draw\nus upward beyond our own element,\u2014it is a subject of such admiration in\nitself, and so much concernment to us.\n\nEvery word hath a weight in it, and a peculiar emphasis. There is a\ngradation that the mystery goes upon till it come to the top. Every word\nhath a degree or stop in it, whereby it rises high, and still higher. \u201cGod\nsent,\u201d\u2014that is very strange; but God sent \u201chis own Son,\u201d\u2014is most strange.\nBut go on, and it is still stranger,\u2014in the likeness of \u201cflesh,\u201d and that\n\u201csinful flesh,\u201d &c. In all which degrees you see God is descending and\nlower and lower, but the mystery ascends and goes higher and higher; the\nlower God coming comes down, the wonder rises up. Still the smaller and\nmeaner that God appears in the flesh, the greater is the mystery of\ngodliness, God manifested in the flesh.\n\nIf you would rise up to the sensible and profitable understanding of this\nmystery, you must first descend into the depths of your own natural\nwretchedness and misery, in which man was lying when it pleased God to\ncome so low to meet him and help him. I say you must first go down that\nway in the consideration of it, and then you shall ascend to the use and\nknowledge of this mystery of godliness.\n\nGod\u2019s sending, hath some weight of wonder in it, at the very first\napprehension of it. If you did but know who he is, and what we are, a\nwonder it had been that he had suffered himself to be sent unto by us,\nthat any message, any correspondence should pass between heaven and earth,\nafter so foul a breach of peace and covenant by man on earth. Strange,\nthat heaven was not shut up from all intercourse with that accursed earth.\nIf God had sent out an angel to destroy man, as he sent to destroy\nJerusalem, (1 Chron. xxi. 15,)\u2014if he had sent out his armies to kill those\nhis enemies, who had renounced the yoke of his obedience, it had been\njustice, Matth. xxi. 41; xxii. 7. If he had sent a cruel messenger against\nman, who had now acted so horrid a rebellion, it had been no strange\nthing. As he did send an angel with a flaming sword to encompass the tree\nof life, he might have enlarged that angel\u2019s commission, to take vengeance\non man: and this is the wonder, he did not send after this manner. But\nwhat heart could this enter into? Who could imagine such a thing as this?\nGod to send, and to send for peace, to his rebellious footstool! Man could\nnot have looked for acceptance before the throne, if he had presented and\nsent first up supplications and humble cries to heaven; and therefore\nfinding himself miserable, you see he is at his wits end, he is desperate,\nand gives it over, and so flies away to hide himself, certainly expecting\nthat the first message from heaven should be to arm all the creatures\nagainst him to destroy him. But, O what a wonderful, yet blessed\nsurprisal! God himself comes down, and not for any such end as vengeance,\nthough just, but to publish and hold forth a covenant of reconciliation\nand peace, to convince man of sin, and to comfort him with the glad\ntidings of a Redeemer, of one to be sent in the likeness of flesh. It is\nthe grandeur and majesty of kings and great men to let others come to them\nwith their petitions; and it is accounted a rare thing if they be\naccessible and affable: but that the Lord of lords and King of kings, who\nsitteth in the circle of the heavens, and before whom all the inhabitants\nof the earth are as poor grasshoppers, or crawling worms, about whose\nthrone there are ten thousand times ten thousand glorious spirits\nministering unto him, as Daniel saw him, (chap. vii. 9, 10,)\u2014that such a\none should not only admit such as we to come to him, and offer our suits\nto his Highness, but himself first to come down unto Adam, and offer peace\nto him, and then send his own Son! And what were we that he should make\nany motion about us, or make any mission to us? Rom. v. 10. While we were\nyet \u201cenemies,\u201d that we were when he sent. O how hath his love triumphed\nover his justice! But needed he fear our enmity, that he should seek\npeace? Nowise; one look of his angry countenance would have looked us into\nnothing,\u2014\u201cThou lookest upon me, and I am not; one rebuke of his for\niniquity, would have made our beauty consume as the moth, far more the\nstroke of his hand had consumed us,\u201d Psalm xxxix. 11. But that is the\nwonder indeed,\u2014while we were yet \u201cenemies;\u201d and weak too, neither able to\nhelp ourselves, nor hurt him in the least, and so could do nothing to\nallure him, nothing to terrify him, nothing to engage his love, nothing to\nmake him fear; yet then he makes this motion, and mission to us, \u201cGod\nsending,\u201d &c.\n\nGod sending, and \u201csending his own Son,\u201d that is yet a step higher. Had he\nsent an angel, it had been wonderful, one of those ministering spirits\nabout the throne being far more glorious than man. But \u201cGod so loved the\nworld, that he sent his Son.\u201d Might he not have done it by others? But he\nhad a higher project; and verily, there is more mystery in the end and\nmanner of our redemption, than difficulty in the thing itself. No\nquestion, he might have enabled the creature, by his almighty power, to\nhave destroyed the works of the devil, and might have delivered captive\nman some other way. He needed not, for any necessity lying upon him, to go\nsuch a round as the Father to give the Son, and the Son to receive,\u2014as God\nto send, and the Son to be sent. Nay, he might have spared all pains, and\nwithout any messenger, immediately pardoned man\u2019s sin, and adopted him to\nthe place of sons. Thus he had done the business, without his Son\u2019s, or\nany other\u2019s travail and labour in blood and suffering. But this profound\nmystery, in the manner of it, declares the highness and excellency of the\nend God proposed, and that is the manifestation of his love; \u201cBehold, what\nmanner of love the Father hath bestowed on us,\u201d 1 John iii. 1. And \u201cin\nthis was manifested the love of God toward us, that God sent his only\nbegotten Son into the world,\u201d 1 John iv. 9. And truly for such a design\nand purpose, all the world could not have contrived such a suitable and\nexcellent mean as this. Nothing besides this could have declared such\nlove. There is no expression of love imaginable to this,\u2014to give his Son,\nand only begotten Son for us. It had been enough, out of mere compassion,\nto have saved us, however it had been. But if he had given all, and done\nall besides this, he had not so manifested the infinite fulness of love.\nThere is no gift so suitable to the greatness and magnificence of his\nmajesty, as this,\u2014one that thought it no robbery to be equal with himself.\nAny gift had been infinitely above us, because from him; but this is not\nonly infinitely above us, but equal to himself, and fittest to declare\nhimself.\n\nBut then, there is yet a higher rise of the mystery, or a lower descent of\nGod; for it is all one, God descending is the wonder ascending,\u2014he sent\nhis Son. Man\u2019s admiration is already exhausted in that. But if there were\nany thing behind, this which follows would consume it,\u2014in the flesh. If he\nhad sent his own Son, might he not have sent him in an estate and\ncondition suitable to his glory, as it became the Prince and Heir of all\nthings, him by whom all were created and do subsist? Nay, but he is sent,\nand that in a state of humiliation and condescendency, infinitely below\nhis own dignity. That ever he was made a creature, that the Maker of all\nshould be sent in the form of any thing he had made, O what a\ndisparagement! There is no such distance between the highest prince on the\nthrone, and the basest beggar on the dunghill, as between the only\nbegotten of the Father, who is the brightness of his glory, and the most\nglorious angel that ever was made. And yet, it would be a wonder to the\nworld, if a king should send his son in the habit and state of a beggar,\nto call in the poor, and lame, and blind, to the fellowship of his\nkingdom. It had been a great mystery, then, if God had been manifested in\nthe nature of angels, a great abasement of his majesty. But, O what must\nit be for God to be manifested in the flesh, in the basest, naughtiest,\nand most corruptible of all the creatures, even the very dregs of the\ncreation, that have sunk down to the bottom! \u201cAll flesh is grass;\u201d and\nwhat more withering and fading, even the flower and perfection of it! Is.\nxl. 6. Dust it is, and what baser? Gen. xviii. 27. And corruption it is,\nand what viler? 1 Cor. xv. 44. And yet God sent his Son in the flesh. Is\nthis a manifestation? Nay, rather, it is a hiding and obscuration of his\nglory. It is the putting on of a dark veil to eclipse his brightness. Yet\nmanifested he is, as the intendment of the work he was about\nrequired,\u2014manifested to reproach and ignominy for our sin. This is one,\nand a great point of Christ\u2019s humiliation,\u2014that he took not on him the\nnature of angels, but the seed of Abraham, Heb. ii. 16.\n\nBut yet, to complete this mystery more, the Son descends a third step\nlower, that the mystery may ascend so much the higher, in the likeness of\nflesh? Not so, but in the likeness of sinful flesh. If he had appeared in\nthe prime flower and perfection of flesh, in the very goodliness of it,\nyet it had been a disparagement. If he had come down as glorious as he\nonce went up, and now \u201csits at the right hand of the majesty on high;\u201d if\nhe had been always in that resplendent habit he put on in his\ntransfiguration; that had been yet an abasement of his majesty. But, to\ncome in the likeness of sinful flesh, though not a sinner, yet in the\nlikeness of a sinner,\u2014so like as that, touching his outward appearance, no\neye could discern any difference, compassed about with all those\ninfirmities and necessities, which are the followers and attendants of sin\nin us; \u201ca man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;\u201d a man who all his\nlifetime had intimate acquaintance, and familiarity with grief. Grief and\nhe were long acquaintance, and never parted till death parted them. Nay,\nnot only was he, in his outward estate, subject to all those miseries and\ninfirmities unto which sin subjects other men, but something beyond all,\n\u201chis visage was more marred than any man\u2019s, and his form more than the\nsons of men,\u201d Isa. lii. 14; and therefore he was a hissing and\nastonishment to many. He had no form nor comeliness in him, and no beauty\nto make him desirable; and therefore his own friends were ashamed of him,\nand hid their faces from him; \u201che was despised and rejected of men,\u201d Isa.\nliii. 2, 3. Thus you see, he comes in the most despicable and disgraceful\nform of flesh that can be; and an abject among men, and as himself speaks\nin Psal. xxii. 6, \u201ca worm, and not a man;\u201d a reproach of men, and despised\namong the people. Now this, I say, is the crowning of the great mystery of\ngodliness, which, without all controversy, is the mystery in all the world\nthat hath in it most greatness and goodness combined together, that is the\nsubject of the highest admiration, and the fountain of the sweetest\nconsolation that either reason or religion can afford. The mysteries of\nthe Trinity are so high, that if any dare to reach to them, he doth but\ncatch the lower fall;(171) it is as if a worm would attempt to touch the\nsun in the firmament. But this mystery is God coming down to man, to be\nhandled and seen of men, because man could not rise up to God\u2019s highness.\nIt is God descending to our baseness, and so coming near us to save us. It\nis not a confounding but a saving mystery. There is the highest truth in\nit, for the understanding to contemplate and admire; and there is the\ngreatest good in it, for the will to choose and rest upon. It is contrived\nfor wonder and delight to men and angels. These three, which the angelic\nsong runs upon, are the jewels of it,\u2014\u201cglory to God, peace on earth, and\ngood-will toward men.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nSermon XII.\n\n\n    Verse 3.\u2014\u201cFor what the law could not do, in that it was weak\n    though the flesh, God sending his own Son,\u201d &c.\n\n\nOf all the works of God towards man, certainly there is none hath so much\nwonder in it, as the sending of his Son to become man; and so it requires\nthe exactest attention in us. Let us gather our spirits to consider of\nthis mystery,\u2014not to pry into the secrets of it curiously, as if we had no\nmore to do but to satisfy our understandings; but rather that we may see\nwhat this concerns us, and what instruction or advantage we may have by\nit, that so it may ravish our affections. I believe there is very palpable\nand gross ignorance in thousands of the very thing itself. Many who\nprofess Jesus Christ, know not his natures, or his glorious person,\u2014do not\napprehend either his highness as God, or his lowness as man. But truly,\nthe thing that I do most admire, is, that those who pretend to more\nknowledge of this mystery, yet few of them do enter upon any serious\nconsideration about it,\u2014for what use and purpose it is; though it be the\nfoundation of our salvation, the chief ground of our faith, and the great\nspring of our consolation. Yet to improve the knowledge of it to any\npurpose of that kind, is a thing so rare, even among true Christians, that\nit is little the subject of their meditation. I think, indeed, the lively\nimprovement of this mystery of godliness would be very effectual to make\nus really what we are said to be, that is, Christians. There is something\nto this purpose, 1 John iv. 2, 3, 15, and v. 1. The confessing and knowing\nthat Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, and is the Son of God, before his\ntaking on flesh, is made a character of a spiritual man that dwelleth in\nGod. Not that a bare external confession, or internal opinion and assent\nto such a truth, is of so much value,\u2014which yet is the height that many\nattain unto; but it is such a soul acknowledgment, such an heart\napprobation of this mystery, as draws alongst the admiration and affection\nafter it, as fixeth the heart upon this object alone, for life and\nsalvation. The devils confessed and believed, but they trembled at it,\nLuke iv. 34, 41. He was afraid of what he knew, but Peter confessed and\nloved what he knew; yea, he did cast his soul upon that Lord whom he\nconfessed. It is such an acknowledgment of Christ, as draweth the soul,\nand unites it to him, by a serious and living embracement. Such a sight of\nJesus Christ, hath both truth and goodness in it, in the highest measure;\nand so doth not only constrain the assent of the mind, but is a powerful\nattractive to the heart, to come to him, and live in him. I pray you\nconsider then what moment is in this truth, that you may indeed apply your\nsouls to the consideration of what is in Jesus Christ thus revealed, not\nsimply to know it, but for a further improvement of it, to seek life in\nhim, that the stamp and impression of this Saviour may be set so deeply on\nyour souls, as that you may express this in a real confession of him in\nyour words and works, Tit. i. 16; Matt. vii. 21. This is indeed to know\nand confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, to fetch thence the\nground of all our hope and consolation, and to draw thence the most\npowerful motives to walking \u201ceven as he walked,\u201d to improve it for\nconfidence in him, and obedience to him.\n\nI shall speak then a word of these two great ends and purposes,\u2014of God\u2019s\nsending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, his own glory and\nman\u2019s good. The song of angels at his birth shows this,\u2014\u201cGlory to God in\nthe highest, peace on earth, and good will toward men.\u201d His glory is\nmanifested in it in an eminent manner. The glory of his wisdom,\u2014that found\nout a remedy. What a deep contrivance was it! How infinitely beyond all\ncreature inventions! Truly there are riches of wisdom, depths of wisdom in\nit. I think it could never have entered the thought of men or angels;\u2014all\nmen once to be drowned under a deluge of sin and misery, and made subjects\nto God\u2019s righteous judgment, and then to find out a way how to deliver and\nsave so many! All the wisdom that shines in the order and beauty of the\nworld seems to be but a rude draught to this. Then, herein doth the glory\nof his mercy and grace shine most brightly, that he transfers the\npunishment due to man\u2019s sin upon his own Son, that when no ransom could be\nfound by man, he finds it out, how to satisfy his own justice, and save\nus. Truly, this is the most shining jewel in the crown of God\u2019s glory,\u2014so\nmuch mercy towards so miserable sinners, so much grace towards the\nrebellious. If he had pardoned sin, without any satisfaction, what rich\ngrace had it been! But truly, to provide the Lamb and sacrifice himself,\nto find out the ransom, and to exact it of his own Son, in our name, is a\ntestimony of mercy and grace far beyond that. But then, his justice is\nvery conspicuous in this work. And indeed these two do illustrate one\nanother; the justice of God, in taking and exacting the punishment of sin\nupon his own well-beloved Son, doth most eminently heighten the mercy and\ngrace of God towards us; and his grace and mercy in passing by us, doth\nmost marvellously illustrate the righteousness of God, in making his own\nSon a curse for us. What testimony can be given in the world, of God\u2019s\ndispleasure at sin, of his righteousness in punishing sin, like this!\nThere was no such testimony of love to sinners and no such demonstration\nof hatred at sin imaginable. That he did not punish sin in us, but\ntransfer it over on his most beloved Son, O what love and grace! And that\nhe did punish his own Son, when standing in the place of sinners, O what\nrighteousness and justice! This is that glorious mystery, the conjunction\nof these two resplendent jewels, justice and mercy, of love and\ndispleasure, in one chain of Christ\u2019s incarnation, into which the angels\ndesire to look, 1 Pet. i. 12. And truly they do wonder at it, and praise\nfrom wonder. This is it, that the praises of men and angels shall roll\nabout eternally. David, (Ps. ciii. 20,) foreseeing this day, foretold that\nangels should praise him, and now it is fulfilled, when all these glorious\ncompanies of holy, powerful spirits, welcome the Son of God into the\nworld, by that heavenly harmony of praise. Luke ii. 14.\n\nWhat lumpishness and earthliness is in us, that we do not rise up above,\nto this melody in our spirits, to join with angels in this song, we, I\nsay, whom it most concerns! The angels wonder, and praise and wonder at\nthis, because the glory of God shines so brightly in it, as if there were\nmany suns in one firmament, as the light of seven days in one. These three\nespecially,\u2014wisdom, mercy and grace, justice and righteousness, every one\nof them looks like the sun in its strength, carried about in this orb of\nthe redemption of man, to the ravishing of the hearts of all the\nhonourable and glorious companies above, and making them cheerfully and\nwillingly to contribute all their service to this work, to be ministering\nspirits to wait on the heirs of salvation!\n\nNow, when the glory of the highest raiseth up such a melodious song above,\namong angels, O what should both the glory of the highest God, and the\nhighest good of man do to us! When the greatest glory of God, and the\nchiefest advantage of man are linked together in this chain, what should\nwe do but admire and adore, adore and admire, and, while we are in this\nearth, send up our consent to that harmony in heaven!\n\nIn relation to our good, much might be said, but we shall briefly show\nunto you, that it is the greatest confirmation of our faith, and the\nstrongest motive to humility, that can be afforded. Now, if we could be\ncomposed thus unto confidence and reverence, to glorify him by believing\nand to abase ourselves, to believe in him, and walk humbly with him, upon\nthe meditation of Christ\u2019s coming in the flesh, this would make us true\nChristians indeed.\n\nThere is nothing, I know more powerful to persuade us of the reality of\nGod\u2019s invitations and promises to us than this. We are still seeking signs\nand tokens of God\u2019s love, something to warrant us to come to God in\nChrist, and to persuade us that we shall be welcome, and many Christians\npuddle themselves in the mire of their own darkness and discouragement,\nbecause they cannot find any thing in themselves that can give but the\nleast probable conjecture, that he will admit and welcome them to come to\nhim, or that such precious promises, and sweet invitations, can belong to\nsuch sinners as they conceive themselves to be. Truly, my beloved, I\nthink, while we exercise ourselves thus, we are seeking the sun with a\ncandle, making that which is in itself as bright as the light to be more\ndark. The evidence of God\u2019s reality in offering life to you in Christ, and\nhis willingness to receive you is not without the compass of his\ninvitation, and yet you seek it where it is least to be found, that is, in\nyourselves. But indeed, his invitations in the gospel carry the evidence\nin their bosom,\u2014that which is above all other signs and evidences that he\ndid even send his own Son in the flesh for this purpose. Is there any\nthing besides this, either greater or clearer? I think we are like those\nwho, when they had seen many signs and wonders done by Christ, which did\nbear testimony to all the world of his divine nature, yet they would not\nbe satisfied, but sought out another sign, tempting him, Matt. xvi. 1. And\ntruly, he might return this answer to us, \u201cO wicked and adulterous\ngeneration, that seeketh after a sign, there shall no sign be given to\nthee, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.\u201d The greatest testimony that can\nbe imagined, is given already,\u2014that the Father should send his only\nbegotten and well beloved Son into the state of a servant for man. If this\ndo not satisfy, I know not what will. I see not how any work of his Spirit\nin us, can make so much evidence of his reality and faithfulness in the\ngospel, and of his willingness to welcome sinners. All the works of the\ncreation, all the works of grace, are nothing to this, to manifest his\nlove to men; and therefore there is a singular note upon it, \u201cGod so loved\nthe world, that he gave his Son,\u201d John iii. 16. And in this was his love\nmanifested, that he sent his Son, 1 John iv. 9. If men and angels had set\nthemselves to devise and find out a pledge or confirmation of the love of\nGod, they would have fallen upon some revelation unto, or some operation\nupon their spirits. But, alas, this is infinitely above that. His own\nexpress image, and the brightness of his glory, is come down to hear\nwitness of his love, nay, he who is equal with himself in glory, is given\nas a gift to men; and is not he infinitely more than created gifts or\ngraces, who is the very spring and fountain of them all? \u201cGod so loved the\nworld,\u201d that truly he gave no such gift besides, to testify such a love.\nTherefore, when all that he hath done in this kind cannot satisfy thy\nscrupulous mind, but thou wilt still go on, to seek more confirmation of\nhis readiness to receive thee, I think it is a tempting of the Holy One,\nwhich may draw such an answer from him, O wicked and adulterous person,\nthere shall no sign be given thee, but that which is darker than the\nformer, that which thou shalt understand less. Thou mayest get what thou\nseekest, perhaps some more satisfaction in thy own condition, but it shall\nplunge thee more in the issue. Thou shalt always be unsettled, and\n\u201cunconstant as water, thou shalt not excel.\u201d I confess indeed, if we speak\nof the manifestation of one\u2019s particular interest in these promises, and\nof an evidence of the love of God to thee, in particular, then there must\nneeds be something wrought by the Holy Spirit on thy soul, to draw down\nthe general testimony of God\u2019s love to mankind into a particular\napplication to thyself. But that I do not speak of now, because that is\nthe sealing of the Spirit after believing, and because you are always\nunsettled in the first and main point, of flying unto the Son, and waiting\non him for life, therefore have you so much inevidence and weakness in\nthat which follows. That which I now speak of is, that if this were\ncordially believed, and seriously considered, that God sent his own Son in\nthe flesh, to save sinners, you could not readily have any doubt, but that\nyour coming to him for salvation would be welcome. You could not say, that\nsuch precious invitations could not belong to sinners, or that he could\nnot love the like of you. Truly, I think, if the general were laid to\nheart, that God hath so loved mankind, that he gave such a gift unto them,\nthere is none could make any more question of his reality, when that gift\nis tendered to any in particular. Nay, I think it is the inconsideration\nof this general evidence and manifestation of love to the world, that\nmakes you so perplexed in particulars. Could you have so much difficulty\nto believe his love to you, if you indeed believe that he hath loved the\nworld, that is, so many thousands like you? Is there so much distance, I\npray you, between you and another, as between him and all? If, then, he\nloves so many miserable sinners, is there any impossibility in it, but he\nmay love you? For what is in them that might conciliate his love? I tell\nyou why I think the right apprehension of the general truths of the gospel\nwould be able, like the sun in its strength, to scatter all the clouds and\nmists of our particular interest-debates, because I find, that those very\ngrounds, upon which you call in question your own particular interest, if\nyou did consider them, you would find they go a further length, to\nconclude against all others, and either they have no strength in your\ncase, or they will be of equal force to batter down the confidence of all\nthe saints, and the certainty of all the promises. What is it that\ntroubles you, but that you are sinners, and such sinners, so vile and\nloathsome? From whence you do conclude, not only that you have no present\nassurance of his love, but that he cannot love such a one as you are. Now,\nI say, if this hold good, in reference to you, take heed that you condemn\nnot yourselves in that which you approve,\u2014that is, that you do not dispute\nagainst the interest of all the saints, who were such as you are, and the\ntenth of those fundamental positions of the gospel. \u201cGod so loved the\nworld,\u201d &c. And so you do not only wrong yourselves, but all others, and\nnot only so, but you offer the greatest indignity to him that out of love\nsent his Son, and to him who, out of love, came and laid down his life.  O\nconsider how you indignify(172) and set at nought that great manifestation\nof God\u2019s love, \u201cGod manifested in the flesh,\u201d how you despise his love\npledge to sinners, a greater than which he could not give you, because as\ngreat as himself! O that you could see the consequence of your anxious and\nperplexing doubts,\u2014that they do not only an injury to your own souls, but\nthat they are of a more bloody nature! If they held good, they would cut\noff the life and salvation of all believers, and, which is worse, they\nwould, by an unavoidable consequence, conclude an antichristian point,\nthat Christ is not come in the flesh. I beseech you, unbowel your evils,\nthat you may abhor them.\n\nThis may strengthen our faith, and minister much consolation, in another\nconsideration too, that which is laid down, Heb. ii. 17, and iv. 15, that\nhe was partaker of our nature and in all things like unto his brethren,\nthat so he might be a merciful High Priest, able to succour us and touched\nwith the feeling of our infirmities. What strong consolation may be sucked\nout of these breasts! When it was impossible that man could rise up to\nGod, because of his infinite highness and holiness, behold, God hath come\ndown to man, in his lowness and baseness. He hath sent down this ladder\nfrom heaven to the earth, that poor wretched sinners may ascend upon it.\nIt is come down as low as our infirm, weak, and frail nature, that we may\nhave easy coming up to it, and going up upon it to heaven. Therefore his\nflesh is called a \u201cnew and living way,\u201d because a poor sinner may be\nassured of welcome and acceptation with one of his own kind, his\nbrother,\u2014(he was not ashamed to call us brethren,)\u2014flesh of his flesh, and\nbone of his bone.  This may make boldness of access, that we have not God\nto speak to, or come to immediately, as he is clothed with glory and\nmajesty, and as the Jews heard him on mount Sinai, and desired a mediator\nbetween him and them, but that great prophet promised to them hath come,\nand we have him between us and God,\u2014as low as we, that we may speak to\nhim, \u201criding upon an ass,\u201d a low ass, that every one may whisper their\ndesires in his ear\u2014and yet as high as God, that he may speak to God, and\nhave power with him.  Truly, this is a sweet trysting place to meet God\nin, that no sinner may have any fear to come to it, to this treaty of\npeace and reconciliation. How may it persuade us of that great privilege\nthat we may \u201cbecome the sons of God,\u201d when the Son of God is become the\nSon of man, John i. 11, 12. Truly, though it be hard to be believed, that\nsuch as we should become the sons of the great King, yet it is nothing so\nstrange as this, that the eternal and only begotten Son of the great God,\nshould become the Son of wretched man. That highness will be easily\nbelieved, if we consider this lowness.  It will not be so hard to persuade\na soul that there is a way of union and reconciliation to God, of being\nyet at peace with him, if this be pondered,\u2014that God hath married his own\nnature with ours,\u2014in one person, to be a pledge of that union and peace.\nAnd then how much quickening and comfort may it yield us, that he was not\nonly a man, but a miserable man, and that not through any necessity, but\nonly the necessity of love and compassion. He had enough of mercy to save\nus as God, he had enough of love and compassion as man, but he would take\non misery too in his own person, that he might be experimentally merciful\nto us. Certainly, the experience of misery and infirmity must superadd\nsome tenderness to the heart of our High Priest. But though it did not\nhelp him to be more pitiful, yet it was done for us, to help us to have\nmore confidence in him, and boldness to come unto him. What an\nencouragement is it for a poor man to come unto the once poor Jesus\nChrist, who \u201chad not where to lay his head?\u201d  He knows the evil of\npoverty, and he chose to know it, that he might have compassion on thee.\nWith what boldness may poor afflicted and despised believers come to him!\nWhy?  Because himself had experience of all that, and he was familiarly\nacquainted with grief and sorrow, therefore he can sympathize best with\nthee. Let us speak even of the sinful infirmities thou art subject to.\nThat there might be a suitableness in him to help thee, he came as nigh as\nmight be,\u2014he was willing to be tempted to sin, and so he knows the power\nthat temptations must have over weak and frail natures, but sin he could\nnot, for that had been evil for us. Let this, then, give us boldness to\ncome to him.\n\nI would desire to persuade you to humility from this, according to the\nlesson Christ gives us, Matt. xi. 29, \u201cLearn of me, for I am meek and\nlowly.\u201d And the apostle makes singular use of this mystery of the\nabasement of the Majesty, to abate from our high esteem of ourselves,\nPhil. ii. 3-6. O should not the same mind be in us that was in Christ! God\nabased, man exalted,\u2014how unsuitable are these, think you! God lowly in\ncondition and disposition, and man, though base in condition, yet high in\nhis deposition and in his own estimation! What more mysterious than God\nhumbled? And what more monstrous than man proud?  Truly, pride is the most\ndeformed thing in a man, but in a Christian it is monstrous and\nprodigious. If he did humble himself out of charity and love, who was so\nhigh and glorious, how should we humble ourselves out of necessity, who\nare so low and base?  And out of charity and love too, to be conformed and\nlike unto him! Nature may persuade the one, but Christianity teacheth the\nother,\u2014to be lowly in mind, and esteem every one better than ourselves. To\nbe meek, patient, long-suffering, reason may persuade it, upon the\nconsideration of our own baseness, emptiness, frailty, and nothingness.\nBut this lesson is taught in Christ\u2019s school, not from that motive\nonly,\u2014the force of necessity, but from a higher motive,\u2014the constraint of\nlove to Jesus Christ,\u2014\u201clearn of me.\u201d Suppose there were no necessity of\nreason in it, yet affection might be a stronger necessity to persuade\nconformity to him, and following his example, who became so low, and\nhumbled himself to the death even for us.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIII.\n\n\n    Verse 3.\u2014\u201cAnd for sin condemned sin in the flesh.\u201d\n\n\nThe great and wonderful actions of great and excellent persons must needs\nhave some great ends answerable to them. Wisdom will teach them not to do\nstrange things, but for some rare purposes, for it were a folly and\nmadness to do great things to compass some small and petty end, as\nunsuitable as that a mountain should travail to bring forth a mouse. Truly\nwe must conceive, that it must needs be some honourable and high business,\nthat brought down so high and honourable a person from heaven as the Son\nof God. It must be something proportioned to his majesty and his wisdom.\nAnd indeed so it is. There is a great capital enemy against God in the\nworld, that is sin. This arch-rebel hath drawn man from his subordination\nto God, and sown a perpetual discord and enmity between them. This hath\nconquered all mankind, and among the rest, even the elect and chosen of\nGod, those whom God had in his eternal counsel predestinated to life and\nsalvation. Sin brings all into bondage, and exerciseth the most perfect\ntyranny over them that can be imagined, makes men to serve all its\nimperious lusts, and then all the wages is death,\u2014it binds them over to\njudgment. Now this sedition and rebellion being arisen in the world, and\none of the most noble creatures carried away in this revolt, from\nallegiance to the divine majesty, the most holy and wise counsel of heaven\nconcludes to send the King\u2019s Son, to compesce(173) this rebellion, to\nreduce men again unto obedience, and destroy that arch traitor, sin, which\nhis nature most abhors. And for this end the Son of the great King, Jesus\nChrist, came down into the world, to deliver captive man, and to condemn\nconquering sin. There is no object that God hath so pure and perfect\ndispleasure at as sin. Therefore he sent to condemn that which he hates\nmost (and perfectly he hates it)\u2014to condemn sin. And this is expressed as\nthe errand of his coming, 1 John iii. 5, 8, to \u201cdestroy the works of the\ndevil.\u201d All his wicked and hellish plots and contrivances against man, all\nthat poison of enmity and sin, that out of envy and malice he spued out\nupon man, and instilled into his nature, all those works of that prince of\ndarkness, in enticing man from obedience to rebellion, and tyrannizing\nover him since, by the imperious laws of his own lusts, in a word, all\nthat work that was contrived in hell, to bring poor man down to that same\nmisery with devils; all that Christ, the only begotten Son of the great\nKing, came (for this noble business) to destroy it,\u2014that tower which Satan\nwas building up against heaven, and had laid the foundation of it as low\nas hell, this was Christ\u2019s business down among men, to destroy that\nBabylon, that tower of darkness and confusion, and to build up a tower of\nlight and life, to which tower sinners might come, and be safe, and by\nwhich they might really ascend into heaven. Some do by these words \u201cfor\nsin,\u201d understand the occasion and reason of Christ\u2019s coming, that it was,\nbecause sin had conquered the world, and subjected man to condemnation,\ntherefore, Jesus Christ came into the world to conquer sin and condemn it,\nthat we might be free from condemnation by sin. And this was the special\ncause of his taking on flesh. If sin had not entered into the world,\nChrist had not come into it, and if sin had not erected a throne in man\u2019s\nflesh, Christ had not taken on flesh,\u2014he had not come in the likeness of\nsinful flesh. So that this may administer unto us abundant consolation. If\nthis was the very cause of his coming, that which drew him down from that\ndelightful and blessed bosom of the Father, then he will certainly do that\nwhich he came for. He cannot fail of his purpose, he cannot miss his end:\nhe must condemn sin, and save sinners. And truly this is wonderful love,\nthat he took sin only for his party, and came only for sin, or against\nsin, and not against poor sinners. He had no commission of the Father but\nthis, as himself declares, John iii. 17; for \u201cGod sent not his Son into\nthe world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be\nsaved.\u201d As one observes well, Christ would never have hinted at such a\njealousy, or suggested such a thought to men\u2019s minds, had it not been in\nthem before. But this we are naturally inclined unto,\u2014to think hard of\nGod, and can hardly be persuaded of his love, when once we are persuaded\nof our enmity. Indeed the most part of the world fancy a persuasion of\nGod\u2019s love, and have not many jealousies of it, because they know not\ntheir own enmity against God. But let a man see himself indeed God\u2019s\nenemy, and it is very hard to make him believe any other thing of God, but\nthat he carries a hostile mind against him. And therefore Christ, to take\noff this, persuades and assures us, that neither the Father nor he had any\ndesign upon poor sinners, nor any ambushment against them; but mainly, if\nnot only, this was his purpose in sending, and Christ\u2019s in coming,\u2014not\nagainst man, but against sin; not to condemn sinners, but to condemn sin,\nand save sinners. O blessed and unparalleled love, that made such a real\ndistinction between sin and sinners, who were so really one! Shall not we\nbe content to have that woful and accursed union with sin dissolved? Shall\nnot we be willing to let sin be condemned in us, and to have our own souls\nsaved? I beseech you, beloved in the Lord, do not think to maintain always\nChrist\u2019s enemy, that great traitor against which he came from heaven.\nWonder that he doth not prosecute both as enemies; but if he will destroy\nthe one and save the other, O let it be destroyed, not you; and so much\nthe more, for that it will destroy you! Look to him, so iniquity shall not\nbe your ruin, but he shall be the ruin of iniquity. But if you will not\nadmit of such a division between you and your sins, take heed that you be\nnot eternally undivided, that you have not one common lot for ever, that\nis, condemnation. Many would be saved, but they would be saved with sin\ntoo. Alas! that will condemn thee. As for sin, he hath proclaimed\nirreconcilable enmity against it, he hath no quarter to give it, he will\nnever come in terms of composition with it, and all because it is his\nmortal enemy. Therefore let sin be condemned, that thou mayest be saved.\nIt cannot be saved with thee, but thou mayest be condemned with it.\n\nThe words, \u201cfor sin,\u201d may be taken in another sense as fitly, \u201ca sacrifice\nfor sin,\u201d so that the meaning is,\u2014Jesus Christ came to condemn and\noverthrow sin in its plea against us by a sacrifice for sin, that is, by\noffering up his own body or flesh. And thus you have the way and means how\nChrist conquered sin, and accomplished the business he was sent for. It\nwas by offering a sacrifice for sin, to expiate wrath, and so satisfy\njustice. \u201cThe sting\u201d and strength \u201cof death is sin, and the strength of\nsin is the law,\u201d as the apostle speaks it, 1 Cor. xv. 55. We had two great\nenemies against us, two great tyrants over us,\u2014sin and death. Death had\npassed upon all mankind. Not only the miseries of this life and temporal\ndeath had subjected all men, but the fear of an eternal death, of an\neverlasting separation from the blessed face of God, might have seized\nupon all, and subjected them to bondage, Heb. ii. 15. But the strength and\nsting of that is sin; it is sin that arms death and hell against us. Take\naway sin, and you take away the sting, the strength of death,\u2014it hath no\nforce or power to hurt man. But death being the wages due for sin, (Rom.\nvi. 23.) all the certainty and efficacy in the wages flows from this work\nof darkness,\u2014sin. But now \u201cthe strength of sin is the law.\u201d This puts a\npoisonable and destructive virtue in the sting of sin, for it is the\nsentence of God\u2019s law, and the justice and righteousness of God, that hath\nmade so inseparable a connection between sin and death. This gives sin a\ndestroying and killing virtue. Justice arms it with power and authority to\ncondemn man, so that there can be no freedom, no releasement from that\ncondemnation, no eschewing that fatal sting of death, unless the sentence\nof God\u2019s law, which hath pronounced \u201cthou shalt die,\u201d be repealed, and the\njustice of God be satisfied by a ransom. And this being done, the strength\nof sin is quite gone, and so the sting of death removed.\n\nNow, this had been impossible for man to do. These parties were too strong\nfor any created power. The strength of sin to condemn may be called some\nway infinite, because it flows from the unchangeable law of the infinite\njustice of God. Now, what power could encounter that strength, except that\nwhich hath infinite strength too? Therefore, it behoved the Son of God to\ncome for this business; to condemn sin and save the sinner. And being\ncome, he yokes first with the very strength of sin, for he knew where its\nstrength did lie, and so did encounter first of all with that,\u2014even the\njustice of his Father, the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us;\nfor if once he can set them aside, as either vanquished or satisfied, he\nhath little else to do. Now, he doth not take a violent way in this\neither. He doth it not with the strong hand, but deals wisely, and (to\nspeak so with reverence) cunningly in it; he came under the law, that he\nmight redeem them who were under the law, Gal. iv. 4. Force will not do\nit, the law cannot be violated, justice cannot be compelled to forego its\nright. Therefore our Lord Jesus chooseth, as it were, to compound with the\nlaw, to submit unto it: He was \u201cmade under the law,\u201d he who was above the\nlaw, being lawgiver in mount Sinai, Acts vii. 38; Gal. iii. 19. He cometh\nunder the bond and tie of it, to fulfil it: \u201cI came not to destroy the law\nbut to fulfil it,\u201d Matt. v. 17. He would not offer violence to the law, to\ndeliver sinners contrary to the commination of it, or without satisfaction\ngiven unto it, for that would reflect upon the wisdom and righteousness of\nthe Father who gave the law. But he doth it better in an amicable way,\u2014by\nsubmission and obedience to all its demands. Whatsoever it craved of the\nsinner, he fulfils that debt. He satisfies the bond in his own person by\nsuffering, and fulfils all the commandments by obedience. And thus, by\nsubjection to the law, he gets power over the law, because his subjection\ntakes away all its claim and right over us. Therefore it is said, that he\nblotted out the hand-writing of ordinances, which was against us, by\nnailing it to his cross; and so took it out of the way, Col. ii. 14.\nHaving fulfilled the bond, he cancelled it, and so it stands in no force\neither against him or us. Thus, the strength of sin, which is the law, is\nremoved; and by this means, sin is condemned in the flesh. By the\nsuffering of his flesh, it is fallen from all its plea against sinners;\nfor, that upon which it did hang, viz. the sentence of the law, is taken\nout of the way, so that it hath no apparent ground to fasten any\naccusation upon a poor sinner that flies into Jesus Christ, and no ground\nat all to condemn him,\u2014it is wholly disabled in that point. For, as the\nPhilistines found where Samson\u2019s strength lay, and cut his hair, so Christ\nhath in his wisdom found where the strength of sin\u2019s plea against man lay,\nand hath cut off the hair of it, that is, the handwriting of ordinances\nwhich was against us.\n\nThis is that which hath been shadowed out from the beginning of the world\nby the types of sacrifices and ceremonies. All those offerings of beasts,\nof fowls, and such like, under the law, held forth this one sacrifice,\nthat was offered in the fulness of time to be a propitiation for the sins\nof the world. And something of this was used among the Gentiles before\nChrist\u2019s coming, certainly by tradition from the fathers, who have looked\nafar off to this day, when this sweet-smelling sacrifice should be offered\nup to appease Heaven. And it is not without a special providence, and\nworthy the remarking, that since the plenary and substantial One was\noffered, the custom of sacrificing hath ceased throughout the world. God,\nas it were, proclaiming to all men, by this cessation of sacrifices, as\nwell as silence of oracles, that the true atonement and propitiation is\ncome already, and the true Prophet is come from heaven, to reveal God\u2019s\nmind unto the world. There were many ceremonies in sacrificing observed,\nto hold out unto us the perfection of our atonement and propitiation. They\nlaid their hands on the beast, who brought it, to signify the imputation\nof our sins to Christ, that he who knew no sin was made sin for us, that\nwe might be made the righteousness of God in him. And truly, it is worth\nthe observation, that even those sacrifices for sin were called sin; and\nso the word is used promiscuously in Leviticus, to point out unto us, that\nJesus Christ should make his soul sin, (Isa. liii. 10,) that is, a\nsacrifice for sin, and be made sin for us, that is, a sacrifice for sin.\nWhen the blood was poured out (because without shedding of blood there was\nno reconciliation, Heb. ix. 22,) the priest sprinkled it seven times\nbefore the Lord, to shadow out the perfection of that expiation for our\nsins, in the virtue and perpetuity thereof (Heb. ix. 26) that he should\nappear to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,\u2014to put it away, as if\nit had never been, by taking it on him and bearing it. And then the high\npriest was to bring in of the blood into the holy place and within the\nvail, and sprinkle the mercy seat, to show unto us, that the merit and\nefficacy of Christ\u2019s blood should enter into the highest heavens to\nappease the wrath of God. Our High Priest, by his own blood hath entered\ninto the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us, Heb. ix.\n12. And truly this is that sacrifice, which being offered without spot to\nGod, pacifies all, ver. 14. Sin hath a cry, it crieth aloud for vengeance.\nThis blood silenceth it, and composeth all to favour and mercy. It hath so\nsweet and fragrant a smell in God\u2019s account, that it fills heaven with the\nperfume of it. He is that true scape goat, who, notwithstanding that he\ndid hear all the sins of his people, yet he did escape alive. Albeit he\nbehoved to make his soul a sacrifice for sin, and so die for it, yet by\nthis means he hath condemned sin, by being condemned for sin. By this\nmeans he hath overcome death and the grave, by coming under the power of\ndeath, and so is now alive for ever, to improve his victory for our\nsalvation. And by taking on our sins he hath fully abolished the power and\nplea of them, as the goat that was sent to the wilderness out of all men\u2019s\nsight was not to be seen again. Truly, this is the way how our sins are\nburied in the grave of oblivion and removed as a cloud, and cast into the\ndepths of the sea, and sent away as far as the east is from the west that\nthey may never come into judgment against us to condemn us because Christ,\nby appeasing wrath and satisfying justice by the sacrifice of himself,\nhath overthrown them in judgment, and buried them in the grave with his\nown body.\n\nYou see then my beloved, a solid ground of consolation against all our\nfears and sorrows;\u2014an answer to all the accusations of our sins. Here is\none for all, one above all. You would have particular answers to satisfy\nyour particular doubts. You are always seeking some satisfaction to your\nconsciences besides this, but believe it all that can be said, besides\nthis atonement and propitiation, is of no more virtue to purge your\nconsciences, or satisfy your perplexed souls, than those repeated\nsacrifices of old were. Whatsoever you can pitch upon besides this, it is\ninsufficient, and therefore you find a necessity of seeking some other\ngrace or qualification to appease your consciences, even as they had need\nto multiply sacrifices. But now since this perfect propitiation is offered\nup for our sins should not all these vain expiations of your works cease?\nTruly, there is nothing can pacify heaven but this, and nothing can\nappease thy conscience on earth but this too. If you find any accusation\nagainst you consider Christ hath, by a sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in\nhis own flesh. The marks of the spear, of the nails, of the buffetings of\nhis flesh,\u2014these are the tokens and pledges, that he encountered with the\nwrath due to your sins, and so hath cut off all the right that sin hath\nover you. If thou canst unfeignedly in the Lord\u2019s sight say, that it is\nthy soul\u2019s desire to be delivered from sin as well as wrath, thou wouldst\ngladly fly from condemnation, then come to him who hath condemned sin, by\nsuffering the condemnation of sin, that he might save those who desire to\nfly from it to him.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIV.\n\n\n    Verse 4.\u2014\u201cThat the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in\n    us.\u201d\n\n\nGod having a great design to declare unto the world both his justice and\nmercy towards men, he found out this mean most suitable and proportioned\nunto it, which is here spoken of in the third verse,\u2014to send his own Son\nto bear the punishment of sin, that the righteousness of the law might be\nfreely and graciously fulfilled in sinners. And, indeed, it was not\nimaginable by us, how he could declare both in the salvation of sinners.\nHe could not have found out a way to declare his righteousness and\nholiness, which would not have obscured his mercy and grace, nor a way to\nmanifest his grace and mercy which would not have reflected upon his\nholiness and justice, according to the letter of the law that was given\nout as the rule of life. He that doth them shall live in them, and cursed\nis every one that doeth them not, &c. What could we expect, if this be\nfulfilled, as it would appear God\u2019s truth and holiness require? Then we\nare gone,\u2014no place for mercy, if this be not fulfilled, that the mercy may\nbe showed in pardoning sin. Then the truth and faithfulness of God seem to\nbe impaired. This is the strait that all sinners would have been into, if\nGod had not found such an enlargement as this\u2014how to show mercy without\nwronging justice, and how to save sinners without impairing his\nfaithfulness. Truly, we may wonder, what was it that could straiten his\nmajesty so, that he must send his own Son, so beloved of him, and bruise\nhim, and hide his face from him, yea, and torment him, and not let the cup\npass from him for any entreaties. Might he not more easily have never\nadded such a commination to the law,\u2014\u201cthou shalt die,\u201d or more easily\nrelaxed and repealed that sentence, and passed by the sinner without any\nmore, than exacted so heavy a punishment from one that was innocent? Was\nit the satisfaction of his justice that straitened him, and put a\nnecessity of this upon him? But truly it seems it had been no more\ncontrary to righteousness to have passed over the sinner, without\nsatisfaction, than to require and take it of one who was not really\nguilty. The truth is, it was not simply the indispensable necessity of\nsatisfying justice, that put him upon such a hard and unpleasant work, as\nthe bruising of his own Son, for no doubt, he might have as well dispensed\nwith all satisfaction, as with the personal satisfaction of the sinner.\nBut here the strait lay, and here was the urgency of the case, he had a\npurpose to declare his justice, and therefore a satisfaction must be had\nnot simply to satisfy righteousness, but rather to declare his\nrighteousness, Rom. iii. 25. Now, indeed, to make these two shine together\nin one work of the salvation of sinners, all the world could not have\nfound out the like of this\u2014to dispense with personal satisfaction in the\nsinner, which the rigour of the law required, and so to admit a sweet\nmoderation and relaxation, that the riches of his grace and mercy might be\nmanifested, and yet withal, to exact the same punishment of another\nwillingly coming in the sinner\u2019s place, to the end that all sinners may\nbehold his righteousness and justice. And so this work of the redemption\nof sinners hath these names of God published by himself, (Exod. xxxiv. 6,\n7.) to Moses, engraven deeply upon it, mercy and goodness spelled out at\nlength in it,\u2014for love was the rise of all, and love did run alongst in\nall, yet so, as there is room to speak out his holiness, and\nrighteousness, and justice, not so much to affright sinners, as to make\nhis mercy the more amiable and wonderful.\n\nI know not a more pressing ground of strong consolation, nor a firmer\nbulwark of our confidence and salvation, than this conjunction of mercy\nand justice in the business. There might have been always a secret\nhink(174) of jealousy and suspicion in our minds, when God publisheth\nmercy and forgiveness to us freely. O how shall the law be satisfied, and\nthe importunity of justice and faithfulness, that hath pronounced a\nsentence of death upon us, answered! Shall not the righteous law be a\nloser this way, if I be saved, and it not satisfied by obedience or\nsuffering! How hard would it be to persuade a soul of free pardon, that\nsees such a severe sentence standing against it! But now there is no place\nfor doubting. All is contrived for the encouragement and happiness of poor\nsinners, that we may come to him with full persuasion of his readiness and\ninclinableness to pardon, since Jesus Christ hath taken the law and\njustice of God off our head, and us off their hand, and since he hath\nreckoned with them, for what is due by us and paid it without us,\u2014then we\nhave a clear way, and ready access to pardon, and to believe his readiness\nto pardon. And this is it which is holden out here,\u2014Christ condemning sin\nin the flesh, or punishing sin in his own flesh, giving a visible and\nsensible representation of the justice and righteousness of God in\npunishing sin, and that in his own flesh, offering up himself as the\ncondemned sinner, and hanging up to the view of all the world, as an\nevident testimony of the justice and righteousness of God against sin, and\nby this means cutting off the very strength of sin,\u2014the law, by fulfilling\nit. In Christ\u2019s sufferings you may behold, as in a clear mirror, the\nhatred and displeasure of God against sin, the righteousness of God in\npunishing sin. Him hath God set forth to the world to be a propitiation,\nto declare the righteousness of God. Rom. iii. 24, 25. In this crucified\nLord, you may behold the sensible image and the most lively demonstration\nof holiness and righteousness. Christ\u2019s flesh bare the marks of\nboth,\u2014holiness in hating sin, righteousness in punishing it, and both in\nhis beloved and only begotten Son\u2019s person,\u2014in his flesh, and all for this\npurpose, that the law might be no loser by our salvation, \u201cthat the\nrighteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,\u201d &c.\n\nThis is that which Christ says, \u201cI came not to destroy the law, but to\nfulfil it,\u201d Matt. v. 17, and which Paul seconds, \u201cIs the law then made\nvoid by faith? God forbid, it is rather established,\u201d Rom. iii. 31. The\nlaw and justice come better to their own, by our Cautioner than by us.\nThere is no such way conceivable, to satisfy them fully, as this, whether\nyou look to the commandment or the curse.\n\nThe commandment never got such satisfaction in any person, as in Christ\u2019s,\nhe hath fulfilled it by obedience. \u201cIt becometh us\u201d saith he \u201cto fulfil\nall righteousness,\u201d (Matt. iii. 15.) both moral and ceremonial, so that\nthere was no guile found in his mouth,\u2014he knew no sin, he was holy and\nharmless. His Father\u2019s will was his soul\u2019s delight,\u2014\u201cI delight to do thy\nwill,\u201d Ps. xl. 8. It was more to him than his necessary food, his meat and\ndrink. There was so absolute a correspondency between his will and God\u2019s\nwill, and between his way and his will, that it was not possible that any\ndifference should fall between them. His obedience had more good in it (so\nto speak) than Adam\u2019s disobedience had evil in it, Rom. v. 18, 19. Adam\u2019s\ndisobedience was but the sin of a finite creature, but Christ\u2019s obedience\nwas the work of an infinite person. I think there was more real worth in\nChrist\u2019s obedience to the commands, than in all the united service and\nobedience of men and angels. All the love, delight, fear, and obedience\nflowing from these\u2014take them in one bundle, as they will be extended and\nmultiplied to all eternity, there is something in Christ\u2019s that elevates\nit above all, and puts a higher price upon it. The transcendent dignity of\nhis person,\u2014his own Son \u201cmade under the law,\u201d (Gal. iv. 4.)\u2014that is more\nworth than if all men and angels had been made under it. It had been no\nhumiliation, but rather the exaltation of an angel, to be obedient to God.\nThat subordination to a law, is the highest top of the creature\u2019s\nadvancement. But he was such a person, as his obedience was a humbling\nhimself. \u201cHe humbled himself, and became obedient, even to the death,\u201d\nPhil. ii. 8, and though he was the Son of God yet he stooped to learn\nobedience, Heb. v. 8. Now indeed the commandment comes to it better,(175)\nby this means, to have such a glorious person under it, than if it had\npoor naughty us under it, and that is fulfilled by him, when otherwise it\nwould never have been done. I suppose that justice had exacted the\npunishment of us. As we could never have ended suffering to all eternity,\nso we would never have begun new obedience to the command to all eternity.\nThus, except Christ had taken it off us, and us off its hand, it would\nnever have been fulfilled, since it was first broken. Next, the curse of\nthe law could not get fuller satisfaction than in Christ. I suppose it had\nfallen upon the sinner. There is not so much worth in the creatures\nextremest sufferings, as to compensate the infinite wrongs done to the\nholiness and righteousness of God. Therefore, what was wanting in the\nintrinsic value of the creature\u2019s suffering, behoved to be made up in the\ninfinite extent of it, and eternal continuance of it upon the creature.\nThus, there could never be a determined time assigned, in which the curse\nwas fulfilled, and in which justice could say,\u2014hold, I have enough. It is\nas if a man were owing an infinite debt, and he could get nothing to\ndefray it but poor petty sums, which being all conjoined, cannot amount to\nany proportion of it. Therefore, since he cannot get one sum in value\nequal to it, he must be eternally paying it in smalls, according to his\ncapacity. And so, because the utmost farthing cannot be won at, he can\nnever be released out of prison. But our Lord Jesus hath satisfied it to\nthe full. He was a more substantial debtor, and because of the infinite\ndignity of his person, there was an intrinsic value upon his sufferings,\nproportioned unto the infiniteness of man\u2019s sin, so that he could pay all\nthe debt in a short time which a sinner could but have done to all\neternity. Now, you know, any man would rather choose such a cautioner,\nthat can solidly satisfy him in gross, and pay all the sum at once, than\nsuch a principal, that because of his inability, cannot amount, to any\nconsiderable satisfaction in many years. And even so it is with the law\nand justice of God. They hold themselves better contented in Christ than\nin us, in his being \u201cmade a curse, than the falling of the curse on us,\u201d\nGal. iii. 13. And therefore God testifies it to poor sinners, \u201cDeliver\nthem, I have found a ransom,\u201d Job xxxiii. 24,\u2014and that is the ransom which\nChrist gave,\u2014\u201chis life\u2014for many,\u201d  Matt. xx. 28.\n\nYou see then, how this conclusion follows, \u201cthat the righteousness of the\nlaw might be fulfilled in us,\u201d he having fulfilled it, and satisfied it so\nfully, both by obedience to the commandment, and submission to the curse.\nIt is all one in God\u2019s account, as if we had done it, because Christ was\nsurety in our stead, and a common person representing us, and therefore\nhis paying of the debt acquits us at the hand of justice, and whatsoever\nhe did to fulfil all righteousness, that is accounted ours, because we\nwere represented in him, and judicially one with him. And therefore, we\nwere condemned when he was condemned, we were dead when he died,\u2014and so\nthe righteousness of the law, in exacting a due punishment for sin, was\nfulfilled for us in him, and it is all one as if it had been personally in\nus. And this is laid down as the foundation of that blessed embassy or\nmessage of reconciliation to sinners, as that upon which God is in Christ\nreconciling and beseeching us to be reconciled, (2 Cor. v. 19-21.)\u2014Him who\nknew no sin, hath he made sin for us, that we might be made the\nrighteousness of God in him. You see the blessed exchange that he hath\nmade with us,\u2014he hath laid our sins on sinless Christ, and laid Christ\u2019s\nrighteousness on sinful us. Christ took our sins on him, that he might\ngive us his righteousness, and by virtue of this transaction and\ncommunication, as it was righteous with God to condemn sin in Christ\u2019s\nflesh, because our sin was upon him, so it is as just with him to impute\nrighteousness to us, because we were in him. And as the law made him a\ncurse, and exacted the punishment of him, it is as righteous with the Lord\nto give us life and salvation, and to forgive sin, as John speaks, 1st\nEpistle i. 9, \u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive\nus our sins.\u201d\n\nNow consider this my beloved, for it is propounded unto you as the\ngreatest persuasive to move you to come to Jesus Christ,\u2014there is such a\nclear and plain way in him to salvation. If this do not move your hearts,\nI know not what will. I do not expect that your troubles in this\nworld,\u2014the frequent lashes of judgment, the impoverishing and exhausting\nof you, the plucking away of those things you loved, the disquieting your\npeace so often, that any of those things that have the image of wrath upon\nthem, can drive you to him, and make you forsake your way, when such a\nmotive as this doth not prevail with you. O what heart could stand against\nthe power of this persuasion, if it were but rightly apprehended! Who\nwould not willingly fly into this city of refuge, if they did but know\naright the avenger of blood that pursues them, and what safety is within?\nYou are always imagining vain satisfactions to the law of God. How great\nweight doth your fancy impose upon your tears, your confessions, your\nreformations! If you can attain any thing of this kind, that is it which\nyou give to satisfy justice, it is that wherewith you pretend to fulfil\nthe law. But if it could be so, wherefore should God have sent his Son to\ncondemn sin, and purchase righteousness by him? I beseech you, once know\nand consider your estate, that you may open your hearts to this Redeemer,\nthat you may be willing to be stripped naked of all your imaginary\nrighteousness, to put on this which will satisfy the law fully. Will you\ndie in your sins, because you will not come to him to have life? Will you\nrather be condemned with sin, than saved with Christ\u2019s righteousness? And\ntruly, there is no other altar that will preserve you but this. Now, if\nany, apprehending their own misery, be hardly pursued in their consciences\nby the law of God, I beseech you come hither and behold it satisfied and\nfulfilled. I beseech you in Christ\u2019s stead to be reconciled unto God,\u2014to\nlay down all hostile affections, and come to him, because God is in Christ\nreconciling the world, and not imputing their sins, because he hath\nimputed them already to Christ, \u201chim who knew no sin,\u201d &c, and he is in\nChrist, imputing his righteousness to sinners.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XV.\n\n\n    Verse 4.\u2014\u201cThat the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in\n    us,\u201d &c.\n\n\n\u201cThink not,\u201d saith our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, \u201cthat I am come to\ndestroy the law,\u2014I am come to fulfil it,\u201d Matt. v. 17. It was a needful\ncaveat, and a very timeous advertisement, because of the natural\nmisapprehensions in men\u2019s minds of the gospel. When free forgiveness of\nsins, and life everlasting, is preached in Jesus Christ, without our\nworks; when the mercy of God is proclaimed in its freedom and fulness, the\nheart of man is subject to a woful misconceit of Christ, as if by these a\nlatitude were given, and a liberty proclaimed to men to live in sin. That\nwhich is propounded as the encouragement of poor sinners to come to God,\nand forsake their own wicked way, is miserably wrested upon a mistake, to\nbe an encouragement to revolt more and more. Righteousness and life, by\nfaith in a Saviour, without the works of the law, is holden out as the\ngrand persuasion of the gospel, to study obedience to the law. And yet\nsuch is the perverseness of many hearts, that, either in opinion or\npractice, they so carry themselves, as if there were an inconsistency\nbetween Christ and the law, between free justification and\nsanctification,\u2014as if Christ had come to redeem us, not from sin, but to\nsin. Now, to prevent this, \u201cthink not,\u201d saith he, \u201cthat I am come to\ndestroy the law.\u201d Do not fancy to yourselves a liberty to live in sin, and\nan immunity from the obligation of a commandment, because I have purchased\nan immunity and freedom from the curse. No, \u201cI am come to fulfil it,\u201d\nrather, not only in mine own person, but in yours also. And to this\npurpose Paul, Rom. iii. 31, \u201cDo we then make void the law by faith?\u201d It is\nso natural to our rebellious hearts to desire to be free from the yoke of\nobedience, and therefore we fancy such a notion of faith, as may not give\nitself to working in love, as is active in nothing but imagination. The\napostle abominates this,\u2014\u201cGod forbid,\u201d he detests it, as impious and\nsacrilegious; \u201cyea, we establish it.\u201d So then, all returns to this, one of\nthe great ends of Christ\u2019s coming in the flesh, and one main intendment of\nthe gospel published in his name, is not merely to deliver us from wrath,\nand redeem us from the curse, (Gal. iii. 13; 1 Thess. i. 10,) but also,\nand that especially, to redeem us from all iniquity, that we might be a\npeople zealous of good works, (Tit. ii. 14); and to take away sin, and\n\u201cdestroy the works of the devil,\u201d 1 John iii. 5, 8. We spoke something\nbefore noon, how Christ hath fulfilled the law, and established it in his\nown person, by obedience and suffering,\u2014neither of which ways it could be\nso well contented by any other. But there is yet a third way that he\nfulfils and establisheth it, and that is in our persons, \u201cthat the\nrighteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the\nflesh, but after the Spirit.\u201d He hath obliged himself to fulfil it, not\nonly for believers, but in believers. Therefore the promises run thus, I\nwill write my law in their hearts, and cause them to walk in my statutes,\nEzek. xxxvi. 27; Jer. xxxi. 33. Not only I delight to do thy will, but I\nwill make them delight to do it also. And truly, in this respect, the law\nis more fulfilled and established by Christ, than ever it could have been,\nif man had been left to satisfy it alone. If we had reckoned alone with\nthe law, we had been taken up eternally with satisfying for the breaches\nof it, so that there could be no access to obedience of the command, and\nno acceptance either. A sinner must first satisfy the curse, for the fault\ndone, before ever he can be in a capacity to perform new obedience on the\nterms of acceptation of it with God. Now the first would have taken up\neternity, so that there can be no place of entry to the second; therefore,\nif Christ had not found out a way of free pardon of the sins that are\npast, and assurance of forgiveness for the time to come, the commandments\nof God would be wholly frustrated. \u201cBut there is forgiveness with thee,\nthat thou mayest be feared,\u201d Psalm cxxx. 4. The word is also \u201cworshipped.\u201d\nTruly, my beloved, this is the foundation of all religion,\u2014free\nforgiveness. There had been no religion, no worship of God, no obedience\nto his commands throughout all eternity; there should never have been any\nfear, any love, any delight in God, any reverence and subjection to him,\nif he had not forgiveness,\u2014a treasure of mercies with him to bestow first\nupon sinners. And this makes access to stand and serve in his sight. The\ncloud of our transgressions is so thick and dark, that there never could\nhave been any communion with God, if he had not found out the way to\nscatter and blot it out, for his own name\u2019s sake. Religion, then, must\nbegin at this great and inestimable free gift of imputed righteousness,\u2014of\naccounting us what we are not in ourselves, because found so in another.\nIt begins at remission of sins. But that is not all. This hath a further\nend, and truly it is but introductive to a further end; that so a soul may\nbe made partaker of the gift of holiness within, and have that image of\nGod renewed in holiness and righteousness. I would have you once persuaded\nto begin at this, to receive the free gift of another\u2019s righteousness,\n(Rom. v. 17,) and another\u2019s obedience, to find your own nakedness and\nloathsomeness without this covering, and how short all other coverings of\nyour own works are. O that we could once persuade you to renounce\nyourselves, to embrace this righteousness! Then it were easy to prevail\nwith you to renounce sin, to put on holiness. I say, first, you must\nrenounce yourselves, as undone in all you do, as loathsome in all that\never you loved, and come under the wide and broad skirt of Christ\u2019s\nrighteousness, which he did weave upon the earth, for to hide our\nnakedness. You must once have the righteousness of the law fulfilled\nperfectly by another, before you can have access to fulfil one jot of it\nyourselves, or any thing you do be accepted. And, till this foundation be\nlaid, you do but beat the air in religion, you build on the sand.\n\nNow, if once you were brought this length, to renounce all confidence in\nyourselves, and to flee into Christ\u2019s righteousness, then it were easy to\nlead you a step further,\u2014to renounce the love of your most beloved sins.\nAnd the more lovely that Christ\u2019s righteousness is in your eyes, the more\nbeauty would holiness and obedience have in them also unto you. Then you\nwould labour to walk after the guidance of the Spirit.\n\nI would have the impression of this deep in your hearts,\u2014that the gospel\nis not a doctrine of licentiousness, but a doctrine of the purest liberty,\nof the completest redemption. Many think it liberty to serve their lusts;\nand it is indeed as bonds and cords to restrain them. There is no man but\nwould be content to be saved from the wrath to come; and therefore many\nsnatch at such sentences of the gospel, and take them lightly, without\nconsideration of what further is in it. But truly if this were all, it\nwere not complete redemption, if there were not redemption from sin too,\nwhich is the most absolute tyrant in the world. I think a true Christian\nwould account the service of sin bondage, though it were left at his own\noption. He that commits sin, is the servant of sin; therefore the freedom\nthat Christ purchaseth, is freedom from sin, John viii. 36. I will say\nmore. We are delivered from wrath, that so we may be redeemed from sin. We\nhave the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, that so the image of\nChrist may be renewed within us; this is the very end of that. I am sure\nany that discerns aright, knows sin to have infinitely more evil in it\nthan punishment hath; nay, punishment is only evil, as it hath relation to\nsin. There is a beauty of justice and righteousness in punishment, but\nthere is nothing in sin but deformity and opposition to his holiness. It\nis purely evil, and most purely hated of God. And if there were no more to\npersuade you that sin is infinitely more evil than pain, consider how our\npain and punishment was really transferred upon the blessed Son of God,\nand that all this did not make him a whit the worse. But he was not\ncapable of the real infusion of our sin. That would have made Christ as\nmiserable, wretched, and impotent, as any of us, that would have disabled\nhim so far from helping us, that he would have had as much need of a\nmediator as we,\u2014all which were highly blasphemous to imagine. Look then\nhow much distance and difference there was between suffering, dying\nChrist, and wretched men living in sin. None can say but he is infinitely\nbetter, even while in pain, nor(176) the highest prince in pleasure, so\nmuch disproportion there is between sin and pain; so much is the one worse\nthan the other. Do not think then that Christ died to purchase an\nindulgence for you to live in sin. Truly that were to take away the lesser\nevil, that the greater may remain; that were to deliver from one misery,\nthat we may be more involved in that which is the greatest of all\nmiseries.    Nay, certainly if Christ be a Redeemer, he must redeem us\nfrom our most potent and accursed enemy,\u2014sin; he must take away the root,\nthe fountain of all misery,\u2014sin; that which conceived in its womb all\npains, sorrows, sicknesses, death and hell. You have the great end of\nredemption expressed, Luke i. 74, 75, \u201cThat we, being delivered from all\nour enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness.\u201d\nIt was that for which he made man at first, and it is that for which he\nhath made him again, \u201ccreated unto good works,\u201d Eph. ii. 10. It was a\nhigher design certainly, for which the Son of God became partaker of our\nnature, than only to deliver us from hell. No doubt it was to make us\npartakers of the divine nature, (2 Pet. i. 4;) and this is the very nature\nof God,\u2014holiness and goodness. As sin is the very nature and image of the\ndevil, so the great breach of the creation was the breaking off of this\nimage of God. That was the heaviest fall of man, from the top of divine\nexcellency, into the bottom of devilish deformity. Now it is this that is\nthe great plot for which Christ came into the world,\u2014to make up that\nbreach, to restore man to that dignity again; so that redemption from\nwrath is but a step to ascend upon, to that which is truly God\u2019s design,\nand man\u2019s dignity,\u2014conformity with God in holiness and righteousness.\n\nO that you could be persuaded of this,\u2014that Christ\u2019s business in the world\nwas not to bring a notion of an imaginary righteousness only, by mere\nimputation, but to bring forth a solid and real righteousness in our\nhearts, by the operation of his Spirit! I say, imputation, or accounting\nrighteous, is but a mere imagination, if this lively operation do not\nfollow. He came not only to spread his garment over our nakedness and\ndeformity, but really and effectually to be a physician to save our souls,\nto cure all our inward distempers. The gospel is not only a doctrine of a\nrighteousness without us, but of a righteousness both without, for, and\nwithin us too;\u2014\u201cthat the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in\nus,\u201d &c. Christ without, happiness itself without, cannot make us happy,\ntill they come in within us, and take up a dwelling in our souls.\nTherefore I declare unto the most part of you who pretend to expect\nsalvation by Jesus Christ, that you are yet in your sins, and as yet you\nhave no fellowship in this redemption. Do you think to walk after the\ncourse of the world, and the lusts of the flesh,\u2014to wallow in those common\npollutions and uncleannesses among men, swearing, lying, contention,\nrailing, wrath, malice, envy, drunkenness, uncleanness, and such like, and\nyet be in Christ Jesus? Do not deceive yourselves, \u201cGod is not mocked.\u201d He\nthat is in Christ is a new creature. His endeavour and study, his\naffection and desire, is toward a new walk after the Spirit. Are not most\nof you carnal, all flesh,\u2014the flesh gives laws, and you obey them? Are not\nyour immortal souls enslaved to base lusts, to the base love of the world?\nAre they not prone to prostitute themselves to the service of your fleshly\nand brutish part? Why do you then imagine, that you are in Christ Jesus,\npartakers of his righteousness? Consider it in time, that so you may be\nindeed, what you now are not, but pretend to be. It is the opinion that\nyou are in Christ already that keeps you out of him.\n\nBut, on the other hand again, there is nothing here to discourage a poor\nsoul, that thinks subjection to sin the greatest slavery, who would as\ngladly be redeemed from the power of it as from hell. I say to such, whose\nsoul\u2019s desire it is to be purged from all that \u201cfilthiness of the flesh\nand spirit,\u201d and whose continued aim is to walk in obedience,\u2014though you\nhave many failings, and often fall and defile yourselves again, yet this\ncomfort is holden out here unto you,\u2014there is no condemnation to you;\nJesus Christ hath condemned sin to save you, he hath fulfilled all\nrighteousness for you; and therefore lay you the weight of your\nacceptation and consolation upon what he hath done himself, and not upon\nwhat is but yet a-doing in you. Do you not find, I say, that the grace of\nJesus Christ, revealed in the gospel, is that which melts your hearts\nmost? Is not the goodness of the Lord that which persuades you most? And\ndo not these make you loathe yourselves and love holiness? Encourage\nyourselves therefore in him. Hold fast the righteousness that is without\nyou by faith, and certainly you shall find that righteousness and holiness\nshall in due time be fulfilled within you. I know no soul so wretched, but\nit may lay hold on that perfect righteousness of Christ\u2019s, and go under\nthe covering of it, and take heart from it, if so be the desire and\naffection of their soul be directed to a further end, to have his Spirit\ndwelling within them, for the renewing of their heart \u201cin righteousness\nand true holiness.\u201d I do not say, that this is a condition which you must\nperform before you venture to lay hold on Christ\u2019s righteousness without\nyou; nowise, but rather I would declare unto you the very nature of faith\nin Christ, that it seeks delivery from wrath in him, not simply and\nlastly, but that a way may be made for redemption from sin, and that there\nmay be a participation of that divine nature, which is most in its eye.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVI.\n\n\n    Verse 4, 5.\u2014\u201cWho walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.\n    For they that are after the flesh,\u201d &c.\n\n\nIf there were nothing else to engage our hearts to religion, I think this\nmight do it, that there is so much reason in it. Truly it is the most\nrational thing in the world, except some revealed mysteries of faith,\nwhich are far above reason, but not contrary to it. There is nothing\nbesides in it, but that which is the purest reason. Even that part of it\nwhich is most difficult to man, that which concerns the moderating of his\nlusts and affections, and the regulating his walk and carriage;\u2014there is\nnothing that Christianity requires in these matters, but that which may be\npersuaded by most convincing reasons, to be most suitable and comely for\nman, as man. You may take it in the subject in hand. There is nothing\nsounds harsher to men, and seems harder in religion, than such a victory\nover the flesh, such an abstractedness from sensual and earthly things.\nAnd yet, truly, there is nothing in the world, that more adorns and\nbeautifies a man, nothing so elevates him above beasts as this, insomuch\nthat many natural spirits, void of this saving light, have notwithstanding\nbeen taken with somewhat of the beauty of it, and so far enamoured with\nthe love of it, as to account all the world mad and brutish that followed\nthese lower things, and enslaved themselves unto them. I take the two\nfountains of all the pollutions, disorders, and defilements among men, to\nbe the inconsideration and ignorance of God, that eternal Spirit and\nFountain-being, and the ignorance of our own souls, those immortal spirits\nwithin us, which are derived from that Fountain-spirit. This is the misery\nof men, that scarce do they once seriously reflect upon their own spirits,\nor think what immortal souls are within them, and what affinity these have\nto the Fountain of all spirits. Therefore do men basely throw down\nthemselves to the satisfaction of the lusts of the flesh. Now, indeed,\nthis is the very beginning of Christianity, to reduce men from these baser\nthoughts and employments, to the consideration of their immortal souls\nwithin. And, O how will a Christian blush to behold himself in that light,\nto see the very image of a beast upon his nature, to look on that slavery\nand bondage of his far better part to the worst and brutish part in\nhim,\u2014his flesh!\n\nIf a man did wisely consider the constitution of his nature, from its\nfirst divine original, and what a thing the soul is, which is truly and\nmore properly himself, than his body; what excellency is in the soul\nbeyond the body, and so, what pre-eminency it advanceth a man unto beyond\na beast,\u2014he could not but account religion the very ornament and\nperfection of his nature. Reason will say, that the spirit, should rule\nand command the body, that, flesh is but the minister and servant of the\nspirit, that there is nothing the proper and peculiar good of man, but\nthat which adorns and rectifies the spirit; that all those external things\nwhich men\u2019s senses are carried after with so much violence, do not better\na man, as man, but are common to beasts; that in these things, man\u2019s\nhappiness as man, doth not all consist, but in some higher and more\ntranscending good, which beasts are not capable of, and which may satisfy\nthe immortal spirit, and not perish in the using, but live with it. All\nthese things, the very natural frame and constitution of man doth\nconvincingly persuade. Now then, may a soul think within itself, O how far\nam I departed from my original! How far degenerated from that noble and\nroyal dignity, that God by the stamp of his image once put upon me! How is\nit that I am become a slave and drudge to that baser and brutish part, the\nflesh? I would have you retire into your own hearts, and ask such things\nat them. Man being in honour, and understanding not, is even like the\nbeasts that perish. Truly we are become like beasts, because we consider\nnot that we are men, and so advanced by creation far above beasts. The not\nreflecting on the immortal, spiritual nature of our souls, hath\ntransformed us, in manner, into the nature of beasts, perishing beasts.\nChristianity is the very transforming of a beast into a man, as sin was\nthe deforming of man into a beast. This is the proper effect of\nChristianity,\u2014to restore humanity, to elevate it, and purify it from all\nthose defilements and corruptions that were engrossed and incorporated\ninto it, by the state of subjection to the flesh. And therefore the\napostle delineates the nature of it unto us, and draws the difference wide\nbetween the natural man and a Christian.\n\nThe natures of things are dark and hidden in themselves but they come to\nbe known to us by their operations and acting. Their inclinations and\ninstincts are known this way. Grace is truly a very spiritual thing, and\nthe nature of it lies high. Yet as Christ could not be hid in the house,\nneither can grace be hid in the heart,\u2014it will be known by its working.\nChrist can be better hid in a home than in the heart, because, when he is\nin a heart, he is engaged to restore that heart and soul to its native\ndignity and pre-eminency over the flesh, and this cannot but cause much\ndisturbance in the man, for a season. To change governments, to cast out\nusurpers and to restore the lawful and righteous owner to the possession\nof his right, cannot be done secretly and easily. It will shake the very\nfoundations of a kingdom to accomplish it. So it is here\u2014the restitution\nof the soul to the possession of its right and dominion over the\nflesh,\u2014the casting out of that tyrannous and base usurper, the flesh,\ncannot be done, except all the man know it, feel it, and in a manner be\npained with it. Now, the nature of Christianity doth lay itself open to us\nin these two especially, in what it minds and savours and how it causeth\nto walk. Life is known especially by affection and motion. A feeling,\nthinking, savouring power, is a living power, so a moving, walking power\nis a living power, and these are here. The Christian is shortly described\nby his nature. He is one after the Spirit not after the flesh, and by the\nproper characteristical operations of that nature, first, minding or\nsavouring \u201cthe things of the Spirit,\u201d which comprehends his inward\nthoughts, affections, intentions, and cogitations. All his inward senses\nare exercised about such objects. And then he is one walking \u201cafter the\nSpirit,\u201d his motions are in a course of obedience, proceeding from that\ninward relish or taste that he hath of the things of God. It is not\nwithout very good reason, that the name of a Christian is thus\nexpressed,\u2014one \u201cafter the Spirit.\u201d That is his character that expresses\nhis nature unto us. Whether ye look to the original of Christianity, or\nthe prime subject of it, or the chief end of it, it deserves to be called\nby this name. The original of it is very high, as high as that eternal\nSpirit, as high as the God of the spirits of all flesh. Things are like\ntheir original, and some way participate of the nature of their causes.\n\u201cThat which is born of the Spirit, is spirit,\u201d John iii. 6. That which is\nborn of God, who is a Spirit, must be spirit, 1 John v. 1. How royal a\ndescent is that! How doth it nobilitate a man\u2019s nature! Truly, all other\ndegrees of birth among men are vain imaginary things, that have no worth\nat all, but in the fancies of men. They put no real excellency in men. But\nthis is only true nobility. This alone doth extract a man _de f\u00e6ce vulgi_\nout of the dregs of the multitude. There is no intrinsic difference\nbetween bloods, or natures, but what this makes, this divine birth, this\nsecond birth. All other differences are but in opinion, this is in\nreality. It puts the image of that blessed Spirit upon a man. Truly, such\na creature is not begotten in the womb of any natural cause, of my human\npersuasion, or enticing words of man\u2019s wisdom, of any external mercy or\njudgment. No instruction, no persuasion, no allurement, nor affrightment\ncan make you Christians in the Spirit, till the Spirit blow when he\npleaseth, and create you again. It must come from above\u2014that power that\nran set your hearts aright, and make them to look straight above.\n\nChrist Jesus came down from heaven unto the earth, and took on our flesh,\nthat so the almighty Spirit might come down to transform our spirits, and\nlift them up from the earth to the heaven. We cast the seed into the\nground of men\u2019s hearts, (and alas! it gets entry but in few souls, it is\nscattered rather on the highway side, and cannot reach into the arable\nground of the heart,) but it can do nothing without the influence of\nheaven, except the Spirit beget you again by that immortal seed of the\nword. Therefore we would cease our wondering, that all the means of God\u2019s\nword and works do not beget more true Christians. I do rather wonder that\nany of Adam\u2019s wretched posterity should be begotten again, and advanced to\nso high a dignity, to be born of the Spirit. O that Christians would mind\ntheir original, and wonder at it, and study to be like it! If you believe\nand consider that your descent is from that uncreated Spirit, how powerful\nmight that be to conform you more and more to him, and to transform more\nand more of your flesh into spirit! There is nothing will raise up the\nspirits of the children of princes more, than to know their royal birth\nand dignity. How should the consideration of this make your spirits\nsuitable to your state or fortunes, as we use to say? You would labour to\nraise them up to that height of your original, and to walk worthy of that\nhigh calling. O that we could learn that instruction from it which Paul\ngives, 1 Cor i. 30, 31, \u201cBut of him are ye in Christ,\u201d therefore let him\nthat glorieth, \u201cglory in the Lord.\u201d Truly, a soul possessed with the\nmeditation of this royal descent from God, could not possibly glory in\nthose inglorious baser things, in which men glory, and could not contain\nor restrain gloriation and boasting in him. The glory of many is their\nshame, because it is their sin, of which they should be ashamed. But\nsuppose that in which men glory be not shame in itself, as the lawful\nthings of this present world, yet certainly it is a great shame for a\nChristian to glory in them, or esteem the better of himself for them. If\nthis were minded always,\u2014that we are of God, born of God, what power do\nyou think temptations, or solicitations to sin, would have over us! \u201cHe\nthat is born of God sinneth not,\u2014he keepeth himself, and that wicked one\ntoucheth him not,\u201d 1 John v. 18, 19. Truly, this consideration imprinted\nin the heart, would elevate us above all these baser persuasions of the\nflesh. This would make sin loathsome and despicable, as the greatest\nindignity we could do to our own natures. The strength and advantage of\nsin, is to make us forget what we are, whom we have relation unto,\u2014to\ndrink us drunk with the puddle of the world, or then with our own\njealousies and suspicions, that we may forget our birth and state, and so\nbe enticed to any thing. If you would have wherewith to beat back all the\nfiery darts of the devil, take the shield of this faith and persuasion,\nhow would it silence temptations? \u201cShall I, who am a ruler flee?\u201d saith\nNehemiah. Shall I, who am born of the Spirit; shall I, who am of God in\nChrist, abase myself to such unworthy and base things? Shall I dishonour\nmy Father, and disgrace myself?\n\nThen Christianity\u2019s chief residence, its royal seat, is in the spirit of a\nman, and so he is one after the Spirit. Be ye \u201crenewed in the spirit of\nyour mind,\u201d Eph. iv. 23. As it is of a high descent, so it must have the\nhighest and most honourable lodging in all the creation, that is, the\nspirit of a man. Without this there is no room else fit for it, and\nsuitable to it, in this lower world. \u201cMy son, give me thine heart,\u201d saith\nWisdom, Prov. xxiii. 26. It cares for nothing besides, if it get not the\nheart, the inmost cabinet of the imperial city of this isle of man, for\n\u201cout of it are the issues of life, that flow into all the members.\u201d Do not\nthink that grace will lodge one night in your outward man, that you can\nput on Christianity upon your countenance or conversation without. Except\nyou admit it into your souls, it can have no suitable entertainment there\nalone. It is of a spiritual nature, and it must have a spirit to abide in.\nEvery thing is best preserved and entertained by things suitable to its\nnature, such do incorporate together, and imbosom one with another,\nwhereas things keep a greater distance with things different in nature. A\nflame will die out among cold stones, without oily matter. This heavenly\nfire that is descended into the world, can have nothing earthly to feed\nupon. It must die out, except it get into the immortal spirit, and then\nfurnish, so to speak, perpetual nourishment to it, till at length all the\nspirit be set on flame, and changed, as it were, into that heavenly\nsubstance, to mount up above, from whence it came. Do not think, my\nbeloved, to superinduce true religion upon your outside, and within to be\nas rotten sepulchres. You must either open your hearts to Christ, or else\nhe will not abide with you. Such a noble guest will not stay in the\nsuburbs of the city, if you take him not into the palace; and truly the\npalace of our hearts is too unworthy for such a worthy guest, it hath been\nso defiled by sin. How vile is it? But if you would let him enter, he\nwould wash it and cleanse it for himself.\n\nWill you know then the character of a Christian? He is one much within. He\nhath retired into his own spirit, to know how it goes with it; and he\nfinds all so disordered and confused, all so unsettled, that, he gets so\nmuch business to do at home, he gets no leisure to come much abroad again.\nIt is the misery of men, that they are wholly without, carried into\nexternal things only; and this is the very character of a beast, that it\ncannot reflect inwardly upon itself, but is wholly spent on things that\nare presented to the outward senses. There is nothing in which men are\nmore assimilated to beasts than this, that we do not speak in ourselves,\nor return into our own bosoms, but are wholly occupied about the things\nthat are without us. And thus it fares with us, as with the man that is\nbusy in all other men\u2019s matters, and never thinks of his own. His estate\nmust needs ruin; all his affairs must be out of course. Truly, while we\nare immersed and drowned in external things, our souls are perishing, our\ninward estate is washing away. All our own affairs, that can only and\nproperly be called ours, are disordered and jumbled. Therefore,\nChristianity doth first of all recall the wandering and vain spirit of man\ninto itself, as that exhortation is, Psal. iv. 9, to \u201ccommune\u201d with his\n\u201cown heart,\u201d\u2014to make a diligent search of his own affairs; and, O how doth\nhe find all out of course; as a garden neglected, all overgrown,\u2014as a\nhouse not inhabited all dropping through,\u2014in a word, wholly ruinous,\nthrough intolerable negligence! It was the first turn of the prodigal to\nreturn to himself, \u201che came to himself,\u201d Luke xv. 17. Truly, sin is not\nonly an aversion from God, but it is an estrangement from ourselves, from\nour souls, from our own happiness. It is a madness that takes away the use\nof reason and consideration of our own selves. But grace is a conversion,\nnot only to God, but to ourselves. It bringeth a man home to his heart,\nmaketh him sober again who was beside himself. Hence that phrase, 1 Kings\nviii. 47. \u201cWhen they shall turn to their own hearts, and return.\u201d It is\nthe most laborious vanity, or the vainest labour, to compass heaven and\nearth,\u2014to be so busied abroad,\u2014to know other things, and then to know and\nconsider nothing of that which of all things most nearly concerns\nus,\u2014ourselves. \u201cWhat shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world,\nand lose his soul?\u201d for that is himself. And what shall it profit to know\nall, and not know his soul, to be everywhere but where he ought to be.\nWell, a Christian is one called home from vain impertinent diversions, one\nthat is occupied most about his soul and spirit, how to have all the\ndisorders he finds in himself ordered, all those distempers cured, all\nthose defilements washed. This is the business he is about in this world,\nto wash his heart from wickedness, (Jer. iv. 14,)\u2014to cleanse even vain\nthoughts, and shut up, from that ordinary repair,(177) his own heart. He\nis about the enclosing it to be a garden to the well-beloved, to bring\nforth sweet fruits. He is about the renewing of it, the adorning it with\nthe new man, against that day of our Bridegroom\u2019s appearing, and bringing\nhim up to celebrate the marriage. Though he be in the flesh, yet he is\nmost taken up with his spirit, how to have it restored to that primitive\nbeauty and excellency, the image of God in it; how to be clothed with\nhumility, and to put on the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,\u2014that he\naccounts his beauty; how to rule his own spirit,\u2014that he accounts only\ntrue fortitude; and thinks it a greater vassalage and victory to overcome\nhimself than his enemy, and esteems it the noblest revenge, not to be like\nto other men that wrong him. He is occupied about the highest gain and\nadvantage, viz. to save his spirit and soul; and accounts all loss to\nthis,\u2014to bring Jesus Christ into the heart. That is the jewel he digs for,\nand esteems all dung in comparison of it.\n\nIf you be Christians after the Spirit, no doubt you are busied this way\nabout your spirits. For others, they are busied about the flesh,\u2014to make\nprovision for its lusts; and there needs no other mark to know them by.\nAlas! poor souls, to this you have never yet adverted that you have\nspirits, immortal beings within you, which must survive this dust, this\ncorruptible flesh; what will ye do, when you cannot have flesh to care\nfor,\u2014when your spirits can have nothing to be carried forth into, but must\neternally dwell within the bosom of an evil conscience, and be tormented\nwith that worm, the bitter remembrance of the neglect of your spirits, and\nutter estrangement from them, while you were in the body? Then you must be\nconfined within your own evil consciences, and be imprisoned there for\never, because, while yet there was time and season, you were always\nabroad, and everywhere, but within your own hearts and consciences,\u2014and is\nnot that a just recompense?\n\nThen again, as Christianity descends from the Father of spirits, into the\nspirit of a man, to lodge there for a while, it doth at length bring up\nthe spirit of a man, and unites it to that eternal Spirit; and so, as the\noriginal was high and divine, the end is high too. It issues out of that\nFountain, and returns with the heart of man, to imbosom itself in that\nagain. And truly, this is the great excellency of true religion above all\nthose things you are busied about, that it elevates the spirit of a man to\nGod; that it will never rest till it have carried it above to the\nFountain-spirit. Our spirits are sparks and chips, to speak so with\nreverence, of that divine Being; but now they are wholly immersed and sunk\ninto the flesh, and into the earth by sin, till grace come down and renew\nthem, and extract them out of that dunghill, and purify them. And then\nthey are, as in a state of violence, always striving to mount upwards,\ntill they be embodied, or rather inspirited, so to speak, in that original\nSpirit, till they be wholly united to their own element, the divine\nnature. You know Christ\u2019s prayer, John xvii. \u201cThat they may be one, as we\nare one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one,\u201d\nver. 22, 23. Then spirits have attained their perfection, then will they\n\u201crest from their labours,\u201d when they are one with him. This is the only\ncentre of spirits, in which they can rest immoveable. You find all the\ndesires and affections of the saints are as so many breathings upward,\npantings after union with him, and longings to be intimately present with\nthe Lord. Therefore a Christian is one after the Spirit, groaning to be\nall spirit, to have the earthly house of this tabernacle dissolved, and to\nbe clothed upon with that house from heaven. He knows with Paul, that he\nis not at home, though he be at home in the body, because the body is that\nwhich separates from the Lord, which partition-wall he would willingly\nhave taken down, that his spirit might be at home, present with the Lord,\n2 Cor. v. 1, &c. \u201cWho knoweth (saith Solomon) the spirit of a man that\nascends upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the\nearth?\u201d Eccles. iii. 21. Truly, the natural motion of man\u2019s spirit should\nbe to ascend upward to God who gave it. When this frail and broken vessel\nof the body is dissolved into the elements, the higher and purer nature\nthat lodged within it should fly upwards to heaven; even as the spirit of\nthe beasts, being but the prime and finer part of the body, not different\nin nature from the earth, naturally falls down to the earth with the body,\nand is dissolved into the elements. But I think, the consideration of that\nwoful disorder, that sin hath brought into the world, that all things in\nman are so degenerated and become brutish, both his affections and his\nconversation, that carnal and sensual lusts have the whole dominion over\nmen; I say, the serious and earnest view of this might make a man suspect\nand call in question, whether or not there be any difference between men\nand beasts; whether or not there may be any spirit in the one of a higher\nnature than in the other? Truly, it would half persuade, that there is no\nimmortal spirit in man, else how could he be such a beast all his time,\n\u201cserving diverse lusts?\u201d Can it be possible, might one think, that there\nis any spirit in men, that can ascend to heaven, when there is no motion\nthither to be observed among men? I beseech you, consider this,\u2014the spirit\nmust either ascend or descend when it goes out of the body, as now in\naffection and endeavour it ascends or descends while it is in the body.\nThere is an indispensable connection between these. Whatsoever the spirit\naims at, which way soever it turns and directs its flight, thither it\nshall be constrained to go eternally. Do you think, my beloved, while you\nare in the body, to bow down yourselves to the earth, to descend into the\nservice of the flesh all your time, never once seriously to rise up in the\nconsideration of eternity, or lift up your heads above temporal and\nearthly things, and yet in the close to ascend unto heaven? No, no; do not\ndeceive yourselves; you must go forward. This life and eternity make one\nstraight line, either of ascent or descent, of happiness or misery, and\nsince you have bowed down always, while in the body, there is no rising up\nafter it. Forward you must go, and that is downward to that element, into\nwhich you transformed your spirits, that is, the earth, or below the\nearth\u2014to hell. Your spirits have most affinity with these, and down they\nmust go, as a stone to the earth. But if you would desire to have your\nspirits ascending up to heaven, when they are let out of this prison, the\nbody, take heed which way they turn. Bend and strive while here in the\nbody. If your strugglings be to be upward to God, if you have discovered\nthat blessedness which is in him, and if this be the predominant of your\nspirit, that carries it upwards in desires and endeavour, and turns it off\nthe base study of satisfying the flesh and the base love of the world, if\nthy soul be mounting aloft on these wings of holy desires of a better life\nthan can be found in any thing below, certainly the motion of thy spirit\nwill be in a straight line upward. When thou leavest thy dust to the\nearth, angels wait to carry that spirit to that bosom of Christ where it\nlonged and liked most to be. But devils do attend the souls of most part\nof men, to thrust them down below the earth, because they did still bend\ndown to the earth.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVII.\n\n\n    Verse 5.\u2014\u201cFor they that are after the flesh do mind the things of\n    the flesh,\u201d, &c.\n\n\nThough sin hath taken up the principal and inmost cabinet of the heart of\nman\u2014though it hath fixed its imperial throne in the spirit of man, and\nmakes use of all the powers and faculties in the soul to accomplish its\naccursed desires and fulfil its boundless lusts, yet it is not without\ngood reason expressed in scripture, ordinarily under the name of \u201cflesh,\u201d\nand a \u201cbody of death,\u201d and men dead in sins, are said to be yet in the\nflesh. The reason is, partly because this was the rise of man\u2019s first\nruin, or the chiefest ingredient in his first sin,\u2014his hearkening to the\nsuggestions of his flesh against the clear light and knowledge of his\nspirit. The apple was beautiful to look on and sweet to the taste, and\nthis engaged man. Thus the voluntary debasement and subjection of the\nspirit\u2014which was breathed in of God\u2014unto the service of that dust which\nGod had appointed to serve it hath turned into a necessary slavery, so\nthat the flesh being put in the throne cannot be cast out. And this is the\nrighteous judgment of God upon man, that he that would not serve so good\nand so high a Lord, should be made a drudge and slave to the very dregs of\nthe creation. Partly again, because the flesh hath in it the seeds of the\nmost part of these evil fruits, which abound in the world. The most part\nof our corruptions have either their rise or their increase from the\nflesh, the most part of the evils of men are either conceived in the flesh\nor brought forth by it, by the ministry and help of our degenerate\nspirits. And truly this is it that makes our returning to God so hard and\ndifficult a work, because we are in the flesh, which is like stubble,\ndisposed to conceive flame upon any sparkle of a temptation, there are so\nmany dispositions and inclinations in the body since our fall, that are as\npowerful to carry us to excess and inordinateness in affection or\nconversation, as the natural instincts of beasts do drive them on to their\nown proper operations. You know the flesh is oftentimes the greatest\nimpediment that the spirit hath, because of its lumpishness and earthly\nquality. How willing would the spirit be, how nimble and active in the\nways of obedience, if it were not retarded, dulled, and clogged with the\nheavy lump of our flesh! \u201cThe spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is\nweak,\u201d saith Christ, Matt. xxvi. 41. Truly I think the great remissness,\nnegligence, weakness, fainting of Christians, in their race of\nChristianity, arise ordinarily from this weight that is carried about with\nthem, that it must be some extraordinary impulse of a higher Spirit to\ndrive us on without wearying. And because of this indisposition of the\nflesh, we are not able to bear much of God\u2019s presence in this life, (it\nwould certainly confound mortality, if so much were let out of it as is in\nheaven) no more than a weak eye can endure to behold the sun in its\nbrightness.  And then the flesh, as it is the greatest retardment in good,\nit is the greatest incitement to evil, it is a bosom enemy, that betrays\nus to Satan, it is near us and connatural to us. And this is the great\nadvantage Satan hath of a Christian, he hath a friend within every\nChristian, that betrays him often. You know the most part of temptations\nfrom without could have no such force or strength against us if there were\nnot some predisposition in the flesh, some seeds of that evil within, if\nthey were not presented to some suitableness to our senses, and they being\nonce engaged on Satan\u2019s side, they easily draw the whole man with them,\nunder a false colour and pretence of friendship, therefore they are said\nto \u201cwar against the soul,\u201d 1 Pet. ii. 11, and they are said \u201ceasily\u201d to\n\u201cbeset us,\u201d Heb. xii. 1. Truly it is no wonder that the enemy storm our\ncity, when the outworks yea, the very ports of the city, are possessed by\ntraitors. No wonder Satan approach near the walls with his temptations,\nwhen our senses, our fleshly part, are so apt to receive him, and ready to\nentertain all objects without difference, that are suitable to affect\nthem.\n\nYou see then how much power the flesh hath in man so that it is no wonder\nthat every natural man hath this denomination, one \u201cafter the flesh,\u201d one\ncarnal from the predominating part, though the worst part. Every man by\nnature till a higher birth come may be called all flesh, all fashioned and\ncomposed of the flesh, and after the flesh, even his spirit and mind being\nfleshly and earthly, sunk into the flesh, and transformed into a brutish\nquality or nature. Now the great purpose of the gospel is, to bring along\na deliverer unto your spirits, for the releasing and unfettering of them\nfrom the chains of fleshly lusts. This is the very work of Christianity,\nto give liberty to the captive souls of men \u201cand the opening of the prison\nto them that are bound,\u201d Isa. lxi. 1. The souls of men are chained with\ntheir own fleshly lusts, and if at any time they can break these grosser\nchains, as some finer spirits have escaped out of the vilest dungeon of\nthe flesh, and cast off these heavier chains that bind the most part of\nmen, yet wholly escape they cannot. There be higher and lower rooms of\nthis prison, there are some more gross, some more subtile cords and bands\nof the flesh, and whatsoever it be that holds a man bound or in whatsoever\nhouse he be imprisoned, it is not much matter, since really he is bound,\nand his liberty restrained. If a chain of gold bind as fast as a chain of\niron, there is no real difference, except that mockery is added unto it,\nwhen a man is detained in a golden prison with golden chains. Though some\nmen, I say, escape the grosser pollutions of the flesh, yet they are\nfettered within some narrow, scant, and but imaginary good things, they\ncannot go without the compass of those. Every man is confined by nature\nwithin the circle of his own narrow bosom or if he expatiate into the\nfield of the world, yet how narrow, how limited are all created objects,\nfor the infinite desires of the soul, whether it tend to the enjoyment of\nother creatures, or to the possession of some imaginary excellency in a\nman\u2019s self. How straitened are they! How imprisoned in all that compass!\nThere is no true liberty can be found there. Though some may be disengaged\nfrom baser lusts and the common vain employments of men, yet far they\ncannot go, they do but engage more with themselves the love and estimation\nof themselves. Without that compass they cannot possibly go, whether from\nanother principle, or to another end. And, O how little bounds is within\nany created breast for the immortal spirit, that is so vast and\nexpatiating in its desires to dwell in!\n\nBut here is the perfect redemption that is in Jesus Christ. When he comes\ninto the soul, he unfetters and releases it, not only of the grosser lusts\nof the flesh, but even of those subtile invisible bands of self love, self\nseeking, of all scant, narrow, and particular objects, and sets it at\nliberty to expatiate in that universal good, the infinite fulness of God,\nand grace which is in Christ Jesus, and hence a Christian is called one\n\u201cafter the Spirit\u201d that is, whose spirit is rid and delivered from that\nnatural bondage and slavery to the creatures, and is espoused, at least in\naffection and endeavour, to the all-sufficient and self sufficient God.\n\nWe told you that this new nature of a Christian shows itself in affection\nand motion, in minding and walking, both are signs of life, and the proper\nactions of it. As the natural man is easily known by what he minds and\nsavours, and what way he walks, so is the spiritual man. Minding or\nsavouring comprehends, no doubt, all the inward acts of the soul, all the\nimaginations, cogitations, thoughts, affections, desires and purposes of\nthe soul. To express it shortly, there is a concurrence of these two,\ncogitation and affection, the understanding and the will, in this\nbusiness. The natural man knoweth not the things of the Spirit, so he\ncannot taste or relish them, since he doth not know them, 1 Cor. ii. 14.\nHow can they believe on him whom they have not heard? But far more, how\ncan men love and desire that which they do not know? Though it be hard to\nconvince some that they know not God, nor the things of the Spirit,\nbecause they have some form of knowledge, and seem to understand, and can\ndiscourse on religion, yet I wonder that the most part of men, whose\nignorance is written in their foreheads with such palpable characters,\nshould have so much difficulty to take with this challenge. I am sure,\nmany that persuade themselves of heaven, are yet shut up in that dungeon\nof natural blindness and darkness of mind, and that so gross and thick\ndarkness that it is not possible to make them conceive any notion of\nspiritual things, the common twilight of nature is almost extinguished,\nand little or nothing increased by their education in the visible church.\nHow can you prize and esteem Jesus Christ, of whom you know nothing but\nthe bare name? How can you savour heaven, when you have never admitted one\nserious thought of the life to come? O that you could be persuaded, that\nthe grace of God is inconsistent with such gross ignorance, as is in the\ngenerality light of you! Truly grace is a light shining in the soul, that\nopens the eyes to see that that surrounds us in the gospel. But will you\nconsider, beloved, how ready you are to receive other things of no moment\nhow your memories can retain them, and your understandings receive other\npurposes very perplexed and laborious, but for the knowledge of your sin\nand misery, or of that blessed remedy showed in the gospel we cannot make\nyou capable of a few questions about them, and if you learn the words by\nheart, (as you use to speak,) yet, alas! the matter and thing itself is\nnot in the heart or mind, you have nothing but words, as appears. If we\nask about the same matter in other words and terms, it is as dark and new\nto you, as if you had never heard it. I beseech you consider, if you do\nnot then mind the things of the flesh most when you are not only most\ncapable to know these things that concern this life, but most ready to\nentertain such thoughts. You have no difficulty to mind the world whole\nweeks and years, but you can never find leisure or time to mind the life\nto come, and yet vainly you say, you mind it always. I beseech you, how do\nyou mind God, and the things of God, when, if you will but recollect your\nthoughts, and gather the sum of them, you will not find one serious\nadvised thought of him or his matters in a whole week! I profess I wonder\nhow so many can enforce upon themselves a persuasion that God is always in\ntheir heart. I think it is the height of delusion! I am sure he is not in\none of ten thousand thoughts, that travel, walk, lodge, and dwell in the\nsouls of men, and yet they will needs bear upon themselves that they\nalways mind him. I am sure most of you cannot say, that ever you shut the\ndoors of your hearts upon other vain objects, that you might retire to\nsecret meditation on God, or conference with him, and I am as sure, that\nmany men have God oftener in their mouths, by oaths and blasphemies, and\nirreverent speaking, and taking his holy name in vain, than in their\nminds, prayers or praises, or any holy meditations of him. Are you not as\nunwilling to fix your minds upon any sad solemn thoughts of God\u2019s justice,\nof hell, of heaven, of sin or misery, of death, as boys, whose heads are\nfull of play, are loath to go to their books? Doth not your practice in\nthis speak with these wicked men, who say, (Job xxi. 14.) \u201cDepart from us,\nwe desire not the knowledge of thy ways?\u201d How constrained are all your\nthoughts of religion! They are entertained as those whom you would not\ndesire to come again. But how unconstrained, how free are all other\nthoughts! Our minds can rove whole days about vanity, about fancies,\ndreams, nothings; but you neither like to admit nor retain the knowledge\nof God in your mind, Rom. i. 28. Do you not entertain any serious weighty\nthoughts of religion, that by occasion may enter as fire-brands, as hot\ncoals in your bosom? How glad are you to get any diversion to other\nthings! How willing to shun them, or cast them out! But if it be any\ntemporal thing, any thing relating to this flesh, your thoughts come\nfreely off, are steady and fixed as long as you please, your minds can\ntravel through all the ends of the earth, to bring in some fancy of gain\nor advantage, or to steal by precious time, and that without wearying. Now\nall these things considered, my beloved, are you not carnal? I speak to\nthe most of you, are you not those who are born of the flesh, since you\nmind nothing seriously, resolutely, constantly and willingly, but the\nthings of the flesh, and the things of this life? O it is no light matter\nto be born of the flesh; if you continue so, you are ordained for\ncorruption, for death; \u201cto be carnally minded is death,\u201d ver. 6, of this\nchapter.\n\nBut I am persuaded better things of some of you, that the true light of\nGod hath shined into your hearts, and revealed more excellent things unto\nyou than these perishing fleshly things, viz. heavenly, substantial, and\neternal things in the gospel, which you account only worthy of the fixed\nand continued meditation of your spirits. I am sure you perceive another\nbeauty and excellency in these things than the world doth, because the\nSpirit hath revealed them unto you. It is true that your minds are yet\nmuch darkened in their apprehension of spiritual things, they are not so\nwilling to receive them, nor so ready to retain them as you desire, they\nare very unsettled and unsteady in the meditations of spiritual things,\nand there are innumerable thoughts of other things that pass through your\nhearts like common inns, uncontrolled at their pleasure; all this is true,\nbut I am sure it is the grief of your souls that your hearts are not so\nfixed and established as the excellency of these spiritual things require.\nI know it will be the aim and real endeavour of any spiritual heart, to be\nshutting up all the entries and doors of the mind, that vain thoughts\nenter not; yet enter they will, there are so many porches to enter in at,\nand our narrow spirits cannot watch at all. Every sense will let in\nobjects, and imagination itself will be active in framing them, and\npresenting them: but yet the endeavour of a Christian will be, not to let\nthem lodge long within (Jer. iv. 14.). If they come in unawares, he will\nlabour to make a diversion to a better purpose, and so still it holds\ngood, that the current and course of a Christian\u2019s thoughts and\ncogitations are upon the \u201cthings of the Spirit,\u201d\u2014how to get his own heart\nwashed and cleansed,\u2014how to be more holy and conformed to Christ,\u2014how to\nbe at peace with God, and keep that peace unbroken,\u2014how to walk in\nobedience to God, and in duty towards men,\u2014how to forsake himself, and\nwithal to deny himself in all these; I say, his most serious and solemn\nthoughts are about these things, his resolved and advised thoughts run\nmost on this strain, though it be true that, whether he will or not, other\nvain and impertinent, or not so concerning thoughts, will pass more\nlightly, and too frequently through his heart.\n\nThe other thing in which this spiritual life doth appear, is the current\nof the affections, or that relish and taste of the sweetness of the things\nof the Spirit, flowing from the apprehension of them in the mind. When the\nlight is discovered indeed, (and O it is a pleasant thing for the eye to\nbehold it, as Solomon speaks,) then the Spirit hath found an object\nsuitable to its nature, and so it relisheth and delighteth in it:\ntherefore the word is not simple minding, or thinking, but savouring,\nthinking with affection upon them, tasting and feeding upon the knowledge\nof them, it is a minding of them with care and delight, with earnestness\n(\u03c6\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd) \u201cO taste and see how good the Lord is,\u201d Psal. xxxiv. 8. Some\nthings indeed cannot be known but by some sense. You cannot make a blind\nman apprehend what light is, till he see it. A deaf man cannot form a\nnotion of sounds in his mind, except he once heard them; neither can a man\nunderstand the sweetness of honey, but by tasting it. Truly spiritual\nthings are of that nature, there is some hidden virtue and excellency in\nthem, which is not obvious to every man that hath the bare knowledge of\nthe letter, there is a spirit and life in them, that cannot be transmitted\ninto your ears with the sound of words, or infused into ink and paper; it\nis only the inspiration of the Almighty can inspire this sensible\nperception, and real taste of spiritual things. Some powders do not smell\ntill they are beaten, truly till these truths be well powdered and beaten\nsmall by meditation, they cannot smell so fragrantly to the spirit. As\nmeats do not nourish till they be chewed and digested, so spiritual things\ndo not relish to a soul, nor can they truly feed the soul, till they be\nchewed and digested into the heart by serious and earnest consideration.\nThis is that which makes these same truths to be someway not the same;\nthese very principles of religion received and confessed by all, to be\nlively in one, and dead in another. It is the living consideration of\nliving truth, the application of truth to the heart, that makes it lively\nin one, whereas others keep it only beside them in a corner of their\nminds, or in a book, in the corner of the house.   The same meat is laid\nto you all, the most part look on it, others contemplate it, and exercise\nonly their understandings about it, but there are some who taste it, and\nfind sweetness in it, who digest it by meditation and solemn avocation of\ntheir hearts from the things of the world, and therefore some are fed,\nsome are starved.\n\nNeed we to enlarge much upon this subject? Is it not too palpable that\nmany who fill up our churches are in the flesh, because they do mind and\nsavour only the things of the flesh, and not of the Spirit? Will you\nseriously search your hearts, ask what relishes most with them? Can you\nsay, that it is the kingdom of God or the righteousness thereof? Or is it\nnot rather those other things of food and raiment, and such like, that\nhave no extent beyond this narrow span of time? I am persuaded the hearts\nof many taste no sweetness in religion, else they would fix more upon it,\nand pursue it more earnestly. Are not the things of another world, the\ngreat things of the gospel, counted all strange things, (Hos. viii. 12,)\nas things that you have not much to do with? Do you not let the officers\nof Jesus Christ, all the sweet invitations of the gospel, pass by as\nstrangers, and as if ye were unconcerned in them? What taste have they\nmore than the white of an egg? How unsavoury a discourse or thought to a\ncarnal heart is it, to speak of subduing the lusts of the flesh, of dying\nto the world, of the world to come? Who find their hearts inwardly stirred\nupon the proposal of Jesus Christ? But if any matter of petty gain were\nproffered, O how would men listen with both their ears! How beautiful in\nthe eyes of the covetous mind is any gain and advantage! The sound of\nmoney is sweeter to him than this blessed sound of peace and salvation.\nHow sweet is pleasure to the voluptuous! What suitableness and conveniency\nis apprehended in these perishing things! But how little moment or weight\nis conceived and believed to be in things eternal? O how substantial do\nthings visible seem to men, and how trifling do other things invisible\nappear! But for you whose eyes are opened, to you Christ is precious; to\nyou the things of the Spirit are beautiful, and all your grief is, that\nyou cannot affect them according to their worth, or love them according to\ntheir beauty. I say, some there are who do see a substance and subsistence\nonly in things not seen (Heb. xi. 1), and for things that are seen and\nvisible in this world, they do account them shadows only in comparison of\nthings invisible.  The world apprehends no realities, but in what they\nsee, but a Christian apprehends no solid reality in that he sees, but only\nin that he sees not, and therefore, as in his judgment he looks upon the\none as a shadow, the other as a substance, so he labours to proportion and\nconform his affection to a suitable entertainment of them, to give a\nshadow of show of affection to the things of this life, but the marrow and\nsubstance of his heart to the things invisible of another life. Thus the\napostle, 1 Cor. vii. 29: \u201cRejoicing, as if we rejoiced not, enjoying, as\nif we possessed not, using, as if we used not,\u201d half acts for half\nobjects. If we give our whole spirits, the strength of our souls and minds\nto them, we are as foolish as he that strikes with all his strength at the\nair, or a feather. There is no solidity or reality in these things, able\nto bottom much estimation or affection, only mind them and use them as in\nthe by, as in passing through towards your country.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVIII.\n\n\n    Verses 5, 6.\u2014\u201cFor they that are after the flesh do mind,\u201d &c. \u201cFor\n    to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is\n    life and peace.\u201d\n\n\nThere are many differences among men in this world, that, as to outward\nappearance, are great and wide, and indeed they are so eagerly pursued,\nand seriously minded by men, as if they were great and momentous. You see\nwhat a strife and contention there is among men, how to be extracted out\nof the dregs of the multitude, and set a little higher in dignity and\ndegree than they. How do men affect to be honourable above the base! How\ndo they seek to be rich, and hate poverty! These differences of poor and\nrich, high and low, noble and ignoble, learned and unlearned, the thoughts\nof men are wholly taken up with, but there is one great difference, that\nis most in God\u2019s eye, and is both substantial and eternal, and so\ninfinitely surpasseth all these differences that the minds of men most run\nout upon; and it is here, the great difference between flesh and spirit,\nand them that are after the flesh, and them that are after the Spirit.\nThis is of all other most considerable, because widest and durablest. I\nsay, it is the widest of all, for all others put no great difference\nbetween men as men, they do reach the peculiar excellency of a man, that\nis, the true, and proper, good of his spiritual and immortal part, they\nare such as befall alike to good and bad, and so cannot have either much\ngood or much evil in them. I have seen folly set in great dignity, and\nprinces walking on foot, Eccles. x. 6, 7. Then certainly such titles of\nhonour and dignity, such places of eminency erected above the multitude,\nhave little or nothing worth the spirit of a man in them, seeing a fool, a\nwicked man, is as capable of them, as a wise man, or a man of a princely\nspirit, and so of all others, they do not elevate a man, as a man, above\nothers. A poor, unlearned, mean man may have more real excellency in him,\nthan a rich, learned, and great person. But this draws a substantial and\nvast difference indeed, such as is between flesh and spirit, such as is\nbetween men and beasts. You know what pre-eminency a man hath over a\nbeast. There is no such wide distance among the sons of men as between the\nlowest and meanest man and the chiefest beast. \u201cThere is a spirit in man,\u201d\nsaith Elihu, Job xxxii. 8,\u2014an immortal, eternal substance, of a far higher\nnature and comprehension. You know what excellency is in the spirit beyond\nthe flesh, such as is in heaven beyond the earth, for the one is breathed\nfrom heaven, and the other is taken out of the dust of the earth; the one\nis corruptible, yea, corruption itself, the other incorruptible. How swift\nand nimble are the motions of the spirit, from the one end of heaven to\nthe other! How can it compass the earth in a moment! Do but look and see\nwhat a huge difference is between a beautiful living body, and the same\nwhen it is a dead carcase, rotten and corrupted. It is the spirit dwelling\nwithin that makes the odds, that makes it active, beautiful, and comely,\nbut in the removal of the spirit, it becometh a piece of the most defiled\nand loathsome dust in the world.\n\nNow, I say, such a vast and wide difference there is between a true\nChristian and a natural man, even taking him in with all his common\nendowments and excellencies, the one is a man, the other a beast, the one\nis after the flesh, the other is after the Spirit. It is the ordinary\ncompellation of the Holy Ghost, \u201cMan being in honour, and understanding\nnot, is like the beasts that perish,\u201d Psal. xlix. 20, and xciv. 8,\n\u201cUnderstand, ye brutish among the people,\u201d &c., and Psal xcii. 6, \u201cThe\nbrutish man understands not this,\u201d and Eccles. iii. 18, \u201cthat they\nthemselves may know that they are but beasts.\u201d Therefore you find the Lord\noften turning to beasts, to insensible creatures, thereby to reprove the\nfolly and madness of men, Isa. i. 2, and Jer. viii. 7. Man hath two parts\nin him, by which he hath affinity to the two most distant natures, he\nstands in the middle between angels and beasts. In his spirit he riseth up\nto an angelic dignity, and in his body he falls down to a brutish\ncondition. Now, which of these hath the pre-eminency, _that_ he is. If the\nspirit be indeed elevated above all sensual and earthly things, to the\nlife of angels, that is, to communion with God, then a man is one after\nthe spirit, an angel incarnate, an angel dwelling in flesh, but if his\nspirit throw itself down to the service of the flesh, minding and\nsavouring only things sensual and visible, then indeed a man puts off\nhumanity, and hath associated himself to beasts, to be as one of them. And\nindeed, a man made thus like a beast, is worse than a beast, because he\nought to be far better. It is no disparagement to a beast to mind only the\nflesh, but it is the greatest abasement of a man, that which draws him\ndown from that higher station God hath set him into, to the lowest\nstation, that of beasts; and truly a Nebuchadnezzar among beasts is the\ngreatest beast of all, far more brutish than any beast. Now such is every\nman by nature,\u2014\u201cthat which is born of the flesh is flesh.\u201d Every man as he\ncomes out of the womb, is degenerated and fallen down into this brutish\nestate, to mind, to savour, to relish nothing but what relates to this\nfleshly or temporal being. The utmost sphere and comprehension of man, is\nnow of no larger extent than this visible world and this present life,\u2014\u201che\nis blind and seeth not afar off,\u201d 2 Pet. i. 9. Truly, such is every man by\nnature, whereas the proper native sphere of the spirit\u2019s motion and\ncomprehension, is as large as its endurance, that is, as long as eternity,\nand as broad as to reach the infiniteness of God, the God of all spirits.\nNow, through the slavery and bondage of men\u2019s spirits to their flesh, it\nis contracted into as narrow bounds as this poor life in the flesh. He\nthat ought to look beyond time as far as eternity, and hath an immortal\nspirit given for that end, is now half blind, the eye of the mind is so\noverclouded with lusts and passions that it cannot see far off, not so far\nas to the morrow after death, not so far as to the entry of eternity. And\ntruly, if you compare the context, you will find, that whosoever doth not\ngive all diligence to add to faith, virtue, to virtue, knowledge, to\nknowledge, temperance, to temperance, patience and to patience godliness,\n&c., he that is not exercised and employed about this study, how to adorn\nhis spirit with these graces, how to have a victory over himself and the\nworld, and in respect of these, accounts all things beside\nindifferent,\u2014such a man is blind, and seeth not far off, he hath not\ngotten a sight of eternity, he hath not taken up that everlasting\nendurance, else he could not spend his time upon provision for the lusts\nof the flesh, but be behoved to lay such a good foundation for the time to\ncome as is here mentioned. If he saw afar off, he could not but make\nacquaintance with those courtiers of heaven, which will minister an\nentrance into that everlasting kingdom. But truly, while this is not your\nstudy, you have no purpose for heaven, you see nothing but what is just\nbefore your eye, and almost toucheth it, and so you savour and mind only\nwhat you see.\n\nIs not this then a wide difference between the children of this world, and\nthe children of God? Is it not very substantial? All others are\ncircumstantial in respect of this, this only puts a real difference in\nthat which is best in men, viz. their spirits. The excellency of nature is\nknown by their affections and motions, so are these here, the spiritual\nman savours spiritual things, the carnal man carnal things, everything\nsympathizes with that which is like itself, and is ready to incorporate\ninto it, things are nourished and preserved by things like themselves. You\nsee the swine embraces the dunghill, that stink is only a savoury smell to\nthem, because it is suitable to their nature. But a man hath a more\nexcellent taste and smell, and he savours finer and sweeter things. Truly\nit cannot choose but that it must be a nature more swinish or brutish than\na swine, that can relish and savour such filthy abominable works of the\nflesh as abound amongst some of you. \u201cThe works of the flesh are\nmanifest,\u201d Gal. v. 19. And indeed they are manifest upon you, acted in the\nvery day time, out facing the very light of the gospel. You may read them,\nand see if they be not too manifest in you. Now, what a base nature, what\nabominable and brutish spirits must possess men, that they apprehend a\nsweetness and fragrancy in these corrupt and stinking works of the old\nman! O how base a scent is it, to smell and savour nothing but this\npresent world, and satisfaction to your senses! Truly your scent and\nsmell, your relish and taste, argues your base, and degenerate, and\nbrutish natures, that you are on the worse side of this division,\u2014\u201cafter\nthe flesh.\u201d But alas! it is not possible to persuade you that there is no\nsweetness, no fragrancy, nothing but corruption and rottenness, such as\ncomes out of sepulchres opened, in all these works of the flesh, till once\na new spirit be put in you, and your natures changed, no more than you can\nby eloquence persuade a sick man, whose palate is possessed with a\nvitiated bitter humour, that such things as are suitable to his vitiated\ntaste, are indeed bitter, or make a swine to believe that the dunghill is\nstinking and unpleasant. Truly it is as impossible to make the multitude\nof men to apprehend, to relish or savour any bitterness or loathsomeness\nin the ways and courses they follow, or any sweetness and fragrancy in the\nways of godliness, till once your tastes be rectified, your spirits be\ntransformed and renewed.\n\nAnd indeed, when once the spirit is renewed, and dispossessed of that\nmalignant humour of corruption, and fleshly affection, that did present\nall things, contrary to what they are, then it is like a healthful and\nwholesome palate, that tastes all things as they are, and finds bitter,\nbitter, and sweet, sweet, or like a sound eye, that beholds things just as\nthey are, both in colour, quantity, and distance, then the soul savours\nthe sweet smell of the fruits of the Spirit, ver 22: \u201cLove, joy, peace,\nlong-suffering, meekness, temperance,\u201d &c. These are fragrant and sweet to\nthe soul, and as a sweet perfume, both to the person that hath them, and\nto others round about him, and to God also. These cast a savour that\nallures a soul to seek them, and being possessed of them, they cast a\nsweet smell abroad to all that are round about, and even as high as\nheaven. A soul that hath these planted in it, and growing out of it, is as\na garden enclosed to God. These fruits are both pleasant and sweet to the\nsoul that eats them, and as the pleasantness of the apple allured man to\ntaste it and sin, so the beauty and sweetness of these fruits of the\nSpirit draw the spirit of a man after them. He hath found the savour, and\nseen the beauty, and this allures him to taste them, and then he invites\nthe well beloved to come and taste also, to eat of these fruits with him.\nWe might instance this in many things. A Christian relishes more sweetness\nin temperance, in beating down his body, and bringing it into subjection,\nin abstaining from fleshly lusts, than a carnal man tastes in the most\nexquisite pleasures that the world can afford. A Christian savours a\nsweetness in meekness and long suffering, he hath more delight in\nforgiving, and forbearing, and praying for them that wrong him, than a\nnatural man hath in the accomplishing of the most greedy desires of\nrevenge. O what beauty hath gentleness, goodness, and patience, in his\neye! What sweetness is in the love of God to his taste! How ravishing is\nthe joy of the Holy Ghost! How contenting that peace that passeth\nunderstanding! These are things of the Spirit that he minds and savours.\nKnow, Christians, that it is to this ye are called, to mind these things\nmost, and to seek them most. Beware lest the deceitfulness of sin entice\nyou, through the treacherous and deceitful lusts that are yet living in\nyour members. If you indeed mind these things, and, out of the\napprehension of the beauty and savour of the sweetness and smell of the\nfragrancy of them, would be content to quit all your corrupt lusts, for to\nbe possessed of them, then you are on that blessed and happy side of this\ngreat and fundamental division of men, you have indeed the privilege(178)\nof all others who are not renewed. Whatever be your condition in the\nworld, you are of the Spirit, and this is better than to be rich, wise,\ngreat, and honourable. God hath not given you such things as the world go\nmad after, but envy them not, he hath given you better things, more real\nand substantial things, that make you far better and more excellent.\n\nBut then, this difference, as it is the widest, so it is the durablest, as\nit is substantial here, so it is perpetual hereafter. When all the other\ndifferences between men shall be abolished, this alone shall remain, and\ntherefore you have it in the next verse, \u201cTo be carnally minded is death,\nbut to be spiritually minded is life and peace.\u201d This division that is\nbegun here, shall grow wider for all eternity. There shall be a greater\ndifference after this life, and a more sensible separation. Death and\nlife, eternal death and eternal life, are the two sides of this\ndifference, as it shall shortly be stated. When all other degrees and\ndistances of men shall be blotted out and buried in eternal oblivion,\nthere shall no vestige or mark remain, of either wisdom, or riches, or\nhonour, or such like, but all mankind shall be, as to these outward\nthings, levelled and equalized, this one unseen and neglected difference\nin the world shall appear and shine in that day when the Lord maketh up\nhis jewels, \u201cthen he will discern between the righteous and the wicked,\nbetween him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not,\u201d Mal. iii. 18.\nThe carnal and spiritual man have opposite affections and motions. The\nspirit of the one is on a journey or walk upward, \u201cafter the Spirit,\u201d and\nthe spirit of the other is on a walk downward, towards the flesh, and the\nfurther they go, the further distant they are. The one shall be taken up\nto the company of the spirits of just men made perfect, and to the\nfellowship of angels, the other shall be thrown down into the fellowship\nand society of devils. And truly it is no wonder it fall so low, for all\nits motions in the body were downward, to the fulfilling of the lusts of\nthe flesh. Thus you see the difference will grow wider and more sensible\nthan it is yet between the godly and ungodly, in this world it doth not so\nevidently appear as it will do afterward. As two men, that leave one\nanother, and have their faces on contrary arts,(179) at the beginning the\ndistance and difference is not so great and so sensible, but wait a\nlittle, and the further they go, the farther they are distant, and the\nwider their separation is. Even so, when a Christian begins to break off\nhis way from the common course of the world it doth not appear to be so\ndifferent from it as to convince himself and others; but if his face be\ntowards Jerusalem above, and his heart thitherward, certainly he will be\ndaily moving further from the world, till the distance be sensible both to\nhimself and others; he will be more and more transformed and renewed, till\nat length all be changed. No wonder then, that these two cannot meet\ntogether in the end of their course, whose course was so opposite. Though\nwicked men will desire to \u201cdie the death of the righteous,\u201d yet it is no\nmore possible they can meet in the end, than hell and heaven can reconcile\ntogether, because they walk to two contrary points.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIX.\n\n\n    Verse 6.\u2014\u201cFor to be carnally minded is death; but to be\n    spiritually minded is life and peace.\u201d\n\n\nIt is true, this time is short, and so short that scarce can similitudes\nor comparisons be had to shadow it out unto us. It is a dream, a moment, a\nvapour, a flood, a flower, and whatsoever can be more fading or perishing;\nand therefore it is not in itself very considerable, yet in another\nrespect it is of all things the most precious, and worthy of the deepest\nattention and most serious consideration; and that is, because it is\nlinked unto eternity; and there is an indissolvable knot between them,\nthat no power or art can break or loose. The beginning of eternity is\ncontinually united to the end of time; and you know all the infinite\nextension of eternity is uniform, it admits of no change in it from better\nto worse, or worse to better; and therefore the beginning of our eternity,\nwhether it be happiness or misery, is but one perpetuated and eternized\nmoment, so to speak. Seeing then we are in the body, and sent unto the\nworld for this end, that we may pass through into an unchangeable eternal\nestate; truly, of all things it is most concerning and weighty, what way\nwe choose to this journey\u2019s end. Seeing the time is short, in which we\nhave to walk, and it is uncertain too, we ought, as the apostle Peter\nspeaks, to \u201cgive all diligence;\u201d as long as the day remains, we should\ndrive the harder, lest that eternal night overtake us. The shortness and\nuncertainty of time should constrain us to take the present opportunity,\nand not to let it slip over as we do; seeing it is not at all in our hand,\neither what is past, or what is to come, the one cannot be recalled, the\nother is not in our power to call and bring forward, therefore the present\nmoment that God hath given us, should be catched, held on, and redeemed,\nas the apostle speaks, Eph. v. 16. We should buy it at the dearest rate of\npains and expenses, from all those vain, impertinent, and trifling\ndiversions that take it up, that we may employ it as it becomes suitable\nto eternity that is posting on. And then, as the shortness of it makes it\nthe more precious and considerable, in regard of the end of it,\u2014eternity;\nas the scantiness of a thing increases the rate of it, so that same\nconsideration should make all worldly things, that are confined either in\ntheir being or use, within it, to be inconsiderable, as Paul, (1 Cor. vii.\n29-31), shows. Seeing the time is short, it remaineth, that we should\nrejoice, as not rejoicing; weep, as not weeping; buy, as if we possessed\nnot; use the world, as not abusing it. Seeing all its worth is to be\nesteemed from the end of it, eternity, never ending; then certainly\nwhatsoever in time doth not reach that end, and hath no connection with\nit, we should give it but such entertainment, as a passing bird, that is\npleasant to the eye, gets of a beholder, while it is in its flight. The\nshortness of the day should make us double our diligence, and push on the\nharder in our walk or race, that so we may come in time to our place of\nrest; and that same should make the passenger give an overly(180) and\npassing look to all things that are by the way, and which he must of\nnecessity leave behind him. Seeing these things, then, are so important,\nlet us draw our hearts together to consider what the Lord speaks to us in\nthis word; for in it you have two ways and two ends, opposite and contrary\nways and walks, and as contrary ends; the ways are, walking \u201cafter the\nflesh,\u201d and walking \u201cafter the Spirit;\u201d the ends to which they lead, are\ndeath and life. We spoke something of the ways, and the wide difference\nthat is between them, what excellency is in the one beyond the other; but\ntruly it is hard to persuade to leave off your accustomed ways and walks,\nbecause your inward sense and the inclination of your hearts are wholly\nperverted and corrupted by nature. You know the moving faculty is\nsubordinate in its operations unto the knowing, feeling, and apprehending\nfaculties: the locomotive power is given for a subsidiary and help to the\napprehensive and appetitive powers, because things are convenient and\ndisconvenient, good or evil, to the nature of the living creature, without\nit; and it could not by mere knowledge, or desire, or hatred of things,\neither come into possession of them, or eschew them. Therefore God hath\ngiven them a faculty of moving themselves to the prosecution and\nattainment of any apprehended good, or to the eschewing and aversion of\nany conceived evil. Thus, when beasts savour or smell that food which is\nfit for them, their appetite stirs them up to motion after it to obtain\nit. Now, I say, if this inward sense be corrupted, then things that are\ndestructive will be conceived good, because they are suitable to that\ncorrupt humour or quality that possesses the senses; and thus all the\nmotion and walk will be disordered. The truth is, my beloved, our spirits\nand minds are infected with a poisonable humour, fleshly passions and\nlusts are predominant naturally; and, as in them that are in a fever,\ntheir organs being distempered with a bitter unsavoury humour, the\npleasantest things seem unsavoury, because not suitable to that\npredominant humour, even so it is with you by nature. That which puts all\nupon motion is out of course, since the first distemper of man. Your\nspirits and minds are fleshly and carnal; they have a strong and deep\nimpression of all the lusts that are in the body, and are accordingly\naffected; and therefore you cannot fitly judge what is good or evil for\nyou, but according to these, (Isa. v. 20,)\u2014you must call evil good, and\ngood evil; bitter sweet, and sweet bitter, because you are already\nprepossessed thus. And therefore the ways of the flesh, those paths that\nlead to destruction, you cannot but look on them as pleasant, because they\nsuit and please your corrupted sense or spirit; and so this disordered\nsavour or smell of some fragrant perfume in the ways of the flesh, puts\nyou upon walking in these ways; and being thus possessed and engaged, you\ncannot but stop your ears to all contrary persuasions. You think it\nagainst your sense and reason, to tell you that these are loathsome and\nunsavoury, and that the other ways of wisdom and spirit are pleasantness\nand peace. I say, you cannot believe this, till your hearts and spirits\nlie purged, and your taste be pure and uncorrupted. It is certainly upon\nthis ground that our Saviour puts such characters on the way to heaven and\nhell, to life and death. The one is strait and narrow, and few walk in it;\nthe other broad and easy, and many walk in it, Matt. vii. 13. Certainly,\nit is not the way in itself simply, that admits of such a motion, to speak\nproperly, as the thing is; the way to life, by the guiding of the Spirit,\nis easiest, plainest, shortest, and broadest. It hath all the properties\nof a good way, none so pleasant and plain;\u2014how sweet and pleasant sights\nall the way! It is an alley of delight,\u2014the way of his commandments; it\nwants not accommodation in it to refresh the traveller. The most\ndelightful company is here; the Father and the Son, who sought no other\ncompany from all eternity, but were abundantly satisfied and rejoiced in\none another. This fellowship the Christian hath to solace himself with,\nand he is admitted to be partaker of that joy. There is nothing that doth\ndisburden the soul so of care and anxiety, nothing doth rid a man of so\nmany perplexities and troubles, as this way. But the way of sin in itself\nis most laborious, most difficult. It hath infinite by-ways that it leads\na man into, and he must turn and return, and run in a circle all the day,\nall his time, to satisfy the infinite lusts and insatiable desires of sin.\nO how painful and laborious is it to fulfil the lusts of the flesh! How\nmuch service doth it impose! How serious attention! What perplexing cares\nand tormenting thoughts! How many sorrows and griefs are in every step of\nthis way! Do you not perceive what drudges and slaves sin makes you,\u2014how\nmuch labour you have to satisfy your lusts? And you are always to begin,\nas near that which you seek in the end of your years, as in the beginning.\nHow thorny, how miry is the way of covetousness! Are you not always out of\none thorn into another, and cut asunder, or pierced through with many\nsorrows?  1 Tim. vi. 10; Matt. xiii. 22. Is that a pleasant and easy way,\nI pray you, that makes all your sorrow and your travail grief, and suffers\nnot your heart to take rest in the night? Eccl. ii. 22, 23. What pains of\nbody! What plotting of mind! What labour and vexation of both must a\nsinner have as his constant attendance in this way! The way is intricate,\ndeep, unpassable, that leads to that satisfaction you desire to your\nlusts. Your desires are impotent and impatient, the means to carry you on\nare weak and lame, nowise accommodated or fit for such a journey, and this\nputs you always, as it were, on the rack, tormented between the impatience\nof your lusts, and the impotency of means, and impossibility to fulfil\nthem. Desires and disappointments, hopes and fears, divide your souls\nbetween them. Such is the way after the flesh, an endless labyrinth of\nwoes and miseries, of pains and cares, ever while here.\n\nBut these ways receive such names from the common opinion and apprehension\nof men, because of our flesh, which is predominant. The way after the\nflesh being suitable to it, though in itself infinitely more toilsome,\nseems easy and plain, but the way after the Spirit seems strait, narrow,\ntoilsome, and laborious. Though there be infinitely more room in the way\nto life, because it leads to that immense universal good, it expatiates\ntowards the All fulness of God, yet to the flesh how narrow and strait is\nit, because it cannot admit of these inordinate lusts, that have swelled\nso immeasurably towards narrow and scanty things! The true latitude of the\nway of the flesh is not great, for it is all enclosed within poor, lean,\nnarrow, created objects, but because the imagination of men supplies what\nis wanting really, and fancies an infinite or boundless extent of goodness\nin these things, therefore the sinner walks easily, without straitening to\nhis flesh,\u2014it is not pinched in this way of fleshly lusts. But, alas! the\nspirit is wofully straitened, fettered, and imprisoned, though it be not\nsensibly bound.\n\nWhat is the reason, then, that so many walk in the way to death but\nbecause their flesh finds no straitening, no pressure in it? It is an easy\nway to their natures, because suitable to the corruption that is in them,\ntherefore men walk on without consideration of what follows. It is like a\ndescent or going down a hill, and so easy to our flesh. On the other hand,\nthe way of life, after the Spirit, is an ascent upward, and it is very\ndifficult to our earthly and lumpish flesh. Our spirits by communion with\nand subjection to the flesh, are made of an earthly quality, near the\nelement of the flesh, and so they bow naturally downward, but if once they\nwere purified and purged, and unfettered by the spirit of God and restored\nto their native purity, they would more easily and willingly move upward,\nas you see the flame doth, and till this be done in you, we cannot expect\nthat you will willingly and pleasantly walk in these pleasant walks after\nthe Spirit; your walk will never be free and unconstrained in the paths of\ngodliness. You may, from some external motives and impulses, move upward\nfor a season, in some particular duties of religion, as a stone cast up,\nbut as that impression is not from an inward principle so it will not be\nconstant and durable, but you will fall down to your old bias in other\nthings, and move quite contrary, when the external impression of fear or\nfavour, of custom or education, or such like, wears out. But the true\nChristian hath a spirit within him, the root of the matter in him; this\ncarries him upward in the ways of obedience, after the motions and\ndirections of God\u2019s Spirit. At the beginning, indeed, it is strait and\nuneasy to his flesh, but the difficulty is overcome if once you begin\nwell, the beginning (as you used to say) is the half of the whole. Truly\nto be well entered is half progress; afterward the bulksome and burdensome\nlusts of the flesh are stript off, at least in a greater measure, and then\nthe spirit moves easily and willingly; this walk becomes a recreation,\nthat at first was a labour. Now delight and desire are as wings to mount\nthe soul aloft. Now it is the good pleasure of the soul to walk to all\nwell pleasing. Indeed the way of this world is dirty and filthy, and\ntherefore a Christian had need to watch continually, and to gird up his\nloins, that his thoughts and affections hang not down to the earth, else\nthey will take up much filth, and cannot but clog and burden the spirit,\nand make it drive heavily and slowly, as Pharaoh did his chariots when the\nwheels were off. We had need to fly aloft above the ground, and not to\ncome down too low near it, thinking withal to double out our journey, for\nwe shall find, that because of the remnants of flesh within us, that this\nworld hath a magnetical attractive virtue to draw us down to it, if we be\nwithin the sphere of its activity. It is not good coming near fire with\nflax, we should endeavour to keep our hearts at much distance, and\ndisengage them from our lower consolations. This world is like the\npestiferous lake of Sodom, that kills all that fly over it, and makes them\nfall down into it.(181) If we fly low upon the surface of it, we cannot\nthink but that the spiritual life will be much extinguished. But to\nprevent this we should take our flight straight upward after the Spirit,\n(for that is the proper motion of the more pure and spiritual part of this\nworld), and give no rest till we be out of the reach of that infection,\ntill we be fully escaped the pollutions of the world.\n\nBut if you cannot be persuaded to come off this way, that seems so\npleasant to your flesh, that way which is the very course of the world,\n(for these are joined, Eph. ii. 2), then, I beseech you, stand still, and\nconsider whither it will lead, do but stop a little, and bethink\nyourselves sadly and seriously whither this will take you, where it shall\nend. And truly that is dreadful, the end of it is death, a never ending\ndeath. I am sure, if you were walking by the way, and one came and told\nyou gravely and seriously that that way is full of dangerous pits, that\nthere are many robbers in it waiting to cut your throat, you would count\nthe admonition worthy of so much notice as to halt and consider what to\ndo, but now, when the Lord himself, that deserves infinite more respect\nand credit than men, gives you warning once, and often, day after day\nrepeats this admonition to you, sends out many ambassadors to call you\noff, makes this word to sound daily in your ears, \u201cOh! why will you die?\u201d\n\u201cSuch ways lead down to the chambers of death and hell,\u201d \u201cto be\ncarnally-minded\u201d in the issue \u201cis death,\u201d whatsoever you may promise to\nyourselves, I say, when he makes a voice to accompany us in all our\nwalkings, this is not the way that leads to life, why do you not think it\nworthy of so much consideration as once to stop and sist your progress\ntill you examine what will come of it? Are we so credulous to men, and\nshall not we believe God, who is truth itself, who affirms it so\nconstantly, and obtests us so earnestly? Are we so wise and prudent in\nlesser things, and shall we be mad, self-willed, and refractory in the\ngreatest things that concern us eternally? Oh! unbelief is that which will\ncondemn the world, the unbelief of this one thing, that the walking after,\nand minding of the flesh is mortal and deadly. Though all men confess with\ntheir tongues this to be a truth, yet it is not really believed, the deep\ninconsideration and slight apprehension of this truth, makes men boldly to\nwalk, and violently to run on, to perdition. Did you indeed believe that\neternal misery is before you at the end of this way, and would you be so\ncruel to yourselves as to walk in it for any allurement that is in it? Did\nyou really believe that there is a precipice into utter darkness and\neverlasting death at the end of this alley, would the pleasure and\nsweetness of it be able to infatuate you and besot you so far as to lead\nyou on into it, like an ox to the slaughter, and a fool to the correction\nof the stocks? It is strange, indeed, though you neither will believe that\ndeath is the end of these things, nor yet can you be persuaded that you do\nnot believe it. There is a twofold delusion that possesses the hearts of\nmen; one is, a dream and fancy of escaping death though they live in sin;\nanother is, a dream and fancy that they do believe that death is the wages\nof sin; we might wonder how they consist together if we did not find it by\nso many experiences. Your way proves that you do not believe it, that\ndeath is the end of it, and then your words evidence that you do not\nbelieve that you are unbelievers of that. O! how desperate is the\nwickedness, and how great is the deceitfulness, of the heart! The false\nprophet that is in every man\u2019s bosom, deceives him that it may destroy\nhim. As Satan is a liar and a murderer, and murders by lying, so the heart\nof man is a self murderer and a self destroyer, and that is done by lying\nand deceiving. There is some lie in every sin, but there is this gross,\nblack, fundamental lie at the bottom of all sin,\u2014a conceit of immunity and\nfreedom from death and hell, a strong imagination of escaping danger, even\nthough such a way be chosen and walked into as of its own nature\ninevitably leads to destruction. And there is something of this bloody\nmurdering flattery even in the hearts of Christians, therefore, this\napostle gives us an antidote against it, and labours often to purge it\nout, by stirring up that knowledge they have received. \u201cKnow ye not that\nthe unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?\u201d 1 Cor. vi. 9. Be\nnot deceived, God is not mocked, for what a man soweth, that shall he\nreap, he that soweth to the flesh shall reap corruption &c., Gal. vi. 7,\n8. O that you might listen to this word, to this watchword given you and\nstop your course, at least for a season, to think what shall be the latter\nend! Know you not that such shall not inherit the kingdom? Know you not\nthat the way to heaven lies upward? Know you not that your way lies\ndownward towards the flesh and the earth? Are you so far demented(182) as\nto think to come to heaven by walking just downward in the lusts of the\nflesh? Truly this is the strongest and strangest enchantment that can be,\nthat you think to sow one thing and reap another thing, to sow darkness\nand reap light, to sow corruption and reap incorruption. Is that possible\nin nature to sow nettle seed and think to reap barley or wheat? Be not\ndeceived. O that you would undeceive your poor deluded souls, and know\nthat it is as natural for death and hell to grow out of sin and walking\nafter the flesh, as it is for every seed to yield its own fruit and herb!\nDo you then think to dissolve the course and order of nature? Truly the\nflesh is mortal in itself; it is ordained for corruption. You see what it\nturns to after the life is out, that is an emblem of the state of the\nfleshly soul after death. As you did abase your spirits to the service of\nthe flesh here, and all your ploughing, and labouring, and sowing was\nabout it, the seed which you did cast in the ground was fleshly lusts,\nearthly things for the satisfaction of your flesh, so you shall reap of\nthe flesh corruption, death, and destruction that shall make your immortal\nspirits mortal and corruptible, and subject them to death and corruption\nwith the body, as far as they are capable, it shall deprive them of all\nthat which is their proper life and refreshment, and separate them\neternally from the fountain of blessedness, and banish them out of heaven\nunto the fellowship of devils. And O, that corruption of the incorruptible\nspirit is worse than the corruption of the mortal flesh, _corruptio optimi\npessima_!\n\nNow, whoever of you is thus far undeceived as to believe your danger and\nmisery, and to discern that inbred delusion of your hearts, be not\ndiscouraged utterly, there may be hope of recovery when you see your\ndisease. I say, if you see that hell is at the end of your way, then know\nthat he who sent that voice to call you off that way of death, he leaves\nyou not to your own wits to guide you into the right way, but he follows\nwith a voice behind you, saying, \u201cHere is the way, walk in it,\u201d turn not\nout of it to the right hand or left. And this voice sounds plainly in the\nword, and it is nothing else but the sound of the gospel,\u2014that blessed\nsound that invites and allures you to come to Jesus Christ, \u201cthe way,\ntruth, and life,\u201d the true way to the true life. All other ways, all other\nlives have no truth in them, it is but a cloud, a fancy that men apprehend\nand lay hold on. But come to this way and it will truly lead thee to the\ntrue life, eternal life. If you fly unto him out of the apprehension of\nyour danger, you have a clear way to come to God, and as plain a way to\nattain life and peace. Being in Christ, you have assurance of not falling\ninto condemnation. He is such a way as will hold you in, and not suffer\nyou to go out of it again to the way of death. And therefore he will give\nyou a Tutor, a Guider, and Director in this way to life and peace, and\nthat is the Holy Spirit, to lead in all truth, and to guide your feet in\nthe way of his commandments. So that in this new and living way of Christ,\nyou shall have both light of the word to know where to walk, and life of\nthe Spirit to make you walk toward that eternal life, and thus grace and\ntruth are come by Jesus Christ. Indeed, you must suffer the mortification\nof your flesh, you must endure the pain of the death of your lusts, the\ncutting off your right hand and plucking out your right eye, which would\nmake you offend and stumble in the way, but let the remembrance of the\nlife to come sweeten it all. When men undergo the hazard of losing life\nfor a little pleasure, when, for a poor petty advantage, men will endure\nso much pains and trouble. O what should \u201ceternal life,\u201d and such a life\nas the best life here is but death to it! How should it mitigate and\nsweeten the bitterness of mortification? How should it fortify our spirits\nto much endurance and patience? A battle we must have, for these lusts\nthat we disengage from the devil, and the world besides, will lay wait for\nus in this way, but, when for such small and inconsiderable advantages men\nwill endure all the disadvantages of war, of a long war, O how should the\nexpectation of this peace, which encloses and comprehends all felicity,\nall well being, animate and strengthen us to fight in into the city of\nlife and peace eternal!\n\n\n\n\nSermon XX.\n\n\n    Verse 7.\u2014\u201cBecause the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is\n    not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.\u201d\n\n\nUnbelief is that which condemns the world. It involves in more\ncondemnation than many other sins, not only because more universal, but\nespecially because it shuts up men in their misery, and secludes them from\nthe remedy that is brought to light in the gospel. By unbelief I mean, not\nonly that careless neglect of Jesus Christ offered for salvation, but that\nwhich is the root of that,\u2014the inconsideration and ignorance of our\ndesperate sinfulness and irremediless misery without Christ,\u2014which, not\nbeing laid to heart seriously, makes such slight and superficial\nentertainment of a Saviour and Redeemer. Man is truly miserable and\nunhappy, whether he know it or not, but truly it is an accession to his\nmisery that he knows it not, that he neither apprehends what he is now by\nnature, nor what he must shortly be made by justice. Indeed, if there were\nno remedy to be found, it were a happy ignorance to be ignorant of misery,\nthe knowledge and remembrance of it could do nothing but add unto the\nbitterness of it. If a man might bury it in eternal forgetfulness, it were\nsome ease. But now, when God hath in his mercy so appointed it, that the\nbeginning of the belief of sin and misery shall, in a manner, be the end\nof misery, and seeing, whether men know it or not, they must shortly be\nmade sensible of it, when there is no remedy to be found, then, certainly,\nit is the height of man\u2019s misery that he knows and considers it not. If we\nwould apply our hearts at length to hear what God the Lord speaks\u2014for he\nonly can give account of man to himself,\u2014we might have a survey of both in\nthese words and the preceding\u2014of our desperate wickedness, and of our\nintolerable misery. For the present, by nature we are enemies to God, and\nshortly we must be dealt with as enemies, as rebels to the most potent and\nglorious King,\u2014be punished with death, an endless living death. Experience\nshows how hard a thing it is to persuade you that you are really under the\nsentence of death, you will not suffer your hearts to believe your danger,\nlest it interrupt your present pleasures of sin. Nay, you will flatter\nyourselves with the fancied hope of immunity from this curse, and account\nit a cruel and rigorous doctrine,\u2014that so many creatures made by God\nshould be eternally miserable, or a sentence of it should be passed on all\nflesh. Now, that which makes us hardly to believe this is the unbelief and\ndeep inconsideration of your sinfulness, therefore, the apostle, to make\nway for the former, adds, \u201cBecause the carnal mind is enmity against God.\u201d\nDo not wonder then that your ways and courses, your affections and\ninclinations bring forth that ghostly and dreadful end of death, seeing\nall these are enmity to the greatest King, who alone hath the power of\nlife and death. They have a perfect contrariety to his holy nature and\nrighteous will. Not only is the carnal mind an enemy, but enmity itself,\nand therefore it is most suitable that the sovereign power of that \u201cKing\nof kings,\u201d is stretched out to the vindication of his holiness and\nrighteousness, by taking vengeance on all ungodliness and unrighteousness\nof men. If rebellion in a state or monarchy against these petty mortal\ngods, who shall die as men, be so heinous as to deserve death, by the\nconsent of all nations, how much more shall enmity and rebellion against\nthe immortal eternal King, who hath absolute right and dominion over his\ncreatures as over the clay, have such a suitable recompense of eternal\ndeath? Now, my beloved, if you once believed this, the enmity and\nopposition of your whole natures to God, you could not but fearfully\napprehend what might be the issue of it, you could not bless yourselves as\nyou do, and put the evil day far off, but certainly you would be\naffrighted with the terror and majesty of that God you have to do with,\nwhom, when he awakes to judgment, you can neither resist nor escape, no\nstanding against his wrath, and no flying from it out of his dominions,\nand this would dispose and incline your minds in time to hearken to the\ntreaty of peace, which is holden out in the gospel, and to lay down the\nweapons of your enmity, and make peace with him in his Son the Peace\nmaker.\n\nAmity and unity are the very being and beauty of the world. This universe\nis made up of innumerable different kinds and natures, and all these climb\nand walk together by the bond of peace and concord among themselves, and\nwith that one high understanding that directs all, and supreme will of God\nthat moves all. It is that link of union with God, that gives and\npreserves being and beauty in all the creatures, as the dependence of the\nray upon the sun, or the stream upon the fountain, makes them what they\nare, which being interrupted they cease to be what they were, \u201call things\ncontinue as thou hast ordained them for all are thy servants,\u201d Psal. cxix.\n9. You see, then, this amity and union of subordination of the creatures\nto God is not dissolved to this day, but woful and wretched man alone hath\nwithdrawn from this subordination, and dissolved this sacred tie of happy\nfriendship, which at first he was lifted up unto, and privileged with.\nAmity and friendship, you know, consists in an union of hearts and wills,\nand a communion of all good things, it makes two one, as much as two can\nbe, by the conspiracy of their affections in one thing, and the joint\nconcurrence of their endeavours to communicate to one another what each\nhath, it takes away propriety,(183) and it makes a community between\npersons. Now, how happy was that amity! how blessed that friendship\nbetween God and man! Though man\u2019s goodness could not extend to God, yet\nhis soul united to God by love and delight, and all that God had given him\nreturning that to the proper owner, acknowledging his absolute dependence\non him, and claiming interest and propriety in nothing, not in himself.\nAnd then, on the other hand, the love and good-will of the infinite God\nplaced on man, and from that fountain all the streams of happiness issuing\nforth towards man, the fulness of God opening up itself to him, and laying\nout itself towards him, God so far descending, as in a manner, to become\nthe creature\u2019s, to expose and dispose himself, and all in him, for poor\nman\u2019s use and comfort.\n\nHow joyful was that amity! But the breaking of this bond of peace is as\nsad and grievous. There was a woful interposal between God and us, which\nhath separated these chief friends ever since the beginning, and that is\nsin, the seeds of all enmity and discord, this hath rent asunder the bond\nof amity, this hath made such a total aversion of the soul from God, and\nimprinted such an irreconcilable enmity in the heart against the holy will\nof God, that there is no possibility to reunite them again, and restore\nthe old friendship, as long as the soul is not quite changed and\ntransformed. That first creation is so marred and defaced, that there is\nno mending of it till a second creation come. The carnal mind is not\nsimply an enemy, but enmity itself; an enemy may reconcile again, and\naccept terms of peace but enmity cannot reconcile to amity, without the\nvery destruction of itself. The opposition of the heart is so perfect,\nthat as soon may enmity unite with amity, and become one with it, as a\ncarnal natural mind can submit to God\u2019s holy will. That which was at the\nbeginning voluntary, is become necessary, and turned into the nature of an\ninbred antipathy, that no art can cure. The fall was such a disjointing of\nthe soul from God, that no skill but infinite wisdom, no strength but\nAlmighty power, can set it right, and put it in the first posture again.\nIt is true, there are not many who will openly and expressly denounce war\nagainst heaven, it is not so incident,(184) that any man should have\nexplicit plain thoughts of hatred against God. There are some common\nprinciples engraven by God in all men\u2019s minds, which serve as his\nwitnesses against men, that God should be loved, served, adored, and\nworshipped, that there is nothing so worthy of the desires of the soul.\nNow, this general acknowledgment deludes the most part, for they take it\nfor granted that they do love God with their heart, because their\nconsciences bear witness that they ought to love him, as if it were all\none to know our duty and to do it. Who is there but he entertains himself\nwith this good opinion of himself, that his heart is good and true to God,\nfor, say you, whom should I love, if I love not God? I were not worthy to\nlive if I love not him. It is true indeed that you say, but if you did\nknow your hearts you would find their faces turned backward and averted\nfrom God, and could no more please yourselves in such a confession of the\ntruth, than the devil hath reason to think himself a believer, because he\nis convinced that Christ is the Son of God, and confessed it too, no more\nthan the son that promised to go to the garden to work, and went not, had\nground to think himself an obedient son, (Matt. xxi. 30). Such a\nconfession of duty may be extorted from damned spirits, and therefore you\nwould not draw this vail over the wretched wickedness of your natures, to\nthe end that you may conceive well of yourselves. It is so far from\nextenuating or excusing, that the very conviction of the great obligation\nto love and obey God, is the greatest aggravation of the enmity. It is\nthis which makes it the purest malice and perfectest hatred, that knowing\nthe goodness of God, convinced of our bound duty to love and serve him,\nyet in the very light of such a shining truth, to turn our hearts away\nfrom him, and exercise all acts of hostility against him. That you may\nknow, then, wherein the enmity of your hearts consists, I shall instance\nit in three branches or evidences. There is an enmity in the\nunderstanding, that it cannot stoop to believing of the truth, there is an\nenmity in the will, that it cannot subject to the obedience of God\u2019s holy\ncommands, and this is extended also to a stubborn rebellion against the\nwill of God, manifested in the dispensations of his providence, in a word,\nthe natural and carnal mind is incapable of faith, of obedience, and of\nsubmission. There are many things revealed in the scripture, that the\nnatural man cannot receive or know, \u201cfor they are foolishness to him,\u201d 1\nCor. ii. 14. Some spirits there are lifted up above others, either by\nnature or education, in which this rebellion doth more evidently appear,\nreason in them contends with religion, and they will believe no more than\nthey can give a reason for. There is a wisdom in some men, that despiseth\nthe simplicity, or the inevidence(185) of the gospel, and accounts it\nfoolishness, the carnal mind will needs start out from implicit trusting\nof God, when once it is possessed with some imagination of wisdom,\ntherefore how many are the insurrections of men\u2019s spirits against God\u2019s\nabsolute power over the creatures, against the mysteries of the holy\nTrinity and incarnation, against the resurrection of our bodies? In these,\nand such like, the pretended wisdom of men hath taken liberty to act\nenmity, and to dispute against God. But truly, the rebellion and\ninsubjection against the truth of God is more generally practised, even by\nthe multitude of men though in an unfree, hidden way, how few do believe\ntheir own desperate wickedness, though God hath testified it of man? Doth\nnot every one apprehend some good to remain in his nature, and some power\nto good?  What an impossibility is it to persuade you that all mankind are\nunder the sentence of eternal condemnation, that children, who have not\ndone good or evil, are involved in it also? Your hearts rise against such\ndoctrines, as if they were bloody and cruel inventions. To tell you that\nmany are called and few chosen, that the most part of them who profess the\ntruth are walking in the way to hell, and shall undoubtedly fall into it,\nyou may hear such things but you bless yourselves from them, and cannot be\npersuaded to admit them into your minds, the hearts of men will be giving\nthe very lie to the God of truth, when he speaks these things in his word,\nGod forbid that all that be true! If we should expound the law unto you,\nand show you that the least idle word, the lightest thoughts, the smallest\ninward motion of the heart deserves eternal misery, that anger is murder\nin God\u2019s sight, that lusting is fornication, that covetousness and love of\nthe world is idolatry, these things you cannot know or receive. There are\nso many high imaginations in your minds, that exalt themselves against the\nknowledge of God, so many thoughts that are mustered and set in battle\narray against the holy truths of God, that truly no weapons of human\npersuasion or instruction can be able to cast down your misapprehensions\nand imaginations, or reasonings of your hearts, or able to scatter these\narmies of rebellious thoughts, and bring them in captivity, (2 Cor. x. 4,\n5). Man\u2019s darkened mind is a stronghold, that all the repeated and\ncontinued beatings of the word, the multiplying \u201cprecept upon precept and\nline upon line,\u201d cannot storm it to make any true light shine into it. It\nis a dungeon, a pit so shut up and enclosed, no door nor window in it, so\nthat albeit the Son of righteousness shine upon it, and round about it,\nthere is no beam of that light can enter in the hearts of many thousands.\nThe generality are drowned as yet in a deluge of ignorance, under the very\nlight of daily preaching. It is a night of as thick darkness within men\u2019s\nsouls, as if there were no light about us. Certainly this declares the\nheight of enmity, the strength of the opposition. This prison of your\nminds is a stronghold indeed, that is proof of all preaching or\ninstruction, and certainly they will hold out, till almighty power storm\nthem, and beat or batter open some entry in your souls to receive this\nshining light of the gospel.\n\nThen, there is a rebellion of the will against God\u2019s holy will revealed in\nhis law or word, it cannot be subject to the law of God. It neither is nor\ncan, for enmity and antipathy is sunk into its nature so, that it is the\nmost deformed monstrous thing in the world, if the disfigured face of\nman\u2019s soul were visible, O how ugly were it! How would you loathe it! If\nthere were a creature that could do nothing but hate itself and sought its\nown destruction, that were a hateful enough object. But self hatred and\nenmity is nothing so deformed and abominable, as for the creature\u2019s will\nto be set in opposition to the holy will of him that made it. It needs not\nmuch demonstration this, if you had but a little more consideration. Look\nback upon the tenor of your ways, set them beside the will and commands of\nGod, and what find you? Whether agreement or disagreement? Take a view of\nthe current of your inclinations and affections, and compare that with the\nholy will of God, and what find you? Friendship or enmity? You cannot\ndigest the reproach of that, to be called enemies to God, but I pray you\nconsider if there be not as perfect contrariety in your desires,\naffections, inclinations, and actions to the will of God as if you did\nprofess it. What would you do if you professed yourselves enemies to God?\nCould you possibly vent your enmity any other way than this, in\nwithdrawing from the yoke of his obedience, in revolting from that\nallegiance you owe to him? You could wrong him no further than by setting\nyour hearts and ways contrary to his heart and ways in loving what he\nhates and hating what he loves. For his own blessed being you could not\nimpair it. Now, consider if that be not acted as really as if you did\nprofess it. Can you say that cursing, swearing, lying, railing, anger,\nstrife, envy, revenge, and such like works of darkness, are the things\nwhich his soul loves? Are these suitable to his holy will? And yet these\nare your inveterate customs, to which your natures are so inured and\nhabituated, that you can no more forsake them than hate yourselves. Are\nfilthiness, drunkenness, Sabbath breaking, covetousness and love of the\nworld, are these his delight? And yet these are your delight. Again is it\nnot his will that ye should purge yourselves from all filthiness of flesh\nand spirit, and perfect holiness? Is not righteousness that which he\nloves, and truth in the inward parts? Doth not he look to a contrite\nheart, and account that a savoury sacrifice? Is it not his royal statute\nand commandment, of which not one jot shall fail, that ye should deny\nyourselves, love your enemies, forgive them that offend you, sanctify his\nname always in your hearts, and especially on the holy Sabbath, that ye\nshould watch unto prayer, be sober in the use of the world, be much in\nwatching for his second coming?  Now, what repugnance is in your hearts\nand ways to all these? Do not the conversations of men display a banner\nagainst the gospel, and proclaim as much in reality as is said in words in\nPsal. ii., \u201cLet us cast his cords behind us, and cut his bands.\u201d These\nthings are unsavoury unto you, you smell nothing pleasant in them, but\nonly in the puddle of the world, in running at random, at your own\nliberty, after your own imaginations, that you account only liberty. O\nwhen shall your hearts be subdued, and your affections brought in\ncaptivity to the obedience of Christ! When shall you be delivered up to\nthe truth, and so made to obey from the heart that form of doctrine and\nsound words, Rom. vi. 17. This is the strongest hold that Satan hath in\nman\u2019s heart,\u2014his will and affections, and this keeps out longest against\nJesus Christ, till he that is stronger come and bind the strong man, and\ncast out the enmity, and make all captive to his loving obedience, and\nwilling subjection, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.\n\nThen, thirdly, the enmity of the soul of man is acted in his rebellion\nagainst the will of God manifested in his works, in his unsubjection and\nunsubmissive disposition towards the good pleasure of the Lord, in carving\nout such and such a lot in the world. It is certain, that as the will of\nGod is the supreme rule of righteousness, so it is the sovereign cause and\nfountain of all things and therefore, how infinitely is the creature bound\nto be subject to him as a Lawgiver, by pleasant and willing obedience to\nhis righteous and reasonable commands, and to submit to him as the\nabsolute Ruler, by quiet and humble condescendence, to all the\ndispensations of his providence! Now, you know,\u2014if you know any thing of\nyourselves,\u2014how cross and opposite these hearts of yours are to his good\npleasure, how they are set just contrary. And whence flow all murmurings,\ngrudgings, discontents, griefs, cares, and perplexities of men, but from\nthis fountain, the rebellion of the heart against God? There is nothing in\nall the creation mutinous and malcontent, but the heart of man. You see\nfrequent examples of it, in the murmurations of the people in the\nwilderness. It is frequently styled, a tempting of the Lord, (Exod. xvii.\n2,) importing a high provocation of his holy Majesty, a special\nincitement, as it were, and motive to declare his absolute power and\nrighteousness against such, and therefore these are often conjoined, Psal.\nlxxviii. 17, 18, \u201cThey sinned yet more, by provoking the most High,\u2014and\nthey tempted God in their hearts\u201d and it is added, verse 19, \u201cYea, they\nspake against God.\u201d Wherein you may observe a gradation of aggravations of\nthis enmity. When men have already deserved infinite punishment at his\nhand, and may always look within, and find an answer to all the murmurings\nof their hearts, as having sinned so often against him, yet then, to rise\nup against his good pleasure, and after we have so often sinned, to repine\nat any thing coming from him. And this, certainly, is a high provocation\nof the most high God; it puts a kind of necessity upon him, to inflict\nthat which thou indeed deservest, and then, this inward heart burning\nagainst God,\u2014it breaks out often in words, against that most high and holy\nOne, so ver. 40, 41, and ver. 56, 57 _Provoking_, which is the plain\nexpression of murmuring, in the margin is rendered, _rebelling against\nhim_, and so in ver 8, when a short account is given of them, when the\ncharacter or anagram of such a people is expressed, it is set down thus,\n\u201ca stubborn and rebellious generation.\u201d Therefore Paul, considering this\nwoful and wretched posture of the soul, set in opposition to the always\nblessed will of God, and the madness and folly of it, he exhorts us,\n\u201cNeither murmur ye, as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the\ndestroyer, for these things happened for ensamples,\u201d &c., 1 Cor. x. 10,\n11. Truly, there is nothing more deformed and vile in itself, or more\ndisquieting and tormenting to the soul, or more dangerous in the\nconsequences of it, than such a posture of spirit, a discontented humour\nagainst God\u2019s providence whether it be in withholding that good thing from\nus which we desire, or sending that which crosseth our humour, whether\nsickness, or want, or reproach, or disrespect, whatsoever it be that the\nheart is naturally carried to pursue or eschew. What more abominable and\nugly visage, than the countenance of an angry and furious person? But when\nthis is against God, it adds infinitely to the deformity and vileness of\nit. \u201cI do well to be angry,\u201d is the motto of a discontented soul. It\nelects an imaginary sovereignty against true Sovereignty, it sets up an\nanti providence, it establisheth another divine power and wisdom, and\nbrings the majesty, highness, and holiness of God down to be tread upon by\nthe creature. And then it is its own tormentor, a sin that needs no\npunishment but itself the insurrection and mutiny of the heart against\nGod\u2019s will, sets all the powers of the soul out of course, vexes pains,\nand disquiets all. There is no peace and tranquillity but in the\ncomplacency of the heart with God\u2019s heart, as Ephraim was like a bullock\nunaccustomed with the yoke, (Jer. xxxi. 18 ) the more he fretted and\nspurned at his yoke, the more it galled him, and grieved him, till he was\ninstructed, and then he was eased. This fills the soul with hideous\ntormenting thoughts, and cares; this feeds upon its own marrow, and\nconsumes it\u2014as some have made the emblem of envy,\u2014which is a particular\nkind of this enmity, as if you would imagine a creature that did waste and\nconsume all its moisture, and marrow, and feed upon the destruction of\nitself. Now this is but the prelude of what follows, this self-punishment\nis a messenger to tell what is coming, that the most high God is engaged\nin his power against such a person, and shall vent his displeasure to\ntheir eternal displeasure. That is the fruit of this enmity.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXI.\n\n\n    Verses 7, 8.\u2014\u201cThe carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not\n    subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  So then they\n    that are in the flesh cannot please God.\u201d\n\n\nIt is not the least of man\u2019s evils, that he knows not how evil he is,\ntherefore the Searcher of the heart of man gives the most perfect account\nof it, Jer. xvii. 12. \u201cThe heart is deceitful above all things,\u201d as well\nas \u201cdesperately wicked,\u201d two things superlative and excessive in it,\nbordering upon an infiniteness, such as sin is capable of, wickedness and\ndeceitfulness! And indeed, that which makes the wicked heart desperately\nand hopelessly so, is the deceitfulness of it.  There are many specious\ncoverings gotten to palliate this wickedness and enmity, and so many\ninvisible and spiritual wickednesses in the heart, that it is no wonder\nthat they lurk and dwell without observation.  Sin is either covered with\nsome deceivable pretext of another thing, or altogether escapes the dim\neyes of men, because of its subtile and spiritual nature.  Both are in\nthis business: the enmity of man\u2019s heart against God is so subtile a thing\nin many, and it is shrouded over with some other pretences in all, that\nfew get the lively discovery and sense of it.  It is true, it is very\ngross and palpable in the most part of men,\u2014visible, I mean, upon them,\nthough not to themselves.  Any, whose eyes are opened, may behold the\nblack visage of rebellion in the most part of the actings and courses of\nmen, as the apostle, (Gal. v.) speaks \u201cthe works of the flesh are\nmanifest.\u201d  Truly this enmity against God is too manifest in most part,\nthe weapons of your warfare against God being so carnal and visible, your\nopposition to his holy will and ways being so palpable.  There is an\nenmity acted by many in the tenor of their conversation, without God in\nthe world, and against God, as appears in all your inveterate and godless\ncustoms of lying, swearing, cursing, drunkenness, railing, Sabbath\nbreaking, neglect of prayer, and such like, which carry in their fore brow\nthis inscription, \u201cagainst the known God,\u201d opposite to that of the\nAthenians altar. The God whom you pretend to know and worship,\u2014his name is\nevery day blasphemed, his word slighted, his will disobeyed, as if you had\nproclaimed war against him. But there is in some (and I fear a great many)\nnot only an acted but an affected enmity too, enmity rising up to the\nmaturity and ripeness of malignity and hatred of the image of God, in all\nhis children.  Some are not willing to go to heaven, yet they do not\ndisturb others in their journey, they can let others be religious about\nthem, and rawly(186) desire to be like them, but others there are, who\nwill neither enter into heaven themselves, nor let others enter, as Christ\nspeaks of the Pharisees, Matt. xxiii. 13.  They hate the light of\nanother\u2019s conversation, because their own deeds are evil, and are reproved\nand condemned by it.  It is said, Rev. xi. 10, the witnesses tormented\nthem that dwelt on the earth.  It is strange what a torment it is to the\nworld that the godly are in it! Piety is an eyesore to many, if they could\nextirpate all that bears that image, they would think it sweet as bread,\nPsal. xiv.  This is a more open and declared enmity against the God of\nheaven, and yet I know it lurks under the mask of some other thing.  You\npretend to hate hypocrisy only, alas! what a scorn is it for profanity to\nhate hypocrisy? Sure it is not because it is a sin but for the very shadow\nof piety it carries.  You hate the thing itself so perfectly, that you\ncannot endure the very picture of it.  Do not deceive yourselves, the true\nquarrel is because they run not to the same excess of riot with you.  If\nthey will lie, cozen, defraud, swear, and blaspheme as other men, you\ncould endure to make them companions, as you do others, and the principle\nof that is, the enmity that was placed in the beginning, that mortal\nirreconcilable feud, betwixt the two families, are two seeds of Christ and\nSatan.\n\nBut as I told you, this enmity acts in a more subtile and invisible way in\nsome, and it is painted over with some fair colours to hide the deformity\nof it.  Not only the grosser corruptions of men carry this stamp, but take\neven the most refined piece or part in man, take his mind, take the\nexcellency of his mind, even the wisdom of it, yet that hath enmity\nincorporated into it, and mixed with it throughout all, for the wisdom of\nthe flesh is enmity with God, as it may be read, \u03c6\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1, the very\nprudence and reason of a natural man, which carries him to a distance\nfrom, and opposition with, the common defilements in the courses of men,\nyet that hath in its bosom a more exquisite and refined enmity against\nGod, and so the more spiritual and purified it be from grosser\ncorruptions, it is the more active and powerful against God, because it\nis, as it were, the very spirit and quintessence of enmity.  You see it, 1\nCor i., how the wisdom of God is foolishness to the wisdom of the world,\nand then again, that the wisdom of the world is the greatest folly to the\nonly wise God.  Men, that have many natural advantages beyond others, are\nat this great disadvantage, they are more ready to despise godliness, as\ntoo base and simple a thing to adorn their natures, as Christ said of rich\nmen, it may be said of wise men, of learned men, of civil and blameless\npersons who have a smooth carriage before the world, how hard is it for\nsuch to enter into the kingdom of heaven? Hard indeed! for they must be\nstripped naked of that, ere they can enter through this narrow gate, I\nmean, the opinion and conceit, of any worth or excellency, and so\ndiminished in their own eyes, that they may go through this needle s eye\nwithout crushing.\n\nThe stream of enmity runs under ground often, and so hides itself under\nsome other notion, till at length it burst forth openly.  I find it\ncommonly runs in the secret channel of amity or friendship to some other\nthing opposite to God.  So James iv. 4, The amity of the world is enmity\nwith God, and 1 John ii. 15, He that loveth the world, the love of the\nFather is not in him.  There are two dark and under ground conduits, to\nconvey this enmity against God,\u2014amity to the world, and amity to\nourselves, self love, and creature-love.  We cannot denounce war openly\nagainst heaven, but this is the next course, to join to, or associate\nwith, any party that is contrary to God, and thus, under the covert of\nfriendship to ourselves, and love to the world, we war against God, and\ndestroy our own souls. I say, first, amity to the world carries enmity to\nGod in the bosom of it, and if you believe not this, hear the apostles\nsharp and pungent question, you adulterers and adulteresses, know you not\nthat the amity of the world is enmity with God? He doth not speak only to\npersons guilty of that crime, but to all natural men, who are guilty of\nadultery or whoredom of a more spiritual nature, but as abominable and\nmore dangerous. There is a bond and special tie betwixt all men and God\ntheir Maker, which obligeth them to consecrate and devote themselves,\ntheir affections and endeavours, to his honour, especially when the\ncovenant of the gospel is superadded unto that, in which Jesus Christ our\nLord reveals himself, as having only right to us and our affections, as\nwilling to bestow himself upon us, and notwithstanding of all the distance\nbetween him and wretched sinners, yet filling it up with his infinite love\nand wonderful condescendency, demitting himself to the form of a servant,\nout of love, that so he might take us up to be his chaste spouse, and\nadorn us with his beauty. This he challengeth of us, whoever hear and\nprofess the gospel, this is your profession\u2014if ye understand it\u2014that Jesus\nChrist shall be your well-beloved, and ye his, that ye shall separate\nyourself to him, and admit no stranger in his place, that the choice and\nmarrow of your joy, love and delight, shall be bestowed on him.  Now, this\nbond and tie of a professed relation to that glorious husband, is foully\nbroken by the most part, by espousing their affections to this base world.\nYour hearts are carried off him unto strangers, that is, present perishing\nthings whereas the intendment of the gospel is, to present you to Christ\nas pure virgins, 2 Cor. xi. 2. Truly your hearts are gone a whoring after\nother things, the love of the world hath withdrawn you, or kept you in\nchains, these present things are as snares, nets, and bands, as an\nharlot\u2019s hands and heart, Eccl. vii. 26.  They are powerful enchantments\nover you, which bewitch you to a base love, from an honourable and\nglorious love.  O that you would consider it, my beloved, what opposition\nhere is betwixt the love of the world and the love of the Father, betwixt\namity to that which hath nothing in it, but some present bait to your\ndeceitful lusts, and amity to God, your only lawful Husband! Affection is\na transforming and conforming thing, _Si terram amas terra es_,(187) the\nlove of God will purify thy heart, and lift it up to more similitude to\nhim whom thou lovest, but the love of the world assimilates it unto the\nworld, makes it such a base and ignoble piece, as the earth is. Do you\nthink marriage affection can be parted? \u201cMy well beloved is mine,\u201d\ntherefore the church is the turtle, the dove to Christ, of wonderful\nchastity, it never joins but to one, and after the death of its marrow, it\nsighs and mourns ever after, and sits solitarily. You must retire, my\nbeloved, and disengage from the love of other things, or you cannot love\nChrist, and if you love not Christ, you cannot have peace with the Father,\nand if you have not that peace, you cannot have life. This is the chain of\nlife, the first link begins at the divorcement of all former loves and\nbeloved idols once the soul must be loosed in desire and delight, and that\nlink must be fastened upon the most lovely and desirable object Christ,\nthe Desire of the nations, and this draws along another link of peace and\nlife with it. Do not mistake it, religion would not hinder or prejudice\nyour lawful business in this world. O, it were the most compendious way to\nadvance it with more ease to your souls! But certainly it will teach you\nto exchange the love of these things for a better and more heart\ncontenting love.\n\nThen amity to ourselves is enmity to God, and truly this is the last\nstronghold that holds out longest against God, when others may be beaten\ndown or surrendered. Possibly a man may attain to this, to despise these\nlower things, as below his natural dignity and the excellency of his\nspirit. Some may renounce much of that friendship with worldly and\ntemporal things, as being sordid and base, but the enmity gets into this\nstrong and invisible tower of darkness, self love and pride and therefore\nthe apostle John makes this the last and chiefest, the pride of life, 1\nJohn ii. 16. When the lusts of the eyes and flesh are in some measure\nabated this is but growing, and what decreaseth of these, seems to\naccresce(188) unto this, as if self love and pride did feed and nourish\nitself upon the ashes or consumption of other vices. Yea, it draws sap\nfrom graces and virtues, and grows thereby, till at length it kill that\nwhich nourished it, and indeed the apostle James seems to proceed to this,\nver 5, 6 when he minds us that God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace\nto the humble. \u201cDoth the scripture say this in vain?\u201d saith he. Is not\nself amity as well enmity as the amity of the world? And therefore God\nopposes himself unto it, as the very grand enmity. Self is the great lord,\nthe arch rebel, the head of all opposition, that in which they do all\ncentre, and when all the inferior soldiers are captives, or killed this is\nlast in the field, it lives first in opposition and dies last, _primum\nvivens et ultimum moriens_. When a man is separated from many things, yet\nhe may be but more conjoined to himself, and so the further disjoined from\nGod. Of all these vile rags of the old man, this is nearest the skin, and\nlast put off, of all the members, self is the heart, first alive, and last\nalive. When enmity is constrained to render up the outward members of the\nbody, to yield them to a more smooth and fair carriage to a civil\nbehaviour, when the mind itself is forced to yield unto some light of\ntruth and knowledge of the gospel, yet the enmity retires into the heart,\nand fortifies it the stronger, by self love and self estimation, as in\nwinter the encompassing cold makes the heat to combine itself together in\nthe bowels of the earth, and by this means the springs are hotter than in\nsummer, so the surrounding light of the gospel, or education, or natural\nhonesty, drives the heat and strength of enmity inward, where it fortifies\nitself more. This is that accursed antiperistasis(189) that is made by the\nconcurrence of some advantages of knowledge and civility, and such like.\n\nThe blood of enmity against God gets in about the heart, when it is chased\nfor fear out of the outward man, therefore, the very first and fundamental\nprinciple of Christianity, is, \u201cLet a man deny himself, and so he shall be\nmy disciple.\u201d He must become a fool in his own eyes, though he be wise,\nthat he may be wise (1 Cor. iii. 18), he must become as ungodly, though\ngodly, that he may be justified by faith (Rom. iv. 5), he must forsake\nhimself, that he may indeed find himself, or get a better self in another,\nhe must not eat much honey, that is not good, it would swell him though it\nbe pleasant, he must not search his own glory, or reflect much upon it, if\nhe would be a follower and a friend of Christ. Look, how much soever you\nengage to yourselves esteem, or desire to be esteemed of others, to\nreflect with complacency on yourselves, to mind your own satisfaction and\nestimation in what you do, so much you disengage from Jesus Christ, for\nthese are contrary points. This is a direct motion towards Christ. That is\nan inverse and backward motion towards ourselves, and so much as we move\nthat way, we promove not, but lose our way, and are further from the true\nend. Ezekiel\u2019s living creatures may be an emblem of a Christian\u2019s motion,\nhe returns not as he goes, he makes a straight line to God, whithersoever\nhe turn him, but nature makes all crooked lines, they seem to go forth in\nobedience to God, but they have a secret unseen reflexion into its own\nbosom. And this is the greatest act of enmity, to idolize God, and deify\nourselves, we make him a cypher and sacrifice to ourselves his peculiar,\nincommunicable property of Alpha and Omega, that we do sacrilegiously\nattribute to ourselves, the beginning of our notions, and end of them too.\nThis is the crooked line, that nature cannot possibly move out of, till a\nhigher Spirit come and restore her that halted, and make plain her paths.\n\nThat which is added, as a reason, explains this enmity more clearly,\n_because it cannot be subject_, &c. Truly these two forementioned amities\nof the world and of ourselves, do withdraw men wholly from the orderly\nsubjection that they owe to the law of God. Order is the beauty of every\nthing, of nature, of art, of the whole universe, and of the several parts,\nkingdoms and republics of it. This indeed is the very beauty of the world,\nall things subordinate to him that made them, only miserable man hath\nbroken this order, and marred this beauty, and he cannot be subject \u03bf\u03c5\u03c7\n\u03c5\u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03c3\u03b9\u03c4\u03b1 cannot come again into that orderly station and subordination\nhe was once into. This is the only gap or breach of the creation. And it\nis some other engagements that draw him thus far out of course\u2014the base\nlove of the world, and the inordinate love of himself. O these make his\nneck stiff, that it cannot bow to the yoke of obedience, these have\nopposite and contrary commands, and no man can serve two masters. When the\ncommands of the great lord, self, come in opposition with the commands of\nGod, then he cannot be subject to the law of God. For a time, in some\nthings he may resemble a subjection, when the will of self and the will of\nGod commands in one point, as sometimes they do by accident, but that is\nneither frequent nor constant.\n\nNot only is he not subject, but there is worse in it, he cannot be subject\nto the law of God. This is certainly to throw down the natural pride of\nman, that always apprehends some remanent ability in himself. You think\nstill to make yourselves better, and when convinced or challenged for\nsins, to make amends and reform your lives. You use to promise these\nthings as lightly and easily as if they were wholly in your power, and as\nif you did only delay them for advantage, and truly it seems this\nprinciple of self sufficiency is engraven on men\u2019s hearts when they\nprocrastinate and delay repentance and earnest minding of religion to some\nother fitter season, as if it were in their liberty to apply to it when\nthey please, and when you are urged and persuaded to some reformation, you\ntake in hand, even as that people, Jer. xlii. 6, 20, who said, \u201call that\nthe lord hath said we will do.\u201d You can strike hands, and engage to serve\nthe Lord, as easily as that people in Joshua xxiv. 18, 19. But we may say,\nOh, that there were such a heart in you! But, alas, such a heart is not in\nyou! You cannot serve the Lord, for he is holy and jealous, and ye are not\nonly weak, but wicked. I beseech you then, believe this one testimony that\nGod hath given of man, even the choicest thing in man, the very wisdom of\na natural man, it is not subject to God\u2019s law, and it cannot be better,\nneither can it be subject. Resolution, industry, vows, and covenants will\nnot effect this, till the Most High break and bow the heart. And not only\nhas this enmity against the old law of commandments an antipathy at them,\nas crossing our lust, but even against the new and living law of the\nSpirit of life in Christ.\n\nHere is your misery, you can neither be subject to the law as commanding\nto obey it, or threatening for disobedience to it, nor to the gospel as\npromising to believe and receive it. The law commands, but your law\ncountermands within; the law threatens and sentences you with\ncondemnation, but you have some self-pleasing delusion and dream in your\nheads, and bless yourselves in your own hearts, even though ye walk in the\nimagination of your hearts, contrary to the law, Deut. xxix. It is strange\nthat you do not fore-apprehend and fear hell! But it is this delusion\npossesses the heart, \u201cyou shall not die:\u201d it was the first act of enmity,\nnot only the transgression of the command, hut unbelief of the truth of\nthe curse: and that which first encouraged man to sin, encourages you all\nto lie into it, and continue in it,\u2014a fancy of escaping wrath. This noise\nfills the heart; Satan whispers in the ear, Go on, you shall not die. Thus\nit appears, that the natural mind cannot be subject to the law of God, no\npersuasion, no instruction, can enforce this belief of your damnable\ncondition upon you.\n\nBut then, when the enmity is beaten out of this fort, and a soul is really\nconvinced of its desperate and lost estate, when the heart is brought down\nto subjection, to take with that dreadful sentence; yet there is another\ntower of enmity in the heart, that can keep out against the weapons of the\ngospel, such as Paul mentions, Rom. x. 3. Being ignorant of the\nrighteousness of God, they went about to establish their own, and could\nnot submit to the righteousness of God. There is a natural pride and\nstiffness of heart, that we cannot endure but to have something in\nourselves to rest on, and take pleasure into: and when a soul sees\nnothing, it rather vexes and torments itself as grieving because it hath\nno ornament or covering of its own, nor rejoiceth and delighteth in that\nrighteousness of God revealed in Christ. O the difficulty to bow down so\nlow, as to put on another\u2019s righteousness over our nakedness! And should\nit be called submission? Is it not rather the elevating and exalting of\nthe soul? Yet in respect of our natural posture of spirit, it is a matter\nof great difficulty to make a self-condemned sinner submit to this, to be\nsaved freely, without money or price, by another\u2019s ransom. What empty,\nvain, and frivolous expiations and satisfactions will souls invent, rather\nthan trust all to this! How long will poor souls wander abroad from hill\nto mountain, seeking some inherent qualification, to commend them, and\nleave this garden and paradise of delights, which is opened up in Christ?\nSouls look everywhere for help, till all hands fail; and then necessity\nconstrains them to come hither; but indeed, when necessity brings in,\ncharity and amity keeps in, when once they know what entertainment is in\nChrist. As for you, who as yet have not stooped to the sentence of wrath,\nhow will you submit to the righteousness of God? But I wonder how you\nimagine this to be so easy a thing to believe. You say you did always\nbelieve in Christ, and that your hearts are still on him, and that you do\nit night and day. Now, there needs no other argument to persuade that you\ndo not at all believe in the gospel, who have apprehended no more\ndifficulty in it, no more contrariety to your rebellious natures in it.\nLet this one word go home with you, and convince you of your unbelief,\n\u201cThe natural mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can\nbe.\u201d How, then, do you come so easily by it? Certainly it must be feigned\nand counterfeit.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXII.\n\n\n    Verse 8.\u2014\u201cSo then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.\u201d\n\n\nIt is a kind of happiness to men, to please them upon whom they depend,\nand upon whose favour their well-being hangs. It is the servant\u2019s\nhappiness to please his master, the courtier\u2019s to please his prince; and\nso generally, whosoever they be that are joined in mutual relations, and\ndepend one upon another; that which makes all pleasant, is this, to please\none another. Now, certainly, all the dependencies of creatures one upon\nanother, are but shadows unto the absolute dependence of creatures upon\nthe Creator, for in him we live, and move, and have our being: the\ndependence of the ray upon the sun, of the stream upon the fountain, is\none of the greatest in nature; but all creatures have a more necessary\nconnexion with this Fountain-being, both in their being and well-being;\nthey are nothing but a flux and emanation of his power and pleasure, and,\nas the Psalmist expresseth it, He hides his face and they are troubled; he\ntakes away their breath, and they die, and return to their dust: He sends\nforth his Spirit, and they are created, and he renews the face of the\nearth, Psal. civ. 29, 30. You may extend this to the being and well-being,\nthe happiness and misery of creatures; our souls which animate our bodies\nare but his breath which he breathed into the dust, and can retract when\nhe pleaseth; the life of our souls, the peace, and tranquillity, and\nsatisfaction is another breathing of his Spirit, and another look of his\ncountenance; and as he pleases to withdraw it, or interpose between his\nface and us, so we live or die, are blessed or miserable. Our being or\nwell-being hath a more indispensable dependence on him, than the image in\nthe glass hath upon the living face.\n\nIf it be so then, certainly of all things in the world it concerns us\nnearest how to please him, and to be at peace with him. If we be in good\nterms with him in whose hands our breath is, and whose are all our ways,\n(Dan. v. 23.) upon whose countenance our misery or felicity hangs, then\ncertainly we are happy. If we please him, it matters not whom we\ndisplease; for he alone hath absolute, uncontrolled, and universal power\nover us, as our Saviour speaks, over both soul and body. We may expect\nthat his good pleasure towards us will not be satisfied, but in\ncommunicating his fulness, and manifesting his favour to us, especially\nsince the goodness of God is so exundant,(190) as to overflow even to the\nwicked world, and vent itself as out of super-abundance, in a river of\ngoodness throughout the whole earth. How much more will it run abundantly\ntowards them whom he is well pleased with. And therefore the Psalmist\ncries out, as being already full in the very hope and expectation of it,\nthat he would burst, if he had not the vent of admiration and praise, O\nhow great is his goodness, and how excellent his loving-kindness laid up\nfor them that fear him! Psal. xxxii 19. and xxxvi. 7. But, on the other\nhand, how incomparable is the misery of them who cannot please God! even\nthough they did both please themselves and all others for the present. To\nbe at odds with him in whom alone they can subsist, and without whose\nfavour is nothing but wretchedness and misery, O that must be the worst\nand most cursed estate imaginable: to be in such a state, as do what they\ncan, they cannot please him, whom alone to please is of only concernment,\nwhat can be invented(191) to that? Now, if you ask who they are that are\nsuch? These words speak it plainly, in way of inference from the former\ndoctrine, \u201cSo then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.\u201d Not they\nin whom there is flesh; for there are remnants of that in the most\nspiritual man in this life: we cannot attain here to angelic purity,\nthough it should be the aim and endeavour of every Christian. But they\nthat are in the flesh, or after the flesh, imports the predomination of\nthat, and an universal thraldom of nature unto it, which indeed is the\nstate of all men that are but once born, till a second birth come, by the\nSpirit of Jesus Christ.\n\nThe ground of this may be taken from the foregoing discourse, and it is\nchiefly twofold. One is, because they are not in Jesus Christ, in whom his\nsoul is well pleased; another is, because they cannot suit and frame their\ncarriage according to his pleasure. Since all mankind hath fallen under\nthe displeasure of the most high God, by sinning against him, in\npreferring the pleasure of the flesh, and the pleasure of Satan, to the\npleasure of God, there can be no atonement found to pacify him, no\nsacrifice to appease him, no ransom to satisfy his justice, but that one\nperfect offering for sin, Jesus Christ, the propitiation for the sins of\nthe elect world. This the Father accepts in the name of sinners; and in\ntestimony of his acceptance, he did two several times, by a voice from\nheaven, declare, first to a multitude, (Matth. iii. 17.) and then to the\nbeloved disciples, (Matth. xvii. 5.) and both times with great majesty and\nsolemnity (as did become him), that this is his well-beloved Son, in whom\nhis soul is well-pleased. It pleased God to make the stream of his love to\ntake another channel after man\u2019s sin, and not to run immediately towards\nwretched man, but he turned the current of his love another way, to his\nown Son, whom he chose for that end, to reconcile man, and bring him into\nfavor, and his love going about, by that compass, comes in the issue\ntowards poor sinners with the greater force. He hath appointed Christ the\nmeeting place with sinners, the Daysman to lay his hand on both, and\ntherefore he is God to lay his hand on God, and man to lay his hand on\nman, and bring both into a peaceable and amiable conjunction. Now then,\nwhoever are not in Jesus Christ, as is spoken, certainly they cannot\nplease God do what they can, because God hath made Christ the centre in\nwhich he would have the good pleasure of sinners meeting with his good\npleasure, and therefore, without faith it is impossible to please God,\n(Heb. xi. 6) not so much for the excellency of the act itself, as for the\nwell pleasing object of it, Christ. The love of the Father is terminate in\nhim, his justice is satisfied in him, his love is well-pleased with the\nexcellency of his person, he finds in him an object of delight, which is\nnowhere else, and his justice is well pleased with the sufficiency and\nworthiness of his ransom, and without this compass, there is neither\nsatisfaction to the one, nor to the other, so then, whatsoever you are,\nhow high soever your degree in the world, how sweet soever your\ndisposition let your natures be never so good, your carriage never so\nsmooth, yet certainly there is nothing in all this that can please God,\neither by an object of love, or a price for justice. You are under that\neternal displeasure, which will fall on and crush you to pieces. Mountains\nwill not be so heavy, as it will appear in that great day of his wrath\n(Rev. vi.). I say, you cannot come from under that imminent weight of\neternal wrath unless you be found in Jesus Christ,\u2014that blessed place of\nimmunity and refuge\u2014if you have not forsaken yourselves and your own\nnatures, and denied your own righteousness as dung, to be found in him,\nclothed with his righteousness and satisfaction. If the delight and\npleasure of your soul do not coincide and fall in at one place with the\ndelight and good pleasure of the Father, that is, upon his well beloved\nSon, certainly the pleasure and good will of God hath not as yet fallen\nupon you, and met with you; therefore, if you would please God, be pleased\nwith Christ, and you cannot do him a greater pleasure than believe in him,\n(John v. 23) that is, absolutely resign yourselves unto him, for salvation\nand sanctification.\n\nThe other ground is,\u2014Such as are in the flesh cannot frame their spirits,\naffections, and ways to God\u2019s good pleasure, for their very wisdom, the\nvery excellency that is in them, is enmity to God and cannot be subject to\nhis law, and therefore they cannot please him. I am sure you may easily\nreflect upon yourselves, and find, not with much search, but upon all\nthese, as the prophet (Jer. ii. 34) speaks, that it is not the study and\nbusiness you have undertaken to please God, but the bent and main of your\naims and endeavours is to please yourselves, or to please men. This makes\nmany men\u2019s pains, even in religion displeasing to God, because they do not\nindeed mind his pleasure, but their own or other\u2019s satisfaction. What they\ndo, is but to conform to the custom of the time, or commandments of men,\nor their own humour, and all this must needs be abominable to God. Truly,\nthat which is in great account among men, is an abomination to God, as our\nSaviour speaks of the very righteousness and professed piety of the\nPharisees, Luke xvi. 15, the more you please yourselves and the world, the\nfurther you are from pleasing God. The very beginning of pleasing God is\nwhen a soul falls in displeasure at itself, and abhorrence of his own\nloathsomeness, therefore it is said, The humble and contrite spirit I will\nlook unto, and dwell with him, and such sacrifices do please God, Isa.\nlxvi. 2, Psal. li. 17. For the truth is, God never begins to be pleasant\nand lovely to a soul till it begins to fall out of love with itself, and\ngrow loathsome in its own eyes. Therefore you may conclude this of\nyourselves, that with many of you God is not well-pleased, although you be\nall baptized unto Christ, and do all eat of that same spiritual meat, and\ndrink of that same spiritual drink, though you have all church privileges,\nyet with many of you God is not well pleased, as 1 Cor. x. 2-5, not only\nbecause those works of the flesh that are directly opposite to his own\nknown will, such as fornication, murmuring, grudging at God\u2019s\ndispensation, cursing and swearing, lying, drunkenness, anger, malice,\nstrife, variance, and such like, abound as much among you as that old\npeople, but even those of you that may be free from gross opposition to\nhis holy will, your nature hath the seed of all that enmity, and you act\nenmity in a more covered way; you are so well pleased with yourselves,\nyour chief study is to please men, you have not given yourselves to this\nstudy, to conform yourselves to the pleasure of God, therefore know your\ndreadful condition, you cannot please God, without whose favour and\npleasure you cannot but be eternally displeased and tormented in\nyourselves. Certainly, though now you please yourselves, yet the day shall\ncome that you shall be contrary to yourselves and all to you, as it is\nspoken as a punishment of the Jews, (1 Thess. ii. 15) and there is some\nearnest of in this life. Many wicked persons are set contrary to\nthemselves, and all to them, they are like Esau their hand against all,\nand all men\u2019s hands against them, yea, their own consciences continually\nvexing them. This is a fruit of that fundamental discord and enmity\nbetween men and God, and if you find it not now, you shall find it\nhereafter.\n\nBut as for you that are in Jesus Christ, who being displeased with\nyourselves, have fled into the well beloved, in whom the Father is well\npleased, to escape God\u2019s displeasure, I say unto such, your persons God is\nwell pleased with in Christ and this shall make way and place for\nacceptance to your weak and imperfect performances. This is the ground of\nyour peace and acceptance, and you would take it so, and it shall yield\nyou much peace, when you cannot be pleased with yourselves. But I would\ncharge that upon you, that as you by believing are well pleased with\nChrist, so you would henceforth study to \u201cwalk worthy of your Lord unto\nall well pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in\nthe knowledge of God,\u201d Col. i. 10. This is that to which you are called,\nto such a work as may please him, to conform yourselves even to his\npleasure and will. If you love him, you cannot but fashion yourselves so\nas he may be pleased. O how exact and observant is love of that which may\ningratiate itself in the beloved\u2019s favour! It is the most studious thing\nto please, and most afraid of displeasing. Enoch had a large and\nhonourable testimony, as ever was given to man, that he pleased God, Heb.\nxi. 5. I beseech you be ambitious of this after a holy manner, labour to\nknow his will, and that for this end, that you may approve it and prove it\nthat you may do that good and acceptable will of God. Let his pleasure be\nyour rule, your law, to which all within you may conform itself. Though\nyou cannot attain an exact correspondence with his pleasure, but in many\nthings you will offend, yet certainly this will be the resolved study of\nyour hearts how to please him, and in as far as you cannot please him, you\nwill be displeased with yourselves. But then, I would advise you, in as\nfar as you are displeased with yourselves for not pleasing God, be as much\nwell pleased with Christ, the pleasing sacrifice and atonement, and this\nshall please God as much as your obedience could do, or your disobedience\ncan displease him. To him be praise and glory.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXIII.\n\n\n    Verse 9.\u2014\u201cBut ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be\n    that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the\n    Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.\u201d\n\n\nApplication is the very life of the word, at least it is a necessary\ncondition for the living operation of it. The application of the word to\nthe hearts of hearers by preaching, and the application of your hearts\nagain to the word by meditation, these two meeting together, and striking\none upon another, will yield fire. Paul speaks of a right dividing of the\nword of truth (2 Tim. ii. 15), not that ordinary way of cutting it all in\nparcels, and dismembering it, by manifold divisions, which I judge makes\nit lose much of its virtue, which consists in union, though some have\npleasure in it, and think it profitable, yet I do not see that this was\nthe apostolic way, that either they preached it themselves or recommended\nit to others, but rather he means, the real distribution of the food of\nsouls unto their various conditions, as it is the duty of a steward to be\nboth faithful and wise in that, to give every one their own portion, and\nas it is the pastor\u2019s duty thus to distribute the word of God unto you, so\nit is your part to apply it home to yourselves, without which application,\nthe former division of the word aright will not feed your souls, if every\nman act not the pastor to his own heart it cannot profit. Now indeed the\nright application of the word to souls is the difficultest part of\npreaching, and it is the hardest point of hearing, in which there needs\nboth much affection and much direction, the one to be serious and ernest\nin it, the other to be wise and prudent in it. Without suitable affection,\nit will not pass into the substance of the soul to feed it, no more than\nthe stomach can digest meat, that wants convenient heat, and without\ndiscretion and wisdom, to choose our own portion, it will not yield\nconvenient food, but increase humours and superfluities, or distemper our\nspirits. That which I look at in these words, is the discretion and\nprudence of this wise steward in God\u2019s house, after he hath represented\nthe wretched and woful estate of them that are in the flesh, how their\nnatures cannot but are enmity against God, how their end is death and\ndestruction, he subjoins in due season a suitable encouragement to\nbelievers, \u201cYou are not in the flesh,\u201d &c. Because there is no man so\nsensible of that corruption that dwells within, as he that is in part\nrenewed, as pain to a healthful body is most sensible, and as the\nabundance of light makes a larger discovery of what is disordered and\ndefiled in the house, therefore such, upon the hearing of the accursed\nestate of men in nature, of their natural rebellion against God, and God\u2019s\ndispleasure against them, they are most ready, I say, to apply such things\nto themselves, to the weakening of their own hands, and saddening of their\nhearts, as the upright-hearted disciples were more ready to take with the\nchallenge of betraying Christ, than the false hearted Judas. Therefore the\napostle prevents such an abuse of the doctrine, by making application of\nthe better part unto the Romans, but for you, \u201cye are not of the flesh,\u201d\n&c. Indeed, self examination is necessary, and it is like chewing of the\nmeat before it be sent into the stomach, it is as necessary and precedent\nbefore right application. I wish that every one of you would consider well\nwhat this living word concerns you. It is the ground of all our\nbarrenness, no man brings this home to himself, which is spoken to all,\nbut truly the Lord speaks to all, that every man may speak to himself, and\nask at his own heart, what is my concernment in it? What is my portion? As\nfor you whom the Lord hath put upon this search of yourselves and hath\nonce made you to find yourselves in the black roll of perdition, under the\nhazard of the eternal weight of God\u2019s displeasure, and there hath showed\nunto your souls a way of making peace with God, and a place of refuge in\nJesus Christ which hath sometimes refreshed and eased your hearts, and\nonly was able to purify your consciences, and calm the storms that did\narise in them, if it be hence forth your study to walk to please him and\nthis engagement be on your hearts, to make no peace with the flesh, and\ncorruption that dwells in you, then, I say, the Lord calls and accounts\nyou not carnal but spiritual, though there be much carnality in you, yet\nhe denominates from the better part, not from the greatest part, you are\nnot after the flesh but after the Spirit. Though Isaac be a weak young\nchild, and Ishmael the son of the bond woman be a strong man, yet thou art\nin God\u2019s account esteemed according to the promise, which shall be the\nground of thy stability. Isaac must abide in the house for ever, and grow\nstronger and stronger, and Ishmael must be cast out and grow weaker and\nweaker; the one is ordained for destruction, and so is called the old man,\ndrawing near to its grave, the other for life, and so is a new man renewed\nday by day. Thus they are in God\u2019s promise, and you would learn thus to\nlook upon it, not according to their present inequality in strength, but\nthat future inequality and difference which is wrapt up in the promise of\nGod and the seed whereof is in you.\n\nAs there is a woful penury and scantiness of examination in the most part\nof men who are wholly spent without, and take no leisure to recognise\ntheir own souls, so there is a miserable excess, and hurtful superfluity\nof examination and disputation among many of God\u2019s children, who are\nalways in reflection, and almost never in action, so much on knowing what\nis, that they take not much leisure to do or pursue what is not. Truly, I\nthink when the apostle commands us to examine whether we be in the faith,\nand prove ourselves, he did not mean to make it our perpetual exercise, or\nso to press it as we should not endeavor to be in the faith, till we know\nwhether we be in it; that were no advancing way, to refuse to go on in our\njourney till we know what progress we have made, as the custom is. But\nsimply and plainly, I think, he intended to have Christianity begin in\nexamination, as the first returning of a soul must needs be upon some\ninquiry and search of the way, and knowledge upon search, that our former\nway was wrong, and this is only right. But if this be the porch to enter\nat, will you sit down and dwell in it, and not go on into the palace\nitself? Because you must begin to search what you have learned wrong, that\nnow you may unlearn it, will you be ever about the learning to know your\ncondition, and by this means never attain to the knowledge of the truth?\nBut when you have upon any inquiry found yourselves out of the way, you\nshould not entertain that dispute long, but hearken to the plain voice of\nthe gospel, that sounds unto you, \u201cThis is the way, walk in it.\u201d \u201cI am the\nway,\u201d saith Christ, \u201center at me, by believing in me.\u201d Now, once having\nfound that you are unbelievers by nature, to suspend believing till you\nprove whether you be in the faith, is unreasonable and impossible, for\ncertainly having once found yourselves void of it, you must first have it,\nbefore you know that you have it, you must first apply to action, and\nafterward your examination shall be more easy.\n\nBut I would tell of more profitable improvement of such representations of\nthe sinful and miserable estate of the ungodly world, than you use to make\nof it, and I think it is that the apostles intend, in the frequent turning\nthe eyes of saints about to the accursed state of the world, partly\nconsolation, and partly some provocation to suitable walking. Things that\nare opposite are best known by comparison one with another, each of them\ncast abroad a light to see the other by. Therefore it is that the apostles\ndo frequently remind the converted Gentiles of the wretched estate the\nworld ties into, and themselves once were into. You see it, 1 Cor. vi. 11,\n\u201cAnd such were some of you, but now you are washed.\u201d And, Eph. ii. 1, \u201cYou\nwho were dead in sins hath he quickened.\u201d There is not any thing will more\ncommend unto a Christian the grace of God towards him, nor(192) to look\nabroad round about him, and take a view of the whole world lying in\nwickedness, and then to look backward to what himself once was, and\ncompare it with what the free grace of God hath made him. O what a soul\nravishing contemplation is that, 1 John v. 19, \u201cAnd we know that we are of\nGod, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.\u201d How doth this heighten the\nprice of grace, and how much doth it add to a soul\u2019s inward contentment,\nto think what it was of itself, and what it would undoubtedly have been,\nif not thus wonderfully surprised! One used always to look to those below\nhim, that he might not envy those above him. Truly it might do well here,\nwhen a Christian is grieved and disquieted, because he hath not attained\nto that desired measure of the image of God, and fellowship with him, to\ncast a look about him to the miserable and hopeless estate of so many\nthousands who have the image of Satan so visibly engraven on them, and\nhave no inward stirring after this blessed image, and reflect a little\nbackward, to the hole of the pit whence he was taken, to look upon that\nprimitive estate that grace found him into, so loathsome, as described in\nEzek. xvi. Would not such a double sight, think you, make him break out in\nadmiration, and be powerful to silence and compose his spirit? O to think,\nthat I was once in that black roll of those excluded from the kingdom!\n\u201cSuch were some of you,\u201d and then to consider, that my name was taken out,\nand washed by the blood of Christ to be enrolled in the register of\nheaven. What an astonishing thing is it! You see in nature, God hath\nappointed contrarieties and varieties to beautify the world, and\ncertainly, many things could not be known how good and beneficial they\nare, but by the smart and hurt of that which is opposite in them, as ye\ncould not imagine the good of light, but by some sensible experience of\nthe evil of darkness. Heat, you could not know the benefit of it, but by\nthe vexation of cold. Thus he maketh one to commend another, and both to\nbeautify the world. It is thus in art, contrariety and variety of colours\nand lines make up one beauty, diversity of sounds make a sweet harmony.\nNow, this is the art and wisdom of God, in the dispensation of his grace\nhe setteth the misery of some beside the happiness of others, that each of\nthem may aggravate another, he puts light beside darkness, spirit\nfore-against(193) flesh, that so saints may have a double accession to\ntheir admiration at the goodness and grace of God, and to their delight\nand complacency in their own happiness, he presents the state of men out\nof Christ, that you may wonder how you are translated, and may be so\nabundantly satisfied as not to exchange your portion for the greatest\nmonarchs.\n\nThen, I say, this may provoke us, and persuade us to more suitable\nwalking. Doth he make such a difference? O do not you unmake it again! Do\nnot confound all again, by your walking after the course of the world.\nConformity to the world is a confusion of what God hath separated. Has\ninfinite grace translated you from that kingdom of darkness to light? O\nthen walk in that light, as children of light! Are you such? Own your\nstations, consider your relations, and make yourselves ashamed at the very\nthoughts of sin. He points out the deformed and ugly face of the\nconversation of the world, that you may fall in love with the beauty or\nholiness, as the Lacedemonians were wont to let their children see their\nslaves drunk, that the brutish and abominable posture of such in that sin\nmight imprint in the hearts of their children a detestation of such a\nvice. Certainly, the Lord calls you to mind often what you have been, and\nwhat the world about you is, not to engage you to it, but to alienate your\nminds from the deformity of sin, and to commend to you the duty of\nobedience. You would learn to make this holy use and advantage of all the\nwickedness the world lieth into, to behold in it, as in a glass, your own\nimage and likeness, that when you use to hate or despise others, you may\nrather loathe and dislike yourselves, as having that same common nature,\nand wonder at the goodness of God that makes such difference where none\nwas. This were the way to make gain of the most unprofitable thing in the\nworld, that is, the sins of other men, for ordinarily the seeing and\nspeaking of them doth rather dispose us and incline us to more liberty to\nsin. Many look on them with delight, some with contempt and hatred of\nthose that commit them, but few know how to speak or look on sin itself\nwith indignation, or themselves, because of the seeds of it within them,\nwith abhorrency. I would think if we were circumspect in this, the worse\nthe world is, we might be the better, the worse the times are, we might\nspend it better, the more pride we see, it might make us the more humble,\nthe more impiety and impurity abound, it might provoke us to a further\ndistance from, and disconformity with, the world. Thus, if we were wise,\nwe might extract gold out of the dunghill, and suck honey out of the most\npoisonable weed. The surrounding ignorance and wickedness of the world\nmight cause a holy antiperistasis(194) in a Christian, by making the grace\nof God unite itself, and work more powerfully, as fire out of a cloud, and\nshine more brightly, as a torch in the darkness of the night.\n\nAs for you, whose woful estate is here described, who are yet in the\nflesh, and enemies to God by nature, I would desire you to be stirred up\nat the consideration of this, that there are some who are delivered out of\nthat prison, and that some have made peace with God, and are no more\nenemies but friends, and fellow citizens of the saints. If the case were\nleft wholly incurable and desperate, you had some ground to continue in\nyour sins and security, but now when you hear a remedy is possible, and\nsome have been helped by it, I wonder that you do not, upon this door of\nhope offered, bestir yourselves, that you may be those who are here\nexcepted, \u201cbut you are not in the flesh.\u201d Since some are, why may not I\nbe? Will you awake yourselves with this alarm! If you had any desire after\nthis estate, certainly such a hope as this would give you feet to come to\nJesus Christ, for these are the legs of the soul,\u2014some desire of a better\nestate, and some probability of it conceived by hope.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXIV.\n\n\n    Verse 9.\u2014\u201cIf so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any\n    man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.\u201d\n\n\n\u201cBut will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?\u201d 2 Chron. vi. 18.\nIt was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his\ninfinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and\nincomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him,\nand then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a\nwonder to the wisest of angels. And what is it, think you, the angels\ndesire to look into, but this incomprehensible mystery of the descent of\nthe Most High to dwell among the lowest and vilest of the creatures? But\nas Solomon\u2019s temple, and these visible symbols of God\u2019s presence, were but\nshadows of things to come, the substance whereof is exhibited under the\ngospel, so that wonder was but a shadow or type of a greater and more real\nwonder, or God\u2019s dwelling on the earth now. It was the wonder, shall God\ndwell with man, among the rebellious sons of Adam? But behold a greater\nwonder since Christ came, God dwelling in man, first personally in the man\nChrist, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, then graciously\nin the seed of Christ, in man by his Spirit, and this makes men spiritual,\nif so be the Spirit of Christ dwell in you. You heard of the first\nindwelling, ver. 3. \u201cGod sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful\nflesh,\u201d the inhabitation of the divine nature in our flesh, which had the\nlikeness of sinful flesh, but without sin, for he sanctified himself for\nour cause. And truly, this mysterious and wonderful inhabitation is not\nonly a pledge of the other, that God shall dwell in sinful men by his\nSpirit, but, in order of nature, it hath some influence upon the other,\nwithout which God could not have dwelt in us. There is so much distance\nand disproportion between his Majesty and us, that we could not be well\nunited, but by this intervening, God coming down first a step into the\nholy nature of the man Christ, that from thence he might go into the\nsinful nature of other men. Our sinful and rebellious nature behoved to be\nfirst sanctified this way, by the personal indwelling of God in our flesh,\nand this had made an easy passage into sinful us, for his Spirit to dwell\nin us powerfully and graciously, therefore the Spirit of Christ is said to\ndwell in us. Christ\u2019s Spirit, not only because proceeding from him as from\nthe Father, but particularly, because the inhabitation or operation of the\nSpirit in us, is the proper result and fruit of that glorious union of our\nnature with him. He took our flesh, that he might send us his Spirit. And,\nO what a blessed exchange was this! He came and dwelt in our nature, that\nso he might dwell in us: he took up a shop, as it were, in our flesh, that\nhe might work in us, and make us again conformed to God.\n\nWe shall not cut this asunder into many parts. You see the words contain\nplainly the very essential definition of a spiritual man, and of a\nChristian. You find a spiritual man and a Christian equivalent in this\nverse, that is to say, they are taken for one and the self same thing, and\nso they are reciprocal, of equal extent and restraint. Every Christian is\none after the Spirit, and whosoever is after the Spirit is a Christian.\nOne of Christ\u2019s, and one after the Spirit, is one thing. Now the\ndefinition of the Christian is taken from that which really and\nessentially constitutes him such. He is one in whom the Spirit of Christ\ndwells, that makes him one after the Spirit, that makes him one of\nChrist\u2019s, because it is the Spirit of Christ. As if you define what a man\nis, you could not do it better than thus: he is one endowed with a\nreasonable soul. So the apostle gives you the very soul and form of a\nChristian, which differenceth from all others. As the soul is to the body\nto make up a man, so the Spirit of Christ is to the soul and Spirit of a\nman to make up a Christian, as the absence or presence of the soul makes\nor unmakes a man, so the absence or presence of this Spirit makes or\nunmakes a Christian, for you see he makes it reciprocal. If you be\nChristians, the Spirit dwells in you, but if the Spirit dwell not in you,\nyou are not Christians.\n\nA word then to the first of these, that a Christian and a spiritual man\nare commensurable one to another. It is true, there are Jews who are not\nJews inwardly, but only according to the letter, Rom. ii. 28, 29. And so\nthere are Christians so called, who are but so outwardly, and in the\nletter, who have no more of it but the name and visible standing in the\nchurch, but we are speaking of that which is truly that which it is\ncalled, whose praise is not of men but of God. The name of a man may be\nextended to a picture or image, for some outward resemblance it hath of\nhim, but it is not a proper speech, no more is it proper to extend the\nname of Christians unto the pictures or images of Christians, such as are\ndestitute of this inward life. You may be properly, according to scripture\nphrase, members of the visible body, but you cannot have that real and\nblessed relation to Jesus Christ the head, which shall be the source of\nhappiness to all the living members. I wish you would take it so, and\nflatter yourselves no more with church titles, as if these were sufficient\nevidences for your salvation. You would all be called Christians, but it\nfears me you know not many of you the true meaning and signification of\nthat word, the most comfortable sense of it is hid from you. The meaning\nof it is, that a man is renewed by Christ in the spirit of his mind. As\nChrist and the Spirit are inseparable, so a Christian and a spiritual\nnature are not to be found severed. Certainly, the very sound of the name\nwhereby you are called, imports another nature and conversation than is to\nbe found in many; you cannot say, that you have a shadow of spirituality,\neither in your affections or actions, or that you have any real design and\nstudy that way but only to please your flesh, and satisfy the customs of\nthe world. Why do you then usurp the name of Christianity? This is a\ncommon sacrilege, to give that which is holy unto dogs. Others give it to\nyou, and you take it to yourselves. But know, that though you please\nyourselves and others in this, yet without such a renovation of your\nnatures, and such a sincere study to be inwardly and outwardly conformed\nto the profession and nature of Christianity, you have not your praise of\nGod, and him whom God praises not, and allows not, he cannot bless for\never. I am persuaded there are some who are not only in the letter, but in\nthe Spirit, whose greatest desire and design is to be indeed what they\nprofess, and such is their praise of God and if God praise them now, they\nshall be made to praise him for ever hereafter; such are allowed to take\nthe name and honourable style of Christianity unto them. You are Christ\u2019s\nnearly interested in him, and if you be Christ\u2019s own, he cannot be happy\nwithout you, for such was his love, that he would not be happy alone in\nheaven, but came down to be miserable with us. And now that he is again\nhappy in heaven, certainly he cannot enjoy it long alone, but he must draw\nup his members unto the fellowship of that glory.\n\nNow the other thing, that which gives even being to a Christian is, the\nSpirit of Christ dwelling in him. Of this inhabitation, we shall not say\nso much as the comparison, being strained, will yield, neither expatiate\ninto many notions about it. I wish rather we went home with some desires\nkindled in us, after such a noble guest as the Holy Spirit is, and that we\nwere begun once to weary of the base and unclean guests that we lodge\nwithin us, to our own destruction. That which I said that the Spirit is to\na Christian, what the soul is to a man, if well considered, might present\nthe absolute necessity and excellency of this unto your eyes. Consider\nwhat a thing the body is without the soul, how defiled and how deformed a\npiece of dust it is, void of all sense and life, loathsome to look upon.\n\nTruly the soul of man by nature is in no better case till this Spirit\nenter, it hath no light in it, no life in it, it is a dark dungeon, such\nas is described, Eph. iv. 18, \u201cHaving the understanding darkened, being\nalienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,\nbecause of the blindness of their heart.\u201d You have both in that word\ndarkness and deadness want of that shining light of God in the mind, so\nthat it cannot discern spiritual things that make to our eternal peace.\nAll the plainness and evidence of the gospel, though it did shine as a sun\nabout you, can not make you see or apprehend either your own misery or the\nway to help it, because your dungeon is within, the most part cannot form\nany sensible notion of spiritual things, that are duly sounding unto them\nin the word. The eye of the mind is put out, and if it be darkness, how\ngreat is that darkness! Certainly the whole man is without light, and your\nway and walk must be in the dark, and indeed it appears  that it is dark\nnight with many souls because if it were not dark, they could not run out\nall their speed among pits and snares in the way to destruction. And from\nthis woful defect flows the alienation of the whole soul from the life of\nGod, that primitive light being eclipsed, the soul is separated from the\ninfluence of heaven, and as Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s soul acted only in a brutal\nway, when driven out among beasts, so the soul of man, being driven out\nfrom the presence of the Lord, may act in a way common to beasts, or in\nsome rational way in things that concern this life, but it is wholly\nspoiled of that divine life of communion with God. It cannot taste, smell,\nor savour such things. O! if it were visible unto us, the state or the\nruinous soul, we would raise a more bitter lamentation over it than the\nJews did over Jerusalem, or the kings and merchants have reason to do over\nfallen Babylon. Truly, we might bemoan it thus, \u201cHow is the faithful city\nbecome a harlot! righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers,\u201d Isa. i.\n21. Man was once the dwelling place of princely and divine graces and\nvirtues, the Lord himself was there, and then how comely and beautiful was\nthe soul! But now it is like the desolate cities, in which the beasts of\nthe desert lie and their houses are full of doleful creatures, where owls\ndwell, and satyrs dance, where wild beasts cry, and dragons in the\npleasant places, Isa. xiii. 21, 22 and Jer. l. 39. So mighty is the fall\nof the soul of man, as of Babylon, that it may be cried, \u201cIt is fallen,\nand become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit,\nand a cage of every unclean and hateful bird,\u201d Rev. xviii. 2. All the\nbeasts flock now to it, all the birds of darkness take their lodging in\nit, since this noble guest left it, and took away the light from it, for\nthe sun hath not shined on it since that day. All unclean affections, all\nbeastly lusts, all earthly desires, all vain cogitations get lodging in\nthis house; the Bethel is become a Bethaven, the house of God become a\nhouse of vanity, by the continual repair of vain thoughts, the house of\nprayer is turned into a den of thieves and robbers. That which was at\nfirst created for the pure service and worship of God, is now a receptacle\nof all the most rebellious and idolatrous thoughts and affections, the\nheart of every man is become a temple full of idols.\n\nThis is the state of it, and worse than can be told you now, judge if\nthere be not need of a better guest than these. O what absolute necessity\nis there of such a spirit as this, to repair and reform the ruinous spirit\nof man, to quicken and enlighten the darkened mind of man! Even that\nSpirit, that made it at first a glorious palace for God, that Spirit that\nbreathed the soul into the former clay, must repair these breaches, and\ncreate all again. Now, when the Spirit of Christ enters into this vile\nruinous cottage, he repairs it and reforms it, he strikes out lights in\nthe heart, and, by a wonderful eye salve makes the eyes open to see; he\ncreates a new light within, which makes him behold the light shining in\nthe gospel, and behold all things are new, himself new, because now most\nloathsome and vile the world new, because now appears nothing but vanity\nin the very perfection of it, and God new, because another majesty, glory,\nexcellency, and beauty shines into the soul than ever it apprehended. And\nas the Spirit enlightens, so he enlivens this tabernacle or temple, he\nkindles a holy fire in his affections, which must never go out, it is such\nas cannot be kindled, if it go out, but by the beams of the sun, as the\npoets fancied the vestal-fire. The Spirit within the soul is a fire to\nconsume his corruption, to burn up his dross and vanity. Christ comes in\nlike a refiner, with the fire of the Spirit, and purges away earthly\nlusts, and makes the love of the heart pure and clean, to burn upward\ntoward heaven. This Spirit makes a Christian soul move willingly toward\nGod, in the ways that seemed most unpleasant; it is an active principle\nwithin him that cannot rest till it rests in its place of eternal rest and\ndelight in God. And then the Spirit reforms this house, by casting out all\nthese wild beasts that lodged in it, the savage and unruly affections,\nthat domineered in man, this strong man entering in, casts them out. There\nis much rubbish in old waste palaces, Neh. iv. 2. O how much pains it is\nto cleanse them! Our house is like the house of those nobles, Jer. v. 27:\n\u201cFull of deceit, as a cage is full of birds,\u201d and our hearts full of\nwickedness and vanity, Jer. iv. 14. Certainly it will be much labour to\nget your unclean spirits cast out, that is the grosser and more palpable\nlusts that reign in you, but when these are gone forth, yet there is much\nwickedness and uncleanness in the heart, of a more subtle nature, and by\nlong indwelling, almost incorporated and mingled with the soul, and this\nwill not be gotten out with gentle sweeping, as was done, Luke xi. 25.\nThat takes away only the uppermost filth that lies loosest, but this must\nbe gotten out by much washing and cleansing, therefore the Spirit enters\nby blood and water. There are idols in the heart, to which the soul is\nmuch engaged; it unites and closes with them (Ezek. xxxvi.) and these must\nbe cleansed and washed out. There is much deceit in the heart, and this\nlies closest to it and is engrossed into it, and indeed this will take the\nhelp of fire to separate it, for that is of the most active nature to\nseparate things of a diverse nature, the Spirit must by these take out\nyour dross. And all this the Spirit will not do alone, but honours you\nwith the fellowship of this work, and therefore you must lay your account\nthat the operation and reformation of this house for so glorious a guest,\nwill be laborious in the mean time. But O how infinitely is that\ncompensated! One hour\u2019s fellowship with him alone, when all strangers are\ncast out, will compensate all, will make all to be forgotten, the pain of\nmortification will be swallowed up in the pleasure of his inhabitation,\n\u201cWhen I shall awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness.\u201d When he shall\ntake up house fully in you, it will satisfy you to the full. In the\nmeantime as he takes the rule and command of your house so for the present\nhe provides for it, the provision of the soul is incumbent on this divine\nguest, and O how sweet and satisfying is it? O the peace and joy of the\nHoly Ghost, which are the entertainment that he gives a soul, where he\nreigns, and hath brought in righteousness, Rom. xiv. 17. What a noble\ntrain doth the Spirit bring alongst with him to furnish this house? Many\nrich and costly ornaments hang over it, and adorn it to make it like the\nking\u2019s wife all glorious within; such as the ornament of a meek and quiet\nspirit (1 Pet. iii. 4) which is a far more precious and rich hanging, than\nthe most curious or precious contexture of corruptible things, the\nclothing of humility, simple in show, but rich in substance, (1 Pet. v. 5)\nwhich enriches and beautifies the soul that hath it, more than all\nSolomon\u2019s glory could do his person; for \u201cbetter is it to be of a humble\nspirit with the lowly, than divide the spoil with the proud,\u201d Prov. xvi.\n19. In a word, the Spirit makes all new, puts a new man, a new fashion and\nimage on the soul, which suits the court of heaven, the highest in the\nworld, and is conformed to the noblest and highest pattern, the holiness\nand beauty of the greatest King. And being lodged within, O what sweet\nfruits is the Spirit daily bringing forth to feed and delight the soul\nwithal! Gal. v. 22, 23. And he is not only a Spirit of sanctification, but\nof consolation too, and therefore of all the most worthy to be received\ninto our hearts, for he is a bosom comforter, John xiv. 16. When there is\nno friend nor lover without, but a soul in that posture of Heman, Psal.\nlxxxviii. 18, and in that desolate estate of the churches, Lament. i. 2,\n\u201cAmong all her lovers she hath none to comfort her,\u201d (ver. 17) \u201cspreading\nforth her hands, and none to comfort her,\u201d (ver. 21) sighing, and none to\ncomfort her. In such a case to have a living and overrunning spring of\ncomfort within, when all external and lower consolations, like winter\nbrooks that dry up in summer, have dried up and disappointed thy\nexpectation, sure this were a happy guest, that could do this. O that we\ncould open our hearts to receive him!\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXV.\n\n\n    Verse 9.\u2014\u201cIf so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any\n    man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.\u201d\n\n\nThere is a great marriage spoken of, Eph. v. that hath a great mystery in\nit, which the apostle propoundeth as the sample and archetype of all\nmarriages or rather as the substance, of which all conjunctions and\nrelations among the creatures are but the shadows. It is that marriage\nbetween Christ and his church, for which, it would appear, this world was\nbuilded, to be a palace to celebrate it into; and especially the upper\nhouse, heaven, was made glorious for that great day, where it shall be\nsolemnized. The first in order of time was made by God himself in\nparadise, certainly to represent a higher mystery, the marriage of the\nsecond Adam with his spouse, which is taken out of his bloody side, as the\napostle imports, Eph. v. Now there is the greatest inequality and\ndisproportion between the parties, Christ and sinners; so that it would\nseem a desperate matter to bring two such distant and unequal natures to\nsuch a near union, as may cast a copy to all unions and relations of the\ncreatures. But he who at first made a kind of marriage between heaven and\nearth, in the composure of man, and joined together an immortal spirit in\nsuch a bond of amity with corruptible dust, hath found out the way to help\nthis, and make it feasible. And truly, we may conceive the Lord was but\nmaking way for this greater mystery of the union of Christ with us, when\nhe joined the breath of heaven with the dust of the earth. In this he gave\nsome representation of another more mysterious conjunction. Now, the way\nthat the wisdom and love of God hath found out to bring about this\nmarriage, is this: because there was such an infinite distance between the\nonly begotten Son of God, who is the express character of his image, and\nthe brightness of his glory, and us sinful mortal creatures, whose\nfoundation is in the dust, therefore it pleased the Father, out of his\ngood will to the match, to send his Son down among men; and the Son, out\nof his love, to take on our flesh, and so fill up that distance with his\nlow condescendence, to be partaker of flesh and blood with the children.\nAnd now, what the Lord spoke of man fallen, in a holy kind of irony or\nmock, \u201cBehold he is become as one of us\u201d that men may truly say of the Son\nof God, not fallen down from heaven, but come down willingly, \u201cLo, he is\nbecome as one of us;\u201d like us in all things, except sin, which hath made\nus unlike ourselves. This bond of union you have in verse 3. Christ so\ninfinitely above sinners, and higher than the heavens, coming down so low,\nto be as like sinners as might be, or could be profitable for us, in the\nlikeness of sinful flesh, &c. But yet this bond is not near enough; that\nconjunction seemeth but general and infirm; both because it is in some\nmanner common to all mankind who shall not be all advanced to this\nprivilege. By taking on our nature, he cometh nearer to human nature, but\nnot to some beyond others; and besides, the distance is not filled up this\nway, because there is a great disproportion between that nature in Christ\nand in us. In him it is holy and undefiled, and separated from sin; but in\nus it is unclean and immersed into sin; so that, albeit he be nearer us as\na man, yet he is far distant and unlike us,\u2014a holy perfect man. Now, what\nfellowship can be between light and darkness, as Paul speaketh of the\nmarriage of Christians with idolaters? Much greater distance and\ndisagreement is between Christ and us. Therefore, it seemeth, that some of\nus must be changed and transformed. But him it may not be. He cannot\nbecome liker us than by partaking of our flesh; for if he had become a\nsinner indeed, he would have become so like us that he could not help\nhimself nor us either. This would eclipse the glory and happiness of the\nmarriage. But in that he came as near as could be, without disabling\nhimself, to make us happy; and so he was contented to come in the place of\nsinners, and take on their debt, and answer to God\u2019s justice for it; yea,\nand in his own person he submitted to be tempted to sin, though it had\nbeen evil for us he had been overcome by it; yet this brings him a step\nlower and nearer us, and maketh the union more hopeful. But since he can\ncome no lower, and can be made no liker us in the case we are in, then\ncertainly\u2014if the match hold\u2014we must become liker him, and raised up out of\nour miserable estate, to some suitableness to his holy nature. And,\ntherefore, the love and wisdom of God, to fill up the distance completely,\nand effectuate this happy conjunction, that the creation seemeth to groan\nfor,\u2014for (ver. 22) the whole creation is pained till it be\naccomplished,\u2014he hath sent his blessed Spirit to dwell in us, and to\ntransform our natures, and make them partakers of the divine nature, (2\nPet. i. 4) as Christ was partaker of human nature; and thus the distance\nshall be removed. When a blessed Spirit is made flesh, and a fleshly man\nmade spirit, then they are near the day of espousals; and this indwelling\nof the Spirit is the last link of the chain that fastens us to Christ, and\nmaketh our flesh in some measure like his holy flesh. By taking on our\nflesh, Christ became bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh; but the\nunion becometh mutual when we receive the Spirit, we become bone of his\nbone, and flesh of his flesh, as it is expressed, Eph. v. 30, in allusion\nto the creation of Eve, and her marriage to Adam. The ground of the\nmarriage is that near bond of union,\u2014\u201cBecause she was taken out of man,\u201d\nand, therefore, because of his flesh and bone, she was made one flesh with\nhim. Even so the sinner must be partaker of the Spirit of Christ, as\nChrist is partaker of the flesh of sinners, and these two concurring,\nthese two knots interchanging and woven through other, we become one flesh\nwith him. And this is a great mystery, indeed, to bring two who were so\nfar asunder, so near other. Yea, it is nearer than that too, for we are\nsaid not only to be one flesh with Christ, but one spirit, 1 Cor. vi. 17.\n\u201cHe that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit,\u201d because he is animated\nand quickened by one spirit,\u2014that same spirit of Christ. And, indeed,\nspirits are more capable of union, and more fit to embosom one with\nanother than bodies, therefore, the nearest union conceivable is the union\nof spirits by affections, this maketh two souls one, for it transports\ntheir spirit out of the body where it lives, and settleth it there where\nit loveth.\n\nNow, my beloved, you see what way this great marriage, that heaven and\nearth are in a longing expectation after shall be brought about. Christ\ndid forsake his Fathers house when he left that holy habitation, his\nFathers bosom,\u2014a place of marvellous delight, (Prov. viii. 30) and\ndescended into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. iv. 9) and, he came out\nfrom the Father into the world, John xvi. 28. This was a great journey to\nmeet with poor sinners. But that there may be a full and entire meeting\nyou must leave and forsake your fathers house too, and forget your own\npeople, Psalm xlv. 10. You must give an entire renounce to all former\nlovers if you would be his. All former bonds and engagements must be\nbroken, that this may be tied the faster. And, to hold to the subject in\nhand, you must forsake and forget the flesh, and be possessed of his Holy\nSpirit. As he came down to our flesh, you must rise up to meet him in the\nspirit. The Spirit of Christ must indeed prevent you, and take you out of\nthat natural posture you are born into, and bring you a great journey from\nyourselves, that you may be joined unto him.\n\nThis Spirit of Christ is his messenger and ambassador, sent beforehand to\nfit you and suit you for the day of espousals, and, therefore, he must\nhave a dwelling and constant abode in you. This indwelling imports a\nspecial familiar operation, and the perpetuity or continuance of it. The\nSpirit is everywhere in his being, and he worketh everywhere too, but here\nhe hath a special and peculiar work in commission\u2014to reveal the love of\nGod in Christ, to engage the soul to love him again, to prepare all within\nfor the great day of espousals, to purify and purge the heart from all\nthat is displeasing to Christ, to correspond between Christ and his\nspouse, between heaven and earth by making intercession for her when she\ncannot pray for herself as you find here, ver. 26, and so sending up the\nnews of the soul\u2019s panting and breathing after Christ, sending up her\ngroans and sighs to her Beloved, giving intelligence of all her\nnecessities to him who is above, in the place of an advocate and\ninterceder, and then bring back from heaven light and life, direction from\nher Head\u2014for the Spirit must lead into all truth\u2014and consolation, for\nChrist hath appointed the Spirit to supply his absence, and to comfort the\nsoul in the mean time till he come again. You have this mutual and\nreciprocal knot in 1 John iv. 13, \u201cHereby we know that we dwell in him,\nand he in us, by the Spirit that he hath given.\u201d It is much nearness to\ndwell one with another, but much greater to dwell one in another. And it\nis reciprocal, such a wonderful interchange in it, we in him, and he in\nus, for the Spirit carries the soul to heaven, and brings Christ, as it\nwere down to the earth.  He is the messenger that carries letters between\nboth\u2014our prayers to him, and his prayers for us and love tokens to us, the\nanointing that teacheth us all things, from our Husband, (1 John ii. 27,)\nand revealing to us the things of God, (1 Cor. ii. 12.) giving us the\nfirst fruits of that happy and glorious communion we must have with Christ\nin heaven as you see, verse 23 of this chapter, and sealing us to the day\nof redemption, 1 Pet. i. 13, and iv. 30, supplying us with divine power\nagainst our spiritual enemies, fetching along from heaven that strength\nwhereby our Lord and Saviour overcame all, Eph. ii. 16, Gal v. 17. This is\na presence that few have, such a familiar and love-abode. But, certainly,\nall that are Christ\u2019s must have it in some measure. Now whosoever hath it,\nit is perpetual, the Spirit dwells in them. It is not a sojourning for a\nseason, not a lodging for a night,\u2014as some have fits and starts of seeking\nGod, and some transient motions of conviction or joy, but return again to\nthe puddle, these go through them as lightning, and do not warm them or\nchange them but this is a constant residence; where the Spirit takes up\nhouse he will dwell, \u201che dwelleth with you, and shall be in you,\u201d and\nabide for ever, John xiv. 16, 17. If the Son abide in the house for ever,\n(John viii. 35) much more the master of the house must abide. Now, the\nSpirit where he dwells hath gotten the command of that house, all the\npower is put in his hand and resigned to him, for where he dwells he must\nrule, as good reason is. He is about the greatest work that is now to do\nin the world, the repairing and renewing of the ruins and breaches of\nman\u2019s spirit, which was the first breach in the creation, and the cause of\nall the rest. He is about the cleansing and washing this temple, and we\nmay be persuaded, that he who hath begun this good work, will perform it\nuntil the day of Christ, till we be presented blameless and without spot\nto our Husband (Phil. i. 5, 6), and this is the grand consolation of\nbelievers that they have this presence assured to them by promise, that\nthe Spirit is fixed here by an irrevocable and unchangeable covenant or\ndonation, and will not wholly depart from them, though he may withdraw and\nleave you comfortless for a season, Isa. lix. 21.\n\nTherefore I would shut up all in a word of exhortation to you, that since\nwe have the promise of so noble and happy a guest, you would apply\nyourselves to seek him, and then keep him, to receive him and then retain\nhim. It is true that he must first prevent us, for as no man can say,\n\u201cthat Jesus is the Christ, but by the Spirit of God,\u201d so no man can indeed\npray for the Spirit, but by the Spirit\u2019s own intercession within him.\nWhere God hath bestowed any thing of this Spirit, it is known by the\nkindly and fervent desires after more of it. Now, since we have such a\nlarge and ample promise (Ezek. xxxvi. 27, Joel ii. 28) of the pouring out\nof the Spirit, and that in as absolute and free a manner as can be\nimagined, and this renewed by Christ, and confirmed by his prayer to the\nFather for the performance of it, (John xiv. 16, 17) and then we have a\nsweet and affectionate promise propounded in the most moving and loving\nmanner than can be, Luke xi. 13, where he encourageth us to pray for the\nSpirit and that from this ground, that our heavenly Father, who placed\nthat natural affection in other fathers toward their children, whereby\nthey cannot refuse them bread when they cry for it, he, who was the author\nof all natural affection, must certainly transcend them infinitely in his\nlove to his children, as the Psalmist argues, \u201cShall not he that planted\nthe ear, hear? and he that formed the eye, see?\u201d So may a poor soul reason\nitself to some confidence, shall not he who is the fountain of all natural\nlove to men and beasts have much more himself? And if my father will not\ngive me a stone when I seek bread, certainly he will far less do it,\ntherefore, \u201cif we being evil, know how to give good things to our\nchildren, how much more shall our heavenly Father give his Spirit to them\nthat ask him?\u201d Alas that we should want such a gift for not asking it! My\nbeloved, let us enlarge our desires for this Spirit, and seek more\nearnestly, and no doubt affection and importunity will not be sent away\nempty. Is it any wonder we receive not, because we ask not, or we ask so\ncoldly, that we teach him in a manner to deny us, _qui timide rogat_, I\nmay say, _frigide, docet negare_. Ask frequently, and ask confidently, and\nhis heart cannot deny. O that we could lay this engagement on our own\nhearts to be more in prayer! Let us press ourselves to this and we need\nnot press him. Albeit the first grace be wholly a surprisal, yet certainly\nhe keeps this suitable method in the enlargements of grace, that when he\ngives more, he enlargeth the heart more after it, he openeth the mouth\nwider to ask and receive, and, according to that capacity, so is his hand\nopen to fill the heart. O, why are our hearts shut when his hand is open!\nAgain, I would exhort you in Jesus Christ, to entertain the Spirit\nsuitably, and this shall keep him. To this purpose are these exhortations\n\u201cGrieve not the Holy Spirit,\u201d Eph. iv. 30, and \u201cQuench not the Spirit,\u201d 1\nThess. v. 19. There is nothing can grieve him but sin, and if you\nentertain that, you cannot retain him. He is a Spirit of holiness and he\nis about the making you holy, then do not mar him in his work, labour to\nadvance this and ye do him a pleasure. If you make his holy temple an\nunclean cage for hateful birds, or a temple for idols, how can it but\ngrieve him? And if you grieve the Spirit, certainly the Spirit will grieve\nyou, will make you repent it at the heart. Please him, by hearkening to\nhis motions, and following his direction, and he shall comfort you. His\noffice is to be a spring of consolation to you, but if you grieve him by\nwalking in the imagination of your hearts, and following the suggestions\nof the flesh,\u2014his enemy,\u2014no doubt that spring will turn its channel\nanother way, and dry up for a season toward you. It is not every sin or\ninfirmity that grieves him thus, if so be that it grieve thee; but the\nentertaining of any sin, and making peace with any of his enemies, that\ncannot but displease him: and, O what loss you have by it! You displease\nyour greatest friend, to please your greatest enemy, you blot and\nbludder(195) that seal of the Spirit, that you shall not be able to read\nit, till it be cleansed and washed again. Now, \u201cif any man have not the\nSpirit of Christ, he is none of his,\u201d he is not a Christian. Take this\nalong with you, who aim at nothing but the external and outward show or\nvisible standing in the church. If you have not this Spirit, and the seal\nof this Spirit, found on you, Christ will not know you for his in that day\nof his appearing.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXVI.\n\n\n    Verse 10.\u2014\u201cAnd if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of\n    sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.\u201d\n\n\nGod\u2019s presence is his working. His presence in a soul by his Spirit is his\nworking in such a soul in some special manner, not common to all men, but\npeculiar to them whom he hath chosen. Now his dwelling is nothing else but\na continued, familiar and endless working in a soul, till he hath\nconformed all within to the image of his Son. The soul is the office\nhouse, or workhouse, that the Spirit hath taken up, to frame in it the\nmost curious piece of the whole creation, even to restore and repair that\nmasterpiece, which came last from God\u2019s hand, _ab ultima manu_, and so was\nthe chiefest. I mean, the image of God, in righteousness and holiness.\nNow, this is the bond of union between God and us: Christ is the bond of\nunion with God, but the Spirit is the bond of union with Christ. Christ is\nthe peace between God and us, that makes of two one, but the Spirit is the\nlink between Christ and us, whereby he hath immediate and actual interest\nin us, and we in him. I find the union between Christ and soul shadowed\nout in scripture, by the nearest relations among creatures, (for truly\nthese are but shadows, and that is the body or substance,) and because an\nunion that is mutual is nearest, it is often so expressed, as it imports\nan interchangeable relation, a reciprocal conjunction with Christ. The\nknot is cast on both sides to make it strong. Christ in us, and we in him;\nGod dwelling in us, and we in him, and both by this one Spirit, 1 John iv.\n13. \u201cHereby we know that God dwelleth in us, and we in him, by his Spirit\nwhich he hath given us.\u201d You find it often in John, who being most\npossessed with the love of Christ, and most sensible of his love could\nbest express it: \u201cI in them, and they in me. He that keepeth his commands\ndwelleth in him, and he in him,\u201d as the names of married persons are\nspelled through other, so doth he spell out this indwelling; it is not\ncohabitation but inhabitation: neither that alone singly, but mutual\ninhabitation, which amounts to a kind of penetration, the most intimate\nand immediate presence imaginable. Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith;\nand we dwell in Christ by love, Eph. iii. 17 , and 1 John iv. Death\nbringeth him into the heart; for it is the very application of a Saviour\nto a sinful soul. It is the very applying of his blood and sufferings to\nthe wound that sin made in the conscience; the laying of that sacrifice\npropitiatory to the wounded conscience, is that which heals it, pacifies\nit, and calms it. A Christian, by receiving the offer of the gospel\ncordially and affectionately brings in Christ offered into his house, and\nthen salvation comes with him. Therefore believing is receiving, (John i.)\nthe very opening of the heart to let in an offered Saviour; and then\nChrist, thus possessing the heart by faith, he works by love, and \u201che that\ndwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.\u201d Love hath this special\nvalue in it, that it transports the soul in a manner out of itself to the\nBeloved, Cant. iv. 9. _Anima est ubi amat, non ubi animat_;(196) the\nfixing and establishing of the heart on God is a dwelling in him; for the\nconstant and most continued residence of the most serious thoughts and\naffections, will be their dwelling in their all-fulness and riches of\ngrace in Jesus Christ. As the Spirit dwelleth where he worketh, so the\nsoul dwelleth where it delighteth; its complacency in God making a\nfrequent issue or outgoing to him in desires and breathings after him; and\nby means of this same, God dwelleth in the heart, for love is the opening\nup of the inmost chamber of the heart to him, it brings in the Beloved\ninto the very secrets of the soul, to lie all night betwixt his breasts as\na bundle of myrrh, Cant. i. 13. And indeed all the sweet odours of holy\nduties, and all the performing of good works and edifying speeches, spring\nout only, and are sent forth, from this bundle of myrrh that lies betwixt\nthe breasts of a Christian, in the inmost of his heart, from Christ\ndwelling in the affections of the soul.\n\nNow, this being the bond of union betwixt Christ and us, it follows,\nnecessarily, that whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ, \u201che is none of\nhis;\u201d and this is subjoined for prevention or removal of the\nmisapprehensions and delusions of men in their self-judgings; because\nself-love blinds our eyes, and maketh our hearts deceive themselves. We\nare given to this self-flattery,\u2014to pretend and claim to an interest in\nJesus Christ, even though there be no more evidence for it than the\nexternal relation that we have to Christ, as members of his visible body,\nor partakers of a common influence of his Spirit. There are some external\nbonds and ties to Christ, which are like a knot that may easily be loosed\nif any thing get hold of the end of it; as by our relations to Christ by\nbaptism, hearing the word, your outward covenanting to be his people; all\nthese are loose unsure knots; it is as easy to untie them as to tie them,\nyea, and more easy; and yet many have no other relation to Christ than\nwhat these make. But it is only the Spirit of Christ given to us that\nentitles and interesteth us in him, and him in us. It is the Spirit\nworking in your souls mightily and continually, making your hearts temples\nfor the offering of the sacrifice of prayer and praises, casting out all\nidols out of these temples, that he alone may be adored and worshipped, by\nthe affectionate service of the heart, purging them from all filthiness of\nflesh and spirit. It is the Spirit, I say, thus dwelling in men that\nmaketh them living members of the true body of Christ, lively, joined to\nthe Head,\u2014Christ. This maketh him yours and you his; by virtue of this he\nmay command you as his own, and you may use and employ him as your own.\nNow, for want of this, in most part of men, they also want this living\nsaving interest in Christ. They have no real but an imaginary and notional\npropriety and right to the Lord Jesus; for Christ must first take\npossession of us by his Spirit before we have any true right to him, or\ncan willingly resign ourselves to him, and give him right over us. What\nshall it profit us, my beloved, to be called Christians, and to esteem\nourselves so, if, really, we be none of Christ\u2019s? Shall it not heighten\nour condemnation so much the more that we desire to pass for such and give\nout ourselves so, and yet have no inward acquaintance and interest in him\nwhose name we love to bear? Are not the most part shadows and pictures of\ntrue Christians, bodies without the soul of Christianity, that is, the\nSpirit of Christ, whose hearts are treasures of wickedness and deceit, and\nstorehouses of iniquity and ignorance? It may be known what treasure fills\nthe heart by that which is the constant and common vent of it, as our\nSaviour speaks, Matt. xv. 19; and xii. 34, 35, \u201cOut of the abundance of\nthe heart the mouth speaketh,\u201d the feet walk, and the hand works.\nConsider, then, if the Spirit of God dwelleth in such unclean habitations\nand dark dungeons; certainly no uncleanness or darkness of the house can\nhinder him to come in; but it is a sure argument and evidence that he is\nnot as yet come in, because the prince of darkness is not yet cast out of\nmany souls, nor yet the unclean spirits that lodge within; these haunt\nyour hearts, and are as familiar now as ever. Sure I am, many souls have\nnever yet changed their guests, and it is as sure that the first guest\nthat taketh up the soul is darkness and desperate wickedness, with\nunparalleled deceitfulness. There is an accursed trinity, instead of that\nblessed Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and when this\nholy Trinity cometh in to dwell, that other of hell must go out. Now, my\nbeloved, do you think this a light matter, to be disowned by Jesus Christ?\nTruly, the word of Christ, which is the character of all our evidences and\nrights for heaven, disowns many as bastards and dead members, withered\nbranches, and, certainly, according to this word he will judge you, \u201cthe\nword that I have spoken shall judge you in the last day.\u201d O that is a\nheavy word! You have the very rule and method of proceeding laid down\nbefore you now, which shall be punctually kept at that great day. Now, why\ndo you not read your ditty(197) and condemnatory sentence here registered?\nIf you do not read it now in your consciences, he will one day read it\nbefore men and angels, and pronounce this,\u2014I know you not for mine, you\nare none of mine. But if you would now take it to your hearts, there might\nbe hope that it should go no further, and come to no more public-hearing,\nthere were hope that it should be repealed before that day, because the\nfirst entry of the Spirit of Christ is to convince men of sin, that they\nare unbelievers, and without God in the world, and if this were done, then\nit were more easy to convince you of Christ\u2019s righteousness, and persuade\nyou to embrace it, and this would lead in another link of the chain,\u2014the\nconviction of judgment, to persuade you to resign yourselves to the\nSpirit\u2019s rule, and renounce the kingdom of Satan; this were another\ntrinity, a trinity upon earth, three bearing witness on the earth that you\nhave the Spirit of God.\n\n\n    Verse 10.\u2014\u201cAnd if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of\n    sin,\u201d &c.\n\n\nAll the preceding verses seem to be purposely set down by the apostle for\nthe comfort of Christians against the remnants of sin and corruption\nwithin them, for in the preceding chapter, he personates the whole body of\nChrist militant, showing, in his own example, how much sin remains in the\nholiest in this life, and this he rather instances in his own person than\nanother that all may know that matter of continual sorrow and lamentation\nis furnished to the chiefest of saints, and yet, in this chapter, he\npropounds the consolation of Christians more generally, that all may know\nthat these privileges and immunities belong even to the meanest and\nweakest of Christians,\u2014that, as the best have reason to mourn in\nthemselves, so the worst want not reason to rejoice in Jesus Christ. And\nthis should always be minded that the amplest grounds of the strongest\nconsolation are general to all that come indeed to Jesus Christ, and are\nnot restricted unto saints of such and such a growth and stature. The\ncommon principles of the gospel are more full of this milk of consolation,\nif you would suck it out of them, than many particular grounds which you\nare laying down for yourselves. God hath so disposed and contrived the\nwork of our salvation, that in this life he that hath gathered much, in\nsome respect, hath nothing over\u2014that is to say, hath no more reason to\nboast than another, but will be constrained to sit down and mourn over his\nown evil heart, and the emptiness of it, and he that hath gathered less\nhath, in some sense, no want. I mean, he is not excluded and shut out from\nthe right to these glorious privileges which may express gloriation and\nrejoicing from the heart, that there might be an equality in the body, he\nmaketh the stronger Christian to partake with the weaker in his bitter\nthings, and the weaker with the stronger in his sweet things, that none of\nthem may conceive themselves either despised, or alone regarded, that the\neunuch may not have reason to say, \u201cI am a dry tree,\u201d Isa. lvi. 3. For,\nbehold the Lord will give, even to such, \u201ca place\u201d in his house, and \u201ca\nname better than of sons and daughters.\u201d The soul that is in sincerity\naiming at this walk, and whose inward desires stir after more of this Holy\nSpirit, he will not refuse to such that name and esteem that they dare not\ntake to themselves because of their seen and felt unworthiness. Now, in\nthis verse he proceeds further to the fruits and effects of sin dwelling\nin us, to enlarge the consolation against that too. Now, If Christ be in\nyou, the body, &c. Seeing the word of God hath made such a connection\nbetween sin and death, and death is the wages of sin, and that which is\nthe just recompense of enmity and rebellion against God, the poor troubled\nsoul might be ready to conceive that if the body be adjudged to death for\nsin, that the rest of the wages shall be paid, and sin having so much\ndominion as to kill the body, that it should exerce(198) its full power to\ndestroy all. Seeing we have a visible character of the curse of God\nengraven on us in the mortality of our bodies, it may look with such a\nvisage on a soul troubled for sin, as if it were but earnest of the full\ncurse and weight of wrath, and that sin were not fully satisfied for, nor\njustice fully contented by, Christ\u2019s ransom. Now, he opposes to this\nmisconception the strongest ground of consolation\u2014if Christ be in you,\nthough your bodies must die for sin, because sin dwelleth in them, yet\nthat Spirit of life that is in you hath begun eternal life in your souls,\nyour spirits are not only immortal in being, but that eternal happy being\nis begun in you, the seeds of it are cast into your souls, and shall\ncertainly grow up to perfection of holiness and happiness, and this\nthrough the righteousness of Christ which assureth that state unto you.\nThe comfort is, it is neither total, for it is only the death of your\nbody, nor is it perpetual, for your bodies shall be raised again to life\neternal, verse 11. And not only is it only in part, and for a season, but\nit is for a blessed end and purpose it is that sin may be wholly cleansed\nout that this tabernacle is taken down, as the leprous houses(199) were to\nbe taken down under the law, and as now we use to cast down pest lodges,\nthe better to cleanse them of the infection. It is not to prejudge him of\nlife, but to install him in a better life. Thus you see that it is neither\ntotal nor perpetual, but it is medicinal and profitable to the soul,\u2014it is\nbut the death of the body for a moment, and the life of the soul for ever.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXVII.\n\n\n    Verse 10.\u2014\u201cAnd if Christ be in you, the body is dead because sin,\u201d\n    &c.\n\n\nThis is the high excellence of the Christian religion, that it contains\nthe most absolute precepts for a holy life, and the greatest comforts in\ndeath, for from these two the truth and excellency of religion is to be\nmeasured, if it have the highest and perfectest rule of walking, and the\nchiefest comfort withal. Now, the perfection of Christianity you saw in\nthe rule, how spiritual it is, how reasonable, how divine, how free from\nall corrupt mixture, how transcending all the most exquisite precepts and\nlaws of men, deriving a holy conversation from the highest fountain, the\nSpirit of Christ, and conforming it to the highest pattern, the will of\nGod. And, indeed, in the first word of this verse, there is something of\nthe excellent nature of Christianity holden out, \u201cif Christ be in you,\u201d\nwhich is the true description of a Christian,\u2014one in whom Christ is, which\nimports the divine principle and the spiritual subject of Christianity.\nThe principle is Christ in a man,\u2014Christ by his Spirit dwelling in him.\nThis great apostle knew this well in his own experience, and, therefore,\nhe can speak best in this style \u201cI live, yet not I, but Christ in me,\u201d\nGal. ii. 20 importing, that Christ and his Spirit is to the soul what the\nsoul is to the body,\u2014that there is a living influence from heaven that\nacts and moves the soul of a Christian as powerfully yet as sweetly and\npleasantly, as if it were the natural motion of the soul, and truly it is\nthe natural motion of the soul. It is that primitive life which was most\nconnatural to the soul of man, which sin did deprive us of. All the\npowerful constraint and violence that Christ uses in drawing the souls of\nmen to him, and after him, is as kindly unto them, and perfects them as\nmuch, as that impulse by which the soul moves and turns the body, a sweet\ncompulsion and blessed violence. Now this should make Christians often to\nreflect upon another principle of their life than themselves, that by\nlooking on him, who is \u201cthe resurrection and the life,\u201d who is \u201cthe true\nvine,\u201d and abiding in him by faith, their life may be continued and\nincreased. It is certainly much reflection on Him who is all in all, and\nless upon ourselves that maintains this life, and, therefore, the most\npart of men being wholly strangers to this, whether in their purposes or\npractices, or judgings of both, unacquainted with any higher look in\nreligion than they use in their natural and civil actings, it doth give\nground to assure us that they are strangers,\u2014alienated from the life of\nGod,\u2014without God, and without Christ in the world.\n\nBut then the spiritual subject of Christianity is here, Christ in you not\nChrist without you, in ordinances, in profession, in some civil carriage\nbut Christ within the heart of a man,\u2014that is a Christian. It is the\nreceiving of Christ into the soul, and putting him on upon the inner man,\nand renewing it, that makes a Christian, not being externally clothed with\nhim, or compassed about with him, in the administration of the ordinances.\nIt fears me, most part of us who bear the name of Christianity, have no\ncharacter of it within if we were looked and searched. Many are like the\nsepulchres Christ speaks of,\u2014without, painted and fair,\u2014within, no thing\nbut rottenness and dead bones. What have many of you more of Christ than\nwhat a blind man hath of light? It is round about him, but not within him.\nThe light hath sinned in darkness but your darkness cannot comprehend it.\nYou are environed with the outward appearances of Christ in his word and\nordinances, and that is all, but neither within you, nor upon many of you,\nis there any thing either of his light or life. Not so much as any outward\nprofession or behaviour, suitable to the revelation of Christ, about you.\nAs if you were ashamed to be Christians, you maintain gross ignorance, and\npractise manifest rebellion against his known will in the very light of\nthe gospel. How few have so much tincture of Christ, so much as to colour\nthe external man, or to clothe it with any blamelessness of walking or\nform of religion! How few are so much as Christians in the letter! For you\nare not acquainted either with letter or spirit,\u2014either with knowledge or\naffection or practice. But suppose that some have put on Christ on their\noutward man and colour over themselves with some performances of religious\nduties, and smooth themselves with civility in carriage, yet alas! how few\nare they who are renewed in the spirit of their mind, and have put on\nChrist in their inward man, who have opened the secrets of their hearts,\nand received him to \u201clie all night between their breasts.\u201d How few are\nbusied about their hearts, to have any new impression and dye upon their\naffections,\u2014to mould them after a new manner,\u2014to kill the love of this\nworld and the lusts of it,\u2014and cast out the rottenness and superfluity of\nnaughtiness which abides within! But some there are who are persuaded thus\nto do to give up their spirits to religion, and all their business and\ncare is, to have Christ within, as well as without. Now, if the rest of\nyou will not be persuaded to be of this number, consider what you prejudge\nyourselves of, of all the comfort of religion, and then religion is no\nreligion, and to no purpose, if you have no benefit by it. And certainly,\nexcept Christ be in you as a King to rule you, and a Prophet to teach\nyou,\u2014to subdue your lusts, and dispel your darkness, when he appears, he\ncannot appear to your comfort and salvation. You are deprived of this\ngreat cordial against death, and death must seize upon all that is within\nyou, soul and body, since Christ the Spirit of life is not within you.\nHappiness without you will not make you happy\u2014salvation round about you\nwill not save you. If you would be saved, there must be a near and\nimmediate union with happiness. Christ in the heart, and salvation cometh\nwith him. A Christian is not only Christ without not imputing his sins to\nhim, clothing him with his righteousness but Christ within too, cleansing\nthe heart from the love of sin, \u201cperfecting holiness in the fear of God.\u201d\nDo not think you have any share in Christ without you, except you receive\nChrist within you, because Christ is one within and without, and his gifts\nare undivided. Therefore true faith receives whole Christ as a complete\nSaviour, even as he is entirely offered, so he is undividedly received as\nhe is without saving us, and within sanctifying us,\u2014Christ without,\ndelivering from wrath\u2014and Christ within, redeeming from all iniquity\u2014these\ncannot be parted more than his coat that had no seam. It is a heavy and\nweighty word of this apostles, 2 Cor. xiii. 5: \u201cExamine yourselves,\nwhether ye be in the faith know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus\nChrist is in you, except ye be reprobates.\u201d I wish you would lay it to\nheart, who have never yet returned to your hearts. If Christ be not formed\nin you, (as Gal. iv. 19,) you are as yet among the refuse, dross, and that\nwhich must be burnt with fire. You cannot but be cast away in the day when\nhe makes up his jewels. Where Christ is he is the hope of glory,\u2014he is an\nimmortal seed of glory. How can you hope for Christ, who have nothing of\nhim within you?\n\nNow, the other touchstone of true religion is, the great comfort it\nfurnishes to the soul, and, of all comforts, the greatest is that which is\na cordial to the heart against the greatest fears and evils. Now,\ncertainly the matter of greatest fear is death, not so much because of\nitself, but chiefly because of that eternity of unchangeable misery that\nnaturally it transmits them unto. Now, it is only the Christian religion\npossessing the heart that arms a man completely against the fear either of\ndeath itself, or the consequents of it. It giveth the most powerful\nconsolation, that not only overcometh the bitterness and taketh out the\nsting of death, but changeth the nature of it so far as to make it the\nmatter of triumph and gloriation.\n\nThere is something here supposed, the worst that can befall a Christian,\nit is the death of a part of him, and that the worst and ignoblest part\nonly, \u201cthe body is dead because of sin.\u201d Then, that which is opposed by\nway of comfort to counter-balance it, is, the life of his better and more\nnoble part. And, besides, we have the fountains both of that death and\nthis life,\u2014man\u2019s sin the cause of bodily death, Christ\u2019s righteousness the\nfountain of spiritual life.\n\nOf death many have had sweet meditations, even among those that the light\nof the word hath not shined upon, and, indeed, they may make us ashamed\nwho profess Christianity, and so the hope of the resurrection from the\ndead, that they have accounted it only true wisdom and sound philosophy to\nmeditate often on death, and made it the very principal point of living\nwell to be always learning to die, and have applied their whole studies\nthat way, neglecting present things that are in the by, have given\nthemselves to search out some comfort against death, or from death. Yea,\nsome have so profited in this, that they have accounted death the greatest\ngood that can befall man, and persuaded others to think so.(200) Now, what\nmay we think of ourselves, who scarce apprehend mortality, especially\nconsidering that we have the true fountain of it revealed to us, and the\ntrue nature and consequents of it.\n\nAll men must needs know that death is the most universal king in the\nworld, that it reigns over all ages, sexes, conditions, nations and times,\nthough few be willing to entertain thoughts of it, yet sooner or later,\nthey must be constrained to give it lodging upon their eyelids, and suffer\nit to storm the very strongest tower, the heart, and batter it down, and\nbreak the strings of it, having no way either to fly from it or resist it.\nNow, the consideration of the general inundation of death over all\nmankind, and the certain approaching of it to every particular man\u2019s door,\nhath made many serious thoughts among the wise men of the world. But being\ndestitute of this heavenly light that shineth to us, they could not attain\nto the original of it, but have conceived that it was a common tribute of\nnature, and an universal law imposed upon all mankind by nature, having\nthe same reason that other mutations and changes among the creatures here\nbelow have, and so have thought it no more a strange thing, than to see\nother things dissolved in their elements. Now, indeed, seeing they could\napprehend no other bitter ingredient in it, it was no wonder that the\nwisest of them could not fear it, but rather wait and expect it as a rest\nfrom their labours, as the end of all their miseries.\n\nBut the Lord hath revealed unto us in his word the true cause of it, and\nso the true nature of it. The true cause of it is sin,\u2014\u201cSin entered into\nthe world, and death passed upon all, for that all have sinned,\u201d Rom. v.\n12. Man was created for another purpose, and upon other conditions, and a\nlaw of perpetual life and eternal happiness was passed in his favour, he\nabiding in the favour, and obeying the will of him that gave him life and\nbeing. Now, sin interposing, and separating between man and God, loosing\nthat blessed knot of union and communion, it was this other law that\nsucceeded, as a suitable recompense, \u201cthou shall die:\u201d it is resolved, in\nthe council of heaven, that the union of man shall be dissolved, his soul\nand body separated, in just recompense of the breaking the bond of union\nwith God. This is it that hath opened the sluice to let in an inundation\nof misery upon mankind: this was the just occasion of that righteous but\nterrible appointment, \u201cIt is appointed that all men once should die, and\nafter death come to judgment,\u201d Heb. ix. 27; that since the body had\nenticed the soul, and suggested unto it such unnatural and rebellious\nmotions of withdrawing from the blessed Fountain of life, to satisfy its\npleasure, the body should be under a sentence of deprivement and\nforfeiture of that great benefit and privilege of life it had by the\nsoul\u2019s indwelling, and condemned to return to its first base original,\n\u201cthe dust,\u201d and to be made a feast of worms, to lodge in the grave, and be\na subject of the greatest corruption and rottenness, because it became the\ninstrument, yea, the incitement of the soul to sin against that God that\nhad from heaven breathed a spirit into it, and exalted it above all the\ndust or clay in the world. Now, my beloved, do we not get many\nremembrances of our sins? Is not every day presenting our primitive\ndeparture from God, our first separation from the Fountain of life by sin,\nto our view, and in such sad and woful effects pointing out the\nheinousness of sin? Do you not see men\u2019s bodies every day dissolved, the\ntabernacle of earth taken down, and the soul constrained to remove out of\nit? But what influence hath it upon us, what do the multiplied funerals\nwork upon us? It may be, sorrow for our friends, but little or no\napprehension of our own mortality, and base impression of sin, that\nseparates our souls from God. Who is made sadly to reflect upon his\noriginal, or to mind seriously that statute and appointment of heaven, \u201cIn\nthat day thou shalt die?\u201d It is strange that all of us fear death, and few\nare afraid of sin, that carries death in its bosom,\u2014that we are so\nunwilling to reap corruption in our bodies, and yet we are so earnest and\nlaborious in sowing to the flesh. Be not deceived, for you are daily\nreaping what you have sown. And, O! that it were all the harvest; but\ndeath is only the putting in of the sickle of vengeance, the first cut of\nit: but, O! to think on what follows, would certainly restrain men, and\ncool them in their fervent pursuits after sin!\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXVIII.\n\n\n    Verse 10.\u2014\u201cAnd if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of\n    sin: but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.\u201d\n\n\n\u201cThe sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law,\u201d saith our\napostle, 1 Cor. xv. 56. These two concur to make man mortal, and these two\nare the bitter ingredients of death. Sin procured it, and the law\nappointed it, and God hath seen to the exact execution of that law in all\nages; for what man liveth and shall not taste of death? Two only escaped\nthe common lot, Enoch and Elias; for they pleased God, and God took them:\nand, besides, it was for a pledge, that at the last day all shall not die,\nbut be changed. The true cause of death is sin, and the true nature of it\nis penal, to be a punishment of sin: take away this relation to sin, and\ndeath wants the sting. But, in its first appointment, and as it prevails\ngenerally over men, _aculeata_(_201_)_ est mors_, it hath a sting that\npierceth deeper, and woundeth sorer than to the desolation of the body, it\ngoeth into the innermost parts of the soul, and woundeth that eternally.\nThe truth is, the death of the body is not either the first death or the\nlast death: it is rather placed in the middle between two deaths: and it\nis the fruit of the first, and the root of the last. There is a death\nimmediately hath ensued upon sin, and it is the separation of the soul\nfrom God, the Fountain of life and blessedness: and this is the death\noften spoken of, \u201cYou who were dead in sins and trespasses,\u201d &c. Eph. ii.\n1. \u201cBeing past feeling,\u201d and \u201calienated from the life of God,\u201d Eph. iv.\n18, 19. And truly this is worse in itself than the death of the body\nsimply, though not so sensible, because spiritual. The corruption of the\nbest part in man, in all reason, is worse than the corruption of his worst\npart. But this death, which consists especially in the loss of that\nblessed communion with God, which made the soul happy, cannot be found\ntill some new life enter, or else till the last death come, which adds\ninfinite pain to infinite loss. Now the death of the body succeeds this\nsoul\u2019s death, and that is, the separation of the soul from the body, most\nsuitable, seeing the soul was turned from the Fountain-spirit to the body,\nthat the body should by his command return to dust, and be made the most\ndefiled piece of dust. Now, this were not so grievous, if it were not a\nstep to the death to come, and a degree of it introductive to it. But that\nstatute and appointment of heaven hath thus linked it, \u201cafter death comes\njudgment:\u201d because, the soul in the body would not be sensible of its\nseparation from God, but was wholly taken up with the body, neglecting and\nmiskenning(202) that infinite loss of God\u2019s favour and face, therefore the\nLord commands it to go out of the body, that it may then be sensible of\nits infinite loss of God, when it is separated from the body; that it may\nthen have leisure to reflect upon itself, and find its own surpassing\nmisery: and then indeed,\u2014infinite pain and infinite loss\nconjoined,\u2014eternal banishment from the presence of that blessed Spirit,\nand eternal torment within itself. These two concurring, what posture do\nyou think such a soul will be into? There are some earnest of this in this\nlife. When God reveals his terror, and sets men\u2019s sins in order before\ntheir face, O! how intolerable is it, and more insupportable than many\ndeaths. They that have been acquainted with it, have declared it. The\nterrors of God are like poisonable arrows sunk into Job\u2019s spirit, and\ndrinking up all the moisture of them. Such a spirit as is wounded with one\nof these darts shot from heaven, who can bear it? Not the most patient and\nmost magnanimous spirit, that can sustain all other infirmities, Prov.\nxviii. 14. Now, my beloved, if it be so now, while the soul is in the\nbody, drowned in it, what will be the case of the soul separated from the\nbody, when it shall be all one sense, to reflect and consider itself?\n\nThis is the sting of death indeed, worse than a thousand deaths to a soul\nthat apprehends it; and the less it is apprehended, the worse it is;\nbecause it is the more certain, and must shortly be found, when there is\nno brazen serpent to heal that sting. Now, what comfort have you provided\nagainst this day? What way do you think to take out this sting? Truly,\nthere is no balm for it, no physician for it, but one; and that the\nChristian only is acquainted with. He in whom Christ is, he hath this\nsovereign antidote against the poison of death, he hath the very sting of\nit taken out by Christ, death itself killed, and of a mortal enemy made\nthe kindest friend. And so he may triumph with the apostle, \u201cO death,\nwhere is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God in\nJesus Christ, who giveth us the victory,\u201d 1 Cor. xv. 55. The ground of his\ntriumph, and that which a Christian hath to oppose to all the sorrows and\npains and fears of death mustered against him, is threefold; one, that\ndeath is not real; a second, that it is not total, even that which is; and\nthen, that it is not perpetual. This last is contained in the next verse,\nthe second expressed in this verse, and the first may be understood or\nimplied in it. That the nature of death is so far changed, that of a\npunishment it is become a medicine, of a punishment for sin it is turned\ninto the last purgative of the soul from sin; and thus the sting of it is\ntaken away, that relation it did bear to the just wrath of God. And now as\nto the body of a Christian under appointment to die for sin, that is, for\nthe death of sin, the eternal death of sin. Christ having come under the\npower of death, hath gotten power over it, and spoiled it of its stinging\nvirtue. He hath taken away the poisonable ingredient of the curse, that it\ncan no more hurt them that are in him, and so it is not now vested with\nthat piercing and wounding notion of punishment. Though it be true that\nsin was the first inlet of death, that it first opened the sluice to let\nit enter and flow in upon mankind, yet that appointment of death is\nrenewed, and bears a relation to the destruction of sin, rather than the\npunishment of the sinner, who is forgiven in Christ. And, O! how much\nsolid comfort is here, that the great reason of mortality that a Christian\nis subject unto, is, that he may be made free of that which made him at\nfirst mortal. Because sin hath taken such possession in this earthly\ntabernacle, and is so strong a poison, that it hath infected all the\nmembers, and by no purgation here made can be fully cleansed out, but\nthere are many secret corners it lurks into, and upon occasion vents\nitself, therefore it hath pleased God, in his infinite goodness, to\ncontinue the former appointment of death, but under a new and living\nconsideration, to take down this infected and defiled tabernacle, as the\nhouses of leprosy were taken down under the law, that so they might be the\nbetter cleansed, and this is the last purification of the soul from sin.\nAnd therefore, as one of the ancients said well, \u201cThat we might not be\neternally miserable, mercy hath made us mortal.\u201d Justice hath made the\nworld mortal, that they might be eternally miserable, but to put an end to\nthis misery, Christ hath continued our mortality, else he would have\nabolished death itself, if he had not meant to abolish sin by death.  And\nindeed, it would appear this is the reason why the world must be consumed\nwith fire at the last day, and new heavens and earth succeed in its room,\nbecause, as the little house, the body, so the great house, the world, was\ninfected with this leprosy, and so subjoined to vanity and corruption\nbecause of mans sin therefore, that there might be no remnant of mans\ncorruption, and no memorial of sin to interrupt his eternal joy, the Lord\nwill purify and change all,\u2014all the members that were made instruments of\nunrighteousness, all the creatures that were servants to man\u2019s lusts.  A\nnew form and fashion shall be put on all, that the body being restored,\nmay be a fit dwelling place for the purified soul, and the world renewed,\nmay be a fit house for righteous men.  Thus you see, that death to a\nChristian is not real death, for it is not the death of a Christian, but\nthe death of sin his greatest enemy, it is not a punishment, but the\nenlargement of the soul.\n\nNow, the next comfort is, that which is but partial, it is but the\ndissolution of the lowest part in man, his body, so far from prejudging\nthe immortal life of his spirit it is rather the accomplishment of that.\nThough the body must die, yet eternal life is begun already within the\nsoul, for the Spirit of Christ hath brought in life, the righteousness of\nChrist hath purchased it, and the Spirit hath performed it, and applied it\nto us.  Not only there is an immortal being in a Christian that must\nsurvive the dust (for that is common to all men), but there is a new life\nbegun in him, an immortal well being in joy and happiness, which only\ndeserves the name of life, that cometh never to its full perfection till\nthe bodily and earthly houses be taken down. If you consider seriously\nwhat a new life a Christian is translated unto, by the operation of the\nHoly Ghost, and the ministration of the word, it is then most active and\nlively, when the soul is most retired from the body in meditation.  The\nnew life of a Christian is most perfect in this life when it carrieth him\nthe furthest distance from his bodily senses, and is most abstracted from\nall sensible engagements, as you heard, for indeed it restores the spirit\nof a man to its native rule and dominion over the body, so that it is then\nmost perfect when it is most gathered within itself, and disengaged from\nall external entanglements.\n\nNow, certain it is, since the perfection of the soul in this life consists\nin such a retirement from the body, that when it is wholly separated from\nit then it is in the most absolute state of perfection, and its life acts\nmost purely and perfectly when it hath no body to communicate with, and to\nentangle it either with its lusts or necessities. The Spirit is life, it\nhath a life now which is then best when furthest from the body, and\ntherefore it cannot but be surpassing better when it is out of the body,\nand all this is purchased by Christ\u2019s righteousness.  As man\u2019s\ndisobedience made an end of his life, Christ\u2019s obedience hath made our\nlife endless.  He suffered death to sting him, and by this hath taken the\nsting from it, and now, there is a new statute and appointment of heaven\npublished in the gospel, \u201cwhosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but\nhave eternal life.\u201d  Now indeed, this hath so entirely changed the nature\nof death, that it hath now the most lovely and desirable aspect on a\nChristian, that it is no longer an object of fear, but of desire,\namicable, not terrible unto him.  Since there is no way to save the\npassenger, but to let the vessel break, he will be content to have the\nbody splitted, that himself, that is his soul, may escape, for truly a\nman\u2019s soul is himself, the body is but an earthly tabernacle that must be\ntaken down, to let the inhabitant win out to come near his Lord.  The body\nis the prison house that he groans to have opened, that he may enjoy that\nliberty of the sons of God.  And now to a Christian, death is not properly\nan object of patience, but of desire rather, \u201cI desire to be dissolved and\nbe with Christ,\u201d Phil. i. 23.  He that hath but advanced little in\nChristianity will be content to die, but because there is too much flesh,\nhe will desire to live. But a Christian that is riper in knowledge and\ngrace, will rather desire to die, and only be content to live.  He will\nexercise patience and submission about abiding here, but groanings and\npantings about removing hence, because he knoweth that there is no choice\nbetween that bondage and this liberty.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXIX.\n\n\n    Verse 10.\u2014\u201cAnd if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of\n    sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.\u201d\n\n\nIt was the first curse and threatening wherein God thought fit to\ncomprehend all misery, \u201cThou shalt die the death in that day thou eatest.\u201d\nThough the sentence was not presently executed according to the letter,\nyet from that day forward man was made mortal, and there seemeth to be\nmuch mercy and goodness of God intervening to plead a delay of death\nitself, that so the promise of life in the second Adam might come to the\nfirst and his posterity, and they might be delivered from the second\ndeath, though not from the first.  Always we bear about the marks of sin\nin our bodies to this day, and in so far the threatening taketh place,\nthat this life that we live in the body is become nothing else but a dying\nlife, the life that the ungodly shall live out of the body is a living\ndeath, and either of these is worse than simple death or destruction of\nbeing. The serious contemplation of the miseries of this life made wise\nSolomon to praise the dead more than the living, contrary to the custom of\nmen, who rejoice at the birth of a man-child, and mourn at their death.\nYea, it pressed him further, to think them which have not at all been,\nbetter than both, because they have not seen the evil under the sun.  This\nworld is such a chaos, such a mass of miseries, that if men understood it\nbefore they came into it, they would be far more loath to enter it, than\nthey are now afraid to go out of it.  And truly we want not remembrances\nand representations of our misery every day, in that children come weeping\ninto the world, as it were bewailing their own misfortune, that they were\nbrought forth to be sensible subjects of misery. And what is all our\nlife-time, but a repetition of sighs and groans, anxiety and satiety,\nloathing and longing, dividing our spirits and our time between them? How\nmany deaths must we suffer before death come? For the absence or loss of\nany thing much desired, is a separation no less grievous to the hearts of\nmen, than the parting of soul and body: for affection to temporal\nperishing things, unites the soul so unto them, that there is no parting\nwithout pain, no dissolution of that continuity without much vexation, and\nyet the soul must suffer many such tortures in one day, because the things\nare perishing in their own nature, and uncertain. What is sleep, which\ndevours the most part of our time, but the very image and picture of\ndeath, a visible and daily representation of the long cessation of the\nsensitive life in the grave? And yet, truly, it is the best and most\ninnocent part of our time, though we accuse it often. There is both less\nsin and less misery in it, for it is almost the only lineament and\nrefreshment we get in all our miseries.  Job sought to assuage his grief\nand ease his body, but it was the extremity of his misery that he could\nnot find it. Now, my beloved, when you find that which is called life\nsubject to so much misery that you are constrained often to desire you had\nnever been born, you find it a valley of tears, a house of mourning from\nwhence all true delight and solid happiness is banished.  Seeing the very\nofficers and serjeants of death are continually surrounding us and walk\nalongst with us\u2014though unpleasant company\u2014in our greatest contentments,\nand are putting marks upon your doors, as in the time of the plague upon\nhouses infected, \u201cLord have mercy upon us,\u201d(203) and are continually\nbearing this motto to our view, and sounding this direction to our ears,\n_cito, procul, diu_\u2014to get soon our of Sodom that is appointed for\ndestruction, to fly quickly out of ourselves to the refuge appointed of\nGod, even one that was dead and is alive, and hath redeemed us by his\nblood, and to get far off from ourselves, and take up dwelling in the\nblessed Son of God, through whose flesh there is access to the\nFather,\u2014seeing all these, I say, are so, why do not we awake ourselves\nupon the sound of the promise of immortality and life, brought to our ears\nin the gospel? Mortality hath already seized upon our bodies, but why do\nyou not catch hold of this opportunity of releasing your souls from the\nchains and fetters of eternal death? Truly, my beloved, all that can be\nspoken of torments and miseries in this life, suppose we could imagine all\nthe exquisite torments invented by the most cruel tyrants since the\nbeginning, to be combined in some one kind of torture, and would then\nstretch our imagination beyond that, as far as that which is composed of\nall torments surpasseth the simplest death, yet we do not conceive nor\nexpress unto you that death to come.  Believe it, when the soul is out of\nthe body it is a most pure activity, all sense, all knowledge. And seeing\nwhere it is dulled and dampished(204) in the body, it is capable of so\nmuch grief or joy, pleasure or pain, we may conclude, that being loosed\nfrom these stupifying earthly chains, that it is capable of infinite more\nvexation, or contentation, in a higher and purer strain.\n\nTherefore, we may conclude with the apostle, that all men by nature are\nmiserable in life, but infinitely more miserable in death.  Only the man\nwho is in Jesus Christ, in whose spirit Christ dwells, and hath made a\ntemple of his body for offering up reasonable service in it, that man only\nis happy in life, but far happier in death, happy that he was born, but\ninfinitely more happy that he was born mortal, born to die, for \u201cif the\nbody be dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.\u201d\nMen commonly make their accounts and calculate their time so, as if death\nwere the end of it.  Truly, it were happiness in the generality of men\nthat that computation were true, either that it had never begun, or that\nit might end here, for that which is the greatest dignity and glory of a\nman\u2014his immortal soul\u2014it is truly the greatest misery of sinful men,\nbecause it capacitates them for eternal misery. But if we make our\naccounts right, and take the right period, truly death is but the\nbeginning of our time, of endless and unchangeable endurance either in\nhappiness or misery, and this life in the body, which is only in the view\nof the short sighted sons of men, is but a strait and narrow passage into\nthe infinite ocean of eternity, but so inconsiderable it is that,\naccording as the spirit in this passage is fashioned and formed, so it\nmust continue for ever, for where the tree falleth, there it lieth. There\nmay be hope that a tree will sprout again, but truly there is no hope that\never the damned soul shall see a spring of joy, and no fear that ever the\nblessed spirits shall find a winter of grief. Such is the evenness of\neternity, that there is no shadow of change in it.\n\nO then, how happy are they in whose souls this life is already begun,\nwhich shall then come to its meridian, when the glory of the flesh falls\ndown like withered hay into the dust! The life as well as the light of the\nrighteous is progressive. It is shining more and more till that day come,\nthe day of death, only worthy to be called the present day, because it\nbrings perfection, it mounts the soul in the highest point of the orb, and\nthere is no declining from that again. The spirit is now alive in some\nholy affections and motions, breathing upwards, wrestling towards that\npoint. The soul is now in part united to the Fountain of life, by loving\nattendance and obedience, and it is longing to be more closely united. The\ninward senses are exercised about spiritual things, but the burden of this\nclayey  mansion doth much dull and damp them, and proves a great\n_remora_(205) to the spirit. The body indisposes and weakens the soul\nmuch. It is life, as in an infant, though a reasonable soul be there, yet\noverwhelmed with the incapacity of the organs. This body is truly a prison\nof restraint and confinement to the soul, and often loathsome and ugly\nthrough the filthiness of sin, but when the spirit is delivered from this\nnecessary burden and impediment, O how lively is that life it then lives!\nThen the life, peace, joy, love, and delight of the soul surmounts all\nthat is possible here, further than the highest exercise of the soul of\nthe wisest men surpasses the brutish like apprehensions of an infant, and\nindeed then the Christian comes to his full stature, and is a perfect man\nwhen he ceaseth to be a man.\n\nHow will you not be persuaded, beloved in the Lord, to long after this\nlife, to have Christ formed in your hearts, for truly the generality have\nnot so much as Christ fashioned in their outward habit, but are within\ndarkness and earthiness and wickedness, and without, impiety and\nprofanity. Will you not long for this life? For now you are dead while you\nlive, as the apostle speaks of widows that live in pleasure. The more the\nsoul be satisfied with earthly things, it is the deeper buried in the\ngrave of the flesh, and the further separated from God. Alas! many of you\nknow no other life, than that which you now live in the body, you neither\napprehend what this new birth is, nor what the perfect stature of it shall\nbe afterwards. But truly while it is thus, you are but walking shadows,\nbreathing clay, and no more. A godly man used to calculate the years of\nhis nativity from his second birth, his conversion to God in Christ; and\ntruly, this is the true period of the right calculation of life, of that\nlife which shall not see death. True life hath but one period, that is,\nthe beginning of it, for end it hath none. I beseech you, reckon your\nyears thus, and I fear that you reckon yourselves, many of you, yet dead\nin sins and trespasses. Is that life, I pray you, to eat, to drink, to\nsleep, to play, to walk, to work? Is there any thing in all these worthy\nof a reasonable soul, which must survive the body, and so cease from such\nthings for ever? Think within yourselves, do you live any other life than\nthis? What is your life but a tedious and wearisome repetition of such\nbrutish actions which are only terminate on the body? O then, how\nmiserable are you, if you have no other period to reckon from than your\nbirth-day! If there be not a second birth-day before your burial, you may\nmake your reckoning to be banished eternally from the life of God.\n\nAs for you, Christians, whom God hath quickened by the Spirit of his Son,\nbe much in the exercise of this life, and that will maintain and advance\nit. Let your care be about your spirits, and to hearten you in this study,\nand to beget in you the hope of eternal life, look much and lay fast hold\non that life giving Saviour, who, by his righteous life and accursed\ndeath, hath purchased by his own blood both happiness to us and holiness.\nConsider what debtors you are to him who loved not his own life and spared\nit not, to purchase this life to us. Let our thoughts and affections be\noccupied about this high purchase of our Saviour\u2019s, which is freely\nbestowed on them that will have it, and believe in him for it. If we be\nnot satisfied with such a low and wretched life as is in the body, he will\ngive a higher and more enduring life, and only worthy of that name.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXX.\n\n\n    Verse 11.\u2014\u201cBut if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the\n    dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall\n    also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in\n    you.\u201d\n\n\nIt is true the soul is incomparably better than the body, and he is only\nworthy the name of a man and of a Christian who prefers this more\nexcellent part, and employs his study and time about it, and regards his\nbody only for the noble guest that lodges within it, and therefore it is\none of the prime consolations that Christianity affords, that it provides\nchiefly for the happy estate of this immortal piece in man, which, truly,\nwere alone sufficient to draw our souls wholly after religion. Suppose the\nbody should never taste of the fruits of it, but die and rise no more, and\nnever be awaked out of its sleep, yet it were a sufficient ground of\nengagement to godliness, that the life and well being of the far better\npart in man is secured for eternity, which is infinitely more than all\nthings beside can truly promise us, or be able to perform. Certainly,\nwhatsoever else you give your hearts to, and spend your time upon, it\neither will leave you in the midst of your days, and at your end you shall\nbe a fool, or you must leave it in the end of your days, and find\nyourselves as much disappointed, or, to speak more properly, because when\nyour time is ending your life and being is but at its beginning, you must\nbid an eternal adieu to all these things whereupon your hearts are set\nwhen you are but beginning truly to be. But this is only the proper and\ntrue good of the soul,\u2014Christ in it,\u2014most portable and easily carried\nabout with you, yea, that which makes the soul no burden to itself, and\nhelps it to carry all things easily,\u2014and then most inseparable, for Christ\nin the soul is the spring of a never-ending life, of peace, joy, and\ncontentation in the fountain of an infinite goodness, and it outwears time\nand age as well as the immortal being of the soul. Yea, such is the\nstrength of this consolation, that then the soul is most closely united\nand fully possessed of that which is its peculiar and satisfying good,\nwhen it leaves the body in the dust, and escapes out of this prison unto\nthat glorious liberty.\n\nBut yet, there is besides this an additional comfort comprehended in the\nverse read,\u2014that the sleep of the body is not perpetual, that it shall\nonce be awakened and raised up to the fellowship of this glory, for though\na man should be abundantly satisfied if he possess his own soul, yet no\nman hateth his own flesh. The soul hath some kind of natural inclination\nto a body suitable unto it, and in this it differs from an angel, and,\ntherefore, the apostle, when he expresseth his earnest groan for the\nintimate presence of his soul with Christ, he subjoins this correction\u2014not\nthat we desire to be unclothed, but clothed upon it, 2 Cor. v. 1-4. If it\nwere possible, says he, we would be glad to have the society of the body\nin this glory, we would not desire to cast off those clothes of flesh, but\nrather that the garment of glory might be spread over all, if it were not\nneedful because they are old and ragged and would not suit well, and our\nearthly tabernacle is ruinous, and would not be fit for such a glorious\nguest to dwell into, and therefore, it is needful to be taken down. Well,\nthen, here is an overplus, and, as it were, a surcharge of consolation,\nthat seeing for the present it is expedient to put off the present\nclothing of flesh, and take down the present earthly house,\u2014yet that the\nday is coming that the same clothes, renewed, shall be put on, and the\nsame house repaired and made suitable to heaven, shall be built up,\u2014that\nthis mortal body shall be quickened with that same spirit that now\nquickens the soul, and makes it live out of the body, and so the sweet and\nbeloved friends, who parted with so much pain and grief, shall meet again\nwith so much pleasure and joy, and, as they were sharers together in the\nmiseries of this life, shall participate also in the blessedness of the\nnext,\u2014like Saul and Jonathan, \u201clovely and pleasant in their lives,\u201d and\nthough for a time separated in death, yet not always divided. Now this is\nthe highest top of happiness, to which nothing can be added. It is\ncomprehensive of the whole man, and it is comprehensive of all that can be\nimagined to be the perfective good of man.\n\nIt is no wonder, then, that the apostle reckons this doctrine of the\nresurrection amongst the foundations of Christianity (Heb. v. 1, 2), for\ntruly these two\u2014the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the\nmortal body\u2014are the two ground-stones or pillars of true religion, which,\nif they be not well settled in the hearts of men, all religion is\ntottering and ruinous and unable to support itself. That the soul cannot\ntaste death or see corruption, and that the body shall but taste it, and,\nas it were, salute it, and cannot always abide under the power of it,\nthese are the prime foundations upon which all Christian persuasion is\nbuilt. For without these be laid down in the lowest and deepest part of\nthe heart, all exhortations to an holy and righteous life are weak and\nineffectual, all consolations are empty and vain. In a word, religion is\nbut an airy speculation, that hath no consistence but in the imaginations\nof men,\u2014it is a house upon sand, that can abide no blast of temptation, no\nwave of misery, but must straightway fall to the ground. From whence is\nit, I pray you, that the persuasions of the gospel have so little power\nupon men,\u2014that the plain and plentiful publication of a Saviour is of so\nsmall virtue to stir up the hearts of men to take hold on him? How comes\nit to pass that the precepts and prohibitions of the most high God, coming\nforth under his authority, lay so little restraint on men\u2019s\ncorruptions,\u2014that so few will be persuaded to stop their course, and come\noff the ways that they are accustomed to,\u2014that men pull away the shoulder\nand stop the ear, and make their hearts as adamant, incapable of being\naffected with either the authority or love of the gospel,\u2014that when he\npipes unto us so few dance, and when he mourns so few lament? Is it not\nbecause these two foundations are not laid, and men\u2019s hearts not digged\ndeep by earnest consideration to receive these ground-stones of\nChristianity,\u2014the belief of their souls, eternal survivance after the\ndust, and of the revivance and resurrection of the body, after it hath\nslept a while in the dust? I remember heathens have had some noble and\nrare conceptions about virtue, and some have laboured to enamour men with\nthe native beauty of it, and to persuade them that it was a sufficient\nreward to itself.(206) And truly it would far more become a Christian,\u2014who\nknoweth the high and divine pattern of holiness to be God himself, and so\nmust needs behold a far surpassing beauty and excellency in the image of\nGod than in all earthly things,\u2014I say, it would become him to accustom\nhimself to a dutiful observance of religion, even without any respect to\nthe reward of it. He would train his heart to do homage to God out of a\nloyal affection and respect to his majesty, and from the love of the very\nintrinsic beauty of obedience, without borrowing always from such selfish\nconsiderations of our own happiness or misery. Notwithstanding, such is\nthe posture of man\u2019s spirit now, that he cannot at all be engaged to the\nlove of religion, except some seen advantage conciliate it, and therefore\nthe Lord makes use of such selfish principles in drawing men to himself,\nand keeping them still with him. And, truly, considering man\u2019s infirmity,\nthis is the spirit and life of all religion\u2014immortality and\nresurrection\u2014that which gives a lustre to all and quickens all, that which\nmakes all to sink deep, and that which makes a Christian steadfast and\nimmoveable, 2 Cor. v. 8. It is certainly hope that is the key of the\nheart, that opens and shuts it to any thing. Hence the apostle Peter (1\nEpistle) first blesseth God heartily for the new birth, and, in expressing\nof it, makes hope the very term of that generation, and so it must be a\nsubstantial thing. \u201cBlessed be God, who hath begotten us again to a lively\nhope.\u201d Hope hath a quickening power in it. It makes all new where it\ncomes, and is full of spirit. It is the helmet and anchor of a Christian,\nthat which bears the dint of temptation and makes him steady in religion.\nNo man will put his plough in this ground, or sow unto the Spirit, but in\nhope, for he that soweth must sow in hope, else his plough will not go\ndeep. 1 Cor. ix. 10. This then is the very spirit and life of\nreligion,\u2014the resurrection of the dead,\u2014without which our faith were in\nvain, and men would continue still in their sins. Certainly it is the deep\ninconsideration of this never ending endurance of our souls, and\nrestitution of our bodies to the same immortality, that makes the most\npart of men so slight and superficial in religion, else it were not\npossible, if that were laid to heart, but men would make religion their\nbusiness, and chief business.\n\nWe have here the two genuine causes of the resurrection of the bodies of\nChristians,\u2014the resurrection of Christ and the inhabitation of his Spirit.\nThe influence that the resurrection of Christ hath on ours, is lively and\nfully holden out by this apostle, 1 Cor. xv., against them who deny the\nresurrection from the dead: \u201cIf Christ be not raised, your faith is in\nvain, you are yet in your sins, and they that are asleep are perished.\u201d\nReligion were nothing but a number of empty words of show, preaching were\na vanity and imposture, faith were a mere fancy, if this be not laid down\nas the ground stone,\u2014Christ raised, not as a natural person, but as a\ncommon politic person, as the first-fruits of them that sleep, ver. 17-20,\nwhere he alludes to the ceremony of offering the first-fruits of their\nharvest, Lev. xxiii. 10. For under the law they might not eat of the\nfruits of the land till they were sanctified. All was counted profane till\nthey were some way consecrated to the Lord. Now, for this end, the Lord\nappointed them to bring one sheaf for all, and that was the representative\nof all the rest of the heap, and this was waved before the Lord, and\nlifted up from the earth. Now, according to the apostle\u2019s argument, Rom.\nxi. 16, \u201cIf the first fruits be holy, so is the lump,\u201d for it represents\nall the lump, and therefore Jesus Christ, the chief of all his brethren,\nwas made the first fruits from the dead, and lifted up from the grave, as\nthe representer of all the lump of his elect, and so it must needs follow,\nthat they shall not continue in the grave, but must in due time partake of\nthat benefit which he has first entered in possession of, in their name,\nand for them. For if this first fruits be holy, so the whole lump must be\nholy, and if the first fruits be risen, so must the lump. You see then the\nforce of the present reason, \u201cIf the Spirit that raised Christ dwell in\nyou,\u201d he shall also raise you, namely, because he raised up Christ the\nvery first fruits of all the rest, so that Christ\u2019s resurrection is a sure\npledge and token of yours, and both together are the main basis and ground\nwork of all our hope and salvation, the neglect and inconsideration\nwhereof makes the most part of pretended Christians to walk according to\nthat Epicurean principle, \u201cLet us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall\ndie.\u201d As if there were no life to come, they withhold nothing from their\ncarnal minds that can satisfy or please their lusts. But for you who\ndesire a part in this resurrection, and dare scarcely believe so great a\nthing, or entertain such a high hope, because of the sight of your\nunworthiness, as you would be awakened by this hope to \u201crighteousness, and\nto sin no more\u201d verse 34th of that chapter, so you may encourage\nyourselves to that hope by the resurrection of Christ, for it is that\nwhich hath the mighty influence to beget you to a lively hope, 1 Pet. i.\n3. Look upon this as the grand intent, and special design of Christ\u2019s both\ndying and rising again, that he might be the first-fruits to sanctify all\nthe lump. Nevertheless, it is not the desert of your bodies, for they are\noften a great impediment and retardment to the spirit, and lodge the enemy\nwithin their walls, when he is chased out of the mind by the law of the\nSpirit of life, but it is the great design of God, through the whole work\nof redemption, and the desert of Christ your head, and therefore you may\nentertain that hope, but take heed to walk worthy of it, and that it is,\n\u201cif we have this hope, let us purify ourselves,\u201d let us who believe that\nwe are risen with Christ, set our affections on things above, else we\ndishonour him that is risen in our name, and we dishonour that temple of\nthe Holy Ghost, which he will one day make so glorious.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXI.\n\n\n    Verse 11.\u2014\u201cBut if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the\n    dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall\n    also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in\n    you.\u201d\n\n\nAs there is a twofold death,\u2014the death of the soul, and the death of the\nbody\u2014so there is a double resurrection, the resurrection of the soul from\nthe power of sin, and the resurrection of the body from the grave. As the\nfirst death is that which is spiritual, then that which is bodily, so the\nfirst resurrection is of the spirit, then the second of the body, and\nthese two have a connexion together, therefore saith the apostle John,\n\u201cBlessed are they who have part in the first resurrection, for on such the\nsecond death hath no power, but they shall be priests to God,\u201d &c. Rev.\nxx. 6. Although death must seize on their bodies, yet the sting wherein\nthe strength of it lies, is taken away by Christ, that it hath no power to\nhurt him whose spirit is raised out of the grave of sin. And truly it is\nhard to tell which is the greatest change, or the most difficult, to raise\na body out of corruption to life, or to raise a soul out of sin to grace.\nBut both are the greatest changes that can be, and shadowed out under the\nsimilitude of the greatest in nature, for our conversion to God is a new\nbirth, a new creation, and a resurrection in scripture style, and so both\nrequire one and the same power, the almighty power of his Spirit. \u201cYou who\nwere dead in sins hath he quickened,\u201d &c. O, what a notable change!  It\nmaketh them no longer the same men, but new creatures, and therefore it is\nthe death of sin, and the resurrection of the soul. For as long as it is\nunder the chains of darkness and power of sin, it is free among the dead,\nit is buried in the vilest sepulchre. Old graves, and these full of\nrottenness and dead men\u2019s bones, are nothing to express the lamentable\ncase of such a soul, and yet such are all by nature.   Whatsoever\nexcellency or endowment men may have from their birth or education, yet\ncertainly they are but apparitions rather than any real substance, and\nwhich is worse, their body is the sepulchre of their souls, and if the\ncorruption of a soul were sensible, we would think all the putrefactions\nof bodily things but shadows of it.   And therefore no sooner is there any\ninward life begotten in a soul, but this is the very first exercise of it,\nthe abhorrency of the soul upon the sight and smell of its own\nloathsomeness.\n\nNow, there is no hope of any reviving. Though all the wisdom and art of\nmen and angels were employed in this business, there is nothing able to\nquicken one such soul, until it please the Lord to speak such a word as he\ndid to Lazarus, \u201cArise, come forth,\u201d and send his Spirit to accomplish his\nword, and this will do it. When the Spirit cometh into the soul, he\nquickeneth it, and this is the first resurrection. O blessed are they who\nhave part in this, whose souls are drawn out of the dungeon of darkness\nand ignorance, and brought forth to behold this glorious light that\nshineth in the gospel, and raised out of the grave of the lusts of\nignorance, to live unto God henceforth, for such have their part in the\nsecond resurrection to life. For you see these are conjoined, \u201cIf the\nSpirit dwell in you, he shall raise you,\u201d &c. You see here two grounds and\nreasons of the resurrection of body,\u2014Christ\u2019s rising and the Spirits\nindwelling. Now I find these in the scripture made the two fountains of\nall Christianity, both of the first and second resurrection.\n\nThe resurrection of Christ is an evidence of our justification, the cause\nof our quickening, or vivification, and the ground and pledge of our last\nresurrection, and all these are grounds of strong consolation. The first\nyou have, Rom. iv. 25. \u201cChrist died for our sins, and rose for our\njustification,\u201d and the 34th verse of this chapter, \u201cChrist is dead, yea,\nrather has risen again, who then shall condemn?\u201d Here is a clear evidence,\nthat he hath paid the debt wholly, and satisfied justice fully. Since he\nwas under the power of death, imprisoned by justice, certainly he would\nnot have won free, if he had not paid the uttermost farthing, therefore\nhis glorious resurrection is a sure manifestation of his present\nsatisfaction\u2014it is a public acquittance and absolution of him from all our\ndebt, and so by consequence, of all he died for. For their debt was laid\nupon him, and now he is discharged. And therefore the believing soul may\ntremblingly boast, who shall condemn me? For it is God that justifieth.\nWhy? Because all my sins were laid on Christ, and God hath in a most\nsolemn manner acquitted and discharged him from all, when he raised him\nfrom the dead, and therefore he cannot, and none other can sue me, or\nprosecute a plea against me, since my Cautioner is fully exonered of this\nundertaking, even by the great Creditor God himself. But then, his\nresurrection is a pawn or pledge of the spiritual raising of the soul from\nsin, as the death of Christ is made the pledge of our dying to sin, so his\nrising, of our living to God, Rom. vi. 4, 5. These are not mere patterns\nand examples of spiritual things, but assured pledges of the divine virtue\nand power which he, being raised again, should send abroad throughout the\nworld. For, as there are coronation gifts when kings are solemnly\ninstalled in office, so there are coronation mercies, triumphal gifts.\nWhen Christ rose and ascended, he bestowed them on the world, Eph. iv. And\ncertainly these are the greatest, the virtue of his death to kill the old\nman, and the power of his resurrection to quicken the new. And by faith, a\nbeliever is united and ingrafted into him, as a plant into a choice stock,\nand by virtue and sap coming from Christ\u2019s death and resurrection, he is\ntransformed into the similitude of both, he groweth into the likeness of\nhis death, by dying to sin, by crucifying these inward affections and\ninclinations to it, and he groweth up into the similitude of his\nresurrection, by newness of life, or being alive to God, in holy desires\nand endeavours after holiness and obedience. And thus the first\nresurrection of the soul floweth from Christ\u2019s resurrection.\n\nBut add unto this, that Christ\u2019s rising is the pledge and pawn of the\nsecond resurrection, that is, of the body, for he is the head, and we are\nthe members. Now, it is the most incongruous, that the head should rise\nand not draw up the members after him. Certainly he will not cease till he\nhave drawn up all his members to him. If the head be above water, it is a\nsure pledge that the body will win out of the water, if the root be alive,\ncertainly the branches will out in spring time, they shall live also.\nThere is that connexion between Christ and believers, that wonderful\ncommunication between them, that Christ did nothing, was nothing, and had\nnothing done to him, but what he did, and was, and suffered, personating\nthem, and all the benefit and advantage redounds to them. He would not be\nconsidered of as a person by himself, but would rather be still taken in\nwith the children. As for love he came down and took flesh to be like\nthem, and did take their sin and misery off them, and so was content to be\nlooked upon by God as in the plate of sinners, as the chief sinner, so he\nis content and desirous that we should look on him as in the place of\nsinners, as dying, as rising for us, as having no excellency or privilege\nincommunicable to us. And this was not hid from the church of old, but\npresented as the grand consolation, \u201cThy dead men shall live, together\nwith my dead body they shall rise.\u201d And, therefore, may poor souls awake\nand sing. Though they must dwell in the dust, yet as the dew and influence\nof heaven maketh herbs to spring out of the earth, so the virtue of this\nresurrection shall make the earth, and sea, and air, to cast out and\nrender their dead, Isa. xxvi. 19. Upon what a sure and strong chain hangs\nthe salvation of poor sinners? I wish Christians might salute one another\nwith this \u201cChrist is risen, and so comfort one another with these\nwords,\u201d\u2014or rather, that every one would apply this cordial to his own\nheart, \u201cChrist is risen,\u201d and you know what a golden chain this draweth\nafter it, therefore we must rise and live.\n\nThe other cause, which is more immediate, and will actively accomplish it,\nis the Spirit dwelling in us, for there is a suitable method here too. As\nthe Lord first raised the head, Christ, and will then raise the members,\nand he that doth the one cannot but do the other, so the Spirit first\nraiseth the soul from the woful fall into sin, which killed us, and so\nmaketh it a temple, and the body too, for both are bought with a price,\nand, therefore, the Spirit possesseth both. But the inmost residence is in\nthe soul, and the bodily members are made servants of righteousness, which\nis a great honour and dignity, in regard of that base employment they had\nonce, and so it is most suitable that he who hath thus dwelt in both\nrepair his own dwelling-house. For here it is ruinous, and, therefore,\nmust be cast down. But because it was once a temple for the holy God,\ntherefore it will be repaired and built again. For he that once honoured\nit with his presence will not suffer corruption always to dwell in it, for\nwhat Christ, by his humiliation and suffering, purchased, the Spirit hath\nthis commission to perform it; and what is it but the restitution of\nmankind to a happier estate in the second Adam than ever the first was\ninto? Now, since our Lord who pleased to take on our flesh, did not put it\noff again, but admits it to the fellowship of the same glory in heaven, in\nthat he died, he dies no more, death hath no more dominion over him, he\nwill never be wearied or ashamed of that human clothing of flesh. And,\ntherefore, certainly that the children may be like the father, the\nfollowers, their captain, the members not disproportioned to the head, the\nbranches not different and heterogeneous to the stock, and that our rising\nin Christ may leave no footstep of our falling, no remainder of our\nmisery, the Spirit of Christ will also quicken the mortal bodies of\nbelievers, and make them like Christ\u2019s glorious body.\n\nThis must be done with divine power,\u2014and what more powerful than the\nSpirit? For it is the spirits or subtile parts in all creatures that\ncauseth all motions, and worketh all effects. What then is that almighty\nSpirit not able to do? You have shadows of this in nature, yea, convincing\nevidences for, what is the spring but a resurrection of the earth? Is not\nthe world every year renewed, and riseth again out of the grave of winter,\nas you find elegantly expressed, Psalm cvii? And doth not the grains of\nseed die in the clods before they rise to the harvest, 1 Cor. xv. All the\nvicissitudes and alterations in nature give us a plain draught of this\ngreat change, and certainly it is one Spirit that effects all.\n\nBut though there be the same power required to raise up the bodies of the\ngodly and ungodly, yet, O what infinite distance and difference in the\nnature and ends of their resurrections! There is the resurrection of life,\nand the resurrection of condemnation, John v. 29. O! happy they who rise\nto life that ever they died! But, O miserable, thrice wretched are all\nothers that they may not be dead for ever! The immortality of the soul was\ninfinite misery, because it is that which eternizes their misery, but when\nthis overplus is added, the incorruptibility of the body, and so the whole\nman made an inconsumable subject for that fire to feed upon perpetually,\nwhat heart can conceive it without horror! And yet we hear it often\nwithout any such affection. It is a strange life that death is the only\nrefreshment of it, and yet this may not be had, \u201cthey shall seek death,\nand it shall fly from them.\u201d Now, my beloved, I would desire this\ndiscourse might open way for the hearty and cordial entertainment of the\ngospel, and that you might be persuaded to awake unto righteousness, and\nsin no more, 1 Cor. xv. 34. Be not deceived, my brethren, \u201cflesh and blood\ncannot inherit the kingdom of God.\u201d Certainly, if you have no other image\nthan what you came into the world withal, you cannot have this hope, to be\nconformed one day to the glorious body of Christ. What will become of you\nin that day, who declare now by the continued vent of your hearts that\nthis Holy Spirit dwells not in you? And, alas! how many are such? Oh! pity\nyourselves, your souls and bodies both. If for love to your bodies you\nwill follow its present lusts, and care only for the things of the body,\nyou act the greatest enmity and hostility against your own bodies.\nConsider, I beseech you, the eternal state of both, and your care and\nstudy will run in another channel. And for you who have any working of the\nSpirit in you, whether convincing you of sin and misery, and of\nrighteousness in Christ, or sometimes comforting you by the word applied\nto your heart, or teaching you another way than the world walks into, I\nrecommend unto you that of the apostle\u2019s, 1 Cor. xv. 58. \u201cWherefore, my\nbrethren be steadfast, &c. always abounding in the work of the Lord,\nknowing your labour is not in vain.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXII.\n\n\n    Verse 12.\u2014\u201cTherefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh,\n    to live after the flesh,\u201d &c.\n\n\nAll things in Christianity have a near and strait conjunction. It is so\nentire and absolute a piece, that if one link be loosed all the chain\nfalls to the ground, and if one be well fastened upon the heart it brings\nall alongst with it. Some speak of all truths, even in nature, that they\nare knit so together that any truth may be concluded out of every truth,\nat least by a long circuit of deduction and reasoning. But whatsoever be\nof that, certainly religion is a more entire thing, and all the parts of\nit more nearly conjoined together, that they may mutually enforce one\nanother. Precepts and promises are thus linked together, that if any soul\nlay hold, indeed, upon any promise of grace, he draws alongst with it the\nobligation of some precept to walk suitable to such precious promises.\nThere is no encouragement you can indeed fasten upon, but it will join you\nas nearly to the commandment; and no consolation in the gospel, that doth\nnot carry within its bosom an exhortation to holy walking. Again, on the\nother hand, there is no precept but it should lead you straightway to a\npromise; no exhortation, but it is environed before and behind with a\nstrong consolation, to make it pierce the deeper, and go down the sweeter.\nTherefore, you see how easily the apostle digresseth from the one to the\nother,\u2014how sweetly and pertinently these are interwoven in his discourse.\nThe first word of the chapter is a word of strong consolation, \u201cThere is\nno condemnation to them that are in Christ,\u201d and this like a flood carries\nall down with it,\u2014all precepts and exhortations, and the soul of a\nbeliever with them; and, therefore, he subjoins an exhortation to holy and\nspiritual walking upon that very ground. And because commandments of this\nnature will not float (so to speak) unless they have much water of that\nkind, and cannot have such a swift course except the tide of such\nencouragements flow fast, therefore he openeth that spring again in the\npreceding words, and letteth the rivers of consolation flow forth, even\nthe hope of immortality and eternal life; and this certainly will raise up\na soul that was on ground, and carry him above in motion of obedience;\nand, therefore, he may well, in the next place, stir them up to their\nduty, and mind them of their obligation. \u201cTherefore, brethren, we are\ndebtors not to the flesh.\u201d To make this the more effectual, he drops it in\nwith affection, in a sweet compilation of love and equality, _brethren_.\nThere is nothing so powerful in persuasion as love; it will sweeten a\nbitter and unpleasant reproof, and make it go down more easily though it\nmaketh less noise than threatenings and severity and authority; yet it is\nmore forcible, for it insinuates itself, and in a manner surpriseth the\nsoul, and so preventeth all resistance. As when the sun made the traveller\npart with his cloak,(207) whereas the wind and rain made him hold it\nfaster; so affection will prevail where authority and terror cannot; it\nwill melt that which a stronger power cannot break. The story of Elijah, 1\nKings xix. may give some representation of this. The Lord was not in the\nstrong wind, nor in the terrible earthquake, nor yet in the fire, but in\nthe calm still voice. The Lord hath chosen this way of publishing his\ngrace in the gospel, because the sum of it is love to sinners, and good\nwill towards men. He holds it forth in the calm voice of love, and those\nwho are his ambassadors should be clothed with such an affection, if they\nintend to prevail with men, to engage their affections. O! that we were\npossessed with that brotherly love one towards another for the salvation\none of another; especially, that the preachers of the gospel might be thus\nkindly affectioned towards others, and that you would take it thus, the\ncalling you off the ways of sin as an act of the greatest love. But then\nconsider the equality of this obligation, for there is nothing pressed\nupon you but what lieth as heavily upon them that presseth it. This debt\nbinds all. O! that the ministers of the gospel could carry the impression\nof this on their hearts, that when they persuade others they may withal\npersuade themselves, and when they speak to others they may sit down among\nthe hearers. If an apostle of so eminent dignity levelleth himself in this\nconsideration, \u201ctherefore, brethren, we are debtors,\u201d\u2014how much more ought\npastors and teachers to come in the same rank and degree of debt and\nobligation with others. Truly this is the great obstruction of the success\nof the gospel, that those who bind on burdens on others do not themselves\ntouch them with one of their fingers, and while they seem serious in\npersuading others, yet withal declare by their carriage that they do not\nbelieve themselves what they bear upon others, so that preaching seemeth\nto be an imposture, and affections in persuading of others to be borrowed,\nas it were, in a scene, to be laid down again out of it. But then again,\nthere is a misconceit among people that this holy and spiritual walking is\nnot of common obligation, but peculiar to the preachers of the gospel.\nMany make their reckoning so, as if they were not called to such high aims\nand great endeavours. But truly, my beloved, this is a thing of common\nconcernment. The Holy Ghost hath levelled us all in this point of duty, as\nhe hath equally exalted all in the most substantial dignities and\nprivileges of the gospel. This bond is upon the highest and upon the\nlowest. Greatness doth not exempt from it, and meanness doth not exclude\nfrom it. Though commonly great persons fancy an immunity from the\nstrictness of a holy conservation because of their greatness, and often\nmean and low persons pretend a freedom from such a high obligation because\nof their lowness, yet certainly all are debt bound this way, and must one\nday give account. You that are poor and unlearned, and have not received\ngreat things of that nature from God, do not think yourselves free, do not\nabsolve yourselves, for there is infinite debt besides. You will have no\nplace for that excuse, that you had not great parts, were not learned, and\nso forth. For as the obligation reaches you all, so there is as patent a\nway to the exercise of religion in the poorest cottage as in the highest\npalace. You may serve God as acceptably in little, as others may do in\nmuch. There is no condition so low and abject that layeth any restraint on\nthis noble service and employment. This jewel loses not its beauty and\nvirtue, when it lieth in a dunghill more than when it is set in gold.\n\nBut let us inquire further into this debt. \u201cWe are debtors,\u201d saith he, and\nhe instanceth what is not the creditor, by which he giveth us to\nunderstand who is the true creditor, not the flesh, and, therefore, to\nmake out the just opposition, it must be the Spirit. We are debtors, then,\nto the Spirit. And what is the debt we owe to him? We may know it that\nsame way, we owe not to the flesh so much as to make us live after its\nguidance and direction, and fulfil its lusts. Then, by due consequence, we\nowe so much to the Spirit, as that we should live after the Spirit, and\nresign ourselves wholly to him, his guidance and direction. There is a\ntwofold kind of debt upon the creature, one remissible and pardonable,\nanother irremissible and unpardonable, (so to speak,) the debt of sin, and\nthat is the guilt of it, which is nothing else than the obligation of the\nsinner over to eternal condemnation by virtue of the curse of God. Every\nsinner cometh under this debt to divine justice, the desert of eternal\nwrath, and the actual ordination by a divine sentence to that wrath. Now,\nindeed, this debt was insoluble to us, and utterly unpayable until God\nsent his Son to be our cautioner, and he hath paid the debt in his own\nperson, by bearing our curse, and so made it pardonable to sinners,\nobtained a relaxation from that woful obligation to death. And this debt,\nyou see, is wholly discharged to them that are in Christ, by another\nsentence repealing the former curse,\u2014ver. 1 \u201cThere is no condemnation to\nthem that are in Christ.\u201d But there is another debt, which I may call a\ndebt of duty and obedience, which, as it was antecedent to sin, even\nbinding innocent Adam, so the obligation of the debt of sin hath been so\nfar from taking it away that it is rather increased exceedingly, and this\ndebt is unpardonable and indispensable. The more of the debt of sin be\npardoned, and the more the curse be dispensed with, the more the sinner\nowes of love and obedience to God. \u201cShe loved much, because much was\nforgiven,\u201d\u2014and the more was forgiven of sin the more she owed of love, and\nthe more debt was discharged the more she was indebted to him. And,\ntherefore, after this general acquittance of all believers, ver. 1, he\npresseth this obligation the more strongly. \u201cTherefore, brethren, we are\ndebtors.\u201d It is like that debt spoken of, Rom. xiii., \u201cOwe no man any\nthing, but love one another,\u201d which is not meant that it is unlawful to be\ndebtors to men, but rather, what ye owe, or all things else, pay it, and\nye are free. Your debt ceases and your bond is cancelled. But as for the\ndebt of love and benevolence, you must so owe that to all men, as never to\nbe discharged of it, never to be freed from it. When you have done all\nthis hath no limitation of time or action, even so it is here. Other debts\nwhen paid, men cease to be debtors, then they are free, but here the more\nhe pays the more he is bound to pay,\u2014he oweth, and he oweth eternally. His\nbond is never cancelled as long as he continues a creature subsisting in\nGod, and abides a redeemed one in Christ. For these continuing, his\nobligation is eternally recent and fresh as the first day. And this doth\nnot at all obscure the infinite grace of God, or diminish the happiness of\nsaints, that they are not freed from this debt of love and obedience, but\nrather illustrates the one and increases the other, for it cannot be\nsupposed to consist with the wisdom and holiness of God to loose his\ncreature from that obligation of loving obedience and subjection, which is\nessential to it, and it is no less repugnant to the happiness of the\ncreature to be free from righteousness unto sin.\n\nNow, this debt of duty and obedience hath a threefold bond, which because\nthey stand in vigour uncancelled for all eternity, therefore the\nobligation arising from them is eternal too. The bond of creation, the\nbond of redemption, and the bond of sanctification, these are\ndistinguished according to the persons of the Trinity, who appear most\neminently in them.\n\nWe owe our being to the father, in whom \u201cwe live and move and have our\nbeing, for he made us, and not we ourselves, and we are all the works of\nhis hands.\u201d Now, the debt accruing from this is infinite. If men conceive\nthemselves so much obliged to others for a petty courtesy as to be their\nservants,\u2014if they owe more to their parents, the instruments of their\nbringing forth into the world, O how infinitely more owe we to God, of\nwhom we are, and have all! Doth the clay owe so much to the potter, who\ndoth not make it, but fashion it only? And what owe we to him that made us\nof nothing, and fashioned us while we were yet without form! Truly, all\nrelations, all obligations evanish when this cometh forth, because all\nthat a man hath is less than himself, than his immortal spirit, and that\nhe oweth alone to God. And besides, whatsoever debt there is to other\nfellow creatures in any thing, God is the principal creditor in that bond.\nAll the creatures are but the servants of this King, which at his sole\nappointment bring along his gifts unto us, and, therefore, we owe no more\nto them than to the hands of the messenger that is sent. Now, by this\naccount nothing is our own, not ourselves, not our members, not our goods,\nbut all are his, and to be used and bestowed, not at the will and\narbitriment of creatures, but to be absolutely and solely at his disposal\nwho hath the sole sovereign right to them and, therefore, you may take up\nthe heinousness of sin, how monstrous and misshapen a thing it is, that\nbreaks this inviolable law of creation, and withdraws the creature from\nsubjection to him, in whom alone it can subsist. O how disordered are the\ncourses and lives of men! Men living to themselves, their own lusts, after\ntheir own will, as if they had made themselves. Men using their members as\nweapons of unrighteousness against God, as if their tongues, and hands,\nand feet were their own, or the devils, and not God\u2019s. Call to mind this\nobligation, \u201cremember thy Creator.\u201d That memento would be a strong\nengagement to another course than most take. How absurd would you think it\nto please yourselves in displeasing him, if you but minded the bond of\ncreation! But when there are other two superadded, what we owe to the Son\nfor coming down in the likeness of sinful flesh for us, and what we owe to\nthe Holy Ghost for quickening our spirits, and afterward for the\nresurrection of our bodies, whose hearts would not these overcome and lead\ncaptive to his love and obedience?\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXIII.\n\n\n    Verses 12, 13.\u2014\u201cTherefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the\n    flesh, to live after the flesh; for if ye live after the flesh, ye\n    shall die,\u201d &c.\n\n\nWas that not enough to contain men in obedience to God\u2014the very essential\nbond of dependence upon God as the original and fountain of his being! And\nyet man hath cast away this cord from him, and withdrew from that\nallegiance he did owe to his Maker, by transgressing his holy\ncommandments. But God, not willing that all should perish, hath confirmed\nand strengthened that primitive obligation by two other as strong if not\nmore. If the Father did most eminently appear in the first, the Son is\nmanifested in the second, and that is the work of the redemption of man,\nno less glorious than his first creation. He made him first, and then he\nsent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to make him again by his\nSpirit, and now a threefold cord is not easily broken. It seems this\nshould bind invincibly, and constrain us not to be our own, but the\nLord\u2019s, and now truly, they who are in Jesus Christ, are thrice indebted\nwholly to God. But the two last obligations are the most special and most\nwonderful, that God sent his Son for us, to redeem us from sin and misery,\nand to restore man to happiness took on a miserable and accursed\nhabit,\u2014that so glorious a person gave himself for so base an one,\u2014that so\nexcellent a Lord became a servant for the rebel,\u2014that he whose the earth\nis, and the fulness thereof, did empty himself of all to supply us,\u2014and in\na word, the most wonderful exchange be made that ever the sun saw, God for\nmen, his life a ransom for their life. All the rare inventions and fancied\nstories of men come infinitely short of this. The light never saw majesty\nso abased and love so expressed as in this matter, and all to this\npurpose, that we who had undone ourselves might be made up again, and the\nrighteousness of the law fulfilled in us. At first he made us, but it cost\nhim nothing but a word, but now, to buy that which was taken captive by\nsin, and at so dear a rate,\u2014\u201cye are bought with a price, and this price\nmore precious than the sum of heaven and earth could amount to.\u201d Suppose\nby some rare alchemy the earth were all converted into gold, and the\nheavens into precious stones, yet these corruptible and material things\ncome as far short of this ransom as a heap of dung is unproportioned to a\nmass of gold or heap of jewels. Now, you that are thus bought, may ye not\nconclude, \u201ctherefore we are debtors,\u201d and whereof? Of ourselves, for we,\nour persons, estates, and all were sold, and all are bought with this\nprice, therefore we are not our own, but the Lord\u2019s, and, therefore, we\nought to \u201cglorify God in our bodies and spirits which are his,\u201d 1 Cor. vi.\n20. Should we henceforth claim an interest and propriety in ourselves?\nShould we have a will of our own? Should we serve ourselves with our\nmembers? O how monstrous and absurd were that! Certainly, a believing\nheart cannot but look upon that as the greatest indignity and vilest\nimpiety that ever the sun shined upon. Ingratitude hath a note of\nignominy, even among heathens, put upon it. They esteemed the reproach of\nit the compend of all reproaches, _ingratum si dixeris, omnia dixeris_.\nAnd truly it hath the most abominable visage of any vice, yea, it is all\nsins drawn through other(208) in one table. Certainly a godly heart cannot\nbut account this execrable and detestable, henceforth to have any proper\nand peculiar will and pleasure, and cannot but devote itself wholly to his\nwill and pleasure, for whose pleasure all were first created, and who then\nredeemed us by the blood of his Son. I wish we could have this image of\ningratitude always observant to our eyes and minds when we are enticed\nwith our lusts to study our own satisfaction. But there is another bond\nsuperadded to this, which mightily aggravates the debt. He hath given us\nhis Spirit to dwell within, as well as his Son for us. And O the\nmarvellous and strange effects that this Spirit hath in the favours of\nmen! He truly repairs that image of God which sin broke down. He\nfurnisheth the soul and supplies it in all its necessities. He is a light\nand life to it,\u2014a spring of everlasting life and consolation. So that to\nthe Spirit we owe that we are made again after his image, and the precious\npurchase of Christ applied unto our souls. For him hath our Saviour left\nto execute his latter will in behalf of his children. And these things are\nbut the first-fruits of the Spirit. Any peace, or joy, or love, or\nobedience, are but an earnest of that which is coming. We shall be yet\nmore beholden to him. When the walls of flesh are taken down, he will\ncarry forth the soul into that glorious liberty of the sons of God, and\nnot long after he shall quicken our very dust, and raise it up in glory to\nthe fellowship of that happiness. Now, my beloved, consider what all this\ntends to,\u2014mark the inference you should make from it. \u201cTherefore we are\ndebtors,\u201d debtors indeed, under infinite obligations for infinite mercies.\nBut what is the debt we owe? Truly it might be conceived to be some rare\nthing, equivalent to such unconceivable benefits. But mark what it is, \u201cTo\nlive after the Spirit, and not after the flesh,\u201d to conform our affections\nand actions, and the tenor of our way and course to the direction of the\nSpirit, to have our spirits led and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and\nnot to follow the indictment of our flesh and carnal minds. Now, truly, it\nis a wonder that it is no other thing than this, for this is no other\nthing than what we owe to ourselves, and to our own natures, so to speak,\nfor truly there is a conformity and suitableness of some things to the\nvery nature of man that is beautiful,\u2014some things are decent and becomes\nit, other things are undecent and uncomely, unsuitable to the very\nreasonable being of man, so that they put a stain and blot upon it.\n\nNow, indeed, there is nothing can be conceived more agreeable to the very\nconstitution of man\u2019s nature than this, that the far better and more\nexcellent part should lead and command, and the baser and earthly part\nshould obey and follow. That the flesh should minister and serve the\nspirit, \u201cdoth not even nature itself teach it?\u201d And yet no heavier yoke is\nput upon us than what our own nature hath put upon us already, which\nindeed is wonderful! And certainly this wonderful attempering of his laws\nunto the very natural exigence of the spirit of man, makes the\ntransgression of them so much the more heinous.\n\nNow, all these three forementioned bonds do jointly bind on this law upon\nman. In general they oblige strongly to subjection and obedience to the\nwill of God, but particularly, they have a constraining influence upon\nthis living \u201cafter the Spirit,\u201d and not \u201cafter the flesh.\u201d Our very\ncreation speaks this forth, when God made man after his own image, when he\nbeautified the spirit of man with that divine similitude and likeness, in\nthat he breathed a spirit from heaven, and took a body out of the dust,\nand then exalted that heavenly piece to some participation of his own\nnature. Doth not all this cry aloud upon us, that the order of creation is\nnow dissolved,\u2014that the beauty of it is marred,\u2014that all is turned upside\ndown,\u2014when men\u2019s passions and senses are their only guides, and the\nprinciples of light in their conscience are choked and stifled? Doth not\nall this teach us plainly that we should not \u201clive after the flesh,\u201d\u2014that\nwe owe not so much to this brutish part as to enthrone it and empower it\nover us,\u2014that it were vilest anarchy, and most intolerable confusion and\nusurpation, to give it the power over us, as most men do,\u2014that there can\nbe no order or beauty in man till the spirit be unfettered from the chains\nof fleshly lusts, and restored to the native dignity, and so keep the body\nin subjection? And, indeed, Paul was so, 1 Cor. ix. 27. \u201cI keep my body in\nsubjection, and beat it down, because it is an imperious slave,\u2014an\nusurping slave,\u2014and will command, if not beaten and kept under.\u201d\n\nAgain, Christ, hath put a bond upon us to this very same. He hath\nstrengthened this obligation with a new cord, in that he gave his precious\nlife a ransom for the souls of men. This was the principal thing he paid\nfor\u2014the body only being an accessory and appendix to the soul\u2014for it is\nsaid, \u201cThe redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever,\u201d\nPsal. xlix. 8, and, \u201cWhat can a man give in exchange for his soul,\u201d Mark\nviii. 37. For what material thing can equalize a spirit? Many things may\nbe had more precious and fine than the body, but all of them have no\nproportion to a spiritual being. Now, then, in that so dear a ransom, and\nso infinite a price must be given for the spirit of man, it declares the\ninfinite worth and excellency of it above the body, and above all visible\nthings. And here is, indeed, the greatest confirmation that can be\nimagined. God hath valued it, he hath put the soul of man in the balance,\nto find something equal in weight of dignity and worth and when all that\nis in heaven and earth is put in the other scale, the soul is down weight\nby far. There is such distance that there is no proportion; only the life\nand blood of his own Son weighs it down, and is an overvalue, and thus, in\nour redemption, we have a visible demonstration\u2014as it were\u2014of the infinite\nobligation of this law, not to live after that contemptible part, our\nflesh, but to follow after the motions and directions of an enlightened\nspirit, not to spend our thoughts, care, and time, upon the body, and\nmaking provision for the lusts thereof\u2014as most men do, and all by nature\nare now inclined to do\u2014but to be taken up with the immortal precious jewel\nthat is within, how to have it rubbed and cleansed from all the filth that\nsin and the flesh hath cast upon it, and restored to that native beauty,\nthe image of God in righteousness and holiness. If you, in your practice\nand affection, turn the scales otherwise, and make the body and things of\nthe body, suppose the whole world, down-weight in your affection and\nimagination, you have plainly contradicted the just measure of the\nsanctuary, and, in effect, you declare that \u201cChrist died in vain,\u201d and\ngave his life out of an error and mistake of the worth of the soul. You\nsay he needed not have given such a price for it, seeing every day you\nweigh it down with every trifle of momentary fleshly satisfaction.\n\nLastly, The Spirit binds this fast upon us, for the soul of man he hath\nchosen for his habitation, and there he delights to dwell, in the heart of\nthe contrite and humble, and this he intends to beautify and garnish, and\nto restore it to that primitive excellency it once had.  The spirit of man\nis nearer his nature, and more capable of being conformed unto it, and\ntherefore his peculiar and special work is about our spirits.  First, to\nenlighten and convince them, then, to reform and direct them and lead\nthem, and this binds as forcibly, and constraineth a believer certainly to\nresign himself to the Spirit, to study how to order his walk after that\ndirection, and to be more and more abstracted from the satisfaction of his\nbody; else he cannot choose but grieve the Spirit, his best friend, which\nalone is the fountain of joy and peace to him, and being grieved, cannot\nbut grieve himself next.\n\nNow, my beloved, consider, if you owe so much to the flesh, whether or not\nit be so steadable(209) and profitable unto you?  And if you think it can\ngive you a sufficient reward to compense all your pains in satisfying it,\ngo on, but, I believe, you can reckon no good office that ever it did you,\nand your expectation is less. What fruit have you of all, but shame and\nvexation of conscience? And what can you expect but death, the last fruits\nof it? What then do you owe unto it? Are you debtors to its pleasure and\nsatisfaction, which hath never done you good, and will do you eternal\nhurt? Consider whether you are so much bound and obliged to it as to lose\nyour souls for it, (one of them must be,) and whether or not you be not\nmore obliged to God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, to \u201clive after\nthe Spirit,\u201d though for the present it should be painful to beat down your\nbody.  You are debtors indeed, but you owe nothing to the flesh but\nstripes and mortification.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXIV.\n\n\n    Verse 13.\u2014\u201cFor if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye\n    through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall\n    live.\u201d\n\n\nThough the Lord, out of his absolute sovereignty, might deal with man in\nsuch a way, as nothing should appear but his supreme will and almighty\npower, he might simply command obedience, and without any more persuasions\neither leave men to the frowardness of their own natures, or else\npowerfully constrain them to their duty, yet he hath chosen that way that\nis most suitable to his own wisdom, and most connatural to man\u2019s nature,\nto lay out before him the advantages and disadvantages, and to use these\nas motives and persuasives of his Spirit.  For since he hath by his first\ncreation implanted in man\u2019s soul such a principle as moveth itself upon\nthe presentation of good or evil, that this might not be in vain, he\nadministers all the dispensations of the law and gospel in a way suitable\nto that, by propounding such powerful motives as may incline and persuade\nthe heart of man.  It is true, there\u2019s a secret drawing withal necessary,\nthe pull of the Father\u2019s arm and power of the Holy Ghost, yet that which\nis visible or sensible to the soul is the framing of all things so as to\nengage it upon rational terms. It is set between two contraries, _death_\nand _life_,\u2014death which it naturally abhorreth, and life which it\nnaturally loveth. An even balance is holden up before the light of the\nconscience, in which obedience and sin are weighed, and it is found even\nto the convincing of the spirit of man, that there are as many\ndisadvantages in the one as advantages in the other.\n\nThis was the way that God used first with man in paradise. You remember\nthe terms run so,\u2014\u201c\u2019What day thou eatest thou shalt die.\u201d He hedged him in\non the one side by a promise of life, on the other by a threatening of\ndeath. And these two are very rational restraints, suited to the soul of\nman, and in the inward principles of it, which are a kind of instinct to\nthat which is apprehended good or gainful.\n\nNow, this verse runs even so in the form of words \u201cIf ye live after the\nflesh ye shall die.\u201d You see this method is not changed under the gospel,\nfor, indeed, it is natural to the spirit of man, and he hath now much more\nneed of all such persuasions, because there is a great change of man\u2019s\ninclination to the worst side.  All within is so disordered and perverse\nthat a thousand hedges of persuasive grounds cannot do that which one\nmight have done at first. Then they were added out of superabundance, but\nnow out of necessity,\u2014then they were set about man to preserve him in his\nnatural frame and inclinations, but now they are needful to change and\nalter them quite, which is a kind of creation, therefore saith David,\n\u201ccreate in me a new spirit,\u201d and, therefore, the gospel abounds in variety\nof motives and inducements, in greater variety, of far more powerful\ninducements than the law. Here is that great persuasion taken from the\ninfinite gain or loss of the soul of man, which, if any thing be able to\nprevail, this must do, seeing it is seconded with some natural inclination\nin the soul of man to seek its own gain.  Yet there is a difference\nbetween the nature of such like promises and threatenings in the first\ncovenant and in the second. In the first covenant, though life was freely\npromised, yet it was immediately annexed to perfect obedience as a\nconsequent reward of it. It was firstly promised unto complete\nrighteousness of men\u2019s persons.  But in the second covenant, firstly and\nprincipally life eternal, grace and glory is promised to Jesus Christ and\nhis seed, antecedent to any condition or qualification upon their part.\nAnd then again, all the promises that run in way of condition, as, \u201cHe\nthat believeth shall not perish,\u201d &c., \u201cIf ye walk after the Spirit, ye\nshall live.\u201d These are all the consequent fruits of that absolute gracious\ndisposition and resignation of grace and life to them whom Christ hath\nchosen. And so their believing, and walking, and obeying, cometh in\nprincipally as parts of the grace promised, and as witnesses and evidences\nand confirmations of that life which is already begun, and will not see an\nend. Besides that, by virtue of these absolute promises made to the seed\nof Christ, and Christ\u2019s complete performance of all conditions in their\nname, the promises of life are made to faith principally, which hath this\npeculiar virtue to carry forth the soul to another\u2019s righteousness and\nsufficiency, and to bottom it upon another and in the next place, to holy\nwalking, though mixed with many infirmities, which promise, in the first\ncovenant, was only annexed to perfect and absolute obedience.\n\nYou heard, in the preceding verse, a strong inducement taken from the\nbond, debt, and duty we owe to the Spirit, to walk after it, and the want\nof all obligation to the flesh.  Now, if honesty and duty will not suffice\nto persuade you, as you know in other things it would do with any honest\nman, plain equity is a sufficient bond to him.  Yet, consider what the\napostle subjoins from the damage, and from the advantage which may of\nitself be the topics of persuasion, and serves to drive in the nail of\ndebt and duty to the head. If you will not take with this debt you owe to\nthe Spirit, but still conceive there is some greater obligation lying on\nyou, to care for your bodies and satisfy them, then, I say, behold the end\nof it, what fruit you must one day reap of the flesh and service of sin.\n\u201cIf ye live after the flesh, you shall die.\u201d But then, consider the fruit\nyou shall reap of the Spirit, and holy walking \u201cyou shall live.\u201d It is\ntrue the flesh may flatter you more for the present, but the end of it\nwill lie bitter as death, _amplectitur ut strangulet_, \u201cthe flesh embraces\nyou that it may strangle you.\u201d  And so if you knew all well you would not\nthink you owed it any thing but enmity and hatred and mortification. If\nyour duty will not move you, let the love of yourselves and your souls\npersuade you, for it is an irrepealable statute: \u201cThe wages of sin is\ndeath.\u201d Every way you choose to fulfil the lusts of your flesh, and to\nmake provision for it, neglecting the eternal welfare of your souls,\ncertainly it shall prove to you \u201cthe tree of the knowledge of good and\nevil,\u201d it shall be as the forbidden fruit, which instead of performing\nthat which was promised will bring forth death,\u2014the eternal separation of\nthe soul from God. Adam\u2019s sin was a breviary or epitome of the multiplied\nand enlarged sins of mankind. You may see in this tragedy all your\nfortunes (so to speak,)\u2014you may behold in it the flattering insinuations\nand deceitful promises of sin and Satan, who is a liar and murderer from\nthe beginning, and murdered man at first by lying to him. You find the\nhook covered over with the varnished bait of an imaginary life and\nhappiness, satisfaction promised to the eye, to the taste, and to the\nmind. And upon these enticements, man bewitched and withdrawn from his\nGod, after these vain and empty shadows, which, when he catched hold upon,\nhe himself was caught and laid hold upon by the wrath of God,\u2014by death and\nall the miseries before it or after it. Now, here is the map of the\nworld,\u2014for all that is in the world is but a larger volume of that same\nkind, \u201cthe lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of\nlife!\u201d Albeit they have been known and found to be the notablest and\ngrossest deceivers, and every man, after he hath spent his days in pursuit\nand labour for them, is constrained to acknowledge at length, though too\nlate, that all that is in the world is but an imposture, a delusion, a\ndream, and worse, yet every man hearkens after these same flatteries and\nlies that hath cast down so many wounded, and made so many strong ones to\nfall by them. Every man trusts the world and his own flesh, as if they\nwere of good report and of known integrity. And this is men\u2019s misery, that\nno man will learn wisdom upon others expenses, upon the woful and tragical\nexample of so many others, but go on as confidently now, after the\ndiscovery of these deceivers, as if this were the first time they had made\nsuch promises, and used such fair words to men. Have they not been these\nsix thousand years almost deluding the world? And have we not as many\ntestimonies of their falsehood, as there have been persons in all ages\nbefore us? After Adam hath tasted of this tree of pleasure and found\nanother fruit growing on it and that is death, should the posterity be so\nmad as to be meddling still with the forbidden tree? And wherefore\nforbidden? Because destructive to ourselves.\n\nKnow then and consider, beloved in the Lord, that you shall reap no other\nthing of all your labours and endeavours after the flesh, all your toiling\nand perplexing cares, all your excessive pains in the making provision for\nyour lusts, and caring for the body only, you shall reap no other harvest\nof all, but death and corruption. Death, you think that is a common lot,\nand you cannot eschew it however, nay, but the death here meant is of\nanother sort, in respect of which you may call death life. It is the\neverlasting destruction of the soul from the presence of God and the glory\nof his power. It is the falling of that infinite weight of the wrath of\nthe Lamb upon you, in respect of which, mountains and hills will be\nthought light, and men would rather wish to be covered with them, Rev. vi.\n16. Suppose, now, you could swim in a river of delights and pleasures,\n(which yet is given to none, for truly, upon a just reckoning, it will be\nfound that the anxiety, and grief, and bitterness, that is intermingled\nwith all earthly delights, swallows up the sweetness of them,) yet it will\nbut carry you down ere you be aware, into the sea of death and\ndestruction, as the fish that swim and sport for a while in Jordan, are\ncarried down into the Dead sea of Sodom, where they are presently\nsuffocated and extinguished,(210) or, as a malefactor is carried through a\npleasant palace to the gallows, so men walk through the delights of their\nflesh, to their own endless torment and destruction.\n\nSeeing then, my beloved, that your sins and lusts which you are inclined\nand accustomed to, will certainly kill you, if you entertain them, then\nnature itself would teach you the law of self-defence,\u2014to kill, ere you be\nkilled, to kill sin, ere it kill you,\u2014to mortify the deeds and lusts of\nthe body, which abound among you, or they will certainly mortify you, that\nis, make you die. Now, if self love could teach you this, which the love\nof God cannot persuade you to, yet it is well, for being once led unto\nGod, and moved to change your course, upon the fear and apprehension of\nthe infinite danger that will ensue. Certainly if you were but a little\nacquainted with the sweetness of this life, and goodness of your God, you\nwould find the power of the former argument _a debito_, from debt and\nduty, upon your spirit. Let this once lead you unto God, and you will not\nwant that which will constrain you to abide, and never to depart from him.\n\nIf you mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. As sin decays, you\nincrease and grow, as sins die, your souls live, and it shall be a sure\npledge to you of that eternal life. And though this be painful and\nlaborious yet consider, that it is but the cutting off of a rotten member,\nthat would corrupt the whole body, and the want of it will never maim or\nmutilate the body, for you shall live perfectly when sin is perfectly\nexpired, and out of life, and according as sin is nearer expiring, and\nnearer the grave, your souls are nearer that endless life. If this do not\nmove us, what can be said next? What shall he do more to his vineyard?\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXV.\n\n\n    Verses 13, 14.\u2014\u201cFor if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but\n    if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye\n    shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are\n    the sons of God.\u201d\n\n\nThe life and being of many things consists in union,\u2014separate them, and\nthey remain not the same, or they lose their virtue. It is much more thus\nin Christianity, the power and life of it consists in the union of these\nthings that God hath conjoined, so that if any man pretend to one thing of\nit, and neglect the other, he hath really none of them. And to hold to the\nsubject in hand, there are three things, which, joined together in the\nhearts of Christians, have a great deal of force: the duty of a Christian,\nand his reward, and his dignity. His work and labour seems hard and\nunpleasant, when considered alone, but the reward sweetens it, when it is\njointly believed. His duty seems too high, and his labour great, yet the\nconsideration of the real dignity he is advanced unto, and privilege he\nhas received, will raise up the spirit to great and high attempts, and to\nsustain great labours. Mortification is the work and labour, life, eternal\nlife, is the reward. Following the Spirit is the Christian\u2019s duty, but to\nbe the son of God, that is his dignity.\n\nMortification sounds very harsh at first. The hearts of men say, \u201cIt is a\nhard saying, who can hear it?\u201d And indeed I cannot deny but it is so to\nour corrupt nature, and therefore so holden out in Scripture. The words\nchosen to press it express much pain and pains, much torment and labour.\nIt is not so easy and trivial a business to forsake sin, or subdue it, as\nmany think, who only think it easy because they have never tried it. It is\na circumcision of the foreskin of the heart, and you know how it disabled\na whole city, (Gen. xxxiv.) and how it enraged the heart of a tender\nmother, Exod. iv. 26. It is the excision or cutting off a member, and\nthese the most dear and precious, be it the right hand or right foot,\nwhich is a living death, as it were, even to kill a man while he is alive.\nIt is a new birth, and the pains and throes of the birth are known.\nRegeneration certainly hath a travailing pain within it, insomuch that\nPaul travailed in pain till it were accomplished in these, Gal. iv. 19.\nThough men conceive sin in pleasure, yet they cannot be rid of that deadly\nburden without throes and pains, and to half this work, or to be remiss or\nnegligent in it, is as foolish and unwise as for a child to stay long in\nthe place of breaking forth, as the Lord complains of Ephraim, Hos. xiii.\n13. \u201cHe is an unwise son, for he should not stay long in the place of the\nbreaking forth of children.\u201d It is one of the greatest follies, not to\nlabour by all means to be rid of the encumbrances of sin. Much violence\noffered to it, and a total resignation of ourselves to God, may be great\npain, but it is short pain, then the pleasure is greater and continues;\nbut now Christians lengthen their pain, and draw out their cross and\nvexation to a great extent, because they deal negligently in the business,\nthey suffer the Canaanites to live, and these are thorns and briers in\ntheir sides continually. Then this business is called _mortification_, as\nthe word is here, and Col. iii. 5, which imports a higher degree of pain,\nfor the agonies of death are terrible, and to hold it out yet more, the\nmost painful and lingering kind of death is chosen to express it,\n_crucifixion_, Gal. v. 24. Now, indeed, that which makes the forsaking of\nsin so grievous to flesh and blood, is the engagements of the soul to it,\nthe oneness that is between it and our natures, as they are now fallen,\nfor you know pain ariseth upon the dissolution or division of any thing\nthat is continued or united, and these things that are so nearly\nconjoined, it is hard to separate them without much violence. And truly,\nas the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, so we must offer violence to\nourselves, to our lusts and inclinations, who are almost ourselves, and if\nyou would be truly Christians, this must be your business and employment,\nto cut off these things that are dearest unto you, to cast out the very\nidols your hearts sacrifice unto, and if there be any thing more one with\nyou than another, to endeavour to break the bond with that, and to be at\nthe furthest distance from it. It is easy to persuade men to forsake some\nsins and courses that they are not much inclined to, and find not much\npleasure or profit by them. You may do that and be but dead in sins, but\nif you aim at true mortification indeed, you would consider what are the\nchief idols and predominant inclinations of your heart, and as to set\nyourself impartially against all known, so particularly against the most\nbeloved sin, because it interrupts most the communion of God, and\nseparates from your Beloved, and the dearer it be, the more dangerous\ncertainly it is.\n\nBut to encourage and hearten you to this, I would have you look back to\nthat former victory that Christ hath gained in our name, and look about to\nthe assistance you have for the present, the Spirit to help you. Truly, my\nbeloved, this will be a dead business, if you be not animated and\nquickened by these considerations,\u2014that Christ died to sin and lived to\nGod, and that in this he was a public person representing you, that so you\nmay conclude with Paul, \u201cI am crucified with Christ,\u201d Gal. ii. 20. \u201cWe are\nburied with him by baptism into his death,\u201d Rom. vi. 4. Consider that\nmystical union with Christ crucified, and life shall spring out of his\ncross, out of his grave, to kill sin in you,\u2014that the great business is\ndone already, and victory gained in our Head, \u201cThis is our victory, even\nfaith.\u201d Believe, and then you have overcome, before you overcome, and this\nwill help you to overcome in your own persons. And then, consider and look\nround about to the strong helper you have, the Spirit. \u201cIf ye through the\nSpirit mortify,\u201d &c. Stronger is he that is in you than he that is in the\nworld. Though he does not vent all his power to you, yet you may believe\nthat there is a secret latent virtue in the seed of grace, that it cannot\nbe whole overcome or conquered, and there is one engaged in the warfare\nwith us who will never leave us nor forsake us, who of set purpose\nwithdraweth his help now and then to discover our weakness to us, that we\nmay cleave the faster to him, who never letteth sin get any power or\ngather any strength, but out of wisdom to make the final victory the more\nglorious. In a word, he leads us through weaknesses, infirmities,\nfaintings,  wrestlings, that his strength may be perfected in\nweakness,\u2014that when we are weak, then we may be strongest in him, 2 Cor.\nxii. 9. Our duty then is, to follow this Spirit wheresoever he leadeth us.\nChrist, the captain of our salvation, when he went to heaven, sent the\nSpirit to be our guider, to lead us thither where he is, and therefore we\nshould resign and give up ourselves to his guidance and direction. The\nnature of a creature is dependence, so the very essence of a Christian\nconsists in dependence and subordination to the Spirit of God. Nature\nitself would teach them that want wisdom to commit themselves to those\nthat have it, and not to carry the reins of their own life themselves.\n\nTruly, not only the sense of our own imperfection, of our folly and\nignorance in these things that belong to life, should make us willing to\nyield ourselves over to the Spirit of God, as blind men to their leader,\nas children to their nurses, as orphans to their tutors;(211) but also,\nbecause the Spirit is made our tutor and leader, Christ, our Father hath\nleft us to the Spirit in his latter will; and, therefore, as we have\nabsolute necessity, so he hath both willingness and ability, because it is\nhis office. \u201cO Lord, I know,\u201d saith Jeremiah, \u201cthat the way of man is not\nin himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps,\u201d Jer. x.\n23. O it were a great point of wisdom thus to know our ignorance and\nfolly, and this is the great qualification of Christ\u2019s disciples, simple\nas children, as little children, as void of conceit of their own wisdom,\nMark x. 15. And this alone capacitates the soul to receive the impressions\nof wisdom; as an empty table is fittest to write upon, so a soul emptied\nof itself; whereas self conceit draweth a number of foolish senseless\ndraughts in the mind that it cannot receive the true image of wisdom.\nThus, then, when a soul finds that it hath misled itself, being misguided\nby the wild fire of its lusts, and hath hardly escaped perishing and\nfalling headlong in the pit, this disposes the soul to a willing\nresignation of itself to one wiser and powerfuller, the Spirit of God; and\nso he giveth the Spirit the string of his affections and judgment to lead\nhim by, and he walketh willingly in that way to eternal life, since his\nheart was enlarged with so much knowledge and love. And now, having given\nup yourselves thus, you would carefully eye your Leader, and attend all\nhis motions, that you may conform yourself to them. Whensoever the Spirit\npulleth you by the heart, draweth at your conscience, to drive you to\nprayer, or any such duty, do not resist that pull, do not quench the\nSpirit, lest he let you alone, and do not call you, nor speak to you. If\nyou fall out thus with your Leader, then you must guide yourselves, and\ntruly you will guide it into the pit, if left to yourselves. Therefore\nmake much of all the impulses of your conscience, of all the touches and\ninward motions of light and affection, to entertain these, and draw them\nforth in meditation and action, for these are nothing else but the Spirit\nyour leader plucking at you to follow him; and if you sit when he riseth\nto walk, if you neglect such warnings, then you may grieve him, and this\ncannot but in the end be bitterness to you. Certainly, many Christians are\nguilty in this, and prejudge themselves of the present comfort and benefit\nof this inward anointing, that teacheth all things, and of this bosom\nguide that leadeth in all truth; because they are so heavy and lumpish to\nbe led after him; they drive slowly, and take very much pressure and\npersuasion to any duty; whereas we should accustom ourselves to willing\nand ready obedience upon the least signification of his mind. Yea, and\nwhich is worse, we often resist the Holy Ghost. He draweth, and we hold\nbeloved sins;\u2014he pulleth, and we pull back from the most spiritual duties.\nThere is so much perverseness and frowardness yet in our natures, that\nthere needs the almighty draught of his arm to make it straight, as there\nis need of infinite grace to pardon it.\n\nNow, my beloved, if you have in your desires and affections resigned\nyourselves over to the guidance of this Spirit, and this be your real and\nsincere endeavour to follow it, and in as far as you are carried back, or\ncontrary, by temptation and corruption, or retarded in your motion, it is\nyour lamentation before the Lord,\u2014I say unto you, cheer your hearts, and\nlift them up in the belief of this privilege conferred upon you: you \u201care\nthe sons of God\u201d\u2014for he giveth this tutor and pedagogue to none but to his\nown children. \u201cAs many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of\nGod.\u201d Suppose you cannot exactly follow his motions, but are often driven\nout or turned back, yet hath not the Spirit the hold of your heart? Are\nyou not detained by the cord of your judgment and the law of your mind?\nAnd is there not some chain fastened about your heart which maketh it\noutstrip the practice by desires and affections? You are the sons of God.\nThat is truly the greatest dignity and highest privilege, in respect of\nwhich, all relations may blush and hide their faces. What are all the\nsplendid and glistering titles among men but empty shows and evanishing\nsounds in respect of this? To be called the son of a gentleman, of a\nnobleman, of a king, how much do the sons of men pride themselves in it?\nBut, truly, that putteth no intrinsic dignity in the persons\nthemselves,\u2014it is a miserable poverty to borrow praise from another, and\ntruly he that boasts of his parentage, _aliena laudat non sua_, he\npraiseth that which is another\u2019s, not his own. But this dignity is truly a\ndignity, it puts intrinsic worth in the person, and puts a more excellent\nspirit in them than that which is in the world, as is said of Caleb, and,\nbesides, it entitles to the greatest happiness imaginable.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXVI.\n\n\n    Verses 14, 15.\u2014\u201cFor as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they\n    are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of\n    bondage again to fear,\u201d, &c.\n\n\nChildren do commonly resemble their parents, not only in the outward\nproportion and feature of their countenances, but also in the disposition\nand temper of their spirits, and generally they are inclined to imitate\nthe customs and carriage of their parents, so that they sometimes may be\naccounted the very living images of such persons; and in them men are\nthought to outlive themselves. Now, indeed, they that are the sons of God\nare known by this character, that they are led by the Spirit of God. And\nthere is the more necessity and the more reason, too, of this resemblance\nof God and imitation of him in his children, because that very divine\nbirth that they have from heaven consists in the renovation of their\nnatures and assimilation to the divine nature, and, therefore, they are\npossessed with an inward principle that carries them powerfully towards a\nconformity with their heavenly Father, and it becometh their great study\nand endeavour to observe all the dispositions and carriage of their\nheavenly Father, which are so honourable and high, and suitable to\nhimself, that they at least may breathe and halt(212) after the imitation\nof him. Therefore our Lord exhorts us, and taketh a domestic example and\nfamiliar pattern to persuade us the more by, \u201cBe ye perfect, as your\nheavenly Father is perfect,\u201d Matt. v. 48. And there is one perfection he\nespecially recommends for our imitation, mercifulness and compassion\ntowards men, opposed to the violence, fury, and implacableness, to the\noppression, and revenge, and hatred that abounds among men, Luke vi. 36.\nAnd, generally, in all his ways of holiness and purity, of goodness and\nmercy, we ought to be followers of him as dear children, who are not only\nobliged by the common law of sympathy between parents and children, but,\nmoreover, engaged by the tender affection that he carrieth to us, Eph. v.\n1. Now, because God is high as heaven, and his ways and thoughts and\ndispositions are infinitely above us, the pattern seems to be so far out\nof sight that it is given over as desperate by many to attempt any\nconformity to it. Therefore it hath pleased the Lord to put his own Spirit\nwithin his own children, to be a bosom pattern and example, and it is our\nduty to resign ourselves to his leading and direction. The Spirit brings\nthe copy near hand us, and though we cannot attain, yet we should follow\nafter. Though we cannot make out the lesson, yet we should be scribbling\nat it, and the more we exercise ourselves this way, setting the Spirit\u2019s\ndirection before our eyes, the more perfect shall we be.\n\nIt is high time, indeed, to pretend to this, to be a son or a daughter of\nGod. It is a higher word than if a man could deduce his genealogy from an\nuninterrupted line of a thousand kings and princes. There is more honour,\ntrue honour, in it, and profit too. It is that which enriches the poorest,\nand ennobles the basest, inconceivably beyond all the imaginary degrees of\nmen. Now, my beloved, this is the great design of the gospel, to bestow\nthis incomparable privilege upon you, \u201cto become the sons of God.\u201d But it\nis sad to think how many souls scarce think upon it, and how many delude\nthemselves in it. But consider, that as many as are the sons of God, are\nled by the Spirit of God,\u2014they have gotten a new leader and guide, other\nthan their own fancy or humour, which once they followed in the ignorance\nof their hearts. It is lamentable to conceive how the most part of us are\nacted,(213) and driven, and carried headlong, rather than gently led, by\nour own carnal and corrupt inclinations. Men pretending to Christianity,\nyet hurried away with every self-pleasing object, as if they were not\nmasters of themselves, furiously agitated by violent lusts, miscarried\ncontinually against the very dictates of their own reason and conscience.\nAnd I fear there is too much of these even in those who have more reason\nto assume this honourable title of sonship. I know not how we are\nexceedingly addicted to self-pleasing in every thing. Whatsoever our fancy\nor inclination suggests to us, that we must do without more bands, if it\nbe not directly sinful. Whatsoever we apprehend, that we must vent and\nspeak it out, though to little or no edification. Like that of Solomon, we\ndeny our hearts nothing they desire, except the grossness of it restrain\nus. Now, certainly if we knew what we are called to, who are the sons of\nGod, we could not but disengage more with ourselves, even in lawful\nthings, and give over the conduct of our hearts and ways to the Spirit of\nour Father whom we may be persuaded of, that he will lead us in the ways\nof pleasantness and peace.\n\nNow, the special and peculiar operations of the Spirit are expressed in\nthe following words. There are some workings of the Spirit of God that are\nbut introductory and subservient to more excellent works, and, therefore,\nthey are transient, not appointed to continue long, for they are not his\ngreat intendment. Of this kind are those terrible representations of sin\nand wrath, of the justice of God, which put the soul in a fear, a\ntrembling fear, and while such a soul is kept within the apprehension of\nsin and judgment, it is shut up, as it were, in bondage. Now, though it be\ntrue, that in the conversion of a sinner, there is always something of\nthis in more or less degrees, yet because this is not the great design of\nthe gospel, to put men in fear, but rather to give them confidence, nor\nthe great intendment of God in the dispensation of the law, to bring a\nsoul in bondage under terror, but rather, by the gospel, to free them from\nthat bondage, therefore he hath reason to express it thus: \u201cYe have not\nreceived the spirit of bondage again to fear,\u201d &c. But there are other\noperations of the Spirit, which are chiefly intended, and principally\nbestowed, as the great gift of our Father, to express his bounty and\ngoodness towards us, and from these he is called the Spirit of adoption,\nand the Spirit of intercession. The Spirit of adoption, not only in regard\nof that witness-bearing and testification to our consciences of God\u2019s love\nand favour, and our interest in it, as in the next verse, but also in\nregard of that child-like disposition of reverence and love and respect\nthat he begets in our hearts towards God, as our Father. And from both\nthese flows this next work, \u201ccrying, Abba, Father,\u201d aiding and assisting\nus in presenting our necessities to our Father, making this the continued\nvent of the heart in all extremities, to pour out all that burthens us in\nour Father\u2019s bosom. And this gives marvellous ease to the heart, and\nreleases it from the bondage of carefulness and anxiety, which it may be\nsubject to, after the soul is delivered from the fear and bondage of\nwrath.\n\nLet us speak, then, to these in order. The first working of the Spirit is,\n_to put a man in fear of himself_, and such a fear as mightily straitens\nand embondages the soul of man. And this, though in itself it be neither\nso pleasant nor excellent as to make it come under the notion of any gift\nfrom God, it having rather the nature of a torment and punishment, and\nbeing some sparkle(214) of hell already kindled in the conscience, yet,\nhath made it beautiful and seasonable in its use and end, because he makes\nit to usher in the pleasant and refreshing sight of a Saviour, and the\nreport of God\u2019s love to the world in him. It is true, all men are in\nbondage to sin and Satan, and shut up in the darkness of ignorance and\nunbelief, and bound in the fetters of their own lusts, which are as the\nchains that are put about malefactors before they go to prison. \u201cHe that\ncommits sin, is a servant of sin,\u201d John vii. 34. And to be a servant of\nsin is slavery under the most cruel tyrant. All these things are, yet how\nfew souls do apprehend it seriously, or are weary of their prison! How few\ngroan to be delivered! Nay, the most part account it only liberty, to hate\ntrue delivery as bondage. But some there are, whose eyes the Spirit of God\nopens, and lets them see their bondage and slavery, and how they are\nconcluded under the most heavy and weighty sentence that ever was\npronounced,\u2014the curse and wrath of the everliving God, that there is no\nway to flee from it, or escape it, for any thing they can do or know. Now,\nindeed, this serious discovery cannot choose but make the heart of a man\nto tremble, as David, \u201cMy flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am\nafraid of thy judgments,\u201d Psal. cxix. 120. Such a serious representation\nwill make the stoutest and proudest heart to fall down, and faint for fear\nof that infinite intolerable weight of deserved wrath, and then the soul\nis in a sensible bondage, that before was in a real, but insensible\nbondage,\u2014then it is environed about with bitter accusations, with dreadful\nchallenges,\u2014then the law of God arrests and confines the soul within the\nbounds of its own accusing conscience. And this is some previous\nrepresentation of that eternal imprisonment and banishment from the\npresence of God. Albeit many of you are free from this fear, and enjoy a\nkind of liberty to serve your own lusts, and are not sensible of any\nthraldom of your spirits, yet certainly the Lord will sometime arrest you,\nand bring you to this spiritual bondage, when he shall make the iniquities\nof your heels encompass you about, and the curses of his law surround you.\nWhen your conscience accuseth, and God condemneth, it may be too late, and\nout of date.\n\nAlas! then what will you do, who now put your conscience by,(215) and will\nnot hearken to it or be put in fear by any thing which can be represented\nto you? We do not desire to put you in fear, where no fear is, but where\nthere is infinite cause of fear, and when it is possible that fear may\nintroduce faith, and be the forerunner of these glad tidings that will\ncompose the soul. We desire only you may know what bondage you are really\ninto, whether it be observed or not, that you may fear, lest you be\nenthralled in the chains of everlasting darkness, and so may be persuaded\nto flee from it before it be irrecoverable. What a vain and empty sound is\nthe gospel of liberty by a Redeemer, to the most part who do not feel\ntheir bondage? Who believes its report, or cares much for it\u2014because it is\nnecessity that casts a beauty and lustre upon it, or takes the scales off\nour eyes, and opens our closed ears?\n\nNow for you, who either are, or have been, detained in this bondage, under\nthe fearful apprehension of the wrath of God, and the sad remembrance of\nyour sins, know that this is not the prime intent and grand business, to\ntorment you, as it were, before the time. There is some other more\nbeautiful and satisfying structure to be raised out of this foundation. I\nwould have you improve it thus, to commend the necessity, the absolute\nnecessity, of a Redeemer, and to make him beautiful in your eyes. Do not\ndwell upon that, as if it were the ultimate or last work, but know that\nyou are called in this rational way, to come out of yourselves into this\nglorious liberty of the sons of God, purchased by Christ, and revealed in\nthe gospel. Know, \u201cyou have not received the spirit of bondage\u201d only \u201cto\nfear,\u201d but to drive you to faith in a Saviour. And then you ought so to\nwalk, as not to return to that former thraldom of the fear of wrath, but\nbelieve his love.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXVII.\n\n\n    Verses 14, 15.\u2014\u201cFor as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they\n    are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of\n    bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of\n    adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.\u201d\n\n\nThe life of Christianity, take it in itself, is the most pleasant and\njoyful life that can be, exempted from those fears and cares, those\nsorrows and anxieties, that all other lives are subject unto, for this of\nnecessity must be the force and efficacy of true religion, if it be indeed\ntrue to its name, to disburden and ease the heart, and fill it with all\nmanner of consolation. Certainly it is the most rich subject, and most\ncompletely furnished with all variety of delights to entertain a soul,\nthat can be imagined. Yet, I must confess, while we consult with the\nexperience and practice of Christians, this bold assertion seems to be\nmuch weakened, and too much ground is given to confirm the contrary\nmisapprehensions of the world, who take it to be a sullen, melancholic,\nand disconsolate life, attended with many fears and sorrows. It is, alas!\ntoo evident, that many Christians are kept in bondage, almost all their\nlifetime, through fear of eternal death. How many dismal representations\nof sin and wrath, are in the souls of some Christians, which keep them in\nmuch thraldom? At least, who is it that is not once and often brought in\nbondage after conversion, and made to apprehend fearfully their own\nestate, who hath such constant uninterrupted peace and joy in the Holy\nGhost, or lies under such direct beams of divine favour, but it is\nsometimes eclipsed, and their souls filled with the darkness of horror and\nterror? And truly the most part taste not so much sweetness in religion as\nmakes them incessant and unwearied in the ways of godliness. Yet,\nnotwithstanding of all this, we must vindicate Christianity itself, and\nnot impute these things unto it which are the infirmities and faults of\nthe followers of it, who do not improve it unto such an use or use it so\nfar as in itself it is capable. Indeed, it is true that often we are\nbrought to fear again, yet withal it is certain that our allowance is\nlarger, and that we have received the Spirit, not to put us in bondage\nagain to fear, but rather to seal to our hearts that love of God, which\nmay not only expel fear but bring in joy. I wish that this were deeply\nconsidered by all of us, that there is such a life as this\nattainable,\u2014that the word of God doth not deceive us in promising fair\nthings which it cannot perform, but that there is a certain reality in the\nlife of Christianity, in that peace and joy, tranquillity and serenity of\nmind that is holden out, and that some have really found it, and do find\nit, and that the reason why all of us do not find it in experience, is not\nbecause it is not, but because we have so little apprehension of it and\ndiligence after it. It is strange that all men who have pursued\nsatisfaction in the things of this life, being disappointed, and one\ngeneration witnessing this to another, and one person to another, that,\nnotwithstanding, men are this day as fresh in the pursuit of that, as big\nin the expectations as ever. And yet, in this business of religion, and\nthe happiness to be found in it, though the oracles of God in all ages\nhave testified from heaven how certain and possible it is, though many\nhave found it in experience and left it on record to others, there is so\nslender belief of the reality and certainly of it, and so slack pursuit of\nit, as if we did not believe it at all. Truly, my beloved, there is a\ngreat mistake in this, and it is general too. All men apprehend other\nthings more feasible and attainable than personal holiness and happiness\nin it, but truly, I conceive there is nothing in the world so practicable\nas this,\u2014nothing made so easy, so certain to a soul that really minds it.\n\nLet us take it so then, the fault is not religion\u2019s, that those who\nprofess it are subject to so much fear and care, and disquieted with so\nmuch sorrow. It is rather because Christianity doth not sink into the\nhearts and souls of men, but only puts a tincture on their outside, or\nbecause the faith of divine truths is so superficial, and the\nconsideration of them so slight, that they cannot have much efficacy and\ninfluence on the heart, to quiet and compose it. Is it any wonder that\nsome souls be subject again to the bondage of fear and terror when they do\nnot stand in awe to sin? Much liberty to sin will certainly embondage the\nspirit of a Christian to fear. Suppose a believer in Jesus Christ be\nexempted from the hazard of condemnation, yet he is the greatest fool in\nthe world that would, on that account, venture on satisfaction to his\nlusts. For though it be true that he be not in danger of eternal wrath,\nyet he may find so much present wrath in his conscience as may make him\nthink it was a foolish bargain. He may lose so much of the sweetness of\nthe peace and joy of God as all the pleasures of sin cannot compense.\nTherefore to the end that you whose souls are once pacified by the blood\nof Christ, and composed by his word of promise, may enjoy that constant\nrest and tranquillity as not to be enthralled again to your old fears and\nterrors, I would advise and recommend to you these two things:\u2014One is,\nthat you would be much in the study of that allowance which the promises\nof Christ afford. Be much in the serious apprehension of the gospel, and\ncertainly your doubts and fears would evanish at one puff of such a rooted\nand established meditation. Think what you are called to, not \u201cto fear\u201d\nagain, but to love rather, and honour him as a Father. And, then, take\nheed to walk suitably and preserve your seal of adoption unblotted,\nunrusted. You would study so to walk as you may not cast dirt upon it, or\nopen any gap in the conscience for the re entry of these hellish-like\nfears and dreadful apprehensions of God. Certainly, it is impossible to\npreserve the spirit in freedom if a man be not watchful against sin and\ncorruption. David prays, \u201cre establish me with thy free Spirit,\u201d as if his\nspirit had been abased, embondaged, and enthralled by the power of that\ncorruption. If you would have your spirits kept free from the fear of\nwrath, study to keep them free from the power of sin, for that is but a\nfruit of this, and it is most suitable that the soul that cares not to be\nin bondage to sinful lusts, should, by the righteousness of God, tempered\nwith love and wisdom, be brought under the bondage he would not, that is,\nof fear and terror, for by this means the Lord makes him know how evil the\nfirst is, by the bitterness of the second.\n\nIt is usual on such a scripture as this, to propound many questions, and\ndebate many practical cases as, whether a soul after believing can be\nunder legal bondage, and wherein these differ, the bondage of a soul after\nbelieving, and in its first conversion, and how far that bondage of fear\nis preparatory to faith, and many such like. But I choose rather to hold\nforth the simple and naked truth for your edification, than put you upon\nto entertain you in such needless janglings and contentions. All I desire\nto say to a soul in bondage, is, to exhort him to come to the Redeemer,\nand to consider that his case calls and cries for a delivery. Come, I say,\nand he shall find rest and liberty to his soul. All I would say to souls\ndelivered from this bondage, is, to request and beseech them to live in a\nholy fear of sin, and jealousy over themselves, that so they may not be\nreadily brought under the bondage of the fear of wrath again. Perfect love\ncasts out the fear of hell, but perfect love brings in the fear of sin. Ye\nthat love the Lord, hate ill, and if ye hate it, ye will fear it in this\nstate of infirmity and weakness, wherein we are. And if at any time ye,\nthrough negligence and carelessness of walking, lose the comfortable\nevidence of the Father\u2019s love, and be reduced again to your old prison of\nlegal terror, do not despair for that, do not think that such a thing\ncould not befall a child of God, and from that ground do not raze former\nfoundations, for the scripture saith not, that whosoever believes once in\nChrist, and receives the Spirit of adoption, cannot fear again; for we see\nit otherwise in David, in Heman, in Job, &c., all holy saints. But the\nscripture saith, Ye have not received the spirit of bondage for that end,\nto fear again. It is not the allowance of your Father. Your allowance is\nbetter and larger, if you knew it, and did not sit below it.\n\nNow, the great gift, and large allowance of our Father, is expressed in\nthe next words, \u201cBut ye have received the Spirit of adoption,\u201d &c, which\nSpirit of adoption is a Spirit of intercession, to make us cry to God as\nour Father. These are two gifts, adoption, or the privilege of sons and\nthe Spirit of adoption revealing the love and mercy of God to the heart,\nand framing it to a soul like disposition. Compare the two states\ntogether, and it is a marvellous change,\u2014a rebel condemned, and then\npardoned, and then adopted to be a son of God,\u2014a sinner under bondage, a\nbond slave to sin and Satan, not only freed from that intolerable bondage,\nbut advanced to this liberty, to be made a son of God. This will be the\ncontinued wonder of eternity, and that whereabout the song of angels and\nsaints will be. Accursed rebels expecting nothing but present death,\nsinners arraigned and sentenced before his tribunal and already tasting\nhell in their consciences, and in fear of eternal perishing, not only to\nbe delivered from all that, but to be dignified with this privilege, to be\nthe sons of God, to be taken from the gibbet to be crowned! That is the\ngreat mystery of wisdom and grace revealed in the gospel, the proclaiming\nwhereof will be the joint labour of all the innumerable companies above\nfor all eternity. Now, if you ask how this estate is attainable, himself\ntells us, John i. 12, \u201cAs many as believed (or received) him, to them he\ngave the privilege to be the sons of God.\u201d The way is made plain and easy.\nChrist the Son of God, the natural and eternal Son of God, became the Son\nof man. To facilitate this, he hath taken on the burden of man\u2019s sin, the\nchastisement of our peace, and so of the glorious Son of God he became\nlike the wretched and accursed sons of men, and therefore God hath\nproclaimed in the gospel, not only an immunity and freedom from wrath, to\nall that in the sense of their own misery cordially receive him as he is\noffered, but the unspeakable privilege of sonship and adoption for his\nsake, who became our elder brother, Gal. iv. 4, 5. Men that want children,\nuse to supply their want by adopting some beloved friend in the place of a\nson, and this is a kind of supply of nature for the comfort of them that\nwant. But it is strange, that God having a Son so glorious, the very\ncharacter of his person, and brightness of his glory, in whom he delighted\nfrom eternity,\u2014strange, I say, that he should in a manner lose and give\naway his only begotten Son, that he might by his means adopt others, poor\ndespicable creatures, yea, rebellious, to be his sons and daughters.\nCertainly, this is an act infinitely transcending nature,\u2014such an act that\nhath an unsearchable mystery in it, into which angels desire to look and\nnever cease looking, because they never see the bottom of it. It was not\nout of indigency he did it, not for any need he had of us, or comfort\nexpected from us, but absolutely for our necessity and consolation, that\nhe might have upon whom to pour the riches of his grace.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXVIII.\n\n\n    Verse 15.\u2014\u201cBut ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we\n    cry, Abba, Father.\u201d\n\n\n\u201cBehold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we\nshould be called the sons of God,\u201d 1 John iii. 1. It is a wonderful\nexpression of love to advance his own creatures, not only infinitely below\nhimself, but far below other creatures, to such a dignity. Lord, what is\nman that thou so magnified him! But it surpasseth wonder, that rebellious\ncreatures, his enemies, should have, not only their rebellions freely\npardoned, but this privilege of sonship bestowed upon them, that he should\ntake enemies, and make sons of them, and not only sons, but heirs,\nco-heirs with his own only begotten Son. And then, how he makes them sons,\nis as wonderful as the thing itself, that he should make his own Son our\nbrother, \u201cbone of our bone and flesh of our flesh,\u201d and make him spring\nout as a branch or rod out of the dry stem of Jesse, who himself was the\nroot of all mankind. This is the way, God sent his Son, made of a woman,\nunder the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, Gal. iv. 5. The\nhouse of heaven marries with the earth, with them who have their\nfoundation in the dust, the chief heir of that heavenly family joineth in\nkindred with our base and obscure family, and by this means we are made of\nkin to God. \u201cBut of him are ye in Christ Jesus,\u201d 1 Cor. i. 30. It behoved\nChrist, in a manner to lose his own sonship as to men, to have it so\nveiled and darkened by the superadded interest in us, and his nearness to\nus. He was so properly a Son of man, subject to all human infirmities,\nexcept sin, that without eyes of faith, men could not perceive that he was\nthe Son of God. And by this wonderful exchange are we made the sons of\nGod. Whoever, in the apprehension of their own enmity and distance from\nGod, receive Christ Jesus, offered as the peace, the bond of union between\nthe two families of heaven and earth, that were at an infinite odds and\ndistance, whoever (I say) believes thus in him, and flies to him, desiring\nto lay down the weapons of their warfare, their peace is not only made by\nthat marriage which Christ made with our nature, but they are blessed with\nthis power and privilege, to be the sons and daughter of the Most High.\nAnd from thence you may conclude, that if God be your Father, you can want\nnothing that is good. But the determination of what is good for you,\nwhether in spiritual enlargements, or in the things of this life, you must\nrefer to his wisdom, for his love indeed is strong as death, nothing can\nquench it. In the point of reality and constancy, there is nothing to\nshadow it out among men. The love of women is earnest and vehement, but\nthat is nothing to it, (Isa. xlix. 15,) for they may forget, but he\ncannot. Yet his love is not a foolish dotage, like mans that is often\nmiscarried with fancy and lust; but it is a rational and wise affection,\nadministered and expressed with infinite reason and wisdom; and therefore,\nhe chooses rather to profit us than to please us in his dealings. And we\nwho are not so fit to judge and discern our own good, should commit all to\nhis fatherly and wise Providence. Therefore, if you be tempted to anxiety\nand carefulness of mind, either through the earthliness of your\ndispositions, or the present straits of the time, you who have resigned\nyourself to Jesus Christ, should call to mind that your heavenly Father\ncareth for you. And what need you care too? Why not use your lawful\ncallings, be diligent in them? This is not to prejudge that, but if you\nbelieve in God, then you are obliged by that profession to abate from the\nsuperfluous tormenting thoughtfulness that is good for nothing but to make\nyou more miserable than your troubles can make you, and to make you\nmiserable before you be miserable, to anticipate your sorrows. If you say,\nGod is your father, you are tied to devolve yourselves over on him, and\ntrust in his good will and faithfulness, and to sit down quietly as\nchildren that have parents to provide for them.\n\nNow, the other gift is great too, \u201cthe Spirit of adoption,\u201d and because ye\nare sons, therefore hath he given you \u201cthe Spirit of his Son,\u201d saith this\napostle, Gal. iv. 6. And so it is a kind of consectary(216) of the great\nprivilege and blessed estate of adoption. They who adopt children, use to\ngive them some kind of token to express their love to them. But as the\nLord is higher than all, and this privilege to be his son or child is the\ngreatest dignity imaginable, so this gift of his Spirit suits the\ngreatness and glory and love of our Father. It is a father\u2019s gift indeed,\na gift suitable to our heavenly Father. If a father that is tender of the\neducation of his child, and would desire nothing so much as that he might\nbe of a virtuous and gracious disposition, and good ingine,(217) I think\nif he were to express his love in one wish, it would be this, that he\nmight have such a Spirit in him, and this he would account better than all\nthat he could leave him. But if it were possible to transmit a gracious,\nwell-disposed and understanding spirit from one to another, and if men\ncould leave it, as they do their inheritance to their children, certainly\na wise and religious parent would first make over a disposition of that to\nhis children; as Elisha sought a double measure of Elijah\u2019s spirit, so a\nfather would wish such a measure to his children, and, if it were\npossible, give it. But that may not be. All that can be done is to wish\nwell to them, and leave them a good example for imitation. But in this our\nheavenly Father transcends all, that he can impart his own Spirit to his\nadopted children, and his Spirit is in a manner the very essential\nprinciple that maketh them children of the Father. Their natures, their\ndispositions, are under his power. He can as well reform them, as you can\nchange your children\u2019s garments. He can make of us what he will. Our\nhearts are in his hand, as the water, capable of any impression he\npleaseth to put on it, and this is the impression he putteth on his\nchildren, he putteth his Spirit in their hearts, and writeth his law in\ntheir inward parts, a more divine and higher work than all human\npersuasion can reach. This Spirit they receive as an earnest of the\ninheritance, and withal, to make them fit for the inheritance of the\nsaints in light.\n\nNow, the working of this Spirit of adoption, I conceive to be threefold,\nbeside that of intersession expressed in the verse. The first work of the\nSpirit of adoption, that wherein a father\u2019s affection seems to break first\nfrom under ground, is, the revealing to the heart the love and mercy of\nGod to sinners. I do not say, to such a soul in particular, for that\napplication is neither first, nor universal. But herein the Spirit of\nadoption first appears from under the cloud of fear; and this is the first\nopening of the prison of bondage, wherein a soul was shut, when the plain\nway of reconciliation to God in Christ, and delivery from the bondage of\nsin and wrath, is holden out; when such a word as this comes into the\nsoul, and is received with some gladness, \u201cGod so loved the world that he\ngave his Son,\u201d &c. \u201cThis is a true and faithful saying,\u201d &c. \u201cCome, ye\nthat labour and are weary, and I will give rest to your souls.\u201d When a\nsoul is made to hear the glad tidings of liberty preached to captives, of\nlight to the blind, of joy to the heavy in spirit, of life to the dead,\nthough he cannot come that length as to see his own particular interest,\nyet the very receiving affectionately and greedily such a general report\nas good and true, gives some ease and relaxation to the heart. To see\ndelivery possible, is some door of hope to a desperate sinner. But to see\nit, and espy more than a possibility, even great probability, though he\ncannot reach a certainty, that will be as the breaking open of a window of\nlight in a dark dungeon. It will be as the taking off of some of the\nhardest fetters, and the worst chains, which makes a man almost to think\nhimself at liberty. Now this is the great office of the Spirit of the\nFather, to beget in us good thoughts of him, to incline us to charitable\nand favourable constructions of him, and make us ready to think well of\nhim, to beget a good understanding in us and him, and correct our jealous\nmisapprehensions of him. For certainly we are naturally suspicious of God,\nthat he deals not in sad earnest with us. Whenever we see the height of\nour provocation, and weight of deserved indignation, we think him like\nourselves, and can hardly receive without suspicion the gospel that lays\nopen his love in Christ to the world.\n\nNow, this is the Spirit\u2019s work, to make us entertain that honourable\nthought of God, that he is most inclinable to pardon sinners; and that his\nmercy is infinitely above man\u2019s sin; and that it is no prejudice to his\nholiness or justice; and to apprehend seriously a constant reality and\nsolid truth in the promises of the gospel; and so to convince a soul of\nrighteousness, (John xvi.) that there is a way of justifying a sinner or\nungodly person, without wrong to God\u2019s righteousness; and this being well\npondered in the heart, and received in love, the great business is done.\nAfter that, particular application is more easy, of which I shall not\nspeak now, because occasion will be given in the next verse, about the\nSpirit\u2019s witnessing with our spirits, which is another of the Spirit\u2019s\nworkings: only I say this, that which makes this so difficult, is a defect\nin the first. But the common principles of the gospel are not really, and\nso seriously apprehended, because many souls do not put to their seal to\nwitness to the promises and truth of it. Therefore the Lord often denies\nthis seal and witness to our comfort. It is certainly a preposterous way\nSatan puts souls upon, first, to get such a testimony from the Spirit\nbefore they labour to get such a testimony to Christ, and echo or answer\nin their hearts to his word. This way seems shortest; for they would leap\ninto the greater liberty at the first hand. But certainly it is farthest\nabout, because it is impossible for souls to leap immediately out of\nbondage to assurance, without some middle step. They cannot pass thus from\nextremes to extremes, without going through the middle state of receiving\nChrist, and laying his word up in the heart; and therefore it proves the\nway furthest about, because when souls have long wearied themselves, they\nmust at length turn in hither.\n\nBut there is another working of the Spirit I wish you were acquainted\nwith. As the first work is to beget a suitable apprehension of God\u2019s mind\nand heart towards sinners, so the next is, to beget a suitable disposition\nin our hearts towards God as a Father. The first apprehends his love, the\nnext reflects it back again with the heart of a sinner to him. The Spirit\nfirst brings the report of the love and grace of God to us, and then he\ncarries the love and respect of the heart up to God.\n\nYou know how God complains in Malachi, \u201cIf I be a Father, where is my fear\nand honour?\u201d For these are the only fitting qualifications of children,\nsuch a reverent, respective observance of our heavenly Father, such\naffectionate and humble carriage towards him, as becometh both his majesty\nand his love. As these are tempered one with another in him, his love not\nabasing his majesty, and his majesty not diminishing his love; so we ought\nto carry, as reverence and confidence, fear and love, may be contempered\none with another, so as we may neither forget his infinite greatness, nor\ndoubt of his unspeakable love. And this inward disposition engraven on the\nheart, will be the principle of willing and ready obedience. It will in\nsome measure be our meat and drink to do our Father\u2019s will. For Christ\ngave us an example how we should carry towards him. How humble and\nobedient was he, though his only begotten Son!\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXXIX.\n\n\n    Verse 15.\u2014\u201cWhereby we cry, Abba, Father.\u201d\n\n\nAs there is a light of grace in bestowing such incomparably high dignities\nand excellent gifts on poor sinners, such as, to make them the sons of God\nwho were the children of the devil, and heirs of a kingdom who were heirs\nof wrath; so there is a depth of wisdom in the Lord\u2019s allowance and manner\nof dispensing his love and grace in this life. For though the love be\nwonderful, that we should be called the sons of God; yet, as that apostle\nspeaks, it doth not yet so clearly appear what we shall be, by what we\nare, 1 John iii. 1. Our present condition is so unlike such a state and\ndignity, and our enjoyments so unsuitable to our rights and privileges,\nthat it would not appear by the mean, low, and indigent state we are now\ninto, that we have so great and glorious a Father. How many infirmities\nare we compassed about with! How many wants are we pressed withal! Our\nnecessities are infinite, and our enjoyments no ways proportioned to our\nnecessities. Notwithstanding even in this, the love and wisdom of our\nheavenly Father shows itself, and oftentimes more gloriously in the\ntheatre of men\u2019s weakness, infirmities, and wants, than they could appear\nin the absolute and total exemption of his children from necessities.\nStrength perfected in weakness, grace sufficient in infirmities, hath some\ngreater glory than strength and grace alone. Therefore he hath chosen this\nway as most fit for the advancing his glory, and most suitable for our\ncomfort and edification, to give us but little in hand, and environ us\nwith a crowd of continued necessities and wants within and without, that\nwe may learn to cry to him as our Father, and seek our supplies from him;\nand withal he hath not been sparing, but liberal in promises of hearing\nour cries and supplying our wants; so that this way of narrow and hard\ndispensation, that at first seems contrary to the love and bounty and\nriches of our Father, in the perfect view of it, appears to be the only\nway to perpetuate our communion with him, and often to renew the sense of\nhis love and grace, that would grow slack in our hearts, if our needs did\nnot every day stir up fresh longing, and his returns by this means are so\nmuch the more refreshing. There is a time of children\u2019s minority when they\nstand in need of continual supplies from their parents, or tutors, because\nthey are not entered in possession of their inheritance; and while they\nare in this state, there is nothing more beseeming them, than in all their\nwants to address to their father, and represent them to him; and it is fit\nthey should be from hand to mouth, as you say, that they may know and\nacknowledge their dependence on their father. Truly this is our minority,\nour presence in the body, which because of sin that dwells in it, and its\nown natural weakness and incapacity, keeps us at much distance with the\nLord, that we cannot be intimately present with him. Now, in this\ncondition, the most natural, the most comely and becoming exercise of\nchildren, is, to cry to our Father, to present all our grievances; and\nthus to entertain some holy correspondence with our absent Father, by the\nmessenger of prayer and supplication, which cannot return empty, if it be\nnot sent away too full of self-conceit. This is the most natural breathing\nof a child of God in this world. It is the most proper acting of his new\nlife, and the most suitable expiration of that Spirit of adoption that is\ninspired into him, since there is so much life as to know what we want,\nand our wants are infinite. Therefore that life cannot but beat this way,\nin holy desires after God, whose fulness can supply all wants. This is the\npulse of a Christian, that goeth continually, and there is much advantage\nto the continuity and interruptedness of the motion, from the infiniteness\nand inexhaustedness of our needs in this life, and the continual assaults\nthat are made by necessity and temptation on the heart, \u201cBut ye have\nreceived the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,\u201d &c. He puts in his own\nname in the latter part, though theirs was in the former part. When he\nspeaks of a donation or privilege, he supplies to the meanest, to show\nthat the lowest and most despised creature is not in any incapacity to\nreceive the greatest gifts of God; and then, when he mentions the working\nof that Spirit in way of intercession, because it imports necessity and\nwant, he cares not to commit some incongruity in the language, by changing\nthe person, that he may teach us, that weakness, infirmities, and wants,\nare common to the best and chiefest among Christians; that the most\neminent have continual need to cry, and the lowest and obscurest believers\nhave as good ground to believe the hearing and acceptance of their cries;\nthat the highest are not above the weakest and lowest ordinance, and that\nthe lowest are not below the comfort of help and acceptation in him. Nay,\nthe growth and increase of grace, is so far from exempting men from, or\nsetting them above, this duty of constant supplication, that by the\ncontrary, this is the just measure of their growth and altitude in grace.\nAs the degrees of the height of the water Nilus in its overflowing, are a\nsure sign of the fertility or barrenness of that year, so the overflowings\nof the spirit of prayer in one gives a present account how the heart\nis,\u2014whether barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, or\nfruitful and lively, and vigorous in it. It is certain that contraries do\ndiscover one another, and the more the one be increased, that is not only\nthe more incompatible and inconsistent with the other, but gives the most\nperfect discerning of it. When grace is but as twilight in the soul, and\nas the dawning of the day only, gross darkness and uncleanness is seen;\nbut the more it grow to the perfect day, the more sin is seen, and the\nmore its hated wants are discovered that did not appear; and therefore it\nexerciseth itself the more in opposition to sin, and supplication to God.\nTo speak the truth, our growth here is but an advancement in the knowledge\nand sense of our indigency,\u2014it is but a further entry into the idolatrous\ntemple of the heart, which makes a man see daily new abominations worse\nthan the former. And therefore you may easily know that such repeated\nsights and discoveries will but press out more earnest and frequent cries\nfrom the heart. And such a growth in humility, and faith in God\u2019s fulness,\nwill be but as oil to feed the flame of supplication. For what is prayer,\nindeed, but the ardency of the affection after God, flaming up to him in\ncries and requests?\n\nTo speak of this exercise of an holy heart, would require more of the\nspirit of it than we have. But truly this is to be lamented, that though\nthere be nothing more common among Christians in the outward practice of\nit, yet that there is nothing more extraordinary and rare, even among many\nthat use it, than to be acquainted with the inward nature of it. Truly,\nthe most ordinary things in religion are the greatest mysteries, as to the\ntrue life of them. We are strangers to the soul and life of these things,\nwhich consist in the holy behaviour and deportment of our spirits before\nthe Father of spirits.\n\nThese words give some ground to speak of some special qualifications of\nprayer, and the chief principle of it. The chief principle and original of\nprayer, is, the Spirit of adoption received into the heart. It is a\nbusiness of a higher nature than can be taught by precepts, or learned by\ncustom and education. There is a general mistake among men, that the gift\nof prayer is attained by learning, and that it consists in the freedom and\nplenty of expression. But O! how many doctors and disputers of the world\nare there, that can defend all the articles of faith against the opposers\nof them; yet so unacquainted are they with this exercise, that the poor,\nand unlearned, and nothings in the world, who cannot dispute for religion,\nsend up a more savoury and acceptable sacrifice, and sweet incense to God\ndaily, when they offer up their soul\u2019s desires in simplicity and\nsincerity. Certainly this is a spiritual thing, derived only from the\nFountain of spirits,\u2014this grace of pouring out our souls into him, and\nkeeping communication with him. The variety of words and riches of\nexpression is but the shell of it, the external shadow; and all the life\nconsists in the frame of the heart before God. And this none can put in\nframe but he that formed the spirit of man within him. Some through custom\nof hearing and using it, attain to a habit of expressing themselves\nreadily in it, it may be, to the satisfaction of others; but, alas! they\nmay be strangers to the first letters and elements of the life and spirit\nof prayer. I would have you who want both, look up to heaven for it. Many\nof you cannot be induced to pray in your family, (and I fear little or\nnone in secret, which is indeed a more serious work,) because you have not\nbeen used, or not learned, or such like. Alas! beloved, this cometh not\nthrough education, or learning. It cometh from the Spirit of adoption; and\nif ye say, ye cannot pray, ye have not the Spirit; and if ye have not the\nSpirit, ye are not the sons of God. Know what is in the inevitable sequel\nof your own confessions.\n\nBut I haste to the qualifications of this divine work,\u2014fervency,\nreverence, and confidence; _fervency_ in crying, _reverence and\nconfidence_ in crying, \u201cAbba, Father;\u201d for these two suit well toward our\nFather. The first, I fear, we must seek elsewhere than in prayer. I find\nit spent on other things of less moment. Truly, all the spirit and\naffection of men runs in another channel,\u2014in the way of contention and\nstrife, in the way of passion and miscalled zeal, and because these things\nwhereabout we do thus earnestly contend, have some interest or coherence\nwith religion, we not only excuse but approve our vehemency. But O! much\nbetter were that employed in supplications to God: that were a divine\nchannel. Again, the marrow of other men\u2019s spirits is exhausted in the\npursuit of things in the world. The edge of their desires is turned that\nway, and it must needs be blunted and dulled in spiritual things, that it\ncannot pierce into heaven, and prevail effectually. I am sure, many of us\nuseth this excuse, who are so cold in it, that we do not warm ourselves.\nAnd how shall we think to prevail with God? Our spirits make little noise\nwhen we cry all the loudest. We can scarce hear any whisper in our hearts,\nand how shall he hear us? Certainly it is not the extension of the voice\npleaseth him; it is the cry of the heart that is sweet harmony in his\nears. And you may easily perceive this, if you but consider that he is an\ninfinite Spirit, that pierceth into all the corners of our hearts, and\nhath all the darkness of it as light before him. How can you think that\nsuch a Spirit can be pleased with lip cries? How can he endure such deceit\nand falsehood, (who hath so perfect a contrariety with all false\nappearances,) that your heart should lie so dead and flat before him, and\nthe affection of it turned quite another way? There were no sacrifices\nwithout fire in the Old Testament, and that fire was kept in perpetually;\nand so no prayer now without some inward fire, conceived in the desires,\nand blazing up and growing into a flame in the presenting of them to God.\n\nThe incense that was to be offered on the altar of perfume, (Exod. xxx.)\nbehoved to be beaten and prepared; and truly, prayer would do well to be\nmade out of a beaten and bruised heart, and contrite spirit,\u2014a spirit\ntruly sensible of its own unworthiness and wants; and that beating and\npounding of the heart will yield a good fragrant smell, as some spices do\nnot till beaten. The incense was made of divers spices, intimating to us,\nthat true prayer is not one grace alone, but a compound of graces. It is\nthe joint exercise of all a Christian\u2019s graces; seasoned with all. Every\none of them gives some peculiar fragrancy to it, as humility, faith,\nrepentance, love, &c. The acting of the heart in supplication, is a kind\nof compend and result of all these, as one perfume made up of many\nsimples. But above all, as the incense, our prayers must be kindled by\nfire on the altar. There must be some heat and fervour, some warmness,\nconceived by the Holy Spirit in our hearts, which may make our spices send\nforth a pleasant smell, as many spices do not till they get heat. Let us\nlay this engagement on our hearts, to be more serious in our addresses to\nGod, the Father of spirits; above all, to present our inward soul before\nhim, before whom it is naked and open, though we do not bring it. And\ncertainly, frequency in prayer will much help us to fervency, and to keep\nit when we have it.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XL.\n\n\n    Verse 15.\u2014\u201cWhereby we cry, Abba, Father.\u201d\n\n\nAll that know any thing of religion, must needs know and confess that\nthere is no exercise either more suitable to him that professeth it, or\nmore needful for him, than to give himself to the exercise of prayer. But\nthat which is confessed by all, and as to the outward performance gone\nabout by many, I fear is yet a mystery sealed up from us, as the true and\nliving nature of it. There is much of it expressed here in few words,\n\u201cwhereby we cry, Abba, Father.\u201d The divine constitution and qualifications\nof this divine work, are here made up of a temper of fervency, reverence,\nand confidence. The first I spoke of before; but I fear our hearts were\nnot well heated then, or may be cooled since. It is not the loud noise of\nwords that is best heard in heaven, or that is constructed to be crying to\nGod. No, this is transacted in the heart more silently to men, but it\nstriketh up into the ears of God. His ear is sharp, and that voice of the\nsoul\u2019s desires is shrill, and though it were out of the depths, they will\nmeet together. It is true, the vehemency of affection will sometimes cause\nthe extension of the voice; but yet it may cry as loud to heaven when it\nis kept within. I do not press such extraordinary degrees of fervour as\nmay affect the body, but I would rather wish we accustomed ourselves to a\nsolid calm seriousness and earnestness of spirit, which might be more\nconstant than such raptures can be, that we might always gather our\nspirits to what we are about, and avocate them from impertinent wanderings\nand fix them upon the present object of our worship. This is to worship\nhim in spirit who is a Spirit.\n\nThe other thing that composes the sweet temper of prayer, is reverence.\nAnd what more suitable, whether you consider him or yourselves? \u201cIf I be\nyour Father, where is my honour? and if I be your Master, where is my\nfear?\u201d Mal. i. 6. While we call him Father, or Lord, we proclaim this\nmuch, that we ought to know our distance from him, and his superiority to\nus. And if worship in prayer carry not this character, and express not\nthis honourable and glorious Lord, whom we serve, it wants that congruity\nand suitableness to him that is the beauty of it. Is there any thing more\nuncomely, than for children to behave themselves irreverently and\nirrespectively towards their fathers, to whom they owe themselves? It is a\nmonstrous thing even in nature, and to nature\u2019s light. O how much more\nabominable must it be, to draw near to the Father of spirits, who made us,\nand not we ourselves, in whose hand our breath is, and whose are all our\nways; in a word, to whom we owe not only this dust, but the living spirit\nthat animates it, that was breathed from heaven, and finally, \u201cin whom we\nlive, and move, and have our being,\u201d and well-being; to worship such an\none, and yet to behave ourselves so unseemly and irreverently in his\npresence, our hearts not stricken with the apprehension of his glory, but\nlying flat and dead before him, having scarcely him in our thoughts whom\nwe speak to. And finally, our deportments in his sight are such, as could\nnot be admitted in the presence of any person a little above ourselves,\u2014to\nbe about to speak to them, and yet to turn aside continually to every one\nthat cometh by, and entertain communication with every base creature.\nThis, I say, in the presence of a king, or nobleman, would be accounted\nsuch an absurd incivility, as could be committed. And yet we behave\nourselves just so with the Father of spirits.\n\nO the wanderings of the hearts of men in divine worship! While we are in\ncommunication with our Father and Lord in prayer, whose heart is fixed to\na constant attendance and presence, by the impression of his glorious\nholiness? Whose Spirit doth not continually gad abroad, and take a word of\nevery thing that occurs, and so mars that soul correspondence? O that this\nword (Psal. lxxxix. 7.) were written with great letters on our hearts,\n\u201cGod is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had\nin reverence of all them that are about him.\u201d That one word, _God_,\nspeaketh all. Either we must convert him into an idol, which is nothing;\nor if we apprehend him to be GOD, we must apprehend our infinite distance\nfrom him, and his unspeakable, inaccessible glory above us. He is greatly\nfeared and reverenced in the assemblies that are above, in the upper\ncourts of angels. Those glorious spirits who must cover their feet from\nus, because we cannot see their glory; they must cover their faces from\nhim, because they cannot behold his glory, Isa. vi. What a glorious train\nhath he, and yet how reverend are they? They wait round about the throne,\nabove and about it, as courtiers upon their king, for they are all\nministering spirits, and they rest not day and night to adore and admire\nthat holy One, crying, \u201cHoly, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of his\nglory.\u201d Now, how much more then should he be greatly feared and had in\nreverence in the assembly of his saints, of poor mortal men, whose\nfoundation is in the dust, and in the clay, and besides drink in iniquity\nlike water? There are two points of difference and distance from us. He is\nnearer angels, for angels are pure spirits, but we have flesh, which is\nfurthest removed from his nature. And then angels are holy and clean; yet\ntheirs is but spotted to(218) his unspotted holiness. But we are defiled\nwith sin, which putteth us farthest off from him, and which his holiness\nhath greatest antipathy at. Let us consider this, my beloved, that we may\ncarry the impression of the glorious holiness and majesty of God on our\nhearts, whenever we appear before him, that so we may serve and rejoice\nwith trembling, and pray with reverence and godly fear. If we apprehend\nindeed our own quality and condition, how low, how base it is, how we\ncannot endure the very clear aspect of our own consciences, we cannot look\non ourselves steadfastly without shame and confusion of face, at the\ndeformed spectacle we behold. Much less would we endure to have our souls\nopened and presented to the view of other men, even the basest of men. We\nwould be overwhelmed with shame if they could see into our hearts? Now\nthen, apprehend seriously what he is, how glorious in holiness; how\ninfinite in wisdom, how the secrets of your souls are plain and open in\nhis sight, and I am persuaded you will be composed to a reverend, humble,\nand trembling behaviour in his sight.\n\nBut withal I must add this, that because he is your Father, you may\nintermingle confidence; nay, you are commanded so to do, and this honours\nhim as much as reverence. For confidence in God, as our Father, is the\nbest acknowledgment of the greatness and goodness of God. It declareth how\nable he is to save us, and how willing, and so ratifieth all the promises\nof God made to us, and setteth to a seal to his faithfulness. There is\nnothing he accounts himself more honoured by, than a soul\u2019s full resigning\nitself to him, and relying on his power and good-will in all necessities,\ncasting its care upon him, as a loving Father, who careth for us. And\ntruly, there is much beauty and harmony in the juncture of these two,\nrejoicing with trembling, confidence with reverence, to ask nothing\ndoubting, and yet sensible of our infinite distance from him, and the\ndisproportion of our requests to his highness. A child-like disposition is\ncomposed thus, as also the temper and carriage of a courtier hath these\ningredients in it. The love of his Father, and the favour of his Prince,\nmaketh him take liberty, and assume boldness; and withal he is not\nunmindful of his own distance, from his Father or master. \u201cLet us draw\nnear with full assurance of faith,\u201d Heb. x. 22. There is much in the\nscripture, both exhorted, commanded, and commended, of that \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03c1\u03b7\u03c3\u03b9\u03b1, that\nliberty and boldness of pouring out our requests to God, as one that\ncertainly will hear us, and grant that which is good. Unbelief spoileth\nall. It is a wretched and base spirited thing, that can conceive no\nhonourable thoughts of God, but only like itself. But faith is the\nwell-pleasing ingredient of prayer. The lower thoughts a man has of\nhimself, it maketh him conceive the higher and more honourable of God. \u201cMy\nways are not your ways, nor my thoughts as your thoughts, but as far above\nas the heavens above the earth,\u201d Isa. lv. 8. This is the rule of a\nbelieving soul\u2019s conceiving of God, and expecting from him; and when a\nsoul is thus placed on God, by trusting and believing in him, it is fixed;\n\u201cHis heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord,\u201d Psal. cxii. 7. O how wavering\nand inconstant is a soul, till it fix at this anchor, upon the ground of\nhis immutable promises! It is tossed up and down with every wind, it is\ndouble-minded; now one way, then another, now in one mind, and shortly\nchanged; and indeed the soul is like the sea, capable of the least or\ngreatest commotion, James i. 6-8. I know not any thing that will either\nfix your hearts from wandering in prayer, or establish your hearts from\ntrouble and disquiet after it, nothing that will so exoner(219) and ease\nyour spirits of care as this, to lay hold on God as all-sufficient, and\nlay that constraint on your hearts, to wait on him and his pleasure, to\ncast your souls on his promises, that are so full and so free, and abide\nthere, as at your anchor-hold, in all the vicissitudes and changes of\noutward or inward things. In spiritual things that concern your salvation,\nthat which is absolutely necessary, you may take the boldness to be\nabsolute in it, and as Job, \u201cthough he should slay me, yet will I trust in\nhim;\u201d and as Jacob, \u201cI will not let thee go till thou bless me.\u201d But\neither in outward things, that have some usefulness in them, but are not\nalways fittest for our chiefest good; or in the degrees of spiritual\ngifts, and measures of graces, the Lord calls us without anxiety to pour\nout our hearts in them unto him. But withal we would do it with submission\nto his pleasure, because he knows best what is best for us. In these, we\nare not bound to be confident to receive the particular we ask, but rather\nour confidence should pitch upon his good-will and favour, that he will\ncertainly deny nothing that himself knows is good for us. And so in these\nwe should absolutely cast ourselves without carefulness upon his loving\nand fatherly providence, and resign ourselves to him to be disposed of in\nthem as he sees convenient. There is sometimes too much limitation of God,\nand peremptoriness used with him in such things, in which his wisdom\ncraves a latitude both in public and private matters, even as men\u2019s\naffections and interests are engaged. But ordinarily it is attended and\nfollowed with shame and disappointment in the end. And there is, on the\nother hand, intolerable remissness and slackness in many, in pressing even\nthe weightiest petitions of salvation, mortification, &c. which certainly\nariseth from the diffidence and unbelief of the heart, and the want of\nthat rooted persuasion, both of the incomparable necessity and worth of\nthe things themselves, and of his willingness and engagement to bestow\nthem.\n\nThe word is doubled here, \u201cAbba, Father,\u201d the Syriac and Greek word\nsignifying one thing, expressing the tender affection and love of God\ntowards them that come to him. \u201cHe that cometh to God must believe that he\nis, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently.\u201d So he\nthat cometh to God must believe that he hath the bowels and compassion of\na Father, and will be more easily inclined with our importunate cries,\nthan the fathers of our flesh. He may suffer his children to cry long, but\nit is not because he will not hear, but because he would hear them longer,\nand delights to hear their cry oftener. If he delay, it is his wisdom to\nappreciate and endear his mercies to us, and to teach us to press our\npetitions and sue for an answer.\n\nBesides, this is much for our comfort, that from whomsoever, and\nwhatsoever corner in the world, prayers come up to him, they cannot want\nacceptance. All languages, all countries, all places are sanctified by\nJesus Christ, that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord, from the\nends of the earth, shall be saved. And truly it is a sweet meditation to\nthink, that from the ends of the earth, the cries of souls are heard; and\nthat the end is as near heaven as the middle; and a wilderness as near as\na paradise; that though we understand not one another, yet we have one\nloving and living Father that understands all our meanings. And so the\ndifferent languages and dialects of the members of this body make no\nconfusion in heaven, but meet together in his heart and affection, and are\none perfume, one incense, sent up from the whole catholic church, which\nhere is scattered on the earth. O that the Lord would persuade us to cry\nthis way to our Father in all our necessities!\n\n\n\n\n\nFELLOWSHIP WITH GOD\n\n\nOr, Twenty-Eight Sermons on the First Epistle of John, Chapters I. and II.\nWherein The True Ground And Foundation Of Attaining The Spiritual Way Of\nEntertaining Fellowship With The Father And The Son, And The Blessed\nCondition Of Such As Attain To It, Are Most Succinctly And Dilucidly\nExplained. To The Sincere Seeker After Fellowship With God, And Seriously\nHeaven-Ward-Tending Christian.\n\n\n\n\nPreface.\n\n\nDEAR AND WELL-BELOVED FRIEND,\n\nAs thou art in thyself a rare jewel, a most precious stone, one of a\nthousand, yea, of ten thousand, being compared with the many thousands of\ncommon stones, I mean, external professors in the visible church, who rest\non a bare name, and of whom that is verified in every nation, which our\nSaviour saith, Matth. xx. 16. \u201cMany are called, but few are chosen;\u201d and\nof many of whom that is also too true in every generation, (and, oh! that\nit were not too manifest in this also,) which Paul observed in his time,\nPhil. iii. 18, 19. \u201cFor many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now\ntell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.\nWhose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in\ntheir shame, who mind earthly things,\u201d\u2014and as to Christ thy Lord, most\ncomely \u201cas the lily among thorns,\u201d being his \u201clove among the daughters,\u201d\nCant. ii. 2. so also, thou, in a special way, art the dearly beloved and\nlonged for, the joy and crown, of every sincere servant of Christ in the\ngospel, Phil. iv. 1. Thou art, if not the only, yet the chief object of\ntheir labours, their work being either to confirm and strengthen thee in\nthy way, that thou mayest so stand fast in the Lord, or remove\nimpediments, make crooked things straight, and so prepare the way of the\nLord before thee, or to guide thee by the light of God\u2019s word in the dark\nnight of temptation and desertion. Now, as we are confident these sermons\nwere preached at first by that blessed, serious labourer in the work of\nthe ministry, Mr. Hugh Binning, with a special eye to the advancement of\nsincere seekers after fellowship with God, and seriously\nheaven-ward-tending Christians amongst his hearers, so to whom shall we\ndirect this posthumous, and alas! unperfected work, but to thee, (O\nserious Christian,) who makest it thy work not only to seek after the\nknowledge of God in Christ, in a mere speculative way, that thou mayest\nknow, and therein rest, as if thy work were done, but also to follow after\nthe enjoyment of that known God, and believed on Saviour, and all the\npromised privileges of grace in this life, and of eternal glory in the\nlife to come. To thee especially belong these precious soul-ravishing\ntruths delivered in these sermons. Two things, we know, thou hast\ndetermined thy soul unto, and fixed thine eye on, as thine aim and mark in\nthy generation, viz. the light of knowledge and the life of practice. As\nto knowledge, we are confident that with the apostle Paul, 1 Cor. ii. 2.\nthou hast determined to know nothing but \u201cChrist, and him crucified;\u201d and\nas to practice, with the said apostle thou prayest, that thou mayest be\nsincere and without offence till the day of Christ, being filled with the\nfruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory of God,\nPhil. i. 10, 11; and that thou mayest be blameless and harmless, the son\nof God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,\nshining as a light in the world, Phil. ii. 15. Now in reading these\nsermons thou shalt perceive, that to help thee in both these, hath been\nthe very scope and design of this serious preacher. Desirest thou to know\nJesus Christ the Lord of life, either according to his eternal subsistence\nin the infinite understanding of the Father, as God, or as to his\nappearance in the flesh, as Man, or fitness as Mediator, to reconcile thee\nto God his Father, both in respect of willingness and ability to save?\nThen here thou shalt behold him delineate to the life. Wouldst thou be\nclearly informed anent(220) the only true and sure foundation of\nfellowship with God, the way of entertaining it, the honour or happiness\nof it, and sweet fruits of it, that fulness of joy that accompanies it?\nHere shalt thou find so clear a light as shall rejoice thy soul. Wouldst\nthou be fortified against the incursions and recursions of sin and Satan?\nThen come to this magazine, and be furnished abundantly. Desirest thou to\nhave thy soul increased in the love of God, and to see manifest\ndemonstrations of his love in Christ to thee? Oh! then turn in hither, and\nget satisfaction to thy soul\u2019s desires. If thou desirest with David, to\nhate sin with a perfect hatred, here, if any where, thou shalt obtain thy\ndesire. Yet let none think that we limit the benefit and usefulness of\nthese sermons to serious Christians only, and so by consequence exclude\nall others from any hope of soul-advantage in reading them. Nay, we\ndeclare, that though it be undeniable, that John did write this epistle\nwith a special respect to the spiritual advantage of serious Christians,\nand that this holy preacher also had this same design, yet we dare be bold\nto invite all of what degree soever, to the serious perusing of them,\nassuring them that in so doing they shall not find their labour in vain in\nthe Lord, for here are such pregnant demonstrations of a Deity, infinite,\neternal, omnipotent, incomprehensible, governing all things by the word of\nhis power, as may dash the boldness of the most metaphysical, notional, or\nprofanely practical atheist, and with conviction of spirit make him cry\nout, as in Psal. lxxiii. 22. \u201cSo foolish was I and ignorant, I was as a\nbeast before thee!\u201d Here are such clear discoveries of the vileness of\nsin, of its direct opposition to a holy God, and his most holy will, of\nits woful soul-damning effects, as may convince the most profane and\nstout-hearted carnalist, and awake him out of his soul-destroying sleep of\nsecurity and presumption. Here are so glorious evidences of God\u2019s free and\ninconceivable love to the world, in Christ Jesus the Son of his love, as\nare able to enlighten with the light of consolation, the sadliest dejected\nand casten down soul, under the apprehension of the curse and wrath of God\ndue to it for sin, and raise it up to the hope of mercy in and through so\nclearly a revealed Saviour. In a word, here are to be found convictions\nfor atheists, piercing rebukes to the profane, clear instructions to the\nignorant, milk to babes in Christ, strong meat for the strong, strength to\nthe weak, quickening and reviving for such as faint in the way,\nrestoratives for such as are in a decay, reclamations and loud oyeses(221)\nafter backsliders to reveal them, breasts of consolations for Zion\u2019s\nmourners, whether under the first convictions of the law, and pangs of the\nnew birth, or under the challenges and compunctions of heart for\nrecidivations and relapses after conversion, even while they are groaning\nunder the power and burden of the body of death, Rom. vii. And to add no\nmore, here are most excellent counsels and directions to serious seekers\nof fellowship with God, to guide them in their way, and help them forward\nto the attainment of that fulness of a joy which is to be had in\nfellowship with the Father and the Son. That the Lord may bless all such\nto whose hands these sermons shall come, with blessings suitable to their\nsoul\u2019s condition, especially the serious Christian, for whose soul\u2019s\nfurtherance and advancement these sermons were first penned, and now\nprinted, is the most affectionate desire of,\n\nThy servant in the gospel of our dearest Lord and Saviour, A. S.\n\n\n\n\nSermon I.\n\n\n    1 John i. 1.\u2014\u201cThat which was from the beginning, which we have\n    heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked\n    upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.\u201d\n\n\nIt is the great qualification of a disciple, or hearer, to be attentive\nand docile, to be capable of teaching, and to apply the mind seriously to\nit. It is much to get the ear of a man. If his ear be gotten, his mind is\nthe more easily gained. Therefore, those who professed eloquence, and\nstudied to persuade men to any thing, used in the entry to fall upon some\nthing that might stir up the attention of their hearers, or make them the\nmore inclinable to receive instruction, or catch their favour or\ngood-will, which is of great moment to persuasion, for it is sometimes fit\nto open the passages of the heart by such means, that there may be the\nmore easy entry for instruction and persuasion. Truly there is something\nof this art runs here in a divine channel; as indeed all these rules of\nhuman wisdom attain their perfection, when they meet with a divine Spirit,\nthat elevates them to a more transcendent use. Happy was that eloquence of\nPaul\u2019s, and something like the sweet inspiration of angels, by which they\nprevail with the spirits of men. \u201cNevertheless, being crafty, (saith he,)\nI caught you with guile,\u201d 2 Cor. xii. 16. These were _pi\u00e6 fraudes_,(222)\nwhereby he used to catch poor souls out of the pit, and pluck them out of\nthe fire; and he that said, \u201cI will make you fishers of men,\u201d taught them\nto use some holy deceit, to present some things for the allurement of\nsouls, and so to surround and enclose them with most weighty and\nconvincing reasons. This beloved apostle, who leaned upon Christ\u2019s bosom,\nand was likely to learn the very secrets of the art of fishing souls, you\nsee how he goeth about the business. He useth an holy art in this preface.\nBeing about to give a recapitulation of the whole gospel, and to make a\nshort summary of the doctrine of it, for the more effectual establishment\nand confirmation of souls already converted, and for the powerful\npersuasion of others to embrace it, he useth all the skill that can be in\nthe entry, to dispose men\u2019s hearts to receive it. Like a wise orator, he\nlabours to make them _allentos, dociles, et benevolos_, to stir up their\nattention, to conciliate their affection, and so to make them docile and\neasily teachable. He stirs up attention, when he shows that he is not to\nspeak about trifling, light matters, or low things, or things that do not\nconcern them, but concerning the greatest, most concerning, and important\nthings to them, even the Word of life, in which all their life was wrapt\nup, which, though it was ancient in itself, yet withal it was a new thing\nto the world, and so for all respects deserved to be taken serious notice\nof. Then he conciliates their benevolence and good will, by showing his\nown good affection towards them, and his great design in it, that it was\nonly for their good and salvation; that he had nothing else before him,\nbut to have them partakers with himself, in that same happiness. He had\nfound a jewel, and he hides it not, but proclaims it, that all men may\nhave fellowship with him, and that is, with God, and that cannot but bring\nin full joy to the heart. Now a soul being made thus attentive, and\nwilling to hear, it is the best disposition that makes them most capable\nof being taught. If those two stays were come over,\u2014the careless regard\nthat is in men\u2019s hearts towards the gospel, and the suspicious thoughts\nand prejudices against the ambassadors of it,\u2014then what would hinder to\nbelieve it? The great miseries of men are, inconsideration and\nmisapprehension. Either men are so noised with other things continually\nbuzzing in their ears, and their hearts so possessed with the clamours of\ntheir lusts, and the cries of the things of this world, that they have no\nleisure so much as to hearken patiently to this blessed sound, or to\napprehend seriously what weight and moment lies in it, and so the most\npart of men cannot give that earnest and deep attention that is\nnecessarily required for this divine teaching, or else there are many\nmistakes and misconceptions of the gospel, which sometimes arise to that\nheight of reasoning against God and prejudices against them that carry\nthis message, which usually are joined together, (and these stop the ears\nof men against the wisest and most powerful enchantment of preaching,)\nthat it gains not much ground on them.  O! that ye would once listen to\nthe gospel. Hearken and incline your ears unto me, is the Lord\u2019s first\ngreat request, and if once you do but seriously apply your minds and\nhearts to see what is held out unto you, and to prove what good is in it\ncertainly these sure and everlasting mercies will mercifully and sweetly\ncatch you with guile, and deceive you (if I may say so) to your eternal\nadvantage. Wisdom, the Father\u2019s wisdom, begs but an equal hearing of you.\nLet her have but a patient hearing, and a silent impartial judgment of the\nheart, and she will carry it off from all that suit(223) you.  It is\nlamentable that the voice of God should be out cried by men\u2019s continual\nuninterrupted flood of business, that fills the heart with a continual\nnoise, and keeps men in such a constant hurry and distemper that they can\ngive time and patience to nothing else.  And this is only the advantage\nthe world and the lusts of it have, for if they come once under a sober\nand serious examination, and the other party, that is, Jesus Christ and\nthe word of life, might have the liberty to be heard in the inward retired\nthoughts of the heart, it would soon be found how unequal they are, and\nthat all their efficacy consists in our ignorance, and their strength in\nour weakness.  Certainly Christ would carry it, to the conviction of all\nthat is in the soul. I beseech you let us give him this attention.\n\nHe that answers a tale before he hears it, it is a folly and weakness to\nhim.  A folly certainly it is to give this gospel a repulse before ye hear\nit.  It promiseth life and immortality, which nothing else doth.  And you\nentertain other things upon lower promises and expectations, even after\nfrequent experiences of their deceitfulness. What a madness then is it to\nhear this promise of life in Christ so often beaten upon you, and yet\nnever so much as to put him to the proof of it, and to put him off\ncontinually who knocks at your hearts, before you will consider\nattentively, who it is that thus importunes you! O my beloved, that you\nwould hear him to Amen.  Let him speak freely to your hearts, and commune\nwith them in the night on your beds, in your greatest retirement from\nother things, that you may not be disturbed by the noise of your lusts and\nbusiness, and I persuade myself, you who have now least mind of this life,\nand joy in God, should find it, and find it in him. But to cut off all\nconvictions and persuasions at first, and to set such a guard at your\nminds to provide that nothing of that kind come in, or else that it be\ncast out as an enemy, this is unequal, ignorant, and unreasonable dealing,\nwhich you alone will repent of, it may be too late, when past remedy.\n\nHe propounds that which he is to speak in the fittest way, for the\ncommendation of it to their hearts, and oh! how vast a difference betwixt\nthis, and the ordinary subject of men\u2019s discourses. Our ears are filled\ncontinually with reports, and it is the usual way of men to delight to\nhear, and to report even those things that are not so delightful in\nthemselves.  And truly there are not many occurrences in the world\n(suppose you had a diurnal of affairs of all men every week) that can give\nany solid refreshment to the heart, except in the holy meditation of the\nvanity, vexation, and inconstancy that God hath subjected all those things\nunto. But it is sad that Christians, who have so noble and divine, so\npleasant and profitable things to speak upon one to another, are\nnotwithstanding as much subject to that Athenian disease, to be itching\nafter new things continually, and to spend our time this way, to report,\nand to hear news.  And, alas! what are those things that are tossed up and\ndown continually, but the follies, weaknesses, impotencies and wickedness,\nambition and avarice of men, the iniquity and impiety of the world that\nlies in wickedness? And is there any thing in this, either pleasant or\nprofitable, that we should delight to entertain our own thoughts, and\nothers\u2019 ears with them? But the subject that is here entreated of, is of\nanother nature. Nothing in itself so excellent, nothing to us so\nconvenient. That which was from the beginning, of the Word of life, we\ndeclare unto you. O how pleasant and sweet a voice is that which sounds\nfrom heaven, be those confused noises(224) are, that arise from the earth!\nThis is a message that is come from heaven, with him that came down from\nit. And indeed that is the airth(225) from whence good news hath come.\nSince the first curse was pronounced upon the earth, the earth hath\nbrought forth nothing but thorns and briars of contention, strife, sorrow,\nand vexation. Only from above hath this message been sent to renew the\nworld again, and recreate it, as it were. There are four properties by\nwhich this infinitely surpasses all other things that can be told you. For\nitself it is most excellent; for its endurance it is most ancient, and to\nus it is most profitable, and both in itself, and to us, it is most\ncertain, and by these the apostle labours to prepare their hearts to\nserious attention.\n\nFor the excellency of the subject that he is to declare,\u2014it is\nincomparable, for it is no less than that Jewel that is hid in the mine of\nthe scriptures, which he, as it were, digs up, and shows and offers unto\nthem,\u2014that Jewel (I say) which when a man hath found, he may sell all to\nbuy it,\u2014that Jewel, more precious than the most precious desires and\ndelights of men, even Jesus Christ, the substantial Word of life, who is\nthe substance of all the shadows of the Old Testament, the end of that\nministry, the accomplishment of the promises, and the very life of all\nreligion, without which there is nothing more vain and empty. It is true,\nthe gospel is the word of life, and holds out salvation to poor sinners,\nbut yet it is Christ that is the life of that word, not only as touching\nthe efficacy and power of it, but as touching the efficacy of it, for the\ngospel is a word of life only, because it speaks of him who is the life\nand the light of men. It is but a report of the true life, as John said,\n\u201cI am not that light, but am sent to bear witness of that light,\u201d John i.\n8. So the gospel, though it be called \u201cthe power of God to salvation,\u201d\n(Rom. i. 16.) and \u201cthe savour of life,\u201d and \u201cthe gospel of salvation,\u201d\n(Eph. i. 13.) yet it is not that true life, but only a testimony and\ndeclaration of it. It hath not life and immortality in itself, but only\nthe bringing of those to light, and to the knowledge of men, 2 Tim. i. 10.\nIt is a discovery where these treasures are lying, for the searching and\nfinding.\n\nTo speak of this Word of life, Jesus Christ, according to his eternal\nsubsistence in the infinite understanding of the Father, would certainly\nrequire a divine spirit, more elevated above the ordinary sphere of men,\nand separate from that earthliness and impurity that makes us incapable of\nseeing that holy and pure Majesty. Angels were but low messengers for\nthis. For how can they express to us what they cannot conceive themselves,\nand therefore wonder at the mystery of it? I confess, the best way of\nspeaking of these things, which so infinitely surpass created capacities,\nwere to sit down in silence, and wonder at them, and withal to taste such\na sweetness, in the immense greatness and infinite mysteriousness of what\nwe believe, as might ravish the soul more, after that which is unknown,\nthan all the perfections of the world known and seen to the bottom can do.\nThis doctrine of the holy Trinity hath been propagated from the beginning\nof the world, even among the heathens, and derived by tradition from the\nfirst fathers, or the Hebrews, to neighbour nations; and therefore they\nspeak many divine things of that infinite, supreme Being, who is the\nfoundation of the whole creation, and that he created all things by his\nmost divine Word, and that his blessed Spirit is the union and bond of\nboth, and of all things besides. It is known what mysteries the\nPythagoreans(226) apprehended in the number of three, what perfection they\nimagined to be in it, so much was let out, as might either make them\nwithout excuse, or prepare the world to receive readily the light, when it\nshould be clearly revealed. It is commonly held forth, that this eternal\nWord is the birth of the infinite understanding of God, reflecting upon\nhis own most absolute and perfect Being, which is illustrated by some poor\ncomparison to us creatures, who form in our minds in the understanding of\nany thing, an inward word or image of the object some representation and\nsimilitude of that we understand. And this is more perfect than any\nexternal vocal expression can be. So we have a weak and finite conception\nof the acting of that infinite wisdom of God, by which he knows himself,\nthat there results, as it were, upon it, the perfect substantial image,\nand the express character of the divine essence, and therefore is the Son\nof God called \u201cthe Word\u201d which was with God, and \u201cthe Wisdom\u201d of the\nFather, because he is, as it were, the very birth of his understanding and\nnot only the image of his own essence but the idea, in which he conceived,\nand by which he created the visible world. Then we use to conceive the\nHoly Ghost as the production of his blessed will, whereby he loves,\ndelights and hath complacency in his own all sufficient, all blessed\nBeing, which he himself alone perfectly comprehends, by his infinite\nunderstanding, and therefore called, \u201cthe Spirit,\u201d a word borrowed from\nresemblance to poor creatures, who have many impulses, and inclinations to\nseveral things, and are carried to motion and action, rather from that\npart which is invisible in them, the subtilest part, therefore called\nspirits. So the Lord applies his almighty power, and exerciseth his\ninfinite wisdom according to the pleasure and determination of his will,\nfor that seems to be the immediate principle of working. Therefore there\nis mention made of the Spirit, in the creation of the world. He sent out\nhis Spirit, and they were created, Psal. civ. 30. These are the weak and\nlow attempts of men to reach the height of that unsearchable mystery. Such\nconjectures we have of this word of God, and his eternal generation, as if\ntrees could take upon them to understand the nature of beasts, or as if\nbeasts would presume to give an account of the spirit that acts in men.\nCertainly the distance is infinitely greater between God and us and he\nmust needs behold greater vanity, folly, and darkness, in our clearest\napprehensions of his majesty than we could find in the reasonings and\nconceptions of beasts about our nature. When our own conception in the\nwomb is such a mystery, as made David to say, O how wonderfully am I made,\nand fearfully! he saw a curious art and wisdom in it that he could not\nunderstand, and he believed an infinite power he could not conceive, which\nsurprised his soul with such unexpected matter of wonder, as made him fear\nand tremble at the thought of it,\u2014I say, when the generation of a poor\ncreature hath so much depth of wisdom in it, how canst thou think to\nunderstand that everlasting wonder of angels, the birth and conception of\nthat eternal wisdom of God? And if thou canst not understand from whence\nthe wind comes, and whither it goes, or how thine own spirits beat in thy\nveins, what is the production of them, and what their motions, how can we\nthen conceive the procession of the holy Ghost, \u201cwhich eye hath not seen,\nnor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to consider it?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nSermon II.\n\n\n    1 John i. 1.\u2014\u201cThat which was from the beginning,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThings are commended sometimes, because they are ancient, especially\ndoctrines in religion, because truth is before error, and falsehood is but\nan aberration from truth and therefore there is so much plea and\ncontention among men, about antiquity, as if it were the sufficient rule\nof verity. But the abuse is, that men go not far enough backward in the\nsteps of antiquity, that is, to the most ancient rule, and profession, and\npractice of truth in scripture, to Christ and his apostles, but halt in\ntheir grandfathers\u2019 tombs. But sometimes things are commended, because\nnew. The nature of man being inclined to change and variety, and ready to\nsurfeit and loath accustomed things, even as the stomach finds appetite\nfor new and unusual diets, so the mind of man hath a secret longing after\nnew doctrines and things. Now we have both these combined together in this\nsubject, which makes it the more excellent and wonderful,\u2014antiquity, and\nnovelty, for antiquity, it is that which was from the beginning, and which\nwas with the Father, and that is before all antiquity, even from eternity,\nnot only from the beginning of time, but before all time, before all\nimaginable beginnings. He, of whom he speaks, Christ Jesus, the Father\u2019s\nWord, was with the Father from the beginning, with the Ancient of days who\ninfinitely and unmeasurably antedates all antiquity, to whose endurance\nall antiquity that is renowned among men, is but novelty, to whom the\nworld is but as of six days standing, or but as of yesterday, if we\nconsider that infinite, beginningless, immeasurable endurance of God,\nbefore this world, what a boddom(227) or clew is that, that can never be\nuntwined by the imaginations of men and angels! To all eternity they\nshould never unwind it and come to the end of that thread of the age of\nthe Father and the Son, who possessed one another before the hills were,\nand before the foundations of the mountains. This is it that maketh\nreligion the richest and most transcendent subject in the world, that it\npresents us with a twofold eternity, and environs the soul before and\nbehind with an eternity without beginning, only proper to God, and an\neternity without and communicated to angels and men from God. That which\nwas from the beginning, and before all beginning, either real or imagined,\nhow much moment and weight is in that, to persuade a soul, and compose it,\nbeyond all the specious and painted appearances of the world! To consider\nthat such a Saviour is holden out unto us, to come unto, and lean upon,\nthat is the Rock of ages, upon whose word this huge frame is bottomed, and\nstands firm,\u2014one who infinitely exceeds and prevents all things visible or\ninvisible, all their mutations and changes,\u2014one who was possessed of the\nFather, as his delights, before the foundation of the world, and so most\nlikely to reconcile him to us, and prevail with him, yea, most certainly,\nthey must have one will, and one delight, who were undivided from all\neternity, and they then rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth,\ntaking complacency in their own thoughts of peace and good will they had\ntowards us, afterwards to break forth. And if both delighted in their very\nprojects and plots upon the business, what may we think the accomplishment\nof the whole design will add, if it were possible to superadd to their\ndelight? I would have you upon this, to gather two considerations, for\nyour edification. One, to think what an incomparably excellent Saviour we\nhave, one with God, equal to him, yea, one with him from all eternity, and\nso how strong a foundation there is for faith and confidence, what a Rock\nto establish a tossed soul upon. Man\u2019s misery and curse being for all\neternity, there is One to deliver from that, who was from all eternity.\nAnd who could purchase unto us such absolute blessedness throughout all\neternity, who was not himself from all eternity? What marvellous congruity\nand beauty is in the ways of God? How is all fitted and framed by infinite\nwisdom, to the end that we may have strong consolation? Do you not see the\ninfinite evil and heinousness of sin, in the giving of such a precious\nransom for it? O how is the black visage of sin portrayed in the beauty\nand glory of the Mediator\u2019s person? How is it painted, even to horror, in\nhis death? Again, what divinity and worth is put upon the immortal soul of\nman, that is but of yesterday, since the beginning, when he that was the\ndelight of God, before all beginning, is weighed in the balance, as it\nwere with it, and no other thing found sufficient for exchange and\ncompensation, that the soul may be redeemed? And doth not this answer all\nthe jealousies and suspicious thoughts, and fearful apprehensions, arising\nfrom the consideration of our own weakness and infirmity, when such an One\nis offered, as is able to save to the utmost? Then I would desire you may\nbelieve, that the Father is as well minded to the salvation of sinners, as\nthe Son, for they were sweet company together from all eternity, and, as\nit were, contrived this plot and design between them, to save and redeem\nmankind. Some entertain harsher thoughts of the Father, as if Christ were\nmore accessible, and exorable. But the truth is, he hath given his Son\nthis command, and therefore he professed, that it was not so much his\nwill, as his Father\u2019s, he was about.    Therefore correct your\napprehensions, do not stand aback from the Father, as it were till you\nhave prevailed with Christ. No, that is not the way. Come in your first\naddress to the Father, in the Son, for so he wills you, not because he\nmust be overcome by his Son\u2019s persuasion but because he would have his\nlove to run in that channel through Christ to us. And indeed our Saviour\nwas much in holding out the love of the Father, and laboured to persuade\nthe world of it. Withal, I wish you to consider whom ye neglect and\ndespise who hear this gospel duly, and the Word of life holden out unto\nyou and yet suffer not your hearts to be moved, or stirred after him.\nAlas, my beloved, to forsake so great a mercy, as the eternal Word of life\nas the infinite Wisdom of the Father, and to let the offer of this every\nday run by us, and never to find leisure and vacancy from the multitude of\nbusinesses and throng of the thoughts and lusts of the world, never to\nstart so far backward, as to look beyond this world, to God, and his Son\nJesus Christ, never to mind seriously either him that was before all\nthings visible, or our own souls, that must survive and outlive all this\nvisible frame. This, I say, is the great misery and condemnation of the\nworld, that this eternal Light hath shined, and you love your own darkness\nbetter. But be persuaded that one day ye will think one offer of this Word\nof life better than life\u2014better, infinitely better than the most absolute\nlife that the attendance and concurrence of all the creatures could yield\nyou. O then that ye would incline your ears and hearts to this that is\ndeclared unto you to receive this Word of life that was from the\nbeginning, and ye may be persuaded ye shall enjoy a blessedness without\nend!\n\nBut here is withal a newness in this subject, which both increases\nadmiration and may the more engage our affection. For \u201cthe life was\nmanifested\u201d saith he, ver. 2, and he is such a Word of life as though he\nwas invisible and untouchable from the beginning, yet he was lately\nclothed with flesh that made him both visible and capable of being\nhandled. Now truly these are the two poles about which the mystery, glory\nand wonder of Christianity turns,\u2014the antiquity of his real existence as\nGod, and the lateness or novelty of his appearance in the flesh as\nman,\u2014nothing so old, for he hath the infinite forestart of the oldest and\nmost ancient creatures. Take those angels, the sons of God, who sung\ntogether in the first morning of the creation yet their generation can\nsoon be told, and their years numbered. It is easy to calculate all\nantiquity, and we should not reach six thousand years, when it is taken at\nthe largest measure. And what are six thousand years in his sight, but as\nsix days when they are past? And if we would run backward, as far before\nthat point of beginning, and calculate other six thousand, yet we are\nnever a jot nearer the age of the Son of God. Suppose a mountain of sand\nas big as the earth, and an angel to take from it one grain in every year,\nyour imagination would weary itself, ere ye reckoned in what space this\nmountain should be diminished, or removed. It would certainly trouble the\narithmetic of the wisest mathematician. Now imagine as many years or ages\nof years to have run out before the world took its beginning, as the years\nin which the angel would exhaust this mountain, yet we have not come a\nwhit nearer the endurance of our Lord and Saviour, whose Being is like a\ncircle, without beginning or end. \u201cBehold he is great and we know him not,\nand the number of his years cannot be searched out,\u201d? Job xxxvi. 26. And\nwho can tell his generation? The age of this Word is such a labyrinth,\nwith innumerable turnings and windings in it, as will always lead them\nround that enter in it. And so they are, after the longest progress and\nsearch, but just where they were, always beginning, and never coming\nnearer the beginning of his duration, because it is the beginning of all\nthings that hath a beginning but hath none itself.\n\nNow he that was thus blessed from everlasting, who dwelt in inaccessible\nlight and glory, which no man hath seen, nor can see, infinitely removed\nfrom all human capacities and senses,\u2014he, I say begins to be manifested in\nthe fulness of time. And to make himself visible, he takes on our\nflesh,\u2014and all for this purpose, that he who was the substantial life in\nhimself, and the eternal life, in an essential and necessary way, might\nbecome life to poor dead sinners, and communicate to them eternal life.\nAnd truly it was no wonder that all ages were in the expectation of this\nfrom the beginning of the world since it was first promised,\u2014that the\ninhabitants of heaven were in a longing expectation to see and look into\nthis mystery, for there is something in it more wonderful than the\ncreation of this huge frame of heaven and earth, God\u2019s footstool! The\nthunder, how glorious and terrible a voice! In a word, the being, the\nbeauty the harmony, and proportion of this huge frame, is but a visible\nappearance of the invisible God. But in taking on our flesh, the Word is\nmore wonderfully manifested, and made visible, for, in the first, the\nCreator made creatures to start out of nothing at his command, but in\nthis, the Creator is made a creature. He once gave a beginning of being to\nthings that were not. Being before all beginning himself, he now takes a\nbeginning, and becomes flesh, that he was not. And what is it in which he\nwas manifested? Is it the spiritual nature of angels? But though that far\nexcel ours yet it is no manifestation of him to us, for he should still be\nas unknown as ever. Is it in the glory, perfection, and power of the\nvisible world, as in the sun, and lights of heaven? But though that have\nmore show of glory than the flesh of man, yet it makes not much to our\ncomfort,\u2014there would not be so much consolation in that manifestation.\nTherefore, O how wisely and wonderfully is it contrived, for the good of\nlost man that the Son of God shall be made of a woman, that the Father of\nspirits shall be manifested in the lowest habit of our flesh, and the\nlower and baser that be in which he appears, the higher the mystery is and\nthe richer the comfort is. Suppose the manifestation of glory should not\nbe so great, yet the manifestation of love is so much the greater. And\nthis is the great design, \u201cGod so loved the world\u201d &c. John iii. Nay, I\nmay say, even the glory of the only begotten Son of God was the more\nvisibly manifested, that he appeared in so low and unequal a shape. For\npower to show itself in weakness, for glory to appear in baseness, for\ndivinity to kythe(228) in humanity, and such glorious rays to break forth\nfrom under such a dark cloud, this was greater glory, and more majesty,\nthan if he had only showed himself in the perfection of the creatures. Now\nit is easy to distinguish the vail from that it covers,\u2014to separate\ninfirmity from divinity. But then it had been more difficult, if his\noutward appearance had been so glorious, to give unto God what was God\u2019s,\nand to give the creatures what was the creatures\u2019. The more near his\noutward shape had been to his divine nature, the less able had we been to\nsee the glory of his divinity through it.\n\nNow, my beloved, when both these are laid together, the ancientness of our\nSaviour, and withal the newness of his appearance in the flesh by which he\nhath come so near us, and, as it were, brought his own Majesty within our\nsphere, to be apprehended by us,\u2014and for no other end but to make life and\nimmortality to shine forth as beams from him, to the quickening of dead\nsouls,\u2014O how should this conjunction endear him to us! That the\neverlasting Father should become a child for us, that is one wonder. The\nnext wonder is, that we who are enemies should be made the children of God\nby him. When the dark and obscure prophesying of this,\u2014when the twilight\nof Jewish types and shadows did create so much joy in the hearts of\nbelievers, insomuch that they longed for and rejoiced to see afar off that\nday,\u2014when such a dark representation of this Word of life, was the very\nlife of the godly in the world for four thousand years,\u2014O how much is the\ncause of joy increased, by the rising of the Sun of righteousness himself,\nand his appearing in the very darkest night of superstition and idolatry\nthat ever was over the world! When the true Life hath risen himself, and\nbrought to open light that life that was obscurely couched up in\nprophecies and ceremonies, as hid under so many clouds. O then, let us\nopen our hearts to him, and then entertain these new and fresh tidings\nwith new delights. Though these be now more than sixteen hundred years\nold, yet they are still recent to a believing heart. There is an\neverlasting spring in them, that sends out every day fresh consolation to\nsouls, as refreshing as the first day this spring was opened. This is the\nnew wine that never grows old, nay, it is rather every generation renewed,\nwith the accession of some new manifestation of the love of God. Christ\u2019s\nincarnation was the first manifestation of the Son, the very morning of\nlight and life, the dayspring visiting the world that was buried in an\nhellish darkness of heathen idolatry, and even the church of God, in the\ngrave of superstition and corruption of doctrine and manners. Then did\nthat Sun of righteousness first set up his head above the horizon. But it\nis but one day still. He hath been but coming by degrees to the meridian\nand \u201cshining more and more to the perfect day.\u201d That Sun hath not set\nsince, but made a course, and gone round about the world, in the preaching\nof the gospel, and brought life and light about, by succession, from one\nnation to another, and one generation to another. And therefore we ought\nto entertain it this day with acclamations and jubilation of heart, as the\npeople that lie under the north do welcome the sun when it comes once a\nyear to them. \u201cAfter that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward\nman appeared,\u201d Tit. iii. 4, \u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03b1\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03c9\u03c0\u03b1, his kindly and affectionate love\nto mankind. That is it that shines so brightly. The beams of grace and\nlove to men, are the rays that are scattered from this Sun of\nrighteousness. O the hardness of men\u2019s hearts, the impenetrable obstinacy\nof man, that this cannot melt or pierce! How damnable and miserable a case\nare they into who can neither be persuaded with the eternity of this\nsubject, to adore it, nor moved with the late appearance of the love of\nGod to the world, in sending of his Son\u2014whom neither Christ\u2019s majesty nor\nhis humility can draw! Certainly this makes sinners under the gospel in a\nmore deplorable condition than Sodom, because if he had not come, they had\nnot had such sin, but now it is without excuse, &c.\n\n\n\n\nSermon III.\n\n\n    1 John i. 13.\u2014\u201cThat which we have heard and seen of the Word of\n    life, declare we unto you,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThings that are excellent in themselves will be loved for themselves; but\nthey become the more suitable object of affection, if they have withal\nsome suitableness and conveniency to us. Yet neither the excellency nor\nconveniency of the object is sufficient to engage the heart, if there be\nnot something in the mind too, suitable to the object; that is, the\napprehension of that reality and good that is in it. For, as there is a\ncertainty in the object, that makes it a real, not imaginary thing, so\nthere must be a certainty in the subject, whereby the thing is apprehended\nto be true, good, and excellent, and then the object of affection is\ncompleted. Some things there are in nature, excellent in themselves, but\nthey rather beget admiration than affection, because they are not suitable\nto our necessities. Other things of a more ordinary purchase have some\nconveniency to supply our wants, and though they be less worth in their\nown nature than precious stones and such like, yet they are more desired.\nBut there is this lamentable disproportion betwixt our apprehensions and\nthe things themselves, which is the ground of much disappointment, and so\nof vexation. The things of this world having nothing of that solid\nexcellency, or true worth, and conveniency to our souls nothing suitable\nto our immortal spirits, but being empty vain shadows, and windy husks,\ninstead of substantial true food, yet there are high apprehensions, and\nbig conceits of them, which is a kind of monstrous production, or empty\nswelling of the mind, which because it hath no bottom of solidity, it will\nfail and vanish. Again, take a view of spiritual things, holden out in the\ngospel, and there is as incongruous and unproportioned carriage of our\nhearts toward them. They have a certainty and reality and subsistence in\nthemselves, they alone are excellent, and suitable to our spirits.\nNotwithstanding, the mind of man is most hugely misshapen towards them by\nunbelief, and hath nothing in his apprehension suitable to the things\nthemselves. They are represented as far below in the true worth, as things\ntemporal above their just value, and therefore men are not enamoured with\nthem, souls are not ravished after that beauty that is in them.\n\nNow the end of these words read is, to reform this irregular, disorderly\nposture of our minds, to hold out to you things truly excellent, and\nexceedingly convenient,\u2014things good and profitable, in the most\nsuperlative degree, in the highest rank that your imaginations can\nsuppose, and then to persuade you, that you are not deceived with vain\nwords, or fair promises, but that there is a certain truth, and an\ninfallible reality in them, that you being ascertained in your souls,\naccording to the certainty of the thing presented, you may then freely,\nwithout any reserve, give your hearts to love, embrace, and follow them. O\nthat there might be such a meeting between your hearts and this eternal\nLife, that as he hath come near to us, to be suitable to us, your\napprehensions might draw near to be suitable to him, and by this means,\nyour souls might meet immediately with that Word of life, and have that\nconstant fellowship with him that is spoken of verse 3! So your joy should\nbe full,\u2014for joy is but the full peace of the desires. Fill up all the\nwants of the heart, and then it is full of joy. And so, when such a\nsatisfying object is pitched on, as doth exactly correspond, and answer\nthe inward apprehensions of the mind, then there is no more room in the\nheart for any other thing,\u2014as if two superficies were exactly plain and\nsmooth, they could join so closely together, that no air could come\nbetween them, and then they could hardly be pulled asunder.\n\nWe spoke something of the excellency of that \u201cWord of life\u201d in himself,\nand it is but little that is said, when all is said, in respect of that\nwhich he truly is. But I fear we speak, and ye hear more of these things,\nthan either of us lively and affectionately apprehend, or lay up in our\nhearts I fear, that as we say less than is, so more than we think, I mean,\nseriously think upon. But we shall proceed. Such an everlasting glorious\nperson, though he have life in himself, though he be never so excellent as\n\u201cthe Son of God,\u201d yet what is that to us? It seems he is never a whit\nnearer us, or not more suitable to restore us, than the very Majesty that\nwe offended. How far is he without our sight, and without our\ncomprehension? He is high as heaven, who shall ascend to bring down that\neternal Life to us? But stay and consider that he is not only so glorious\nin himself, but so gracious to us, he is not only invisible, as God, but\nmanifested to our senses, as man: not only hath life in himself, but is an\neverlasting spring of life to us; not only hath his throne in heaven with\nhis Father, but hath come down to the world, to bring that eternal life\nnear us even in our mouths and hearts,\u2014to preach it, to purchase it, to\nseal it, and to bestow it, and the life was manifested,\u2014the life, and that\neternal life, words of force, that have some emphasis in them. The life is\nmuch, that eternal life is more, and yet these had been little to us, if\nnot manifested to us. Life might have remained hid in God, eternal life\nmight have resided in Christ, the fountain, for all eternity, and nothing\ndiminished of their happiness if these had never sprung out and vented\nthemselves. If that life that was with the Father from the beginning had\nnever come down from the Father, we would have missed it, not they, we\nalone had been miserable by it. Well then, there is a manifestation of\nlife in Christ\u2019s low descent to death, there is a manifestation of the\nriches of love and grace in the poverty and emptiness of our Saviour, and\nthus he is suited to us and our necessities every way fitly correspondent.\nAnd now it is not only, \u201cas the Father hath life in himself, so the Son\nhath life in himself,\u201d but there is a derivation of that life to man. That\ndonation of life to the Son, John v. 26, was not so much for any need he\nhad of it, as by him to bestow it on us, that it might be, \u201cAs the living\nFather hath sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eats me, even he\nshall live by me,\u201d John vi. 57. As parents that retain affection to their\nchildren, albeit they have committed great injuries, for which they are\ndriven out of their houses, yet they will, as it were, underhand bestow\nupon them, and exercise that same love in a covered way, by a third\nperson, by giving to them, to impart to their children. Notwithstanding\nthis halts too much, for our Father dissembles not his love, but proclaims\nit in sending his Son, not doth Christ hide it, but declares, that he is\ninstructed with sufficient furniture(229) for eternal life, that himself\nis the bread of life sent from heaven, that whosoever receiveth it with\ndelight, and ponders, and meditates on it in the heart, and so digests it\nin their souls, they shall find a quickening, quieting, comforting, and\nstrengthening virtue in him. Nay, there is a strait connection between his\nlife and ours, \u201cbecause I live, ye shall live also;\u201d as if he could no\nmore want us, than his Father can want him, (John xiv. 19.) and as if he\ncould be no more happy without us, than his Father without him. And whence\nis it come to pass, but from his manifestation for this very end and\npurpose? How should such strange logic hold? Whence such a _because_, if\nthis had not been all his errand into the world, for which his Father\ndispensed to want him as it were, and he did likewise condescend to leave\nhis Father for a season? And now this being the business he came about, it\nis strange he appeared in so unsuitable and unlikely a form, in weakness,\npoverty, misery, ignominy, and all the infirmities of our flesh which\nseemed rather contrary to his design, and to indispose him for giving life\nto others whose life was a continued death in the eyes of men. And the\nlast act of the scene seems to blow up the whole design of quickening dead\nsinners, when he who was designed Captain of salvation, is killed himself.\nFor if he save not himself, how should he save others? And yet behold the\ninfinite wisdom, power, and grace of God, working under ground, giving\nlife to the dead by the death of life itself, saving those that are lost\nby one that lost himself, overcoming the world by weakness, conquering\nSatan by suffering, triumphing over death by crying. Like that renowned\nking of the Lacedemonians, who, when he heard of an oracle, that if the\ngeneral were saved alive, the army could not be victorious, changed his\nhabit, and went among the camp of his enemies, and fought valiantly till\nhe was killed, whom when the armies of the enemies understood to be the\nking and general, they presently lost their hearts, and retired and\nfled.(230) So our Saviour, and captain of our salvation, hath offered\nhimself once for all, and by being killed hath purchased life to all that\nbelieve in his death, and that eternal life. Therefore, he is not only the\nWord of life in himself, and that eternal life in an essential manner, but\nhe alone \u201chath the words of eternal life, and is the alone fountain of\nlife to us.\u201d\n\nNow for the certainty of this manifestation of the Word of life in our\nflesh, both that he was man, and that he was more than a man, even God,\nthis, I say we have the greatest evidence of that the world can afford,\nnext to our own seeing and handling. To begin with the testimony set down\nhere, of those who were ear and eye witnesses of all, which, if they be\nmen of credit, cannot but make a great impression of faith upon others.\nConsider who the apostles were, men of great simplicity, whose education\nwas so mean, and expectations in the world so low that they could not be\nsupposed to conspire together to a falsehood, and especially when there\nwas no worldly inducement leading them thereto, but rather all things\npersuading to the contrary. Their very adversaries could never object any\nthing against them, but want of learning, and simplicity which are\nfurthest from the suspicion of deceitfulness. Now how were it possible,\nthink you, that so many thousands every where, should have received this\nnew doctrine, so unsuitable to human reason, from their mouths, if they\nhad not persuaded them that themselves were eye witnesses of all these\nmiracles that he did, to confirm his doctrine, and that this testimony had\nbeen above all imaginable exception? Yea, so evident was it in matter of\nfact, that both enemies themselves confessed, the Jews and Gentiles that\npersecuted that way, were constrained, through the evidence of the truth,\nto acknowledge, that such mighty works showed forth themselves in him,\nthough they out of malice imputed it to ridiculous and blasphemous causes.\nAnd besides, the apostle used to provoke(231) to the very testimony of\nfive hundred, who had seen Jesus rise from death, which is not the custom\nof liars, neither is it possible for so many, as it were, of purpose, to\nconspire to such an untruth, as had so many miseries and calamities\nfollowing on the profession of it, 1 Cor. xv. 6.\n\nBut what say they? That which we have heard of, not only from the\nprophets, who have witnessed of him from the beginning, and do all\nconspire together to give a testimony that he is the Saviour of the world,\nbut from John, who was his messenger, immediately sent before his face,\nand whom all men, even Christ\u2019s enemies, acknowledged to be a prophet, and\ntherefore his visible pointing out the Lamb of God, his declaring how near\nhe was, and preferring of him infinitely before himself, who had so much\nauthority himself, (and so likely to have spoken the truth, being misled\nwith no ambition or affectation of honour,) his instituting a new\nordinance, plainly pointing out the Messiah at the doors, and publishing\nconstantly that voice, \u201cthe kingdom of heaven is at hand,\u201d\u2014these we, and\nall the people have heard,\u2014and heard, not with indignation, but with\nreverence and respect. But above all, we heard himself, the true prophet\nand sweet preacher of Israel, since the first day he began to open his\nmouth in the ministry of the gospel, we have with attentive ears, and\nearnest hearts, received all from his mouth, and laid up these golden\nsayings in our hearts. He did not constrain them to abide with him, but\nthere was a secret power that went from him, that chained them to him\ninevitably, \u201cLord, whither shall we go from thee, for thou hast the words\nof eternal life?\u201d O! that was an attractive virtue, a powerful conserving\nvirtue, that went out of his mouth. We heard him, say they, and we never\nheard any speak like him, not so much for the pomp and majesty of his\nstyle, for he came low, sitting on an ass, and was as condescending in his\nmanner of speech as in his other behaviour, but because \u201che taught with\nauthority.\u201d There was a divine virtue in his preaching. Some sparkles of a\ndivine Spirit and power in his discourses broke out from under the\nplainness and simplicity of it, and made our souls truly to apprehend of\nhim what was sacrilegiously attributed in flattery to a man \u201cthe voice of\nGod, and not of man.\u201d We heard him so many years speak familiarly to us,\nand with us, by which we were certainly persuaded he was a true man and\nthen we heard him in his speeches open the hidden mysteries of the kingdom\nof heaven, revealing the will of the Father, which no man could know, but\nhe that was with the Father, and came down from him. We heard him\nunfolding all these shadows and coverings of the Old Testament, expounding\nMoses and the prophets, taking off the veil, and uncovering the ark and\noracles and \u201chow did our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us\nand opened to us the scriptures?\u201d We heard him daily in the synagogues\nexpound the scriptures, whereof himself was the living commentary. When he\nread them, we saw the true exposition before our eyes.\n\nNow, my beloved, you may be admitted to hear him too for the sum of the\nliving words that came from the \u201cWord of life\u201d are written. His sermons\nare abridged in the evangelists, that you may read them and when you read\nthem, think within yourself, that you hear his holy mouth speak them. Set\nyourselves as amongst his disciples that so ye may believe, and believing,\nmay have eternal life, for this end are they written, John xx. 30, 31.\n\n\n\n\nSermon IV.\n\n\n    1 John i. 1, 2.\u2014\u201cWhich we have heard and seen,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThere is a gradation of certainty here. Hearing himself speak, is more\nthan hearing by report, but an eye-witness is better that ten ear\nwitnesses, and handling adds a third assurance, for the sense of touching\ngives the last and greatest evidence of truth. It is true, that the sense\nis properly correspondent to sensible things, and of itself can only give\ntestimony to his humanity, yet I conceive these are here alleged for both,\neven also to witness his glorious and divine nature, which though it did\nnot fall under sight and handling, yet it discovered itself to be latent,\nunder that visible covering of flesh, by sensible effects, no less than\nthe spirit of man, which is invisible, manifests its presence in the body,\nby such operations sensible, as can proceed from no other principle. And\ntherefore, this faithful witness adds, \u201cwhich we have looked upon,\u201d which\nrelates not only to the outward attention of the eyes, but points at the\ninward intention, and affection of the heart. Our senses did bring in such\nstrange and marvellous objects to our minds, that we stood gazing, and\nbeheld it over and over again, looked upon it with reason, concluding what\nit might be. We gave entertainment to our minds, to consider it wisely and\ndeliberately, and fastened our eyes, that we might detain our hearts, in\nthe consideration of such a glorious person. From this then ye have two\nthings clear. One is, that the Lord Jesus Christ was a true man, and that\nhis disciples had all possible evidence of it, which the history more\nabundantly shows. He conversed with them familiarly, he eat and drank with\nthem, yea his conversation in the world was very much condescending in\noutward behaviour to the customs of the world. He eat with Pharisees, when\nthey invited him he refused not, but he was more bold with publicans and\nsinners, to converse with them, as being their greatest friend. He was\nuncivil to none, would deter none through a rigid austere conversation,\nand indeed, to testify the truth of his human nature, he came so low as to\npartake of all human infirmities without sin, and to be subject to such\nextraordinary afflictions and crosses, as to the eyes of the world did\nquite extinguish his divine glory, and bury it in misbelief. This which we\nspeak of, as a testimony and evidence that he was man, was the very grand\nstumbling block and offence of the Jews and Gentiles, which they made use\nof as an evidence and certain testimony that he was not God. The evidence\nof the one seems to give an evidence to the other. But let us consider\nthis, for it is a sweet and pleasant subject, if our hearts were suitably\nframed to delight in it, that there was as much evidence to the conviction\nof all men\u2019s senses, of his divine majesty, as of his human infirmity,\u2014and\nthat there are two concurring evidences, which enlighten one another,\nwhich we shall show, partly from his own works and miracles, and partly\nfrom the more than miraculous success and progress of the gospel after\nhim.\n\nFor the first, John testifies, that not only they saw the baseness of his\noutward shape, but \u201cthe glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of\ngrace and truth,\u201d John i. 14. John the Baptist sent some of his disciples,\nbecause of their own unbelief, to inquire at Jesus, \u201cArt thou he, or look\nwe for another?\u201d And what answer gave he them? What reason to convince\nthem? \u201cGo (saith he) and tell what ye have seen and heard, that the blind\nsee, the lame walk, and the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead\nare raised, and the poor receive the gospel.\u201d And blessed is he whoever\nshall not for my outward unseemliness and baseness offend, but go by that\ninto the glory that shines out in such works. It is said in Luke vii. 21,\nthat \u201cthe same hour he cured many.\u201d Before he spoke in answer, he answered\nthem by his deeds. He gave a visible demonstration of that they doubted\nof, for they could not but see a power above created power in these works,\nwhich surpass nature and art, so many wonderful works done, so often\nrepeated, before so many thousands, even many of his watchful and\nobservant enemies, and all done so easily, by a word, infinite cures for\nnumber and quality wrought, which passed the skill of all physicians,\ndevils dispossessed, life restored, water converted into excellent wine,\nwithout the maturation of the sun, or the help of the vine tree, a little\nbread so strangely enlarged to the satisfaction of many thousands, and\nmore remaining than was laid down, the winds and seas obeying his very\nword, and composing themselves to silence at his rebuke, and infinite more\nof this kind. Are they not in the common apprehension of men of a degree\nsuperior to that of nature? Who could restore life but he that gave it?\nWhom would the devils obey but him at whom they tremble? Who could\ntransubstantiate water into wine, but he that created both these\nsubstances, and every year, by a long circuit of the operations of nature,\nturns it into wine? Who could feed seven thousand with that which a few\npersons would exhaust, but he that can create it of nothing, and by whose\nword all this visible world started out of nothing? Nay, let us suppose\nthese things to be done only by divine assistance, by some peculiar divine\ninfluence, then certainly, if we consider the very end of this miraculous\nassistance of a creature, that it was to confirm the doctrine delivered by\nhim, and make such a deep impression of the truth of it in the hearts of\nall, that it cannot be rooted out,\u2014this being the very genuine end of the\nwisdom of God in such works, it must needs follow, that all that which\nChrist revealed, both of himself and the Father, of his own being with him\nfrom the beginning, of his being one with him, and being his eternal Son,\nall this must needs be infallibly true, for it is not supposable to agree\nwith the wisdom and goodness of God, to manifest so much of his infinite\npower and glory, in so extraordinary a manner, to bear testimony to an\nimpostor or deceiver. Therefore, though no more could be at first extorted\nfrom an enemy of Christ\u2019s doctrine, but that such mighty works did show\nforth themselves, which could not be done but by the divine assistance and\nextraordinary help of God, yet, even from that confession it may be\nstrongly concluded, that seeing there was no other end imaginable of such\nextraordinary assistance, but the confirmation of his new doctrine, and\nthat of his divine nature, being one of the chief points of it, it must\nneeds enforce, that he was not only helped by God, as Moses, but that he\nwas God, and did these things by his own power. By this, then, it appears,\nthat though after so many prophecies of him, and expectations from the\nbeginning, we see but a man, in outward appearance despisable, and without\ncomeliness and form, yet if we could open the eyes of our souls, and fix\nthem upon him, we behold, as through some small crannies, majesty shining\nin his misery, power discovering itself in his weakness, even that power\nthat made the world, and man too. He was born indeed, yet of a virgin, he\nwas weak and infirm himself, yet he healed all others\u2019 infirmities, even\nby his word. He was often an hungered, yet he could feed five thousand at\none time, and seven thousand at another, upon that which would not have\nserved his disciples, or but served them. He was wearied with travels, yet\nhe gave rest to wearied souls. At length himself died, and that an\nignominious death, notwithstanding he raised the dead by his word and at\nlength he raised himself by his own power. All this is included in this,\n\u201cWe have seen and handled.\u201d We saw him gloriously transfigured on the\nmount, where his countenance did shine as the sun and his raiment was\nwhite as light, and two, the greatest persons in the Old Testament, came\nout of heaven, as it were, to yield up the administration of shadows to\nhis substance. And we saw the heaven opening in the sight of many\nthousands, and heard a testimony given him from heaven, \u201cThis is my\nbeloved Son, hear him.\u201d And then, when he was buried, and our hope with\nhim, we saw him risen again, and our hope did rise with him, and then some\nof us handled his sides to get full persuasion, and all of us ate and\ndrank, and conversed with him forty days. And to make a period, at length\nwe saw him ascending up to heaven, and a cloud receiving him as a chariot,\nto take him out of our sight. Thus, \u201cthe Word was made flesh, and dwelt\namong us, and we have seen his glory, as of the only begotten Son of God.\u201d\n\nBut besides that which the life and death of Jesus Christ carries engraven\nin it of divinity, there is one miracle, which may be said to transcend\nall that ever was done, and it is one continued wonder since his\nresurrection, even the virtue and power of that crucified Saviour to\nconquer the world, by such unsuitable, yea, contrary means and\ninstruments. Heathenish religion was spread indeed universally through the\nworld, but that was not one religion, but one name. For as many nations,\nas many fancied gods, and in one nation many. And true it is that\nMahometanism hath spread itself far. But by what means? Only by the power\nof the sword, and the terror of an empire.(232) But here is a doctrine\ncontrary to all the received customs and inbred opinions of men, without\nany such means prevailing throughout the world. Cyrus,(233) when he was\nabout to conquer neighbouring nations, gave out a proclamation, \u201cIf any\nwill follow me, if he be a foot man, I will make him an horse-man, if he\nhave a village, I will give him a city, if a city, I will bestow on him a\ncountry;\u201d &c. Now mark how contrary the proceeding of our Lord is . \u201cGo\nand preach, (saith he) repent ye, for the kingdom of God is at hand.\u201d Here\nis his proclamation, \u201cRepent ye.\u201d And, \u201cIf any man will be my disciple,\nlet him take up his cross and follow me, and deny himself.\u201d What\ndisproportioned means! And yet how infinitely greater success! Cyrus could\nnot gain the Lacedemonians to his side for all that, but Christ, though\npoor, despised, and contemptible while alive, and at length thought to be\nquite vanquished by the most shameful death, when he is lifted up upon the\ncross to the view and reproach of the world, he draws all men after him.\nHe, by a few fishermen, not commanders, nor orators, persuades the world,\nand within a few years, that crucified Lord is adored further and wider\nthan any empire did ever stretch itself. All the power, majesty, and\nsuccess of Alexander, could never persuade the nations, no, not his own\nfollowers, to adore him as God.(234) But here one nailed to the cross,\ncrowned with thorns, rejected of all men, and within a little space,\nadored, worshipped, suffered for throughout the nations, yea, kings and\nemperors casting down their crowns at his feet, many thousands counting it\ntheir honour to die upon that account. And do not the trophies of these\napostolic victories remain to this day, in every corner of the world,\nafter so many hundred years, in so many different and so far distant\nnations,\u2014that same name preached and all knees bowing to it? These things\nconsidered, how much done, and by means worse than nothing, it transcends\nall the miracles that ever the world wondered at. Now, my beloved, these\nthings I mention for this end, that ye may be persuaded upon sure grounds,\nthat he who is preached unto you, is God able to save you, and according\nto the evidence of these grounds, ye may believe in him, and give that\ncordial assent to these everlasting truths, and that welcome entertainment\nto him in your heart that becomes. I think certainly there is very little,\neven of this solid assent and persuasion of the gospel, in the hearts of\nthe most part, because they take things or names rather implicitly, and\nnever seriously consider what they believe, and upon what grounds. But I\nknow not a more pleasant and profitable meditation than this, if we would\nenter into a serious consideration of the truth and certainty of these\nthings we have received. O how would such evidence open the heart to an\nentire and full closure with them, and embracement of them!\n\n\n\n\nSermon V.\n\n\n    1 John i. 3.\u2014\u201cThat which we have seen and heard, declare we unto\n    you, that ye also may have fellowship with us,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThere are many things that you desire to hear, and it may be are usually\nspoken of in public, which the generality of men\u2019s hearts are more carried\nafter.  But truly, I should wrong myself and you both if I should take\nupon me to discourse in these things, which, it may be, some desire, for\ndirection or information concerning the times, for I can neither speak of\nthem with so much certainty of persuasion as were needful, nor can I think\nit an advantage, to shut out and exclude this which the apostle takes to\ndeclare, as the chief subject of his writing, which must needs be, if such\nthings have place. Therefore I choose rather with the apostle to declare\nthis unto you, which I can always do with alike certainty and certainly\nmight always be done to an infinite greater advantage. There are these two\npeculiar excellencies in the gospel or word of life, that it is never\nunprofitable, nor unseasonable, but doth contain in it, at all times, the\ngreatest advantage to the souls of men, of infinite more concernment and\nurgency than any other thing can be supposed to be. And then we have no\ndoubtful disputations about it. It varies not by times and circumstances.\nIt may be declared with the same full assurance at all times, which\ncertainly cannot be attained in other things. I would gladly know what\nPaul meant, when he said, he determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ,\nand him crucified, (1 Cor. ii. 2) and that he counted all dross and dung\nto the super excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ, Phil. iii. 8. Sure it\nmust amount to so much at least, that this should be the ordinary subject\nof the ministers of the gospel, since they are the ambassadors of Jesus\nChrist, not the orators of the state. Should not all other things be\nthought impertinent and trivial in respect of this,\u2014the salvation of\nsinners? And what hath a connection with that, but Jesus Christ and the\nword of life?\n\nBut though this be the most pleasant and profitable subject, yet I fear\nthat few of them who pretend a calling to this embassage, are thus\nqualified and disposed to speak and declare it, as the apostle imports,\n\u201cthat which we have heard and seen,\u201d &c. It is true, there was something\nextraordinary in this, because they were to be first publishers of this\ndoctrine, and to wrestle against the rebellion of men\u2019s hearts, and the\nidolatry and superstition of the world,\u2014yea, to undertake such a work, as\nto subdue all nations by the preaching of a crucified man to them which\nseemed to reason the most desperate and impossible employment ever given\nor taken. Therefore, it behoved them to be the eye and ear witnesses of\nhis doctrine, life, miracles, and all, that being themselves persuaded\nbeyond all the degrees of certainty that reason can afford, they might be\nthe more confident and able to convince and persuade others. But yet there\nis something that holds by good proportion, that he that declares this\neternal life to others should be well acquainted with it himself. He that\npreaches Jesus Christ, should first be conversant with him, and become his\ndisciple and follower, before he can with any fruit become a teacher of\nothers. Therefore the apostles, (Acts 1) chose out one that had been with\nthem from the beginning, gone in and out with them, seen and heard all. O\nhow incongruous is it for many of us, to take upon us to declare this unto\nothers, which I fear, few can say they have heard and seen in a spiritual\nmanner, and handled by experience! No question, it prevails usually most\nwith the heart, that comes from the heart. Affection is the fire that is\nmost suitable to set affection on flame. It is a great addition to a man\u2019s\npower and virtue in persuading others, to have a full persuasion settled\nin his own heart concerning these things. Now it is much to be lamented,\nthat there is so little of this, and so few carry the evidence on their\nhearts and ways that they have been with Jesus conversant in his company.\nI cannot say but the ordinances that carry their worth and dignity from\nGod, and not from men, should be notwithstanding precious to your hearts,\nand that word of life, however, and by whomsoever sent, if to you it be\nspoken, it should be suitably received with gladness of heart. But I\nconfess, there is much of the success disappointed, by the unsuitable\ncarriage and disposition of instruments, which ought to be mourned under,\nas the greatest judgment of this nation.\n\nTwo principles hath acted this divine apostle, the exceeding love of his\nMaster, for he loved much as he was much beloved. And this carries him on\nall occasions to give so hearty a testimony to him, as you see, John xxi.\n24, he characterised himself, or circumscribes his own name thus \u201cThis is\nthe disciple that testifieth these things, and wrote these things, and we\nknow his testimony is true.\u201d  Where that divine love which is but the\nresult and overflowing of the love Christ carries to us, fills the heart,\nthis makes the sweetest vent and most fragrant opening of the mouth,\nwhether in discourse, or in prayer, or preaching, that can be. O how it\nperfumes all the commendation of Christ! \u201cPeter, lovest thou me? Feed my\nsheep.\u201d These have a natural connection together,\u2014the love of Christ in\nthe heart, and the affectionate, hearty, serious declaration of him to\nothers. And then, another principle hath moved him,\u2014the love of others\u2019\nsalvation. \u201cThese things I declare, that ye may have fellowship with us.\u201d\nFinding in his own experience how happy he was, what a pearl he had found,\nhow rare a jewel,\u2014eternal life,\u2014he cannot hide it, but proclaims it. His\nnext wish is now since I am thus blessed, O that all the world knew, and\nwould come and share with me! I see that unexhausted fountain of\nlife,\u2014that unemptiable sea of goodness,\u2014that infinite fulness of grace in\nJesus Christ, that I, and you, and all that will, may come and be\nsatisfied, and nothing diminished. There is that immense fulness in\nspiritual things, that superabundance and infinite excess over our\nnecessities, that they may be enjoyed by many, by all, without envy or\ndiscontent, without prejudice to one another\u2019s fulness which the\nscantiness and meanness of created things cannot admit. I believe, if\nministers or Christians did taste of this, and had access into it to see\nit, and bless themselves in it,\u2014if they might enter into this treasury, or\nconverse into this company, they would henceforth carry themselves as\nthose who pity the world, and compassionate mankind. A man that were\nacquainted with this that is in Christ, would not find his heart easily\nstirred up to envy or provoked upon others\u2019 prosperity or exaltation, but\nrather he would be constrained to commiserate all others, that they will\nnot know nor consider wherein their own true tranquillity and absolute\nsatisfaction consists. He that is lifted up to this blessed society to\nconverge with God, were it not for the compassion and mercy he owes to\nmiserable mankind, he might laugh at the follies and vanities of the\nworld, as we do at children. But as the \u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03b1\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03c9\u03c0\u03b9\u03b1, the affectionate,\nkind love our Saviour carried to human nature, made him often groan and\nsigh for his adversaries, and weep over Jerusalem, albeit his own joy was\nfull, without ebb, so in some measure a Christian learns of Christ to be a\nlover and pitier of mankind, and then to be moved with compassion towards\nothers, when we have fullest joy and satisfaction ourselves. O that we\nmight be persuaded to seek after these things which may be gotten and kept\nwithout clamour and contention,\u2014about which there needs be no strife nor\nenvy! O! seek that happiness in fellowship with God, which, having\nattained, you lack nothing but that others may be as happy.\n\n\u201cThese things I declare, that ye may have fellowship with us.\u201d O that\nministers of the gospel might say so, and might from their own experience\ninvite others to partake with them! As Paul requests others to be\nfollowers of him, as he was of Christ, so those who succeed Paul in this\nembassage of reconciliation, and are sent to call to the feast, might upon\ngood ground interpose their own experience thus. O! come and eat with\nus,\u2014O! come and share with us, for it will suffice us all without\ndivision. When some get into the favour of great and eminent persons, and\nhave the honour to be their companions, they will be very loath to invite\npromiscuously others to that dignity, this society would beget competition\nand emulation. But O! of how different a nature is this fellowship, which\nwhosoever is exalted to, he hath no other grief, but that his poor\nbrethren and fellow creatures either know not, or will not be so happy!\nTherefore he will always be about the declaring of this to others. But if\nministers cannot use such an expression to invite you to their fellowship,\nyet I beseech you, beloved in the Lord, let all of us be here invited by\nthe apostle to partake of that which will not grieve you to have fellows\nand companions into, but rather add to your contentment.\n\nMoreover, this may be represented to you, that ye are invited to the very\ncommunion with the apostles. The lowest and meanest amongst you hath this\nhigh dignity in your offer, to be fellow citizens with the saints, with\nthe eminent pillars of the church,\u2014the apostles.\n\nIt might be thought by the most part of Christians, who are more obscure,\nlittle known, and almost despised in the world, that they might not have\nso near access into the court of this great King. Some would think those\nwho continued with him in his temptations, who waited on his own person,\nand were made such glorious instruments of the renovation of the world,\nshould have some great preference to all others, and be admitted into the\nfellowship of the Father and the Son, beyond others, even as many would\nthink, that Christ\u2019s mother and kinsmen in the flesh, should have had\nprerogatives and privileges beyond all his followers. But O! the wonderful\nmystery of the equal, free, and irrespective conveyance of this grace of\nthe gospel in Christ Jesus! Neither bond nor free, neither circumcision\nnor uncircumcision. There is one \u201ccommon salvation,\u201d (Jude, ver 3,) as\nwell as \u201ccommon faith,\u201d Tit. i. 4, and it is common to apostles, to\npastors, to people, to \u201cas many as shall believe in his name,\u201d so that the\npoorest and meanest creature is not excluded from the highest privileges\nof apostles. We have that to glory into, in which Paul gloried,\u2014that is,\nthe cross of Christ. We have the same access by the same Spirit, unto the\nFather, we have the same Advocate to plead for us, the same blood to cry\nfor us, the same hope of the same inheritance. In a word, \u201cwe are baptized\ninto one body,\u201d and for the essentials and chief substantiate of privilege\nand comfort, the Head equally respects all the members. Yea, the apostles,\nthough they had some peculiar gifts and privileges beyond others, yet they\nwere forbidden to rejoice in these, but rather in those which were common\nto them with other saints. \u201cRejoice not,\u201d saith Christ, \u201cthat the spirits\nare subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in\nheaven,\u201d Luke x. 20. The height and depth of this drown all other\ndifferences.\n\nNow, my beloved, what can be more said for our comfort? Would you be as\nhappy as John, as blessed as Paul? Would you think yourselves well if it\nwere possible to be in as near relation and communion with Christ as his\nmother and brethren? Truly, that is not only possible, but it is holden\nout to you, and you are requested to embrace the offer, and come and share\nwith them, \u201cHe that heareth my words and doeth them, the same is my\nmother, and sister, and brother.\u201d You shall be as dear to him as his\nnearest relations, if you believe in him, and receive his sayings in your\nheart. Do not then entertain jealous and suspicious thoughts, because you\nare not like apostles or such holy men as are recorded in scripture. If\nyou forsake not your own mercy, you may have fellowship with them in that\nwhich they account their chiefest happiness. There is no difference of\nquality or condition, no distance of other things can hinder your\ncommunion with them. There are several sizes and growths of Christians,\nboth in light and grace. Some have extraordinary raptures and ecstacies of\njoy and sweetness, others attain not to that, but are rather kept in\nattendance and waiting on God in his ways, but all of them have one common\nsalvation. As the highest have some fellowship with the lowest in his\ninfirmities, so the lowest have fellowship with the highest in his\nprivileges. Such is the infinite goodness of God, that which is absolutely\nnecessary, and most important either to soul or body, is made more\nuniversal, both in nature and grace, as the common light of the sun to\nall, and the Sun of righteousness too, in an impartial way, shining on all\nthem that come to him.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VI.\n\n\n    1 John i. 3.\u2014\u201cAnd truly our fellowship is with the Father, and\n    with his Son,\u201d &c.\n\n\nIt was both the great wisdom and infinite goodness of God, that he did not\nonly frame a creature capable of society with others of his own kind, but\nthat he fashioned him so as to be capable of so high an elevation,\u2014to have\ncommunion and fellowship with himself. It is less wonder of angels,\nbecause they are pure incorporeal spirits, drawing towards a nearer\nlikeness to his nature, which similitude is the ground of communion, but\nthat he would have one of the material and visible creatures below, that\nfor the one half is made of the dust of the earth, advanced to this\ninconceivable height of privilege,\u2014to have fellowship with him,\u2014this is a\ngreater wonder, and for this end he breathed into man a spirit from\nheaven, that he might be capable of conformity and communion with him who\nis the Father of spirits. Now, take this in the plainest apprehension of\nit, and you cannot but conceive that this is both the honour and happiness\nof man. It is honour and dignity, I say, because the nature of that\nconsists in the applause and estimation of those that are worthy,\ntestified one way or another, and the highest degrees of it rise according\nto the degree or dignity of the persons that esteem us, or give us their\nfellowship and favour. Now, truly, according to this rule, the honour is\nincomparable, and the credit riseth infinitely above all the airy and\nfancied dignities of men. For the footstool to be elevated up to the\nthrone! For the poor contemptible creature to be lifted up to the society\nand friendship of the most high and glorious God, the only Fountain of all\nthe hierarchies of heaven, or degrees upon earth! So much as the distance\nis between God and us, so much proportionally must the dignity rise to be\nadvanced out of this low estate to fellowship with God. The distance\nbetween creatures is not observable in regard of this, and yet poor\ncreatures swell if either they be lifted up a little above others or\nadvanced to familiarity with those that are above them. But what is it to\npride ourselves in these things when we are altogether, higher and lower,\nat one view, as grasshoppers in his sight? Therefore, man being in honour,\nand understanding not wherein his true honour and dignity consists, he\nassociates himself to beasts. Only the soul that is aspiring to this\ncommunion with God, is extracted out of the dregs of beastly mankind, and\nis elevated above mankind, and associated to blessed apostles, and holy\nangels, and spirits made perfect. And that were but little, though it be\nan honour above regal or imperial dignities, but it is infinitely\nheightened by this,\u2014that their association is with God, the blessed and\nholy Trinity.\n\nNow herein consists man\u2019s happiness too, for the soul being enlarged in\nits capacity and appetite far beyond all visible things, it is never fully\nsatiated, or put to rest and quiet, till it be possessed with the chiefest\nand most universal good, that is, God. And then all the motions of desire\ncease. Then the soul rests from its labours. Then there is a peace and\neternal rest proclaimed in the desires of the soul. \u201cReturn unto thy rest,\nO my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee,\u201d Psal. cxvi. 7.\nO what a poor short requiem do men sing to their own hearts from other\nenjoyments! Oftentimes men\u2019s hearts, whether dreaming or waking, speak in\nthis manner, Soul, take thy rest, but how ill grounded is that peace, and\nhow false a rest, daily experience in part witnesseth, and the last day\nwill fully declare. But O how much better and wiser were it for you to\nseek the favour and light of his countenance upon you, and to be united to\nhim who is the Fountain of life, so ye might truly, without hazard of such\na sad reprehension as that fool got, or grievous disappointment, say,\nSoul, take thy rest in God!\n\nMan was advanced to this dignity and happiness, but he kept not his\nstation, for the great dragon falling down from that pinnacle of honour he\nhad in heaven, drew down with him the third part of the stars of heaven,\nand cast them to the earth, and thus man, who was in honour, is now\nassociated with, and made like to, beasts or devils. He is a stranger to\nGod from the womb, all the imaginations of his heart tend to distance from\nGod. He is exiled and banished from God\u2019s presence, the type whereof was\nhis being driven out of the garden. And yet he is not long out, nor far\naway, when the infinite love of God moves an embassage to send after him\nand to recall him. Many messengers are sent beforehand to prepare the way\nand to depose men\u2019s hearts to peace. Many prophecies were and fore\nintimations of that great embassage of love, which at length appeared. For\nGod sent His Son, his own Son, to take away the difference, and make up\nthe distance. And this is the thing that is declared unto us by these eye\nand ear witnesses, to this end, that we may know how to return to that\nblessed society which we had forsaken to our own eternal prejudice. Is man\nbanished out of the paradise of God into the accursed earth? Then the Son\nis sent out from his own palace and the paradise above, to come into this\nworld, and to save the world. Is there such a gulf between us and heaven?\nChrist hath put his own body between to fill it up. Do the cherubim watch\nwith flaming fire to keep us from life? Then the Son hath shed his own\nblood in abundance to quench that fire, and so to pacify and compose all\nin heaven and earth. Is there such odds and enmity between the families of\nheaven and earth? He sent his Son the chief heir, and married him with our\nnature, and in that eternal marriage of our nature with him, he hath\nburied in everlasting oblivion all the difference, and opened a way for a\nnearer and dearer friendship with God than was before. And whence was it,\nI pray you, that God dwelt among men, first, in a tabernacle, then in a\nfixed temple, even among the rebellious sons of men, and that so many were\nadmitted and advanced again to communion with God? Abraham had the honour\nto be the friend of God,\u2014O incomparable title, comprehending more than\nking or emperor! Was it not all from this, the anticipating virtue of that\nuniting and peace-making sacrifice? It was for his sake who was to come\nand in his flesh to lay a sure foundation for eternal peace and friendship\nbetween God and man.\n\nNow you see the ground of our restitution to that primitive fellowship\nwith God, my earnest desire is that ye would lay hold on this opportunity.\nIs such an high thing in your offer? Yea, are you earnestly invited to it,\nby the Father and the Son? Then sure it might at the first hearing beget\nsome inward desire, and kindle up some holy ambition after such a\nhappiness. Before we know further what is in it, (for the very first sound\nof it imports some special and incomparable privilege,) might not our\nhearts be inflamed, and ought not we to inquire at our own hearts, and\nspeak thus unto them: Have I lived so long a stranger to God, the fountain\nof my life? Am I so far bewitched with the deceitful vanities of the\nworld, as not to think it incomparably better to rise up above all created\nthings, to communicate with the Father and the Son? And shall I go hence\nwithout God and without Christ, when fellowship with them is daily,\nfreely, and plentifully holden forth? I beseech you, consider where it\nmust begin, and what must be laid down for the foundation of this\ncommunion, even your union with Jesus Christ the Mediator between God and\nman. And you cannot be one with him, but by forsaking yourselves, and\nbelieving in him; and thence flows that constant abode and dwelling in\nhim, which is the mutual entertainment of Christ and a soul, after their\nmeeting together; \u201cCan two walk together except they be agreed?\u201d We are by\nnature enemies to God. Now certainly reconciliation and agreement must\nintervene by the blood of the cross, before any friendly and familiar\nsociety be kept. Let this then be your first study, and it is first\ndeclared in the gospel. Jesus Christ is holden out as partaking with you\nin all your infirmities; he is represented as having fellowship with us in\nour sins and curses, in our afflictions and crosses he hath fellowship in\nour nature, to bear our sins and infirmities. Now, since he hath partaken\nin these, you are invited to come and have fellowship with him in his\ngifts and graces, in the precious merits of his death and suffering, in\nhis rising again and returning to glory. And this is the exchange he makes\nand declares in the gospel: I have taken your sins and curses, O come and\ntake my graces, and that which is purchased by my blood. Now this is the\nfirst beginning of a soul\u2019s renewed fellowship with God, and it is the\nfoundation of all that is to come to embrace this offer, to accept him\ncordially as he is represented, and to pacify and quiet our own hearts by\nfaith in that he hath done. And this being once laid down as the ground\nstone, the soul will grow up into more communion with him.\n\nTo speak aright of this communion, would require more acquaintance with it\nthan readily will be found amongst us. But it is more easy to understand\nin what it is exercised and entertained, than to bring up our hearts unto\nit. Certainly, it must neither be taken so low and wide, as if it\nconsisted all in these external duties and approaches of men unto God; for\nthere is nothing capable of communion with the Father of spirits, but a\nspirit. And, sure I am, the most part of us removes them, and acts little\nthat way. It is a lamentable thing, that men pretend to please God with\nsuch vain empty shows, and bodily appearances, without any serious\nexercise of their souls, and attention of their minds in divine worship.\nNeither yet must it be taken so high, and made so narrow, as if it\nconsisted only in those ravishments of the soul after God, which are\njoined with extraordinary sweetness and joy, or in such rare pieces of\naccess and liberty. For though that be a part of it, yet is it neither\nuniversal to all God\u2019s children, nor yet constant in any. There may be\nsome solid serious attendance on God in his ordinances, which may have\nmore true substantial life in it, and more of the marrow of Christianity\nin it, though a soul should not be acquainted with these raptures, nor\never carried without the line of an equal walking with God. Therefore that\nwhich I would exhort you to, is to acquaint yourselves with Jesus Christ,\nand you shall find a new way opened in him, by which you may boldly come\nto God, and having come to God in him, you are called to walk with him to\nentertain that acquaintance that is made, till all the distance and\nestrangedness of your hearts be worn out. And I know not any thing which\nis more apt either to beget or preserve this fellowship, than the\ncommunication of your spirits often with him in prayer, and with his word\nin meditation. And this is not to be discharged as a custom, but the love\nof God within, drawing the heart willingly towards communication with him,\nand constraining to pour out your requests to him, and wait on him, even\nthough ye should find that sensible sweetness that sometimes is found. It\nwere an happy advancement in this fellowship, if converse with God,\nwhether in prayer and solemn retirements, or in meditation, or in our\nordinary walking, were become the delight of our hearts, at least that\nthey might be carried that way towards the entertaining the thoughts of\nhis majesty, his glory, and grace, and goodness, and wisdom shining\neverywhere, as from a natural instinct, even when we are not engaged with\nthe present allurements of that sweetness that sometimes accompanies it.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VII.\n\n\n    1 John i. 3, 4.\u2014\u201cAnd truly our fellowship is with the Father, and\n    with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you,\n    that your joy may be full.\u201d\n\n\nIt was sin that did first break off that fellowship that was between God\nand man, and cut off that blessed society in which the honour and\nhappiness of man consisted. But that fundamental bond being loosed, it\nhath likewise untied all the links of society of men among themselves, and\nmade such a general dispersion and dissipation of mankind, that they are\nalmost like wild beasts, ranging up and down, and in this wilder than\nbeasts, that they devour one another, which beasts do not in their own\nkind, and they are like fishes of the sea, without rule and government.\nThough there be some remnants of a sociable inclination in all men, that\nshows itself in their combinings in societies, and erecting governments,\nyet generally that which is the true bond and ligament of men, which alone\ncan truly knit them together, is broken,\u2014that is, love, the love of God\nand our neighbours. And therefore, notwithstanding of all the means used\nto reduce, and to contain mankind in order and harmony by government, yet\nthere is nothing but continual rents, distractions, dissipations,\ndivisions, and dissolutions in commonwealths amongst themselves and\nbetween nations, so that all men may be represented as lions, tigers,\nwolves, serpents, and such like unsociable creatures, till the gospel come\nto tame them and subdue them, as it is often holden out in the prophets,\nIsa. ii. 4, xi. 6-8, lxv. 25.\n\nNow indeed, you have here the express end and purpose of the gospel, to\nmake up these two great breaches in the creature, between God and men, and\nbetween men and men. It is a gospel of peace. Wherever it takes hold of\nmen\u2019s spirits, it reduceth all to a peaceable temper, joins them to God,\nand one to another. For the very sum and substance of it is the love of\nGod to mankind, and proposed for this end, to engage the love of man\nagain, and love is the glue, the cement that alone will conjoin hearts\nunto this fellowship. It is a strange thing, and much to be lamented, that\nChristendom should be a field of blood, an aceldama, beyond other places\nof the world, that where the gospel is pretended to be received, that men\nhave so far put off even humanity, as thus to bite and devour one another.\nCertainly it is, because where it is preached, it is not believed.\nTherefore, sin taketh occasion by it to become the more sinful. Always let\nus take heed to this, that it is the great purpose and grand design of the\ngospel preached to us, to restore us to a blessed society and fellowship\nwith the Father, and withal, to a sweet fellowship among ourselves, for\nboth you see are here.\n\nWe are called to fellowship with the Father, and what is that but to have\nthe Father of our Lord Jesus Christ thy Father, and thou to be his son by\nadoption of grace? It is certainly the very marrow and extract of the\nwhole covenant, and all the promises thereof, \u201cI will be your Father, and\nye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty,\u201d 2 Cor. vi.\n18. \u201cI go,\u201d saith Christ, \u201cto your Father and my Father, and to your God\nand my God,\u201d John xx. 17. O what a sweet complication and interchange of\nrelations!\n\n\u201cI will be your God, and ye shall be my people.\u201d Here is the epitome of\nall happiness and felicity. In this word all is enclosed, and without this\nnothing is to be found that deserves the desires of an immortal spirit.\nFor hence it follows, that a soul is filled with the all fulness of God\n(Eph. iii. 19), for that is made over to thee who believest the gospel,\nand thou hast as real a right and title to it as men have to their\nfather\u2019s inheritance. Then to have fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ is\nanother branch of this dignity, and this is that which introduceth the\nother. Christ is the middle person, the Mediator between God and man,\ngiven for this end,\u2014to recover men from their woeful dispersion and\nseparation from God, and reduce them again to that blessed society. And,\ntherefore, our acquaintance, as it were, first begins with him, and by him\nwe are led to the Father. No man can come to the Father but by the Son,\ntherefore, if you have his friendship, you have done the business, for he\nand his Father are one.\n\nNow this fellowship, to branch it forth more particularly, is either real\nor personal. Real, I mean \u03ba\u03bf\u03b9 \u03c9\u03c4\u03b9\u03b1 _bonorum_, a communion of all good\nthings, a communion with him in his nature, offices, and benefits,\u2014and\nthis must be laid down as the foundation stone of this fellowship. He came\nnear us, to partake of flesh and blood with us, that we might have a way,\na new and living way, consecrated,\u2014even the vail of his flesh, to come to\nGod by, for certainly this gives boldness to a soul to draw near to God\nwith some expectation of success and acceptation, when it is seriously\nconsidered that our nature is so nearly conjoined already to God. By this\nstep a soul climbs up to the majesty of God, and by means of this we\nbecome partakers of the divine nature, as God of human nature, 2 Pet. i.\n4. So by the same degrees we ascend to God, that God hath descended to us.\nHe drew near us by our nature, and we, by the intervention of that same,\nascend to him, and receive his image and stamp on our souls for the Lord\ndid stamp his own image upon Christ\u2019s human nature to make it a pattern to\nus, and to represent to us, as in a visible symbol and pledge, what\nimpression he would put upon us. Then we have fellowship with him in his\noffices. I need not branch them out severally. You know what he was\nanointed for,\u2014to be a Priest, to offer sacrifice, and to reconcile us to\nGod, and to make intercession for us,\u2014to be a King, to rule us by his word\nand Spirit, and defend us against our enemies,\u2014to be a Prophet, to reveal\nthe will of God to us, and instruct us in the same. Here is a large field\nof fellowship. We have admittance, by faith in Jesus Christ, to the real\nadvantage and benefit of all these. There is nothing in them but it\nrelates to us, and redounds to us. The living virtue of that sacrifice is\nas fresh and recent this day, to send up a savour of rest to heaven and to\npacify a troubled conscience, as the first day it was offered. That\nperfect sacrifice is as available to thy soul as if thou hadst offered it\nthyself, and this day ye have the benefit of his prayers in heaven. We\npartake of the strong cries and tears in the days of his flesh, and of his\nintercession since, more than of our own supplications. What shall I say?\nYe have one to teach you all things that are needful for you, one to\nsubdue your sins under you, and, by virtue of fellowship with Jesus Christ\nin these offices there is something derived from it, and communicated to\nus by it, that we should be kings and priests to God our Father, kings, to\nrule over our own spirits and lusts in as far as grace reigns in us to\neternal life, and that is truly an heroic royal spirit that overcomes\nhimself and the world, and priests, to offer unto God continually the\nsacrifice of prayer and praise (1 Pet. ii. 5, 9), which are sweet-smelling\nand pleasant in his sight. Yea, we should offer up our own bodies as a\nreasonable service, Rom. xii. 1, and this is a holy and living sacrifice,\nwhen we dedicate and consecrate all our faculties, members, and abilities\nto his will and service, and do not spare to kill our lusts, which are his\nand our enemies.\n\nLet us sum up all in this,\u2014whatsoever grace or gift is in Christ Jesus,\nwhatsoever pre-eminence he hath above angels and men, whatsoever he\npurchased, he purchased by his obedient life and patience in death. There\nis nothing of all that but the soul may be admitted to fellowship in it,\nby its union with him by faith. Have him, and have all that he hath. Faith\nmakes him yours, and all that he hath is a consequential appendix to\nhimself. The word of the gospel offers him freely to you, with all his\nbenefits, interests, and advantages. O that our hearts may be induced to\nopen to him!\n\nNow being thus united to Jesus Christ, that which I would persuade next to\nis a personal communion, that is, a suitable entertainment of him, a\nconjunction of your soul to him by love, and a conspiracy of all your\nendeavours henceforth to please him. It is certain, that true friendship\nis founded on a conjunction and harmony of souls by affection, by which\nthey cease to be two, and become in a manner one; for love makes a kind of\ntransport of the soul into another, and then all particular and proper\ninterests are drowned in oblivion,\u2014no more mine and thine, but he makes an\ninterchange, mine thine, and thine mine, my heart thine, and thy honour\nmine. Now, certain it is, that in this God hath given us a rare pattern,\nand leads the way; for he declares his love to the world in the rarest\neffects of it, which give the clearest demonstrations possible,\u2014\u201cGod so\nloved the world that he sent his Son.\u201d And you have the most infallible\nargument of the Son\u2019s love,\u2014\u201cGreater love hath no man than this, to lay\ndown his life for his friends,\u201d\u2014but he for his enemies. Now, then, you see\nhow the heart of God and his Son Jesus Christ is fixed from everlasting on\nthe sons of men, so unalterably, and so fully set towards them, that it\nhath transported the Son out of his own glory, and brought him down in the\nstate of a servant. But it is not yet known what particular persons are\nthus fixed upon, until that everlasting love break out from underground,\nin the engagement of thy soul\u2019s love to him, and till he have fastened\nthis chain, and set this seal on thy heart, which makes thee impatient to\nwant him. Thou knowest not the seal that was on his heart from eternity.\nBut now the love of a believer being the result of his love,\u2014this is it\nthat is the source and spring of constant communion, and it vents itself\nin converse with God, and daily entertainment of him in our spirits and\nways. There is a keeping of company with him in prayer and meditation, and\nall the ordinances. There is a communication and familiar conference of\nthe heart with him, either in thinking on him or pouring out our requests\nto him. There is a mutual and daily intercourse and correspondence of that\nsoul with God, in answering his word by obedience, in praying to him, and\nreceiving answers from him, and then returning answer again with a letter\nof thanks and praise, as it were. These are the ways to increase that love\nof God, and kindle it up to a higher flame, and it being thus increased,\nit gathers in all the endeavours and abilities of the soul, and sets all\non fire, as a sweet smelling sacrifice to please him. It is henceforth the\ngreat study of the soul to remove all things that are offensive to him,\nfor the entertaining of sin, his enemy, is most inconsistent with this\ntrue fellowship and friendship. \u201cIf I regard iniquity in my heart, the\nLord will not hear me,\u201d Psal. lxvi. 18. This will mar that sweet\ncorrespondence in prayer and praise, for it is a breach of peace and\ncovenant to regard and maintain his enemies. Therefore the soul that loves\nGod will study to compose itself in all things to his good pleasure, as\nwell as his love, that is strong as death, puts him upon a careful\nwatching, to do all things for our profit, and so this takes in our whole\ncarriage and walking, in religious approaches, or in common businesses, to\nhave this as our great design\u2014conversing with God and walking to all well\npleasing.\n\nNow, if we were once enrolled in this blessed fellowship with the Father\nand the Son then it follows, as a fruit and result of this, that we should\nhave fellowship one with another. And truly the more unity with God, the\nmore unity among ourselves: for he is the uniting, cementing principle, he\nis the centre of all Christians, and as lines, the farther they are from\nthe centre, the farther distant they are from one another, so the distance\nand elongation of souls from God sets them at further distance amongst\nthemselves. The nearer we come every one to Jesus Christ, the nearer we\njoin in affection one to another, and this is imported in that of Christ\u2019s\nprayer, \u201cThat they may be one in us,\u201d John xvii. 21, 22. No unity but in\nthat one Lord, and no perfect unity but in a perfect union with him. I\nwould exhort to study this more,\u2014to have fellowship one with another, as\nmembers of the same body, by sympathy, by mutual helping one another in\nspiritual and temporal things. Even amongst Christians that live obscurely\nin a city, or in a village, there is not that harmonious agreement and\nconsent of hearts, that contention and plea of love, of gentleness and\nforbearance, who shall exercise most of that, but there are many\njealousies, heart burnings, grudgings, strifes, evil speakings, &c., to\nthe stumbling of others, and the weakening of yourselves, which certainly\nargue that ye are much carnal, and walk as men, and that the love of God\nand fellowship with him is waxed cold, and is languished and dead, &c.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VIII.\n\n\n    1 John i. 4.\u2014\u201cAnd these things write we unto you, that your joy\n    may be full.\u201d\n\n\nAll motions tend to rest and quietness. We see it daily in the motions\nbelow, and we believe it also of the circular revolutions of the heavens\nabove, that there is a day coming in which they shall cease, as having\nperformed all they were appointed for. And as it is in things natural, so\nit is in things rational in a more eminent way. Their desires, affections,\nand actions, which are the motions and stretches of the soul towards that\nit desires and apprehends as good, tend of their own nature, and are\ndirected by the very intention of the soul to some rest and tranquillity,\nsome joy and contentation of spirit. If other things that have no\nknowledge have their centre of rest, how much more must man, who is an\nunderstanding creature, have it by the ordination and appointment of God!\nBut there is this wide difference in the point of capacity of happiness\nbetween man and other creatures, that they, whatsoever excellent virtues\nor properties they have, yet know them not themselves, and so can neither\nenjoy what excellency themselves have, nor have use of what is in others.\nFor to what purpose is it to shine forth, if there be no eye to see? What\nadvantage hath the rose in its fragrancy, if it cannot smell itself? That\nwhich is not perceived, is as if it were not. And therefore it is an\nevident testimony, that all these visible things were created, not for\nthemselves, but for man\u2019s sake, who knows them, can use them, and enjoy\nthem. Here is, then, the peculiar capacity that God hath given to man,\u2014to\ndiscern and know what he seeks, what he hath, and possesses, that so he\nmay be able to enjoy it, or use it, according to the nature of it. This is\na great point of God\u2019s image and conformity with him, whose infinite\nblessedness and joy riseth from that perfect comprehension and intuitive\nbeholding of himself, and his own incomprehensible riches. So then, man\u2019s\nhappiness or misery must depend upon this,\u2014both what the soul fixeth upon,\nand what it apprehendeth to be in it. For if that eternal and universal\ngood, the all-fulness of God, be the centre of the soul\u2019s desires and\nendeavours, and there be apprehended and discovered in God that infinite\nexcellency and variety of delights which nothing else can afford so much\nas a shadow of, then there cannot but result from such a conjunction of\nthe soul\u2019s apprehension, suitable to the fulness of God, and of the\nexcellency and goodness of God, suitable to the desires of the soul, such\na rest and tranquillity, such joy and satisfaction, as cannot choose but\nmake the soul infinitely happier than the enjoyment of any other thing\ncould do.\n\nThis being the thing, then, which all men\u2019s desires naturally tend unto,\nthis tranquillity and perfect satisfaction of the heart being that which\ncarries all men\u2019s hearts after it, and that which men seek for itself, and\nwhich they seek in all other things, the great misery of man is, that he\nmistakes the way to it, and seeks it where it is not to be found. The\ngenerality of men are so far degenerated, both from the impression of a\ndivine majesty, and the sense of an immortal being within themselves, that\nthey imagine to content and ease their own hearts in these outward,\ninconstant, perishing things, and so their life is spent in catching at\nshadows, in feeding on the wind, in labouring in the fire. There is\nnothing so plentifully satisfies our expectations as can quit the cost,\nand recompense the expense of our labour, toil, grief, and travail about\nit. There is nothing therefore but a continual, restless agitation of the\nheart from one thing to another, and that in a round, circling about, from\none thing that now displeases or disappoints to things that were formerly\nloathed, as a sick man turns him from one side to another, or changes beds\noften, and at length returns, expecting to find some ease where he lay at\nfirst. And it may be judged that all circular motions are eternal, and so\nthey can never be supposed to attain their end,\u2014that is, rest and\ntranquillity. Therefore a soul thus carried in a round, by the vain\nimaginations of his heart, is likely never to settle and find solid rest\nand peace. Nay, how is it possible that they can give that tranquillity\nand contentation to the heart and soul of man, that are so utterly in\ntheir natures disproportioned to it, both because they are only suited to\nthe senses, and likewise for that they are changeable? Now the soul is\nframed with a higher capacity, and can no more be satiated with visible\nthings, than a man that is hungry can be satisfied with gold; and besides,\nit is immortal, and must have something to survive all the changes of\ntime, and therefore is likely to rest nowhere but in that which hath\neternal stability. Now, though these things cannot truly fill the heart,\nyet they swell the belly, like the east wind, or like the prodigal\u2019s\nhusks, fill it with wind, which causeth many torments and distempers in\nthe soul; and though they cannot give ease, yet they may be as thorns to\nprick and pierce a man through with many sorrows, as our Saviour speaks.\nSo that there is no more wisdom or gain in this, than in gathering an\narmful of thorns, and enclosing and pressing hard unto them,\u2014the more\nhardly and strongly we grip them, the more grievously they pierce us; or\nas if a man would flee into a hedge of thorns in a tempest,\u2014the further he\nthrusts into it, he is the worse pricked: and that which he is fallen into\nis worse than that he fleeth from. I am sure all your experiences give a\nharmonious testimony to this, that there is no solid, permanent, constant,\nand equable heart-joy and contentation in all the fancied and imaginary\nfelicities that this world adores. There is nothing of these things, that\nis not lesser, and lower in actual possession, nor in the first\napprehension of them afar off. Nothing in them answers either our desires\nor expectations; and therefore, instead of peace and tranquillity, they\nbreed more inward torment and disquiet, because of that necessary and\ninevitable disappointment that attends them. Therefore the apostle passeth\nall these things in silence, when he is to write of purpose, to give a\nfulness of joy; for he knows that in them there is neither that joy, nor\nthat fulness of joy he would wish for from them; but it is other things he\nwrites for this end.\n\nNow, indeed, there hath been some wiser than others, that have their\napprehension far above the rest of mankind, and have laboured to frame\nsome rules and precepts to lead man into this true rest and tranquillity.\nAnd truly, in this they have done much to discover the vanity and madness\nof the common practice of men, and to draw man from sensible and outward\nthings, to things invisible and spiritual. Yet there is a defectiveness in\nall the rules that natural reason can reach unto. There is some\ncrookedness withal adheres to them, which shows our departure from our\noriginal. There are many excellent discourses of morality in heathen\nwritings, which may be very subservient to a Christian, and useful to the\ncomposing and settling of his mind, amidst all the fluctuations and\nuncertainties of this world. They may come well in as subsidies and guards\nto a Christian\u2019s heart, to preserve that peace and joy it hath from God,\nand keep out the ordinary tumultuous passions that disturb the most part\nof men. But here is the lamentable failing, that while they call a man off\nthings without, as adventitious, they lead him but into his own spirit\nwithin, as if he could there find that rest in the very enjoyment of his\npoor, miserable, wretched self. But Christ Jesus calls us into our own\nspirits, not to dwell there. For O what a loathsome and irksome habitation\nis a defiled heart and a guilty conscience! But rather, that finding\nnothing of that joy and refreshment within, we may then freely and fully\nforsake ourselves, as well as the world without, and transport into God in\nChrist, the only habitation of joy and delight, that being filled with\nanguish from the world, and from ourselves, we may more willingly divorce\nfrom both, and agree to join unto Jesus Christ, and to embrace him in our\nhearts, who is the only Fountain of life and joy, who had no other errand\nand business from heaven, but to repair man\u2019s joy,\u2014as grievous a breach as\nany in the creation,\u2014a thing as much missed and sought after as any thing,\nyea, sought after in all things that are sought. John xv. 11. \u201cThese\nthings I have spoken to you, that your joy may be full.\u201d Therefore the\napostle propounds this as the end of his writing on this subject,\u2014the word\nof life; these things write I \u201cthat your joy may be full;\u201d and the way to\nattain this fulness of joy, he expressed in the former verse,\u2014by\nfellowship with the Father and the Son.\n\nThat which makes all other things disproportioned to the soul of man, to\ngive it this joy, is the extreme unsuitableness between them. The soul\nhath an infinite capacity, and besides, an immortality of endurance, but\nthey are condemned under impotency to supply that infinite void and\ninconstancy, by which they must needs perish, and leave the soul without\nall comfort, and with more anxiety. But in those things written here we\nfind all things suited and proportioned to the very great exigence of the\nsoul.   There is a suitableness in them, because of their spiritual\nnature, whereby they may close immediately with thy spirit.    Other\nthings are material and corporeal, and what union, what fellowship can a\nspirit be supposed to have with them?   They are extrinsic, advenient\nthings, that never come to a nearer union with thy soul; and though they\ncould, they would debase thy soul, and not exalt it, because of a baser\ninferior nature.  But these things, Jesus Christ, eternal life in him,\nthese precious promises of the gospel, these spiritual privileges of\nSon-ship, &c., these are of a more divine nature, and by meditation and\nfaith souls come to close with them.   These are inward things more near\nthe soul that believes, than himself is to himself; and so he may always\ncarry them about in his heart, which may be a spring of everlasting joy.\nThis no man can take from him. John xvi. 22. For the ground and fountain\nis inward, seated without the reach of all these vicissitudes and changes.\nThen, as they have a suitableness, so they have a fulness in them, to\ncreate fulness of joy.  They are cordials to the heart, things that are in\ntheir own nature refreshing to the soul, and apt to beget heart-joy. Other\nthings are not suitable to this, to produce any such inward\nsoul-complacency. The things that are from without reach not so deep as\nthe heart; they make their impressions rather on the outward senses, to\ntickle and please them, or the countenance, to put some pleasing shape\nupon it.   But the wise man pronounceth all those joys that arise from\nexternal things to be superficial, only skin-deep. \u201cIn the midst of\nlaughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness,\u201d\nProv. xiv. 13. _Extrema gaudii luctus occupat_.(235) There is no solid\nrecreation to the soul in its retired thoughts, from all the delights of\nthe senses; it is but like the pleasure of the itch, which no man esteems\npleasure. But besides, as the things of the gospel affect the heart and\nsoul by bringing soul-mercies and treasures, as forgiveness of sin, hope\nof heaven, &c., so there is a fulness in them, which may answerably fill\nall the corners of the heart with joy. There is an unexhaustedness in\nthese things, an universality in Christ;\u2014all in all, all the treasures of\nwisdom are in him; and may not this cause surely an high spring-tide of\njoy? The heart is eased upon the lowest clear apprehension of Christ and\nthe gospel. It gives a heart-serenity and calmness to a troubled soul,\nthat nothing else could do. Yet to make up the fulness of joy, as well as\nthe solidity of it, to extend the measure of it, as well as to beget the\ntrue quality of it, it is requisite that not only there be a fulness in\nthe object,\u2014that is, full, superabundant, ample matter of rejoicing; but\nthere must be a kind of fulness in the apprehension. It must be\nrepresented fully as it is, and the clouds of unbelief scattered; and then\nindeed, upon the full aspect of the gospel, and Christ in it, there is a\nfulness of joy that flows into the soul, as the sea is filled upon the\nfull aspect of the moon. O that we could believe this, that there is a\nfulness of joy here, and nowhere else! Certainly, this alone being\npondered and sunk into our hearts, would be a powerful reformer in us, and\namong us. How would it carry men\u2019s hearts to a disgracing and despising\nall the things that are held in admiration by men! How would it turn the\nchannel of men\u2019s judgments, opinions, affections, and conversations! For\ncertainly, whithersoever the tide of joy flows, thither the heart is\ncarried, and this it is that all men are seeking, though they take many\ncontrary and divers ways, as their own fancy leads them. Now, if once this\nwere established in thy soul, that here is that truth and fulness of joy,\nwhich elsewhere is ignorantly and vainly sought, would it not divert thy\ndesires, and turn the current of thy affections and endeavours, to fall\ninto this ocean of gladness and delight? Elsewhere there is neither true\njoy nor full joy,\u2014_nec verum nec plenum gaudium_.  There is no verity in\nit; it is but an external garb and shadow, and there is no plenty or\nfulness in it. It fills not the hand of the reaper, it satisfieth not his\nvery hunger. But here, when a soul is possessed with Christ by faith, and\ndwelleth in God by love, there is both reality and plenty. All the\ndimensions of the heart may be filled up. Some allegorize upon the\ntriangular composition of man\u2019s heart, that no orbicular thing such as\nthis world can fill it exactly without vacuity, but only the blessed and\nholy Trinity.(236) Truly we may conceive, this fulness of joy, excluding\nall the latent griefs of the heart and filling up all the vacant corners\ndoth flow from that blessed fellowship of the Father and the Son. Now,\nthough these two be only mentioned yet the Holy Ghost must not be\nexcluded, for the apostolic prayer doth attribute chiefly our fellowship\nwith God to the Spirit, so that it is the Spirit unites our hearts, and\nassociates them to God, and that seems to correspond between him and us.\nSo then there is such a fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,\nthat leaves no vacuity in the heart, that fills all the dimensions and\ncorners of it with peace and joy.\n\nBut add unto this in the third place that these things have not only a\nfulness, but, withal a durableness, not only plenty, but besides, eternity\nand perpetuity, to correspond to the immortality of the soul.  And this,\ncertainly, is a great congruity, and so makes up much beauty and harmony,\nfor what more incongruous and unsuitable than for an immortal spirit to\nspend itself, and give up itself to that which is not which must leave it,\nwhich is mortal, and fading in its own nature, without which it must\ncontinue infinitely longer than it can enjoy it? And what more comely than\nfor an immortal thing to associate with eternal things, and to derive its\njoy from an eternal spring?  For, when all things visible are done away,\nand things mortal abolished, then its joy none can take from it, because\nit takes its joy from that which must survive all these changes. Suppose\nany thing could for the present give a fulness of joy, and absolute\ncontent to the heart, yet, if we imagine that that thing may be separated\nand disjoined from the heart, and cease to be, certainly the very\nexpectation of such an eternal separation would almost extinguish all the\njoy, and make it dry up of the fulness, for, may a soul think, what shall\nI do for ever when this well dries? Whence shall I draw water of joy? Out\nof what well? But now, that fear is removed, and the soul needs not lose\nits sweetness of the present enjoyment of God through anxious foresight of\nthe future, because he may know that the perfect fulness that shall never\nebb is but coming, and the sun is but ascending yet towards the meridian,\nfrom whence he shall never go down, but stand fixed, to be the eternal\nwonder and delight of angels and men.\n\nNow, though it be true that Christians here have neither that plenty nor\nthat perpetuity of this joy that the object of it gives ground for, though\ntheir hearts be often filled with griefs and sorrows\u2014partly from outward,\npartly from inward evils and afflictions,\u2014yet, certainly, this ariseth but\nfrom the dark apprehension, dim belief, and slight consideration of those\nthings that Christ spoke, and his apostles wrote unto us. We might, no\nquestion, keep our hearts in more peace and tranquillity, in all the\ncommotions of the times or alterations in ourselves, if we did more\nsteadfastly believe the gospel and keep more constant fellowship with God.\nBut, however it be, there is radically a fulness of joy in every\nbeliever\u2019s heart. That seed is sown that shall one day be ripe of fulness\nof joy, it is always lying at the root, and reserved for them. O let us\nlay these things to heart, which, being laid to heart, and laid up in the\nheart, will fill it with this sweet fragrant perfume of peace and joy.\nThey are written for this end, let us hear them for this end too, that our\njoy may be full. It is true, indeed, that this fulness of joy suits only\nthe life to come, when the vessel is both enlarged and strengthened to\ncontain it. Things that have strong spirits in them must have strong new\nbottles such as our crazy mortal bodies are not, therefore the Lord hath\nreserved the just fulness, the overflowings of this joy, for the time that\nthe soul shall be purified from all sin, and the body delivered from all\ncorruption. Because that sin lurks in many corners of the heart now,\ntherefore this joy cannot fill up the heart and all the vacuities of it,\nfor it is of so pure and heavenly a nature that it will not compound and\nintermingle with sin or sinful lusts. But when nothing of that remains in\nthe heart then it flows in apace, and leaves no corner of the heart\nunsatisfied and unsupplied. I would have you, who get some tastes of this\njoy and peace by the way, not disquieted and troubled, because it abides\nnot to be ordinary food.  If you be set down again to your ordinary spare\ndiet of manna in the wilderness and have not these first fruits and grapes\nof Canaan sent to you, think it not strange, for the fulness which you\nseek you are not capable of here, but you shall be capable of it\nhereafter.  You ought, with patience, to wait for that day when your joy\nshall be full.  As Christ is full, full measure heaped up and running\nover, will he mete out unto you then, and this shall be without the fear\nof any ebb or diminution of it for all eternity.  Neither shall this\nfulness, and constant fulness, cloy the soul, or breed any satiety in it.\nThere is fulness of joy without surfeit, without satiety, that which they\nhave they shall always desire, and that which they desire they shall\nalways have, everlasting desire and everlasting delight being married\ntogether in their fulness.  But yet so much is attainable here as may\ntruly be called fulness in regard of the world.  The fulness of joy that\nall the pleasures of this earth can afford is but scarcity and want to the\ninward fulness of joy and contentation the poorest believers may have in\nGod, reconciled in Christ.  That which the wise man gives as the character\nof all earthly joy suits well, \u201cI said of laughter, It is mad, and of\nmirth, what doeth it?\u201d  Eccl. ii. 2.  Truly it cannot be supposed to be\nmore real than that which is the ground and spring of it.  It must be a\nperfunctorious,(237) superficial, and empty joy that is derived and\ndistilled from such vanities.  Nay, there is a madness in it besides, for\nmen\u2019s apprehensions to swell so excessively towards poor, narrow, and\nlimited things.  It is a monster in reason to put such a value upon\nnothing, and make ourselves glad upon our own dreams and fancies.  There\nis such a manifest abuse and violation of reason in it, that it can be\nsupposed to proceed from nothing but a distemper in men\u2019s hearts. But,\nbesides this, there are two other characters of it given (Prov. xiv. 13.),\n\u201cEven in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is\nheaviness.\u201d  There is no pure earthly joy, for it hath always a mixture of\ngrief and sadness in the inward retired closet of the heart.  It is of\nsuch deadness and inefficacy that it drives not out of the heart all\ndiscontentments and anxieties, but if the most jovial man, that seems to\nbe transported with his delights would but retire within and examine his\nown conscience, he would find those delights have but little power to\naffect his heart.  He would find terrible and dreadful representations\nthere, that his joys may well for a time darken them, but cannot drive\nthem away.  And then it is the very natural law and fatal necessity that\ngrief follows those joys at the heels, yea, is  perpetually attending\nthem, to come in their place.  God hath so conjoined them together, and so\ndisposed them, that men\u2019s joy shall be mingled with grief, but their grief\nis pure and unmixed, and that he who draws up joy to him from the\ncreatures, must draw grief and vexation in that same chain, inseparably\nannexed to it by the wise ordination of God.\n\nBut there are joys of the Holy Ghost arising from the intimation and\napprehension of the gospel, from the consideration of the grace and\ngoodness of God manifested in it and the experience of that in the soul,\nwhich are of another stamp and nature.  These, indeed, affect the heart,\nand give the answer of a good conscience, in the blood of Christ, which is\na continual feast.  These drive out the bitter and dreadful apprehensions\nof sin and wrath.  These sweeten and refresh the soul in all worldly\nafflictions and griefs.  The heart of man knoweth his own bitterness, and\na stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy, Prov. xiv. 10.  Indeed, the\ntorments and perplexities of a troubled soul are better felt by itself\nthan known by others, and so are the joys of that heart that apprehends\nJesus Christ and peace purchased in him.  They are such as no man that is\na stranger to such things in his experience can apprehend.  It is a joy\nunspeakable.  O what unspeakable content gives it to the heart! And truly\nif you did not interpose the clouds of unbelief and sin between you and\nhis shining countenance, there needed not be so often an eclipse in the\njoys of believers.  Yet the day is coming that ye shall see him fully as\nhe is, and nothing be interposed between you and him, and then your joy\nshall be full &c.\n\n\n\n\nSermon IX.\n\n\n    1 John i. 5.\u2014\u201cThis then is the message which we have heard of him,\n    and declare unto you, that God is light,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThe great design of the gospel is to make up the breach of man\u2019s joy, and\nopen up the way to the fulness of it, and therefore it is the good news\nand glad tidings of great joy, the only best message that ever came to the\nworld. Now it shows unto us the channel that this river of gladness and\njoy runs into, it discovers what is the way of the conveyance of it to the\nsoul, and what are the banks it runs between, and that is fellowship with\nthe Father and with the Son.  In this channel that river of delight\nruns,\u2014between the banks of the love of God to us, and our love to him.\nHerein a soul is happy, and accounts itself happy, and truly, in so much\ndo we profit by the word, and answer the design of the gospel, by how much\nwe estimate our happiness from this alone from the communication of God to\nus. Whensoever the gospel takes hold of your hearts, it will undoubtedly\nframe them to this,\u2014to a measuring of all blessedness from God alone. And\nthis will carry the heart to an undervaluing of all other things, as being\ntoo low and unworthy for this end, and so to a forsaking of every thing\nfor the closer enjoyment of God.  I fear many believers are little\nacquainted with this joy, because they draw not their joy singly out of\nthe pure fountain of delight, but turn aside to other external comforts,\nand drown their souls in them.  Now, indeed, these two cannot well consist\ntogether.  If we take in any thing else to make up our happiness and\ncomfort, so much we lose of God, and that which is truly spiritual, and\ntherefore our hearts would be more purified from carnal delights, if we\nwould have experience of this joy, we must hang only upon his countenance\nand company, else we lose the sweetness of it.\n\nNow the apostle prosecutes this further, to discover what conformity must\nbe between them that should keep this fellowship, and what likeness of\nnature and qualities is necessary for them who would be happy in God\u2019s\nsociety.  \u201cThis is the message we have heard,\u201d saith he, \u201cand which we\ndeclare unto you, that God is light,\u201d &c.  Take this jointly with that\nwhich went before, \u201cthis we declare, that ye may have fellowship with the\nFather and the Son.\u201d  And to the end this fellowship may hold and yield\nyou fulness of joy, it is necessary that the nature of God be laid down as\nthe pattern to which ye must be conformed,\u2014\u201cGod is light,\u201d and therefore\nyou must be light too, if ye would have fellowship with that pure light.\nNow this, I say, is the full message of the gospel, that which was sent\ndown from heaven with the Son of God, the messenger of the covenant, and\nwhich the apostles heard from him.  Indeed the very manner of the proposal\nof these things stirs up our hearts to attention, and makes us more\nserious than commonly we are.  That there is one, and such an one sent\nfrom heaven, with such an embassage as this is, to invite us to society\nwith God again, one whose interest lies in this, to make us happy, and\nthis he declares unto us, that he hath no other design but to fulfil our\njoy.  O how powerful might this be on our hearts to conquer them, to make\nthem willingly hearken to him!  Any message that comes from heaven should\nbe received with great reverence and respect of mortal men, because it\ncomes from the court and palace of the great King.  But when this is the\nsubstance of it, to make us happy in himself, to advance us to this\nincomparable dignity of society with himself, in which society there is a\nfulness of joy,\u2014then how should we receive it with open hearts, and\nentertain it gladly!  If we could take it always thus as a message from\nheaven, and look upon it and hear it in that notion, I think the fruit\nwould be incomparably greater, for what is it that makes it dead and\nineffectual in men\u2019s hearts, but that the apprehension of it degenerates\nand falls down from God to creatures, because it is not taken so as his\nword, carrying the stamp of his divine authority? We bring it forth, not\nas a message from him, but as from ourselves, and you receive it, not as\nfrom him, but from us, and thus it is adulterated and corrupted on both\nhands.  My beloved, let us jointly mind this, that whatsoever we have to\ndeclare is a message from God to mortal men; and, therefore, let us so\ncompose ourselves in his sight as if he were speaking to us. The\nconscience of a very heathen was awaked when Ehud told him he had a\nmessage from God to him. Eglon arose out of his seat, that he might hear\nit reverently, (Judg. iii. 20.) though it was a bloody message, as it\nproved in the event. Yet so much the common dictates of reason might teach\nyou, that ye should arise and compose yourselves to reverend and awful\nattention to what the Lord God will speak. But when, moreover, we know\nthat the sum of the message is to make us blessed, and raise us up to\ncommunion with him in his joy and happiness we are not only called to\nreverence, as to God, but to ardent affection and desire, as to him who by\nall means seeks our happiness. O how happy were he that could first hear\nand receive this message from him, and then declare it to others! But,\nhowever, though we should fail in that, this doth not change either the\nauthority or nature of the message itself; and therefore, if men should be\nso far destitute of God as not to bring it from him immediately, yet do\nnot you forsake your own mercy too, but receive it as that which is come\nforth from God, receive it for itself, as carrying in its bosom a fulness\nof joy to you, and receive it for his sake who moved this embassage first\nafter sinners, and his sake who carried it to sinners, that is, for the\nFather and the Son, to whose fellowship you are here invited. Let us then\nhear the message.\n\n\u201cThis then is the message, that God is light,\u201d &c. The ground of communion\nof persons is their union in nature, or likeness one to another. There is\nsome general society between all mankind, as being conjoined in one common\nnature; but the contracting of that in narrower bounds of affinity and\nconsanguinity doth enlarge the affection the more. You see it is natural\nfor those who are joined by such relations of blood one to another, to\nlove one another more than others out of these bonds. But true friendship\ndraws the circle yet narrower, and contracts the love that is scattered\nabroad to mankind in a strange channel, to run towards one, or a few, and\nthe foundation of this is some peculiar and particular similitude and\nlikeness in manners and sympathy of disposition, which makes the souls of\nmen to melt one into another, after some converse and acquaintance\ntogether. This is the bond that knits this near society, some conformity\nnecessarily presupposed to communion and fellowship. Now, that which holds\nso in the communion of man with man, must be much more needful in man\u2019s\ncommunion with God, for all the societies, combinations, and conjunctions\nof the creatures, are but shadows of this higher communication of the\nspirit of man with God the Father of spirits. And, indeed, we may find\nsome rude draughts and resemblances of this divine society, and of the\nrule according to which it must he modelled, in all the friendly or near\nconjunctions of creatures; for every thing is best preserved and agreeth\nbest with things of its own nature. See the disposition of the parts of\nthe world. Things contiguous and nearest other are also likest in nature\none to another. So it is among men. The several agreements and\nsymbolizings of men\u2019s spirits in different qualities and tempers, make\nseveral sorts of men, and part them into so many companies: _Pares paribus\ncongregantur. Simile simili gaudet_.(238)\n\nNow, my beloved, this same supernatural and divine society that we speak\nof must be constituted according to this fundamental rule, that is, it is\nnecessary, to the end that God and man may have fellowship together, that\nthey come nearer in likeness one to another. Now for God, you know he\ncannot be liker us, for he is unchangeably holy and good. That were most\nabsurd to bring down his Majesty to partake of our wretched infirmities of\nsin and darkness. Indeed in this he hath come as far as his own nature and\nour good would permit, to communicate in our nature, and all the sinless\ninfirmities of it. It is impossible, then, that he should make up the\ndistance by any change of himself, but we must be changed, and some way\nraised up to partake of the purity of his nature, and be transformed into\nsome likeness to him, and then is the foundation  of society and\nfellowship laid down. This is the apostle\u2019s meaning, in declaring to us\nwhat God is that according to that pattern, and in that glass we may see\nwhat to conform ourselves to, and may have a particular determination of\nthe great qualification of those who pretend to fellowship with God. \u201cGod\nis light and in him is no darkness.\u201d Now, take the just opposition\u2014man is\ndarkness and in him is no light. Now, what communion then can light have\nwith darkness? Either the light must become darkness, or the darkness\nbecome light. Either the light must leave its glorious purity and forsake\nits nature\u2014which cannot be admitted\u2014or else the darkness of men\u2019s souls\nmust be wiped off, and abolished by the brightness of God\u2019s light. And\nthen there may be a communion between the primitive light and the\nderivative light, between the original light and that which flows out from\nthe original. But take darkness remaining darkness, and light remaining\nlight, and they cannot compone(239) together, for the first great\nseparation that was made in the world was between light and darkness. \u201cAnd\nGod saw the light that it was good, and God divided the light from the\ndarkness,\u201d Gen. i. 4. And so it is impossible for men that live in the\ndarkness of their minds, in ignorance, and in the darkness of sinful\nlusts, that they can have any fellowship with God, who is a fountain of\npure light and undefiled sanctity. \u201cWhat hast thou to do to take my\ncovenant in thy mouth,\u201d &c, and this God saith to the wicked. It is an\nincongruous and unsuitable thing, for man to pretend nearness and interest\nin this God and yet be buried in darkness and hatred of the light of\npersonal reformation as a gold ring in a swine\u2019s nose, that rather deforms\nthe jewel than beautifies the beast, so are the pretensions of ignorant\nand wicked men, to this divine society, &c.\n\n\n\n\nSermon X.\n\n\n    1 John i. 5.\u2014\u201cThis then is the message which we have heard of him,\n    and declare unto you, that God is light,\u201d &c.\n\n\nWho is a fit messenger to declare this message? Can darkness comprehend\nthe light, or apprehend it? Or can those that are blind form any lively\nnotion of light, to the instruction and persuasion of others? Truly, no\nmore can we conceive or speak of God, who is that pure light, than a blind\nman can discourse on colours, or a deaf man on sounds. \u201cWho is blind as\nthe Lord\u2019s servant?\u201d And therefore who are more unmeet to declare this\nmessage of light? What reverence and godly fear ought this to be declared\nwithal, when mortal man speaks of the eternal God unto mortal men? What\ncomposure of spirit should be in us? What trembling and adoration? For, at\nour best, we can but declare our own ignorance, and the furthest\nattainment in this knowledge is but a further discovery of man\u2019s darkness.\nWe have three ways of creeping towards that glorious light of God. First,\nhis own works are like some visible appearances of that invisible and\nincomprehensible God, and in these we know him, but not what he is in\nhimself. Consider how dark and dull we are in piercing into the hidden\nnatures of things, even below us, as beasts and plants. We behold some\neffects flow from them, but from what principle these do flow, that we\nknow not. How much less can we apprehend any thing suitable of the divine\nMajesty, that is infinitely above us, from these wonderful and glorious\nworks of his power and wisdom! Man is endowed with wisdom to do some\nexcellent works of art, as planting, grafting, building, painting,\nweaving, and such like. But the beasts that are below us cannot apprehend\nfrom these works what the nature of man is. Now is there not a more\ninfinite distance, a greater disproportion between us and the divine\nnature, so that we cannot rise up to an understanding notion of it, in\nitself? Nay, besides, one man will do many things which another cannot\nunderstand\u2014he beholds the art of it, he sees the matter, but yet he cannot\npierce into the mind of the workman, and look upon that wisdom and idea of\nhis mind. Therefore all that we can conclude from these wonderful works of\nGod, is some silent admiration of him. If these be such, then what must he\nbe? How infinitely distant from them, and transcendent over them? But what\nhe is, these cannot declare, and we cannot apprehend. Then we use to climb\nup to the knowledge of God, by attributing to him all the perfections,\nexcellencies, and eminences of the creatures. Whatsoever commends them we\napprehend that originally and infinitely in him, and thus we spell out\nthat name that is most simply one, in many letters and characters,\naccording to our mean capacity, as children when they begin to learn. So\nwe ascribe to him wisdom, goodness, power, justice, holiness, mercy,\ntruth, &c.  All which names being taken from the creatures, and so having\nsignifications suited to our imperfections, they must needs come\ninfinitely short of him, and so our apprehensions of them. These are\nscattered among the creatures, therefore they cause divers conceptions in\nus, but all these are united in him. He is a most simple, pure being, that\neminently and virtually is all things, and properly is none of all.\n\nAnother way we have of apprehending him, by way of negation, denying all\nthe imperfections of the creatures, and removing them at an infinite\ndistance from him. And truly, though this be an imperfection in knowledge,\nyet it is the greatest knowledge we can attain to, to know rather what he\nis not, than what he is. He is not limited to any place, nor bounded with\nany measures and degrees of perfection, as creatures are, therefore we\ncall him infinite. He is not comprehended within the limits of time, but\ncomprehends all within himself, therefore he is eternal. He is not subject\nto changes and alterations, therefore called immutable. He is not\ncompounded, as a result of divers parts, therefore he is most purely\nsimple, and one. He is not like those things we see and hear, that fall\nunder our senses, therefore we call him a Spirit, or a spiritual Being.\nNow, in all these weak endeavours of man, to detain and fix his own spirit\nin the contemplation of God, if he cannot reach the understanding of what\nGod is, yet certainly he will attain this great point of wisdom,\u2014not to be\nignorant of his own ignorance. And truly, my beloved, this is the thing I\nwould have us to learn to know, that the admiration of God in silence is\nthe best expression of him. We would not search into these mysteries, to\nsatisfy our curiosity, but rather compose our hearts to a continual silent\nwondering before him for where our understandings are confounded, and our\nminds overwhelmed with the infiniteness of that glory, so that we can see\nnothing but our ignorance of all this should certainly compose all to\nquiet admiration, for silence and wonder is the proper and natural posture\nof a soul that is at a stand, and can neither get forward for inaccessible\nlight, nor will retire backward, for that it apprehends already.\n\n\u201cThis then is the message, that God is light.\u201d Because we cannot conceive\nin our poor narrow minds what God is in himself, therefore he expresseth\nto us often in similitudes to the creatures, and condescends to our\ncapacity. As he stands in manifold relations to us, so he takes the most\nfamiliar names, that may hold out to our dull senses what we may expect of\nhim.  Therefore he calls himself a Father, a King, a Husband, a Rock, a\nBuckler, and Strong Tower, a Mountain, and whatsoever else they may\nrepresent to our hearts, that which may strengthen them in believing. But\nthere is no creature so directly attributed to God, as light, none used to\nexpress his very nature and being, as abstracted from these relations, but\nthis,\u2014\u201cGod is light,\u201d and Christ takes it to himself\u2014\u201cthe light of the\nworld, and the life of men.\u201d  The truth is, it hath some excellency in it\nabove all other visible creatures, that it may fitly carry some\nresemblance to him. The scripture calls light his garment, Psal. civ. 2.\nAnd truly it is a more glorious robe of Majesty than all the royal and\nimperial robes and garments of state that either angels or men could\ncontrive. The light is, as it were, a visible appearance of the invisible\nGod.  He hath covered his invisible nature with this glorious garment to\nmake himself in a manner visible to man. It is true, that light is but, as\nit were, a shadow of that inaccessible light, umbra Dei. It is the dark\nshadow of God, who is himself infinitely more beautiful and glorious. But\nyet, as to us, it hath greater glory and majesty in it than any creature\nbesides. It is the chief of the works of God, without which the world\nwould be without form, and void. It is the very beauty of the creation,\nthat which gives lustre and amiableness to all that is in it, without\nwhich the pleasantest paradise would become a wilderness, and this\nbeautiful structure, and adorned palace of the world, a loathsome dungeon.\nBesides the admirable beauty of it, it hath a wonderful swift conveyance,\nthroughout the whole world, the upper and lower, in a moment, in the\ntwinkling of an eye. It is carried from the one end of heaven to the other\nin a moment, and who can say by what way the light is parted? Job xxxviii.\n24. Moreover it carries alongst with it a beautiful influence, and a\nrefreshing heat and warmness, which is the very life and subsistence of\nall the creatures below. And so, as there is nothing so beautiful, so,\nnothing so universally and highly profitable. And to all this, add that\nsingular property of it, that it is not capable of infection, it is of\nsuch absolute purity, that it can communicate itself to the dunghill, as\nwell as to the garden, without receiving any mixture from it.  In all the\nimpurities it meets withal, it remains unmixed and untainted, and\npreserves its own nature entire. Now you may perceive, that there is\nnothing visible that is fitter to resemble the invisible God, than this\nglorious, beautiful, pure, and universally communicable creature, light.\n\nHereby you may have shadowed out unto you the nature of God, that he is an\nall knowing, intelligent Being.  As light is the first and principal\nvisible thing yea, that which gives visibility to all things, and so is in\nits own nature a manifestation of all things material and bodily, so God\nis the first object of the understanding\u2014_primum intelligibile, et primum\nintelligens_.  Nothing so fit an emblem of knowledge as light, and truly\nin that respect God is the original light, a pure intellectual light that\nhath in himself the perfect idea and comprehension of all things.  He hath\nanticipated in himself the knowledge of all, because all things were\nformed in his infinite understanding, and lay, as it were, first hid in\nthe bowels of his infinite power. Therefore he is a globe or mass of light\nand knowledge, like the sun, from whom nothing is hid.  Hell and\ndestruction are not covered to him.  There is no opacity, no darkness or\nthickness in the creation, that can terminate or bound this light, or\nhinder his understanding to pierce into it.  Now as all things, by the\nirradiation of the light, become visible so the participation of this\nglorious Sun of righteousness, and the shining of his beams into the souls\nof men, makes them to partake of that heavenly intellectual nature, and\nreflects a wonderful beauty upon them, which is not in the rest of the\nworld.\n\nBesides, here is represented to us the absolute purity and perfection of\nGod\u2019s nature,\u2014\u201cGod is light, and in him is no darkness.\u201d Besides the\npurity of the light of knowledge, there is a purity of the beauty of\nholiness.  The glorious light of God\u2019s virtue, and power, and wisdom, is\ncommunicated to all the creatures.  There is an universal extent of his\ninfluence towards the good and bad, as the sun shines on both and yet\nthere is no spot nor stain upon his holiness or righteousness, from all\nhis intermingling with the creatures, the worst and basest creatures.  All\nhis works are holy and righteous, even his works in unholy and unrighteous\nmen.  He draws no defilement from the basest of the creatures, nor yet\nfrom the sinfulness of it. He can be intimately present and conjoined in\nworking, in virtue and power, in care and providence with the dirt and\nmire of the streets, with the beasts of the field, and yet that is no\nstain upon his honour or credit, as men would suppose it to be, no more\nthan it is a dishonour to the sun to shine on the dunghill.  In a word,\nthere is no mixture of ignorance, darkness, impunity, or iniquity in him\nnot the least shadow of change or turning not the least seed of\nimperfection.  In regard of him, the moon is not clean, and the sun is\nspotted.  In respect of his holiness, angels may be charged with folly.\n\nThen add unto this to make up the resemblance fuller, the bounty and\nbenignity of his influence upon the world, the flowings forth of his\ninfinite goodness, that enrich the whole earth.  Look as the sun is the\ngreatest and most universal benefactor\u2014his influence and heat is the very\nrenovation of the world of the world. It makes all new, and green and\nflourishing, it puts a youth upon the world, and so is the very spring and\nfountain of life to all sublunary things.  How much is that true of the\ntrue light, of the substantial, of whom this sun is but a shadow? He is\nthe life of the world, and the light of men.  Every good gift, and every\nperfect donation descends from him, James i. 17.  His influence is more\nuniversal to the being, to the moving, to the living of all things.  And\nthen Jesus Christ, the Sun of righteousness, is carried about in the orb\nof the gospel, and in his beams there is a healing virtue. These are the\nrefreshments of poor wearied souls, that are scorched with the anger of\nGod. There is an admirable heat and warmness of love and affection that\nthis glorious light carries embosomed in it, and that is it that pierces\ninto souls, and warms hearts, and quickens dead spirits, and puts a new\nface upon all again. This is the spring of all the life that is truly\nspiritual, and it hath as sweet and comfortable effects upon the souls of\nmen who receive the truth in love, the light in love, that is, the light\nwith heat, as ever the sun approaching near the earth hath had upon plants\nand living creatures.\n\nAnd to complete the resemblance more, there may be something of the\ninfallibility and incomprehensibility of the divine Majesty here\nrepresented. For though nothing be clearer than the light yet there is\nnothing in its own nature darker than light that which is so manifest to\nthe eyes, how obscure is it to the understanding! Many debates and\ninquiries have been about it, but yet it is not known what that is, by\nwhich we know all things. Certainly such is the divine light. It is\ninconceivable and inexpressible, therefore is he said to dwell in light\ninaccessible and full of glory, 1 Tim. vi. 16. There is a twofold darkness\nthat hinders us to see God, a darkness of ignorance in us, and a darkness\nof inaccessible light in him. The one is a vail upon our hearts, which\nblinds and darkens the souls of men, that they do not see that which is\nmanifest of God, even in his works. O that cloud of unbelief that is\nspread over our souls, which hinders the glorious rays of that divine\nlight to shine into them! This darkness Satan contributes much to, who is\nthe prince of darkness, 2 Cor. iv. 4. This makes the most part of souls\nlike dungeons within, when the glorious light of the gospel surrounds them\nwithout. This earthliness and carnality of our hearts makes them like the\nearth, receive only the light in the upper and outward superfice, and not\nsuffer it to be transmitted into our hearts to change them. But when it\npleaseth him, who at the first, by a word of power, \u201ccommanded light to\nshine out of darkness,\u201d he can scatter that cloud of ignorance, and draw\naway the vail of unbelief, and can by his power and art, so transform the\nsoul, as to remove its earthly quality, and make it transparent and pure,\nand then the light will shine into the heart, and get free access into the\nsoul. But though this darkness were wholly removed, there is another\ndarkness, that ariseth not from the want of light, but from the excessive\nsuperabundance of light\u2014_caligo lucis nimi\u00e6_,(240) that is, a divine\ndarkness, a darkness of glory, such an infinite excess and superplus of\nlight and glory, above all created capacities, that it dazzles and\nconfounds all mortal or created understandings. We see some shadows of\nthis, if we look up to the clear sun. We are able to see nothing for too\nmuch light. There is such an infinite disproportion here between the eye\nof our mind, and this divine light of glory, that if we curiously pry into\nit, it is rather confounding and astonishing, and therefore it fills the\nsouls of saints with continual silent admiration and adoration.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XI.\n\n\n    1 John i. 5.\u2014\u201cThis then is the message which we have heard of him,\n    and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness\n    at all.\u201d\n\n\nTrue religion consists not only in the knowledge of God, but especially in\nconformity to him, and communion with him. Communion and fellowship with\nGod is the great end and design of the gospel, and it is the great result\nof all a Christian\u2019s pains and progress. It is not only the greatest part\nof religion, but the very reward of religion too, for piety hath its\nreward of happiness in the bosom of it, without borrowing from external\nthings. Now, that which this sweet and fragrant fruit, which perfumes all\nthe soul with delight, and fills it with joy, springs out of, is\nconformity to God. Assimilation of nature and disposition, some likeness\nto God imprinted on the soul again in holy affections and dispositions, a\ncoincidency of our will with the will of God, drowning of it in the sea of\nhis good pleasure, his law in the inward parts. Now what is the root of\nthis conformity, but the knowledge of God? This is that which hath a\nvirtue to transform the soul into his similitude. You see then where true\nreligion begins lowest, and by what means it grows up to the sweet fruit\nof that eternal joy that shall be pressed out of the grapes of fellowship\nwith God. So then, whatsoever is declared of God unto us in his word,\nwhatsoever is holden forth of him, is not only set forth to be the subject\nof our knowledge, but especially to be a pattern for imitation, and to be\nan inflaming motive to our affection. This is the very substance of the\nverse.\n\n\u201cThis then is the message\u201d I declare, \u201cthat God is light,\u201d and this I\nheard not from Christ only, for the satisfaction of my curiosity, nor do I\ndeclare it to you only, that you may know it, as if you had no more to do\nwith it, but especially that ye may know what ye ought to be in conformity\nto that light. The end of your knowing God, is to become liker God, if so\nbe ye would have communion with him.\n\nLet us take this rule, then, to measure all our searchings after God, and\ninquirings into him. Certainly there ought to be more meditation and\ninquiry of heart upon this subject, because it is the spring of all life\nto the soul. It is that which enricheth it most, and fills it with peace,\njoy, and delight, and brings in a treasure into a man\u2019s heart, such as\nChrist speaks of\u2014\u201cA good man out of the good treasure of his heart,\u201d &c.\nMeditation, much meditation on God, a stayedness and fixedness of spirit\nupon him, lays up a treasure in the heart. This is it that makes such a\ndifference between the heart and mouth of a righteous man, and a wicked\nman. The heart of the wicked is little worth, for the total want of this,\nand therefore, their lips and tongues are void of edification, full of\ncorruption. But where this spring floweth within, it maketh the mouth of a\nman like a well of life, it maketh his lips like choice silver. O the\nscantiness and neglect of this amongst Christians makes all to wither and\ndecay! There is little searching after the Almighty, little employing and\nentertaining our spirits about him, how slender and single thoughts and\napprehensions of him, which cannot but cause a _deliqium_(241) and decay\nin all the parts of Christianity, when the very sun is eclipsed from us by\nour ignorance and inconsideration of him and that so long it must have\ndreadful effects upon us. Therefore, let us be exhorted to this study to\ngive our spirits to this employment\u2014to think more on God. But, as I was\nsaying, there is need of a rule to measure us in it, and of some caution\nabout it, that is that we have our end rightly established, what we aim at\nin inquiring after, or meditating upon God. If it be only to give\nentertainment to the curiosity of our minds, as in the contemplation of\nnatural things, if it be only to pry into secrets and mysteries, and to\nlabour to comprehend that which is incomprehensible, then we lose our\nlabour, and we are in danger to meet with a consuming fire, instead of\ninstructing and refreshing light. I would therefore have this guarded\nagainst,\u2014the insatiable desire and greediness of our minds after the\nknowledge of secret mysteries. We may set bounds here, and not overstretch\nor strain our understandings, to compass his infinite Being, as it is in\nitself. Let us rather take him up as he is revealed in the scriptures, and\nso meditate on him as manifested in his word and works, his grace, mercy,\npower, wisdom, &c. and read his name with delight in those large volumes\nspread before our eyes, &c.\n\nNow the just measuring and regulating of all knowledge of God is to direct\nit to a further end to have nothing before us but this, that we may\nreverence, adore, fear, and love him so much the more. And this is the\nthing that maketh access to him most easy and sweet when the design a soul\nhath, in all its searchings about him, is for this purpose, to the end it\nmay love him and worship him more suitably, and be more conformed to him,\nwhen he is looked upon as a pattern of our conformity, that is, the right\napprehension and up taking of him to know that God is light, and so to\nknow it, as in it to behold the necessity of what qualification should be\nin us, that is indeed to know God. My beloved, let us consider that so\nmuch we know of God, as we love him and fear him, and are conformed unto\nhim, for that knowledge, which is not about this work and design, is for\nno other purpose but to be a witness against a man, and the most heinous\naggravation of his sins.\n\nTo come then to the particular in hand, \u201cGod is light,\u201d and that is holden\nout and declared for this end, that there may be a pattern of the\nqualification of all that intend to enter into that society, if ye would\nhave fellowship with God, then consider what you engage into, what manner\nof person he is, for the intimate knowledge of one another is presupposed\nto all constant friendship. You must know then what God is if you would\nhave communion with him, because there is no communion without some\nconformity, and no conformity without knowledge of him. Therefore, as he\nis light, so the soul must be made light in him, and enlightened by him,\nthat would have his society. We must be transformed into that nature, and\nmade children of light, who were children of darkness. Now, as there is a\nlight of understanding and wisdom in God, and a light of holiness and\npurity, so there is in our souls, opposite to these, a darkness of\nignorance and unbelief, and a darkness of sin, and impurity of affections.\nNow, \u201cwhat communion can light have with darkness?\u201d Let every man ask this\nat his own heart, if there be no happiness without this society, and no\npossibility of this society, while I remain in darkness, then is it not\nhigh time to come to the light? This then is the first change that is made\nin a soul, the darkness of ignorance and unbelief is driven out, by the\napproach of that glorious light of the gospel into the heart, then is\ndiscovered unto the soul that deformity of sin, that loathsomeness in\nitself that it never apprehended. Then there is a manifestation of the\nhidden works of darkness, of the desperate wickedness of the heart, which\nlay unobserved and unsuspected all the while. And now a man cannot in that\nview but abhor himself, for that which none else can see in him. And there\nis withal manifested that glorious holiness and purity in God, that\ninviolable righteousness, that omnipotent power, which formerly were never\nseriously thought upon, now these are represented to the life before a\nsinner. And to close up all, there is a manifestation of the grace and\ngoodness of God in Christ, which discovers a way of salvation, and\ndelivery from sin and wrath, and this perfumeth and refresheth all the\nfaculties of the soul. Thus the soul is in a part conformed to that\noriginal light, when a beam is sent from it, and hath pierced into the\nheart, and scattered the darkness that did alienate the minds of men from\nGod. But it is not only an illumination of the foreface, and outer side of\nthe soul, not only a conviction of the judgment in these things, but by\nvirtue of that divine heat that is transmitted with the light of the\ngospel, the soul is purified and cleansed from its grosser nature, and so\nis made transparent, that the light may shine into the very inwards of the\nheart. And this is the special point of conformity to God,\u2014to have our\nsouls purged from the darkness of sinful, earthly, and muddy\naffections,\u2014to have them purified by the light of God, from all the works\nand lusts of darkness, and the shining beauty of holy affections and\ninclinations, to succeed and fill up the vacant room. If knowledge only\nreside in our brains, and send not down warm beams to quicken and inflame\nthe heart, then it is barren and unfruitful, it is cold and unprofitable.\nIf it hover only alone in our heads, and keep a motion there, but send\ndown no refreshing showers to the affections, which may make us abound in\ngood fruits, then it is like the windy clouds, clouds without rain, that\npass away without any benefit to the thirsty ground. Let us then take this\nalong with us, let the impression of this description of the divine\nMajesty abide in our hearts. \u201cGod is light,\u201d and if we often ruminate and\nponder upon this, I think it will make us often to reflect upon ourselves,\nhow we are darkness, and this will breed some carefulness and desire in\nthe soul, how to have this darkness removed, that there may be a soul\ncapable of divine illustration. This is it that advanceth the soul to the\nnearest conformity with God, the looking often upon God, till our souls be\nenlightened and our hearts purified, and this again puts the soul in the\nnearest capacity for that blessed communion with God. \u201cBlessed are the\npure in heart, for they shall see God,\u201d Matt. v. 8. Truly it is not\nprofoundness of ingine,(242) it is not acuteness and sharpness of wit, it\nis not pregnancy in understanding, or eminency in parts, that will dispose\nthe soul to this blessed vision of God, and frame it to a capacity of\nfellowship with him. No, there needs no extraordinary parts for this,\nnothing but that the heart be purified from corruptions, those inward\nearthly qualities, that are like so many vicious and gross humours,\nfilling the organ of the sight, these, pride, conceit, self love, passion,\nanger, malice, envy, strife, covetousness, love of pleasures, ambition,\nthese, I say, that possess the hearts of the most excellent natural\nspirits, cast a mist upon their eyes, and hinder them to see God, or enjoy\nthat delight in him, that some poor, weak, and ignorant creatures, whose\nhearts the Lord had purged from sin, do find in God. Therefore if any of\nyou have an aim at this, to have fellowship with God, know both for your\ndirection and your encouragement, that \u201cGod is light.\u201d For your direction,\nbecause that must be your pattern, and if you have no study that way to be\nlike him in holiness, you shall not see him. But take it likewise for an\nencouragement, for that style carries not only the necessity of what he\nmust be, but it holds out likewise the fountain and storehouse of all our\nqualifications, for \u201cGod is light.\u201d The original, primitive light,\u2014all\nmust borrow of him, and that light is freely and impartially communicable\nto poor sinners \u201cwith thee is the fountain of light, and in thy light\nshall we see light.\u201d Let a soul that apprehends its own darkness and\ndistance from him thus encourage itself. My light is but a beam derived\nfrom his light, and there is no want in him. He is a sun of righteousness.\nIf I shut not up my heart through unwillingness and unbelief, if I desire\nnot to keep my sins, but would be purged from them, then that glorious\nlight may shine without stop and impediment into my heart. He is not only\nlight in his own nature, but he is a light to us, and if he please to\nremove that which is interposed between him and us, it shall be day light\nin our hearts again. Thus a soul may strengthen itself to wait on him, and\nby looking thus up to him, and fixing on him, we shall be enlightened, and\nour faces not be ashamed.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XII.\n\n\n    1 John i. 6.\u2014\u201cIf we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk\n    in darkness, we lie,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThere is nothing in which men suffer themselves to be so easily deceived\nas in this highest concernment of religion, in which the eternal interest\nof their souls lies. There is no delusion either so gross or so universal\nin any other thing, as in this thing, in regard of which all other things\nare nothing. This hath overspread the world, (to speak only of that part\nwhich pretends to Christianity,) a strong, pertinacious, and blind fancy\nof being in Jesus Christ and having interest in salvation. I call it a\nblind and ignorant fancy, for truly ignorance and darkness is the\nstrongest foundation of such conceits. Papists call it the mother of\ndevotion. It is true, in this sense it is the mother of a man\u2019s groundless\ndevotion towards himself, that is, of delusion. This, together with\nself-love, which always hoodwinks the mind, and will not suffer a serious\nimpartial examination of a man\u2019s self, these, I say, are the bottom of\nthis vain persuasion, that possesseth the generality of men. Now, what it\nwants of knowledge, it hath of wilfulness. It is a conceit altogether void\nof reason, but it is so wilful and pertinacious, that it is almost utterly\ninconvincible, and so it puts souls in the most desperate forlorn estate\nthat can be imagined. It makes them, as the apostle speaks, (Eph. v. 6)\n\u03c5\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b1\u03c0\u03b1\u03b8\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1\u03c2 _children of impersuasion_,\u2014it is rendered commonly,\n\u201cchildren of disobedience.\u201d And, indeed, they are joined together. They\nare children of disobedience, carrying the manifest characters of wrath\nupon them, yet they are withal children of impersuasion, incapable of any\npersuasion contrary to these deluding insinuations of their own minds.\nThough they be manifest to all men to be sons of disobedience, living in\nrebellion against God, yet it is not possible to persuade them of it. They\nare as far from conviction of what they are, as reformation to what they\nshould be. Notwithstanding, if men would but give an impartial and\nattentive ear to what the apostle says here, I suppose the very frame of\nhis argument is so convincing, that he could not but leave some\nimpression. If any thing will convince a child of impersuasion, the terms\nhere propounded are finest, \u201cGod is light, and in him is no darkness.\u201d\nHence it follows, by unavoidable consequence, as clear as the light, that\nno man can have fellowship with God that walks in darkness.\n\nThose that delude themselves in this matter are of two kinds. They\ngenerally pretend to Christianity in general, and to an interest in\nsalvation, but if we descend into the chief parts and members of\nChristianity, as holiness, fellowship with God, walking after the Spirit,\nand such like, these they do not so much as pretend to. And withal, they\nthink they have a dispensation from such strictness, and make it a\nsufficient plea that they are not such, because they never professed to be\nsuch. Others again, though fewer, can pretend even to these higher points\nof Christianity, as communion with God, walking after the Spirit, and\nindeed in this they are more consonant to their profession of\nChristianity. But, as the apostle saith, there may be a practical lie in\nit too, if we consider and compare their practice with their profession.\n\nI would speak a word, by way of preparation, to you who are of the first\nsort, that is, the very multitude of professing Christians, because you do\nnot profess so much as others, and do not give out yourselves for the\nstudents of holiness, you think yourselves exempted from the stroke of all\nthis soul piercing doctrine. You think readily it is not pertinent to\napply this to you of walking contrary to your profession, and so\ncommitting this gross lie in not doing the truth. \u201cIf any man say I have\nfellowship with God,\u201d &c. And who will say that, say ye? Who will speak\nsuch a high word of himself as this? Therefore, since you do not presume\nso high, you think you have escaped the censure that follows.\n\nBut, I beseech you, consider what your professions import, and what you\nengage yourselves to even by the general profession of Christianity. I\nknow you will all say you are Christians, and hope to be saved. Now, do ye\nunderstand what is included in that? If any man say that he is a\nChristian, he really says that he hath fellowship with God, if any man say\nhe is a Christian, he says he hath fellowship with Christ, and is partaker\nof his Spirit, for, as the apostle (Rom. viii. 9) declares unto you, \u201cIf\nany have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, that is, he is no\nChristian. For what is it, I pray you, to be a Christian? Is it not to be\na new creature, formed again by the Spirit of Christ?\u201d 2 Cor. v. 17.\nTherefore, in as far as you pretend to be Christians, and yet are not\nprofessors of holiness, and think you have a dispensation from such a\nwalking in God and after Christ, you fall under a twofold contradiction,\nand commit a twofold lie: first, between your profession and practice,\nthen in your profession itself,\u2014your practice is directly cross to the\nvery general profession of Christianity. But besides that, there is a\ncontradiction in the bosom of your profession. You affirm you are\nChristians, and yet refuse the profession of holiness. You say ye hope for\nheaven, and yet do not so much as pretend to godliness and walking\nspiritually. Nay, these you disjoin in your profession, which are really\none, without which the name of Christianity is an empty, vain, and\nridiculous appellation. There must be then a great darkness of\nmisapprehension in your minds, that you take on the name of Christians,\nand will not know what it imports, and therefore in the mean time, you\nprofess that which destroys and annuls your former profession. Now,\ncertainly, this is a grosser lie, a flatter contradiction, than needs much\ninquiry into, to find it out. It is so palpable, that I wonder that these\nvery common and received principles of truth do not use up within to\ntestify against it, for if ye do not own the profession of holiness and\ncommunion with God, what advantage have you then of Christianity? Tell me,\nwhat will it serve you for? Can it save you? Can a bare, empty,\ncontradicted, and blasphemed title save you? And if it do not save you, it\nwill make your condemnation the greater. Let this then first be settled in\nour hearts, and laid down as a principle,\u2014that the most general profession\nof Christianity lays an inviolable bond and obligation upon us, to all\nthat is imported in the particular expressions of a Christian\u2019s nature,\nwalk, and society. Whether we take it so or not, thus it is: to be a\nChristian infolds all that can be said, and if it do not import these, it\nis not true to its own signification nor conformed to Christ\u2019s meaning.\nYou may deprave the world as you please, and deform that holy calling so,\nas it may suit to your carriage, but according to this word, in this\nacceptation of it, you shall be judged, and if your Judge shall in that\ngreat day lay all this great charge upon you, what will it avail you now\nto absolve yourselves in your imaginations, even from the very obligation\nitself?\n\nLet us suppose, then, that you are convicted of this, that Christianity,\nin the most general and common acceptation, is inclusive of fellowship and\ncommunion with God, and that you profess and pretend to both, then let us\napply this just rule of the apostles, to examine the truth and reality of\nsuch a profession. The rule is straight, and so may be a trial both of\nthat which is straight and crooked. _Rectum sui et obliqui index_: And\nhere the application being made, there is a discovery of the falsehood and\ncrookedness of most men\u2019s hearts. This golden rule of examination is a\nrule of proportion, so to speak, or it is founded upon the harmony that\nshould be between profession and practice, words and deeds, and upon that\nconformity should intercede between those that have communion one with\nanother. Now apply these to the generality of Christians, and behold there\nis no harmony and consent between their speaking and walking. Their\ncalling and profession, as Christians, imports communion with God, who is\nthe pure unmixed light, and yet they declare otherwise, that themselves\nare in darkness of ignorance, and walk in the darkness of sin, and so that\ncommunion must be pretended, where there is no conformity and likeness to\nGod intended. The result then of all is this, herein is the greatest lie,\nand most dangerous withal, committed,\u2014it is the greatest lie, because it\ntakes in all a man\u2019s conversation, which all alone makes up one great\nuniversal lie, a lie composed of infinite contrarieties, of innumerable\nparticular lies, for every step, every word, and action, is in its own\nnature contrary to that holy profession, but all combined together, makes\nup a black constellation of lies\u2014one powerful lie against the truth. And,\nbesides, it is not against a particular truth, but against the whole\ncomplex of Christianity. And error is a lie against such a particular\ntruth as it opposeth, but the tract and course of an ignorant ungodly\nconversation is one continued lie against the whole bulk and body of\nChristianity. It is a lie drawn the length of many weeks, months, and\nyears against the whole frame of Christian profession. For there is\nnothing in the calling of a Christian, that is not retracted,\ncontradicted, and reproached by it. Oh! that ye could unbowel your own\nways, and see what a cluster of lies and incongruities is in them, what\nreproaches and calumnies these practical lies cast upon the honour of your\nChristian calling, how they tend of their own nature, to the disgracing of\nthe truth, and the blaspheming of God\u2019s name! These things ye would find,\nif ye would rip up your own hearts and ways, and if you found how great\nthat he is, you could not but fear the danger of it, for it being no less\nthan a denying of Jesus Christ, and a real renunciation of him, it puts\nyou without the refuge of sinners, and is most likely to keep you without\nthe blessed city, for \u201cthere shall in no wise enter therein anything that\ndefileth, or maketh a lie,\u201d Rev. xxi. 27. What shall then become of them\nwhose life all along is but one continued lie?\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIII.\n\n\n    1 John i. 6.\u2014\u201cIf we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk\n    in darkness, we lie,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThat which is the sum of religion, sincerity, and a correspondency between\nprofession and practice, is confirmed by reason, and much strengthened by\nnature itself, so that religion, reason, and nature, conspire in one, to\nhold out the beauty and comeliness of sincerity, and to put a note and\ncharacter of infamy and deformity upon all hypocrisy and deceit,\nespecially in the matters of religion. There is nothing so contrary to\nreligion, as a false appearance, a show of that which is not for religion\nis a most entire and equable thing, like itself, harmonious in all parts\nof it, the same within and without, in expression and action, all\ncorrespondent together. Now, to mar this harmony, and to make it up of\nunequal, dissimilar parts, and to make one part give the lie to the other,\nthe course of a man\u2019s life, in ignorance, negligence, and sin, proclaiming\ncontrary to the profession of Christianity, this is to make religion a\nmonstrous thing, to deny the nature of it, and in our imaginations to\ncontrive an impossible union of inconsistent things. It is a creature made\nup of contradictions, which can have no subsistence in the truth, but only\nin the fancies of deluded souls, one professing Christianity, and so by\nconsequence fellowship with the original light, the Sun of righteousness\nand yet darkness of ignorance possessing the mind, and the heart carried\naway in the ways of the lusts of ignorance, and walking in that darkness.\nThis is a monster in Christianity, one so far misshapen, that the very\noutward form and visage of it doth not remain. But I told you, reason\nconfirms this. For what more suitable to the very natural frame and\nconstitution of a reasonable being, than that the outward man should be\nthe image and expression of the inward, and that they should answer one\nanother as face answers face in the water, that the tongue should be the\ninterpreter of the mind, and the actions of a man\u2019s life the interpreter\nof his tongue? Here is that beautiful proportion, and that pleasing\nharmony, when all these, though different in their own nature, yet conjoin\ntogether, and make up one sweet concord. Now truly, if we take upon us the\nprofession of Christianity, and yet our ordinary and habitual speeches are\ncarnal and earthly, never salted with grace, often poisoned with\nblasphemies, oaths, and cursings, and often defiled with filthy speeches,\nand often intermingled with reproaches of others, if our conversation be\nconformed to the course of the world, according to those lusts that hurry\naway multitudes of mankind to perdition, and look to the heart within, and\nbehold never any labour about the purifying of it from corruption, never\nany mortification of evil affections, and little or no knowledge of the\ntruth, not so much as may let Christ into the soul: this, I say, is as\nunreasonable and absurd, as it is irreligious: It wholly perverts that\nbeautiful order, makes an irreconcilable discord between all the parts in\nman, that neither mind, nor mouth, nor hands, answer one another, nor all\nof them, nor any of them answer that holy calling a man pretends to. Such\na one pretends ordinarily the goodness of his heart towards God, but now\nthe tongue cannot interpret the heart. It is exauctorated out of that\nnatural office, for the ordinary current is contrary to that pretended\ngoodness of the heart, for \u201ca good man, out of the good treasure of his\nheart, sendeth forth good things,\u201d but all these are either evil, or never\nseasoned with that spiritual goodness. Then the ways and actions of a\nman\u2019s life which ought to interpret and expound his professions, these are\nrendered altogether incapable of that. They give no confirmation to them,\nbut rather a manifest contradiction, for what are your multiplied oaths,\ndrunkennesses, fornications, railings, contentions, lyings,\nsabbath-profanations, your woful neglect of prayer in secret, and in your\nfamilies, your continuing in these evils that ever you walked into? What\nare they, I say, but a manifest violation of both religion and reason, and\na clear confirmation that ye are liars, and the truth is not in you?\n\nThere is something even in nature to declare the absurdity and\nunnaturalness of this general discordance between men\u2019s profession and\npractice. Look upon all the creatures, and do they not all with one voice\nproclaim sincerity? Hath not every beast and every bird its own outward\nshape, outward gesture, and voice, and external workings, which declare\nthe inward nature of it? And is not this a staple, known rule in nature,\nthat every thing is known by the effects of it, a lion by his roaring, a\nlark by its singing, a horse by his neighing, and an ox by his lowing? &c.\nAll these speak forth nothing but sincerity, insomuch, that if these marks\nand signs should be confounded, and beasts use them indifferently, all\nhuman knowledge should suddenly fall to nothing, this would put such a\nconfusion both in the world and mankind. O how doth this condemn those who\npretend to this high calling of Christianity! And yet there is no way left\nto discern them by, nothing appearing in them, and ordinarily proceeding\nfrom them, which may give a signification of the inward truth of their\nfellowship with God, but rather that which gives a demonstration of the\nvanity of the pretension. There were no consent in nature, if that were\nnot, neither is there any harmonious agreement in religion, where this\nproportion and correspondence is not kept in a man\u2019s life. The very\nheathens did not account them philosophers, but those that expressed their\ndoctrines in works, as well as words, and truly, the liveliest image of\ntruth is in practice. They commended them that were sparing in words, and\nabundant in deeds, who had short speeches, but long and large discourses\nin their life. And what is this, but that which our Saviour everywhere,\nfrom his own example inculcates upon us? These words are emphatic, to _do\nthe truth_, to _walk in the light_, to _do his words_, to _believe with\nthe heart_, and such like, all which declare, that in so far we have the\ntruth and have fellowship with the Light as it is impressed in the\naffection, and expressed again in the conversation. For the infinite truth\nand the infinite life is one, and the original Light and primitive life\nand love is one too and whoever truly receives the truth and light as it\nis, cannot but receive him as the living truth and life giving Light and\nso be heated and warmed inwardly by his beams, which will certainly cause\nsome stirring and working without. Forasmuch is in nature heat is always\nworking so is the fire of love kindled in the heart, incessant that way\n\u201cFaith worketh by love.\u201d For action is the very life of life, that which\nboth shows it and preserves it.\n\nNow what shall we say, to carry these things home to your hearts?  Where\nshall convincing words be had which may break the hardness of your hearts?\nIt is strange that you are in such a deep dream of delusion, that nothing\ncan awake you out of it. And how little is that in which you have to\nplease yourselves? Some external privileges the temple of the Lord, his\ncovenant and the seals of it, your ordinary hearing the word, and such\nlike. But are there not many things in your hearts and ways that act the\nmost contradictory be to these that can be? For wherefore do we thus meet\ntogether? Do you know an end, or propose any? I scarce believe it of the\nmost part. We come out of custom, and many as by constraint, and with\nlittle or no previous consideration of the great end of this work. And\nwhen ye go forth, what fruit appears?  Your ordinary cultural and civil\ndiscourses succeed, and who is it either bows his knee to pray for the\ndivine blessing or entertains that holy word either in his own meditation,\nor speaks of it to the edification of others? Are you not, the most part\nof you, that ground of which Christ speaks, that lies in \u201cthe way side,\u201d\nand every thing comes and takes the seed up? Do you either listen and\napply your hearts to a presentness in hearing? Or is there any more\naccount of it, than a sound in the ear or any footstep or impression left\nin the heart, more than of the flight of a bird in the air?  And, alas!\nhow many souls are choked and stifled, the truth suffocated in the very\nspringing by the thorns of the cares of this world, and the throng and\nimportunity of businesses, and earthly desires? How many good motions come\nto no maturity by this means? How few of you use to pray in secret and\ndedicate a time for retirement from the world and enjoyment of God? Nay,\nyou think you are not called to it, and if any be induced to it and to\npublic worship in their families yet all the day over is but a flat\ncontradiction to that. What earthly mindedness!  What unholiness of\naffection! What impurity of conversation! What one lust is subdued? What\none sin mortified? Who increaseth more in knowledge of the truth or in\nlove of God? Is it not midnight with the most part of you?  O the darkness\nof the ignorance of your minds, by which you know not that religion you\nprofess, more than lurks who persecute it! And what are the ways to which\nye walk? Are they not such ways as will not come to the light, and hate\nthe light, because it reproves them? John iii. 19, 20, xi. 9, 10. Are they\nnot such in which men stumble, though they seem to walk easily and plainly\nin them?  Yet O that everlasting stumble that is at the end of them, when\nyou shall fall out of one darkness of sin and delusion into another\nextreme, eternal darkness of destruction and damnation! O that fearful\ndungeon and pit of darkness you post into!  Therefore, if you love your\nown souls, be warned. I beseech you be warned to flee from that utter\ndarkness. Be awaked out of your deceiving dreams, and deluding self\nflattering imaginations, and \u201cChrist shall give you light.\u201d The discovery\nof that gross darkness you walked in, in which you did not see whither you\nwent. I say, the clear discerning of what it is, and whither it leads, is\nthe first opening of that light, the first visit of that morning star,\nthat brings salvation.\n\nIf ye will not be convinced of that infinite danger you are in, yet ye are\nnot the further from it. He that walketh in darkness lieth, &c. His strong\nconfidence and persuasion hath a lie, a contradiction in the bosom of it,\nand that will never bottom any true happiness. It is a lie acted by the\nhand, the foot, and all the members, a lie against the holy truth and word\nof God, and the very reproach of the name of Christ; a lie against\nyourselves, and your own professions, a foul-murdering lie, as well as a\nChrist denying lie.  And this lie, as a holy man saith, hath filled\nhouses, cities, families, countries. It hath even overspread the whole\nnation, and filled all with darkness, horror, confusion, trouble, and\nanguish.  Once being a holy nation by profession of a covenant with God,\nand our open, manifest, universal retraction of that, by an unholy,\nungodly, and wicked conversation, this hath brought the sword against a\nhypocritical nation, and this will bring that far greater, incomparably\nmore intolerable day of wrath upon the children of disobedience. Therefore\nlet me exhort all of you, in the name of the Lord, as ye desire to be\nadmitted to that eternally blessed society within the holy city, and not\nto be excluded among those who commit abomination, and make a lie, that ye\nwould henceforth impose this necessity upon yourselves, or know that it is\nlaid upon you by God, to labour to know the will and truth of God, that\nyou may see that light that shines in the gospel, and not only to receive\nit in your minds, but in your hearts by love that so you may endeavour in\nall sincerity the doing of that truth, the conscionable practising of what\nyou know.  And this, as it is a great point of conformity to the light, so\nit will make you capable of more light from God, for he delights to show\nhis liberality, where he hath any acceptance. Be not satisfied, O be not\nsatisfied, with knowing these truths, and discoursing upon them, but make\nthem further your own, by impressing them deeply in your hearts, and\nexpressing them plainly in your ways!  This is \u201cpure religion and\nundefiled,\u201d James i. 27.  And \u201cis not this to know me, saith the Lord?\u201d\nJer. xxii. 16.  Practice is real knowledge, because it is living\nknowledge. It is the very life and soul of Christianity, when there needs\nno more but the intimation of his will to carry the whole man.  This is\nwhat we should all aspire unto, and not satisfy ourselves in our poor\nattainments below this.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIV.\n\n\n    1 John i. 7.\u2014\u201cBut if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,\n    we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ\n    his Son cleanseth us from all sin.\u201d\n\n\nArt is the imitation of nature, and true religion is a divine art, that\nconsists in the imitation of God himself, the author of nature.  Therefore\nit is a more high and transcendent thing, of a sublimer nature than all\nthe arts and sciences among men. Those reach but to some resemblance of\nthe wisdom of God, expressed in his works, but this aspires to an\nimitation of himself in holiness, which is the glory of his name, and so\nto a fellowship with himself.  Therefore there is nothing hath so high a\npattern, or sublime an end.  God himself, who is infinitely above all, is\nthe pattern, and society with God is the end of it and so it cannot\nchoose, but where religion makes a solid impression on a soul.  It must\nexceedingly raise and advance it to the most heroic and noble resolutions\nthat it is capable of, in respect of which elevation of the soul after\nGod, the highest projects, the greatest aspirings, and the most elevating\ndesigns of men, are nothing but low, base, and wretched, having nothing of\ntrue greatness of mind in them, but running in an earthly and sordid\nchannel, infinitely below the poorest soul that is lifted up to God.\n\nSince we have then so high a pattern as God, because he is infinitely\nremoved from us in his own nature, we have him expressed to us under the\nname and notion of light, which makes all things manifest, not only as\ndwelling in inaccessible light, that is in his own incomprehensible,\nineffable essence, even before this light was created, for he is in the\nlight, and was in the light, when there was no sun to give light, because\nhe was in himself environed, so to speak, with the infinite light and\nsplendour of his own understanding, and beauty of his own holiness, and so\ndwelling in an all fulness and self sufficiency of blessedness, not only\nis he thus in the light, but he is a light to poor sinners, the most\ncommunicative Being, that ceaseth not continually to send forth streamings\nof that light and life into dark and dead souls. And therefore he is not\nonly light in himself, but a sun of righteousness, most beneficial in his\ninfluences, most impartial and free in his illumination, and so he is\noften called,\u2014\u201cmy light and my salvation,\u201d our light, \u201ca light to me,\u201d\nPsal. xxvii. 1, Micah vii. 8, Isa. xlii. 6, 7. Now, it is this emission of\nlight from him that first drives away that gross darkness that is over\nsouls, for till then, in the darkness all was hid and covered, nothing\nseen, neither ourselves, nor God, neither the temper of our hearts, nor\nthe course of our ways, nor the end they lead to. But it is the breaking\nin of a beam of that Sun of Righteousness that maketh any such discovery,\nas motes are not seen till the sun shine, though the house be full of\nthem. In darkness there is nothing but confusion and disorder, and light\nonly makes that disorder visible to the soul, to the affecting of the\nheart. Now, when once the soul hath received that light, there is a desire\nkindled in the heart after more of it, as when the eye hath once perceived\nthe sweetness and pleasantness of the light, it opens itself and exposeth\nitself to a fuller reception of more. And so the soul that is once thus\nhappily prevented by the first salutation and visit of that day-spring\nfrom on high, while he is sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death,\n(Luke i. 78, 79) afterwards follows after that light, and desires nothing\nmore than to be imbosomed with it. That tender preventing mercy so draws\nthe heart after it, that it can never be at perfect rest till the night be\nwholly spent, and all the shadows of it removed, and the sun clearly up\nabove the horizon and that is the day of that clear vision of God\u2019s face.\nBut in the mean time, this is the great ambition and endeavour of such an\none, to walk in that light, and this is the very entertainment of that\nfellowship with God. He is already in the light, that is, to say, he is\ntranslated from a state of darkness to light, and endued with the living\nand saving knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. This is his state. He is in\nthe light, one enlightened from above, having his eyes opened to discover\nthe mystery of the iniquity of his own heart, and to see far off, to that\nbottomless pit of misery which his way would lead him to, one who hath by\nthis divine illustration discovered eternal things, and seen things not\nseen, and withal, gotten some knowledge of salvation by the remission of\nsins. Now, such an one, being thus in the light, his duty is, and his\ninfinite dignity besides, to walk in that light, that is, to lead all his\nlife under that eternal light of God, which shines in the word, and to\nbring it all forth in his view, to make our whole course a progressive\nmotion towards heaven, wherein that glorious light shines most gloriously.\nIt is almost all one with that of Paul\u2019s, to have our conversation in\nheaven. For, to walk in the light, is a kind of elevation of our actions,\na raising them up to heaven, to that pure light, for after that and\ntowards that is the soul\u2019s design.\n\nNow to express to you in what it consists, I desire not to branch it forth\nin many particulars, which rather distract the mind than affect the heart.\nOnly you may know, it consists especially in the inward retirements of the\nsoul to God, and the outward shining of that light in our conversation to\nothers. These are the chief parts of it, borrowing from his light, and\nthen lending and imparting it to others, by a holy conversation. Truly, we\nmust needs conceive that the most lively and unmixed partaking of the\nlight of God, and the sweetest society with him, is in the secret\nwithdrawings of the soul from the world, and reposes upon God those little\nintervals, and, as it were, stolen hours of fellowship with God, that are\ntaken from the multitude and throng of our business. These are the fittest\nopportunities of the transforming the soul into his similitude, and of\npurifying it as he is pure, of filling it with divine light and love, for\nthen the heart lies, as it were, perpendicularly under his beams, and is\nopened before him, to give admission and entry to this transforming light,\nand it is the shining of God\u2019s countenance then upon the soul that draws\nit most towards conformity with him, and leaves an impression of light and\nlove upon the soul.\n\nOh! that you were more acquainted with this, this aprication, so to speak,\nthat is, sunning yourselves and warming in the sun, the exposing and\nopening of your hearts frequently in secret, before this sun of\nRighteousness. Now this, if you were acquaint with it, would make your\nlight so to shine before men, as your heavenly Father may be glorified,\nMatt. v. 16,\u2014and that is the walking in that light of God. This makes a\nChristian to come forth, as Moses from the Mount, with his face shining.\nHe comes out from the retired access to God, with a lustre upon his\ncarriage, that may beautify the gospel, and (as one saith well) with the\ntables of the law in both his hands, written in his practice, the light of\nthe law shining in his life. And truly this is the Christian\u2019s diurnal\nmotion in his lower sphere, wherein he carries about that light that is\nderived from the higher light. In all his converse with men, it shines\nfrom him to the glorifying of him that is the Father of lights, walking\nrighteously and soberly, without offence, doing good to all, especially\nthe children of light, extending offices of love and benevolence to every\none, forbearing and forgiving offences, not partaking with other men\u2019s\nsins, and, finally, declaring in word and deed, that we have communion\nwith the fountain of pure light, and one day expect to be translated out\nof this lower orb, where we are so far distant from him, and fixed in the\nhighest of all, where we may have the immediate, full, uninterrupted, and\nclearest aspect of his countenance, which shall then make the description\nthat is here given of God communicable to us, that, as he is light, and in\nhim is no darkness, so we, being fully and perfectly shined upon by him,\nmay be light likewise, without any mixture of darkness, as here it is not.\n\nNow, my beloved in the Lord, this is that we are called unto, to walk thus\nin the light, in the light of obedience and sanctification, and that is\nthe great thing ye would learn to aspire unto, rather than to enjoy the\nlight of consolation. Indeed, I conceive, that which maketh many of us\nwalk in darkness, as is spoken in Isa. i. 10, that is, without comfort,\npeace, and joy, and without clear discerning our interest in God, is,\nbecause we walk in another darkness, that is, of sin and distance from\nGod. The one darkness is introductive of the other; nay, they cannot be\nlong without one another. The dark cloud of bold sinning, and careless\nuncircumspect walking, that cannot but eclipse the light of consolation,\nand fill the soul with some horror, anguish, and confusion. Therefore, if\nye would walk in the light of joy and comfort, O take heed nothing be\ninterposed between God and your souls! You must likewise walk in the light\nof his law, which is as a lamp to the feet, and this light, as the ray,\nbegets that light of comfort, as the splendour, which is the second light\nof the sun. I know it is a disconsolate and sad condition, to walk without\nthe light of the knowledge of our interest in God, but I would earnestly\nrecommend unto you two things to support you, and help you in that. One\nis, that you do not give over the chief point of this society with God,\nthat is, walking in the light of his law and commandments, but that you do\nthe more seriously address yourself to the one, that you want the other.\nCertainly, it ought to be no hinderance of your obedience, and patient\ncontinuing in obedience, that you know not your own interest, and that his\ncountenance shines not so upon you. You know that sweet resolution, \u201cI\nwill wait upon the Lord, who hides his face,\u201d &c. (Isa. viii. 17, Mic.\nvii. 7,) and his own command, Isa. i. 10, Hos. xii. 6. Ye that walk in\nsuch darkness, nevertheless, \u201cstay upon God.\u201d Truly, there could be no\ngreater evidence of thy interest than this,\u2014to give patient attendance\nupon him in the ways of obedience, till he shine forth. This would in due\ntime \u201cbring forth thy righteousness as the light,\u201d if we would not\nsubtract and withdraw ourselves from under the light, because it is\npresently overclouded. Then, moreover, you would know, that all this while\nthat your interest in Christ lies dark and under a cloud, you would then\nbe most in the application of that blood to your souls, most in trusting\nand staying upon the name of God, and his absolute promises. Suppose thou\ndo not as yet know that he is thine, yet dost thou not know that he is\nmade thine by believing in him? And therefore, while it is inevident that\nit is already, thou oughtest so much the more to labour, that what is not\nmay be. Now, if thou canst not apply him to thy soul, as thine own\npossession, yet thou mayest, and so much the more oughtest to apply thy\nsoul to him, and resign and offer thyself to him, as willing to be his\npossession, to be his, and no more thine own. In a word, when thine own\nexperimental feeling of the work of God\u2019s Spirit fails within thee, then\nso much the more insist, and dwell upon the meditation and belief of the\ngeneral promises, which are the proper object of faith, and not of sense.\nAs our own interest is the proper object of sense, and not of faith,\ntherefore the defect in the one needs not redound upon the other. To sum\nup all in one word,\u2014if thou thinkest that thou hast not yet believed in\nChrist, and hast no interest in him, I will not dispute with thee, to\npersuade thee thou art mistaken, for all this debate would be in the dark,\nbecause thou art in darkness. But one thing I would say unto thee,\u2014labour\nto do that which thou wouldest do, which thou must do, if such a case were\ngranted. Suppose it were so, that thou had no interest in him, what\nwouldst thou do then? I am sure thou wouldst say, I would labour by any\nmeans to have him mine. Why then thou knowest that cannot be before\nbelieving, and receiving him on his promises, and not at all but by\nbelieving. Therefore, since that this is it you must at length turn unto,\nsuppose the case were decided, why do you not presently, rather without\nmore wearying yourselves in the greatness of your way, turn in thither, as\nto a place of refuge without further disputing in the business, and so by\nbelieving in Christ and waiting upon him in his ways, you shall put that\nout of question, which debating would make an endless question. The Lord\nmake you wise to know the things that belong to your peace.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XV.\n\n\n    1 John i. 7.\u2014\u201cAnd the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us\n    from all sin.\u201d\n\n\nCan two walk together except they be agreed? As darkness cannot have\nfellowship with light, till it be changed into some conformity to the\nlight, even so there can neither be any fellowship in walking, nor\nconformity in nature, between God and us who are enemies to him by nature,\nunless there be some agreement and reconciliation of the difference. Now,\nhere is that which maketh the atonement,\u2014\u201cThe blood of Jesus his Son\ncleanseth us from all sin.\u201d This is it that takes away the difference\nbetween God and men, and makes reconciliation for us. This blood hath\nquenched the flame of indignation and wrath kindled in heaven against us.\nAnd this alone can quench and extinguish the flames and furies of a\ntormented soul, that is burned up with the apprehension of his anger. All\nother things thou canst apply or cast upon them will be as oil to increase\nthem, whether it be to cool thyself in the shadows of the world\u2019s\ndelights, such a poor shift as the rich glutton would have taken in hell.\nThose drops of cold water that thou canst distil out of the creature will\nnever give any solid ease to thy conscience. Thou mayest abate the fury of\nit, or put it off for a season. Thou who art afraid of hell and wrath,\nmayest procure some short vacancy from those terrors by turning to the\nworld, but certainly they will recur again, and break out in a greater\nfire like a fever that is not diminished, but increased by much drinking\ncold water. Or if thou go about to refresh thyself and satisfy thy\nchallenges by thy own attainments in religion, and by reflection upon thy\nown heart and ways, finding something in thy esteem that may\ncounterbalance thy evils, and so give thee some confidence of God\u2019s\nfavour, those, I say, are but deceitful things, and will never either\nquench the displeasure of God for thy sins, but rather add fuel to it,\nbecause thou justifiest thyself, which is an abomination before him. Nor\nyet will it totally extinguish and put to silence the clamours of thy\nconscience, but, that some day thou shalt be spoiled of all that self\nconfidence and self defence, and find thyself so much the more displeasing\nto God, that thou didst please thyself and undertake to pacify him.\nTherefore, my beloved, let me, above all things, recommend this unto you\nas the prime foundation of all religion, upon which all our peace with\nGod, pardon of sin, and fellowship with God must be built,\u2014that the blood\nof Jesus Christ be applied unto your consciences by believing, and that,\nfirst of all, upon the discovery of your enmity with God, and infinite\ndistance from him, you apply your hearts unto this blood, which is the\natonement\u2014to the reconciling sacrifice, which alone hath virtue and power\nwith God. Do not imagine that any peace can be without this. Would ye walk\nwith God, which is a badge of agreement? Would ye have fellowship with\nGod, which is a fruit of reconciliation? Would ye have pardon of sins, and\nthe particular knowledge of it, which is the greatest effect of\nfavour,\u2014and all this, without and before application of Christ, \u201cwho is\nour peace,\u201d in whom only the Father is well pleased? Will ye seek these,\nand yet depute this point of believing, as if it were possible to attain\nthese without the sprinkling of that blood on the heart, which indeed\ncleanseth it from an evil accusing conscience? If you desire to walk in\nthe light, as he is in the light, why weary ye yourselves in thy ways? Why\ntake ye such a compass of endless and fruitless agitation, and perplexity\nof mind, and will not rather come straightway at it, by the door of Jesus\nChrist? For he is the new and living way into which you must enter, if ye\nwould walk in the light. And the wounds of his side, out of which this\nblood gushed, these open you a way of access to him, because he was\npierced for us. That stream of blood, if ye come to it and follow it all\nalong, it will certainly carry you to the sea of light and love, where you\nhave fellowship with God. And, oh! how much comfort is in it, that there\nis such a stream running all the way of our walking with God\u2014all the way\nof our fellowship! That fountain of Christ\u2019s blood runs not dry but runs\nalong with the believer, for the cleansing of his after pollutions, of his\ndefilements, even in the very light itself. This, then, as it is the first\nfoundation of peace and communion with God, so it is the perpetual\nassurance and confirmation of it, that which first gives boldness, and\nthat alone which still continues boldness in it. It is the first ground,\nand the constant warrant and security of it, without which it would be as\nsoon dissolved as made. If that blood did not run along all this way, to\nwash all his steps, if the way of light and fellowship with God were not\nwatered and refreshed with the continual current of this blood, certainly\nnone could walk in it without being consumed. Therefore it is, that the\nmercy of God, and riches of grace in Christ, hath provided this blood for\nus, both to cleanse the sins of ignorance before believing, and the sins\nof light after believing, that a poor sinner may constantly go on his way,\nand not be broken off from God by his infirmities and escapes in the way.\n\nYou see, then, the gospel runs in these two golden streams\u2014pardon of sin,\nand purity of walking. They run undividedly, all along in one channel, yet\nwithout confusion one with another, as it is reported of some great rivers\nthat run together between the same banks, and yet retain distinct colours\nand natures all the way, till they part. But these streams that glad the\ncity of God never part one from another. The cleansing blood and the\npurifying light, these are the entire and perfect sum of the gospel.\nPurification from sin, the guilt of sin, and the purity of walking in the\nlight flowing from that, make up the full complexion of Christianity,\nwhich are so nearly conjoined together, that if they be divided they cease\nto be, and cannot any of them subsist, save in men\u2019s deluded imagination.\nThe end of washing in the blood of Christ is, that we may come to this\nlight, and have fellowship with it. For the darkness of hell, the utter\ndarkness of the curse of God, which overspreads the unbelieving soul, and\neclipses all the light of God\u2019s countenance from him,\u2014that dark and thick\ncloud of guiltiness, that heap of unrenewed conversation, this, I say,\nmust be removed by the cleansing of the blood of Christ, and then the soul\nis admitted to enjoy that light, and walk in it. And it is removed chiefly\nfor this end, that there may be no impediment in the way of this\nfellowship. This blood cleanseth, that you, being cleansed, may henceforth\nwalk in purity, and there is no purity like that of the light of God\u2019s\ncountenance and commands. And so you are washed in the blood of Christ,\nthat you may walk in the light of God, and take heed that you defile not\nyour garments again. But if so be, (and certainly it will be, considering\nour weakness,) that you defile yourselves again, like foolish children\nwho, after they have washed, run to the puddle again, forgetting that they\nwere cleansed, if either your daily infirmities trouble, or some grosser\npollution defile and waste your conscience, know that this blood runs all\nalong in the same channel of your obligation to holy walking, and is as\nsufficient now as ever, to cleanse you from all sin, from sins of daily\nincursion, and sins of a grosser nature. There is no exception in that\nblood, let there be none in your application to it and apprehension of it.\nNow, this is not to give boldness to any man to sin, or continue in sin,\nbecause of the lengthened use and continued virtue and efficacy of the\nblood of Christ, for if any man draw such a result from it, and improve it\nto the advantage of his flesh, he declares himself to have no portion in\nit, never to have been washed by it. For what soul can in sobriety look\nupon that blood shed by the Son of God, to take away the sins of the\nworld, and find an emboldening to sin from that view? Who can wash and\ncleanse here, and presently think of defilement, but with indignation?\n\nI speak these things the rather, because there is a twofold\nmisapprehension of the gospel among Christians, and on both hands much\ndarkness and stumbling is occasioned. We have poor narrow spirits, and do\nnot take entire truth in its full comprehension, and so we are as unfit\nand unequal discerners of the gospel, and receivers of it, as he that\nwould judge of a sentence by one word, of a book by one page, of a harmony\nby one note, and of the world by one parrel of it. The beauty and harmony\nof things consist in their entire union, and though there should appear\nmany discrepancies and unpleasant discords in several parts, yet all\nunited together, makes up a pleasant concert. Now this is our childish\nfoolishness, that we look upon the gospel only by halves, and this being\nalone seen, begets misapprehensions and mistakes in our minds, for\nordinarily we supply that which we see not with some fancy of our own.\nWhen the blood of Jesus Christ is holden out in its full virtue, in the\nlarge extent of its efficacy, to cleanse all sin, and to make peace with\nGod, and wipe away all transgressions, as if they had never been, the\ngenerality of you never apprehending much your own desperate condition,\nnor conceiving an absolute necessity of a change, you think this is all\nthat is in the gospel, and begin to flatter yourselves, and bless\nyourselves, though you live in the imaginations of your own hearts, and\nnever apprehend the absolute need and inevitable sequel of walking in\npurity after pardon. And, alas! there is something of this sometimes\novertakes the hearts of true believers, in the slight and overly\nconsideration of the mercy of God, and blood of Christ, you do not lay the\nconstraint upon your hearts to a holy conversation. I say, it is not\nbecause you apprehend that blood, that you take more liberty to the flesh,\nbut rather because you too slightly and superficially consider it, and\nthat but the one half of it, without piercing into the proper end of that\ncleansing, which is, that we may walk in purity.\n\nBut, on the other hand, some believing souls, having their desires\nenlarged after more holiness and conformity to God, and apprehending not\nonly the necessity of it, but the beauty and comeliness of it, yet finding\nwithal how infinitely short they come, and how oft their purposes are\nbroken and disappointed, and themselves plunged in the mire of their own\nfilthiness, this doth discourage them, and drives them to such a\ndespondency and dejection of spirit, that they are like to give over the\nway of holiness as desperate. Now, my beloved, for you who look upon the\ngospel by a parcel,(243) and such a parcel as enjoins much upon you, I\nwould earnestly beseech you to open and enlarge your hearts to receive the\nfull body of the truth, to look upon that cleansing blood as well as that\npure light, to consider the perpetual use of the one, until you have fully\nattained the other. Know that the fountain is kept open, and not shut, not\nonly to admit you to come at first, but to give ready access in all after\ndefilements, and there is no word more comprehensive than this here, it\n\u201ccleanseth from all sin.\u201d All thy exceptions, doubts, and difficulties,\nare about some particular sins and circumstances, thy debates run upon\nsome exception. But here is an universal comprehensive word, that excludes\nall exception\u2014no kind of sin, either for quality, or degree, or\ncircumstance, is too great for this blood. And therefore, as you have\nreason to be humbled under your failings, so there is no reason to be\ndiscouraged, but rather to revive your spirits and vigour again in the\nstudy of this walking in the light, knowing that one day we shall be in\nthe light, as he is in it. Nay, take this along with you, as your strength\nand encouragement to your duty, as the greatest provocation to more\npurity,\u2014that there is so constant readiness of pardon in that blood.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVI.\n\n\n    1 John i. 8.\u2014\u201cIf we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,\n    and the truth is not in us.\u201d\n\n\n\u201cThe night is far spent, the day is at hand,\u201d Rom. xiii. 12. This life is\nbut as night, even to the godly. There is some light in it,\u2014some star\nlight, but it is mixed with much darkness of ignorance and sin, and so it\nwill be, till the sun arise, and the morning of their translation to\nheaven come. But though it be called night in one sense, in regard of that\nperfect glorious perpetual day in heaven, yet they are called the children\nof light, and of the day, and are said to walk in the light, and are\nexhorted to walk honestly as in the day, because, though there is a\nmixture of darkness in them, of weakness in their judgments, and impurity\nin their affections, yet they are _nati ad majora_, \u201cborn to greater\nthings,\u201d and aspiring to that perfect day. There is so much light as to\ndiscern these night-monsters, their own corruptions, and Satan\u2019s\ntemptations,\u2014to fight continually against them. They are about this noble\nwork, the purifying themselves from sin and darkness, so that they lie in\nthe middle, between the light of angels and glorified spirits, that hath\nno darkness in it, and the midnight of the rest of the world, who are\nburied in darkness and wickedness, and lie entombed in it, as the word is,\n1 John v. 19, \u201cThe whole world, (\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9) lieth in wickedness: but we know\nthat we are of God,\u201d therefore the apostle subjoins here very seasonably a\ncaution or correction of that which was spoken about the walking in the\nlight, and fellowship with God, which words sound out some perfection,\nand, to our self flattering minds, might possibly suggest some too high\nopinion of ourselves. If we, even we that have fellowship with God, even\nI, the apostle, and you believing Christians, if we say, we have no sin,\nno darkness in us, we do but deceive ourselves, and deny the truth. But\nwho will say that I have no sin? Solomon gives a challenge to all the\nworld, Prov. xx. 9, \u201cWho can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure\nfrom my sin?\u201d And, indeed, there is no man so far a stranger to himself,\nbut if he, in sobriety and calmness, retire into his own heart, the very\nevidence of the impurity of it will extort this confession from him. As it\nuseth to be said of an atheist, he feels that Divine majesty within his\nsecret thoughts and conscience which he denieth with his mouth, and he is\noften forced to tremble at the remembrance of him whom he will not\nconfess.(244) So if there be any so far bewitched and enchanted into so\ngross and impudent a delusion, as to assert his own perfection and vacancy\nfrom sin, and freedom from obligation to any divine command (as this time\nis fruitful of such monsters), yet I dare be bold to say, that in the\nsecret and quiet reflections on themselves, they find that which they will\nnot confess. Inwardly they feel what outwardly they deny, and cannot but\nsometime or other be filled with horror and anguish in their consciences,\nby that inwardly witnessing and checking principle, when God shall give it\nliberty to exercise its power over them. The end of such will be, as of\nprofessed atheists. They pretend the securest contempt and most fearless\ndisregard of God, but then, when he awakes to judgment, or declares\nhimself in something extraordinary, they are subject to the most panic\nfears and terrors, because then there is a party armed within against\nthem, which they had disarmed in security, and kept in chains. So,\nwhensoever such men, of such high pretensions, and sublime professions,\nwho love to speak nothing but mysteries, and presume to such glorious\ndiscoveries of new lights of spiritual mysteries; when these, I say, have\nflattered themselves for a season, in the monstrous exorbitant conceit of\ntheir own perfection, and immunity from sin, and, it may be, deceived some\nothers too, when they have lived some time in this golden dream of\ninnocency, the time will come, either when the mighty hand of God is on\nthem here, or when they must enter eternity, that they shall awake, and\nfind all their iniquities in battle array, mustered by the Lord of hosts,\nin their conscience against themselves, and then they shall be the rarest\nexamples of fear, terror, and unbelief who pretended to the greatest\nconfidence, clearness, and innocency. My beloved, let us establish this as\nan infallible rule, to discern the spirits by, and to know what religion\nis,\u2014if it tend to glorify God, and abase man, to make him more humble, as\nwell as holy,\u2014if it give the true and perfect discovery of God to man, and\nof man to himself,\u2014that is true religion and undefiled. But away with\nthose sublime speculations, those winged and airy mysteries, those\npretensions to high discoveries and new lights, if they do not increase\nthat good old light of \u201chumble walking with thy God\u201d &c. If they tend to\nthe loosing of the obligation of divine commands on thee, if they ravish\nman so high that he seeth not himself any more to be a poor, miserable,\nand darkened creature, certainly that is no fellowship with the pure\nlight, which is not continually the discovery and further manifestation of\nmore sin and darkness in us. For what is a man\u2019s light in the dark night\nof this life, but the clearing light of that darkness that is in man? And\nhis holiness what is it, but the abhorring of himself for that? It is\ntrue, something further is attained than the knowing of this, but it is\nalways so far short of that original pattern that the best way of\nexpressing our conformity to it, is by how much we apprehend our distance\nand deformity from it.\n\nBut, my beloved, this is not all that is here meant, nor must we take it\nso grossly, as if this did only check the open professors of a sinless,\nspotless sanctity. Nay, certainly, there is another way of saying this\nthan by the tongue and many other ways of self deceiving than that gross\none, many more universal and more dangerous, because less discernible.\nThere is something of this that even true believers may fall into, and\nthere is something of it more common to the generality of professed\nChristians.\n\nAmong believers in Christ there is much difference in self judging,\nextreme contrarieties, both between diverse persons and in one and the\nsame, at diverse times. You know that some are kept in the open view of\ntheir own sins and infirmities, and while they aim at holiness they are\nwholly disabled to that worthy endeavour by their discouragements arising\nfrom the apprehension of their own weakness and infinite short coming. Now\nto elevate and strengthen such spirits, that word was seasonally cast in,\n\u201cand the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin,\u201d for it properly\nbelongs to the comfort of such fainting souls, and it is all one as if he\nhad said, up and be doing, and the blood of Christ shall cleanse your evil\ndoings. He goeth not about to persuade them to have better thoughts of\nthemselves, or lower apprehensions of their sins but only to have higher\nand more suitable thoughts of Christ, and the virtue of his blood, and\nthis is the only cure,\u2014not to abate from that low esteem of ourselves, but\nto add to the esteem and grow in the lively apprehension of Christ. I\nwould not counsel you to think yourselves better, but to think better of\nhim, that all your confidence may arise from him.\n\nNow there are others, (and it may be that same person at another time,\u2014for\nthe wind of temptation veers about, and is sometimes in one corner,\nsometimes in an other,\u2014our adversary useth many stratagems, and will seem\nto flee before us, in yielding us the victory over our unbelief, that he\nmay in his flight return and throw some other dart upon us unawares,) when\nthey have attained any fervency of desires, and height of design after\nholiness and walking with God, and this is seconded with any lively\nendeavours, and this confirmed and strengthened with those presences of\nGod, and accesses into the soul, that fill it with some sweetness,\u2014then, I\nsay, they are ready to apprehend too highly of themselves, as if they had\nattained, and to look below upon others with some disdain. Then there is\nnot that present discovery of themselves, that may intermingle humble\nmourning with it, but a kind of unequal measuring their attainments by\ntheir desires, which in all true Christians are exceedingly mounted above\nthemselves. Now, indeed, this is in effect, and really to say, \u201cwe have no\nsin.\u201d Herein is a delusion, a self deceiving fancy, that begets too much\nself pleasing. Let us know where our stance is,(245) infinitely below\neither our duty or our desire, and remind this often, that we may not be\nin hazard to be drunk with self love and self deceit in this particular.\nBesides, are there not many Christians who, having been once illuminated,\nand had some serious exercises in their souls, both of sorrow for sin and\nfear of wrath and comfort by the gospel, and being accustomed to some\ndischarge of religious duties in private and public, sit down here, and\nhave not mind of further progress? They think, if they keep that stance,\nthey are well, and so have few designs or endeavours after more communion\nwith God, or purification from sin. Now this makes them degenerate to\nformality. They wither and become barren, and are exposed by this to many\ntemptations which overcome them. But, my beloved, is not this really and\nindeed to say, \u201cwe have no sin?\u201d Do not your walking and the posture of\nyour spirits import so much, as if you had no sin to wrestle with, no more\nholiness to aspire unto, as if ye had no further race to run to obtain the\ncrown? Do not deceive yourselves, by thinking it sufficient to have so\nmuch honesty and grace, as in your opinion may put you over the black\nline, in irregeneration, as if ye would seek no more than is precisely\nnecessary for salvation. Truly, if ye be so minded, you give a miserable\nhint, that you are not yet translated from the black side of darkness. I\ndo not say that all such are unconverted, but, if you continue thus,\nwithout stirring up yourselves to a daily conversion and renovation, ye do\ntoo much to blot out the evidence of your conversion and at length it may\nprove to some a self destroying deceit, when they shall find themselves\nnot passed over that line that passeth between heaven and hell, which they\nwere studying to find out, only that they might pass so far over it, as\nmight keep their soul and hell asunder, without earnest desires of\nadvancement towards heaven in conformity to God. Now, for the generality\nof professed Christians, though there be none who have that general\nconfession of sin oftener and more readily in their mouths, yet, I\nsuppose, it is easy to demonstrate that there is much of this self deceit\nin them, which declares that the truth is not in them. You know both God\nand man construct(246) of men by their ways, not by their words, and the\nLord may interpret your hearts by their dispositions, and raise a\ncollection of atheism out of all together. \u201cThe fool hath said in his\nheart,\u201d &c. Even so say I, many pretended Christians say in their heart,\n\u201cwe have no sin.\u201d How prove ye that? I seek nothing else to prove it, than\nyour own ordinary clearings and excusings of yourselves. Ye confess ye are\nsinners, and break all the commands, yet come to particulars, and I know\nnot one of twenty that will cordially or seriously take with almost any\nsin. Yea, what you have granted in a general, you retract and deny it in\nall the particulars, which declares both that even that which you seem to\nknow, you are altogether strangers to the real truth of it, and that you\nare over blinded with a fond love of yourselves. I know not to what\npurposes your general acknowledgments are, but to be a mask or shadow to\ndeceive you, to be a blind to hide you from yourselves, since the most\npart of you, whensoever challenged of any particular sin, or inclination\nto it, justify yourselves, and whenever ye are put to a particular\nconfession of your sins, you have all rapt up in such a bundle of\nconfusion, that you never know one sin by another. Certainly, ye deceive\nyourselves, and the truth is not in you.\n\nLet me add, moreover, another instance. Do you not so live, and walk in\nsin so securely, so impenitently, as if you had no sin, no fear of God\u2019s\nwrath? Do not the most part contentedly and peaceably live in so much\nignorance of the gospel, as if they had no need of Christ, and so, by\nconsequence, as if they had no sin? For if you did believe in the heart,\nand indeed consider that your hearts are sinks of iniquity and impurity,\nwould you not think it necessary to apply to the Physician? And would you\nnot then labour to know the Physician, and the gospel, which is the report\nof him? Certainly, inasmuch as you take no pains for the knowledge of a\nSaviour, you declare that you know not your sin, for if ye know the one,\nye could not but search to know the other. What is the voice of most men\u2019s\nwalking? Doth it not proclaim this, that they think there is no sin in\nthem? For if there be sin in you, is there not a curse upon you, and wrath\nbefore you? And if you did really see the one, would you not see the\nother? And did you see it, would it not drive you to more serious\nthoughts? Would it not affright you? Would it not cause you often to\nretire into yourselves, and from the world? And, above all, how precious\nwould the tidings of a Saviour be, that now are common and contemptible?\nWould you not every day wash in that blood? Would the current of\nrepentance dry? But, forasmuch as you are not exercised this way, give no\nthoughts nor time for reconcilement with God, walk without any fear of\nhell, and without any earnest and serious study of changing your ways, and\npurifying your hearts, in a word, though ye confess sin in the general,\nyet your whole carriage of heart and ways declare so much, that you think\nit not a thing much to be feared, or that a man should busy himself about\nit, that a man may live in it, and be well here and hereafter. And is not\nthis to deny the very nature of sin, and to deceive your own souls?\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVII.\n\n\n    1 John i. 9.\u2014\u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to\n    forgive us our sins\u201d, &c.\n\n\nThe current of sin dries not up, but runs constantly while we are in this\nlife. It is true, it is much diminished in a believer, and it runs not in\nsuch an universal flood over the whole man as it is in the unbeliever. Yet\nthere is a living spring of sin within the godly, which is never ceasing\nto drop out pollution and defilement, either upon their whole persons, or,\nat least, to intermingle it with their good actions. Now, there is no\ncomfort for this, but this one that there is another stream of the blood\nof Jesus Christ that never dries up, is never exhausted, never emptied,\nbut flows as full and as free, as clear and fresh as ever it did, and this\nis so great, and of so great virtue, that it is able to swallow up the\nstream of our pollutions, and to take away the daily filth of a believers\nconversation. Now indeed, though the blood of Jesus Christ be of such\ninfinite virtue and efficacy, that it were sufficient to cleanse the sins\nof the whole world, it would be an over ransom for the souls of all men,\nthere is so much worth in it. That flood of guiltiness that hath drowned\nthe world,\u2014this flood of Christ\u2019s blood that gushed out of his side, is of\nsufficient virtue to cleanse it perfectly away. Notwithstanding of this\nabsolute universal sufficiency, yet certain it is, that it is not actually\napplied unto the cleansing of all men\u2019s sins, but yet the most part of men\nare still drowned in the deluge of their own wickedness, and lie entombed\nin darkness; therefore it concerns us to know the way of the application\nof this blood to the cleansing of sinners, and this way is set down in\nthis verse, \u201cIf we confess our sins, he is just to forgive.\u201d There was\nsomething hinted at obscurely in the preceding verse, for when he shows\nthat such as say they have no sin, who either, by the deposition of their\nhearts, or carriage of their ways, do by interpretation say that they want\nsin, such deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them, and so they\nhave no benefit of that blood that cleanseth from all sin. And so it is\nimported here, that though the blood of Christ be fully sufficient to\ncleanse all sin, yet it is not so prostituted and basely spent upon\nsinners, as to be bestowed upon them who do not know their sins, and never\nenter into any serious and impartial examination of themselves. Such,\nthough they say they are sinners, yet never descending into themselves to\nsearch their own hearts and ways, and so never coming to the particular\nknowledge of their sins, and feeling of them, they cannot at all make\napplication of that blood to their own consciences, either seriously or\npertinently. Though the river and fountain of Christ\u2019s blood run by them,\nin the daily preaching of the gospel, yet being destitute of this daily\nself-inspection and self-knowledge, being altogether ignorant of\nthemselves, they can no more wash here than those who never heard of this\nblood. They being strangers to themselves, sets them at as great distance\nand estrangement from the blood of Christ, as if they were wholly\nstrangers to the very preaching of this blood. Let us, then, have this\nfirst established in our hearts,\u2014that there is no cleansing from sin,\nwithout the knowledge of sin, and there is no true knowledge of sin,\nwithout a serious soul examination of sin. These are knit together in\ntheir own nature. For how should our sins be pardoned, when we know\nnothing of them but in a confused generality that can never affect the\nheart? How should our sins not be opened and discovered before the\nholiness of God, when they are always covered unto us, and hid from our\neyes? Certainly, the righteousness and wisdom of God require, that such a\nmonstrous thing, so great an enemy of God\u2019s holiness, be not wholly passed\naway in silence without observation. If we do not observe, he will, for to\nwhat purpose should pardon be so lavished upon them who are not capable of\nknowing what favour and grace is in it? And certainly, that none can know\nwithout the feeling knowledge of the height and heinousness of sin. Now, I\npray you, how should you know your sins, when you will not allow any time\nfor the searching of yourselves? Many cannot say, that ever they did\npurposely and deliberately withdraw from the world, and separate their\nspirits for this business of self examination, and therefore you remain\nperpetually strangers to yourselves, and as great strangers to the power\nand virtue of this blood.\n\nNow, in this verse, he declares it plainly in what way and method sin is\npardoned by this blood. By the former verse, we have so much, that it is\nnecessary we must search and try our ways, that so we may truly know our\nsins, and charge them upon ourselves, and here it is superadded, that we\nmust confess them to him: and the promise is annexed, \u201che is just and\nfaithful to forgive.\u201d Now, this confession of sin is very fitly subjoined,\nboth to that which he declared of that great end of that gospel,\u2014communion\nwith God,\u2014and that which was immediately holden forth of the remaining\nvirtue of Christ\u2019s blood. For might a poor soul say, How shall I come to\npartake of that blessed society? I am a sinner, and so an enemy to God,\nhow shall this enmity be removed? And if the answer be made, \u201cThe blood of\nJesus Christ cleanseth from all sin,\u201d and so maketh access for a sinner to\nenter into this society, yet a question remains, and how shall the virtue\nof that be applied to my soul? It is sufficient, I know, for all, but what\nway may I have the particular benefit of it? Here it is fully satisfied,\n\u201cif we confess our sins, God is just and faithful to forgive.\u201d He lieth\nunder some obligation to pardon us. Now, many of you may think, if this be\nthe way, and these be the terms of pardon, then we hope all shall be\npardoned, for if there be no more but to confess our sins, who will not\nwillingly do that, and who doth not daily do it? As one said, \u201cif it be\nsufficient to accuse, none will be innocent,\u201d _si accusasse sufficiat,\nnemo innocens erit_; so you may think, _si confileri sufficiat, nemo reus\nerit_, \u201cif it be sufficient to confess, none will be guilty.\u201d But, my\nbeloved, let us not deceive ourselves with the present first apprehensions\nof words that occur in this kind. It is true, as ye take confession, there\nis nothing more ordinary, but, if it be taken in the true scripture\nmeaning, and in the realest sense, I fear there is nothing among men so\nextraordinary. I desire you may but consider how you take this word in\nyour dealings with men,\u2014you take it certainly in a more real sense than\nyou use it in religion. If any had done you some great wrong or injury,\nsuppose your servant, or inferior, what acknowledgment would you take from\nhim of his wrong? If he confessed his wrong only in general ambiguous\nterms, if he did it either lightly, or without any sense or sorrow for it,\nif he did withal excuse and extenuate his fault, and never ceased,\nnotwithstanding of all his confession, to do the like wrong when occasion\noffered, would you not think this a mockery, and would it not rather\nprovoke you than pacify you? Now, when you take words in so real and deep\nsignifications in your own matters, what gross delusion is it, that you\ntake them in the slightest and emptiest meaning in those things that\nrelate to God? And I am sure the most part of men\u2019s confessions are of\nthat nature which I have described,\u2014general, ignorant, senseless, without\nany particular view, or lively feeling, of the vileness and loathsomeness\nof sin, and their own hearts. Whenever it comes to particulars, there is a\nmultitude of extenuations and pretences to hide and cover the sin, and\ngenerally men never cease the more from sinning. It puts no stop in their\nrunning, as the horse to the battle. Today they confess it, and tomorrow\nthey act it again with as much delight as before. Now, of this I may say,\n\u201cOffer it to thy governor, and see if he will be pleased with thee,\u201d or\nlet another offer such an acknowledgment of wrong to thee, and see if it\nwill please thee, and if it will not, why deceive ye yourselves with the\noutward visage of things in these matters that are of greatest\nsoul-concernment? Should they not be taken in the most inward and\nsubstantial signification that can be, lest you be deceived with false\nappearances, and, while you give but a shadow of confession, you receive\nbut a shadow of forgiveness, such a thing as will not carry and bear you\nout before God\u2019s tribunal? Therefore we must needs take it thus, that\nconfession of sin is the work of the whole man, and not of the mouth only.\nIt is the heart, tongue, and all that is in a man, joining together to the\nacknowledgment of sin, and God\u2019s righteousness, therefore it includes in\nit, not only a particular knowledge of our offences, and the temper of our\nhearts, but a sensible feeling of the loathsomeness and heinousness of\nthese.  And this is the spring that it flows from,\u2014a broken and contrite\nheart that is bruised under the apprehensions of the weight of guiltiness,\nand is embittered with the sense of the gall of iniquity that possesseth\nthe heart.  Here, then, is the great moment of confession and repentance,\nwhat is the inward fountain it flows from? If the heart be brought to the\ndistinct and clear view of itself and to discern the iniquity and plague\nof it, and so to fall down under the mighty hand of God, and before his\ntribunal, as guilty, as not being able or willing to open his mouth in an\nexcuse or extenuation of sin or to plead for compassion from any\nconsideration in himself, a soul thus placed between iniquities set in\norder and battle array, on the one hand, and the holy law and\nrighteousness of God, on the other hand, the filthiness of the one filling\nwith shame and confusion, and the dreadfulness of the other causing fear\nand trembling, in this posture, I say, for a soul to come and fall at the\nJudge\u2019s feet, and make supplication to him in his Son Christ, thus being\ninwardly pressed to vent and pour out our hearts before him, in the\nconfession of our sins, and to flee unto the city of refuge,\u2014his mercy and\ngrace that is declared in Jesus Christ,\u2014this, I say, is indeed to confess\nour sins, for then confession is an exoneration and disburdening of the\nheart,\u2014it flows from the abundance of the inward contrition of it.  And as\nthis must be the spring of it, so there is another stream that will\ncertainly flow from the ingenuous confession of our sins that is, a\nforsaking of them.  These are the two streams that flow from one head and\nspring the inward fountain of contrition and sorrow for sin there is a\nholy indignation kindled in the heart against sin, and an engagement upon\nsuch a soul, as indeed flees to mercy, to renounce sin, and here is the\ncomplete nature of true repentance.  Solomon joins them, \u201cHe that\nconfesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy,\u201d Prov. xxviii. 13.  And this is\nopposed to covering of sins\u2014for \u201che that covereth his sins shall not\nprosper.\u201d And what is that to cover his sin?  Confessing them in a general\nconfused notion, without any distinct knowledge or sense of any particular\nguiltiness? That is a covering of sins.  Or confessing sin and not\nforsaking of it? That is a covering of sin for to act sin over again with\ncontinual fresh delight and vigour, is to retract our confessions and to\nbury and cover them with the mould of new transgressions.  Now, take this\nunto you, you \u201cshall not prosper.\u201d  What can be said worse?  For you are\nbut in a dream of happiness, and you shall one day be shaken out of it,\nand that fancied pardon shall evanish, and then your sins that you covered\nin this manner, shall be discovered before the Judge or the world, and you\n\u201cshall not stand in judgment.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVIII.\n\n\n    1 John i. 9.\u2014\u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to\n    forgive us our sins,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThe freedom of God\u2019s grace, and the greatness of his wisdom, shine forth\nmost brightly in the dispensation of the gospel, and both of them beautify\nand illustrate one another.  That there is, first, an expiation of sin by\nthe blood of Jesus Christ, that a way is laid down of reconciling the\nworld, and that by the blood of the cross, that peace is purchased and so\npreached unto sinners, as a thing already procured, and now only to be\napplied unto the soul by faith,\u2014herein doth the estimable riches of the\ngrace of God expose itself to the view of angels and men. That the great\nwork of redemption is ended, ere it come to us, and there remains nothing,\nbut to publish it to the world, and invite us to come and receive it, and\nhave a part in it,\u2014all is ready, the feast prepared, and set on the table,\nand there wants nothing but guests to eat of it, and these are daily\ncalled by the gospel to come to this table, which the wisdom of the Father\nhath prepared for us, without either our knowledge or concurrence.\nBesides, the very terms of proposing the gospel, speak forth absolute\nfreedom. What can be more free and easy than this? Christ is sent to die\nfor sinners, and to redeem them from the curse,\u2014only receive him, come to\nhim, and believe in him. He hath undertaken to save, only do you consent\ntoo, and give up your name to him,\u2014ye have nothing to do to satisfy\njustice, or purchase salvation, only be willing that he do it for you, or\nrather acquiesce in that he hath done already, and rest on it. But how\nshall our sins be pardoned, and justice satisfied? Only confess your sins\nto him, and ye are forgiven, not for your confession, but for Christ, only\nacknowledge thine iniquity and wrongs, and he hath taken another way to\nrepair his justice than by thy destruction and condemnation. He is so far\nfrom extending his justice against thee, that he is rather engaged upon\nhis faithfulness and justice to forgive thee, because of his promise.\n\nYet, ye would not conceive so of this manner of proposal of forgiveness\nand salvation, as if the requiring of such a thing as repentance in thee\nwere any derogation from the absoluteness of his grace for it is not\nrequired, either to the point of satisfaction to God\u2019s justice, and\nexpiation of sin, for that is done already upon the cross. Christ was not\noffered to save sinners, he was not sent upon the previous condition of\ntheir repentance nay, \u201cwhile we were yet enemies, Christ died for the\nungodly.\u201d So that to the business of our redemption there was no\nconcurrence upon our part nor influence upon it by our carriage, for he\nconsidered us as sinners, and miserable, and so saved us. And now, to the\nactual application of these preventing mercies,\u2014it is true, it is needful\nin the wise and reasonable dispensation of God, that sinners be brought to\nthe knowledge and sensible acknowledgment of their sin and misery, and so\nbe upon rational inducements of misery within, and mercy without, of\nself-indigency, and Christ\u2019s sufficiency, be drawn unto Jesus Christ, and\nso to a partaking of those purchased privileges of forgiveness of sin,\npeace with God, &c. I say, all this is so far from diminishing a jot of\nthat absolute freedom of grace, that it rather jointly proclaims the\nriches of grace and wisdom both, that repentance should be given to an\nimpenitent sinner, and faith freely bestowed on an unbelieving sinner, and\nwithal, that remission and salvation, together with faith and repentance,\nshould be brought to us by his death, while we were yet enemies,\u2014this doth\ndeclare the most unparalleled bounty and grace that the heart of man can\nimagine, and withal, that remission of sins is joined to confession, and\nsalvation to faith, herein the wisdom of God triumphs, for what way is it\npossible to declare that freedom of grace, to the sensible conviction of a\nsinner, and so to demonstrate it to all men\u2019s consciences, except by\nmaking them return within, to see their own absolute unworthiness,\nvileness, and incorrespondency to such mercies, and so drawing an\nacknowledgment of his grace from the mouths and consciences of all? How\nshall a soul know that rich superabundant grace, if he know not the\nabundance of his sins? How shall he profess the one, except he withal\nconfess the other? Let us imagine an impenitent sinner, continuing in\nrebellion, pardoned and forgiven: and is there any thing more contrary to\ncommon sense and reason, to be in God\u2019s favour, and yet not accepting that\nfavour, to be a friend, and yet an enemy, to have sins forgiven, and yet\nnot known, not confessed? These, I say, sound some plain dissonancy and\ndiscord to our very first apprehensions.  Certainly, this is the way to\ndeclare the glory of his grace, in the hiding and covering of sin, even to\ndiscover sin to the sinner, else if God should hide sin, and it be hid\nwithal from the conscience, both thy sin and God\u2019s grace should be hid and\ncovered, neither the one nor the other would appear.  Take it thus\nthen,\u2014the confession of sin is not for this end, to have any casual\ninfluence upon thy remission, or to procure any more favour and liking\nwith God, but it is simply this, the confession of sin is the most\naccommodate way of the profession and publication of the grace of God in\nthe forgiving of sins. Faith and repentance are not set down as conditions\npre-required on thy part, that may procure salvation or forgiveness, but\nthey are inseparably annexed unto salvation and forgiveness, to the end\nthat they may manifest to our sensible conviction, that grace and freedom\nof grace which shines in forgiveness and salvation.\n\n\u201cHe is just and faithful,\u201d &c.  Herein is the wonder of the grace of God\nincreased, that when we are under an obligation to infinite punishment for\nsin, and bound guilty before his justice, that the \u201cmost great and potent\nLord\u201d who can easily rid himself of all his enemies, and do all his\npleasure in heaven and earth, should come under an obligation to man to\nforgive him his sins.  A strange exchange! Man is standing bound by the\ncords of his own sins over the justice of God,\u2014he is under that insoluble\ntie of guiltiness.  God in the meantime is free, and loosed from the\nobligation of the first covenant, that is, his promise of giving life to\nman.  We have loosed him from that voluntary engagement, and are bound\nunder a curse.  And yet, behold the permutation of grace,\u2014man is loosed\nfrom sin, to which he is bound, and God is bound to forgive sin, to which\nhe was not bound. He enters into a new and voluntary engagement by his\npromise, and gives right to poor creatures to sue and seek forgiveness of\nhim, according to his faithfulness. Yet in this plea, as it becomes us to\nuse confidence, because he gives us ground by his promises, so we should\nseason it with humility, knowing how infinitely free and voluntary his\ncondescension is, being always mindful, that he may in righteousness exact\npunishment of us for sin, rather than we seek forgiveness from him.  And\nyet seek it we ought, because he hath engaged his faithful promise, which\nopportunity to neglect, and not to improve, either through fear or\nsecurity, were as high contempt and disobedience to him, as those sins by\nwhich we offend him.\n\nCertainly, the very name of God, revealed to us or known by nature\u2019s\nlight, those general characters of his name, mercy and goodness, power and\ngreatness, might suffice to so much, as to make us, in the apprehensions\nof our own guiltiness and provocations of his holiness, to look no other\nway than to his own merciful and gracious nature.  Suppose we had nothing\nof a promise from him, by which he is bound, yet, as the very apprehension\nof the general goodness, and unlimited bounty, and original happiness that\nis in God, ought naturally to draw the creature towards him in all its\nwants, to supplicate his fulness, that can supply all necessities, without\nlessening his own abundance, even so, if we did only apprehend that God is\nthe fountain of mercy, and that he is infinitely above us and our\ninjuries, and that all our being and well being eternally consists in his\nsole favour, this, I say, alone considered, might draw us to a pouring out\nour hearts before him, in the acknowledgment of our guiltiness, and\ncasting ourselves upon his mercy, as the term is used in war, when there\nis no quarter promised, and no capitulation made.  It is the last refuge\nof a desperate sinner, to render unto God upon mercy, to resign himself to\nhis free disposal.  Since I cannot but perish, may a soul say, without\nhim, there is no way of escaping from his wrath, I will rather venture,\nand \u201cgo in to the King, and if I perish, I perish.\u201d There is more hope in\nthis way to come to him, than to flee from him.  Perhaps he may show an\nact of absolute sovereign goodness, and be as glorious in passing by an\noffence, as just in punishing it.  Do I not see in man, in whom the divine\nMajesty hath imprinted some characters of conscience and honesty, that it\nis more generous and noble to forgive than to revenge?  And do I not see\ngenerally among men, clemency and compassion are commended above severity\nand rigour, though just, especially towards those who are inferior, weak,\nunable to resist, and have yielded themselves to mercy.  Now, shall I not\nmuch more apprehend that of God which I admire in a sinful man?  Shall not\nthat be most perfect in him which is but a maimed and broken piece of his\nimage in lost man?  Certainly, it is the glory of God to conceal an\noffence as well as to publish it, and he can show as much greatness and\nmajesty in mercy as in justice, therefore I will wholly commit myself to\nhim.  I think a man ought to reason so, from the very natural knowledge he\nhath of God.  But when ye have not only his name and nature published, but\nhis word and promise so often proclaimed, himself come under some tie to\nreceive and accept graciously all sinners that fly in under the shadow of\nhis wings of mercy, then, O with how much persuasion and boldness should\nwe come to him, and lay open our sins before him, who not only may pardon\nthem, and not only is likely to do it, seeing he hath a gracious nature,\nbut certainly will pardon them, cannot but do it, because his faithfulness\nrequireth it! Certainly, he hath superadded his word to his name, his\npromise to his nature, to confirm our faith, and give us ample ground of\nstrong consolation.\n\nThere is another more suitable notion about the justice of God, in\nforgiving sin. It hath some truth in the thing itself, but whether it be\nimported here, I dare not certainly affirm. Some take his faithfulness in\nrelation to his word of promise, and his justice in relation to the price\nand ransom paid by Christ, importing as much as this\u2014whatever sinner comes\nto God in Christ, confessing his own guiltiness in sincerity, and\nsupplicating for pardon, he cannot in justice refuse to give it out unto\nthem, since he hath taken complete satisfaction of Christ. When a sinner\nseeks a discharge of all sin, by virtue of that blood, the Lord is bound\nby his own justice to give it out and to write a free remission to them,\nsince he is fully paid, he cannot but discharge us, and cancel our bonds.\nSo then a poor sinner that desires mercy, and would forsake sin, hath a\ntwofold ground to suit(247) this forgiveness upon\u2014Christ\u2019s blood, and\nGod\u2019s own word, Christ\u2019s purchase and payment, and the Father\u2019s promise,\nhe is just and righteous, and therefore he cannot deny the one, nor yet\ntake two satisfactions, two payments for one debt, and he is faithful, so\nhe cannot but stand to the other, that is, his promise, and thus is\nforgiveness ascertained and assured unto the confessing sinner. If any\nwould take this in relation to confession, as if it reflected upon that\nwhich preceded, and the meaning should be, if any man confess his sin, he\nis just to requite confession with remission,\u2014he cannot in righteousness\ndeny one that deserves it, he is just to return some suitable recompense\nto such a humble confession, this sense were a perverting of the whole\ngospel, and would overturn the foundations of grace. For there is no\nconnection between our confession and his remission but that which the\nabsolute good pleasure of his will hath made, besides, that repentance is\nas free grace given from the exalted Prince, as remission of sins is.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIX.\n\n\n    1 John i. 9, 10.\u2014\u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just\n    to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all\n    unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a\n    liar,\u201d &c.\n\n\nAnd who will not confess their sin, say you? Who doth not confess sins\ndaily, and, therefore, who is not forgiven and pardoned? But stay, and\nconsider the matter again. Take not this upon your first light\napprehensions, which in religion are commonly empty, vain, and\nsuperficial, but search the scriptures, and your own hearts that ye may\nknow what confession means. It may be said of that external custom of\nconfession that many of you have, that the Lord hath not required\nit,\u2014\u201csacrifices and burnt offerings thou wouldest not.\u201d Some external\nsubmissions and confessions, which you take for compensation for sins and\noffences against God,\u2014these, I say, are but abomination to the Lord, but\n\u201ca broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise,\u201d Psal. li.\n16, 17. And, \u201cLo, I come to do thy will, I delight in it,\u201d Psal. xl. 7, 8.\nWhen external profession and confessions are separated from the internal\ncontrition of the heart and godly sorrow for sin, and when both internal\ncontrition and external profession and confession are divided from\nconformity, or study of conformity to God\u2019s will, then they are in no\nbetter acceptance with God than those external sacrifices which God\nrejected, though he had required them, because they were disjoined from\nthe true life of them and spiritual meaning, that is, faith in a mediator,\nand love to obedience. If confession flow not from some contrition of\nheart if there be not some inward spring of this kind, the heart, opened\nand unfolding its very inside before God, breaking in pieces, which makes\nboth pain or sense, and likewise gives the clearer view of the inward\nparts of the heart, and if it be not joined with affection to God\u2019s will\nand law, earnest love to new obedience, it is but a vain, empty, and\ncounterfeit confession, that denies itself. I suppose, a man that\nconfesses sin which he feels not, or forsakes not, in so doing, he\ndeclares that he knows not the nature of sin; he may know that such an\naction is commonly called sin, and, it may be, is ashamed and censured\namong men, and therefore he confesseth it; but while he confesseth it\nwithout sense or feeling, he declares that he takes it not up as sin, hath\nnot found the vileness and loathsomeness of the nature of it nor beheld it\nas it is a violation of the most high Lord\u2019s laws, and a provocation of\nhis glorious holiness. Did a soul view it thus, as it is represented in\nGod\u2019s sight, as it dishonours that glorious Majesty, and hath manifest\nrebellion in it against him, and as it defiles and pollutes our spirits;\nhe could not, I say, thus look upon it, but he would find some inward soul\nabhorrence and displeasance at it, and himself too. How monstrous would it\nmake him in his own sight? It could not but affect the heart, and humble\nit in secret before God; whereas your forced and strained confessions made\nin public, they are merely taken on then, and proceed from no inward\nprinciple. There is no shadow of any soul humiliation, in secret, but as\nsome use to put on sackcloth when they come to make that profession, and\nput it off when they go out, so you put on a habit of confession in\npublic, and put it off you when you go out of the congregation. To be\nmourning before the Lord, in your secret retirements,\u2014that you are\nstrangers to. But I wonder how you should thus mock God, that you will not\nbe as serious and real in confessing as in sinning. Will you sin with the\nwhole man, and confess only with the mouth? Will ye not sin with delight,\nand not confess it with a true sorrow that indeed affects the heart? Now,\ndo you honour God by confessing, when the manner of it declares, that you\nfeel not the bitterness of sin, and conceive not the holiness and\nrighteousness of God, whom you have to do withal? Even so, when you\nconfess sin, which you do not forsake, you in so far declare that you know\nnot sin, what it is you confess, and so, that you have mocked him who will\nnot be mocked; for, what a mockery is it, to confess those faults which we\nhave no solid effectual purpose to reform, to vomit up your sins by\nconfession, that we may with more desire and lust lick up the vomit again,\nand to pretend to wash, for nothing else, but to return to the puddle, and\ndefile again! My brethren, out of the same fountain comes not bitter water\nand sweet; James iii. 11. Since that which ordinarily proceeds from you is\nbitter, unsavoury to God and man, carnal, earthly, and sensual, your ways\nare a displayed banner against God\u2019s will, then lay your account, all your\nprofessions and acknowledgments are of the same nature,\u2014they are but a\nlittle more sugared over, and their inward nature is not changed, is as\nunacceptable to God, as your sins are.\n\nI would give you some characters out of the text, to discover unto you the\nvanity and emptiness of your ordinary confessions. The confession of sin\nmust be particular, universal, perpetual, or constant;\u2014particular, I say,\nfor there are many thousands who confess that they are sinners, and yet do\nnot at all confess their sins; for, to confess sins is to confess their\nown real actual guiltiness, that which they indeed have committed or are\ninclined to do. So the true and sincere confession of a repenting people\nis expressed, 1 Kings viii. 38, \u201cWhat prayer or supplication soever be\nmade by any man, which shall know the plague of his own heart, and spread\nforth his hands, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive every man whose\nheart thou knowest.\u201d Now consider whether or not you be thus acquainted\nwith your own hearts and ways, as to know your particular plague and\npredominant sin. Are you not rather wholly strangers to yourselves,\nespecially the plague of your hearts? There are few that keep so much as a\nrecord or register of their actions done against God\u2019s law, or their\nneglect of his will; and therefore, when you are particularly posed about\nyour sins, or the challenge of sin, you can speak nothing to that, but\nthat you never knew one sin by another; that is, indeed, you never\nobserved your sins, you never knew any sin, but contented yourself with\nthe tradition you received that you were sinners. But if any man be used\nto reflect upon his own ways,\u2014yet generally, the most part of men are\naltogether strangers to their hearts,\u2014if they know any evil of themselves\nit is at most but something done or undone, some commission or omission,\nbut nothing of the inward fountain of sin is discovered. I beseech you,\nthen, do not deceive yourselves with this general acknowledgment that you\nare sinners, while in the meantime your real particular sins are hid from\nyou, and you cannot choose but hide in a generality from God. Certainly,\nyou are far from forgiveness, and that blessedness of which David speaks,\n(Psal. xxxii.) for this belongs to the man \u201cthat hideth not his sins, in\nwhose heart there is no guile.\u201d And this is the plainness and sincerity of\nthe heart, rightly to discern its own plagues, and unfold them to him.\nDavid, no doubt, would at any time have confessed that he was a sinner,\nbut mark how heavy the wrath of God was on him for all that, because he\ncame not to a plain, ingenuous, and humble acknowledgment of his\nparticular sins. \u201cI confessed my sin, and mine iniquity I hid not.\u201d While\nyou confess only in general terms, you confess other\u2019s sins rather than\nyours, but this is it\u2014to descend into our own hearts, and find out our\njust and true accusation, our real debt, to charge ourselves as narrowly\nas we can, that he may discharge us fully, and forgive us freely.\n\nNext, I say, confession must be universal, that is, of all sin, without\npartiality or respect to any sin. I doubt if a man can truly repent of any\nsin, except he in a manner repent of all sin; or truly forsake one sin,\nexcept there be a divorcement of the heart from and forsaking of all sin;\ntherefore the apostle saith, \u201cIf we confess our sins,\u201d not sin simply, but\nsins, taking in all the body and collection of them, for it is opposed to\nthat, \u201cif we say we have no sin,\u201d &c. Then there lies a necessity upon us\nto confess what we have; we have all sin, and so should confess all sins.\nNow, my meaning is not, that it is absolutely necessary that a soul come\nto the particular knowledge and acknowledgment of all his sins, whether of\nignorance or infirmity, nay, that is not possible, for \u201cwho can understand\nhis errors?\u201d saith David, \u201ccleanse thou me from secret sins,\u201d Psal. xix.\n12. There are many sins of ignorance, that we know not to be sins, and\nmany escapes of infirmity, that we do not advert to, which otherwise we\nmight know. Now, I do not impose that burden on a soul, to confess every\nindividual sin of that kind; but this certainly must be,\u2014there must be\nsuch a discovery of the nature of sin, and the loathsomeness of it in\nGod\u2019s sight, and the heinous guilt of it, as may abase and humble the soul\nin his presence, there must be some distincter and clearer view of the\ndispositions and lusts of the heart, than men attain generally unto, and,\nwithal, a discovery of the holy and spiritual meaning of God\u2019s law, which\nmay unfold a multitude of transgressions, that are hid from the world, and\nmake sin to abound in a man\u2019s sight and sense\u2014for when the law enters, sin\nabounds, and to close up this, as there are many sins now discovered unto\nsuch a soul, which lay hid before, the light having shined in upon the\ndarkness, and, above all, the desperate wickedness of the heart is\npresented, so there is no sin known and discerned, but there is an equal\nimpartial sorrow for it, and indignation against it. As a believer hath\nrespect to all God\u2019s commands, and loves to obey them, so the penitent\nsoul hath an impartial hatred of all sin, even the dearest and most\nbeloved idol, and desires unfeignedly to be rid of it. Hence your usual\npublic confessions of sin are wiped out of the number of true and sincere\nconfessions, because you pretend to repent of one sin, and in the\nmeantime, neither do ye know a multitude of other sins that prevail over\nyou, nor do you mourn for them, nor forsake them. Nay, you do not examine\nyourselves that way, to find out the temper of your hearts, or tenor and\ncourse of your ways. You pretend to repent for drunkenness, or such like,\nand yet you are ordinary cursers, swearers, liars, railers, neglecters of\nprayer, profaners of the Sabbath, and such like, and these you do not\nwithal mourn for. In sum, he that mourns only for the sin that men\ncensure, knoweth and confesseth no sin sincerely. If you would indeed\nreturn unto God from some gross evils, you must be divorced in your\naffections from all sin.\n\nThen this confession should be perpetuated and continued as long as we are\nin this life, for that is imported by comparing this verse with those it\nstands between. \u201cIf we say we have no sin, if we say at any time, while we\nare in this life, if we imagine or dream of any such perfection here,\u201d we\nlie. Now, what should we do then, since sin is always lodging in our\nmortal bodies, during this time of necessary abode beside an ill\nneighbour? What should be our exercise? Even this,\u2014confess your sins,\nconfess, I say, as long as you have them, draw out this the length of\nthat. Be continually groaning to him under that body of death, and\nmourning under your daily infirmities and failings. That stream of\ncorruption runs continually\u2014let the stream of your contrition and\nconfession run as incessantly, and there is another stream of Christ\u2019s\nblood, that runs constantly too, to cleanse you. Now, herein is the\ndiscovery of the vanity and deceitfulness of many of your confessions,\npublic and private, the current of them soon dries up, there is no\nperpetuity or constancy in them, no daily humbling or abasing yourselves,\nbut all that is, is by fits and starts upon some transient convictions or\noutward censures and rebukes, and thus men quickly cover and bury their\nsins in oblivion and security and forget what manner of persons they were.\nThey are not under a duly impartial examination of their ways, take notice\nof nothing but some solemn and gross escapes, and these are but a short\ntime under their view.\n\nNow, let me apply a little to the encouragement of poor souls, who being\ninwardly burdened with the weight of their own guiltiness, exoner\nthemselves by confession in his bosom. As you have two suits, and two\ndesires to him,\u2014one, that your sins may be forgiven, another, that they\nmay be subdued, so he hath two solemn engagements and ties to satisfy\nyou,\u2014one to forgive your sins, and another to cleanse you from all\nunrighteousness. The soul that is truly penitent, is not only desirous of\npardon of sin\u2014that is not the chief or only design of such a soul in\napplication to Christ,\u2014but it is withal to be purified from sin and all\nunrighteousness, and to have ungodly lusts cleansed away. And herein is\nthe great application of such an one\u2019s reality,\u2014it will not suffice or\nsatisfy such an one, to be assured of delivery from wrath and\ncondemnation, but he must likewise be redeemed from sin, that it hath no\ndominion over him. He desires to be freed from death, that he may have his\nconscience withal purged \u201cfrom dead works to serve the living God,\u201d Heb.\nix. 14. He would have sin blotted out of an accusing conscience, that it\nmay be purged out of the affections of the heart, and he would have his\nsins washed away, for this end especially, that he may be washed from his\nsins, Rev. i. 5. Now, as this is the great desire and design of such a\nheart, in which there is no guile, to have sin purified and purged out of\nus as well as pardoned, so there is a special tie and obligation upon God\nour Father, by promise, not only to pardon sin, but to purge from sin, not\nonly to cover it with the garment of Christ\u2019s righteousness, and the\nbreadth of his infinite love but also to cleanse it by his Spirit\neffectually applying that blood to the purifying of the heart. Now, where\nGod hath bound himself voluntarily, and out of love, do not ye lose him by\nunbelief, for that will bind you into a prison: but labour to receive\nthose gracious promises, and to take him bound as he offers. Believe, I\nsay that he will both forgive you, and in due time will cleanse your heart\nfrom the love and delight of sin. Believe his promise, and engagement by\npromise to both and this will set a seal to his truth and faithfulness.\nThere is nothing in God to affright a sinner, but his justice, holiness,\nand righteousness, but unto thee who, in the humble confession of thy\nsins, fliest into Jesus Christ, that very thing which did discourage thee,\nmay now encourage and embolden thee to come, for \u201che is just and faithful\nto forgive sins.\u201d His justice being now satisfied, is engaged that way to\nforgive, not to punish.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XX.\n\n\n    1 John i. 10.\u2014\u201cIf we say that we have not sinned, we make him a\n    liar, and his word is not in us.\u201d\n\n\nThere is nothing in which religion more consists than in the true and\nunfeigned knowledge of ourselves. The heathens supposed that sentence,\n\u03b3\u03bd\u03c9\u03b8\u03b9 \u03c3\u03b5\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u201cKnow thyself,\u201d descended from heaven. It was indeed the\nmotto of the wisest and most religious amongst them. But certain it is,\nthat the true and sincere understanding of ourselves descends from \u201cthe\nFather of lights,\u201d and is as great a gift as man is capable of, next to\nthe knowledge of God himself. There is nothing more necessary to man,\neither as a man or as a Christian, either as endowed with reason or\nprofessing religion, than that he should be thoroughly acquainted with\nhimself, his own heart, its dispositions, inclinations, and lusts, his\nways and actions, that while he travels abroad to other creatures and\ncountries, he may not commit so shameful an absurdity, as to be a stranger\nat home, where he ought to be best acquainted. Yet how sad is it, that\nthis which is so absolutely needful and universally profitable, should be\nlying under the manyest difficulties in the attainment of it? So that\nthere is nothing harder, than to bring a man to a perfect understanding of\nhimself:\u2014what a vile, haughty, and base creature he is\u2014how defiled and\ndesperately wicked his nature\u2014how abominable his actions, in a word, what\na compound of darkness and wickedness he is\u2014a heap of defiled dust, and a\nmass of confusion\u2014a sink of impiety and iniquity, even the best of\nmankind, those of the rarest and most refined extraction, take them at\ntheir best estate. Thus they are as sepulchres painted without, and\nputrified within\u2014outwardly adorned, and within all full of rottenness and\ncorruption, \u201cthe imagination of his heart only evil continually.\u201d Now, I\nsay, here is the great business and labour of religion,\u2014to bring a man to\nthe clear discerning of his own nature,\u2014to represent unto him justly his\nown image, as it is painted in the word of God, and presented in the glass\nof the law, and so by such a surprising monstrous appearance, to affect\nhis heart to self abhorrency in dust and ashes and to have this\nrepresentation, however unpleasant, yet most profitable, continually\nobservant to our minds, that we may not forget what manner of persons we\nare. Truly I may say, if there be a perfection in this estate of\nimperfection, herein it consists, and if there be any attainment of a\nChristian, I account this the greatest,\u2014to be truly sensible of himself,\nand vile in his own eyes.\n\nIt was the custom of Philip,(248) king of Macedonia, after he had overcome\nthe famous republic of Greece, to have a young man to salute him first\nevery morning with these words, _Philippe homo es_,\u2014Philip, thou art a\nman, to the end that he might be daily minded of his mortality, and the\nunconstancy of human affairs, lest he should be puffed up with his\nvictory, and this was done before any could have access to speak with him,\nas if it were to season and prepare him for the actions of the day. But O\nhow much more ought a Christian to train up his own heart and accustom it\nthis way, to be his continual remembrancer of himself, to suggest\ncontinually to his mind, and whisper this first into his ear in the\nmorning, and mid day, and evening,\u2014_peccator es_, thou art a sinner, to\nhold our own image continually before us, in prayer and praises, in\nrestraints, in liberties of spirit, in religious actions, and in all our\nordinary conversation, that it might salt and season all our thoughts,\nwords and deeds, and keep them from that ordinary putrefaction and\ncorruption of pride and self conceit, which maketh all our ointment stink.\n\n\u201cIf we say we have no sin, we make him a liar.\u201d Why is this repeated\nagain, but to show unto us, even to you Christians who believe in Christ,\nand are washed in his blood, how hard it is to know ourselves aright? If\nwe speak of the grosser sort of persons, they scarce know any sin, nor the\nnature and vileness of any that they know, therefore they live in security\nand peace, and bless themselves in their own hearts, as if they had no\nsin. For such, I say, I shall only say unto them, that your self deceiving\nis not so subtile, but it may soon be discerned; your lie is gross, and\nquickly seen through. But I would turn myself to you Christians, who are\nin some measure acquainted with yourselves, yet there is something against\nyou from this word. After ye have once got some peace from the challenge\nof sin, and hope of pardon, you many times fall out of acquaintance with\nyourselves. Having attained, by the Lord\u2019s grace, to some restraint of the\nmore visible outbreakings of sin, you have not that occasion to know\nyourselves by, and so you remain strangers to your hearts, and fall into\nbetter liking with yourselves, than the first sight of yourselves\npermitted you. Now, my beloved in the Lord, herein you are to be blamed,\nthat you do not rather go to the fountain, and there behold the streams,\nthan only to behold the fountain in the streams. You ought rather, upon\nthe Lord\u2019s testimony of man, to believe what is in you, before you find\nit, and see it breaking out; and keep this character continually in your\nsight, which will be more powerful to humble you than many outbreakings. I\nthink we should be so well acquainted with our own natures, as to account\nnothing strange to them that we see abroad, but rather think all the\ngrossness and wickedness of men suitable and correspondent to our\nspirits,\u2014to that root of bitterness that is in them. The goodness of God\nin restraining the appearance of that in us, which is within us in\nreality, should rather increase the sense of our own wickedness, than\ndiminish it in our view.\n\nIndeed, self love is that which blinds us, and bemists us in the sight of\nourselves. We look upon ourselves through this false medium, and it\nrepresents all things more beautiful than they are, and therefore the\napostle hath reason to say, \u201cWe deceive ourselves, and we make God a\nliar.\u201d O how much practical self-conceit is there in the application of\ntruth! There are many errors contrary to the truths themselves, and many\ndeceivers and deceived, who spread them, but I believe there are more\nerrors committed by men in the application of truths to their own hearts,\nthan in the contemplation of them, and more self deceiving than deceiving\nof others. It is strange to think, how sound, and clear, and distinct a\nman\u2019s judgment will be against those evils in others, which yet he seeth\nnot in himself, how many Christians will be able to decipher the nature of\nsome vices, and unbowel the evils of them, and be quick-sighted to espy\nthe least appearance of them in another, and to condemn it, and yet so\npartial are they in judging themselves,\u2014self-love so purblinds them in\nthis reflection, that they cannot discern that in themselves, which others\ncannot but discern! How often do men declaim against pride, and\ncovetousness, and self-seeking, and other evils of that kind? They will\npour out a flood of eloquence and zeal against them, and yet it is strange\nthey do not advert, that they are accusing themselves, and impannelling\nthemselves in such discourses, though others, it may be, will easily\nperceive a predominancy of these evils in them. \u201cWho art thou, O man, who\njudgeth another, and doest the same thing? Canst thou escape God\u2019s\njudgment?\u201d Rom. ii. 1. Consider this, O Christian, that thou mayest learn\nto turn the edge of all thy censures and convictions against thyself, that\nthou mayest prevent all men\u2019s judgments of thee, in judging thyself all\nthings that men can judge thee, that is, a chief of sinners, that hath the\nroot of all sin in thee, and so thou mayest anticipate the divine judgment\ntoo, \u201cfor if we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged.\u201d Labour thou to\nknow those evils that are incident to thy nature, before others can know\nthem, that is, in the root and fountain, before they come to the fruit and\nstream, to know sins in the first conceptions of them, before they come to\nsuch productions as are visible, and this shall keep thee humble, and\npreserve thee from much sin, and thou shalt not deceive thyself, nor\ndishonour God, in making him a liar, but rather set to thy seal to this\ntruth, and his word shall abide in thee.\n\nThere is a common rule that we have in judging ourselves, by comparing\nourselves amongst ourselves, which, as Paul saith, \u201cis not wisdom,\u201d 2 Cor.\nx. 12. When we do not measure ourselves by the perfect rule of God\u2019s holy\nword, but parallel ourselves with other persons, who are still defective\nfrom the rule, far further from it than anyone is from another, this is\nthe ordinary method of the judging of self love. We compare with the worst\npersons, and if we be not so bad as they, we think ourselves good. If not\nso ignorant as some are, we presume that we know, if not so profane as\nmany, we believe ourselves religious. \u201cLord, I am not as this publican,\u201d\nso say many in their hearts,\u2014there is a curser, a swearer, a drunkard, a\nblind ignorant soul, that neglects prayer in private and public, and upon\nthese ruins of others\u2019 sins, they build some better estimation of\nthemselves. But, I pray you, what will that avail you, to be unlike them,\nif you be more unlike your pattern than they are unlike you? It must be,\nothers will compare with those that are good, but it is with that which is\nworst in them, and not that which is best. How often do men reckon this\nway,\u2014here is a good man, here is an eminent person, yet he is such and\nsuch, subject to such infirmities, and here self-love flatters itself,\nand, by flattering, deceives itself. My beloved, let us learn to establish\na more perfect rule, which may show all our imperfections. Let our rule\nascend, that our hearts may descend in humility. But when our role and\npattern descends to men of like infirmities, then our pride and self\nconceit ascends, and the higher we be that way in our own account, the\nlower we are indeed, and in God\u2019s account, and the lower we be in\nourselves we lose nothing by it; for, as God is higher in our account, so\nwe are higher in God\u2019s account, according to that standing rule, Matth.\nxxiii. 12, \u201cWhosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he that\nshall humble himself shall be exalted.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXI.\n\n\n    1 John ii. 1.\u2014\u201cMy little children, these things write I unto you,\n    that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the\n    Father,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThe gospel is an entire uniform piece, all the parts of it are interwoven\nthrough other, and interchangeably knit together, so that there can be no\ndividing of it any more than of Christ\u2019s coat that was without seam. If\nyou have it not altogether by the divine lot, you cannot truly have any\npart of it, for they are so knit together, that if you disjoin them, you\ndestroy them, and if they cease to be together, they cease altogether to\nbe. I speak this, because there may be pretensions to some abstracted\nparts of Christianity. One man pretends to faith in Jesus Christ, and\npersuasion of pardon of sin, and in this there may be some secret glorying\narising from that confidence, another may pretend to the study of holiness\nand obedience, and may endeavour something that way to do known duties,\nand abstain from gross sins. Now, I say, if the first do not conjoin the\nstudy of the second, and if the second do not lay down the first as the\nfoundation, both of them embrace a shadow for the thing itself, because\nthey separate those things that God hath joined, and so can have no being\nbut in men\u2019s fancy, when they are not conjoined. He that would pretend to\na righteousness of Christ, without him, must withal study to have the\nrighteousness of the law fulfilled within him, and he that endeavours to\nhave holiness within must withal go out of himself, to seek a\nrighteousness without him, whereupon to build his peace and acceptance\nwith God, or else, neither of them hath truly any righteousness without\nthem, to cover them, or holiness within, to cleanse them. Now, here the\nbeloved apostle shows us this divine contexture of the gospel. The great\nand comprehensive end and design of the gospel is, peace in pardon of sin,\nand purity from sin. \u201cThese things I write unto you, that you sin not,\u201d\n&c. The gospel is comprised in commands and promises, both make one web,\nand link in together. The immediate end of the command is, \u201cthat we sin\nnot,\u201d nay, but there is another thing always either expressly added, or\ntacitly understood\u2014\u201cbut if any man sin,\u201d that desires not to sin, \u201cwe have\nan advocate with the Father.\u201d So the promise comes in as a subsidiary help\nto all the precepts. It is annexed to give security to a poor soul from\ndespair, and therefore the apostle teacheth you a blessed art of\nconstructing all the commands and exhortations of the gospel, those of the\nhighest pitch, by supplying the full sense with this happy and seasonable\ncaution or caveat, \u201cbut if any man sin,\u201d &c. Doth that command, \u201cBe ye\nholy as I am holy,\u201d perfect as your heavenly Father, which sounds so much\nunattainable perfection, and seems to hold forth an inimitable pattern,\ndoth it, I say, discourage thee? Then, use the apostle\u2019s art, add this\ncaution to the command, subjoin this sweet exceptive,\u2014\u201cbut if any man,\u201d\nthat desires to be holy, and gives himself to this study, fail often, and\nfall and defile himself with unholiness, let him not despair, but know,\nthat he hath \u201can advocate with the Father.\u201d If that of Paul\u2019s urge thee,\n\u201cpresent your bodies a living sacrifice,\u2014and be not conformed to the\nworld,\u201d but transformed, and \u201cglorify God in your bodies and spirits,\u201d\nwhich are his, (Rom. xii. 1, 2, 1 Cor. vi. 20,)\u2014and, cleanse yourselves\n\u201cfrom all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,\u201d (2 Cor. vii. 1,)\u2014and, \u201cwalk\nin the Spirit,\u201d and \u201cwalk as children of the light,\u201d &c.,\u2014if these do too\nrigorously exact upon thee, so as to make thee lose thy peace, and weaken\nthy heart and hands, learn to make out a full sentence, and fill up the\nfull sense and meaning of the gospel, according as you see it done here.\nBut if any man,\u2014whose inward heart-desires, and chief designs are toward\nthese things, who would think himself happy in holiness and conformity to\nGod, and estimates his blessedness or misery, from his union or separation\nfrom God,\u2014\u201csin\u201d then \u201cwe have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus\nChrist the righteous,\u201d who hath all that we want, and will not suffer any\naccusation to fasten upon us, as long as he lives \u201cto make intercession\nfor us.\u201d\n\nOn the other hand, take a view of the promises of the gospel. Though the\nimmediate and next end of them is to give peace to troubled souls, and\nsettle us in the high point of our acceptance with God, yet certainly they\nhave a further end, even purity from sin, as well as pardon of sin,\ncleansing from all sin and filthiness as well as covering of filthiness.\n\u201cThese things I write unto you, that ye sin not.\u201d What things? Consider\nwhat goes before, and what follows after, even the publication of the word\nof life, and eternal life in him, the declaration of our fellowship with\nGod in Christ the offering of the blood of Christ, able to cleanse all\nsin, the promise of pardon to the penitent, confession of sin,\u2014all these\nthings I write, \u201cthat ye sin not,\u201d so that this seems to be the ultimate\nend and chief design of the gospel, unto which all tends, unto which all\nwork together. The promises are for peace, and peace is for purity, the\npromises are for faith, and faith is for purifying of the heart, and\nperforming the precepts, so that, all at length returns to this, from\nwhence, while we swerved, all this misery is come upon us. In the\nbeginning it was thus,\u2014man was created to glorify God, by obedience to his\nblessed will, sin interposeth and marreth the whole frame, and from this\nhath a flood of misery flowed in upon us. Well, the gospel comes offering\na Saviour, and forgiveness in him. Thus peace is purchased, pardon\ngranted, the soul is restored unto its primitive condition and state of\nsubordination to God\u2019s will, and so redemption ends where creation began,\nor rather in a more perfect frame of the same kind. The second Adam builds\nwhat the first Adam broke down, and the Son re-creates what the Father in\nthe beginning created, yea, with some addition. In this new edition of\nmankind, all seems new\u2014\u201cnew heavens, and new earth,\u201d and that because the\ncreature that was made old, and defiled with sin, is made new by grace.\nNow, hence you may learn the second part of this lesson that the apostle\nteaches us; as ye ought to correct, as it were, precepts of the gospel, by\nsubjoining promises in this manner, so ye ought to direct promises towards\nthe performance of his precepts, as their chief end. Whensoever you read\nit written, \u201cThe blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin,\u201d\u2014\u201cIf we\nconfess, he is faithful to forgive our sins,\u201d\u2014\u201cGod so loved the world that\nhe gave his Son,\u201d\u2014\u201cHe that believeth hath everlasting life,\u201d &c.\u2014then make\nup the entire sense and meaning after this manner, \u201cThese things are\nwritten that we sin not.\u201d Is there a redemption from wrath published? Is\nthere reconciliation with God preached? And are we beseeched to come and\nhave the benefit of them? Then say, and supply within thine own heart,\nThese things are written, published, and preached, that we may not sin.\nLook to the furthest end of these things, it is, \u201cthat we sin not.\u201d The\nend of things, the scope of writings, and the purpose of actions, is the\nvery measure of them, and so that is the best interpreter of them. The\nscope of scripture is by all accounted the very thread that will lead a\nman right in and out of the labyrinths that are in it. And so it is used\nas the rule of the interpretation in the parts of it. Now, my beloved in\nthe Lord, take here the scope of the whole scriptures, the mark that all\nthe gospel shoots at, \u201cThese things I write unto you, that ye sin not.\u201d\nYou hear, it is true, of pardon of sin, of delivery from wrath, of not\ncoming into condemnation, of covering offences, of blotting them out as a\ncloud, all these you read and hear of, but what do they all aim at? If you\nconsider not that attentively you shall no more understand the plain\ngospel, than you can expound a parable without observing the scope of it.\nDo you think these have no further aim, than to give you peace, and to\nsecure you from fears and terrors, that you may then walk as you list, and\nfollow the guiding of your own hearts? Nay, if you take it so, you totally\nmistake it. If you do not read on, and had all these things written to\nthis end, \u201cthat ye sin not,\u201d you err, not understanding, or\nmisunderstanding, the scriptures.\n\n\u201cThese things I write unto you, little children.\u201d To enforce this the more\nsweetly, he useth this affectionate compellation, \u201clittle children,\u201d for\nin all things affection hath a mighty stroke, almost as much as reason. It\nis the most suitable way to prevail with the spirit of a man, to deal in\nlove and tenderness with it, it speaks more sweetly, and so can have less\nresistance, and therefore works more strongly. It is true, another way of\nterrors threatening, and reproofs, mingled with sharp and heavy words of\nchallenges, may make a great deal of more noise, and yet it hath not such\nvirtue to prevail with a rational soul. The Spirit of the Lord was not in\nthe wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in the still and\ncalm voice which came to Elijah, 1 Kings xix. 11, 12. These suit not the\ngentle, dove-like disposition of the Spirit; and though they be fit to\nrend rocks in pieces, yet they cannot truly break hearts, and make them\ncontrite. The sun will make a man sooner part with his cloak than the\nwind, such is the difference between the warm beams of affection, and the\nboisterous violence of passions or terror. Now, O that there were such a\nspirit in them who preach the gospel, such a fatherly affection, that with\nmuch pity and compassion they might call sinners from the ways of death! O\nthere is no subject, in which a man may have more room for melting\naffections, nothing that will admit of such bowels of compassion as\nthis\u2014the multitude of souls posting to destruction, and so blindfolded\nthat they cannot see it! Here the fountain of tears might be opened to run\nabundantly. The Lord personates a tender hearted father or husband often,\n\u201cOh, why will ye die? Ye have broken my heart with your whorish heart. O\nJerusalem, how oft would I, but thou wouldst not!\u201d When he, who is not\nsubject to human passions, expresseth himself thus, how much more doth it\nbecome us poor creatures to have pity on our fellow-creatures? Should it\nnot press out from us many groans, to see so many perishing, even beside\nsalvation. I wish you would take it so, that the warning you to flee from\nthe wrath to come, is the greatest act of favour and love that can be done\nto you. It becomes us to be solicitous about you, and declare unto you,\nthat you will meet with destruction in those paths in which you walk; that\nthese ways go down to the chambers of death. O that it might be done with\nso much feeling compassion of your misery, as the necessity of it\nrequires! But, why do many of you take it so hard to be thus forewarned,\nand have your danger declared unto you? I guess at the reason of it. You\nare in a distempter as sick children distempered in a fever, who are not\ncapable of discerning their parents\u2019 tender affection, when it crosseth\ntheir own inclinations and ways.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXII.\n\n\n    1 John ii. 1.\u2014\u201cMy little children, these things write I unto you,\n    that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the\n    Father,\u201d, &c.\n\n\nChrist Jesus came by water and by blood, not by water only, but by blood\nalso, and I add, not by blood only but by water also, chap. v. 6. In sin\nthere is the guilt binding over to punishment, and there is the filth or\nspot that defileth the soul in God\u2019s sight. To take away guilt, nothing so\nfit as blood for there is no punishment beyond blood, therefore saith the\napostle, \u201cwithout the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin,\u201d\nHeb. ix. 22, and for the stain and spot, nothing is so suitable as water,\nfor that is generally appointed for cleansing. And some shadow of this the\nheathens had, who had their lustrations in water, and their expiations by\nblood,(249) but more significantly and plainly, the Jews, who had their\npurifications by sprinkling of water, (Num. viii. 7.) and expiations by\nsacrificing of slain beasts. But all these were but evanishing shadows;\nnow the substance is come, Jesus Christ is come in water and blood; in\nwater, to cleanse the spots of the soul, to purify it from all filthiness;\nand in blood, to satisfy for sin, and remove the punishment. You have both\nin these words of the apostle, for he labours to set out unto us the true\nChrist, whole and entire, \u201cthese things I write unto you, that ye sin\nnot.\u201d Here is the proper end of the water\u2014and \u201cif any man sin, we have\nChrist a propitiation for our sins.\u201d Here is the blood\u2014the end of the\nblood is to save us, the end of the water is that we sin not, since we are\nsaved. He came in the blood of expiation, because we had sinned. He came\nin the water of sanctification, that we might not sin. His blood speaks\npeace to the soul, and the water subjoins, \u201cbut let them not return to\nfolly.\u201d His blood cries, \u201cbehold thou art made whole.\u201d And the water\nechoes unto it, \u201csin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee,\u201d John v. 14.\nThese two streams of water and blood, which are appointed for purity and\npardon, run intermingled all along, and so the proper effects of them are\ninterchangeably attributed to either of them; \u201che hath washed us in his\nblood,\u201d (Rev. i. 5; vii. 14.) \u201cand the blood of Christ cleanseth us from\nall sin.\u201d Then, certainly, this blood cannot be without water, it is never\nseparated from it. The proper effect of blood is to cover sin; but because\nthe water runs in that channel, and is conveyed by the blood thither,\ntherefore it doth cleanse sin, as well as cover it.\n\n\u201cThese things I write unto you, that ye sin not.\u201d This then is the design\nof the whole gospel, the great and grand design,\u2014to destroy sin, and save\nthe sinner. There is a treaty of peace made with the sinner, and \u201cChrist\nis the peace-maker.\u201d A tender of life and salvation is made to him, but\nthere is no treaty, no capitulation or composition with sin; out it must\ngo, first out of its dominion, then out of its habitation. It must first\nlose its power, and then its being in a believer. Yea, this is one of the\nchief articles of our peace, not only required of us as our duty, that we\nshould destroy that which cannot but destroy us; for, if any man will\nneeds hug and embrace his sins, and cannot part with them, he must needs\ndie in their embracements, because the council of heaven hath irrevocably\npassed a fatal sentence against sin, as the only thing that in all the\ncreation hath the most perfect opposition to his blessed will, and\ncontrariety to his holy nature,\u2014but also, and especially, as the great\nstipulation and promise upon his part, \u201cto redeem us from all our\niniquities, and purify us to himself, a people zealous of good works;\u201d and\nnot only to redeem us from hell, and deliver us from wrath, Tit. ii. 14.\nHe hath undertaken this great work, to compesce (250) this mutiny and\nrebellion that was raised up in the creation by sin, else what peace could\nbe between God and us, as long as his enemy and ours dwelt in our bosom,\nand we at peace with it.\n\nNow, take a short view of these things that are written in the preceding\nchapter, and you shall see that the harmonious voice of all that is in the\ngospel, is this, \u201cthat we sin not.\u201d Let me say further, as \u201cthese things\nare written that we sin not,\u201d so all things are done \u201cthat we sin not.\u201d\nTake all the whole work of creation, of providence, of redemption,\u2014all of\nthem speak one language, \u201cthat we sin not.\u201d \u201cDay unto day uttereth speech,\nand night unto night showeth knowledge: there is no speech or language\nwhere their voice is not heard,\u201d Psalm xix. 2, 3. And, as in that place,\ntheir voice proclaims the glory, majesty, and goodness of God, so they,\nwith the same sound, proclaim and declare, that we should not sin against\nsuch a God, so great, and so good. All that we see suggests and insinuates\nthis unto our hearts; all that we hear whispers this unto our ears, \u201cthat\nwe sin not, that he made us, and not we ourselves, and that we are the\nvery work of his hands.\u201d This speaks our absolute and essential dependence\non him, and therefore proclaims with a loud voice, that sin, which would\ncut off this subordination, and loose from this dependence upon his holy\nwill, is a monstrous, unnatural thing. Take all his mercies towards us,\nwhether general or particular, the transcendent abundance of his infinite\ngoodness in the earth, that river of his riches that runs through it, to\nwater every man, and bring supply to his doors, that infinite variety that\nis in heaven and earth, and all of them of equal birth-right with man; yet\nby the law of our Maker, a yoke of subjection and service to man is\nimposed upon them, so that man is, in a manner, set in the centre of all,\nto the end, that all the several qualifications and perfections that are\nin every creature, may concentre and meet together in him, and flow\ntowards him. Look upon all his particular acts of care and favour towards\nthee, consider his judgments upon the world, upon the nation, or thine own\nperson. Put to thine ear, and hear. This is the joint harmonious melody,\nthis is the proclamation of all, \u201cthat we sin not,\u201d that we sin not\nagainst so good a God, and so great a God. That were wickedness, this were\nmadness. If he wound, it is \u201cthat we sin not:\u201d if he heal again, it is\n\u201cthat we sin not.\u201d Doth he kill? It is \u201cthat we sin not!\u201d Doth he make\nalive? It is for the same end. Doth he shut up and restrain our liberty,\neither by bondage, or sickness, or other afflictions? Why, he means \u201cthat\nwe sin not.\u201d Doth he open again? He means the same thing, \u201cthat we sin no\nmore, lest a worse thing befall us.\u201d Doth he make many to fall in battle,\nand turn the fury of that upon us? The voice of it is, that you who are\nleft behind should \u201csin no more.\u201d Is there severity towards others, and\ntowards you clemency? O the loud voice of that is, \u201csin not!\u201d But alas,\nthe result of all is, that which is written, Psal. lxxviii.\n32.\u2014\u201cNevertheless they sinned still.\u201d In the midst of so many concurring\ntestimonies, in the very throng of all the sounds and voices that all the\nworks of God utter, in the very hearing of these, nevertheless to sin\nstill, and not to return and inquire early after God,\u2014this is the plague\nand judgment of the nation.\n\nBut let us return to the words, \u201cthese things,\u201d &c. \u201cThat which is written\nof the word of life, that which was from the beginning, and was manifested\nunto us,\u201d that is written \u201cthat we sin not:\u201d For, saith this same apostle,\nchap. iii. 5, 8, \u201cAnd ye know that he was manifested to take away our\nsins, and in him is no sin;\u201d yea, for this very purpose, saith he, \u201cthat\nhe might destroy the works of the devil.\u201d Now, this is the great business,\nthat drew the Son out of the Father\u2019s bosom,\u2014to destroy the arch-enemy and\ncapital rebel, sin, which, as to man, is a work of Satan\u2019s, because it\nfirst entered in man by the devil\u2019s suggestion and counsel. All that\nmisery and ruin, all those works of darkness and death, that Satan had by\nhis malice and policy wrought upon and in poor mankind, Jesus was\nmanifested in the flesh without sin, to destroy and take away sin out of\nour flesh, and to abolish and destroy Satan\u2019s work, which he had builded\nupon the ruins of God\u2019s work, of the image of God, and to repair and renew\nthat first blessed work of God in man, Eph. iv. 23, 24.\n\nNow, O how cogent and persuading is this; one so high, come down so low,\none dwelling in inaccessible glory, manifested in the flesh, in the\ninfirmity and weakness of it, to this very purpose, to repair the\ncreation, to make up the breaches of it, to destroy sin, and save the\nsinner! What force is in this to persuade a soul that truly believes it,\n\u201cnot to sin!\u201d For, may he think within himself, shall I save that which\nChrist came to destroy, shall I entertain and maintain that which he came\nto take away, and do what in me lies to frustrate the great end of his\nglorious and wonderful descent from heaven? Shall I join hands, and\nassociate with my lusts, and war for them, \u201cwhich war against my soul,\u201d\nand him that would save my soul?   Nay, let us conclude, my beloved,\nwithin our own hearts,\u2014Is the Word and Prince of life manifested from\nheaven, and come to mar and unmake that work of Satan, that he may rescue\nme from under his tyranny?  Then God forbid that I should help Satan to\nbuild up that which my Saviour is casting down, and to make a prison for\nmyself, and cords to bind me in it for everlasting.  Nay, will a believing\nsoul say, rather let me be a worker together with Christ.  Though faintly,\nyet I resolve to wrestle with him, to pull down all the strongholds that\nSatan keeps in my nature, and so to congratulate and consent to him, who\nis the avenger and assertor of my liberty.\n\nThen consider the greatest end and furthest design of the gospel, how it\nis inseparably chained and linked into this, \u201cthat we sin not.\u201d  We are\ncalled to fellowship with the Father and the Son, and herein is his glory\nand our happiness.  Now, this proclaims with a loud voice, \u201cthat we sin\nnot,\u201d for, what more contrary to that design of union and communion with\nGod, than to sin, which disunites and discommunicates the soul from God.\nThe nature of sin you know, is the transgression of his law, and so it is\nthe very just opposition of the creatures will to the will of him that\nmade it. Now, how do ye imagine that this can consist with true friendship\nand fellowship, which looseth that conjunction of wills and affections,\nwhich is the bond of true friendship, and the ground of fellowship?  _Idem\nvelle atque idem nolle, h\u00e6c demum vera amicitia est._(251) The conspiracy\nof our desires and delights in one point with God\u2019s, this sweet\ncoincidency makes our communion, and what communion then can there be with\nGod, when that which his soul abhors is your delight, and his delight is\nnot your desire?  \u201cWhat communion hath light with darkness?\u201d  Sin is\ndarkness.  All sin but especially sin entertained and maintained, sin that\nhath the full consent of the heart, and carrieth the whole man after it,\nthat is Egyptian darkness, an universal darkness over the soul.  This\nbeing interposed between God and the soul, breaks off communion, eclipses\nthat soul totally.  Therefore, my beloved, if you do believe that you are\ncalled unto this high dignity of fellowship with God, and if your souls be\nstirred with some holy ambition after it, consider that \u201cthese things are\nwritten that ye sin not.\u201d  Consider what baseness is in it, for one that\nhath such a noble design, as fellowship with the Highest, to debase his\nsoul so far and so low, as to serve sinful and fleshly lusts.  There is a\nvileness and wretchedness in the service of sin, that any soul, truly and\nnobly principled, cannot but look upon it with indignation, because he can\nbehold nothing but indignity in it.  \u201cShall I who am a ruler,\u201d saith\nNehemiah, \u201cshall such a man as I flee?  and who is there that being as I\nam, would flee?\u201d Neh. vi. 11.  A Christian hath more reason.  Shall such a\nman as I, who am born again to such a hope, and called to such a high\ndignity, shall I, who aim and aspire so high as fellowship with God,\ndebase and degrade myself with the vilest servitude? Shall I defile in\nthat puddle again, till my own clothes abhor me, who aim at so pure and so\nholy a society? Shall I yoke in myself with drunkards, liars, swearers,\nand other slaves of sin? Shall I rank myself thus, and conform myself to\nthe world, seeing there is a noble and glorious society to incorporate\nwith, the King of kings to converse with daily? Alas, what are these worms\nthat sit on thrones to him?  But far more, how base are these companions\nin iniquity, your pot companions? &c.  And what a vile society is it like\nthat of the bottomless pit, where devils are linked together in chains?\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXIII.\n\n\n    1 John ii. 1.\u2014\u201cMy little children, these things write I unto you,\n    that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the\n    Father,\u201d &c.\n\n\nIn the gospel we have the most perfect provision against both these\nextremities, that souls are ready to run upon, the rock of desperate\ndistrust, and the quicksands of presumptuous wantonness.  It may be said\nto be a well-ordered covenant in all things, that hath caveated and\ncautioned the whole matter of our salvation, in such a way, that there is\nneither place for discouragement and downcasting, nor yet room for liberty\nin sin. There is no exemption from the obligation of God\u2019s holy law, and\nyet there is pardon for the breach of it, and exemption from the curse.\nThere is no peace, no capitulation with sin, and yet there is peace\nconcluded with the sinner, who is, by that agreement, bound to fall out\nwith sin.  There is no dispensation for sin, and from the perfection of\nholiness, and yet there is an advocation for the sinner, who aims and\nstudies after it. So that, in sum, the whole gospel is comprised in\nthis,\u2014\u201che speaks peace to his saint, but let them not return to folly;\nthou art made whole, sin no more.\u201d All that is in the gospel saith this,\n\u201cthat thou shouldst sin no more.\u201d But because sin is necessarily incident,\ntherefore all that is in the gospel speaks this further,\u2014though ye be\nsurprised in sin, yet believe, and this is the round in which a believer\nis to walk,\u2014to turn from pardon to purity, and from pollution again to\npardon, for these voices and sounds are interchanged continually. If ye\nhave sinned, believe in Christ the advocate and sacrifice, and, because ye\nhave believed, sin not, but if ye be overtaken in sin, yet believe. And as\nthis is daily renewed, so the soul\u2019s study and endeavour in them, should\nbe daily renewed too. If ye have sinned, despair not, if ye be pardoned,\nyet presume not. After sin there is hope, it is true, because \u201cthere is\nforgiveness with him,\u201d but after forgiveness, there must be fear to offend\nhis goodness, for there is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared,\nPsal. cxxx. 4 And this is the situation I would desire my soul in,\u2014to be\nplaced between hope of his mercy and fear of sin, the faith of his favour\nand the hatred of sin, which he will not favour, and how happy were a soul\nto be confined within these, and kept captive to its true liberty.\n\nI spake a little before, how those fundamental truths that are set down\nbefore, do all aim at this one mark, \u201cthat we sin not,\u201d now I proceed.\nThat declaration what God is, verse 5, is expressly directed to this\npurpose and applied, verse 6\u2014\u201cGod is light,\u201d and therefore \u201csin not,\u201d for\nsin is darkness, \u201che is light,\u201d for purity and beauty of holiness, and\nperfection of knowledge,\u2014that true light in which is no darkness,\u2014that\nunmixed light, all homogeneous to itself,\u2014therefore \u201csin not,\u201d for that is\na work of the night, and of the darkness, that proceeds from the blindness\nand estrangement of your minds, and ignorance of your hearts, and it\ncannot but prepare and fit you for those everlasting chains of darkness.\nCall God what you will, name all his names, styles, and titles, spell all\nthe characters of it, and still you may find it written at every one of\nthem, \u201csin not.\u201d Is he light? Then sin not. Is he life? Then sin not, for\nsin will separate you from his light and life, sin will darken your souls\nand kill them. Is he love? Then sin not. \u201cGod is love,\u201d saith John, O then\nsin not against love! Hatred of any good thing is deformed; but the hatred\nof the beautiful image of the original love, that is monstrous. \u201cGod is\nlove,\u201d and in his love is your life and light, then to sin against him is\nnot simple disobedience, nor is it only grosser rebellion, but it hath\nthat abominable stain of ingratitude in it. Do you read, that it is\nwritten, \u201che is holy?\u201d Then sin not, for this is most repugnant to his\nholiness,\u2014\u201chis holy eyes cannot see it.\u201d Therefore, if thou wouldst have\nhim look upon thee with favour, thou must not look upon sin with favour,\nor entertain it with delight. Is it written, that he is great and\npowerful?\u2014Then sin not\u2014that were madness. Is it written, that he is good\nand gracious? Then it is written, that ye sin not, for that were\nwickedness, it were an unspeakable folly and madness, to offend so great a\nGod, that can so easily avenge himself; and it were abominable\nperverseness, and wickedness, to sin against so good and gracious a God,\nwho, though he may avenge himself, yet offers pardon and peace, and\nbeseecheth us to accept it. Is he just? Then sin not, for \u201che will not\nacquit the wicked nor hold them guiltless,\u201d\u2014them who do acquit themselves,\nand yet hold by their sins. And is he merciful? Then, O then, sin not,\nbecause he hath acquitted thee, because he is ready to blot out thy guilt!\nWilt thou sin against mercy that must save thee? Again, is it written,\nthat the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin? That is written,\nthat ye sin not. It is true, it is written, because ye have sinned\nalready, that ye may know how it may be pardoned. But, moreover, it is\nwritten, \u201cthat ye sin no more,\u201d that so more sin may be prevented, at\nleast, deliberate continued  walking in sin. So that this blood hath a\ntwofold virtue and use, to be the greatest encouragement to a soul\ntroubled for sin, and the chiefest argument and inducement for a soul not\nto sin. This medicine, or this plaster, hath two notable virtues,\nrestorative and preservative, to restore the bones that already are\nbroken, through falling in sin and to preserve our feet from further\nfalling in sin. It hath a healing virtue for those bruises that are in the\nsoul, and, besides, it is an anti-hate and sovereign preservative against\nthe poison and infection of sin and the world. What motive is like this?\nThe Son of God shed his blood for our sins, they cost a dear price. O how\nprecious was the ransom! More precious than gold, and silver, and precious\nstones, because the redemption of the soul is so precious, that it would\nhave ceased forever without it. Now, what soul can deliberately think of\nthis, and receive it with any affection into the heart, but shall find the\nmost vehement persuasion against sin? He cannot but behold the heinousness\nand infinite evil that is in it, which required such an infinite\nrecompense. And can a soul on that view run to the puddle and defile\nagain, when he sees how dearly the fountain for cleansing was purchased?\nCan a believing heart have such treacherous thoughts harboured within it,\nto crucify afresh the Lord of glory, and, as it were, to trample under\nfeet his blood? No, certainly, he that believes in this blood cannot use\nit so dishonourably and basely, as it is written, that he sin not, so he\nreads it, and believes it, that he may not sin, as well as because he hath\nsinned. Many speak of this blood, and think they apply it to the cleansing\nof their sin past, but it is rather that they may sin with more liberty,\nas if the end of vomiting up a surfeit of sin were to surfeit more, and\nthe end of washing, were nothing else but to defile again. Certainly this\nblood is not for such souls,\u2014not one word of comfort in the word,\u2014not one\ndrop of hope in the blood, to those who pretend to believe in Christ\u2019s\nblood, and continue in sin, as fresh and lively as ever they did, nothing\nabated of their desires or customs. But if we confess our sins, God will\nforgive, say you, and this we may do at any time, and this we do daily.\nNay, but saith John, this is \u201cwritten that you sin not,\u201d not to encourage\nyou to sin. It is not recorded for this end, that you may live after your\nown imaginations and former customs, with security and peace, upon this\npresumption, that pardon is easily procurable, if say, \u201cGod have mercy\nupon me, ere I die.\u201d Do not deceive yourselves, for it is written just for\nthe contrary, \u201cthat you sin no more, and return no more to folly.\u201d If he\nhad said, if we sin, though we confess yet he is just to punish us, you\nwould then be driven to desperation, and from that to a desperate\nconclusion. Since we must be punished, however, let us not punish\nourselves here, in mortifying our flesh,\u2014\u201clet us eat and drink, for to\nmorrow we shall die.\u201d Die we must, let us deserve it, for where there is\nno hope, there is no help for reformation.\n\nBut now, when there is such an unexpected proposal of grace, when God, who\nis free to punish us, becomes indebted by his promise to forgive our\ndebts, we humbly submitting to him, and confessing our guiltiness, this\nsurprisal of clemency and moderation should, yea, certainly will, overcome\nany heart that truly believes it, and conquer it to his love and\nobedience. The more easily he forgives sin, the more hardly will a\nbelieving heart be drawn to sin. You know any ingenuous spirit will more\neasily be conquered by kindness and condescendency, than severity and\nviolence. These \u201ccords of love are the bands of a man,\u201d suited to the\nnature of men in whom there is any sparkle of ingenuousness remaining. How\noften have men been engaged and overcome by clemency and goodness, who\ncould not be conquered by force of arms? Enemies have been made friends by\nthis means, such power is in it to knit hearts together. Augustus, when he\nwas acquainted with the conspiracy of one of his chief minions, Cinna,\nwhom he had made a friend of an enemy, by kindness and courtesy, takes the\nsame way to make of a traitor a constant friend. He doth not punish him as\nhe had done others, but calls for him, and declares unto him his vile\ningratitude, that when he had given him life and liberty, he should\nconspire to take away his prince\u2019s life. Well, when he is confounded and\nastonished, and cannot open his mouth, saith Augustus, I give thee thy\nlife again, first an open enemy, and now a traitor, yet from this day, let\nan inviolable friendship be bound up between us, and so it proved, for\nthis way of dealing did totally overcome his heart, and blot out all\nseditious thoughts.(252) But, O how incomparably greater is his\ncondescendency and clemency, whose person is so high and sacred, whose\nlaws are so just and holy, and we so base and wretched,\u2014to pardon such\ninfinite guilt, rebellion, and treachery, against such an infinite\nmajesty, and that, when a soul doth but begin to blush, and be ashamed\nwith itself, and cannot open its mouth! I say, this rare and unparalleled\ngoodness and mercy being considered, cannot but tame and daunt the wildest\nand most savage natures. Wild beast are not brought into subjection and\ntamed, but by gentle usage. It is not fierceness and violence can cure\ntheir fierceness, but meekness and condescendency to follow their humours\nand soft dealing with them. As a rod is not bowed by great strength, but\nbroken, even so those things of the promise of pardon for sin, of the\ngrace and readiness of God to pardon upon the easiest terms, are written\nfor this end, that our wild and undaunted natures may be tamed, and may\nbow and submit willingly to the yoke of his obedience, and may henceforth\nknit such a sacred bond of friendship and fellowship with God, as may\nnever be broken.\n\nBut, say ye, who is he that sins not? Who can say, my heart is pure, and\nmy way is clean? Who can say, I have no sin? And therefore that cannot be\nexpected which you crave. Nay, but saith the apostle, \u201cThese things I\nwrite unto you, that ye sin not.\u201d Because sin is in all, therefore you\nexcuse yourselves in your sins, and take liberty to sin. But the very\ncontrary is the intent of the declaring unto us that we have sin, he shows\nthat none want it, not that ye may be the more indulgent towards it, but\nthe more watchful against it. It is not to make you secure, but rather to\ngive you alarm. Even the best and holiest,\u2014it is an alarm to them, to tell\nthem that sin is _in confinus_, in their very borders, that the enemy is\neven in their quarters, yea, in their bosom. Certainly, this should so\nmuch the more excite us against it, and arm us for it every moment, lest\neither by fraud or force, by secret undermining or open violence, it draw\nus away from God. This word, \u201cif we say we have no sin, we lie,\u201d is a\nwatchword given to men, a warning to enter in consideration of themselves,\nfor the enemy being within, there is no flying from him. We carry him\nabout with us, and being within, he is less discerned, and therefore we\nought to awake, and so walk circumspectly, with eyes in our head, lest we\nbe surprised at unawares, either in that time we know not of, or at that\nplace we least suspect. And to others of you, who have never attained any\nvictory over your sins, and scarce have a discerning of them, I would only\nsay this, that the universality of sin\u2019s inhabitation, or being in all\nmen, even the godly, will not excuse sin\u2019s domination and reign in you. It\nis strange, that since the holiest have need of continual watching against\nthis bosom enemy, that ye who have both little knowledge and strength,\nshould think ye may live securely, and not trouble yourselves. If they\nhave need to take heed, how much more have ye, since it is but in them,\nbut it reigns in you?\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXIV.\n\n\n    1 John ii. 1.\u2014\u201cAnd if any man sin, we have an advocate with the\n    Father,\u201d, &c.\n\n\nThere is here a sad supposition, but too certain, that any man may sin,\nyea, that all men will sin, even those who have most communion with God,\nand interest in the blood of Christ. Yet they are not altogether exempted\nfrom this fatal lot of mankind. It is incident even to them to sin, and\ntoo frequently incident, but yet we have a happy and sweet provision, for\nindemnity from the hazard of sin,\u2014\u201cwe have an advocate with the Father.\u201d\nGrant the probability, yea, the necessity and certainty of that supposal,\n\u201cif any man do sin,\u201d yet there is as much certainty of indemnity from sin,\nas of necessity of falling into sin. It is not more sure, that we shall\ncarry about with us matter of sorrow and mourning, but that it is as sure,\nthat we have always without us matter of rejoicing.\n\nLet me then speak a word to these particulars. _First_, That sin is\nincident to the best, even after all persuasions, convictions,\nresolutions, desires, and designs to avoid sin. _Next_, That it is usual\nfor sins after mercy, convictions, and resolution, to appear so heinous,\nthat they may seem to overtop the mercy of God, and the merits of Christ,\na soul is most apt to be troubled with guilt contracted after pardon, and\na desire of purity. But withal I would, in the _Last_ place represent to\nyou, that there is no ground of despair or discouragement for such an one\nthough there be ground of humiliation and mourning. There is a provision\nmade in the gospel against these continually incident fears, there is a\nsecurity against the hazard of surprising sins, and, this comfort belongs\nonly to such souls as unfeignedly desire not to sin, and are in some\nmeasure persuaded by the grace of God not to sin, not to those who\nwillingly give themselves up to their own lusts. It is as common a\ndoctrine as any, that sin hath some lodging in every man\u2019s heart and\nflesh, and is not totally cast out, but only bound with chains within,\nthat it do not exercise its old dominion over a believer. But I fear, the\nmost common truths, though they be most substantial in themselves, are yet\nbut circumstantial in our apprehensions, and very rarely and\nextraordinarily have place in the deeper and more serious thoughts of our\nhearts. They are commonly confessed, it is true, but as seldom considered,\nI am sure. For who did truly ponder the inclineableness of our nature to\nsin, the strong propension of the heart to evil, the deceitfulness of sin\nitself, and the many circumstantial helps and additions it gets to its\nstrength, but would stand in awe, and watch seriously over himself. I dare\nsay, many sin, rather because of a misapprehended immunity from it and a\nmisreckoning of their own measure and strength, than because of the\nstrength of sin itself. I know no one thing makes sin so strong as\nthis,\u2014that we do not apprehend our own weakness, and so give over\nwatchfulness, which is the greatest and best part of our armour of\ndefence, when it is done in faith, and this watch kept on the tower of the\nLord\u2019s promises. The apprehension of our escaping the pollutions of the\nworld, and of some strength to resist them; this adds no more strength to\nus, but diminisheth and taketh from our vigilance and so exposeth us, as\nit were, naked and secure, to the cruelty of our adversary. I would wish\nevery Christian to be thoroughly acquainted, and often conversant in two\nbooks of sophistry, I may so term them\u2014the deceitfulness of his own heart,\nand the deceivableness of sin, Jer. xvii. and Heb. iii. 13. These are the\nvolumes he would daily turn over to learn to discern the sophistications,\nself flatteries, blindness, darkness, and self love of his own heart, to\ntake off the deceiving mask of pretences and appearances of good, and\nbehold sensibly the true and real inclinations of the heart to wickedness,\nto  passion, pride, uncleanness, malice, envy, and all those affections of\nthe flesh,\u2014to find out the true beating of the pulse of the heart. And\nindeed this just discerning and discovery of the thief in the soul, is a\ngreat part of his arraignment, for if sin be under the view of an eye that\nhates it, and loves God, much of its power and virtue, which be in\ndarkness, is taken away. I press this the more because I verily apprehend\nit to be the plague of many Christians, who have some general insight into\nthe matter of good and evil, and espy some more gross corruption in\nthemselves, and have some affection to good. Yet this estrangedness to our\nown hearts, and the vein or strain of them, the not unbowelling of our\nhidden affections, and not discerning of the poison of pride, self love,\nlove of the world, and such like lusts, which are intermingled in all that\nwe do, and spread, as it were, universally through the whole man, this, I\nsay, makes most of us to be subject to so many surprisals by sin. We are\noften routed before we draw up, and often conquered ere we consider. This\nmakes us such unproficients in mortification, so that scarce any sin is\nkilled, while the roots of all sin lie hid under the ground from us. Then\nwithal, I desire you to study how deceivable a thing sin is,\u2014how many\ndeceitful fair pretences it is covered with. It hath the voice of Jacob,\nbut the hands of Esau. Look, what it is that is pleasant or suitable to\nour natural spirits,\u2014it insinuates itself always under the shadow of that,\nand if there be not much heedfulness and attention, and much experience of\nthe wiles of that subtile one, it is a great hazard to be catched with it\nunadvisedly, while we clasp about another thing which is presented as a\nbait and allurement. Now, is it any wonder that a poor soul be drawn to\nsin often, when our enemy doth not for the most part profess hostility,\nbut friendship, and under that colour pleads admission within our ports?\nAnd, besides, we have a treacherous friend in our bosom, that betrays us\ninto his hands, that is, our own deceitful hearts. These things I mention\nto put you in remembrance of what condition you are in, in this world, and\nwhat posture you should be in. Watch, I say, and when ye have done all,\nstand with your loins girt, and though you cannot possibly escape all sin,\nyet certainly it is not in vain thus to set against it, and keep a watch\nover it, for by this means you shall escape more sin and sin less, as he\nthat aims at the mark, though he do not hit it, yet shall ordinarily come\nnearer it, than he that shoots only at random, and as the army that is\nmost vigilant and watchful, though they cannot prevent all losses and\nhazards, yet commonly are not found at such a loss, as those who are\nproud, confident, and secure.\n\nNow, as it is supposed, that sin is ordinarily incident to the child of\nGod, so it is especially to be caveated, that he despair not in his sins,\nfor it is imported in this provision, that the believer is in great hazard\nupon new lapses into sin, either of daily incursion, or of a grosser\nnature, to be discouraged. As there is so much corruption in any man\u2019s\nheart, as will turn the grace of God into wantonness, and incline him upon\nthe proposal of free grace to presume to take liberty to the flesh, so\nthat same corruption, upon another occasion, works another way, upon the\nsupposal of new sins, aggravated with preceding mercy and grace in God,\nand convictions and resolutions in him, to drive him into despondency and\ndejection of spirit, as if there were no pardon for such sins. And indeed,\nit is no wonder if the soul be thus set upon, if we set aside the\nconsideration of the infinite grace of God, that far surpasseth the ill\ndeserts of men. To speak of the very nature of the thing itself, there is\nno sin in its own nature more unpardonable than sin after pardon; nothing\nso heinous, aggravated with so many high circumstances, which mingleth it\nwith the worst ingredients, as this sin, after so much grace revealed in\nthe gospel, to the end that we may not sin. Sins washed so freely, in so\nprecious a fountain, and yet to defile again, sins forgiven so readily and\neasily, the debt whereof, in justice, the whole creation was not able to\npay, and yet to offend so gracious a Father, a soul being thoroughly\nconvinced of the vanity, folly, and madness of sin, of the deceitfulness\nand baseness of its pleasures, and set in a posture against it, as the\nmost deadly enemy; and yet, after all this, to be foiled, deceived, and\ninsnared\u2014here, I say, are very piercing considerations, which cannot but\nset the challenge very deep into the heart of a Christian and wound him\nsore. How will he be filled with shame and confusion of face if he look\nupon God, every look or beam of whose countenance represents unto the soul\nthe vilest and most abominable visage of sin! Or if he look into himself,\nthere is nothing but self condemning there. He finds his own conscience\nstaring him as a thousand witnesses. Thus the soul of a believer being\nenvironed, he is ready to apprehend, that though God should have pardoned\nthe sins of his ignorance yet that there is more difficulty in this,\u2014to\npardon his returnings to folly, and therefore are some put to harder\nexercise, and greater terrors, after conversion, than in the time of it.\nThe sins of ignorance being, as it were, removed as a cloud, and scored\nout in a heap, but the sins of knowledge after mercy, lying more\ndistinctly and clearly in the view of the soul, it is more difficult to\nblot them out of the conscience, and sprinkle the heart from an evil\nconscience. These things I speak to you for this reason, that you may be\nafraid to sin. I suppose that there is no hazard of eternal damnation by\nsin. Grant that you know beforehand, that if you sin, there is yet\nforgiveness with him, and there is no hazard of perishing by it, yet, sure\nI am, it is the most foolish adventure in the world, to take liberty on\nthat account, for though there be indemnity that way, as to thy eternal\nestate, yet I am persuaded, that there is more damage another way, in thy\nspiritual estate in this world, than all the gains of sin can countervail.\nThere is a necessary loss of peace and joy, and communion of the Holy\nGhost. It is inevitable, in the very ordinary and natural course and\nconnection of things, but that sin, that way indulged, will eclipse thy\nsoul, and bring some darkness of sorrow and horror over it. To speak after\nthe manner of man, and in the way of reason itself, the entertainment of\nthat which God hates will deprive thee of more solid joy and sweetness in\nhim, than all the pleasures of sin could afford. Therefore I dare not say\nto you, as one too unadvisedly expresseth it, \u201cFear not, though you do\nsin, of any hurt that can come by these sins, for if you sin it shall do\nyou no hurt at all.\u201d(253) I say, this were indeed but to make you too bold\nwith sin. I had rather represent unto you, that though ye be secured in\nyour eternal estate, and there can come no condemnation that way, yet\nthere is much hurt comes by sin, even in this world, and sure, I think it\na very rational and Christian inducement, to prevail with a Christian not\nto sin, to tell him that he shall make a foolish bargain by it, for he\nshall lose much more than he can gain. Is there no hurt or loss incident\nto men, but eternal perdition? Nay, my beloved, there is a loss Christians\nmay sustain by sinning freely, which all the combined advantages of sin\ncannot compensate. Is not one hour\u2019s communion with God, are not the peace\nof your own consciences, and the joy of the Spirit, such inestimable\njewels, that it were more suitable for a man to sell the world, and buy\nthem, than to sell them, and buy a poor momentary trifling contentment,\nwhich hath a sting in the tail of it, and leaves nothing but vexation\nafter it? O these bruises in David\u2019s bones, these breaches in his spirit,\nthat loss of the joy of his salvation! Let these teach you who are escaped\nthe great hurt of sin, to fear, at least, to be hurt by it this way, more\nthan ever you can expect to be helped by it.\n\nBut then, I desire to add this in the third place, that there is provision\nmade against the discouragement of those souls that desire not to sin, and\nyet sin against their desire. If the challenge I spoke of be written in\nthy conscience, as it were with the point of a diamond, deeply engraven,\nyet my beloved, consider, that \u201cif any man sin, we have an advocate,\u201d &c.\nThere is an express caution against thy discouragement. Certainly our\nSaviour hath provided for it. Since the case is so incident, and the\nsupposition so ordinary, it is not conceivable that he hath not caveated\nand secured thy salvation in such cases, for he knew certainly before he\npardoned thee, and visited thee at first, that thou wast to be subject\nunto this necessary burden of sin, and that it would often times molest\nand trouble you, and sometimes prevail over you. All this he knew, that\nwhen he should order your forces, and draw out against sin, with the\ngreatest desire and resolution, that yet you might be foiled unexpectedly,\nand this was not unknown to him, when he showed mercy at first. Therefore,\nsince his love is unchangeable, and his wisdom, being infinite, saith it\nshould be so, he would never have cast his love on such persons, if these\nthings, which were then before him, could make him change. Now, I grant\nthere is more wonder in the pardon of following sins, than in the first\npardon, and therefore you should still love more, and praise more. But\nwhat is this wonder to the wonder of his grace? It is swallowed up in that\nhigher wonder, for his thoughts and ways are not like ours, his voice is,\n\u201cReturn, thou backsliding sinner, to thy first husband, though thou hast\nplayed the harlot.\u201d Therefore, I desire that whatsoever be presented in\nthat kind, to aggravate your sins, let it humble you more indeed, and make\nyou hate sin, but let it not hinder you to think as highly of his mercy\nand grace, and to set that in the heavens above it.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXV.\n\n\n    1 John ii. 1.\u2014\u201cAnd if any man sin, we have an advocate with the\n    Father,\u201d, &c.\n\n\nIt is the natural office of the conscience to accuse a man in evil doing.\nAs every man by sin is liable to the judgment of the supreme court of\nheaven, so he is likewise subject to the inferior court of his own\nconscience, for the most high God hath a deputy within every man\u2019s breast,\nthat not only is a witness, but a judge, to fasten an accusation, and\npronounce a sentence upon him according to the law of God. And while it is\nso, that a man is accused in both courts, at the supreme tribunal, and the\nlower house of a man\u2019s own conscience, when man\u2019s accuser is within him,\nand God, his righteous Judge, above him, who can come in to plead such a\nman\u2019s cause? A person self condemned, who shall plead for his absolution?\nIf he cannot but accuse himself, and stop his mouth, being guilty before\nGod of the transgression of all his law, then what place for an advocate\nto accuse him, or defend his cause? And who is it that can enter in the\nlists with God, who, because the supreme and highest Judge, must be both\nJudge and party? Where shall a daysman be found to lay his hands on both,\nand advocate the desperate-like cause of sinners? Truly, here we had been\nat an eternal stand, and here had the business stuck for ever, for\nanything that the creation could imagine, had not the infinite grace and\nwisdom of God opened themselves to mankind, in opening a door of hope to\nbroken and outlaw sinners. And behold, here is the provision made for the\nsecurity and salvation of lost souls,\u2014there is one able and mighty to\nsave,\u2014a person found out fit for this advocation, who taketh the broken\ncause of sinners in hand, and pleads it out, and makes out justice to be\nfor them, and not against them,\u2014\u201cIf any man sin, we have an advocate,\u201d &c.\n\nThere is one thing imported, that sin maketh a man liable to a charge and\naccusation, and brings him under the hazard of judgment. Indeed it is hard\nenough to endure an accusing conscience, and a spirit wounded with the\napprehension of wrath. When our Saviour would express great affliction, he\ndoth it thus\u2014\u201cA man\u2019s enemies shall be those of his own house.\u201d If a\ndomestic enemy be so ill, what shall a bosom enemy be, when a man\u2019s\naccuser is not only beside him, but within him,\u2014not only in the house with\nhim, but in the field too,\u2014carried about with him whithersoever he goeth,\nso that he can have no retiring or withdrawing place from it! Indeed, some\npoor souls make a mad escape from under the challenge of their\nconsciences, they get away from their keepers to more excess in sin, or\nmake some vain diversion to company, and other things of the world. But\nthe end thereof shall be more bitterness, for that will not still sleep\nwithin them, but shall awake upon them with more terror, and one day put\nthem in such a posture, that all the comforts of the world shall be but as\na drop of water to a man in a burning fever, or as oil to a flame. But, as\nI told you, that is not the greatest matter, to be self accused, and\nself-condemned, if there were not a higher tribunal, which this process\noriginally flows from, one greater than the conscience, who speaks to us\nin his word, and hath written his charge and sentence against us, and this\nis it which sets the soul most on edge, and it is but the very\napprehension of that higher judgment, which is the gall and wormwood, the\npoison of those challenges in the conscience. I would desire you to look\nupon this, and consider that there is a sentence passed in the word of God\nupon all your actions, that the wrath of God is revealed in the scriptures\nas due to you, however you may flatter yourselves in your sins, and fancy\nan immunity from wrath, though you live in sin. I wish ye were once\npersuaded of this,\u2014that all sinners must once appear before God\u2019s tribunal\nand hear the righteous sentence of the dueness of punishment pronounced; I\nsay, all must once appear, either to hear and believe it, or to see it\nexecuted. The wisdom of God requires, that all men\u2019s guilt, which is a\ntransgression of the law, should once come to a judicial trial and\ndecision by the law, and either this must be done in your own consciences\nhere, that ye may sist yourselves before him, and take with your sins, and\nhumble yourselves in his sight, and then the matter is put over upon a\nMediator, or else you must give him leave, nay he will take leave to cite\nyou to appear, to see the sentence executed which was pronounced, since ye\nwould not apply it to your own hearts. O! happy is that soul that\nanticipates that great day of final judgment, by a previous self judgment\nand self trial. Well, then, hath the scriptures included all under sin,\nthat all men might be guilty and every mouth stopped before God, Rom. iii.\n19. What shall we do then? Since righteousness and justice is against us,\nwho can plead for us? It would seem that there could be no relaxing, no\nrepealing, no dispensing with this law at least that if there be anything\nof that kind, that righteousness and judgment can have no hand in it. Yet,\nbehold, what follows, \u201cwe have an advocate,\u201d &c. And an advocate\u2019s office\nis to sue out the client\u2019s right, from principles of justice. Elsewhere\nChrist hath the office of a Judge, here he is an advocate for the party,\nand both of these may have a comfortable consideration, John v. 22. \u201cThe\nFather judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son.\u201d And\nyet, here we have an advocate with the Father, and that is, with the\nFather as judge. These do not cross one another, but make out our abundant\nconsolation, that one entire office of our Saviour is represented under\nall these various notions suited to our capacity. A Judge he is yea, his\ntribunal is the highest and supreme, from which there is no appeal, the\nultimate decision lies here of all capital or soul cases and causes. It is\ntrue, the Father doth not wholly divest himself of judgment and authority\nin the matters of life and death, for the gospel is his contrivance, as it\nwas the Son\u2019s, but Christ is, as it were, substituted his vicegerent, in\nthe administration of the second covenant. You read of a preparatory\ntribunal erected in the word by God the Creator, that is, of the law which\ncondemns us. Now, such is the mercy and grace, and free love of God, that\nhe hath relaxed that sentence as to the persons. He hath not taken that\nadvantage which in justice he had against us, but upon some valuable\nconsiderations hath committed to the Son a royal power of prescribing new\nlaws of life and death, and new terms of salvation, and Christ having, at\nhis Fathers will, satisfied the law, in what it did threaten us, he is, as\nit were, in compensation of such a great service, made Lord and King \u201cboth\nof the dead and living,\u201d (Rom. xiv. 9,) and \u201call things in heaven and\nearth are given to him,\u201d Matt. xxviii. 18, John xiii. 3. And therefore,\nwhatever soul is aggrieved under the accusation and charge of the law,\nhath liberty, yea, and is called to it, of duty, to appeal unto this new\nerected tribunal, where Christ sits to dispense life according to the\nterms of grace and he may be sure the Father will not judge him according\nto the law, if the Son absolve him in the gospel.\n\nNow, with this it consists, that he who hath all final judgment in his\nhand, yet is our advocate in another consideration, as we consider God the\nFather sitting upon the tribunal of justice, and proceeding according to\nthe terms and tenor of his first law, or covenant of life and death. Then\nChrist comes in with his advocation for poor sinners, and sustains their\npersons, and maintains their cause, even from the principles of justice.\nHe presents his satisfactory sacrifice and pleads that we are not to be\ncharged with that punishment that he hath suffered, because he hath indeed\nfulfilled our legal righteousness, and by this means the law\u2019s mouth is\nstopped, which had stopped our mouth, and the sinner is absolved, who was\nfound guilty. Thus you see the salvation and absolution of believers is\nwonderfully secured, for there is a sentence for it in the court of the\ngospel, pronounced by the Son. But lest you think he should usurp such an\nabsolute power, then hear, that he is an advocate to plead out the equity\nand justice of it, before the very tribunal of the law, that the law\nitself being the rule, the Father himself, who made the law, being the\nJudge, the poor soul that flies unto him as a refuge, may be saved, since\nwhat it craved of us it gets in him, and is as fully satisfied that way,\nas it could have been by us. Therefore, that same righteousness which bids\ncondemn the sinner, commands to save the believer in Christ, though a\nsinner. What shall a soul then fear? Who shall condemn? It is Christ that\njustifieth, for he is judge of life and death and that is much. But it is\nthe Father that justifieth, and that is more whatsoever tribunal you may\nbe cited unto, you may be sure. Is it the gospel? Then the Son is judge.\nIs it the law? Then the Son is advocate. He will not only give life\nhimself, but see that his Father do it, and warrant you from all back\nhazards. Nay, before the matter shall misgive, as he comes down from off\nthe throne, to stand at the bar and plead for sinners, who devolve\nthemselves upon him, so he will not spare if need require, to degrade\nhimself further, if I may say so, and of an advocate become a supplicant.\nAnd truly he ceased not in the days of his flesh to pray for us, \u201cwith\nstrong cries and tears,\u201d Heb. v. 7. And now he still lives to make\nintercession for us. He can turn from the plea of justice, to the\nintercession and supplication of mercy, and if strict justice will not\nhelp him, yet grace and favour he is sure will not disappoint him.\n\nThere is a divine contexture of justice and mercy in the business of man\u2019s\nredemption, and there is nothing so much declares infinite wisdom, as the\nmethod, order, and frame of it. Mercy might have been showed to sinners,\nin gracious and free pardon of their sins, and dispensing with the\npunishment due to their persons, yet the Lord\u2019s justice and faithfulness\nin that first commination might be wronged and disappointed by it, if no\nsatisfaction should be made for such infinite offences, if the law were\nwholly made void both in the punishment, as also to the person. Therefore\nin the infinite depths of God\u2019s wisdom there was a way found out to\ndeclare both mercy and justice, to make both to shine gloriously in this\nwork, and indeed that is the great wonder of men and angels, such a\nconjunction or constellation of divine attributes in one work. And indeed,\nit is only the most happy and favourable aspect in which we can behold the\ndivine Majesty. The Psalmist, Psalm lxxxv., expects much good from this\nconjunction of the celestial attributes, and prognosticates salvation to\nbe near at hand, and all good things, as the immediate effect of it. There\nis a meeting there, as it were, of some honourable personages, (ver. 10,\n11) such as are in heaven. The meeting is strange, if you consider the\nparties,\u2014Mercy and Truth, Righteousness and Peace. If Mercy and Peace had\nmet thus friendly, it had been less wonder, but it would seem, that\nRighteousness and Truth should stand off, or meet only to reason and\ndispute the business with Mercy. But here is the wonder,\u2014Mercy and Truth\nmeet in a friendly manner, and \u201ckiss one another.\u201d There is a perfect\nagreement and harmony amongst them, about this matter of our salvation.\nThere was a kind of parting at man\u2019s fall, but they met again at Christ\u2019s\nbirth. Here is the uniting principle, \u201cTruth springing out of the earth.\u201d\nBecause he who is \u201cthe truth and the life, was to spring out of the earth\ntherefore\u201d righteousness will look down from heaven, and countenance the\nbusiness, and this will make all of them to meet with a loving salutation.\n\nNow, as this was the contexture of the divine attributes in the business\nof redemption, so our Lord and Saviour taketh upon him divers names,\noffices, and exercises, different functions for us because he knoweth that\nhis Father may justly exact of man personal satisfaction, and hath him at\nthis disadvantage, and that he might have refused to have accepted any\nother satisfaction from another person. Therefore he puts on the habit and\nform of a supplicant and intercessor for us, and so while he was in the\nflesh, he ceased not to offer up \u201cprayers and supplications with strong\ncries and tears,\u201d and he is said still \u201cto make intercession for us.\u201d As\nhe learned obedience, though a Son, so he learned to be a humble\nsupplicant, though equal with God. Because our claim depends wholly on\ngrace, he came off the bench, and stood at the bar, not only pleading but\npraying for us, entreating favour and mercy to us. And then, he personates\nan advocate in another consideration, and pleads upon terms of justice,\nthat we be pardoned, because his Father once having accepted him in our\nstead he gave a satisfaction in value equal to our debt, and performed all\nthat we were personally bound to. So then you may understand how it is\npartly an act of justice, partly an act of mercy, in God to forgive sin to\nbelievers, though indeed mercy and grace is the predominant ingredient,\nbecause love and grace was the very first rise and spring of sending a\nSaviour and Redeemer, and so the original of that very purchase and price.\nHe freely sent his Son, and freely accepted him in our stead, but once\nstanding in our room justice craves that no more be exacted of us, since\nhe hath done the business himself.\n\nA sinner stands accused in his own conscience, and before God, therefore,\nto the end that we get no wrong, there is a twofold advocate given us, one\nin the earth, in our consciences, another in the heavens with God. Christ\nis gone up to the highest tribunal, where the cause receives a definitive\nsentence, and there he manageth it above, so that though Satan should\nobtrude upon a poor soul a wrong sentence in its own conscience, and bring\ndown a false and counterfeit act, as it were, extracted out of the\nregister of heaven, whereby to deceive the poor soul, and condemn it in\nitself, yet there is no hazard above, he dare not appear there, before the\nhighest court, for he hath already succumbed on earth. When Christ was\nhere, the prince of the world was judged and cast out, and so he will\nnever once put in an accusation into heaven, because he knoweth our\nfaithful advocate is there, where nothing can pass without his knowledge\nand consent. And this is a great comfort, that all inferior sentences in\nthy perplexed conscience, which Satan, through violence hath imposed upon\nthee, are rescinded above in the highest court, and shall not stand to thy\nprejudice, whoever thou be that desirest to forsake sin and come to Jesus\nChrist.\n\nBut how doth Christ plead? Can he plead us not guilty? Can he excuse or\ndefend our sins? No, that is not the way. That accusation of the word and\nlaw against us is confessed, is proven, all is undeniably clear, but, he\npleads satisfied, though guilty,\u2014he presents his satisfactory sacrifice\nand the savour of that perfumes heaven, and pacifieth all. He shows God\u2019s\nbond and discharge of the receipt of the sum of our debt, and thus is he\ncleared, and we absolved. Therefore I desire you, whoever you are that are\nchallenged for sin, and the transgression of the law, if ye would have a\nsolid way of satisfaction and peace to your consciences, take with your\nguiltiness. Plead not \u201cnot guilty.\u201d Do not excuse or extenuate, but\naggravate your guilt. Nay, in this you may help Satan, accuse yourselves,\nand say that you know more evil in yourselves than he doth and open that\nup before God. But in the meantime, consider how it is managed above.\nPlead thou also \u201csatisfied in Christ though guilty,\u201d and so thou mayest\nsay to thy accuser, \u201cIf thou hast any thing to object against me, why I\nmay not be saved, though a sinner, thou must go up to the highest tribunal\nto propone it, thou must come before my judge and advocate above, but\nforasmuch as thou dost not appear there, it is but a lie, and a murdering\nbe.\u201d\n\nNow this is the way that the Spirit advocates for us in our consciences,\nJohn xiv. and xv. 26. \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03bb\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2 is rendered here \u201cAdvocate,\u201d there\n\u201cComforter.\u201d Both suit well, and may be conjoined in one, and given to\nboth, for both are comfortable advocates,\u2014Christ with the Father, and the\nSpirit with us. Christ is gone above for it, and he sent the Spirit in his\nstead. As God hath a deputy judge in man, that is, man\u2019s conscience, so\nthe Son, our advocate with God, hath a deputy advocate to plead the cause\nin our conscience, and this he doth, partly by opening up the Scriptures\nto us and making us understand the way of salvation in them, partly\nmanifesting his own works and God\u2019s gifts in us by a superadded light of\ntestimony, and partly by comforting us against all outward and inward\nsorrows. Sometimes he pleads with the soul against Satan \u201cnot guilty,\u201d for\nSatan is a slanderous and a false accuser, and cares not _calumniari\nfortiter ul aliquid h\u00e6reat_, to calumniate stoutly, and he knoweth\nsomething will stick.(254) He will not only object known sins and\ntransgressions of the law, but his manner is to cast a mist upon the eye\nof the soul, and darken all its graces, and then he brings forth his\nprocess, that they have no grace, no faith in Christ, no love to God, no\nsorrow for sin. In such a case, it is the Spirit\u2019s office to plead it out\nto our consciences, that we are not totally guilty, as we are charged, and\nthis is not so much a clearing of ourselves, as a vindication of the free\ngifts of God, which lie under his aspersion and reproach. Indeed, if there\nbe a great stress here, and, for wise reasons, the Spirit forbear to plead\nout this point, but leave a poor soul to puddle it out alone, and scrape\nits evidences together in the dark,\u2014I say, if thou find this too hard for\nthee to plead not guilty then my advice is, that ye wave and suspend that\nquestion. Yield it not wholly, but rather have it entire, and do as if it\nwere not. Suppose that article and point were gained against thee, what\nwouldst thou do next? Certainly, thou must say, I would then seek grace\nand faith from him who giveth liberally. I would then labour to receive\nChrist in the promises. I say, do that now, and thou takest a short and\ncompendious way to win thy cause, and overcome Satan. Let that be thy\nstudy, and he hath done with it.\n\nBut in any challenge about the transgression of the law, or desert of\neternal wrath, the Spirit must not plead \u201cnot guilty,\u201d for thou must\nconfess that, but in as far as he driveth at a further conclusion, to\ndrive thee away from hope and confidence to despondency of spirit, in so\nfar the Spirit clears up unto the conscience that this doth nowise follow\nfrom that confession of guiltiness, since there is a Saviour that hath\nsatisfied for it, and invites all to come, and accept him for their Lord\nand Saviour.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXVI.\n\n\n    1 John ii. 1.\u2014\u201cWe have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ\n    the righteous.\u201d\n\n\nThere is no settlement to the spirit of a sinner that is once touched with\nthe sense of his sins, and apprehension of the justice and wrath of God,\nbut in some clear and distinct understanding of the grounds of consolation\nin the gospel, and the method of salvation revealed in it. There is no\nsolid peace giving answer to the challenges of the law and thy own\nconscience, but in the advocation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners.\nAnd therefore the apostle propones it here for the comfort of believers\nwho are incident to be surprised through the suddenness of sin, and often\ndeceived by the subtlety of Satan, whose souls\u2019 desires and sincere\nendeavours are to be kept from iniquity, and therefore they are made to\ngroan within themselves, and sometimes sadly to conclude against\nthemselves, upon the prevailing of sin. Here is the cordial, I say. He\npresents to them Jesus Christ standing before the bar of heaven, and\npleading his satisfaction in the name of such souls, and so suiting forth\nan exemption and discharge for them from their sins. So he presents us\nwith the most comfortable aspect, Christ standing between us and justice,\nthe Mediator interposed between us and the Father, so there can come no\nharm to such poor sinners, except it come through his sides first, and no\nsentence can pass against them, unless he succumb in his righteous cause\nin heaven.\n\nThe strength of Christ\u2019s advocation for believers consists partly in his\nqualification for the office, partly in the ground and foundation of his\ncause. His qualification we have in this verse, the ground and foundation\nof his pleading in the next verse, in that \u201che is the propitiation for our\nsins,\u201d and upon this very ground his advocation is both just and\neffectual.\n\nEvery word holds out some fitness, and therefore every word drops out\nconsolation to a troubled soul. \u201cWith the Father,\u201d speaks out the relation\nhe and we stand in to the Judge. He hath not to do with an austere and\nrigid Judge, that is implacable and unsatisfiable, who will needs adhere\nperemptorily to the letter of the law, for then we should be all undone.\nIf there were not some paternal affection, and fatherly clemency and\nmoderation in the Judge, if he were not so disposed, as to make some\ncandid interpretation upon it, and in some manner to relax the sentence,\nas to our personal suffering, we could never stand before him, nor needed\nany advocate appear for us. But here is the great comfort,\u2014he is Christ\u2019s\nFather and our Father, so himself told us, (John xx. 17,) \u201cI go to my\nFather and your Father, and my God and your God.\u201d And therefore we may be\npersuaded that he will not take advantage, even in that which he hath in\njustice, of us, and though we be apprehensive of his anger, in our\nfailings and offences, and this makes us often to be both afraid and\nashamed to come to him, measuring him after the manner of men, who are\nsoon angry, and often implacably angry. We imagine that he cannot but\nrepel and put back our petitions, and therefore we have not the boldness\nto offer them, yet he ceaseth not to be our Father and Christ\u2019s Father.\nAnd if ye would have the character of a father, look (Jer. xxxi. 18,) how\nhe stands affected towards ashamed and confounded Ephraim, how his bowels\nmove, and his compassions yearn towards him as his pleasant child. The\ntruth is, in such a case, in which we are captives against our will, and\nstumble against our purpose, he pities us as a father doth his children,\nknowing that we are but dust and grass, Psal. ciii. 13-17. See the\nexcellent and sweet application of this relation by the Psalmist\u2014if it\nstir him, it stirs up rather the affection of pity, than the passion of\nanger. He pities his poor child, when he cries out of violence and\noppression; and therefore, there are great hopes that our advocate Jesus\nChrist shall prevail in his suits for us, because he, with whom he\ndeals,\u2014the Father,\u2014loves him, and loves us, and will not stand upon strict\nterms of justice, but rather attemper all with mercy and love. He will\ncertainly hear his well beloved Son, for in him he is well pleased, his\nsoul rests and takes complacency in him, and for his sake he adopts us to\nbe his children, and therefore he will both hear him in our behalf, and\nour prayers too, for his name\u2019s sake.\n\nBut this is superadded to qualify our advocate,\u2014he is the Christ of God,\nanointed for this very purpose, and so hath a fair and lawful calling to\nthis office. He takes not this honour to himself, but was called thereto\nof his Father, Heb. v. 4. As he did not make himself a priest, so he did\nnot intrude upon the advocateship, \u201cbut he that said, Thou art my Son\ncalled him to it.\u201d If a man had never so great ability to plead in the\nlaw, yet, except he be licentiate and graduate, he may not take upon him\nto plead a cause. But our Lord Jesus hath both skill and authority, he\nhath both the ability and the office, was not a self intruder or usurper,\nbut the council of heaven did licentiate him, and graduate him for the\nwhole office of mediatorship: in which there is the greatest stay and\nsupport for a sinking soul, to know that all this frame and fabric of the\ngospel was contrived by God the Father, and that he is master builder in\nit. Since it is so, there can nothing control it or shake it, since it is\nthe very will of God, \u201cwith whom we have to do,\u201d that a mediator should\nstand between him and us, and since he hath such a mind to clear poor\nsouls, that he freely chooseth and giveth them an able Advocate, it is a\ngreat token that he hath a mind to save as many as come and submit to him\nand that he is ready to pardon, when he prepares so fit an Advocate for\nus, and hath not left us alone to plead our own cause.\n\nBut the anointing of Christ for it, implies both \u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03bc\u03b9\u03bd and \u03b5\u03be\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03b1\u03bd\n_potentiam et potestatem_, the gifts for it as well as the authority, and\nthe ability as well as the office, for God hath singularly qualified him\nfor it,\u2014given him the Spirit above measure, Isa. lxi. 1. He received gifts\nnot only to distribute to men, but to exercise for men, and their\nadvantage, Psal. lxviii. 18. And therefore the Father seems to interest\nhimself in the cause as it were his own. He furnisheth our Advocate as if\nit were to plead the cause of his own justice against us, he upholds and\nstrengthens Christ in our cause, as really as if it were his own, Isa.\nxlii. 1, 6, which expresseth to us the admirable harmony and consent of\nheaven to the salvation of as many as make Christ their refuge, and desire\nnot to live in sin. Though they be often foiled, yet there is no hazard of\nthe failing of their cause above, because our Advocate hath both excellent\nskill, and undoubtable authority.\n\nYea, he is so fully qualified for this that he is called Jesus the\nSaviour, he is such an Advocate that he saves all he pleads for. The best\nadvocate may lose the cause, either through the weakness of itself, or the\niniquity of the judge, but he is the Advocate and the Saviour, that never\nsuccumbed in his undertaking for any soul. Be their sins never so\nheinous\u2014their accusation never so just and true\u2014their accuser never so\npowerful, yet they who put their cause in his hand, who flee in hither for\nrefuge being wearied of the bondage of sin and Satan, he hath such a\nprevalency with the Father, that their cause cannot miscarry. Even when\njustice itself seems to be the opposite party, yet he hath such marvellous\nsuccess in his office, that justice shall rather meet amicably with mercy\nand peace, and salute them kindly, (Psal. lxxxv. 10, 11,) as being\nsatisfied by him, that he come short in his undertaking.\n\nBut there is another personal qualification needful, or all should be in\nvain,\u2014\u201cJesus the righteous.\u201d If he were not righteous in himself, he had\nneed of an advocate for himself, and might not plead for sinners, but he\nis righteous and holy, no guile found in his mouth, without sin, an\nunblameable and unspotted High Priest, else he could not mediate for\nothers, and such an Advocate too, else he could not plead for others, Heb.\nvii. 26. As this perfected his sacrifice, that he offered not for his own\nsins, neither needed he, so this completes his advocateship, and gives it\na mighty influence for his poor clients, that he needs not plead for\nhimself.  If, then, the law cannot attach our Lord and Saviour, can lay no\nclaim to him, or charge against him, then certainly, all that he did\nbehoved to be for others, and so he stands in a good capacity to plead for\nus before the Father, and to sue out a pardon to us, though guilty, for if\nthe just was delivered for the unjust, and the righteous suffered for the\nunrighteous, much more is it consistent with the justice of the Father, to\ndeliver and save the unrighteous and unjust sinner for the righteous\nAdvocate\u2019s sake. \u201cIf ye seek me, then let these go free,\u201d saith he, John\nxviii. 8. So he in effect pleads with God his Father, O Father, if thou\ndeal with me, the righteous One, as with an unrighteous man, then, in all\nreason and justice, thou must deal with my poor clients, though\nunrighteous, as with righteous men.  If justice thought she did me no\nwrong to punish me, the righteous, then let it not be thought a wrong to\njustice to pardon, absolve, and justify the unrighteous.\n\nNow, if he be so righteous a person, it follows necessarily, that he hath\na righteous cause, for an honest man will not advocate an unjust cause.\nBut how can the cause of believers be said to be righteous, when justice\nitself, and the law, indicts the accusation against them? Can they plead\nnot guilty, or he for them?  There is a twofold righteousness, in relation\nto a twofold rule, a righteousness of strict justice, in relation to the\nfirst covenant, and this cannot be pleaded, that our cause is exactly\nconformable to the covenant of works.  We cannot, nor Christ in our name,\nplead any thing from that, which holds forth nothing but personal\nobedience, or else personal satisfaction. But yet our cause may be found\nto be righteous, in relation to the second covenant, and the rule and\nterms of it, in as far as God hath revealed his acceptance of a surety in\nour stead and hath dispensed with the rigour of the law, according to that\nnew law of grace and righteousness contempered together. The cause of a\ndesperate lost sinner may be sustained before the righteous Judge, and it\nis upon this new account that he pleads for us because he hath satisfied\nin our stead, and now it is as righteous and equitable with God, to show\nmercy and forgiveness to believing sinners, as it is to reveal wrath and\nanger against impenitent sinners.\n\nI know there will be some secret whisperings in your hearts upon the\nhearing of this.  Oh! it is true, it is a most comfortable thing for them\nwhose advocate he is.  There is no fear of the miscarrying of their cause\nabove, but as for me, I know not if he be an advocate for me, whether I\nmay come into that sentence, \u201cWe have an advocate,\u201d &c.  I confess it is\ntrue, he is not an advocate for every one, for while he was here, he\nprayed not for the world, but them that were given him out of the world,\n(John xvii.), much more will he not plead for the world, when he is above.\nHe is rather witnessing against the unbelieving world.  But yet, I believe\nhis advocation is not restrained only to those who actually believe, as\nneither his supplication was, John xvii.  But as he prayed for those who\nshould hereafter believe, so he still pleads for all the elect not only to\nprocure remission to the penitent, but repentance to the impenitent.\nThere is one notable effect of the advocation and intercession of Christ,\nwhich indeed is common to the world, but particularly intended for the\nelect, that is, the present suspension of the execution of the curse of\nthe law, by virtue whereof there is liberty to offer the gospel, and call\nsinners to repentance. No question, the sparing of the world, the\nforbearance and long suffering of God towards sinners, is the result and\nfruit of our Lord\u2019s intercession and advocation in heaven, and so, even\nthe elect have the benefit of it before they believe, but it is so\nprovided, that they shall never sensibly know this, nor have any special\ncomfort from it, till they believe, and so Christ doth not plead for\npardon to their sins till they repent.  He pleads even before we repent,\nbut we cannot know it; yet he pleads not that pardon be bestowed before\nthey repent, and so the saving efficacy of his advocation is peculiar and\nproper in the application to believing souls.\n\nNow, consider, I say, whether or not thou be one that finds the power of\nthat persuasion,\u2014\u201cMy little children, I write unto you that ye sin not,\u201d\n&c. Canst thou unfeignedly say, that it is the desire and endeavour of thy\nsoul not to sin, and that thou art persuaded to this, not only from the\nfear and terror of God, but especially from his mercy and goodness in the\ngospel?  This is one part of the character of such as Christ\u2019s advocation\nis actually extended to. Moreover, being surprised with sin, and overcome\nbeside thy purpose, and against thy desire, dost thou apprehend sin as thy\ngreatest misery, and arraign thyself before the tribunal of God, or art\nthou attached in thy own conscience, and the law pleaded against thee,\nbefore the bar of thy own conscience?  Then, I say, according to this\nscripture, thou art the soul unto whom this comfort belongs, thou art\ncalled of God to decide the controversy in thy own conscience.  By flying\nup, and appealing to that higher tribunal, where Christ is advocate, thou\nmayest safely give over, and trust thy cause to him.\n\nBut, on the other hand, O how deplorable and remediless is the condition\nof those souls who have no cause of this kind stated within their own\nconsciences, who are not pursued by Satan and sin, but rather at peace\nwith them, amicably agreeing with them, acting their lusts and will!  You\nwho have no bonds upon you, to restrain you from sin, neither the terror\nof the Lord persuadeth yon, nor the love of Christ constrains you, you can\nbe kept from no beloved sin, nor pressed to any serious and spiritual\nlabour in God\u2019s service; and then when you sin, you have no accuser\nwithin, or such an one as you suppress, and suffer not to plead it out\nagainst you or cite you before God\u2019s tribunal.  I say unto you, (and,\nalas!  many of you are such) you do not, you cannot know, that you have an\ninterest in this Advocate.  You can have no benefit or saving advantage\nfrom Christ\u2019s pleading, while you remain thus in your sins.  Alas! poor\nsouls, what will ye do? Can you manage your own cause alone?  Though you\ndefraud and deceive your own consciences now, though ye offer violence to\nthem, do ye think so to carry it above?  Nay, persuade yourselves you must\none day appear, and none to speak for you, God your Judge, your conscience\nyour accuser, and Satan, your tormentor, standing by, and then woe to him\nthat is alone, when the Advocate becomes Judge.  In that day blessed are\nall those that have trusted in him, and used him formerly as an Advocate\nagainst sin and Satan, but woe to those for ever, who would never suffer\nthis cause to be pleaded, while there was an Advocate!\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXVII.\n\n\n    1 John ii. 2.\u2014\u201cAnd he is the propitiation,\u201d &c.\n\n\nHere is the strength of Christ\u2019s plea, and ground of his advocation, that\n\u201che is the propitiation.\u201d The advocate is the priest, and the priest is\nthe sacrifice, and such efficacy this sacrifice hath, that the\npropitiatory sacrifice may be called the very propitiation and\npacification for sin.  Here is the marrow of the gospel, and these are the\nbreasts of consolation which any poor sinner might draw by faith, and\nbring out soul refreshment.  But truly, it comes not out but by drawing,\nand there is nothing fit for that but the heart, that alone can suck out\nof these breasts the milk of consolation.  The well of salvation in the\nword is deep, and many of you have nothing to draw with, you want the\nbucket that should be let down, that is, the affectionate meditation and\nconsideration of the heart, and therefore you go away empty.  You come\nfull of other cares, and desires, and delights, no empty room in your\nhearts for this, no soul longings and thirstings after the righteousness\nof God, and therefore you return as you came, empty of all solid and true\nrefreshment. Oh, that we could draw it forth to you, and then drop it into\nyour hearts, and make it descend into your consciences!\n\nIn these words, you may consider more distinctly, who this is, and then,\nfor whom he is made a sacrifice, and withal, the efficacy of this\nsacrifice, and the sufficiency. Who this is, is pointed out as with the\nfinger. \u201cHe is,\u201d that is, \u201cJesus Christ, the righteous.\u201d  The apostle\ndemonstrates him as a remarkable person, as in his evangel the Baptist\ndoth\u2014\u201cBehold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.\u201d\nAnd the church, (Isa. lxii. 1,) taketh a special notice of this person,\n\u201cWho is this that cometh from Edom?\u201d And that which maketh him so\nremarkable, is his strange habit, after the treading the wine-press of\nwrath alone,\u2014that he was made a bloody sacrifice to pacify God. And to\nshow you how notable a person he is, he is signally and eminently pointed\nout by the Father, Isa. xlii. 1, \u201cBehold my servant,\u201d &c, as if he would\nhave the eyes of all men fixed upon him, with wonder and admiration. And\nfor this end, he singled him out from the multitude, by a voice from\nheaven, which testified unto him particularly, \u201cThis is my well beloved\nSon, hear him.\u201d Therefore the apostle had reason to say, (2 Cor. v. 14.)\nthat he is \u201cone for all,\u201d so notable an one, that he may serve for all. He\nstands in more value in the count of God than all mankind. All creatures\nare ciphers, which being never so much multiplied, come to nothing, amount\nnot beyond nothing, but set him before them, put Christ on the head of\nthem, and he signifies more than they all do, and gives them all some\nestimation in the count. And so they stand in Paul\u2019s calculation, (Phil.\niii.) which he makes with very great assurance and confidence, \u201cYea,\ndoubtless, I count all dung, but the superexcellent knowledge of\nChrist,\u201d\u2014Christ is only the figure that hath signification, and gives\nsignification to other things.\n\nBut in this business, the consideration of the persons interested, _he_\nand _us_, maketh us behold a great emphasis in the gospel. _He_ a\npropitiation, and that for _our_ sins, is a strange combination of\nwonders. If it had been some other person less distant from us, that were\nthus given for us, and standing in our room, then we should have better\nunderstood the exchange. Things of like worth, to be thus shuffled\ntogether, and stand in one another\u2019s place, is not so strange. But between\nthe persons mentioned, _him_ and _us_, there is such an infinite distance,\nthat it is wonderful how the one descends to the room of the other, to\nbecome a sacrifice for us. O that we could express this to our own hearts,\nwith all the emphasis that it hath! He the Lord, and we the servants; he\nthe King, and we the poor beggars, he the brightness of his Father\u2019s\nglory, and we the shame and ignominy of the whole creation, he counting it\nno robbery to be equal with God, and being in the form of God, and we not\nequal to the worst of creatures, because of sin, and being in the form of\ndevils! Had it been a holy and righteous man for sinners, it had been a\nstrange enough exchange, but he is not only holy and harmless, but higher\nthan the heavens. O what a vast descent was this, from heaven to earth,\nfrom a Lord to a servant, from an eternal Spirit to mortal flesh, from God\nto creatures! And to descend thus far for such persons, not only unworthy\nin themselves, such as could not conciliate any liking, but such as might\nprocure loathing,\u2014as is described, Ezek. xvi., Rom. v. 6, 1 Pet. iii.\n18,\u2014\u201cwhile we were enemies,\u201d and might have expected a commissioner from\nheaven, with vengeance against us. Behold how the mysterious design of\nlove breaks up and opens itself to the world, in sending his own Son for\nus! And this is exceedingly aggravated from the absolute freedom of it,\nthat there was nothing to pre-engage him to it, but infinite impediments\nin the way to dissuade him, many impediments to his affection, and many\ndifficulties to his power, and then, no gain nor advantage to be expected\nfrom such creatures, notwithstanding of such an undertaking for them.\n\nNow, herein is the strongest support of faith, and the greatest incentive\nto love, and the mightiest persuasive to obedience that can be. I say, the\nstrongest support of faith, for, a soul apprehending the greatness and\nheinousness of sin and the inviolableness of God\u2019s righteousness, with the\npurity of his holiness, can hardly be persuaded, that any thing can\ncompense that infinite wrong that is done to his Majesty, though\nordinarily the small and superficial apprehension of sin makes a kind of\nfacility in this, or an empty credulity of the gospel. The reason why most\nmen do not question and doubt of the gospel, and of their acceptance\nbefore God, is not because they are established in the faith, but rather\nbecause they do not so seriously and deeply believe, and ponder their own\nsins, and God\u2019s holiness, which, if many did, they would find it a greater\ndifficulty to attain to a solid and quieting persuasion of the grounds of\nthe gospel: they would find much ado to settle that point of the readiness\nof God, to pardon and accept sinners. But now, I say, all this difficulty,\nand these clouds of doubts will evanish at the bright appearance of this\nSun of righteousness, that is, at the solid consideration of the glorious\nexcellency of him that was given a ransom for us. Herein the soul may be\nsatisfied, that God is satisfied, when he considers what a person hath\nundertaken it, even Jesus the righteous, the only Son of God, in whom his\nsoul delighteth, whose glorious divine Majesty puts the stamp of infinite\nworth upon all his sufferings, and raiseth up the dignity of the\nsacrifice, beyond the sufferings of all creatures. For there are two\nthings needful for the full satisfaction of a troubled soul, that\napprehends the heinousness of sin, and height of wrath, nothing can calm\nand settle this storm, but the appearance of two things _first_ of God\u2019s\nwillingness and readiness to pardon sin, and save sinners, _next_ of the\nanswerableness of a ransom to his justice, that so there may be no\nimpediment in his way to forgive. Now, let this once be established in thy\nheart that such an one, so beloved of God and so equal to God, is the\npropitiation for our sins that, \u201cGod hath sent his only begotten Son,\u201d for\nthis very business, unrequired and unknown of us then, there is the\nclearest demonstration of these two things that can be\u2014of the love of God,\nand of the worth of the ransom. What difficulty can be supposed in it,\nactually to pardon thy heinous sins, when his love hath overcome\ninfinitely greater difficulties, to send One, his own Son, to procure\npardon, John iii. Certainly, it cannot but be the very delight of his\nheart to forgive sins, since he \u201cspared not his Son\u201d to purchase it, since\nhe hath had such an everlasting design of love, which broke out in\nChrist\u2019s coming. And then, such a person he is, that the merit of his\nsufferings cannot but be a valuable and sufficient compensation to justice\nfor our personal exemption, because he is one above all, of infinite\nhighness. And therefore his lowness hath an infinite worth in it,\u2014of\ninfinite fulness, and therefore his emptiness is of infinite price of\ninfinite glory, and so his shame is equivalent to the shame and\nmalediction of all mankind. So then, whatsoever thou apprehendest of thy\nown sins or God\u2019s holiness, that seemeth to render thy pardon difficult,\nlay but in the balance with that first, the free and rich expression of\nthe infinite love of God, in sending such an one for a ransom, and sure,\nthat speaks as much to his readiness and willingness, as if a voice spake\nit just now from heaven, and then, to take away all scruple, lay the\ninfinite worth of his person, who is the propitiation, with thy sins, and\nit will certainly outweigh them, so that thou mayest be fully quieted, and\nsatisfied in that point, that it is as easy for him to pardon, as for thee\nto confess sin and ask pardon, nay that he is more ready to give it thee,\nthan thou to ask it.\n\nBut, in the next place I desire you to look upon this as the greatest\nincentive of affection. O how should it inflame your hearts to consider,\nthat such an one became a sacrifice for our sins, to think that angels\nhath not such a word to comfort themselves withal! Those innumerable\ncompanies of angels, who left their station, and were once in dignity\nabove us have not such glad tidings to report one to another in their\nsocieties, as we have. They cannot say, \u201cHe is the propitiation for our\nsins.\u201d This is the wonderful mystery, that blessed \u201cangels desire to look\ninto.\u201d They gaze upon it, and fix the eyes of their admiration upon \u201cGod\nmanifested in the flesh,\u201d wondering at the choice of mortal man, before\nimmortal spirits, that he is a ransom for them, and not for their own\nbrethren who left their station. How should this endear him to our souls,\nand his will to our hearts, who hath so loved us, and given himself for\nus! Hath he given himself for us, and should we deny ourselves to him,\nespecially when we consider what an infinite disparity is between the\nworth and difference in the advantage of it. He gave his blessed self a\nsacrifice, he offered himself to death for us, not to purchase any thing\nto himself, but life to us. And what is it he requires but your base and\nunworthy self,\u2014to offer up your lusts and sins in a sacrifice by\nmortification, and your hearts and affections in a thanksgiving offering,\nwherein your own greatest gain lies too? For this is truly to find and\nsave yourselves, thus to quit yourselves to him.\n\nThe efficacy of this is holden out in the word, \u201cpropitiation for our\nsins.\u201d The virtue of Christ\u2019s sacrifice is to pacify justice and make God\npropitious, that is, favourable and merciful to sinners. In which there\nare three considerable things imported. One is that sin is the cause of\nenmity between God and man, and sets us at an infinite distance\u2014that sin\nis a heinous provocation of his wrath. Another is expressed, that Christ\nis the propitiation,\u2014in opposition to that provocation, he pacifies wrath,\nand then conciliates favour by the sacrifice of himself. All the\nexpressions of the gospel import the damnable and deplorable estate that\nsin puts man into, _reconciliation_ imports the standing enmity and feud\nbetween God and man, _propitiation_ imports the provocation of the holy\nand just indignation of God against man, the fuel whereof is our sins,\n_justification_ implies the lost and condemned estate of a sinner, under\nthe sentence and curse of the law. All that is in the gospel reminds us of\nour original, of the forlorn estate in which he found us, none pitying us\nnor able to help us. I would desire that this might first take impression\non your hearts,\u2014that sin sets God and man at infinite distance, and not\nonly distance, but disaffection and enmity. It hath sown the seeds of that\nwoful discord, and kindled that contention, which, if it be not quenched\nby the blood of Christ, will burn to everlasting, so that none can dwell\nwith it, and yet sinners must dwell in it. There is a provoking quality in\nit, fit to alienate the holy heart of God, and to incense his indignation,\nwhich, when once it is kindled who can stand before it? Do but consider\nwhat you conceive of wrongs done to you, how they stir your passions and\nprovoke your patience so that there is much ado to get you pacified, and\nwhat heinousness must then be in your offences against God, both in regard\nof number and kind? O that you could but impartially weigh this matter,\nyou would find, that in the view of God all wrongs and injuries between\nmen evanish. \u201cAgainst thee, thee only, have I sinned.\u201d That relation and\nrespect of sin to God, exhausts all other respects of injuries towards\nmen. It is true, that his Majesty is free from passion, and is not\ncommoved and troubled as your spirits are. Yet such is the provoking\nnature of sin, that it cries for vengeance, and brings a sinner under the\ndreadful sentence of divine wrath, which he both pronounceth and can\nexecute without any inward commotion or disturbance of spirit. But,\nbecause we conceive of him after our manner, therefore he speaks in such\nterms to us. But that which he would signify by it is, that the sinner is\nin as dreadful and damnable a condition by sin, as if the Lord were\nmightily inflamed with anger and rage. The just punishment is as due and\ncertain as if he were subject to such passions as we are, and so much the\nmore certain, that he is not. Now I desire you to consider, how mightily\nthe heinousness of sin is aggravated, partly by the quality of the\npersons, and partly by the consideration of his benefits to us. A great\nman resents a light wrong heavily, because his person makes the wrong\nheavier. O! what do you think the Most High should do considering his\ninfinite distance from us, his glorious majesty and greatness, his pure\nholiness, his absolute power and supremacy? What vile and abominable\ncharacters of presumption and rebellion do all these imprint upon\ndisobedience! Shall he suffer himself to be despised and neglected of men,\nwhen there is no petty creature above another, but will be jealous of his\ncredit, and vindicate himself from contempt? And then, when ingratitude is\nmingled in with rebellion, it makes sin exceeding sinful, and sinful sin\nexceeding provoking. To proclaim open war against the holy and righteous\nwill of him to whom we owe ourselves, and all that we are or have, to do\nevil, because he is good, and be unthankful, because he is kind to take\nall his own members, faculties, creatures, and employ them as instruments\nof dishonour against himself, there is here fuel for feeding everlasting\nindignation, there is no indignity, no vileness, no wickedness to this.\nAll the provocations of men, how just soever, are in the sight of this\ngroundless and vain, like a child\u2019s indignation. All are but imaginary\ninjuries, consisting but in opinion, in regard of that which sin hath in\nthe bosom of it against God.\n\nBut how shall any satisfaction be made for the injury of sin? What shall\npacify his justly deserved anger? Here is the question indeed, that would\nhave driven the whole world to a _nonplus_, if once the majesty and\nholiness of God had been seen. But the ignorance of God\u2019s greatness, and\nmen\u2019s sinfulness, made the world to fancy some expiations of sin, and\nsatisfactions to God, partly by sacrifices of beasts, partly by prayer,\nand repentance for sins.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXVIII.\n\n\n    1 John ii. 3.\u2014\u201cAnd hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep\n    his commandments.\u201d\n\n\nThis age pretends to much knowledge beyond former ages, knowledge, I say,\nnot only in other natural arts and sciences, but especially in religion.\nWhether there be any great advancement in other knowledge, and improvement\nof that which was, to a further extent and clearness, I cannot judge, but\nI believe there is not much of it in this nation, nor do we so much\npretend to it. But, we talk of the enlargements of divine knowledge, and\nthe breaking up of a clearer light in the point of religion, in respect of\nwhich we look on former times, as the times of ignorance and darkness,\nwhich God winked at. If it were so indeed, I should think the time happy,\nand bless the days we live in, for as many sour and sad accidents as they\nare mixed withal. Indeed, if the variety of books, and multiplicity of\ndiscourses upon religion, if the multitude of disputes about points of\ntruth, and frequency of sermons, might be held for a sufficient proof of\nthis pretension, we should not want store enough of knowledge and light.\nBut, I fear that this is not the touchstone of the Holy Ghost, according\nto which we may try the truth of this assertion, that this is not the\nrule, by which to measure either the truth, or degrees of our knowledge,\nbut for all that, we may be lying buried in Egyptian darkness, and while\nsuch a light seems to shine about us our hearts may be a dungeon of\ndarkness, of ignorance of God and unbelief, and our ways and walk full of\nstumblings in the darkness. I am led to entertain these sad thoughts of\nthe present times from the words of the apostle, which give us the\ndesignation of a true Christian, to be the knowledge of God, and the\ncharacter of his knowledge, to be obedience to his commands. If, according\nto this level, we take the estimate of the proportion of our knowledge and\nlight, I am afraid lest there be found as much ignorance of God, and\ndarkness, as we do foolishly fancy that we have of light. However, to find\nit, will be some breaking up of light in our hearts, and to discover how\nlittle we know indeed upon a solid account, will be the first morning star\nof that Sun of righteousness, which will shine more and more to the\nperfect day. Therefore we should labour to bring our light to the lamp of\nthis word, and our knowledge to this testimony of unquestionable\nauthority, that having recourse \u201cto the law and to the testimony,\u201d we may\nfind if there be light in us or so much light as men think they see. If we\ncould but open our eyes to the shining light of the scripture, I doubt not\nbut we should be able to see that which few do see, that is, that much of\nthe pretended light of this age is darkness and ignorance. I do not speak\nof errors only that come forth in the garments of new light, but\nespecially of the vulgar knowledge of the truth of religion, which is far\nadulterated from the true metal and stamp of divine knowledge, by the\nintermixture of the gross darkness of our affections and conversation, as\nthat other is from the naked truth, and therefore both of them are found\nlight in the balance of the sanctuary, and counterfeit by this touchstone\nof obedience.\n\nTo make out this examination the better I shall endeavour to open these\nthree things unto you, which comprehend the words. 1st, That the knowledge\nof God in Jesus Christ is the most proper designation of a Christian,\n\u201cHereby we know that we know him,\u201d which is as much as to say that we are\ntrue Christians,\u20142dly, That the proper character of true knowledge is\nobedience, or conscionable practising of what we know,\u2014and then, lastly,\nThat the only estimate or trial of our estate before God, is made\naccording to the appearance of his work in us and not by immediate\nthrusting ourselves into the secrets of God\u2019s hidden degrees. \u201cHereby we\nknow,\u201d &c. Here then, in a narrow circle we have all the work and business\nof a Christian. His direct and principal duty is to know God, and keep his\ncommands, which are not two distinct duties as they come in a religious\nconsideration, but make up one complete work of Christianity, which\nconsists in conformity to God. Then the reflex and secondary duty of a\nChristian, which makes much for his comfort, is, to know that he knows\nGod. To know God, and keep his commands, is a thing of indispensable\nnecessity to the being of a Christian, to know that we know him is of\ngreat concernment to the comfort and well being of a Christian. Without\nthe first, a man is as miserable as he can be, without the sense and\nfeeling of misery, because he wants the spring and fountain of all\nhappiness; without the second, a Christian is unhappy, indeed, for the\npresent, though he may not be called miserable, because he is more happy\nthan he knows of, and only unhappy, because he knows not his happiness.\n\nFor the first, then, knowledge is a thing so natural to the spirit of a\nman, that the desire of it is restless and insatiable. There is some\nappetite of it in all men, though in the generality of people (because of\nimmersedness in earthly things, and the predominancy of corrupt lusts and\naffections, which hinder most men\u2019s souls to wait upon that more noble\ninquiry after knowledge, in which only a man really differs from a beast)\nthere be little or no stirring that way, yet some finer spirits there are,\nthat are unquiet this way, and, with Solomon, give themselves, and apply\ntheir hearts to search out wisdom. But this is the curse of man\u2019s\ncuriosity at first, in seeking after unnecessary knowledge, when he was\nhappy enough already, and knew as much of God and his works as might have\nbeen a most satisfying entertainment of his spirit, I say, for that\nwretched aim, we are to this day deprived of that knowledge which man once\nhad, which was the ornament of his nature and the repast of his soul. As\nall other things are subdued under a curse for sin, so especially this\nwhich man had is lost, in seeking that which he needed not, and the track\nof it is so obscured and perplexed, the footsteps of it are so\nindiscernible, and the way of it is like a bird in the air, or a ship in\nthe sea, leaving us few helps to find it out, that most part of men lose\nthemselves in seeking to find it, and therefore, in all the inquiries and\nsearchings of men after the knowledge even of natural things that come\nunder our view, there is at length nothing found out remarkable, but the\nincrease of sorrow, and the discovery of ignorance, as Solomon saith,\nEccles. i. 18. This is all the jewel that is brought up from the bottom of\nthis sea, when men dive deepest into it, for the wisest of men could reach\nno more, though his bucket was as long as any man\u2019s, chap. vii. 23. \u201cI\nsaid, I will be wise, but it was far from me, that which is far off and\nexceeding deep, who can find it out?\u201d Knowledge hath taken a far journey\nfrom man\u2019s nature, and hath not left any prints behind it to find it out\nagain, but, as it were, hath flown away in an instant, and therefore we\nmay ask, with Job, chap. xxviii. ver. 1, 12, \u201cSurely there is a vein for\nthe silver,\u201d etc. \u201cBut where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place\nof understanding?\u201d What Utopian isles is she transported unto, that mortal\nmen, the more they seek her, find more ignorance,\u2014the further they pursue,\nthey see themselves at the further distance? Thus it is in those things\nthat are most obvious to our senses, but how much more in spiritual and\ninvisible things is our darkness increased, because of the dulness and\nearthiness of our spirits that are clogged with a lump of flesh! For God\nhimself, that should be the _primum intelligibile_ of the soul, the first\nand principal object, whose glorious light should first strike into our\nhearts, Job testifies \u201chow little a portion is known of him.\u201d When we\ncannot so much as understand \u201cthe thunder of his power,\u201d that makes such a\nsensible impression on our ears, and makes all the world to stand and\nhearken to it, then how much less shall we conceive the invisible Majesty\nof God? In natural things, we have one vail of darkness in our minds to\nhinder us, but in the apprehension of God, we have a twofold darkness to\nbreak through, the darkness of ignorance in us, and \u201cthe darkness of too\nmuch light\u201d in him\u2014_caliginem nimi\u00e6 lucis,_ which makes him as\ninaccessible to us as the other, the over-proportion of that glorious\nmajesty of God to our low spirits, being as the sun in its brightness to a\nnight owl, which is dark midnight to it. Hence it is, that those holy men\nwho know most of God, think they know least, because they see more to be\nknown but infinitely surpassing knowledge. Pride is the daughter of\nignorance only, \u201cand he that thinketh he knoweth anything knoweth nothing\nas he ought to know,\u201d saith the apostle, 1 Cor. viii. 2. For he that\nknoweth not his own ignorance, if he know never so much, is the greatest\nignorant, and it is a manifest evidence that a man hath but a superficial\ntouch of things and hath never broken the shell, or drawn by the vail of\nhis own weakness and ignorance, that doth not apprehend deeply the\nunsearchableness of God, and his mysteries, but thinketh he hath in some\nmeasure compassed them, because he maketh a system of divinity, or setteth\ndown so many conclusions of faith, and can debate them against\nadversaries, or because he hath a form and model of divinity, as of other\nsciences, in his mind. Nay, my beloved, holy Job attained to the deepest\nand fullest speculation of God, when he concluded thus, \u201cBecause I see\nthee, I abhor myself,\u201d and as Paul speaks, \u201cIf any man love God he is\nknown of God, and so knows God,\u201d 1 Cor. viii. 3. From which two\ntestimonies I conclude, that the true knowledge of God consists not so\nmuch in a comprehension of all points of divinity, as in such a serious\napprehension and conception of the divine Majesty as enkindles and\ninflames these two affections, love and hatred, towards their proper\nobjects, such a knowledge as carries the torch before the affection, such\na light as shines into the heart, as Paul\u2019s phrase is, 2 Cor. iv. 6, and\nso transmits heat and warmness into it, till it make the heart burn in the\nlove of God, and loathing of himself. As long as a man doth but hear of\nGod in sermons, or read of him in books, though he could determine all the\nquestions and problems in divinity, he keeps a good conceit of himself,\nand that \u201cknowledge puffeth up,\u201d and swells a man into a vain tumour, the\nvenom of poison blows him up full of wind and self-confidence, and\ncommonly they who doubt least are not the freest of error and\nmisapprehension. And truly, whoever seriously reflects upon the difficulty\nof knowledge, and darkness of men\u2019s minds, and the general curse of vanity\nand vexation that all things are under, so that what is wanting cannot be\nnumbered, nor that which is crooked made straight,\u2014he cannot but look upon\ntoo great confidence and peremptoriness in all points, as upon a race at\nfull speed in the dark night, in a way full of pits and snares. Oftentimes\nour confidence flows not from evidence of truth, but the ignorance of our\nminds, and is not so much built upon the strength of reason, as the\nstrength of our passions, and weakness of our judgments.\n\nBut when once a man comes to see God, and know him in a lively manner,\nthen he sees his own weakness and vileness in that light, and cries out\nwith Isaiah, \u201cWo is me, I am a man of polluted lips,\u201d and he discerns in\nthat light, the amiableness and loveliness of God that lavisheth his heart\nafter it, and then, as Jeremiah saith, he will not glory in riches, or\nstrength, or beauty, or wisdom, but only in this, that he hath at length\ngotten some discovery of the only fountain of happiness. Then he will not\nthink so much of tongues and languages, of prophesyings, of all knowledge\nof controversies, neither gifts of body nor of mind, nor external\nappendages of providence will much affect him. He would be content to\ntrample on all these, to go over them into a fuller discovery and\nenjoyment of God himself.\n\nIf we search the scriptures, we shall find that they do not entertain us\nwith many and subtile discourses of God\u2019s nature, and decrees, and\nproperties, nor do they insist upon the many perplexed questions that are\nmade concerning Christ and his offices, about which so many volumes are\nspun out, to the infinite distraction of the Christian world. They do not\npretend to satisfy your curiosity, but to edify your souls, and therefore\nthey hold out God in Christ, as clothed with all his relations to mankind,\nin all those plain and easy properties, that concern us everlastingly,\u2014his\njustice, mercy, grace, patience, love, holiness, and such like. Now, hence\nI gather, that the true knowledge of God, consists not in the\ncomprehension of all the conclusions that are deduced, and controversies\nthat are discussed anent these things, but rather, in the serious and\nsolid apprehension of God, as he hath relation to us, and consequently in\norder and reference to the moving of our hearts, to love, and adore, and\nreverence him, for he is holden out only in those garments that are fit to\nmove and affect our hearts. A man may know all these things, and yet not\nknow God himself, for to know him, cannot he abstracted from loving of\nhim\u2014\u201cThey that know thy name will trust in thee, and so love thee, and\nfear thee.\u201d For it is impossible but that this will be the natural result,\nif he be but known indeed, because there is no object more amiable, more\ndreadful withal, and more eligible and worthy of choice, and therefore,\nseeing infinite beauty and goodness, and infinite power and greatness, and\ninfinite sufficiency and fulness, are combined together with infinite\ntruth, the soul that apprehends him indeed, cannot but apprehend him as\nthe most ravishing object, and the most reverend too, and, if he do not\nfind his heart suitably affected, it is an evident demonstration that he\ndoth not indeed apprehend him, but an idol. The infinite light, and the\ninfinite life, are simply one, and he that truly without a dream sees the\none, cannot but be warmed and moved by the other.\n\nSo then, by this account of the knowledge of God, we have a clear\ndiscovery that many are destitute of it, who pretend to it. I shall only\napply it to two sorts of persons, one is, of those who have it only in\ntheir memories, another, of those who have it only in their minds or\nheads. Religion was once the legitimate daughter of judgment and\naffection, but now, for the most part, it is only adopted by men\u2019s\nmemories, or fancies. The greatest part of the people cannot go beyond the\nrepetition of the catechism or creed. Not that I would have you to know\nmore: but you do not understand that, only ye repeat words, without the\nsensible knowledge of the meaning of them; so that if the same matter be\ndisguised with any other form of words, you cannot know it, which showeth,\nthat you have no familiarity with the thing itself, but only with the\nletters and syllables that are the garments of it. And for others that are\nof greater capacity, yet, alas! it comes not down to the heart, to the\naffecting, and moulding, and forming of it. A little light shines into the\nmind, but your hearts are shut up still, and no window in them. Corrupt\naffections keep that garrison against the power of the gospel. That light\nhath no heat of love, or warmness of affection with it, which showeth that\nit is not a ray or beam of the Sun of righteousness, which is both\nbeautiful for light, and beneficial for influence, on the cold, and dead,\nfrozen hearts of mankind, and by its approaching, makes a spring-time in\nthe heart.\n\nBut all men pretend to know God. Such is the self love of men\u2019s hearts,\nthat it makes them blind in judging themselves, therefore the Holy Ghost,\nas he designs a Christian by the knowledge of God, so he characterizeth\nknowledge by keeping the commandments. \u201cHereby we know,\u201d &c. So that\nreligion is not defined by a number of opinions, or by such a collection\nof certain articles of faith, but rather by practice and obedience to the\nknown will of God; for, as I told you, knowledge is a relative duty, that\nis, instrumental to something else, and by anything I can see in\nscripture, is not principally intended for itself, but rather for\nobedience. There are some sciences altogether speculative, that rest and\nare complete in the mere knowledge of such objects, as some natural\nsciences are. But others are practical, that make a further reference of\nall things they cognosce upon, to some practice and operation. Now,\nperhaps some may think that the scripture, or divinity, is much of it\nmerely contemplative, in regard of many mysteries infolded in it, that\nseem nothing to concern our practice. I confess much of that, that is\nraised out of the scriptures, is such, and therefore it seems a deviation\nand departure from the great scope and plain intent of the simplicity and\neasiness of the scriptures, to draw forth with much industry and subtilty,\nmany things of mere speculation and notion, dry and sapless to the\naffection, and unedifying to our practice, and to obtrude these upon other\nmen\u2019s consciences, as points of religion. I rather think, that all that is\nin the scriptures, either directly hath the practice of God\u2019s will for the\nobject of it, or is finally intended for that end, either it is a thing\nthat prescribeth our obedience, or else it tends principally to engage our\naffections, and secure our obedience, and so those strains of elevated\ndiscourses of God, his nature and properties, of his works, and all the\nmysteries infolded in them, are directed towards this end, further than\nmere knowing of them, to engage the heart of a believer to more love, and\nreverence, and adoration of God, that so he may be brought more easily and\nsteadily to a sweet compliance, and harmonious agreement to the will of\nGod, in all his ways. Nay, to say a little more, there are sundry physical\nor natural contemplations of the works of God in scripture, but all these\nare divinely considered, in reference to the ravishment of the heart of\nman, with the wisdom, and power, and goodness of God. And this shows us\nthe notable art of religion, to extract affection and obedience to God,\nout of all natural contemplations, and thus true divinity engraven on the\nsoul, is a kind of mistress science, _architectonica scientia_,(255) that\nserves itself of all other disciplines(256) of all other points of\nknowledge. Be they never so remote from practice, in their proper sphere,\nand never so dry and barren, yet a religious and holy heart can apply them\nto those divine uses of engaging itself further to God and his obedience:\nas the Lord himself teacheth us\u2014\u201cWho would not fear thee, O King of\nnations,\u201d Jer. x.; and, \u201cfear ye not me who have placed the sand,\u201d &c.\nJer. v. 22. So praise is extracted, Psal. civ.; and admiration, verses 1,\n83. So submission and patience under God\u2019s hand is often pressed in Job.\nTherefore, if we only seek to know these things that we may know them,\nthat we may discourse on them, we disappoint the great end and scope of\nthe whole scriptures; and we debase and degrade spiritual things as far as\nreligion exalts natural things in the spiritual use. We transform it into\na carnal, empty, and dead letter, as religion, where it is truly,\nspiritualizeth earthly and carnal things into a holy use. &c.\n\n\n\n\n\nHEART-HUMILIATION\n\n\nOr, Miscellany Sermons, Preached Upon Some Choice Texts, At Several Solemn\nOccasions.\n\n\n\n\nTo The Reader.\n\n\n_Christian Reader_,\n\nThis holy preacher of the gospel had so many convictions upon his spirit\nof the necessity of the duties of humiliation and mourning, and of\npeople\u2019s securing the eternal interest of their souls for the life to\ncome, by flying into Jesus Christ for remission of sins in his blood, that\nhe made these the very scope of his sermons in many public humiliations,\nas if it had been the one thing which he conceived the Lord was calling\nfor in his days; a clear evidence whereof thou shall find manifested in\nthese following sermons upon choice texts, wherein the author\nendeavoureth, not only to lay before thee the necessity of these duties of\nsoul humiliation, but also showeth thee the gospel manner of performing\nthem, the many soul advantages flowing from the serious exercise of them,\nand the many soul-destroying prejudices following upon the neglect of\nthem, but above all, thou shalt find him so fully setting forth the\nsinfulness of sin, and the utter emptiness of self, as may convince the\nmost pharisaically elated spirits, and make them cry out with Ezra, chap.\nix. 6, \u201cO my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my\nGod, for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is\ngrown up unto the heavens.\u201d Here thou mayest read such pregnant\ndemonstrations of the righteousness and equity of the Lord\u2019s dealing, even\nin his severest punishments inflicted upon the children of men, as may\nsilence every whisperer against providence, and make them say, as Lam.\niii. 22, \u201cIt is of the Lord\u2019s mercies we are not consumed, even because\nhis compassions fail not.\u201d And lastly, thou shalt perceive the\ninconceivable fitness and fulness of Christ as a Saviour, and his never\nenough to be admired tenderness and condescending willingness to accept of\nhumble, heart broken, and heart-panting sinners after him, with such\nplainness of speech demonstrated, as may enable the most bruised reed to\nquench all the fiery darts of the devil, whereby he laboureth to affright\nthem from making application to Jesus for salvation. Now that the Lord\nwould make those and such-like labours of his faithful servants useful and\nadvantageous to thy soul, Christian reader, is the prayer of thy servant\nin the gospel of our dearest Lord and Saviour.\n\n\n\n\nSermon I.\n\n\nAt A Public Fast In July, First Sabbath, 1650.(257)\n\n\n    Deut. xxxii. 4-7.\u2014\u201cHe is the Rock, his work is perfect, for all\n    his ways are judgment,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThere are two things which may comprehend all religion,\u2014the knowledge of\nGod and of ourselves. These are the principles of religion, and are so\nnearly conjoined together, that the one cannot be truly without the other,\nmuch less savingly. It is no wonder that Moses craved attention, and that,\nto the end he may attain it from an hard hearted deaf people, he turns to\nthe heavens and to the earth,\u2014as it were to make them the more\ninexcusable. The matter of his song is both divine and necessary.\nThroughout it all, he insists upon these two,\u2014to discover what they were\nin themselves, and what God was to them. He parallels their way with his\nway, that they, finding the infinite distance, might have other thoughts\nof themselves and of him both. It is a song, it is true, but a sad song.\nThe people of God\u2019s mourning should be of this nature,\u2014mixed, not pure\nsorrow. It is hard to determine whether there be more matter of\nconsolation or lamentation, when such a comparison is made to the life,\nwhen God\u2019s goodness and our evils are set before our eyes, which may most\nwork the heart to such affections. Nay, I think it possible they may both\ncontribute to both these. Is there any more abasing and humbling principle\nthan love? How shall the sinner loathe himself in his glorious presence?\nWill not so much kindness and mercy, so often repeated, as oft as it is\nmentioned, wound the heart in which there is any tenderness? And, again,\nwhen a soul beholds its own ingratitude and evil requital of the Lord\u2019s\nkindness, how vile and how perverse it is, how must it loathe itself in\ndust and ashes! Yet is not all ground of hope removed. Such a sad sight\nmay make mixed affections. If we be so perverse and evil, then he is\ninfinitely good, and his mercy and goodness are above our evils; if we\nhave dealt so with him, yet is he the Rock that changes not, he is a God\nof truth, and will not fail in his promise. Nay, though it be sad to be so\nevil, void of all goodness, yet may the soul bless him for evermore, that\nhe hath chosen this way to glorify his name, to build up his praise upon\nour ruin. May not a soul thus glory in sad infirmities, because his\nstrength is perfected in them, and made manifest? May not a soul choose\nemptiness in itself, that it may be beholden to his fulness? How\nrefreshing a view might the saddest look on our misery and emptiness be,\nif we did behold his purpose of manifesting his glory in it! You see here\na comparison instituted between two very unequal parties, God and man;\nthere is no likeness, let be equality in it, yet there is almost an\nequality in unlikeness. The one is infinitely good and perfect; well, what\nshall we compare to him? Who is like thee, O God, among the gods? Angels\u2019\ngoodness, their perfection and innocency, hath not such a name and\nappearance in his sight. So then, there can be no comparison made this\nway. Let no flesh glory in his sight in anything, but, \u201clet him that\nglorieth, glory in the Lord,\u201d for in the sight of the glorious Lord, all\nthings do disappear and evanish. But surely nothing, though most perfect,\ncan once come within terms of reckoning beside him for any worth. Moses\nsees nothing to set beside God, that will appear in its own greatness and\nnative colours, but the creatures\u2019 evil and sin; and if this be not\ninfinite absolutely, or equal to his goodness, yet it comes nearest the\nborders of infiniteness. So then, is God most perfect? Is he infinite in\ngoodness, in truth, in righteousness, &c.\u2014and so infinite, that before him\nnothing appears good?\u2014\u201cThere is none good save one, that is God.\u201d Yet we\nmay find another infinite, and it is in evil sinful man; and these two\ncontraries set beside other, do much illustrate each other. It is true\nthat his grace superabounds, and his goodness is more than the creatures\u2019\nsinfulness; yet, I say, you shall not find anything that cometh nearer the\ninfiniteness and degrees of his goodness, than the sinfulness of men. How\nmuch the more glorious he appears, so much the more vile and base doth it\nappear.\n\nIf ye did indeed ponder and weigh these two verses in the balance of the\nsanctuary, would not your heart secretly ask this question within you, Do\nI thus requite the Lord? O foolish and unwise! Yea, would you not account\nyourselves mad, to forsake the fountain of living waters, and dig broken\ncisterns to yourselves? O of how great moment were this to humble\nyourselves to-day! This day ye are called to mourning and afflicting your\nsouls. Now, I know not a more suitable exercise for a day of humiliation,\nor a principle that may more humble and abase your souls, than the serious\nand deep consideration of these two,\u2014what God is, and hath been to us, and\nwhat we are, and have proved to him; what hath made so many formal\nhumiliations that have provoked him to anger? Certainly we do not either\nseriously think on any of these, or if one of them, yet not on both. The\nmost part of you know no more in such a day, but a name and ceremony of a\nlittle abstinence. Is this to sanctify a day to the Lord,\u2014when ye do not\nso much as the people who bowed down their head for a day, and spread\nsackcloth under them? I wonder how ye think to pacify his wrath, and are\nnot rather afraid of adding fuel and oil to the flame of his indignation.\nYe come here and sit as in former times, and what do ye more either here\nor at home? There is no soul-affliction, no, not for a day. The most part\nof you are no more affected with your sins and his judgments, than if none\nof these things were. Now, I pray you, what shall the Lord say to us, when\nhe speaks to the Jews in such terms, Isa. lviii. 5,\u2014\u201cIs it such a fast\nthat I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul?\u201d And do ye so\nmuch as afflict it for a day, or at all? Is this then the fast that he\nwill choose, to abstain from your breakfast in the morning, and at night\nto compensate the want of it, and no more?(258) Is this an acceptable day\nto the Lord? The Lord upbraids the Jews, \u201cWilt thou call this a fast?\u201d And\nwhat reason have we to ask you, is it possible ye think ye do indeed fast\nto the Lord? I cannot think that the most part of you dare say, that ever\nye fasted or afflicted your souls.\n\nAlways here is the way, if we consider it. To spend a day acceptably to\nthe Lord, enter into a serious consideration of his Majesty, and\nyourselves. Study on these two till ye find your hearts bear the stamp of\nthem, enlarge your hearts in the thoughts of them. Both are infinite,\u2014his\ngoodness and power and mercy, and your sin and misery,\u2014no end of them.\nWhatever ye find good in God, write up answerably to it, so much evil and\nsin in yourselves and the land; and what evil ye find in yourselves and\nthe land, write up so much goodness and mercy in his account. All the\nnames of his praise would be so many grounds of your confusion in\nyourselves, and would imprint so many notes of reproach and disgrace upon\nthe creature found so contrary to him. This is even the exercise God calls\nus to this day,\u2014to consider his ways to us, and our ways to him; how he\nhath walked, and how we have walked. Because ye lose the sight of these\ntwo, he sends affliction,\u2014because in our prosperity and peace we forget\nGod, and so ourselves; as ye find this people did, \u201cwhen they waxed fat\nthey kicked against him, and forgat that he was their Rock.\u201d We are so\nmuch taken up with our own ease and peace, that we do not observe him in\nhis dealings; therefore doth the Lord trouble our peace, remove those\nthings we are taken up with, make a public proclamation of affliction, and\nblessed be his name whose end is gracious. He means this,\u2014it is the\nproclamation of all his judgments,\u2014turn your eyes off your present ease\nhere, consider what I am, and what yourselves are. No nation so soon\nburies the memory of his mercies, O how soon are they drowned in oblivion!\nAnd we forget our own provocations as suddenly. Therefore must he write\nour iniquities upon a rod, that we may read them in great letters; and he\nwrites his former goodness in the change of his dispensations, when his\nway to us changes, that we may know what is past. This is the great design\nthat God hath in the world,\u2014to declare himself and his own name, that it\nmay be wondered and admired at by men, and this cannot be but by our ruin,\nabasing us in the dust. He therefore uses to stain the pride of all glory,\nthat his alone may appear without spot. This is then the great controversy\nof God with men and nations in all generations. They will not see him\nalone exalted, and will not bow before him, and see their own vileness.\nWhy doth he overturn kingdoms and thrones? Why doth he shake nations so\noften? Here it is; God\u2019s controversy will never cease, till all men\nacknowledge him in his highness and holiness, as the sole fountain of all\nlife, and find themselves vile, less than nothing, nay, worse than\nnothing, and emptiness. If ye would then have God at peace with the land\nand yourselves, here is the compendious way,\u2014set him up a throne of\neminency in your hearts, and put yourselves in the dust, take with your\nown guiltiness and naughtiness, and impossibility to help yourselves in\nyourselves. Hold these two still in your eyes, that he may be alone\nexalted.\n\nLook how unequal a match, ver. 4, 5, \u201cHe is the Rock,\u201d a rock indeed!  If\nwe speak of strength, lo! he is strong; if of stability, he is the Lord,\nand changes not, \u201cthe Ancient of days.\u201d Hast not thou heard and considered\nthis, that the Almighty faints not, and wearies not? He holds forth\nhimself in such a name to his people, a ready, all-sufficient, perpetual,\nand enduring refuge to all that trust in him, and fly unto him as a rock\nhigher than they. And this is the foundation that the church is builded\non, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. God\u2019s omnipotency\nis for defence, his eternity, faithfulness, and unchangeableness to make\nthat sure. His mercy and goodness makes a hole in that rock to enter in, a\nready access for poor shipwrecked and broken men, who have no other\nrefuge. This is our rock, on which the church is builded, Jesus Christ, 1\nCor. x. 4.; Matt. xvi. 18. Were God inaccessible in himself, an\nimpregnable rock, how would sinners overcome him, and enter in to him to\nbe saved from wrath? Nay but Jesus Christ hath made a plain way and path,\nout of the waves of sin and misery, into this rock higher than we; and so\nthe poor soul that is lost in its own eyes, and sees no refuge, is forced\nto quit the broken ship of created confidence, for fear of perishing. Here\ndoth it find a door in this rock to enter. And there is water to drink of,\n\u201ca fountain of living waters\u201d comes out of it, and that is Christ.\n\nNow, all these names of his praise rub so many marks of shame on his\npeople. O how sad is the secret reproof and expostulation contained in\nthis commendation of God! He hath been a rock to us, our refuge that we\nfled unto, and found sure; for as, in our straits, we mounted upon his\npower and were supported, when \u201cthe floods lifted up their waves,\u201d yet\nhave we left our rock, gone out from our strength. He offers himself a\nrock unto us, his fulness and all-sufficiency for us, and yet we leave the\nfountain of living waters, and dig broken cisterns, had rather choose our\nown broken ships in which to toss up and down. He abides for ever the\nsame; though we change, he changes not. How may it reprove our\nbackslidings, that we depart from our rock! And where shall we find a\nrefuge in the day of indignation? Is there any created mountain, but some\nfloods of the time will cover? Therefore it is folly and madness to\nforsake this rock that is still above the floods; \u201che is mightier than the\nnoise of many waters.\u201d It may reprove our unbelief,\u2014we change our faith\naccording to his dispensation, our faith ebbs and flows as the tide of his\nprovidence, and thus we are as sticks floating in the water, tossed up and\ndown. But would ye be established as mount Sion? Would ye be unmoveable in\nthe midst of great waters, that they shall not come near unto you? Then,\nby all means get upon this rock, that abides unmoved in the midst of the\nwaves. Though they should beat upon it, and the wind blow, yet it is proof\nof all tempests. All things might be driven up and down about you with the\nLord\u2019s dispensation, but ye should abide the same, and might look round\nabout you on the troubled sea of men\u2019s minds, of lands and estates. If you\ncome here, ye may make shipwreck, but ye shall not drown; though ye lose\nthe creature\u2019s comfort and defence, yet ye are on your rock, which is\nestablished before the rocks and mountains. You may be sure of salvation.\nHe that made the rocks and winds and seas, is your rock.\n\n\u201cHis work is perfect.\u201d As he doth not trouble himself when all is troubled\nabout him, so he keeps him also in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on\nhim; so also what he doth among men, though it cannot pass without man\u2019s\ncensure, yet it is in itself perfect, complete, without spot or defect.\nWhat is the subject of all men\u2019s questions, doubts, complaints, censures,\nexpostulations, and such like, of which the world is full? It is some one\nwork of God or other; there is no work of his providence, but some man\nfinds a fault in it, and would be at the mending of it. _Neque Deus cum\npluit, omnibus placet_:(259) if he give rain, he displeases many; if he\nwithhold it again, we are as little pleased. The reason of all this\nmisconstruction is, we look on his work by parcels,(260) and take it not\nwhole and entire. [Viewed] so, it is perfect, and cannot be made better.\n\u201cHis works are perfect,\u201d in relation to the beginning and original of\nthem, his own everlasting purpose. Men often bring forth works by guess,\nby their purpose, so no wonder it answer not their desire. But \u201cknown to\nhim are all his works from the beginning,\u201d and so he doth nothing in time,\nbut what was his everlasting pleasure. Often we purpose well, and resolve\nperfectly, but our practice is a cripple, execution of it is maimed and\nimperfect. But all his works are carved out, and done just as he designed\nthem, without the least alteration; and, if it had not been well, would he\nhave thought on it so, and resolved it beforehand? His works are perfect,\nin relation to the end to which he appointed them. It may be it is not\nperfect in itself: a blind eye is not so perfect as a seeing eye; nay, but\nin relation to the glory of his name, who hath a purpose to declare his\npower by restoring that sight, it is as perfect. And in this sense, all\nthe imperfection of the creatures and creation, all of them are perfect\nworks, for they accomplish the end wherefore they were sent; and so the\nnight declares his name, and utters a speech as well as the day, the\nwinter as the summer, the wilderness as the fruitful field. For what is\nthe perfection of the creature, but in as far as it accomplishes his\npurpose and end, as the maker of it serves himself with it? And therefore\nall his work is perfect, for it is all framed in wisdom to his own ends,\nin number, measure, and weight; it is so exactly agreeing to that, that\nyou could not imagine it better. Again, his work is perfect, if we take it\naltogether, and do not cut it in parcels, and look on it so. Is there any\nworkmanship beautiful, if ye look upon it in the doing? While the timber\nlies in one part, and the stones in another, is that a perfect building?\nWhen ye see one arm here, another there, and a leg scattered beside them,\nhath that image any comeliness? Certainly no; but look upon these united,\nand then they are perfect. Letters and syllables make no sense, till ye\nconjoin them in words, and words in sentences. Even so is it here; if ye\nlook on the day alone, the light of it being perpetual would weary us, the\nnight alone would be more so; but the interchange of them is pleasant,\u2014day\nand night together make a distinct language of God\u2019s praise. So God hath\nset prosperity and adversity the one over against the other. One of them,\nit may be, seems imperfect; nay, but it is a perfect work that is made up\nof both. Spots in the face commend the beauty of the rest of it.\n\nIf ye would then look upon God\u2019s work aright, look on it in the\nsanctuary\u2019s light, and ye shall say, \u201cHe hath done all well.\u201d Join the end\nwith the beginning, and behold they agree very well. Many things among us\nseem out of order, many things uncomplete, The reformation of England, how\ngreat obstruction was in the way of it? Is that now a perfect work? Yes,\ncertainly; for if we knew his end and purpose, it is very well, and could\nnot be bettered by the art of all men; \u201chis thoughts are far above our\nthoughts.\u201d The prosperous and uninterrupted success of that party in\nEngland, is it a perfect work? Yes, certainly; for if ye could behold\ntheir end, ye would say so; \u201cthey are set in slippery places, their foot\nshall slide in due time.\u201d(261)\n\nEntertain this thought in your heart, that he hath done all well. Let not\nyour secret thoughts so much as call them in question. If once ye\nquestion, ye will quickly censure them.    Hold this persuasion, that\nnothing can be better than what he doth, nothing can be added, and nothing\ndiminished from them, he doth all in number, weight, and measure. It is so\nexactly correspondent to his purpose and design, as if it were weighed\nout, and measured out for that end.\n\nLet this secretly reprove your hearts. The perfection of his works stains\nour works. O how imperfect are they! And which is worse, how impudent and\nbold are we to censure his, and absolve our own? If he have a hand in our\nwork, these imperfect works are perfect in regard of him. As we have a\nhand in his perfect works, his perfect works are imperfect in regard of\nus.\n\n\n\n\nSermon II.\n\n\n    Deut. xxxii. 4, 5.\u2014\u201cHe is the Rock, his work is perfect, for all\n    his ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without iniquity, just\n    and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not\n    the spot of his children,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThere are none can behold their own vileness as it is, but in the sight of\nGod\u2019s glorious holiness. Sin is darkness, and neither sees itself, nor any\nthing else, therefore must his light shine to discover this darkness. If\nwe abide within ourselves, and men like ourselves, we cannot wisely judge\nourselves, our dim sparkle will not make all the imperfections and spots\nappear. But, if men would come forth into the presence of his Majesty, who\nturns darkness into light, and before whom hell is naked,\u2014O how base and\nvile would they appear in their own eyes!  Is it any wonder that the\nmultitude of you see not yourselves, when holy Isaiah and Job had this\nlesson to learn? Isaiah gets a discovery of his own uncleanness in the\nsight of God\u2019s glorious holiness, (chap. vi. 5,) which I think made all\nhis former light darkness. He cries out \u201cunclean,\u201d as if he had never\nknown it before, and so Job, \u201cSince I saw thee I abhorred myself in dust\nand ashes.\u201d Ye hear much of him, and it doth not abase you, but if ye saw\nhim, ye would not abide yourselves; ye would prefer the dust you tread on\nto yourselves. Ye who know most, there is a mystery of iniquity in your\nhearts, that is not yet discerned, ye are but yet on the coast of that\nbottomless sea of abomination and vileness. Among all the aggravations of\nsin, nothing doth so demonstrate the folly, yea, the madness of it, as the\nperfection, goodness, and absolute unspottedness of God. It is this that\ntakes away all pretence of excuse, and leaves the same nothing\u2014no place in\nwhich to hide its confusion and nakedness and shame. And therefore it is\nthat Moses, when he would convince this people of their ways, and make\nthem inexcusable, draws the parallel of God\u2019s ways and their ways,\ndeclares what God is, how absolutely perfect in himself, and in his works,\nwho had given no cause of provocation to them to depart from him, and\nthen, how odious must their departing be! When both are painted on a board\nbefore their eyes it makes sin become exceedingly sinful. When the Lord\nwould pierce the hearts of his people, and engrave a challenge with the\npoint of a diamond, he useth this as his pen,\u2014\u201cHave I been a wilderness\nunto Israel? a land of darkness? Why say my people, We are lords, we will\ncome no more to thee?\u201d Jer. ii. 31.  \u201cWhat iniquity have your fathers\nfound in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after\nvanity?\u201d Jer. ii. 5.\n\nThere are two things in sin that exceedingly abuse the creature,\u2014the\niniquity of it, and the folly and madness of it. It is contrary to all\nequity and reason to depart from him that hath made us, and given us a\nlaw, to whom we are by so many obligations tied, but what is the folly and\nmadness of it, to depart from the fountain of living waters, and dig\nbroken cisterns that can hold none? verse 13.  This is a thing that the\nheavens may be astonished at, and, if the earth had sense to understand\nsuch a thing, the whole fabric of it would tremble for horror at such\nmadness and folly of reasonable souls and this evil hath two evils in\nit,\u2014we forsake life and love death, go from him and choose vanity. It is\ngreat iniquity to depart without an offence on his part. He may appeal to\nall our consciences, and let them sit down and examine his way most\nnarrowly,\u2014\u201cWhat iniquity have ye found in me? What cause have ye to leave\nme!\u201d But when withal he is a living fountain, he is our glory, he is a\nfruitful land, a land of light, our ornament and attire, in a word, our\nlife and our consolation, our happiness and our beauty; what word shall be\nfound to express the extreme madness of men to depart from such an one,\nand change their glory into that which doth not profit? If either he were\nnot a fountain of living waters, or if there were any fountain beside,\nthat could yield water to satisfy the insatiable desires of men, it were\nmore excusable, but what shadow shall be found to cover such an iniquity\nthat is both infinite sin, and incompatable loss? It is the scripture\u2019s\nstyle given to natural men, \u201cfools and simple.\u201d All sin hath folly in it,\nbut the people of God\u2019s departing from him hath extremity of folly in it,\nbeside iniquity, because they do embrace a dunghill instead of a throne,\nthey make the maddest exchange that can be imagined, glory for shame, life\nfor death,\u2014at least, consolation and peace, for vanity and vexation and\nanguish of spirit.\n\nIf ye would be duly affected with the sight of your own evils, look upon\nthem in this consideration, and, in the view of God, your large portion,\nye will be forced to confess yourselves beasts in his sight, Psal. lxxiii.\n22. Oh! that men would consider how good and blessed the Lord is, how he\nis alone, and nothing beside him in heaven and earth,\u2014all broken cisterns,\nall dung and unprofitable, all vanity and vexation,\u2014he only\nself-sufficient, all others insufficient, and therefore a proportioned\ngood for our necessity and desires, and I am sure ye would be constrained\nto cry out with David, \u201cWhom have I in heaven but thee, or in the earth\nbeside thee? It is good for me to draw near to God.\u201d Ye would look on\ndrawing near, and walking with him, and before him, not only as the most\nreasonable thing, but the best thing, most beautiful for you, most\nprofitable for you, and all other ways would be looked on as the ways of\ndeath.\n\n\u201cHis work is perfect.\u201d The Lord looked, and behold all was good that was\nmade. So it was at first. The fabric of this world was an exquisite and\nperfect work, a suitable demonstration of his infinite wisdom, wonderful\nin all the parts of it, and in the unity and harmony of the whole. But so\nalso his work of providence is perfect. Divine wisdom hath framed and\ncontrived all, and it cannot be better. If anything seem imperfect in\nitself, yet it is perfect in relation to his glorious ends he directs it\nunto. And so would we look on all the works among us. If anything seemed a\nspot and disgrace of the creation, certainly the sin of men and\nangels,\u2014nay, but even that is so ordered by his holy sovereignty, that in\nrelation to his majesty, it may be called a perfect work. If ye do but\nconsider what a glorious high throne he hath erected to himself for\njustice and judgment to be the habitation of it, and mercy and truth to go\nbefore it upon the ruins of defaced man, what a theatre of justice he hath\nerected upon the angels fall, ye would call it as perfect a work as is in\nthe world. His work is one in the world, subordinate to one great design\nof manifesting his own glorious justice and mercy, omnipotency and wisdom.\nNow what do ye see of it but parcels? Though ye comprehend all your time\nin one thought, yet certainly ye cannot judge it aright, for it is but one\nwork that all the several buildings and castings down, all the several\ndispensations of his providence, from the beginning to the end, make up,\nand when we think upon these disjoined, limit our consideration within the\nbounds of our own time, can we rightly apprehend it? Nay, which is worse,\nwe use to have no more within the compass of our thought, but some present\nthing, and how much more do we err then? What beauty, what perfection can\nsuch a small part have? But it is present to him, who beholds with a\nglance all these parts. Though succeeding in many generations, he sees it\naltogether, joins the end with the beginning, sees the first mould, the\nfirst foundation stone, and the last completing, all flowing from himself,\nand returning thither, and ending in himself. He hath made an interchange\nin nature, which might teach us\u2014the night alone hath no beauty. Nay, but\nit beautifies the day. Your darkest hours and tempests, public and\npersonal, are they perfect works? Yes, certainly, if ye compound them with\nyour sunshines and calms. Several colours make pictures beautiful,\u2014the one\nis as needful as the other, and if ye did consider your profit more than\nyour honour and pleasure, ye would say so. He doth not model his works\naccording to our fancy to please us, but our good to profit us, and he is\nwiser than we, and so then it is the most perfect work in itself, that\npossibly displeaseth us most. Therefore ye would judge of his dealing by\nanother rule than your own satisfaction, for please you and perish you. If\nhe spared the rod, he should hate us indeed, fond love is real hatred.\nChristians, if ye would judge his works by his word, and not by your\nsense,\u2014by your well, and not by your will, certainly we would say, as the\nmen did of Christ, \u201cHe hath done all well.\u201d The world would discover to\nyou a perfection, even in imperfection, a perfection in infirmities, that\nye should not only rejoice in them, but glory in them. \u201cMost gladly\ntherefore will I glory,\u201d &c. saith Paul.  Are infirmities a perfect work?\nOr is the suffering of Paul, to be buffetted and tempted, a perfect work?\nWhat comfort is in it? Yes, much.  Infirmities alone are infirmities\nindeed, nay but infirmities in me, and strength in Jesus, weakness in me,\nand strength dwelling in me,\u2014these make up one perfect work that could as\nlittle want the infirmities as the strength. The glory of God, and our\nwell and consolation, require the one, as well as the other, they could\nnot be complete without any of them. What do ye think of the times now?\nAre England\u2019s apostacy, and Ireland\u2019s desolation,(262) perfect works? That\ngreat work of reformation, that seemed to be above our shoulders, is now\nrazed to the ground, and the very foundations removed?  Is deformation a\nperfect work?  Certainly, if we look on these things in the scripture\u2019s\nlight, and consider them in relation to him who is the chief builder, and\ndoth in heaven and earth what he pleaseth, that deformation is a perfect\nwork, though not a perfect reformation. Though we could not inform you of\nthe perfection of it, yet the general might silence us; all this shall be\nno miss, no mar in the end.  His work, at the end of accounts, shall\nappear so complete, as if it had never had interruption.  He is wise, and\nknows what he doth, if this were not for his glory and his people\u2019s good,\ncertainly it should not be.  Was not the people wandering in the\nwilderness forty years a most strange work\u2014a longer interruption of the\nexpected and begun voyage out of Egypt?  What human reason would have\nstyled this work with perfection? Did they not often murmur against it?\nYet Moses calls this a perfect work also.  What if the Lord be digging the\nground deeper in England, that the foundation may be the surer?  What if\nhe be on a work of judgment, filling the cup of many deluded blasphemers,\nthat he may have another cup of wrath prepared?  What if this be his great\npurpose, to execute vengeance upon a profane generation, that will not\nabide the very name and form of godliness, by those who pretend to the\nname of it as their honour?  What if the Lord hath defaced all that this\nkingdom was instrumental in building up in England, that he alone may have\nthe glory in a second temple more glorious?(263) Many things there may be\nin his mind, and \u201che is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his\nsoul desireth, even that he doth, and this may be enough to satisfy us, he\nsees and knows all his works from the beginning.\u201d\n\nAnd without all controversy he hath provided it so, that the reproach of\nhis name shall be made up with(264) the more shining of his glory, and the\nafflictions of his people shall be compensed with songs of deliverance.\nMay ye not give him so much credit, as ye would give to a skilful man in\nhis own trade?  Ye know it is his name, \u201cexcellent in counsel, and\nwonderful in working.\u201d  Then take his work, expound it according to his\nword, and not your apprehension.  It may be his work appears not\nexcellent, nay, but if ye knew his counsel, ye would think it so.  His\nwonderful counsel makes all his works excellent, and therefore do not take\nupon you to judge his works unless ye could wade the depth of his\ncounsels, else ye declare yourselves to be both ignorant and presumptuous.\n\u201cThere is a time to build, and a time to cast down, a time for every\nthing,\u201d saith the wise man.  Now, I say, he knows the time and season, he\ndoes every thing in his time.  If ye come by a workman that is casting\ndown a house that in your appearance seems good, would ye condemn him\npresently? No, but stay till ye see what he will do next, wait till the\ndue time, and when ye see a better piece of workmanship on that ground, ye\nshall absolve him. Though God often change his work, do not think he\nchanges his counsel and purposes as men do, no, \u201che is in one mind, and\nwho can turn him?\u201d Therefore he had that change in his mind when he made\nthe work, when he erected such a throne, he had this in his mind to cast\nit down within such a space, and so his change\u2014his throwing down\u2014is as\nperfect in his mind, as his building up. Ye have large and big\napprehensions of temporal kingdoms and crowns of government, and such\nlike, as if they were great, yea, only things, but they are not so to him.\nAll this world and its standing, all the kingdoms and their affairs are\nnot his great work and business. He hath a great work, the bringing of\nmany sons to glory, and the completing of Jesus Christ; building of that\nglorious mystical building, the holy temple made up of living stones, of\nwhich Christ is the foundation, and chief corner-stone both, and it is\nthis that he attends to most. Other works among men, though they have more\nnoise, they are less concerned. All these are but in the by, and\nsubservient to his great design, and like the scaffolds of a building,\nthat are, it may be, sometimes very needful. Nay, but when the building is\ncompleted, he shall remove all these, he hath no more use of them: kings\nshall be thy nurse fathers, kings shall bow to thee. He is not much\nconcerned in government nor in governors, but for his little flock\u2019s sake,\nand if these were gathered, all these shall have an end, and the flock\nalone abide for ever.\n\n\u201cAnd all his ways are judgment.\u201d This is to the same purpose,\u2014his ways and\nhis works are one. And this is the perfection of his work, that it is all\nright and equal; whether they be in justice or mercy, they are all\nrighteous and holy, no iniquity in them, his ways are straight and equal,\nexact as if they were measured by an exact even rule, but because we make\napplication of a crooked rule to them, we do imagine that they are\ncrooked, as the blind man judges no light to be, because he sees it not.\nHow may the Lord contend and plead with us, as with that people, Ezek.\nxviii. 25. Is it possible that any can challenge him and clear themselves,\nwho will be justified of all when he is judged, and before whom no flesh\ncan be justified? And yet, behold the iniquity of men\u2019s hearts. There is a\nsecret reflection of our spirits upon his Majesty, as if his ways were not\nequal, whenever we repine against them, and when we do not take with our\niniquity, and stop our mouths with dust. Behold, the Lord will assert his\nown ways, and plead with all flesh this controversy, that all his\nproceedings are full of equity. He walks according to a rule, though he be\nnot tied to a rule. He walks according to the rules of wisdom, justice,\nand mercy, though his illimited sovereignty might be a sufficient ground\nof clearing of all his proceedings. But we walk not according to a rule,\nthough we be bound to a rule, and a rule full of equity.\n\nHere is the equity and justice of his ways, the gospel holds it forth in a\ntwofold consideration. _First_, If any man turn from his iniquity, and\nflee unto my Son as the city of refuge, he shall live, he hath eternal\nlife, iniquity shall not be his ruin, although he hath done iniquity. O\n\u201cwho is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity!\u201d Is not this\ncomplete mercy? Whatever iniquity hath been, aggravate it as ye can,\nthough it could have ruined a world yet it could not have ruined thee that\nturnest in to Jesus Christ from iniquity. What exception can all the world\nhave against this, or his walking according to it? And _on the other\nhand_, whosoever continueth in sin, though he appear to himself and others\nnever so righteous, if he entertain and love any known sin, and will not\npart with it for Jesus Christ, shall not he die in his iniquity? Is there\nany iniquity in this, that he receive the wages of his works\u2014his reward\nthat he eat of the fruit of his own ways, and drink of his own devices?\nBut how many hearts censure this way as a rigid and strict severe dealing!\nThe multitude think it cruelty to condemn any christened soul\u2014to put so\nmany in hell. The civil man will think it is too hard measure that he\nshould be ranked in hell with the profane. But certainly, all mouths shall\nbe stopped one day, and he shall be justified when he judges. Ye that will\nnot justify him in his sayings, and set to your seal to the truth of the\nword, you shall be constrained to justify him, when he executes that\nsentence. Ye shall precipitate your own sentence, and rather wonder at his\nclemency in suffering you so long.\n\nThis way of the Lord is equal and right in itself, but it is not so to\nevery one. The just man shall walk in it and not stumble; as in an even\nway, nothing shall offend him, Hosea xiv. last verse. Yet for as equal and\nstraight as it is, many other transgressors shall fall therein; they\nstumble even in the noon-day and highway, where no offence is. It is true,\noften his own people stumble in it, as David, Psal. lxxiii, and xciv.\nDavid\u2019s foot was slipping, yet a secret hold was by mercy. It often\nrequires a wise and prudent man to understand it, because his footsteps\nare in the deep waters; Psal. lxxxvii. 19. His way is in the depths of the\nsea, his paths in great waters, so that men must wait till the Lord\nexpound his own ways, till he come out of the waters, and make them a dry\nplain. And this is our advantage; the word says, \u201cHe is near thee, in thy\nmouth, and neither above, nor beneath in the depths, that thou needest\nneither descend nor ascend to know it,\u201d Deut. xxx. 11-14. But his way is\nin the depths, and his footsteps are not known, so that we ought to hold\nus by the word till he expound his work. His word will teach us our duty,\nand we may commit unto him his own way; the word is a commentary to\nexpound his ways. David lost the sight of God\u2019s footsteps and was like to\nwander, till he came to the sanctuary, and this shined as a candle in a\ndark place; he learned there to know the unknown footsteps and to follow\nthem. By all means embrace the word, and be satisfied with it, when ye do\nnot comprehend his work; it teaches as much in general, as may put us to\nquietness; all his ways are judgment, just and true in all his ways is the\nKing of saints. If I do not comprehend how it is,\u2014no wonder, for he makes\ndarkness his covering, he spreads over his most curious engines and pieces\nof workmanship a vail of darkness for a season; and \u201cwho can behold him\nwhen he hides himself?\u201d says Job; and though he withdraw the covering, yet\nwhat am I? \u201cWho can by searching find out God?\u201d If I shall examine his\nway, what rule shall I take to try it by? If I measure by my shallow\ncapacity, or by my crooked way, shall I have any just account of it? Will\nmy arm measure the heavens as his doth? If I examine it, or try it by\nhimself, he is high as heaven and unsearchable. Therefore it becomes us to\nhearken to his word, and believe its sentence of his work, when reason\ncannot comprehend it.\n\nOne thing, if it were deeply engraven on our hearts, would be a principle,\nof settling our spirits, in all the mysteries and riddles of\nprovidence,\u2014the knowledge and faith of his sovereignty, of his highness,\nand of his wisdom. Should he give account of his matters to us? He is wise\nand knows his works; but is he bound to make us know them? His ways are\nabove our thoughts and ways, as heaven is above the earth, Isa. lv. And\ntherefore, O grasshopper in the earth, that dwelleth in tabernacles of\nclay, do not presume to model his ways according to thy conceptions. One\nthing is certain,\u2014this is enough for faith, \u201call his ways are mercy and\ntruth to those that keep his covenant and his testimonies,\u201d Psal. xxv. 10.\nAnd there is no way or path of God so far above our reach, and\nunsearchable, as his mercy in pardoning sin; and this is only the\nsatisfying answer to all your objections and scruples. In these ye do but\nvent your own thoughts: but says the Lord, my thoughts are above your\nthoughts, as heaven above earth. Ye but speak of your own ways, but my\nways are far above yours, they are not measured by your iniquity; and\ntherefore, David subjoins, Psal. xxv. ver. 11, \u201cPardon my iniquity, for it\nis great.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nSermon III.\n\n\n    Deut. xxxii. 4, 5.\u2014\u201cHe is the rock, his work is perfect. For all\n    his ways are judgment. A God of truth, and without iniquity, just\n    and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not\n    the spot of his children. They are a perverse and crooked\n    generation.\u201d\n\n\n\u201cAll his ways are judgment,\u201d both the ways of his commandments and the\nways of his providence, both his word which he hath given as a lantern to\nmen\u2019s paths, and his works among men. And  this were the blessedness of\nmen, to be found walking in his ways, and waiting on him in his ways,\nhaving respect to all his commandments, and respect to himself in all his\nworks. We all know in general that he doth all well, and that all his\ncommandments are holy and just. Nay, but our practice and affections belie\nour knowledge; and for the most part, we stand cross in our humours, and\naffections, and conversation, both to his word and providence, and this is\nour misery. \u201cGreat peace have they that love thy law.\u201d What peace then can\nkeep that heart and mind that is daily at variance with his statutes and\njudgments, when the heart would wish such a command were not, when it is\nan eyesore to look upon it? \u201cBlessed are the meek.\u201d \u201cIt is good for a man,\nboth quietly to wait, and hope, and keep silence.\u201d How then must that\nspirit be miserable, that stands cross unto God\u2019s dispensations, and would\nlimit the Holy One! Do not our hearts often say, \u201cI do well to be angry,\nwhy is it thus with me?\u201d But, \u201cwho hath hardened himself against him and\nprospered?\u201d His counsel must stand; and you may vex yourself, and disquiet\nyour soul in the mean time, by impatience, but you cannot by your thought\nadd one cubit to your stature. You may make your case worse than\nprovidence hath made it, but you cannot make it better by so doing, so\nthat at length you must bow to him or be broken. Oh then that this were\nengraven on our hearts with the point of a diamond! \u201cAll his ways are\njudgment;\u201d that ye might be overcome with the equity of his command and\ndispensation, and your heart and tongue might not move against them. It\nwas enough of old with the saints, \u201cIt is the Lord, let him do what seems\ngood in his eyes.\u201d God\u2019s sovereignty alone pondered, may stop our mouth;\nbut, if ye withal consider, it is perfect equity that rules all, it is\ndivine wisdom that is the square of his works; then how ought we to stoop\ncheerfully unto them! One thing, ye would remember, his ways and paths are\njudgment, and if you judge aright of him, ye must judge his way and not\nhis single footsteps. Ye will not discern equity and judgment in one step\nor two; but consider his way, join adversity with prosperity, humbling\nwith exalting; take along the thread of his providence, and one part shall\nhelp you to understand another. There is reason in all, but the reason is\nnot visible to us in so small parts of his way and work.\n\n\u201cA God of truth.\u201d Strange it is that his majesty is pleased to clothe\nhimself with so many titles and names for us. He considers what our\nnecessity is, and accordingly expresses his own name. I think nothing doth\nmore hold forth the unbelief of men, and atheism of our hearts, than the\nmany several titles that God takes in scripture. There is a necessity of a\nmultitude of them, to make us take up God; because we staying upon a\ngeneral notion of God, rather frame in our imaginations an idol than the\ntrue God. As there is nothing doth more lively represent the unbelief of\nour hearts, than the multitude of promises; men that consider such\nfrequent repetitions of one thing in scripture, so many divers expressions\nof one God, may retire into their own hearts, and find the cause of it,\neven the necessity of it. But while we look so slightly on these, we must\njudge it superfluous and vain. Needed there any more to be said, but, \u201cI\nam your God, I am God,\u201d if our spirits were not so far degenerated unto\natheism and unbelief? Certainly that word _Jehovah_ holds forth more to\nangels than all the inculcated names and titles of God to us, because we\nare dull and slow of heart. Therefore wonder at these two when ye read the\nscriptures, God\u2019s condescendency to us, and our atheism and unbelief of\nhim: they are both mysteries, and exceeding broad. There is not a name of\nGod, but it gives us a name, and that of reproach and dishonour, so that\nfor every one, some evil may be written down. And it is to this purpose\nMoses draws them out in length, that in the glass of his glorious name,\nthe people might behold their own ugly face. This name is clear, \u201che is a\nGod of truth,\u201d not only a true God, but truth itself: to note his\nexcellency and eminency in it. It is Christ\u2019s name, \u201cI am the truth,\u201d the\nsubstantial truth, in whom all the promises are truth, \u201care yea and amen.\u201d\nHis truth is his faithfulness in performing his promises, and doing what\nhis mouth hath spoken: and this is established \u201cin the very heavens,\u201d\nPsal. lxxxix. 2. His everlasting purpose is in heaven where he dwells; and\nif any man can ascend up to heaven, if any creature can break through the\nclouds, then may his truth be shaken. His word comes down among men; nay,\nbut the foundation of it is in heaven, and there is his purpose\nestablished; and therefore, there is nothing done in time can impair or\nhinder it. Ye think this world very sure, the earth hangs unmoveable,\nthough it hang upon nothing. All the tumults, confusions, and reels which\nhave been in the world have never moved it to the one side. Heaven goeth\nabout in one tenour perpetually, keeping still the same distance. Nay, but\nhis truth is more established than so. Heaven and earth depend but upon a\nword of command, he hath said, \u201cLet it be so,\u201d and so it is. Nay, but his\nword is more established. Of it saith Christ, one jot or tittle of it\ncannot fail, though heaven and earth should fail. He may change his\ncommands as he pleases, but he may not change his promise, this puts an\nobligation on him, as he is faithful and true, to perform it, and when an\noath is superadded, O how immutable are these two!\u2014when he promises in his\ntruth and swears in his holiness. Is there any power in heaven and earth\ncan break that double cord? Matth. v. 18, Heb. vi. 18. There is no name of\nGod but it is comfortable to some, and as terrible to others. What comfort\nis it to a godly man that trusts in his word, he is a God of truth! An\nhonest man\u2019s word is much, his oath is more. What shall his word be who is\na God of truth? Though all men should be liars, yet God is true. Ye who\nhave ventured your souls on his word, ye have an unspeakable advantage,\nhis truth endures for ever, and it is established in the heavens, the\nground of it is without beginning, the end of it without end. Ye are more\nsure than the frame of heaven and earth, for all these shall wax old as a\ngarment. We speak of a naked word of truth, indeed it is no naked word\nthat is God\u2019s word. His works of providence, and his dispensation to you,\nis a naked and bare foundation, nay, a sandy foundation, and ye who lean\nso much to them, is it any wonder ye so often shake and waver? All other\ngrounds beside the word are uncertain, unstable, this only endures for\never. The creature\u2019s goodness and perfection is but as the grass, and the\nflower of the field. Venture not much on your dispositions and frames,\nthou knowest not what a day may bring forth, but his truth is to all\ngenerations, and it is well tried as gold seven times,\u2014all generations\nhave tried it and found it better than pure gold. His dispensations are\narbitrary\u2014no rule to you. He loveth to declare his sovereignty here and to\nexpatiate in the creature\u2019s sight beyond its conceiving, but he hath\nlimited himself in his word and come down to us, and laid bonds on\nhimself. Will he then untie them for us? Give him liberty where he loves\nit, take him bound where be binds himself. How may God expostulate with\nthis generation, as those of little faith? \u201cHow long shall I be with you?\u201d\nsaith Christ. How long will Christians tempt the Lord in seeking signs,\nand will not rest upon his only word and promises? \u201cO adulterous\ngeneration, how long shall I be with you and ye will not believe?\u201d Is it\nnot righteousness in him, either to give you no sign at all, or to give\nyou a sign darker than the thing itself, as he did to the Pharisees? Ye\nwill give credit to a man\u2019s word, and will ye not believe God\u2019s? An honest\nman will get more trust of us, than the true and living God! Shall he not\nbe offended with this? We declare it unto you, that he is truth itself,\nand will not fail in his promise, let that be your castle and refuge to\nenter into. Mercy and truth are two sweet companions to go along with you\nin your pilgrimage. David prayed for them Psal. lxi. 7. \u201cO prepare thy\nmercy and truth to preserve me.\u201d Who will not be safe within these\neverlasting arms? What power can break through them? And this he promised\nto himself, (Psal. lvii. 3.) God shall send them out. Mercy made so many\nprecious promises, and truth keeps them. Mercy is the fountain and source\nof all our consolation, and truth and faithfulness convey it to us, and\nkeep it for us. It is these two that go before his face when he sits on a\nthrone of majesty, and makes himself accessible to sinners (Psalm lxxxix.\n14,) and so they are the pathway he walks in towards those who seek him,\nPsalm xxv. 10.\n\nBut this sweet and precious name, that is as ointment poured forth to\nthose who love him, how doth it smell of death to those who walk contrary\nto him? \u201cHe is a God of truth\u201d to execute his threatenings on those who\ndespise his commands, and though ye flatter yourselves in your own eyes,\nand cry, \u201cPeace, peace,\u201d even though ye walk in the imagination of your\nown heart, yet certainly \u201che is a God of truth.\u201d I pray you read that sad\nand weighty word, that will be like a millstone about many men\u2019s necks to\nsink them in hell, Deut. xxix. 20, 21, ye who \u201cadd drunkenness to thirst,\u201d\nwhose rule of walking is your own lust, and whatsoever pleaseth you,\nwithout respect of his commands, and yet flatter yourselves with a dream\nof peace, know this for a truth, \u201cthe Lord will not spare thee, he that\nmade thee will not have mercy on thee. His jealousy will smoke against\nthee, and all the curses written in this book shall be upon thee, and thy\nname shall be blotted out from under heaven.\u201d It was unbelief of God\u2019s\nthreatening that first ruined man, it is this still that keeps so many\nfrom the remedy, and makes their misery irrecoverable. The serpent brought\nthem to this question, \u201cHath God said ye shall die.\u201d And then presently\nthe question entertained becometh a conclusion, Ye shall not surely die.\nThus ye see how the liar, from the beginning, was contrary to the God of\ntruth, and he murdered us by lying of that God of truth, and it is the\nsame that shuts out all hope of remedy. Ye do not as yet believe and\nconsider that curse that was pronounced against Adam, but is now also\ninflicted upon us, therefore, there is no solid belief can be of the\npromises of the gospel, and ye who think ye believe the gospel, do but\nindeed fancy it, except ye have considered the true curse of God on all\nflesh. But if any man have set to his seal that God is true in his\nthreatening, and subscribed unto the law, then, I beseech you, add not the\nunbelief of the gospel unto your former disobedience. He is \u201ca God of\ntruth,\u201d in promises and threatenings. It is strange how untoward and\nfroward we are,\u2014a perverse generation. We do not believe his threatenings,\nbut fancy we receive his promises, or else, believing his threatenings we\nquestion his promises. But know this for a truth, his last word is more\nweighty, and the unbelief of it is most dangerous. Ye have not kept his\ncommands, and so the curse is come upon you? Do ye believe that? If ye do,\nthen the gospel speaks unto you, the God of truth hath one word more, \u201cHe\nthat believes shall be saved,\u201d notwithstanding of all his breaking of the\nlaw. If ye do not set your seal to this also, then ye say he is not a God\nof truth, ye say he is a liar. And as for you who have committed your\nsouls to him, as to a faithful keeper, and acquiesced unto his word of\npromise for salvation, think how unsuitable it is for you to distrust him\nin other lesser things. Ye have the promise of this life, whoever hath the\npromises of the life to come. Therefore do not make him a liar in these.\nHe is \u201ca God of truth,\u201d and will let you want no good thing. \u201cSay to the\nrighteous, it shall be well with him, whatever be.\u201d Let heaven and earth\nmix through other, yet ye may be as mount Sion unmoved in the midst of\nmany floods, because of the promises.\n\n\u201cWithout iniquity.\u201d Who doubts of that, say ye? What needs this be added?\nWho charges him with iniquity or sin? Nay, but stay and consider, and you\nshall find great weight in this. It is true, none dare charge him openly,\nor speak in express terms against his holiness, yet, if we judge of our\nown and other\u2019s practices and dispositions, as the Lord useth to construct\nof them, if we resolve our murmurings, impatience, self absolutions, and\nexcuses to hold off convictions, into plain language, if we would\ntranslate them into a scripture style, certainly it will be found that the\nmost part of men, if not all, use to impute iniquity to God, and accuse\nhim rather than take with accusations laid against themselves. And\ntherefore the Lord useth to go to law with his people. He who is the judge\nof the world, that cannot do unrighteousness, he who is the potter, and we\nall the clay, yet he so far condescends to us for convincing us, as\nsometimes to refer the controversy between him and his people to other\ncreatures, as Micah vi. 2. He calls the mountains and the foundations of\nthe earth to judge between him and his people, and sometimes he appeals\nunto their own consciences and is content, though judge, to stand and be\njudged by those who were guilty, as ver. 3 and Jer. ii. ver. 5, and 31.\nAll this supposes, that when the Lord would endeavour to convince them of\niniquity, they did rather recriminate, and took not with their own faults.\nThis is a truth generally acknowledged by all, \u201cHe who is the judge of the\nworld doth no iniquity,\u201d but O! that ye considered it, till the meditation\nof it were engraven on your spirits, the seal of God\u2019s holiness, that ye\nmight fear before him, and never call him to account for his matters. Who\ncan say, I have purged my heart from iniquity? Among men the holiest are\ndefiled with it, and so are all their actions. But here is one that ye may\ngive him an implicit faith so to speak, he is \u201ca God of truth,\u201d and can\nspeak no lie, he does no iniquity, and cannot do wrong to any man. Would\nthere be so much impatience amongst you, and fretting against his\ndispensations, if ye believed this solidly? Would ye repine against his\nholy and just ways, were it not to charge God with iniquity? Your\nmurmuring and grudging at his dispensations is with child of blasphemies,\nand he who can search the reins sees it, and constructs so of it. You say\nby interpretation, that if ye had the government of your own matters, or\nof kingdoms, ye would order them better than he doth. How difficult a\nthing is it to persuade men to take with their own iniquity! O how many\nexcuses and pretences, how many extenuations are used that this conviction\nmay not pierce deeply! But all this speaks so much blasphemy,\u2014that\niniquity is in God. Ye cannot take with your own iniquities, but ye charge\nhis Majesty with iniquity.\n\n\u201cJust and right is he.\u201d Is this any new thing? Was it not said already,\nthat he is \u201cwithout uniquity, and his ways judgment?\u201d But, alas! how\nignorant are we of God, and slow of heart to conceive of him as he is,\ntherefore is there \u201cline upon line, and precept upon precept,\u201d and name\nupon name, if it be possible, that at length we may apprehend God as he\nis. Alas! our knowledge is but ignorance, our light darkness, while it is\nshut up in the corner of our mind, and shines not into the heart, and hath\nno influence on our practice. And the truth is, the belief of divine\ntruths is almost no more but a not contradicting them, we do not seriously\nthink of them as either to consent to them, or deny them. Is there any\nconsideration amongst us now of God\u2019s justice and righteousness, though it\nbe frequently spoken of? And what advantage shall we have if ye do not\nconsider them? O how hard is it to persuade men\u2019s hearts of this, that God\nis just, and will by no means acquit the guilty? There are so many\ndelusions drunk in in men\u2019s hearts, contrary to his truth. \u201cLet no man\ndeceive you,\u201d \u201cbe not deceived\u201d with vain words, \u201cknow ye not,\u201d saith our\napostle. These are strange prefaces. Would ye not think the point of truth\nsubtile that there needed so much prefacing unto it? and yet what is it?\nEven that which all men grant,\u2014God\u2019s wrath comes on the children of\ndisobedience, but, alas! few men consider, but deceive themselves with\ndreams of escaping it. Though men know it, yet they know it not, for they\nwalk as if they knew no such thing.\n\nAlways however this is of little moment to affect our spirits now, yet in\nthe day that God shall set your iniquities before your face, and set his\njustice also before your eyes. O how sad and serious a thing will it be\nthen! If these two verses were engraven on our hearts,\u2014God\u2019s justice and\nholiness, our corruption and vileness,\u2014I think there would be other\nthoughts among us than there are.\n\n\n\n\nSermon IV.\n\n\n    Deut. xxxii. 5.\u2014\u201cThey have corrupted themselves; their spot is not\n    the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked\n    generation.\u201d\n\n\nWe doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves\nas Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen\nsuch a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so\nrebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free\nhis choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice.\nHis people are called to a conformity with himself, \u201cBe ye holy, for I am\nholy,\u201d (Lev. chap. xix. and xx.) and to a deformity and separation from\nthe rest of the world in their conversation, from whom God had separated\nthem in profession and privileges, Lev. xviii. 24. But behold what\nunlikeness there is between God and his people. If ye were to paint out to\nthe life a heathen people, you needed no other image or pattern to copy at\nbut this same description of this people. It is this that makes Moses in\nthe preface turn to the heavens and earth, and call them to hear his song,\nand Isaiah begins his preaching thus, \u201cHear, O heavens, and give ear, O\nearth, &c.\u201d A strange thing it must be, that senseless creatures are\ncalled to wonder at. It must surpass all the wonders and prodigies of\nnature and art. And what is that? \u201cI have nourished and brought up\nchildren, and they have rebelled against me,\u201d &c. If we consider what this\npeople seemed once to be, and thought themselves to be, we may easily know\nhow they corrupted themselves. If ye look on them at one time, (Exod. xix.\n8, Deut. v. 27,) ye would call them children. There was never a fairer\nundertaking of obedience than this, \u201cAll that the Lord hath spoken we will\ndo,\u201d so that the Lord commends them for speaking well, verse 28, \u201cThey\nhave well said all that they have spoken,\u201d verse 29, \u201cO that there were\nsuch an heart in them!\u201d But compare all this people\u2019s practice with this\nprofession, and you shall find it exceeding contrary; they indeed\ncorrupted themselves, though they got warning to take heed of it. \u201cTake ye\ntherefore good heed unto yourselves, lest ye corrupt yourselves,\u201d Deut.\niv. 15, 16. But alas, it was within them that destroyed them; there was\nnot such a heart in them as to hear and obey, but they undertake, being\nignorant of their own deceitful hearts, which were desperately wicked. And\ntherefore, behold what corruption ensued and followed upon such a\nprofessed resolution. They never sooner promised obedience, but they\ndisobeyed; they did abominable works, and did no good, and this is to\ncorrupt their way, Psalm xiv. 1, &c. We need not instance this longer in\nthis people, we ourselves are a sufficient proof of it. We may make this\nsong our own, \u201cwe have corrupted ourselves.\u201d Once we had a fair show of\nzeal for God, of love and desire of reformation of life, many solemn\nundertakings were that we should amend our ways and doings, but what is\nthe fruit of all? Alas, we have corrupted ourselves more than they. Israel\npromised, but we vowed and swore to the Most High, reformation and\namendment of life in our conversations and callings. Lay this rule to our\npractices, and are we not a perverse and crooked generation? Oh! that we\nwere more affected with our corruptions, and were more sensible of them,\nthen we could not choose but mourn for our own and the land\u2019s departing\nfrom God. Did not every man vow and swear to the most high God to\nendeavour reformation of his life, even a personal reformation?(265) But\nalas, where is it? \u201cHe that is filthy\u201d is \u201cfilthy still.\u201d Nay, which is\nworse, the evil man waxeth worse and worse. There is a great noise of a\npublic reformation of ordinances and worship, but alas, the deformation of\nlife and practice outcries all that noise. Nay, certainly all that is done\nin the public, must come to no account before God since our practices\noutcry it. Public reformation is abomination, where personal corruptions\ndo not cease. This made the Jews\u2019 solemn days hateful, their hands were\n\u201cfull of blood.\u201d Isa. i. 15. All that ye have spent on the public will\nnever be reckoned, since ye will not consecrate your lives to God, will\nnot give your lusts up to him. Ye are his enemies in the mean time, though\nyou account yourselves religion\u2019s friends. I beseech you consider your\nways. Would any of us have thought to have seen such profanity, mocking of\ngodliness, and ignorance in Scotland in so short a time? Nay, it is to be\nfeared that the day is not far off, when ye will corrupt yourselves, and\ndo abominable things, yea, defile yourselves as ill as the nations that\nknow not God.\n\nEvery man useth to impute his faults to something beside himself. Ere men\ntake with their own iniquity, they will charge God that gave no more\ngrace, but if men knew themselves, they would deduce their corruption and\ndestruction both from one fountain, that is, from themselves. Ignorance of\nourselves maketh us oft undertake fair, and promise so well on our own\nhead. What was the fountain of this people\u2019s corruption, and apostatizing\nfrom their professions? The Lord hints at it, Deut. v. 29, &c. \u201cOh that\nthey had such a heart.\u201d Alas, poor people, ye know not yourselves, that\nspeak so well. I know thee better than thou dost thyself, I will declare\nunto thee thy own thought, thou hast not such a heart as to do what thou\nsayest; there is a desperate wicked heart within thee, that will destroy\nthee by lying unto thee. If thou knewest this fountain of original\ncorruption, thou wouldest despair of doing, and say, I cannot serve the\nLord. Now here is the fountain of the land\u2019s corruption this day. Why is\nour way corrupted? Because our hearts within were not cleansed, and\nbecause they were not known. If we had dried up the fountain, the streams\nhad ceased, but we did only dam it up, and cut off some streams for a\nseason; we set up our resolutions and purposes as an hedge to hold it in,\nbut the sea of the heart\u2019s iniquity, that is above all things, hath\noverflowed it, and defiled our way more than in former times. Ye thought\nupon no other thing, but that presently ye would be all changed people,\nand would reform without more ado,\u2014and thus it is with you in all your\npublic repentances. But alas! you know not yourselves, it is still within\nyou which will yet corrupt you, and it was within us that hath undone us,\nwe were too confident of ourselves, and it is no wonder that the Lord\nsuffers us to prove ourselves, that we may know what is in our heart. Now,\ntherefore, since ye have so often tried it, I beseech you follow not such\na way again. Ye are called to deny yourselves, and to follow Christ and\nthis is a great part of it, that ye may never expect for any good within\nyourselves, or the helping of any evil. \u201cIn me is thy help found.\u201d Look to\nthe fountain of life, Jesus Christ, and despair of your own hearts, for\nthey are desperately wicked, so wicked, that if ye knew them, ye would\ndespair of them, and give them over to another hand, who can create a new\nheart within you. Ye use to impute your backslidings to the times, to\ntemptations, to company, and such like. This is the way that men shift the\nchallenges of sin: the drunkard puts it on his companion, the servant on\nhis master that led him wrong, the people put rulers in the fault, and\nabsolve themselves, and rulers put one another in the wrong, and absolve\nthemselves. But, alas! all of us are ignorant of ourselves; it is not\ntimes nor temptations that corrupt us, but ourselves. No man is tempted,\nsaith James, of God, \u201cbut every man is tempted when he is drawn away of\nhis own lust and enticed,\u201d James i. 14. Temptation were no temptation, if\nour hearts were not wicked hearts. Nay, many of us are ready to tempt\ntemptations, to provoke the devil to temptations; we cast ourselves open\nto temptations. Temptations find lust within, and lust within is the\nmother to conceive sin, if temptation be the father. Times do not bring\nevils along with them, they do but discover what was hid before. All the\nevils and corruptions you now see among us, where were they in the day of\nour first love, when we were as a loving and beloved child? Have all these\nrisen up of late? No certainly, all that you have seen and found were\nbefore, though they did not appear; before they were in the root, now you\nsee the fruit. All the apostacy and profanity that hath been vented in\nthese days, was all shut up within the corners of men\u2019s hearts at the\nbeginning. Time and temptation hath but uncovered the heart, and made the\ninside out, hath but opened a sluice to let out this sea of corruption. It\nis not bred since, but seen since.\n\nNow so it is with us, we have corrupted ourselves, and so we corrupt\nourselves still more. Backsliding cometh on as gray hairs, here and there\nand is not perceived by beholders. _Nemo repente fit turpissimus_.(266) No\nman becometh worst at first. There are many steps between that and good.\nCorruption comes on men\u2019s ways as in fruits, some one part beginneth to\nalter, and then it groweth worse, and putrifieth and corrupteth the rest\nof the parts. An apple rots not all at once, so it is with us. Men begin\nat leisure, but they run post before all be done. In some one step of our\nway we take liberty and think to keep the rest clean, but when that part\nis corrupted, \u201ca little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,\u201d and all\nfolloweth: and then he that corrupted himself, is ready to corrupt others.\n\u201cChildren that are corrupters,\u201d Isa. i. 4. Every one by his example\ncorrupts another, and by corrupting others they again corrupt themselves\nmore. Oh! how infectious an evil is sin, of a pestilentious nature, and\ntruly our hearts are more ready to receive such impressions, than either a\nworld or a devil is to make them.\n\n\u201cTheir spot is not.\u201d Why doth the Lord take pleasure to reckon their sins,\nto describe so abominable a people? Is not this Jacob in whom he saw no\niniquity?(267) Is not this Israel, whose transgressions are not\nknown?(268) Certainly if this people would have charged themselves so, he\nwould not have done it. He loves to forget, when we remember our sins, but\nhe must remember them when we forget them. What is the Lord\u2019s great\ncontroversy with men? Here it is,\u2014How can ye say or think that ye are not\npolluted? Or if ye take with such a general, yet, why is not the\nconviction of your sin and misery so deeply engraven, as to pursue you out\nof all hope of remedy in yourselves, (Jer. ii. 22, 23)? \u201cAnd therefore is\nthine iniquity marked before me, saith the Lord.\u201d God hath determined not\nto wrong his justice. If men should go away unpunished and unjudged both,\nwhere were his righteousness? If there were no record of men\u2019s\ntransgressions, were he a righteous judge? Therefore, those who do not\njudge themselves must leave judgment to him, for once the mouth of all\nflesh must be stopped, and all become guilty before God. Why pleads the\nLord with man? Because man says, \u201cI am innocent, I have not sinned, his\nanger will turn away,\u201d Jer. ii. 35. Will any speak so in terms? No indeed,\nbut the Lord constructs so of the most part, because they do more consider\nthe wrongs done to them, than their own wrongs done to God. All men\nconfess the general, that they are sinners, but who searches and tries his\nway to find out particulars? And in as far as ye do not charge yourselves\nwith particular guiltiness, until ye be afraid of his anger, as long as\nthe consideration or your sins is so superficial and shallow, that ye\napprehend no danger of wrath, or immunity from it, certainly God will\nplead with you. Justice must so far be glorified, as once to conclude you\nunder the sentence of death; if ye do it not now, then ye leave God to be\nyour judge and party. But if any man shall take with his guiltiness, till\nhis mouth be stopped, and condemn himself in God\u2019s sight, I say, mercy and\ngrace in God must not be wronged, he that judges himself shall not be\njudged of the Lord. What a fair offer is this to you all the Lord offers\nto you! If ye will in time be your own judges, I will resign my judgment\nto you. If you will in earnest pass the sentence, I will neither pass it\nnor execute it. If ye come to the Mediator, Christ Jesus, to escape from\nthe wrath of a judge, you shall meet with a reconciled Father, and with\nsuch love in him as shall hide a multitude of offences. O the depth, and\nheight, and breadth of that love! Well then, it shall be a sea to cast\nyour offences into, that shall drown them. Had not his people many spots?\nIs there any man can say, I have cleansed my heart from iniquity? No, not\none. Yet behold, he sees no spots in his people. He doth not make them his\npeople because spotless, but he seeth them spotless, because he makes them\nhis people. There is no covering that can hide men\u2019s uncleanness from his\npiercing eye, but one even Jesus Christ his righteousness, and \u201cBlessed is\nhe whose sins are covered.\u201d If this covering were spread over the mouth of\nall hell, then hell should have a covering from his eyes. If ye therefore\nstrip yourselves naked of your own pretences and leaves, and think not\nyourselves secure under any created shelter. If ye hide not your iniquity,\nthen it shall be hid indeed, here is a covering that shall hide it from\nhis eyes. There is no spot so heinous, none so ingrained, but the blood of\nJesus can wash it as perfectly out, as if it had never been, Isa. i. 16,\n17. Though your spots were such as are not incident to his children, yet\nthis blood cleanses from one and all, it is of an infinite nature. But\nthough it be so, that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin, that\nthere is a fountain opened in the house of David for sin and for\nuncleanness, for sin and separation, for such heinous offences as may\nseparate people even from the congregation of the Lord\u2019s people, yet there\nare some sins, some spots, that ordinarily his people are not defiled\nwith, and in this respect they may be called holy and undefiled in the\nway. There are some marks and characters of unregenerated men so legible\nand express, that we may even read from men\u2019s conversation, that they are\nnot the children of God. Though the blood of Christ wash from all, yet the\nchild of God ordinarily is kept from some kind of spots, so that if a man\nshall be spotted with them it is no marvel he question if he be a child or\nnot. There are two, which I think so gross and unclean spots that I cannot\nconceive how a soul washen by Jesus Christ can be defiled with them. One\nis, a course of profanity. The common walk of the multitude is so gross\nand profane, so void of God and godliness, that it witnesseth to their\nface that they are not the sons of God. \u201cHe that is born of God sinneth\nnot; he maketh not sin his way and trade to walk into, and please himself\ninto.\u201d What are the most part of you, I pray you? Is your spot like the\nspot of his children? Do not ye declare your sin as Sodom, ye drunkards,\nwho wallow in it daily, and though ye profess repentance, yet never amend?\nYe who have a custom of swearing and blaspheming his holy name, do not ye\ncarry in your forehead a spot that is not like his children? The child of\nGod may fall in many particulars, but it is not the spot of a child to\ncontinue in them to add drunkenness to thirst, and yet to dream of\nescaping wrath. I pray you, consider it, for it is of great moment. Do ye\ncarry such a black mark,\u2014the devils mark? O do not think yourselves safe.\nMay not this persuade you? Do but compare yourselves in your converse and\nwalk with an heathen without the church. Set aside your public profession\nof coming to the church, and hearing the word, and church privileges, and\nis the difference visible between you and them? Many of you pray no more\nin secret or in your families than they. Ye curse and swear as they, ye\nare covetous and worldly as they. If ye can, do but draw a line of\ndifference, and if ye cannot, then I ask, what are ye? Is not this the\nspot of bastards? Another spot is, hatred of godliness and the godly. This\nis indeed the most lively image of the devil: who hates his brother is of\nthe devil. He that hates the Son, can he love the Father? he that hates\nhim that is begotten, hates also him that begat him and he that loves him\nthat begat, loves him that is begotten. Now, how can he be begotten of\nGod, who hates that nature he is said to partake of\u2014who hates him that is\nbegotten? I wonder that many of your consciences are not touched with\nthis? How can ye imagine ye are children of God, when there are none of\nyour neighbours that your heart riseth more against, that ye can less\nabide, than those who seek God most diligently, whose conversation is\ndifferent from the worlds? Do not flatter yourselves, as if it were\nhypocrisy ye hated. No, no ye can agree with profanity, and how can ye\nhate hypocrisy? Ye can agree with a profane hypocrite\u2014with a profane man,\nthat feigns and dissembles repentance but if once he were so thoroughly\nchanged, as to hate his former way, and forsake it, then your antipathy\nbeginneth.  What a ridiculous thing is it for profanity to take upon it to\ncensure hypocrisy! Certainly if profanity cast out with hypocrisy, it must\nbe because it hath a form of godliness, which it so much detesteth. It is\na strange hatred at godliness that a profane man hath, that he cannot\nabide the very shadow of it. I beseech you who love not holiness in your\nown persons, who hate to be reformed yourselves, do not add this height of\nsin to it, as to hate it in others also. If ye be not godly yourselves, do\nnot add this declared manifest character of a child of the devil to it, to\nhate godliness in others. There were some hope of you, if ye held it in\nreverence and estimation where ye saw it. There are many other spots not\nincident to his children, as this, that men will not take with their sin\nand the curse. It is a great difficulty to convince the most part of men\nhow miserable they are, how void of God. All the world will not put them\nout of a good opinion of themselves, and I think this hath been the spot\nof this people, they would not take with their guiltiness\u2014a stubborn\nhearted people, wholehearted. There needs no more to declare a number of\nyou not to be God\u2019s children, but this,\u2014ye have lived all your time in the\nopinion and belief that ye were God\u2019s children, that ye believed in him,\nye never saw yourselves lost and miserable. This was the spot of this\npeople that they esteemed themselves children, though they had many spots\nthat testified to their face that they were no children. They waxed worse\nand worse, neither mercies nor judgments amended them. \u201cWhen he slew\nthem,\u201d it may be, \u201cthey sought him, and flattered him with their mouth,\nbut their hearts were not right with him, neither were they steadfast in\nhis covenant,\u201d Psal. lxxviii. 34. Ye would have thought them a godly\npeople, while under the rod for a season, but all that was but extorted\nand pressed out by violence of affliction, as the groans of a beast under\na burden. But a little time declared that it was but flattery, though they\nthought themselves ingenuous, and therefore they returned to their old\nprovocations, as a sow to the puddle, or a dog to his vomit. And is not\nthis our spot, even the spot of great and small? If any would look upon us\nin our engagements and vows under trouble, we appear like his people, a\npraying, repenting, and believing people,(269) but how quickly doth all\nthis prove flattery? Do we not still return to our old ways that we have\nbeen exemplarily punished for, and which we so solemnly engaged against?\nThe heat of the furnace dieth out, and they wax colder and harder, a\nlittle time wears away all their tenderness. Every man seeks his own\nthings, and no man seeks the things of Jesus Christ. This was this\npeople\u2019s sin and spot. \u201cJeshurun waxed fat and kicked, and lightly\nesteemed the Rock of his salvation.\u201d When their heads were lifted up to\ngovernment, when they were raised out of the waters of affliction and\npoverty, then they forgat God, they oppressed the poor and needy, eat up\nhis people as bread, and could not abide to have their faults told them,\nthey said to the seers, \u201cSee not, and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto\nus right things,\u201d &c. Isa. xxx. 10. I think likewise, that oppression is\nnot the spot of his children, whoever uses it. And covetousness presses\nmen to it, when power is in their hand to compass it. This is a vile spot,\nunworthy of any ruler, let be(270) a Christian. It was abhorred among\nPagans. O but it cries to heaven, saith the Scripture, it hath a double\ncry when other sins cry once! The heinousness of it crieth once, and the\npoor people cry again, and both these come up to the ears of the Lord of\nhosts, nay, it hath the cry of murder, and another beside. He that is\ngreedy of gain, is said to take away the life of the owners thereof, Prov.\ni, 19. So he is a murderer before God, and the poor man\u2019s blood crieth for\nvengeance, and then himself seconds it either by prayer, or crying out for\nmisery, Job xxxv. 9. All men\u2019s prayers and professions will not outcry\nthese two. The people\u2019s many prayers could not be heard, (Isa. i. 15),\nbecause their hands were \u201cfull of blood,\u201d which had a louder cry than\ntheir prayers. The poor also oppressing the poor, is like a sweeping rain\nthat leaves nothing behind it.\n\nIt is read in the margin, \u201cthat they are not his children,\u2014that is their\nblot.\u201d And indeed it is so. It is a great blot and stain in the face of\nany man whoever he be, that he is not born of God\u2014that he can reckon\nkindred to none but Adam. But what indignity is it and disgrace, for a\npeople professing his name, yet to have no other generation, to reckon no\nhigher than the earth and the earthly. What is now the great blot of our\nvisible church? Here it is, the most part are not God\u2019s children, but\ncalled so; and it is the greater blot that they are called so, and are\nnot.(271) O poor saints, esteem your honour and high privilege; ye have\nreceived this, to be the sons of God! It is no blot to you that you are\npoor and despised in the world; but it is and shall be an eternal blot to\nthe great and rich, and wise in the world, that they are not the children\nof God. Christianity is no blot, though it be in reproach among men, but\nit is really the glory and excellency of a man; but the want of it, alas!\nhow doth it abase many high and noble, impoverish many rich, and infatuate\nmany wise! Ye think all of you are the children of God, because ye are in\nthe church, and partake of the ordinances and sacraments; and so did this\npeople. But Moses did not flatter these Jews, but told both princes and\npeople in their face, that they were not children of God, because only\nIsrael in the letter, they had not children\u2019s manners. O that it might not\nbe said of the most part of you, that ye are not children of God, and that\nthat is your blot and shame! It is the shame of rulers not to be the\nchildren of God. They are wise, they are active, they are noble, but one\nspot disgraceth all, one fly maketh their ointment to stink, they are not\ngracious, many of them, but sons of men at the farthest reckoning, are not\nbegotten again to a lively hope. \u201cNot many wise, not many noble, not many\nrich.\u201d The scantiness of gracious men is the spot of judicatories,(272)\nthat there are many children of the world, but few children of light in\nthem. O how beautiful and glorious would judicatories be, if all the\nmembers were children of light! What glory would there be, if all of them\ndid shine and enlightened one another! But what beauty or comeliness, what\nmajesty can be in rulers or judicatures, when the image of God is not in\nthem! This is also the spot of assemblies, synods, presbyteries, that\nthere are few godly ministers. Alas, that this complaint should be, even\namong those whose office it is to beget many children to God! How few of\nthem are begotten, or have the image of their Father! And thus church\nassemblies have no beauty, such as the courts of Jesus Christ should have.\nO that we were in love with Christianity and grace; that it were our grand\nquestion, how shall I be put among the children? The Lord seems to wonder\nat it, and make a question of it, How can such as we be put among the\nchildren? Jer. iii. 19. But he answers it himself, \u201cThou shalt call me, My\nFather, and shall not turn away from me.\u201d There is no more to do, but to\ntake with(273) your wanderings and wrongs done to God, embrace him in\nJesus Christ, and he becomes your Father; and if ye be children, sure ye\nwill resolve to abide in your Father\u2019s house, and turn no more to a\npresent world, or your former lusts.\n\nThey are a \u201cperverse and crooked generation.\u201d What pleasure hath the Lord\nin speaking thus, when he upbraids none? Certainly, in a manner it is\ndrawn out of him. Would he object our faults, if we did not defend them by\nobstinacy? Perverseness and crookedness is obstinacy and incorrigibleness\nagainst mercies and judgments,\u2014\u201cthat that which is crooked cannot be made\nstraight,\u201d saith Solomon. Then doth the Lord take notice of sins, when men\nrefuse to return, and so maintain their sins. It is this which heightens\nprovocations, and makes out the controversy,\u2014perverseness in sin. It is\nnot ordinary common infirmities that the Lord punisheth, either in a land\nor person; but when infirmities are discovered by the light of the word,\nwhen the Lord useth means to reclaim men in his providence, and yet no\nmeans prevail, then are they reckoned perverse. Now, perverseness is not\nthe spot of his children: the child of God daily bows and folds to him,\nreceives challenges from him, takes with iniquity and yields unto God. O\nthat this title might not be written above the head of this generation\ndeservedly\u2014\u201cThis is a perverse and crooked generation!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nSermon V.\n\n\n    Psal. lxxiii. 28.\u2014\u201cBut it is good for me to draw near to God: I\n    have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy\n    works.\u201d\n\n\nAfter man\u2019s first transgression, he was shut out from the tree of life,\nand cast out of the garden, by which was signified his seclusion and\nsequestration from the presence of God, and communion with him: and this\nwas in a manner the extermination of all mankind in one, when Adam was\ndriven out of paradise. Now, this had been an eternal separation for any\nthing that we could do, (for we can do nothing but depart by a perpetual\nbacksliding, and make the distance every day wider,) except it had pleased\nthe Lord, of his infinite grace, to condescend to draw near to us in\ngracious promises and offers of a Redeemer. If he had not made the first\njourney from heaven to earth, by sending his only Son, we should have\ngiven over the hope of returning from earth to heaven. But he hath taken\naway the greatest part of that distance, in drawing near to our nature;\nyea, in assuming our flesh into the fellowship of his glorious divinity.\nHe hath stooped so low to meet with us, and offered himself the trysting\nplace(274) between God and us, a fit meeting-place, where there is a\nconjunction of the interests of both parties, and now, there is no more to\ndo, but to draw near to God in Jesus Christ, since he hath made the great\njourney to come down to us. We have not that infinite gulf of satisfaction\nto justice to pass over, we have not the height of divine Majesty, as he\nis infinitely above us, and offended with us, to climb up unto. Certainly\nwe could not but fall into the lake that is below us, if we were to aim so\nhigh. But the Lord hath been pleased to descend to us, in our mean\ncapacity in the flesh, and fill up the immeasurable gulf of justice by the\ninfinite merits and sufferings of his Son in our flesh. And now he invites\nus, he requests us, to come to him in his Son and have life. We are not\ncome to mount Sinai, that might not be touched, that burnt with fire and\ntempest, where there were terrible sights and intolerable noises. I say,\nsuch a God we might have had to do with a consuming fire, instead of an\ninstructing light,\u2014a devouring fire, instead of a healing Sun of\nrighteousness, considering that there is nothing in us which is not fit\nand prepared fuel for everlasting burnings. But we are come\u2014and that is\nthe eternal wonder of angels\u2014unto mount Sion to be citizens in the city of\nGod and fellow citizens with blessed angels and glorified spirits, to\npeace and reconciliation with him who was our judge. And if you ask how\nthis may be? I answer, because we have one Jesus, the Mediator of the new\ncovenant, to come to, whose blood crieth louder for pardon of sinners than\nall men\u2019s transgressions can cry for punishment of sinners, Heb. xii.\n18-20, &c.\n\nLet us then consider the first step and degree of union with God,\u2014it\nconsists in faith in Jesus Christ. This is the first motion of the soul in\ndrawing near to God, for, as there is no remission without blood, so no\naccess to God without a mediator. For if you consider what is in Jesus\nChrist, you will find that which will engage the desire of the heart, as\nalso that which will give boldness and confidence to act that desire.\nEternal life is promised and proposed in him,\u2014he offers rest to weary\nsouls, and hath it to give. That which we ignorantly and vainly seek\nelsewhere, here it is to be found. For personal excellencies, he is the\nchief infinitely beyond comparison, and for suitableness to us and our\nnecessities, all the gospel is an expression of it, so that he is\npresented in the most attractive drawing manner that can be imagined. And\nthen, when the desires are inflamed, yet if there be no oil of hope to\nfeed it, it will soon cool again. Therefore, take a view again, and you\nmay have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. There\nwas some kind of distance kept in the Old Testament,\u2014none but the high\npriest might enter into the holiest place, but the entry of our High\nPriest into it, that is, into heaven, hath made it patent to all that come\nto him and apply his blood. There is a new and living way by the holy\nflesh of Christ, consecrated and made, of infinite value and use, by the\ndivinity of his person, and, therefore, having such a one of our kindred\nso great with God, we may draw near with a true heart and full assurance\nof faith, having our consciences sprinkled, &c, Heb. x. 18-20, &c. Now,\nsince the way is made plain to you, and the entry is opened up in the\ngospel, do you not find your hearts stir within you to draw near to him?\nDo you not find a necessity of making peace by such a Mediator? O that ye\nknew the great distance between God and your natures, and what the hazard\nis, \u201cLo! they that are far from thee shall perish,\u201d then certainly you\nwould take hold of this invitation, and be easily drawn unto Jesus Christ.\nBut unto you who have adventured to draw near for pardon of sin in Christ,\nI would recommend unto you that you would draw yet nearer to God. After\nthat the partition wall of wrath and condemnation is removed, yet there is\nmuch darkness in your minds and corruption in your natures, that separates\nfrom him, I mean, intercepts and disturbs that blessed communion you are\ncalled unto. Therefore, I would exhort you, as James, \u201cDraw near to God,\nand he will draw near to you,\u201d chap. iv. 8, and that, wherein this most\nconsists, is in studying that purification of our natures, that cleansing\nof our hearts from guile, and our hands from offences, by which our souls\nmay draw towards a resemblance of God. This access and drawing near to God\nin assimilation and conformity of nature is the great design of the\ngospel. \u201cBe ye holy, for I am holy. Now, ye are agreed, walk with him,\u201d\n(Amos iii. 3), as Enoch \u201cwalked with God,\u201d Gen. v. 24, that is, labour in\nall your conversation to set him before your eyes, and to study to be well\npleased with him in all things and to please him in all, to conform\nyourselves to his pleasure in every thing. And this communion in walking\nespecially consists in that communication of the spirit with God in\nprayer, this is the nearest and sweetest approach when the soul is lifted\nup to God, and is almost out of itself in him, and this being the ordinary\nexercise and motion of the soul, it exceedingly advances in the first\npoint of nearness, that is, in conformity with God. Drawing often near in\ncommunion with him in prayer, makes the soul draw towards his likeness,\neven as much converse of men together will make them like one another.\n\nNow, for the commendation of this, \u201cIt is good.\u201d What greater evil can be\nimagined than separation from the greatest good? And what greater good,\nthan accession to the greatest good? Every thing is in so far happy and\nwell, as it is joined with, and enjoyeth, that which is convenient for it.\nLight is the perfection of the earth, remove it, and what a disconsolate\nand unpleasant thing is it! Now, truly there is nothing suitable to the\nimmortal spirit of man but God, and, therefore, all its happiness or\nmisery must be measured by the access or recess, nearness or distance, of\nthat infinite goodness. Therefore, is it any wonder, that all they that go\na whoring from him perish, as every man\u2019s heart doth? For we are\ninfinitely bound by creation, by many other bonds stronger than wedlock,\nto consecrate and devote ourselves wholly to God, but this is\ntreacherously broken. Every man turns aside to vanity and lies, and is\nguilty of heart whoredom from God, and spiritual idolatry, because the\naffection that should be preserved chaste for him is prostitute to every\nbase object. So then, this divorcement of the soul from God cannot but\nfollow thereupon, even an eternal eclipse of true and real life and\ncomfort. And whoever draws back from the fountain of life and salvation,\ncannot but find elsewhere perdition and destruction, Heb. x. ult. My\nbeloved, let us set thus aside all other things which are the pursuits and\nendeavours of the most part of men. Men\u2019s natural desires are carried\ntowards health, food, raiment, life and liberty, peace, and such like, but\nthe more rational sort of men seek after some shadow of wisdom and virtue.\nYet the generality of men, both high and low, have extravagant illimited\ndesires towards riches, pleasure, preferment, and all that we have spoken\nis enclosed within the narrow compass of men\u2019s abode here, which is but\nfor a moment. So that, if it were possible that all these forementioned\ndesires and delights of men could attend any man for the space of an\nhundred years, though he had the concurrence of the streams of the\ncreatures to bring him in satisfaction, though all the world should bow to\nhim and be subject to the beck of his authority without stroke of sword,\nthough all the creatures should spend their strength and wit upon his\nsatisfaction, yet do but consider what that shall be within some few\nyears, when he shall be spoiled of all that attendance, denuded of all\nexternal comforts, when the fatal period must close his life, peace,\nhealth, and all, and his poor soul also, that was drowned in that gulf of\npleasure, shall then find itself robbed of its precious treasure, that is,\nGod\u2019s favour, and so remain in everlasting banishment from his presence.\nDo ye think, I say that man were happy? Nay! O happy Lazarus, who is now\nblessed in Abraham\u2019s bosom, who enjoys an eternity of happiness for a\nmoment\u2019s misery! But, my beloved, you know that it is not possible even to\nattain to that imagined happiness here. All the gain that is found is not\nable to quit the cost and expense of grief, vexation, care, toiling and\nsweating that is about them.\n\nBut if ye would be persuaded, there is that to be found easily, which you\ntrouble yourselves seeking elsewhere, and believe me, though the general\napprehension of men be,\u2014that peace, plenty, preferment, and satisfaction\nin this life, to compense their pains, are more easily attainable than\nfellowship and communion with God, yet I am persuaded that there is\nnothing more practicable than the life of religion. God hath condemned the\nworld under vanity and a curse, and that which is crooked can by no art or\nstrength be made straight, but he hath made this attainable by his\ngracious promises, even a blessed life, in approaching near to himself,\nthe fountain of all life. And this is a certain good, an universal good,\nand an eternal good. It will not disappoint you as other things do, of\nwhich you have no assurance for all your toilings. This is made more\ninfallible to a soul that truly seeks it in God. It is as certain that\nthey cannot be ashamed through frustration, as that he is faithful. And\nthen it is an universal good, one comprehensive of all, one eminently and\nvirtually all things created, to be joined to the infinite all fulness of\nGod. This advanceth the soul to a participation of all that is in him.\nThis is health, Psalm xlii. 11. Prov. iii. 8. This is light, John viii.\n12. It is life, (John xi. 25,) liberty, (John viii. 36,) food and raiment,\n(Isa. lxi. 10, and John iv. 14,) and what not? It is profit, pleasure,\npreferment in the superlative degree, and not scattered in so many various\nstreams which divide and distract the heart, but all combined in one. It\nis the true good of both soul and body, and so the only good of man. And\nlastly, it is eternal, to be coetaneous with thy soul. Of all other things\nit may be said, \u201cI have seen an end of them,\u201d they were and are not. But\nthis will survive time, and all the changes of it, and then it will begin\nto be perfect, when all perfection is at an end. Now, from all this, I\nwould exhort you in Jesus Christ to ponder those things in your hearts,\nand consider them in reference to your own souls, that ye may say with\nDavid, \u201cIt is good for me to draw near to God.\u201d\n\nThat which all men seek after, is happiness and well being. Men pursue\nnothing but under the notion of good, and to complete that which may be\ncalled good, there is required some excellency in the thing itself, and\nthen a conveniency and suitableness to us, and these jointly draw the\nheart of man. But the great misery is, that there is so much ignorance and\nmisapprehension of that which is truly good, and then, when any thing of\nit is known, there is so little serious consideration and application of\nit to ourselves, and this makes the most part of men wander up and down in\nthe pursuit of divers things, which are not that true good of the soul,\nand set their hearts on that which is not, until they find their hearts\nfall down as wanting a foundation and then they turn about again to some\nother vanity. And so the wanderings and strayings of men are infinite,\nbecause the by ways are innumerable, though the true way be but one. Yea,\nthe turnings and toilings of one man are various and manifold because he\nquickly loses the scent of happiness in every way he falls into and\ntherefore must turn to another. And thus men are never at any solid\nsetting about this great business, never resolute wherein this happiness\nconsists, nor peremptory to follow it, but they fluctuate upon uncertain\napprehensions, and diverse affections, until the time and date of\nsalvation expire, and then they must know certainly and surely the\ninevitable danger and irrecoverable loss they have brought themselves, to,\nwho would not take notice of the sure way, both of escaping wrath and\nattaining happiness while it was to be found.\n\nWell, then, this is the great business we have here to do, yea, to make\nthe circle the larger, it is that great business we have to do in this\nworld, to know wherein the true well being and eternal welfare of our\nsouls consist and by any means to apply unto that, as the only thing\nnecessary, in regard of which, all other things are ceremonies,\ncircumstances, and indifferent things. And to guide us in this examination\nand application, here is one man, who, having almost made shipwreck upon\nthe rocks which men commonly dash upon, and being by the Lord led safely\nby, and almost arrived at the coast of true felicity, he sets out a\nbeacon, and lights a candle to all who shall follow him, to direct them\nwhich way they shall steer their course. Examples teach more effectually\nthan rules. It is easy for every man to speak well upon this point in\ngeneral, and readily all will acknowledge that here it is, and nowhere\nelse. But yet all this is outcried by the contrary noise of every man\u2019s\npractice. These general grants of truth are recalled in the conversations\nof men, therefore they cannot have much influence upon any man. But when\nwe hear one speak, and see him walk so too, when we have the example of a\nmost wise man, who wanted not these worldly expectations which other men\nhave, so that he not only propones it to us, but after much serious\nadvisement, after mature consideration of all that can be said of the\nwicked\u2019s best estate, and the godly\u2019s worst, setting down resolute\nconclusions for himself\u2014\u201cIt is good for me to draw near to God,\u201d yea, so\ndeterminate in it, that if none of the world should be of that mind, he\nwould not change it,\u2014though all should walk in other ways, he would choose\nto be rather alone in this, than in the greatest crowd of company in any\nother. Now, I say, when we have such a copy cast us, a man of excellent\nparts in sobriety and sadness, choosing that way, which all in words\nconfess to be the best, should not this awake us out of our dreams and\nraise us up to some more attention and consideration of what we are doing?\nThe words, you see, are the holy resolution of a holy heart, concerning\nthat which is the chiefest good. You see the way to happiness, and you\nfind the particular application of that to David\u2019s soul, or of his soul to\nit. We shall speak a word of the thing itself, then of the commendation of\nit, then of the application of it.\n\nFor the thing itself,\u2014drawing near to God,\u2014it gives us some ground to take\na view of the posture in which men are found by nature, far off from God.\nOur condition by nature I cannot so fitly express, as in the apostle\u2019s\nwords, (Eph. ii. 12,)\u2014\u201cWithout Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of\nIsrael, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and\nwithout God in the world.\u201d A deplorable estate indeed, hopeless and\nhelpless! No hope in it, that is the extremity of misery, the refuse of\nall conditions. \u201cWithout Christ, and without God.\u201d Oh! these are words of\ninfinite weight: without those, without whom it is simply impossible to be\nhappy, and without whom it is not possible but to be miserable,\u2014without\nthe fountain of light, life, and consolation, without which there is\nnothing but pure darkness, without any beam of light; nothing but death,\nwithout the least breathing of life, nothing but vexation, without the\nleast drop of consolation. In a word, without these, and wanting these,\nwhom, if you want, it were good to be spoiled of all being, to be nothing,\nif that could be, or never to have been any thing. Men will seek death,\nand cannot find it. O what a loss and deprivement is the loss of God,\nwhich makes death more desirable than life, and not to be at all,\ninfinitely preferable to any being! Now, it is true, that the bringing in\nof multitudes within the pale of the visible church, is some degree of\naccess and nearness to God, for then they become citizens as to external\nright, in the commonwealth of the church, and have the offers of the\npromises made to them, in respect of which visible standing, the apostle\nspeaks of the whole church of Ephesus, \u201cbut now ye are made near who were\nfar off,\u201d (ver. 13,) notwithstanding, that many of them were found\nafterwards to have left their first love, Rev. ii. But yet, beloved, to\nspeak more inwardly, and as your souls stand in the sight of God, the\ngenerality of those who are near hand in outward ordinances are yet far\noff from God in reality,\u2014\u201cwithout God and without Christ,\u201d as really, as\ntouching any soul-feeling, as those who are altogether without. The bond\nof union and peace was broken in paradise, sin dissolved it, and broke off\nthat nearness and friendship with God, and from that day to this day,\nthere hath been an infinite distance and separation betwixt man and God.\nThe steps and degrees of it are many. There is darkness and blindness in\nmen\u2019s minds. Such ignorance naturally possesseth the multitude, that it\nwholly alienates them from the life of God, Eph. iv. 18. For what\nfellowship can light, that pure light, have with such gross darkness as is\namong us? This certainly is the removal of that Sun of Righteousness from\nour souls, or the imposition of the clouds of transgression, that makes it\nso dark a night in the souls of men. And then there is nothing but enmity\nand desperate wickedness in the heart of man, and this keeps the\nstronghold of the affections, Rom. viii., Jer. xvii. There cannot be a\nfurther elongation or separation of the soul from God, than to turn so\nopposite, in all inclinations and dispositions, to his holy will, for the\ndistance between God and us is not local in the point of place, for\nwhither shall we go from him who is everywhere? And thus he is near hand\nevery one of us, but it is also real in the deformity and repugnancy of\nour natures to his holy will. But add unto this, that being thus separated\nin affection, and disjoined, as it were, in natural dispositions, we\ncannot draw near to God in any ordinance,\u2014as the word, prayer, &c. Though\nwe may, as that people, draw near with our lips, and ask of him our duty,\nand seem to delight to know him, yet there is this natural incapacity and\ncrookedness in the heart of man, that it cannot truly approach unto the\nFather of spirits with any soul-desire and delight. But their hearts are\nremoved far from me, Isa. xxix. 13, Matt. xv. 8. I think men might observe\nthat their souls act not in religious business as they should, but that\nthey remove their souls many miles distant from their bodies,\u2014and they\ncannot keep any constancy in this approach of prayer to God, cannot walk\nwith him in their conversation, or carry him along in their meditation.\nBut there is one point of estrangement and separation superadded to all,\nthat there is no man can come near to God without an oblation and offering\nof peace, that there is no approaching to him, but as to a continuing\nfire, except we can bring a sacrifice to appease, and a present to please\nHim for our infinite offences. There the difference stands,\u2014we cannot draw\nnear to walk together, till we be agreed. And, truly, this unto man is\nimpossible, for we have nothing so precious as the redemption of our\nsouls,\u2014nothing can compense infinite wrongs, or satisfy infinite justice.\nNow, this seems to make our nearness again desperate, and to put men\nfurthest off from hope.\n\nNotwithstanding, this is the very purpose of the gospel, preached from the\nbeginning of the world, to remove that distance, and to take impediments\nof meeting out of the way; for that great obstruction, the want of a\nsacrifice and ransom, the Lord hath supplied it, he himself hath furnished\nit; and it was the great design carried on from the beginning of the\nworld. But as the sun, the nearer he is, the more the earth is\nenlightened: so here, first some dawning of light appears, as a messenger\nof hope, to tell that the Redeemer shall come,\u2014that the true sacrifice\nshall be slain; then still the nearer his own appearing, the clearer are\nthe manifestations of him, and the great design is more opened up, till at\nlength he breaks out in glory from under a cloud, and shows himself to the\nworld, to be that Lamb of God that should take away the sins of the world.\nAnd now, as the apostle to the Hebrews speaks, chap. vii. 19, \u201cThe law\nhath made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by\nthe which we draw nigh to God.\u201d All the sacrifices and shadows that were\nunder the law did but point at this perfect ransom; and the way of access\nto God through a Mediator was not so clear; but now the matter is made as\nhopeful as is possible,\u2014the partition-wall of the law\u2019s curses,\u2014the\nhand-writing against us is removed on the cross,\u2014the enmity slain,\u2014the\ndistance removed by the blood of the cross, being partly filled up by his\ndescent into our nature, partly by his lower descent in our nature to\nsuffer death. And this is the savoury oblation that we have to present to\nGod, and may have boldness to come nigh because of it. And when once our\naccess is made by the blood of Jesus Christ, then we are called and\nallowed to come still nigher, to cleave and adhere to him as our Father,\nto pray unto him, to walk with him. Then we should converse as friends and\nfamiliars together; then draw nigh to his light for illumination, and to\nhim as the fountain of life for quickening, to place our delight and\ndesire in him,\u2014to forsake all other things, even our wills and pleasures,\nand to lose them, that they may be found in his; to converse much in his\ncompany, and be often in communication with him, and meditation upon him.\nThis is the very design and substance of the gospel. It holds forth the\nway of making up the breach between man and God, of bringing you nigh who\nare yet afar off, and nearer who are near hand. O let us hearken to it!\n\n\n\n\nSermon VI.\n\n\n    Prov. xxvii. 1.\u2014\u201cBoast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest\n    not what a day may bring forth.\u201d\n\n\nThere are some peculiar gifts that God hath given to man in his first\ncreation, and endued his nature with, beyond other living creatures, which\nbeing rightly ordered and improved towards the right objects, do advance\nthe soul of man to a wonderful height of happiness, that no other\nsublunary creature is capable of. But by reason of man\u2019s fall into sin,\nthese are quite disordered and turned out of the right channel; and,\ntherefore, as the right improvement of them would make man happy, so the\nwrong employment of them loadens him with more real misery than any other\ncreature. I mean, God hath given to man two notable capacities beyond\nother things;\u2014one is, to know and reflect upon himself, and to consider\nwhat conveniency is in any thing towards himself,\u2014what goodness or\nadvantage redounds to himself from them, and in that reflection and\ncomparison to enjoy what he hath; another is to look forward beyond the\npresent time, and, as it were, to anticipate and prevent the slow motions\nof time, by a kind of foresight and providence. In a word, he is a\ncreature framed unto more understanding than others, and so capable of\nmore joy in present things, and more foresight of the time to come. He is\nmade mortal, yet with an immortal spirit of an immortal capacity, that\nhath its eye upon the morrow,\u2014upon eternity. Now, herein consists either\nman\u2019s happiness or misery, how he reflects upon himself, and what he\nchooseth for the matter of his joy and gloriation, and what providence he\nhath for the time to come. If those be rightly ordered, all is well; but\nif not, then woe unto him, there is more hope of a beast than of him.\n\nMan\u2019s nature inclines to boasting\u2014to glorying in something, and this\nariseth from some apprehended excellency or advantage, and so is\noriginated in the understanding power of man, which is far above beasts.\nBeasts find the things themselves, but they do not, they cannot reflect\nupon their own enjoyment of them, and therefore they are not capable of\nsuch pleasure; for the more distinct knowledge of things in relation to\nourselves, the more delight ensueth upon it. Many creatures have singular\nqualities and virtues, but they are nothing the happier; for they know\nthem not, and have no use of them, but are wholly destinated to the use of\nman, who therefore is only said to enjoy them, because he only is capable\nof joy from them. And this, I suppose, may give us a hint at the absolute\nincomprehensible blessedness, self-complacency, and delight of God. It\ncannot but be immeasurably great, seeing the knowledge of himself and all\ncreatures is infinite; he comprehends all his own power, and virtue, and\ngoodness, and therefore his delight and rejoicing is answerable. There is\na glorying and boasting then that is good, which man is naturally framed\nunto; and this is that which David expresses, Psal. xxxiv. 2, \u201cMy soul\nshall make her boast in God;\u201d and Psal. xliv. 8, \u201cIn God we boast all the\nday long, and praise thy name for ever.\u201d When the soul apprehends that\nall-sufficiency, and self-sufficient fulness of God; what infinite\ntreasures of goodness, and wisdom, and power are in him, and so how\nsuitable and convenient he is to the condition of the soul; what a sweet\ncorrespondence there is between his fulness and our emptiness\u2014his mercy\nand our misery\u2014his infiniteness and our unsuitableness; that there is in\nhim to fill and overflow the soul: the apprehension of this cannot but in\na manner perfume the soul with the delight. You find how the senses are\nrefreshed, when they meet with their suitable object; how a pleasant smell\nrefresheth the scent; how lively and beautiful colours are delightful to\nthe eye. But much more here, God is the proportioned object of the\nimmortal spirit; he corresponds to all its capacities, and fills it with\nunconceivable sweetness. But, my beloved, boasting and glorying in him,\nariseth not only from the proportionableness and conveniency of him to our\nspirits; but this must be superadded,\u2014propriety in him. Things are loved,\nbecause excellent in themselves, or because they are our own; but we boast\nin nothing, we glory in nothing, but because it is both excellent in\nitself, and ours besides. It is the apprehended interest in any thing\nmakes the soul rise and lift up itself after this manner,\u2014to have such a\none to be ours,\u2014such a Lord to be our God,\u2014one so high and sublime,\u2014one so\nuniversally full, to be made over to thee; here is the immediate rise of\nthe soul\u2019s gloriation. And truly, as there is nothing can be so suitable a\nportion, so there is nothing that can be so truly made ours as God. Of all\nthings a believer hath, there is nothing so much his own as God,\u2014nothing\nso indissolubly tied unto him,\u2014nothing so inseparably joined. See Paul\u2019s\ntriumph upon that account, Rom. viii. Nothing can truly be said to be the\nsoul\u2019s own, but that which is not only coetaneous with it, that survives\nmortality, and the changes of the body, but likewise is inseparable from\nit. What a poor empty sound is all that can be spoken of him, till your\nsouls be once possessed of him! it cannot make your hearts leap within\nyou, but it cannot but excite and stir up a believer\u2019s heart.\n\nNow there may be a lawful kind of gloriation, rejoicing in the works of\nGod, consequent to the first, which is a little stream from that greater\nriver which runs out from it, and flows into it again. A soul that truly\napprehends God will take delight to view the works of God, which make such\nan expression of him, and are a part of the magnificence of our heavenly\nFather. But this is all in reference to him and not to ourselves; for then\nit degenerates and loseth its sweetness, when once it turns the channel\ntowards the adorning of the creature. True boasting in God hath\nnecessarily conjoined with it an humble and low esteem of a man\u2019s self,\nPsal. xxxiv. 2, \u201cThe humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.\u201d As humility\nand self-emptiness made David go out of himself, to seek satisfaction in\nGod, and having found it, he boasts and triumphs, so there were none\ncapable of understanding his triumph, or partaking with him in his\ndelights, but the humble souls. Now you may perceive how far this boasting\nhere spoken of is degenerated from that, and so how far man\u2019s nature is\nspoiled,\u2014\u201cBoast not thyself,\u201d &c. The true boasting we were created unto,\nhath a sufficient foundation, even such as will bear the weight of\ntriumph, but that which men\u2019s spirits are now naturally set upon, cannot\ncarry, cannot sound such gloriation, and therefore this boasting makes men\nridiculous. If you saw a man glorying in rags, setting forth himself to be\nadmired in them, or boasting in some vain, despicable, and base thing, you\nwould pity him, or laugh at him as one distempered. The truth is, the\nnatural man is mad, hath lost his judgment, and is under the greatest\ndistraction imaginable since the fall. That fall hath troubled his brains,\nand they are never settled, till the new creation come to put all right\nagain, and compose the heart of man. I say, all other distractions are but\nparticular, in respect to particular things, but there is a general\ndistraction over all mankind, in reference to things of most general and\nmost eternal concernment. Now, fools and mad persons, they retain the same\naffections and passions that are in men, as anger, love, hatred, grief,\njoy, &c., but it is so much the worse, since the judgment, which is the\nonly directive and guide of them, is troubled. Now they are set on wrong\nobjects, they run at random, and are under no kind of rule, and so they\nhurry the poor man and put him in a pitiful case. Now indeed so it is with\nus,\u2014since sin entered, the soul is wholly turned off God, the only true\nobject of delight, in which only there can be solid gloriation. The mind\nof man is blinded, and his passions are strong, and so they are now spent\nupon empty vanities, and carried headlong without judgment. Oftentimes he\nglories in that which is his shame, and boasts in that which is his sin,\nand which will cause nothing but shame, the more weight be laid upon it.\nThere is in man an oblivion and forgetfulness of God, and in this darkness\nof the ignorance of God, everything is apprehended or misapprehended as\npresent sense suggests, and as it fancies a conveniency or excellency.\nThither the soul is carried, as if it were something, and then it is but\nthe east-wind. There is nothing beside God that is a fit matter of\nboasting, because it lacks one of the essential ingredients\u2014either it is\nnot suitable to the soul, or it is not truly our own. There wants either\nproportion to the vast capacity and void of our desires, and so cannot\nfill up that really, but only in a deluding dream or imagination, and\ntherefore will certainly make the issue rather vexation than gloriation,\nor there wants property and interest in them, for they are changeable and\nperishing in their own nature, and by divine appointment, that they cannot\nbe conceived to be the proper good of the immortal soul. They cannot be\ntruly our own, because they will shortly cease to be, and before they\ncease to be, they may in a moment cease to be ours. That tie of interest\nis a draw knot, whatsoever catcheth hold of the end of it looseth it.\n\nThe object of degenerate and vicious boasting is here held out: \u201cBoast not\nthyself,\u201d or \u201cof thyself.\u201d Whatsoever be the immediate matter of it, this\nis always the ultimate and principal object. Since man fell from God, self\nis the centre of all his affections and motions. This is the great idol,\nthe Diana, that the heart worships, and all the contention, labour,\nclamour, and care that is among men, is about her silver shrines, so to\nspeak, something relating to the adorning or setting forth this idol. It\nis true, since the heart is turned from that direct subordination to God,\nthe affections are scattered and parted into infinite channels, and run\ntowards innumerable objects, for the want of that original unity, which\ncomprehends in its bosom universal plenty, must needs breed infinite\nvariety, to supply the insatiable appetite of the soul. And this might be\nenough to convince you, that your souls are quite out of course, and\naltogether wandered from the way of happiness because they are poured out\non such a multiplicity of insufficient, unsatisfying things, every one of\nwhich is narrow, limited and empty, and the combination and concurrence of\nall being a thing either impossible or improbable to be attained. But we\nmay conceive that men\u2019s affections put themselves into three great heads\nof created things, one of which runs towards the goods or perfections of\nthe mind, another towards the goods or advantages of the body, and a third\ntowards those things that are without us, _bona fortun\u00e6_, riches and\nhonour, &c. Now each of these sends out many streams and rivulets as so\nmany branches from it, but all of them, though they seem to have a direct\ncourse towards other things, yet wind about and make a circular progress\nto the great ocean of self-estimation, whence they issued at first.\n\nYou may find all of these, (Jer. ix. 23,) falling under a divine\ninterdiction and curse, as being opposite to glorying in God. While men\nreflect within themselves, and behold some endowments and abilities in\ntheir minds beyond other men, of which wisdom is the principal, and here\nstands for all inward advantages or qualifications of the soul in that\nsecret reflection and comparison, there is a tacit gloriation, which yet\nis a loud blasphemy in God\u2019s ears. It is impossible almost for a man to\nrecognosce(275) and review his own parts such as ingine,(276) memory,\nunderstanding, sharpness of wit, readiness of expression, goodness and\ngentleness of nature, but that in such a review, the soul must be puffed\nup, apprehending some excellency beyond other men, and taking complacency\nin it, which are the two acts of robbery that are in gloriation and\nboasting. Commonly this arises from unequal comparisons. We please\nourselves that we are _deterioribus meliores_, \u201cbetter than the worst,\u201d\nand build self-estimation upon the ruins of other men\u2019s disadvantages, as\nif it were any point of praise in us that they are worse, like men that\nstand upon a height, and measure their own altitude, not from their just\nintrinsic quantity, but taking the advantage of the bottom, whereby we\ndeceive our own selves. I remember a word of Solomon\u2019s, that imports how\ndangerous a thing it is for a man to reflect upon, or search into his own\nglory, Prov. xxv. 27. \u201cIt is not good to eat much honey, so for men to\nsearch their own glory is not glory.\u201d\n\nTo surfeit in the excess of honey or sweet things drives to vomit, and\ncloys the stomach, ver. 16. Though it be sweet, there is great need, yea,\nthe more need of caution and moderation about it, so for a man either to\nsearch into his own breast, and reflect upon his own excellencies, to find\nmatter of gloriation or studiously to affect it among others, and inquire\ninto other men\u2019s account and esteem of him, it is no glory\u2014it is a\ndangerous and shameful folly. Now this is not only incident to natural\nspirits, upon their consideration of their own advantages, but even to the\nmost gracious, upon the review of spiritual endowments and prerogatives.\nIt is such a subtile and insinuating poison that it spreads universally,\nand infects the most precious ointments of the soul, and, as it were,\npoisons the very antidote and counterpoison. So forcible is this that was\nfirst dropped into man\u2019s nature by Satan\u2019s envy, that it diffuses itself\neven into humility, and humiliation itself, and makes a man proud because\nof humility. The apostle found need to caveat this, Rom. xi. 18-20, \u201cBoast\nnot,\u201d \u201cbe not high minded, but fear,\u201d\u2014\u201cthou standest by faith,\u201d and chap.\nxii. 16, \u201cMind not high things,\u201d \u201cbe not wise in your own conceits,\u201d and 1\nCor. viii. 2, \u201cIf any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth\nnothing as he ought to know.\u201d All which gives us a plain demonstration of\nthis, that self gloriation and complacency, in reflection upon ourselves,\nis both the greatest ignorance and the worst sacrilege. It is an argument\nof greater ignorance for a man to think he knows than not to know indeed.\nIt is the worst and most dangerous ignorance, to have such an opinion of\nour knowledge, gifts, and graces, for that puffs up, swells with empty\nwind, and makes a vain tumour and then it is great sacrilege, a robbing of\nthe honour that is due to God. For what hast thou that thou hast not\nreceived? That appropriating of these things to ourselves as ours, is an\nimpropriating of them from their right owner, that is, God, 1 Cor. iv. 7.\nFor if thou didst apprehend that thou received it, where then is glorying?\nI would desire then, that whenever you happen to reflect upon yourselves,\nand observe any advantage, either natural or spiritual, in yourselves,\nthat you may think this word sounds from heaven, \u201cLet him that glorieth\nglory in the Lord.\u201d Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and so not\nthe learned man in his learning, nor the eloquent man in his speaking nor\nthe ingenious man in his quickness nor the good man in his goodness. All\nthese things though sweet, yet will surfeit, gloriation in them is neither\nglory nor gain, neither honourable nor profitable.\n\nThen the stream of gloriation flows in the channel of bodily gifts as\nmight, strength of body, beauty and comeliness of parts, and other such\nendowments which, besides that it is as irrational as the former, is a\nsacrilegious impropriation of the most free and arbitrary gifts of God to\nourselves, it is withal absurd, in that it is not so truly of ourselves.\nThese bodily ornaments and endowments do not perfect or better a man as a\nman, they are but the alterable qualities of the vessel or tabernacle of a\nman, in which other baser creatures may far excel him. How many comely and\nbeautiful souls are lodged within obscure and ugly cottages or bodies of\nclay, which will be taken down! And the great advantage is, that the soul\nof a man, which is a man, cannot be defiled from without, that is, from\nthe body, though never so loathsome or deformed, the vilest body cannot\nmar the soul\u2019s beauty. But then, on the other hand, the most beautiful\nbody is defiled and deformed by the filthiness of sin in the soul, and O\nhow many deformed and ugly souls dwell in beautiful and comely bodies,\nwhich truly is no other thing than a devil in an image well carved and\npainted. Christians, you had need to correct this within you, even a self\ncomplacency, joined with despising of others in the consideration of those\nexternal gifts God hath given you. What an abominable thing is it to cast\nup in reproach, or in your hearts to despise any other for natural\nimperfections, such as blindness, lameness, deformity or such like? Let\nthat word sound always in your ears, Who made thee to differ from another?\n\u201cBoast not thyself, &c.\u201d But there is as strong a stream runs in the third\nchannel as in any, gloriation arising from those outward and extrinsic\ndifferences that the providence of God makes among men, such as riches,\nhonour, gain, &c. You find such men, Psalm xlix. 6, Prov. xviii. 11, and\nx. 15. That which a godly man makes the name of the Lord,\u2014that is, the\nground and foundation of his confidence for present and future times,\u2014that\nthe most part of men make their riches, that is, their strong city, and\ntheir high wall, their hope and expectation is reposed within it. This is\nthe tower or wall of defence against the injuries and calamities of the\ntimes, which most part of men are building, and if it go up quickly, if\nthey can get these several stones or pieces of gain scraped together into\na heap they straightway imagine themselves safe, as under a high wall. But\nthere is no truth in it, it is all but in their imagination, and therefore\nit comes often down about their ears, and offends them, instead of being a\ndefence. Let a man creep, as it were, from off the ground where the poor\nlie, and get some advantage of ground above them, or be exalted to some\ndignity or office, and so set by the shoulders higher than the rest of the\npeople, or yet grow in some more abundance of the things at this life, and\nstrange it is, what a vanity or tumour of mind instantly follows! He\npresently thinks himself somebody, and forgetting either who is above him,\nto whom all are worms creeping and crawling on the footstool, or what a\nsandy foundation he stands upon himself, he begins to take some secret\ncomplacency in himself, and to look down upon others below him. He\napplauds, as it were, unto himself, and takes it in evil part to want the\napprobation and _plaudite_ of others. Then he cannot so well endure\naffronts and injuries as before, he is not so meek and condescending to\nhis equals or interiors. While he was poor he used entreaties, but now he\nanswers roughly, (Prov. xviii. 23,) as Solomon gives the character of him.\nHow many vain and empty gloriations are there about the point of birth and\nplace, and what foolish contentions about these, as if it were children\nstruggling among themselves about their order and rank! There is no worth\nin these things, but what fancy and custom impose upon them and yet poor\ncreatures boast in these empty things. The gentlemen despise citizens, the\ncitizens contemn the poor countrymen, and yet their bloods in a basin have\nno different colours, for all this hot contention about blood and birth.\n\u201cBoast not of thyself.\u201d Nay, to speak properly, this is not thyself,\u2014_Qui\ngenus laudat suum, aliena jactat_.(277) Such parents, and such a house are\nnothing of thy own; these are mere extrinsic things, which are neither an\nhonour to unworthy men, nor a disgrace to one who is worthy.\n\nYou see, beloved in the Lord, what is now the natural posture or\ninclination of our souls in this degenerate and fallen estate. As the\nrivers of paradise have changed their channels and course since the fall,\nso hath man\u2019s affections, and so hath his gloriation, so that it may be\ntruly said, that our glory is our shame and not our glory. Many glory in\niniquity and sin, (Psal. x. 3, and xciv. 4), but that shall undoubtedly be\ntheir shame and confusion before men and angels. How many godless persons\nwill glory in swearing heinous and deep oaths, and some have contended\nabout the victory in it! You account it a point of gallantry, but this\ntriumph is like the devils in hell upon the devouring of souls. Some boast\nof drinking, and being able to drink others under the table, but we should\nbe humbled and mourn for such abominations. Certain I am, that many boast\nof wicked designs, and malicious projects against their neighbours, if\nthey can accomplish them. They account their glory not to take a wrong\nwithout giving a greater, nor to suffer an evil word without twenty worse\nin recompense. Alas! this boasting will one day be turned into gnashing of\nteeth, and this gloriation into that gnawing and ever-tormenting worm of\nconscience. And what will ye do in the day of that visitation? And where\nshall be your glory? But the most part glory and boast in things that\nprofit not, and will become their shame, because they glory in them, that\nis, those gifts of God, outward or inward, temporal or spiritual, wherein\nthere is any advancement above others; unto whom I would seriously commend\nthis sentence to be pondered duly, \u201cBoast not\u201d of thyself. Whatsoever thou\nart, or whatsoever thou hast, boast not of thyself for it, think not much\nof thyself because of it. Though there be a difference in God\u2019s donation,\nyet let there be none in thy self estimation. Hast thou more wisdom and\npregnancy of wit, or more learning than another? Think not more of thyself\nfor that, than thou thinkest of the ignorant and unlearned who want it.\nHave that same reflection upon thine own unworthiness, that thou would\nthink reasonable another that wants these endowments should have. Is there\na greater measure of grace in thee? Boast not, reckon of thyself as\nabstracted and denuded of that, and let it not add to thy value or account\nof thyself, put not in that to make it down weight, and to make thee\nprefer thyself secretly to another. Whether it be some larger fortune in\nthe world, or some higher place and station among men, or some abilities\nand perfections of body or mind, which may entice thee secretly to kiss\nthy hand, and bow down to thyself, yet remember that thou boast not, glory\nnot in any thing but in the Lord. Let nothing of that kind conciliate more\naffection to thyself, or more contempt toward others. Let not any thing of\nthat kind be the rule of thy self judging, but rather entertain the view\nof the other side of thyself, that is the worst, and keep that most in thy\neye, that thou may only glory in God. If thou be a gentleman, labour to be\nas humble in heart as thou thinkest a countryman or poor tenant should be,\nif thou be a scholar, be as low in thy own sight as the unlearned should\nbe, if rich, count not thyself any whit better than the poor, yea, the\nhigher God sets thee in place, or parts, the lower thou oughtest to set\nthyself. \u201cBoast not\u201d of thyself, nor any thing in thyself, or belonging to\nthyself, for the property of all good is taken from us since the fall, and\nis fallen into God\u2019s hand since we forfeited it, and there is nothing now\nproperly ours but evil,\u2014that is our self.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VII.\n\n\n    Prov. xxvii. 1.\u2014\u201cBoast not thyself of to morrow, for thou knowest\n    not what a day may bring forth.\u201d\n\n\nAs man is naturally given to boasting and gloriation in something (for the\nheart cannot want some object to rest upon and take complacency in, it is\nframed with such a capacity of employing other things), so there is a\nstrong inclination in man towards the time to come, he hath an immortal\nappetite, and an appetite of immortality; and therefore his desires\nusually stretch farther than the present hour, and the more knowledge he\nhath above other creatures, the more providence he hath and foresight of\nthe time to come. And so he often anticipates future things by present joy\nand rejoicing in them, as he accelerates in a manner by his earnest\ndesires and endeavours after them. Now, if the soul of man were in the\nprimitive integrity, and had as clear and piercing an eye of understanding\nas once it had, this providence of the soul would reach to the furthest\nperiod in time, that is, to eternity, which is the only just measure of\nthe endurance of any immortal spirit. But since the eye of man\u2019s\nunderstanding is darkness, and his soul disordered, he cannot see afar\noff, nor so clearly by far. He is now, as you say, sand blind,\u2014can see\nnothing at such a distance as beyond the bounds of time, can see nothing\nbut at hand.\n\n\u201cTo-morrow!\u201d This is the narrow sphere of poor man\u2019s comprehension, all he\ncan attain unto is to be provident for the present time. I call it ill\npresent, even that which is to come of our time, because, in regard of\neternity, it hath no parts, it hath no flux or succession, it is so soon\ncut off as a moment, as the twinkling of an eye, and so, though a man\ncould see the end of it, it is but a short and dim sight, it is as if a\nman could only behold that which is almost contiguous with his eye. These,\nthen, are the two great ruins and decays of the nature of man, he is\ndegenerated from God to created things, and seeks his joy and rest in\nthem, in which there is nothing but the contrary, that is, vexation. And\nthen he is fallen from apprehension of eternity, and the poor soul is\nconfined within the narrow bounds of time, so that now all his providence\nis to lay up some perishing things for some few revolutions of the sun,\nfor some few morrows, after which, though an endless morrow ensue, yet he\nperceives it not, and provides not for it, and all his glorying and\nboasting is only upon some presumptuous confidence and ungrounded\nassurance of the stability of these things for the time to come, which the\nwise man finding much folly in, he leaves us this counsel, \u201cBoast not\nthyself of to-morrow,\u201d\u2014with a most pungent reason, taken partly from the\ninstability and inconstancy of all these outward things in which men fancy\nan eternity of joy, and partly from the ignorance we have of the future\nevents,\u2014\u201cfor thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.\u201d\n\nThis boasting is an evil so predominant among men, that I know not any\nmore universal in its dominion, or more hurtful to us, or displeasing to\nGod. If it could be so embowelled unto you, as that you might truly\ndiscern the many monstrous conceptions of atheism and irreligion that are\nin it, it were worth the while, but I shall not digress upon the general\nhead, I had rather keep within the limits of the text. Self boasting, you\nsee, is that which is here condemned, and the very name is almost enough\nto condemn the nature of it. But there is another particular added to\nrestrict that, \u201cof to-morrow.\u201d Of all boastings the most irrational and\ngroundless is that which arises from presumption of future things, which\nare so uncertain both in themselves and to us.\n\nIt is worth the observation, that whatever be the immediate and particular\nmatter and occasion of men\u2019s gloriation, yet self is the great and\nultimate object of it; it is self that men glory in, whatsoever created\nthing be the reason or occasion of it. \u201cBoast not thyself of to morrow.\u201d\nHere we might stand and take a look of the crookedness and perverseness of\nman\u2019s spirit since his departure from God. Self love and pride were the\nfirst poison that the malice of Satan dropped into man\u2019s nature, and this\nis so strong and pestilent, that it has spread through the whole of\nmankind, and the whole in every man. Every one is infected, and all in\nevery one. What are all the disordered affections in men but so many\nstreams from this fountain? And from these do men\u2019s affections flow next,\nso that there is nothing left uncorrupted, and free of this abominable and\nvile ingredient, all flowing from self and returning to it again, which is\nboth sacrilegious and unnatural. There is heinous sacrilege in it,\u2014the\nspoiling of the glorious divine Majesty of his indubitable prerogative and\nincommunicable right of all the glory, and honour of his creature. There\nis no usurpation like this for the worm that crawls on the footstool to\ncreep up to the throne, and, as it were, to king it there, to deify and\nadore itself, and gather in all the tribute of praise and glory and love,\nthat is only due to the Lord God Almighty; and invert and appropriate\nthese to ourselves, which is, as if the axe should boast itself, as if it\nwere no iron, or the staff, as if it were no timber. Hence it is, that of\nall evils in man\u2019s nature, God hath the most perfect antipathy and direct\nopposition against pride and self love, because it is sacrilege and\nidolatry in the highest manner. It strikes at the sovereignty and honour\nof God\u2019s name, which is dear to him as himself, it sets up a vile idol in\nthe choicest temple of God, that is, in the heart, and this is the\nabomination of desolation. Other evils strike against his holy will, but\nthis peculiarly points at the very nature and being of the most high God,\nand so it is with child of blasphemy,\u2014atheism is the very heart and life\nof it. And then it is most unnatural, and so monstrous and deformed. For,\nconsider all the creation, though every one of them have particular\ninclinations towards their own proper ends, and so a happiness suitable to\ntheir own nature; yet how diverse, how contrary soever they be, there is\nno selfishness in them, they all concur and conspire to the good of the\nwhole, and the mutual help of each other. If once that poison should\ninfect the material world, which hath spoiled the spiritual; let once such\na selfish disposition or inclination possess any part of the world, and\npresently the order, harmony, beauty, pleasure, and profit of the whole\nworld should be interrupted, defaced, and destroyed. Let the sun be\nsupposed to boast itself of its light and influence, and so disdain to\nimpart it to the lower world, and all would run into confusion. Again, I\ndesire you but to take a view of this humour in another\u2019s person, (for we\nare more ready to see others evils than our own,) and how deformed is it?\nSo vile is self-seeking and self boasting, that all men loathe it in\nothers, and hide it from others. It disgraces all actions, how beautiful\nsoever, it is the very bane of human society, that which looses all the\nlinks of it, and makes them cross and thwart one another.\n\nBut, alas! how much more easy is it, to point out such an evil in a\ndeformed visage, than to discern it in ourselves, and how many will hate\nit in the picture, who love and entertain it in their own persons! Such\ndeceitfulness is intermingled with most desperate wickedness. I verily\nbelieve that it is the predominant of every man, good and bad, except in\nso far as it is mortified by grace. O the turnings and windings of the\nheart upon itself, in all the most apparently direct motions towards God\nand the good of men! What serpentine and crooked circumgirations and\nreflections are there in the soul of man when the outward action and\nexpression seems most regular and directed towards God\u2019s glory, and others\nedification! Whoever of you have any acquaintance with your own spirits\ncannot but know this, and be ashamed and confounded at the very thought of\nit. Self boasting, self complacency, self seeking, all those being of kin\none to another, are insinuated into your best notions, and infect them\nwith more atheism before God, than the strongest pious affection can\ninstil of goodness into them. How often will men\u2019s actions and expressions\nbe outwardly clothed with a habit of condescendency and self-denial! And\nmany may declaim with such zeal and vehemency against this evil, and yet,\n_latet anquis_, the serpent is in the bosom and his venom may be diffused\ninto the heart, and the poison of self-seeking and self-boasting may run\nthrough the veins of humble-like carriage and passionate discourses for\nself denial. O that we could above all things establish that fundamental\nprinciple of Christianity in our hearts, even as we would be his\ndisciples, truly and sincerely, and not in outward resemblance,\u2014to deny\nourselves, to renounce ourselves and our lusts, to make a whole\nresignation of our love, will, glory, and all to him, in whom to be lost\nit is only truly to find ourselves.\n\nBut, though man have this strange self idolizing humour, and a self\nglorying disposition, yet he is so poor and beggarly a creature, that he\nhath not sufficient matter within himself to give complacency to his\nheart, therefore he must borrow from all external things, and when there\nis any kind of propriety in, or title to them, then he glories in himself\nfor them, as if they were truly in himself. We are creatures by nature\nmost indigent, yet most proud, which is unnatural. No man is satisfied\nwithin himself (except the good man, Prov. xiv. 14), but he goes abroad to\nseek it at the door of every creature, and when there are some plumes or\nfeathers borrowed from other birds, like that foolish bird in the fable,\nwe begin to raise our crests, and boast ourselves, as if we had all these\nof our own, and were beholden to none, but as things that are truly our\nown will not be sufficient to feed this flame of gloriation, without the\naccession of outward things; so present things, and the present time, will\nnot afford aliment enough, or fuel for this humour, without the addition\nof the morrow.\n\n\u201cBoast not thyself of to-morrow.\u201d No man\u2019s present possession satisfies\nhim, without the addition of hope and expectation for the future, and\nherein the poverty of man\u2019s spirit appears, and the emptiness of all\nthings we enjoy here, that our present revenue, as it were, will not\ncontent the heart. The present possession fills not up the vacuities of\nthe heart, without the supply of our imaginations, by taking so much in\nupon the head of the morrow, to speak so. As one prodigal and riotous\nwaster, who cannot be served with his yearly income, but takes so much on\nupon his estate, upon the next year\u2019s income, before it come, begins to\nspend upon it, before it come itself, and then, when it comes, it cannot\nsuffice itself, so the insatiable and indigent heart of man cannot subsist\nand feed its joy in complacency upon the whole world, if it were presently\nin its possession, without some accession of hopes and expectations for\nthe time to come. Therefore the soul, as it were, anticipates and\nforestalls the morrow, and borrows so much present joy and boasting upon\nthe head of it, which when it comes itself, perhaps it will not fill the\nhand of the reaper, let be(278) pay for that debt of gloriation that was\ntaken on upon its name, or compense the expectation which was in it, see\nJob xi. 18, 20, viii. 13. Hope is like a man\u2019s house to him, but to many\nit is no better than a spider\u2019s web. We have then a clear demonstration of\nthe madness and folly of men, who hang so much upon things without, and\nsuffer themselves to be moulded and modelled in their affections,\naccording to the variety of external accidents. First of all, consider the\nindependence of all things upon us and our choice; there is nothing more\nunreasonable than to stir our passions upon that which falls not under our\ndeliberation, as the most part of things to come are. What shall be\nto-morrow, what shall come of my estate, of my places; what event my\nprojects and designs shall have,\u2014this is not in my hand, these depend upon\nother men\u2019s wills, purposes, and actions, which are not in my power, and\ntherefore, either to boast of glory upon that which depends upon the\nconcurrence of so many causes unsubordinate to me, or to be vexed and\ndisquieted upon the fore-apprehension of that which is not in my hand to\nprevent, is not only irreligious, as contrary to our Saviour\u2019s command,\nMatt. vi. 25, but unreasonable also, as that which even nature condemns.\n\u201cTake not thought for to-morrow,\u201d and so by consequent, \u201cBoast not thyself\nof to-morrow,\u201d and there is one argument from the vanity of such\naffections. \u201cThou canst not make one hair black, nor add one cubit to thy\nstature,\u201d &c. To what purpose, then, are either those vexations or\ngloriations, which cannot prevent evil, nor procure good? Why should our\naffections depend upon others motions? This makes a man the greatest slave\nand captive, so that he hath not the dominion and power of himself. But\nthe vanity of such affections is the more increased, if we consider that\nsupreme eternal will, by which all these things are determined, and\ntherefore, it is in vain for creatures to make themselves more miserable,\nor put themselves in a fool\u2019s paradise, which will produce more misery\nafterwards, and that, for those things which are bound up in that fatal\nchain of his eternal purpose. Then, in the next place, the folly of men\nappears from the inconstancy of these things. There is such an infinite\nvariety of the accidents of providence, that it is folly for a man to\npresume to boast of any thing, or take complacency in it, because many\nthings fall between the cup and the lip,(279) the chalice and the chin, as\nthe proverb is.  There is nothing certain, but that all things are\nuncertain,\u2014that all things are subject to perpetual motion, revolution,\nand change,\u2014to-day a city, to-morrow a heap. And there is nothing between\na great city and a heap but one day, nothing between a man and no man but\none hour. Our life is subject to infinite casualties, it may receive the\nfatal stroke from the meanest thing, and most unexpected, it is a bubble\nfloating upon the water, for this world is a watery element, in continual\nmotion with storm; and in these, so many poor dying creatures rise up, and\nswim and float awhile, and are tossed up and down by the wind and wave;\nand the least puff of wind or drop of rain sends it back to its own\nelement. We are a vapour appearing for a very little time\u2014a creature of no\nsolidity\u2014a dream\u2014a shadow and appearance of something; and this dream or\napparition is but for a little time, and then it evanisheth, not so much\ninto nothing, for it was little distant from nothing before, but it\ndisappears rather. All human affairs are like the spokes of a wheel, in\nsuch a continual circumgiration, as a captive king, who was drawing\nSesostris\u2019s chariot, said, when he was looking often behind him. The king\nof Egypt, Sesostris, demanded for what end did he look so often about him?\nSays he, \u201cI am looking to the wheel, musing upon the vicissitudes and\npermutations of it, how the highest parts are instantly the lowest.\u201d And\nthis word repressed the king\u2019s vain glory.(280) Now, in this constant\nwheeling of outward things, which is the soul that enjoys true quiet and\npeace? Even that soul that is fixed, as it were, in the centre upon God,\nthat hath its abode in him; though the parts without be in a continual\nviolent motion, yet the centre of the wheel is at much peace, is not\nviolently turned, but gently complies to the changes of the other. And\nthen consider the madness of this,\u2014\u201cThou knowest not, &c.\u201d There are two\nreasons in the things themselves,\u2014inconstancy, and independency on us; but\nthis is as pressing as any,\u2014our ignorance of them; they are wholly in the\ndark to us, as it were in the lower parts of the earth. As there is no\nmore in our power but the present hour,\u2014for to yesterday we are dead\nalready, for it is past and cannot return, it is as it were buried in the\ngrave of oblivion, and to to-morrow we are not yet born, for it is not\ncome to the light, and we know not if ever it will come,\u2014so there is no\nmore in our knowledge but the present hour. The time past, though we\nremember it, yet it is without our practical knowledge, it admits of no\nreformation by it; and the time to come is not born to us, and it is all\none as if we were not born to it. And indeed, in the Lord\u2019s disposing of\nall affairs under the sun, after this method, there is infinite wisdom and\ngoodness both, though at the first view men would think it better that all\nthings went on after an uniform manner, and that men knew what were to\nbefall them. Yet, I say, God hath herein provided for his own glory and\nthe good of men,\u2014his own glory, while he hath reserved to himself the\nabsolute dominion and perfect knowledge of his works, and exercises them\nin so great variety, that they may be seen to proceed from him; and for\nour good,\u2014for what place were there for the exercise of many Christian\nvirtues and graces, if it were not so? What place for patience, if there\nwere no cross dispensations? What place for moderation, if there were no\nprosperity? If there were not such variety and vicissitude, how should the\nevenness and constancy of the spirit be known? Where should contentment\nand tranquillity of mind have place? For it is a calm in a storm properly,\nnot a calm in a calm,\u2014that is no virtue. If the several accidents of\nprovidence were foreseen by us, what a marvellous perturbation and\ndisorder would it make in our duty! Who would do his duty out of\nconscience to God\u2019s command, to commit events to him? Now, there is the\ntrial of obedience, to make us go by a way we know not, and resign\nourselves to the all seeing providence, whose eyes run to and fro\nthroughout the earth. Therefore that no grace may want matter and occasion\nof exercise; that no virtue may die out for want of fuel, or rust for lack\nof exercise, God hath thus ordered and disposed the world. There is no\ncondition, no posture of affairs, in which he hath not left a fair\nopportunity for the exercising of some grace. Hath he shut up and\nprecluded the acting of one or many through affliction, then surely he\nhath opened a wide door, and given large matter for self denial, humility,\npatience, moderation, and these are as precious as any that look fairest.\nIn a word, I think the very frame and method of the disposing of this\nmaterial world speaks aloud to this purpose. You see, when you look below,\nthere is nothing seen but the outside of the earth, the very surface of it\nonly appears, and there your sight is terminated, but look above, and\nthere is no termination, no bounding of the sight,\u2014there are infinite\nspaces, all are transparent and clear without and within. Now, what may\nthis present unto us? One says, it shows us that our affections should be\nset upon things above and not on things below, seeing below there is\nnothing but an outward appearance and surface of things,\u2014the glory and\nbeauty of the earth is but skin deep, but heavenly things are alike\nthroughout, all transparent, nothing to set bounds to the affections; they\nare infinite, and you may enlarge infinitely towards them. I add this\nother consideration, that God hath made all things in time dark and\nopaque, like the earth. Look to them, you see only the outside of them,\nthe present hour, and what is beyond it you know no more, than you see the\nbowels of the earth, but eternity is both transparent and conspicuous\nthroughout, and infinite too. Therefore God hath made us blind to the one,\nthat we should not set our heart, nor terminate our eyes upon any thing\nhere, but he hath opened and spread eternity before us in the scriptures,\nso that you may read and understand your fortune,\u2014your everlasting estate\nin it. He hath shut up temporal things and sealed them, and wills us to\nlive implicitly, and give him the trust of them without anxious foresight,\nbut eternity he hath unveiled and opened unto us. Certain it is, that no\nman, till he be fully possessed of God, who is an all sufficient good\n(Psal. iv.) can find any satisfaction in any present enjoyment, without\nthe addition of some hope for the future. Great things without it will not\ncontent. For what is it all to a man if he have no assurance for the time\nto come? And mean things with it will content. Great things with little\nhope and expectation, fill with more vexation instead of joy, and the\ngreater they be, this is the more increased. Again, mean and low things,\nwith great hopes and large expectations, will give more satisfaction,\ntherefore, all mankind have a look towards the morrow, and labour to\nsupply their present defects and wants, with hope or confidence of that. I\nwould exhort you who would indeed have solid matter of gloriation, and\nwould not be befooled into a golden dream of vain expectations of vain\nthings, that ye would labour to fill up the vacuities of present things\nwith that great hope, the hope of salvation, which will be as an helmet to\nkeep your head safe in all difficulties, 1 Pet. i. 3, Heb. vi. 18, 19,\nRom. v. 5. It is true, other men\u2019s expectations of gain and credit, and\nsuch things, do in some measure abate the torment and pain of present\nwants and indigencies, but certain it is, that such hope is not so\nsovereign a cordial to the heart, as to expel all grief, but leaves much\nvexation within. But then also, the frequent disappointment of such\nprojects and designs of gain, honour, and pleasure, and the extreme\nunanswerableness of these to the desires and hopes of the soul, even when\nattained, must needs breed infinitely more anxiety and vexation in the\nspirit, than the hope of them could give of satisfaction, yea the more the\nexpectation was, it cannot choose but the greater shame and confusion must\nbe. Therefore, if you would have your souls truly established, and not\nhanging upon the morrow uncertainly, as the most part of men are get a\nlook beyond the morrow, unto that everlasting day of eternity, that hath\nno morrow(281) after it, and see what foundation you can lay up for that\ntime to come, as Paul bids Timothy counsel the rich men in the world, who\nthought their riches and revenues, their offices and dignities, a\nfoundation and well spring of contentment to them and their children, and\nare ready to say with that man in the parable, \u201cSoul take thy rest, thou\nhast enough laid up for many years.\u201d \u201cCharge them, says he,\u201d &c. 1 Tim.\nvi. 16-19. O a charge worthy to be engraven on the tables of our hearts,\nworthy to be written on the ports of all cities, and the gates of all\npalaces. You would all have a foundation of lasting joy, says he, but why\nseek you lasting joy in fading things, and certain joy in uncertain\nriches, and solid contentment in empty things, and not rather in the\nliving God, who is the unexhausted spring of all good things? Therefore,\nif you would truly boast of to-morrow, or sing a solid _requiem_ to your\nown hearts, there is another treasure to be laid up in store against the\ntime to come,\u2014the time only worthy to be called time, that is eternity,\nand that is study to do good, and be rich in good works, in works of\npiety, of mercy, of equity, of sobriety. This is a better foundation for\nthe time to come, or, rather receive and embrace the promise of eternal\nlife made to such,\u2014that free and gracious promise of life in the gospel,\nand so you may supply all the wants and indigencies of your present\nenjoyments, with the precious hope of eternal life which cannot make\nashamed. But what is the way that the most part of men take to mitigate\nand sweeten their present hardships? Even like that of the fool in the\nparable Luke xii. They either have something laid up for many years, or\nelse their projects and designs reach to many years. The truth is, they\nhave more pleasure in the expectation of such things, than in the real\npossession, but that pleasure is but imaginary also. How many thoughts and\ndesigns are continually turning in the heart of man,\u2014how to be rich, how\nto get greater gain, or more credit? Men build castles in the air, and\nfancy to themselves, as it were, new worlds of mere possible things, and\nin such an employment of the heart, there is some poor deceiving of\npresent sorrows, but at length they recur with greater violence. Every man\nmakes romances for himself, pretty fancies of his own fortune, as if he\nhad the disposing of it himself. He sits down, as it were, and writes an\nalmanack and prognostication in his own secret thoughts, and designs his\nown prosperity, gain, and advantage, and pleasures or joys, and when we\nhave thus ranked our hopes and expectation, then we begin to take\ncomplacency in them, and boast ourselves in the confidence of them, as if\nthere were not a supreme Lord who gives a law to our affairs, as\nimmediately as to the winds and rains.\n\nNow, that you may know the folly of this, consider the reason which is\nsubjoined,\u2014\u201cFor thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.\u201d There is a\nconcurrence of inconstancy in all things, and ignorance in us, which might\nbe sufficient to check our folly of confident and presumptuous expectation\nfrom them, and gloriation in them, so that, whether we look about us to\nthe things themselves, or within us to ourselves, all things proclaim the\nfolly and madness of that which the heart of man is set upon. And this\ndouble consideration the apostle James opposes to the vain hopes and\nconfident undertakings of men, chap. iv. 13, &c., which place is a perfect\ncommentary upon this text, he brings in an instance of the resolutions and\npurposes of rich men, for the compassing of gain by merchandise, whereby\nyou may understand all the several designs and plots of men, that are\ncontrived and ordered, and laid down in the hearts of men, either for more\ngain, or more glory, or more pleasure and ease. Now, the grand evil that\nis here reproved, is not simply men\u2019s care and diligence in using lawful\nmeans for their accommodation in this life, or yet their wise and prudent\nforesight in ordering of their affairs for attaining that end, for both\nthese are frequently recommended and commended by the wise man Prov. vi.\n6, and xxiv. 27. But here is the great iniquity,\u2014that men in all these\ncontrivings and actings, carry themselves as if they were absolute\nindependents, without consideration of the sovereign universal dominion of\nGod. No man almost reflects upon that glorious Being, which alone hath the\nnegative and definitive sentence in all the motions and affairs of the\nsons of men, or considers, that it is not in man that walks to direct his\npaths; that when all our thoughts and designs are marshalled and ordered,\nand the completest preparation made for reaching our intended ends, that\nyet the way of man is not in himself, that all these things are under a\nhigher and more absolute dominion of the most high God. Whose heart doth\nthat often sound unto,\u2014\u201cA man\u2019s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord\ndirecteth his steps,\u201d and so is not bound by any rule to conform his\nexecutions to our intentions? For he works all according to the counsel of\nhis own will, and not ours, and therefore, no wonder that the product of\nour actions does not answer our intentions and devices, because the\nsupreme rule and measure of them is above our power, and without our\nknowledge. And therefore, though there were never so many devices in the\nheart of man, never so wisely or lawfully contrived and ordered, though\nthe mine be never so well prepared, and all ready for the firing of it,\nyet the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand, Prov. xix. 21, and xvi. 9.\nThat higher determination may blow up our best consultations or drown\nthem, for man\u2019s goings are of the Lord, how then can a man understand his\npaths? Prov. xx. 24. And yet the most part of men, in all these things,\nlose the remembrance of this fatal and invincible subordination to God,\nand propose their own affairs and actions, as if themselves were to\ndispose of them, and when their own resolutions and projects seem\nprobable, they begin to please themselves in them, in the forethought of\nwhat they will do, or what they may have or enjoy to morrow afterward;\nthere is a present secret complacency and gloriation, without any serious\nreminding the absolute dependence of all things upon the will of God, and\ntheir independence upon our counsels without forecasting and often\nruminating upon the perpetual fluctuation and inconstancy of human\naffairs, but, as if we were the supreme moderators in heaven and earth, so\nwe act and transact our own business in a deep forgetfulness of him who\nsits in heaven, and laughs at all our projects and practices and\ntherefore, the Holy Ghost would have this secret but serious thought to\nseason all our other purposes and consultations,\u2014\u201cIf the Lord will,\u201d &c.\nWhereas though we ought to say and think this, it is scarce minded, and\nthen we know not what shall be to morrow for our life itself is a vapour.\nHerein is a strong argument,\u2014you lay your designs for to morrow, for a\nyear, for many years, and yet ye know not if ye shall be to morrow. How\nmany men\u2019s projects are cast beyond that time that is measured out on\nGod\u2019s counsel! And what a ridiculous thing must that be to him, if it be\nnot done with submissive and humble dependence on him! In a word time is\nwith child of innumerable things, conceived by the eternal counsel of God.\nInfinite and inconceivably various are those conceptions which the womb of\ntime shall at length bring forth to light. Every day, every hour, every\nminute is travailing in pain, as it were, and is delivered of some one\nbirth or another, and no creature can open its womb sooner, or shut it\nlonger, than the appointed and prefixed season. There is no miscarrying as\nto him whose decrees do properly conceive them though to us they seem\noften abortive. Now, join unto this, to make the allusion full, as long as\nthey are carried in the womb of time, they are hid from all the world. The\nwomb is a dark lodging and no understanding nor eye can pierce into it, to\ntell what is in it, till it break forth, and therefore, children born are\nsaid to come to the light, for till then, they are to us in a cloud of\ndarkness, that we cannot tell what they are. So then, every day, every\nhour, every moment is about to bring forth that which all the world is\nignorant of, till they see it, and oh! that then they understood it. We\nknow not whether the morrow\u2019s or next hour\u2019s birth may be a proportioned\nchild, or a monster, whether it will answer the figure and mould that is\nin our mind, or be misshapen and deformed to our sense. Men\u2019s desires and\ndesigns may be said to conceive, for they form an inward image and idea\nwithin themselves, to which they labour to make the product and birth of\ntime conformable, and when it answers our preconceived form, then we\nrejoice as for a man child. But for the most part it is a monster as to\nour conception, it is an aberration from our rule, it is either mutilated\nand defective of what we desire, or superfluous or deformed, which turns\nour expectation into vexation, and our boasting into lamentation. But the\ntruth is, time brings forth no monsters as to the Lord\u2019s decrees, which\nare the only just measures of all things. It may be said of every thing\nunder the sun, as David speaks of himself in the womb, \u201cMy substance was\nnot hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously formed in the\nlowest parts of the earth,\u201d &c. Psal. cxxxix. 15. His eyes see all their\nsubstance, yet being unperfect, and in his everlasting book all their\nmembers are written, the portraiture of every thing is drawn there to the\nlife, and these in continuance are fashioned just as they were written and\ndrawn, and so they exactly correspond to his preconception of them,\nwhatever deformity they may have as to us, yet they are perfect works, and\nbeautiful to him.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VIII.\n\n\n    Isaiah i. 10, 11, &c.\u2014\u201cHear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of\n    Sodom, give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah,\u201d\n    &c.\n\n\nIt is strange to think what mercy is mixed with the most wrath like\nstrokes and threatenings. There is no prophet whose office and commission\nis only for judgment, nay, to speak the truth, it is mercy that premises\nthreatenings. The entering of the law, both in the commands and curses, is\nto make sin abound, that grace may superabound, so that both rods and\nthreatenings are the messengers of Jesus Christ, to bring sinners to him\nfor salvation. Every thing should be measured and named by its end, so,\ncall threatenings promises, call rods and judgments mercies, name all\ngood, and good to you, if so be you understand the purpose of God in\nthese. The shortest preaching in the Bible useth to express itself what it\nmeans, though it be never so terrible. This is a sad and lamentable\nbeginning of a prophet\u2019s ministry, the first word is, to the heavens and\nto the earth(282) a weighty and horrible regrate(283) of this people, as\nif none of them were to hear, as if the earth could be more easily\naffected than they. The creatures are taken witnesses by God of their\ningratitude, and then who shall speak for them? If heaven and earth be\nagainst them, who shall speak good of them? Will their own conscience? No\ncertainly, it will, in the day of witnessing and judging, precipitate its\nsentence, and spare the judge the labour of probation, \u201ca man\u2019s enemy\nshall be within his own house,\u201d though now your consciences agree with\nyou. Nay, why doth the Lord speak to them? Because the people consider\nnot, because consciences have given over speaking to them, therefore the\nLord directs his word to the dumb earth. Yet how gracious is he, as to\ndirect a second word even to the people, though a sad word? It is a\ncomplaint of iniquity and backsliding, and such as cannot be uttered, yet\nit is mercy to challenge them, yea, to chasten them. If the Lord would\nthreaten a man with pure and unmixed judgments, if he would frame a\nthreatening of a rod of pure justice, I think it should be this, \u201cI will\nno more reprove thee, nor chasten thee,\u201d and he is not far from it, when\nhe says, \u201cWhy shall ye be stricken any more?\u201d &c. ver. 5. As if he would\nsay, It is in vain now to send a rod, ye receive no correction. I sent the\nrod, that it might open your hearts and ears to the word, and seal your\ninstruction,\u2014but to what purpose is it?\u2014Ye grow worse and worse. Well, the\nprophet compares here sin and judgment, and the one far surmounts the\nother. Ye would think a desolate country, burnt cities, desolation made by\nstrangers, a sufficient recompense of their corruption and misorders, of\ntheir forsaking and backsliding. Ye would think now, if your present\ncondition and the land\u2019s pressed you to utter Jeremiah\u2019s lamentation, a\nsadder than which is not almost imaginable, ye would think, I say, that\nyou had received double for all your sins. And yet, alas! how are your\niniquities of infinite more desert? All that were mercy, which is behind\ninfinite and eternal punishment. That there is room left for complaint, is\nmercy, that there is a remnant left, is mercy.\n\nNow, to proclaim unto this people, and convince them that their judgment\nwas not severe, he gives them one word from God. And, indeed, it is\nstrange, that when the rod is sent, because of the despising of the word,\nthat after the despising of both word and rod, another word should come.\nAlways this word is a convincing word, a directing word, and a comforting\nword. These use to be conjoined, and if they be not always expressed, we\nmay lawfully understand them. We may join a consolation to a conviction,\nand close a threatening with a promise, if we take with a threatening.\nJonah\u2019s preaching expressed no more but a threatening and denunciation of\njudgment, but the people understood it according to God\u2019s meaning and made\nit a rule of direction, and so a ground of consolation. How inexcusable\nare we, who have all these expressed unto us, and often inculcated, \u201cline\nupon line, and precept upon precept,\u201d and yet so often divide the word of\ntruth, or neglect it altogether. Most part fancy a belief of the promises\nand neither consider threatenings nor commands. Some believing the\nthreatenings, are not so wise for their own salvation as to consider what\nGod says more, but take it for his last word. Shall not Nineveh rise up in\njudgment against this generation? They repented at one preaching, and that\na short one, and in appearance very defective, and yet we have many\npreachings of the Son of God and his apostles in this Bible,\u2014both law and\ngospel holden forth distinctly, and these spoken daily in our audience,\nand yet we repent not.\n\nThis is a strange preface going before this preaching, and more strange in\nthat it is before the first preaching of a young prophet. He speaks both\nto rulers and people, but he gives them a name such as certainly they\nwould not take to themselves, but seeing he is to speak the word of the\nLord, he must not flatter them, as they did themselves. Is not this the\nLord\u2019s people, his portion and inheritance which he chose out of the\nnations? Are not these rulers the princes of Judah, and the Lord\u2019s\nanointed? Were they not both in covenant with God, and separated from the\nnations both in privileges and profession? How then are they \u201crulers of\nSodom\u201d and \u201cpeople of Gomorrah\u201d likened to the worst of the nations, and\nnot likened to them but spoken of as if they were indeed all one. When ye\nhear the preface ye would think that the prophet was about to direct his\nspeech to Sodom and Gomorrah, but when you look upon the preaching ye find\nhe means Judah and Jerusalem, and these are the rulers and people he\nspeaks of. Certainly, according as men walk, so shall they be named and\nranked. External privileges and profession may give a name before men, and\nseparate men from men before the world, but they give no name, make no\ndifference, before God, if all other things be not suitable to these. \u201cHe\nis not a Jew, saith Paul, who is one outwardly,\u201d but he who hath that\ncircumcision in the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter. Outward\nprofession and signs may have praise of men, but it is this that hath\npraise of God, Rom. ii. 28, 29. Circumcision and uncircumcision, baptism\nor unbaptism, availeth nothing, but a new creature. A baptized Christian\nand an unbaptized Turk are alike before God, if their hearts and ways be\none, Gal. vi. 15. All Christians profess faith, and glory in baptism, but\nit avails nothing except it work by love, Gal. v. 6.\n\nNow, what name shall we give you? How shall our rulers be called? How\nshall ye, the people, be called? If we shall speak the truth, we fear it\nwill instruct you not, but irritate you, yet the truth we must speak,\nwhether ye choose or whether ye refuse. You would all be called\nChristians, the people of God, but we may not call you so, except we would\nflatter you, and deceive you by flattering, and murder you by deceiving.\nWe would gladly name you Christians in the spirit, saints chosen and\nprecious. O that we might speak so to rulers and people! but, alas, we may\nnot call you so except ye were so indeed, we may not call you Christians\nlest ye believe yourselves to be so. And yet, alas, ye will think\nyourselves such, speak what we can. Would you know your name then? I\nperceive you listen to hear what it is. But understand, that it is your\nname before God, which bears his account of you. What matter of a name\namong men? It is often a shadow without substance, a name without the\nthing. If God name you otherwise, you shall have little either honour or\ncomfort in it, when men bless you and praise you, if the Lord reckon you\namong the beasts that perish, are ye honoured indeed? Well, then, hear\nyour name before God. What account hath he of you? Ye rulers are rulers of\nSodom, and ye people are people of Gomorrah. And if ye think this a hard\nsaying, I desire you will notice the way that the prophet Isaiah takes to\nprove his challenge against them, and the same may be alleged against\nrulers and people now. We need no proof but one of both, see ver. 23,\u2014\u201cThy\nprinces are rebellious, because, though they hear much against their sins,\nyet they never amend them, they pull away their shoulder, if they hear,\nyet they harden their heart.\u201d Is there any of them hath set to pray in\ntheir families, though earnestly pressed? Well, what follows? \u201cEvery one\nloves gifts.\u201d Covetousness, then, and oppression proves rulers to be\nrulers of Sodom. Shall then houses stand, \u201cshalt thou reign, because thou\nclosest thyself in cedar?\u201d Jer. xxii. 15. No certainly, men shall one day\ntake up a proverb against them. \u201cWoe to him that increaseth that which is\nnot his, and ladeth himself with thick clay, they shall be for booties to\nthe Lord\u2019s spoilers,\u201d Hab. ii. 6. Woe to them, for they have consulted\nshame to their houses, and sinned against their own soul. Their design is\nto establish their house, and make it eminent, but they take a compendious\nway to shame and ruin it. Alas, it is too public, that rulers seek their\nown things, for themselves and their friends, and for Jesus and his\ninterests they are not concerned. But are ye, the people, any whit better?\nO that it were so! But alas, when ye are involved in the same guiltiness,\nI fear ye partake of their plagues! What are ye then? \u201cPeople of\nGomorrah.\u201d Is not the name of God blasphemed daily because of you? Are not\nthe abominations of the Gentiles the common disease of the multitude, and\nthe very reproach of Christianity? Set apart your public services and\nprofessions, and is there any thing behind in your conversation, but\ndrunkenness, lying, swearing, contention, envy, deceit, wrath,\ncovetousness, and such like? Have not the multitude of them been as civil,\nand carried themselves as blamelessly, and without offence, as the throng\nof our visible church? What have ye more than they? It is true, ye are\ncalled Christians, and ye boast in it. Ye know his will, and can speak of\npoints of religion, can teach and instruct others, and so have, as it\nwere, in your minds a form and method of knowledge,\u2014the best of you are\nbut such. But I ask, as Paul did the Jews in such a case, \u201cThou that\nteachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that makest a boast of\nthe law, through breaking of it, dishonourest thou God?\u201d Rom. ii. 17-23.\nWhy then, certainly all thy profession and baptism avail nothing, and will\nnever extract thee from the pagans, with whom thou art one in\nconversation. Thy profession is so far from helping thee in such a case,\nthat it shall be the most bitter ingredient in thy cup of judgment, for it\nis the greatest aggravation of thy sin, for through it God\u2019s name is\nblasphemed. If they had not known, they had not had sin. Pagan\u2019s sin is no\nsin in respect of Christians. If ye consider Christ\u2019s sermon, Matt. xi.,\nye will say Isaiah is a meek and moderate man in regard of him. Isaiah\ncalls them people of Gomorrah, but Christ will have them worse, and their\njudgment more intolerable than theirs. And that not only the profane of\nthem, but the civil and religious like who believe not in him. Well, then,\nhere is the advantage ye get of your name of Christianity, of your\nprivilege of hearing his word daily, ye who never ponder it, to tremble at\nit, or to rejoice in it, who cannot be moved either to joy or grief for\nspiritual things, neither law nor gospel moves the most part of you. I\nsay, here is all your gain,\u2014ye shall receive a reward with Gentiles and\npagans, yea, ye shall be in a worse case than they in the day of the Lord.\nThe civil Christian shall be worse than the profane Turk, and ye shall not\nthen boast that ye were Christians, but shall desire that ye had dwelt in\nthe place where the gospel had never been preached. It is a character of\nthe nations, that they call not on God, and of heathen families, that they\npray not to him, (Jer. x. 25,) and wrath must be poured on them. What,\nthen, are the most part of you? Ye neither bow a knee in secret nor in\nyour families, to God. Your time is otherwise employed, ye have no leisure\nto pray twice or thrice a day alone, except when ye put on your clothes ye\nutter some ordinary babblings. Ye cannot be driven to family worship.\nShall not God rank you in judgment with those heathen families? Or shall\nit not be more tolerable for them than for you? And are not the most part\nof you every one given to covetousness, your heart and eye after it,\nseeking gain and advantage more than the kingdom of heaven? Doth not every\none of you, as you have power in your hand, oppress one another, and wrong\none another? Now, our end in speaking thus to you, is not to drive you to\ndesperation. No, indeed, but as there was a word of the Lord sent to such\nby Isaiah, so we bring a word unto you. That which ruins you, is your\ncarnal confidence. Ye are presumptuous as this people, and cry, \u201cThe\ntemple of the Lord, the work of the Lord,\u201d &c. as if these would save you.\nKnow, therefore, that all these will never cover you in the day of wrath.\nKnow there is a necessity to make peace with God, and your righteousness\nmust exceed the righteousness of a profession, and external privileges and\nduties, or else ye shall be as far from the kingdom of heaven as Sodom and\nGomorrah. We speak of rulers\u2019 sins, that ye may mourn for them, lest ye be\njudged with them. If ye do not mourn for them in secret, know that they\nare your sins, ye are companions with them. Many fret, grudge, and cry out\nagainst oppression, but who weeps in secret? Who prays and deprecates\nGod\u2019s wrath, lest it come upon them? And while it is so, the oppression of\nrulers becomes the sin of the oppressed themselves.\n\n\u201cHear the word of the Lord.\u201d It were a suitable preparation for any word\nthat is spoken, to make it take impression, if it were looked on \u201cas the\nword of the Lord,\u201d and \u201claw of our God.\u201d And truly no man can hear aright\nunless he hear it so. Why doth not this word of the Lord return with more\nfruit? Why do not men tremble or rejoice at it? Certainly, because it is\nnot received as God\u2019s word. There is a practical heresy in our hearts,\nwhich rather may be called atheism\u2014we do not believe the Scriptures. I do\nnot say men call it in question, but I say, ye believe them not. It is one\nthing to believe with the heart, another thing not to doubt of it. Ye\ndoubt not of it, not because ye do indeed believe it, but because ye do\nnot at all consider it. It is one thing to confess with the mouth, and\nanother thing to believe with the heart, for ye confess the Scriptures to\nbe God\u2019s word, not because ye believe them, but because ye have received\nsuch a tradition from your fathers, have heard it from the womb\nunquestioned. O that this were engraven on your heart\u2014that these commands,\nthese curses, these promises are divine truths, the words and the oath of\nthe Holy One! If every word of truth came stamped with his authority, and\nwere received in the name of God himself, what influence would it have on\nthe spirits and the practices of men?  This would be a great reformer,\nwould reform more in a month, than church and state hath done these many\nyears. Why are rulers and people not converted and healed for all that is\nspoken? Here it is, \u201cWho believes our report?\u201d Who believes that our\nreport is thy own testimony, O Lord?  When ministers threaten you in God\u2019s\nname,\u2014if his authority were stamped on the threatening, if men did\nseriously apprehend it were God\u2019s own voice, would they not tremble? When\nthe gospel and the joyful sound comes forth, if he apprehended that same\nauthority upon it, which ye who are convinced believe to be in the law,\nwould ye not be comforted? Finally, I may say, it is this point of\natheism, of inconsideration and brutishness, that destroys the multitude,\nmakes all means ineffectual to them, and retards the progress of\nChristians. Men do not consider, that this word is the word of the\neternal, and true, and faithful God, and that not one jot of it will fail.\nHere is a point of reformation I would put you to, if ye mind indeed to\nreform, let this enter into your hearts and sink down, that the law and\ngospel is the word of God, and resolve to come and hear preachings so, as\nthe voice \u201cof Jesus Christ, the true and faithful witness.\u201d If ye do not\ntake it so now, yet God will judge you so at the end. \u201cHe that despiseth\nyou, despiseth me, and he that hears not you, hears not me.\u201d If ye thought\nye had to do with God every Sabbath, would ye come so carelessly, and be\nso stupid and inconsiderate before the Judge of all the earth? But ye will\nfind in the end, that it was God whom ye knew not.\n\n\n\n\nSermon IX.\n\n\n    Isaiah i. 11.\u2014\u201cTo what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices\n    unto me? saith the Lord,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThis is the word he calls them to hear and a strange word. Isaiah asks,\nWhat mean your sacrifices? God will not have them. I think the people\nwould say in their own hearts, What means the prophet? What would the Lord\nbe at? Do we anything but what he commanded us? Is he angry at us for\nobeying him? What means this word? Is he not repealing the statute and\nordinance he had made in Israel? If he had reproved us for breach of\ncommands, for omission and neglect of sacrifices, we would have taken with\nit, but what means this reproof for well doing? The Lord is a hard master.\nIf we neglect sacrifices, and offer up the worst of the flock, he is\nangry, if we have a care of them, and offer them punctually, and keep\nappointed days precisely, he is angry.  What shall we do to please him? I\nthink many of you are put to as great a non plus, when your prayers and\nrepentance and fasting are quarrelled, do ye not say in your hearts, we\nknow not what to do? Ministers are angry at us if we pray not, and our\npraying they cry out against, they command us to repent and fast, and yet\nsay that God will abhor both these. This is a mystery, and we shall\nendeavour to unfold it to you from the word. It concerns us to know how\nGod is pleased with our public services and fastings for the most part of\npeople have no more religion. Ye all, I know, desire to know what true\nreligion is. Consult the Scriptures, and search them, for there ye shall\nfind eternal life. We frame to ourselves a wrong pattern and copy of it,\nand so we judge ourselves wrong. Our narrow spirits do not take in the\nlatitude of the Scripture\u2019s religion, but taking in one part we exclude\nanother, and think God rigid if it be not taken off our hand so. But, I\npray, consider these three things, which seem to make up the good old way,\nthe religion of the Old and New Testaments\u2014\n\n_First_, Religion takes in all the commands,\u2014it is universal, hath respect\nto all the commandments, Psal. cxix. 6. It carries the two tables in both\nhands, the first table in the right hand, and the second in the left.\nThese are so entirely conjoined, that if you receive not both, you cannot\nreceive any truly.\n\n_Secondly_, It takes in all the man, his soul and spirit as well as his\nbody, nay, it principally includes that which is principal in the man, his\nsoul and spirit, his mind and affections. If ye divide these, ye have not\na man present but a body, and what fellowship can bodies have with him who\nis a Spirit? If ye divide these among themselves, ye have not a spirit\nindeed present if the mind be not present, surely the heart cannot, but if\nthe mind be, and the heart away, religion is not religion, but some empty\nspeculation. The mind cannot serve but by the heart, where the heart is,\nthere a man is reckoned to be.\n\n_Thirdly_, It takes in Jesus Christ as all, and excludes altogether a\nman\u2019s self. He worships God in the spirit, but he rejoices not in himself,\nand in his spirit, but in Jesus Christ, and hath no confidence in himself,\nor the flesh, Phil. iii. 3, 8. It includes the soul and spirit, and all\nthe commands, but it denies them all, and embraces Jesus Christ by faith,\nas the only object of glorying in and trusting in. All a man\u2019s self\nbecomes dross in this consideration. Now, the first of these is drawn from\nthe last, therefore it appears first\u2014I say, an endeavour in walking in\nevery thing commanded, of conforming our way to the present rule and\npattern, is a stream flowing from the pure heart within. A man\u2019s soul and\naffections must once be purified, before it sends out such streams in\nconversation. And from whence doth that pure heart come? Is it the\nfountain and original? No certainly. The heart is desperately wicked above\nall things, and how will it cleanse itself? But this purity proceeds from\nanother fountain,\u2014from faith in Jesus Christ, and it is this that lies\nnearest the uncreated fountain Christ himself, it is the most immediate\nconduit the mouth of the fountain or the bucket to draw out of the deep\nwells of salvation. All these are conjoined in this order, 1 Tim. i.\n5\u2014\u201cThe end of the commandment is love.\u201d Ye know love is said elsewhere to\nbe the fulfilling of the law, and when we say love, we mean all duties to\nGod and man, which love ought immediately to principle. Now this love\nproceeds from a pure heart, cleansed and sanctified, which pure heart\nproceeds from faith unfeigned. So then, we must go up in our searching\nfrom external obedience all alongst, till we arrive at the inward fountain\nof Christ dwelling in us by faith, and then have ye found true religion\nindeed. Now, ye may think possibly, we have used too much circumlocution:\nwhat is all this to the present purpose? Yes, very much. Ye shall find the\nLord rejecting this people\u2019s public worship and solemn ordinances upon\nthese three grounds,\u2014either they did not join with them the observation of\nweightier commands, or they did not worship him in them with their\nspirits, had not souls present, or they knew not the end and use for which\nGod had appointed these sacrifices and ceremonies, they did not see to the\nend of all, which was Jesus Christ.\n\n_First_, then, I say the people were much in external sacrifices and\nceremonies, commanded of God, but they were ignorant of the end of his\ncommands, and of the use of them. Ye know in themselves they had no\ngoodness, but only in relation to such an end as he pleased they should\nlead to, but they stayed upon the ceremony and shadow, and were not led to\nuse it as a means for such an end; and so, though they fancied that they\nobeyed, and pleased God, yet really they wholly perverted his meaning and\nintention in the command; therefore doth the Lord plead with them in this\nplace for their sacrificing, as if it had been murder. They used to object\nhis commands. What, says the Lord, did I command these things? Who\nrequired them? Meaning certainly, who required them for such an end, to\ntake away your sin? Who required them but as a shadow of the substance to\ncome? Who required them but as signs of that Lamb and sacrifice to be\noffered up in the fulness of time? And forasmuch as ye pass over all\nthese, and think to please me with the external ceremony, was that ever my\nintent or meaning? Certainly ye have fancied a new law of your own, I\nnever gave such a law; therefore it is said, Psal. l. 13.\u2014God pleads just\nafter this manner, \u201cWill I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of\ngoats?\u201d &c.; and Micah vi. 7, \u201cWill the Lord be pleased with thousands of\nrams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?\u201d He who hath no pleasure in\nsinful men, what pleasure can he have in beasts? Therefore, it was to\nsignify to them (who thought God would be pleased with them for their\noffering) that he could not endure them; it was worse to him to offer him\nsuch a recompense, than if they had done none at all. He is only well\npleased in his well-beloved Son; and when they separate a lamb or a\nbullock from the well-beloved, what was it to him more than \u201ca dog\u2019s neck\u201d\nor \u201cswine\u2019s flesh?\u201d It was his creature, as these are, and no more, Isa.\nlxvi. 3. Now that they looked never beyond the ceremonies, is evident,\nbecause they boasted in them; they used to find out these as a remedy of\ntheir sins, and a mean to pacify God\u2019s wrath, Micah vi. 6. Paul bears\nwitness of it, 2 Cor. iii. 13-15. Moses had a vail of ceremonies over his\nface, and the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of\nthat mystery, Christ Jesus, but their minds were blinded, and are so to\nthis day in the reading of the scriptures; and this vail of hardness of\nheart shall be done away when Christ returns to them again. Now, I say, it\nis just so with us. There was never a people liker other than we are like\nthe Jews. We have many external ordinances, preaching, hearing, baptism,\ncommunion, reading, singing, praying in public, extraordinary solemnities\nof fasting and thanksgiving, works of discipline and government, public\nreproof to sinners, confessions and absolutions. What would ye think if we\nshould change the terms of sacrifices and new moons, and speak all this to\nyou? To what purpose is the multitude of your fasts and feasts, of your\npreachings and communions, of your praying in secret, and in your\nfamilies, of conference and prayer with others, of running to and fro to\nhear preaching, to partake of the Lord\u2019s table? I am full of them, I\ndelight not in them. When ye come here on the Sabbath, who required at\nyour hand to tread my courts? Come no more to hear the word, run no more\nafter communions, seek no more baptism to your children, call no more\nsolemn assemblies, it is all iniquity. O, say ye, that is a strange\npreaching indeed! Must we pray no more, hear no more, sing no more? Did\nnot God command these? Why do ye discharge them? We do not mean so, that\nthese should not be, but they should be in another way: all these want the\nsoul and life of them, which is Jesus Christ in them. Do ye not think\nyourselves religious, because ye frequent these? The multitude of the\npeople think that these please God, and pacify his wrath: ye have no other\nthing in your mind but these. If ye can attain any sorrow or grief for\nsin, or any tears to signify it, presently you absolve yourselves for your\nrepentance. The scandalous who appear in public, think the paying of a\npenalty to the judge, and bowing the knee before the congregation,(284)\nsatisfies God. Ye miss nothing when ye have these. I speak to the\nprofessors of religion also, who pretend to more knowledge than others,\nwhen ye have gone about so many duties, ye are well satisfied if ye get\nliberty in them. If ye can satisfy yourselves, ye doubt not of God\u2019s\nsatisfaction; and if ye do not satisfy yourselves in your duties, ye\ncannot believe his satisfaction. Ye get the ordinance, and miss nothing.\nNow, I say, in all this ye do not reach to the end of this ministry, Jesus\nChrist; ye do not steadfastly behold him, to empty yourselves in his\nbosom, to turn over all the unrighteousness of your holy things upon him\nwho bears it. That which pleaseth you, is not \u201che in whom the Father is\nwell-pleased,\u201d but the measure of your own duty. O, the establishing of\nour own righteousness is the ruin of the visible Church! This is the grand\nidol, and all sacrifice to it. Know, therefore, that the most part of your\nperformances are abomination and iniquity, because ye have so much\nconfidence in them, and put them not upon Christ as filthy rags, or do not\ncover them with his righteousness, as well as your wickedness. I know ye\nwill say, that ye are not satisfied with them, and that is still the\nmatter of your exercise. Well, I affirm, in the Lord\u2019s name, from that\nground, that ye have confidence in them, for if your diffidence and\ndisquietness arise from it, your confidence and peace must come from it\nalso. Is there any almost that maintain faith, except when their own\nconditions please them well? And that faith I may call no faith, at least\nnot pure and cleanly entire faith. As for the multitude of you, you must\nknow this, that God is not pleased with your prayers, and fasting, and\nhearing, &c. because ye have such an esteem of them, because ye can settle\nyourselves against all threatenings, and never once remember of Jesus\nChrist, or consider the end of his coming into the world; because ye find\nno necessity of pardon for your prayers and righteousness, but stretch the\ngarment of these over the uncleanness of your practices. What delight hath\nthe Lord in them, when they are put in his Son\u2019s place? Will he not be\njealous that his Son\u2019s glory be not given to another?\n\nIn the _second_ place, the Lord rejects their performances, because there\nwas nothing but a mere shadow of service, and no worshipping of God in the\nSpirit. Ye know what Christ saith, \u201cGod is a Spirit, and he that worships\nhim must do it in spirit and in truth,\u201d John iv. 24. It is the heart and\nsoul that God delights in, \u201cMy son, give me thy heart,\u201d for if thou give\nnot thy heart, I care for nothing else. The heart is the whole man. What a\nman\u2019s affection is, that he is. Light is not so,\u2014it brings not the man\nalongst with it. Christ Jesus hath given himself for us, and he requires\nthat we offer ourselves to him. If we offer a body to frequent his house,\nour feet to tread in his courts, our ears to hear his word, what cares he\nfor it, as long as the soul doth not offer itself up in prayer or hearing?\nAnd this was the sin of this people, Isaiah xxix. 13. \u201cThey draw near with\nthe lips, and their heart is far from the Lord.\u201d Now are we not their\nchildren, and have succeeded to this? Is there any thing almost in our\npublic services, but what is public? Is there any thing but what is seen\nof men? Ye come to hear, ye sit and hear, and is there any more? The most\npart have their minds wandering, no thoughts present; for your thoughts\nare removed about your barns and corns, or some business in your head; and\nif any have their thoughts present, yet where are affections, which are\nthe soul and spirit of religion, without which it is no true fire but wild\nfire, if it be not both burning and shining? Are ye serious in these\nordinances? Or rather, are ye not more serious in any thing beside? And\nnow, especially, when God\u2019s providence calls you to earnest thoughts, when\nit cries to all men to enter into consideration of their own ways, I pray\nyou, is there any soul-affliction in your fasts even for a day? Is there\nany real grief or token of it? Not a fast in Scripture without weeping! We\nhave kept many, and have never advanced so far. Shall the Lord then be\npacified? Will not his soul abhor them? How shall they appease him for\nyour other provocations, when they are as oil to the flame, to increase\nhis indignation? The most part of Christians are guilty here; we come to\nthe ordinances, as it were, to discharge a custom, and perform a ceremony,\nthat we may have it to say to our conscience that it is done, and there is\nno more intent and purpose. We do not seek to have soul-communion with\nGod. We come to sermon to hear some new thing, or new truth, or new\nfashion of it; to learn a notional experience of cases. But alas, this is\nnot the great purpose and use of these things. It is to have some new\nsense of those things we know. We know already, but we should come to get\nthe truth more received in our love, to serve God in our spirits, and to\nreturn to him ourselves in a sacrifice acceptable. This is the greater\nhalf, if not the whole of religion,\u2014love to Jesus Christ who loved us, and\nliving to him, because he died for us, and living to him because we love\nhim. Now, all our ordinances and duties should be channels to carry our\nlove to him, and occasions of venting our affections.\n\n_Thirdly_, The Lord rejected this people\u2019s services, because they were\nexact and punctual in them, and neglected other parts of his commandments;\nand this is clearly expressed here, \u201cI will not hear\u201d your prayers, though\nthere be many of them. Why? \u201cYour hands are full of blood.\u201d Ye come to\nworship me, and pray to me, and yet there are many abominations in your\nconversation, which you continue in, and do not challenge in yourselves.\nYe have unclean hands; and shall your prayers be accepted, which should\ncome up with pure hands? They took his covenant in their mouth, and\noffered many sacrifices, but what have ye to do with these things, saith\nthe Lord, since ye hate to be reformed, since ye hate personal reformation\nof your lives, and in your families? What have ye to do to profess to be\nmy people? Psal. l. 16, 17. The Lord requires an universality, if ye would\nprove sincerity: if ye have respect to any of his commands, as his\ncommands, then will ye respect all. If ye be partial, and choose one duty\nthat is easy, and refuse another harder,\u2014will come to the church and hear,\nbut will not pray at home,\u2014will fast in public, but not in private,\u2014then,\nsays the Lord, ye do not at all obey me, but your own humour; ye do not at\nall fast unto me, but unto yourselves. As much as your interest lies in a\nduty, so much are ye carried to it. And I take this to be the reason why\nmany are so eager in pursuing public ordinances, following communions, and\nconferences with God\u2019s people, ready to pray in public rather than alone.\nIf ye would follow them into their secret chamber, how much indifferency\nis there! How great infrequency, how little fervency! Well, says the Lord,\ndid ye pray to me when ye prayed among others? No, ye prayed either to\nyourselves, or the company, or both. Did ye seek me in a communion? No,\nsaith the Lord, ye sought not me, but yourselves: if ye sought me indeed\nwith others, you would be as earnest, if not more, to seek me alone, Zech.\nvii. 6. And again, the Lord especially requires the weightier matters of\nthe law to be considered. As it was among the Jews, their ceremonies were\ncommanded, and so good; but they were not so much good in themselves as\nbecause they were means appointed for another end and use. But the moral\nlaw was binding in itself, and good in itself, without relation to another\nthing; and therefore Christ lays this heavy charge to the Pharisees, \u201cYe\ntithe mint and anise,\u201d Matt. xxiii. 23. \u201cWoe unto you, for ye neglect the\nweightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ye ought\nto have done, and not left the other undone.\u201d Are there not many who would\nthink it a great fault to stay away from the church on the Sabbath or week\nday, and yet will not stick to swear,\u2014to drink often? \u201cWoe unto you, for\nye strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel;\u201d therefore are the prophets full\nof these expostulations. The people seemed to make conscience of\nceremonies and external ordinances, but they did not order their\nconversation aright; they did not execute judgment, and relieve the\noppressed, did not walk soberly, did not mortify sinful lusts, &c. Alas,\nwe deceive ourselves with the noise of a covenant,(285) and a cause of\nGod; we cry it up as an antidote against all evils, use it as a charm,\neven as the Jews did their temple; and, in the mean time, we do not care\nhow we walk before God, or with our neighbours: well, thus saith the Lord,\n\u201cTrust ye not in lying words,\u201d &c. Jer. vii. 4, 5, 6. If drunkenness reign\namong you, if filthiness, swearing, oppression, cruelty reign among you,\nyour covenant is but a lie, all your professions are but lying words, and\nshall never keep you in your inheritances and dwellings. The Lord tells\nyou what he requires of you. Is it not to do justly, and walk humbly with\nGod? Mic. vi. 7. This is that which the grace of God teaches, to deny\n\u201cungodliness and worldly lusts,\u201d and to \u201clive soberly, righteously, and\ngodly, towards your God, your neighbour, and yourself,\u201d Tit. ii. 11, 12;\nand this he prefers to your public ordinances, your fasting, covenanting,\npreaching, and such like.(286) \u201cIs not this to know me?\u201d saith the Lord,\nJer. xxii. 15, 16. You think you know God when you can discourse well of\nreligion, and entertain conferences of practical cases. You think it is\nknowledge to understand preachings and scripture; but thus saith the Lord,\nto do justly to all men, to walk humbly towards God, to walk soberly in\nyourselves, is more real knowledge of God, than all the volumes of doctors\ncontain, or the heads of professors. Is this knowledge of God to have a\nlong flourishing discourse containing much religion in it? Alas, no! to do\njustly, to oppress none, to pray more in secret, to walk humbly and\nsoberly, this is to know the Lord. Practice is real knowledge indeed: it\nargues, that what a man knows, he receives in love, that the truth hath a\ndeep impression on the heart, that the light shines into the heart to\ninflame it. What is knowledge before God? As much as principles,\naffection, and action, as much as hath influence on your conversations; if\nyou do not, and love not what you know, is that to know the Lord? Shall\nnot your knowledge be a testimony against your practice, and no more?\n\n\n\n\nSermon X.\n\n\n    Isaiah i. 16.\u2014\u201cWash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your\n    doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil,\u201d &c.\n\n\nIf we would have a sum of pure and undefiled religion, here it is set down\nin opposition to this people\u2019s shadow of religion, that consisted in\nexternal ordinances and rites. We think that God should be as well-pleased\nwith our service as we ourselves, therefore we choose his commands which\nour humour hath no particular antipathy against and refuse others. But the\nLord will not be so served: as he will not share with the world, and\ndivide the soul and service of man with creatures, so as mammon should get\npart, and he his part. No, if we choose the one, we must refuse the other;\nfor so will he not suffer his word and commands to be divided: there must\nbe some universality in respect of the gospel and the law, and a\nconjunction of these two, or we cannot please him.\n\nIf religion do not include the gospel, we are yet upon the old covenant of\nworks, according to which none can be justified. If it do not include the\nlaw in the hands of a mediator, then we turn the grace of God unto\nwantonness. If it shut out Jesus Christ and have no use of him, how can\neither we or our performances stand or be accepted before his holy eyes?\nIf it exclude the law that Christ came to establish, how can he be pleased\nwith our religion? both of these offer an indignity to the Son of God. The\nsum, then, of Christian religion is believing and sanctification of the\nSpirit unto obedience. That is the root and fountain, this is the fruit\nand stream; justification of our persons, and sanctification of our lives\nand hearts. This is pure religion and undefiled. And therefore Isaiah\nsays, \u201cWash you, make you clean,\u201d\u2014cleanse in the only true fountain of\nChrist\u2019s blood. It is not your purifications of the law, your many\nwashings with water and hyssop; it is not the blood of bulls and of goats\ncan purge your consciences from dead works: they do but purify your flesh,\nbut cannot wash your souls worse defiled. This blood of Jesus Christ is\nthat clean water that he must sprinkle on you, if you would be clean. If\nyou take any other water, any other righteousness but his, and wash\nthyself therewith, suppose it be snow water that washeth cleanest\u2014thy most\nexact conversation, yet, he will plunge thee in the mire, till thine own\nclothes abhor thee, Job ix. 30, 31. Now, when you have washed your persons\n(ye need not, save to wash your feet, says Christ,)\u2014your daily\nconversation, reform it in the virtue of that blood, for we are not called\n\u201cto uncleanness, but unto holiness,\u201d and therefore, \u201cput away the evil of\nyour doings,\u201d &c. God hath put away the guilt of your doings by\njustification, now put ye away the evil of your doings by sanctification,\n&c. And if ye would know what sanctification is, \u201ccease to do evil,\u201d do\nnot return to the old puddle to wallow in it. Ye that are cleansed by this\nblood, O think how unbeseeming it is to you to defile yourselves again\nwith those things ye are cleansed from! but now, \u201clearn to do well.\u201d Ye\nare given up to Christ, ye must be his disciples, and he will teach you.\n\u201cLearn of me,\u201d saith Christ, (ye need no other law almost but his example,\nhe is a visible and speaking law), yet \u201cseek judgment.\u201d As ye ought to\nlook on my example, so especially ponder that word and rule of practice\nand behaviour that I have left behind me, and given out as the lawgiver of\nthe redeemed. Have I redeemed you, and should not I be the redeemed and\nransomed one\u2019s king? Is there any society in the world wants a law, order,\nand government? Neither must ye who are delivered from bondage,\nenfranchised and made free indeed. Now, ye should of all men most live by\na law. And when ye know that rule, then apply it to your several vocations\nand callings. Let the magistrate act according to it, and every man\naccording to it. Religion consists not in a general notion, but\ncondescends to our particular practice, to reform it. You see then what we\nwould press upon your consciences. It is true religion that we would have\nyou persuaded unto. All men have some kind of religion, even heathens who\nworship idols, but the true religion respects the true and living God.\nNow, what is it to worship the true and living God? What is the service of\nhim that may be called religion indeed? Should we be the prescrivers of\nit?(287) No certainly, he must carve solely in that, or else it cannot\nplease him, therefore \u201cto the law and to the testimony,\u201d if ye speak not\naccording to this, and worship not according to this word of God, \u201cit is\nbecause there is no light in you.\u201d Ye may have a religion before men pure\nand undefiled, but if it be not so before God and the Father, I pray you\nto what purpose is it? I am sure it is all lost labour, nay, it is labour\nwith loss, instead of gain. O that ye were persuaded to look and search\nthe scriptures. Think ye to have eternal life out of them?\u2014and think ye to\nhave eternal life by them, who do not labour to know the way of it set\ndown there? Every one of you hath a different model of religion, according\nto your fancies and breedings, according as your lusts will suffer you.\nThe rule that the most part walk by is the course and example of the\nworld. Is not this darkness, and gross darkness? Others model their duties\naccording to their ability. They will do all they can do with ease, and\nwithout troubling themselves, and they think God may be well pleased with\nthat. I pray you consider and hear the word of the Lord, and law of your\nGod. Hath he set down here the rule and perfect pattern of true religion,\nand will ye never so much own it, as to examine yours according to it? The\nscriptures are the touchstone, if you would not have a counterfeit\nreligion deceiving you in the end, when ye have trusted to it, I pray you\ntry it by the word of God. Oh! that this principle were once sunk into\nyour hearts,\u2014I may not walk at random, if I please myself, and satisfy my\nown will, if that be not also God\u2019s will, I shall have neither gain nor\ncomfort of it. His will is manifested in his word,\u2014I will search and find\nwhat God hath required of me, for if I be not certain of his will, I may\nbe doing all my days, and sweating out my life, and yet lose my pains and\ntoil. I say, this word of the Lord that Isaiah calls to the people to\nhear, ver. 10, will at length judge you. Your religion will be tried in\nthe day of accounts according to it, not according to your rules and\nmethods ye have prescribed unto yourselves. Now, if ye in the meantime\nshall judge yourselves, according to another rule, and absolve yourselves,\nand in the end God shall judge you according to this word, and condemn\nyou, were ye not fools in neglecting this word?\n\nThe whole will of God concerning your duty may be summed up in two, John\nhath one of them, 1 John iii. 23, \u201cAnd this is his commandment, that we\nshould believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another,\nas he gave us commandment,\u201d and Paul hath another to the Thessalonians, 1\nThess iv. 3, \u201cThis is the will of God, even your sanctification.\u201d And\nthese two make up this text, so that it unites both gospel and law. The\ncommandment of the law comes forth, and it is found that we have broken\nand are guilty, that we cannot answer for one of a thousand. The law\nentering makes sin abound. Our inability, yea, impossibility of obedience\nis more discovered. Well, then, the gospel proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ\nfor the Saviour of sinners, and commands us, under pain of damnation, to\nbelieve in him,\u2014to cast our souls on him, as one able to save, as one who\nhath obeyed the law for us, so that this command of believing in Christ is\nanswerable to all the breaches of the law, and tends to make them up in\nChrist. When he proclaimed the law on mount Sinai, with terror, that which\nye hear expressed is not his first commandment, which ye are in the first\ninstance to obey, for all these we have broken, but it hath a gospel\ncommand in its bosom, it leads to Jesus Christ, and if ye could read the\nmind of God in it, ye would resolve all these commands which condemn you\nand curse you, into one command of believing in the Son, that ye may be\nsaved from that condemnation. And if ye obey this command, which is his\nlast command, and most peremptory, then are the breaches of all the rest\nmade up, the intent of all the rest is fulfilled, though not in your\nobedience, yet in Christ\u2019s, which is better than ours. Believing in Christ\npresents God with a perfect righteousness, with an obedience even to the\ndeath of the cross. When a sinner hears the holy and spiritual sense of\nthe law, and sees it in the light of God\u2019s holiness, O how vile must he\nappear to himself, and how must he abhor himself! What original pollution,\nwhat actual pollution, what a fountain within, what uncleanness in streams\nwithout, will discover itself! Now, when the most part of men get any\nsight of this, presently they fall a washing and cleansing themselves, or\nhiding their filthiness. And what water take they? Their own tears and\nsorrows, their own resolutions, their own reformations. But alas, we are\nstill more plunged in our own filthiness; that is still marked before him,\nbecause all that is as foul as that we would have washen away. What\ngarment do men take to hide themselves ordinarily? Is it not their own\nrighteousness? Is it not a skirt of some duty that is spread over\ntransgressions? Do not men think their sins hid, if they can mourn and\npray for a time? Their consciences are eased by reflection upon this. But\nalas, thine iniquity is still marked! Shall filthiness hide filthiness?\nThy righteousness is as a vile garment, as a menstruous cloth, (Isa. lxiv.\n6.) as well as thine unrighteousness, how then shall it cover thine\nnakedness? Seeing it is so then, what is the Lord\u2019s mind concerning our\ncleansing? Seeing stretched out hands and many prayers will not do it,\nwhat shall I do? The Lord hath showed thee what thou shalt do, and that\nis, that thou do nothing in relation to that end, that thou shouldst\nundertake to wash away the least spot by all thy repentance. Yet must thou\nwash and make clean, and the water is brought new unto you, even the blood\nof Jesus Christ that cleanseth from all sin. Wash in this blood, and ye\nshall be clean. And what is it to wash in this blood? It is to believe in\nChrist Jesus, to lay hold on the all sufficient virtue of it, to trust our\nsouls to it, as a sufficient ransom for all our sins, to spread the\ncovering of Christ\u2019s righteousness over all our righteousness and\nunrighteousness, as having both alike need to be hid from his holy eyes.\nJesus Christ \u201ccame by water and by blood,\u201d (1 John v. 6), by water to\nsanctify, and by blood to justify, by the power and cleansing virtue of\nthe Holy Ghost, to take away sin in the being of it, and by the virtue of\nhis blood, to take away sin in the guilt and condemnation of it.\n\nNow, I conceive he presses a twofold exercise upon them in this washing,\nand both have relation to the blood of Jesus Christ, to wit repentance and\nfaith. If they be not all one, yet they are in this point inseparably\nconjoined. Repentance waters and saps the roots of believing, which\notherwise would dry up; therefore, instead of outward forms and ceremonies\nof religion, he presseth them to inward sorrow and contrition of heart for\nsin, that they might present an acceptable sacrifice to God, \u201ca contrite\nheart.\u201d This is more pleasing than many specious duties of men without,\nPsal. l. 7, &c. But when I press upon you repentance, do not conceive that\nwe would have it preparatory to faith, that ye should sit down and mourn\nfor your sins for a time, till your hearts be so far humbled, and then ye\nmight come as prepared and fitted to Jesus Christ. This is the mistake of\nmany Christians, which keeps them from solid settling. We find it\nordinary, souls making scruples and objections against coming to Jesus\nChrist, because of want of such preparations, of measures of humiliation\nand contrition, which they prescribe to themselves, or do behold in\nothers. And so they sit down and apply themselves to such a work, apply\ntheir consciences to the law and curse; and they find, instead of\nsoftening, hardness, instead of contrition of spirit, more dulness and\nsecurity; at least they cannot get satisfaction to themselves in that they\nseek, and thus they hang their head over their impenitent hearts, and\nlament, not so much that repentance is not, as that they cannot find it in\nthemselves. Alas! there are many diseases in this one malady. If it were\nembowelled unto you, ye would not believe that such a way were so\ncontradictory to the gospel. For, first, ye who are so, have this\nprinciple in your hearts, which is the foundation of it: I cannot come to\nChrist so unclean, I must be a little washen ere I come, the most gross\nuncleanness and hardness of my heart must be taken away, and so I shall be\naccepted. Alas, what derogation is this to the blessed Saviour! What\nabsurdity is it! I am too unclean to come to the fountain, I must be a\nlittle purged before I come to this fountain that cleanseth from all sin.\nI pray you, why was the fountain opened? Was it not for sin and\nuncleanness? And this thou sayest by interpretation, if I were so and so\nhumbled, then I might come, and be worthy to come; when the want of such a\nmeasure debars thee as unworthy, doth not the having of it in thy\nestimation make thee worthy? And so ye come with a present in your hand to\nJesus Christ, with a price and reward to him who gives freely. Again, thou\ndeniest Christ to be the only fountain of all grace, and so it is most\ndishonourable to him. If thou would have repentance before thou come to\nhim, where shalt thou have it? Wilt thou find it in thy heart, which is\ndesperately wicked? Wilt thou seek it of God, and not seek it in the\nmediator Jesus Christ? God out of a mediator will not hear thee. In a\nword, there is both extreme sin and extreme folly in this way: great sin,\nbecause it contradicts the tenor of the gospel, it dishonours the Lord\nJesus, the exalted Prince, as if he were not the fountain of all grace; it\nis contrary both to the freedom of his grace, and to the fulness of it\nalso. It is great folly, for thou leavest the living fountain, and goest\nseeking water in a wilderness; thou leavest the garden where all herbs\ngrow, and wanderest abroad to the wild mountains; and because thou canst\nnot find what thou seekest, thou sittest down and weepest beside it.\nRepentance is in Christ, and no repentance so pleasing to God as the\nmournings and relentings of a pardoned sinner; but thou seekest it far\nfrom him, yea, refusest him for want of that which thou mayest have by\nchoosing him. Therefore we declare this unto you, that whatever ye be,\nwhatever ye want, if ye think ye stand in need of Jesus Christ, embrace\nhim. If ye be exceeding vile in your own eyes, and cannot get repentance\nas ye would to cleanse yourselves, here is the fountain opened, and ready\nto wash in. Yet this we must tell you, that no sinner can believe but he\nthat repents,(288) not because repentance is required as a preparation to\ngive a man a warrant and right to believe,\u2014I know no ground of faith but\nour necessity, and the Lord\u2019s promise and command unto us,\u2014but because no\nsoul can truly fly into Jesus Christ to escape sin\u2019s guilt, but he that\ndesires to be delivered from sin itself; and therefore the most part of\nyou fancy a faith which you have not, because there is no possibility that\nmen will come out of themselves, till they be pressed out by discovered\nsin and misery within. Your woulds and wishes after Christ and salvation,\nthat many of you have, are not the real exercises of your soul\u2019s flying\nunto him for salvation. If ye did indeed turn into Jesus Christ, your\nhearts would turn the back upon sin, and these sins ye seek remission of.\nNow, all the desire that many men have of Christ, is this,\u2014I would fain\nhave his salvation, if I might keep my sin; I would gladly be delivered\nfrom the guilt of sin, if he would let me keep still the sin. But will\nChrist make any such bargain?\n\nIf this blood only wash from sin, O how many lie in their sins, and wallow\nin their filthiness! \u201cThere is a generation pure in their own eyes, and\nyet are not washed from their filthiness,\u201d Prov. xxx. 12. O that ye\nbelieved this! If ye be not now washed, eternity shall find you unclean,\nand woe to the soul that enters eternity with all the pollution of its\nsins: can such a soul enter into the high and holy place, the clean city?\nNo, certainly; it must be without among the dogs and swine, it must be\nkept in darkness for ever. It is, then, of great importance that ye be\nwashen from your filthiness. Now, I ask you, is it so or not? Are ye made\nclean and washen from the guilt of your sins? Every one of you almost will\nsay so and think so; and yet says the scripture, \u201cThere is a generation\npure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed.\u201d Is there a generation\nsuch? Is there any such? Oh! then, think it is possible you may be\nmistaken in the opinion of your own cleanness. Do any conceive themselves\npardoned, and yet are not so? Think it is possible you may have deceived\nyourselves, especially since ye have never examined it. But are there so\nmany so, a whole generation,\u2014the most part of men? Then, as you love your\nsouls, try, for it is certain that the most part of you must be deceived.\nIs there a generation in the visible church not washen, and yet every one\nthinks himself clean? Then certainly the most part are in a great\ndelusion. Will ye then once examine whether or not ye be deluded with\nthem? It shall be your peace to know it, while it may be amended. But how\ncomes it to pass, that so many hearing of the gospel, and lying near this\nfountain, are not cleansed? I think certainly, because they will not have\na thorough cleansing, they get none at all. All men would love Christ\u2019s\nblood well to pardon sin, but who will accept of the water to sanctify\nthem from sin? But Christ came with both. Shall this blood be spent upon\nnumbers of you, who have no respect to it, but would still wallow in your\nfilthiness? Would ye have God pardoning these sins ye never throughly\nresolved to quit? But how is it that so many men are clean in their own\neyes, and yet not washed? I think indeed, the reason of it is, they make a\nkind of washing, which they apprehend sufficient, and yet know not the\ntrue fountain. We find men taking much soap and nitre, when convinced of\nsin, or charged with it, and thereupon soon absolving themselves. If ye\nask their grounds, they will tell you, they repent and are sorry for it;\nthey purpose to make amends, and they think amendment a good compensation\nfor the past wrong. They will, it may be, vow to drink no more for a year\nafter they have been drunk; they will confess their sin in public, and all\nthis they do without having any thought of Jesus Christ, or the end of his\ncoming, and can absolve  themselves from such grounds, though in the mean\ntime Christ come not so much as in their mind; and therefore are they not\nreally washed. All thy righteousness is unclean before God, and thy\nrepentances defile thee: and yet because of some such duties, though\ndeceivest thyself, and are clean in thine own eyes. These have some beauty\nin thy eyes, and thou puttest them between thy filthiness and thy eye, and\nso conceivest that thou art clean. I think a reason also, why many men are\nclean in their own eyes, and conceive that God hath pardoned their sin, is\nbecause they have forgotten it. It is not recent in their memory, and\nmakes no present wound in their conscience: and therefore, they apprehend\nGod such as themselves,\u2014they think he hath forgotten about it also. But\noh! how terrible shall it be, when God brings to remembrance, and sets our\nsins in order before us! Ye think God cares not for your sins, that he\nforgives them before thee, and thou shalt know they are still marked\nbefore him.\n\nYe who have washen in this blood, ye may rejoice, for it shall make you\nclean every whit. Your iniquities that so defiled you, shall not be found.\nO the precious virtue of that blood that can purge away a soul\u2019s spots!\nAll the art of men and angels could not reach this. This redemption and\ncleansing was precious, and would have ceased for ever; but this blood is\nthe ransom, this blood cleanseth, and so perfectly, that it shall not\nappear, not only to men\u2019s eyes, but also God\u2019s piercing eye. Sinners, quit\nyour own righteousness,\u2014why defile ye yourselves more? When your eyes are\nopened, ye will find it so. Here is washing; apply yourselves to this\nfountain; and if ye do indeed so; if ye expect cleansing from Jesus\nChrist, I pray you return not to the puddle. Ye are not washen from sin,\nto sin more, and defile yourselves more; if ye think ye have liberty to do\nso, ye have no part in this blood.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XI.\n\n\n    Isaiah i. 16.\u2014\u201cWash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your\n    doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThere are two evils in sin,\u2014one is the nature of it, another the fruit and\nsad effect of it. In itself it is filthiness, and contrary to God\u2019s\nholiness; an abasing of the immortal soul; a spot in the face of the Lord\nof the creatures, that hath far debased him under them all. Though it be\nso unnatural to us, yet it is now in our fallen estate become, as it were,\nnatural, so that men agree with it, as if it were sunk and drunk into the\nvery soul of man. The other is guilt and desert of punishment and\nobligation to it. All men hate this, but they cannot hold it off. They eat\nthe tree and fruit of death, they must eat death also: they must have the\nwages of sin, who have wrought for it. Now, the gospel hath found a remedy\nfor lost man in Jesus Christ; he comes in the gospel with a twofold\nblessing, a twofold virtue, a pardoning virtue and a sanctifying virtue,\n\u201cwater and blood,\u201d 1 John v. 6. He comes to forgive sin, and to subdue\nsin; to remove the guilt of it, and then the self(289) of it. God\u2019s\nappointment had inseparably joined them; and Christ came not to dissolve\nthe law, but to establish it. If he had taken away the punishment, and\nleft the sin in its being, he had weakened the law and the prophets. That\nconjunction of sin and wrath, which is both by divine appointment, and\nsuitable also unto their own natures, must stand, that divine justice may\nbe entire; and therefore, he that comes to redeem us from the curse of the\nlaw, hath also this commission to redeem from sin and all transgressions\nof the law, Rom. xi. 26, and Gal. iii. 13. He that turns away the wrath of\nGod from men, turns also ungodliness from them which provoked his wrath;\nand so he is a complete redeemer, and a complete redeemer he had not been\notherwise. If he had removed wrath only, and left us under the bondage of\nsin, it had not been half redemption; \u201che that commits sin, is the servant\nof sin.\u201d But this is perfect freedom and liberty, to be made free from\nsin, for it was sin that subjected us to wrath, and so was the first\ntyrant and the greatest. The gospel then comes with a joyful sound unto\nyou, but many of you mistake it, and apprehend it to be a doctrine of\nliberty and peace, and that unto sin; but if it were so, it were no joyful\nsound. If there were proclaimed a liberty to all men to do as they list,\nno punishment, no wrath to be feared, I would think that doctrine no glad\nnews, it were but the perpetuating of the bondage of a reasonable soul.\nBut this is glad news,\u2014a delivery and freedom proclaimed in the gospel.\nFrom what? Not unto sin, but from sin; and this is to be free indeed. We\nowe more to Jesus Christ for this, than for redemption from wrath, because\nsin is a greater evil than wrath; yea, wrath were not so, if sin were not.\nTherefore he exhorts to wash, and wash so that they may make clean.  Take\nJesus Christ for justification and sanctification,\u2014employ both the water\nand the blood that he hath come with.   But because all men pretend a\nwillingness to have Christ their Saviour, and their sins pardoned through\nhis blood, who, notwithstanding, hate to be reformed, and would seek no\nmore of Christ: therefore, he branches out that part of the exhortation in\nseveral particulars. All men have a general liking of remission of sins,\nbut renouncing of it is to many a hard doctrine. They would be glad that\nGod put their evils out of his sight, by passing them by, and forgetting\nthem; but they will not be at the pains of putting away their evils from\nhis sight; and therefore, the gospel which comprehends these two united,\nis not really received by many, who pretend to be followers of it. This is\nhis command, that ye believe. Some pretend to obey this, and yet have no\nregard of that other part of his will, even their sanctification; and\ntherefore their faith is dead, it is a fancy. If ye did indeed believe and\nreceive Christ for pardon of sin, it were not possible but your souls\nwould be engaged and constrained to endeavour to walk in all\nwell-pleasing. But it is an evident token of one that is not washed from\nhis sin, and believes not in Christ, if he conceive within his heart a\ngreater latitude and liberty to walk after the flesh, and be emboldened to\ncontinue in sin, because of his grace and mercy; and yet such are the most\npart of you. Upon what ground do you delay repentance? Upon what\npresumption do ye continue in your sins, and put over the serious study of\nholiness, till a more fit time? Is it not from an apprehension of the\ngrace and mercy of God, that ye think ye may return any time and be\naccepted, and so ye may in the meantime take as much pleasure in sin as\nyou can, seeing ye may get leave also for God\u2019s mercy? I pray you\nconsider, that you have never apprehended God\u2019s mercy aright, ye are yet\nin your sins, and certainly as yet are not washed from them.\n\n\u201cPut away the evil,\u201d &c.  When the Spirit convinces a soul, he convinces a\nman not only of evil doings but of the evil of his doings; not only of\nsin, but of the sinfulness of sin; and not only of those actions which are\nin themselves sinful, but also of the iniquity of holy things. I think no\nman will come to wash in Christ\u2019s blood, till this be discovered. If he\nsee much wickedness, many evil doings, yet he will labour to wash away\nthese by his own tears, and repentance, and well-doing. As long as he hath\nany good actions, as prayers, fasting, and such like, he will cover his\nevil doings by them; he will spread the skirts of such righteousness over\nhis uncleanness; and when he hath hid it from his own eyes, he apprehends\nthat he hath hid it from God\u2019s also. He will wash his bloody hands with\nmany prayers, and thinks they may be clean enough. We see blasphemers of\nGod\u2019s name use to join a prayer for forgiveness with their oath and curse,\nand they never trouble themselves more. O what mocking of God is this!\nNow, as long as it is thus, there is no employment for the Son of God\u2019s\nblood; they can do their own turn. Men will not come to Christ, because it\nis the best way, if they see any else beside. None will come till they see\nit is the only way; none can wash in Christ, except they wash all. If ye\nhave any thing that needs not washing, his blood is not for you; his\nrighteousness is not known, when ye establish all, or a part of your own.\nI fear the most part of you have no employment for Christ; ye have extreme\nneed of him, but ye know it not, for there are many things which ye will\nnot number among your sins,\u2014your prayers, your hearing, reading, singing,\npublic and private worship, giving alms, &c.  How many of you were never\nconvinced of any sin in these! Do ye not conceive God is well-pleased with\nyou for them? Your conscience hath convinced you, it may he, of gross\nsins, as drunkenness, filthiness, swearing, &c.  But ye are not convinced\nfor your well doing, ye find not a necessity of a Mediator for these.  I\nthink many of you never confessed any such thing, except in a general\nnotion.  Alas, how ignorant are men of themselves!  We are unclean, how\ncan any thing we do cleanse us?  Are not we unclean, and do not our hands\ntouch our own works?  Shall not then our own uncleanness defile our good\nactions, more than they can cleanse us? Hag. ii. 13.  The ignorance of\nthis makes men go about to build up their old ruined righteousness, and\nstill seek something in themselves, to make up wants in themselves.\nAlways, when the light of God hath discovered you to yourselves, so that\nye can turn your eye nowhere, but uncleanness fills it, though your\nconversation be blameless in the world, so as men can challenge nothing\nyet ye have found within and without nothing, but matter of mourning, I\nsay, this is an evidence that the Spirit hath sinned and enlightened thy\ndarkness.  Now, when thou hast fled unto Jesus Christ for a covering to\nthy righteousness, as well as unrighteousness, it remains that thou now\nput away the evil of thy doings,\u2014put not away thy doings, but the evil of\nthem.  We challenge your prayers, services, and public duties, even as the\nprophet did we declare unto you that God is as ill pleased with them, as\nyour drunkenness, whoring, intemperance, &c.  The most part of you are no\nmore acceptable when ye come to the church, than when ye go to the\ntavern,\u2014your praying and cursing is almost all one.  What shall we do\nthen, say ye?  Shalt we pray no more, and hear no more? No, say I, put not\naway your prayers and ordinances, but put away the evil of them from\nbefore his sight. Rather multiply your doings, but destroy the evil and\niniquity of your doings.  And there is one evil or two above all, that\nmakes them hateful to him:  ye trust too much in them.  Here is the\niniquity, the idol of jealousy set up:  ye make your doings your\nrighteousness, and in that notion they are abomination.  There is nothing\nmakes your worship of God so hateful as this, ye think so much of it, and\njustify yourself by it, and then God knows what it is that ye so magnify,\nand make the ground of your claim to salvation.  It is even an empty\nceremony, a shadow without substance, a body without a soul.  You speak\nand look and hear, you exercise some outward senses but no inward\naffection, and what should that be to him, who is a Spirit?\n\nThey did not observe the iniquity of their holy things, and therefore are\nthey marked by him\u2014they are in his sight. They did not see so many faults\nin their prayers and services, they wondered why God did chide them so\nmuch, but God marks what we miss, he remembers when we forget.  We cover\nourselves with a wall of external duties, and think to hide all the\nrottenness of our hearts, but it will not be hid from him, before whom\nhell hath no covering.  All hearts are open and naked before him.  Your\nsecret sins are in the light of his countenance. Men hear you pray, see\nyou present at worship, they know no more, at least they see no more, nay,\nbut the formality of thy worship, the wanderings of thy mind are in his\nsight. And, O how excellent a rule of walking were this, to do all in his\nsight and presence!  O that ye were persuaded in your hearts of his all\nseeing, all searching eye, and all knowing mind!  Would ye not be more\nsolicitous and anxious anent the frame of your hearts, than the liberty of\nyour speech or external gesture? O how would men retire within themselves,\nto fashion their spirits before this all searching and all knowing Spirit!\nIf ye do not observe the evils of your hearts and ways, they are in his\nsight, and this will spoil all acceptance of the good of them.  If ye\nobserve the evils of your well doing, and bring these also to the fountain\nto wash them, and be about this earnest endeavour of perfecting holiness,\nof perfecting well doings in the power and fear of God, then certainly he\nwill not set your sins in the light of his countenance, the good of your\nway shall come before him, and the evil of it Christ shall take away.\n\n\u201cCease to do evil,\u201d &c.  These are the two legs a Christian walks on, if\nhe want any of them, he is lame and cannot go equally,\u2014ceasing from evil,\nand doing good, nay, they are so united, that the one cannot subsist\nwithout the other.  If a man do not cease from evil and his former lusts,\nhe cannot do well, or perfect holiness. There are many different\ndispositions and conditions of men, there are generally one of two.  Some\nhave a kind of abstinence from many gross sins and are called civil honest\nmen,\u2014they can abide an inquest and censure of all their neighbours, they\ncan say no ill of them. But alas, there is as little good to be said; he\ndrinks not, swears not, whores not, steals not. Nay, but what doth he\nwell? Alas, the world cannot tell what he doth, for he prays not in\nsecret, nor in his family,\u2014he is void of some offences towards men, but\nthere are many duties called to, towards both God and men, he is a\nstranger to. He oppresses not the poor, nay, but he is not charitable\neither to give to them, he defrauds no man, but whom helps he by his\nmeans? Again, there are others, they will boast of some things done, they\npray, they keep the church well, they do many good turns, and yet for all\nthat, they do not cease to do evil. They were drunkards, so they are, they\ncan swear for all their prayers, are given to contention, to lying, to\nfilthiness, &c.  Now, I say, neither of these religions is pure and\nundefiled. Religion is a thorough and entire change, it is like a new\ncreation, that must destroy the first subject, to get place for that which\nis to come. It is a putting off old garments, to put on new, the putting\noff an old form and engraven image, to make place for a new engraving. Men\ndo not put a seal above a seal, but deface the old, and so put on the new,\nmen do not put new clothes upon the old, but put the old off, and so they\nhave place for the new. Religion must have a naked man. Godliness is a new\nsuit, that will not go on upon so many lusts, no, no, it is more meet and\nmore conformed unto the inwards of the soul than so. The cold must go out\nas the heat comes in. Many men do not change their garments, but mend\nthem, put some new pieces unto them. They retain their old lusts, their\nheart idols, and they will add unto these a patch of some external\nobedience, but alas, is this godliness? Hypocrisy will be content of a\nmixture,\u2014sin is the harlot, whose heart could endure to see the child\nparted. It can give God a part, to get leave to brook the most part; sin\nwill give God liberty to take some of the outward man, if it keep the\nheart and soul. But God will not reckon on these terms, he will have all\nthe man or nothing, for he is the righteous owner.  True godliness cannot\nmix so, but false and counterfeit may do it well. Other men, again,\npossibly unclothe themselves of some practices, but they put on new\nclothing, they reform some passages for fear of censure, or shame, or such\nlike. They are found, it may be, blameless, either because so educated, or\ntheir disposition is against particular gross sins, but they are not\nclothed upon with holiness and well doing, and so they are but naked and\nbare in God\u2019s sight, not beautiful.  They have swept their house, and some\ndevil put out or kept out, but because the good Spirit enters not,\nordinarily seven worse enter again into such men.\n\nThere is a great moment(290) of persuasion in this order of the\nexhortation, \u201cWash you,\u201d and then, \u201cput away the evil of your doings,\u201d and\n\u201ccease to do evil.\u201d Do not continue in your former customs. It is strange,\nhow contrary our hearts are to God, we use to turn grace unto wantonness,\nwe use to take more liberty to sin, when we conceive we are pardoned. But\nI do not know any more strong and constraining persuasion to forsake sin,\nthan the consideration of the forgiving of it might yield. O what an\ninducement and grand argument to renouncing of evils, is the consideration\nof the remission of them! This is even that ye are now called unto, who\nhave fled to Jesus to escape wrath what should ye be taken up with, in all\nthe world but this,\u2014to live to him henceforth, who died for us,\u2014to forsake\nour own old way, and that from the constraining principle of love to him,\n2 Cor. v. 14, 15. O that ye would enforce your own hearts with such a\nthought, when there are any solicitations to sin, to former lusts! Should\nI, that am dead to sin, live any longer therein? Rom. vi. 2.  Should I who\nam washed from such pollutions, return again to the pollutions of the\nworld? Should I again defile myself, who am cleansed by so precious blood,\nand forget him that washed me? Should I return with the dog to the vomit,\nand with the sow to the puddle? God forbid I pray you consider. If you be\nChristians indeed, give a proof of it.  What hath Jesus Christ done for\nyou? He hath given himself, his own precious blood, a ransom for us, will\nye not give up yourselves to him? Will not ye give him your sins and\nlusts, which are not yourself, but enemies to yourself? Will not ye put\naway these ills, that he came into this world to destroy? Art thou a\nChristian, and are there yet so many sins, and works of the devil reigning\nin thee, and set up in God\u2019s sight?\n\nWhat an inconsistency is this! If thou be his follower, thou must put\nthese away. Give them a bill of divorcement, never to turn again. Many a\nman parts with his sin, because it leaves him, he puts it not away,\ntemptation goes, and occasion goes away, but the root of it abides within\nhim. Many men have particular jars with their corruptions, but they\nreconcile again, as differences between married persons. They do not\narise(291) to hate their sin in its sinful nature. But if thou hate it,\nthen put it away. And who would not hate that which Christ so hated, that\nhe came to destroy it? 1 John iii. 5. What a great indignity must it be to\nthe gospel, to make that the ground of living in sin, which is pressed, in\nit, as the grand persuasion to forsake it? Seeing we are washed from the\nguilt of it, O let us not love to keep the stain and filth of it! Why are\nwe washen? Was it not Christ\u2019s great intendment and purpose, to purify to\nhimself a holy people? We are washen from the guilt of our sins, and is it\nto defile again? Is it not rather to keep ourselves henceforth clean, that\nwe may be presented holy and unblameable in his sight,\u2014that we may seek to\nbe as like heaven as may be. But who ceases to do these evils, that he\nsays are pardoned? Who puts away the evil of these doings, the guilt\nwhereof he thinks God hath put away? Could ye find in your hearts to\nentertain those evils so familiarly, to pour out your souls unto them, if\nthat peace of God were indeed spoken unto you? Would not the reflex of his\nlove prove more constraining on your hearts? Were it possible, that if ye\ndid indeed consider, that your lusts cost Christ a dear price to shed his\nblood, that your pleasures made his soul heavy to death, and that he hath\nlaid down his life to ransom you from hell, were it possible, I say, that\nye would live still in these lusts, and choose these pleasures of sin,\nwhich were so bitter to our Lord Jesus? I beseech you be not deceived,\u2014if\nye love the puddle still, that ye cannot live out of it, do not say that\nye are washed. Ye may have washen yourselves with soap and nitre, but the\nblood of Christ hath not cleansed; for, if that blood sprinkled your\nconscience once, to give you an answer to all challenges, it could not but\nsend forth streams to purify the heart, and so the whole man. The blood\nand water might be joined, the justifying Saviour, and the sanctifying\nSpirit, for both these are in this gospel washing, 1 Cor vi. 11, 1 John v.\n6. \u201cThis is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by\nwater only, but by water and blood.\u201d Not by water only, but by blood also,\nand I say, not by blood only, but by water also. The very purpose of\nforgiveness is not to lay a foundation for more sin, but that men may sin\nno more, but break off their sins. It is indeed impossible for a man to\namend his ways, till he be pardoned, for his sin stands betwixt him and\nGod. God is a consuming fire\u2014the guilt of it hinders all meeting of the\nsoul with God, at least all influence from him. But when an open door is\nmade in Christ, that men may come and treat with God, notwithstanding of\nrebellions, and have the curse relaxed, O how may he go about his duty\ncomfortably! Am I escaped from hell, why should I any more walk in the way\nto it? And now he hath the Spirit given for the asking. There are some\ncessations from sin, that are not real forsakings of it, and ceasings from\nit. You know men will abstain from eating for a season, that they may be\nmade ripe for it at another time. Some do not cease from sin, but delay it\nonly, they put it not away, but put it off only for another time, till a\nfitter occasion and opportunity. And this is so far from ceasing from it,\nthat it is rather a deliberate choice of it, and election of conveniency\nfor it. There may be some pure and simple ceasings from sin, mere\nabstinence, or rather mere absence of sin for a season, that is not\nceasing from doing evil. The Christian\u2019s ceasing hath much action in it.\nIt is such a ceasing from doing evil, that it is a putting away of evil,\nit hath a soul and spirit joined in that cessation. Sin requires violence\nto put it out where it hath haunted,\u2014it is an intruding guest, and a\nusurping guest. It comes in first as a supplicant and beggar, prays for a\nlittle lodging for a night, and promises to be gone. The temptation speaks\nbut for a little time, even the present time, for a little one,\u2014it seeks\nbut little at first, lest it be denied, but if once it be received into\nthe soul, it presently becomes master, and can command its own time, and\nits abode. Then ye will not so easily put it out as ye could hold it out,\nfor it is now joined with that wicked, desperate party within you, the\nheart, and these united forces are too strong for you. According as a lust\nis one with a man\u2019s heart, or hath nearer connection with his heart and\nsoul, it is the worse to put away: for, will ye drive a man from himself?\nIt is the cutting off a right hand, or plucking out of a right eye. To\nmake a man cease from such evils, requires that a stronger power be within\nhim than is in the world.  Men may cease for a time, for want of occasions\nor temptations to sin, when there is no active principle in them,\nrestraining or keeping their souls from such sins as appear after, when no\nsooner is occasion offered, but they run as the horse to his course, or\nthe stone falleth downward,\u2014they receive fire as easily as dry stubble.\nThat is not Christian ceasing, which is that which the soul argues itself\ninto, from grounds of the gospel. Should I, who am dead to sin, live any\nlonger therein? This is a principle of cessation, and this is true\nliberty,\u2014when the soul can abstain from present temptations upon such\ngrounds and persuasions of the gospel, then it is really above itself and\nabove the world, then hath it that true victory.  Many men cease only from\nsin, because sin ceases from them, they have not left it, but it hath left\nthem.  The old man thinks himself a changed man, because he wallows not in\nthe lusts of the flesh, as in his youth.  But, alas!  no thanks to him for\nthat, he hath not ceased from his lusts. But temptations to him, or power\nand ability in him to follow them hath ceased,\u2014there is no change in his\nspirit within, for he can talk of his former sins with pleasure, he\ncontinues in other evils as bad, but more suitable to his age. In a word,\nhe is so inwardly, that if he were in his body, and occasions offering as\nbefore, he would be just the same. Some, again, cease from some evils,\nfrom some principles, but, alas! they are no Christian principles.  What\nrestrains the multitude of civilians from gross scandals?  Is it any thing\nbut affectation of a good name and report in the world? Is it not fear of\nreproach or censure?  Is it not because possibly they have no particular\ninclination to such evils? And yet there are many other evils of the heart\nas evil though more subtile, that they please themselves in, as pride,\ncovetousness, malice, envy, ambition, &c.  What shall all your abstinence\nbe accounted of, when it is not love to Jesus Christ, or hatred of sin,\nthat principles it?  It is not the outward abstinence that will commend\nyou such it is, as the principles of it are.  And these only are the true\nChristian principles of mortification,\u2014love of Jesus Christ, which\nconstrains men to live no more to themselves, but to be new creatures, 2\nCor. v. 14, 15; and hatred of sin in its nature as sin a Christian should\nhave a mortal hatred of it, as his mortal enemy. It is not Christianity to\nabstain from some fleshly lusts, if ye consider them not as your soul\u2019s\nenemies, 1 Peter ii. 11.  \u201cYe that love the Lord hate evil,\u201d Psal. xcvii.\n10.  These are chained together.  David\u2019s hatred was a soul-hatred, an\nabhorrency, Psal. cxix. 163, \u201cI hate and abhor lying.\u201d It is like the\nnatural antipathies that are among creatures, the soul hates not only the\nperson of it, but the nature of it also.  Men often hate sin, only as it\nis circumstantiate, but Christian hatred is a hatred of the nature, like\nthe deadly feuds, which are enmities against the kind and name. \u201cI will\nput enmity between thy seed,\u201d &c.  It is a \u201cperfect hatred,\u201d Psal. cxxxix.\n22.  And so it cannot endure any sin, because all is contrary to God\u2019s\nholiness and offensive to his Spirit. I would think it easier to forsake\nall evil, and cease from doing any evil, I mean, presumptuously, with a\nwilling mind and endeavour, than indeed to forsake one, for as long as ye\nentertain so many lusts like it, they shall make way for it.  It were\neasier to keep the whole commandments in an evangelical sense, than indeed\nto keep any one, for all of them help another, and subsist they cannot one\nwithout another, so that ye take a foolish course, who go about particular\nreformations. Ye scandalous sinners profess that ye will amend the\nparticular fault ye are guilty of, and, in the mean time, you take no heed\nto your souls and lives, therefore it shall be either in vain, or not\nacceptable. How pleasant a life would Christians have, if they would\nindeed be persuaded to be altogether Christians!  The halving of it\nneither pleaseth God nor delights you, it keeps you but in continual\ntorment between God and Baal. Your own lusts usurp over you, and that of\nChrist in you challenges the supremacy, so ye are as men under two\nmasters, each striving for the place, and were it not better to be under\none settled government?  If there be any tenderness of God in your hearts,\nor light in your consciences, they cannot but testify against your lusts,\nthese strange lords. Your lusts, again, they drive you on against your\nconscience; thus ye are divided and tormented betwixt two,\u2014your own\nconscience and affections. You have thus the pain of religion, and know\nnot the true pleasure of it. You are marred in the pleasures of sin,\nconscience and the love of God is a worm to eat that gourd. It is gall and\nvinegar mixed in with them. Were it not more wisdom to be either one thing\nor another? If ye will have the pleasures of sin for a season, take them\nwholly, and renounce God, and see if your heart can endure that. If your\nheart cannot condescend to that, I pray you renounce them wholly, and ye\nshall find more exquisite and sure pleasures in godliness, at his right\nhand. O what a noble entertainment hath the soul in God; the peace and joy\nof the Holy Ghost is a kingdom indeed!\n\n\n\n\nSermon XII.\n\n\n    Isaiah xxvi. 3.\u2014\u201cThou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind\n    is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.\u201d\n\n\nAll men love to have privileges above others. Every one is upon the design\nand search after some well-being, since Adam lost that which was true\nhappiness. We all agree upon the general notion of it, but presently men\ndivide in the following of particulars. Here all men are united in seeking\nafter some good; something to satisfy their souls, and satiate their\ndesires. Nay, but they scatter presently in the prosecution of it,\nbecause, according to every man\u2019s fancy and corrupt humour, they attribute\nthat good unto diverse things; and when they meet with disappointment,\nthey change their opinion of that, but are made no wiser, for they turn\nfrom one to another of that same kind, in which their imagination hath\nsupposed blessedness to be; and therefore they will return to that which\nthey first loathed and rejected. Is there, then, no such thing in the\nworld as blessedness? Is it not to be found among men? Are all men\u2019s\ninsatiable desires in vain? Is a creature made up and composed of desires,\nto keep it in continual torment and vexation of spirit? No certainly, it\nis, and it is found by some. All the world strives about it, but the man\nonly who trusts and believes in God, he it is, who carries it away from\nthem,\u2014who hath this privilege beyond the world. And why do so many miss\nit? Because they do not see or suspect that it is blessedness indeed which\nhe enjoys; but, on the contrary, their corrupted imaginations represent\ngodliness, and a godly man\u2019s self-indigency and dependence on God, as the\ngreatest misery and shame. The godly man hides not his blessedness from\nthe world; no, he proclaims it when he hath found it,\u2014he would that all\nenjoyed it with him. And if there were no more to declare that it doth not\nconsist in worldly things, this might suffice\u2014they are not communicable to\nmany, without the prejudice and loss of every one. But none will believe\nhis report of his own estate.\n\nIf ye would consider, here is that which men toil for,\u2014compass sea and\nland for; here it is; \u201cnear thee in thy mouth.\u201d It is not in heaven, that\nthou shouldst say, How shall I ascend to it? It is not in hell below, that\nthou shouldst say, Who shall descend? It is not in the ends of the earth.\nNo. It is \u201cnear thee, in thy mouth.\u201d It is not beyond the sea, but it is\n\u201cnear thee in thy mouth, even the word of faith,\u201d which Christ preached,\nRom. x. 6-8. And what says that word? Believe with thy heart, and thou\nshall be saved; trust in God, and depend on him, and ye shall have peace,\nand that perfect peace; and this peace shall be kept by God himself.\n\u201cBlessed, then, is the man that trusts in the Lord,\u201d Psal. xl. 4. Ye make\na long journey in vain; ye spend your labour and money in vain; all the\npains might be saved: it is not where ye seek it. Ye travel about many\ncreatures; ye go to many doors, and inquire for happiness and peace, but\nye go too far off; ye need not search so many coasts, it is nearer hand,\nin this word of the gospel\u2014the joyful sound; it is this that proclaims\npeace. Peace is a comprehensive word, especially in scripture. It was the\nJews\u2019 salutation, \u201cPeace be to you;\u201d meaning happiness and all good\nthings; it is Christ\u2019s salutation, \u201cGrace and peace.\u201d Grace is holiness,\npeace is happiness, and these are either one, or inseparably conjoined as\none. This was the angels\u2019 song, \u201cGlory to God, peace on earth,\u201d Luke ii.\n14. Blessedness was restored, or brought near to be restored, to miserable\nman, by Jesus Christ; and upon the apprehension of this, angels sing. It\nwas this Christ came into the world with; and when he went away, he left\nthis legacy to his children, \u201cMy peace I leave you,\u201d John xiv. 27. We lost\nhappiness, and all men are on a vain pursuit of it since, but it is found,\nand found by one of our kin. Our Lord Jesus, our elder brother, he hath\nfound it, or made it, and brought it near us in the gospel for the\nreceiving; and whoso receives him by faith, and trusts in him, receives\nthat privilege, that peace. He endured much trouble to gain our peace; he\nbehoved to undergo misery to purchase our blessedness, and so it is his\nown, and whoso receives him receives it also.\n\nThe news of such a peace might be seasonable in the time of war and\ntrouble, if we apprehended our need of it. It is not a peace from war and\ntrouble, but a peace in war and trouble. \u201cMy peace I leave with you,\u201d and\n\u201cin the world ye shall have trouble,\u201d John xiv. 27, and xvi. at the end.\nWhat a blessed message is it, that there is a peace, and a perfect peace\nattainable in the midst of wars, confusions, and calamities of the times,\npublic and personal; a perfect peace, a complete peace, even complete\nwithout the accession of outward and worldly peace, that needs it not;\nnay, appears most perfect and entire in itself, when it is stripped naked\nof them all. Behold what a privilege the gospel offers unto you! ye need\nnot be made miserable, but(292) if you please. This is more than all the\nworld can afford you. There is no man can promise to himself immunity from\npublic or personal dangers, from many griefs and disappointments; but the\ngospel bids you reckon up all your troubles and miseries that you can meet\nwith in the world; and yet in such a case, if ye hearken to wisdom, there\nis a peace that will make you forget that trouble. \u201cHer ways are ways of\npleasantness, and all her paths are peace,\u201d Prov. iii. 17. I will\nundertake to make thee blessed, says wisdom, the Father\u2019s wisdom. When all\nthe world hath given thee over for miserable; when thou hast spent thy\nsubstance on the physicians, and in vain, come to me, I can heal that\ndesperate disease by a word. \u201cI create peace,\u201d when natural causes have\ngiven it over; I create it of nothing; I will keep you \u201cin perfect peace.\u201d\n\nYou have then here, three things of special concernment in these times;\nand all times, a blessedness, a perfect peace attainable, the way of it,\nand the fountain of it. The fountain of it, the preserver of it, is God\nhimself; the way to attain it, is \u201ctrusting in God, and staying on him.\u201d\nThis sweetness of peace is in God the tree of life. Faith puts to its\nhand, and plucks the fruit of the tree; hope and dependence on God is a\nkind of tasting of that fruit and eating of it; and then followeth this\nperfect peace, as the delightful relish and sweetness that the soul finds\nin God, upon tasting how gracious he is. God himself is the life of our\nsouls, the fountain of living-waters, the life and light of men. Faith and\ntrusting in God, draws out of this fountain,\u2014out of this deep well of\nsalvation; and staying on God, drinks of it, till the soul be refreshed\nwith peace and tranquillity, such as passeth natural understanding. Christ\nJesus is the tree of life, that grows in the garden of God; trusting in\nhim by faith implants a soul in him,\u2014roots a soul in him, by virtue of\nwhich union, it springs up and grows into a living branch; by staying and\ndepending upon him, we live by him, and hence springs this blessed and\nsweet fruit of peace of soul and conscience, which grows upon the\nconfidence of the soul placed in God, as the stalk by which it is united\nto the tree. Trusting and staying upon God is the soul\u2019s casting its\nanchor upon him in the midst of the waves and storms of sin, wrath, and\ntrouble. The poor beaten sinner casts an anchor within the vail, on that\nsure ground of immutable promises in Jesus Christ; and then it rests and\nquiets itself at that anchor, enjoys peace in the midst of the\nstorm,\u2014there is a great calm, it is not moved, or not greatly moved, as if\nit were a fair day. David flieth unto God as his refuge, anchors upon the\nname of the Lord, Psal. lxii. 1, 2; and so he enjoys a perfect calm and\ntranquillity. \u201cI shall not be moved,\u201d because he is united to the rock, he\nis tied to the firm foundation, Jesus Christ, and no storm can dissolve\nthis union, not because of the strength of that rope of faith, it is but a\nweak cord, if omnipotency did not compass it about also, and so we \u201care\nkept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.\u201d The poor wearied\ntraveller, the pilgrim, sits down under the shadow of a rock, and this\npeace is his rest under it. Faith lays him down, and peace is his rest and\nsleep. Faith in Jesus Christ is a motion towards him, as the soul\u2019s proper\nplace and centre, and therefore it is called a coming to him,\u2014flying to\nhim as the city of refuge. It is the soul\u2019s flight out of itself, and\nmisery and sin within, to apprehend mercy and grace, and happiness in\nChrist. Now, hope is the conjunction or union of the soul with him,\u2014the\nsoul then staying and resting on him, as in its proper place, and so it\nenjoys perfect peace and rest in its place, so that if ye remove it\nthence, then ye offer violence to it.\n\nThese two things are of greatest importance to you to know, what this\nperfect peace is, and what is the way to attain it. The one is the\nprivilege and dignity, the other is the duty of a Christian, and these two\nmake him up what he is.\n\nI would think that man perfectly blessed, who is at peace with two\nthings,\u2014God and himself. If a man be at peace with creatures without him,\nand be at peace with himself, but have war within his own mind, that man\u2019s\npeace is no peace, let be perfect peace. A man\u2019s greatest enemy is within\nhis own house. And within indeed, when it is in his bosom and soul, when a\nman\u2019s conscience is against him, it is worse than a world beside.\n_Conscientia mille testes_,(293) so I say, it is _mille hostes_. It is \u201ca\nthousand witnesses,\u201d and \u201ca thousand enemies.\u201d It were better to endure\ncondemnation of any judge, of many judges in the world, than to sustain\nthe conviction of a man\u2019s own conscience, when it accuseth, who shall\nexcuse? John viii. 9, Rom. ii. 15. \u201cA merry spirit,\u201d saith Solomon, \u201cis a\ncontinual feast,\u201d Prov. xv. 15. And what must a heart be, which hath such\na gnawing worm within it, as an accusing conscience, to eat it out? This\nis the worm of hell that dies not out, which makes hell hell indeed. This\nindeed will be a painful consumption, \u201cA broken spirit drieth up the\nbones,\u201d it will eat up the marrow of the spirit and body, Prov. xvii. 22.\nWhat infirmity is there which a man cannot bear? Poverty, famine, war,\npestilence, sickness, name what you will, but a wounded spirit who can\nbear? Prov. xviii. 14. And there is reason for it, for there is none to\nbear it, a sound and whole spirit can sustain infirmities, but when that\nis wounded, which should bear all the rest, what is behind to bear it? It\nis a burden to itself. If a man have trouble and war in this world, yet\nthere is often escaping from it, a man may fly from his enemy, but when\nthy enemy is within thee, whither shalt thou fly? Thou canst not go from\nthyself, thou carriest about thee thy enemy, thy tormentor.\n\nBut suppose a man were at peace within himself, and cried peace, peace, to\nhimself, yet if he be not at peace with God, shall his peace be called\npeace? Shall it not rather be named supine security? If a man be at\nvariance with himself, and his soul disquieted within, there is more fear\nthan danger if he be at peace with God. It is but a false alarm, that\nshall end well, but if he have peace in his own bosom, and yet no\nagreement with God, then destructions are certainly coming, his dream of\npeace will have a terrible wakening. A man may sleep soundly, and his\nenemies round about him, because he knoweth not of it, but he is in a\nworse estate than he that is in great fear, and his enemies either none,\nor far distant. The one hath present danger, and no fear, the other\npresent fear, and no danger, and which of these think ye best? Sudden\ndestruction awakes the one from sleep, Ezek. vii. 25. Their fear and\ndestruction come both at once, when it is now in vain to fear, because it\nis past hope, Prov. i. 27. Therefore the Lord swears, that \u201cthere is no\npeace to the wicked,\u201d Isa. xlviii. 22. What! Do not they often cry peace\nto themselves, and put the evil day far off? No men are so without bands\nin life and death as they, they have made agreement with hell and death,\nand their own consciences, yet for all that, \u201cthus saith the Lord, there\nis no peace to the wicked.\u201d If God be against us, what is the matter who\nbe with us, for he can make a man\u2019s friends his enemies, and he can make a\nman\u2019s enemies to be at peace with him: He makes peace and creates trouble,\nIsa. xlv. 7. Men can but destroy the body, but he can destroy both body\nand soul for ever. O what a potent and everlasting enemy is he! There is\nno escaping from his all-seeing eye and powerful hand, Psal. cxxxix. 7, 8.\nA man may fly from men, but whither shall he fly from His presence? To\nheaven?\u2014He is there. To hell?\u2014He is there. The darkness of the night hath\nbeen a covering under which many have escaped, and been saved in armies,\nbut darkness is no covering to him, it is all one with light. He is near\nhand every one of us. The conscience is within us, but he is within the\nconscience, and how much God is above the creature, so great and dreadful\na party is he above any enemy imaginable. Therefore I conclude, that that\nman only hath perfect peace, who is at peace with God, and with his own\nconscience. If a man be at peace with God, and not with himself, he wants\nbut a moment\u2019s time of perfect peace, for, ere it be long, the God of it\nwill speak peace unto him. But if he be at peace with God and himself, I\nknow not what he wants of the perfect peace, of the \u201cpeace, peace,\u201d for it\nis a man\u2019s mind that makes peace or war, it is not outward things, but in\nthe midst of peace he may be in trouble, and in the midst of trouble in\npeace, according as he hath satisfaction and contentment in his own\nbreast, for what is all the grace of a Christian? It is godliness with\ncontentment, it is not godliness and riches, godliness and honour, or\npleasure, godliness and outward peace. No, no, contentment compenseth all\nthese, and hath in it eminently all the gain and advantage of these. A man\nin honour, a rich man, having no contentment in it, is really as poor, as\nignominious, as the poor and despised man. If contentment then be without\nthese things, certainly they cannot be missed, for where contentment is\nnot with them, it only is missed, and they not considered. Contentment is\nall the gain that men seek in riches, and honour, and pleasure, if a godly\nman have that same without them, he then hath all the gain and advantage,\nand wants nothing, but some trouble that ordinarily attends them. Outward\npeace cannot add to inward peace, and so the want of it cannot diminish.\n\nWe must begin at the original, if we would know rightly this peace that\npasseth knowledge. The fountain-head is peace with God, a stream of this\nis peace of conscience, and peace with the creatures. There is a peace of\nfriendship, when persons were never enemies, and there is a peace of\nreconciliation, when parties at variance are made one. Innocent Adam had\npeace once with God as a friend,\u2014angels continue so to this day, but now\nthere is no such peace between men and God, for all are become enemies to\nGod, and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, that peace was broken by\nrebellion against God his maker, and all the posterity are born with the\nsame enmity against God. On our part are hearts desperately wicked, whose\nimagination is only evil continually. On God\u2019s part is holy and spotless\njustice, that is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and therefore must\ndestroy it or the sinner. On our part are so many rebellions,\u2014Adam\u2019s\nactual transgression, and all our own sins and breaches of the holy law,\nas so many breaches of peace. On God\u2019s part are so many curses answerable\nto the breaches of the law: \u201ccursed is every one that abideth not in every\nthing,\u201d &c. This curse is even the proclamation of men to be traitors, and\nan intimation of the righteous judgment which will come upon them. Adam\nwas in a covenant of peace with God,\u2014\u201cDo, and thou shalt live, if not,\nthou shalt die.\u201d Adam brake this covenant, so the peace is dissolved, and\nGod is no more obliged to give life, but to execute the pain contained in\nthe covenant, and in sign and token of this, look how Adam fled from God\u2019s\npresence, to hide himself when he heard his voice, it was a poor shift,\nfor whither should he go from his presence? But, alas! seeking more\nwisdom, he lost that he had, seeking divine wisdom, he lost human. Now,\nthere is no more making up this peace on such terms again, we have no\ncapacity to treat with God any more, but blessed be his Majesty, who hath\nfound out the way of agreement and reconciliation. O that ye were once\npersuaded of your enmity against God! ye are not born friends, though ye\nbe born within the visible church. How dreadful a thing is it, to have the\nMost High and terrible God against you, to do to you according to your\ndeservings! Ye all know this, we are enemies to God by nature, I pray you,\nis it but a name? Is it not worthy deep consideration? But who considereth\nthis matter? If ye lose a friend, ye will be troubled, and the more\nbehoveful your friend was, the more troubled you will be. If a great and\npotent nation proclaimed war against us, we cannot but be sensible of it,\nbut alas! who considereth the great breach that is between God and all\nmen, occasioned by the first man\u2019s transgression and rebellion! It is one\nof the degrees of health, to know the disease, and I may call it a degree\nof peace, a kind of preparation to peace, to know the enmity, and not\ngenerally to know it, but to ponder it till the heart be affected with it,\nto call a council of all the faculties and affections of the soul to\nconsider the great imminent danger of man\u2019s commonwealth. What is it, I\npray you, that is the greatest obstruction of men\u2019s making peace with God,\nthat makes the breach irreparable, and the wound incurable? It is this,\ncertainly, no man apprehendeth it aright, we entertain good thoughts of\nour friendship with God, or that it is easy to be reconciled. Who seeth\nsuch a wide breach between God and man, that all the merits of angels and\nmen could not make it up? Who seeth the price of redemption so precious,\nas it must cease for ever, for all that men and angels can do? Is not\nevery man offering God satisfaction, either his tears, or sorrow, or\namendment in time coming, or all of them? Do not men undertake to pacify\nGod with external ordinances, and think it may suffice for their sins?\nCertainly ye are ignorant of the infinite separation between God and man,\nwho imagine a treaty with him yourselves, or that ever ye can come unto\nspeaking terms, and therefore is this war and enmity perpetual; therefore\nthere is no peace, when ye cry, Peace, peace! When ye have peace within\nyou, and say that ye have peace with God, yet certainly, the Lord thy God\nis against thee, and will not spare thee, Deut. xxix. 19. Many of you\nbless yourselves in your own hearts, when ye hear the curse and\nthreatening of the law, ye say, God forbid that all that were true. Well,\nthus saith the Lord, All these curses that are written in this book shall\nbe upon thee, and the Lord shall separate thee unto evil, because ye take\nnot with your enmity, there can be no treaty, a mediator can have no\nemployment from you.\n\nHow shall the breach of peace be made up? Since the first covenant cannot\nbe made up again, where shall the remedy be found? God is just and\nrighteous, men are rebellious and sinful, can these meet, and the one not\nbe consumed? Will not God be a consuming fire, and men as stubble before\nthe Lord\u2019s presence? Therefore, there must be a Mediator between them, a\npeace-maker, to make of two one, to take up the difference. And this\nMediator must be like both, and yet neither wholly the one nor the other.\nHe must therefore be God and man, that he may be a fit day\u2019s man betwixt\nGod and man, and this is our Lord Jesus Christ. In his divinity he comes\nnear to God, in his humanity he comes near to man, in his person he is\nbetween both, and he is fit to make peace, and therefore he is \u201ca Prince\nof peace,\u201d Isa. ix. 6. And that he may be a Prince of peace, he must be\nboth, \u201can everlasting Father\u201d like God, and a young child like unto man.\nGod to prevail with God, and a man to engage for man, and therefore he is\ncalled \u201cour Peace,\u201d Eph. ii. 14. Our Lord Jesus Christ enters into a\ncovenant with the Father, wherein he undertakes to bear our curse, and the\nchastisement of our peace. He is content to be dealt with as the rebel,\n\u201cUpon me, upon me be the iniquity,\u201d and so there comes an interruption, as\nit were, of that blessed peace he had with the Father. He is content that\nthere should be a covering of wrath spread over the Father\u2019s love, that he\nshould handle the Son as an enemy, and therefore it is, that sinners are\nadmitted as friends,\u2014his obedience takes away our rebellion. The cloud of\nthe Lord\u2019s displeasure pours down upon him, that it might be fair weather\nto us, the armies of curses that were against us, encounter him, and he,\nby being overcome, overcometh, by being slain by justice, Satan and sin,\novercometh all those, and killeth the enmity on the cross, making peace by\nhis blood, Col. ii. 14, 15 , Eph. ii. 15. And it is this sacrifice that\nhath pacified heaven,\u2014the sweet smell of it hath gone above, and made\npeace in the high places.\n\nHere, then, is the privilege of a believer,\u2014to be at peace with God, to be\none with him, and this indeed is life eternal, to be united unto the\nfountain of life, in whose favour is life and whose loving kindness is\nbetter than life. Is not this a blessed estate? Whatever a man hath done\nagainst God is all forgiven and forgotten, it shall never come into\nremembrance. Are not angels blessed who are friends with God? Such is the\nsoul whose sins are pardoned through Christ,\u2014its sins are as if they never\nhad been. The soul is not only escaped that terrible wrath of God, but\nbeing at peace with God, all the goodness that is communicable to\ncreatures, it shall partake of, \u201cthat they may be one, as we are one, that\nthey may be perfect in one,\u201d John xvii. This Christ prayed for, and this\nwas the end of his death,\u2014to make of two one. So, then, the glory that\nChrist is partaker of with the Father, we must be partakers of with him,\nand all this by virtue of that peace with God by him. O if ye knew what\nenmity with God is! how would it endear and make precious peace with him!\nThe one engageth all that is in God to be against a man; the other\nengageth all that is in him to be for a man. And is not he then a great\none, whether he be a friend or an enemy, is he not the best friend and\nworst enemy, who hath most power, yea, all power, to employ for whom he\nwill, and against whom he will? What a blessed change is it, to have God,\nof a consuming fire, made a sun, with healing and consolation! that the\nrighteous, holy, and just God, before whom no flesh can stand, should\naccept so rebellious sinners, and dwell among them! He had not only power\nto destroy, but law against us also. What a perfect peace is it, then,\nthat the Judge becometh a merciful Father, and the law of ordinances is\ncancelled, and that power employed to keep salvation to us, and us to\nsalvation! Ye who have made peace and atonement through Christ\u2019s blood,\nrejoice in the hope of the glory of God, there wants nothing to make you\ncompletely blessed, but the clear and perfect sight and knowledge of your\nestate before God.\n\nNow, when this peace, which is made up in heaven, is intimated unto the\nconscience, then all the tempests and clouds of it evanish, and this is\nthe peace of believing, which is the soul\u2019s resting and quieting itself\nupon the believing favour of God. There may be a great calm above,\ngood-will in God towards men, and yet great tempests in this lower region,\nno peace on earth. There is a peace of conscience which is a disease of\nconscience, a benumbedness of conscience, or a sleep of conscience, when\nmen walk in the imagination of their own hearts, and flatter themselves in\ntheir own eyes, will not trouble themselves with the apprehension of the\nwrath of God. When souls will not suffer their sin, or the curse to enter\nin, this is that \u201cno peace\u201d which the Lord speaks often of, it is but a\ndream, and when a man awaketh, alas! what a dreadful sight meets he with\nfirst,\u2014\u201csudden destruction!\u201d Sin enters into the conscience, and the law,\nthe strength of sin, and so that peace endeth in an eternal disquietness.\nBut what is the reason, that notwithstanding of God\u2019s justice and men\u2019s\nsins, so many are not afraid of him, so many pass the time without fear of\nwrath and hell? Is it not because they have taken hold of his strength,\nand made peace with him? No, indeed, but because they know not the power\nof his anger, to fear him according to his wrath. Who will spend one hour\nin the examination of his own ways, in searching out sins, in counting his\ndebt, till he find it past payment? No, men entertain the thoughts of sin,\nand hell and wrath, as if it were coals in their bosom, they shake them\nout, they like and love any diversion from them. Oh! ignorance maketh much\npeace, I would say security, which is so much worse than fear, because it\nis so far from the remedy, that it knoweth not the evil and danger. It is\nnot the rising of the Sun of righteousness, shining into the soul, that\nhath cleared them, but their perpetual darkness that blindeth them. I say,\nthen, in the name of Jesus Christ, that ye never knew the peace of God,\nwho knew not war with God, ye know not love, who have not known anger, but\nthis is the soul\u2019s true peace and tranquillity, when it is once awakened\nto see its misery and danger\u2014how many clouds overspread it, what tempests\nblow; what waves of displeasure go over its head! But when that peace,\nwhich is made in the high places, breaketh through the cloud with a voice,\n\u201cSon, be of good comfort, thy sins be forgiven thee!\u201d when that voice of\nthe Spirit is uttered, presently at its command the wind and waves obey,\nthe soul is calmed, as the sea after a storm, it is not only untroubled,\nbut it is peaceable upon solid grounds, because of the word which speaks\npeace in Christ. The peace of the most of you is such as ye were born and\neducated withal. Is it not a created peace, a spoken peace,\u2014the fruit of\nthe lips, and so no true peace? Ye had not your peace from the word, but\nye brought it to the word, ye have no peace after trouble, and so it is\nnot the Lord\u2019s peace.\n\nThe Christian may have peace, in regard of his own salvation and eternal\nthings, and in regard of all things that befalleth in time; the first is,\nwhen the conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ, and\ngetteth a good answer to all the challenges and accusations of conscience,\nand of the law and justice, 1 Pet. iii. 21; when the Spirit of God shines\ninto the soul, with a new light to discover these things that are freely\ngiven, 1 Cor. ii. 12. And this is the sealing of the Spirit after\nbelieving, Eph. i. 13. When a soul hath put to its seal by believing God\u2019s\nword, and hath acknowledged God\u2019s truth and faithfulness in his word, the\nSpirit sealeth mutually the believer\u2019s faith, both by more holiness and\nthe knowledge of it; and how great peace is this, when a soul can look\nupon all its iniquities when they compass about a man, and outward trouble\nsharpeneth and setteth on edge inward challenges, and yet the soul will\nnot fear,\u2014it hath answers to them all in Christ\u2019s blood, Psalm xlix. 5.\nThis is a greater word than all the world can say. Many men\u2019s fearlessness\nproceedeth from ignorance of sin, their iniquities were never set in order\nbefore them; but if once they compassed them about, and wrath, like a\nfiery wall, compass them about also, so that there were no escaping, O it\nwould be more terrible than all the armies of the world! Ye would account\nlittle of a kingdom, ye would exchange it for such a word as David hath\nupon good grounds.\n\nNow, I say again, the soul that hath thus committed itself to him as a\nfaithful keeper, may have peace in all estates and conditions; and this\npeace floweth from that other peace. There is a peace which guards the\nheart and mind, Phil. iv. 6, 7, opposed to carefulness and anxiety; and\nthis Paul is exemplary for, \u201cI have learned in every estate, therewith to\nbe content, to want and abound,\u201d &c. ver. 11. The soul of a believer may\nbe in an equal even tenor and disposition in all conditions; it may\npossess itself in patience. Impatience and anxiety make a man not his own\nman; he is not himself, he enjoys not himself; he is a burden to himself,\nand is his own tormentor; but if souls were stayed upon God, certainly\nthey would possess themselves, dwell securely within their own breasts. We\nmay find that the most part of men are exposed to all the floods and waves\nof the times. They move inwardly, as things are troubled outwardly; every\nthing addeth moment to their grief or joy; any dispensation casteth the\nbalance, and either weighs them down with discouragement, or lifteth them\nup with vanity and lightness of mind; but the believer\u2019s privilege is to\nbe unmoved in the midst of all the tossings and confusions of the times,\nPsal. cxxviii. 1, 2. Ye would be as mount Zion if ye trusted in God; no\ndispensation would enter into the soul to cast the balance upon you; ye\nmight stand upon your rock Jesus Christ, and look about the estates,\npersons, affairs, and minds of men, as a troubled sea, fleeting, tossed up\nand down, and ye stand and not be moved, or not greatly moved, Psal. lxii.\n2. And this is to be wise indeed. If I would describe a wise man, I would\nsay, he \u201cis one man,\u201d beside him no man is one with himself, but various,\ninconstant, changeable. He is unwise who is unlike himself, who changeth\npersons according to dispensations: wisdom is the stability of thy times,\nand faith is wisdom. It establisheth as mount Zion, so as a man cometh out\nstill one,\u2014in prosperity not exalted, in adversity not cast down, in every\nestate content; and this is the man who is blessed indeed. This were\nwisdom,\u2014to will the same thing, and nill(294) the same thing. _Semper idem\nvelle, atque idem nolle._(295) I need not, says Seneca, add that\nexception, that it be right which you desire, for no one thing can\nuniversally and always please, if it be not good and right; so I say, he\nwere both wise and happy, who had but one grief and one joy. Should not a\nbeliever\u2019s mind be calm and serene, seeing the true light hath shined; it\nshould be as the upper world, where no blasts, no storms or clouds are to\neclipse the sun, or cloud it. While our peace and tranquillity is borrowed\nfrom outward things, certainly it must change; but a believer\u2019s peace and\ntranquillity of mind, having its rise from above, from the unchangeable\nword of the Lord, it needeth not to change according to the vicissitudes\nof providence. He needeth not to care beforehand, because there is one who\ncareth for him; and what needeth both to care? He needeth not be\ndisquieted or troubled after, because it shall turn about to his good; all\nthings shall do so, Rom. viii. 28. He needeth not be anxious about future\nevents, because he hath all his burden cast upon another by prayer and\nsupplication. What needeth he then take a needless burden? Prayer will do\nthat which care pretends and cannot do, and that without trouble. He\nneedeth not be troubled when things are present, for he cannot by his\nthought either add or diminish, take away or prevent. There is one good\nand necessary thing that his heart is upon, and that cannot be taken from\nhim; and therefore all things else are indifferent, and of small\nconcernment to him.\n\nNow what wanteth such a man of perfect peace, who is reconciled to God,\nand at peace within himself? When peace guardeth the heart and mind\nwithin, compasseth it as a castle or garrison, to hold out all the vain\nalarms of external things, may not all the world be troubled about him?\nWhat though the floods lift up their voice, if they come not into the\nsoul? If he be one and the same in peace and trouble, prosperity and\nadversity, do not lament him in the one more than the other. It is the\nmind that maketh your condition good or bad; but yet, I say, the believer\nhath likewise peace with all the creatures, which the world hath not, and\neven in this he is a privileged man. He is in league with the stones of\nthe field, and in peace in his tabernacle, Job v. 23. All things are his,\nbecause he is Christ\u2019s, and all are Christ\u2019s, who is the possessor of\nheaven and earth, at least the righteous heir of both, 1 Cor iii. 21. The\nunbeliever hath no right to the creature; though there be a cessation for\na time between them and him, yet that is no peace, for they will at length\nbe armed against him. They are witnesses already against him, and groan to\nGod for the corruption that man\u2019s sin hath subjected them unto. His table\nis, it may be, full, yet it is a snare unto him; he getteth ease and\nquietness outwardly: nay, but it slayeth the fool and destroyeth him. But\nthe godly man is at peace, through Christ\u2019s blood, with all crosses and\ncomforts; the sting and enmity of all evils is taken away by Christ.\nPoverty is made a friend, because Christ was poor; hunger and thirst is\nbecome a friend, because Christ was hungry and thirsty; reproach and\ncontempt is at peace with him, because Christ was despised; afflictions\nand sorrows are reconciled to him, because Christ was a man of sorrows,\nand acquainted with griefs; in a word, death itself is become a friend,\nsince Christ subdued it by lasting of it. I may say, the worst things to a\nnatural man are become best friends to the believer; the grave keepeth his\nbody and dust in hope. Death is a better friend than life, for it\nministers an entry into glory: it is the door of eternal life: it taketh\ndown the tabernacle of mortality, that we may be clothed upon with\nimmortality. In sum, whatever it be, Christ hath stamped a new quality on\nit; it cometh through his hand, and so, if it be not good in itself, yet\nit is good in the use, and in his appointment, Rom. viii. 21. If it be not\ngood, yet it worketh together for our good; it contributeth to our good,\nbecause it is in his skilful hand, who can bring good out of evil, peace\nout of trouble. O that ye were persuaded to be Christians indeed, to love\nhis law, and trust in him. Great peace have all such. This were more to\nyou than peace in the world; your peace should be as a river, for\nabundance and perpetuity; no drought could dry it up; it should run in\ntime as a large river, and when time is done, it would embosom itself in\neternity, in that ocean of eternal peace and joy which the saints are\ndrowned in above; other men\u2019s peace is but like a brook that dries up in\nsummer.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIII.\n\n\n    Isaiah xxvi. 3.\u2014\u201cThou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind\n    is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.\u201d\n\n\nChrist hath left us his peace, as the great and comprehensive legacy, \u201cMy\npeace I leave you,\u201d John xiv. 27. And this was not peace in the world that\nhe enjoyed; you know what his life was, a continual warfare; but a peace\nabove the world, that passeth understanding. \u201cIn the world you shall have\ntrouble, but in me you shall have peace,\u201d saith Christ,\u2014a peace that shall\nmake trouble no trouble. You must lay your accounts to have such a life as\nthe forerunner had; but withal, as he hath left us his trouble, so hath he\nleft us his peace; the trouble will have an end, but the joy can no man\ntake from you. We have this sure promise to rest upon, in behalf of the\nchurch, peace shall be in Israel; a peace that the world knoweth not, and\nso cannot assault it, or take it away. O that ye would hearken to this\nword, that ye would trust in the Lord, and stay upon your God, then should\nyour peace be as a river, Isa. xlviii. 18. There is nothing more desired\nin time of trouble than peace; but all peace is not better than war: some\nnecessary war is better than evil-grounded peace. The kingdoms have been\nlong in pain, labouring to bring forth a safe and well-grounded peace.\nBut, alas! we have been in pain and brought forth wind; when we looked for\npeace, no good came, and for healing, behold trouble. But how shall we\narrive at our desired haven? Certainly, if peace be well-grounded, it must\nhave truth for its foundation, and righteousness for its companion; truth\nmust spring out of the earth, and righteousness look down from heaven.\nThis were the compendious way for public peace, if every man would make\nhis own peace with God. There are controversies with God, between king,\nnobles, and people; and therefore God fomenteth the wars in the kingdoms.\nIf you would have these ended, make peace with God in Christ, by flying in\nunto him, and resting on him; more trusting in God would despatch our\nwars; trusting in the arm of flesh continueth them. Always whatever be,\npeace or war, here is the business that more concerns you,\u2014your eternal\npeace and safety; and, if ye were more careful of this, to save your own\nsouls, you would help the public more. If you could be once persuaded to\nbe Christians indeed, we needed not press many duties in reference to the\npublic; and until you be once persuaded to save yourselves, by flying from\nthe wrath to come, it is in vain to speak of public duties to you. We do\ntherefore declare unto you the way of obtaining perfect peace,\u2014peace as a\nriver; if you will quit all self-confidences, flee from yourselves as your\ngreatest enemies, and trust your souls unto the promise in Jesus Christ,\nand lean all your weight on him, we assure you, your peace shall run\nabundantly and perpetually. Whoever trusteth in creatures, in uncertain\nriches, in worldly peace, in whatsoever thing besides the only living and\nglorious Lord, we persuade him, that his peace shall fail as a brook. All\nthings in this world shall deal deceitfully with you, as a brook which is\nblackish, by reason of ice; what time it waxeth warm, it shall evanish.\nYou that looked and waited for water in it shall be confounded, because\nyou hoped, and are ashamed because of your expectation. Job vi. 15, &c.\nThe summer shall dry up your peace, and what will ye do? But if you pour\nout your souls on him, and trust in the fountain of living waters, you\nshall not be ashamed, for your peace shall be as a river. The elephant is\nsaid to trust that he can drink out a river; but he is deceived, for he\nmay drink again,\u2014it runs, and shall run for ever. If any thing would essay\nto take your peace from you, it is a vain attempt, for it runs like a\nriver; it may be shallower and deeper, but it cannot run dry, because of\nthe living fountain it proceedeth from. There is no other thing can be\nmade sure; all besides this is uncertain, and this only is worthy to be\nmade sure; nothing besides this can give you satisfaction.\n\nAre your hearts asking within you, how shall this peace be attained?    If\nyou desire to know it, consider these words, \u201cWhose heart is stayed on\nthee, because he trusteth in thee.\u201d It concerneth you much to know well,\nwhat this is that your eternal peace depends on.\n\nTrusting in God, is the leaning of the soul\u2019s weight on God. The soul hath\na burden above it, heavy and unsupportable, and this the truster casteth\nupon God; and so he is a loadened and weary man, whom Christ exhorteth to\ncome to him, and he shall find ease for his soul, Matt. xi. 28; Prov. iii.\n5. Leaning to ourselves, and trusting in God are opposed. Psal. xxii. 10,\ntrusting is exponed(296) to be \u201ca casting upon God.\u201d Psal. xxv. 1, it is\ncalled, \u201ca lifting up the soul to him.\u201d This one thing is included in the\nbosom of trusting and believing, that a man hath many burdens too heavy\nfor him, which would sink him down: the believer is such a one as\nJehoshaphat, 2 Chron. xx. 12, \u201cO Lord, we have no might against this great\ncompany, neither know we what to do.\u201d O Lord, I have an army of iniquities\nagainst me, a great company compasseth me about; an army of curses as\nnumerous as mine iniquities; both are innumerable as the sand of the sea;\nI have no might against them, neither know I what to do: nay, the Lord is\nagainst me, his wrath is like the roaring of a lion; what can I do against\nhim? The first beginning of trusting in God is distrusting ourselves; and\nuntil a man see his duty and burden beyond his strength, his burden\ngreater than he can bear, you will never persuade him to come to Jesus\nChrist, and lean on him. We will not preach any such doctrine, as to\ndischarge any to come to Christ, till they be wearied and loaden; for,\nwhen a man conceiveth that he wanteth that weariedness, whither shall he\ngo to find it? Is there any fountain, but one, Jesus Christ, both of grace\nand preparations to it, if any such be? But this we preach unto you, that\nuntil you be wearied and loaden, you will not cast your burden on Jesus.\nWe need not discharge you to come till you be such, for certainly you will\nnot come. This is the desperate wickedness of our hearts, that we will\nnever forsake ourselves till we can do no better. Until men be as David,\n\u201cI looked on the right hand, and there was none would know me; refuge\nfailed me,\u201d certainly they will not cry to God. Men will look round about\nthem, before they will look up above them; they will cast the burden of\ntheir souls upon any thing, upon their own sorrow and contrition, upon\ntheir resolution to amend, upon external duties and privileges, upon civil\nhonesty, until all these succumb under the weight of their salvation; and\nthen, it may be, they will ask after him who bare our griefs. I would not\nwillingly speak of preparations to faith, because it putteth men upon\nsearching for something in themselves, upon fashioning their own hearts,\nand trimming them to come to Christ; whereas there is nothing can be\nacceptable to him but what cometh from him. But I think all that men\nintend, who speak of preparations, may be gained this way by holding out\nunto men the impossibility of coming to Christ, till they be emptied of\nthemselves. Not that the one is a thing going before, to be done by us,\nbut because they are all one; it is one motion of the soul to come out of\nitself, and into Jesus; it is one thing really to distrust ourselves, and\nto trust in him; and by this means, when the true nature of faith itself\nis holden out, men might examine themselves rather by it, whether they\nhave it, than by the preparations of it.\n\nBut to come to our purpose, when the soul is pressed under burdens of sin\nand misery, of duty and insufficiency, and inability to do it, then the\ngospel discovereth unto the wearied soul a place of reposing and rest. The\nLord hath established Christ Jesus, an \u201censign to the people;\u201d those who\nseek unto him shall find his rest glorious, Isa. xi. 10. When there is\ndiscovered in us all emptiness and inability, yea impossibility to save\nourselves, or perform any duty, then are we led to Jesus Christ, as one\nwho is come with grace and truth, in whom it hath pleased the Father all\nfulness should dwell; and the turning of the soul over upon him is\ntrusting in him. You would not mistake this; trusting in the Lord in its\nfirst and most native acting, is not always persuasion of his good-will\nand love in particular. No, the soul meets first with a general promise,\nholding out his good-will in general; and the soul closeth with this, as a\nthing both good and true,\u2014as faithful in itself, and worthy of all\nacceptation. This is it that we must first meet with,\u2014an all-sufficient\nSaviour, able to save to the utmost all that come to him; and the soul\u2019s\naccepting of that blessed Saviour on the terms he is offered, this is\nbelieving in him, and trusting to him, as a complete Saviour.\n\nNow when the soul hath disburdened itself upon God, and set its seal to\nthe truth of the promises in the gospel for salvation; if the light of the\nSpirit shine to discover this unto it, that it hath laid hold on his\nstrength who is able to save to the utmost, then it becometh persuaded of\nhis love in particular; and this is rather the sealing after believing,\nthan believing itself.\n\nWhen once men have hazarded their souls upon his word, and trusted in him,\nthen they may trust in him for all particulars: he that hath given his Son\nfor us, will he not with him give all things? This, therefore, is the\ncontinual recourse of a believer,\u2014from discovered emptiness and\ninsufficiency in himself, to travel unto the fulness and strength of Jesus\nChrist, that his strength may be perfected in weakness. Yea, when all\nthings seem contrary, and his dispensation writes bitter things against\nus, yet ought we to trust in him, Job xiii. 15. There is a peace of\nwilfulness and violence in faith, that will look always towards his word,\nwhatever be threatened to the contrary.\n\nNow, from this faith in God, floweth a constant dependence and stayedness\non him, they are stayed on him, because they trusted in him; for faith\ndiscovereth in God such grounds, that it may lean its weight upon him\nwithout wavering and changing. It considereth his power, his good will,\nand his faithfulness; he is able to perform, he is willing to do it, and\nhe is faithful, because he hath promised. His greatness and power is a\nhigh rock, higher than we, that faith leadeth us unto. His love and\ngood-will in Jesus Christ, maketh an open entry and ready access to that\nrock; and faithfulness engageth both to give a shelter and refuge to the\npoor sinner. Would a soul be any more tossed, would there be any place for\nwavering and doubting, if souls considered his excellent loving-kindness,\nand great goodness laid up and treasured with him for those that trust in\nhim? Psalm xxxvi. 7. Who would not put their trust under the shadow of his\nwings, and think themselves safe? Again, if his eternal power were\npondered, how he is able to effectuate whatever he pleaseth; what\neverlasting arms he hath that by a word supports the frame of the world;\nwhat he can do, if he stretch out his arm; and then, if these two\nimmutable things, (Heb. vi. 18,) his promise and his oath, were looked\nupon;\u2014how he hath engaged himself in his truth, and sworn in his holiness;\nwould not a soul lie safely between these three? What strong consolation\nwould such a threefold consideration yield? Would any wind or tempest blow\nwithin these walls mounted up to heaven?\n\nStayedness on God is nothing else but the fixedness of believing and\ntrusting, Ps. cxii. 7, 8, \u201chis heart is fixed, trusting in God; his heart\nis established.\u201d It is even the mature and ripe age of faith. Faith, while\nit is yet in infancy, in its tender years, neither can endure storms, nor\ncan it confirm us in them; but when it hath sprung up and grown in that\nroot of Jesse, when it is rooted and established in Jesus Christ, then it\nestablisheth the soul. Faith abiding in him and taking root, groweth,\nconfirmed as a tree that cannot easily be moved; and if you establish\nfaith, you shall be established.\n\nThere are two particulars which I conceive the trusting soul is stayed on.\nFirst, in the meditation of God. Secondly, in expectation from him of all\ngood things. When I say the meditation of God, I take in both\ncontemplation and affection. The most part of men have but few thoughts of\nGod at all; even those who trust in him do not consider sufficiently what\na one he is in whom they believe. If faith were vigorous and lively, it\nwould put men to often thinking on him, seeking to know him in his\nglorious names; the mind would be stayed upon this glorious object, as the\nmost mysterious and wonderful one. How strong are men\u2019s minds with their\nvanities? When they awake, they are not still with God. The meditation of\nhim is a burden to them; any other thing getteth more time and thoughts.\nBut meditation addeth affection to contemplation; men may think long upon\nthe heavens and their course, but their affections are not ravished with\nthem. But thus is the soul stayed on God;\u2014when the soul\u2019s desires are\ntowards the remembrance of his name, then affection stayeth the mind upon\nwhat it pitcheth on; and certainly the mind giveth but passing looks,\nconstrained thoughts, where the heart is not. Here is David\u2019s meditation,\nPs. i. \u201cMy delight is in the law of the Lord.\u201d The soul of a believer\nshould be constant and fixed in the consideration of God, till he be\nwholly engaged to admiration and wondering. \u201cO Lord, how excellent is thy\nname,\u201d Psal. viii. 1: \u201cand who is like unto thee?\u201d You all say that you\nbelieve in God, and know his power,\u2014you know he is good, he is merciful,\njust, long-suffering, faithful, &c. But what is all this knowledge but\nignorance, and your light darkness, when it doth not press you to put your\ntrust in his name? You know; nay, but you consider not what you know. This\nis trusting, when the mind is stayed on what it knoweth, when all the\nscattered thoughts and affections are called home, and united in one, to\nbe exercised about this comprehensive object, \u201cthe Lord our God.\u201d It is\nnot want of knowledge destroyeth you, but want of consideration of what\nyou know, and this is brutishness. Men\u2019s hearts do not carry the seal and\nstamp of their knowledge, because thoughts of God and his word are but as\npassengers that go through a land, as lightning going through the mind,\nbut warms it not; and so their practice carrieth no impression of it\neither. How base is it for those who have God for their God, to be so\nignorant of him! Would not any man willingly travel about his own\npossessions? Have you such a large portion, believers, and should ye be\ntaken up with other vanities? Should your hearts and minds be stayed on\nthem, more than the living God? There is a great vanity and levity in\nmen\u2019s minds; \u201cThe Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity.\u201d\nThere is an unsettledness of spirit,\u2014we cannot pitch on that upon which we\nmay be stayed; and so all the spirits of men are in a continual motion\nfrom one thing to another, for nothing giveth complete satisfaction, and\ntherefore it must go and try one after another, to see if it can find in\nit what it found not in the former. And such is the inconstancy of the\nspirit, that it licketh up its vomit; and what thing it refused, it eateth\nit up as its meat. The time is spent in choosing and refusing, rejecting\none thing and taking another, and again returning to what you have\nrejected. Thus are men tossed up and down, and unstable in all their ways,\nas a ship without ballasting. Now, faith and trusting in God is the\nballast and weight of this inconstant ship: it is the anchor to stay it\nfrom being driven to and fro. If once men would pitch upon this one Lord,\nwho hath in himself eminently all the scattered perfections of creatures,\nand infinitely more,\u2014if you would consider him, and meditate on him, till\nyour souls loved him, would you not be ravished with him? Would you not\nbuild your house beside him, and dwell in the meditation of his name? This\nwould fix and establish you in duties\u2014\u201cwhen I awake, I am still with\nthee.\u201d A little searching and experience discovereth emptiness in all\nbeside; and therefore is it, that the soul removeth sooner from such a\nparticular creature than it expected. But here is One that is \u201cpast\nfinding out.\u201d The more I search and find, I find him the more above what I\ncan search and find. The creatures are but painted and fair in men\u2019s\napprehension, and at a distance; but the near enjoyment of them\ndiscovereth the delusion, and sendeth a man away ashamed, because he\ntrusted. But the Lord God is, and there is no other. He is not as waters\nthat fail, no liar,\u2014he is an everlasting fountain,\u2014the more you dig and\ndraw, it runs the faster; he will never send any away ashamed that trust\nin him, because they shall find more than they expected.\n\nTherefore the soul that is stayed on meditation of God, and knoweth him\ncertainly, will be fixed in expectation from him. Our expectation from the\ncreatures changeth, because it is often frustrated. Disappointment meets\nit. It is above what is in the creature, and so it must meet with\ndisappointment; but as he is above our meditation, so is he far above our\nexpectation; and if a man\u2019s experience answer his hope, he hath no reason\nto change his hope. The Lord hath often done things we looked not for, but\nwe never looked for any thing, according to the grounds of the word, but\nit was done, or a better than it. He doth not always answer our\nlimitations; but if he give gold, when we sought silver, are we not\nanswered? Are we disappointed? There are three things that use most to\ndisquiet and toss men\u2019s spirits,\u2014sin and wrath, future events, and present\ncalamities. Faith establisheth the soul on God in all these, and suffereth\nit not to be driven to and fro with these winds; it finds a harbour and\nrefuge in God from all these. If he be pursued by the avenger of blood,\nGod\u2019s wrath and justice, here is an open city of refuge that he may run to\nand be safe.  If iniquities compass me about, yet I will not fear, but\noppose unto that great company the many sufferings and obedience of Jesus\nChrist. My conscience challengeth and writeth bitter things against me,\nyet I have an answer in that blood that speaketh better things than\nAbel\u2019s. If sins prevail, he will purge them away. His mercy is above all\nmy sin, and his virtue and power is above my sin. He hath promised, and\nwill he not do it? Oft times men\u2019s souls are perplexed and tossed about\nfuture events, careful for to morrow. This is a great torment of spirit,\nit cutteth and divideth it,\u2014putteth a man to his own providence, as if\nthere were no God, but he that trusteth in God is established in this,\n\u201cHis heart is fixed trusting in the Lord.\u201d He hath committed his soul to\nhim, and why may he not his body? He hath nothing but his promise for\neternal salvation, and may not that same suffice for temporal? He careth\nfor me, saith faith, why then should we both care about one thing? He hath\ngiven his Son for me, the most precious gift which the world cannot match,\nand will he not with him give all these lesser things? And thus the\nbeliever encloseth himself within the Father\u2019s love and providence, and is\nfixed, not fearing evil tidings, for what tidings can be evil, seeing our\nFather hath the sovereign disposing of all affairs, and knoweth what is\nbest for us? Present dispensations often shake men, and drive them to and\nfro, their feet slip, and are not established, \u201cThou didst hide thy face,\nand I was troubled.\u201d But if you trusted in God, and considered what is in\nhim to oppose to all difficulties and calamities, you would say, \u201cI shall\nnot be moved, though the floods lift up their voice.\u201d If you believed his\nlove, would not this sweeten all his dealing? He maketh all work together\nfor good. Sovereignty, righteousness, and mercy, are sure and firm ground\nto stand upon in all storms. You may cast anchor at any of those, and lie\nsecure. \u201cIt is the Lord, let him do what he pleaseth.\u201d This was enough to\nquiet the saints in old times. Should he give account of his matters to\nus? Shall the clay say to the potter, why is it thus? His absolute right\nby creation maketh him, beyond all exception, do what he pleases, but\nbeside this, he is pleased and condescendeth to reason with us, and give\naccount of his matters, to testify to our conscience that he is righteous\nin all his ways. It was the ground of Jeremiah\u2019s settling, Lam iii. \u201cIt is\nof the Lord\u2019s mercy that we are not consumed.\u201d It should have allayed and\nstayed Job. Know this, thou art punished less than thy iniquities deserve.\nWho will set a time to plead with him? Shall any be found righteous before\nhim? And this might stop all men\u2019s mouths, and put them in the dust to\nkeep silence, seeing he hath law to do infinitely more than he doth, why\nshould not we rather proclaim his clemency, than argue him so very hard?\nIf to both those you shall add the consideration of his mercy, that all\nhis paths are mercy and truth unto you, even when he correcteth most\nseverely, so that you may bless him as well for rods as for meat and\nclothing, and count yourself blessed when you are taught by the rod and\nthe word, the one speaking to the other, and the other sealing its\ninstruction,\u2014if you believed that it were a fruit of his love, that \u201che\nchasteneth every son whom he loveth,\u201d because he will not let you depart\nfrom him, will not let you settle upon a present world, and forget your\ncountry above, therefore he compasseth you about with hedges of thorns to\nkeep in your way, and therefore he maketh this world bitter and\nunpleasant, that you may have no continuing city,\u2014if all this were\nbelieved would not the soul triumph with Paul, \u201cWhat can separate me from\nthe love of God?\u201d\u2014not past things, for all my sins are blotted out, and\nshall be remembered no more, not present things, for they work to good,\nand are a fruit of his love, not things to come, for that is to come which\nshall more declare his love than what is past, would not a soul sleep\nsecurely within the compass of this power, this love, and faithfulness of\nGod, without fear of dashing or sinking?\n\nNow, judge whether a perfect peace may not flow from all this. May it not\nbe a perfect calm, when the mountains that environ go up to heaven? Not\nonly doth the soul trust in God, but God keepeth the trusting soul in\npeace. He is the Creator of peace, and the preserver of it,\u2014\u201cI create\npeace, I keep him in peace.\u201d The same power and virtue is required to the\npreserving of a thing, and the first being of it. Our faith and hope in\nGod is too weak an anchor to abide all storms. Our cords would break, our\nhands faint and weary, but he is the everlasting God, who faileth not, and\nwearieth not. He holdeth an invisible gripe of us. We are kept by his\npower unto salvation, and we are kept by his power in peace. \u201cThy right\nhand holdeth me,\u201d saith David, and this helpeth me to pursue thee. What\nmaketh believers inexpugnable, impregnable? Is it their strength? No\nindeed. But \u201csalvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.\u201d Almighty\npower is a strong wall, though invisible,\u2014this power worketh in us and\nabout us.\n\nNow, believers, pity the world about you, that knoweth not this peace.\nWhen they lie secure, and cry Peace, peace, alas! they are a city open\nwithout walls as the plain field,\u2014there is no keeper there, nothing to\nhold off destruction. Entertain your own peace, do not grieve the Spirit\nwho hath sealed it. If you return to folly after he hath spoken peace to\nyou, I persuade you, you shall not maintain this peace. There may be peace\nwith God, but no peace in thy conscience, as long as the whoredoms of thy\nheart are to the fore, thou mayest be secure, but security is worse than\nfear. Know this, that continuing in a course of sin, entertaining any\nknown sin, shall trouble thy peace. If God hath spoken peace to thee, thou\nshalt not lodge that enemy in peace. \u201cGreat peace have they that love thy\nlaw.\u201d Obedience and delight in it doth not make peace, but it is the way\nof peace, and much meditation on the blessed word of God is the most\nexcellent mean to preserve this peace, if it be secured with much\ncorrespondence with heaven by prayer, Phil. iv. 6, 7. If you would\ndisburden your hearts daily at the throne of grace, peace should guard and\nkeep your heart, and then your peace would be perfect indeed. But because\nyour faith is here imperfect, your requests few and infervent, your\nfollies and iniquities many, therefore is this promised perfection a\nstranger to the most part of Christians. Always what we want here, we must\nexpect to have made up shortly. Heaven is a land of peace, and all things\nare there in full age, here all are in minority, it is but yet night, but\nwhen the day shall break up, and the shadows fly away, and the Prince of\npeace shall appear and be revealed, he shall bring peace and grace both\nwith him, and both perfect. To Him be praise and glory.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIV.\n\n\n    Isaiah lix. 20.\u2014\u201cAnd the Redeemer shall come unto Zion, and unto\n    them that turn,\u201d &c.\n\n\nDoctrines, as things, have their seasons and times. Every thing is\nbeautiful in its season. So there is no word of truth, but it hath a\nseason and time in which it is beautiful. And indeed that is a great part\nof wisdom, to bring forth everything in its season, to discern when and\nwhere, and to whom it is pertinent and edifying, to speak such and such\ntruths. But there is one doctrine that is never out of season, and\ntherefore it may be preached in season and out of season, as the apostle\ncommandeth. Indeed to many hearts it is always out of season, and\nespecially in times of trouble and anguish, when it should be most\nseasonable, when the opportunity may commend the beauty of it, but in\nitself, and to as many as have ever found the power of it on their hearts,\nit is always the most seasonable and pertinent doctrine,\u2014I mean the very\nsubject-matter of this text, the news of a Redeemer to captive sinners. It\nis in itself such glad tidings, and shines with so much beauty and\nsplendour to troubled sinners, that it casteth abroad a lustre and beauty\non the feet of the messengers that carry it, Isa. xl. It is a cordial in\naffliction, whether outward or inward, and it is withal the only true\ncomfort of prosperity. It allayeth the bitterness of things that cross us,\nand filleth up the emptiness of things that pretend to please us, it\ngiveth sweetness to the one, and true sweetness to the other. Reason\nthen\u2014that should always be welcome to us, which we stand always in need\nof, that it should always be new and fresh in our affection, which is\nalways recent and new in its operation and efficacy toward us. Other news\nhow great or good soever, suppose they were able to fill the hearts of all\nin a nation with joy, yet they grow stale, they lose their virtue within\nfew days. What footsteps or remainder is of all the triumphs and trophies\nof nations, of all their solemnities for their victorious success at home\nand abroad? These great news, which once were the subject of the discourse\nof and delight of many thousands,\u2014who report them now with delight? So\nthose things that may cause joy and triumph to some at this time, as they\ncannot choose but make more hearts sad than glad; so they will quickly\nlose even that efficacy they have, and become tasteless as the white of an\negg, to them that are most ravished with them. But, my beloved, here is\nglad tidings of a Redeemer come to Zion to save sinners, which have no\noccasion of sadness in them to any, but to those who are not so happy as\nto consider them, or believe them, and they are this day, after many\nhundred, I may say thousand, years since they were first published, as\ngreen and recent, as refreshing to wearied souls, as ever they were. Yea,\nsuch is the nature of them, and such an everlasting spring of consolation\nis in them, that the oftener they be told, and the more they be\nconsidered, the sweeter they are. They grow green in old age, and bring\nforth fruit, and are fat and flourishing; and indeed it is the never-dying\nvirtue and everlasting sap of this word of life, that maketh the righteous\nso, Psal. xcii. 14. This word of a Redeemer at the first publishing, and\nfor a long time, was but like waters issuing out from under the threshold,\nand then they came to the ankles, when it was published to a whole nation;\nbut still the longer it swells the higher above knees, and loins, till it\nbe a great inexhausted river, and thus it runs at this day through the\nworld, and hath a healing virtue and a quickening virtue, Ezek. xlvii.,\nand a sanctifying virtue, ver. 9-12. Now this is our errand to you, to\ninvite you to come to these waters. If ye thirst, come to be quenched; if\nye thirst not, ye have so much the more need to come, because your thirst\nafter things that will not profit you, will destroy you, and your\nunsensibleness of your need of this is your greatest misery.\n\nThat the words may be more lively unto us, we may call to mind, the\ngreatest and deepest design that hath been carried on in the world, by the\nMaker and Ruler of the world, is the marriage of Christ his Son with the\nChurch. This was primarily intended, when he made the world, as a palace\nto celebrate it in; this was especially aimed at, when he joined Adam and\nEve, in the beginning of time, together in paradise, that the second Adam\nshould be more solemnly joined to the church, at the end of time, in the\nparadise of heaven; and this the apostle draws out as the sampler and\narch-copy of all marriages and conjunctions in the creatures, Eph. v. Now\nthis being the great design of God, of which all other things done in time\nare but the footsteps and low representations, the great question is, how\nthis shall be brought about, because of the great distance and huge\ndisproportion of the parties, He \u201cbeing the brightness of the Father\u2019s\nglory,\u201d and we being wholly eclipsed and darkened since our fall;\u2014He\nhigher than the heaven of heavens, and we fallen as low as hell into a\ndungeon of darkness and misery, led away by sin and Satan, lying in that\nabominable posture represented in Ezek. xvi.; not only unsuitable to\nengage his love, but fit to procure even the loathing of all that pass by.\n\nNow it being thus, the words do furnish us with the noble resolution of\nthe Son, about the taking away of the distance, and the royal offer of the\nFather, to make the match hold the better, both flowing from infinite\nlove, in the most free and absolute manner that can be imagined. The Son\u2019s\nresolution, which is withal the Father\u2019s promise, is to come into the\nworld first to redeem his spouse, and so to marry her; \u201cand the Redeemer\nshall come unto Zion,\u201d &c. The Father\u2019s offer, that he might not be\nwanting to help it forward, is to dispone,(297) by an irrevocable\ncovenant, having the force of an absolute donation, his word and Spirit to\nChrist and his seed, to the church, even to the end of the world, (ver.\n21). \u201cAs for me, this is my covenant.\u201d The Son hath done his part, and is\nto express his infinite love, infinite condescendency, and stooping below\nhis majesty. Now, as for me, I will show my good-will to it in my infinite\nbounty and riches of grace to the church; he hath given himself for her,\u2014I\nwill give my Spirit; and thus it cannot but hold.\n\nWe shall speak a word then of these three: first, what estate and\ncondition Christ findeth his church in, out of which she must be taken to\nbe his spouse; then, what way and course is laid down by the council of\nheaven, to fill up the infinite distance between Christ and sinners; and,\nto close all, we shall show you the suitableness of these promises, and\nthe wonderful fitness of this doctrine to the church, at this time Isaiah\npreached it, and at all times.\n\nThe first is supposed in the words. Redemption supposeth captivity or\nslavery; redemption of persons importeth captivity and slavery of these\npersons, and redemption of other things that belong to persons, importeth\nsale or alienation of our right to them. Of both, personal redemption is\nthe greatest and most difficult; yet both we have need of, for our estate\nand fortune, so to speak, is lost, \u201cfor all men have sinned and come short\nof the glory of God,\u201d Rom. iii. 23. That inheritance of eternal life, we\nhave mortgaged it, and given away our right to it. The favour of God and\nthe blessedness of communion with him, was Adam\u2019s birthright, and by a\nfree donation was made his proper inheritance and possession, to be\ntransmitted to his posterity. But O! for how small a thing did he give it\naway,\u2014for a little taste of an apple he sold his estate; and both he and\nwe may lament over it, as the king that was constrained to render himself\nand all his army for want of water. When he tasted it, \u201cFor how small a\nthing,\u201d saith he, \u201chave I lost my kingdom!\u201d Then our persons are in a\nstate of bondage, in captivity and slavery; captives under the wrath of\nGod, and slaves or servants to sin. There needed no greater difference and\ndeformity between Christ and us, than this,\u2014our servitude and bondage to\nsin, which truly is the basest and most abominable vassalage in the world.\nThe abasement of the highest prince, to the vilest servitude under the\nbasest creatures in his dominion, is but a shadow of that loathsome and\nugly posture of our souls. This servitude doth in a manner unman us, and\ntransform us into beasts. Certainly it is that which, in the holy eyes of\nGod, is more loathsome than any thing beside. He seeth not that deformity\nin poverty, nakedness, sickness, slavery. Let a man be as miserable as Job\non his dunghill, it is not so much that, as the unseen and undiscerned\nposture and habit of their souls, that he abominateth. Now what a match is\nthis, for the highest and holiest prince, the Son of the greatest King,\nand heir of all things! But if you add to this slavery, that captivity\nunder the curse and wrath of God,\u2014that all men are shut up, and enclosed\nin the prison of God\u2019s faithful and irrevocable sentence of condemnation,\nand given over by the righteous judgment of God, to be kept by Satan in\neverlasting chains of darkness,\u2014he keepeth men now, by the invisible cords\nof their own sins, but these chains of darkness are reserved for both him\nand men,\u2014now indeed, this superaddeth a great difficulty to the business.\nThe other may be a difficulty to his mind and affection, because there is\nnothing to procure love, but all that may enforce hatred and loathing. But\nsuppose his infinite love could come over this stay, could leap over this\nmountain by the freedom of it, yet there is a greater impediment in the\nway, that may seem difficult to his power, and it is the justice and power\nof God, enclosing sinners and shutting them up for eternal wrath, till a\ndue satisfaction be had from or for them. You see then, how infinite the\ndistance is betwixt him and us, and how great the difficulty is to bring\nabout this intended union. Angels were sent with flaming swords to\nencompass the tree of life and keep it from man, but man is environed by\nthe curse of the Almighty God. The justice, the faithfulness, and the\npower of God do guard or set a watch about him, that there is no access to\nhim to save him, but by undergoing the greatest danger, and undertaking\nthe greatest party that ever was dealt withal, and the strictest and\nseverest too.\n\nThis being the case then, the distance being so vast, and the difficulty\nso great, the distance being twofold, between his nature and ours, and\nbetween our quality and his: an infinite distance between his divine\nnature and our flesh, and besides an extreme contrariety between the\nholiness of his nature, and the sinfulness of ours,\u2014[there is here] such a\nrepugnancy, as there is no reconciliation of them. You know what Paul\nspeaketh of the marriage of Christians with idolaters: how much more will\nit hold here? What communion can be between light and darkness, between\nGod and Belial? Is it possible these can be reduced to amity, and brought\nto so near an union? Yet for all this, it is possible; but love and wisdom\nmust find out the way. Infinite love and infinite wisdom consulting\ntogether, what distance can they not swallow up? What difficulty can they\nnot overcome?\n\nAnd here you have it, the distance undertaken to be removed, both by the\nFather and the Son,\u2014(for all this while we can do nothing to help it\nforward; while the blessed plot is going on, we are posting the faster to\nour own destruction). And this is the way condescended upon; _first_, To\nfill up that wide gap between his divine spiritual nature, and our mortal\nfleshly nature, it is agreed upon, that the Son shall come in our flesh,\nand be made partaker of flesh and blood with the children; and this is\nmeant by this promise, \u201cthe Redeemer shall come to Sion;\u201d which is plainly\nexpressed by his own mouth, John xvi. 28, \u201cI came forth from the Father,\nand am come into the world.\u201d There being such a distance between his\nmajesty and our baseness, love maketh him stoop down and humble himself to\nthe very state of a servant, Phil. ii. 7, 8. And thus the humiliation of\nChrist filleth up the first distance; for \u201clove and majesty cannot long\ndwell together,\u201d _nec in una sede morantur majestas et amor_;(298) but\nlove will draw majesty down below itself, to meet with the object of it.\nThis was the great journey Christ took to meet with us, and it is downward\nbelow himself; but his love hath chosen it, to be like us, though he\nshould be unlike himself. How divinely doth the divine apostle speak of\nit, \u201cAnd the Word was made flesh, and he dwelt among us,\u201d John i. 14. And\ntherefore the children of Adam may in verity say of him, what the holy\nTrinity, in a holy irony spake of man, \u201cLo, he is become as one of us.\u201d It\nwas a singular and eminent privilege conferred upon man in his first\ncreation, that the Trinity in a manner consulted about him, \u201cLet us make\nman after our image;\u201d but now when man hath lost that image, to have such\na result of the council of the Trinity about it, \u201clet one of us be made\nman, to make up the distance between man and us,\u201d\u2014O! what soul can rightly\nconceive it without ravishment and wonder, without an ecstacy of\nadmiration and affection!\u2014that the Lord should become a servant!\u2014the Heir\nof all things be stripped naked of all!\u2014the brightness of the Father\u2019s\nglory, be thus eclipsed and darkened!\u2014and in a word, that which\ncomprehendeth all wonders in the creation,\u2014who made all things,\u2014be himself\nmade of a woman! and God become a man, and all this out of his infinite\nlove, to give a demonstration of love to the world; so high a person\nabased, to exalt so base and low as we are! There is a mystery in this, a\ngreat mystery, a mystery of wisdom, to swallow up the understanding with\nwonder; and a mystery of love, to ravish the hearts of men with\naffection,\u2014depths of both, in the emptiness of the Son of God. The prophet\ndoubted what was commanded, to seek a sign, whether in heaven above, or in\nthe depth beneath; but what he would not ask, God gave in his great mercy,\n\u201cBehold a virgin shall conceive a Son, and they shall call his name\nImmanuel;\u201d a sign indeed from heaven, and the height of heaven, because he\nis God; and a sign from the depth beneath too, because he is man; \u201cGod\nwith us,\u201d and so composed to unite heaven and earth together; \u201cGod with\nus,\u201d that he might at length bring us to be with God. He became\n_Immanuel_, that he might make us _Immelanu_.(299) If that was given as\ntidings of great joy, and as the highest and deepest sign of love and\nfavour, at that time to uphold the fainting church; O! how much more may\nit now comfort us, when it is not a virgin shall conceive, but a virgin\nhath conceived! May not the joy be increased, that the Redeemer is not to\ncome, but come already, and hath made up that wide separation which was\nbetween us and him, by his low condescendency to his union with our\nnature! This is one step of advancement towards that happy marriage, that\nthe whole creation seems to groan and travail for, Rom. viii. 22. But yet\nthere is a great difficulty in the way. We are in a state of captivity; we\nare prisoners of justice, have sold ourselves and our happiness; and now\nour natural inheritance lies in the lake of fire and brimstone,\u2014heirs of\nwrath, concluded under the curse of God; and indeed, this was insuperable\nto all flesh; neither men nor angels could ransom us from this. The\nredemption of the soul of man is so precious, and the redemption of the\ninheritance of man, that is, heaven, is so precious too, that none in\nheaven or earth can be found, that can pay the price of them, so that it\nwould have ceased for ever. And here the great design of Christ\u2019s union\nwith sinners would have been marred and miscarried, if himself had not\nundertaken to overcome this too; and indeed, as there could none be found\nto open the seals of the book of God\u2019s decrees concerning his church,\u2014none\nworthy in heaven or earth but the Lamb, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, he\nprevailed to open it, and loose the seals thereof, Rev. v. 3-5. So there\ncould none be found in heaven or earth, neither under the earth, worthy to\nundertake or accomplish this work, or able to open the seals of the book\nof God\u2019s curses, or to blot out the hand-writing of ordinances that was\nagainst us, or to open the prison of death in which man was shut up; none,\nI say, hath been found worthy or prevailed, but the Lamb of God and Lion\nof the tribe of Judah; and therefore the four and twenty elders that sit\nround about the throne, and the four beasts, with the innumerable company\nof angels, and spirits of just men made perfect, fell down before the\nLamb, every one of them with harps, and they sung a new song, \u201cWorthy is\nthe Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and\nstrength, and honour, and glory, and blessing; for thou hast redeemed us\nto God by thy blood.\u201d And every creature says Amen to this, and consents\nto this, to do him homage; to him who alone was worthy, and as willing to\ndo it as worthy for it. I think the 16th verse of this chapter gives us a\nsensible representation of this. The preceding discourse from the\nbeginning, holding out the sinful and deplorable condition of that people,\nand in them, as a type of the desperate wickedness of all mankind, and\nwithal their desperate misery, for Paul, (Rom. iii.) maketh the\napplication for us; and from this, concludeth all under sin, and so all\nunder wrath, all guilty, that every mouth may be stopped; men waiting for\nlight, and behold obscurity; for brightness, but walking in darkness;\ngroping for the wall, like the blind, stumbling at noon-day as in the\nnight, and in desolate places as dead men; all roaring like beasts, and\nmourning like doves, whenever the apprehension of the terror of God\nentereth. Now it is subjoined, verse 16, \u201cAnd he saw that there was no\nman,\u201d &c.; as if he had waited and looked through all the world, if any\nwould appear, either to speak or do for man, if any would offer\nthemselves, and interpose themselves for his salvation. \u201cTherefore his own\narm brought salvation, and his righteousness, it sustained him.\u201d Therefore\nthe Son of God steps in and offers himself, as if God had first essayed\nall others, and when heaven is full of wonder and silence, he breaks out\nin this, \u201cLo, I come to do thy will,\u201d Psal. xl. Since I have gotten a body\nto be like sinners, I will also come in their place, and I will give my\nlife a ransom for them; and therefore it is subjoined, \u201cthe Redeemer shall\ncome to Zion;\u201d he shall come clothed with vengeance and indignation as a\ngarment, against the enemies of his church, sin and Satan, in zeal and\nburning love to his designed spouse. He shall strengthen himself, and stir\nup his might and fury against all that detain her captive.\n\nNow, indeed, he is the only fittest person for this business in heaven or\nearth; for he hath both right to do it, and he only hath might and power\nto accomplish it. He hath right to the redemption of sinners, because he\nis our kinsman, nearest of blood to us.\n\nNow, you know the right of redemption belonged to the kinsman, Lev. xxv.\n25. And therefore when the nearest kinsman could not redeem Naomi and\nRuth\u2019s parcel of land, Boaz did it, as being next. And suitable to this,\nour Lord Jesus, when others as near could not, and were not able, he hath\ndone it, and taken men and angels to witness, that he hath first redeemed\nus, that he might marry us, as Eph. v.; that he hath purchased us to be\nhis wife. And indeed the very word imports this; _Goel_,(300) a redeemer\nand kinsman, passing under one word: so Job, \u201cI know that my Redeemer,\u201d or\nmy kinsman, \u201cliveth:\u201d and because our kinsman, therefore most interested\nin our redemption; for, for this end he became partaker of flesh and blood\nwith the children, that he might destroy our greatest enemy, Satan, and\nredeem us, Heb. ii. 14. And besides, he hath right to redemption, as the\nChurch\u2019s husband, because he must mediate between her and all others; none\ncan reach her, except he please, or prosecute a plea against her, as in\nthe case of the wife\u2019s making a vow, if her husband consented not, it was\nvoid, (Numb. xxx.,) but if he heard of it and held his peace, it was\nconfirmed. Now the Lord Jesus hath known this deplorable estate in which\nwe are captives, and he hath testified his utter dislike of our binding\nover ourselves to death, and resigning ourselves to Satan; and therefore\nthis bondage in which we are detained, is not confirmed and ratified, but\nhe hath right remaining to redeem us from the hand of all our enemies. But\nthen, he alone hath might and power to do it, for God hath laid help on\nhim, and made him able and mighty to save us to the uttermost. It was not\ngold or silver, or corruptible things. Suppose the whole earth were turned\ninto gold or precious stones; he must give person for person, and one\nperson equivalent to all\u2014his own life, his own blood for us; and the value\nof this was infinitely raised by the stamp of his divinity put upon it.\nThe king for the servant,\u2014one that knew no sin for sinners,\u2014yea, God for\nman. This superadds infinite worth, and makes it an over-ransom, and over\npurchase, a ransom to buy our persons from hell, a purchase to redeem us\nto our inheritance, heaven, that we had lost, and these two styles it\ngets, \u03bb\u03c5\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd, \u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03bb\u03c5\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd.(301)\n\nNow, you see the great difficulty is overcome and taken out of the way:\nChrist, being made a curse, hath purchased a redemption from the curse of\nthe law, Gal. iii. 13. But yet, there is another point of vast distance, I\nmay say contrariety and enmity, between us and him. He is holy and\nundefiled, all fair, and no spot in him; we are wholly defiled and\ndepraved by sin, our souls are become the habitation of devils, and a cage\nof every unclean and hateful bird; in a word, he hath not only our enemies\nto overcome, but our own hearts to conquer, and our enmity to take away.\nThis makes the widest separation from him. Now, he filled up much of the\ndistance, with his taking our flesh, and he removed the great difficulty,\nby dying in our flesh his humiliation to be a man, brought him nearer us,\nand his further humiliation to be a dying, crucified, and buried man,\nbrought him yet a step nearer us. But nearer he cannot come, for lower he\ncannot be, except he were a sinner, which would mar the whole design, and\ntake away all the comfort of his likeness to us. Therefore, since he hath\ncome so low down to us, it is suitable we be raised up one step to meet\nhim, and so the exaltation of sinners shall make up all the distance, and\nbring the two parties to that long since designed, and long desired\nmeeting. Now, for this end and purpose, the Son undertakes the redemption\nof his church from sin and ungodliness as well as wrath, and therefore you\nhave that which is expressed as the character of the redeemed in this\nverse. It is exponed as the great point or part of the redemption itself\nby the apostle, Rom. xi. \u201cThe Redeemer shall come to Sion, and shall turn\naway ungodliness from Jacob.\u201d And so his end was not only to be a partaker\nof our nature, but to make us partakers of the divine nature, and\ntherefore the Father, out of his love to this business, promised to send\nhis Spirit to dwell in our hearts, to make the word sound in our mouths\nand ears, and the Spirit to work in our hearts, and this exaltation of\nsinners to the participation of the Holy Spirit, together with Christ\u2019s\nhumiliation to partake of our flesh, makes up the full distance, and\nbringeth Christ and his church to that holy patient impatience, and\nlonging for the day when it shall be solemnized in heaven. The Spirit\nwithin us says, Come, and the bride says, Come. Even so come, Lord Jesus.\nAnd he waits for nothing, but the completing and adorning of all the rest,\nthat there may be one jubilee for all and for ever. Now I wish we could\nunderstand the absolute and free tenor of God\u2019s covenant. There is much\ncontroversy speculative about the condition of the covenant, about the\npromises, whether absolute or conditional; and there is too much practical\ndebate in perplexed consciences about this, how to find something in\nthemselves to fit and fashion them for the redemption. But truly, if we\nwould not disjoin and dismember the truth of God, but take it all entirely\nas one great design of love and mercy revealed to sinners, and so conjoin\nthe promises of the covenant into one bundle, we would certainly find that\nit hath the voice of Jacob, though it seem to have the hand of Esau; we\nfind an absolute, most free and unconditioned sense, when there is a\nconditional strain and shadow of words in some places. The truth is, the\nturning of souls from ungodliness is not properly a condition exacted from\nus, as a promise to be performed in us, and the chiefest part of Christ\u2019s\nredemption; and though some abuse the grace of God, and turn it into\nwantonness and liberty, yet certainly, this doctrine, that makes the\ngreatest part of the glad news of the gospel to be redemption from sin,\nand the pouring out of the Spirit, is the greatest persuasive to a godly\nconversation, and the most deadly enemy to all ungodliness.\n\nI thought to have spoken more of that third thing I proponed,(302) but\ntake it in a word. This was always proponed to the church as the strongest\ncordial, it was given here as the greatest consolation in all their long\ncaptivity, that this Redeemer was afterwards to come, whose virtue was\nthen living, and present to the quickening and comforting of souls. It was\nthought enough to uphold in a most desperate strait, \u201cTo us a child is\nborn,\u201d Isa. ix. 6. I wish we could take it so. Certainly it was the\ncharacter of a believer before Christ\u2019s coming, that he was one that was\nlooking and waiting for the salvation of Israel, by this Redeemer. But now\nwe are surrounded with consolation before and behind,\u2014Christ already come,\nso that we may in joy say, Lo! this is our God, we have waited for him!\nothers waited and longed, and we see him,\u2014and Christ shortly to come again\nwithout sin, to our salvation. And what could be able to take our joy from\nus, if we had one eye always back to his first coming, and another always\nforward to his coming again?\n\n\n\n\nSermon XV.\n\n\n    Isaiah lxiv 6, 7.\u2014\u201cBut we are all as an unclean thing, and all our\n    righteousnesses are as filthy rags,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThis people\u2019s condition agreeth well with ours, though the Lord\u2019s dealing\nbe very different. The confessory part of this prayer belongeth to us now;\nand strange it is, that there is such odds of the Lord\u2019s dispensations,\nwhen there is no difference in our conditions; always we know not how soon\nthe complaint may be ours also. This prayer was prayed long before the\njudgment and captivity came on, so that it had a prophecy in the bosom of\nit. Nay, it was the most kindly and affectionate way of warning the people\ncould get, for Isaiah to pour forth such a prayer, as if he beheld with\nhis eyes the calamity, as already come. And indeed it becometh us so to\nlook on the word, as if it gave a present being to things as certain and\nsensible as if they were really. What strange stupidity must be in us,\nwhen present things, inflicted judgments, committed sins, do not so much\naffect us, as the foresight of them did. Love Isaiah! Always,(303) as this\nwas registrate for the people\u2019s use, to cause them to still look on\njudgments threatened, as performed and present, and anticipate the day of\naffliction by repentance; and also to be a pattern to them, how to deal\nwith God, and plead with him from such grounds of mercy and\ncovenant-interest: so it may be to us a warning, especially when sin is\ncome to the maturity, and our secure backsliding condition is with child\nof sad judgments, when the harvest seemeth ripe to put the sickle into it.\n\nThere is in these two verses, a confession of their own sinfulness, from\nwhich grounds they justify God\u2019s proceeding with them, they take the cause\nupon themselves, and justify him in his judging, whether temporal or\nspiritual plagues were inflicted. In this verse,(304) they take a general\nsurvey of their sinful estate, concluding themselves unclean, and all\ntheir performances and commanded duties, which they counted once their\nrighteousness: and from this ground, they clear God\u2019s dealing with them,\nand put their mouths in the dust; and so from the Lord\u2019s judgment they are\nforced to enter into a search of the cause of so much sin; and from\ndiscovered sin, they pronounce God righteous in his judgment. Perceiving a\ngreat difference in the Lord\u2019s manner of dealing with them, and their\nfathers, they do not refound(305) it upon God, who is righteous in all his\nways, but retort it upon themselves, and find a vast discrepance between\nthemselves and their fathers, verse 5. And so it was no wonder that God\u2019s\ndispensation changed upon them. God was wont to meet others, to show\nhimself gracious, even to prevent strokes, but now he was wroth with them.\nNay, but there is good cause for it. They rejoice and wrought\nrighteousness, but we have sinned. And this may be said in the\ngeneral,\u2014never one needeth to quarrel God for severe dealing. If he deal\nworse with one than with another, let every man look into his own bosom,\nand see reason sufficient; yea, more provocation in themselves than\nothers. Always in this verse, they come to a more distinct view of their\nloathsome condition. Anybody may wrap up their repentance in a general\nnotion of sin, but they declare themselves to be more touched with it, and\ncondescend on particulars, yet such particulars as comprehend many others.\nAnd in this confession, you may look on the Spirit\u2019s work, having some\ncharacters of the Spirit in it.\n\nI. They take a general view of their uncleanness and loathsome estate by\nsin; not only do they see sin, but sin in the sinfulness of it and\nuncleanness of it.\n\nII. They not only conclude so of the natural estate they were born in, and\nthe loathsomeness of their many foul scandals among them; but they go a\nfurther length, to pass as severe a sentence on their duties and\nordinances as God hath done, Isa. i. and lxvi. The Spirit convinceth\naccording to scripture\u2019s light, and not according to the dark spark of\nnature\u2019s light; and so that which nature would have busked(306) itself\nwith as its ornament, that which they had covered themselves with as their\ngarment, the duties they had spread, as robes of righteousness, over their\nsins to hide them; all this now goeth under the name of filthiness and\nsin. They see themselves wrapt up in as vile rags as they covered and hid:\ncommanded duties and manifest breaches come in one category. And not only\nis it some of them which their own conscience could challenge in the time,\nbut all of them and all kinds of them, moral and ceremonial, duties that\nwere most sincere, had most affection in them, all of them are filthy rags\nnow, which but of late were their righteousness.\n\nIII.  There is an universality, not only of the actions, but of persons;\nnot only all the peoples or multitudes\u2019 performances are abomination; but\nall of them, Isaiah, and one and other, the holiest of them, come in in\nthis category and rank\u2014\u201cwe are all unclean,\u201d &c. Though the people, it may\nbe, could not join holy Isaiah with themselves, yet humble Isaiah will\njoin himself with the people, and come in, in one prayer. And no doubt, he\nwas as sensible of sin now, as when he began to prophesy; and growing in\nholiness, he must grow also in sense of sinfulness. Seeing at the first\nsight of God\u2019s holiness and glory, he cried \u201cunclean,\u201d &c. Isa. vi. 5,\ncertainly he doth so now, from such a principle of access to God\u2019s\nholiness, which maketh him abhor himself in dust and ashes.\n\nIV. They are not content with such a general, but condescend to two\nspecial things, two spiritual sins, viz. omission, or shifting of\nspiritual duties, which contained the substance of worship. \u201cNone calleth\non thee,\u201d few or none, none to count upon, calleth on thee; that is,\ncareth for immediate access and approaching unto God in prayer and\nmeditation, &c. Albeit external and temple-duties be frequent, yet who\nprayeth in secret? or if any pray, that cannot come in count, the Lord\nknoweth them not, because they want the Spirit\u2019s stamp on them.    This\nmust be some other thing than the general conviction of sin which the\nworld hath, who think they pray all their days; here people, who though\nthey make many prayers, Isa. i., yet they see them no prayers, and no\ncalling on God\u2019s name now.\n\nV. To make the challenge the more, and the confession more spiritual and\ncomplete, there is discovered to them this ground of their slackness and\nnegligence in all spiritual duties, \u201cNone stirreth up himself to take hold\non thee.\u201d Here is the want of the exercise of faith: faith is the soul\u2019s\nhand and grip, John i. 12; Heb. vi. 18; 1 Tim. vi. 12; Isa. xxvii. 5.\nNobody awaketh themselves out of their deadness and security, to lay hold\non thee. Lord, thou art going away, and taking good-night of the land, and\nnobody is like to hold thee by the garment; no Jacobs here, who will not\nlet thee go, till thou bless them; none to prevail with thy Majesty,\u2014every\none is like to give Christ a free passport and testimonial to go abroad,\nand are almost Gadarenes, to pray him to depart out of their coasts. There\nis a strange looseness and indifferency in men\u2019s spirits concerning the\none thing necessary. Men lie by and dream over their days, and never put\nthe soul\u2019s estate out of question; none will give so much pains, as to\nclear their interest in thee, to lay hold on thee, so as they may make\npeace with thee. Now, can there be a more ample and lively description of\nour estate, both of the land and of particular persons of it? Since this\nmust not be limited to the nation of the Jews, though the prophet spake of\nthe generality of them, yet, no doubt, all mankind is included in the\nfirst six verses; and any secure people may be included in the seventh\nverse, for Paul applieth even such like speeches (Rom. xi. 13.) that were\nspoken, as you would think, of David\u2019s enemies only. Yet the Spirit of God\nknowing the mind of the Spirit, maketh a more general use of their\ncondition, to hold out the natural estate of all men out of Christ Jesus.\n\nBut there are in these two verses other two things beside the\nacknowledgment of sin:\n\nI. The acknowledgment of God\u2019s righteousness in punishing them, for now\nthey need not quarrel God, they find the cause of their fading in their\nown bosom. They now join sin and punishment together, whereas in the time\nof their prosperity they separated punishment from sin; and in the time of\ntheir security in adversity they separated sin from punishment: at one\ntime making bare confession of sin, without fear of God\u2019s justice, at\nanother time fretting and murmuring at his judgments, without the sense of\ntheir sin. But now they join both these, and the sight and sense of God\u2019s\ndispleasure maketh sin more bitter, and to abound more, and to appear in\nthe loathsome and provoking nature of it, so that their acknowledgment\nhath an edge upon it. And again, the sight and sense of sin maketh the\njudgment appear most righteous, and stoppeth their mouth from murmuring.\nIn the time of their impenitency under the rod, their language was very\nindifferent, Ezek. xviii. 2. \u201cThe fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the\nchildren\u2019s teeth are set on edge;\u201d they have sinned and we suffer; they\nhave done the wrong and we pay for it. But it is not so now, ver. 5. The\nfathers have done righteousness in respect of us, and thou wast good unto\nthem; but we are all unclean, and have sinned, and so we are punished.\n\nII. They find some cause and ground in God of their general defection; not\nthat he is the cause of their sin, but in a righteous way he punished sin\nwith sin. God hid his face, denied special grace and influence; and so\nthey lie still in their security, and their sin became a spiritual plague.\nOr this may be so read,\u2014_None calleth on thy name, when thou didst hide\nthy face from us, and when thou didst consume us because of our\niniquities_; and so it serveth to aggravate their deep security, that,\nthough the Lord was departing from them, yet none would keep him and hold\nhim. Though he did strike, yet they prayed not; affliction did not awake\nthem out of security, and so the last words, \u201cThou hast consumed us,\u201d &c.,\nare differently exponed and read. Some make it thus, as it is in the\ntranslation, \u201cThou hast hid thy face,\u201d and left us in a spiritual\ndeadness, that so there might be no impediment to bring on deserved\njudgment. If we had called on thee, and laid hold on thee, it might have\nbeen prevented, we might have prevailed with God, but now our defence is\nremoved, and thou hast given us up to a spirit of slumber, and so we have\nno shield to hold off the stroke,\u2014thou hast now good leave to consume us\nfor our sins. Another sense may be\u2014_Thou hast suffered us to consume in\nour iniquity, thou hast given us up to the hand of our sins._ And this is\nalso a consequent of his hiding his face. Because thou didst hide thy\nface, thou lettest us perish in our sins; there needeth no more for our\nconsumption, but only help us not out of them, for we can soon destroy\nourselves.\n\n_First_, Sin is in its own nature loathsome, and maketh one unclean before\nGod. Sin\u2019s nature is filthiness, vileness, so doth Isaiah speak of\nhimself, chap. vi. 5, when he saw God\u2019s holiness; so doth Job abhor\nhimself, which  is the affection which turneth a man\u2019s face off a\nloathsome object, when he saw God, Job xl. 4, and xlii. 6. Look how\nloathsome our natural condition is holden out by God himself, Ezek. xvi.\nYou cannot imagine any deformity in the creature, any filthiness, but it\nis there. The filthiness and vileness of sin shall appear, if we consider\n_first_ that sin is a transgression of the holy and spiritual command, and\nso a vile thing, the commandment is holy and good, Rom. vii.  And sin\nviolateth and goeth flat contrary to the command, 1 John iii. 4.  When so\njust and so equitable a law is given, God might have exacted other\nrigorous duties from us, but when it is so framed that the conscience must\ncry out, All is equity, all is righteous and more than righteous, thou\nmightest command more, and reward none.  It is justice to command, but it\nis mercy to promise life to obedience, which I owe,\u2014what then must the\noffence be, against such a just command, and so holy?  If holiness be the\nbeauty of the creation, sin must be the deformity of it, the only spot in\nits face.\n\n_Secondly_, Look upon sin in the sight of God\u2019s holiness and infinite\nmajesty, and O how heinous will it appear! and therefore no man hath seen\nsin in the vileness of it, but in the light of God\u2019s countenance, as Isa.\nvi. 5, Job. xl. and xlii.  God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity,\nhe cannot look on it, Hab. i. 13.  All other things beside sin, God\nlooketh on them as bearing some mark of his own image, all was very good,\nand God saw it, Gen. i. and ii. Even the basest creatures God looketh on\nthem, and seeth himself in them, but sin is only God\u2019s eyesore, that his\nholiness cannot away with it, it is most contrary unto him, and as to his\nsovereignty, it is a high contempt and rebellion done to God\u2019s Majesty.\nIt putteth God off the throne, will take no law from him, will not\nacknowledge his law, but, as it were, spitteth in his face, and\nestablisheth another god.  There is no punishment so evil, that God will\nnot own as his work, and declare himself to be the author of it, but only\nsin, his soul abhorreth it, his holy will is against it, he will have no\nfellowship with it, it is so contrary to him: contradicteth his will,\ndebaseth his authority, despiseth his sovereignty, upendeth his truth.\nThere is a kind of infiniteness in it, nothing can express it but itself\nno name worse than itself to set it out, the apostle can get no other\nepithet to it, Rom. vii. 13, than \u201csinful\u201d sin, so that it cometh in most\ndirect opposition unto God.  All that is in God, is God himself, and there\nis no name can express him sufficiently.  If you say God, you say more\nthan can be expressed by many thousand other words. So it is here\u2014sin is\npurely sin, God is purely good and holy, without mixture, holiness itself,\nsin is simply evil, without mixture, unholiness itself.  Whatever is in\nit, is sin, is uncleanness.  Sin is an infinite wrong, and an infinite and\nboundless filthiness, because of the infinite person wronged. It is an\noffence of infinite Majesty and the person wronged aggravateth the\noffence, if it be simply contrary to infinite holiness, it must be, in\nthat respect, infinite unholiness and uncleanness.\n\n_Thirdly_, Look upon the sad effects and consequences of sin,\u2014how\nmiserable, how ruinous it hath made man, and all the creation, and how\nvile must it be!\n\nI. Look on man\u2019s native beauty and excellency, how beautiful a creature!\nBut sin hath cast him down from the top of his excellency, sin made Adam\nof a friend an enemy, of a courtier with God an open rebel.  Was not man\u2019s\nsoul of more price than all the world, so that nothing can exchange it?\nYet hath sin debased it, and prostituted it to all vile filthy pleasures,\nhath made the immortal spirit to dwell on the dunghill, feed on ashes,\ncatch vanities, lying vanities, pour out itself to them, serve all the\ncreatures\u2014whereas it should have made them servants, yea, a slave to his\nown greatest enemy, to the ground he treadeth upon.  O what a degenerate\nplant!  It was a noble vine once in paradise, but sin hath made it a wild\none, to bring forth sour grapes. What is there in all the world could\ndefile a man?  Matt. xv. 20. Nothing that goeth out or cometh in, but sin\nthat proceedeth out of the heart. Man was all light, his judgment sinned\ninto his affections, and through all the man, but sin hath made all\ndarkness, closed up the poor captive understanding, hath built up a thick\nwall of gross corrupted affections about it, so that light can neither get\nin nor out.  The soul was like a clear running fountain, which yielded\nfresh clear streams of holy inclinations, desires, affections, actions and\nemptied itself in the sea of immense Majesty from which these streams\nfirst flowed, but now it is a standing putrified puddle, that casteth a\nvile stink round about, and hath no issue towards God. Man was a glorious\ncreature, fit to be lord over the work of God\u2019s own hands, and therefore\nhad God\u2019s image in a special manner, holiness and righteousness, God\u2019s\nnature. A piece of divinity was stamped on man, which outshined all\ncreated perfections. The sun might blush when it looked on him, for what\nwas material glory to the glory of holiness and beauty of God\u2019s image! But\nsin hath robbed poor man of this glorious image, hath defaced man, marred\nall his glory, put on an hellish likeness on him. Holiness only putteth\nthe difference between angels in heaven and devils in hell, and sin only\nhath made the difference between Adam in paradise, and sinners on the\ncursed ground, Rom. iii. 23.\n\nII. Sin hath so redounded through man unto all the creation, that it hath\ndefiled it, and made it corruptible and subject to vanity, (Rom. viii. 20,\n&c.,) so that this is a spot in all the creature\u2019s face,\u2014that man hath\nsinned, and used all as weapons of unrighteousness, so that now the\ncreature groaneth to be delivered.\n\nIII. It hath brought on all the misery that is come on man, or that is to\ncome, it hath brought on death and damnation as its wages, and the curse\nof the eternal God, Gal. iii. 13, Rom. vi. 23. How odious then an evil\nmust it be, that hath so much evil in it yea, all evil in the bosom of it!\nHell is not evil in respect of sin, for sin deserveth hell, it hath ruined\nman, and made all the beautiful order of the creation to change.\n\nIV. It separateth man from God, which is worst of all, and this is\nincluded in the text, \u201cWe are all as an unclean thing,\u201d or man is as a\nleprous man set apart, because of pollution, that may not come to the\ntemple, or worship God, so hath iniquity separated between God and us,\nIsa. lix. 2. And O how sad a divorcement is this! it maketh men without\nGod in the world, in whom we live, and move, and have our being, in whose\nfavour is life, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore. Now\npoor man is made miserable, deprived of his felicity, which only consisted\nin enjoyment of God. Sin as a thick partition wall, is come in between,\nenmity also is come in, and divideth old friends, Eph. ii. 14-17, and now\nno heavenly or comfortable influence can break through the night of\ndarkness is begun which must prove everlasting. Except the partition-wall\nbe removed, all must wither and decay as without the sun.\n\nV. Look on the price paid for sin, on the cleansing that washeth it away,\nand you may see unspeakable deformity and vileness in it. The redemption\nof the soul is precious silver and gold and precious stones will not do\nit,\u2014that would be utterly contemned. \u201cWhat!\u201d saith God, \u201cpresumptuous\nsinner, wilt thou give me a farthing in payment of a sum which all the\nworld, sold at the dearest, would not discharge?\u201d Psal. xlix. 7, 8,  1\nPet. i. 18. It is no corruptible thing, but the blood of the Son of God. O\nwhat must the debt be, when the price is so infinite! the Son of God must\ndie, nay, it is not sacrifice or offering\u2014\u201cLo, I come to do thy will,\u201d it\nis Christ himself that is the ransom, Psal. xl. 6, 7. And it is not much\nsoap or nitre, it is not much repentance and tears that will wash away\nthis filthiness, no, it is of a deeper dye, it is crimson ingrained\nfilthiness, Jer. ii. 22 and Isa. i. 16. Blood of bulls and goats cannot do\nit, but only the blood of the immaculate Lamb offered up by himself, (Heb.\nx. 4, 5,) the blood of Him, \u201cwho by the eternal Spirit offered up himself\nwithout spot unto God,\u201d Heb. ix. 14. What must sin be, that must have such\na fountain opened for it? It must be strange uncleanness when the blood of\nChrist only can cleanse it, Zech. xiii. 1.\n\n\u201cWe all,\u201d &c. Mark, _first_, Sin hath gone over us all, and made all\nmankind unclean, Rom. iii. 10, 22. Every one of Adam\u2019s posterity is born\nunclean, \u201cFor who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?\u201d Job. xiv. 4.\nConsider: How sin defaced innocent Adam, how one sin made him so vile, and\nspoiled him of the divine nature, and so the root was made unclean, and\nthe branches must follow the root, and so are we all born and conceived in\nsin, Psalm li. 5. We carry in us original corruption, flowing from the\nfirst actual sin of Adam, and this maketh poor children, before they do\ngood or evil, to be abominably vile in God\u2019s sight, even as the child is\nset out, Ezek. xvi. Every one cometh of evil parents, all come of Adam the\nrebel, what a loathsome sight would a child be to us so described, \u201cCast\nout in the open field, to the loathing of its person in the day it is\nborn,\u201d and what must it all be before God, who is of purer eyes than to\nbehold sin? _Secondly_, Unto all this we have added innumerable actual\ntransgressions as so many filthy streams flowing out at the members, from\nthe inward puddle of original corruption; and so how much more vile are we\nall nor infants can be, or Adam was in the day he was cast out of\nparadise! And thus, Rom. iii. from verse 10, are the branches set down in\nword, thought, and deed; so that all the inclinations and motions and\nactions of the man are only evil continually. Every man shall find his\ncount past counting; one day\u2019s faults would weary you, but what will your\nwhole life do? Known sins are innumerable, what must unknown be? Every\nman\u2019s heart is like the troubled sea, that casteth up mire and dirt daily,\nand cannot be at rest. The heart is daily flowing and ebbing in this\ncorruption, it cometh out daily to the borders of all the members; and\nthere are some high spring-tides, when sin aboundeth more. When in one\nmember of the tongue a world of evil is, what can be in all the members?\nAnd what in the soul, that is more capable than all the world? Well, then,\nevery man hath sinned in Adam, and hath sinned also in his own person, and\nsealed Adam\u2019s first rebellion by so many thousand actions like it. Every\nman hath approven the sin that first ruined man, and made himself much\nmore loathsome nor Adam was; therefore all mankind may say, \u201cWe all are as\nan unclean thing.\u201d Now from all this, we would gladly discover unto you\nwhat your condition is by sin; if the Lord would shine, how vile would you\nbe! Always we must declare this unto you in the Lord\u2019s name, you are all\nunclean, not only born in sin and iniquity, not only have you a body of\ndeath within you, that hath all the members; but all these members have\none time or other acted and brought forth fruit unto death. How vile,\nthen, must you be in God\u2019s sight! It is a strange love that you have to\nyourselves, that you cannot apprehend how God can hate you! But if he find\nsin in you, wonder rather how he can look upon you; we would then have you\nto know this, that there can be no fellowship between God and you in your\nnatural estate. As men cannot inhabit a vile person\u2019s house, no more can\nGod enter into your souls. There is an absolute necessity of washing,\nbefore you can be his house and temple. Hath that one sin of Adam made\nthat glorious person so deformed, that he could not look on himself, but\ncover himself? And hath it been of so defiling a nature, that it hath\nredounded in all the posterity; and, as unclean things under the law\ndefiled all they touched, so hath that sin subjected all the creatures to\ncorruption? O then imagine what an unspeakable defilement must be on us\nall, who are not only guilty of Adam\u2019s sin, but of many thousands beside!\nIf one sin have so much loathsomeness in it, what must so many out of\nnumber, united in one person, even as in us all? No unclean thing can\nenter into heaven above: know this for a truth, you cannot see God\u2019s face\nin the case you are born into. You know nothing of sin, who wonder that\nany should go to hell. No, if you knew anything of sin, you would wonder\nthat ever God should look on such cast out in the open field in their\nblood.\n\n_Next_, You must know the insufficiency of all things imaginable, to wash\naway sin\u2019s filthiness, except the blood of Christ. Since you are unclean,\ndo you not ask, how shall we be washed? Indeed many have an easy answer,\nand pass it lightly. The multitude know no way to cleanse in, but the\ntears of repentance and mourning; and so, many think themselves clean,\nwhen they run and pour out a tear as Esau did for the blessing. But what\nsaith the Lord?  \u201cThough thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much\nsoap, yet thine iniquity is marked.\u201d  Can such an ingrained uncleanness,\ncan such an infinite spot in the immortal soul, be so lightly dashed out?\nMany think baptism cleanseth them, but was not this people circumcised, as\nye are baptized?  And Peter tells us, it is not the washing of water, &c.\n1 Pet. iii. 21. Sacrifice and offering will not do it. This people\nthought, sure they had satisfied God, when they brought a lamb, &c., but\nall this is abomination. Would not many of you think yourselves cleansed\nfrom sin, if you offered all your substance, and the fruit of your body\nfor the sin of your soul? Nay, but you must see an absolute necessity of\nthe opened fountain of Christ\u2019s blood, that cleanseth from all sin.\n\nThen we would have you abhor yourselves in dust and ashes, and see nothing\nin all the creation so vile as you; look on sin in the sight of God\u2019s\nface, and how unholy will it appear! There are many sins, little ones,\nthat in our practice pass for venal and uncontrolled; but look on the\nfilthy loathsome nature of all sin, and hate the least offence, for it\nhath a kind of infiniteness in it, and blotteth the soul, defileth the\nperson. How great a necessity is there of continual application to the\nfountain, of dwelling beside it, that you may wash daily!  David\u2019s so\noften repeated and inculcated prayer, \u201cWash me, cleanse me,\u201d &c. Psalm\nli., declareth that he hath apprehended much uncleanness in sin, that it\nneedeth so many applications of the precious blood. And you who have come\nto Jesus, and are clean, O how much owe you to free grace, that passed by\nyou in your blood, and said, \u201cLive, it is a time of love!\u201d How strange is\nit, that glorious Majesty cometh to own deformity, and cometh to clothe it\nwith his own garments! Praise the virtue of that blood, that is more\nprecious than the blood of bulls and goats, that can so throughly purge,\nas you shall have no more conscience of sin.\n\nUnclean sinners, wash you, make you clean,\u2014there is a fountain opened;\nthough sin were as scarlet, it can perfectly change the colour of it. If\nyou wash not while the fountain is open, it will quickly be sealed on you,\nand then it shall be said, when the angel sweareth by him that liveth\nforever and ever, that time shall be no more, then shall it be said, \u201clet\nhim that is unclean be unclean still.\u201d  Now, cleansing is offered in the\ngospel,\u2014if you will love your loathsomeness so well, as not to dip\nyourselves in this fountain, then let the unclean be so still. Your\nrepentance will never change your colour, though you should melt in\nsorrow: and therefore you who have found a way to be saved otherwise\nnor(307) by Jesus Christ, you shall be deceived. Your tears and mourning\nthat you might have had, though Christ had never come into the world, is\nall you use to speak of, and build your hope on; and if you speak of\nChrist, it is in such terms as to buy him by such repentance; so that the\ntruth is, you use but Christ\u2019s name as a shadow, you make no use of him;\nhe needed not to have come into the world, for many of you could have done\nas well without him. But as many of you as cannot find cleansing, who see\nfilth increase by washing, come to Christ Jesus, and say, \u201cIf you wilt,\nthou canst make me clean,\u201d Matt viii. 2. Nothing beside Jesus can do\nit\u2014believe his sufficiency. Nothing beside him will do\u2014believe his\nwillingness; for, for this cause he is an open fountain, that all may come\nand draw.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVI.\n\n\n    Isaiah lxiv. 6, 7.\u2014\u201cAll our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,\n    and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind,\n    have taken us away.\u201d\n\n\nNot only are the direct breaches of the command uncleanness, and men\noriginally and actually unclean, but even our holy actions, our commanded\nduties. Take a man\u2019s civility, religion, and all his universal inherent\nrighteousness,\u2014all are filthy rags. And here the church confesseth nothing\nbut what God accuseth her of, Isa. lxvi. 8, and chap. i. ver. 11, 12, 13,\n&c. This people was much in ceremonial and external duties; and therefore\nthey cried, \u201cThe temple of the Lord, the temple of Lord!\u201d as if this would\nhave outcried all their other sins; therefore were they proud, and lords\nin their own estimation, and innocent, Jer. ii. 31, 35. They thought the\nmany good services they did to God might compense all their wrongs, Mic.\nvi. 6, 7. They gave a price to justice for their sins, even a confession\nof it, by offering a lamb, &c. and a purpose to amend. But, lo! what sense\nthe prophet hath of all this, \u201cLord, all our righteousnesses\u201d are filthy\nlikewise. Albeit we have paid the debt of sins with duties, yet now we see\nall these are sins themselves, and must have another sacrifice; so that\nall matter of boasting is now removed, and we are stript naked of all\nrighteousness. We covered our filthiness before with duties, now both the\none and the other is filthy. We would look upon two sorts of\nrighteousnesses, the natural man\u2019s, and the converted man\u2019s, upon the\none\u2019s civility and fair profession, and upon the other\u2019s real or true\ngrace in discharge of duties, and we shall find good reason to conclude\nboth the one and the other under filthiness, so that there is no ground of\nboasting, no inherent righteousness can make us accepted before God.\n\n_First_, then, Whatever men can do from natural principles, all the flower\nand perfection of men\u2019s actions, both civil and religious, is but\nabominable before God, as long as their persons are unjustified. Every\nperformance is defiled by the uncleanness of the person; and therefore God\nheareth not sinners, (John viii.,) that is, unjustified sinners; though\nthey pray much, yet God heareth them not. And this is lively expressed by\nHag. ii. 12, 13, 14. As the priest\u2019s holy garments and flesh could not\nmake bread or pottage holy, but the unclean body could make these unclean;\nso this nation\u2019s and people\u2019s performances and holy duties, could not make\nthem holy, and their persons clean, but their unclean persons and actions\nmade all their performances unclean. The solemn meeting and sacrifice, &c.\ncould not make them accepted, but their unclean persons made their solemn\nmeetings and religious duties vile and abominable in God\u2019s sight: and thus\nto the unclean all things are unclean, even their mind and conscience,\nTit. i. 15. The unbelieving man, who is born unclean, and defiled with so\nmuch original corruption, and so many actual transgressions, defileth all\nthings he toucheth. As a dead body, or a leprous garment, under the law,\nmade all unclean it touched, and nothing could make it holy by touching of\nit; so all your civility, all your profession, will never contribute to\nthe cleansing of your person; and your persons shall defile all your most\nclean actions. God loveth not that stock of Adam, and all that groweth on\nit must be hateful; he is only well-pleased in Jesus Christ, and with\nthose who are transplanted out of rotten Adam into the true vine Jesus. It\nis such fruit only that can be acceptable; therefore, until you be\nsprinkled with clean water, and made clean according to the new\ncovenant-way, you cannot please God. Believe this,\u2014your sins and your\nduties are one, your oaths and your prayers are in the same account with\nGod. What have you then to build upon, when all this is removed? You must\nonce he stript naked of all coverings; and will not your nakedness then be\ngreat? The Pharisee went away unjustified, and the poor repenting sinner\njustified. What was the reason? There are not many of you have such a fair\nventure for heaven as he had,\u2014so many prayers, fastings, alms, to ground\nyour hope on. Nay, but all this would never justify his person, because\nonce he was unclean, come of Adam, and had contracted more uncleanness,\nand all that is like the leprous garment, defiling all that cometh near\nit; so that whatever hath any dependence on a son of Adam, must contract\nfilthiness. Now, I ask your consciences, have you so many specious\ncoverings to adorn yourself with? Is not your outside spotted, and not so\nclean as the young civil man and the religious Pharisee? Certainly no; and\nyet you have no other ground to plead the acceptation of your persons\nupon, but only this, your prayers and tears, or some such duty performed\nby you. Well, all is uncleanness, since your persons were once unclean,\u2014no\nsoap nor nitre can wash it, no holy flesh make it holy, no good wishes nor\nduties can make it acceptable. Did not this people think of their duties\nas much as you do? and had more reason so to do; for our congregations\nhave not so much form of godliness as they had, and yet God solemnly\nprotested to them that all their works were defiled, even those which they\ntook to wash themselves with. So your repentance and tears must be as\nfilthy as the sin you would wash by it.\n\n_Secondly_, The uncleanness of men\u2019s practice maketh unclean performances.\nUnclean hands maketh unclean prayers, Isa. i. 15. When men go on in sin,\nand use their members as instruments of unrighteousness against God, and\nguiltiness is above their head unrepented of and unpardoned, then whatever\nthe members act for God in religious duties, it must be also abominable;\nfor will God take prayers from such a mouth, that cursing cometh out of?\nIsa. iii. 10, 11, 12. Shall sweet water come out of one fountain with\nbitter? Or can a fig-tree bear both thistles and grapes? Certainly,\nprofane conversation must make unclean profession; and therefore your\ncoming to the church and ordinances, your praying in your families, or\nsuch like, must of necessity be defiled, since out of the same mouth\ncometh cursing, railing, lying, filthy speeches. Your tongues are so often\nemployed in God\u2019s dishonour, to blaspheme his name, to slander your\nneighbours, to reproach the saints, that all your prayers must be of the\nsame stamp, and as bitter as the other stream of your actions. When you\nstretch forth your hands to make many prayers, to take the bread and wine,\nshall not God hide his face from such hands as are unclean with many\nabominations, some murdering, some abusing their neighbours, some sabbath\nbreaking, some filthiness? How oft have your hands and feet served you to\nevil turns? And therefore, your good turns will never come in remembrance.\nNay, believe it, you cannot be heard of God, while you cover any offence.\nAnd this I may say in general, even to the saints; any known sin given way\nto, and entertained without controlment, without wrestling against it,\nhindereth the acceptation of your solemn approaches. If your heart regard\niniquity, shall God hear? Psal. lxvi. 18. No, believe it, the least sin\nthat you may judge at first venial, and then give it toleration and\nindulgence, shall separate between God\u2019s face and you. Your prayers are\nabomination, because of such an idol perked up in the heart beside God,\nthat getteth the honour and worship due to him, and God must answer you\naccording to it, Ezek. xix. 1, 3, 4. God will not be inquired of such as\ngive allowance to sin, Ezek. xiv. 2-4. And, on the other hand, no sin, how\ngreat and heinous soever, can hinder God\u2019s gracious acceptation, when\nsouls fly unto Jesus and turn their back upon sin, or giveth it no heart\nallowance. And to the multitude I say, all that you do or touch in a duty\nmust be defiled, because your whole way is unclean, Hag. ii. 12-14. Think\nyou to sin all the week through, and worship God on the Sabbath? Will you\nlie, swear, commit adultery, rail and curse, and come and stand before me,\nsaith the Lord? No, certainly, you cannot be accepted. And will you hate\nreformation in your lives, and yet take his covenant in your mouth, and\ncall yourselves by his name, \u201cChristians?\u201d And shall not God challenge you\nfor that, as much as for your swearing, and cursing, and lying, &c.?\nIndeed the Lord putteth all in one roll, and you need not please\nyourselves in such things, Psal. i. 16; Jer. vii. 9, 10; for it is all one\nto you to go to tavern to drink, and come to the sermon,\u2014to blaspheme\nGod\u2019s name, and call on it; because the profanity of the one defileth the\nother, and the holiness of the other cannot make you holy.\n\n_Thirdly_, The natural man\u2019s performances want the uprightness, reality,\nand sincerity that is required. It is but a painted tomb, full of\nrottenness within; it is but a shadow without substance, for he wanteth\nthe spiritual part of worship, which God careth for, who will be\nworshipped \u201cin spirit and in truth,\u201d John iv. 24. Now, what is it that the\nmost part of you can speak of, but an outside of some few duties, soon\nnumbered? You hear the preaching, and your hearts wander about your\nbusiness. You hear, and are not so much affected as you would be to hear\nsome old story or fable told you. A stage play acted before this\ngeneration would move them more than the gospel doth; so that Christ may\ntake up this lamentation, \u201cWe have piped to you, and you have not danced;\nlamented to you, and you have not mourned.\u201d You use to tell over some\nwords in your prayers, and are not so serious in any approach to God, as\nin twenty other things of the world. Whatever you plead of your heart\u2019s\nrightness, and have recourse to it, when your conversation cannot defend\nyou, yet your hearts are the worst of all, and have no uprightness towards\nGod; for you know that what duties you go about, it is not from an inward\nprinciple, but from education, or custom, or constraint. Are you upright,\nwhen you are forced, for fear of censure, to come here, or to pray at\nhome? Is that sincerity and spiritual worship? And for the more polished\nand refined professors, you have this moth in your performances, and this\nfly to make your ointment to stink, that you do much to be seen of men.\nTherefore, what little fervour of spirit is in secret duties, there you\nmay measure your attitude and your life. And O! how wearisome, how\nlifeless are secret approaches! You would not have many errands to God, if\nyou thought no body looked upon you. And for spirituality, it is a mystery\nin all men\u2019s practice. Who directeth his duty to God\u2019s glory? If you get\nsome flash of liberty, you have your desire; but who misseth God\u2019s\npresence in duties, which a world will approve? Who go mourning as without\nthe sun, even when you have the sunshine of ordinances, and walk in the\nlight of them?\n\nAnd, _Fourthly_, Though your performances had uprightness of heart going\nalong, and much affection in them, yet all are filthy, because of want of\nfaith in Jesus Christ. When you make your duties a covering of your sins,\nand think to satisfy God\u2019s justice for the rest of your faults, by doing\nsome point of your duty, then it cannot choose but be polluted in his\nsight. And this very thing was the cause of God\u2019s rejecting the Jews\u2019\nrighteousness, even because they did not look to the end of the mystery,\nChrist Jesus: did not pull by the vail of ceremonies, to see the\nimmaculate Lamb of God slain for sin; and therefore doth the Lord so\nquarrel with them, as if he had never commanded them to do such things,\nIsa. i. 12, 13, \u201cWho hath required these things at your hands? Bring no\nmore vain oblations;\u201d all is abomination. Even as God should say to you,\nwhen you come to the church, Who required you to come? Who commanded you\nto come to hear the preaching? What have you to do to pray? What warrant\nhave you to communicate? All your praying, hearing, communicating, is\nabomination; who commanded you to do these things? Would you not think it\na foolish question? You would soon answer, that God himself commanded you,\nand will he not let us do his bidding? Indeed this people, no doubt, have\nsaid so in their heart, and wondered what it meant. Nay, but here is the\nmystery,\u2014you go about these commanded duties not in a commanded way, and\nso the obedience is but rebellion. You bring offerings and incense, and\nthink that I am pacified when you bring alms,\u2014you judge you have given me\na recompence; whereas, all that is mine, and what pleasure have I in these\nthings? I never appointed you sacrifices for this end, but to lead you\ninto the knowledge of my Son, which is to be slain in the fulness of time,\nand by one offering to perfect all. I commanded you to look on Jesus\nChrist slain, in the slain Lamb, and so to expect remission and salvation\nin him; but you never looked to more nor the ceremony, and made that your\nsaviour and mediator; and therefore it is all abomination. When you slay a\nlamb, and offer incense, it is all one thing as to cut off a dog\u2019s neck,\nor kill a man. So may the Lord say to this generation, I command you to\npray, to repent and mourn for sin, to come and hear the word; but withal\nyou must deny all these, and count yourselves unprofitable servants; you\nmust singly cast your soul\u2019s burden on Christ Jesus. But now, saith the\nLord, who commanded your repentance? For when you sit down to pray, or\ncome in public to confess sin before the congregation, you think you are\nwashen. When you have said, you have sinned, and if you come to the length\nof tears and sorrow, O then, sure you are pardoned, though in the meantime\nyou have no thought of Jesus Christ, and know no use of him! Therefore,\nsaith the Lord, who commanded you to do these things? You think you have\nsatisfied for your sin, when you pay a penalty; but who requireth this? I\nwill reckon with you for these, as well as the sins you pray and mourn\nfor, because you do not singly look to Christ Jesus. Now, if he had never\ncome to the world, your ground of confidence would not fail you; for you\nmight have prayed as much, mourned and confessed, and promised amendment;\nand so you pass by the Son of God, in whom only the Father is\nwell-pleased. Think, then, upon this,\u2014whatever you make your\nrighteousness, there needeth no other thing to make it filthy, but to make\nit your righteousness. Your confidence in your good heart to God, prayer\nday and night, and such like, is the most loathsome thing in God\u2019s eyes.\nExcept you come to this, to count your prayers, as God doth, among your\noaths; to count your solemn duties among profane scandalous actions, as\nthe Lord doth, Isa. i. and lxvi. 3, then certainly, you do adorn\nyourselves with them, and cover your nakedness of other faults with such\nleaves as Adam did, but you shall be more discovered. Your garment is as\nfilthy as that it hideth, even because you make that use of it to hide\nyour sin and cover it.\n\n_Next_, The Lord\u2019s children have no ground of boasting either, from their\nown righteousness; the holiest saint on earth must abhor himself in dust\nand ashes, and holy Isaiah joineth himself in with a profane people. When\nhe cometh to God to be justified, he cometh among the ungodly,\u2014he bringeth\nno righteousness with him, he cometh in among them that work not. Now, you\nshall find good ground why it must be so:\n\nI. There are ordinarily many blemishes in our holiest actions, spots upon\nour cleanest garments; often formality eateth up the life of duties, and\nrepresenteth a body without a soul in it. You sit down to pray out of\ncustom, morning and evening; and if there were no more to prove it, this\nmay suffice. When pray you but at such times? You have an ordinary, and go\nnot by it. No advantage is taken of providence, no necessity constraineth\nwhen occasion offereth; and so it is like the world\u2019s appointed hours. How\ngreat deadness and indisposition creepeth in! so that this is the ordinary\ncomplaint; yea, all prayers are filled with it,\u2014scarcely any room for\nother petitions, because of the want of frame for prayer itself. The word\nis heard as a discourse, and on whom hath it operation to stir up\naffections, either of joy or of trembling? Christians, you come not to\nhear God speak, and so you meet with empty ordinances\u2014God is not in them.\nHow often do crooked and sinister ends creep in, and bias the spirit! Men\nask, to spend on their lusts, and to satisfy their own ambition. Some\nwould have more grace to be more eminent, or to have a more pleasant life;\nand this is but the seeking to spend on your lusts. If affection run in\nthe channel of a duty, it is often muddy, and runneth through our\ncorruptions: liberty in duties is principled with carnal affection and\nself-love. Will not often the wind of applause in company fill the sails,\nand make your course swifter and freer nor when you are alone? And often\nmuch love to a particular(308) maketh more in seeking it. And that which\nis a moth to eat up and consume all our duties is conceit and\nself-confidence in going about them, and attributing to ourselves after\nthem. It is but very rare that any man both acted from Jesus Christ as the\nprinciple, and also putteth over his work on Christ singly as the end.\nAlas! too often do men draw out of Christ\u2019s fulness, and raise up their\nown glory upon it, and adorn themselves with the spoils of his honour; for\nwe use to pray from a habit of it, and go to it as men acquainted with it,\nand when we get any satisfaction to our own minds, O how doth the soul\nreturn on itself, and goeth not forward as it goeth! It is so well pleased\nwith itself, when it getteth liberty to approach, that it doth not put all\nover on Jesus, and take shame to itself. As long as there is a body of\ndeath within, holiness cannot be pure and unmixed; our duties run through\na dirty channel, and cannot choose but contract filth. While sin lodgeth\nunder one roof so near grace, grace must be in its exercise marred; and\ntherefore the holy apostle must cry, Rom. vii. 19. \u201cThe good that I would,\nI do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do,\u201d and verse 24, \u201cO\nwretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?\u201d\n\nII. Though there were not such blemishes and spots in the face of our\nrighteousness, yet it is here in a state of imperfection, and but in its\nminority, and so must be filthy in the Lord\u2019s sight. It was perfect\nholiness, according to the perfect rule of God\u2019s law, that Adam was to be\njustified by, according to the covenant of works; exact obedience, not one\nwanting,\u2014or else all that can be done, came short of righteousness: one\nbreach bringeth the curse on. All obedience, if there be a failing in a\nlittle, will not bring the blessing on: he that doth all, liveth; and he\nthat doth not all, is cursed. And therefore, Christians, all you do cannot\ncommend your persons to God, for if he examine you by the rule of the law,\nO how short will the holiest come! Paul and Isaiah dare not come into such\na reckoning; neither is all obeyed, nor any in the measure and manner\ncommanded. And therefore, you might cry down all your performances, when\nyou could challenge them with no particular blot, with this\u2014all is short\nof the command, and infinitely short. I have been aiming at holiness so\nlong, I have stretched out my strength, and what have I attained? It may\nbe, I have outstripped equals, and there seemeth to be some distance\nbetween me and others; nay, but the command is unspeakably more before me\nnor I am before others. I have reached but a span of that boundless\nperfection of holiness; it is but a grain weight of the eternal weight of\ngrace, and I must forget it, and stand before God, as if I had lost mind\nof duties, appear in his presence as if I had attained nothing; for the\nlength that is before my hand drowneth up all attainments.\n\nIII. Nay, but put the case were man perfect, yet should he not know his\nsoul, but despise his life: the Lord putteth no trust in his servants, and\nhis angels he chargeth with folly, and the heavens are not clean in his\nsight; how then must man be abominable, that hath his foundation in the\ndust, and drinketh in iniquity like water? How should God magnify him? or\nhe be righteous that is born of a woman? Job xxv. 4, 6; xv. 14, 15; and\niv. 18, 19. Job was a great length in the sight of his own vileness and\nGod\u2019s holiness, when he saw this, \u201cThough I were perfect, yet I would not\nknow it, but despise it; I would not answer him, though I were righteous,\u201d\nchap. ix. 14, 15, 21. So unspeakably pure and clean is his holiness, that\nall created holiness hath a spot in it before his, and evanisheth, as the\nstars disappear when the sun riseth, which seem something in the darkness.\nThe angels\u2019 holiness, the heaven\u2019s glory, is nothing to him, before whom\nthe nations are as nothing; so that it is all the wonder of the world,\nthat ever God stooped so far below himself, even to righteous Adam, as to\nmake such a covenant with him, to account him righteous in obedience.\n\u201cWhat is man that thou shouldst magnify him? When I look to the heavens,\nand the sun, the work of thine hands, Lord, what is man?\u201d What is innocent\nman in his integrity, that thou shouldst magnify him, to give him a place\nto stand before thee, magnify him to be a party-contractor with thy\nglorious Majesty? Psalm viii. 4-6. But now, when this covenant is broken,\nit is become impossible to a son of Adam ever to stand before God in his\nperfection, for, how should man be righteous that is born of a woman? Job\nxv. 14. Since we once sinned, how should our righteousness ever come in\nremembrance? Therefore hath God chosen another way to cover man\u2019s\nwickedness and righteousness both, with his own righteousness, his Son\u2019s\ndivine human righteousness, which is so suited in his infinite wisdom for\nus. It is a man\u2019s righteousness, that it may agree with men, and be a fit\ngarment to cover them; it is God\u2019s righteousness, that it may be beautiful\nin God\u2019s eyes, for he seeth his own image in it. And it is not the created\ninherent righteousness of saints glorified, that shall be their upper\ngarment, that shall be their heaven and glory-suit, so to speak. They will\nnot glory in this, but only in the Lamb\u2019s righteousness for evermore.\nSaint-holiness must have a covering above, for it cannot cover our\nnakedness; and all the songs of those that follow the Lamb make mention of\nhis righteousness, even of his only. The Lamb is the light and sun of the\ncity, the Lamb is the temple of it; in a word, he is all that is beautiful\nand glorious. Every saint hath put on the Lord Jesus, and is perfect\nthrough his comeliness. At least, if the holiness of spirits of just men\nmade perfect be the glorious habit above; yet all the beauty and glory of\nit is from Christ Jesus, whose image it is, and the Spirit whose work it\nis. It shall be still true, all\u2014all our righteousness, as ours, is filthy;\nand all holiness, as it hath a relation to us, cannot please God. It must\nbe spotted before his pure eyes; but only it is accepted and clean, as it\nis Christ\u2019s and the Spirit\u2019s, as it is his own garment put upon us, and\nhis own comeliness making us perfect. It is not so much the inherent\ncleanness of the Saints\u2019 robes that maketh them beautiful in his eyes, as\nthis, that they are washed in the blood of the Lamb, Rev. vii. 14.\n\nNow, from all this we would speak a word to two sorts of you. _First_,\nThere is one great point of religion that is the principal and foundation\nof all other, even free justification by faith in Jesus, without our own\nrighteousness; and the most part stumble here in the entry. It is the\ngreatest obstruction of souls coming to Christ Jesus, even the ignorant\nand blind conceit and fancy that almost every man hath of himself and his\nown performances; the world will not make many believe the half of the\nevil of themselves that is spoken in the word. If you have a general\nconviction of sinfulness and misery, yet you think to help it. If you sin,\nyou use to make amends, run to your prayers and repentance to give God a\nrecompence, and satisfy your own consciences. Speak now, is not this the\nway you think to be saved? I shall do what I can, pray and mourn for sin;\nand what I am not able to do, God must forgive; you will do all you are\nable or can, and God\u2019s mercy must come in to supply the want of your\nrighteousness. But this is to put a new piece of cloth in an old garment,\nto make the rent worse. Many of you have no other ground of confidence in\nthe world, nothing to answer the challenge of conscience or satisfy\njustice, but this,\u2014I repent, I am sorry, I mourn, I shall amend, I resolve\nnever to do the like again. Now, then, from this ground we would declare\nunto you, in the Lord\u2019s name, you are yet unclean, both in persons and\nactions unjustified, because you have no other covering but your own\nduties and performances: and let these be examined, and weighed in the\nbalance of the sanctuary, and they will be found light. All your\nrighteousness, saith the Lord, is filthiness; you are unclean, you cannot\ndeny, both by birth and education,\u2014you have often defiled yourselves with\nsins, you must confess. Now, I ask you, How will you cover that\nuncleanness and nakedness? How will you hide it from God\u2019s eyes and your\nown consciences? You know no way but this,\u2014I will pray, I will repent and\namend. So then you cover yourself with prayer, with sorrow and tears, and\na resolution of amending. This, then, is all your covering and\nornament,\u2014something done by you, as many will make the wings of two good\nworks stretch themselves out so far as to cover and hide a multitude of\noffences between them. Therefore I declare, in the Lord Jesus his name,\nunto you, whose conscience must go along in the acknowledgment and owning\nof your case, that you have covered yourselves with your own\nrighteousness, that you have taken as filthy rags to cover your nakedness\nand sin with, as your sins are, and so you have made an addition to your\nuncleanness, you are more unclean by your prayers and repentance than\nbefore; and so God is of more pure eyes than to look graciously on such as\nyou are. You have gone about to establish your own righteousness, and have\nnot known the righteousness of God, and so you have come short of it; you\nare yet persons in a state of enmity,\u2014God is your judge, you are rebels.\nIt concerns you much to heed this well, to judge of your own actions and\npersons as God judgeth of them; for if God shall judge one way, and you\njudge another way, you may be far mistaken in the end. If you have so good\nan opinion of yourselves and your duties, that you can plead interest in\nGod for them, and absolve yourselves from such grounds; and if God have\nnot the same judgment, but rather think as evil of your prayers as of your\ncursing, and abhor the thing that satisfieth you, will it not be dreadful\nin the end? For his judgment shall stand, and you will succumb in\njudgment, since you crossed God\u2019s mind. Therefore we would have you\nsolidly drink in this principle of religion;\u2014that man is so unclean, and\nGod so abhorreth him, that whatever he doth or can do, it cannot make him\nrighteous; that no good action can make him acceptable, and take away the\nuncleanness of the evil actions; and that any sinful action taketh away\nall the cleanness of the good actions. Once believe this,\u2014if I should\nsweat out my life in serving God, and never rise off my knees, if I should\ngive my body to the fire for the truth, if I should melt away in tears for\nsin, all this is but filthy rags, and I can never be accepted of God for\nall that, but the matter of my condemnation groweth,\u2014if I justify myself\nmy own mouth proves me perverse: God needeth no more but my good deeds to\ncondemn me for, in all justice: and therefore it is a thing impossible,\u2014I\nwill never put forth a hand, or open a mouth upon that account any more. I\nwill serve God, because it is my duty, but life I will not expect by my\nservice; when I have done all, it is wholly mercy that I am accepted, my\ngood works shall never come in remembrance; I resolve to be found, not\nhaving my own righteousness. I will appear among the ungodly sinners, as\none that hath no righteousness, that I may be justified only by faith in\nJesus Christ. I say, drink in this truth, and let it settle in your\nhearts, and then we would hear numbers cry, \u201cO what shall I do to be\nsaved?\u201d\n\nNow, _Secondly_, As for you who have fled unto Christ\u2019s righteousness\nonly, and have cast away your own as dung and dross, as filthy rags; as\nyou have done right in the point of justification, judge so likewise after\nit. We would exhort you to judge so of your best actions that are the\nfruits of the Spirit, judge so of them as you have a hand in them.\n\n\u201cAll our righteousness.\u201d Mark, Isaiah, a holy prophet, joineth himself in\nwith the multitude. And the truth is, the more holiness, the more humility\nand self-abasing; for what is holiness, I pray you, but self-denial, the\nabasing of the creature, and exalting of Christ Jesus? This is the cross\nthat the saints must all bear, \u201cDeny yourself, and follow me.\u201d Grace doth\nnot swell men above others; it is gifts, such as knowledge, that puffeth\nup; charity or love puffeth not up. Men are naturally high-minded, for\npride was the first sin of Adam, and grace cometh to level men, to make\nthe high mountains valleys for Christ\u2019s chariot; it maketh men stoop low\nto enter the door of the kingdom. Therefore, if you have attained any\nmeasure beyond others, if you would prove it real grace and holiness, do\nnot exalt yourselves above others, be not high-minded, come down and sit\namong the ungodly, among the unclean, and let not grace given diminish the\nlow estimation of yourself in yourself. There is a growing that is but a\nfancy, and men\u2019s conceit; when men grow above ordinances, above other\nChristians, and can see none or few Christians but themselves, such a\ngrowth is not real. It is but fancy, it is but swelling and wind, and must\nbe pricked to let it out. A holy prophet came in among an unclean people;\nhe did not say, \u201cStand by, I am holier than thou.\u201d Such a man as can find\nno Christian about him, even though to the judgment of all others, they\nseek God more than he, such a man hath not real solid grace,\u2014his holiness\nis profane holiness, and proud holiness; for true holiness is humble\nholiness, and in honour preferreth others.\n\nThere is a great fault among those who have fled to Christ\u2019s righteousness\nin justification, that they use to come full from duties, as a stomach\nfrom a honeycomb. Ofttimes we make our liberty and access to God the\nground of our acceptation; and according to the ebbings and flowings of\nour inherent righteousness, so doth the faith and confidence of\njustification ebb and flow. Christians, this ought not to be; in so doing,\nyou make your own righteousness your righteousness before God; for when\nthe unsatisfaction in the point of duty maketh you question your interest\nso often, is not the satisfaction of your minds in duties made the ground\nof your pleading interest? Give you liberty and access, you can believe\nanything; remove it, and you can believe nothing. Certainly this is a\nsandy foundation,\u2014you ought to build nothing on performances, you should\nbe as vile in your own eyes, and think your nakedness as open, when you\ncome nearest God, when you have most liveliness, as when he hideth his\nface, and duty withereth. Will filthy rags be your ornament? No,\nChristians. Be more acquainted with the unspotted righteousness of the\nimmaculate Lamb of God, and find as great necessity of covering your\ncleanest duties with it, as your foulest faults, and thus shall you be\nkept still humble and vile in your own eyes, and have continual employment\nfor Christ Jesus. Your best estate should not puff you up, and your worst\nestate should not cast you down; therefore be much in the search of the\nfilthiness of your holy actions. This were a spiritual study, a noble\ndiscovery to unbowel your duties, to divide them, and to give unto God\nwhat is God\u2019s, and take unto yourselves what is your own. The discovery of\nfilthiness in them needeth not hinder his praise; and the discovery of\ngrace in them needeth not mar your shame. God hath most glory when we have\nmost shame; these two grow in just proportion,\u2014so much is taken from God\nas is given to the creature.\n\n_Thirdly_, We would also press you from this ground to long much to be\nclothed upon with immortality, to put off the filthy rags of time and\nearth-righteousness, and to be clothed upon with the white robes of the\nrighteousness of the saints. As you would dwell near the fountain here,\nand be still washing your garments, and offering all your sacrifices in\nhim who sanctifieth all, so would you pant and thirst for this spotless\ngarment of glory. Glory is nothing but perfect holiness, holiness washen\nand made clean in the Lamb\u2019s blood. Your rags are for the prison and for\nsojourning; when you come to your Father\u2019s house, your raiment shall be\nchanged. Therefore, Christians, every one of you aspire higher. Sit not\ndown in attainments; forget what is behind, and press forward. Let perfect\nholiness be in your eye and purpose, sit not behind it. All our\ntime-duties have much filthiness,\u2014long for the pure stream that waters the\ncity above. Grace is not in its native place, it is corrupted and mixed\nhere: heaven is the own element of it, and there is grace without mixture.\nUndervalue all your performances, till you be above, where that which is\nin part shall be done away, where no unclean thing entereth.\n\n_Fourthly_, This likewise holdeth out to you a continual necessity of\nwashing. You must take up house beside the fountain opened in the house of\nDavid; and never look on any piece of inherent righteousness, but see a\nnecessity of dipping it in the Lamb\u2019s blood. And therefore should you pray\nalways in Christ\u2019s name, that the prayer which, of itself, would be cast\nas dung on our face, may have a sweet savour from him. Cover your holiness\nwith Christ\u2019s righteousness, and make mention of it only.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVII.\n\n\n    Isaiah lxiv. 6.\u2014\u201cAnd we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities,\n    like the wind, have taken us away.\u201d\n\n\nHere they join the punishment with the deserving cause, their uncleanness\nand their iniquities, and so take it upon them, and subscribe to the\nrighteousness of God\u2019s dealing.\n\nWe would say this much in general\u2014_First_, Nobody needeth to quarrel God\nfor his dealing. He will always be justified when he is judged. If the\nLord deal more sharply with you than with others, you may judge there is a\ndifference between your condition and theirs, as well as in the Lord\u2019s\ndispensation, even as this people do, ver. 5, 6. It is a strange saying,\nLam. iii. 33. The Lord \u201cdoth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the\nchildren of men.\u201d That is, as we conceive, the Lord hath not such pleasure\nin trampling on men, as he might do on the dust of his feet. Though he be\nabsolute sovereign Lord of the creature, and men be but as the dust of his\nfeet, and he may do with his own what he pleaseth, and none ask, what dost\nthou? yet the Lord useth not to walk according to his own absoluteness,\u2014he\nhath another ordinary rule whereby he worketh, a rule of justice and\nequity. Especially in the punishing of men, he useth not to afflict men\nfor his pleasure, as tyrants use to destroy their people. The Lord\nexerciseth his sovereignty another way, and if he be absolute and\nunlimited in any thing, it is in showing mercy on men. But in judgment,\nthere may be still some reason gotten for it in the creature beside the\nwill of God; so that, to speak with reverence of his majesty, strokes are\noften drawn out of his hands. He getteth so much provocation ere he\nstrike, and holdeth off so long,\u2014threateneth, and giveth warning thus\nbefore strokes, as if it were against his will to lay on, as if his heart\nwere broken with us.\n\n_Secondly_, If men knew themselves and their own sinfulness, they would\nnot challenge God with unrighteousness, but put their mouth in the dust,\nand keep silence. And it is from this ground, that this people do not\ncharge God. Sin is of such infinite desert and demerit, because against\ninfinite majesty, that God cannot go beyond it in punishment; and\ntherefore Jeremiah, when he is wading out of the deep waters of sore\ntemptation and sad discouragement, pitcheth and casteth anchor at this\nsolid ground, \u201cIt is of the Lord\u2019s mercy that we are not consumed,\u201d Lam.\niii. 22. What! do I mean thus to charge God, as if he dealt rigorously?\nNo, no: It is his mercy that a remnant is left,\u2014our strokes are not pure\njustice, our cup is mixed, mercy is the greatest part. Whatever is behind\nutter destruction, whatever is below the desert of sin, which is hell and\ndamnation, all this must be reckoned up to mercy. That I am yet alive, and\nso may have hope, this is mercy, \u201cFor why should a living man complain?\u201d\nver. 39. That a rod is come to awake us out of security, this is mercy,\nfor we might have slept to death. And this wholesome counsel got Job of\nhis friends,\u2014to stay his murmuring and grudging at God\u2019s dispensations,\nJob. xi. 6. Why dost thou complain, Job? Know but thy sins, and there\nshall be no room for complaint. Look but unto God\u2019s secrets of wisdom, and\nhis law, and see it is double to what you have known,\u2014your obligation is\ninfinitely more than you thought upon, and then how great and numberless\nmust iniquities be? \u201cKnow, therefore,\u201d saith Zophar, \u201cGod exacteth of thee\nless than thine iniquities deserve.\u201d God exacteth not according to law, he\ncraveth not according to the obligation, but bids write down fifty in his\nbill of affliction, when an hundred are written in our bill of deserving.\nSo then, complain not,\u2014it is mercy that life is saved. Are you men, and\nliving men? Wonder at this, and wonder not that you are not wealthy, are\nnot honourable, seeing you are sinners: all that came on Jerusalem maketh\nnot Ezra think God out of bounds, chap. ix. 13. As we are less than the\nleast of God\u2019s mercies, and all our goodness deserveth none of them, so is\nthe least sin greater than the greatest of all his judgments, and\ndeserveth still more. Nay, if there were no more but original corruption\ncommon to men, and the filthiness that accompanieth men\u2019s good actions,\nyet is God righteous in punishing severely, and this people acknowledge it\nso. You use to inquire what sin hath such a man done, when so terrible\njudgments come on? Nay, inquire no more;\u2014he is a sinner, and it is mercy\nthere is not more, and it is strange mercy that it is not so with you\nalso. You use to speak foolishly when God\u2019s hand is upon you: I hope I\nhave my punishment here, I hope to suffer here for my sins. Poor souls, if\nGod make you suffer for sins, it will be another matter. Though now your\npunishment be above your strength and patience, yet it is below your sin.\nAs sin hath all evil in it, so must hell have all punishment in it. The\ntorment of the gravel, racking with the stone, and such like, are but play\nto hell,\u2014these are but drops of that ocean that you must drink out, and\nyou shall go out of one hell into a worse; eternity is the measure of its\ncontinuance, and the degrees of itself are answerable to its duration.\nThere is much impatience even among God\u2019s children under the rod, you vex\nand torment yourselves, and do well to be angry.  Any piece of thwarting\ndispensation, that goes cross to your humour and inclination, imbitters\nyour spirit against God and maketh you go cross to his providence; how\noften do your hearts say, Why am I thus? What aileth the Lord at me? But,\nChristians, learn to study your own deservings, and stop your mouth with\nthat, that you may not speak against heaven. If you knew sin well, you\nwould not wonder at judgments, you would rather wonder that you are out of\nhell.  Know what right God hath over you, and how little use he maketh of\nit against you. When you repine at a little, shall it not be righteousness\nwith God to exact more, and let you know your deserving better? He that\nthinketh it rigour in God to exact fifty, it is justice that God crave an\nhundred. If the law require forty stripes, and he give but one, will you\nnot rather commend and proclaim his clemency, than speak of his cruelty?\nWonder that God hath spared us so long. Sin is come to great maturity. As\npride is said to blossom and bud into a rod, so all sins are blossomed and\nbudded into the very harvest, that the sickle may be put in. If we should\nhave cities desolate, and our land consumed, if we should take up\nJeremiah\u2019s lamentation, and our case be made parallel to theirs, we have\nthen been punished less than our iniquities deserved.\n\nThere are some godless people so black mouthed as to speak against heaven\nwhen God correcteth them, they follow the counsel of Job\u2019s wife, curse God\nand die. If God but touch them a little in that which is dearest unto\nthem, they kick against the pricks, and run hard heads with God.  As we\nhave known some foolish women, when their only child hath been removed,\nblaspheme, saying, What can God do more to me?\u2014let him do what he can. O\nmadness and wickedness of men! Cannot God do more when he casteth them\ninto hell?  Thou shalt acknowledge that it is more. Some have left off to\nseek God and turned profane, because of the Lord\u2019s correction but you\nshould know that all that is here is but arles.(309) If God had done his\nworst, you might think yourselves out of his common, nay, but he hath yet\nmore to do, the full sum is to be paid. It were therefore wisdom yet to\nmake supplication to thy judge.\n\nBut, _Thirdly_, Sins and iniquities have a great influence in the decay of\nnations and persons, and change of their outward condition, when it is\njoined with the wind of God\u2019s displeasure. The calamity of this people is\nset down in excellent terms, alluding to a tree in the fall of the leaf.\nWe, saith he, were once in our land as a green tree busked round about\nwith leaves and fruit; our church and state was in a flourishing\ncondition, at least nothing was wanting to make outward splendour and\nglory. We were immovable in our own land, as David said in his prosperity,\n\u201cI shall never be moved,\u201d so did we dream of eternity in earthly Canaan.\nBut now Lord, we are like a tree in the fall of the leaf, sin hath\nobstructed the influence of heaven, hath drawn away the sap of thy\npresence from among us, so that we did fade as a leaf before its fall, we\nwere prepared so by our sins for judgment,\u2014visible draughts and\nprognostics of it were to be read upon the condition and frame of all\nspirits and people, and then did our iniquities raise the storm of thy\nindignation, and that, like a whirlwind, hath blown the withering leaves\noff the tree, hath driven us out of our own land, and scattered us among\nstrangers. Sin and uncleanness and the filthiness of our righteousness\nprepared us for the storm, made us light matter that could resist no\njudgment, made us matter combustible, and then iniquities, and sin rising\nup to iniquities, coming to such a degree, hath accomplished the judgment,\nput fire among us, made us as the birk in Yule even.(310)\n\n_First_, It is familiar in the Scripture that people in a prosperous\ncondition are compared unto a green tree flourishing, Psal. xxxvii. 35.\nThe wicked\u2019s prospering is like a green bay tree spreading himself in\npower, spreading out his arms, as it were, over more lands to conquer\nthem, over more people, to subject them. And this is often the temptation\nof the godly, and so doth the Lord himself witness of this people, Jer.\nxi. 16, \u201cI have called thy name a green olive tree, fair and of goodly\nfruit.\u201d This was once their name, though it be now changed. Now they are\ncalled a fading withering tree without both leaves and fruit. Now their\nplace doth not so much as know them, they are removed as in a moment,\nPsal. xxxvii. 36.  And this comparison giveth us to understand something\nof the nature of human glory and pomp. The fairest and most beautiful\nexcellency in the world, the prosperity of nations and people, is but like\nthe glory of a tree in the spring or summer. Yea, the Scripture useth to\nundervalue it more than so and the voice commandeth to cry, (Isa. xl. 6,\n7, 8,) \u201cAll flesh is grass and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the\nfield: the one withereth, and the other fadeth, because the Spirit of the\nLord bloweth upon it.\u201d A tree hath some stability in it, but the flower of\nthe field is but of a month or a week\u2019s standing, nay, of one day\u2019s\nstanding, for in the morning the grass is green, and the sun scorcheth it\nere night, so that one sun\u2019s course shall see it both growing green and\nfading. So is the goodliness, the very perfection, the quintessence, so to\nspeak, and the abstract of creatures\u2019 perfections. Outward accommodation\nin a world is as fading a thing as the flower is, as smoke is, it is so\nvanishing that it bides but a puff of his breath to blow it to nothing.\nJob hath a strange expression, \u201cThou lookest upon me, and I am not,\u201d Job\nvii. 8. The Lord needeth no more but stare on the most durable creature,\nand look it not only out of countenance, but also look it into its first\nnothing\u2014look it out of glory, out of being; and therefore you should not\ntrust in those uncertain things, that can take wings and leave you. When\nyou have accommodation outwardly to your mind do not build your nest in\nit; these leaves of prosperity will not cover you always, there is a time\nwhen they will fall. Nations have their winter and their summer, persons\nhave them likewise, as these must change in nature, so must they do in\ntheir lot. Heaven only is one day, one spring perpetually blossoming and\nbringing forth fruit. There is the tree of life that bringeth forth fruit\nevery month, that hath both spring and harvest all the year over.\nChristians, sit not down under the green tree of worldly prosperity, if\nyou do, the leaves will come down about you, the gourd you trust in may be\neaten up in a night, your winter will come on so as you shall forget the\nformer days as if they had never been. We desire you to be armed for\nchanges; are not matters in the kingdom still going about? All things are\nsubject to revolution and change, and every year hath its own summer and\nwinter, so hath it pleased the Lord to set the one over against the other,\nthat man might find nothing after him, Eccl. vii. 14. Therefore we would\nhave you cast your accounts so as the former days of darkness may return,\nand the land be covered with mourning clothes.\n\nBut would you know what is the original of the creatures\u2019 vanity, what is\nthe moth that eats up the glory and goodliness of creatures\u2019 enjoyments?\nHere it is\u2014sin and iniquities. It was sin that first subjected the\ncreation to vanity, Rom. viii. 19, 20. This inferior world was to have\nbeen a durable house for an immortal soul, but sin made man mortal, and\nthe world corruptible, and from this proceed all the tempests and\ndisorders that seem to be in the creation. It is this still\u2014it is sin that\nraiseth the storm of the Lord\u2019s wrath, which bloweth away the withered\nleaves of men\u2019s enjoyments. Sin drieth up all the sap and sweetness of the\ncreature comforts,\u2014it maketh the leaves of the tree wither, drives the sap\naway to the root, hindereth the influence of God\u2019s blessing to come\nthrough the veins of worldly prosperity. For what is the virtue and sap of\ncreatures? It is even God\u2019s blessing, and therefore the bread nourisheth\nnot, but the word and command of God, Matt. iv. 4. That is a right unto\nthe creatures by Jesus Christ, when possession of them is entered into by\nprayer and thanksgiving, for all right is sanctified by these, and it is\nthe iniquities of men that separate between God and them, Isa. lix. 2. And\nwhen God is separated and divided from enjoyments, they must needs be\nempty shells and husks, no kernel in them, for God \u201cfilleth all in all,\u201d\nis all in all, and remove him, and you have nothing\u2014your meat and drink is\nno blessing, your table is a snare, your pleasures and laughter have\nsadness in them. At least they are like the vanishing blaze of thorns\nunder a pot, and therefore, when God is angry for sin, men\u2019s beauty\nconsumeth as before the moth, Psalm xxxix. 11. When God beginneth to show\nhimself terrible, because of sin, poor man, though of late spreading his\nboughs out, yet all falleth, and like ice melteth as before the sun, which\njust now seemed as solid as stone. O but David was sensible of this and\ncould speak from much experience, Psal. xxxii. 3, 4. The anger of the Lord\ndid eat him up, and dried his moisture. It might be read in his\ncountenance,\u2014all the world could not content him, all the showers of\ncreatures\u2019 dropping fatness could not keep sap in him. God\u2019s displeasure\nscorcheth so, nay, is within him, that no hiding-place is to be found in\nthe world, no shadow of a rock among all the creatures in such a weary\nland. Moses and the people knew this well, Psal. xc. 5-9. The Lord\u2019s\ndispleasure carried them away, as a flood coming down carrieth all\nheadlong with it, it scorched them and made them wither as grass. When God\nsetteth iniquities before him, and that which is the soul\u2019s secret,\nbeginneth to imprint it in visible characters on the rod, and writeth his\nsin on his punishment, then no wonder that days be spent in vanity and\ngrief, since they are passed over in his wrath, Job xiii. 25. Then doth a\nsoul loathe its dainty meat, and then doth the ox low over his fodder.\nMeat is laid before him, and he cannot touch it, because of the terrors of\nthe Almighty, and that which before he would not once touch, would not\nenter into terms of communing with, as the Lord\u2019s threatenings, he must\nnow sit down and eat them up as his meat, how sorrowful soever, Job vi.\n4-7.\n\nBut, _secondly_, when sin hath prepared a man for judgment, then, if\niniquity be added to sin, this raiseth the storm, and kindleth the fire to\nconsume the combustible matter. When sin hath given many blows, by\npreparatory corrections at the root of a man\u2019s pleasure and credit, it\nwill at length bring on a fatal stroke that shall drive the tree to the\nground. There are some preparatory judgments, and some consummatory, some\nwither the leaf, and some blow it quite off, some make men like the\nharvest, ripe to put the sickle of judgment into it. The corruption of a\nland, the universality of it, and formality in worshipping of God,\nripeneth a land for the harvest of judgment,\u2014exposeth it to any\nstorm,\u2014leaveth it open to the Lord\u2019s wrath, so that there is nothing to\nhold his hand and keep off the stroke, but when the wind ariseth, and\niniquities have made it tempestuous, then who may stand? It will sweep\naway nations and people as a flood, and make their place not to know them,\nso that there shall be neither leaf nor branch left. There is often a\ngreat calm with great provocations, and iniquities cry, \u201cPeace, peace!\u201d\nBut when once the cry of it is gone up to heaven, and hath engaged God\u2019s\nanger against a people or person, then it raiseth a whirlwind that taketh\nall away. Now, all this belongeth to you,\u2014we told you the acknowledgment\nof sin was yours already, and a wonder it is, that the complaint is not\nours also. Always this ought to be an admonition and example to us, on\nwhom the ends of the world are fallen. Therefore we would declare this\nunto you, that sin and iniquities have judgment in the tail. Now you sit\nat peace, every one in his own dwelling, and spread forth your branches,\nbut is there not much uncleanness among you? We would have you trouble\nyour carnal peace and security, trouble your ease with thoughts of this.\nAnd we have ground to give this warning, because, if there were no more\nbut the iniquity of our holy things\u2014the formality of our service\u2014the\ncommonness of spirit in worship, this might be enough to raise the storm.\nYou know not for what reasons to be afraid of judgment. Look but on\noriginal corruption, look on the defilement of your religious actions, and\nthen find ground sufficient of fading away. Though now you sit still, and\nseem to be so settled, as you would never be moved, you dream of an\neternity here\u2014you cleave in your hearts to your houses and lands\u2014you stick\nas fast to the world, and will not part with it, as a leaf to a tree, yet\nbehold the wind of the Lord may arise, that shall drive you away; take\nyour soul from these things, and then whose shall they be? If you will not\nfear temporal judgments, yet I pray you fear eternal\u2014fear hell. May not\nthe Lord shake you off this tree of time, and take you out of the land of\nthe living, to receive your portion? There is not only an universal\ndeadness of spirit on the land, but a profane spirit,\u2014iniquities,\nabominable sins, abound. Every congregation is overgrown with\nscandals,(311) and for you, none may more justly complain. We are all\nunclean, sin is not in corners but men declare their sin as Sodom, sin is\ncome to the maturity\u2014defection and apostacy(312) is the temper of all\nspirits, and, above all, the general contempt and slighting of this\nglorious gospel, is the iniquity of Scotland,(313) so that we wonder that\nthe withered leaves yet stick to, that the storm is not yet raised, and we\nblown away. Now, you are like stones\u2014your hearts as adamants, and cannot\nbe moved with his threatening, the voice of the Lord\u2019s word doth not once\nmove you. You sin and are not afraid, nay, but when God\u2019s anger shall join\nwith iniquity, and the voice of his rod and displeasure roar, this shall\nmake the mountains to tremble, the rocks to move, and how much more shall\nit drive away a leaf? You seem now mountains, but when God shall plead,\nyou shall be like the chaff driven to and fro. O how easy a matter shall\nit be to God to blow a man out of his dwelling place! Sin hath prepared\nyou for it, he needeth no more but blow by his Spirit, or look upon you,\nand you will not be. You who are now lofty and proud, and maintain\nyourselves against the word, when you come to reckon with God, and he\nentereth into judgment, you shall not stand\u2014you will consume as before the\nmoth; your hearts will fail you\u2014\u201cwho may abide the day of his coming?\u201d It\nwill be so terrible, and so much the more terrible, that you never dreamed\nof it. If the example of this people will not move you, do but cast your\neyes on Ireland,(314) who all do fade as a leaf, and their iniquities have\ntaken them away out of their own land. Shall not the seeing of the eye,\nnor the hearing of the ear teach you? What security do you promise to\nyourselves? Have not we sinned as much as they? Were not they his people\nas well as we? Certainly, since God waiteth longer on you, the stroke must\nbe the greater: provoked patience must turn fury. If you would then\nprevent this people\u2019s complaint, go about such a serious acknowledgment of\nyour sins. \u201cSearch your ways, and turn again to the Lord.\u201d And let not\nevery man sit down in a general notion of sin, but unbowel it until you\nsee uncleanness, go up to the fountain head, original corruption, go down\nto all the streams, even the iniquity of holy things. Let every man be\nparticular in the search of his own provocations personal, and every one\nbe public in the general sins of the land, that you may confess out of\nknowledge and sense, \u201cWe are all unclean,\u201d &c.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVIII.\n\n\n    Isaiah lxiv. 7.\u2014\u201cAnd there is none that calleth upon thy name,\n    that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThey go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with\nthat a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that\nmany attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough\nother(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their\ndesolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man\nwould spend more affection, and be more pathetic in the expression of his\nmisery, when it is pungent, nor he can do when he speaketh of his sins. We\nwould observe, from the nature of this confession, something to be a\npattern of your repentance. And it is this. When the Spirit convinceth,\nand men are serious in repentance, then the soul is more searching, more\nuniversal, more particular in acknowledgment of sins. These are characters\nof the Spirit\u2019s work.\n\n_First_, The Spirit discovereth unto men, not only sin, but the\nloathsomeness of sin, its heinous nature, how offensive it is to God\u2019s\nholy eye. Many of you know abundance of evil deeds, and call them sins,\nbut you have never taken up sin\u2019s ugly face, never seen it in the glass of\nthe holy law, uncleanness itself, because you do not abhor yourselves.\nPoor and low thoughts of God make mean and shallow thoughts of sin. You\nshould be as Job, vile, chap. xl. 4, and abhor yourselves in dust and\nashes, chap. xlii. 6. As God\u2019s holiness grew great in your eyes, sins\nuncleanness would grow proportionably, Isa. vi. 3, 5. And here your\nrepentance halteth in the very entry.\n\nBut, _secondly_, The Spirit discovereth not only the uncleanness of men\u2019s\nnatures, and leadeth them up to original corruption, but the Spirit also\nleadeth men along all the streams, not only those that break out, but\nthose which go under ground, and have a more secret and subtile\nconveyance. It concludeth not only open breaches of the command under\nfilthiness, but also all a man\u2019s own righteousness, though never so\nrefined, it concludeth it also a defiled garment, so that the soul can\nlook no where but see sin and uncleanness in its ornaments and duties. And\nthus it appeareth before God without such a covering, openeth up its soul,\nhideth not sin with the covering of duties, but seeth a necessity of\nanother covering for all. Now, therefore, let the most part of you\nconclude, that you have never yet gotten your eyes open to see sin or\nconfess it, because when you sit down to count your sins, there are many\nthings that you call not sin,\u2014you use not to reckon your praying and\nrepentance among sins. Nay, because you have so much confidence in your\nrepentance and confession, you have never repented. You must see a\nnecessity of a covering of Christ\u2019s righteousness above all, faith in\nJesus must cover repentance and itself both, with the glorious object of\nit. But, alas! how soon are many at an end of confession! some particular\ngross actions may come in remembrance, but no more. Sum up all your\nconfessions, they have never yet pitched on the thousandth part of your\nguiltiness, no, not in kinds, let be in number.\n\nBut, _thirdly_, The spirit convinceth spiritually and particularly both,\nit convinceth of spiritual sins, as we last said, of the iniquity of holy\nthings, and especially of the most substantial duties, faith and prayer,\nJohn xvi. 8, 9. There are not many of you have come this length, to see\nyour want of prayer. No, your own words do witness against you, for you\nuse to say, I pray day and night, I believe in God with all my heart. Now\ntherefore, out of your own mouth shall you be condemned. When the Spirit\nconvinceth you of sin, you will see no faith, no prayer at the first\nopening of the eyes. But I add, there is no true confession but it is\nparticular: the Spirit useth not to bewilder men\u2019s spirits in a general\nnotion only, and a wide field of unknown sins. And such are many of your\nconvictions. You mourn for sin, as you say, and yet you cannot condescend\non a particular that burdeneth your conscience; you grant you have many\nsins, but sit down to count them, and there is a short count of them. Now,\ndo you not reflect back upon former humiliations in public, and former\nacknowledgments of sins in private? Do you not yet return upon your own\nhearts to lay home this sad challenge, I have never repented, I do not yet\nrepent? Must not all your solemn approaches be iniquity and abomination,\nwhile your souls are not afflicted for sin, while you can see so few sins?\nThe fasting days of Scotland will be numbered in the roll of the greatest\nprovocations, because there is no real and spiritual conviction of sin\namong us, custom hath now taken away the solemnity, and there remaineth\nnothing but the very name. Is this the fast that the Lord chooseth? No,\nbelieve it, this shall add to your provocation, and rather hasten\nlingering judgment than keep it off. We would beseech you this day, pray\nfor pardon of former abused fasts. If you had no more to mourn for, this\nmight spend the day and our spirits both, and exhaust all our present\nsupplications\u2014even the wall of partition that stands between God and\nScotland, which all our former solemn humiliations hath built up, a great\ndeal higher than other sins could reach.\n\n\u201cThere is none that calleth upon thy name.\u201d Did not this people make many\nprayers (Isa. i. 15), before the captivity? And did they not cry, which\nnoteth some fervency in it, and fast, a little before it in Jeremiah\u2019s\ntime, (chap. xi. 11, and xiv. 12,) and in the time of it, Ezek. vii. 18,\nMic. iii. 4, Zech. vii. 3? How, then, is it that the prophet, now on the\nwatch tower, looking round about him to take up the people\u2019s condition,\nand being led by the Spirit so far as to the case of the captives in\nBabel, can find no prayer, no calling? And was not Daniel so too? Dan. ix.\n13. Lo, then, here is the construction that the Spirit of God putteth on\nmany prayers and fastings in a land, \u201cThere is none calleth on thy name,\u201d\nthere is none that prayeth faithfully and fervently, few to count upon\nthat prayeth any. It may be there are many public prayers, but who prayeth\nin secret, and mourneth to God alone? There are many prayers, but the\ninscription is, \u201cTo the unknown God,\u201d to a nameless God; your praying is\nnot a calling on his name, as a known God and revealed in the word.\n\nThis, then, we would say unto you, that there may be many prayers in your\naccount, and none in God\u2019s. There are many prayers of men that God\ncounteth no more of than the howling of a dog.\n\n_First_, The cry of men\u2019s practices is often louder than their prayers,\nand goeth up to heaven, that the cry of prayer cannot be heard. When men\u2019s\nconversation is flat contrary to their supplications, supplication is no\ncalling on his name, but charming rather. Sodom\u2019s abominations had a cry\nup to God, Gen. xviii. 21. So Abel\u2019s blood had a cry for vengeance, which\nCain\u2019s prayers could not outcry. Thus the Lord would not hear many\nprayers, Isa. i. 15, because hands and practices were polluted. You that\nknow no worship of God, but in such a solemn duty, your religion is summed\nup and confined within the limits of temple worship, family exercise, and\nprayer, certainly the rest of your conversation must speak more. God will\nnot hear but such as worship him and do his will, John iv. 23. Your prayer\nis a dark parable, if your conversation expone(316) it not. This I speak\nfor this end, to put many of you out of your false ground of confidence.\nYou have nothing but your prayers to trust unto, and for your\nconversation, you never go about it effectually to reform it, but go on in\nthat which you pray against. We declare unto you the truth, your prayers\nare abomination, Prov. xxviii. 9. The wicked may have prayers, and\ntherefore think not to please God and flatter him with your mouths, when\nyour conversation is rebellion. Since you hear not him in his commands,\nGod will not hear you in your petitions, Prov. i. 24, 28. You stopped your\near at his reproof, God will stop his ear at your request. If you will go\nto heaven by your own righteousness, I pray you follow more after it, make\nthe garment more to cover your nakedness: the skirt of a duty is not\nsufficient.\n\n_Secondly_, When iniquity is regarded in the heart, and idols set up in\nGod\u2019s place, God will not own such a worship, but sendeth a man to the\nidols he serveth, Psal. lxvi. 18; Ezek. xiv. 9, 4. Do you not often pray\nto God against a corruption, when your heart cleaveth unto it, and what\nyour mouth saith, your heart contradicteth? Light and conscience often\nextort a confession of beloved sins, while the temper of the heart hath\nthis language, Lord, grant not my request. And therefore, if there be a\nprayer for pardon of guilt, yet there is no thorough resolution to quit\nthe sin; and as long as a soul is not resolved to quit the sin, there can\nbe no ingenuous confession of it, and no prayer for removing the guilt can\nbe heard. You cannot employ Christ in his office of mediatorship as a\nPriest to intercede and offer sacrifice for sin, unless you as sincerely\nemploy him as a Sanctifier and Redeemer; and therefore prayer that\nseparateth Christ\u2019s offices, and calleth not on whole Christ, calleth not\non his name, for his name is Lord Jesus Christ. How can the Lord be\ninquired of by such a one who cometh to mock him, putteth up an idol in\nthe heart, and yet prayeth against it, or some other sin, while he is not\nresolved to quit it? Shall God be resolute to help, when we are not\nearnest in seeking it? No wonder God answer you according to the idol; no\nwonder you be given up to serve idols, and your sin grow upon you as a\nplague for your hypocrisy. When you engage your heart too much to any\ncreature, and come to pray and inquire of the Lord in your necessity,\nshall it not be righteousness with him, to send you to your god? \u201cWhen\nthou criest, let thy companies deliver thee,\u201d Isa. lvii. 13. O man, cry\nunto thy bosom-idol, and let it help thee, since thou trustest to it, and\nspendest thy heart upon it! Deut. xxxii. 37, 38, \u201cWhere is the God that\ndrank the wine of your offerings, and did eat the fat of your sacrifices?\u201d\nWhere is the creature that you have made your heart an altar to, to send\nup the flames of your choicest thoughts and affections to it? Let this\nrise up, and help you now, saith the Lord. Therefore we exhort you, if you\nwould have your prayers a delight, be upright in the thing you seek, and\nsee that you entertain no known sin, give it no heart-allowance.\n\n_Thirdly_, There are many prayers not heard, not known, because the mouth\nout-crieth the heart. It is the sacrifice of the contrite heart that God\ndespiseth not. The prayers of this people were such, (Isa. xxix. 13,)\u2014they\ndrew near with the mouth, but the heart was far away. It is worship in\nspirit and truth that God loveth, John iv. 23. Since prayer is a communion\nof God with the creature, a meeting of one with God, and speaking face to\nface, God, who is a Spirit and immortal, must have a spirit to meet with,\na soul to speak to him. Now, do you not find your hearts gadding abroad\neven in duty? Is it not most about your corns and lands in the time of\nsolemn worship? Therefore God getteth no more but a carcase to keep\ncommunion with: he may have as much fellowship with the stones of the\nwall, and timber of the house, as he can have with your ears and mouths,\nwhile you remove your hearts to attend other things. And I would say\nmore,\u2014if your mind be present, yet your heart is gone; sometimes, yea\noften, both are gone abroad. Sometimes the mind and thought stayeth, but\nthe affection and heart is not with it, and so the mind\u2019s residence is not\nconstant. Your thought may come in as a wayfaring man, but tarrieth not\nall night, dwelleth not. Now speak to it, even Christians, may not your\nprayers often have a contrary interpretation to what they pretend? You\npray so coldrifely(317) and formally, as God will interpret, you have no\nmind to it: we ask as we seemed indifferent whether our petition be\ngranted or not. Should the Lord be affected with your petitions, when you\nyourselves are not affected much? Should his bowels of zeal sound within\nhim, when yours are silent? It is fervent prayer availeth much, James v.\n16. A heart sent out with the petition, and gone up to heaven, cannot but\nbring back an answer. If prayer carry not the seal of the heart and soul\nin it, God cannot own it, or send it back with his seal of acceptation.\n\n_Fourthly_, Many prayers are not calling on God\u2019s name; and no wonder that\nwhen people pray, yet the Spirit says, \u201cNone calleth on thy name;\u201d for\nprayer is made, as to an unknown God, and God is not taken up according to\nhis \u201cname,\u201d which are his glorious attributes, whereby he manifesteth\nhimself in his word. To call on God\u2019s name, is so to pray to God as to\ntake him up as he hath revealed himself. And what is the Lord\u2019s name? Hear\nhimself speak to Moses, Exod. xxxiii. 19, and xxxiv. 6, 7, \u201cThe Lord, the\nLord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness\nand truth. Keeping mercy for thousands: forgiving iniquity, and\ntransgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.\u201d Now,\nto call on this name is for the soul, in prayer, to have a suitable stamp\non it: every attribute of God taking deep impression in the heart, and so\nGod\u2019s name to be written on the very petitions; and shortly, we may say,\nthe spirit should have the impression of God\u2019s greatness and majesty, of\nhis goodness and mercy, of his terribleness and justice. This is the order\nin which God proclaimeth his name. In the entry, the supplicant should\nbehold the glorious sovereignty and infinite distance between God and the\ncreature, that he may have the stamp of reverence and abasement upon his\nspirit, and may speak out of the dust, as it becometh the dust of the\nbalance and footstool to do to him who sitteth on the circle of the heaven\nas his throne. And this I must say, there is little religion and godliness\namong us, because every man is ignorant of God. Even God\u2019s children do\nmore study themselves, and their condition, than God\u2019s greatness and\nabsoluteness. Who searches God\u2019s infiniteness in his word and works till\nhe behold a wonder, and be drowned in a mystery? O but the saints of old\ndid take up God at a greater distance from the creatures; they waded far\ninto this boundless ocean of God\u2019s Majesty, till they were over head and\nears, and were forced to cry out, \u201cWho can find out the Almighty to\nperfection?\u201d All these are but parts of him, his back-parts. There is more\nreal divinity and knowledge of God in one of Job\u2019s friends\u2019 discourses,\none of David\u2019s prayers, than now in twenty sermons of gracious men, or\nmany prayers or conferences of saints. But withal you must study his\ngoodness and mercy, and this maketh up the most part of his name. The\ndefinition of God hath most of this, so that it may be said truly, that\nmercy is his delight. Mercy, as it were, swelleth over the rest: God were\nnot accessible, unless mercy did temper it. Behold then greatness to\nhumble, and goodness to make bold, that you may have access. As greatness\nshould leave the stamp of reverence on your petitions, so should mercy and\ngoodness imprint them with faith and confidence; and that the rather,\nbecause as Christ is said to be the Father\u2019s face, and the image of his\nperson, (2 Cor. iv. 6. and Heb. i. 3,) so may he be called the Father\u2019s\nname, and so doth God himself call him, Exod. xxiii. 20, 21, The angel\nthat went before them in the wilderness, whose voice they ought to obey,\nhis \u201cname is in him;\u201d and this angel is Christ Jesus, Acts vii. 37, 38. So\nthen Christ Jesus is God\u2019s name. God, as he revealeth himself in the word,\nis \u201cGod in Christ reconciling the world unto himself,\u201d 2 Cor. v. 19. And\ntherefore, Christians, you ought to pray always in Christ\u2019s name, and this\nis to call on his name. Not only encourage yourselves to come to God,\nbecause of a mediator, because he is God in Christ, but also offer up all\nyour prayers in the name of Jesus, that his name called on them may\nsanctify them, otherwise your affectionate prayers cannot be acceptable to\nGod, for he loveth nothing but what cometh through the Son. Prayer must\nhave an evil savour, when it is not put in the golden censer that this\nangel hath to offer up incense with the prayers of the saints. And\nlikewise you would know God\u2019s justice and wrath, that you may serve in\nfear and trembling: and when trembling is joined with the rejoicing of\nfaith, this is acceptable service. You ought to fear to offend his\nholiness, while you are before him. Let God\u2019s terribleness have a deep\nimpression on your spirit, both to make sin bitter, and to make mercy more\nsweet. Thus should prayer ascend with the seal of God\u2019s attributes, and\nthen it is a calling on his name. Now, is there any calling on his name\namong us? Who maketh it his study to take up God in his glorious names?\nTherefore you call not on a known God, and cannot name him. Now, all of\nyou take this rule to judge your prayers by. Think you not that you make\nmany prayers? You both think it and say it, as you use to say, I pray both\nday and night. Nay, but count after this rule, and there will be found few\nprayers in Scotland, albeit you reckon up both private and public. Once\nscrape out of the count the prayers of the profane and scandalous, whose\npractice defileth their prayers; and again, blot out the prayers of men\u2019s\ntongues and mouths when hearts are absent, and again, set aside the\nformal, dwyning,(318) coldrife, indifferent supplications of saints, and\nthe prayers that carry no seal of God\u2019s name and attributes on them,\nprayers made to an unknown God, and will you find many behind? No,\ncertainly,\u2014any of you may take up the complaint in behalf of the land,\n\u201cThere is none that calleth on thy name,\u201d or few to count upon. You may\nsay so of yourselves, if you judge thus,\u2014I have almost never prayed, God\nhath never heard my voice; and you may say so of the land. This would be a\nwell-spent day, if this were but our exercise, to find out the sins of our\nduties in former humiliations; if the Spirit did so convince you as to\nblot out of the roll of fasts all the former. If you come this length, as\nto be convinced solidly that you have never yet prayed and mourned for\nsin,\u2014I have lived thus long, and been babbling all this while, I have\nnever once spoken to God, but worshipped I know not what, fancied a God\nlike myself, that would be as soon pleased with me as I was with\nmyself,\u2014if the Lord wrought thus on your hearts, to put you off your own\nrighteousness, you should have more advantage in this, than in all your\nsabbaths and fasts hitherto.\n\nAlthough the Lord\u2019s hand be upon them, and they \u201cfade as a leaf,\u201d and are\ndriven into another land, yet none calleth on his name. This maketh the\ncomplaint more lamentable, and no doubt is looked upon as a dreadful sign\nand token of God\u2019s displeasure, and of sorer strokes. Daniel, an eye\nwitness, confirmeth this foretold truth, chap. ix. 13, \u201cAll this is come\nupon us, yet have we not made our prayers to the Lord our God.\u201d Well may\nthe Lord make a supposition and doubt of it, Lev. xxvi. 40, 41. After so\nmany plagues are come on, seven added to seven, and again seven times\nmore, and yet they will not be humbled, and when it is even at the door\nnext to utter destruction and consumption, he addeth, \u201cIf then their\nuncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they take with the punishment of\nsin,\u201d &c. We need ask no reason of this, for \u201cbray a fool in a mortar, his\nfolly will not depart from him,\u201d Prov. xxvii. 22. Poor foolish man is a\nfoolish man, folly is born with him, folly is his name, and so is he. He\nhath not so much wisdom as to \u201chear the voice of the rod, and him that\nappointeth it.\u201d Poor Ephraim is an undaunted heifer. Nature is a \u201cbullock\nunaccustomed with the yoke,\u201d and so it is chastised more and more, Jer.\nxxxi. 18. Man is like an untamed beast, as the horse, or as the mule.\nThreatenings will not do it, \u201cGod speaketh once, yea twice, and man\nperceiveth it not,\u201d Job xxxiii. 14. God instructeth by the word, and men\nreceive no instruction; all the warnings to flee from the wrath to come\nare as so many tales to make children afraid. He saith in his heart, \u201cI\nshall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my own heart.\u201d\nSince, therefore, he will not incline his ear to the word, God sendeth his\nrod to seal the word, and yet men are so wild that they fight with God\u2019s\nrods, and will not submit to him; a yoke must be put on Ephraim, a bridle\nin men\u2019s mouth, Psal. xxxii. 9. They will put God to more pains than\nspeaking, and it shall cost them more pain; for he that will not be drawn\nwith the cords of a man, love and entreaties, must be drawn with the cords\nof a beast, and yoked in a heavy yoke. Yet men are unruly, and the yoke\ngroweth the heavier and sorer that they strive to shake it off. An\nuncircumcised heart cannot be humbled,\u2014\u201cHow can the leopard change his\nspots? no more can my people return to me,\u201d Jer. xiii. 23. It is strange\nthat a people so afflicted will not take with the punishment of their\niniquity, but will say in their heart, Wherefore come these things upon\nme? But here it is, how can an uncircumcised heart be humbled? God may\nbeat on men with rods as on a dog, but he will run away from him still the\nmore, Isa. ix. 13. Nay, it may be there will be more stirring after God,\nand more awaking by the first stroke of affliction, than when they are\ncontinued and multiplied. The uncouthness of rods may affect people\nsomething, but when his hand lieth on but a little, custom breedeth\nhardness, and more and more alienateth spirits from him.\n\nNow we need no more to seal this truth, but our own experience. I think\nnever people might speak more sensibly of it. It hath been the manner of\nthe Lord\u2019s dealing with us, to use fair means to gain us, to threaten\nbefore he laid on, to give a proclamation before his stroke, and yet it\nhath been our manner from our youth up to harden ourselves against him,\nand go on in our own way. Therefore hath the Lord, after long patience,\nlaid on sad strokes, and smitten us, yet have we not turned to him. It may\nbe, when the chastisement was fresh and green, some poured out a prayer,\nand in trouble visited God, (Isa. xxvi. 16,) but the body of the land hath\nnot known him that smote them, and never ran into their hiding place, but\nthe temptation of the time, like a flood, hath carried them away with it.\nAnd for the Lord\u2019s children, how soon doth the custom of a rod eat out the\nsense of it, and prayer doth not grow proportionably to the Lord\u2019s rods.\nThe Lord hath expected that some might stand in the gap and intercede, yet\nfew or none called on his name. General corrections of the land hath made\ngeneral apostacy from God, not a turning in to God; so that we may say, we\nnever entered a furnace, but we have come out with more dross, contracted\ndross in the fire. Men\u2019s zeal and tenderness hath been burnt up, reprobate\nsilver may God call us. We have had so much experience of the\nunprofitableness of former afflictions, that we know not what the Lord\nshall do with us. We think it may be the Lord\u2019s complaint of Scotland,\n\u201cWhy should you be afflicted any more? you will revolt more and more,\u201d\nIsa. i. 5. What needeth another rod? You are now all secure, it is true,\nbecause you are not stricken; nay, but what needeth a rod? For it cannot\nawake you,\u2014all the fruit of it would be, not to purge away sin, but to\nincrease it. General judgments will prove general temptations, and will\nalienate you more from me, and make you curse God and the covenant. And\nindeed, the truth is, we know not what outward dispensation can fall on\nthat can affect this generation, we know not what the Lord can have behind\nthat can work on us. Judgment hath had as much terror, mercies as much\nsweetness, and as much of God in the one and the other, as readily hath\nbeen since the beginning of the world. Only this we know, all things are\npossible to him which are impossible to us, and if the Spirit work to\nsanctify the rod, a more gentle rod shall work more effectually; his word\nshall do as much as his rod.\n\nThe case we are now into is just this\u2014\u201cNone calleth on thee.\u201d It is a\nterrible one, whether our condition be good or bad outwardly. Our peace\nhath put us asleep, and the word cannot put men to prayers. Now, the Lord\nhath begun to threaten, as you have been still in fear of new troubles,\nand a revolution of affairs again, yet I challenge your own consciences,\nand appeal to them,\u2014whom hath the word prevailed with to put to prayer?\nWhom hath the rumour of approaching trouble put to their prayers? Whose\nspirit hath been affected with God\u2019s frowning on the land? And this yet\nmore aggravateth your laziness, in the time that God doth show terrible\nthings to his people in Ireland, giveth them a cup of wormwood, and to\ndrink the wine of astonishment, are not you yet at ease? When your\nbrethren and fellow-saints are scattered amongst you as strangers,(319)\nyet your hearts bleed not.\n\nWell, behold the end of it,\u2014your case is a sad prognostic of the Lord\u2019s\nhiding his face and consuming us; nay, it is a sure token that his face is\nhid already. When Job\u2019s friends would aggravate his misery, they sum it up\nin this, \u201cthou restrainest prayer from God.\u201d It is more wrath to be kept\nfrom much praying, not to be scattered, from your own houses. Therefore,\nif you would have the cloud of God\u2019s anger, that covereth the land with\nblackness, go over you, and pour out itself on others; if you would\nprevent the rod, hearken to the word, and stir up yourselves to much\nprayer, that you may be called his remembrancers. O how long shall prayer\nbe banished this kingdom! The Lord\u2019s controversy must be great with us,\nfor since the days of our first love there has been great decay of the\nspirit of prayer. The children of God should be so much in it, as they\nmight be one with it. David was so much in prayer, as he in a manner\ndefined himself by it, Psal. cix. 4, \u201cI give myself unto prayer.\u201d In the\noriginal, there is no more but \u201cI prayer.\u201d I was all prayer. It was my\nwork, my element, my affection, my action. Nay, to speak the truth, it is\nthe decay of prayer that hath made all this defection in the land. Would\nyou know the original of many a public man\u2019s apostacy and backsliding in\nthe cause of God, what maketh them so soon forget their solemn\nengagements, and grow particular, seeking their own things, untender in\nseeking the things of God?\u2014would you trace back the desertion up to the\nfountain-head? Then come and see. Look upon such a man\u2019s walking with God\nin private, such a man\u2019s praying, and you shall find matters have been\nfirst wrong there. Alienation and estrangement from God himself, in\nimmediate duties and secret approaches, hath made men\u2019s affections cool to\nhis interest in public duties. And believe it, the reason why so few great\nmen or none are so cordial, constant, and thorough in God\u2019s matters is\nthis,\u2014they pray not in secret; they come to parliament or council where\npublic matters concerning the honour of God are to be debated, as any\nstatesmen of Venice would come to the senate. They have no dependence on\nGod to be guided in these matters; they are much in public duties, but\nlittle in secret with God. Believe it, any man\u2019s private walking with God\nshall be read upon his public carriage, whether he be minister or ruler.\n\nThere is yet another thing we would have you consider, to endear this duty\nunto you, and bind upon your consciences an absolute necessity of being\nmuch in it, and it is this. Prayer and calling on his name is often put\nfor all immediate worship of God, especially the more substantial and\nmoral part of service. This people was much in ceremonials, and they made\nthese their righteousness; nay, but there was little secret conversing\nwith God, walking humbly with him, loving him, believing in him. Well,\nthen, prayer is, as it were, a compend and sum of all duties; it contains\nin it, faith, love, repentance; all these should breathe out in prayer. In\na word, if we say to you, be much in prayer, we have said all, and it is\nmore than all the rest, because it is a more near and immediate approach\nto God, having more solid religion in it. If you be lively in this, you\nare thriving Christians; and if you wither here, all must decay, for\nprayer sappeth and watereth all other duties with the influence of heaven.\n\n\u201cThat stirreth up himself to take hold on thee.\u201d This expresseth more of\ntheir condition under the rod, and while God was threatening to depart and\nleave them. None took so much notice of it, as to awake out of his dream,\nto take a fast hold of God. It was but like the grip a man taketh in his\nslumbering, that he soon quitteth in his sleep; none awaketh himself, as a\nbird stirreth up itself with its wings to flight; none do so spread out\ntheir sails to meet the wind. This importeth a great security and\nnegligence, a careless stupidity. To take hold, to grip strongly and\nviolently, importeth both faith acted on God, and communion with God; so\nthat the sense is, nobody careth whither thou go,\u2014there is none that\nstirreth up himself to take violent hold of thee. Men lying loose in their\ninterest, and indifferent in the one thing necessary, do not strongly grip\nto it. Nobody keepeth thee by prayer and intercession; so that there is no\ndiligence added to diligence, there is no stirring up of ourselves in\nsecurity.\n\n_First_, When the Lord seemeth to withdraw, and when he is angry, it is\nour duty to take hold the more on him; and not only to act faith, and call\non him by prayer, but to add to ordinary diligence,\u2014it should be\nextraordinary.\n\nI. Then, I say, when the Lord is withdrawing and seemeth angry, we ought\nnot to withdraw from him by unbelief, but to draw near, and take hold on\nhim. And the Lord giveth a reason of this himself, Isa. xxvii. 4, 5,\n\u201cbecause fury is not in me.\u201d It is but a moment\u2019s anger, it is not hatred\nof your persons but sins, it is not fury that hath no discretion in it, no\ndifference between a friend and an enemy; it is but at least a father\u2019s\nanger, that is not for destruction but correction. The Lord is not\nimplacable. Come to him and win him,\u2014\u201cLet him take hold of me, and let him\nmake peace with me, if he will make peace.\u201d He is a God whose compassions\nfail not; and so he is never so angry, but there is room left for\nmanifestation of mercy on those that come to him. God\u2019s anger is not an\nhumour and passion as ours is, he can take the poor child in his arms,\nadmit it into his bosom, when outward dispensations frown. Men\u2019s anger is\nlike the sons of Belial, briers and thorns, that none may come near to,\nlest they be hurt; but God angry, is accessible, because his anger is\nstill tempered and mixed with clemency and mercy; and that mixture of\nmercy is so great and so predominant in all his dispensations here, that\nthey being rightly understood, might rather invite to come, than scare\nfrom it. There is more mercy to welcome, than anger to drive away. Look\nupon the very end and purpose of God\u2019s hiding himself, and withdrawing,\u2014it\nis this; that we may come and seek him early, Hosea v. 15. When God is\nangry, mercy and compassion principleth it, for anger is sent out to bring\nin wanderers. His anger is not humour, but resolute and deliberate,\nwalketh upon good grounds, because David in his prosperity missed not God.\nWhen all things went according to his mind, then he let God of where he\nwill; therefore, the Lord in mercy must hide his own heart with a frowning\ncountenance, and cover himself with a cloud, that David may be troubled,\nand so take hold on God, Psalm xxx. 7, 8. Since, then, this is God\u2019s\npurpose, that you may come nearer to him, and since he goeth away that you\nmay pursue; certainly he will never so run away as you may not find him\nout, nor will he run farther nor he strengtheneth thee to pursue him;\nthus, Psalm lxiii. 8, God was flying and David pursuing; nay, but the\nflyer giveth legs to the pursuer, he upholdeth him, as it were against\nhimself: so did the angel strengthen Jacob to overcome himself. Now, shall\nit not be pleasant to God, that you lay hold on him as your own, even when\nhe seemeth to be clothed with vengeance, seeing he changeth his outward\ncountenance for this very end? He seemeth to go, that you may hold;\nbecause when you think he stayeth, you hold not; as the child, while the\nnurse is near, will look about it, and take hold of any thing; but when\nshe withdraweth, the child cleaveth the faster to her.\n\nBut, II. We ought to stir up ourselves more now than any other time: times\nof God\u2019s withdrawing calleth for extraordinary and doubled approaches. So\nHos. v. 15, \u201cThey will seek me early.\u201d And therefore the Lord\u2019s children\nin Scripture have made great advantage of such dispensations. The truth\nis, as long as we are well dealt with, security creepeth on, and religion\nis but in a decaying condition. Duties are done through our sleep; we are\nnot as men awaking and knowing what we do, and whither we go. But when the\nLord beginneth to trouble us, and hides his face, then it is time to awake\nout of sleep, before all be gone: and there ought to be, 1. More diligence\nin duties and approaching to God, because your case furnisheth more matter\nof supplication; and as matter of supplication groweth, prayer should\ngrow. If necessity grow, and the cry be not according to necessity, it is\nominous. And therefore David useth to make his cry go up according to his\ntrouble. In a prosperous condition, though every thing might call a\ntender-hearted loving Christian to some nearness to God; yet ordinarily,\nif necessity press not, prayer languisheth and groweth formal. Sense of\nneed putteth an edge on supplication, whereas prosperity blunteth it. The\nheart missing nothing, cannot go above sublunary things; but let it not\nhave its will here, and the need of heaven will be the greater. Now I say,\nif you sit so many calls, both from a command, and from your own\nnecessities, you do so much the more sin. Affliction will make even a\nhypocrite seek him, and pour out a prayer and visit him, Psalm lxxviii.\nand Isa. xxvi. And if you do not take advantage of all these pressures,\nyou must be so much the more guilty; and therefore God, as it were,\nwondereth at their obstinacy, \u201cThey return not to him that smiteth them!\u201d\nAll this is come upon us, yet have we not prayed. And, 2. It is sent for\nthat end, that you may be more serious; and therefore you ought so much\nthe more to awake, to lay hold on him. This is the way the Lord useth with\nhis secure and wandering children, Psalm cxix. 67. For the Lord findeth us\noften gripping too strongly to a present world, and taking it in our arms,\nas if we were never to part with it. Men\u2019s souls cleave to outward\naccommodations; therefore the Lord useth to part us and our idol, that we\nmay take hold of him the faster. It is union with himself that is our\nfelicity, and it is that which God most endeavoureth. When he removeth\nbeloved jewels, it is because they were a stumbling-block, and divorced\nthe soul from God: when he seemeth to withdraw himself his going\nproclaimeth so much, oh! follow, or perish.\n\nIII. It is a very dangerous thing when he withdraweth and you follow not,\nwhen he is angry and you care not, do not fly in to make peace with him.\nCertainly his anger must wax hotter, and desertion will become a spiritual\nplague; rods must be tempered with much bitterness. What mixture of mercy\ncan be in such a dispensation, where the fruit of it is to harden? But if\nthe Lord\u2019s hardest dealing wrought you to more nearness and communion with\nhimself; then certainly you have a fair advantage against the present\ntrouble, and you have your cup mixed. You shall at length bless God for\nsuch dispensations; they may be reckoned for good to you.\n\nNext, there ought to be more exercise of faith, and laying hold of the\ngrounds of consolation in God in such a time. 1. For as difficulties grow,\nfaith should fortify itself against them so much the more. The greater the\nstorm be, it should fly the more into the chambers. Faith in the time of a\ncalm day getteth no trial; faith bulketh much(320) because it hath not\nmuch to do. But except there be some fresh and new supplies, it cannot\nhold out in a temptation. But it is a singular proof of a noble and divine\nfaith,\u2014that it can lay hold on him and keep him when he would go,\u2014that can\nchallenge kindness on a miskenning Jesus,(321) \u2014that can stand on the\nground of the promises when there is not a foot-breadth of a dispensation\nto build on. While all things go with you ye have no difficulty to\nmaintain your faith; nay, but when the Lord seemeth to look angry, then\nawake and gather strength, and take hold on his strength. Look what is in\nyour condition or his dispensation, what is good or ominous, then take\nhold on the other hand on him, and look what is in him to answer it, and\nswallow it up. Ye ought to be well acquainted with the grounds of\nconsolation that are in God, in the worst case, and then ye might lay hold\non him though he seemed a consuming fire. It is then a time that calleth\nmost for securing your interest in him, a time when there is no external\nadvantage to beguile you, a time when the only happiness is to be one with\nGod. Therefore the man who, in such calamities and judgments, is not\nawakened to put his eternal estate out of question, he is in a dangerous\ncase. For, do not most part drive over their days, and have no assurance\nof salvation, they dare not say either _pro_ or _contra_. It may be, and\nit may not be. And this is the length that the most part come,\u2014a negative\npeace; no positive confidence; no clear concluding, on sure grounds, an\ninterest. Always ye are most called to this, when God afflicteth the land\nor you: if ye do not then make peace it is most dangerous. 2. The Lord\nloveth faith in a difficulty best,\u2014it is the singlest and the cleanliest,\nit is that which most honoureth him, and glorifieth his truth and\nfaithfulness, and sufficiency and mercy; for then it is most purely\nelevated above creatures, and pitcheth most on God; and therefore bringeth\nmen to this, \u201cNo help for my soul, but thou art my portion.\u201d And this\ncommendeth God most when he is set alone. Prosperity bringeth him down\namong creatures, and secure faith maketh little distinction; but awakening\nfaith grippeth strongly and singly, putteth God alone.\n\n_Secondly_, Oftentimes, when God is departing, none stirreth up himself to\nlay hold on him. Although there may be praying and doing of many duties,\nyet there is nothing beyond ordinary. The varieties and accessions of new\ngrounds of supplications doth neither make greater frequency nor more\nfervency. This our experience may clear unto us both in duties and faith.\n\nI.  There is very little diligence in seeking of God in the way and means\nappointed, even when God seemeth to bid farewell to the land, and go away.\nNobody cometh in as an intercessor. Men keep on their old way of praying,\nand never add to it, come what like. Who is it that riseth above his\nordinary, as the tide of God\u2019s dispensation is? There ought to be such an\nimpression made by the changes of God\u2019s countenance as might be read on\nthe duties of his people. There should be such a distance between your\nordinary and such times as between a sleeping man and a waking man, that\nwhatever your attainment of access to God be, ye might stir up and go\nbeyond it according as matters call.  Will God count your public fasts a\nperformance of this duty? Alas, we fast sleeping, and none stirreth up\nhimself to these things! Is there any difference betwixt your solemn\nhumiliation and another Sabbath? And is there any difference between a\nSabbath and a week-day, save the external duty? Is not this palpably our\ncase? Is there any wakening among us? No, security is both the universal\ndisease and complaint; and it is become an incurable disease since it\nbecame a complaint. Doth any of you pray more in private than he used? Or\nwhat edge is on your prayers? Alas! the Lord will get good leave to go\nfrom us; it feareth me that we would give Christ a testimonial to go over\nseas. Hold him, hold him! Nay, the multitude would be gladly quit of\nhim,\u2014they cannot abide his yoke, his work is a burden, his word is a\ntorment, his discipline is bands and cords; and what heart can ye then\nhave to keep Christ? What violence can ye offer to him to hold him still?\nAll your entreaties may be fair compliments, but they would never rend his\ngarment.\n\nII. There is no up-stirring to faith among us, and laying hold on Jesus\nChrist, albeit all his dispensations warn us that it is now high time.\nThere are not many who are about this point, effectually to stir up their\nfaith or to secure their interest. Think ye that conjectures will carry\nyou through difficulties? The multitude think they believe much, but any\ntemptation proveth their mistake. The most part of Scotland would deny God\nand his Son Jesus Christ, if they were put to it. Always it is a time ye\nwould not lie out from your stronghold,\u2014faith only uniteth you to Christ,\nand if ye would be kept in any trial, stir up faith.\n\n_Thirdly_, Prayer and faith, diligence and laying hold on God, must go\ntogether and help one another. Not calling on his name, and not laying\nhold on him go together, and have influence one upon another.\n\nI. Faith hath influence on prayer. Laying hold on God in Christ will make\nright calling on his name, it learneth men how to call God, to call him\nAbba, Father. Faith useth to vent itself in prayer. I say, much\nconsideration of God, and claiming into him, and to the grounds of\nconfidence in him, must both make prayer acceptable, and carry the stamp\nand impression of God\u2019s name, or Christ\u2019s name, on it, and also make much\nprayer: for when a soul hath pitched on God as its only felicity, and thus\nmade choice of him, it findeth in him all sufficiency, all things for all\nthings. There is no necessity, but it findeth a supply in his fulness for\nit; and therefore it applieth a man to the fountain, to draw out of the\nwells of salvation. There is nothing can be so sweet and refreshing as for\nsuch a soul to pour out itself every day in him, to talk with him face to\nface. Faith engageth the heart to come to God with all things; whereas\nmany difficulties would have been, and the secure or unsettled heart would\nhave gone as many different ways to help them. Faith layeth hold on God,\nknoweth but one, and bringeth all here; and therefore access to God is a\nfruit of it, access unto the grace wherein we stand by faith. And again,\nhow can prayer be acceptable as long as faith doth not principle it? It is\nbut like a beast\u2019s groaning under a burden. Laying hold on God himself\nmakes a man\u2019s duties acceptable, because he speaks and asks; believing\nthat he shall receive, he trusteth God and doth not tempt him. Where\nlively faith is not entertained there cannot be much affection which is\nthe oil of the wheels. There may be in some bitterness of spirit much\nvehemency; but that is not a pure flame of divine love that burneth upward\nto him; and it is soon extinguished, and lasteth no longer nor present\nsense, and then the soul groweth harder, as iron that had been in the\nfire.\n\nII. When there is not much prayer and calling, faith cannot lie strong and\nviolent; for prayer is even the exercise of faith, if you wear out of\nthat, faith rusteth.  There may be much quietness with little prayer, but\nthere cannot be much, and strong and lively faith, for where it getteth\nnot continual employment it fags. And indeed prayer is a special point of\nholding God fast, and keeping him, therefore join these, if ye would\nthrive in anyone of them. Your unbelieving complaints are not prayers and\ncalling on his name, because they are not mixed with faith. As the apostle\nsaid of the word, so may it be said of prayer,\u2014your prayers are not\nprofitable, are not heard, because not mixed with faith. Ye use to doubt,\nthat ye may be fervent, to question your interest, that ye may stir up\nyour spirits to prayer. But alas! what a simple gross mistake is that?\nPoor soul, though thou get more liberty, shall it be counted access to\nGod? Though you have more grief, and your bitterness doth indite more\neloquence, shall God be moved with it? Know ye not that you should ask\nwithout wavering, and lift up pure hands without wrath and doubting? And\nyet both are there.\n\n_Fourthly_, The duty we are called to in such a time when God is angry, is\nto lay hold on him. We would speak a word more of it. We ought to hold a\ndeparting Lord, by wrestling with him in supplication, not to let him\ndepart till he bless, Hos. xii. 3, 4. The application of Jacob\u2019s victory\nover the angel is thus, \u201cTurn ye to the Lord, and wait on him,\u201d &c. How\nhad Jacob power over the angel? By supplication and weeping, so that\nprayer is a victory over God, even the Lord God of hosts. We ought, as it\nwere, to strive against outward dispensation, when it saith, He is gone,\nwhen our condition saith, He is gone, or going, we ought to wrestle with\nit. No submission to such a departing, I mean, no submission that sitteth\ndown with it, and is not careful how it be. Now this time calleth you to\nsuch an exercise. The Lord seemeth to be angry with us. There is a strong\ncloud over the land, and like to pour down upon us\u2014the Lord is drawing a\nsword again, and beginning now to lay on. Many threatenings would not put\nus to supplication.  Now, what will the laying on of the rod do? If the\nformer days be returning wherein ye saw much sorrow, is it not then high\ntime for the Lord\u2019s remembrancers, and for the Lord\u2019s children to wrestle\nwith God? As Esau was coming on Jacob, so hath God armed men, and such\ndesperate men, as he hath made a rod to us before. If we be twice beaten\nwith it, it is very just, for before we did not seek in to him who smote\nus.(322) You would know this, that the Lord is but seeking employment, and\nif ye would deal with him, ye may make advantage of the present and future\ncalamities.  And look to this laying hold on him, this is the chief thing\nye should now heed. It is God himself that should be your principal\nobject. Praying should be a laying hold on God, it should meet with\nhimself. For the most part in the time of prosperity, we cannot meet with\nGod singly, we have so much to do with creatures, we keep trysts so\npunctually with them, so that we cannot keep with God. We have so many\nthings in our affections and thoughts, that God cannot get place, he\ncannot get us at leisure for the throng of our business, we lose God by\ncatching at shadows. Well then, we are called in such a time of difficulty\nto come in to God himself, to draw by the vail of ordinances, that we may\nhave communion with God himself. And this is right praying, when the soul\ngetteth such immediate access to God, as it were, to handle him, and see\nhim, and taste him, to exercise its senses on him. Ordinances have been of\na long time a covering of his face, and he useth not now to unvail himself\nin the sanctuary, and let us see his glory God is departed from preaching\nand praying, and the solemn meeting, so that we meet not with God,\u2014we lay\nhold on a shadow of an outward ordinance, but not on God himself.\nTherefore, Christians, make advantage of this time. You may be brought to\nwant ordinances, then lay hold on himself who is the substance and marrow\nof them. You may be denuded of outward comforts and accommodation here,\nthen lay hold on himself in much prayer. If affliction would blow away the\ncloud on his face, or would scatter our idols from us, and make us single\nalone with God, as Jacob was, it were well sent.\n\nII. Your exercise should be to take hold on God by faith.  1. Ye would\nmake peace with God, be much in direct acts of apprehending God himself in\nJesus Christ. And this is according as ye take up yourselves with your own\nmisery and necessity. Do but travel continually between your own misery\nand something answerable in God.\n\nThe first thing we would have you do, now when God frowns upon us, is to\nfind out your own lost condition, and how great strangers you have been to\nhim, even when ye have approached in many ordinances, and find a necessity\nof making peace with God and atonement. Now from this day hold on Christ,\nas the hope set before you. Look upon that in him which will answer all\nyour necessities, and be suitable to them. It is not matters of outward\nlot that should go nearest your heart. Let the world go where it will,\nthat which concerneth you most in such a time, is the securing of your\nsoul, for if you lose it, what gain you? what keep you? Your houses, and\nlands, and lives may be in hazard, nay, but one thing is more worth than\nall these, and in more hazard. Begin at spiritual things, and ask how\nmatters stand between God and thee.\n\n2. Not only would ye be much in immediate application unto Jesus Christ,\nbut ye would so take hold of him, as ye may be sure ye have him. Make\npeace, and know that ye have made it, and then shall ye be kept in perfect\npeace. You would never rest until you can on solid grounds answer the\nquestion. And this duty is called for from you at such a time, for \u201cthe\njust shall live by faith,\u201d in a troublesome time, Hab. ii. 4. And as ye\nought to keep and hold fast confidence and not cast it away in such a\ntime, so should ye all seek after it. Do not only rest in this,\u2014I know not\nbut I may belong to Christ, I dare not say against it. O no, Christians,\nyou should have positive clear grounds of assurance \u201cI am his, and he is\nmine,\u201d \u201cI know that my Redeemer liveth,\u201d \u201cGod is my portion.\u201d And if ye\nconclude this solidly, I defy all the world to shake and trouble your\npeace this is perfect peace, \u201cpeace, peace,\u201d double peace. How can ye\nchoose but be shaken at every blast of temptation, when you are not thus\nsolidly grounded, when you hold not at your anchor?\n\nAnd, 3. Having thus laid hold on Christ as your own, lay hold on all in\nhim as yours, and for your use. Whatever difficulty the present time or\nyour own condition afford, search but as much in God as may counterbalance\nit. Answer all objections, from his mercy, goodness, power, wisdom,\nunchangeableness, and this shall be more nor the trouble. God himself laid\nhold upon, and made ours, is more nor removing a temporal calamity. It is\nan eternal weight, to weigh down all crosses and disappointments. For what\ncan present things be? Is there not in the favour of his countenance that\nwhich may drown them in oblivion? Are ye like to sink here? Is not God a\nsure anchor to hold by? And if ye do not this, your trouble is nothing in\nrespect of the danger of your soul. Secure and loose lying out of God, not\nputting this matter to a full point, is worse nor all your outward fading.\nTherefore, we exhort you in the Lord\u2019s name, to fly into this name of the\nLord, as a strong tower to run to and be safe. When the Lord seemeth now\nto be angry with us, run not away from him, though he should yet clothe\nhimself with vengeance as a garment.\n\nBut, _first_, O ye poor people, who have never asked this question,\nwhether have I any interest in Jesus? ask it now, and resolve it in time.\nIf trouble come on, if scattering and desolation come on, and our land\nfade as a leaf, certainly the Lord\u2019s anger will drive you away, What will\nye do in the time of his indignation? All of you, put this to the\ntrial,\u2014how matters stand between God and you.\n\nAnd, _secondly_, If ye find all wrong, do not sink in discouragement, all\nmay be amended, while it is seen wrong in time. Nay, God taketh away\noutward accommodation, to make you more serious in this. And it is the\nvery voice of rods,\u2014every one fly into your hold, every one make peace\nwith me. You may take hold, and do it feckfully.(323)\n\n_Thirdly_, You who have fled to Jesus, take more hold of him, you are\ncalled also to renew your faith, and begin again. Make peace with God, let\nyour confidence be kept fast, and thus shall ye be immoveable, because he\nchangeth not. God will not go from you if ye believe\u2014hold him by faith.\nChrist could not do great things in Galilee because of their unbelief, and\nso he departed from them. As unbelief maketh an evil heart to depart from\nthe God of all life and consolation, so doth it make God depart from us.\nBut faith casteth a knot upon him (to speak with reverence), it fasteneth\nhim by his own word and promise, and he cannot go by it. It is a violent\nhand laid on God. \u201cI will not let thee go till thou bless me.\u201d\n\n_Fourthly_, Faith and prayer, or holding of God, by believing in him, and\nmuch employing him needeth much stirring up unto, and awaking. \u201cThat\nstirreth up himself to take hold on thee.\u201d Security is the moth of both\nthese, and eateth out the life of faith and supplication; it maketh prayer\nso coldrife that it cannot prevail, and faith so weak that it cannot use\nviolence.\n\nI. Security apprehendeth no evil, no need. A secure condition is a dream\nthat one is eating and yet his soul is empty. Look how the people of Laish\nwere quiet and secure, apprehending no evil; destruction cometh then on as\nan armed man. Always it is much necessity that administers fuel to a man\u2019s\nfaith and supplication. David says, (Psal. xxx. 7,) \u201cI said in my\nprosperity, I shall not be moved.\u201d Nay, but many say in adversity, and cry\nPeace, peace, where no peace is. Security pleadeth innocency, and then\nbelieveth immunity. \u201cI am innocent, therefore shall his anger turn away,\u201d\nJer. ii. 31. Security applieth not sin, and so refuseth the curse of sin\nand wages of it. And thus is a man in his own eyes a lord, and then he\nwill come no more to God, Jer. ii. 31. It is almost impossible to awake\nmen, by general judgments, to apprehend personal danger, and men never\nstir out of their nest till it be on fire. We can behold, or hear of our\nneighbours, spoiling and violence done to them, but till the voice of a\ncry be heard in our own streets and fields, nobody will take the judgment\nto themselves. It is well said, that which is spoken to all, is spoken to\nnone, so what is done to all in general, is done to none. The voice of a\ngeneral rod speaketh not particularly, and maketh not men apprehensive of\nsad things, and thus men are not pressed unto prayer\u2014are not put out of\nthemselves, it is only necessity that saps the roots of it, and makes it\ngreen.\n\nII. Security is lazy and not active, putteth not forth its hand to work,\nand so dieth a beggar, for only the hand of the diligent maketh rich.\nLaying hold on God is a duty that requireth much spirit in it; men do not\ngrip things well in their slumbering. There is no duty that needeth so\nspiritual and lively principles. If a man do not put on such a piece of\nresolution and edge upon him, he cannot come to the wrestling of prayer\nand violence of faith. Although the exercise and acting of grace dependeth\nmore upon the Spirit of God\u2019s present influence, than upon the soul of\nman, yet this is the way the Lord communicateth his influence, by stirring\nup and exciting the creature to its duty, as if it could do it alone.\nGrace is one thing, and the stirring up of it is another thing. For when\nwe lie by and sleep over our time, and go not about the matter so\nseriously as it were life and death, it is but a weak hold we can take of\nGod. According to the measure of a man\u2019s apprehending necessity, and\naccording to the measure of his seriousness in these things, so will the\nhand of faith grip, and lay hold with more or less violence. As a man\ndrowning will be put from sleeping, and when one is in extreme hazard all\nhis strength will unite together in one to do that which at any ordinary\ntime it could not do, so ought it to be here. A Christian assaulted with\nmany temptations should unite his strength, and try the yondmost.(324) O\nbut your whole spirits would run together, to the saving of yourselves, if\nye were very apprehensive of necessity! The exercise of faith is a dead\ngrip, that cannot part with what it grippeth. Therefore, 1. We must say to\nyou, it is not so easy a thing as you believe, to lay hold on God,\u2014there\nmust be stirring up to it. And when the Lord speaketh of our stirring\nourselves, certainly he meaneth this likewise, that he must stir us, ere\nwe stir ourselves. 2. Above all, be afraid of a secure condition: it is\nthe enemy of communion with God and spiritual life. Therefore, look about\nyou, and apprehend more your necessity, and then give no rest and\nquietness to yourself, till you have employed and engaged him, be as men\nflying to lay hold on the refuge set before you. 3. It must be a time of\nlittle access to God, and little faith, when we are all secure, and nobody\ngoeth about religion as their work and business. We allow ourselves in it,\ntherefore, we do exhort yon, _first_, To purpose this as your end to aim\nat, and purpose by God\u2019s grace to take more hold of God. There is little\nminding of duty, and that maketh little doing of it. Once engage your\nhearts to a love and desire of more of this, come to a point of\nresolution, I must know him more, and trust more in him, be more acquaint\nwith him. And, _secondly_, Put yourselves in the way of duty. It is God\nthat only can stir you up, or apply your hearts to the using of violence\nto God, but ye would be found in the outward means much, and in these ways\nGod will meet with you, if you wait on him in them.\n\n\u201cFor thou hast hid thy face from us.\u201d Here is the greatest plague, a\nspiritual plague. The last verse was but the beginning of sorrows, \u201cWe all\ndo fade,\u201d &c. But lo, here the accomplishment of misery, God hiding his\nface, and consuming them in the hand of their sins.\n\n_First_, The Lord\u2019s hiding of his face, and giving up a people to melt\naway in their sins, punishing with judicial blindness and security, is the\nworst judgment, it filleth the cup full. This complaint goeth on still\nworse, and certainly it is worse nor their fading as a leaf and exile out\nof their land. It is not without reason, that great troubles and\nafflictions are so expressed, \u201cThou didst hide thy face,\u201d as David said,\n\u201cThou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled,\u201d importing as much, as it\nis not trouble that doth trouble, but God\u2019s hiding of his face that maketh\ntrouble. It is in so far trouble, as it is a sign of his displeasure, and\nas the frowns of his countenance are upon it, therefore, the saints,\naggravating their affliction, say, \u201cThou hidest thy face.\u201d You know the\nface is the place wherein either kindness or unkindness appeareth. The\nLord\u2019s countenance, on face, is a refreshful sweet manifestation of\nhimself to a soul, it is the Lord using familiarity with a spirit, and\nthis made David more glad than corn and wine. Now, the hiding of the face,\nthe withdrawing of his countenance, is, when the Lord in his dispensation\nand dealing doth withhold the manifestation of himself, either in life or\nconsolation, when he covereth himself with clouds round about, that\nneither can a soul see into the backside of it\u2014into his own warm heart,\nnor can the sun beams shine through to quicken and refresh the soul. The\nLord draweth over his face a vail of a crossing dispensation, or such\nlike.\n\nThere is a desertion of the soul in the point of life and spiritual\naction, and there is a desertion in regard of consolation. The varieties\nof the Lord\u2019s desertions run upon these two. As a Christian\u2019s life is\naction or consolation, and the Lord\u2019s influence is either quickening or\ncomforting, so his withdrawing is either a prejudice to the one or the\nother. Sometimes he goeth \u201cmourning all the day,\u201d nay, but he is \u201csick of\nlove,\u201d sometimes he is a bottle dried in the smoke, and his moisture dried\nup. The Christian\u2019s consolation may be subtracted, and his life abide, but\nhe cannot have spiritual consolation, if he be not lively. This life is\nmore substantial,\u2014comfort is more refreshful,\u2014life is more solid,\u2014comfort\nsweet, that is true growing solid meat, this but sauce to eat it with.\n\nThe hiding here meant is certainly a spiritual punishment. The Lord\ndenying unto this people grace to understand the voice of the rod,\u2014he\nappearing as a party against them,\u2014leaving them to their own carnal and\nlazy temper, and thus they lay still under God\u2019s displeasure. Now, there\nis nothing like this.\n\nI.  Because it is a spiritual punishment, and estates are not to be valued\nand laid in the balance with the soul.  Albeit men are become so brutish\nas to abase their souls, and prostitute them to any thing, yet all a man\nhath is not considerable to it.\n\nII.  It is a more excellent thing that is removed by it,\u2014\u201cIn his favour is\nlife,\u201d\u2014all felicity and happiness is in God\u2019s countenance. If a man have\nnot this, what hath he else? Losses are according as the thing is. Nay,\nbut here is more,\u2014\u201cMy Lord is taken from me, my God hath forgotten me.\u201d\nAnd indeed, if man\u2019s true happiness be in communion with God, certainly,\nany interruption coming in must be sad, and make a man more miserable than\nthe world knoweth. There is a greater emphasis in that word, \u201cThou hast\nhid thy face,\u201d than if he had said, all the world hideth their face and\nmaketh a scorn of us.\n\nTherefore, _first_, Know what is the worst thing of the times. Many of you\nthink sword and pestilence, and the burdens of the time, the worst things,\nand if you were now to complain, the saddest complaint would\nbe,\u2014affliction is laid on our loins. But know this, if your cities were\ndesolate, if your land were made a wilderness, and we captives in another\nland, there is yet a worse thing than all these, and think you not this\nstrange? Nay, I say, there is something worse already in us, that we know\nnot of, and it is this\u2014\u201cMake the hearts of this people hard.\u201d A spirit of\nslumber and deadness from the Lord upon the land, there are multitudes he\nwill never show his face unto, it is still vailed from them, and they know\nhim not. Ye that think all were well if ye had peace and prosperity, and\nknow no hiding of God\u2019s countenance\u2014no anger but when he striketh;\ncertainly you know not what his countenance is by all these things men\nneither know love nor hatred. 2. Whatever calamity come upon you\noutwardly, deprecate most spiritual plagues and God\u2019s deserting. If you\nhave God\u2019s countenance, it may make you glad in much sadness. You would be\nmost careful lest any partition-wall came in lest his countenance change\non you, if you grieve his Spirit and break his heart. Seek to have his\nface to shine, and this shall be a sun with healing under his wings. O but\nChrist\u2019s countenance is comely, when it is seen without clouds! but often\nit is overclouded with much provocation.\n\n_Secondly_, The Lord\u2019s hiding of his face hath influence on the temper of\nspirits and disposition in duties. The truth is in general, \u201cIn him we\nlive, and move, and have our being,\u201d and more especially, in many things\nthat are spiritual, we are of our selves able to do nothing. The\ncreature\u2019s holiness, and especially our life, is but as the rays that the\nSun of righteousness sendeth forth round about him, and if any thing come\nbetween it evanisheth. As the marygold that openeth its leaves when the\nsun riseth, and closeth when it goeth down again, so exactly doth our\nspiritual constitution follow the motions of his countenance, and depend\nwholly on them. \u201cThou hidest thy face, and they are troubled,\u201d Psal. xxx\n7. The Lord needeth no more but discountenance us, and we are gone.\n\nAlways, I. Be more dependent creatures. We use to act as from habits\nwithin, without any subordination to the Lord\u2019s grace without us, but we\nfind that our sufficiency is not of ourself. How often doth your spiritual\ncondition change on you in an hour? You cannot command one thought of God,\nor act from any habit of grace, even then when you can bring forth other\ngifts in exercise. Ye find that grace findeth more difficulties, more\ninterruptions,\u2014therefore learn to attend the changes and motions of his\ncountenance.\n\nII. When you find your heart dead, and you concluded under an\nimpossibility of taking hold of God in a lively manner, then, I pray you,\nlook unto the Lord\u2019s suspending of his influence, and let your whole\nendeavours be at the throne of grace to help it. It will not be your own\nprovoking of yourself to your duty, but you must put yourself upon God,\nthat he may cause his face to shine.\n\nIII. Though the Lord\u2019s hiding his face be often a cause of our deadness,\nand his desertion maketh all to wither, yet we have often a culpable hand\nin it, and he hides his face being provoked so to do. One thing we may\nmention, grieving of the Holy Ghost whereby we are sealed, quenching the\nmotions of the Spirit, maketh the Spirit cover his face with a vail and\nhide it. There is here ordinarily a reciprocal or mutual influence. Our\ngrieving him makes him withdraw his countenance, and his withdrawing his\ncountenance maketh us to wither and grow barren.\n\nIV. The most sure and infallible token of the Lord\u2019s hiding his face, is\nsecurity, and a spirit of deadness and laziness, when folk go about duties\ndreaming, and do all as it were through their sleep. Therefore we may\nconclude sad things on this land, that the Lord hideth his face from us.\nAnd therefore arise, and do not settle and quiet yourself in such a\ncondition. The Lord is angry, needeth any more be said? No more needeth to\nkind children, but the rod must follow this to make anger sensible.\n\n\n\n\n\nAN USEFUL CASE OF CONSCIENCE\n\n\nLearnedly And Accurately Discussed And Resolved, Concerning Associations\nAnd Confederacies With Idolaters, Infidels, Heretics, Malignants, Or Any\nOther Known Enemies Of Truth And Godliness.\n\n\n\n\n                                Section I.\n\n\nThat There Is A Malignant Party Still In The Kingdom.\n\n\nIn the entry to this business, the importunity of not a few makes it\nneedful to speak somewhat to a question which unto this time hath been\nunquestioned, as beyond all exception, that is, whether there be yet in\nScotland a malignant party? Or, whether there be at this time any party\nwho may and ought, in reason and Christian prudence, to be reputed and\nlooked upon as malignants and disaffected to the covenanted cause of God?\nIt seems the more needful to speak somewhat of this, 1. Because some\nministers are become slack and silent in this point, as if now there were\nno need of watchfulness and warning against any such party, 2. Because the\nexpressions of many of the people of the land run that way, that there are\nnow no malignants in Scotland, and that it is but a few factious ministers\nthat will still keep up these names, that they may more easily, with\nothers of their own stamp, weaken and divide the kingdom, for carrying on\nof their own ends, 3. Because the inclinations and resolutions of the\npublic judicatories, in reference to most of the party who carried that\nname, do clearly import that they do think they are no more to be looked\nupon as malignants, as appears from several of their papers, especially\nthe letter written for satisfaction to the presbytery of Stirling. And\ntherefore this must be laid down as the foundation of what follows. That\nthere is still in the land, not only a few persons, but a party\nconsiderable for number, power, and policy, who are malignant and\ndisaffected to the covenant and cause of God. We would join heartily in\nthe desire of many, that these and other such like odious names of\ndifferent parties and factions were taken away, but we cannot join in the\nreasons of this desire which are ordinarily given. We wish the name\nmalignant were obsolete and antiquate, if so be the thing itself, which is\nsuch a root of bitterness, were extirpated out of the church. Yea, though\nthe thing itself remained, if men would hate it for itself, and account it\nmore odious and hateful than the name imports, we would be glad it were no\nmore heard of, because we find this prejudice, by all such appropriated\nnames, that people generally look upon that which goes under that name as\nthe only sin, and as if there were not that root of bitterness, in all\nwhich it grows out of, in any, and so conceive themselves good Christians\nif they fall not under that hateful appellation of malignants. But seeing\nthis bitter fruit of enmity, against godliness and the godly, comes to\nmore ripeness and maturity in many of this generation than in others, who\nyet are unconverted, and seeing it hath been the custom of the church of\nGod in all generations, to discriminate many more ungodly and known haters\nof godliness and his people from the common sort of natural people, and to\ncomprehend them under these names of wicked, of malignant, of enemies as\nmay appear in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms, and that more\nespecially in our days, that name hath been appropriated to such who have\ndeclared themselves, in their words or actions, to be haters of godliness\nand the power thereof, and his people, or have arisen to the height of\nactual opposition against these, we cannot be blamed for using such a name\nstill, for distinction\u2019s sake. We proceed to some reasons.\n\nI. The constant and continued proceedings of the General Assembly and\ntheir commissioners for many years past unto this day.\n\nThere is not almost any of their warnings, declarations, or remonstrances,\nwhich doth not assert this, and warn against it, and that not only before\nthe king\u2019s homecoming and taking of the covenant, but also since that\ntime, as is evident by the Declaration emitted by the commission in July\nlast,(325) the Declaration of the Assembly itself, a little after,(326) by\nthe Declaration emitted at Stirling since the defeat at Dunbar,(327) the\nCauses of the Fast upon that defeat,(328) the Remonstrance to the king at\nPerth after his escape, together with the Remonstrance given in by them to\nthe parliament,(329) all which do clearly hold forth this truth.\n\nII. Take Christ\u2019s rule, \u201cBy their fruits ye shall know them.\u201d There is a\ngreat party in the land that adhere to malignant principles, bring forth\nmalignant fruits, and tread malignant paths, as may appear in these\ninstances. 1. A great many of these who have been formerly engaged in such\ncourses, and under church censures, did lately conjoin together and rise\nin arms, and drew away the king(330) from the public councils of the\nkingdom, and refused to lay down arms till they got conditions agreeable\nto their mind; which course of theirs was justly declared by the\ncommission to carry upon it the stamp of malignancy in an eminent way. 2.\nThe seeking to promote and establish an arbitrary power in the person of\nthe king, as it hath been still the endeavour of the malignant party, so\nit hath been always taken by the kirk of Scotland as one of their\ncharacters; and that there is a party now in Scotland who still hold that\nprinciple, and drive this design of arbitrary power, is evident. First,\nbecause these same men, who were lately in arms, did not only take up arms\nupon the king\u2019s simple warrant, and without the knowledge, and contrary to\nthe mind of the committee of estates; but also received the act of\nindemnity,(331) and laid down arms, in obedience to the king\u2019s majesty,\nwithout so much as mentioning or acknowledging the committee of estates,\nas is to be seen in a paper subscribed by them,(332) and in the\nremonstrance of the commission of the General Assembly, dated at Perth,\nNov. 29, 1650, the words whereof are these: \u201cYour lordships should\nlikewise consider, whether it doth not encroach upon the present\nconstitution of government of this kingdom, and will not involve your\nlordships in the guilt of these men\u2019s sin, if you shall accept of their\nlaying down of arms, merely upon the profession of obedience to the king\u2019s\ncommand, without any expression of their respect and obedience to the\ncommittee of estates, or any acknowledgment of their sin and offence,\nwhich we hope you will look upon as a most unnatural and unseasonable\nrending of the kingdom, in the time of this heavy oppression by a common\nenemy, and exposing the kingdom to all misery and ruin.\u201d(333) Second, It\nmay be remembered that in the first model of the agreement which was made\nat Breda,(334) that clause which doth concern the determining of civil\nmatters in the interval of parliament, by such as are authorized by\nparliament for that effect, and the king\u2019s majesty hearkening to their\nadvice, was wholly left out; and any who are acquainted with expressions\nand inclinations of sundry great ones in the land, are not ignorant of\ntheir dislike of a committee of estates, and their desire to have the\nadministration of matters, in the interval of parliament, wholly devolved\nupon the king\u2019s council. And the same spirit that would draw business from\nthe committee to a cabinet council, would at last draw them from the\nparliament itself, because that is also, if not more, crossing to private\ninterests and designs than a committee of estates.  Third instance.  There\nis a party in the land who as in their hearts they do envy, and in their\ntongues do traduce men that have been steadfast and faithful in the\ncovenant and cause of God, so do they endeavour to the utmost of their\npower, to bring them into disgrace and contempt, and to get them removed\nfrom power and trust, and, upon the other side, study with no less\ndiligence to get places of power and trust, in the army and elsewhere,\nfilled with such as either have been open enemies or secret underminers.\nFourth instance.  Are there not many who oppose the kingdom of Jesus\nChrist and work of reformation, not only by holding up that old calumny of\nmalignants, concerning the seditious and factious humour of ministers, and\ntheir stretching of themselves beyond their line, and by mocking all\nfaithful and free preaching of the word, and by bearing down the power of\ngodliness, deriding and hating all the lovers and followers thereof, by\nbeing impatient of the discipline and censures of the church, but also\nlooking upon the government of the church with an evil eye, and strongly\ninclining some of them, that church government be put in the hands of a\nfew prelates, most of them that it may be wholly devolved upon the civil\ngovernment?  Fifth instance.  There is still a party in the land that\nendeavour to have the state of the question altered, and to have religion\nleft out of the same, that it being stated upon civil interest, they may\ntake to themselves a greater latitude in their way of carrying on\nbusiness. This was holden forth to be the design of the malignant party in\nthe year 1648, as appears in the Declaration of the Commission that year\nin March, and there was a necessary and seasonable warning given against\nit by the Commission in their Declaration, of the date July 1650.\n\nIII. Besides those who are excommunicated, there are yet in the land a\nconsiderable number of persons of chief note, who do still lie under\ncensures of the church, some because of their accession to the late\nunlawful engagement, others because of their accession to the late course\nof rebellion, about the time of the king\u2019s escape from Perth, besides many\nothers of less note.\n\nIV. We suppose that it is most certain and unquestionable, that there was\nlately a malignant party and faction in the land, very numerous and\npowerful.  How many men of blood, murderers of their brethren, as\nunnatural and barbarous as the Irish(335) they once joined with, against\ntheir country,\u2014how many have watched all opportunities for troubling the\npeace of the kingdom, and rejoiced in the day of its calamity?  How many\nwere the oppressors of those who called on the Lord\u2019s name in the time of\nthe Engagement?(336) What multitudes of profane and ungodly mockers of all\ngodliness, and haters and persecutors of the godly, swarming everywhere?\nIf this be truth, as it is indeed, we may say, who hath heard such a\nthing? Who hath seen such a thing? Shall a nation be born at once? And\nhave they so soon learned to do well, who have been so long accustomed to\ndo evil? When did this catholic conversion fall out, and by what means?\nHath the act of indemnity and pardon such influence, to justify these men\nfrom all their butcheries and barbarous cruelties? The adding of three\nthousand to the church in one day, was miraculous in the days of miracles.\nBut behold, a greater miracle than that in the days when miracles are\nceased, many thousands added to the church of the friends of the cause of\nGod in one day, and that not by preaching, which is the power of God unto\nsalvation, not by spiritual weapons, which are mighty through God, but by\nthe carnal weapon of an act of indemnity, and the example of one man, the\nking\u2019s conjunction in the cause, which at the best hath not such evidence\nof reality as to convince any, and change their mind. Sad experience, and\nthe constant testimony of the church of Scotland proves, that malignancy\nis a weed that hath deeper and stronger roots than to be plucked up so\neasily; and that, though there be some, yet there be but few in the land\nwho have been once engaged in that way, that have really and indeed\nabandoned and come off the same.\n\nThe point shall more appear by taking off objections that are made to the\ncontrary. It is objected, 1. That these who were formerly esteemed\nmalignants, did oppose the work of God because they could not be persuaded\nin conscience, that the covenant and cause were contrived and carried on\nin a warrantable way, those who were most instrumental in it, seeming to\nthem not only to act without authority, but against authority. But so it\nis, that the king hath now joined in the covenant and added his authority\nto it, and therefore it needs not be feared that these men will any more\noppose it, nay it may be expected, they will no less zealously promote the\nends thereof than they did formerly oppose the same.\n\n_Answer_: This argument supposeth some things that are false, some things\nat best doubtful, and some things dangerous.\n\nI. It supposeth two falsities: 1. That it was a ground and principle of\nconscience and respect to the king\u2019s authority that made these men to\noppose the covenant and work of reformation. If it was the conscience and\nconviction of the unwarrantableness of it for the want of authority, that\nstirred them up to oppose the covenant and cause, then why did they\nsubscribe it and join in the defence of the same against the king? 2. It\nsupposeth that the only ground, why they did oppose and undermine the\nsame, was, because the king was of a contrary mind, and refused to join in\nthe covenant, and ratify the same by his authority, which also is false,\nfor there were several other grounds and causes of so doing besides this.\nWe shall name a few, leaving the rest to a further scrutiny (1.) The\nnatural enmity that is in the hearts of all men against the Lord and his\nanointed, his work and his people, and the power of godliness which doth\neffectually work in the children of disobedience. (2.) An enmity against\nthe power of parliament and laws. (3.) An enmity against the union of the\nkingdoms. (4.) An enmity against the power of presbyteries, and the\ndiscipline of the church, to which are opposed, a sinful desire of\nbreaking the bonds and casting away the cords of the Lord and his\nanointed, a desire to establish an arbitrary power and unlimited monarchy,\na desire to establish a lordly prelatical power in the persons of a few,\nor to have the government of the church wholly dependent on the civil\npower, a desire to dissolve the union of the kingdoms, that they may be\nthereby weakened and less able to resist malignant designs against\nreligion and liberties, a desire to live loosely without bands in regard\nof personal reformation.\n\nII. It supposeth something that is at best doubtful, to wit, that the king\nhath really joined unto the cause of God, there being small evidences of\nit, and many presumptions to the contrary, especially, 1. His bringing\nhome with him into the kingdom, a number of eminent, wicked and known\nmalignants; his countenancing of, and familiar conversing with such in\nthis nation since his coming,(337) and correspondence with others of them\nabroad, his deserting of the public councils of the kingdom, to join to a\nparty of bloody and wicked men, raided in arms with his knowledge and by\nhis warrant.  2. His not being convinced of any guilt in his father,\nbecause of his opposition to the cause and covenant, notwithstanding of\nall the blood of the Lord\u2019s people shed by him in that opposition. For\nverifying whereof, we appeal to the knowledge of some noblemen and\nministers, who have occasion to know his mind and to be serious with him\nin this thing.\n\nIII. It supposeth something that is of very dangerous consequence. 1. That\nthese men\u2019s zeal to the cause or against it, doth ebb and flow according\nto the king\u2019s being against it or for it.  Since they follow the cause not\nfor itself but for the king, will they not desert it when the king\nforsakes it?  Can they be accounted real friends of the cause who are\nknown to favour it only, _ad nutum principis_,(338)\u2014as the comedian, _ait,\naio, negat, nego_?(339) Is it not all one to follow the cause for the\nking, and for a man\u2019s own interest and advantage? Both are alike extrinsic\nand adventitious to the cause, both are alike changeable. Eccebulus under\nConstantius was a precise Christian, under Julian a persecuting apostate;\nand then again under the next Christian emperor became a Christian. And it\nis like if he had outlived that emperor till a heathen succeeded, he\nshould have paganized the second time. 2.  That very principle that is\npretended to unite them to the cause is in itself most dangerous, both to\nthe privileges of parliament and liberties of the people, and to our\nreligion beside. Their principle of opposition was, \u201cThey conceived the\nway followed could not be warrantable without the king\u2019s consent and\nwarrant, that people might not vindicate their own just rights and\nliberties, and their religion, without the king\u2019s concurrence, or against\nhim.\u201d Now then, the principle of their conjunction to the cause must be\nthis, because it is now clothed with authority which it had not before,\nand which now makes it warrantable. This principle therefore includes in\nthe bosom of it, the establishing of unlimited and absolute power in\nkings; the unlawfulness of defensive wars against tyranny and oppression;\nthe king\u2019s negative voice, and the dependent power of parliaments upon his\npleasure; all which are principles destructive of the cause and our\nliberties, and the very characters(340) of our enemies from the beginning.\nThus they have changed their way, but not their principles, and are now\nthe more dangerous that they may not be looked upon as enemies, but as\nfriends. Seeing it is manifest, that it is not the love of the cause that\nconstrains them, and they know it was not that principle that persuaded\nthe king, but mere necessity, contrary to his own inclination, may we not\ncertainly expect, that according to their principles they will labour to\nset at freedom the king, whom they conceive imprisoned and captivated by\nthe power of necessity within the limits and bounds of a regulated\nmonarchy, and to loose him from all these chains of involuntary treaties\nand agreements, and rigid laws and parliaments, that he may then act in\nfreedom and honour according to his own inclination and theirs both? And\nthen farewell religion and liberties.\n\n_Objection 2_: The most part of these who were formerly malignant, have\nnow repented of that sin, and make profession of their resolution to\nadhere to the covenant and cause of God, and to bestow their lives and\nestates in defence thereof. Therefore they are not now to be esteemed\nmalignants.\n\n_Answer_: We would wish from our hearts that we had no answer to this\nargument; then should we yield the point in hand, and yield it cheerfully,\nthat there is no malignant party now in Scotland. But, alas! that we have\nso much evidence convincing our consciences and persuading them to deny\nwhat is objected. We acknowledge some have indeed repented, and such we\ndesire to embrace and receive with all tenderness and love, as godly\nChristians, worthy to be intrusted. But yet the most part of them do still\nbring forth the same malignant fruits. Their ungodly and wicked practices\ntestify to their face that they have nothing to do to take his covenant in\ntheir mouth, seeing they hate to be reformed. The late rising in arms,\ncontrary to their solemn and particular engagements, their bearing down\nand reproaching the godly, and such as are of known integrity, their\nstudying to fill places of trust with men formerly enemies or underminers,\ntheir continuing in their profane and loose walking,\u2014all these are more\nconvincing evidences of their retaining their old principles than any\nextorted confessions or professions, for sinister respects and ends can be\nno probable signs of their repentance and change.\n\nWe desire these things to be remembered, 1: That the Engagement(341) was\ncarried on, not by open and professed enemies, but such as had made public\nprofession of their repentance, and were thereupon admitted to trust. 2.\nThat upon consideration of the hypocrisy and instability of these men\nappearing in that and other particulars, the kirk and kingdom of Scotland\ndid take upon themselves strait bonds and engagements to exclude such from\ntrust, until such time as they had given real evidences of the reality of\ntheir repentance, and of abandoning their former principles and ways, of\nwhich the kirk was to judge impartially as in God\u2019s sight. 3. That it hath\nbeen confessed and preached by many godly ministers, and was given in by\nsundry in the time of the search of the Lord\u2019s controversy against the\nland, in November last at Perth, and hath been bemoaned and regretted by\nmany of the people who feared God, that there is a great deal of sin and\nguilt lying on the kirk of Scotland, for the sudden receiving of\nscandalous persons, especially malignants, to the public profession of\nrepentance before there was in them any real evidence of their forsaking\ntheir former principles and ways.\n\n_Objection 3_: None are now to be esteemed malignants, in reference to\nemployment and trust, but such as stand judicially declared by kirk and\nstate to be so; for certainly, men are not to lie under the burden of so\ngreat a reproach, upon the private whisperings and common reports of\nothers, otherwise, honest men may be wronged, and there shall be no end of\nconfusion, or terminating this controversy, there being no certain rule to\nwalk by in it.\n\n_Answer_: We acknowledge that surmisings, whisperings, and reports of\nothers are not sufficient, but that a rule is needful. All the question\nwill be, What is that rule? And though the judicial debarring of\njudicatories be not all, but it must be ruled by another rule, yet are we\nwilling to take it for so much; for even that will prove there is yet a\nmalignant party in Scotland, because many are standing under church\ncensures [albeit we are sorry there is so much precipitancy and haste in\ntaking off the censures].(342) Those involved in the late rebellion are\nstanding under a sentence of the commission,(343) declaring them to be\nfollowing their old malignant designs; few of them are yet admitted to\nprofession of repentance. We desire it may be considered, that the rule\nholden forth by the kirk of Scotland 1648, for admitting of persons to\ntrust is of larger extent than judicial sentence or censure; to wit, that\nthey be such against whom there is no just cause of exception or jealousy.\n2. Albeit a judicial trial or censure be indeed necessary, for inflicting\npunishment or censure upon men, yet it is not necessary for avoiding\nassociation with them, or debarring them from trust. 3. If none were to be\naccounted malignants, but they who are judicially declared to be such,\nwhat needed the kirk of Scotland have frequently taken so much pains, to\ngive characters to know them by, there being so clear and compendious a\nway beside? Hath there not been always in the land secret underminers as\nwell as open enemies? And hath not faithful men avoided the one as well as\nthe other? 4. The General Assembly, 1648, declared the taking in of these\nwho followed James Graham(344) to be an association with malignants,\nthough most part of them were then released from church censures.\n\n\n\n\n                               Section II.\n\n\nThat The Present Public Resolutions, Expressed In The Commission\u2019s Answer\nTo The Parliament\u2019s Query, And The Act Of The Levy, Do Not Exclude That\nParty.\n\n\nIn the next place, upon supposal and proof, that there is a malignant\nparty and faction still in the land, it is needful to examine, whether the\nexceptions contained in the answer of the Commission to the Parliament\u2019s\nQuery,(345) and inserted into the Act of Levy,(346) be so comprehensive as\nto include all that party. The exceptions be four: 1. Such as are\nexcommunicated. 2. Such as are forfaulted. 3. Such as are notoriously\nprofane or flagitious. And, 4. Such as have been from the beginning, and\ncontinue still, or at this time are, obstinate enemies and opposers of the\ncovenant and cause of God. That these are not comprehensive of the whole\nmalignant party in the land, appears.\n\nFirst, The rules of the General Assembly framed for the exclusion of all\nsuch as ought not to be employed in our armies, are far more\ncomprehensive. The rule is for employing of such only as are of a\nChristian and blameless conversation, which is turned over by their\ncommissioners into a negative, all that are not notoriously profane or\nflagitious. Another is, for intrusting only these who have been of known\nintegrity and constant friends to the cause of God from the beginning,\nwhich is also turned over into a negative, all that have not been constant\nenemies. All such, by the Answer, are capable of some trust and\nemployment. The rules agreed upon by the assembly, and ratified by act of\nparliament, anno 1649, and renewed upon occasion of this invasion, were\nthat no officer nor soldier that followed James Graham should be permitted\nin the army, nor any officer that was in the Engagement, except such as,\nupon real evidence of repentance, were particularly recommended by the\nchurch, nor any common soldier, but upon sufficient testimony of his\nrepentance. Now, since it is proved that the most part of all such\ncontinue still malignants, and retain their old principles, and that the\nbulk and body of the people are called forth by the public resolution,\nwithout such exceptions as were conceived before necessary, for the\nexclusion of that party, it follows clearly, that the malignant party is\nnot excepted in the present resolutions.\n\nSecond. Few of these who were in the late rebellion, and declared, not\nmany days since, to be following a most malignant design and course, are\ncontained under these exceptions, because very few of them are\nexcommunicated or forfaulted, and though more of them be indeed flagitious\nand profane, yet very few of them will fall under the compass of the\nexception, notoriously flagitious. Many wicked things will be said to\nconcur to make up a profane man. Some acts will not serve; a habit must be\ndemonstrated, and though that were showed, yet there must be also a\nnotoriety of it, which imports a man to be famous for looseness and\nprofanity, and there are none almost, if any in the land, who have been\nprofessed enemies from the beginning, and continue so to this day. James\nGraham was not such. It is the matter of our sad complaint, that whilst\nmany are enemies, they make profession and semblance of friendship.\n\nThird. These exceptions do not comprehend any who are under censure for\nmalignancy or profanity, except such as are under the sentence of\nexcommunication, and that even such may not be excluded, lest the rule be\ntransgressed, by admitting and employing excommunicated persons, \u2019tis\nwithal resolved, that these persons shall be relaxed from that sentence,\nthat so they may be immediately in the same capacity of employment with\nothers, whatever formerly hath been their opposition or defection. Some\nexceptions must be made, for honesty and credit\u2019s sake. But the nearest\nand readiest way is taken to make them ineffectual.\n\nFourth. These exceptions do not only not reach these who were upon the\nunlawful engagement and have not as yet given sufficient proof of their\nabandoning their malignant principles and courses, but come not the length\nof comprehending these men of blood who followed James Graham and in the\nmost barbarous and cruel way, shed the blood of their own brethren and\nGod\u2019s people. Because the most part of these are not excommunicated nor\nforfaulted, nor notoriously flagitious and profane, nor such as have from\nthe beginning been, and still are enemies. If any will say, that such are\ncomprehended under these exceptions, why did the commission express the\nexceptions in such terms, as to men\u2019s common apprehension do not include\nmany, especially seeing there are known rules, particular and distinct,\nwithout ambiguity, and seeing there is such a propension in rulers to\nemploy all without difference, which would undoubtedly take advantage of\nany thing that seemed to look that way?\n\nIt is likewise manifest, that the second part of the answer, relating to\nthe capacity of acting, is loaded with the same inconvenience. 1. There is\nno positive determination of the qualifications of persons to be\nintrusted, as in former times it was agreed on by the Assembly and their\nCommissioners, but that is now referred to the discretion of the\nparliament, together with such diminutive terms, as give them great\nlatitude to go upon. Before, no trust was given to such persons. Now, it\nis allowed they shall have some trust, and how much is not determined, nor\nwhat degree of it is prejudicial to the cause, which it appears, the\nparliament\u2019s proceedings in nomination of officers unquestioned by the\nCommission, is a good commentary to expound that they may have any trust,\nexcept to be general officers. 2. Our former established rule was, that no\npersons should be intrusted, but such as are of known integrity, and have\nbeen constant friends of the cause. But how far is this diminished? They\nwho are such, only recommended to be especially taken notice of. Less\ncould not be said by any. More ought to have been said by the Commission.\nAnd though no such notice be taken of such by the parliament, but on the\ncontrary, those who have been most faithful, and suffered in the late\ndefeat at Hamilton,(347) are used as enemies, worse than malignants in\nformer times, yet there is no testimony given against such things.\n_Quantum mutatus ab illo c\u0153tu qui quondam fuit!_(348)\n\nBefore we enter upon the chief question, we offer these manifest and known\ntruths to consideration:\n\n(1) The occasion of contriving and subscribing first the national\ncovenant, and then the solemn league and covenant, was, the designs and\npractices of the popish, prelatical and malignant party, against religion\nand the work of reformation in these kingdoms. (2) Since the contriving\nand subscribing of the same, it hath been the continual endeavour of that\nparty sometimes by undermining and some times by open opposition to undo\nthe same and to bear down all those that clave honestly thereto and\nfaithfully prosecute all the ends thereof. (3) That there hath been these\nmany years past and still is, such a party, in all the three kingdoms,\nconsiderable for number, power, and policy. (4) That that party hath\nalways prosecuted their design under a colour of zeal and respect to the\nking\u2019s authority and interest. (5) That that party hath always been the\nauthors and abettors of much bloodshed, many miseries, and sad calamities\nto these nations. (6) That the people of God in these kingdoms have taken\nupon themselves a most solemn and sacred bond of an oath and covenant to\ndiscover them and bring them to condign punishment. (7) That it hath been\none of the predominant sins of Scotland under the bond of the covenant to\ncomply with them. (8) That indignation and wrath from the Lord hath been\nfollowing that party and their designs these years past. (9) That\ncompliances with them hath always been cursed to us of God. (10) That few\nof that party do really abandon and forsake their corrupt principles and\nway and join cordially in the cause and covenant. (11) That many of them\ndo, after the profession of their repentance for their opposition to the\ncause and covenant of God, relapse frequently into the same sin. (12) That\nsudden receiving of many of them to fellowship and trust, and too great\ncredulity in believing their professions hath often cost this land very\ndear. (13) That upon consideration of the deep treachery and hypocrisy of\nthese men, and the sad consequences following upon sudden receiving of\nthem without evidence of a change, after long and renewed experience, this\nland renewed their obligations more strictly in the solemn engagement.\n(14) That there hath been a design driven these two years past to get that\nparty again in power and trust. (15) That this design hath been testified\nagainst by the public resolutions of the judicatories unto this time. (16)\nThat as it hath been driven at very cunningly and actively, by many\ninstruments and arguments of several sorts, so hath it gained ground piece\nand piece, until at length many of them are brought into the court and to\nthe army and judicatories in the country. And now by the public\nresolutions they are generally to be employed and intrusted. Thus the\ndesign is accomplished. But, (17) These men do not satisfy themselves with\nsome degree of power, but endeavour to engross the whole power of the\nkingdom into their own hands, and study to bring into contempt, and cull\nout these who have been and do continue constant in the cause of God. (18)\nThat having power into their hands, they must act according to their own\nprinciples and for establishing their own ends. And lastly, That these\nprinciples and ends are destructive to the covenant and work of\nreformation.\n\n\n\n\n                               Section III.\n\n\nThat The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party, According\nAs Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And Unlawful.\n\n\nIf there be in the land a malignant party of power and policy, and the\nexceptions contained in the Act of Levy do comprehend but few of that\nparty, then there need be no more difficulty to prove, that the present\npublic resolutions and proceedings do import an association and\nconjunction with a malignant party, than to gather a conclusion from clear\npremises. But that such a conjunction is in itself sinful and unlawful,\nand besides, a violation of our solemn oaths and engagements, a\nbacksliding from our principles and professions, and a walking contrary to\nthe whole tenor and current of our former resolutions and practices, is\nnow to be made manifest.\n\nFirst: We reason from that constant, standing and perpetual rule, which\nthe Lord gives concerning the modelling and carnage of the armies of his\npeople in all their wars, Deut. xxiii. 9, \u201cWhen the host goeth forth\nagainst their enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.\u201d And after,\n\u201cIf there be among you any man that is unclean, by reason of uncleanness\nthat chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he\nshall not come within the camp.\u201d (If for ceremonial uncleanness he was to\nbe excluded, much more for moral, as our divines reason from the Old\nTestament in the point of excommunication, and if for uncleanness not\nvoluntary, much more for voluntary wickedness). The reason of all is given\nver. 14: \u201cFor the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the camp, to\ndeliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee. Therefore shall\nthy camp be holy, that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from\nthee.\u201d Even as they would expert a blessing of the Lord, so ought they to\nkeep their camp holy, as he is holy. He gives not such a strict rule for\nthe competency of number, as for the qualifications of the persons, as\nbeing the principal thing. Therefore the present conjunction with so many\nungodly and wicked men, that have formerly declared themselves enemies to\nGod and his people, and to this day give no evidence to the contrary, is\nsinful and unlawful.\n\nSecond, The Lord hath frequently in scripture declared his dislike and\nhatred of such associations and conjunctions. The scriptures cited in the\nGeneral Assembly\u2019s declaration in the year 1648, against the\nEngagement,(349) are sufficient proof of this. We shall take the argument\nas it is formed by the commissioners of that assembly, in their answer to\nthe observations of the committee of estates upon the assembly\u2019s\ndeclaration, p. 7. \u201cEvery engagement in war, that is pretended to be for\nreligion, and hath in it a confederacy and association with wicked men,\nenemies of true religion, is sinful and unlawful. But the present\nengagement in war, as it is held forth in the public resolutions, is\npretended to be for religion, and yet hath in it a confederacy and\nconjunction with wicked men, and enemies of true religion.\u201d Ergo, The\nsecond proposition is evident from the two first sections.\n\nThe first proposition is proved from those scriptures forementioned. God\nforbade conjunctions and confederacies with the enemies of his cause and\npeople, not only the Canaanites, (Exod. xxxiv. 12, 15, Deut. vii. 2.) and\nother heathens, such was Asa his covenant with Benhadad, (2 Chron. xvi. to\nver. 10,) Ahaz his confederacy with the king of Assyria, (2 Kings xvi. 7,\n10, 2 Chron. xxviii. 16,) but also with wicked men of the seed of Abraham,\nas Jehoshaphat\u2019s with Ahab, (2 Chron. xviii. 3: \u201cAnd Ahab king of Israel\nsaid unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth\nGilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy\npeople, and we will be with thee in the war,\u201d compared with chap. xix. 2.\n\u201cAnd Jehu the son of Hanam the seer, went out to meet him, and said to\nking Jehoshaphat, Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate\nthe Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord,\u201d) and with\nAhaziah, (2 Chron. xx. 35: \u201cAnd after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah\njoin himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly,\u201d) which\nbeing reproved for, he would not again join with Ahaziah, 1 Kings xxii.\n49: \u201cThen said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat: Let my servants\ngo with thy servants in the ships.\u201d But Jehoshaphat would not. And then\nAmaziah\u2019s association with 100,000 of Israel, 2 Chron. xxv. 7, 8, 9, 10:\n\u201cBut there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of\nIsrael go with thee for the Lord is not with Israel to wit, with all the\nchildren of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle.\nGod shall make thee fall before the enemy, for God hath power to help and\nto cast down. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for\nthe hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man\nof God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. Then\nAmaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was to come to him out of\nEphraim, to go home again wherefore their anger was greatly kindled\nagainst Judah, and they returned home in great anger.\u201d The sin and danger\nof such associations may further appear from Isa. viii. 12, 13: \u201cSay ye\nnot, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A\nconfederacy, neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord\nof hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread,\u201d\nJer. ii. 18 \u201cAnd now,\u2014what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink\nthe waters of the river?\u201d Psal. cvi. 35. \u201cBut were mingled among the\nheathen, and learned their works,\u201d Hosea v. 13. \u201cWhen Ephraim saw his\nsickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and\nsent to king Jareb, yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your\nwound,\u201d and chap. vii. 8, 11. \u201cEphraim, he hath mixed himself among the\npeople, Ephraim is a cake not turned, Ephraim also is like a silly dove\nwithout heart, they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria,\u201d 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15.\n\u201cBe ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship\nhath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light\nwith darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath\nhe that believeth with an infidel?\u201d And if we should esteem God\u2019s enemies\nour enemies, and hate them with perfect hatred, how can we then join with\nthem as friends? Psal. cxxxix. 21.\n\nThe committee of estates at that time endeavoured to elude the strength of\nthese scriptures, and vindicate their engagement from the falling within\nthe compass of them. But the commission of the Assembly that year took the\nmask off their evasions. Would to God we had no other party to deal with\nnow! It was the evil and complaint of that time, that church and state\nwere divided. But what an evil time are we now fallen into, that the union\nof those in this point, is the complaint of many of the godly? The\ncommission, in their letter to Stirling presbytery,(350) sets up the\ncommittee\u2019s answer in a new dress, and holds it out for satisfaction to\nour consciences. All that is answered may be reduced to three or four\nheads.\n\nI. There is made a great difference between an invasive and defensive war\nas if in the one, choice of instruments ought to be sought, but in the\ncase of just and necessary defence, all subjects may be employed.(351)\n\nTo which we answer, 1. That the scriptures cited conclude most expressly\nagainst conjunctions of that kind in defensive wars. Such was Asa\u2019s\ncovenant, such was Ahaz his confederacy. Were not the reproofs of the\nprophets directed particularly against the people\u2019s seeking of help from\nEgypt and Assyria, in the case of their own just and necessary defence?\nJer. ii. 18, Hosea v. 13, and vii. 8, 11, Isa. viii. 12, 13, 2 Chron. xvi.\nto ver. 10. 2. The law and rule given, Deut. xxiii. is general, regulating\nall their wars whether defensive or offensive, and it is strange that any\nshould imagine such a difference where the law makes none, nay, when the\nground of the law is moral and general, equally respecting all wars. Is\nthere any ground of conscience, why wicked persons may not be kept in the\ncamp when we invade others, and yet these may be employed and intrusted\nwhen we defend ourselves? If there be any reason to prefer the one to the\nother in this point, we conceive defensive war should have the preference,\nbecause when the Lord brings upon us an unjust invasion, he is ordinarily\npursuing a controversy against us. And therefore we ought to be most\ntender and circumspect, that there be no unclean thing in the camp, and\nput away every wicked thing from us, even the appearance of evil, lest we\nadd oil to the flame of his indignation, and he seeing such an unclean\nthing in us, turn yet further from us, except we say, that we need not\ntake care to have God in the camp with us, when we are upon just and\nnecessary defence, seeing our cause is so good. 3. There is more hazard\nand danger to our religion and liberties in having a wicked malignant army\nat home among us, than abroad in another nation. While they are here, they\nhave the power of the sword, and can command all, but there might be some\nhope and endeavour for vindicating our own liberties and religion while\nthey are abroad, as it fell out in the time of the Engagement.\n\nII. It is answered, that there is a difference between this case and the\nEngagement, because there was then no necessity of choosing such\ninstruments, a competency of power might be had, but now it is not so, and\ntherefore the scriptures mentioned do not militate against the present\ncase. _Answer 1_. The scriptures cited will obviate this. What made Israel\nand Judah run to Egypt and Assyria for help, but their weakness and\nnecessity? Their wound was incurable, and their bruise grievous, as\nJeremiah often laments, and particularly chap. viii. 20-22, and x. 19,\n&c., and yet this did not excuse them for going to Egypt or Assyria to\nheal their wound, Hosea v. 13, and vii. 8, 11. The scripture holds out\ninfidelity and distrust in God as the ground of such association, (2\nChron. xvi. 7-9, Isa. viii. 12, 13,) which proceeds from the incompetency\nof means as the occasion of it. 2. Suppose there was a necessity for the\ncalling forth the body of the common people, yet certainly there is no\nnecessity of employing any such persons of whom the question is, and\nputting them in places of trust. There is none can deny but there are,\nbesides all secluded persons, many that might fill the places of trust and\npower. Therefore the plea of necessity is but a pretence to cover some\ndesign, that under its specious and plausible covering, the power of the\nland may be engrossed into the hands of malignants, and so by this means\nall power and trust may return, as the rivers to the sea or fountain, as\nthey judge the king, that so in his person there may be established an\nunlimited and arbitrary power. 3. Necessity is a very plausible argument\nand strong plea to carnal reason for any thing, but it cannot be a good\nground, in point of conscience, for that which is sinful in itself. Now\nthat this is sinful in itself appears, from the word of God simply\ncondemning such associations, upon moral, and so general and perpetual\ngrounds. Now, in such a case of necessity, we are called either to trust\nin God, in the use of competent means, seeing in such cases we have so\nmany promises, or if all help be gone which God allows us to make use of,\nwe must wait on him till he brings salvation with his own arm.\n\nBut because the plea of necessity is the strongest that is made use of for\nthe present public resolutions, we must consider it a little more. It is\nalleged, that the best part of the land is under the feet of the enemy,\nand so no help can be had from it, and for other parts of the land which\nare yet free, there is not much choice of persons, and the testimony of\nfaithful men in the state declares, that when all that are called forth of\nthese places are gathered, it cannot amount to a power competent enough,\nand therefore in such a question of the existence of second means, the\nknowledge whereof immediately depends on sense and experience, these who\nare not acquainted should give credit to the testimony of faithful\nwitnesses, and that a competency of power must be had, according to the\nordinary way of Providence, in relation to which we must act, except we\nwould tempt God by requiring of him wonders.(352)\n\n_Answer._ Suppose the enemy\u2019s army to consist of 20,000 or above, are\nthere not more fencible persons in the shires on the north side of Forth?\nBelieve it who please we cannot stop our own consciences, and put out our\nown eyes. Let the rolls of several shires be looked to, and it shall\nconfute that testimony. Nay, are there not more persons not formerly\nsecluded, in all those shires? What meant the levy appointed immediately\nafter Dunbar? Was not 10,000 foot, and 1,400 horse put upon these shires\nwhich are not under the power of the enemy, and yet the rules of exclusion\nwere not abandoned? Now all these, or most part of them, are yet in the\ncountry not levied. Money was taken instead of men, the levies obstructed\nso that there was little addition to the strength of the forces that\nremained, the forces diverted by the insurrection of the malignants in the\nnorth, at the King\u2019s command or warrant,\u2014all which hath such pregnant\npresumption of a design carried on to necessitate the kingdom to employ\nthat party, by the cunning politicians of the time, by obstructing the\nlevies, raising the malignants, and then pacifying them by an act of\nindemnity, and at last openly and avowedly associating with them. Thus the\ndesign is accomplished which was long since on foot.\n\n2. If satisfying courses had been studied by the public judicatories to\ncarry on all the godly in the land with their resolutions, there had\naccrued strength from the parts of the land be south Forth, which would\nhave compensated all that competency of power that the conjunction of the\nmalignants makes up and, it may be, would have been more blessed of God.\n3. If there be no help required nor expected from those parts of the\nkingdom be south Forth, wherefore did the commission write to the\npresbyteries in those bounds that they might concur actively in their\nstations for the furtherance of the levies, and choose ministers to go out\nwith them?\n\nIII. It is answered. That the confederacies reproved were unlawful,\nbecause they were either with heathens, or with idolaters, strangers, and\nforeigners. This is answered to the case of Amaziah, &c., and so it seems\nnot to make against the present case, the employing all subjects in the\njust and necessary defence of the kingdom.(353)\n\n_Answer 1_. This answer at one blow cuts off all the strength of the\nGeneral Assembly\u2019s reason against the association with malignants in that\nyear. There might be some few persons idolaters, but there was no party\nand faction such, and yet they can deny association with the English\nmalignants from those scriptures, yea not only with them but with our own\ncountrymen that were in rebellion with James Graham, who were neither\nidolaters nor foreigners. We need no other answer than the Commission at\nthat time give to the committee of estates using that same evasion, pg.\n10, 11. 2.  The ground and reason whereupon such associations are\ncondemned, is more general and  comprehensive. Jehoshaphat was reproved\nfor joining with Ahab, because he was \u201cungodly, and hated the Lord,\u201d which\nis properly in our terms, because he was a malignant and profane man. It\nwas a strange mocking of scripture to restrict ungodliness, in that place,\nto the sin of idolatry. Confederacy with the Canaanites and other nations\nwas forbidden on this ground, \u201cthat the people be not insnared, and learn\nnot their works.\u201d Now, is not the company of, and communion with ungodly\nmen, of the same general profession, but mockers and haters of the power\nthereof, as infectious and insnaring? Nay, it is more apt to insnare\nbecause of the profession. Paul would have as much distance kept with a\nbrother walking unorderly as a pagan. For such a one as walks contrary to\nhis profession of the true religion, does evidence more ungodliness and\nwickedness, than an ignorant and superstitious papist that walks precisely\naccording to his profession. There is some principle of conscience\nstirring in the one, but it is seared in the other with a hot iron. God\nranks such, who are uncircumcised in heart, with the uncircumcised in\nflesh. Ought not his people to do so too? 3. The rule of modelling armies\nand purging the camp is most comprehensive,  Deut. xxiii. Not only\nidolaters and foreigners, but every wicked thing and unclean thing, was to\nbe removed out of the camp. Now, seeing those examples are transgressions\nof this law, what reason is there to make the only ground of reproving and\ncondemning of them to be, because idolaters were associated with, as if\nany other might be joined with, that is not an idolater? 4. That reason\nagainst Amaziah\u2019s conjunction with Israel is wrested, by some expounding\nit thus God is not with them, is not understood, in regard of a state of\ngrace, as appears, nor in regard of God\u2019s prospering providence, because\nhe was often with them in that regard but it must be understood in regard\nof an idolatrous profession. But we reply, that it is true it is not\nunderstood in regard of a state of grace, nor simply in regard of his\nprospering providence, but _ut plurimum_,(354) the Lord for the most part\ncrossing them till they were cut off from being a nation. But especially\nit is to be meant in regard of a course opposite to God, according as the\nLord speaks, 2 Chron. xv. 2. \u201cThe  Lord is with you while ye be with him,\nbut if ye forsake him he will forsake you.\u201d If any will restrict this to\nidolatry, he hath no ground from scripture for such a limitation, but\nbeing engaged in the business, he wrests the scriptures to his own\ndestruction. Sure we are, there are many palpable forsakings of God, and\nGod\u2019s forsaking of men, beside idolatry and false worship. 5. That which\nis said \u201cThat God did not command Amaziah to dismiss any of his own\nsubjects.\u201d Either it makes not much to the present business, or else it\nstrikes against the law of God itself, that commanded such strict purging\nof the camp. From whom I pray you? Certainly from wicked Israelites, from\nwicked countrymen. Therefore, if there was any such among the men of\nJudah, he ought to have put them out of the army as well as the\nIsraelites. Nay, the command of dismissing the Israelites, was, really and\nupon the matter, a command to purge his camp of all that was of the stamp\nof the Israelites. It is strange that the civil difference of strangers\nand citizens should make such difference in the point of conscience. Ought\nwe not to hate the Lord\u2019s enemies with a perfect hatred, not as\nEnglishmen, not as strangers, but as enemies? Levi knew not his brother.\nThis was his honour. But many now for respect to their brethren, know not\nGod. It is the moral quality that the law of God respects, without respect\nof persons and countries. To be a citizen, if not qualified, doth no more\nplead for employment, _in foro conscienti\u00e6_(355) and before God, than to\nbe a stranger and qualified doth impede trust and employment _in foro\nconscienti\u00e6_ and before God.\n\nIV. It may be answered (and it is by some), That those scriptures plead,\nthat there should be no conjunction with wicked men in a quarrel of\nreligion, but seeing our present business is the defence of the kingdom,\nall subjects, as subjects, stand in capacity of employment for that end,\nthough in reference to the defence of religion there must be a choice.\n\n_Answer 1_. The Commission have vindicated themselves in a letter to\nStirling presbytery from that imputation, that it is said, they state the\nquarrel and cause merely upon civil things in the answer to the\nparliament\u2019s query.(356) But certainly there is just ground given to these\nthat are watching for any such thing to state the cause so, because they\ndo, contrary to all former custom and practice, mention the defence of the\nkingdom only, as it had been of purpose to make the employing of all\nmembers of the body or subjects of the kingdom for its defence more\nplausible. But we answer to the point. The associations and conjunctions\nthat are condemned in the cited scriptures are some of them for civil\nquarrels so far as we know, some of them in the point of just and\nnecessary defence of the kingdom, and yet that doth not justify them. 2.\nThe rule given them, Deut. xxiii., was regulating all their wars and\nclearly holds forth, that all subjects as subjects and members of the\npolitic body, though as such there is an obligation lying on them to\ndefend the whole, yet are not in actual and nearest capacity to the\nperformance of that duty, if they be wicked and unclean. And the reason\nis, because the Lord would have the wars of his people his own wars, and\nall that they do, to his glory, Num. xxi. 14. 2 Chron. xx. 15, Col. iii.\n17. More especially in such solemn undertakings, there ought to be a\ndifference between his people, acting for self defence, and other nations.\n3. Although the defence of the kingdom and defence of the cause, be\ndifferent in themselves, yet are they inseparable. Whoever is intrusted\nwith the defence of the kingdom really and _de facto_,(357) he is _eo\nipso_(358) intrusted with the defence of the cause. Therefore the people\nof God, who ought always to have religion first in their eye, ought,\nespecially in raising forces for self preservation, to level at religion,\nand direct the choice of instruments in relation to that mark, that they\ndestroy not Christians, while they save subjects and preserve our bodies\nto destroy our souls.\n\nThird Reason. That which is dissonant from and contrary unto all our\nformer resolutions and proceedings, oaths and engagements, confessions and\nhumiliations, must needs be most unlawful, or they themselves, as to that\npoint, were unlawful. But the present resolutions and proceedings are\ndissonant from, and contrary to all these. Ergo, either our present or our\nformer resolutions and practices were unlawful, either we were wrong\nbefore, or we are not right now. The second proposition maybe made\nmanifest from, 1. The present resolutions are contrary to the solemn\nleague and covenant in the fourth article and the sixth,\u2014to the fourth,\nbecause we put power in the hands of a malignant party, power of the\nsword, which is inconsistent in the own nature of it with either actual\npunishing of them, or endeavouring to bring them to punishment, unless it\nbe intended to bring them all forth, and expose them to the slaughter for\na sacrifice for the land, which may be the Lord\u2019s mind indeed, howbeit\nthey know not his thoughts,\u2014and to the sixth article, because it is a\ndeclining to the contrary party, even that party against whom the covenant\nwas at the making expressly contrived. And as the declaration of the\nGeneral Assembly 1648, hath it, it is a joining with one enemy to beat\nanother, with a black devil to beat a white.(359)\n\nIt is most ingeniously answered, that the present resolutions are not\ncontrary to the covenant, because such as are described in the covenant\nare not allowed to be employed, meaning that these men are not now\nmalignants. What needs men make such a compass to justify the public\nresolutions, seeing there is so easy and ready a way straight at hand?\nThis one answer might take off all the arguments made against them, that\nthere is no malignant party now, which is the foundation that being\nremoved all the building must fall to the ground. But we have in the first\narticle evinced that, which had been scandalous to have proved, if it had\nnot been questioned. If it were indeed true, that no malignants are\nallowed to be employed, what need the Commission in their letter to\nStirling presbytery take so much pains from scripture and reason to\njustify the present resolutions, when the clearing of that one point had\ncleared all? As for the declaration of the Assembly, anno 1648, it is\nanswered, _that none are to be employed, that continue notourly_(360)_ in\nthe courses of malignancy_, which was done that year. Whereas the\nmalignant party that was then associated with, would have engaged to be\nfaithful to all the ends of the covenant, many of them were such as had\nbeen in covenant, and made show of their repentance for their defection\nfrom it; and so there is no difference in this particular.\n\n2. The Solemn Acknowledgment of public sins is so clear and peremptory in\nthis that it makes us tremble to think on it. _Page 6_, \u201cShould we again\nbreak his commandments and covenant, by joining any more in affinity with\nthe people of these abominations, and take in our bosom these serpents,\nwhich have formerly stung us almost to death? This, as it would argue much\nfolly and madness, so, no doubt, it would provoke the Lord to consume us\ntill there be no remnant, nor escaping.\u201d Let the 6th article also be\nconsidered.(361) Join to this the Declaration of the commission, upon\nreport of this enemy\u2019s invading, _p. 6_ where it is declared, that\nmalignants shall not be associated with, nay, not countenanced and\npermitted to be in our armies. The General Assembly after this, upon the\nenemy\u2019s entry into Scotland, gives serious warning to the rulers, to take\nheed of snares from that party and that the rather, because men ordinarily\nare so taken with the sense of danger, as not to look back to that which\nis behind them, &c. How often have we sentenced ourselves unto wrath and\nconsumption if we shall fall into this sin again? All these and the like,\nare endeavoured to be taken off, by saying that our engagements in this\npoint were conceived in a way of prosecution of the cause, but to be no\nimpediment of the just and necessary defence, which we are bound to by\nnature\u2019s law, which no human law can infringe.\n\nBut we reply, (1) It is strange, our prosecution of the cause these years\npast should be contradistinguished from the defence of it and the kingdom.\nIt was conceived that our war in England was defensive, not invasive, that\nit was necessitated for the defence even of our kingdom, but it seems it\nis now questioned. But passing what was acted abroad, certainly all our\nwars at home were merely defensive, both against unjust invasion and\nseditious insurrections. Now our solemn engagements were conceived, in\nrelation to our actings at home especially, and modelling our armies for\nthe defence of our liberties and religion.  We know well enough that a\njust invasive war is a rare accident in the world, and that the flock of\nJesus Christ is for the most part, obnoxious to the violence of others, as\nsheep among wolves, but are not often called to prey upon others. (2) To\ncall our solemn engagements and declarations grounded upon our oaths and\nthe word of God, human laws and constitutions that must cede to nature\u2019s\nlaw, is indeed ingenious dealing, because to justify the present\nproceedings, there can be no more expedite way than to condemn bypast\nresolutions for the peremptoriness of them, and to make them grounded on\npolitic considerations, which are alterable, but it imports a great change\nof principles. We conceive that all human laws that are not for the matter\ngrounded on the word of God, that oblige not conscience, but in the case\nof scandal and in regard of the general end, are alterable and changeable,\nwhenever they come in opposition to the law of nature, self defence, and\nthe law of God written in his word. And therefore that act of parliament,\nmentioned by the Commission, discharging all subjects from rising without\nthe king\u2019s command, which was made use of against our first taking arms,\nwas no ways binding on the subjects not to rise in defence of their\nreligion and liberties when in hazard.(362) And we wonder that that law\nshould be compared to our solemn engagements, which are grounded upon\noaths and God\u2019s word, as touching the very matter and substance of them,\nas if our engagements did no more bind us now, in case of defence, than\nthat law did bind us then. Royalists might be excused for preferring the\nking\u2019s will to God\u2019s, but we cannot be pardoned for equalizing them; and\nespecially while we consider that that forementioned act undoubtedly hath\nbeen intended for the establishing of an arbitrary and absolute power in\nthe king\u2019s hand, that the subjects may not have liberty to save\nthemselves, except the king will. Where God hath given us liberty by the\nlaw of nature, or his word, no king can justly tie us, and when God binds\nand obliges us by any of these, no king or parliament can loose or untie\nus. (3) The Declaration of the Commission and Assembly upon this invasion,\nrenews the same bond of our former engagements, yea, and speaks expressly\nin the case of fewness and scarceness of instruments, against the unbelief\nof people that are ready in danger to choose any help.(363) Therefore that\nwhich is said in answer, that at that time there was a choice of\ninstruments which now is not, may indeed condemn and falsify the\ndeclarations at that time, in the supposition of the paucity of\ninstruments, and in the application of that doctrine and divine truth to\nthat time, but it doth not speak any thing against the application of that\ntruth therein contained to our time, it being more manifest, that we have\ngreater necessity and less choice of instruments, and so in greater hazard\nof unbelief, and overlooking what is behind us.\n\n3. It is of all considerations the most confounding, to reflect upon our\nformer humiliations and fasts. How often hath it been confessed to God, as\nthe predominant public sin of Scotland, countenancing and employing the\nmalignant party? But when we call particularly to mind the first solemn\nfast after the defeat at Dunbar, astonishment takes hold on us, to think,\nthat is now defended as a duty, which, but some months ago, was solemnly\nconfessed as a sin. The not purging of the army, the obstructing of that\nwork, and great inclinations to keep in and fetch in such persons, and the\nrepining at, and crying out against all that was done in the contrary,\nwere then reckoned as the great causes of God\u2019s wrath, and his sad stroke\nupon us. What distraction may this breed in the hearts of the people of\nthe land to hear that same thing complained of as a great sin to day, and\ncommended as a necessary duty to morrow? Is not all the land presently\ncalled to mourn for the king\u2019s sins, of which this is one, the designing a\nconjunction with the malignant party, and giving them warrant to rise in\narms for the defence of the kingdom? Now, how shall they be able to\nreconcile these in their own minds,\u2014at the same time to mourn for that as\na sin in the king, which they hear commended as the duty of the\nparliament\u2014to fast to day for that as the king\u2019s sin, which they must go\nabout to morrow as their own duty? \u201cTell it not in Gath, publish it not in\nAskelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice.\u201d Heathens may rise\nin judgment against this generation _Semper idem velle atque idem nolle\nh\u00e6c demum sapientia est._(364) If any wise man be _ubique et semper sibi\npar et idem_,(365) what ought a godly man to be?\n\nFourth Reason. That which is an uncertain mean of preservation of the\nkingdom, and a more certain mean of destruction of religion, is utterly\nunlawful. But the employing and intrusting of all men promiscuously,\naccording as is holden out in the public resolutions, is at best an\nuncertain mean of the preservation of the kingdom, and is a more certain\nmean of the destruction of religion. _Ergo_, It is utterly unlawful. The\nfirst proposition cannot be denied. When any less good comes in opposition\nwith a greater good, the lesser good in that respect becomes evil. We may\nnot endanger certainly a greater good for the probable and uncertain\nattainment of the lesser. The second proposition I know will be denied, as\nit was denied in the time of the engagement by the committee of estates.\nThey said, the danger of religion was not infallible, that it might\neventually fall out so, but not by any casualty. And thus it is pleaded\nnow, that the danger of religion is not inevitable, but that the danger of\nthe kingdom is certain and so these being laid in the balance together, we\nought, to eschew a certain danger of the kingdom\u2019s destruction, rather\nhazard a probable danger of religion.\n\nBut we shall clear this and confirm the reason. 1. The danger of the\nkingdom is indeed great, but it is not so certain and inevitable in case\nof not employing the malignant party, because there may be some competency\nof power beside. Now the delivery and preservation of the kingdom from\nthis danger, by conjunction with that party, is rather improbable, because\nwe have sentenced ourselves to destruction if ever we should do such a\nthing again. We are standing under a curse, whereto we have bound over\nourselves, and beside, God is in a special manner pursuing that\ngeneration, and hath raised up this enemy for their destruction so that we\nmay with greater probability expect to partake of their plagues, and to\nfall under our own curse, than to be delivered, or be instruments of\ndeliverance to the kingdom. Or, at the best, it is uncertain. For what is\nmore uncertain than the event of war? The battle in this sense may be said\npeculiarly to belong to the Lord. Now, on the other hand, the danger of\nreligion is certain and inevitable, though not simply in itself and\nabsolutely, (because the Lord doth in heaven and earth what he pleases,)\nyet with a moral certainty and infallibility, which is often as great as\nphysical certainty. Suppose these men having the power of the sword,\nprevail, will they not employ it according to their principles, and for\nattaining their own ends, which both are destructive to religion? What is\nmore certain than that men act and speak from the abundance of the heart,\nwhen there is no outward restraint? It should be a great wonder if they\nwho are so accustomed to do evil, should cease to do evil, when they have\npower and convenience to do it. Power and greatness hath corrupted many\ngood men. Shall it convert them? Can men expect other fruits from a tree\nthan the nature of it yields? Will one seek figs on thorns, or grapes on\nthistles? 2. We do not see what defence it can be, for the present, to the\nkingdom, at least the godly and well affected in the kingdom, who will be\nas much troubled in their persons and estates by that party, as by the\ncommon enemy. It is known what threatenings the country is filled with,\nwhich vent that inveterate malice and hatred to all the well affected in\nthe kingdom, which they have kept within their breast of a long time and\nnow they find opportunity of outing it. It is as clear as daylight, that\nthe most part of all the secluded persons look upon these that opposed\nthem in the Engagement, and shut them out of places of trust, and capacity\nof employment, as enemies, and as great enemies as the secretaries. And\nthat we may know what to expect when they have full power in their hands\nthey have already so lifted up their head, that no godly man can promise\nhimself security in many places, and especially the faithful gentlemen and\npeople of the West,(366) who have given more proof of their faithfulness\nto the cause and kingdom against the common enemy, than any others in the\nland, yet are they daily suffering violence from these preservators of the\nkingdom, while they are sufferers under the feet of the enemy. When they\nhave no common enemy, whom, I beseech you, will they prey upon, seeing\nthey do it already while they have an enemy?\n\nBut it is replied, That none of the least suspicion are allowed to be in\nsuch trust and power, as may be prejudicial to religion, and that an oath\nis to be taken of all, which is to be conceived as particular, binding,\nand strict as possible.\n\n_Answer 1_. What a manifest receding is it from former principles, that it\nis now conceived, that all places of trust, excepting some few of eminent\nnote, may be filled with secluded and debarred persons, without the\nprejudice of religion! It is certain that most part of the officers,\nnominated by the parliament and shires, are not only such, of whom there\nis just ground of suspicion, but such as have been enemies by actual\nopposition to the cause of God, or known underminers thereof. Can it be\nsaid in good earnest, that none, of whom is any suspicion, shall have such\ntrust as may be prejudicial? Sure we are, there are many just grounds of\nsuspicion and jealousy of general persons,(367) who have chief trust in\nour armies and this the public judicatories are not ignorant of. 2. Oaths\nand covenants are but like green cords about Samson to bind these men.\nWould we have them yet once again perjured? Then may we tender an oath to\nthem. Put power in their hand, and then make them swear to employ it well.\n\u2019Tis as ridiculous as to give a madman a sword, and then persuade him to\nhurt none with it. There is no more capitulation with such persons,\nretaining their old principles, than with the floods or winds. These whom\nthat sacred bond of covenant hath not tied, what oath can bind? Except you\ncan change their nature, do not swear them to good behaviour. Can a\nleopard change his spots?\n\nFifth Reason. That which gives great offence and scandal, and lays a\nstumbling-block in the way, both of the people of the land and our\nenemies, especially in the way of the godly, that is unlawful. But the\npresent association and conjunction with all persons in the kingdom\n(excepting a few, if any) is scandalous and offensive to the whole land,\nto the godly especially, and also to the enemy. Therefore it is unlawful.\nThe _major_(368) is beyond all exception, if we consider how peremptory\nChrist and his apostles are in the point of offence, which yet few\nChristians do consider. We ought not only to beware of the offence of the\ngodly, but even of wicked men, even of our blaspheming enemies. \u201cGive no\noffence neither to the Jew nor Gentile, nor to the church of God.\u201d Christ\nwould not offend and scandalize his malicious enemies. The _minor_(369) is\nproved. 1. There is great offence given to the godly in the kingdom by the\npublic resolutions, concerning that conjunction with the malignant party,\nunder the name and notion of subjects. (1) Because it is known that the\nmost part of them are tender in that point, what fellowship they act with,\nand this hath been remonstrate unto the commission and committee of\nestates, from several synods. Now the present resolution layeth that\nstumbling block in their way, that they cannot act in the defence of the\nkingdom, because there is no way left them for the performing of that\nduty, but that which they in their consciences are not satisfied with. It\nis a sad necessity and snare that is put upon them, that they cannot\nperform their bound duty, which they are most desirous of, without sin,\nbecause of the way that is taken. (2) Is it not matter of offence and\nstumbling to them, to be necessitated by law to that which was their\naffliction? The mixture that was in our armies was their grief, and their\ncomfort was that the judicatories were minting at(370) their duty to purge\nthem. But now there is no hope of attaining that, all doors are shut up by\nthe public resolutions. (3) It undoubtedly will weaken their hands, and\nmake their hearts faint, so that they cannot pray with affection and in\nfaith, for a blessing upon such an army,(371) the predominant and leading\npart whereof have been esteemed, and are really enemies to God and his\npeople. (4) Is it not a great offence that any thing should proceed from\nthe public judicatories that shall lay a necessity upon many godly in the\nland, to suffer, because they cannot in conscience go along with it?\n_Next_, It scandalizeth the whole land. What may they think within\nthemselves, to see such dissonancy and disagreement between present and\nformer resolutions and practices? What may they judge of this inconstancy\nand levity of the commission, and thus be induced to give no respect and\nreverence to them in their resolutions? Is it not, at least, a very great\nappearance of evil to join with that party, that we did declare and\nrepute, but some few weeks since, to be wicked enemies of religion and the\nkingdom, and look henceforth on them as friends without so much as any\nacknowledgment of their sin had from them? Shall not they be induced to\nput no difference between the precious and the vile, not to discern\nbetween him that fears God and him that fears him not, when the public\nresolutions put no difference? Then, how will it confirm all the malignant\nparty in their wickedness? May they not think our solemn vows and\nengagements, our rigid resolutions and proceedings, were but all contrived\nand acted out of policy, and that interest and advantage, and not\nconscience, principled them? Have they not an occasion given them to\npersecute all the godly, and vent their long harboured malice against\nthese who have been most zealous for reformation and purging of the land?\nNay, they are put in the capacity that they have desired, for acting all\ntheir resolutions and accomplishing their designs. And last of all, the\npresent proceedings will not only encourage and animate the common enemy,\nbut confirm them in all the imputations and calumnies they have loaded our\nchurch with. May they not have ground to think, that we are but driving on\na politic design, and do not singly aim at God\u2019s glory,\u2014that it is not\ngrounds of conscience that act us, but some worldly interest, when they\nlook upon the inconstancy and changeableness of our way and course, which\nis so accommodated to occasions and times? Can they think us men of\nconscience, that will join with all these men of blood, before we will so\nmuch as speak with them? It is replied, that the scandal is taken, and not\ngiven, which must not be stood upon in the case of a necessary duty. But,\n1. We cleared, that there is no necessity of that conjunction, therefore\nthe scandal is given, seeing it is known beforehand that it will be taken.\n2. There are many grounds of offence given by the present resolutions, as\nappears by what is said. If it were no more, it is a great appearance of\nevil, it is very inductive of many evils, a most fit occasion of all that\nis spoken, and besides, it is in itself sinful, contrary to God\u2019s word,\nand our oaths.\n\nSixth Reason. That which makes glad all the wicked and enemies of God in\nthe land, and sad many, if not most part, of the godly, hath much\nappearance and evidence, if not certainty, of evil. But the public\nresolutions and proceedings are such. _Ergo_,\u2014Or thus\u2014That which makes\nglad all the wicked, and heightens the hopes and expectations of the\nmalignant party, and makes sad none almost but the godly, and discourages\ntheir spirits, that, proceeding from the public judicatories, cannot be\nright and lawful. But so it is, that that which proceeds from the public\njudicatories makes glad all the hearts of the wicked, and makes sad none\nalmost but the godly, heightens the hopes of the malignants, and makes\nthem say, their day is coming, \u201clo we have seen it,\u201d and discourages the\ngodly, and makes them almost say, \u201cOur hope is cut off, our glory is\ndeparted.\u201d _Ergo_, It cannot be right, at least it hath a great and\nconvincing appearance of evil.\n\nThis argument may be thought more popular than either philosophical or\nscriptural. But such an argument the General Assembly, 1648, made use of\nagainst the Engagement. It is no ways imaginable, how the wicked and\nungodly in the land would so insult and rejoice in this day, if they saw\nnot some legible characters upon it, which were agreeable to their own\nprinciples and ends. The children of God are, for the most part, led by\nthe Spirit of God, and taught the way they should choose, John xvi. 13,\nPsal. xxv. 12. So that readily they do not skunner(372) at courses\napproven of God. But the children of the world being, at best, led by\ntheir own carnal minds and senses and, for the most part, acted by a\nspirit of disobedience and enmity against God, they use not to rejoice at\nthings that do not suit with their carnal hearts, and are not engraven\nwith the character of that which is imprinted in their spirits. We see now\nthat the wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. And\nwhen the wicked rise, the righteous is hidden, and when they bear rule,\nthe people mourneth, but when righteous men are in authority, the people\ndo rejoice, and when the righteous rejoiceth, there is great glory, Ps.\nxii. 8, Prov. xxviii. 12, and xxix. 2.\n\nSeventh Reason. That which is the accomplishment and perfecting of the\nmalignant design that hath been driven on these years past, especially\nsince the Unlawful Engagement, cannot be a course approven of God. But the\npresent course is the accomplishment of that design. _Ergo_, That there\nhath been a design, for a long time driven and endeavoured, both at home\nand abroad, with much policy and industry, by many turnings and windings,\nand by arguments of several kinds, as the exigence of the times did\nfurnish,\u2014and that the design was, to have all such persons in trust and\npower again, who had been secluded, that so they might compass their own\nends\u2014hath not been denied hitherto and we are persuaded no man that fears\nGod and observes the times, is ignorant of it. Let the public papers of\nthe treaty at Breda,(373) and the public papers of this kingdom and church\nat home, be consulted. They bear witness for us. Was not the foundation of\nit laid in Holland, and many of them in both nations, brought home with\nthe king contrary to public resolutions, and by the prevailing influence\nof some in the state, kept in the kingdom, contrary to public resolutions?\nWas not the work of purging judicatories and armies obstructed, the godly\ndiscountenanced and discouraged, great endeavours used to raise the\nmalignants in the South and in England, and, since the defeat, to raise\nall without exception in the North, but when that could not be obtained,\nby the withstanding of honest men in the state? The levies appointed,\nwhich would have been a considerable force for the defence of the kingdom,\nwere rendered wholly ineffectual, partly by taking money for men, partly\nby raising the malignant party, and then pretending to go against them,\nthey were pacified by an act of indemnity the fruit and result of all\nwhich is, this present conjunction with them, and putting the power of\njudicatories and armies in their hand. Thus the design is completed.\n\nEighth Reason. That which will increase the Lord\u2019s indignation and\ncontroversy against the land yet seven times more, that is very unlawful\nand unseasonable. But so it is that confederacy and association with the\npeople of these abominations, will increase the Lord\u2019s indignation and\ncontroversy seven times more. _Ergo_, The assumption was as manifest and\nuncontroverted as the proposition, a few months ago, but it is begun now\nto be questioned by some, _qui quod sciunt nesciunt, quia sapiunt_(374)\nBut we shall evince it. 1. We are standing under such a sentence, which we\ndeliberately and sincerely passed upon ourselves, in the days of our vows\nto God, that if we did ever any more join with the people of these\nabominations, the Lord would consume us till there was no remnant. And\nthis was not done in rashness but in sobriety, and with a scripture\nprecedent, Ezra ix. 12, 13.  2. Our experience hath made this clear to us,\nwe never did mingle ourselves among them, but the Lord did pursue us with\nindignation, and stamped that sin, as in vive(375) characters, upon our\njudgment. God hath set upon that rock, that we have so oft split upon, a\nremarkable beacon. Therefore we do not only in our solemn engagements,\nbind ourselves over to a curse, in case of relapsing, but pass the\nsentence of great madness and folly on ourselves. _Piscator ictu\nsapit_.(376) Experience makes fools wise, but it cannot cure madness. Did\nnot that mixture provoke God at Dunbar?(377) And is this the way to\nappease him, to revolt more and more? 3. Conjunction and confederacy with\nthat party, doth necessarily infer a communion in blessings and plagues,\nwe must cast in our lot with them, and have all one purse. Now it hath\nbeen confessed and declared by this church, that God hath a notable\ncontroversy with that party, that this enemy is in an eminent way to bear\nthem down and crush them. Therefore if we join with them, we must resolve\nto partake of their plagues, and have that controversy pleaded against us\nalso.\n\nIt is answered, That indignation need not be feared simply on this\naccount, because the means are lawful and necessary, else, if this have\nany force, it will conclude, that we should lie down and do nothing,\nbecause God\u2019s indignation is upon the whole land.\n\nBut we reply, 1. Though it be true, that this enemy is the rod of God\u2019s\nindignation against the whole land, yet it is certain to us, and hath been\nformerly unquestioned, that they are raised up in a special way, to\nexecute God\u2019s wrath on malignants, and God doth arm them with power in a\nsignal manner for that end. Besides, the Lord\u2019s anger and indignation\nagainst his enemies is such, as will burn and none can quench it. It is of\nanother nature than his wrath against his own people, which is a hiding of\nhis face for a moment. He corrects us in measure and judgment, but leaves\nus not altogether unpunished. But he makes an end of other nations\nespecially these that rise up to actual enmity and hatred of his people,\nand shedding of their blood. And therefore, if any man would not meet with\nwrath and sore displeasure, he would stand at a distance with such as God\nhath appointed for destruction, we mean, as long as they carry in their\nforeheads the mark of the beast. When God hath such a remarkable\ncontroversy against a people, then \u201che that helpeth and he that is helped\nshall both fall together,\u201d Isa. xxxi. 3. All that is in league with them,\nshall fall with them by the sword, Ezek. xxx. 5 and xxxii. 21. 2. Since it\nis known that the malignant party have not changed their principles, and\nso they cannot but in prosecuting this war establish their old quarrel and\nfollow it viz. the king\u2019s arbitrary power, the interest of man above\nGod\u2019s, or the kingdom\u2019s interest, we leave it to be judged impartially,\nwhether or not these that associate with them, do espouse that quarrel and\ninterest, at least expose themselves to all that wrath and indignation,\nwhich hath hitherto followed that quarrel, seeing they must have common\nblessings and curses. Will not that quarrel holden up by most part of the\narmy, be a wicked thing, an Achan in the camp, that will make God turn\naway from it, and put Israel to shame?\n\nHaving thus established the truth, in the next place, we come to take off\nwhat objections are made to the contrary.\n\nFirst: It is argued from human authority. The uncontroverted and universal\npractice of all nations in all generations, is, to employ all subjects in\nthe case of necessary just defence. It was the practice of our reformers,\nwho took into the congregation, and received all that, upon acknowledgment\nof their error, were willing to join, though they had been on the contrary\nfaction. Such an universal practice of Christian nations, though it be not\nthe ground of our faith, yet it is apparent that it cannot want reason for\nit.(378)\n\n_Answer 1_: This will plead as much against the exceptions added in the\nanswer to the query and act of levy, for seeing other nations except none,\nin the case of necessary defence, why should we except any? And if once we\nexcept any upon good and convincing grounds, upon the same ground we ought\nto except far more. 2: Mr. Gillespie, in his Treatise of Miscellany\nQuestions,(379) makes mention that the city of Strasburg, 1529, made a\ndefensive league with Zurich, Berne, and Basil; because they were not only\nneighbours, but men of the same religion. And the Elector of Saxony\nrefused to take into confederacy those who differed from him in the point\nof the Lord\u2019s supper, lest such sad things should befall him, as befell\nthese in Scripture, who used any means of their own defence. This rule was\ngood _in thesi_,(380) though in that case misapplied. Now then, if they\nmade conscience of choosing as the means of their own defence, a\nconfederacy with foreigners, may not the same ground lead us to a distance\nfrom our own countrymen, as unqualified, who have nothing to commend them\nbut that they are of the same nation, which is nothing in point of\nconscience? 3: The practice of other nations that are not tender in many\ngreater points, cannot be very convincing, especially, when we consider\nthat the Lord hath made light to arise, in this particular, more bright\nthan in former times. God hath taken occasion of illustrating and\ncommending many truths unto us in this generation, from the darkness of\nerror, and of making straight many rules, from the crookedness of men\u2019s\npractice and walking. Is not the Lord now performing the promise of\npurging out the rebels from among us and them that transgress? God hath\nwinked at former times of ignorance. But now, the Lord having cleared his\nmind so to us, how great madness were it to forsake our own mercy, and\ndespise the counsel of God against our own souls? (1) As for that instance\nof our reformers there could not have been any thing brought more\nprejudicial to that cause, and more advantageous for us. After they were\ntwice beaten by the French in Leith, and their forces scattered, and the\nleaders and chief men of the congregation forced to retire to Stirling,\nJohn Knox, preaching upon the eightieth Psalm, and searching the causes of\nGod\u2019s wrath against them, condescends upon this as the chief cause, that\nthey had received into their councils and forces such men as had formerly\nopposed the congregation, and says, God never blest them since the Duke\nhad come among them. See Knox\u2019s Chron.(381) (2) It cannot be showed that\never they took in a party and faction of such men, but only some few\npersons, which, though it was not altogether justifiable, was yet more\nexcusable. But now the public resolutions hold forth a conjunction with\nall the bloody murderers in the kingdom (excepting very few), and these\nwithout profession of repentance in many, and without evidence of the\nreality of it almost in any. (3) These persons were not such as had once\njoined with the congregation, and relapsed and became enemies to it, but\nthey turned to the protestant religion from popery. But ours is a\ndifferent case.\n\nSecond. It is argued from scripture. Three scripture instances are brought\nto justify the present proceedings. The first instance is from the\npractice of God\u2019s people in the book of Judges, who, when for defection\nfrom religion they were brought under oppression, yet when any governor\nwas raised by God for their defence, they gathered and came all out\npromiscuously, notwithstanding a great part of them had been in the\ndefection. Yet it is not found that their governors are reproved for this,\nbut rather sad curses on them that came not out to the work, Judges v. 15,\n16, 17, 23. The second instance is from the story of the kings, very like\nthe first. When, after defection, gracious reforming kings arose, and had\nto do against foreign invasion, we find them not debarring any subjects,\nbut calling them out promiscuously. Neither is this laid to their charge,\nthat they called out such and such subjects, though we may perceive by the\nstory of the prophets, that the greater part of the body of the people\nwere wicked, &c.\n\nWe answer to these two instances jointly. 1. We may by the like reason\nprove, that which is as yet uncontroverted (we know not how long), that we\nought at no time to make choice of instruments, neither in case of\nprosecution of the cause and the invasion of others, nor yet in the time\nwhen choice is to be had, and so, that all our former engagements,\nresolutions, and proceedings, in the point of purging judicatories and\narmies, was superfluous and supererogatory, because we read not that the\nreforming kings and judges, whenever they had an invasive war, and in the\ntimes that they had greatest plenty and multitudes of people, did ever\ndebar any of their subjects from that service, but called them out\npromiscuously. Neither is this laid to their charge, though we may\nperceive that the greater part of the people were wicked under the best\nkings. Therefore we may lawfully employ any subjects of the kingdom in any\nof our wars. And we may look upon all indifferently, without any\ndiscerning of persons that fear God and them that fear him not, as in good\ncapacity to be intrusted, even when otherwise we have choice of good\ninstruments. Certainly it follows, by parity of reason. For if you\nconclude that, from the calling forth all promiscuously, and no reproof\ngiven for it, in the case of necessary defence, then we may conclude, from\nthe calling forth of all promiscuously, and in the case of an invasive\nwar, and no reproof recorded, that neither, in such a case, is it sinful\nto make no difference, and that with strong reason, because it being more\neasy in such a case to choose instruments, and no necessity pleading for\nit, if it had been sinful, the prophets would have rather reproved it,\nthen rebuked them for using such means in a case of necessity. 2. We may\nargue after that manner, that in the case of necessary just defence, there\nshould be no exceptions made at all of any persons, because we read not\nthat the judges or kings debarred any subjects, neither that they were\nrebuked for so doing. Therefore the instances militate as much against the\nexceptions added in the answer to the query, as against us, unless it be\nsaid that there were no such persons among that people, which were as\ngroundless rashness as to say that they gave all evidence of repentance.\n3. Seeing the judges and the reforming kings of Judah were so accurate and\nexact in cleaving to the law of God, and walking according to it in all\nother things, it were more charitable and Christian judgment to say, that\nsince they are not reproved for any fault in this particular, that they\nwere also exact to walk according to the rule, (Deut. xxiii.) in so great\na point as this. 4. Men\u2019s practice is often lame and crooked, and\ntherefore must be examined according to the rule, but it were not fair\ndealing to accommodate the rule to men\u2019s practice. Seeing then we have so\nclear and perfect a rule (Deut. xxiii.), which must judge both their\npractice and ours, we see not how their practice can be obtruded as a rule\nupon us, which itself must be examined according to a common and general\nrule. If it be not according to that law, we hold it to be sinful in\nitself, and so no precedent for us; albeit the prophets did not reprove it\nin express and particular terms (as they did not reprove man stealing,\n&c.), yet they rebuked it by consequence, in as far as they rebuked the\nkings for association with wicked Israelites, which is condemned upon\ngrounds common to this very case in hand. 5. We see not any ground for\nsuch promiscuous calling forth of the people by the judges. Barak\u2019s\nbusiness, as that of Jephthah and Gideon, was done by no great multitudes\nof people, but a few choice men. 6. As the oppression was heavy and\ncontinued long, so the repentance of the people was solemn, and their\ndeliverance a fruit of this. 7. Their case and ours is very different.\nNone of Israel or Judah did fight against the profession of the true\nreligion, and shed the blood of their fellow subjects who were for the\ndefence of the same. Israel in the days of the judges, and Judah in the\ntime of the reforming kings, was not divided the one half against the\nother, upon opposition and defence of the true religion, and the better\npart, after many experiences of the treachery and enmity of the most of\nthe worst part, solemnly engaged to God not to admit them to employment\nand trust, but upon real evidence of repentance of which they should judge\nas in the sight of God. And last of all, did ever Israel or Judah, in the\ndays of their judges and reforming kings, admit into their armies a party\nand faction of such as had given no real evidence of their abandoning\ntheir former course, and such a party, as had been long studying to get\nthe power of armies and judicatories in their own hands for attaining\ntheir own ends? But all those are in our case.\n\nThe third instance from scripture, is from 1 Sam. xi., which is alleged to\nbe a clear practice, and stamped with divine approbation. In the case of\nJabesh-Gilead besieged by a foreign enemy, Saul commands all to come forth\nfor defence of their brethren, under pain of a severe civil censure. Now,\nwhat Saul did in this business, the Spirit of God is said to act him to\nit, and what the people did, was from the fear of God, making them obey\nthe king. And then Samuel in this acting concurs jointly, and makes no\nopposition. And last of all, the people came forth as one man, and yet\n(chap. x. 27) many men of Belial were among them, who malignantly opposed\nSaul\u2019s government, contrary to God\u2019s revealed will.\n\nTo which we answer, 1. The stamp of divine approbation is not apparent to\nus, success doth not prove it. Neither the Spirit coming on Saul, nor the\nfear of God falling on the people, will import a divine approbation of all\nthat was done in the managing that war. That motion of the Spirit is no\nsanctifying motion, but a common, though extraordinary, impulse of Saul\u2019s\nspirit to the present work, which, doubtless, was in the king of Babylon,\nwhom God raised up, fitted and sent for the destruction of many nations\nalbeit that work in his hand was iniquity. That fear of God that fell upon\nthe people, was but a fear of the king imprinted by God, and it is more\npeculiarly attributed to God, because the people did despise and contemn\nhim, which makes their reverence and fear to be a more extraordinary thing\nupon a sudden. Then Samuel, not opposing the course in hand, doth no more\nimport his approbation of all that was done in it, than his not reproving\nthe men of Belial doth prove that he approved of their opposition. 2. It\ndoth not appear that the men of Belial were a great faction and party,\nthere is something in ver. 12 speaks against it. It is not like the people\nwould put a faction and party to death. 3. Neither doth it appear that\nthey were in the army. For that which is said, that all the people came\nout as one man, doth only import, that the body and generality of them\ncame forth, and that it was a wonder so many came forth so suddenly at the\ncommand of the king, who was but mean and abject in their eyes. It is\ncertain that all fencible persons were not present, because the whole army\nbeing numbered, ver. 8, was but 330,000. And who will say there was no\nmore men in Israel, when they had 600,000 such, and above, before their\ncoming into the land? Seeing then, many have staid at home, it is most\nprobable that these men of Belial would not come, seeing they despised\nSaul\u2019s mean and low condition in their heart and thought him unfit to lead\ntheir armies, till he should prove what was in him. That which is said,\nver. 12, doth not prove they were in the camp. It might be conveniently\nspoken of absent persons. 4. It is not certain that these men were wicked\nand scandalous in their conversation, haters of godliness and of their\nbrethren, but that they stood at distance only with Saul, in the point of\nhis election, which indeed was blame worthy, seeing God had revealed his\nmind in it. And therefore they are called men of Belial, as Peter was\ncalled Satan, for opposing Christ\u2019s suffering.\n\nSome other scriptures are alleged by some, as David\u2019s employing of such\nmen, &c., all which are cleared in Mr. Gillespie\u2019s Treatise of Miscellany\nQuestions, quest. 14.\n\nThird. It is argued from reason. And, 1. That which any is obliged to do\nfor another\u2019s preservation by the law of God and nature, and which he\ncannot omit without the guilt of the other\u2019s destruction, that may the\nother lawfully require of him to do when he needs it, and when it may be\ndone without the undoing of a greater good. But so it is, that every\nsubject is obliged by the law of nature, oath and covenants, and the law\nof God, to endeavour to their power, the preservation of the kingdom\nagainst unjust violence. And the safety of the kingdom stands in need of\nmany subjects\u2019 assistance who were secluded. And it may be done without\nundoing a greater good than is the preservation of religion. _Ergo_.\n\nThis argument hath an answer to it in the bosom of it. (1) We shortly deny\nthe assumption, in relation to the two last branches, both that the\nkingdom\u2019s preservation stands in necessity of these men\u2019s help, and that\ntheir help tends not to the undoing of a greater good, seeing there is no\nreason given to confirm these two points, wherein the nerve of the\nbusiness lies. We refer to a reason of our denial of them given p.\n22.(382) (2) It is true that the obligation to such a duty lies upon all,\nbut that obligation is to be brought into act and exercise in an orderly\nand qualified way, else what need any exceptions be in the act of levy?\nExcommunicated persons are under the same obligation, yet the magistrate\nis not actually obliged to call such, but rather to seclude them. Are not\nall bound to come to the sacrament who are church members? Yet many are\nnot in a capacity to come, and so ought neither to presume to come nor be\nadmitted. Are not all subjects obliged to defend the cause of God, and to\nprosecute it? And yet many, because of their enmity to the cause of God,\nare actually incapable of employment in the defence or prosecution\nthereof. (3) The law of nature is above all human laws and constitutions,\nthey must cede whenever they come in opposition to it. _Salus populi_ is\n_suprema lex_(383) in relation to these. But, in relation to the law of\nGod, it is not so. Sometimes the law of nature must yield to positive\ncommands of God. Abraham must sacrifice his son at God\u2019s command. The law\nof nature obliges us to the preservation of ourselves, but it does not\noblige to every mean that may be found expedient to that end, unless it be\nsupposed lawful and approven of God. Therefore the Lord in his written\nword doth determine what means we may use for that end, and what not. But,\n(4) We conceive that the law forbidding association and confederacy with\nknown wicked and ungodly persons, is included in the law of nature, as\nwell as the law that obliges us to self preservation. That is grounded on\nperpetual reason, as well as this. Nature bids me preserve myself, and\nnature binds me to have one friend and foe with God. The heathens had a\nnotion of it. They observed, that Amphiaraus, a wise and virtuous man, was\ntherefore swallowed up in the earth with seven men and seven horses,\nbecause he had joined himself and associated with Tydeus, Capaneus, and\nother wicked commanders marching to the siege of Thebe. Mr Gill. Miscell.\nQuest. chap. 14 p. 171.(384)\n\n2. The second reason is framed thus _in hypothesi_.(385) Such as are\nexcluded are a great part, if not the greater part of the remnant of the\nland, if rules of exclusion be extended impartially. Now, they having\ntheir lives and liberties allowed them, must either in these things be\ninsured by the interposing of a competent power for their defence, or else\nthey must have liberty to act for themselves. But so it is, that we cannot\ninterpose a competent power for their protection. _Ergo_, They must have\nliberty to act for themselves. _Nam qui dat vitam  dat necessaria ad\nvitam._(386)\n\nWe answer, (1) It is not certain that such as are excluded are the greater\npart of the land. However, it is certain, that though the rule had been\nkept, and endeavours had been used to walk according to it, yet many whom\nit excludes would have been taken in. There is a great difference between\nendeavour of duty, and attaining its perfection. If the rule had not been\nquite destroyed, so great offence could not have been taken, though it had\nnot been strictly urged in all particulars. (2) We still affirm, upon\nevident grounds to us, that there is a power competent in the land, beside\nthe malignant party, which may protect the land and insure their lives and\nliberties. (3)(387) We are persuaded many of that party, who have been so\ndeeply involved in blood guiltiness and barbarous cruelties should neither\nhave lives nor liberties secured to them, because they ought not to be\npermitted to live. But the not taking away so much guilty blood from the\nland by acts of justice, is the cause that so much innocent and precious\nblood is now shed. Our rulers have pardoned that blood which God would not\npardon, and therefore would not pardon it to the land because they\npardoned it to the murderers.\n\n\n\n\n                               Section IV.\n\n\nThat It Is Not Lawful For The Well Affected Subjects To Concur In Such An\nEngagement In War, And Associate With The Malignant Party.\n\n\nSome convinced of the unlawfulness of the public resolutions and\nproceedings, in reference to the employing of the malignant party, yet do\nnot find such clearness and satisfaction in their own consciences as to\nforbid the subjects to concur in this war, and associate with the army so\nconstituted. Therefore it is needful to speak something to this point,\nThat it is as unlawful for the subjects to associate and join in arms with\nthat party as it is for the parliament to employ them. For these reasons:\n\n1. The scriptures before cited against associations and confederacies with\nwicked and ungodly men do prove this. The command prohibiting conjunction\nwith them and conversing, &c. is common both to magistrates and people,\nfor the ground of it is common to both\u2014The people\u2019s insnaring, helping of\nthe ungodly, &c. It were strange doctrine to say, that it is not lawful\nfor the parliament to associate in war with the malignants, lest the\npeople be insnared and yet it is lawful for the people to associate with\nthem upon the command of the parliament, seeing the insnaring of the\npeople hath a more immediate connexion with the people\u2019s conjunction with\nthem nor(388) with the parliament\u2019s resolution about it. Had it not been a\ntransgression in all the people to have joined with these men before the\nparliament\u2019s resolution about it? How then can their resolution\nintervening loose the people from their obligation to God\u2019s command? Shall\nit be no sin to me, because they sin before me? Can their going before me\nin the transgression, exempt me from the transgression of that same law\nwhich obliges both them and me? 2. The people were reproved for such\nassociations as well as rulers, though they originated from the rulers.\nThe prophets speak to the whole body. \u201cWhat hast thou to do in the way of\nEgypt?\u201d &c. Jer. ii. 18. And Isa. xxxi. \u201cWo to them that go down to\nEgypt.\u201d Psal. cvi. \u201cThey mingled themselves,\u201d &c. The Lord instructed\nIsaiah, and in him all his own people, all the children whom God had given\nhim, saying, \u201cSay ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people\nshall say, A confederacy,\u201d Isa. viii. 12. When all the people were going\non in such a mean of self defence, the Lord instructed him and the\ndisciples among whom the testimony was sealed, that they should not walk\nin the way of this people. When Jehoshaphat was reproved for helping the\nungodly, were not all his people reproved that went with him? They were\nthe helpers of the ungodly as well as he. If Amaziah had refused to\ndismiss the army of Israel whom God was not with, doubtless it had been\nthe subject\u2019s duty to testify against it, and refuse to concur and act in\nsuch a fellowship.\n\n3. If the association and conjunction with malignants be only the sin of\nthe parliament, and not the sin of the people, who do upon their command\nassociate with them, then we cannot see how people can be guilty of\nassociation with malignants at any time, and in any case. To join with\nthem in an ill cause is not lawful indeed. But neither may we join with\ngood men in an evil cause. Suppose then the cause be good and necessary\n(as no war is just if it be not necessary), in what case or circumstances\nshall association with them be unlawful for the people? If it be said, in\ncase the magistrate command it not,  we think that strange divinity, that\nthe sole command of the magistrate should make that our duty, which in\nabsence of his command is our sin, and that not because of the absence of\nhis command but from other perpetual grounds. Certainly, whenever\nassociation with them is a sin, it is not that which makes it a sin,\nbecause the magistrate commands it not, but because God forbids it. And it\nis as strange, that the unlawful and sinful resolution of parliament\nshould make that lawful to me which otherwise had been unlawful. It is\nknown that human laws oblige not, but as they have connexion with God\u2019s\nword. Now if that law, enjoining a confluence of all subjects for the\ndefence of the kingdom, be contrary to the word, in as far as it holds out\na conjunction with malignant and bloody men, how can it be lawful to me,\nin obedience to that ordinance, to associate with these men? If it be said\nto be lawful in the case of necessity, that same necessity is as strong a\nplea for the magistrate\u2019s employing them, as for the people\u2019s joining with\nthem, and if it do not justify that, it cannot excuse this. If the\nlawfulness of the mean must be measured by the justice and necessity of\nthe end, then certainly any mean shall be lawful in the case of just and\nnecessary defence, then we may employ Irish cut throats, then we may go to\nthe devil for help, if expediency to compass such a necessary and just end\nbe the rule of the lawfulness of the mean.\n\n4. The whole land is bound by the covenant and solemn engagement not to\nassociate with the malignant party. _Ergo_, It is as sinful for the people\nto join with them as for the magistrate to employ them. Are we not all\nbound by covenant, to endeavour to bring malignants to condign punishment,\nand to look on them as enemies? And is not conjunction and confederacy\nwith them, on the people\u2019s part, as inconsistent in its own nature with\nthat duty, as the magistrate\u2019s employing them is inconsistent with his\ncovenanted duty? When all the people did solemnly engage themselves not to\njoin any more with the people of these abominations, was the meaning of\nit, we shall not join until our rulers join first, or, we shall not join\nwith them in an ill cause? No indeed, but, we shall not employ them in a\ngood cause, or join with any party of them in it. If that engagement be\nupon every one in their station, let us consider what every man\u2019s station\nin the work is. The ruler\u2019s station and calling is to choose instruments,\nand levy forces for the defence thereof. The subjects station and calling\nis, to concur in that work, by rising in defence of the cause and kingdom.\nNow, what did the subject then engage unto? Certainly, unless we mock God,\nwe must say, that as the magistrate engaged not to employ that ungodly\ngeneration in a good cause, so the subject engaged not to join with any\nsuch party even in a good cause. If this be not the meaning of our\nengagements and vows, we see not how the subjects are in capacity to break\nthem, as to that precise point of association.\n\nIn sum, All the reasons that are brought to prove the unlawfulness of the\npublic resolutions, may with a little variation be proportionably applied\nto this present question. Therefore we add no more but a word to an\nobjection or two.\n\n_Objection 1_. A necessary duty, such as self preservation is, cannot be\nmy sin. But it is the subject\u2019s necessary duty to rise in defence of the\nkingdom. _Ergo_,\n\n_Answer_. A necessary duty cannot be a sin in itself, but it may be a sin\nin regard of some circumstances, in which it ceases to be a necessary\nduty. It is a necessary duty to defend the kingdom. But it is neither a\nduty nor necessary to do it in such a conjunction and fellowship, but\nrather a sin. If I cannot preserve myself, but by an unlawful mean, then\nself preservation in such circumstances is not my duty.\n\n_Objection 2_. Jonathan did assist Saul in a war against the Philistines\ninvading the land, and no doubt many godly joined and died in battle. Now\nthis is commended in scripture, as may be seen in David\u2019s funeral(389)\nupon them, although it was known that Saul was an hater of God\u2019s people\nand a persecutor, and that God had a controversy with him, and that these\n3,000 that assisted him against David were also ungodly and wicked men.\n\n_Answer 1_. These scriptures speak nothing to commend that particular act\nof Jonathan\u2019s conjunction in war with his father. David in his epitaph\nspeaks much to the commendation of both Saul and Jonathan, as of excellent\nwarriors, and of Jonathan as a kind and constant friend to him, but there\nis nothing touched of that point. If that place be pressed, it will follow\nwith much more evidence, that Saul was as good a man as Jonathan, and that\nthe people of God had great loss in his death. But none of these must be\npressed rigorously from a speech wherein he vents his affection and grief.\n2. Suppose the natural bond of Jonathan to Saul his father, and the civil\nbonds of the people to Saul their king, did oblige them to join with him\nagainst the common enemy, yet we think they ought not to have associated\nwith these persecuting servants, and the 3,000 that pursued David, but\nthey ought to have pleaded for a purging of the army. 3. It is not\nprobable that there were many godly persons employed in that army. David\ncomplains of that time, (Psal. xii.) that the godly man ceased, and the\nfaithful from among the children of men and that the wicked walked round\nabout when the vilest men were exalted. 4. Many of the laws of God have\nnot been much taken notice of, even by godly men, until the Lord hath\ntaken occasion to reprove them particularly, and so to mind(390) them of\ntheir duty. It is likely the rule, (Deut. xxiii.) had not been considered\ntill the time of Jehoshaphat and Amaziah.(391) However it be, they had not\nso many solemn and particular ties of oaths, and covenants, and vows, and\nconfessions, as we have lying on us. 5. Let no man wonder that such\nparticular escapes are not always reproved in scripture, who considers\nthat the fathers\u2019 polygamy, though so frequent among them, was not laid to\ntheir charge.\n\n_Objection 3_. Separation from the army, because of the sin of\nmagistrates, in employing such unqualified persons, is paralleled to\nseparation from church worship, because of the sin of the false\nworshippers, and because the guides of the church do not exclude them.\n_Answer 1_. We have particular commands about this, and many examples of\nit, which we have not about separation from a true church, and lawful\nworship. Union and conjunction with an enemy renders conjunction, and\ntheir fellowship, more dangerous and infectious than conjunction in a\nchurch state. Judah might not separate from these Israelites in lawful\nordinances, or from the ordinance [because] of their presence. And yet\nthey might not help them nor take help from them. Paul did not exhort any\nto separate from the worship at Corinth, because of the presence of\nscandalous persons at it and yet he charges them not to converse with such\nbrethren as walk disorderly. Notwithstanding of union in church and state,\nwe may look on many as such as should not be joined with in some other\nbonds. It is not lawful for a godly man to marry a profane woman, though a\nvisible professor, he may not join in such a tie, although he ought not to\nseparate from church worship for her presence. _Besides_, there is a\nconjunction in arms for one cause, as necessarily makes men partakers of\nthe same blessings and cursings, and therefore we should give the more\ndiligent heed, when we partake with them in lawful things. 3. Are we all\ntied, by such particular oaths and solemn vows, not to join with the\nscandalous persons of a congregation in lawful worship, as we are, not to\nassociate with the malignant party in the defence of the cause of God, and\nkingdom? It cannot be said. Therefore the cases are not paralleled.\n\nWe shall close all with a testimony of one of the Lord\u2019s most faithful\nwitnesses, Mr. Gillespie, whose light in this case was once very\nseasonably held forth, and effectual to the preventing of the declining of\nthis land and we hope it will not be wholly forgotten by them, with whom\nit had weight then. In his letter to the General Assembly, 1648, he\nsayeth, \u201cI am not able to express all the evils of compliance, they are so\nmany. Sure I am, it were a hardening of the malignant party, a wounding of\nthe hearts of the godly, a great scandal to our brethren of England, an\ninfinite wronging of those who, from their affection to the covenant and\ncause of God, have taken their life in their hand, who, as they have been\nstrengthened and encouraged, by the hearing of the zeal and integrity of\nthe well affected in this kingdom, and how they oppose the late\nEngagement, so they would be as much scandalized to hear of a compliance\nwith malignants now. Yea, all that hear of it may justly stand amazed at\nus, and look on us as a people infatuated, that can take in our bosom the\nfiery serpents, that have stung us so sore. But above all, that which\nwould heighten these sins to the heavens is this, that it were not only a\nhorrible backsliding, but a backsliding into that very sin, which was\nespecially pointed at, and punished by the prevalency of the malignant\nparty, God justly making them thorns and scourges, who were taken in as\nfriends, without any real evidence, or fruits of repentance. Alas! shall\nwe split twice upon this same rock, yea, run upon it, when God has set a\nbeacon on it? Shall we be so demented as to fall back to the same sin,\nwhich was engraven in great letters in our late judgment? Yea, I may say,\nshall we thus out face and out dare the Almighty, by protecting his and\nour enemies, when he is persecuting them, by making peace and friendship\nwith them, when the anger of the Lord is burning against them, by setting\nthem on their feet, when God hath cast them down? O! shall neither\njudgments nor deliverances make us wise? I must here apply to our\ncondition the words of Ezra, \u2018And after all this is come upon us for our\nevil deeds, and for our great trespasses, seeing that thou our God hast\npunished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hath given such\ndeliverance us this, should we again break thy commandments, and join in\naffinity with the people of these abominations, wouldest thou not be angry\nwith us till thou hast consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor\nescaping?\u2019 O happy Scotland! if thou canst now improve aright, and not\nabuse this golden opportunity, but if thou wilt help the ungodly, or love\nthem that hate the Lord, wrath upon wrath, and woe upon woe, shall be upon\nthee from the Lord.\n\n\u201cThis testimony of a dying man (who expects to stand shortly before the\ntribunal of Christ) I leave with you my reverend brethren,\u201d &c. And again\nin his Testimony against association and compliance with malignants,\nwritten two days before his death, he says, \u201cSeeing now, in all\nappearance, the time of my dissolution is very near, although I have, in\nmy latter will, declared my mind of public affairs, yet I have thought\ngood to add this further testimony, that I esteem the malignant party in\nthese kingdoms the seed of the serpent, enemies to piety, and Presbyterian\ngovernment, (pretend what they will to the contrary,) a generation that\nhave not set God before them. With the malignants are to be joined the\nprofane and scandalous, from all which, as also from heresies, and errors,\nthe Lord I trust is about to purge his churches. I have often comforted\nmyself, and still do, with the hopes of the Lord\u2019s purging of this\npolluted land, surely the Lord has begun, and will carry on that great\nwork of mercy, and will purge out the rebels. I know there will be always\na mixture of hypocrites, but that cannot excuse the conniving at gross and\nscandalous sinners. This purging work, which the Lord is about, very many\nhave directly opposed, and said, by their deeds, we will not be purged nor\nrefined, but we will be joining, and mixing ourselves with those whom the\nministers preach against, as malignant enemies to God and his cause. But\nlet him that is filthy, be filthy still, and let wisdom be justified of\nher children. I recommend to them that fear God, sadly and seriously to\nconsider, that the Holy Scripture doth plainly hold forth, 1. That the\nhelping of the enemies of God, or joining and mingling with wicked men, is\na sin highly displeasing. 2. That this sin hath ordinarily insnared God\u2019s\npeople into divers other sins. 3. That it hath been punished of God with\ngrievous judgments. 4. That utter destruction is to be feared, when a\npeople, after great mercies and judgments, relapse into this sin, Ezra ix.\n13, 14. Upon the said and the like grounds, for my own exoneration, that\nso necessary a truth want not the testimony of a dying witness of Christ,\nalso the unworthiest of many thousands, and that light may be held forth,\nand warning given, I cannot be silent at this time, but speak by my pen,\nwhen I cannot by my tongue; yea, now also by the pen of another, when I\ncannot by my own; seriously and in the name of Jesus Christ, exhorting all\nthat fear God, and make conscience of their ways, to be very tender and\ncircumspect, to watch and pray that they be not insnared in that great\ndangerous sin of conjunction, or compliance with malignant or profane\nenemies of the truth, under whatsomever prudential considerations it may\nbe varnished over, which if men will do, and trust God in his own way,\nthey shall not only not repent it, but to their greater joy and peace of\nGod\u2019s people, they shall see his work go on, and prosper gloriously. In\nwitness to the premises, I have subscribed the same with my hand at\nKirkaldy,(392) December 15th, 1648. Mr. Frederick Carmichael,(393) at\nMarkinch, and Mr. Alex Moncreiff,(394) minister at Scoonie,\n\n_Sic Sub._\nGEORGE GILLESPIE.\nF. C. _Witness_\nA. M. _Witness_\n\n\n\n\n                                Section V.\n\n\nScriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And Ungodly\nMen.\n\n\nWhen the Lord is punishing such a people against whom he hath a\ncontroversy, and a notable controversy, every one that is found shall be\nthrust through: and every one joined with them shall fall, Isa. xiii. 15.\nThey partake in their judgment, not only because in a common calamity all\nshares, (as in Ezek. xxi. 3.) but chiefly because joined with and\npartakers with these whom God is pursuing; even as the strangers that join\nto the house of Jacob partake of her blessings, chap. xiv. 1. To this\npurpose is Isa. xxxi. 2, 3, and Ezek. xxx. 5, 6, 8. The mingled people and\nthose that are in league with Egypt partake in her plagues, and those that\nuphold that throne that God so visibly controverts with, their power shall\ncome down, and all its helpers shall be destroyed, as it is Jer. xxi. 12,\n20, 24. And this is the great reason of these many warnings to go out of\nBabylon, Jer. l. 8. and li. 6. Remember that passage, 2 Kings i. 9, 10,\n11, 12. The captain and messenger of the king speaks but a word in\nobedience to his wicked master\u2019s command, and the fifty are but with him,\nand speak not: but their master\u2019s judgment comes on them all.\n\nConsider how many testimonies the wise king, in his Proverbs, gives\nagainst it. Chap. i. from ver. 10, to 19. \u201cMy son, if sinners entice thee,\nconsent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood,\nlet us lurk privily for the innocent without cause. Let us swallow them up\nalive as the grave, and whole as those that go down into the pit. We shall\nfind all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil. Cast in\nthy lot among us, let us all have one purse. My son, walk not thou in the\nway with them; refrain thy foot from their path. For their feet run to\nevil, and make haste to shed blood,\u201d &c. Here are the practices and\ndesigns of wicked men expressed in their own nature. But certainly they\nwould colour them over with fair pretences. Their purpose is to undo men,\nespecially godly men that classed and purged them. Yea, it is the\nprofession of many, and they scarce lie privily, or have so much wisdom as\nto conceal their designs till their fit opportunity, but before the power\nbe confirmed in their hand, they breathe out cruelty against all the\ninnocent in the land, and promise themselves great gain by it, and are\nalready dividing their estates among them, saying we \u201cshall find all\nprecious substance,\u201d ver. 13. But, my son, if thou fear God, though they\nentice thee with specious arguments of nature, and necessity, and country\nprivileges, yet consent not. Venture not thy stock in one vessel with\nthem. Cast not in thy lot among them. \u201cWalk not in the way with them:\nrefrain thy foot from their path:\u201d for they are not come to the height of\niniquity, they are running on to it. And if thou join, thou wilt cast\nthyself in a miserable snare; for either thou must go on with them to\ntheir designed and professed evils, or be exposed to their cruelty.\n\nChap. ii. from ver. 10. to the end. \u201cWhen wisdom entereth into thine\nheart, and knowledge is pleasant to thy soul; discretion shall preserve\nthee, understanding shall keep thee to deliver thee from the way of the\nevil man, from the man that speaketh froward things, who leave the paths\nof uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness,\u201d &c. If thou take the\nword of God for a lamp to thy feet, and it enter into thy soul, and be\nreceived in love and affection, it will certainly keep thee from the evil\nmen\u2019s way, who have already left the righteous paths to walk in the ways\nof darkness, who rejoice in nothing so much as in the sorrows and miseries\nof the godly, and delight in one another\u2019s wickedness. And it will keep\nthee chaste to thy husband Christ Jesus, and preserve thee from committing\nfornications with Egypt as Aholah and Aholibah, and joining so nearly with\nthe degenerated seed of Abraham, who are but as strangers. For come near\ntheir house and paths, and they will lead thee to destruction with them or\nmake thee a more miserable life. But these that go to them return not\nagain quickly. They are like fallen stars. Shall they ever be set in the\nfirmament again? It is safest to walk with good and righteous men, for\nGod\u2019s blessing and promise is on them. His curse and threatening is on the\nwicked. Therefore thou may fear wrath on that account, if thou join with\nthem.\n\nChap. iv. ver. 14-20 \u201cEnter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in\nthe way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass\naway. For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep\nis taken away except they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of\nwickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as\nthe shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The\nway of the wicked is as darkness, and they know not at what they stumble.\u201d\nIt was said, chap. iii. 23, that the man who keeps wisdom and the fear of\nGod in his heart, should walk in the way and not stumble. That safety hath\nease in it here. Their steps are not straitened, as when a man walks in\nsteep and hazardous places, who cannot choose but it will be. If a man\nenter into the path of wicked men, he must either go along in their way\nwith them, and then it is broad indeed, or, if he think to keep a good\nconscience in it, he will be pinched and straitened. Therefore it is most\nfree for the mind and conscience to avoid and pass by that way \u201cfor they\nsleep not,\u201d &c. They will never be satisfied till they have done a\nmischief, they will live upon the ruins of the poor country. And how wilt\nthou join in that? Or how can thou eschew it, if thou walk with them? If\nit were no more, it is a suspected by path, that thou never travelled\ninto. O pass by it, or, if thou be entered, turn out of it. If thou wilt\nenter upon the apprehension of some light and duty in it, know that it is\nbut evening, the sun is setting, and thou wilt be benighted ere it be\nlong, and thou shalt stumble then, and not know whereupon, even on that,\nthou seest not now and thinkest to eschew and pass by. Then from ver. 23,\nto the end, \u201cKeep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the\nissues of life, &c.\u201d Except thou keep thy heart and whole man, thou cannot\nescape falling into some temptation. O keep thy heart diligently on the\nknowledge and lore of the truth. Take heed to thy words. Look not a squint\nbut directly to that which is good. Give not a squint look to any unlawful\ncourse, for the necessity or utility, it may be that seems to attend it.\nBut look straight on, and ponder well the way thou walkest in, that thou\nrun to no extremity either to one parte or other, that thou walk in the\nmiddle way between profanity and error. Thou heldest these ways hitherto\nfor extremes. Ponder, I beseech thee, then, before thou walkest in any of\nthem. See whether they be really come to thee, or thou to them. Mark who\nis changed.\n\nChap. v. 8 to the 15. \u201cRemove thy way far from her, and come not near the\ndoor of her house, lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years\nunto the cruel. Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thy labours\nbe in the house of a stranger. And thou mourn at last when thy flesh and\nthy body are consumed, and say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart\ndespised reproof, and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor\ninclined mine ear to them that instructed me! &c.\u201d If thou would be safe\nfrom snares, remove from the way and house of the strange woman. Thou must\nfall in Aholah and Aholibah\u2019s whoredoms (Ezek. xxiii.) except thou come\nnot near them. If thou keep not from that assembly and congregation, thou\nshall be \u201calmost in all evil.\u201d If thou join with them, thou cannot but\npartake of their sins and plagues; and so thou shalt say after, when thou\ncannot well mend it, \u201cI was near gone, my steps almost gone,\u201d and all the\nassembly of his people shall witness to it.\n\nChap. vi. 16, 17, 18, 24, 25. \u201cThese six things doth the Lord hate, yea\nseven are an abomination unto him. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands\nthat shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet\nthat be swift in running to mischief. To keep thee from the strange woman,\nfrom the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her\nbeauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids.\u201d This\ndescribes both our enemies, the malignant party and the sectarian. Pride,\nviolence, cruelty, lying, is the very character of the one. Flattery,\nbeauty of pretended religion, false witnessing and charging of the Lord\u2019s\npeople, and seeking to sow discord among these that were one in heart and\nwork, is the character of the other. Now, keep thee from both these\nabominations, and do not think it is in thy power not to be infected with\nthe contagion of their fellowship. \u201cCan a man take fire in his bosom and\nhis clothes not be burnt? Can one go on hot coals and not burn his feet?\u201d\nSo whoever associates and goes in friendly to either of them \u201cshall not be\ninnocent,\u201d ver. 27, 28, 29.\n\nChap. vii. 14, &c. \u201cI have peace offerings with me, this day have I paid\nmy vows.\u201d They pretend religion on both sides. And our church says, the\nmalignants have satisfied them, and repented, even like the peace\nofferings and vows of the whore. She began with her devotion, that she\nmight with more liberty sin more, and have that pretence to cover it, and\nby means of her offerings, she got a feast of the flesh, even as they by\nprofession of repentance are admitted to trust, and by offering for the\nlike sin, a new sin is covered, and vows undertaken never to be kept.\nTherefore take heed of these snares. \u201cFor she hath cast down many strong,\u201d\nver. 26. Many a tall cedar hath fallen by that fellowship. It is the way\nto hell, ver. 27. See chap. viii. 13.\n\nChap. x. shows us the very different estate of the godly and wicked, both\nin regard of light and knowledge concerning duty, and of blessings\npromised. Ver. 6, 9, 11, 20, 23. \u201cBlessings are upon the head of the just,\nbut violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. He that walketh uprightly,\nwalketh surely, but he that perverteth his ways, shall be known. The mouth\nof a righteous man is a well of life, but violence covereth the mouth of\nthe wicked. The tongue of the just is as choice silver, the heart of the\nwicked is little worth. It is as a sport to a fool to do mischief but a\nman of understanding hath wisdom,\u201d &c. Ver. 24, 25, 28, 31, 32, which show\nus, that if the Lord\u2019s mind be revealed to any concerning the present\ncourses, it must be to his poor people that wait on him, and not to all\nthe wicked and ungodly in the land, who almost only are satisfied and\nclear in the course, who yet before were never satisfied. And beside,\nthough the Lord be chastising his people, yet one may join with them\nwithout fear of wrath and indignation on that account, and with hope of\npartaking of their blessings, when he cannot and dare not join with a\nwicked party pursued with wrath and indignation in the same dispensation,\nwhich may be more clear from chap. xi. 3, 5, 8. \u201cThe integrity of the\nupright shall guide them, but the perverseness of transgressors shall\ndestroy them. The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way, but\nthe wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. The righteous is delivered\nout of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.\u201d And verses 10, 11,\nshow the different condition of people under wicked rulers and godly. All\nthe wicked now rejoice. None shouts but they. They think their day is\ncome. The godly generally hang their head and are discountenanced, even as\nPsal. xii. The 21 and 31 verses show, that when godly men are chastised\nand punished in the earth for their sins, \u201cmuch more the wicked,\u201d\nespecially when the godly were chastised for partaking with them,\naccording to 1 Pet. iv  17, 18, Isa. x  12, and xlix. 26.\n\nChap. xii. 13. \u201cThey are snared by the transgression of their lips.\u201d Their\nordinary common speeches they drop out with, declare them, and make their\ncause, more hateful than other pretences, it is covered with, would\npermit. Yea, they speak like the piercings of a sword, against the godly,\nver. 18. If our state and church had a lip of truth, they would speak\nalways the same thing. They would not carry in their talk and writings, as\nnow every common understanding perceives. We may find their writings made\nup of contradictions. For \u201ca lying tongue is but for a moment,\u201d ver. 19.\nIt is but for a moment indeed before the judicatory; and then out of doors\nit contradicts itself, as in the mock repentances. But sorrow and anguish\nwill come to these, who before they would speak of terms of peace with one\nenemy, would associate in war with another. \u201cBut to the counsellors of\npeace is joy,\u201d ver. 20. The present course contradicts this. Ver. 26. \u201cThe\nrighteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked\nseduceth them.\u201d They think these malignants better than the west country\nforces. They would condescend to any terms to get their help, though it\nwere to reverse the Act of Classes,(395) to give them indemnity, yea, not\nso much as to condemn their way: but they will not so much as clear the\nstate of the quarrel, or choose a better general(396) for all their help.\nTheir way seems good in their own eyes, ver. 15. But it were wisdom to\nhearken to the counsel of the godly.\n\nChap. xiii. 10. \u201cOnly by pride cometh contention, but with the\nwell-advised is wisdom.\u201d There is nothing keepeth up our contention and\nwars but pride: no party will condescend to another. We will not say we\nhave done wrong in bringing in the king. They will not say they have done\nwrong in invading. But it were wisdom to fall lower and quit those\ninterests. Ver. 16. \u201cEvery prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool\nlayeth open his folly.\u201d A wise man would count before the war, if he can\naccomplish it: and if he cannot, then he would send messengers of peace,\nand cede in all things he may without sin. If it be but more honour and\nwealth to our king,(397) should we destroy the kingdom to purchase that?\nOur rash and abrupt proceedings show our folly. Ver. 20. \u201cHe that walketh\nwith wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.\u201d\nA man will be, must be, assimilated to his company, and then partake of\ntheir judgment or blessings.\n\nChap. xiv. He that is accustomed to speak truth in private, will in his\ncommon speech be a faithful witness in public: but a man accustomed to\nlying, dissembling, swearing in private, will not stick to forswear\nhimself, to make professions and vows contrary to his mind in public, ver.\n5. (and also chap. xii. 17. and vi. 19.) Such men seek wisdom and make a\nshow of religion, but find it not; whereas it is easy to godly men to find\nit, to find repentance and salvation, ver. 6. Go away from foolish men,\nand break off society with ungodly men. Be not privy to their counsels.\nUse them not as special friends, when thou perceivest that all means are\nused in vain to reclaim them from their damnable way and principles, ver.\n7. The knowledge a godly man hath serves to direct his way, and is given\nof God for it. But all the wit and skill of such wicked men is deceit.\nThey themselves are beguiled by it in opinion, and practice, and hope. And\nthey also beguile others, ver. 8. Sin makes fools agree: but among the\nrighteous, that which is good makes agreement (in the old\ntranslation(398)), ver. 9. It is only evil will unite all the wicked in\nthe land as one man. For it is a sport to them to do mischief, chap. x.\n23. Albeit our way seem right in our eyes, yet because it is a backsliding\nway, and departing from unquestionably right rules, the end will be death,\nand we will be filled with our own devices. O! it shall be bitter in the\nbelly of all godly men when they have eaten it, ver. 12, 14. and chap. i.\n31. \u201cThe simple believeth every word;\u201d giveth credit to every vain word\nthat is spoken. But a prudent man looketh well to men\u2019s goings, ponders\nand examines whether their professions and practices agree, what weight is\nin their words, by the inspection of their deeds, and of their ordinary\nspeaking, and does not account a coined word before a judicatory\nsufficient to testify repentance. And as he gives not present credit to\ntheir professions, who have so often proven treacherous, so he himself\nscares at every appearance of evil, and keeps himself from it; whereas\nfoolish souls rage and are confident, think any thing lawful if they can\nhave any pretence for it, or use of it, ver. 15, 16. Then, what a great\ndifference is between wicked men and godly men, both in their lot, when\nGod is correcting both, and in their disposition! Wisdom that rests in the\none\u2019s heart, is manifested; wickedness in the other\u2019s heart appears also.\nIn the midst of such men there is no other thing, ver. 32, 33.\n\nChap. xv. 8, (\u201cThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord;\nbut the prayer of the upright is his delight,\u201d) expresses how provoking a\nthing the outward professions and sacrifices of wicked men, continuing in\ntheir wickedness; what an abomination that commonly called public\nrepentance, or ecclesiastical holiness is, when men are visibly unholy and\nungodly in their conversation. And therefore he pleaded always with that\npeople, that his soul abhorred their external ceremonies, because of the\nuncleanness of their hands. He pleaded that he never commanded them,\nthough indeed he did command them. Yet those  were aberrations and\ndepartings from the express rule and command,\u2014to accept or be pleased with\nthese sacrifices and ceremonies,\u2014when there was no evidence of real\nrepentance. To this purpose are chap. xxi. 4, 27; Isa. i. 11; and lxvi. 3;\nJer. vi. 20; and vii. 22; Amos v. 22,\u2014all which show that it is but a\nmocking of the Lord, and perverting of his law, and profaning of his\nordinances, to accept the profession of repentance in those who walk\ncontrary thereto, and to count them ecclesiastically holy enough, who say,\nthey repent, though a thousand actions witness the contrary. Of such the\nLord says, \u201cWhat hast thou to do to take my covenant in thy mouth, seeing\nthou hatest to be reformed?\u201d Psal. l. 16, 17. They have no right to it.\nThey should not be admitted to it for it is a taking the Lord\u2019s name in\nvain. The l6th verse tells us, that it had been better to possess our own\nland in quietness than to venture what we have for the uncertain conquest\nof England, and restitution of the king parallel with Eccl. iv. 8.\n\nChap. xvi. 7. \u201cWhen a man\u2019s ways please the Lord he maketh even his\nenemies to be at peace with him.\u201d Can our States(399) way then please the\nLord, seeing they cannot find the way of peace,\u2014they will not walk in it,\nand seeing they make the godly in the land to fall out with them, and none\nto be at peace but the wicked, who may thereby get opportunity to crush\nthe godly? Ver. 17 \u201cThe highway of the upright is to depart from evil.\u201d\nThis is the highway only, to depart from evil, not carnal policies, nor\nadvantages. He thinks the stepping aside to any of these is not the\nhighway. Can then men change their way, and go cross to it and keep the\nright way in both? No, the godly have this high way and keep it. Chap.\nxvii. 11. \u201cAn evil man seeketh only rebellion, therefore a cruel messenger\nshall be sent against him.\u201d Evil men seek only rebellion, and delight in\nno other thing. But the King of kings shall send a cruel messenger, he\narms men with wrath and power against them. Ver. 13, speaketh sadly to the\nEnglish, and to our State, that rewarded the west country evil for good.\nVer. 14, 19, tell us how we should advise before we begin a war, and leave\nno mean of composing difference and state unessayed. We did more in it\nthan the English, but not all we might have done. Ver. 15, with chap.\nxviii. 5, is a dreadful sentence against the public judicatories, that all\ntheir resolutions, papers, and practices, justify the wicked and ungodly\nas honest faithful men, and condemn all approven faithful men, that cannot\ngo along in such courses, or were earnest to have them repent, as both\nmalignants and sectaries. Do they not pronounce all malignants friends,\nand absolve them from the sentences and classes they stand under? And do\nthey not put the godly in their place? They relax the punishment of the\none, and impute transgression to the other, and so bring them under a law.\nSee Exod. xxiii. 7, Prov. xxiv. 24 , Isa. v. 23, and the 29th verse of\nthis chapter. It is not good to punish godly men, who have given constant\nproof of their integrity, for abstaining from such a course, at least\nhaving so much appearance of evil, that many distinctions will never make\nthe multitude to believe that we are walking according to former\nprinciples, because their sense observes the quite contrary practices, &c.\n\nChap. xviii. 2, (\u201cA fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his\nheart may discover itself\u201d) shows that if the present cause and course\nwere of God, and tended so much to his glory, fools or wicked men would\nhave no such delight in it. For they delight in nothing but what is\nagreeable to their humour, to discover themselves, &c. Ver. 3 gives the\ntrue reason, why our public judicatories and armies are so base and\ncontemptible, why contempt and shame is poured on them, because, \u201cwhen the\nwicked comes, then also comes contempt, and with the vile man reproach.\u201d\nVer. 13 \u201cHe that answereth a cause before he hears it, it is folly and\nshame unto him.\u201d Many pass peremptory sentence upon the honest party in\nthe west before they hear all parties, and be thoroughly informed, and\nthis is a folly and shame to them. They hear the state and church, and\nwhat they can say for their way, and indeed they seem just, because they\nare first in with their cause, and they will not hear another. But he that\ncomes after will make inquiry, and discover those fallacies. Ver. 24\n\u201cThere is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.\u201d A godly\nneighbour, not so near in natural bonds to us, that is a surer friend than\nmany brethren in the flesh. These bonds of country and kindred, should all\ncede to God\u2019s interest. See chap. xvii. 17.\n\nChap. xix. 22. \u201cA man\u2019s desire is his kindness and a poor man is better\nthan a liar.\u201d The godly that cannot concur in the public cause, being\ndisabled, through an invincible impediment of sin lying in the way and\nmeans made use of, are better friends, and have more real good will to the\nestablishment and peace of the land, than any ungodly man, let him be\nnever so forward in the present course. Ver. 10. Pleasure and its\nattendants are not comely for a wicked man, (i.e. a foolish man) much less\nfor a servant, (i.e. men enthralled in their lusts,) to rule over princes\n(i.e. godly men, highly privileged by God). All things that are good do\nill become them, but worst of all to have power and superiority over good\nmen, ver. 25, joined with chap. xxi. 11. Ringleaders of wickedness,\nrefractory and incorrigible persons, should have been made examples to\nothers, and this would have prevented much mischief. The scripture gives\nground for putting difference between the scorner and simple, seducers and\nseduced.\n\nChap. xx. 6, xxi. 2, and xvi. 2. \u201cMost men will proclaim every one his own\ngoodness, but a faithful man who can find?\u201d It is no great wonder that\nmalignants say they repent, and the state and church say they keep the\nsame principles. For who will say any evil of himself? Ver. 8. Magistrates\nshould scatter away evil men with their countenance, by denying it to\nthem, and looking down on them. How, then, do our rulers gather them? Ver.\n3, shows that war and strife should not be kept up but in extreme\nnecessity. Fools \u201cwill be meddling.\u201d Ver. 11, shows that the best way of\njudging of men is by their doings and fruits, not strained words and\nconfessions. But those who, upon a bare profession, pronounce a\nnotour(400) malignant a friend, having no proof of his integrity, and will\nnot have any judged such, but such as judicially are debarred, yet\ncontrary to all the testimony of works and fruits, judge and condemn\nhonest men as traitors, though not judicially convicted. Certainly divers\nmeasures are an abomination to the Lord, as in ver. 10. Then in ver. 25\nsacrilege is described, and covered perjury, which is a snare to the soul\nthat commits it. He \u201cdevoureth that which is holy,\u201d i.e. applieth to a\ncommon use these things God hath set apart, and commanded to be kept holy,\nas our profaning of repentance and absolution, by casting such pearls to\nswine, and for our own advantage, making a cloak of them to bring in\nwicked men, contrary to the very nature and institution of the ordinance,\nalso our prostituting of our covenant and cause, most holy things to\nmaintain unholy or common interests,\u2014our committing his holy things to\nthem that will devour them. \u201cAnd after vows to make inquiry,\u201d to dispute\nnow, that we did not bind ourselves in the case of necessity, not to\nemploy wicked men, whereas the ground is perpetual and holds in all cases,\nshows either temerity, in swearing,\u2014or impiety, in inquiring afterward and\nchanging. See Deut. xxiii. 21. Then ver. 26. \u201cA wise king scattereth the\nwicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.\u201d O that our magistrates were so\nwise! Is the act of levy a scattering of the wicked? Is the act of\nindemnity a bringing the wheel over them? Psal. ci. 8. \u201cI will early\ndestroy,\u201d &c.\n\nIn Chap. xxi. 10. \u201cThe soul of the wicked desireth evil, his neighbour\nfindeth no favour in his eyes.\u201d The wicked\u2019s principles can carry nowhere\nbut to evil, and to do evil to good men. Ver. 8. His way and life is full\nof horrible and tragical chances. But a good man\u2019s work is easy and\npleasant, directs to a good and peaceable end, Isa. xxvi. 7. Ver. 12. A\nrighteous man should have his wit about him, to consider ungodly houses\nand families, and persons that God hath visible controversies with, that\nhe may not communicate with them in their judgments. Ver. 16. It is a sad\nwandering out of the way, when a man leaves the congregation of the living\nto abide among the dead,\u2014dead in sins and appointed to death. It is a\ngreat judgment as well as sin. Ver. 27, with the 4, and places before\ncited, show how abominable the external professions and pretences of\nwicked men are, when contradicted by their practice, especially if they do\nit but out of a wicked mind, when they intend to effect some mischief,\nunder the colour of repentance and being reconciled to the church, as\nAbsalom\u2019s vow at Hebron, as Balaam and Balak and the Pharisees, who under\npretence of long prayers devoured widows\u2019 houses, as Jezebel\u2019s fast, and\nas the people, (Isa. lviii. 4.) who fasted for strife and debate, and to\nstrike with the fist of wickedness. All men know that the church is the\nladder to step up upon to go to preferment, and repentance the door to\nenter to places of trust.\n\nChap. xxii. 3. \u201cA prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, but\nthe simple pass on and are punished.\u201d He is a wise man that knows the\njudgment of the Lord, as the stork and swallow the time of their coming,\nthat in the consideration of sins and threatenings, and comparing things\nspiritual with spiritual, apprehendeth judgment coming on such a course\nand such a party, and hides himself, goes aside, retires to a covert, by\navoiding these evils, and the least fellowship with them that bring it on,\nand eschewing such a society as hath the cloud hanging directly above\ntheir head.  But simple idiots and blind worldlings go on headlong, and\ndread nothing, and are punished, ver. 5.  Most grievous plagues and\npunishments and all manner of unhappiness encumbereth their wicked life.\nTherefore he that would keep himself pure and clean (1 John v. 18.), and\nsave his own soul, shall be far from them, shall keep himself far from\nsuch people.  He prays with Job, \u201cLet their counsel be far from me.\u201d Job\nxxi. 16, 17.  Because their good is not in their hand, their candle is oft\nput out, &c.  And he resolves with Jacob, My soul shall not enter into\ntheir secret, to have such intimacy with them as join counsels with them,\nGen. xlix. 6.  And ver. 10, 11, Cast out of thy company, family,\njurisdiction, the scorner that contemns the godly men, and mocks\ninstruction for such men are infectious, and able to corrupt all they\nconverse with.  But cast him out, and contention shall go out with him.\nIt is such only that mars the union of the godly, that stirs up strife,\nand foments divisions.  Thou shalt have more peace, and be more free from\nsin and shame.  But sound hearted upright men, who deal faithfully, not to\nplease but to profit,\u2014you should choose these to intrust and rely upon,\nthose should be friends of kings.  Ver. 14.  As a harlot\u2019s allurements are\nlike pits to catch men, so the allurements of wicked ungodly men, their\npower, policy, &c., and their fair speeches and flatteries, are a deep\nditch to catch men in to this spiritual whoredom and fornication spoken\nof.  Ezek. xxiii. And he whom God is provoked with, by former wickedness,\nfalls into it, Eccl. vii. 26,  Ver. 24, 25.  \u201cMake not friendship with an\nangry man and with a furious man thou shalt not go,\u201d &c.  And is not\nassociation in arms with such, as friends against an enemy, a making\nfriendship with them we are sworn to hold as enemies?  If we may not\nconverse with a furious passionate man, how then with men of blood,\nenraged, whose inveterate malice hath now occasion to vent against all the\ngodly?  For thou wilt learn his ways, as we have always seen it by\nexperience, and thou wilt get a snare to thy soul.  If thou go not in his\nways you cannot agree, you will fall out and quarrel, and that is a snare\nto thee.  Ver. 28.  \u201cRemove not the ancient land-mark which thy fathers\nhave set.\u201d  If it be so dreadful and accursed to remove our neighbour\u2019s\nmarks and bounds, O! how much more to change and alter God\u2019s land-mark,\nhis privileges, oaths and covenants, &c.  And chap. xxiii. 10, 11, Deut.\nxix. 14 and xxvii. 17.\n\nChap. xxiii. 1, 7.  \u201cWhen thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider\ndiligently what is before thee.  For as he thinketh in his heart so is\nhe,\u201d &c.  Consider diligently what men are, not what they pretend and seem\nto be.  For as they think, so are they, not as they pretend with their\ntongue and countenance, but as they think in their heart, which is better\nevidenced by their common and habitual speaking and walking, than any\ndeliberate and resolved profession contrived of purpose. But if thou\nconsider not this, the morsel thou hast eaten thou shalt vomit up.  Thou\nshalt dearly pay for thy credulity, and lose all thy sweet words. Ver. 23.\n\u201cBuy the truth and sell it not,\u201d &c.  Do not we sell the truth, and cause,\nand all, into the hands of the enemies of all?  whereas we ought to ransom\nthe kingdom\u2019s liberty and religious interest, with the loss of all\nextrinsic interest that does but concern the accession of one\u2019s honour.\nYet we sell, endanger, and venture all for that.\n\nChap. xxiv. 1.  \u201cBe not thou envious against evil men, neither desire thou\nto be with them.\u201d  Godly men\u2019s hearts are often tickled to be acquainted\nwith, in league and friendship with wicked men, when they have power, that\nthey may not be hurt by them.  But seeing there is no society between\nlight and darkness, let not the godly desire to be with them, (as in chap.\nxxiii. 17,) but rather to be in God\u2019s fear always.  That is good company.\nThe reason is (verse 2,) their heart studies the destruction of the godly,\n(why then would thou walk with thine enemy?) and you shall hear nothing\nbut mischief on their lips.  Ver. 12.  It is not according to men\u2019s words\nbut works they should be judged.  And why do not we follow that rule in\nour judging?  Do we mock God as one mocks another? Job xxxiv. 11, Psal.\nlxii. 12, Jer. xxxii. 19, Rom. ii. 6, Ver. 21, &c.  Men given to change,\nfalse deceitful men, meddle not with such, if thou either fear God or\nrespect man. For such will be sure to no interest but their own.  Then\ncalamity shall come suddenly. Therefore have nothing to do with them.  For\n\u201cwho knoweth the ruin of them both,\u201d of them and all other wicked men, or\nof both them and the king, if wicked?  Also to the wise and godly this\nbelongs, \u201cIt is not good to have respect of persons in judgment,\u201d whether\nhe be king or nobleman.  A righteous state respects not the person of the\nprince and mighty, saith Job.  But he that says to the righteous, you are\nwicked sectaries, and also malignants, because ye will not approve all\ntheir resolutions, and to the wicked, \u201cthou art righteous,\u201d to the\nmalignants, you are the honest men, the blessed of the Lord,\u2014who did ever\nto this day fall under Meroz\u2019 curse, should the people approve him?  No\ncertainly, \u201cHim shall the people curse, and the nations shall abhor him,\u201d\nor them.  But a blessing on them that would reprove our sins and search\nthem out, ver. 25.  The malignant party are even speaking so as the\nclassers and purgers did to us, even so will we do to them.  But God will\nrender to them according to their work, ver. 29.\n\nChap. xxv. 2. \u201cIt is the honour of kings to search out a matter.\u201d  It is a\nking and judge\u2019s glory to search out a matter, to try dissemblers before\nthey trust them. God\u2019s glory is to pardon.  Man\u2019s glory is to administer\njustice impartially. Ver. 4, 5, show what need there is of purging places\nof trust, especially about the king. Dross cannot be melted.  Take what\npains you will, it will not convert into a vessel and become useful.  This\nmixed in, obstructs all equity, justice, and piety, where it is.  The\nruler should be the refiner to purge away this dross, and the army, or\njudicatory, or kingdom, is a vessel.  You shall never get a fined vessel\nfor use and service till you purge away the dross, Psal. ci. 4.  Then,\n(ver. 8) we should follow peace with all men as much as is possible, never\nto begin strife or draw the sluice of contention.  But if we be wronged,\nwe should not for all that go out hastily to strife, till, 1. The justice\nand equity of the cause appear, 2. That the matter whereabout we contend\nbe of great moment, a ground to found a war upon, 3. That we first use all\nmeans of peace and agreement possible, 4. That we overmatch not ourselves\nwith those who are too strong for us, (see chap. xvii. 14) \u201clest\u201d thou be\nbrought to that extremity that \u201cthou know not what to do.\u201d  Thus Christ\nadviseth, Luke xiv. 31.  I am persuaded this would plead much in reason to\nyield security to England, so be it our wrong were repaired, and no more\ndone.  Ver. 19 shows what the employment of unfaithful men, who mean\nnothing less than they pretend, is.  They fail when most is expected, and\nhurt beside, as Job\u2019s friends, chap. vi. 15.  And ver. 26. A righteous and\nupright man, consenting with a wicked man in sin, or, through fear of him,\nnot daring to do his duty, turning to him and his way, or dallying and\nflattering him in his iniquity, is like \u201ca troubled fountain,\u201d is not good\nand profitable for edification nor correction, having troubled the purity\nof his soul through the mud of carnal respects and interests.  Corruption\nwithin is the mire, the wicked\u2019s seducements are like the beast\u2019s\ntrampling it with his foot.  And he is like a corrupt, infected, and\npoisoned fountain, more ready to infect and draw others by his example.\nVer. 27. A man should not seek honour and preferment that is base and\nshameful.  None of the trees longed for sovereignty but the bramble.\n\nChap. xxvi.  1.  \u201cAs snow in summer and as rain in harvest, so honour is\nnot seemly for a fool.\u201d  It is as unseemly, prodigious, and destructive a\nthing, to give honours, promotions, and trust to a wicked man, as snow and\nmuch rain in harvest, a reproach and punishment more becomes him than\nhonour, the reward of goodness (as ver. 3), a whip, rod, and bridle are\nmore for him, to restrain him from wrong and provoke him to goodness.\nVer. 6.  He that commits an errand or business to a wicked man and\nintrusts him with it, is as unwise in so doing, as if he did cut off the\nmessenger\u2019s feet he sent.  He deprives himself of the means to compass it.\nHe sends a lame man to run an errand.  He is punished by himself as if he\nhad cut off his own feet, and procureth sorrow and discontent to himself,\nas if he were compelled to drink nothing but what is contrary to his\nstomach.  Ver. 7.  All good speeches halt and limp in evil men\u2019s mouths,\nfor there is no constancy in their mouths.  Within they are very\nrottenness.  \u201cOut of the same mouth come blessing and cursing,\u201d James iii.\n10.  Their very words agree not, the public and extraordinary crosses the\nprivate and ordinary.  And their actions have less harmony with their\nwords.  Professing they know God, in works they deny him &c. Ver. 8. To\ngive a madman a weapon, what else is it but to murder? To bring shot to an\nordinance which may do much mischief to himself and others, is to be\naccessory to that mischief. So to give \u201chonour to a fool.\u201d He hath given\npower to them and put them in a capacity to do evil, and set them on work\nagain to perfect their designs against good men. Ver. 9. As a drunken man,\nwith a thorn in his hand, can make no use of it, but to hurt himself and\nothers, so wicked men\u2019s good speeches and fair professions commonly tend\nto some mischief. These but cover their evil designs and yet the covering\nis shorter than that it can hide them. Ver. 10. Wicked rulers (look the\nmargin(401)) grieve and molest the subjects: and the means to effect this\nis, to employ the fool and transgressor, to give offices and countenance\nto evil men, which may be instruments of their lust, so Abimelech, Judges\nix. 4, so Jezebel, 1 Kings xxi. 10, so in Neh. vi. 12. Ver. 11. The dog,\nfeeling his stomach surcharged, goes to the grass,\u2014as our malignants to\nprofess repentance,\u2014and casts up that which troubles him, by a feigned\nconfession. But because there is no change in his nature, he is inwardly\nstirred by his old principles to lick up that vomit, to commit and\npractise what he professed repentance for, yea, and to profess the same he\npretended sorrow for. When power is confirmed in their hand they will\nreturn to their folly. Ver. 17. What else is our interposing ourselves in\nthe king\u2019s quarrel concerning England, though we have interest in it to\nendeavour it in a peaceable way, if he were fit for it, yet in comparison\nof our kingdom and religion\u2019s safety, which may be ruined by war, it is no\nsuch matter as belongeth to us. And so it falls out, we are like a man\ntaking a dog by the ears to hold him, we have raised up many enemies, and\nprovoked them to bite us. We cannot hold them long from destroying him,\nand we provoke them more by holding them, in espousing his quarrel, as\nJehoshaphat joining with Ahab. We had done well to interpose ourselves\nbetween the king and them to make peace, but to side with one party was\nnot well done. Verses 18, 19. Furious and bloody men take all\nopportunities to hurt others, especially good men, and so deceive those\nemployed. But they do it under a pretence. As a scorner reproacheth under\na pretence of sport, so they, under other pretences, of wrongs done, of\nthe country\u2019s defence, &c. Verses 20, 24, show the way to prevent trouble\nand keep peace. As a contentious turbulent person would inflame a whole\ncountry and put them by the ears, so a person, though not contentious in\nhis own nature, yet having many contentious interests following him, which\nhe will not quit, or commit to God\u2019s providence, as our king was. O it is\nthe destruction of a nation to have such a person among them. He hath\nbroken the peace of two kingdoms. Verses 23, 24, 25, 26. Burning lips, hot\nand great words of love and friendship, and a wicked heart revenging its\nenmity, and minding nothing less than what is spoken, is like a potsherd,\na drossy piece covered over with the fairding(402) of hypocrisy, or, like\na sepulchre garnished and painted, he dissembles and speaks vanity, and\nflatters. Psal. xii. 3. But he lays up his wicked purposes close within\nhim till a time of venting them. Therefore when he speaks so fair and\ncourteously, be not confident of him, trust him not too far till thou have\nproof of his reality. Put not thyself and thy dearest interests into his\nmercy. This is wisdom, and not want of charity, Jer. xii. 6; Micah vii. 5.\nCain, Joab, and Judas, are proofs of this. It may be covered a time, but\nnot long. _Naturam expellas furca licet, usque recurret_.(403) All the\nworld shall be witness of it, Psal. cxxv. So then, (ver 21.) the\ncalumniator and false accuser, who openly professes his hatred and malice,\nand the flatterer that seems to be moved with love, both of them produce\none effect, viz., ruin and calamity.\n\nChap. xxvii. 3, 4. \u201cA stone is heavy, and the sand weighty, but a fool\u2019s\nwrath is heavier than them both,\u201d &c. We see what we may expect of the\nenraged, exasperated malignant party. Their wrath against all the godly,\nfor their faithful secluding and purging them out of places of trust, is\nweighty and insupportable like the sand of the sea. It will crush them\nunder it if God support not. It is like a swelling river, or a high spring\ntide, it goes over all banks, since the state and church have drawn the\nsluice and let it out. But when it is joined with envy and malice, against\ngodliness and piety itself, who can stand before that? No means can quench\nthat heat. Ver. 6: Faithful men\u2019s reproofs, remonstrances, and warnings,\napplied in love and compassion, are better than an enemy\u2019s kisses and\nflatteries, than his oils and ointments are. Therefore we would pray\nagainst the one, and for the other, that God would smite us with the mouth\nof the righteous, but keep us from the dainties of the wicked Joabs,\nJudases, and Ahithophels. Verse 8 speaks sadly against ministers that\nwithdraw from their charges so unnecessarily, as a bird that wandereth too\nlong from her nest: the young starve for cold or famine, or are made a\nprey. So these who, having no necessary call to be elsewhere, especially\nnot being members of the Commission, yet stay not with their flocks, are\nguilty of their soul\u2019s ruin. Ver. 10: O how doth this speak against the\npresent course of judicatories! They have forsaken their old faithful\nfriends, when they proved ever constant, and have gone in to their wicked\ncountrymen\u2019s house in the day of their calamity. But a neighbour in\naffection and piety, is nearer than a brother in flesh and near in\nhabitation.\n\nChap. xxviii. 1: \u201cThe wicked fleeth when no man pursueth; but the\nrighteous is bold as a lion.\u201d Wicked men are now chosen for stoutness and\ncourage, but they have no sure foundation for it. It is but like the rage\nand temerity of a madman or drunkard. But godly men, once satisfied in\ngrounds of conscience about their duty, would have been bold as lions. A\ngood conscience would have made them bold, Psal. cxii. 7, 8, Lev. xxvi.\n36. Now, ver. 2, behold the punishment of our sins, our governors are\nchanged, there is almost a total alteration, and we are faces about, which\ncannot but bring ruin to the land, especially when men of understanding\nand piety are shut out. Ver. 4, with chap. xxix. 27: It is a great point\nand argument of declining and forsaking the law of God, when men praise\nthe wicked, change their names though they themselves be not changed, and\nleave off contending with, or declaring against them, and do rather plead\nfor them. But godly men, that keep the law, contend with, discountenance,\nand oppose them, as David, \u201cI hate them that hate thee,\u201d and earnestly\ncontend with them. Thus they are kept from partaking with other men\u2019s\nsins. Ver. 5: It is not very likely that all the ungodly should now\nunderstand the duty of the times and discern the right way, and that so\nmany that fear God understand it not, seeing the Lord\u2019s secret is revealed\nto them, Psal. xxv. 14. Verses 6, 7: A poor man, and weak means, if they\nbe of upright men, are better and stronger than many rich and strong\nperverters. A companion of evil men and a keeper of the law agree not in\none person; the one is an honour, the other a shame to all that have\ninterest in them. Ver. 9: Their prayers and professions are abomination,\nno acceptation of those that turn away their ears from obedience to the\nlaw, who walk contrary to it. Ver. 10: These cunning and crafty men that\nhave enticed some godly men, and led them on in the present course, shall\nthemselves smart for it, when the godly seduced shall see good things\nafter all this. Ver. 12: When wicked men have power and trust, good men\nhide and retire themselves from such a congregation or assembly of the\nwicked. See chap. x. 10, 11. Should we thus choose our own plague,\ntyranny, oppression, calamity, and misery, and cast away our own glory?\nThen, (ver. 13) repentance requires time and ingenuous confession, and\nreal forsaking. If both these join not, it is but a covering and hiding of\nsin. If a man confess, and yet walk and continue in them, he is but using\nhis confession as a covering to retain his sins, and such shall not find\nmercy of God, or prosper before men. Ver. 14: It is not so despisable a\nthing to fear alway, and to be very jealous of sin as it is now made. It\nis counted a reproach to have any scruples at the present course. But\nhappy is he that abstaineth from all appearance of evil, but he that\nemboldeneth himself, and will not question any thing that makes for\nadvantage, falls into mischief. Ver. 15, 17 show the lamentable condition\nof a people under wicked rulers. They are beasts and not men towards the\npeople, especially towards the best, Dan. vii. 4, 5, Zeph. iii. 3. Ver.\n17: How doth that agree with our sparing of bloody men, of our soliciting\nfor their impunity, of our pardoning them? Are they not, by the\nappointment of God\u2019s law, ordained for destruction, and haste to it?\nShould any then stay them? Should they not then far less employ them? And,\n(ver. 24) if it be so heinous to take our father\u2019s goods upon this\npretence, because they are our own, how much more sacrilege is it to rob\nGod of his interests, and give over his money to bankrupts, and say it is\nno transgression to rob the land of its defence, and make them naked, as\nAhaz his confederacy did? Certainly it is murder. Ver. 28 and chap. xxix.\n2 and xi. 12 and xxviii. 28 are to one purpose. We have forsaken our own\nmercy and wronged our own souls; and destroyed ourselves in choosing our\nown judgment, and making our own rod to beat us withal. Chap. xxix. 1: We\nbeing so often reproved by his word and providence for the sin of\nassociation with the wicked, and being so lately punished for it, and\nhaving so lately reproved ourselves for it in our declarations and fasts,\nyet to harden our necks, what can we expect but utter destruction, and\nthat without remedy, as we sentenced ourselves? Ezra ix. 13 and xiv. 13,\nIsa. xxx. 13, 14. Shall not this iniquity be to us a breach ready to fall,\neven this iniquity of going down to Egypt for help, &c. Then, (ver. 6)\nthere is a snare to entrap thy feet in the sins of the wicked; if thou be\njoined with them, thou cannot well escape. Ver. 8: Wicked profane\ncontemners of God and his people bring ruin on a city or commonalty, they\nset it on fire and blow it up. But godly men pacify wrath, turn away\njudgments, and purge all from provocations, which is the only means to\nturn it away. Ver. 16 shows, when wicked men gather together, and grow in\nstate and power, they grow worse, and sin with greater boldness, and\ntransgression then overflows the land, _tanquam ruptis repagulis_.(404)\nThere is no obstacle. See Psal. xii. And ver. 24 shows, he that is partner\nand fellow receiver with a thief, or conceals such offenders, endangers\nhis own destruction; and he that stays with, and associates with wicked\nmen, must hear cursing and cannot bewray it. He will see many\nabominations, that though he would, he cannot remedy. Ver. 25: Fear of man\nand of the land\u2019s danger, hath brought many into a snare, to run from the\nLord to an arm of flesh, but he that trusts in the Lord shall be safe.\nVer. 27: Here is the deadly enmity between the two seeds, they cannot\nreconcile well. See ver. 10 and chap. xxi. 3. It is no wonder the godly\nabominate such men who are God\u2019s enemies and the land\u2019s plague.\n\nChap. xxx. 11, 14 describes the malignant party, who make nothing of the\ngodly magistrates or their mother church and land, but curse, malign,\noppose as much as they could, and are oppressors, monstrous tyrants,\nmankind beasts, or beastly men. The subject of their cruelty is the godly\nafflicted man. They eat up all and will not leave the bones, as the\nprophet complains, \u201cI lie among men whose teeth are as spears and arrows,\nand their tongue a sharp sword.\u201d And then, ver. 12, 13, 20 describe our\nenemies, the invaders. They think themselves godly and righteous, yet are\nnot purged from their filthiness. They are given up to strong delusions to\nbelieve lies, and there is no lie greater than this, that they are a godly\nparty in a godly cause and way. They wipe their mouth after all their\nbloodshed, and say, I have done no evil. They wash their hands, as Pilate,\nas if they were free of the blood of these just men, whose souls cry under\nthe altar. Ver. 21-23: It is a burden to the world and a plague to\nmankind, when servants, unworthy men, and persons unfit for high places\nare set in authority, and when wicked men have their desire of plenty and\nhonour, (chap. xix. 10.) and when an odious woman, or men of hateful\nvicious dispositions, come to preferment and are espoused by a\nstate,\u2014nought they were while alone, but worse now when they have crept\ninto the bed and bosom of the state; her roots were nought before, but now\nshe is planted in rank mould, and will shoot forth her unsavoury branches\nand blossoms,\u2014and when handmaids, kept in a servile estate because of\ntheir disposition and quality, get their masters ushered out, and they\nbecome heirs, at least possessors of the inheritance or trust. Ver. 33\nshows how necessarily war and contention follow upon unnecessary\nprovocations by word or deed, such as we have given many to England,\nthough indeed they have given moe.(405) And lastly, chap. xxxi. 20, 26, 31\nshows how word and work should go together, and men should be esteemed and\npraised according to their works and fruit of their hands.\n\n\n\n\n\nA TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE.\n\n\nJohn xiii. 35. \u201cBy This Shall All Men Know That Ye Are My Disciples, If Ye\nHave Love One To Another.\u201d First Printed At Edinburgh In 1743.\n\n\n\n\nTo The Reader.\n\n\nThis treatise concerning Christian Love, was composed by the pious and\nlearned Mr. Hugh Binning who was minister of the gospel at Govan, near to\nGlasgow. He was much celebrated and esteemed in this church, for several\npractical treatises, frequently printed for the benefit of the public, but\nthis is not inferior to any of them.\n\nThough there have been many excellent discourses in late years on this\ndivine subject, yet, considering that there never was a time wherein a\ntreatise of this kind was more seasonable and necessary than the present,\nwhen the love of many, of too, too many, is waxed cold, and this holy fire\nis almost extinguished, this cannot be thought to be superfluous.\n\nThe author was a minister of a most pacific temper, and this amiable grace\nand virtue did illustriously shine forth in him; and in this discourse, he\nbreathes with a spirit of love in the most affecting and gaining manner,\nso that, I dare say, that, though it be above ninety years since he\ncomposed it, it does not fall short of any performance of this kind that\nhas since appeared in public.\n\nThis treatise, with a great number of excellent sermons, preached by this\nable minister of the gospel, many of which have never been printed, in a\nmanuscript in folio, was found in the late Rev. Mr. Robert Wodrow,\nminister at Eastwood, his library, and all care has been taken to publish\nit faithfully, without any alteration either by adding or diminishing any\nthing from it.\n\nThis divine subject of Christian love he lays a great stress upon; he\nshows that there is a greater moment and weight in Christian charity, than\nin the most part of those things for which some Christians bite and devour\none another. It is the fundamental law of the gospel, to which all\npositive precepts and ordinances should stoop. Unity in judgement is very\nnecessary for the well being of Christians, and Christ\u2019s last words\npersuade this, that unity in affection is most essential and fundamental.\nThis is the badge that he left to his disciples; if we cast away this upon\nevery different apprehension of mind, we disown our Master, and disclaim\nhis token and badge.\n\nMr. Binning treats of this subject in a most sublime and pathetic strain;\nhe explains the nature of this grace, discourses of the excellent\nproperties and blessed effect and fruits of it, in a ravishing and\ncaptivating manner. There is such a variety of beauties in this treatise,\nthat they deserve to be noticed in this preface, and particularly, his\nadmirable commentary on the 13th chapter of the First Epistle to the\nCorinthians, wherein he outstrips all that went before him and, in fine,\nhe enforces the exercise of this grace with the most convincing argument\nand the most powerful motives. And now, not to detain the reader from the\nperusal, it is earnestly wished that the end of the publication may, by\nthe blessing of God, be obtained, which is, that Christians in our days\nmay be as the primitive ones,\u2014of one mind and of one heart, and that they\nmay love one another with a pure heart fervently.\n\n\n\n\nChapter I.\n\n\nThe beauty and excellency of this world consists, not only in the\nperfection and comeliness of each part in it, but especially in the wise\nand wonderful proportion and union of these several parts. It is not the\nlineaments and colours that make the image or complete beauty, but the\nproportion and harmony of these, though different severally. And truly\nthat is the wonder, that such repugnant natures, such different parts, and\ndissentient qualities, do conspire together in such an exact perfect unity\nand agreement, in which the wisdom of God doth most appear, by making all\nthings in number, weight and measure. His power appears in the making all\nthe materials of nothing, but his wisdom is manifested in the ordering and\ndisposing so dissonant natures into one well agreeing and comely frame; so\nthat this orderly disposition of all things into one fabric, is that\nharmonious melody of the creation, made up as it were of dissonant sounds,\nand that comely beauty of the world, resulting from such a proportion and\nwise combination of divers lines and colours. To go no further than the\nbody of a man, what various elements are combined into a well ordered\nbeing, the extreme qualities being so refracted and abated as they may\njoin in friendship and society, and make up one sweet temperament!\n\nNow, it is most reasonable to suppose, that, by the law of creation, there\nwas no less order and unity to be among men, the chiefest of the works of\nGod. And so it was indeed. As God had moulded the rest of the world into a\nbeautiful frame, by the first stamp of his finger, so he did engrave upon\nthe hearts of men such a principle, as might be a perpetual bond and tie\nto unite the sons of men together. This was nothing else but the law of\nlove, the principal fundamental law of our creation, love to God, founded\non that essential dependence and subordination to God, and love to man,\ngrounded upon that communion and interest in one image of God. All the\ncommandments of the first and second table are but so many branches of\nthese trees, or streams of these fountains. Therefore our Saviour gives a\ncomplete abridgment of the law of nature and the moral law, \u201cThou shalt\nlove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with\nall thy mind, this is the first and great commandment. The second is like\nunto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,\u201d Matth. xxii. 37, 38,\n39. And therefore, as Paul says, \u201cLove is the fulfilling of the law,\u201d Rom.\nxiii. 10. The universal debt we owe to God is love in the superlative\ndegree, and the universal debt we owe one another is love in an inferior\ndegree, yet of no lower kind than that of our selves. \u201cOwe no man any\nthing, but to love one another\u201d (Rom. xiii. 8), and that collateral with\nhimself, as Christ speaks. Unto these laws all other are subordinate, and\none of them is subordinate to the other, but to nothing else. And so, as\nlong as the love of God may go before, the love of man should follow, and\nwhatever doth not untie the bond of divine affection, ought not to loose\nthe knot of that love which is linked with it. When the uniting of souls\ntogether divides both from God, then indeed, and only then, must this knot\nbe untied that the other may be kept fast.\n\nBut this beautiful and comely frame of man is marred. Sin hath cut in\npieces that divine love that knit man to God; and the dissolving of this\nhath loosed that link of human society, love to our neighbour. And now all\nis rents, rags, and distractions, because self love hath usurped the\nthrone. The unity of the world of mankind is dissolved, one is distracted\nfrom another, following his own private inclinations and inordinate\naffection, which is the poison of enmity, and seed of all discord. If the\nlove of God and of one another had kept the throne, there had been a\ncoordination and co-working of all men in all their actions, for God\u2019s\nglory and the common good of man. But now self love having enthroned\nitself, every man is for himself, and strives, by all means, to make a\nconcurrence of all things to his own interest and designs. The first\nprinciples of love would have made all men\u2019s actions and courses flow into\none ocean of divine glory and mutual edification, so that there could not\nhave been any disturbance or jarring amongst them, all flowing into one\ncommon end. But self-love hath turned all the channels backward towards\nitself, and this is its wretched aim and endeavour, in which it wearies\nitself, and discomposes the world, to wind and turn in every thing, and to\nmake, in the end, a general affluence of the streams into its own bosom.\nThis is the seed of all division and confusion which is among men, while\nevery man makes himself the centre, it cannot choose but all the lines and\ndraughts of men\u2019s courses must thwart and cross each other.\n\nNow, the Lord Jesus having redeemed lost man, and repaired his ruins, he\nmakes up this breach, especially restores this fundamental ordinance of\nour creation, and unites men again to God and to one another. Therefore he\nis our peace, he hath removed the seeds of discord between God and man,\nand between man and man. And this is the subject of that divine epistle\nwhich the beloved apostle, full of that divine love, did pen, \u201cGod is\nlove, and in this was the love of God manifested, that God sent his only\nbegotten Son into the world. And he that loveth is born of God, and\nknoweth God, but we love God, because he loved us first, and if God so\nloved us, we ought also to love one another.\u201d 1 John iv. This is the very\nsubstance of the gospel, a doctrine of God\u2019s love to man, and of man\u2019s\nlove due to God, and to them who are begotten of God, the one declared,\nthe other commanded. So that much of the gospel is but a new edition or\npublication of that old ancient fundamental law of creation. This is that\nparadox which John delivers, \u201cI write no new commandment unto you, but an\nold commandment, which you had from the beginning; again, a new\ncommandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and you, because\nthe darkness is past, and the true light now shineth,\u201d 1 John ii. 7, 8. It\nis no new commandment, but that primitive command of love to God and men,\nwhich is the fulfilling of the law; and yet new it is, because there is a\nnew obligation superadded. The bond of creation was great, but the tie of\nredemption is greater. God gave a being to man, that is enough. But God to\nbecome a miserable man for man, that is infinitely more. Fellow creatures,\nthat is sufficient for a bond of amity. But to be once fellow captives,\ncompanions in misery, and then companions in mercy and blessedness, that\nis a new and stronger bond. Mutual love was the badge of reasonable\ncreatures in innocency. But now Jesus Christ hath put a new stamp and\nsignification on it; and made it the very differential character and token\nof his disciples, \u201cBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if\nye love one another.\u201d And therefore, when he is making his latter will, he\ngives this testamentary commandment to his children and heirs, \u201cA new\ncommandment give I unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved\nyou, that ye also love one another.\u201d New indeed! For though it be the same\ncommand, yet there was never such a motive, inducement, and persuasive to\nit as this: \u201cGod so loved that he gave me, and I so loved that I gave\nmyself, that is an addition more than all that was before,\u201d John xiii. 34,\n35.\n\nThere is a special stamp of excellency put on this affection of love, that\nGod delights to exhibit himself to us in such a notion. \u201cGod is love,\u201d and\nso holds out himself as the pattern of this. \u201cBe ye followers of God as\ndear children, and walk in love,\u201d Eph. v. 1, 2. This is the great virtue\nand property which we should imitate our Father in. As God hath a general\nlove to all the creatures, from whence the river of his goodness flows out\nthrough the earth, and in that, is like the sun conveying his light and\nbenign influence, without partiality or restraint, to the whole world, but\nhis special favour runs in a more narrow channel towards these whom he\nhath chosen in Christ; so in this a Christian should be like his Father,\nand there is nothing in which he resembles him more than in this, to walk\nin love towards all men, even our enemies. For in this he gives us a\npattern, Matt. v. 44, 45: \u201cBut I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless\nthem that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them\nwhich despitefully use you, and persecute you, that ye may be the children\nof your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the\nevil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.\u201d To\ndo good to all, and to be ready to forgive all, is the glory of God, and\ncertainly it is the glory of a child of God to be merciful as his Father\nis merciful, and good to all, and kind to the unthankful. And this is to\nbe perfect as he is perfect. This perfection is charity and love to all.\nBut the particular and special current of affection will run toward the\nhousehold of faith, those who are of the same descent, and family, and\nlove. This drawn into such a compass, is the badge and livery of his\ndisciples. These two in a Christian are nothing but the reflex of the love\nof God, and streams issuing out from it. A Christian walking in love to\nall, blessing his enemies, praying for them, not reviling or cursing\nagain, but blessing for cursing, and praying for reviling, forgiving all,\nand ready to give to the necessities of all, and more especially, uniting\nthe force of his love and delight, to bestow it upon these who are the\nexcellent ones, and delight of God, such a one is his Father\u2019s picture, so\nto speak. He is partaker of that divine nature, and royal spirit of love.\nGal. vi. 10: \u201cAs we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all\nmen, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.\u201d 1 Thess.\niii. 12, 13: \u201cAnd the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one\ntowards another, and towards all men, even as we do towards you, to the\nend he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even\nour Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all his saints.\u201d\n\nIt is foretold by our Lord Jesus Christ, that in the last days the \u201clove\nof many shall wax cold,\u201d Matt. xxiv. 12. And truly this is the symptom of\na decaying and fading Christian and church. Love is the vital spirits of a\nChristian, which are the principles of all motion and lively operation.\nWhen there is a deliquium(406) in these, the soul is in a decay; it is so\ncomprehensive an evil, as alone is sufficient to make an evil time. And\nbesides, it is the argument and evidence, as well as the root and\nfountain, of abounding iniquity, because this is the epidemical disease of\nthe present time, love cooled, and passion heated, whence proceed all the\nfeverish distempers, contentions, wars and divisions, which have brought\nthe church of God near to expiring. Therefore being mindful of that of the\napostle, Heb. x. 24, I would think it pertinent to consider one another,\nand provoke again unto love and to good works. It was the great charge\nthat Christ had against Ephesus, \u201cThou hast left thy first love.\u201d I shall\ntherefore show the excellency and necessity of this grace, that so we may\nremember from whence we have fallen and repent, that we may do the first\nworks, lest he come quickly and remove our candlestick, Rev. ii.  4, 5.\n\n\n\n\nChapter II.\n\n\nI.  Then, it might endear this Christian virtue unto us, that God propones\nhimself as the pattern of it, that Christ holds out himself as the rare\nexample of it for our imitation. It is what doth most endear God to\ncreatures, and certainly it must likewise appreciate them one to another.\n1 John iv. 7, 8: \u201cBeloved, let us love one another; for love is of God,\nand every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth\nnot knoweth not God; for God is love.\u201d Matt. v. 44, 45, \u201cBut I say unto\nyou, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that\nhate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you,\nthat you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he\nmaketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on\nthe just and on the unjust.\u201d Eph. v. 1, 2: \u201cBe ye therefore followers of\nGod, as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and\nhath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet\nsmelling savour.\u201d John xiii. 35: \u201cBy this shall all men know that ye are\nmy disciples, if ye love one another.\u201d Now the following of so rare an\nexample, and imitating of so noble and high a pattern, doth exalt the soul\ninto a royalty and dignity, that it dwells in God and God in it. 1 John\niv. 16. This is the highest point of conformity with God, and the nearest\nresemblance of our Father. To be like him in wisdom, that wretched aim,\ndid cast men as low as hell, but to aspire unto a likeness in love, lifts\nup the soul as high as heaven, even to a mutual inhabitation.\n\nII. It should add an exceeding weight unto it, that we have not only so\nhigh a pattern, but so excellent a motive, \u201cGod so loved,\u201d and \u201cherein is\nlove, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be\nthe propitiation for our sins,\u201d therefore, \u201cIf God so loved us, we ought\nalso to love one another,\u201d 1 John iv. 9, 10, 11. \u201cWalk in love, as Christ\nalso hath loved us, and hath given himself for us,\u201d Eph. v. 2. Here are\nthe topics of the most vehement persuasion. There is no invention can\nafford so constraining a motive, God so loving us, sinful and miserable\nus, that he gave his only begotten Son, that we might live through him,\nand Christ so loving us, that he gave himself a sacrifice for sin. O then!\nwho should live to himself, when Christ died for others? And who should\nnot love, when \u201cGod spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us\nall?\u201d \u201cGod commendeth his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners,\nChrist died for us,\u201d Rom. viii. 32, and v. 8 and xiv. 7, 8.\n\nIII. Join to this so earnest and pressing a command, even the latter will\nof him to whom we owe that we are, and are redeemed. That is the burden he\nlays on us. This is all the recompence he seeks for his unparalleled love,\n\u201cThis is my command, that as I have loved you, ye love one another,\u201d John\nxiii. 34. Your goodness cannot extend to me, therefore I assign all the\nbeneficence and bounty ye owe to me, I give it over to these whom I have\nloved, and have not loved my life for them. Now, says he, whatsoever ye\nwould count yourself obliged to do to me, if I were on the earth among\nyou, do it to these poor ones whom I have left behind me, and this is all\nthe testimony of gratitude I crave. Matth. xxv. 34 to 40: \u201cThen shall the\nKing say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father,\ninherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For\nI was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me\ndrink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I\nwas sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then\nshall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an\nhungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee\na stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we\nthee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer,\nand say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto\none of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.\u201d \u201cThese ye\nhave always with you, but me ye have not always.\u201d It is strange how\nearnestly, how solicitously, how pungently he presses this exhortation,\nJohn xiii. 34, 35, \u201cA new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one\nanother as I have loved you, that ye love one another. By this shall all\nmen know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,\u201d and\nxv. 12 and l7, \u201cThis is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have\nloved you. These things I command you, that ye love one another,\u201d and his\napostles after him, 1 Thess. iv. 9, \u201cBut as touching brotherly love, ye\nneed not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to\nlove one another.\u201d Coloss. iii. 14, \u201cAnd above all these things, put on\ncharity, which is the bond of perfectness.\u201d 1 Pet. iv. 8, \u201cAnd above all\nthings have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the\nmultitude of sins.\u201d But above all, that beloved disciple, who being so\nintimate with Jesus Christ,\u2014we may lawfully conceive he was mured to that\naffectionate frame by his converse with Christ,\u2014has been most mindful of\nChrist\u2019s testamentary injunctions. He cannot speak three sentences but\nthis is one of them. All which may convince us of this one thing, that\nthere is a greater moment and weight of Christianity in charity than in\nthe most part of these things for which Christians bite and devour one\nanother. It is the fundamental law of the gospel, to which all positive\nprecepts and ordinances should stoop. Unity in judgment is very needful\nfor the well being of Christians. But Christ\u2019s last words persuade this,\nthat unity in affection is more essential and fundamental. This is the\nbadge he left to his disciples. If we cast away this upon every different\napprehension of mind, we disown our Master, and disclaim his token and\nbadge.\n\nIV. The apostle Paul puts a high note of commendation upon charity, when\nhe styles it the bond of perfection. \u201cAbove all things,\u201d says he, \u201cput on\ncharity, which is the bond of perfectness,\u201d Col. iii 14. I am sure it hath\nnot such a high place in the minds and practice of Christians now, as it\nhath in the roll of the parts and members of the new man here set down.\nHere it is above all. With us it is below all, even below every\napprehension of doubtful truths. An agreement in the conception of any\npoor petty controversial matter of the times, is made the badge of\nChristianity, and set in an eminent place above all which the apostle\nmentions, in the 12th verse, \u201cbowels of mercies, kindness, gentleness,\nhumbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering.\u201d Nay, charity itself is but\na waiting handmaid to this mistress.\n\nBut let us consider the apostle\u2019s significant character he puts on it. It\nis a bond of perfection, as it were, a bundle of graces, and chain of\nvirtues, even the very cream and flower of many graces combined. It is the\nsweet result of the united force of all graces. It is the very head and\nheart of the new man, which we are invited to put on, \u201cAbove all put on\ncharity.\u201d All these fore-mentioned perfections are bound and tied\ntogether, by the girdle of charity and love, to the new man. When charity\nis born and brought forth, it may be styled _Gad_,(407) for a _troop_\ncometh, _chorus virtutum_,(408) \u201ca troop or company of virtues\u201d which it\nleads and commands. Charity hath a tender heart, for it hath \u201cbowels of\nmercies,\u201d\u2014such a compassionate and melting temper of spirit, that the\nmisery or calamity, whether bodily or spiritual, of other men, makes an\nimpression upon it. And therefore it is the Christian sympathy which\naffects itself with others\u2019 afflictions. If others be moved, it moves\nitself through comfort and sympathy. This is not only extended to bodily\nand outward infirmities, but, most of all, to infirmities of mind and\nheart, error, ignorance, darkness, falling and failing in temptation. We\nare made priests to God our Father, to have compassion on them who are\nignorant and out of the way, for that we ourselves are also compassed with\ninfirmity, Rev. i. 6 and Heb. v. 2. Then, love hath a humble mind,\n\u201chumbleness of mind,\u201d else it could not stoop and condescend to others of\nlow degree, and therefore Christ exhorts above all to lowliness. \u201cLearn of\nme, for I am meek and lowly in heart.\u201d If a man be not lowly, to sit down\nbelow offences and infirmities, his love cannot rise above them. Self-love\nis the greatest enemy to true Christian love, and pride is the fountain of\nself-love, because it is impossible that, in this life, there should be an\nexact correspondence between the thoughts and ways of Christians.\nTherefore it is not possible to keep this bond of perfection unbroken,\nexcept there be a mutual condescendence. Self-love would have all\nconformed to it, and if that be not, there is the rent presently. But\nhumbleness of mind can conform itself to all things, and this keeps the\nbond fast. Then charity, by the link of humility, hath meekness chained\nunto it, and kindness. Love is of a sweet complexion, meek and kind. Pride\nis the mother of passion, humbleness the mother of meekness. The inward\naffection is composed by meekness, and the outward actions adorned by\ngentleness and kindness. O that sweet composure of spirit! The heart of\nthe wicked is as the troubled sea, no rest, no quiet in it, continual\ntempests raising continual waves of disquiet. An unmeek spirit is like a\nboiling pot, it troubles itself and annoys others. Then, at length,\ncharity, by lowliness and meekness, is the most durable, enduring,\nlong-suffering thing in the world, \u201cwith long suffering, forbearing one\nanother in love.\u201d These are the only principles of patience and\nlonganimity. Anger and passion is expressed in scripture under the name of\nhaste, and it is a sudden, furious, hasty thing, a rash, inconsiderate,\nimpatient thing, more hasty than speedy. Now the special exercises and\noperations of these graces are in the 13th verse, \u201cforbearing one another,\nand forgiving one another,\u201d according to Christ\u2019s example. And indeed\nthese are so high and sublime works, as charity must yoke all the\nfore-mentioned graces, unite them all in one troop, for the accomplishing\nof them. And the great and sweet fruit of all this is comprehended in the\n15th verse, \u201cThe peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are\ncalled in one body.\u201d Peace with God is not here meant, but the peace which\nGod hath made up between men. All were shattered and rent asunder. The\nLord hath by his Son Jesus Christ gathered so many into one body, the\nchurch, and by one Spirit quickens all. Now where love is predominant,\nthere is a sweet peace and harmony between all the members of this one\nbody. And this peace and tranquillity of affections rules and predominates\nover all these lusts, which are the mineries(409) of contentions, and\nstrifes, and wars.\n\nV. Add unto this another special mark of excellency that this apostle puts\non charity, or Christian love. \u201cThe end of the commandment is charity, out\nof a pure heart, of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned,\u201d 1 Tim. i.\n5. If this were duly pondered, I do believe it would fill all hearts with\nastonishment, and faces with confusion, that they neglected the weightier\nmatters of the law, and over stretched some other particular duties, to\nfill up the place of this, which is the end, the fulfilling of the law. It\nappears by this that charity is a cream of graces. It is the spirit and\nquintessence extracted out of these cardinal graces, unfeigned faith, a\ngood conscience, a pure heart. It is true, the immediate end of the law,\nas it is now expounded unto us, is to drive us to believe in Jesus Christ,\nas it is expressed, Rom. x. 4. \u201cChrist is the end of the law for\nrighteousness to every one that believeth.\u201d But this believing in Christ\nis not the last end of it. Faith unfeigned in a Mediator is intentionally\nfor this, to give the answer of a good conscience in the blood of Christ,\nand to purify the heart by the water of the Spirit, and so to bring about\nat length, by such a sweet compass, the righteousness of the law to be\nfulfilled by love in us, which by divine imputation is fulfilled to us.\nNow consider the context, and it shall yield much edification. Some\nteachers (1 Tim. i. 4.) exercised themselves and others in endless\ngenealogies, which, though they contained some truth in them, yet they\nwere perplexing, and brought no edification to souls. Curiosity might go\nround in such debates, and bewilder itself as in a labyrinth, but they did\nrather multiply disputes than bring true edification in the faith and love\nof God and men. Now, says he, they do wholly mistake the end of the law,\nof the doctrine of the scripture. The end and great purpose of it is love,\nwhich proceeds from faith in Christ, purifying the heart. This is the sum\nof all, to worship God in faith and purity, and to love one another. And\nwhatsoever debates and questions do tend to the breach of this bond, and\nhave no eminent and remarkable advantage in them, suppose they be\nconceived to be about matters of conscience, yet the entertaining and\nprosecuting them to the prejudice of this, is a manifest violence offered\nto the law of God, which is the rule of conscience. It is a perverting of\nscripture and conscience to a wrong end. I say then, that charity and\nChristian love should be the moderatrix of all our actions towards men.\nFrom thence they should proceed, and according to this rule be formed. I\nam persuaded if this rule were followed, the present differences in\njudgment of godly men, about such matters as minister mere questions,\nwould soon be buried in the gulf of Christian affection.\n\nVI. Now to complete the account of the eminence of this grace, take that\nremarkable chapter of Paul\u2019s, 1 Cor. xiii., where he institutes the\ncomparison between it and other graces, and in the end pronounces on its\nbehalf, \u201cthe greatest of these is charity.\u201d I wonder how we do please\nourselves, as that we had attained already, when we do not so much as\nlabour to be acquainted with this, in which the life of Christianity\nconsists, without which faith is dead, our profession vain, our other\nduties and endeavours for the truth unacceptable to God and men. \u201cYet I\nshow you a more excellent way,\u201d says he in the end of the former chapter.\nAnd this is the more excellent way, charity and love, more excellent than\ngifts, speaking with tongues, prophesying, &c. And is it not more\nexcellent than the knowledge and acknowledgment of some present\nquestionable matters, about governments, treaties, and such like, and far\nmore than every punctilio of them? But he goes higher. Suppose a man could\nspend all his substance upon the maintenance of such an opinion, and give\nhis life for the defence of it, though in itself it be commendable, yet if\nhe want charity and love to his brethren, if he overstretch that point of\nconscience to the breach of Christian affection, and duties flowing from\nit, it profits him nothing.  Then certainly charity must rule out external\nactions, and have the predominant hand in the use of all gifts, in the\nventing of all opinions.  Whatsoever knowledge and ability a man hath,\ncharity must employ it, and use it.  Without this, duties and graces make\na noise, but they are shallow and empty within. Now he shows the sweet\nproperties of it, and good effects of it, how universal an influence it\nhath on all things, but especially how necessary it is to keep the unity\nof the church.\n\nCharity \u201cis kind\u201d and \u201csuffereth long,\u201d (\u03bc\u03b1\u03ba\u03c1\u03bf\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03b7\u03c9), it is longanimous or\nmagnanimous and there is indeed no great, truly great, mind but is patient\nand long suffering.  It is a great weakness and pusillanimity to be soon\nangry.  Such a spirit hath not the rule of itself, but is in bondage to\nits own lust, but \u201che that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that\ntaketh a city.\u201d  Now, it is much of this affection of love that overrules\npassion.  There is a greatness and height in it, to love them that deserve\nnot well of us, to be kind to the unfaithful, not to be easily provoked,\nand not soon disobliged.  A fool\u2019s wrath is presently known.  It is a\nfolly and weakness of spirit, which love, much love cures and amends.  It\nsuffers much unkindness, and long suffers it, and yet can be kind.\n\n\u201cCharity envieth not.\u201d Envy is the seed of all contention, and self-love\nbrings it forth.  When every man desires to be esteemed chief, and would\nhave pre-eminence among others, their ways and courses must interfere one\nwith another.  It is this that makes discord.  Every man would abate from\nanother\u2019s estimation, that he may add to his own.  None lives content with\nhis own lot or station, and it is the aspiring beyond that, which puts all\nthe wheels out of course.  I believe this is the root of many contentions\namong Christians,\u2014the apprehension of slighting, the conceit of\ndisrespect, and such like, kindles the flame of difference, and heightens\nthe least offence to an unpardonable injury. But charity envieth not where\nit may lie quietly low.  Though it be under the feet of others, and\nbeneath its own due place, yet it envieth not, it can lie contentedly so.\nSuppose it be slighted and despised, yet it takes it not highly, because\nit is lowly in mind.\n\n\u201cCharity is not puffed up, and vaunteth not itself.\u201d  If charity have\ngifts and graces beyond others, it restrains itself, with the bridle of\nmodesty and humility, from vaunting or boasting, or any thing in its\ncarriage that may savour of conceit. Pride is a self admirer, and despises\nothers, and to please itself it cares not to displease others.  There is\nnothing so incomportable(410) in human or Christian society, so apt to\nalienate others\u2019 affections, for the more we take of our own affection to\nourselves, we shall have the less from others. O these golden rules of\nChristian walking! Rom. xii. 10, 16, \u201cBe kindly affectioned one to another\nwith brotherly love, in honour preferring one another.  Mind not high\nthings, but condescend to men of low estate.  Be not wise in your own\nconceits.\u201d O but that were a comely strife among Christians, each to\nprefer another in unfeigned love, and in lowliness of mind, each to esteem\nanother better than himself!  Philip. ii. 3.  \u201cKnowledge puffeth up,\u201d says\nthis apostle (1 Cor. viii. 1) \u201cbut charity edifieth.\u201d  It is but a\nswelling and tumour of the mind, but love is solid piety and real\nreligion.\n\nThen charity doth nothing unseemly, \u201cbehaveth not itself unseemly,\u201d 1 Cor.\nxiii. 5.  Vanity and swelling of mind will certainly break forth into some\nunseemly carriage, as vain estimation, and such like, but charity keeps a\nsweet decorum in all its carriage, so as not to provoke and irritate\nothers, nor yet to expose itself to contempt or mockery.  Or the word may\nbe taken thus, it is not fastidious.  It accounts not itself disgraced and\nabused, to condescend to men of low estate.  It can with its Master bow\ndown to wash a disciple\u2019s feet, and not think it unseemly.  Whatsoever it\nsubmits to in doing or suffering, it is not ashamed of it, as that it were\nnot suitable and comely.\n\n\u201cCharity seeketh not her own things.\u201d  Self denial and true love are\ninseparable. Self love makes a monopoly of all things to its own interest,\nand this is most opposite to Christian affection  and communion, which\nputs all in one bank.  If every one of the members should seek its own\nthings, and not the good of the whole body, what a miserable distemper\nwould it cause in the body? We are called into one body in Christ, and\ntherefore we should look not on our own things only, but every man also on\nthe things of others, Philip. ii. 4. There is a public interest of saints,\nmutual edification in faith and love, which charity will prefer to its own\nprivate interest. Addictedness to our own apprehension, and too much self\noverweening and self pleasing is the grand enemy of that place to which we\nare called into one body. Since one Spirit informs and enlivens all the\nmembers, what a monstrosity is it for one member to seek its own things,\nand attend to its own private interest only, as if it were a distinct\nbody!\n\nCharity \u201cis not easily provoked.\u201d This is the straight and solid firmness\nof it, that it is not soon moved with external impressions. It is long\nsuffering, it suffers long and much. It will not be shaken by violent and\nweighty pressures of injuries, where there is much provocation given, yet\nit is not provoked. Now to complete it, it is not easily provoked at light\noffences. It is strange how little a spark of injuries puts all in a flame\nbecause our spirits are as gunpowder,\u2014so capable of combustion through\ncorruption. How ridiculous, for the most part, are the causes of our\nwrath! For light things we are heavily moved, and for ridiculous things\nsadly, even as children who fall out among themselves for toys and\ntrifles, or as beasts that are provoked upon the very show of a colour, as\nred or such like. We would save ourselves much labour, if we could judge\nbefore we suffer ourselves to be provoked. But now we follow the first\nappearance of wrong, and being once moved from without, we continue our\ncommotion within, lest we should seem to be angry without a cause. But\ncharity hath a more solid foundation. It dwells in God, for God is love,\nand so is truly great, truly high, and looks down with a steadfast\ncountenance upon these lower things. The upper world is continually calm\nand serene. No clouds, no tempests there, no winds, nothing to disturb the\nharmonious and uniform motion, but it is this lower world that is troubled\nand tossed with tempests, and obscured with clouds. So a soul dwelling in\nGod by love, is exalted above the cloudy region. He is calm, quiet,\nserene, and is not disturbed or interrupted in his motion of love to God\nor men.\n\nCharity \u201cthinketh no evil.\u201d Charity is apt to take all things in the best\nsense. If a thing may be subject to diverse acceptations, it can put the\nbest construction on it. It is so benign and good in its own nature that\nit is not inclinable to suspect others. It desires to condemn no man, but\nwould gladly, as far as reason and conscience will permit, absolve every\nman. It is so far from desire of revenge, that it is not provoked or\ntroubled with an injury. For that were nothing else but to wrong itself\nbecause others have wronged it already, and it is so far from wronging\nothers, that it will not willingly so much as think evil of them. Yet if\nneed require, charity can execute justice, and inflict chastisement, not\nout of desire of another\u2019s misery, but out of love and compassion to\nmankind. _Charitas non punit quia peccatum est, sed ne peccaretur_,(411)\nit looks more to prevention of future sin, than to revenge of a bypast\nfault, and can do all without any discomposure of spirit, as a physician\ncuts a vein without anger. _Quis enim cut medetur irascitur?_ \u201cWho is\nangry at his own patient?\u201d\n\nCharity \u201crejoiceth not in iniquity.\u201d Charity is not defiled in itself,\nthough it condescend to all. Though it can love and wish well to evil men,\nyet it rejoiceth not in iniquity. It is like the sun\u2019s light that shines\non a dunghill, and is not defiled, receives no tincture from it. Some base\nand wicked spirits make a sport to do mischief themselves, and take\npleasure in others that do it. But charity rejoices in no iniquity or\ninjustice, though it were done to its own enemy. It cannot take pleasure\nin the unjust sufferings of any who hate it, because it hath no enemy but\nsin and iniquity and hates nothing else with a perfect hatred. Therefore\nwhatever advantage should redound to itself by other men\u2019s iniquities, it\ncannot rejoice, that iniquity, its capital enemy, should reign and\nprevail. But it \u201crejoiceth in the truth.\u201d The advancement and progress of\nothers in the way of truth and holiness is its pleasure. Though that\nshould eclipse its own glory, yet it looks not on it with an evil eye. If\nit can find out any good in them that are enemies to it, it is not grieved\nto find it and know it, but can rejoice at any thing which may give ground\nof good construction of them. There is nothing more beautiful in its eyes\nthan to see every one get their own due, though it alone should come\nbehind.\n\nCharity \u201cbeareth all things.\u201d By nature we are undaunted heifers, cannot\nbear any thing patiently. But charity is accustomed to the yoke,\u2014to the\nyoke of reproaches and injuries from others, to a burden of other men\u2019s\ninfirmities and failings. We would all be borne upon others\u2019 shoulders,\nbut we cannot put our own shoulders under other men\u2019s burden, according to\nthat royal law of Christ, Rom. xv. 1. \u201cWe that are strong ought to bear\nthe infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves\u201d and Gal. vi. 2.\n\u201cBear ye one another\u2019s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ,\u201d that is\nthe law of love, no question.\n\nCharity \u201cbelieveth all things.\u201d Our nature is malignant and wicked, and\ntherefore most suspicious and jealous, and apt to take all in the worst\npart. But charity hath much candour and humanity in it, and can believe\nwell of every man, and believe all things as far as truth will permit. It\nknows that grace can be beside a man\u2019s sins. It knows that itself is\nsubject to such like infirmities. Therefore it is not a rigid and\ncensorious judger; it allows as much latitude to others as it would desire\nof others. It is true it is not blind and ignorant. It is judicious, and\nhath eyes that can discern between colours. _Credit omnia credenda, sperat\nomnia speranda._ \u201cIt believes all things that are believable, and hopes\nall things that are hopeful.\u201d If love have not sufficient evidences, yet\nshe believes if there be some probabilities to the contrary, as well as\nfor it. The weight of charity inclines to the better part, and so casts\nthe balance of hope and persuasion; yet being sometimes deceived, she hath\nreason to be watchful and wise, for \u201cthe simple believeth every word.\u201d If\ncharity cannot have ground of believing any good, yet it hopes still. _Qui\nnon est hodie, cras magis aptus erit_,(412) says charity, and therefore it\nis patient and gentle, waiting on all, if peradventure God may \u201cgive them\nrepentance to the acknowledging of the truth,\u201d 2 Tim. ii. 25. Charity\nwould account it both atheism and blasphemy, to say such a man cannot,\nwill not find mercy. But to pronounce of such as have been often approven\nin the conscience of all, and sealed into many hearts, that they will\nnever find mercy, that they have no grace, because of some failings in\npractice and differences from us, it were not in sobriety but madness. It\nis certainly love and indulgence to ourselves, that make us aggravate\nother men\u2019s faults to such a height. Self love looks on other men\u2019s\nfailings through a multiplying or magnifying glass, but she puts her own\nfaults behind her back. _Non videt quod in mantica qu\u00e6 a tergo est._(413)\nTherefore she can suffer much in herself but nothing in others, and\ncertainly much self forbearance and indulgence can spare little for\nothers. But charity is just contrary. She is most rigid on her own behalf,\nwill not pardon herself easily, knows no revenge but what is spoken of 2\nCor. vii. 11, self revenge, and hath no indignation but against herself.\nThus she can spare much candour and forbearance for others, and hath\nlittle or nothing of indignation left behind to consume on others.\n\n\u201cCharity never faileth.\u201d This is the last note of commendation. Things\nhave their excellency from their use and from their continuance; both are\nhere. Nothing so useful, no such friend of human or Christian society as\ncharity, the advantage of it reacheth all things. And then, it is most\npermanent and durable. When all shall go, it shall remain. When\nordinances, and knowledge attained by means and ordinances, shall evanish,\ncharity shall abide, and then receive its consummation. Faith of things\ninevident and obscure shall be drowned in the vision of seeing God\u2019s face\nclearly. Hope of things to come shall be exhausted in the possession and\nfruition of them. But love only remains in its own nature and notion, only\nit is perfected by the addition of so many degrees as may suit that\nblessed estate. Therefore methinks it should be the study of all saints\nwho believe immortality, and hope for eternal life, to put on that garment\nof charity, which is the livery of all the inhabitants above. We might\nhave heaven upon earth as far as is possible if we dwelt in love, and love\ndwelt in and possessed our hearts. What an unsuitable thing might a\nbeliever think it, to hate him in this world whom he must love eternally,\nand to contend and strive with these, even for matters of small moment,\nwith bitterness and rigidity, with whom he shall have an eternal,\nuninterrupted unity and fellowship? Should we not be assaying here how\nthat glorious garment suits us? And truly there is nothing makes a man so\nheaven-like or God like as this, much love and charity.\n\nNow there is one consideration might persuade us the more unto it, that\nhere we know but darkly and in part, and therefore our knowledge, at best,\nis but obscure and inevident, ofttimes subject to many mistakes and\nmisapprehensions of truth, according as _mediums_ represent them. And\ntherefore there must be some latitude of love allowed one to another in\nthis state of imperfection, else it is impossible to keep unity, and we\nmust conflict often with our own shadows, and bite and devour one another\nfor some deceiving appearances. The imperfection and obscurity of\nknowledge should make all men jealous of themselves, especially in matters\nof a doubtful nature, and not so clearly determined by scripture. Because\nour knowledge is weak, shall our love be so? Nay, rather let charity grow\nstronger, and aspire unto perfection, because knowledge is imperfect. What\nis wanting in knowledge let us make up in affection, and let the gap of\ndifference in judgment be swallowed up with the bowels of mercies and\nlove, and humbleness of mind. And then we shall have hid our infirmity of\nunderstanding as much as may be. Thus we may go hand in hand together to\nour Father\u2019s house, where, at length, we must be together.\n\n\n\n\nChapter III.\n\n\nI may briefly reduce the chief persuading motive to this so needful and so\nmuch desiderated grace into some three or four heads. All things within\nand without persuade to it, but especially the right consideration of the\nlove of God in Christ, the wise and the impartial reflection on ourselves,\nthe consideration of our brethren whom we are commanded to love, and the\nthorough inspection into the nature and use of the grace itself.\n\nIn consideration of the _First_, a soul might argue itself into a\ncomplacency with it and thus persuade itself, \u201cHe that loveth not, knoweth\nnot God, for God is love,\u201d 1 John iv. 8. And since he that hath known and\nbelieved the love that God hath to us, must certainly dwell in love, since\nthese two have such a strait indissoluble connexion, then, as I would not\ndeclare to all my atheism and my ignorance of God, I will study to love my\nbrethren. And that I may love them, I will give myself to the search of\nGod\u2019s love, which is the place, _locus inventionis_,(414) whence I may\nfind out the strongest and most effectual _medium_ to persuade my mind,\nand to constrain my heart to Christian affection.\n\n_First_ then, when I consider that so glorious and great a Majesty, so\nhigh and holy an One, self sufficient and all sufficient, who needs not go\nabroad to seek delight, because all happiness and delight is enclosed\nwithin his own bosom, can yet love a creature, yea and be reconciled to so\nsinful a creature, which he might crush as easily as speak a word, that he\ncan place his delight on so unworthy and base an object, O! how much more\nshould I, a poor wretched creature, love my fellow creature, ofttimes\nbetter than myself, and, for the most part, not much worse? There is an\ninfinite distance and disproportion betwixt God and man, yet he came over\nall that to love man. What difficulty should I have then to place my\naffection on my equal at worst, and often better? There cannot be any\nproportionable distance betwixt the highest and lowest, between the\nrichest and poorest, between the most wise and the most ignorant, between\nthe most gracious and the most ungodly, as there is between the infinite\nGod and a finite angel. Should then the mutual infirmities and failings of\nChristians, be an insuperable and impassable gulf, as between heaven and\nhell, that none can pass over by a bridge of love to either? \u201cIf God so\nloved us,\u201d should not we love one another? 1 John iv. 11. And besides,\nwhen I consider that God hath not only loved me, but my brethren who were\nworthy of hatred, with an everlasting love, and passed over all that was\nin them, and hath spread his skirt over their nakedness, and made it a\ntime of love, which was a time of loathing, how can I withhold my\naffection where God hath bestowed his? Are they not infinitely more\nunworthy of his than mine? Since infinite wrongs hath not changed his,\nshall poor, petty, and light offences hinder mine? That my love concenter\nwith God\u2019s on the same persons, is it not enough?\n\n_Next_, That Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace\nand truth, who was the Father\u2019s delight from eternity, and in whom he\ndelighted, yet, not withstanding, could rejoice in the habitable places of\nthe earth, and so love poor wretched men, yet enemies, that he gave\nhimself for them, that God so loved that he gave his Son, and Christ so\nloved that he gave himself a sacrifice for sin, both for me and others, O!\nwho should not or will not be constrained, in beholding this mirror of\nincomparable and spotless love to love others? (1 John iv. 9, 10, 11.) \u201cIn\nthis was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his\nonly begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein\nis love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to\nbe the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought\nalso to love one another.\u201d Eph. v. 2. \u201cAnd walk in love, as Christ also\nhath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice\nto God for a sweet smelling savour,\u201d especially when he seems to require\nno other thing, and imposes no more grievous command upon us for\nrecompence of all his labour of love. John xiii. 34, 35. \u201cA new\ncommandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I have loved\nyou, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are\nmy disciples, if ye have love one to another.\u201d If all that was in me did\nnot alienate his love from me, how should any thing in others estrange our\nlove to them? If God be so kind to his enemies, and Christ so loving that\nhe gives his life for his enemies to make them friends, what should we do\nto our enemies, what to our friends? This one example may make all created\nlove to blush and be ashamed. How narrow, how limited, how selfish is it!\n\n_Thirdly_, If God hath forgiven me so many grievous offences, if he hath\npardoned so heinous and innumerable injuries, that amount to a kind of\ninfiniteness in number and quality, O how much more am I bound to forgive\nmy brethren a few light and trivial offences? Col. iii. 13. \u201cForbearing\none another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against\nany, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.\u201d Eph. iv. 32. \u201cAnd be ye\nkind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God\nfor Christ\u2019s sake hath forgiven you.\u201d With what face can I pray, \u201cLord,\nforgive me my sins,\u201d when I may meet with such a retortion, thou canst not\nforgive thy brethren\u2019s sins, infinitely less both in number and degree?\nMatth. vi. 15. \u201cBut if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will\nyour heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.\u201d What unparalleled\ningratitude were it, what monstrous wickedness, that after he hath\nforgiven all our debt, because we desired him yet we should not have\ncompassion on our fellow servants even as he had pity on us! O! what a\ndreadful sound will that be in the ears of many Christians, \u201cO thou wicked\nservant, I forgave thee all thy debt, because thou desiredst me! Shouldest\nnot thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servants, even as I had\npity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors,\ntill he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my\nheavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every\none his brother their trespasses,\u201d Matth. xviii. 32, 33, 34, 35. When we\ncannot dispense with one penny, how should he dispense with his talents?\nAnd when we cannot pardon ten, how should he forgive ten thousand? When he\nhath forgiven my brother all his iniquity, may not I pardon one? Shall I\nimpute that which God will not impute, or discover that which God hath\ncovered? How should I expect he should be merciful to me, when I cannot\nshew mercy to my brother? Psal. xviii. 25. \u201cWith the merciful thou wilt\nshow thyself merciful.\u201d Shall I, for one or few offences, hate, bite, and\ndevour him for whom Christ died, and loved not his life to save him? Rom.\nxiv. 15 and 1 Cor. viii. 11.\n\n_In the next place_. If a Christian do but take an impartial view of\nhimself, he cannot but thus reason himself to a meek, composed, and\naffectionate temper towards other brethren. What is it in another that\noffends me, when if I do search within, I will not either find the same,\nor worse, or as evil in myself? Is there a mote in my brothers eye?\nPerhaps there may be a beam in my own; and why then should I look to the\nmote that is in my brother\u2019s eye? Matth. vii. 3. When I look inwardly, I\nfind a desperately wicked heart, which lodges all that iniquity I beheld\nin others. And if I be not so sensible of it, it is because it is also\ndeceitful above all things, and would flatter me in mine own eyes, Jer.\nxvii. 9. If my brother offend me in some things, how do these evanish out\nof sight in the view of my own guiltiness before God, and of the\nabominations of my own heart, known to his holiness and to my conscience?\nSure I cannot see so much evil in my brother as I find in myself. I see\nbut his outside. But I know my own heart; and whenever I retire within\nthis, I find the sea of corruption so great, that I wonder not at the\nstreams which break forth in others. But all my wonder is that God hath\nset bounds to it in me or in any. Whenever I find my spirit rising against\nthe infirmities of others, and my mind swelling over them, I repress\nmyself with this thought, \u201cI myself also am a man,\u201d as Peter said to\nCornelius when he would have worshipped him. As he restrained another\u2019s\nidolizing of him, I may cure my own self idolizing heart. Is it any thing\nstrange that weak men fail, and sinful men fall? Is not all flesh grass,\nand all the perfection and goodliness of it as the flower of the field?\nIsa. xl. 6. Is not every man at his best estate altogether vanity? Psal.\nxxxix. 5. Is not man\u2019s breath in his nostrils? Isa. ii. 22. And am not I\nmyself a man? Therefore I will not be high minded but fear, Rom. xi. 20. I\nwill not be moved to indignation, but provoked to compassion, knowing that\nI myself am compassed with infirmities, Heb. v. 2.\n\n_Secondly_, As a man may persuade himself to charity by the examination of\nhis own heart and ways, so he may enforce upon his spirit a meek and\ncompassionate stamp, by the consideration of his own frailty, what he may\nfall into. This is the Apostle\u2019s rule, Gal. vi. 1. \u201cBrethren, if a man be\novertaken in a fault, ye that are spiritual,\u201d and pretend to it, \u201crestore\nsuch an one in the spirit of meekness.\u201d Do not please yourselves with a\nfalse notion of zeal, thinking to cover your impertinent rigidity by it.\nDo as you would do if your own arm were disjointed. Set it in, restore it\ntenderly and meekly, considering yourselves that ye also may be tempted.\nSome are more given to reproaching and insulting than mindful of\nrestoring. Therefore their reproofs are not tempered with oil that they\nmay not break the head, but mixed with gall and vinegar to set on edge the\nteeth. But whenever thou lookest upon the infirmities of others, then\nconsider thyself first, before you pronounce sentence on them, and thou\nshalt be constrained to bestow that charity to others which thou hast need\nof thyself. _Veniam petimusque damusque vicissim._(415) If a man have need\nof charity from his brother, let him not be hard in giving it. If he know\nhis own weakness and frailty, sure he may suppose such a thing may likely\nfall out that he may be tempted and succumb in it. For there needs nothing\nfor the bringing forth of sin in any but occasion and temptation, as the\nbringing of fire near gunpowder. And truly he who had no allowance of love\nto give to an infirm and weak brother, he will be in _mala fide_, in an\nevil capacity, to seek what he would not give. Now the fountain of\nuncharitable and harsh dealing is imported in the 3d verse, \u201cIf any man\nthinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.\u201d\nSince all mortal men are nothing, vanity, altogether vanity, and less than\nvanity, he that would seem something, and seems so to himself, deludes\nhimself. Hence is our insulting fierceness, hence our supercilious rigour.\nEvery man apprehends some excellency in himself beyond another. Take away\npride, and charity shall enter, and modesty shall be its companion. But\nnow we mock ourselves, and deceive ourselves, by building the weight of\nour pretended zeal upon such a vain and rotten foundation, as a gross\npractical fundamental lie of self conceit of nothing. Now the Apostle\nfurnishes us with an excellent remedy against this in the 4th verse, \u201cLet\na man prove himself and his own work, and then he shall have rejoicing in\nhimself alone, and not in another.\u201d\u2014a word worthy to be fastened by the\nMaster of assemblies in the heart of all Christians! And indeed this nail\ndriven in would drive out all conceit. Hence is our ruin, that we compare\nourselves among ourselves, and in so doing we are not wise, 2 Cor. x. 12.\nFor we know not our own true value. Only we raise the price according to\nthe market, so to speak. We measure ourselves by another man\u2019s measure,\nand build up our estimation upon the disesteem of others, and how much\nothers displease, so much we please ourselves. But, says the Apostle, let\nevery man prove his own work, search his own conscience, compare himself\nto the perfect rule; and then, if he find all well, he may indeed glory of\nhimself. But that which thou hast by comparison with others is not thine\nown. Thou must come down from all such advantages of ground, if thou would\nhave thy just measure. And indeed, if thou prove thyself and thy work\nafter this manner, thou wilt be the first to reprove thyself, thou shalt\nhave that glory due unto thee, that is none at all. For every man shall\nbear his own burden, when he appears before the judgment seat of God.\nThere is no place for such imaginations and comparisons in the Lord\u2019s\njudgment.\n\n_Thirdly_, When a Christian looks within his own heart, he finds an\ninclination and desire to have the love of others, even though his\nconscience witness that he deserves it not. He finds an approbation of\nthat good and righteous command of God, that others should love him. Now\nhence he may persuade himself\u2014Is it so sweet and pleasant to me to be\nloved of others, even though I am conscious that I have wronged them? Hath\nit such a beauty in my eye, while I am the object of it? Why then should\nit be a hard and grievous burden to me to love others, though they have\nwronged me, and deserve it no more than I did? Why hath it not the same\namiable aspect, when my brother is the object of it? Certainly no reason\nfor it, but because I am yet carnal, and have not that fundamental law of\nnature yet distinctly written again upon my heart, \u201cWhat ye would that\nothers should do to you, do it to them,\u201d Matth. vii. 12. If I be convinced\nthat there is any equity and beauty in that command, which charges others\nto love me, forgive me, and forbear me, and restore me in meekness, why\nshould it be a grievous command that I should pay that debt of love and\ntenderness to others? 1 John v. 3. \u201cFor this is the love of God, that we\nkeep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous.\u201d\n\n_In the third place_. Consider to whom this affection should be extended.\nMore generally to all men, as fellow creatures, but particularly and\nespecially to all who are begotten of God, as fellow Christians. \u201cAnd this\ncommandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother\nalso. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and\nevery one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of\nhim,\u201d 1 John iv. 21, and chap v. 1. \u201cAs we have therefore opportunity, let\nus do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of\nfaith,\u201d Gal. vi. 10. \u201cO my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my\nLord, my goodness extendeth not to thee: but unto the saints that are in\nthe earth, and to the excellent in whom is all my delight,\u201d Psal. xvi. 2,\n3. And this consideration the Holy Ghost suggests to make us maintain love\nand unity. Love towards these runs in a purer channel\u2014\u201cYe have purified\nyour souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto the unfeigned love\nof the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently,\nbeing born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the\nword of God, which liveth and abideth for ever,\u201d 1 Pet. i. 22, 23. We are\nbegotten of one Father, and that by a divine birth, we have such a high\ndescent and royal generation!  There are so many other bonds of unity\nbetween us, it is absurd that this one more should not join all.  \u201cOne\nLord, one faith, one baptism, one body, one spirit, called to one hope,\none God and Father of all,\u201d Eph. iv. 2-6.  All these being one, it is\nstrange if we be not one in love.  If so many relations beget not a strong\nand warm affection, we are worse than infidels, as the apostle speaks, 1\nTim. v. 8.  \u201cIf a man care not for his own house, his worldly interests,\nhe is worse than an infidel,\u201d for he has a natural affection.  Sure then\nthis more excellent nature, a divine nature we are partakers of, cannot\nwant affection suitable to its nature.  Christianity is a fraternity, a\nbrotherhood, that should overpower all relations, bring down him of high\ndegree, and exalt him of low degree; it should level all ranks, in this\none respect, unto the rule of charity and love.  In Christ there is\nneither Jew nor Gentile.  There all differences of tongues and nations are\ndrowned in this interest of Christ, Col. iii. 11.  \u201cThou hast hid those\nthings from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes,\u201d Luke x.\n21.  And \u201cGod hath chosen the weak and foolish to confound the mighty and\nwise,\u201d 1 Cor. i. 27.  Behold all these outward privileges buried in the\ndepths and riches of God\u2019s grace and mercy.  Are we not all called to one\nhigh calling?  Our common station is to war under Christ\u2019s banner against\nsin and Satan.  Why then do we leave our station, forget our callings, and\nneglect that employment which concerns us all, and fall at odds with our\nfellow-soldiers, and bite and devour one another?  Doth not this give\nadvantage to our common enemies?  While we consume the edge of our zeal\nand strength of our spirits one upon another, they must needs be blunted\nand weakened towards our deadly enemies.  If our brother be represented\nunto us under the covering of many faults, failings, and obstinacy in his\nerrors, or such like, if we can behold nothing but spots on his outside,\nwhile we judge after some outward appearance, then, I say, we ought to\nconsider him again under another notion and relation, as he stands in\nChrist\u2019s account, as he is radically and virtually of that seed, which\nhath more real worth in it than all worldly privileges and dignities.\nConsider him as he once shall be, when mortality shall be put off.  Learn\nto strip him naked of all infirmities in thy consideration, and imagine\nhim to be clothed with immortality, and glory, and think how thou wouldest\nthen love him.  If either thou unclothe him of his infirmities, and\nconsider him as vested now with the robe of Christ\u2019s righteousness, and\nall glorious within, or adorned with immortality and incorruption a little\nhence; or else, if thou clothe thyself with such infirmities as thou seest\nin him, and consider that thou art not less subject to failing, and\ncompassed with infirmities, then thou shalt put on, and keep on, that bond\nof perfection, charity.\n\n_Lastly_.  Let us consider the excellent nature of charity, and how it is\ninterested in, and interwoven with all the royal and divine gifts and\nprivileges of a Christian. All of them are not ashamed of kindred and\ncognation with charity.  Is not the calling and profession of a Christian\nhonourable?  Sure to any behoving soul it is above a monarchy; for it\nincludes an anointing both to a royal and priestly office, and carries a\ntitle to a kingdom incorruptible and undefiled. Well then, charity is the\nsymbol and badge of this profession, John xiii. 35.  \u201cBy this shall all\nmen know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.\u201d  Then,\nwhat is comparable to communion with God, and dwelling in him? Shall God\nindeed dwell with men, said Solomon? That exalts the soul to a royalty,\nand elevates it above mortality. _Quam contempta res est homo si supra\nhumana se non exerat!_ \u201cHow base and contemptible a thing is man, except\nhe lift up his head above human things to heavenly and divine!\u201d  And then\nis the soul truly magnified while it is ascending to its own element, a\ndivine nature. What more gracious than this, for a soul to dwell in God?\nAnd what more glorious than this, God to dwell in the soul?  _Charitas te\ndomum Domini facit, et Dominum domum tibi.  Felix artifex charitas qu\u00e6\nconditori suo domum fabricare potest!_ \u201cLove makes the soul a house for\nthe Lord, and makes the Lord a house to the soul.  Happy artificer that\ncan build a house for its master!\u201d Love bringeth him, who is the chief\namong ten thousand, into the chambers of the heart. It lays him all night\nbetween its breasts; and is still emptying itself of all superfluity of\nnaughtiness, and purging out all vanity and filthiness, that there may be\nmore room for his Majesty. And then love dwells in God, in his love and\ngrace, in his goodness and greatness. The secret of his presence it\ndelights in. Now this mutual inhabitation, in which it is hard to say\nwhether the Majesty of God does most descend, or the soul most ascend,\nwhether he be more humbled or it exalted, this brotherly love, I say, is\nthe evidence and assurance of it. \u201cIf we love one another, God dwells in\nus, and his love is perfected in us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in\nlove dwelleth in God, and God in him,\u201d 1 John iv. 12, 16. For the love of\nthe image of God in his children, is indeed the love of God whose image it\nis, and then is the love of God perfected, when it reacheth and extends\nfrom God to all that is God\u2019s, to all that hath interest in God\u2014his\ncommandments, (1 John v. 3. \u201cThis is the love of God, that we keep his\ncommandments, and his commandments are not grievous,\u201d 1 John iv. 21, \u201cAnd\nthis commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother\nalso,\u201d) his children, (1 John v. 1, \u201cWhosoever believeth that Jesus is the\nChrist is born of God, and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth\nhim that is begotten of him,\u201d) his creatures, (Mal. ii. 10, \u201cHath not one\nGod created us, why do we deal treacherously every man against his\nbrother?\u201d) The love of God being the formal, the special motive of love to\nour brethren, it elevates the nature of it, and makes it divine love. He\nthat hath true Christian love, doth not only love and compassionate his\nbrother, either because of its own inclination towards him, or his misery\nand necessity, or his goodness and excellency. These motives and grounds\ndo not transcend mere morality, and so cannot beget a love which is the\nsymptom of Christianity. If there be no other motives than these, we do\nnot love so much for God as for ourselves; for compassion interesting\nitself with another man\u2019s misery, finds a kind of relief in relieving it.\nTherefore the will and good pleasure of God must be the rule of this\nmotion, and the love of God must begin in it and continue it. And truly\ncharity is nothing else but divine love in a state of condescent,(416) so\nto speak, or the love of a soul to God manifested in the flesh. It is that\nlove moving in a circle from God towards his creatures, and unto God\nagain, as his love to the creatures begins in himself and ends in himself,\n1 John iii. 17. Is it not a high thing to know God aright? \u201cThis is life\neternal to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast\nsent,\u201d John xvii. 3. That is a high note of excellency put on it, this\nmakes the face of the soul to shine, now brotherly love evinceth this,\nthat we know God, \u201cBeloved, let us love one another, for love is of God,\nand every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth\nnot, knoweth not God, for God is love,\u201d 1 John iv. 7, 8. Love is real\nlight, light and life, light and heat both. \u201cWhen your fathers did execute\njudgment, and relieve the oppressed, &c. was not this to know me? saith\nthe Lord,\u201d Jer. xxii. 15, 16. The practice of the most common things, out\nof the love of God, and respect to his commands, is more real and true\nreligion than the most profound and abstracted speculations of knowledge.\nThen only is God known, when knowledge stamps the heart with fear and\nreverence of his Majesty and love to his name, because then he is only\nknown as he is a true and living God.\n\nLove is real light and life. Is it not \u201ca pleasant thing for the eye to\nbehold the sun?\u201d Light is sweet, and life is precious. These are two of\nthe rarest jewels given to men. \u201cHe that saith he is in the light, and\nhateth his brother, is in darkness even until now, and knoweth not whither\nhe goeth; because darkness hath blinded his eyes, but he that loveth his\nbrother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in\nhim,\u201d 1 John ii. 9-11. \u201cWe know that we have passed from death unto life,\nbecause we love the brethren; he that loveth not his brother, abideth in\ndeath,\u201d 1 John iii. 14. The light of Jesus Christ cannot shine into the\nheart, but it begets(417) love, even as intense light begets heat, and\nwhere this impression is not made on the heart, it is an evidence that the\nbeams of that Sun of righteousness have not pierced it.  O how suitable is\nit for a child of light to walk in love! And wherefore is it made day\nlight to the soul, but that it may rise up and go forth to labour, and\nexercise itself in the works of the day, duties of love to God and men?\nNow in such a soul there is no cause of stumbling, no scandal, no offence\nin its way to fall over.  When the light and knowledge of Christ possesses\nthe heart in love, there is no stumbling block of transgression in its\nway. It doth not fall and stumble at the commandments of righteousness and\nmercy as grievous, \u201ctherefore love is the fulfilling of the law,\u201d Rom.\nxiii. 10.  And so the way of charity is the most easy, plain, expedient,\nand safe way.  In this way there is light shining all alongst it, and\nthere is no stumbling block in it.  For the love of God and of our\nbrethren hath polished and made it all plain, hath \u201ctaken away the\nasperities and tumours of our affections and lusts.\u201d  _Complanavit\naffectus._ \u201cGreat peace have all they that love thy law, and nothing shall\noffend them.\u201d Love makes an equable and constant motion, it moves swiftly\nand sweetly.  It can loose many knots without difficulty, which other more\nviolent principles cannot cut, it can melt away mountains before it, which\ncannot be hauled away.  Albeit there be many stumbling blocks without in\nthe world, yet there is none in charity, or in a charitable soul.  None\ncan enter into that soul to hinder it to possess itself in meekness and\npatience.  Nothing can discompose it within, or hinder it to live\npeaceably with others.  Though all men\u2019s hands be against it, yet charity\nis against none.  It defends itself with innocence and patience.  On the\nother hand, \u201cHe that hateth his brother is in darkness even till now.\u201d\nFor if Christ\u2019s light had entered, then the love of Christ had come with\nit, and that is the law of love and charity. If Jesus Christ had come into\nthe soul, he had restored the ancient commandment of love, and made it new\nagain.  As much of the want of love and charity, so much of the old\nignorance and darkness remains.  Whatsoever a man may fancy of himself\nthat he is in the light, that he is so much advanced in the light, yet\ncertainly this is a stronger evidence of remaining darkness, for it is a\nwork of the darkest darkness, and murdering affection, suitable only for\nthe night of darkness.  And such a man knows not whither he goes, and must\nneeds incur and fall upon many stumbling blocks within and without.  It is\nwant of love and charity that blinds the mind and darkens the heart, that\nit cannot see how to eschew and pass by scandals in others, but it must\nneeds dash and break its neck upon them.  Love is a light which may lead\nus by offences inoffensively, and without stumbling.  In darkness men\nmistake the way, know not the end of it, take pits for plain ways, and\nstumble in them.  Uncharitableness casts a mist over the actions and\ncourses of others, and our own too, that we cannot carry on either without\ntransgression. And this is the misery of it, that it cannot discern any\nfault in itself.  It knows not whither it goeth, calls light darkness and\ndarkness light.  It is partial in judgment, pronounces always on its own\nbehalf, cares not whom it condemn, that it may absolve itself.\n\nIs there any privilege so precious as this, to be \u201cthe sons of God?\u201d 1\nJohn iii. 2. What are all relations, or states, or conditions, to this\none, to be the children of the Highest?  It was David\u2019s question, \u201cShould\nI be the king\u2019s son in law?\u201d Alas! what a petty and poor dignity in regard\nof this, to be \u201cthe sons of God,\u201d partakers of a divine nature?  All the\ndifference of birth, all the distinction of degrees and qualities amongst\npersons, besides this one, are but such as have no being, no worth but in\nthe fancy and construction of them.  They really are nothing, and can do\nnothing. This only is a substantial and fundamental difference.  A divine\nbirth carries along with it a divine nature, a change of principles, from\nthe worst to the best, from darkness to light, from death to life.  Now,\nimagine then, what excellency is in this grace, which is made the\ncharacter of a son of God, of one begotten of the Father, and passed from\ndeath to life?  1 John iii. 10, 14.  \u201cIn this the children of God are\nmanifest, and the children of the devil.  Whosoever doth not righteousness\nis not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.  We know that we\nhave passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren, he that\nloveth not his brother, abideth in death.\u201d 1 John iv. 7. \u201cBeloved, let us\nlove one another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of\nGod, and knoweth God.\u201d And truly it is most natural, if it be so, that the\nchildren of our Father love each other dearly.  It is monstrous and\nunnatural to see it otherwise.  But besides, there is in this a great deal\nof resemblance of their Father, whose eminent and signal property it is,\nto be good to all and kind even to the unthankful, and whose incomparable\nglory it is to pardon iniquity, and suffer long patiently. A Christian\ncannot resemble his Father more nearly than in this. Why do we account\nthat baseness in us which is glory to God? Are we ashamed of our birth, or\ndare we not own our Father? Shall we be ashamed to love them as brethren\nwhom he hath not been ashamed to adopt as sons, and whom Christ is not\nashamed to call brethren?\n\n\n\n\nChapter IV.\n\n\nWe shall not be curious in the ranking of the duties in which Christian\nlove should exercise itself. All the commandments of the second table are\nbut branches of it: they might be reduced all to the works of\nrighteousness and of mercy. But truly these are interwoven through other.\nThough mercy uses to be restricted to the showing of compassion upon men\nin misery, yet there is a righteousness in that mercy, and there is mercy\nin the most part of the acts of righteousness, as in not judging rashly,\nin forgiving, &c. Therefore we shall consider the most eminent and\ndifficult duties of love, which the word of God solemnly and frequently\ncharges upon us in relation to others, especially these of the household\nof faith.\n\nI conceive we would labour to enforce upon our hearts, and persuade our\nsouls to a love of all men, by often ruminating upon the words of the\nApostle, which enjoin us to \u201cabound in love towards all men,\u201d 1 Thess.\niii. 12. And this is so concerning, that he prays earnestly that the Lord\nwould make them increase in it, and this we should pray for too. An\naffectionate disposition towards our common nature is not a common thing.\nChristianity enjoins it, and it is only true humanity, Luke vi. 36, 37.\n\u201cBe ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and\nye shall not be judged, condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned,\nforgive, and ye shall be forgiven.\u201d Now in relation to all men, charity\nhath an engagement upon it to pray for all sorts of men, from that\nApostolic command, 1 Tim ii. 1: \u201cI exhort therefore, that first of all,\nsupplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for\nall men.\u201d Prayers and supplications, earnest prayers out of affection,\nshould be poured out even for them that cannot, or do not pray for\nthemselves. Wherefore are we taught to pray, but that we may be the mouth\nof others? And since an intercessor is given to us above, how are we bound\nto be intercessors for others below, and so to be affected with the common\nmercies of the multitude, as to give thanks too! If man, by the law of\ncreation, is the mouth of the stones, trees, birds, beasts, of heaven and\nearth, sun and moon and stars, how much more ought a Christian, a redeemed\nman, be the mouth of mankind to praise God for the abounding of his\ngoodness, even towards these who are left yet in that misery and bondage\nthat he is delivered from?\n\n_Next_, Charity by all means will avoid scandal, and live honestly in the\nsight of all men. The apostle says, \u201cGive none offence, neither to the\nJews nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God,\u201d 1 Cor. x. 32. And he\nadds his own example, \u201cEven as I please all men in all things, not seeking\nmy own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved,\u201d ver. 33.\nCharity is not self addicted. It hath no humour to please. It can\ndisplease itself to profit others. I do verily think there is no point of\nChristianity less regarded. Others we acknowledge, but we fail in\npractice. This scarce hath the approbation of the mind. Few do conceive an\nobligation lying on them to it. But O how is Christianity, the most of it,\nhumanity? Christ makes us men as well as Christians. He makes us\nreasonable men when believers. Sin transformed our nature into a wild,\nbeastly, viperous, selfish thing. Grace restores reason and natural\naffection in the purest and highest strain. And this is reason and\nhumanity, elevated and purified,\u2014to condescend to all men in all things\nfor their profit and edification, to deny itself to save others.\nWhatsoever is not necessary in itself, we ought not to impose a necessity\nupon it by our imagination and fancy, to the prejudice of a greater\nnecessity, another\u2019s edification. Indeed charity will not, dare not sin to\nplease men. That were to hate God, to hate ourselves, and to hate our\nbrethren, under a base pretended notion of love.  But I believe,\naddictedness to our own humours in things not necessary, which have no\nworth but from our disposition, doth oftener transport us beyond the\nbounds of charity than the apprehension of duty and conscience of sin.\nSome will grant they should be tender of offending the saints. But they do\nnot conceive it is much matter what they do in relation to others, as if\nit were lawful to murder a Gentile more than a Christian. That is a bloody\nimagination, opposite to that innocent Christian, Paul, who says (Philip.\nii. 15.), we should be \u201cblameless and harmless, the sons of God, without\nrebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,\u201d among whom we\nshould shine \u201cas lights.\u201d And truly it is humanity elevated by\nChristianity, or reason purified by religion, that is the light that\nshines most brightly in this dark world. And he says (in Col. iv. 5.),\n\u201cWalk in wisdom toward them that are without,\u201d and (1 Thess. iv. 12.)\n\u201cwalk honestly toward them that are without,\u201d\u2014avoiding all things, in our\nprofession and carriage, which may alienate them from the love of the\ntruth and godliness walking so, as we may insinuate into their hearts some\napprehension of the beauty of religion. Many conceive, if they do good,\nall is well\u2014if it be a duty, it matters nothing. But remember that\ncaution, \u201cLet not then your good be evil spoken of,\u201d Rom. xiv. 16. We\nwould have our eyes upon that too, so to circumstantiate all our duties,\nas they may have least offence in them, and be exposed to least obloquy of\nmen, 1 Pet. ii. 12. \u201cHaving your conversation honest among the Gentiles,\nthat whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good\nworks which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.\u201d\n\nThen, _Thirdly_, Charity follows peace with all men, as much as is\npossible, Heb. xii. 14. \u201cIf it be possible as much as lieth in you, live\npeaceably with all men,\u201d Rom. xii. 18.  Many spirits are framed for\ncontention.  If peace follow them, they will flee from it.  But a\nChristian having made peace with God, the sweet fruit of that upon his\nspirit is to dispose him to a peaceable and quiet condescendency to\nothers, and if peace flee from him, to follow after it, not only to\nentertain it when it is offered, but to seek it when it is away, and to\npursue it when it runs away. (Psal. xxxiv. 14, which Peter urges upon\nChristians, 1 Pet. iii. 8, 9, 10, 11.) \u201cFinally, be ye all of one mind,\nhaving compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be\ncourteous. Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but\ncontrariwise, blessing, knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye\nshould inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days,\nlet him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no\nguile. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue\nit.\u201d I think, since we obtained the mercy to get a Peace maker between us\nand God, we should henceforth count ourselves bound to be peace makers\namong men. And truly such have a blessing pronounced upon them, Matt. v.\n9. \u201cBlessed are the peace makers.\u201d The Prince of peace pronounced it, and\nthis is the blessedness, \u201cthey shall be called the children of God,\u201d\nbecause he is \u201cthe God of peace,\u201d and to resemble him in these, first in\npurity, then in peace, is a character of his image. It is true, peace will\nsometimes flee so fast, and so far away, as a Christian cannot follow it\nwithout sin, and that is breach of a higher peace. But charity, when it\ncannot live in peace without, doth then live in peace within, because it\nhath that sweet testimony of conscience, that, as far as did lie in it,\npeace was followed without. Divine wisdom (James iii. 17.), \u201cis first\npure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and\ngood fruits, without wrangling and without hypocrisy.\u201d If wisdom be\npeaceable and not pure, it is but a carnal conspiracy in iniquity, earthly\nand sensual. But if it be pure it must be peaceable. For the wisdom\ndescending from above hath a purity of truth, and a purity of love, and a\npurity of the mind and of the affection too. Where there is a purity of\ntruth, but accompanied with envying, bitter strife, rigid judging,\nwrangling, and such like, then it is defiled and corrupted by the\nintermixture of vile and base affections, ascending out of the dunghill of\nthe flesh. The vapours of our lusts arising up to the mind, do stain pure\ntruth. They put an earthly, sensual, and devilish visage on it.\n\nCharity, its conversation and discourse, is without judging, without\ncensuring, Matth. vii. 1. Of which chapter, because it contains much\nedification, I shall speak more hereafter. James iii. 17. \u201cWithout\npartiality, without hypocrisy.\u201d The words in the original are, \u03b1\u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03ba\u03c1\u03b9\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2\n\u03ba\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b1\u03bd\u03c5\u03c0\u03bf\u03ba\u03c1\u03b9\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2, (without judging and wrangling, and without hypocrisy),\nimporting, that great censurers are often the greatest hypocrites, and\nsincerity has always much charity. Truly, there is much idle time spent\nthis way in discourses of one another, and venting our judgments of\nothers, as if it were enough of commendation for us to condemn others, and\nmuch piety to charge another with impiety. We should even be sparing in\njudging them that are without, 1 Cor. v. 12, 13. Reflecting upon them or\ntheir ways, hath more provocation than edification in it. A censorious\nhumour is certainly most partial to itself, and self indulgent. It can\nsooner endure a great beam in its own eye, than a little mote in its\nneighbour\u2019s, and this shows evidently that it is not the hatred of sin, or\nthe love of virtue, which is the single and simple principle of it, but\nself love, shrouded under the vail of displeasure at sin, and delight in\nvirtue. I would think one great help to amend this, were to abate much\nfrom the superfluity and multitude of discourses upon others. \u201cIn the\nmultitude of words there wants not sin,\u201d and in the multitude of\ndiscourses upon other men, there cannot miss the sin of rash judging. I\nfind the saints and fearers of God commended for speaking often one to\nanother, but not at all for speaking one of another. The subject of their\ndiscourse (Mal. iii. 16.) certainly was of another strain,\u2014how good it was\nto serve the Lord, &c.\u2014opposite to the evil communication of others there\nregistered.\n\nCharity is no tale bearer. It goeth not about as a slander to reveal a\nsecret, though true, Prov. xx. 19. It is of a faithful spirit to conceal\nthe matter, Prov. xi. 13. Another man\u2019s good name is as a pledge laid down\nin our hand, which every man should faithfully restore, and take heed how\nhe lose it, or alienate it by back-biting. Some would have nothing to say,\nif they had not other\u2019s faults and frailties to declaim upon, but it were\nbetter that such kept always silent, that either they had no ears to hear\nof them or know them, or had no tongues to vent them. If they do not lie\ngrossly in it, they think they do no wrong. But let them judge it in\nreference to themselves. \u201cA good name is better than precious ointment,\u201d\n(Eccles. vii. 1.) \u201cand rather to be chosen than great riches,\u201d Prov. xxii.\n1. And is that no wrong, to defile that precious ointment, and to rob or\nsteal away that jewel more precious than great riches? There is a strange\nconnection between these. \u201cThou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer,\nnor stand against the blood of thy neighbour,\u201d Lev. xix. 16. It is a kind\nof murder, because it kills that which is as precious as life to an\ningenuous heart. \u201cThe words of a tale bearer are as wounds, and they go\ndown to the innermost parts of the belly,\u201d Prov. xviii. 8 and xxvi. 22.\nThey strike a wound to any man\u2019s heart, that can hardly be cured, and\nthere is nothing that is such a seminary of contention and strife among\nbrethren as this. It is the oil to feed the flame of alienation. Take away\na tale-bearer, and strife ceaseth, Prov. xxvi. 20. Let there be but any\n(as there want not such who have no other trade or occupation), to whisper\ninto the ears of brethren, and suggest evil apprehensions of them, they\nwill separate chief friends, as we see it in daily experience, Prov. xvi.\n28. \u201cRevilers\u201d are amongst these who are excluded out of the kingdom of\nGod, 1 Cor. vi. 10. And therefore, as the Holy Ghost gives general\nprecepts for the profitable and edifying improvement of the tongue, that\nso it may indeed be the glory of a man, (which truly is no small point of\nreligion, as James expresses, Chap. iii. 2. \u201cIf any man offend not in\nword, the same is a perfect man,\u201d) so that same spirit gives us particular\ndirections about this, \u201cSpeak not evil one of another, brethren. He that\nspeaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of\nthe law, and judgeth the law,\u201d (James iv. 11.) because he puts himself in\nthe place of the Lawgiver, and his own judgment and fancy in the room of\nthe law, and so judges the law. And therefore the Apostle Peter makes a\nwise and significant connection, 1 Pet. ii. 1. \u201cLaying aside all malice,\nand all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings.\u201d\nTruly, evil speaking of our brethren, though it may be true, yet it\nproceeds out of the abundance of these, in the heart, of guile, hypocrisy,\nand envy. While we catch at a name of piety from censuring others, and\nbuild our own estimation upon the ruins of another\u2019s good name, hypocrisy\nand envy are too predominant. If we would indeed grow in grace by the\nword, and taste more how gracious the Lord is, we must lay these aside,\nand become as little children, without guile, and without gall. Many\naccount it excuse enough, that they did not invent evil tales, or were not\nthe first broachers of them; but the Scripture joins both together. The\nman that \u201cshall abide in his tabernacle\u201d must neither vent nor invent\nthem, neither cast them down nor take them up, \u201cHe backbiteth not with his\ntongue, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour;\u201d (Psal. xv. 3.) or\n_receiveth not_ or _endureth not_, as in the margin. He neither gives it\nnor receives he it, hath not a tongue to speak of others\u2019 faults, nor ear\nto hear them. Indeed he hath a tongue to confess his own, and an ear open\nto hear another confess his faults, according to that precept, \u201cConfess\nyour faults one to another.\u201d We are forbidden to have much society or\nfellowship with tale-bearers; and it is added, Prov. xx. 19, \u201cAnd meddle\nnot with such as flatter with their mouth,\u201d as indeed commonly they who\nreproach the absent, flatter the present; a backbiter is a face-flatterer.\nAnd therefore we should not only not meddle with them, but drive them away\nas enemies to human society. Charity would in such a case protect itself,\nif I may so say, by \u201can angry countenance,\u201d an appearance of anger and\nreal dislike. \u201cAs the north wind drives away rain,\u201d so that entertainment\nwould drive away a \u201cbackbiting tongue,\u201d Prov. xxv. 23. If we do\ndiscountenance it, backbiters will be discouraged to open their pack of\nnews and reports: and indeed the receiving readily of evil reports of\nbrethren, is a partaking with the unfruitful works of darkness, which we\nshould rather reprove, Eph. v. 11. To join with the teller is to complete\nthe evil report; for if there were no receiver there would be no teller,\nno tale-bearer. \u201cCharity covers a multitude of sins,\u201d 1 Pet. iv. 8; and\ntherefore \u201cabove all things have fervent charity among yourselves,\u201d says\nhe. What is above prayer and watching unto the end, above sobriety?\nIndeed, in reference to fellowship with God, these are above all; but in\nrelation to comfortable fellowship one with another in this world, this is\nabove all, and the crown or cream of other graces. He whose sins are\ncovered by God\u2019s free love, cannot think it hard to spread the garment of\nhis love over his brother\u2019s sins. Hatred stirreth up strife, all\nuncharitable affections, as envy, wrath. It stirreth up contentions, and\nblazeth abroad men\u2019s infirmities. But \u201clove covereth all sins,\u201d concealeth\nthem from all to whom the knowledge of them doth not belong, Prov. x. 12.\nLove in a manner suffers not itself to know what it knoweth, or at least\nto remember it much. It will sometimes hoodwink itself to a favourable\nconstruction. It will pass by an infirmity and misken(418) it, but many\nstand still and commune with it. But he that covereth a transgression\nseeks love to bury offences in. Silence is a notable mean to preserve\nconcord, and beget true amity and friendship. The keeping of faults long\nabove ground unburied, doth make them cast forth an evil savour that will\never part friends. Therefore, says the wise man, \u201cHe that covereth a\ntransgression seeketh love: but he that repeateth a matter separateth very\nfriends,\u201d Prov. xvii. 9. Covering faults christianly, will make a stranger\na friend; but repeating and blazing of them will make a friend not only a\nstranger, but an enemy. Yet this is nothing to the prejudice of that\nChristian duty of reproving and admonishing one another, Eph. v. 11. \u201cHave\nno fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove\nthem.\u201d Love commands to reprove in the \u201cspirit of meekness,\u201d (Gal. vi. 1.)\nas a man would restore an arm out of joint. And therefore thou \u201cshall not\nhate him in thy heart, but shall in any ways reprove him, and not suffer\nsin upon him,\u201d Lev. xix. 17. And he that reproves his brother after this\nmanner from love, and in meekness and wisdom, \u201cshall afterward find more\nfavour of him than he that flatters with his tongue,\u201d Prov. xxviii. 23. To\ncover grudges and jealousies in our hearts, were to nourish a flame in our\nbosom, which doth but wait for a vent, and will at one occasion or other\nburst out. But to look too narrowly to every step, and to write up a\nregister of men\u2019s mere frailties, especially so as to publish them to the\nworld; that is inconsistent with the rule of love. And truly, it is a\ntoken of one \u201cdestitute of wisdom to despise his neighbour; but a man of\nunderstanding will hold his peace.\u201d He that has most defects himself, will\nfind maniest(419) in others, and strive to vilify them one way or other;\nbut a wise man can pass by frailties, yea, offences done to him, and be\nsilent, Prov. xi. 12.\n\n\n\n\nChapter V.\n\n\nHumility is the root of charity, and meekness the fruit of both. There is\nno solid and pure ground of love to others, except the rubbish of\nself-love be first cast out of the soul; and when that superfluity of\nnaughtiness is cast out, then charity hath a solid and deep foundation:\n\u201cThe end of the command is charity out of a pure heart,\u201d 1 Tim. i. 5. It\nis only such a purified heart, cleansed from that poison and contagion of\npride and self-estimation, that can send out such a sweet and wholesome\nstream, to the refreshing of the spirits and bowels of the church of God.\nIf self-glory and pride have deep roots fastened into the soul, they draw\nall the sap and virtue downward, and send little or nothing up to the tree\nof charity, which makes it barren and unfruitful in the works of\nrighteousness, and fruits of mercy and meekness. There are obstructions in\nthe way of that communication, which only can be removed by the plucking\nup of these roots of pride and self-estimation, which prey upon all, and\nincorporate all in themselves, and yet, like the lean kine that had\ndevoured the fat, are never the fatter or more well-favoured.\n\nIt is no wonder, then, that these are the first principles that we must\nlearn in Christ\u2019s school, the very A B C of Christianity: \u201cLearn of me,\nfor I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls,\u201d\nMatth. xi. 29. This is the great Prophet sent of the Father into the world\nto teach us, whom he hath, with a voice from heaven, commanded us to hear:\n\u201cThis is my well-beloved Son, hear him.\u201d Should not the fame and report of\nsuch a Teacher move us? He was testified of very honourably, long before\nhe came, that he had the Spirit above measure, that he had \u201cthe tongue of\nthe learned;\u201d (Isa. l. 4.) that he was a greater prophet than Moses,\n(Deut. xviii. 15, 18.) that is, the wonderful Counsellor of heaven and\nearth, (Isa. ix. 6.) the \u201cWitness to the people,\u201d a Teacher and \u201cLeader to\nthe people.\u201d And then, when he came, he had the most glorious testimony\nfrom the most glorious persons,\u2014the Father and the Holy Ghost,\u2014in the most\nsolemn manner that ever the world heard of, Matth. xvii. 5. \u201cBehold, a\nvoice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am\nwell pleased; hear ye him.\u201d Now, this is our Master, our Rabbi, Matth.\nxxiii. 8. This is the  Apostle and High Priest of our profession (Heb.\niii. 1.); \u201cthe light of the world and life of men,\u201d John viii. 12. and vi.\n33, 51. Having, then, such a Teacher and Master, sent us from heaven, may\nwe not glory in our Master? But some may suppose, that he who came down\nfrom heaven, filled with all the riches and treasures of heavenly wisdom,\nshould reveal in his school unto his disciples, all the mysteries and\nprofound secrets of nature and art, about which the world hath ploded\nsince the first taste of the tree of knowledge, and beaten out their\nbrains to the vexation of all their spirits, without any fruit, but the\ndiscovery of the impossibility of knowing, and the increase of sorrow by\nsearching. Who would not expect, when the Wisdom of God descends among\nmen, but that he should show unto the world that wisdom, in the\nunderstanding of all the works of God, which all men have been pursuing in\nvain; that he by whom all things were created, and so could unbowel and\nmanifest all their hidden causes and virtues, all their admirable and\nwonderful qualities and operations, as easily by a word, as he made them\nby a word; who would not expect, I say, but that he should have made this\nworld, and the mysteries of it, the subject of all his lessons, the more\nto illustrate his own glorious power and wisdom? And yet behold, they who\nhad come into his school and heard this Master and Doctor teach his\nscholars, they who had been invited to come, through the fame and report\nof his name, would have stood astonished and surprised to hear the subject\nof his doctrine; one come from on high to teach so low things as these,\n\u201cLearn of me, I am meek and lowly.\u201d Other men that are masters of\nprofessions, and authors of sects or orders, do aspire unto some\nsingularity in doctrine to make them famous. But behold our Lord and\nMaster, this is the doctrine he vents! It hath nothing in it that sounds\nhigh, and looks big in the estimation of the world. In regard of the\nwisdom of the world, it is foolishness, a doctrine of humility from the\nmost High! A lesson of lowliness and meekness from the Lord and Maker of\nall! There seems, at first, nothing in it to allure any to follow it. Who\nwould travel so far as the college of Christianity to learn no more but\nthis, when every man pretends to be a teacher of it?\n\nBut truly there is a majesty in this lowliness and there is a singularity\nin this commonness. If ye would stay and hear a little longer, and enter\ninto a deep search of this doctrine, we would be surcharged and overcome\nwith wonders. It seems shallow till ye enter but it has no bottom.\nChristianity makes no great noise, but it runs the deeper. It is a light\nand overly knowledge of it, a small smattering of the doctrine of it, that\nmakes men despise it and prefer other things, but the deep and solid\napprehension of it will make us adore and admire, and drive us to an _O\naltitudo!_ \u201cO the depth both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!\u201d Rom. xi.\n33. As the superficial knowledge of nature makes men atheists, but the\nprofound understanding of it makes men pious so all other things,\n_vilescit scientia_, \u201cgrow more contemptible by the knowledge of them.\u201d It\nis ignorance of them which is the mother of that devout admiration we bear\nto them. But Christianity only, _vilescit ignorantia, clarescit scientia_,\nis common and base, because not known. And that is no disparagement at all\nunto it, that there is none despises it, but he that knoweth it not, and\nnone can do any thing, but despise all besides it that once knows it. That\nis the proper excellency and glory of it.\n\nAll arts and sciences have their principles, and common axioms of\nunquestionable authority. All kind of professions have some fundamental\ndoctrines and points which are the character of them. Christianity hath\nits principles too. And principles must be plain and uncontroverted; they\nmust be evident by their own light, and apt to give light to other things.\nAll the rest of the conclusions of the art are but derivations and\ndeductions from them. Our Master and Doctor follows the same method. He\nlays down some common principles some fundamental points of this\nprofession, upon which all the building of Christianity hangs. \u201cLearn of\nme, for I am meek and lowly.\u201d This was the high lesson that his life\npreached so exemplarily, and his doctrine pressed so earnestly, and in\nthis he is very unlike other teachers who impose burdens on others, and\nthemselves do not so much as touch them. But he first practises his\ndoctrine and then preaches it. He first casts a pattern in himself, and\nthen presses to follow it. Examples teach better than rules, but both\ntogether are most effectual and sure. The rarest example and noblest rule\nthat ever was given to men are here met together.\n\nThe rule is about a thing that has a low name, but a high nature.\nLowliness and meekness in reputation and outward form, are like servants,\nyet they account it no robbery to be equal with the highest and most\nprincely graces. The vein of gold and silver lies very low in the bowels\nof the earth, but it is not therefore base, but the more precious. Other\nvirtues may come with more observation, but these, like the Master that\nteaches them, come with more reality. If they have less pomp, they have\nmore power and virtue. Humility, how suitable is it to humanity! They are\nas near of kin one to another, as _homo_ and _humus_,(420) and therefore,\nexcept a man cast off humanity, and forget his original, the ground, the\ndust from whence he was taken, I do not see how he can shake off humility.\nSelf knowledge is the mother of it, the knowledge of that _humus_ would\nmake us _humiles_.(421) Look to the hole of the pit from whence thou art\nhewn. A man could not look high that looked so low as the pit from whence\nwe were taken by nature, even the dust, and the pit from whence we are\nhewn by grace, even man\u2019s lost and ruined state. Such a low look would\nmake a lowly mind. Therefore pride must be nothing else but an empty and\nvain tumour, a puffing up. \u201cKnowledge puffeth up,\u201d not self knowledge.\nThat casts down, and brings down all superstructures, razes out all vain\nconfidence to the very foundation, and then begins to build on a solid\nground. But knowledge of other things without, joined with ignorance of\nourselves within, is but a swelling, not a growing, it is a bladder or\nskin full of wind, a blast or breath of an airy applause or commendation,\nwill extend it and fill it full. And what is this else but a monster in\nhumanity, the skin of a man stuffed or blown up with wind and vanity, to\nthe shadow and resemblance of a man; but no bones or sinews, nor real\nsubstance within? Pride is an excrescence. It is nature swelled beyond the\nintrinsic terms or limits of magnitude, the spirit of a mouse in a\nmountain. And now, if any thing be gone without the just bounds of the\nmagnitude set to it, it is imperfect, disabled in its operations, vain and\nunprofitable, yea, prodigious like. If there be not so much real\nexcellency as may fill up the circle of our self estimation, then surely\nit must be full of emptiness and vanity, fancy and imagination must supply\nthe vacant room, where solid worth cannot extend so far. Now, I believe,\nif any man could but impartially and seriously reflect upon himself, he\nwould see nothing of that kind, no true solid and real dignity to provoke\nlove, but real baseness and misery to procure loathing. There is a lie in\nevery sin, but the greatest and grossest lie is committed in pride, and\nattribution of that excellency to ourselves which is not. And upon what\nerroneous fancy, which is a sandy and vain foundation, is built the tower\nof self estimation, vain gloriation, and such like? Pride, which is the\nmother of these, says most presumptuously, \u201cBy the strength of my hand I\nhave done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent,\u201d (Isa. x. 13.) \u201cI am and\nnone else besides me,\u201d Isa. xlvii. 10. It is such a false imagination, as\n\u201cI am of perfect beauty,\u201d \u201cI am and none else,\u201d \u201cI am a god,\u201d (Ezek.\nxxvii. 3. and xxviii. 2.) which swells and lifts up the heart. Now what a\nvain thing is it, an inordinate elevation of the heart upon a false\nmisapprehension of the mind? The \u201csoul which is lifted up, is not upright\nin him,\u201d Hab. ii. 4. It must be a tottering building that is founded on\nsuch a gross mistake.\n\nSome cover their pride with the pretence of high spiritedness, and please\nthemselves in apprehensions of some magnanimity and generosity. But the\ntruth is, it is not true magnitude, but a swelling out of the\nsuperabundance of pestilent humours. True greatness of spirit is inwardly\nand throughout solid, firm from the bottom, and the foundation of it is\ntruth. Which of the two do ye think hath the better spirit, he that calls\ndust, dust, and accounts of dung as dung, or he that, upon a false\nimagination, thinks dust and dung is gold and silver, esteems himself a\nrich man, and raises up himself above others? Humility is only true\nmagnanimity, for it digs down low, that it may set and establish the\nfoundation of true worth. It is true, it is lowly, and bows down low. But\nas the water that comes from a height, the lower it comes down the higher\nit ascends up again, so the humble spirit, the lower it fall in its own\nestimation, the higher it is raised in real worth and in God\u2019s estimation.\n\u201cHe that humbles himself shall be exalted, and he that exalts himself\nshall be abased,\u201d Matt. xxiii. 12. He is like a growing tree, the deeper\nthe roots go down in the earth, the higher the tree grows above ground, as\nJacob\u2019s ladder, the foot of it is fastened in the earth, but the top of it\nreaches the heaven. And this is the sure way to ascend to heaven. Pride\nwould fly up upon its own wings. But the humble man will enter at the\nlowest step, and so goes up by degrees, and in the end is made manifest.\nPride catches a fall,(422) and humility is raised on high; it descended\nthat it might ascend. \u201cA man\u2019s pride shall bring him low, but honour shall\nuphold the humble in spirit,\u201d Prov. xxix. 23. \u201cPride goeth before\ndestruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.\u201d But \u201cbefore honour is\nhumility,\u201d Prov. xvi. 18. and xviii. 12. The first week of creation, as it\nwere, afforded two signal examples of this wise permutation of divine\njustice, angels cast out of heaven, and man out of paradise, a high and\nwretched aim at wisdom brought both as low as hell. The pride of angels\nand men was but the rising up to a height, or climbing up a steep to the\npinnacle of glory, that they might catch the lower fall. But the last week\nof the creation, to speak so, shall afford us rare and eminent\ndemonstrations of the other, poor, wretched, and miserable sinners lifted\nup to heaven by humility, when angels were thrown down from heaven for\npride. What a strange sight, an angel, once so glorious, so low, and a\nsinner, once so wretched and miserable, so high! Truly may any man\nconclude within himself, \u201cBetter it is to be of an humble spirit with the\nlowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud,\u201d Prov. xvi. 19. Happy\nlowliness, that is the foundation of true highness! \u201cBut miserable\nhighness that is the beginning of eternal baseness.\u201d \u201cBlessed are the poor\nin spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,\u201d Matt. v. 3. Blessedness\nbegins low, in poverty of spirit. And Christ\u2019s sermon upon blessedness\nbegins at it, but it arises in the end to the riches of a kingdom, a\nheavenly kingdom. Grace is the seed of glory, and poverty of spirit is the\nseed, first dead before it be quickened to grow up in fruits. And indeed\nthe grain \u201cis not quickened except it die,\u201d (1 Cor. xv. 36) and then it\ngets a body, and \u201cbringeth forth much fruit,\u201d John xii. 24. Even so, grace\nis sown into the heart, but it is not quickened except it die in humility,\nand then God gives it a body, when it springs up in other beautiful\ngraces, of meekness, patience, love, &c. But these are never ripe till the\nday that the soul get the warm beams of heaven, being separated from the\nbody, and then is the harvest a rich crop of blessedness. Holiness is the\nladder to go up to happiness by, or rather our Lord Jesus Christ as\nadorned with all these graces. Now these are the steps of it, mentioned\nMatt. v., and the lowest step that a soul first ascends to him by, is\npoverty of spirit, or humility. And truly the spirit cannot meet with\nJesus Christ till he first bring it down low, because he hath come so low\nhimself, as that no soul can ascend up to heaven by him, except they bow\ndown to his lowliness, and rise upon that step.\n\nNow a man being thus humbled in spirit before God, and under his mighty\nhand, he is only fit to obey the apostolic precept \u201cBe ye all of you\nsubject one to another,\u201d 1 Pet. v. 5. Humility towards men depends upon\nthat poverty and self emptying under God\u2019s mighty hand, ver. 6. It is only\na lowly heart that can make the back to bow, and submit to others of\nwhatsoever quality, and condescend to them of low degree, Rom. xii. 16,\nEph. v. 21. But the fear of the Lord humbling the spirit will easily set\nit as low as any other can put it. This is the only basis and foundation\nof Christian submission and moderation. It is not a complemental\ncondescendence. It consists not in an external show of gesture and voice.\nThat is but an apish imitation. And indeed pride often will palliate\nitself under voluntary shows of humility, and can demean itself to\nundecent and unseemly submissions to persons far inferior, but it is the\nmore deformed and hateful, that it lurks under some shadows of humility.\nAs an ape is the more ugly and ill favoured that it is liker a man,\nbecause it is not a man, so vices have more deformity in them when they\nput on the garb and vizard of virtue. Only it may appear how beautiful a\ngarment true humility is, when pride desires often to be covered with the\nappearance of it, to hide its nakedness. O how rich a clothing is the\nmean-like garment of humility and poverty of spirit! \u201cBe ye clothed with\nhumility,\u201d 1 Pet. v. 5. It is the ornament of all graces. It covers a\nman\u2019s nakedness by uncovering of it. If a man had all other endowments,\nthis one dead fly, would make all the ointment unsavoury, pride. But\nhumility is _condimentum virtutum,_ as well as vestimentum.(423) It\nseasons all graces, and covers all infirmities. Garments are for ornament\nand necessity both. Truly this clothing is alike fit for both, to adorn\nand beautify whatsoever is excellent, and to hide or supply whatsoever is\ndeficient:  _ornamentum et operimentum_.(424)\n\nThe apostle Paul gives a solemn charge to the Romans (Rom. xii. 3), that\nno man should think high of himself; but soberly, according to the measure\nof faith given. That extreme undervaluing and denial of all worth in\nourselves, though it be suitable before God (Luke xvii. 6, 7, 10, Prov.\nxxx. 2, 3, Job xlii. 6, 1 Cor. iii. 7), yet is uncomely and incongruous\nbefore men. Humility doth not exclude all knowledge of any excellency in\nitself, or defect in another, it can discern, but this is the worth of it:\nthat it thinks soberly of the one, and despises not the other. The humble\nman knows any advantage he has beyond another, but he is not wise in his\nown conceit. He looks not so much upon that side of things, his own\nperfections and others\u2019 imperfections. That is very dangerous. But he\ncasts his eye most on the other side, his own infirmities and others\u2019\nvirtues, his worst part and their best part, and this makes up an equality\nor proportion. Where there is inequality, there is a different measure of\ngifts and graces, there are diverse failings and infirmity, and degrees of\nthem. Now, how shall so unequal members make up one body, and join unto\none harmonious being, except this proportion be kept, that the defects of\none be made up by the humility of another? The difference and inequality\nis taken away this way, by fixing my eye most upon my own disadvantages\nand my brother\u2019s advantages. If I be higher in any respect, yet certainly\nI am lower in some, and therefore the unity of the body may be preserved\nby humility. I will consider in what I come short, and in what another\nexcels, and so I can condescend to them of low degree. This is the\nsubstance of that which is subjoined. (Rom. xii. 16) \u201cMind not high\nthings, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own\nconceits.\u201d And this makes us meet in honour to prefer one another, taking\nourselves up in the notion of what evil is in us, and another up in the\nnotion of what good is in him. Rom. xii. 10, \u201cBe kindly affectioned one to\nanother, with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another.\u201d Thus\nthere may be an equality of mutual respect and love, where there is an in\nequality of gifts and graces, there may be one measure of charity, where\nthere are different measures of faith, because both neglect that\ndifference, and pitch upon their own evils and another\u2019s good.\n\nIt is our custom to compare ourselves among ourselves, and the result of\nthat secret comparison is estimation of ourselves, and despising others.\nWe take our measure, not by our own real and intrinsic qualifications, but\nby the stature of other men\u2019s, and if we find any disadvantage in others,\nor any pre-eminence in ourselves, in such a partial application and\ncollation of ourselves with others (as readily self love, if it find it\nnot, will fancy it), then we have a tacit gloriation within ourselves, and\na secret complacency in ourselves. But the humble Christian dares not make\nhimself of that number, nor boast of things without his measure. He dare\nnot think himself good, because, _deterioribus melior_, \u201cbetter than\nothers who are worse.\u201d But he judges himself by that intrinsic measure\nwhich God hath distributed unto him, and so finds reason of sobriety and\nhumility, and therefore he dare not stretch himself beyond his measure, or\ngo without his station and degree, 2 Cor. x. 12-14. Humility makes a man\ncompare himself with the best, that he may find how bad he himself is. But\npride measures by the worst, that it may hide from a man his own\nimperfections. The one takes a perfect rule, and finds itself nothing. The\nother takes a crooked rule, and imagines itself something. But this is the\nway that unity may be kept in the body, if all the members keep this\nmethod and order, the lowest to measure by him that is higher, and the\nhigher to judge himself by him that is yet above him, and he that is above\nall the rest, to compare with the rule of perfection, and find himself\nfurther short of the rule than the lowest is below him. If our comparisons\ndid thus ascend, we would descend in humility, and all the different\ndegrees of persons would meet in one centre of lowliness of mind. But\nwhile our rule descends, our pride ascends. The scripture holds out pride\nand self estimation as the root of many evils, and humility as the root of\nmany good fruits among men. \u201cOnly through pride comes contention,\u201d Prov.\nxiii. 10. There is pride at least in one of the parties, and often in\nboth. It makes one man careless of another, and out of contempt not to\nstudy equity and righteousness towards him, and it makes another man\nimpatient of receiving and bearing an injury or disrespect. While every\nman seeks to please himself, the contention arises. Pride in both parties\nmakes both stiff and inflexible to peace and equity, and in this there is\na great deal of folly. For, by this means, both procure more real\ndispleasure and dissatisfaction to their own spirits. \u201cBut with the well\nadvised is wisdom.\u201d They who have discretion and judgment will not be so\nwedded to their own conceits, but that in humility they can forbear and\nforgive for peace\u2019 sake. And though this seem harsh and bitter at first,\nto a passionate and distempered mind, yet O how sweet is it after! There\nis a greater sweetness and refreshment in the peaceable condescendence of\na man\u2019s spirit, and in the quiet passing by any injury, than the highest\nsatisfaction that ever revenge or contention gave to any man. \u201cWhen pride\ncomes, then comes shame, but with the lowly is wisdom,\u201d Prov. xi. 2. Pride\ngroweth to maturity and ripeness. Shame is near hand it, almost as near as\nthe harvest. If pride come up, shame is in the next rank behind it. But\nthere is a great wisdom in lowliness. That is, the honourable society that\nit walks in. There may be a secret connection between this and the former\nverse, \u201cdivers and false balances are abomination to the Lord, but a just\nbalance is his delight.\u201d Now, if it be so in such low things as\nmerchandise, how much more abominable is a false spiritual balance in the\nweighing of ourselves! Pride hath a false balance in its hand, the weight\nof self love carries down the one scale by far.\n\nLowliness of mind is the strongest bond of peace and charity. It banishes\naway strife and vain glory, and makes each man to esteem another better\nthan himself, (Philip. ii. 3) because the humble man knows his own inside,\nand only another\u2019s outside. Now certainly the outside is always better and\nmore specious than the inside, and therefore a humble man seeing nothing\nbut his neighbour\u2019s outside, and being acquainted throughly with his own\ninside, he esteems another better than himself. Humility, as it makes a\nman to think well of another, so it hinders him to speak evil of his\nbrother. James iv. He lays down the ground work in the 10th verse, \u201cHumble\nyourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.\u201d He raises\nhis superstructure, verses 11, 12: \u201cSpeak not evil one of another,\nbrethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother,\nspeaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law, but if thou judge the law,\nthou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is\nable to save, and to destroy. who art thou that judgest another?\u201d For\ntruly the very ground of evil speaking of that nature, is some advantage,\nwe conceive, that may redound to our own reputation, by the diminution of\nanother\u2019s fame. Or, because we are so short sighted in ourselves,\ntherefore we are sharp sighted towards others, and because we think little\nof our own faults, we are ready to aggravate other men\u2019s to an extremity.\nBut in so doing we take the place of the judge and law upon us, which\njudges others, and is judged by none. So we judge others, and not\nourselves. Neither will we suffer ourselves to be judged by others. This\nis to make ourselves the infallible rule, to judge the law.\n\nHumility levels men to a holy subjection and submission to another,\nwithout the confusion of their different degrees and stations. It teaches\nmen to give that respect and regard to even one that is due to his place\nor worth, and to signify it in such a way as may testify the simplicity of\ntheir estimation, and sincerity of their respect. Eph. v. 21, \u201cSubmit\nyourselves one to another in the fear of God.\u201d 1 Pet. v. 5, \u201cAll of you be\nsubject one to another, and be clothed with humility.\u201d Now, if humility\ncan put a man below others, certainly it will make him endure patiently\nand willingly to be placed in that same rank by others. When others give\nhim that place to sit into, that he had chosen for himself, will he\nconceive himself wronged and affronted, though others about him think so?\nNay, it is hard to persuade him of an injury of that kind, because the\napprehension of such an affront hath for its foundation the imagination of\nsome excellency beyond others, which lowliness hath razed out. He hath\nplaced himself so low for every man\u2019s edification and instruction, that\nothers can put him no lower, and there he sits quietly and peaceably.\n_Bene qui latuit bene vixit._(425) Affronts and injuries fly over him, and\nlight upon the taller cedars, while the shrubs are safe.\n\nQui cadit in plano, (vix hoc tamen evenit ipsum,)\nSic cadit, ut tacta surgere possit humo.(426)\n\nHe sits so low, that he cannot fall lower, so a humble man\u2019s fall upon the\nground is no fall indeed, but in the apprehension of others, but it is a\nheavy and bruising fall from off the tower of self conceit.\n\nNow the example that is given us, \u201cLearn of me,\u201d is certainly of greater\nforce to persuade a man to this humble, composed, and quiet temper of\nspirit, than all the rules in the world. That the Son of God should come\ndown and act it before our eyes, and cast us a pattern of humility and\nmeekness, if this do not prevail to humble the heart, I know not what can.\nIndeed this root of bitterness, which is in all men\u2019s hearts by nature, is\nvery hard to pluck up, yea, when other weeds of corruption are extirpated\nthis poisonable one, pride groweth the faster, and roots the deeper.\nSuppose a man should be stript naked of all the garments of the old man,\nthis would be certainly nearest his skin and last to put off. It is so\npestilent an evil, that it grows in the glass window as well as on the\ndunghill and, which is strange, it can spring out of the heart, and take\nmoisture and aliment from humility, as well as from other graces. A man is\nin hazard to wax proud that he is not proud, and to be high minded because\nhe is lowly. Therefore, it is not good to reflect much upon our own\ngraces, no more than for a man to eat much honey.\n\nI know not any antidote so sovereign as the example of Jesus Christ, to\ncure this evil, and he himself often proposes this receipt to his\ndisciples, (John xiii. 13-17) \u201cYe call me Master and Lord, and ye say\nwell, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet\nye also ought to wash one another\u2019s feet. For I have given you an example,\nthat ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you,\nthe servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater\nthan he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do\nthem.\u201d  Matt xi. 29, 30, \u201cTake my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am\nmeek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my\nyoke is easy, and my burden is light.\u201d Matt. xx. 27, 28, \u201cAnd whosoever\nwill be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of man\ncame not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a\nransom for many.\u201d  Might not that sound always in our ears, the servant is\nnot above his lord, the \u201cSon of man came not to be ministered unto, but to\nminister?\u201d O whose spirit would not that compose? What apprehension of\nwrong would it not compensate? What flame of contention about worth and\nrespect would it not quench? What noise of tumultuous passions would it\nnot silence? Therefore, the apostle of the Gentiles prescribes this\nmedicine, (Phil. ii. 5-8) \u201cLet this mind be in you, which was also in\nChrist Jesus who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be\nequal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the\nform of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in\nfashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even\nthe death of the cross.\u201d If he did humble himself out of charity, who was\nso high, how should we humble ourselves, both out of charity and\nnecessity, who are so low! If we knew ourselves, it were no strange thing\nthat we were humble, the evidence of truth would extort it from us. But\nhere is the wonder, that he who knew himself to be equal to God, should\nnotwithstanding become lower than men, that the Lord of all should become\nthe servant of all, and the King of glory make himself of no reputation!\nThat he pleased to come down lowest, who knew himself to be the highest of\nall, no necessity could persuade it, but charity and love hath done it.\nNow, then, how monstrous and ugly a thing must pride be after this! That\nthe dust should raise itself, and a worm swell, that wretched, miserable\nman should be proud, when it please the glorious God to be humble, that\nabsolute necessity shall not constrain to this, that simple love persuaded\nhim to!  How doth this heighten and elevate humility, that such an one\ngives out himself, not only as the teacher, but as the pattern of it.\n\u201cLearn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest\nunto your souls.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\nSEVERAL SERMONS UPON THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECTS OF PRACTICAL RELIGION.\n\n\n\n\nThe Publisher To The Reader.\n\n\nThere are no sermons I know of any divine or pastor in this kingdom, that\nhave been more frequently printed, or more universally read and esteemed,\nthan the elegant and judicious discourses of Mr. Binning, which were\npublished after his death, at different times, in four small volumes. As\nthere was a great demand for these valuable writings, about twenty six\nyears ago; so these printed copies of them were compared with his own\nmanuscript copy now in my hand, carefully revised, and then printed, in a\nlarge 4to of 641 pages, by Robert Fleming, Printer at Edinburgh, in the\nyear 1735, to which was prefixed a short account of his Life, chiefly\ntaken from the large memoirs of his Life, that the Reverend Mr. Robert\nM\u2019Ward, some time minister of the gospel at Glasgow, wrote, in a long\nletter to the Reverend Mr. James Coleman, Minister of the gospel at Sluys\nin Flanders, who translated Mr. Binning\u2019s Sermons into High Dutch, and\nprinted them for the benefit of the Christian congregations in Holland and\nFlanders. Some of the most memorable particulars of this great man\u2019s life\nhave been also published, anno 1753, by the reverend, learned, and\nindustrious Mr. John Wesley, late Fellow of Lincoln college, Oxford, in\nhis Christian Library, which contains about fifty volumes in 8vo of\nExtracts from, and Abridgments of, the choicest pieces of practical\nDivinity, we have printed in our language. It is prefixed to Mr. Binning\u2019s\nSermons upon the first and part of the second chapters of the first\nEpistle of John, in the 29th volume of that useful work.(427)\n\nMr. Binning\u2019s elegant and judicious Treatise of Christian Love was first\nprinted from a manuscript in my hand, at Edinburgh, 1743, in an octavo\npamphlet of forty-seven pages, in short print, by Robert Fleming, to which\nhe hath prefixed a short preface. And the publisher tells us, \u201cThat he had\nrevised about twenty four sermons, upon very edifying and profitable\nsubjects, to print in a separate volume, from which they [his readers]\nshould receive as great improvement and satisfaction, as from any of his\nprinted treatises, which every person may easily discover from the style\nand language to be Mr. Binning\u2019s genuine compositions, as his manner of\nwriting can scarcely be imitated by any other person.\u201d These sermons were\ncarefully transcribed some little time ago, and revised by the assistance\nof a friend, and are now printed in this small volume.... And not to\ndetain the reader further from the serious and candid perusal of this\nbook, I shall only add, that I have faithfully transcribed these sermons\nfrom the manuscript copy without the smallest alteration of his\nsentiments. I have endeavoured to rectify a few grammatical errors of the\ntranscribers and the old form of spelling, and altered a few words not now\nused in our modern sermons, for words of the same meaning. As I have added\nseveral sermons of this author upon the kingdom of God, which I\ntranscribed since the proposals of this book were printed, so I could not\ninsert the sermons upon Acts xxvi. 18; Acts xiv. 11, 12, without almost\ndoubling the price, which I feared would not be agreeable to some of the\nencouragers of this work. I intend to put the other sermons I have\ntranscribed, or may yet copy, into the hands of some friends to revise\nbefore they be printed; as also Mr. M\u2019Ward\u2019s Life of this worthy\ngentleman, taken from his own papers....\n\nIt is my sincere wish, that all the readers of this book may be builded up\nin spiritual wisdom and goodness unto eternal life.\n\nBrousterland, September 12th, 1760\n\n\n\n\nSermon I.\n\n\n    1 John iii. 23.\u2014\u201cAnd this is his commandment, That we should\n    believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one\n    another.\u201d\n\n\nIt is a common doctrine often declared unto you, that the most part of\nthose who hear the gospel do run, in their pretended course to heaven,\neither upon a rock of dashing discouragement, or the sands of sinking\npresumption. These are in all men\u2019s mouths; and no question they are very\ndangerous, so hazardous, as many fools make shipwreck either of the faith,\nor a good conscience,\u2014of the faith, by running upon and dashing upon the\nrock,\u2014of a good conscience, by sitting down upon the quicksand. But I fear\nthat which is commonly confessed by all is cordially believed by few, and\nso, little regarded in our course and conversation. All Christians pretend\nto be making a voyage heaven-ward, and that is only home-ward. Now the\ngospel is given us to direct our course, and teach us how to steer between\nthese two hazards, both safely and surely. This is the shore that shall\nguide us, and conduct to our intended haven, that is heaven, if we set our\ncompass by it, and steer our course accordingly. Yet strange it is to\nbehold the infinite wanderings and errors of men, on the one hand or the\nother:\u2014some presuming upon the news of mercy, and the sound of God\u2019s\ngrace, to walk after the imagination of their own hearts, and to live and\ncontinue in sin, for which Christ died, that he might redeem us from it,\nfancying a possibility of living in sin, and escaping wrath, and so\nabusing the tender of grace to promote licentiousness;\u2014others, again,\napprehending the wrath of God, and their just deservings, abusing the\nnotion of God\u2019s justice, and the perfection of his holiness, to the\nprejudice of the glory of his grace and mercy, and their own salvation.\nThis is certainly the cunning sleight of Satan, with the deceitfulness and\nignorance of our own hearts, that leads men, and sometimes one and the\nsame man, at diverse times, to contrary misapprehensions of divine truths.\nThe wind of temptation gets fires to one corner of the house and then to\nanother, and sometimes over-persuades the notion of mercy, and another\ntime overstretches the apprehension of his justice; and yet in effect\nthere is no true persuasion of any of them, but a cloud or shadow is\napprehended instead of them.\n\nNow I say, there is one cure for both these,\u2014the right apprehension of the\ngospel in its entire and whole sum, the right uptaking of the light which\nshines in a dark place, and is given to lead us to our place of rest\u2014to\nhave a complete model, and a short summary of the gospel, always in our\nheart and eye. For truly it is the apprehending of parcels of divine\ntruth, which leads men into such opposite mistakes and courses. To remedy\nthis, we have some brief comprehensive models of the gospel set down by\nthe Holy Ghost, and none in better terms than this here: \u201cThis is his\ncommandment, that ye believe,\u201d &c. You have it in two words, faith and\nlove. This is the form of sound words which we should hold fast, 2 Tim. i.\n13. This is the mould of doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles. It\nis the separation of these two in some men\u2019s fancy, that leads too many in\nsuch paths of destruction. Truly they can as little be divided as the\nsun\u2019s light and heat, but the motions and shadows of them may, and it is\nthe following the shadows of some of them which shipwrecks souls. Now not\nonly the common multitude of the hearers of the gospel are in hazard of\nthis, but even God\u2019s own children, who have believed in him.\n\nThe taking up of these things apart, creates the heart much trouble and\nperplexity, and occasioneth much sin and stumbling. I do think it is the\nignorance and advertency of this conjunction, that makes our case both\nmore sad and sinful than otherwise it would be. And these two indeed have\na mutual influence upon one another, loosing reins to sin more freely, for\nit unquestionably disturbs the soul\u2019s peace, and procures it much\nbitterness. And again, the quitting hold of the promise of grace in Christ\nJesus, and the indulging our own sad and sullen apprehensions, cannot but\nin the issue disable the soul from the duties of love, and expose it unto\nthe violence of every temptation. As these two do mutually strengthen one\nanother, the faith of Jesus Christ, and the lively apprehension of his\ngrace and goodness, so they are the most noble and effectual persuasives\nto live unto him, and to walk in love. Besides, faith is the mean and way\nwhich God hath appointed to convoy his influence unto the soul; and then\nagain, love carrying itself actively in duties to God and men, bestirring\nitself for God and those who are beloved of God, it brings in a supply to\nfaith, and returns by a straight compass to the spring from whence it\nfirst issued, and increases it still more. Believing on the name of the\nSon sends forth the stream of holy affection to him, and all begotten of\nthe Father, and this returns again by the circuit of obedience to his\ncommands and submission to his easy yoke, to unbosom itself in the\nfountain from whence it first issued; and whereas faith was at first one\nsimple soul adherence to a Saviour, and a hearty embracing of him, this\naccession of the fruits of it exalts it unto that height of assurance, and\ngives that evidence which it wanted; and faith being thus strengthened,\nand rooted, and built up to the top of assurance of God\u2019s grace, love, and\nsalvation, it becomes more able to bear the yoke of his commands, which\nare not grievous. The spring of believing, thus swelled by the concurrence\nof so many streams, it breaks forth the more, and sends out more love and\ndelight in God, and more charity, compassion, and meekness towards men.\nAnd this is the circle and round Christianity runs, until that day come\nthat the head-spring of faith shall be obscured and shrivelled up in the\ngreat sea of the love of God, which shall overflow all the saints\u2019 graces\nin due time, when we shall see God face to face.\n\nThis is a true Christian, which this apostle so beloved of God describes.\nHere is one under a commandment, and not above it, as some fondly\nconceive. He is a keeper of his commands, and a doer of these things which\nare pleasant in God\u2019s sight. This is no legal notion, if it be right\ntaken.\n\nIt is not the bondage of the creature to be under the command of God,\ntruly it is the beauty and liberty of a reasonable soul. Some speak of all\nsubjection unto a law as slavery, but is it not an infinitely greater\nslavery to be at liberty to sin, and serve our own lusts? O wretched and\nbase liberty! the Son indeed makes us truly free, and that from sin; and\nhe is truly a Redeemer who redeems us from all iniquity, John viii. 32;\nPsal. cxxx. ult.; Tit. ii. 14.\n\nBut this commandment here spoken of, would not indeed be gospel, unless\nthere was a prior command, a brighter precept, given by the Father to the\nSon. I find two commands given by the Father, and received by the Son,\nwhich two you may conjoin and make one of, as here faith and love are made\none commandment. The first is, John x. 18, \u201cI lay down my life of myself,\nno man taketh it from me. This commandment have I received from my Father,\nand no other.\u201d John xii. 49, 50, \u201cThe Father gave me a commandment, what I\nshould say and speak, and I know that his commandment is life\neverlasting.\u201d This is more expressly and clearly set down, John vi. 39,\n40, \u201cThis is the Father\u2019s will that sent me, that of all that he gave me I\nshould lose none, but raise them up at the last day. This is the will of\nhim that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on\nhim, should have everlasting life.\u201d Here, then, beloved in the Lord, is\nthe foundation of our hope, and that which makes all commandments given by\nGod to us to come under a gospel notion, that which makes Christ\u2019s yoke\neasy, and his burden light, and his commands not grievous. The great\ncommandment was imposed upon our Saviour. The great weight of that wrath\ndue to our sins was put upon his shoulders. This was the Father\u2019s will,\nthat he should lay down his life for his sheep; this command he received\nwillingly, and obeyed faithfully and fully. And by his obedience to this,\nthat great obligation to satisfy God\u2019s justice, and pay a ransom for our\nsouls is taken off us; inasmuch as he died, justice cannot come and demand\nit at our hand. Now, therefore, there is another commandment given to\nChrist, which directly concerns us, and it is this in substance: \u201cI will\nand command that thou who hast come in the place of sinners, and resolvest\nto die for them, that thou give eternal life to whom thou wilt, even to as\nmany as believe in thy name; I give to thee the absolute disposal of life\nand death; I command thee to preach life everlasting to all pious souls,\nthat shall flee unto thee upon the apprehension of the danger of death,\nand that thou bestow that life upon them, and raise them up at the last\nday to be partakers of it.\u201d This is the commission the Father gave to the\nSon, a sweet commission for poor sinners, and the charter of our\nsalvation. And for this errand he was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and\nsent into the world; nay, the commission extends further than grace, even\nto eternal glory also. Christ has received commandment of the Father, to\ngive repentance and remission of sin, both to give faith, and love, and\nall other graces, else it were defective. Thus Christ comes instructed to\nthe world. He lays open his commission in preaching the gospel. He obeys\nthe first commandment in his own person, by offering up himself upon the\ncross a sacrifice for sins, and he is about the fulfilling the next\ncommandment, that is, the giving life to them that believe: and that he\nmay accomplish it, having ascended himself unto heaven to intercede for\nus, he also sent his ambassadors into the world, to whom he hath committed\nthe word of reconciliation, and he gives them commission to publish and\nproclaim this commandment in his own name. This is his command, that ye\n\u201cbelieve on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.\u201d And this we do proclaim in\nhis name, since he has gotten a commandment to give life everlasting to\nbelievers. This, then, is his charge to you, to come and receive it from\nhim. Come and embrace him, and ye shall have life and all in him. This is\nthe hardest and heaviest burden he imposes upon you, the weight of your\nlife and salvation he hath taken upon himself. But O! now come and lay\nhold on him, who is thus offered unto you. Know that you are lost and\nundone in yourselves, consider the impossibilities you lie under to escape\nhis wrath. Behold the anger of God hanging over your head, ready to be\nrevealed in flaming fire, and a tempestuous cloud of eternal misery. Will\nye consider that ye are born heirs of wrath? Your natural inheritance is\nin the lake of fire; and whatsoever your endowments by nature, or your\nprivileges by birth be, nothing shall exeem you from this. Shall not then\nthis Saviour be welcome to you? For truly faith is but a cordial\nsalutation and embracement of our blessed Redeemer. The soul brings him\ninto the house, and makes him welcome, and he is standing ready to come in\nto your heart, and to bring in salvation with him.\n\nNow whatever soul hath obeyed this commandment by belief of the truth, and\nreceiving of Christ into the heart, there is but one commandment behind,\nand it is not grievous, viz., love me, and love one another; love me, and\nlive unto me. This is an easy yoke; and there is good reason for it,\nthough it had never been required to love him, and live to him, who loved\nnot his life unto the death for us. There is mention made only of\nbrotherly love here, but certainly the other love to God flowing from the\nsense of his love, is the right wing of the soul, and brotherly love the\nleft; and by these the pious soul mounts up to heaven with the wings of an\neagle. The love of our brother is but the fruit and consequent of this\nlove, but it is set down as a probation, and clear evidence of the love of\nGod in our souls.\n\nLove is commanded as the very sum and substance of the whole law, as the\nfountain of all other duties. Things are compacted in their causes, and\nlie hid within the virtue of them. Truly this is the way to persuade and\nconstrain you to all the duties of godliness and righteousness, of piety\ntowards God, and charity towards men,\u2014if once we could fasten this chain\nof affection upon your hearts, and engage your souls by love to God and\nman. We cannot but beat the air, while we seek to persuade you to the\nserious practice of religious duties, of prayer in secret and in your\nfamilies, of reading and meditation upon the word, of sanctifying the\nSabbath, of dealing justly and moderately with all men, of sobriety and\ntemperance in your conversation, of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,\nof walking humbly with God and towards men, of restraining and subduing\nyour inordinate lusts and passions; I say, it is almost in vain to press\nthese things upon you, or expect them from you, till once the Spirit of\npower and love enter into your hearts; and indeed the spirit of love is a\npowerful spirit, the love of God possessing the heart within, cannot but\nconform all within and without to his love and good pleasure. Love only\ncan do these things which are pleasant in his sight, for it doth them\npleasantly, heartily, and cheerfully; and God loves a cheerful giver, a\ncheerful worshipper. Brotherly love is rather expressed, because little or\nnot at all studied by the most part. Other duties to God, if men come not\nup in practice to them, yet they approve them in their soul and mind. But\nthere is scarce a notion of the obligation of charity and love towards our\nbrethren, yea, not so much as in the minds of Christians, let be in their\npractice. It is the special command which Christ left to his disciples\nwhen he was going away, John xiii. 35. But, alas! we have forgotten it, it\nis so long since.\n\n\n\n\nSermon II.\n\n\n    1 John iii. 23.\u2014\u201cThis is his commandment, that,\u201d &c.\n\n\nWe commonly make many rules in religion, and turn it into a laborious art,\nfull of intricate questions, precepts, and contentions. As there hath been\na great deal of vanity in the conception of speculative divinity, by a\nmultitude of vain and unedifying questions which have no profit in them,\nor are beneficial to them that are occupied therein, but only have stirred\nup strife and envy, and raised the flame of contention in the Christian\nworld; so I fear that practical divinity is no less vitiated and spoiled\nin this age amongst true Christians (by many perplexed cases relating to\nevery condition), than the other among the schoolmen. Hereby it seems to\nme, that Christ and his apostles did not suppose it to be so perplexed a\nbusiness as we now do make it; neither did the hearers weary themselves or\nothers with so many various objections against the practice of the\nfundamental commandment of the gospel, believing in Jesus Christ. The\nplain nature of the gospel being holden forth and received, I am\npersuaded, was and is able (like the sun arising in brightness) to dispel\nand scatter all these mists and clouds which do arise both in the one and\nother, from ignorance at first, and which are elevated to a greater height\nby the custom of the times. The matter, my brethren, is not so dark as you\nmake it. Here it is plainly and simply expressed: \u201cThis is his\ncommandment, that ye believe in the name of his Son;\u201d and then, \u201clove one\nanother.\u201d Ye all know that we had commandments given us by God, which were\nby nature impressed on the heart of man; but by his fall into sin, the\ntables of the law (which I may say were in Adam\u2019s mind and heart,\nunderstanding and affection), those two tables were broken in the fall,\nand since there could be no obedience, because of ignorance and\nperversion, the tables breaking in pieces, their ruptures have produced\nthese two opposite principles. The fall of man hath broken his mind, and\nso darkened his understanding, and broken his will, and put it in a wrong\nset. This appointed it, set it in a posture of enmity against God.\nHowever, we are by this fall utterly disabled to stand up before God in\nacceptable obedience. There is no man breathing, how blameless soever he\nbe before the world, but must fall down as guilty before God in many\nthings, yea, in all things. But the law being thus obliterated out of\nmen\u2019s consciences, as he lost ability to obey, so he lost almost all\nconscience of sin and disobedience. He not knowing his charge and\nobligation, could not accuse himself for falling in rebellion. Therefore\nit pleased the Lord to cause the law to be written in tables of stone in\nmount Sinai. He transcribes the commandments over again, that all the\nworld may see their obligation, and how infinitely short they have come in\ntheir subjection, and how just their condemnation may be. For this\npurpose, the Lord causes proclaim the old bond in the ears of men with\ngreat majesty and authority, as it became the Lawgiver, that all may\nbecome guilty, and stop their mouth before God, Rom. iii. 19. He would\nonce have all men knowing that they are under infinite breaches of his\ncommandments, that they may see themselves also subject to his judgment.\nNow, what do you think of a soul that stands at the foot of this mountain,\nand hears a dreadful accusation read against it, to all which the\nconscience within must subscribe unto, and both together pronounce the\nperson guilty and liable to eternal punishment? I say, what can such a\nsoul do, who has with trembling heard his voice? Satisfaction there cannot\nbe given for an infinite offence against an infinite nature. The curse and\nsentence which was the sanction and confirmation of this commandment is\njust, and there appears no way how, without violation of God\u2019s justice, it\ncan be repealed. Obedience to these commandments is now both impossible\nand unprofitable;\u2014impossible, I say, because of the weakness and\nwickedness of the flesh, that has no ability nor willingness but to offend\nand disobey; and unprofitable, because it cannot at all relax the former\nsentence of condemnation. Now obedience, being a present duty, cannot pay\nold debts, or satisfy for our former rebellions, and so it must leave a\nman to seen condemnation. I fear this is a puzzle that all consciences\nmust come unto here, or elsewhere. Here is a strait indeed.\n\nBut yet there is an enlargement, there is a way found out of bringing the\nsoul out of the miry clay, and deep pit of misery; and it is this, God\nhath found out a ransom for himself, without our procurement, or consent,\nor knowledge. He hath provided a satisfaction to his justice in his Son\nJesus Christ. Having laid upon him our iniquities, he exacts of him our\ndeserved punishment, and makes him a curse who knew no sin. Now this being\ndone, the Lord sends forth to all poor sinners who are trembling at mount\nSinai this proclamation,\u2014this is my last and most peremptory command, that\nye believe in the name of my Son Jesus Christ. This is my well-beloved\nSon, in whom I am well-pleased, hear ye him. Have ye heard me the lawgiver\ncondemning you? Now go and hear him, the Mediator and Saviour, absolving\nyou, for I have committed all judgment unto him. Though I pronounce the\nsentence in this world against you, yet I have committed all the execution\nof it to him, and if you come to him, you may prevent it. You have broken\nall my former commandments, and I have pronounced a sentence against you\nfor that. But now I give a new commandment instead of all the former,\nwhich if you obey, then the sentence of death is relaxed. You who cannot\nobey the law and give satisfaction in your own persons, I charge you to\nflee unto my Son Christ, who hath given me full satisfaction both to the\ncurse, by suffering, and to the command, by obedience, and lay hold on his\nrighteousness as your own, and in him ye are justified, and delivered from\nall these sentences and hard writings against you. I give a new\ncommandment as the cure and remedy of all broken commandments. Believe on\nthis name, in which is salvation. Take his obedience and suffering for\nyour cure, and present me with that, I shall be as well satisfied as with\nyour own personal satisfaction.\n\nThis now is very plain business. All commands are broken. There is yet one\npublished in the gospel to help all, and it is in substance to embrace and\nwelcome Jesus Christ for all, to seek our life and salvation in him, to\ntake him as a priest to offer sacrifice for us, and expiate our sins, and\nto come to him as a prophet to seek wisdom and illumination, and all grace\nfrom him; to choose him as our King, henceforth to submit to his easy yoke\nof government. Now I say there will be no more debates about this. Will ye\nyet dispute whether ye may believe or not? Will ye inquire after this\nwhether you have a warrant or not? Truly such a question would occasion\nmuch jealousy and provocation among men. If a man had signified as much\nwillingness by command, by invitation, by request, by frequent repetition\nof these, yet to call in question or dispute whether or not I may go to\nsuch a person, will he make me welcome, were it not the greatest affront I\ncould put upon him? Would it not alienate his affection more than any\nthing, to be jealous of his real kindness to me.\n\nI would desire to hold out unto you the sin, the danger, and the vanity of\nsuch a way. I say the sin is great, it is no less than the highest and\nmost heinous disobedience to the gospel, which of all others is of the\ndeepest dye. You have disobeyed the law, and broken all the ten\ncommandments. And will ye therefore disobey the gospel, too, and break\nthis fundamental commandment? Is it not enough that ye have broken the\nrest, and will ye break this also, which was given for the cure of all?\n\nConsider, I say, this is his commandment. Now commands should be obeyed,\nand not disputed, coming from an infallible and uncontrollable authority.\nWould ye not silence all the rebellions of your hearts against the\ncommands of praying, hearing, reading, dealing justly, and walking\nsoberly, with this one word, it is his command, it is his sovereign will?\nAnd why do ye not see the stamp of that same authority upon this? Now if\nyou consider it aright, it hath more authority upon it than upon others,\nbecause it is his last command, and so would be taken as most pungent and\nweighty. When your hearts rise up to question and dispute this matter, I\npray you cut all these knotty objections with the sword of his\ncommandment. You use to go about to loose them by particular answers and\nuntie them at leisure with art and skill, but truly it would be a readier\nand wiser course to cut them in pieces at one stroke, by this piercing and\npungent precept. If your reasons and scruples be weighty, and you cannot\nget answers to overbalance them, I pray you put this weighty seal of\ndivine authority into the balance, and sure I am it will weigh down all.\nConsider then the danger of it. It is the last and most peremptory\ncommand, after which you may expect no other, but the execution of\njustice. How sad and severe is the certification, \u201cHe that believeth not\nis condemned already,\u201d and \u201cthe wrath of God abideth on him.\u201d There needs\nno new sentence to be pronounced against you. Why? Because, if you believe\nnot, that prior sentence of the law is yet standing above your heads to\ncondemn you, that wrath abides on you. This is the only way to remove it,\nto come to him, who hath taken it on himself, after the breach of all\ncommands. Ye have this retreat, this refuge to flee unto, a new command to\ncome unto the Son, and have life; but after this disobedience of the Son,\nyou have none. There is nothing after unbelief, but ye are turned over, or\nrather left over, in the hand of the law and divine justice. Therefore it\nis the most dangerous and damnable thing to disobey this. It is to refuse\nthe very remedy of sin. Consider also what vanity and uselessness is in\nthese debates. What an unreasonable and senseless thing is it to dispute\nagainst our own soul, and against our own happiness! All is wrapt up here,\nand we do no less than the highest act of self-murder that can be. He that\nhateth me, wrongs his own soul. What an unreasonable thing then is it,\nbecause ye are miserable, to refuse mercy; because ye are unclean,\ntherefore to maintain that ye are not to come to the blessed fountain of\ncleansing; because ye have broken the rest of the commands, therefore ye\nmay not obey this? Is there any sense or reason in such things; because I\nam a sinner, therefore I will not come to a Saviour? Alas! to what purpose\nwas the Son sent and given, and for what end came he? Was it not to seek\nand to save such as are lost and undone, and to deliver them from misery?\nWhat do you gain by such questions? For at length you must turn and enter\nin at the door of a naked command and promise, when you have wearied\nyourselves to find that in your hearts which is not in them, to seek\nwaters in the wilderness, and springs in the desert, qualifications and\ngraces in your own hearts to warrant your boldness in coming to the\npromise. I say, when you have sought and all in vain, you must at length\ncome to this fountain in which is all grace and happiness. If you had what\nyou seek, yet if ye would indeed believe in Christ, you must deny them and\nlook upon yourselves as ungodly, to be justified by faith. Why then do you\ngrasp after that which can do you no good, (though you had it), I mean, in\npoint of your acceptation? Consider it, my beloved, that the honour of God\nand your own happiness lies most in this, nay not only that, but your\nholiness too, which you pretend to seek after, lies in it. Till you come\nto Christ, it is in vain to seek it elsewhere.\n\n\n\n\nSermon III.\n\n\n    1 John iii. 23.\u2014\u201cAnd this is his commandment,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThere are different tempers of mind among men, some more smooth and\npliable, others more refractory and froward. Some may be persuaded by\nlove, who cannot be constrained by fear. With some a request will more\nprevail than a command. Others again are of a harsher disposition. Love\nand condescension doth rather embolden them, and therefore they must be\nrestrained with the bridle of authority. It would seem that the Lord hath\nsome regard to this in the administration of the gospel. He accommodates\nhimself to the diverse dispositions of men, and (if we may say with\nrespect to him which yet can be no disrespect, seeing he hath humbled\nhimself lower) he doth become all things to all men, that he may gain\nsome. You see the gospel sometimes running in the channel of love and\nkindness, sometimes in the channel of authority and majesty. God sometimes\nstoopeth down to invite, and affectionately to beseech sinners to come\nunto his Son for life. He hath prepared a marriage and banquet for us in\nChrist. He hath made all things ready for the receiving, for the eating,\nand he sends forth his servants to entreat and invite all such, who have\nno bread and clothing, who are poor and lame, to this wedding. He gives an\nhearty invitation to all that stand at an infinite distance from God, and\nso are feeding upon empty vanities without him, to come and enjoy the\nriches of his grace, which runs as a river in Christ between these two\ngolden banks, the pardon of sin, and the purification of our soul from its\npollution. You have a hearty invitation, Isa. lv. 1, 2, 3, \u201cHo, every one\nthat thirsteth, come to the waters.\u201d But he comes yet lower to request and\nobtest poor sinners, as if he could have advantage by it; he will not\nstand(428) to be a supplicant at any man\u2019s door, to beseech him to be\nreconciled to God, 2 Cor. v. 14, 19, 20. As if we could do him a favour\nand benefit, he requests us most earnestly. Truly it is strange that this\ndoth not melt the heart, and make it fall down into the belief and\nobedience of the truth. Affection is the most insinuating and prevailing\nthing with an ingenuous spirit, most of all when it is accompanied with\nmajesty in the person that hath it, and humility in the carriage and\ndisposition. For a great personage to descend out of love, to affectionate\nand humble requests and solicitations, this cannot but have a mighty\ninfluence on any spirit that is not wild and savage. But because the heart\nof man is desperately wicked, and hath lost that true ingenuity and\nnobleness of spirit, and is now become stubborn and froward, as a wild\nass, or as a swift dromedary traversing her ways, therefore the Lord takes\nanother way of dealing with men suitable to their froward natures; he\ngives out his royal statute backed with majesty and authority; \u201cThis is\nhis command,\u201d &c.\u2014that when fair means could not prevail, other means more\nterrible might reduce lost rebellious men. He hedges in our way with\nthreatenings and promises annexed to the commandment, \u201cHe that believeth\nhas everlasting life, but he that believeth not is condemned already, and\nshall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.\u201d He declares all\nmen traitors if they come not in to his Son, to be reconciled to God,\nbefore the decree of wrath pass forth.\n\nTruly it is a wonder that there should be any need either of an\ninvitation, or a request, or a command, or a threatening; that we should\nneed to be invited, or requested, or commanded, or threatened to our own\nhappiness. Might not a bare and simple offer, or proposal of Jesus Christ,\nhis nature, and offices, of the redemption and salvation purchased by him,\nsuffice? What needed more, but to declare unto us that we are lost and\nutterly undone by nature, and that there is a refuge and remedy provided\nin Christ? Surely in any other thing of little importance, we needed no\nentreaty. Were it not a good enough invitation to a man that is like to\nstarve for hunger, to cast meat freely before him; or to a man that is in\nhazard of drowning, to cast a cord to him? We would seek no other\npersuasion to go and dig for a treasure of gold, than to show us where it\nis hid. But strange is the rebellious and perverse disposition of man\u2019s\nheart. What an enmity is in it to the ways of God! What strange\ninclination to self-murder, ever since man destroyed himself! We cannot\nexpress it unto you; but you may perceive it well enough, both by the\nLord\u2019s frequent obtesting, and protesting to us in his word, and the\nexperience of the great barrenness of all such means. Whence is it, I pray\nyou, that there should need so many means to persuade you to that which is\nyour own advantage, and to call you to shun the ways of destruction? And\nwhence is it that notwithstanding of all those invitations, entreaties,\ncommandments, promises and threatenings often sounding in your ears, yet\nthe most part are not reduced to obedience, nor reclaimed from the ways of\ndeath, and do not take hold of the path of life. Truly it may plainly\npoint out to you the desperate wickedness of the heart, the stubbornness\nand rebelliousness of our disposition, and if once we could persuade you\nof this we had gained a great point which few do seriously consider, and\nso do not abhor themselves.\n\nThe commandments mentioned in the text are these two, to believe in\nChrist, and to love our brother. It is no wonder they are recommended with\nso much seriousness and earnestness; for they are both the most\ncomprehensive, and the most pleasing commandments. They are most\ncomprehensive; for it appears that all the commands spoken of in the\npreceding verse, are summed up in this one precept, \u201cAnd this is his\ncommandment,\u201d &c. And that they are most pleasant in God\u2019s sight is\nevident, for the true Christian being described from this, that he does\nthese things that are pleasing in God\u2019s sight,\u2014that he is one that studies\nto conform himself to his good pleasure, this is subjoined, as the two\nmost pleasing exercises of Christianity, \u201cThis is his commandment,\u201d that\nis, his pleasing commandment, that ye should believe in Christ, and love\none another.\n\nThis command of believing in Jesus is comprehensive, because it takes in\nall precepts, and that under a threefold consideration. It takes them all\nin as broken and transgressed by men, as fulfilled by Christ, and also\ntakes them all in as a rule of righteousness, according to which the\nbeliever ought henceforth to walk.\n\nThe command of believing in Christ doth first of all import this\u2014that a\nsinner should examine himself according to the law of God,\u2014that he should\nlay his whole life and course his heart and ways, down before the perfect\nand holy commandments,\u2014that he may stop his own mouth with shame and\nsilence, and find himself guilty before God. Many use to speak of\nhumiliation preparatory to believing, and the work of the law preparatory\nto the gospel. But truly I conceive it would be more fitly expressed, if\nit were holden out thus, that it is one of the essential ingredients in\nthe bosom of believing, and one of the first articles of the gospel law,\nto charge all sinners to acknowledge their sin and misery, to discern\ntheir own abounding iniquity, and danger of perishing by it, how guilty\nthey are before God, and how subject to his judgment, that so finding\nthemselves undone, they may have recourse to a Saviour.\n\nTruly the Spirit\u2019s work is to convince of sin, and then of righteousness,\nand when we are commanded to believe, the first part of our believing is\ncrediting and subscribing to the law, to the justice and righteousness of\nGod against us, and then the believing and acknowledging the gospel is the\nend and purpose to that. \u201cYe believe in God, believe also in me.\u201d This\ntakes in completely the two books of saving faith towards God as a\nLawgiver and Judge, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ as a Saviour\nand Redeemer; and it doth but beget misapprehensions in many, when the one\nis looked upon as a condition without which we shall not be welcome to the\nother. Truly, I think, both are proposed as essentials of saving faith;\nnone of them in such a way as to procure right and warrant to the other,\nbut only in such an order as is suitable to any reasonable nature to be\nwrought upon, and that is all. It is only required of you, upon that\naccount, because fleeing unto a Saviour for refuge is a rational and\ndeliberate action, which necessarily includes the sense of misery without\nhim. But the sense of sin and misery is not urged as one thing which ye\nshould go about to prepare, and fit yourselves for more welcome at\nChrist\u2019s hand as commonly it is taken. Here it is easy to understand how\nthe command of believing belongs unto all who hear it, even to the vilest\nand grossest sinners, who are yet stout, hard hearted, and far from\nrighteousness, (Isa. xlvi. 12.) those who are spending their money for\nthat which is not bread, and their labour for that which satisfies not,\nand those whose hearts are uncircumcised, and their lives profane. And yet\nthe commandment of coming to the Son and believing on him for life, is\nextended unto them all. All are invited, requested, commanded, and\nthreatened to this duty. There is no bar of exclusion set down in the\ngospel to hold out one, and let in another; as many suppose these\npromises, that sound condition wise, to be limitations and restrictions of\nthe right and warrant to persons to believing. Indeed it is true all are\nnot exhorted at the first hand to assurance of God\u2019s love, and an interest\nin Christ. There is no question that none have right to this seal, but\nthem who have believed and set to their own seal to the character or truth\nof the word. But all are charged to believe in Christ that is, out of a\nsense of their own lost estate, to embrace a Saviour for righteousness and\nstrength. Neither is there any fear that men can come too soon to Christ.\nWe need not set down exclusions or extractions, for if they be not\nsensible of sin and misery, they will certainly not come to him at all.\nAnd therefore the command that enjoins them to believe on the Son, charges\nthem also to believe that they are lost without him. And if the most\npresumptuous sinners would once give obedience to this commandment, really\nthere would be no fear of presumption in coming too soon unto Jesus. A\nsense of sin is not set as a porter, to keep out any who are willing to\ncome in, but rather to open the door, and constrain them that were\nunwilling to enter in, so that if the least measure of that can do this,\nwe are not to stand till we have more, but to come to the Prince exalted\nto get remission of sins, and more true gospel sorrow which worketh\nrepentance unto salvation from dead works. You should not therefore\nunderstand any promises in the scriptures so, as if there were any\nconditions set down to seclude any from coming, who are willing to come.\nFor they do but declare the nature and manner of what they are invited to,\nthat no man may mistake believing, and take his own empty presumptions or\nfancies, which embolden him to sin more, for that true faith which is full\nof good fruits.\n\nNow, in the text, the pious soul, having once subscribed to the guilt and\ncurse of all the commandments by believing the law, he looks also upon the\nSon, Jesus Christ, and finds the law fulfilled, the curse removed, all\nsatisfied in him. He finds all the commandments obeyed in his person, all\nthe wrath due for the breach of them pacified and quenched by his\nsufferings. And he gives a cheerful and cordial approbation of all this.\nHe receives Christ as the end of the law for righteousness, which Christ\nmade up by obedience and suffering to supply our disobedience. We should\nstay or rest upon this, as that which pacifies the Father\u2019s wrath to the\nfull. This is what gives the answer of a good conscience, and pacifies\nevery penitent soul, and secures his title to heaven. Now this presents\nGod with a full atonement and obedience to all the law, which he accepts\nfrom a believer as if it were his own. This is the large comprehension of\nbelieving, it takes in its arms, as it were, in one bundle,(429) all the\nprecepts and curses, and devolves them over on Christ, puts them in an\nable hand, and then takes them all, as satisfied and fulfilled by him, and\nholds them up in one bundle to the Father. And hence it proceeds, in the\nthird place, that believing on the Son takes in all again to be the rule\nof walking and the mark to aim at. Finding such a perfect exoneration of\nbygones(430) in Christ and standing in such favour with God, the soul is\nsweetly constrained to love and delight in the divine laws. And truly this\nis the natural result of faith. I wish you may rightly observe this\nconjunction, that this is inseparably knit with it, love to God and men,\ndelight to do his will, to love him, and live unto him. Do not deceive\nyourselves with vain words. If you find not the smartness of the gospel,\nand the doctrine of grace laying this restraint upon the heart, ye are yet\nin your sins. This is the reasoning of a believing soul. Shall I, who am\ndead unto sin, live any longer therein? Shall I not delight in those\ncommandments, when Christ hath delivered me from the curse of the law?\nThough such a one fall, and come short, yet the pressure of the heart is\nthat way. But then attend unto the order, ye must first believe on the\nSon, and then love him, and live unto him. Ye must first flee unto his\nrighteousness, and then the righteousness of the law shall be wrought in\nyou. Therefore do not weary yourselves to no purpose. Do not wrong your\nown souls by seeking to prevent this order, which was established for your\njoy and salvation. Know that you must first meet with satisfaction in all\nthe commands of Christ, before obedience to any of them be accepted, and\nhaving met with that, know that the sincere endeavour of thy soul, and the\naffectionate bensal(431) of thy heart to thy duty, is accepted. And if ye\nfind yourselves thereafter surcharged with guilt and unanswerable walking,\nyet ye know the way is to begin at this again, to believe in the Son. This\nis the round you must walk, as long as ye are in the body. When you are\ndefiled, run into the fountain, and when you are washed, study to keep\nyour garments clean, but if defiled again, get your hearts washed from\nwickedness. \u201cThese things,\u201d says John, \u201cI write to you that ye sin not,\u201d\nwho believe but if any sin, who desire not to transgress, you have a\npropitiation for the sins of the whole world.\n\nNow love is a very comprehensive command. It is the fulfilling of the\nwhole law, Rom xiii. 10, Matth. xxii. 37, 38. It is indeed the true\nprinciple and pure fountain of our obedience unto God and men. All fruits\nof the Spirit are moral virtues that grow out of the believer. Whether\npleasant unto God, or refreshing unto men, they are all virtually in this\nroot of love, all the streams are compacted in this fountain. Therefore he\nnames one for all, viz. brotherly love, which is the bond of perfection,\nCol. iii. 14. It is a bundle of many divine graces, a company or society\nof many Christian virtues combined together. They are named bowels of\nmercies, long suffering, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,\nforbearance, and forgiveness, all which are tied to the believer\u2019s girdle\nby charity, so that where love is, every good comes. After it a troop of\nso many sweet endowments and ornaments also come, and where this is\nwanting, (as truly it is the epidemical disease of the time), there are\nmany sins abounding, for when iniquity abounds \u201cthe love of many shall wax\ncold,\u201d Matt. xxiv. 12. Oh! that is our temper or rather our distempered\nnature,\u2014love cold, and passion hot! When charity goes away, these wild and\nsavage beasts of darkness come forth, viz. bitter envying and strife,\nrigid censuring and judging, unmercifulness and implacableness of spirit\nupon others\u2019 failings and offences. Self love, that keeps the throne, and\nall the rest are her attendants. For where self love and pride is, there\nis contention, strife, envy, and every evil work, and all manner of\nconfusion. Thus they lead one another as in a chain of darkness, Prov.\nxiii. 10, James iii. 16. Think not that love is a complimental word, and\nan idle motion of loving, it is a more real thing, a more vital thing. It\nhath bowels of mercy, they move themselves when others are moved, and they\nbring their neighbours misery into the inmost seat of the heart, and make\nthe spirit a solemn companion in misery. And it is also exercised in\nforbearing and forgiving. Charity is not easily provoked, therefore it can\nforbear, is easily appeased, therefore it can forgive, it is not soon\ndispleased, or hard to be pleased, \u201cforbearing and forgiving one another\nin love.\u201d Study then this grace more. See it to be the fulfilling of the\nlaw, for \u201cthe end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, a\ngood conscience, and faith unfeigned.\u201d The end of the law is not strife\nand debate, nor such intricate and perplexed matters as minister endless\nquestions and no edification. Though men pretend conscience and scripture,\nyet the great end of both is violated, that is charity, which mainly\nstudies edification in truth and love. And therefore it is a violent\nperversion of the commandment, or word, to overstretch every point of\nconscience, or difference, so far as to the renting of Christian peace and\nunity. What hath kindled all these names of bloody war, what hath\nincreased all these fiery contentions among us, but the want of this? As\nJames says of the tongue, so I may speak of uncharitableness and self\nlove, they set on fire the course of nature, and they are set on fire of\nhell. The true zeal and love of God, is like that elementary fire of which\nthey speak, that in its own place hath a temperate heat, and doth not burn\nor consume what is about it. But our zeal is like the fire that is mixed\nwith some gross matter, a preying, devouring, and consuming thing, zeal\ndown in the lower region of man\u2019s heart, it is mixed with many gross\ncorruptions, which are as oil and fuel to it, and gives it an extreme\nintemperate destroying nature.\n\nBut then consider, that this commandment of love is our Lord and Saviour\u2019s\nlast testamentary injunction to his disciples, John xiii. 34, 35. \u201cA new\ncommandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved\nyou, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are\nmy disciples, if ye have love one to another.\u201d It is Christ\u2019s latter will,\nand given us as a token and badge of discipleship. Every profession hath\nits own signs and rules, every order their own symbol, every rank their\nown character. Here is the differential or peculiar character and livery\nof a Christian, brotherly love,\u2014\u201cBy this shall all men know that ye are my\ndisciples, if ye have love one to another,\u201d &c. I remember a story of a\ndying father who called his sons to him on his death bed, and having sent\nfor a bundle of arrows, he tried them one by one if they could break them,\nand when they had all tried this in vain, he caused loose the bundle, and\ntake the arrows one by one, and so they were easily broken, by which he\ngave them to understand, that their stability and strength would consist\nin unity and concord, but, if love and charity were broken, they were\nexposed to great hazard.(432) I think our Lord and Saviour gives such a\nprecept unto his disciples at his departure out of this world,\u2014\u201cA new\ncommand I give unto you,\u201d &c.  (John xiii. 34)\u2014to show them that the\nperfection of the body, into which they were all called as members,\nconsisted in that bond of charity. And indeed love is not only a bond or\nbundle of perfection in respect of graces, but in regard of the church\ntoo. It is that bond or tie which knits all the members into one perfect\nbody, Col. iii. 14, 15, 16. Without this bond, all must needs be rents,\nrags, and distractions.\n\nNow I shall add but one word of the other, that these commands are\npleasing in God\u2019s sight. And truly believing in the Son must be grateful\nto him, not only from the general nature of obedience to his will, but\nalso because this doth most honour both to the Father and to the Son. The\nFather counts himself much honoured, when we honour the Son, and there is\nno honour the creature can be in a capacity to give unto him like this, to\ncast all our hope, and hang all our happiness upon him, (John v. 23, 24),\nto set to our seal that he is true and faithful, (John iii. 33), which is\ndone by believing. But most of all, this is pleasing in his sight because\nthe Father\u2019s good pleasure concentres in the same point with the soul\u2019s\ngood pleasure, that is, on the well beloved Son, Christ. Therefore faith\nmust needs be well pleasing to the Father, for what is faith else but the\nsoul\u2019s complacency and satisfaction in the Son. As the Father is already\nwell pleased with his death and sufferings, so he propones and holds him\nout in the gospel, that you may be as well pleased with him as he is. This\nis believing indeed, to be pleased with him as the Father is pleased, and\nthis pleases the Father too. Oh that you could understand this! The gospel\nis not brought unto you, that you may reconcile God, and procure a change\nin his affection, but for this end, to beseech you to be reconciled unto\nGod, to take away all hostile affections out of your heart. And this is\nthe business we have to do, to persuade you that the Father holds him\nabundantly contented with his Son. \u201cThis is my beloved Son, in whom I am\nwell pleased.\u201d And to move you to be as well contented with him as he is,\nhe says, \u201cHear him. I hear him for you, hear ye him for me. I hear him\ninterceding for you, hear ye him beseeching you.\u201d Now this may take down\nall ground of jealousy concerning our welcome and acceptance, it cannot\nbut be an acceptable and pleasing thing to God, that the affection and\ndesire of the soul fall in and embosom itself with his good pleasure upon\nChrist his Son.\n\nAnd then, in the next place, it is well pleasing to God that ye love one\nanother, not only because he shall see his own image and likeness in your\nlove, (for there is nothing in which a Christian more eminently resembles\nhis Father, or more evidently appears to be a child of the Highest, than\nin free loving all, especially the household of faith, and forbearing and\nforgiving one another, and so he cannot choose but like it well), but\nespecially, because your love concentres too, and meets upon the same\nobjects with his love, these whom the Father so loved, that he gave his\nonly begotten Son for them, and the Son so loved them, that he gave\nhimself for them. If these be thy delight, and thou forbear them as the\nFather and the Son hath done, that conspiracy of affections into one point\ncannot but be pleasing unto him. Now, if these please him so well, whom\nshould they not please?\n\n\n\n\nSermon IV.\n\n\n    James iii. 14.\u2014\u201cBut if ye have bitter envying and strife in your\n    hearts, glory not,\u201d &c.\n\n\nIt is a common evil of those who hear the gospel, that they are not\ndelivered up to the mould and frame of religion that is holden out in it,\nbut rather bring religion into a mould of their own invention. It was the\nspecial commendation of the Romans, that they obeyed from the heart that\nform of doctrine into which they were delivered, (Rom. vi. 17) that they\nwho were once servants, or slaves of sin, had now become voluntary\ncaptives of truth, and had given themselves up to the gospel, to be\nmodelled and fashioned by it; and if so, then certainly the most\nsubstantial points of religion would be most deeply engraven upon them.\nEvery thing would have its own due place with us, if we were cast in the\nprimitive mould of godliness, but when we cast godliness in a mould of our\nown apprehension, they cannot choose but a miserable confusion and\ndisorder will follow in the duties of religion. For according as our fancy\nand inclination impose a necessity upon things, so we do pursue them, and\nnot according to the real weight that is in them. I find the scripture\nlaying most weight upon the most common things, placing most religion in\nthe most obvious and known things, and for other things more remote from\ncommon capacity, I find them set far below, in the point of worth and\nmoment, even these things that seem least. But I find that order quite\nperverted in the course of Christians. Some particular points that are not\nso obvious to every understanding, are put in the first place, and made\nthe distinguished character of a Christian, and others again, in which\ntrue and undefiled religion doth more consist, are despised and set in a\nlow place, because of their ceremonies. I think this apostle hath observed\nthis confusion, and hath applied himself to remove it, by correcting the\nmisapprehensions of Christians, and reducing their thoughts and ways to\nthe frame of true Christianity. Even as Christ dealt with the Pharisees,\nwho brought in such a confusion in religion, by imposing a necessity upon\nceremonies, and an indifferency upon the very substance itself, truly, I\nthink, it may be said unto us, you tithe mint, anise, and cummin, and pass\nover judgment and the love of God, these things ye ought to have done, and\nnot to leave the other undone. Ye neglect the weightier matters of the\nlaw, judgment, mercy, faith and truth, and in the room of these ye have\nmisplaced things, that are higher in God\u2019s esteem from an apprehension of\ntheir necessity. Thus by your traditions and opinions of things so remote\nfrom the kingdom of God, ye have made the unquestionable commandments of\nGod of none effect, Matth. xv. 6. You think possibly, if this apostle was\ncoming out to preach unto you this day, that he would certainly resolve\nyou in many controverted points, and would bring some further light to the\ndebates of the time. But truly I think if he knew the temper of our\nspirits, he would preach over this sermon to us again, \u201cMy brethren, be\nnot many masters,\u201d &c. I suppose he would bring that old primitive light\nof pure and undefiled religion, the splendour of which our present ways\nand courses could not endure, but would be constrained to hide themselves\nin darkness. What would you think of such a sermon as this, \u201cIf any man\namong you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, this man\u2019s\nreligion is vain?\u201d Jam. i. 26. \u201cIf any man offend not in word, the same is\na perfect man,\u201d Jam. iii. 2. This is accounted a common and trivial\npurpose. But believe it, sirs, the Christian practice of the most common\nthings, hath more religion in it than the knowledge of the profoundest\nthings, and till you learn to do what you know, it is a mockery to study\nto know further what to do. There is a strange stirring of mind after more\nlight and knowledge in some particulars of the time. But I would fain\nknow, if there be as much ardour and endeavour to practise that which we\nhave already. To him that hath shall be given, to him that makes use of\nhis knowledge for the honour of God, and the good of mankind, and their\nedification, more shall be given, but from him that hath not, shall be\ntaken away even that which he hath, and yet really and cordially hath not,\nbecause he hath no use of it. Therefore he may by inquiry find more\ndarkness, because his old light shall rather be put out. Do you not all\nknow that ye should bridle your tongues, that it is a great point of that\nChristian victory over the world to tame and danton(433) that undantoned\nwild beast, to quench that fire brand of hell? Do ye not all know that we\nshould be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath? And as the\napostle Paul speaks on another subject, \u201cDoth not even nature itself teach\nyou when you have but one tongue, and two ears, that ye should hear much,\nand speak little?\u201d Are not our ears open, and our tongue enclosed and shut\nup, to teach us to be more ready to hear than to speak? Now I say, till\nChristians learn to practise these things that are without all\ncontroversy, you may make it your account never to want controversy, and\nnever to get clearness. For to what purpose should more light be revealed,\nwhen that which is revealed is to no purpose?\n\nBut it is in vain to think to reform the tongue, till you have the heart\nfirst reformed. They say the belly hath no ears. Truly the tongue is all\ntongue, and has no ears to take an admonition or instruction. We must,\nthen, with the apostle, retire into the heart, and abate from the\nabundance of the superfluity and naughtiness that is within; and therefore\nour apostle descends to the cure of pride, envy and strife in the heart,\nthat are fountains of all that pestiferous flood which flows out of every\nman\u2019s mouth. \u201cIs there any wise man among you?\u201d &c. And indeed this is the\norderly proceeding both of nature and grace. Nature begins within to probe\namong the superfluous and noisome humours which abound in the body, and\ndesolate the members, and doth not think it sufficient to apply external\nplasters. Grace must begin within too, to purge the heart, for out of the\nabundance of the heart the mouth speaks, the eye looks, and the feet walk.\nIf there be no destroyer in the members or outward man, it is not the\npreserving of rules and cautions that will suffice to restrain, to abate,\nor to cure, but the disease must be ripped up to the bottom, the cause\nfound within, as our apostle doth here. Hence, says he, proceed all these\nfeverish distempers among you, your hot and passionate words, your evil\nspeakings and reproachings, your contentions and wars about matters either\ncivil or religious. Whence are all these? From a vain persuasion of\nwisdom, from a foolish imagination of some excellency in yourselves, and\nsome inward affection to be accounted something of among men. \u201cWho is a\nwise man,\u201d &c. You would be accounted wise, and so you do account\nyourselves, and this begets strife and envy in the heart, and predisposeth\nthe mind to strife and contention with others. And therefore he takes the\nmask off, by deciphering the very nature of such a wisdom; he embowels\nthat pretended wisdom in religion and gives it its own name, and because\nthings are best known, and most livelily comprehended in their opposition\nand comparison with one another, he shows wherein true wisdom and religion\nconsist, and sets the one against the other, that the deformity of the one\nand the beauty of the other may appear. We shall then speak a word of this\nthat is supposed, and then of that which is expressed, the descriptions of\ntrue wisdom, and pretended wisdom. I conceive this interrogation, \u201cIs\nthere a wise man among you?\u201d imports chiefly these two one is,\u2014that it is\nthe natural disease of all men to esteem themselves something, and desire\nto be esteemed such by others; another is,\u2014that the misapprehension of\nthat wherein true wisdom and excellency doth especially consist, is the\nground of many miscarriages in the seeking or venting of that.\n\nIt was an ancient remark, that \u201cvain man would be wise, though he be born\nlike a wild ass\u2019s colt.\u201d Empty man is wise in his own eyes, and would be\nso in other men\u2019s too. He hath no reality nor solidity, but is like these\nlight things which the wind carries away, or the waters bear above, and\ntosses hither and thither, yet he apprehends some solid and real worth in\nhimself, and would impose that apprehension upon others. And truly this is\na drunkenness of mind, which makes a man light and vain, to stagger to and\nfro. It is a giddiness of spirit, that makes him inconstant and reeling,\nbut insensible of it. Though he be born as stupid and void of any real\nwisdom and excellency, as a wild ass\u2019s colt, yet he hath this madness and\nfolly superadded to all that natural stupidity, that he seems to be wise\nand understanding, and truly it was a more ancient disease than Job\u2019s\ndays. We may trace the steps of its antiquity to be from the very\nbeginning, and there we shall find the true original of it. What was it, I\npray you, did cast the angels out of heaven, down to the lowest hell, to\nbe reserved in chains for everlasting darkness? I do not conceive what\ntheir natures so abstracted from all sensual lusts could be capable of,\nbut this spiritual darkness and madness of self conceit, and an ambitious\naspiring after more wisdom, whence did flow that malcontent and envious\nhumour, in maligning the happiness of man. And this was the poison that\nSatan, the chief of these angels, did drop into man\u2019s nature, by\ntemptations and suggestions of an imaginary wisdom and happiness, \u201cYou\nshall be as gods knowing good and evil.\u201d And truly this poison is so\nstrong and pestilent, that having once entered into the body, it spreads\nthrough all the members, it infects all the posterity that were in Adam\u2019s\nloins. Being once distilled into the lump, it diffuses itself through the\nwhole, such a strange contagion is it. That wretched aim at a higher\nwisdom, hath thrown us all down into this brutish and stupid condition, to\nbe like wild asses colts. Yet this false and fond imagination of wisdom\nand excellence remains within us, which is so much the nearer madness,\nthat now there is no apparent ground left for such a fairly.(434) And if\none of a cubit\u2019s height should imagine himself as tall as a mountain, and\naccordingly labour to stretch out himself, we would seek no other sign of\nmadness. Truly this malignant and poisonable humour is so subtile that it\nhath insinuated itself into all the parts and powers of the soul, and\nsteals in without observation into all our thoughts, purposes, affections,\nways, and courses. It is of so infectious and pestiferous a nature, that\nit defiles all that is in the man, and all that comes out of the man.\n\nThe apostle speaks of covetousness, that it \u201cis the root of all evil.\u201d\nTruly I think that comprehends many inordinate affections in it. Now, both\nself love and earth love arise from some false imagination of that which\nis not. Whether it be an imagination of some excellency in ourselves, or\nsome worth in these worldly and earthly things, man first makes a god of\nit, and then worships it. Therefore covetousness is called idolatry, self\nidolatry and earth idolatry. We first attribute some divinity to ourselves\nlike these people (Isa. xliv. 17) to their idols. We then fall down and\nworship ourselves, but we do not consider in our heart, that we are but\ndust. And then we ascribe some divinity to the perishing things of the\nworld, and then worship them, but do not consider that they are earthly\nand perishing vanities. Thus we feed upon ashes, a deceived heart hath\nturned us aside, and we cannot deliver our own souls, by discovering the\nlie that is in our right hand. We feed partly on the element of the air,\nby seeking that of others that we have of ourselves, and partly upon the\nelement of the earth, by the love of this world. And these two degenerated\nevils, are the root of all evils, self estimation, and creature affection.\n\nI think this apostle in this one word \u201cIs there any wise man among you, or\nany endowed with knowledge\u201d and that word, \u201cglory not,\u201d strikes at the\nroot of all the forementioned and aftermentioned evils. From whence I say\ndoth that promptitude and bensal(435) to speak, that slowness and\ndifficulty to hear, that readiness and inclination to pride, (reproved,\nJames i. 19, 20) proceed? Is it not from an overweening conceit of our own\nwisdom, that we are so swift to speak, and so slow to hear, and that we\nwould teach others and yet be taught of none? We are so much in love with\nour own apprehensions, that we imagine they shall find as much esteem and\naffection among men, and so being like barrels full of liquor, in our own\nconceit, we are like to burst if we vent not, and are as incapable of\ntaking from others as of retaining what is within. The word of God was a\nfire in Jeremiah\u2019s heart that would have consumed him, if he had not given\nit vent. Truly self love is a fire that must vent one way or other, or it\nwould burn up all within by displeasure, and then it is the over\napprehension of some excellency in ourselves, which so disposes us to\nanger, that makes us combustible matter, like the spirit of gunpowder, for\nthe least spark of injury or offence, will set all in a flame. It is\ncertainly the fond imagination of some great worth in ourselves, that is\nthe very immediate predisposition to the apprehension of an injury.\nHumility cannot be affronted, it is hard to persuade of an injury. Why?\nBecause there is no excellency to be hurt or wronged. Therefore Christ\nconjoins these, \u201cmeek and lowly in heart,\u201d (Matth. xi. 29,) lays poverty\nof spirit down as the foundation of meekness, Matth. v. 3-5. Whence is it\nthat we accept of men\u2019s persons by judging according to the outward\nappearance, and are so ready to displease our brethren, especially these\nwho are inferior to us in body, or mind, or estate? Is it not from this\nroot, self admiration? This makes us elevate ourselves above others, and\nto intrude ourselves among these who are chiefest in account. Whence doth\nour unmercifulness and rigidity towards other men proceed, but from this\nfountain, that we allow so much licence and indulgence to ourselves, that\nwe can have none to spare for others, and that we do not consider that we\nourselves stand in need of more mercy from God, and cannot endure a\nmixture of judgment in it? Therefore we have judgment to others without\nmercy, James ii. 13. And is not this self pleasing humour the fountain of\nthat contentious plea after the pre-eminence, and censorious liberty of\njudging others, and usurping authority over them? James iii. 1, \u201cMy\nbrethren, be not ye many masters.\u201d Truly this is the root of all\ncontentions and strifes. It is this which rents all human and Christian\nsociety. This looses all the pins of concord and unity. This sets all by\nthe ears, and makes all the wheels reel through other. The conceit of some\nworth beyond others, and the imagination of some pre-eminence over them,\neven in the best creatures\u2014he best, and he best, that is the plea, he\ngreatest, and he greatest, that is the controversy. As bladders puffed up\nwith wind, they cannot be kept in little room, but every one presses\nanother, but if the wind were out, they would compact in less room, and\ncomply better together. The apostle implies this, when he puts every man\nin mind of his own failing, \u201cin many things we offend all,\u201d and if this\nwere considered, it would abate our security, and cool our heat and\nfervour, and moderate our rigour towards others. There would not be such\nstrife about places of power and trust, if we were not swelled in our own\napprehensions to some eminency. And is not this the very fountain which\nsends out all these bitter streams of the tongue, these evil speakings one\nof another, these sharp and immoderate censures of our neighbours? Truly\nthis is it, every man accounts himself to be wiser and more religious than\nhis brother, to have more knowledge, and so he cannot endure any\ndifference in opinion, to have more holiness, and so he cannot bear any\ninfirmity in practice. But the way to help this, would be to humble\nourselves before God, James iv. 10. Lowliness and meekness are the ground\nstones of these Christian virtues which preserve Christian society, Eph.\niv. 2, 3. And is not this, I pray you, the foundation of wars, strifes,\ncontentions, and jealousies? \u201cFrom whence come wars and fightings among\nyou?\u201d Is it not from these imperious lusts which war in our members? Only\nfrom pride cometh contention, Prov. xiii. 10. The head spring of all envy,\nalso issues out from pride, and this divides, in many streams and waters,\nall our courses and ways, with putrified and pestilent corruptions. While\nevery man hath this opinion of himself, all is done in strife, no\ncondescendence, no submission one to another, Phil. ii. 3. While all make\nthemselves the centre, it cannot otherwise happen, but designs, courses,\nthoughts, and ways, must interfere and jar among themselves. Self-seeking\nputs all by the ears, as you see children among themselves, if an apple be\ncast to them. Any bait or advantage of the times yokes them in that\nchildish contention, who shall have it? All come, strive, and fight about\nit, and it is but a few can have it, and these that get it cannot keep it\nlong. Others will catch it from them. Now what vain things are these,\nwhich can neither be gotten, nor kept, but by strife? Oh that we could\nseek better things, which may be both sought and kept, without emulation\nor strife!\n\nNow the other thing is, that the misapprehension of that wherein true\nexcellence consists is the ground of many evils. \u201cWho is a wise man?\u201d &c.\nYou all affect the title, and ye seek the thing, as ye suppose. But alas!\nye mistake that wherein it consists. Truly there is in all men (ever since\nwe tasted of the tree of knowledge of good and evil) a strange innate\ndesire of knowledge, and affectation of wisdom, and desire of excellence.\nBut since the first endeavour in paradise succeeded ill, there hath\nnothing gone well since. We weary ourselves to catch vanities, shadows,\nand lies. \u201cHow long, O ye sons of men, will ye love vanity, and follow\nafter lies?\u201d That divinely taught prophet could not but pity the children\nof men. And as Paul speaks to the Athenians of another purpose, \u201cHim whom\nye ignorantly worship, we show unto you,\u201d so he declares unto men that\nwhich they ignorantly and vainly seek elsewhere. This I assure you\nconsists in this, that ye show out of a good conversation your works with\nmeekness and wisdom.\n\nAll our mischief proceeds from this, that we misapprehend and mistake that\nwhich we would gladly have. And so once being in the wrong way, that\ncannot lead to our purposed end, the faster we run, the farther we go from\nit. The more we move in affection and diligence, the less we indeed\npromove in reality to the attaining what we seek. How greatly have we\nfallen! I might instance this in many things, but I shall be content with\nthese two. There is a desire in all men after happiness, but there is a\nfundamental error in the imagination supposing it to consist in the\nenjoyment of temporal pleasure, honour, advantage, or the satisfaction of\nour own natural inclinations. Now this leads all mankind to a pursuit\nafter these things. But how base a scent is it? And how vain a pursuit is\nit? For the faster they move in that way, the further they are from all\nsolid and true contentment. Again, in all godly men, there is something of\nthis rectified, and they suppose religion to be the only true wisdom, and\nthis wisdom the only true happiness. But oftentimes there are even\nmistakes in that too. As many of the world call sweet bitter, and bitter\nsweet, because of the vitiated and corrupted palate; so the godly, being\nin some measure distempered, call that which is not so sweet sweetest, and\nthat which is not so bitter, bitterest. They change the value of things,\nand misplace them out of that order in which God hath set them. One great\nmistake is this. We impose a great deal of weight and moment upon these\nthings in religion, which are but the hay and stubble, or pins in the\nbuilding, and we esteem less that wherein the foundation and substance of\ntrue religion consists. We have an over-apprehension of a profession, and\nan undervaluing thought of practice. We overstretch some points of\nknowledge, and truth of the least value;(436) and have less value for the\nfundamental statutes of the gospel, faith and love, mercy and judgment.\nThis our Saviour reproved in the Pharisees. \u201cI will have mercy (says God)\nand not sacrifice.\u201d A ceremony of opinion in some particulars of the time\nhath more necessity with us than the practice of true godliness: and this\nis the root of the most part of these vain janglings, strifes of words,\nand perverse disputings of men, whereof cometh envy, strife, malice, evil\nsurmisings, and no edification in faith and love, which were so frequent\nin the primitive times, and so often hammered down by Paul. This is it, a\nmisapprehension of the value of them. Fancy imposes a worth and necessity\nupon them. But Paul doth always oppose unto them true godliness (1 Tim.\nvi. 3, chap. iv. 7), and prescribes that as the cure, that true godliness\nin practice of what we know, and charity towards our brethren, may be\nbigger in our apprehension, and higher in our affection. Would ye then\nknow, my brethren, wherein true religion consists, and wherein genuine\nChristianity stands? It is in showing out of a good conversation, our\nworks with meekness and wisdom. I reduce it to these two words, in joining\npractice to knowledge, and meekness to both; and this makes our religion\nto shine before men, and glorify our heavenly Father.\n\nWherein then do ye think this mystery of wisdom which the gospel reveals\nconsists? Not in the profound and abstracted speculations of God, or the\nsecrets of nature,\u2014a work about which learned men have racked their\ninventions, and beaten their brains to no other purpose, than the\ndiscovery of the greatness of man\u2019s ignorance. It doth not consist in the\nsounding of the depths of divinity, and loosing all these perplexing knots\nof questions, and doubts, which are moved upon the scripture, in all which\nmen really bewray their own ignorance and misery. \u201cThe world by wisdom\nknew not God.\u201d Living right is the first point of true wisdom. It costs\nmany men great expenses to learn to know their own folly, to become fools,\nthat they may become wise, 1 Cor. iii. 18. Man became a fool by seeking to\nbecome wiser than God made him; and that is all the result of our\nendeavours after wisdom since, Rom. i. 22. But here is the great\ninstruction of Christianity, to bring man down low from the height of\npresumption and self-estimation, and make him see himself just as he is by\nnature, a fool, and a wild ass\u2019s colt. Nebuchadnezzar had much ado to\nlearn this lesson. It cost him some years brutality to learn to know his\nbrutishness, and when that was known his understanding returned to him.\n\nNow this is the first and hardest point of wisdom. When it is once learned\nand imprinted on the heart, O what a docility is in the mind to more! What\nreadiness to receive what follows! It makes a man a weaned child, a little\nsimple child, tractable and flexible as Christ would have all his\ndisciples. A man thus emptied and vacuated of self-conceit, these lines of\nnatural pride being blotted out, the soul is as a _tabula rasa_, \u201can\nunwritten table,\u201d to receive any impression of the law of God that he\npleases to put on it; and then his words are all \u201cplain to him that\nunderstandeth, and right to them that find knowledge,\u201d Prov. viii. 9.\nThen I say it is not difficult to understand and to prove what is the good\nand acceptable will of God, Rom. xii. 2; Eph. v. 10-17. It is not up unto\nheaven, that thou shouldest say, who shall ascend to bring it down?\nNeither is it far down in the depth, that thou shouldest say, who shall\ndescend and bring it up from hence? But it is near thee, \u201cin thy mouth,\nand in thy heart,\u201d &c. Rom. x. 6, 7, 8.  \u201cHe hath showed thee, O man, what\nis good, and what is required of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy,\nand to walk humbly with thy God,\u201d Micah vi. 8. There is the plain sign of\nChristian wisdom, the abridgment of all that is taught in the school of\nChrist. Here is the course of moral philosophy, \u201cThe grace of God hath\nappeared, to teach us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live\nsoberly, righteously, and godly in this world.\u201d And when the scholar is\nbrought along by these degrees, he is at length laureated(437) in that\ngreat day of our Saviour\u2019s appearance. Then he hath the degree of glory\nand immortality conferred upon him. He is a candidate of immortality and\nfelicity, Tit. ii. 12, 13.\n\nWe are in the Christian school like many scholars who labour to know so\nmany things, that indeed they know nothing well; as the stomach that\ndevours much meat, but digests little, and turns it not into food and\naliment, incorporates it not into the body. We catch at many great points\nof truth, and we really drink in none of them; we let none sink into the\nheart, and turn into affection and practice. This is the grand disease of\nthe time, a study to know many things, and no study to love what we know,\nor practise any thing. The Christian world is all in a flame, and the\nchurch is rent asunder by the eager pursuit and prosecution of some points\nof truth, and this is the clamour of all men, who will show us our light?\nWho will discover some new thing unto us? But in the mean time we do not\nprove the unquestionable acceptable will of our God; like a fastidious\nsqueamish stomach, that loathes what it receives, and always longs for\nsomething else. Thus the evil is vented here. Who is a wise man, do ye\nthink? Not he who knows many things, who hath still a will to controversy,\nwho hath attained some further light than others of them; not he,\nbrethren, but he that shows out of a good conversation, his works with\nmeekness of wisdom, he that proves and practiseth as well as knows, the\ngood will of God. \u201cFor hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his\ncommandments. He that saith, I know him, and keeps not his commands, is a\nliar, and the truth is not in him,\u201d 1 John ii. 3, 4. This proves that\nknowledge is not in the head, but in the heart, and that it is not\ncaptivated and shut up in the mind, but that a man is delivered up as a\ncaptive to the truth, Rom. vi. 16.\n\nAll men complain of the want of light and knowledge, though perhaps none\nthink they have much. But is the will of God so dark and intricate? Is it\nso hard to understand? Truly it is plain, \u201cHe hath showed thee what is\ngood,\u201d he hath showed thee what to do; but that thou neglectest to do, and\ntherefore men know not what to do further. Do ye not all know that ye\nshould walk soberly, righteously, and piously, and humble yourselves to\nwalk with God, and in lowliness of mind each should esteem another better\nthan himself? Ye should forbear and forgive one another, as God for\nChrist\u2019s sake hath forgiven you. Ye should not seek great things for\nyourselves, especially when God is plucking up what he hath planted, and\ncasting down what was built. Ye should mind your country above more, and\nlive as sojourners here. Are not these words of wisdom all plain and\nobvious to the meanest capacity?  Now, my beloved, with what face can ye\nseek more knowledge of God, or inquire for more light into his mind, when\nyou do not prove that known and perfect will of his? When you do not\noccupy your present talent, why do ye seek more?  \u201cTo him that hath shall\nbe given.\u201d Truly it is the man that fears and obeys as far as is revealed,\nto whom God shows his secret, and teaches the way he should choose, Psal.\nxxv. 12. I know not a readier way to be resolved in doubtful things, than\nto study obedience in these things that are beyond all doubt. To walk in\nthe light received, is the highway to more light. But what hope is there\nof any more light from the Lord, when our ways and courses, and\ndispositions and practices, even in our endeavours after more knowledge,\ncannot endure the light of that shining will of God, that is already\nrevealed?  In ordering our conversation, we catch at the shadow of our\npoints of truth, and lose the substance that was in our hands, lowliness,\nmeekness, charity, long suffering, sobriety of mind and actions, and\nheavenly mindedness.  All these substantial we let go, that we may get\nhold of some empty unedifying notions.  We put out our candle that is\nalready enlightened, that is, the knowledge of good conversation that we\nmay seek more light, and that is the way to find darkness and delusion.\nBecause they received not the truth in love, that they might be saved, God\ngave them up to strong delusions and the belief of lies, 2 Thess. ii. 10,\n11.  There is the ground of delusions, truth received, but not loved or\nobeyed, many things known, but the stamp and seal not impressed on the\nheart we express in the conversation.  Therefore God is provoked to put\nout that useless light of truth and deliver that man captive to delusions,\nwho would not deliver his soul a captive to truth.  And is not this\nrighteousness, that he who detained the known truth in unrighteousness of\naffection and conversation, be himself detained and incarcerated by strong\ndelusions of mind and imagination?\n\nAs a good conversation and good works should be joined to knowledge, and\nmeekness must be the ornament of both, this meekness of wisdom is the\ngreat lesson that the wisdom of the Father came down to teach man.  \u201cLearn\nof me, for I am meek.\u201d  And truly the meekness of that substantial wisdom\nof God Jesus Christ, is the exact pattern and copy, and the most powerful\nmotive and constraint to this kindness of Christian wisdom.  Our Saviour\ndid not cry nor lift up his voice in the streets.  He made little noise,\nnor cried with pomp, he was not rigorous, nor rigid upon sinners.  Though\nhe was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth, being reviled\nhe reviled not again, being cursed, he blessed.  Though he could have\nlegions of angels at his command, yet he would show rather an example of\npatience and meekness to his followers, than overcome his enemies.  If\nmany of us, who pretend to be his disciples, had the winds, rains,\nheavens, and elements at our commandment, I fear we would have burned up\nthe world.  We would presently have called for fire from heaven, to devour\nall whom we conceived enemies to him, or ourselves, and that under the\nnotion of zeal.  Zeal it is indeed, but such as is spoken of in the next\nverse. \u201cIf ye have bitter envying (the word is bitter zeal) in your\nhearts, glory not, nor lie against the truth.\u201d  Christ\u2019s zeal was sweet\nzeal. It might well consume or eat him up within, but it did not devour\nothers without. \u201cThe zeal of thy house (says he) hath eaten me up.\u201d  But\nour zeal is like the Babylonian furnace, that burnt and consumed these\nthat went to throw the pious children into it.  At the first approaching\nit gets without the chimney, and devours all around it.  If the meekness\nor gentleness of a person who received the greatest injuries that ever any\nreceived, and to whom the greatest indignities were done, and who endured\nthe greatest contradiction of sinners, if his calm composed temper do not\nsoften our spirits, mitigate our sharpness, and allay our bitterness, I\nknow not what can do it. I do not think but if any man considered how much\nlong suffering God exercises towards him, how gentle and patient he is,\nafter so many provocations, how Jesus Christ doth still forgive infinite\nnumbers of infinite wrongs done to his grace, how slow he is to wrath, and\neasy to be entreated, surely such a man would abate much of his severity\ntowards others, he would pursue peace with all men, and esteem little of\nwrongs done unto him, and not think them worthy of remembrance, he would\nnot be easily provoked, but he would be easily pacified.  In a word, he\ncould not but exercise something of that gentleness and meekness in\nforbearing and forgiving, as Christ also forgave him and truly there is no\nornament of a man like that of a meek and quiet spirit, 1 Pet. iii. 4.  It\nis both comely and precious, it is of great price in God\u2019s sight.  It is a\nspirit all composed and settled, all peace and harmony within.  It is like\nthe heavens in a clear day, all serene and beautiful, whereas an unmeek\nspirit is for the most part like the troubled sea, tossed with tempests,\nwinds, and dashed with rains, even at the best, it is but troubled with\nitself.  When there is no external provocation, it hath an inward unrest\nin its bosom, and casts out mire and dirt.  Meekness is so beseeming every\nman, that it is even humanity itself.  It is the very nature of a man\nrestored, and these brutish, wild and savage dispositions put off.\nMeekness is a man in the true likeness of God. But passion, and the evils\nwhich accompany it, is a man metamorphosed and transformed into the nature\nof a beast, and that of a wild beast too. It hath been always reckoned\nthat anger is nothing different from madness, but in the continuance of\nit. It is a short madness. But what is wanting in the continuance is made\nup in the frequency. When spirits are inclined to it, there is a habitual\nfury and madness in such spirits. It is no wonder then, these are\nconjoined, meekness and wisdom, for truly they are inseparable. Meekness\ndwells in the bosom of wisdom. It is nothing else but wisdom, reason, and\nreligion ruling all within, and composing all the distempered lusts and\naffections, but anger rests in the bosoms of fools, it cannot get rest but\nin a fool\u2019s bosom, for where it enters, wisdom and reason must go out,\nEccles. vii. 9. \u201cA fool\u2019s wrath is presently known,\u201d Prov. xii. 16. For if\nthere were so much true and solid wisdom as to examine the matter first,\nand to consider before we suffer ourselves to be provoked, we would\ncertainly quench anger in the very first smoking of an apprehension of a\nwrong. We would immediately cast it out, for there is nothing so much\nblinds and dimmeth the eye of our understanding, and when this gross\nvapour rises out of the dunghill of our lusts, nothing so much uncovers\nour shame and nakedness. \u201cA prudent man covereth shame,\u201d but hastiness and\nbitterness takes the garment off our infirmity, and exposes us to mockery\nand contempt, Prov. xii. 16. There is not a greater evidence of a strong\nsolid spirit, than this, to be able to govern this unruly passion, whereas\nit is taken far otherwise. Meekness is construed by some to be simplicity\nand weakness, and many imagine some greatness and height of spirit in the\nhotter natures, but truly it is far otherwise. \u201cFor he that is slow to\nanger, is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his own spirit, than\nhe that takes a city.\u201d Wrath is an impotency and weakness. It hath no\nstrength in it, but such as ye would find in madmen. But this is true\nmagnanimity, to overcome thyself, and \u201covercome evil with good.\u201d\n\nAs there is nothing which is a greater evidence of wisdom, so there is\nnothing a better help to true wisdom than this. For a meek spirit is like\na clear running fountain, that ye see the bottom of, but a passionate\nspirit is like a troubled fountain, the shadow of truth cannot be seen in\nit. A glass that is pure and cleanly, renders the image lively, but if it\nbe besmeared with dust, you can see nothing, so is a composed mild spirit\napt to discern the truth without prejudice. And indeed it is the meek whom\nGod engages to teach his ways, Psal. xxv. 8, 9. He that receives with\nmeekness the ingrafted word, is in the readiest capacity to receive more.\nWhen the superfluity of naughtiness is cast out, and all the faculties of\nthe soul composed to quietness and calmness, then his voice will best be\nheard, and himself readiest to receive it. Our affection keeps a continual\nhurry within the tumultuous noise of our disordered lusts, that are always\nraging and controlling the voice of God, so that we cannot hear his\nteaching. A passionate temper of spirit is very indocile. There are so\nmany loud sounds of prejudices within, that the truth cannot be heard. But\na meek spirit hath all quietness and silence, as Cornelius and his house\nhad waiting for the mind of the Lord. And such he delights to converse\nwith most, and reveal most unto, for it gets readiest entertainment. Let\nme tell you, beloved in the Lord, you disoblige the Lord (if I may speak\nso) and hinder him to reveal any more of his mind to you, ye disengage him\nto teach you his way in those dark and untrodden paths, because ye do not\nstudy this meekness in the wisdom and knowledge ye have already, nor his\nmeekness and moderation in seeking further knowledge. And it is no wonder\nhe be provoked by it, to choose your delusions, because it is certainly\nthese graces of meekness, charity, patience, gentleness, long suffering,\nhumbleness of mind, and such like, which go always in a chain together.\nThese are an ornament of grace upon the head, and a crown of glory, and\nthat chain about the neck, Solomon mentions, Prov. iv. 9. Now when you\ncast off your crown of glory, your noblest ornament, your chain of\ndignity, should he give such precious pearls to swine? When you trample\nunder foot the greater commandments of mercy, judgment, sobriety,\nhumility, meekness, and charity, should he reveal lesser commandments, or\ndiscover his will in lesser matters? Consider the manner of expression\nhere, \u201cLet him show forth out of a good conversation,\u201d &c. Truly it is\ngood works with meekness of wisdom, it is a good conversation, with a true\nprofession, that shows forth a Christian, and shows him most before men.\n\u201cLet your light (says Christ) so shine before men.\u201d What is the shining\nbeauty of Christian light? It is the works of piety, charity, equity, and\nsobriety. These glorify the Father, and beautify all his children. You may\neasily conceive what that is, that chiefly commends religion to the\nignorant world. Is it not the meekness of Christian wisdom? Is it not this\nharmless simplicity, that divine-like candour, that shines in every true\nChristian? Will rigidity, severity, passion, blood, violence, persecution,\nand such like, ever conciliate the hearts of men? Have such persons any\nbeauty, any light in them, except a scorching consuming light? The light\nof a good Christian is like the light of the sun, of a sweet, gentle, and\nrefreshing nature, conveying influence to all, doing good to the household\nof faith. Peter will tell you what that is, that will most engage the\nhearts of the world, to a reverend esteem of true religion, 1 Pet. ii. 12.\nIt is a conversation honest, and void of offence, giving to every one\ntheir own due, honouring all men, loving the brotherhood, not using our\nliberty for a cloak of maliciousness, and not overstretching it, to the\nloosing of other natural or civil bands. When men see Christianity making\nus do that really and cheerfully, which even nature itself teacheth all to\ndo that makes the light of it shining and beautiful. Are not these higher\nmysteries of faith, than some conceive? It is not other points of truth\nand profession, that are either above natural reason, or seem something\nopposite to it, that can engage natural beholders, and far less the\nprosecution of a temporal worldly interest of the people of God, to the\ndestruction of all opposite to it, at least to the diminishing of all\nother men\u2019s gain and advantage, the engrossing of all earthly privileges\ninto the hands of saints. That is such a thing that never entered into the\nheart of the shining lights of the primitive times. O how doth the stream\nof their exhortations run cross to this notion! I am sure there is nothing\nin its own nature, such a stumbling block to the world or represents\nreligion so odious and abominable to other men, as when it stands in the\nway, and intercepts all these natural immunities or privileges of life, or\nestate. This makes natural men to hate it, even at a distance, and become\nirreconcilable enemies unto it. Since it will not let them live by it,\nthey are engaged not to let it live by them. I wish indeed all the places\nof power and trust in every nation, were in the hands of godly men, not so\nmuch for the interest of the godly as for the public interest, because men\nfearing God, and hating covetousness, can only rule justly and\ncomfortably. But to monopolize all power and trust to such a particular\njudgment and way (as it is now given out) is truly, I think, inhuman and\nunchristian. These deserve not power and trust who would seek it, and\nengross it wholly to themselves.(438) But there is another thing which\nsavours greatly of the flesh, at least of that spirit which Christ\nreproved in his disciples, to take away men\u2019s lives, liberty, and\nlivelihood given by their Creator, upon every foot of opposition and\nenmity to our way and interest. Is this to love our enemies, blessing them\nthat curse us, or praying for them that despitefully use us, or persecute\nus? Let us remember we are Christians, and this is the rule of\nChristianity, that stops even the mouth of adversaries. But some still\nfind an evasion for this. They will say they are God\u2019s enemies, and not my\nparticular enemies only. But I pray you were not the enemies of Christians\nin these days more properly enemies to Christ than now? For they had\nnothing then to persecute them for, but the very profession of that name.\nAnd truly I confess in our days we make more particular enemies, by\nparticular injuries and disobligements, than either our profession or\npractice of religion make. But to put it out of all doubt, we learn that\nthey are persecutors, and do all manner of evil against us, for Christ\u2019s\nname sake. I have said this because I know nothing that more darkeneth and\nobscures religion nor such worldly and temporal interests, so eagerly\npursued, and nothing makes it more to shine among men, than a good\nconversation with meekness of wisdom.\n\n\n\n\nSermon V.\n\n\n    James iii. 14.\u2014\u201cBut if ye have bitter envying,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThe cunning of Satan, and the deceitfulness of our own hearts, are such\nthat when a grosser temptation will not prevail with conscience in some\nmeasure enlightened, then they transform themselves into angels of light,\nand deal more subtilely with us. And there is no greater subtilty of\nSatan, nor no stronger self deceit, than this, to palliate and cover vices\nwith the shadow of virtue, and to present corruptions under the similitude\nof graces. It is common unto all temptations to sin, to have a hook under\ntheir bait, to be masked over with some pleasure or advantage or credit.\nBut when such earthly and carnal pretences do not insinuate strongly unto\na believing heart that has discovered the vanity of all that which is in\nthe world, so dare not venture upon sin for all the pleasures which attend\nit, then he winds about and tarries and changes his likeness unto light,\nconscience, and duty, presents many works of darkness and corruption under\nthe notion of duty and honesty, according as he finds the temper of a\nman\u2019s spirit to be. I can give no instance more pregnant, and even common,\nthan this which is given here, viz., contentions and strivings among\nbrethren, bitter envying, maligning and censuring one another, which are\nvery manifest works of the flesh, and works of darkness, fitter for the\nnight than the day, and for the time of ignorance, nor the time after the\nclear light hath shined. Now if Satan were about to persuade a church or a\nChristian of this, how do ye think he would go about it? Would he present\nsome carnal advantage to be gained by it, some more profit or preferment\nfrom it? May be that might be very taking with some more unconscientious\nself seeking spirits, and I fear it be too much taken with many. But sure\nit will not relish with every man. It will not entice him that hath the\nfear of God, and the love of Jesus stirring within him. Therefore he must\nseek about, and find some false prophet, that may come out in the name of\nthe Lord, and disguise himself, and by such means he will do it. Let a\npoint of truth or conscience come in debate, let a notion of religion, and\none far off from an interest in Christ be in the business, and then he can\ntake advantage to make a man overreach himself in it. He will present the\ntruth as a thing of so great weight and consequence, that he must contend\nfor it, and empty all his wit and power and parts for it. This good\nintention being established, he raises up men\u2019s passions under a notion of\nzeal, and these be promoved under that pretence for such an end.\nWhatsoever mean may be sought, profitable for that end, all is chosen and\nfollowed without discretion or knowledge of what is good or evil. It is\napprehended that the good principle of conscience, of duty, and the good\nintention, may justify all. And by that means he hath persuaded the\nchurches of Christ, and the Christian world, unto more rigidity, severity,\ncruelty, strife, contention, blood, violence, and such works of darkness,\nthan readily have been found in the times of ignorance. Is Christendom a\nfield of blood, rather than any other part of the world? Truly this is the\nreproach of Christianity. By this, God\u2019s name is daily blasphemed. Here\nour apostle sets himself to unmask this angel of light, and to decipher\nhim in his own proper nature and notion. He takes off the vizard of\nreligion and wisdom, and lets you see the very image of hell under it.\n\u201cBut if ye have bitter envying and strife, glory not.\u201d Ye glory as if ye\nhad the truth, you glory in your zeal for it, you boast that ye are the\nwise men, the religious men, and so you take liberty upon the account of\nenvy, to malign, despise, and contend with others. Glory not, if you\ncherish such strifes and contentions, to the breach of Christian peace and\nconcord. You are liars against the truth, which you profess. Do not think\nthese proceed from true zeal, nay, nay, it is but bitter envy, and bitter\nzeal. Do not flatter yourselves with an apprehension of wisdom, or\nknowledge, or religion. That is wisdom indeed, but mark of what nature. It\nis earthy, sensual, and devilish. And indeed, that is a foolish wisdom, to\nsay no worse of it.\n\nYou see, then, what need we have of the exhortation of the apostle (Eph.\nvi. 11), \u201cPut on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand\nagainst the wiles of the devil.\u201d Truly we may stand against his darts, and\nviolent open thrusts at our conscience; when we,(439) being ignorant of\nhis devices, and not acquainted with his depths (2 Cor. ii. 11, Rev. ii.\n24) will not be able to stand against his ways. For we have a great and\nsubtile party to wrestle with, principalities and powers, and spiritual\nwickedness in high places, or heavenly things (as some render the word).\nHe exercises much wickedness, spiritual invisible wickedness in heavenly\nand religious things, in which it is hard to wrestle, unless we be endowed\nwith faith, knowledge, and righteousness, and shod with the gospel of\npeace, the peaceable gospel reducing our spirits to a peaceable temper. I\nconceive there is nothing the world hath been more abused with, than the\nnotion of zeal, justice, and such like, and there is nothing wherein a\nChristian is more ready to deceive himself than this. Therefore I conceive\nthe Holy Ghost has undeceived us in this, and hath of purpose used the\nword zeal as often in a bad sense as in a good one, and usually chooses to\nexpress envy and malice by it, though another word might suit as well, and\nbe more proper. So here bitter zeal, \u03b6\u03b7\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c6\u03c1\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2, is reckoned among the\nworks of the flesh, Gal. v. 20. And we are exhorted to walk honestly as in\nthe day, not in strife and envy, or zeal. And therefore the apostle\nrebukes sharply the Corinthians: \u201cAre ye not carnal, and walk as men,\nwhereas there is among you envying, or zeal, and strife,\u201d 1 Cor. iii. 3.\nZeal is a vehemency of affection in any earnest pursuit, or opposition of\na thing, and to make it good, it must not only be fixed upon a commendable\nand good object, but must run in the right channel, between the banks of\nmoderation, charity, and sobriety. If it overflows these, certainly that\nexcess proceeds not simply and purely from the love of God, or the truth,\nbut from some latent corruption or lust in our members, which takes\noccasion to swell up with it. I find in scripture the true zeal of God\nhath much self denial in it. It is not exercised so much concerning a\nman\u2019s own matters, as concerning the matters that are purely and merely\nconcerning God\u2019s glory. It is the most flexible, condescending, and\nforbearing thing in those things that relate to ourselves and our own\ninterests. Thus Moses is commended as the meekest man, when Aaron and\nMiriam raise sedition against him, Num. xii. 3. He had not affections to\nbe commoved upon that account. But how much is he stirred and provoked\nupon the apprehension of the manifest dishonour of God, by the people\u2019s\nidolatry? How many are lions in their own cause, and in God\u2019s as simple\nand blunt as lambs? And how much will our spirits be commoved when our own\ninterest lies in the business, and hath some conjunction with God\u2019s\ninterest, but if these are parted, our fervour abates, and our heat cools?\nI lay down this, then, as the fundamental principle of true zeal, it is\nlike charity that seeketh not its own things.\n\nBut to make the nature of it clear, I give you three characters of it,\nverity, charity and impartiality. I say it hath truth in it, a good thing\nfor the object, and knowledge of that good thing in the subject, for the\nprinciple of it: \u201cIt is good to be zealously affected always in a good\nthing,\u201d Gal. iv. 18. Zeal is an evil thing, hath something of the\nimpatient and restless nature of the devil in it. There is nothing we\nshould be more deliberate and circumspect in, than what to employ or\nbestow our affections upon. We should have a certain persuasion of the\nunquestionable goodness of that which we are ardent and vehement to\nobtain, else the more ardour and vehemency, the more wickedness is in it.\nThe Jews had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, and that is a\nblind impetuous self will. For if a man take a race at his full speed in\nthe dark, he cannot but catch a fall.(440) The eager and hot pursuits of\nmen are founded upon some gross misapprehensions.\n\nSecondly, There must not only be a goodness supposed in the object, but\nsome correspondence between the worth and weight of that goodness and the\nmeasure of our desires and affections, else there wants that conformity\nbetween the soul and truth which makes a true zeal of God. I mean this,\nthe soul\u2019s most vehement desires should be employed about the chiefest\ngood, and our zeal move in relation to things unquestionably good, and not\nabout things of small moment, or of little edification. This is the\napostolic rule, that not only we consider that there be some truth in the\nthing, but that we especially take notice, if there be so much truth and\ngoodness as requires such a measure of vehemency and affection. Therefore\nin lesser things we should have lesser commotion, and in greater things\ngreater, suitable to them. Otherwise the Pharisees who exercised their\nzeal about trifles, and neglected the weightier matters of the law, (Matt.\nxxiii. 23.) would not have been reproved by Christ. And indeed this is the\nzeal to which we are redeemed by Christ. Tit. ii. 14. Be ye zealous of\ngood works, of works that are unquestionably good, such as piety, equity,\nand sobriety. There is nothing more incongruous than to strain at a gnat\nand swallow a camel, to spend the vital spirits upon things of small\nconcernment to our own or others\u2019 edification, and to have nothing to\nspare for the weightier matters of true godliness. It is as if a man\nshould strike a feather or the air with all his might: He must needs wrest\nhis arms. Even so, to strike with the spiritual sword of our affections,\nwith such vehemency, at the lighter and emptier matters of religion,\ncannot choose but to disjoint the spirit, and put it out of course, as\nthere is a falsehood in that zeal that is so vehement about a light\nmatter, though it have some good in it. For there is no suitable\nproportion between the worth of the thing and the vehemency of the spirit.\nImagination acts in both. In the one it supposes a goodness, and it\nfollows it, and in the other, it imposes a necessity and a worth far\nbeyond that which really is, and so raises up the spirit to that height of\nnecessity and worth that hath no being but in a man\u2019s imagination. I think\nthere is no particular that the apostle doth so much caveat. For I find in\n1 Tim. i. 4 he takes off such endless matters that minister questioning\nrather than godly edifying, and gives us a better subject to employ our\nzeal upon, ver 5, the great end and sum of all religion, love to God and\nman, proceeding from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned,\nfrom which we must needs swerve, when we turn aside to such empty and vain\njanglings, ver 6. For truly we have but narrow and limited spirits, and it\nmust needs follow, when we give them very much to one thing, that they\ncannot attend another thing seriously, as Christ declares, (Matt. vi. 24.)\n\u201cno man can serve two masters,\u201d &c. And therefore there is much need of\nChristian wisdom to single out and choose the most proper and necessary\nobject. For as much as we give other things that have not so much\nconnexion with that, we take from it as much; and the apostle counsels us,\n(1 Tim. iv. 7.) rather to exercise ourselves unto true godliness, and to\nthe most substantial things in it, rather than vain things, and opposition\nof science, chap vi. 3-5, 20. There he opposes the wholesome words of\nChrist, and the doctrine that is according to godliness, unto questions,\nand strifes of words, whereof comes envy, railings, evil-surmisings, and\nperverse disputings of men of corrupt minds. And it is very observable\nthat he is pressing the duties of believing servants towards their\nmasters, whether believers or infidels, that the name of God be not\nblasphemed, nor the gospel evil spoken of. For there is nothing so much\nexposes it to misconstruction, as when it is stretched and abused unto the\nprejudice of natural and civil duties, and doubtless there would be many\ndoubts and questions about it in these days, some contending for worldly\npre-eminence over the Pagans, and some for the levelling of all\nChristians. But, says he, \u201cIf any man teach otherwise,\u201d or contend about\nthis, \u201che is proud, knowing nothing,\u201d &c. He hath forsaken the substance\nof true godliness, which consists in good works shining before men, and\ndisabuses the notion of Christian liberty to the dishonour of Christ, and\nhath supposed gain, a worldly carnal interest of the godly, to be piety,\nand so pursues that fancy of his own. He renews this in the Second\nEpistle, (chap. ii. 14-16.) showing that these strifes about words, albeit\nthey seem to be upon grounds of conscience at the beginning, yet they\nincrease unto more ungodliness, ver. 23. And unto Titus he gives the same\ncharge very solemnly, (Tit. iii. 8, 9.) \u201cI will that thou affirm\nconstantly, that they who believe in God should be careful to maintain\ngood works. But avoid foolish and unlearned questions,\u201d &c. For \u201cthis is a\nfaithful saying.\u201d But again,\n\nThirdly, Zeal must have charity with it, and this all the scriptures cited\nprove. It must be so tempered with love, that it vents not to the breach\nof Christian peace and concord. Charity envieth not, or is not zealous.\nWhen zeal wants charity, it is not zeal but envy. And hence it is that\nthere are so frequent and fervent exhortations to avoid such questions as\nmay gender strifes, and contentions, and malice. Now certainly there was\nsome truth in them, and something of conscience also in them. Yet he\ndissuades entirely the prosecution of them to the rigour, as men are apt\nto do, but wills us rather to have faith in ourselves. And truly I think\nthe questions that did then engender strifes, and rent the church, were as\nmuch if not more momentous nor the most part of these about which we bite\nand devour one another,\u2014the questions of the law, the circumcision, and\neating of things sacrificed to idols, of things indifferent, lawful, or\nnot lawful. Yet all these he would have subordinated unto the higher end\nof the commandment, charity, 1 Tim. i. 4, 5. And when he exhorts the\nCorinthians to be zealous for spiritual gifts, he would yet have them\nexcel in these things which edify the church, 1 Cor. xiv. 1-12. \u201cCovet\nearnestly the best gifts,\u201d says he, and yet he shows them a more excellent\nway, and that is charity, (1 Cor. xiii. 1.) to do all these things for the\ngood and edification of the church, rather than of our own opinion, 1 Cor.\nxii. 3; chap. xiv. 12. I find where the word zeal is taken in a bad sense\nit hath these works of darkness attending it, wrath, strife, malice, &c.\nGal. v. 20; 1 Cor. iii. 3; Rom. xiii. 13. It is accompanied with such a\nhellish crowd of noisome lusts. Let me add a differential character of it.\nIt is uncharitable, contentious, and malicious. It can do nothing,\ncondescend to nothing, and is conversant about nothing, but what pleases\nour own humour, for the peace and unity of the church. It is a self-willed\nimpetuous thing, like a torrent that carries all down before it. But truly\nright zeal runs calmly and constantly within the banks; it will rather\nconsume its own bowels within with grief, than devour others without.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VI.\n\n\n    Matth. xi. 28.\u2014\u201cCome unto me, all ye that labour, and are\n    wearied,\u201d &c.\n\n\nIt is the great misery of Christians in this life, that they have such\npoor, narrow, and limited spirits, that are not fit to receive the truth\nof the gospel in its full comprehension; from whence manifold\nmisapprehensions in judgment, and stumbling in practice proceed. The\nbeauty and life of things consist in their entire union with one another,\nand in the conjunction of all their parts. Therefore it would not be a fit\nway to judge of a picture by a lineament, or of an harmony by a\ndiscrepant, nor of the world by some small parcel of it; but take all the\nparts together, all the notes and draughts, as conjoined by art in such an\norder, and there appears nothing but beauty and consent. Even so it falls\nout in our conceptions of the gospel. The straitness and narrowness of our\nspirits takes in truth by parcels, disjointed from the whole, looks upon\none side of it, and sees not the other. As for example, sometimes there\nappears unto us our duty and strait obligation to holy walking and this\nbeing seen and considered alone, ordinarily fills the soul with some fear,\njealousies, and confusion. Another time, there rises out from under the\ncloud, the mercy and peace of Christ in inviting, accepting, and pardoning\nsinners, by his blood, that cleanses from all sin; and in that view (such\nis our weakness and shortness of sight) there is nothing else presented\nbut pardoning grace; and hence there is occasion given to the corruption\nof our hearts, to insinuate secretly and subtilely unto us some\ninclinations to more liberty, and indulgence to the flesh. Thus you see\nwhat stumbling in practice, and disorder in walking, this partial way of\nreceiving the truth occasioneth. But it hath no less influence upon the\nmany controversies and differences in doctrine and opinion, about grace\nand works. For from whence arise these mistakes on both hands, but from\nthe straitness of our apprehensions, that we do not take the truth of God\nin its full latitude, but being eager upon one part and zealous of it, we\nalmost lose the remembrance, and sometimes fall, in wrangling with the\nother? Many that proclaim the free grace of the gospel, their fault is,\nnot that they make it freer than it is, for truly it is as free of any\nAntinomian can apprehend it, but rather because they take it not in its\nentire and full complexion, which best declares the freedom of it, as\ncomprehending both the pardon of sin and purity from sin, grace towards us\nand grace within us; and so, while they only plead for the one, they seem\nat least to oppugn the other. And, in like manner, others apprehending the\nnecessity, beauty, and comeliness of holiness and new obedience, are much\nin pressing and declaring this in opposition to the other way; in which\nthere may be some mistake, not in making it more meritorious than it is,\nbut at leastwise(441) in such a manner it may be holden out, as may\nsomewhat obscure the freedom of God\u2019s grace. The occasion of both these\nmisapprehensions may be from the scattering of these diverse parcels of\ntruth, as so many pearls in the field of the scripture; one is found here,\nand one takes it up, as if there were no more; here is repentance, and\naway he goes with that, without conjoining these scattered pieces into one\nbody. But yet our Saviour sometimes gives us complete sums and models of\nthe gospel, in which he presents all at one view at once, and especially\nin these words now read. The sum of all the gospel is contained in two\nwords, \u201cCome unto me,\u201d and \u201ctake my yoke upon you.\u201d All the duty of a\nChristian, and all his encouragement is here. His duty is to believe in\nChrist, and to give himself up to his obedience, and become his disciple,\nand to follow his example; and his encouragement is the rest promised,\nrest to his soul,\u2014which is the only proper seat, of rest or disquiet. It\nis most capable and sensible of both,\u2014and this rest includes in its bosom,\nnot only peace and tranquillity of mind here, which all the creatures\ncombined cannot give, but all felicity besides; that eternal rest from all\nthe labours of this life, and complacency in the fruition of God for ever.\nYou see, then, what is the full invitation of the gospel. It is nothing\nelse but come, and have rest. \u201cTake on an easy yoke, and ye shall find\nrest. Come and be happy. Come and receive life. That which you seek\nelsewhere, both ignorantly and vainly, here it is only to be found. Come\n(says Christ), and I promise to give it unto you. Wait upon me by\nobedience, and you shall at length find by experience, that rest which I\nam willing to give you.\u201d\n\nI desire you may consider both the order and the connexion of these\nintegral parts of the gospel. The order of the gospel is a great part of\nthe gospel. In some things method is arbitrary, and it matters not which\ngo before, or which follow after, but here they become essential, and so a\ngreat part of the matter itself. There must be first coming to Christ, and\nthen taking on his yoke; first believing, then obeying his commandments.\nThis is as essential an order, as is between the fruit and the root, the\nstream and the fountain, the sun-beam and the sun. Will any man expect\nfruit till he plant? There must then first be the implanting of the soul\ninto Christ by faith, and then in due season follow the fruits of\nobedience by abiding in him. The perverting of this order makes much\ndisorder in the spirits and lives of Christians. But how can it choose but\nall must wither and decay, if the soul be not planted by this river, whose\nstreams gladden the city of our God, if the roots of it be not watered\nwith the frequent apprehension and consideration of the grace of Christ,\nor the riches of God\u2019s mercy? The way and method of many Christians is\njust opposite to this. For you labour and weary yourselves, how to attain\nsome measure and satisfaction in the latter, before you adventure the\nfirst, to have the heart humbled by godly sorrow, and the soul inflamed by\nlove to God, and the yoke of his obedience submitted unto; while in the\nmean time you deliberately suspend the exercise of faith, and apprehension\nof the pardoning grace of Christ. Now, how this can consist either with\nsound reason or religion, I do not see. For were it not a point of madness\nto seek fruits from a tree that is lying above ground, and to refuse to\nplant it till it give some experience of its fruitfulness in the air? And\nwhat can be more absurd, than to imagine to have the Spirit of Christ\nworking in the heart godly sorrow, or Christian love, and so renewing it\nagain to his image, and yet withal Christ not received into the heart by\nfaith? Do you not know that this is his first entrance into the soul? He\nenters there by the door of faith, and a soul enters into him at the door\nof the promise by faith. How then do ye imagine he shall work in you,\nbefore you will admit him to come in to you? Besides, either you apprehend\nthat you may attain to such gracious qualifications by your own industry\nwithout Christ, which is blasphemous to his name and office; for if you\nmay, what need have you of him? Or, if you believe that he is the only\ntreasure of all grace and wisdom, and that all things are delivered to him\nof the Father, then how do you seek these things without him? It must be\nwretched folly to seek them elsewhere, and not come to him. And indeed it\nis observable, that this exhortation to come unto Christ is subjoined unto\nver. 27, \u201cAll things are delivered unto me by the Father.\u201d And therefore,\nseeing all grace, and life, and happiness is enclosed in me, seeing\nwithout me there is nothing but a barren wilderness, in which you may toil\nand labour, and weary yourselves in fruitless pursuits, come hither where\nit is originally and plentifully seated, and you cannot miss your end, nor\nlose your labour. And for the farther illustration of this subject, I\nshall only add that,\n\nSecondly, There is another woful mistake possesses your minds who take up\nthis way, for certainly you must think that there is some worth or dignity\nin it, whereby you intend to recommend yourselves unto Christ. For to what\npurpose is that anxious and scrupulous exaction of such previous\nqualifications, if it be not to give some more boldness and confidence to\nthy mind, to adventure to believe the promises and come to Christ, because\nthou thinkest thou canst not come when thou art so unclean and so\nunworthy? And therefore thou apprehendest that thou canst so purge thyself\nfrom sin and adorn thyself with graces, as may procure some liking, and\nprocure some favour at Christ\u2019s hand, which is indeed very opposite to the\ntenor of the proposal of free grace in the gospel in which there is\nnothing upon the creature\u2019s part required as a condition or qualification\nto make them the more welcome in coming to Christ.\n\nLet this word then abide with you: \u201cCome unto me, and take my yoke upon\nyou, and learn of me,\u201d which in substance is this, Come and cast your\nburdens on me first, and then take my burden upon you. O it is a blessed\nexchange! Cast your heavy burden upon my back, and take my light burden on\nyours. For what is it to invite them that labour and are ladened to come,\nbut to come and repose themselves for rest upon him? And that is directly\nto lay over that which burdens and ladeneth them upon him. There is an\nunsupportable burden of sin, the guilt of sin, and there is an intolerable\nweight of wrath. \u201cMine iniquities are gone over mine head (Ps. xxxviii.\n4.) and as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.\u201d And when the wrath\nof God is joined to this burden, the name of the Lord burning with anger,\nhow may you conceive a soul will be pressed under that burden, which is so\nheavy, that it will press the mountains into valleys, make the sea flee\nout of its place, and the earth tremble? Now here is the invitation. Is\nthere any penitent soul that feels the burden of the weight of sin and\nwrath? Let them come and disburden their souls of care, fear, and anxiety,\nin this blessed port of rest and refuge for poor sinners. Is there a yoke\nof transgressions wreathed about thy neck, and bound by the hand of God,\n(Lam. i. 14) a yoke that neither men nor angels are able to bear? Then, I\nbeseech you, come hither, and put over your yoke upon Jesus Christ. Tie it\nabout him for God hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all, and he bore\nour sins. He did bear the yoke of divine displeasure, and it was bound\nabout his neck with God\u2019s own hand, with his own consent. Now, here is the\nactual liberty and the releasement of a soul from under the yoke, here is\nits actual rest and quiet from under the pain of this burden, when a soul\nis made to consent unto, and willingly to put over that burden upon\nChrist. And this freedom and vacancy from the unsupportable yoke of guilt,\nwill certainly dispose the soul, and make it more capable of receiving the\neasy and portable yoke of his commandments. I or you may easily perceive\nhow easy love maketh all things, even difficulties themselves. Let once a\nsoul be engaged that way to Christ, (and there is no possibility of\nengaging it in affection without some taste and feeling, or believing\napprehension of his love and sufficiency for us,) and you will see that\nthe rough way will be made plain and the crooked way straight, heavy\nthings light, and hard things easy. For what command can be grievous to\nthat soul who apprehends that Christ hath taken the great weight of wrath\noff it, and carried away the intolerable pain of its guiltiness, which\nwould have pressed and depressed it eternally, without any hope of\nrelaxation or ease? Hath he borne a yoke bound on by the majesty of God,\nand fastened with the cords of his displeasure? And can it be so heavy to\na believing soul to take up that obedience which is fastened with the\ncords of love? And besides, how much will faith facilitate this, and make\nthis yoke to be cheerfully and willingly submitted to, because it delivers\nthe soul from those unsufferable cares and fears, which did quite enervate\nits strength, and take away its courage? For, I pray you, what is there in\na soul under the fear of wrath, that is not totally disabled by that heavy\npressure for any willing or cheerful obedience? The mystery(442) of the\nspirit is spent that way, the courage of the soul is defeated, the heart\nis weakened, and nothing is suitable to the yoke of Christian love and\nobedience. But when once a soul apprehends Christ, this is a reposition of\nall his cares and burdens, and comes to exoner(443) his soul in him, and\ncast his burthen upon him. Then the soul is lightened as it were for this\njourney, then he may walk in the ways of obedience, without the pressing\nfear and pushing anguish of the dread of condemnation of the law. To\nconclude this head, nothing will make you take up this yoke willingly, or\nbear it constantly, except you be delivered from the other yoke that was\nso heavy even to Christ, and that made him cry, \u201cMy soul is exceeding\nheavy and troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour.\u201d\n\nNow, these who are here in the text invited to come unto Christ,\u2014you see\nthem described to be labouring and heavy laden persons. \u201cCome unto me, all\nye that labour,\u201d &c. At least it seems to hold forth a previous\nqualification and condition of believing, without which we may not venture\nto come unto Christ. Indeed it is commonly so taken, and mistaken. Many\nconceive that the clause is restrictive and exclusive, that is to say,\nthat this description of burdened and wearied sinners is a limitation of\nthe command of believing, and that it circumscribes the warrant of coming\nto Christ, as if none might lawfully come unto him but these that are thus\nburdened, and thus it is supposed to be a bar, set upon the door of\nbelieving at which sinners must enter in to Christ, to hold out, and shut\nout all those who are not thus qualified for access, which I truly\nconceive is contrary to the whole strain and current of the dispensation\nof the gospel. Therefore I take it to be rather declarative, or\nampliative, or both. I say, it is partly for declaration, not of the\nwarrant to come, but of the persons who ordinarily do come to Christ. It\ndeclares not simply and universally who should come, but those who\nactually do come unto Christ. Take it thus then. All persons who hear the\ngospel are invited to come unto our Saviour without exception, the blind,\nthe lame, those on the highways, not only the thirsty and the hungry,\n(Isa. lv. 1.) but those who have no thirst or hunger for righteousness,\nbut only for things that do not profit (ver. 2), not only the broken\nhearted, that desire to come near to righteousness, but even the stout\nhearted that are far from righteousness. Such are commanded to hearken,\nand incline their ear, Isa. xlvi. 12, lv. 2, 3. Now, this command that\nreaches all, gives an immediate actual warrant and right to all to come,\nif they will. For what is required previous to give warrant to obedience,\nbut the command of obedience? And therefore the Jews were challenged,\nbecause they would not come to Christ that they might have life. Now then\nthere is no bar of seclusion set upon the door of the gospel, to keep out\nany soul from entering in. There is no qualification or condition\nprescribed by the gospel, and without which if he come, he is actually\nwelcomed and received by Christ, whatsoever you suppose he wants. It is\ntrue, men\u2019s own security and unbelief will exclude them from Christ, but\nthat is no retraction on the gospel\u2019s part. It is a bar set on a man\u2019s own\nheart, that shuts him up from coming to the patent entry of the gospel.\n\nTherefore I take it thus, that though all ought to come to Christ, and\nnone that are indeed willing are debarred for the want of any supposed\ncondition, yet none will actually and really come, till they be in some\nmeasure sensible of the weight of their sins, and the wrath of God, till\nthey are labouring under the feeling of their own misery and desperate\ncondition. And whatsoever be the measure of this, if it give so much\nuneasiness to a man that he can be content with rest and ease in Christ,\nhe may, and certainly ought, to come unto Jesus, and cast all his burdens\nupon him. I think then, that way that is in so frequent use among\nChristians, to sit down, and essay to bring our hearts to some deep\nhumiliation, and so to prescribe and order it, as we will deliberately\ndelay, and suspend the thoughts of believing, till we have attained\nsomething of this,\u2014I say, this way crosses the very intention of Christ in\nuttering these words, and such like. For certainly he meant to take away\nimpediments, and not to cast delays in our way. And therefore I said the\nword was rather for ampliation, that is, rather to encourage these who\naccounted themselves excluded, than to exclude any who desire to come.\n\u201cCome unto me, every one, but especially you that labour, ye should make\nthe greatest haste. Come unto me even though ye apprehend the wrath of God\nto be intolerable, and have foolishly wearied yourselves in seeking rest\nby other ways. Ye that are most apprehensive of your sins, and so are apt\nto doubt of any acceptation,\u2014you that think yourselves worse than any, and\nso to have least warrant to come to me,\u2014yet come, and I will by no means\ncast you out, but give rest to your souls.\u201d So that it is not intended to\nexclude those who are most ready to think themselves excluded, because\nthey see so much sin in themselves.\n\nTherefore, my beloved, without further disputing about it, let me exhort\nyou in the name of Jesus Christ, who here invites and commands you, that\nyou would at once put a period to this, and bring it to some conclusion.\nSince you are diseased and disquieted in yourselves, and cannot find rest\nin your own bosoms, I beseech you come here, where it is most likely to be\nfound, and it is most certain, if you come you shall find it. Do not\ncontinue wrangling and contesting about the matter; for what is that but\nto increase your labour, and vexation, and add to your heavy burden? It\nwill be so far from giving you any ease in the result of it, that it will\nrather make your wounds more incurable, and your burdens more intolerable,\nwhich is both opposite to the intention of the gospel and the nature of\nbelieving. Here then is your rest, here is your refreshing rest. Here it\nis in quiet yielding to his gracious offers, and silent submitting to the\ngospel, not in bawling or contending with it, which is truly a contending\nagainst ourselves. Isa. xxviii. 12. This is the rest, wherewith you may\ncause the weary to rest. It is nowhere else, not in heaven or earth, for\nthere is no back that will take on this burden or can carry it away from\nus. There is no disburdening of a sinner of guilt and wrath, in any other\nport or haven, but in Christ, who is the city of refuge. Wheresoever you\nthink to exoner yourselves besides this, you will find no refreshing, but\na multiplication of burdens and cares. Your burden shall be rolled over\nupon you again with double weight. Therefore, my beloved, if you will not\nhear this, consider what follows, viz. you shall refuse this rest and\nrefreshing and restlessly seek another rest. You may go and be doing, but\nyou shall fall backward, and be broken and snared. Your burden shall fall\nback upon you, and you shall fall and be broken under it. That which the\nLord said to Israel when they would flee to Egypt, is most true in this\ncase. \u201cIn returning, and in rest ye shall be saved, in quietness and\nconfidence shall be your strength;\u201d but alas! they would not, that is a\nsad close.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VII.\n\n\n    Matt. xi. 20.\u2014\u201cTake my yoke upon you, and learn of me,\u201d &c.\n\n\nSelf love is generally esteemed infamous and contemptible among men. It is\nof a bad report every where, and indeed as it is taken commonly, there is\ngood reason for it, that it should be hissed out of all societies, if\nreproaching and speaking evil of it would do it. But to speak the truth,\nthe name is not so fit to express the thing, for that which men call self\nlove, may rather be called self hatred. Nothing is more pernicious to a\nman\u2019s self, or pestilent to the societies of men than this, for if it may\nbe called love, certainly it is not self love, but the love of some baser\nand lower thing than self, to our eternal prejudice. For what is\nourselves, but our souls? Matt. xvi. 26, Luke ix. 25. For our Lord there\nshows that to lose our souls, and to lose ourselves, is one and the same\nthing. But what is it to love our souls? Certainly it is not to be\nenamoured with their deformed shape, as if it were perfect beauty? Neither\ncan it be interpreted, any true love to our souls, to seek satisfaction\nand rest unto them, where it is not at all to be found, for this is to put\nthem in perpetual pain and disquiet. But here it is that true self-love,\nand soul love centereth, in that which our Saviour propounds, namely, to\ndesire and seek the everlasting welfare of our souls, and that perpetual\nrest unto them, after which there is no labour nor motion any more.\nTherefore, to draw unto himself the souls of men the more sweetly, and the\nmore strongly too, he fasteneth about them a cord of their own interest,\nand that the greatest, real rest; and by this he is likely to prevail with\nmen in a way suited to their reasonable natures. \u201cCome unto me, all ye\nthat labour and are wearied, and I will give you rest.\u201d Self interest is\nordinarily exploded, at least disowned and disclaimed in men\u2019s discourses,\nas a base, wretched, sordid thing, which, though all men act by it, yet\nthey are all ashamed to profess. But yet, if the interest be so high as\nindeed to concern self, and that which is truly our self, then both\nnations and persons count it the most justifiable ground of many of their\nactions, self preservation. But yet there is a higher interest than that,\nthat relates to the eternal interest of our souls. And truly to own and\nprofess, and prosecute that interest of soul preservation, of eternal rest\nto our souls, is neither ignoble, nor unbeseeming a Christian; neither is\nit any way inconsistent with the pursuance of that more public and\ncatholic interest of God\u2019s glory, in respect of which all interests, even\nthe most general and public, are particular and private. For this is the\ngoodness of our God, that he hath bound up his own honour and our\nhappiness in one bundle together; that he hath knit the rest of our\nprecious souls, and the glory of his own name inseparably together, not\nonly to condescend to our weakness, but to deal with us suitably to our\nnatures. He proposes our own interests chiefly, to draw us to himself, and\nallows this happy self seeking in which a man loses himself, that he may\nbe found again in Christ. Seeing then it is thus, that elsewhere,\nwheresoever you turn yourselves, within or without, there is no rest, but\nendless labour, and fruitless toil, (you find this already by experience,\nyou who apprehend the weight of your sins, and the greatness of divine\nwrath,) that there is an intolerable pressure upon your souls already, and\nthat this is nothing diminished, but rather augmented, by your vain\nlabours and inquiries after some ease and peace,\u2014your endeavours to\nsatisfy your own consciences, and pacify God\u2019s wrath some other way,\nhaving filled you with more restless anxiety, and seeing there is a\ncertain assurance of true rest and tranquillity here, upon the easiest\nterms imaginable, that is, \u201ccome to Jesus Christ, all ye who are\ndisquieted and restless, and he will give you rest,\u201d\u2014O should not this be\nan invincible and irresistible attractive to your hearts, to draw them to\nour Redeemer over all impediments? The rest is perfect happiness; and yet\nthe terms are easy. Only come and embrace it, and seek it nowhere else.\nThere is a kind of quietness and tranquillity in the seeking and attaining\nthis rest. All other rests are come to by much labour and business. Here\nChrist would have you,\u2014who have laboured in vain for rest, and lost your\ntoil and your pains,\u2014to come at it, by ceasing from labour, as it were,\nthat which you could not attain by labour, to come by it, _cunctando_ (by\nkeeping quiet), which you could not gain _pugnando_ (by fighting). There\nis a quiet and silent way of believing promises, and rolling yourselves\nupon Christ offered in them, which is the nearest and most compendious way\nto this blessed rest and quietness, which, if you think to attain by much\nclamour and contention of debate or dispute, or by the painful labour and\nvexation of your spirits, which you call exercise of mind,\u2014you take the\nway about, and put yourselves further off from it. Faith has a kind of\npresent vacancy and quietness in it, in the very acting of it. It is not a\ntumultuous thing, but composes the soul to quietness and silence, to a\ncessation from all other things but the looking upon Christ holden out in\nthe gospel, and this in due time will give greater rest and tranquillity.\nConsider what the Lord speaks to the people that would take a journey upon\nthem to Egypt, (Isa. xxx. 15). \u201cIn returning and rest shall ye be saved,\nin quietness and confidence shall be your strength.\u201d Their peace was near\nhand, but they would travel abroad to seek it, and they find trouble.\nTheir strength was to sit still and be quiet, and trust in the Lord. Nay,\nbut they would not sit still, but flee and wander abroad to their old\nhouse of bondage, and therefore, says the Lord, you shall flee. Now, may\nnot this represent the folly and madness of souls that are under the fear\nof wrath and sense of sin, and be as it were a type of it? Our rest is in\nresting on a Saviour, our peace is in quiet confidence in him, it is not\nfar off, it is in our mouth. \u201cThe word is near\u201d (says Paul), it is neither\nin heaven above, nor in the depth below. We need not go abroad and search\nfor that happiness we want. It is nigh at hand in the gospel, but while we\nrefuse this, and give ourselves to restless agitation and perplexity about\nit, sometimes we apprehend that we are eased in our travels and\nendeavours, but it shall prove to us no better than Egypt a house of\nbondage. Wheresoever we seek shelter out of Christ, we will find it a\nbroken reed, that not only will fail under us, but in the rent will split\nour hand, and pierce us through with many sorrows. To conclude then this\nhead, coming to Christ with our burdens is a motion towards rest. For he\nadds, \u201cI will give you rest.\u201d But moreover, there is a kind of rest in\nthis motion. It is an easier, plainer, and pleasanter motion, than these\ntroubled and laborious windings and wanderings of our hearts after vanity.\nHe persuades you to walk in this path of pleasantness and peace, and you\nshall find a great rest at the end of it, \u201creceiving (says Peter) the end\nof your faith the eternal salvation of your souls.\u201d\n\nNow the next thing in the text is, having come to Jesus, and found rest\nand happiness in him, we must take his yoke upon us. And this is the other\nintegral part of the gospel, of which I desire you to consider these few\nparticulars, that occur in the words,\u2014The order in which it is to be taken\non,\u2014The nature of this yoke,\u2014And the most ready and expeditious way of\nbearing it.\n\nThe method and order in which Christ\u2019s yoke is to be taken upon us, is\nfirst, To come unto our Saviour, and give over the yoke of our\ntransgressions to him, and then to take up the yoke of his commandments\nfrom him, to believe in his promises, and rest our souls on them, and to\ntake up the yoke of his precepts, and proceed to motion, and walking in\nthat rest. Now this method hath a double advantage in it, for the real\nreceiving and carrying of Christ\u2019s yoke. It gives vacancy and room for it,\nand it gives strength and furniture(444) for it. It expels that which\nwould totally disable you to bear it, and brings in that comfortable\nsupply, which will strengthen and enable you to bear it. Consider what\nposture a soul is put into, that lives under the terror of God, and is\nfilled with the apprehension of the guilt of sin and the greatness of\nGod\u2019s wrath. I say, such a soul, till he have some rest from that grievous\nlabour, is fit for no other more pleasant labour, until he be something\ndisburthened of that which is like to press him down to hell. He is not\nvery capable of any new burden, until the yoke of his transgressions that\nis wreathed about his neck be taken off. Do ye think he can find any\nvacant room for the yoke of Christ\u2019s obedience? When a soul is under the\ndominion of fear and terror, under the power of grief and anguish, do ye\nthink he is fit for any thing, or can do any thing, but groan in that\nprison of darkness, under these chains? Such a soul is in bondage, under\nservitude, and can neither take up this yoke of liberty nor walk in it.\nThe strength and moisture of the spirit is drunk up by the poison of these\narrows, and there remains neither attention, affection, nor spirit for any\nthing else. Therefore here is the incomparable advantage that redounds\nfrom this way of coming first to Christ, and exonering our cares and fears\nin his bosom, and in disburthening our sins upon him, who hath taken them\non, and carried them away, as that scape goat sent unto the wilderness on\nwhich they laid the sins of the people. By this means, I say, you shall\nhave a vacancy for the yoke of Christ and liberty to all your faculties,\nyour understanding, will, and affections, (which are no better than slaves\nand captives, _non sui juris_, while they are under these tyrannous\npassions of fear and horror,) to attend the obedience of Christ and the\ndrawing of his yoke. This will relieve your souls out of prison, and then\nyou will be fit for employment. Besides this, there is furniture and help\nbrought into the soul, which enables it to this; and without which, though\nit were not pressed under a burden of sin and wrath, yet it would neither\nbe able nor willing. There is that supply and strength that faith brings\nfrom Christ, which arises from our mystical implantation in him, from\nhence flows that communication of his grace to a believer. The law came by\nMoses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ, John i. 16, 17. Now this\nefficacy and virtue that is in Christ the head, is transmitted unto the\nmembers of his body by believing in him. Indeed the very apprehension of\nsuch a Saviour may have some quickening virtue in it, but certainly the\ngreat influence of life is annexed to it by his gracious promises,\n\u201cBecause I live, ye shall live also,\u201d John xiv. 19. \u201cAs the living Father\nwho sent me, lives in himself, and I have life by the Father, so he that\nbelieves on me, shall live by me,\u201d John vi. 57. \u201cAbide in me, and I in\nyou, and ye shall bring forth much fruit.\u201d He hath graciously appointed\nthe derivation of that life to us, to be conjoined with our right\napprehensions, and believing meditations of him, making, as it were, faith\nthe opening of his house, to let in his fulness to us. Now, besides this\nmore mysterious and supernatural furniture and supply, there is even\nsomething that is naturally consequent to it, some enabling of the soul\nfor holy obedience, flows naturally from the love of Christ. And when ever\na believer apprehends what he has done for him, finds some rest and\nrelaxation in him, it cannot but beget some inward warmth of love to him\nwho so loved us. \u201cFaith worketh by love,\u201d says Paul. The way it goes to\naction is by affection. It at once inflames that, and then there is\nnothing more active and irresistible. It hath a kind of indefatigable\nfirmness in it, it hath an unwearied strength to move in the yoke all the\nday long. In a word, nothing almost is impossible or too hard for it, for\nit is of the nature of fire to break through all, and over all\nimpediments. Nothing is so easy but it becomes uneasy to a soul under\nfear, and nothing so difficult but it becomes easy to a soul wherein\nperfect love has cast out fear. For love makes a soul to move\nsupernaturally in divine things, as a natural or co-natural agent, freely,\nwillingly, and constantly. If they be not suitable to our natures as\ncorrupted, and so, grievous to love, then, as much as it possesses the\nheart, it makes the heart co-natural to them, and supplies the place of\nthat natural instinct that carries other creatures to their own works and\nends, strongly and sweetly. 1 John v. 3, Psal. cxix. 165, Neh. vii. 10,\nCol. iii. 15. Now you may judge whether or not you can possibly expect so\nmuch advantage in any other method or way you take. This I leave to your\nown consideration and experience.\n\nAnd so I come to the next thing proposed, _secondly_, To consider what\nthis yoke is, and what is the nature of it. And may I not upon this head\njustly enough distinguish a twofold yoke, of doctrine and discipline, that\nis, the yoke of Christ\u2019s commandments and laws, which both, in his love\nand wisdom, he hath imposed upon us, for the regulation of our lives? And\nthis we are to take on by an obedience cheerful, willing, and constant.\nBut there is another yoke mentioned in scripture, namely, the yoke of his\nchastisements and correcting, such a one as Ephraim (Jer. xxxi. 18) was\ntried with, and was long or he could learn to bear it. It is good for a\nman to bear this yoke in his youth, Lam. iii. 27. Now whether or not this\nbe meant here, I do not contend. The first is the chief intent, and it is\nnot needful to exclude this altogether, since it is not the smallest point\nof Christianity to take up the one yoke by submission, as well as to take\nup the other by obedience. How ever it be, obedience must be taken so\nlargely, as it cannot but comprehend the sweet compliance, and submission\nof the will to God\u2019s will in all cross-dispensations, which is no little\nprobation of the loyal and obedient temper of the heart. Both yokes must\nbe taken up, for so Christ speaks of his cross, \u201cIf any man will be my\ndisciple, he must take up his cross and follow me,\u201d Matt. xvi. 24, 25. It\nmust be lifted up upon our shoulders, as it were, willingly, and\ncheerfully, we actually concurring, as it were, to the bearing of it, and\nthe receiving it. But there is this difference between the one yoke and\nthe other, the one cannot be imposed upon us, neither can we bear it,\nexcept we actively and with our own consent and delight take it up. Though\nGod may impose laws upon us, and give us righteous and faithful\ncommandments, which indeed lay a strait obligation and tie upon us under\npain of disloyalty, and rebellion, to walk in them, yet it never becomes\nour yoke, and is never carried by us, until there be a subsequent consent\nof the soul, and a full condescension of the heart, to embrace that yoke\nwith delight. Till we yoke ourselves unto his commandments, by loving and\nwilling obedience, we have not his yoke upon us. \u201cThy people shall be made\nwilling in the day of thy power.\u201d It is not terrors and constraints, but\nthe bands of love will bind us to this yoke. It must be bound upon us by\nthe cords of love, not of fear. He is a true king, not a tyrant, he loves\n_imperare volentibus_, \u201cto rule every man with his own consent,\u201d but a\ntyrant \u201crules every man against his will,\u201d _nolentibus imperat_. But as to\nthe other yoke of his discipline, his cross, whether it be for his sake,\nor whether it be the general cross of our pilgrimage here, and the\nvicissitudes and changes of this life, it is not in our arbitrament to\nbear a cross, or have a cross or not. Have it we must, bear it we must,\nwhether we choose or refuse it. There is no man can be exempted from some\nyoke of this kind. No man can promise himself immunity from some cross or\nother, if not in poverty, yet in abundance, if not in contempt and\nreproach yet in honour and greatness. There is nothing of that kind that\nwill not become weighty with itself alone, though nothing be superadded to\nit. So then, since every man must have a yoke, he hath only the advantage\nwho takes it up, and bears it patiently. For if he thus sweetly comply and\nyield to God\u2019s will, he will not so much bear his cross, as his cross will\nbear him. If thou take it up, it will take thee up and carry thee. If thou\nsubmit and stoop willingly to God\u2019s good pleasure, thou wilt make it a\nmore easy yoke, and light burden. _Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem\ntrahunt._(445) If thou be patient, his dispensation will gently and\nsweetly lead thee to rest, but an impatient soul is dragged and drawn\nafter it against the hair, and yet he must follow it. There is this mighty\ndisadvantage in our impatient unsubjection to God\u2019s will, that it makes\nthat a yoke which is no yoke, no cross a cross, an easy yoke hard, and a\nlight burden heavy, and yet notwithstanding we must bear it. A yoke, a\ncross, we cannot escape, whithersoever we go, whithersoever we turn\nourselves, because we carry ourselves about with us, and our own crooked\nperverse apprehensions of things which trouble us more than the things\nthemselves. Now consider the reasonableness of taking on the yoke of\nChrist\u2019s obedience. Should we not with David, offer ourselves willingly,\nand present ourselves even before we are called? \u201cLo I come, to do thy\nwill, O God. I delight in thy law, it is in my inward part,\u201d Psal. xl. 8.\nThere is no yoke so reasonable, if you consider it as imposed by Christ\nour King and Lawgiver. Hath he not redeemed us from the house of bondage,\nfrom the vilest and basest slavery, under the most cruel tyrants, Satan,\nand death, and hell?  Heb. ii. 15. Hath he not asserted and restored us\ninto the true liberty of men, and of the sons of God? The Son hath made us\nfree, (John viii. 32) when we were under the most grievous yoke of sin and\nwrath, and the eternal curse of God. He hath put his own neck under it and\nbecome a curse for us, that he might redeem us from the curse of the law,\nand so he hath carried away these iron chariots, these yokes of brass and\niron, whereby Satan kept us in subjection, and now been established our\ncareful King, not only by the title of the justest and most beneficial\nconquest that ever was made, but by God\u2019s solemn appointment upon the hill\nof Zion, Psal. ii. 6. And being exalted a Prince to give us salvation,\nwere it not most strange if his kingdom should want laws, which are the\nlife and soul of republics and monarchies? Ought not we to submit to them\ngladly, and obey them cheerfully? Should not we absolutely resign\nourselves to his will, and esteem his commandments concerning all things\nto be right? What command should be grievous to that soul, which is\ndelivered from the curse of all the commandments, and is assured never to\nenter into condemnation?  If there were no more to say, were it not\nmonstrous ingratitude to withdraw ourselves from subjection to him, or\nyield obedience to any other strange lords, as our lusts are? Would it not\nbe an unexemplified unthankfulness to requite rebellion to him, for so\nmuch unparalleled affection? Since we are not our own, but bought with a\nprice, we are not _sui juris_,(446) to dispose of ourselves. All reason\nshould say, that he who payed so dear for us should have the use of us.\nAnd that is nothing but glory he seeks from us, that we offer and\nconsecrate soul and body to him, to come under his yoke. As for the gain,\nit redounds all to ourselves, and that as the greater gain too.\n\nNow a word to the last thing proposed, for I can only hint at it. The most\nexcellent and ready way of bearing this yoke, is to learn of him, to\npresent him as our pattern, and to yield ourselves to him, as his\ndisciples and scholars, not only to learn his doctrine, but to imitate his\nexample and practice, \u201cto walk even as he walked.\u201d And herein is great\nmoment(447) of persuasion, Christ puts nothing upon you, but what he did\ntake upon himself. There is so much more reason for you to take it up,\nthat it is his own personal yoke, which he himself carried, for he\ndelighted to do the Father\u2019s will. It was his meat and drink to work in\nthat yoke. Now there are two things especially wherein he propones himself\nthe exemplar or pattern of our imitation, viz., his humility and meekness\nof spirit. He was \u201cmeek and lowly in heart.\u201d And these graces have the\ngreatest suitableness to capacitate and dispose every man for taking, and\nkeeping the yoke of Christ. Humility and lowliness bows his back to take\non the least of his commands. This makes him stoop low, and makes his\nshoulders fit for it, and then meekness arms him against all difficulties\nand impediments that may occur in it.\n\n\n\n\nSermon VIII.\n\n\n    Matt. xi. 29.\u2014\u201cTake my yoke upon you,\u201d &c.\n\n\nChristianity consists in a blessed exchange of yokes between Christ and a\npious soul. He takes our uneasy yoke, and gives his easy yoke. The soul\nputs upon him that unsupportable yoke of transgressions, and takes from\nhim the portable yoke of his commandments. Our burden was heavy, too heavy\nfor angels, and much more for men. It would crush under it all the\nstrength of the creatures, for who could endure the wrath of the Almighty?\nOr, \u201cwhat could a man give in exchange for his soul\u201d? Nay, that debt would\ndrown the whole creation, if they were surety for it. Notwithstanding,\nChrist hath taken that burden upon him, being able to bear it, having\nalmighty shoulders, and everlasting arms for it. And yet you find how\nheavy it was for him, when it pressed out that groan from him, \u201cNow is my\nsoul sore amazed, very heavy, and exceeding sorrowful even unto death, and\nwhat shall I say?\u201d That which carried it away from us, hath buried it in\nhis grave, whither it pressed him down. It gets him very low under it, but\nhe hath got above it and is risen again, and whereas in vain there was a\nstone put above him, and sealed, he hath rolled a stone above that yoke\nand burden, that it cannot be able to weigh down any believing soul to\nhell; for that weight which depressed his spotless soul, would have\ndepressed the sons of men to eternal darkness. Now for his burden, we\nobserve that it is of another nature, to speak properly, than other\nburdens. It is not a heavy yoke or burden, but a state of liberty, an\nornament, a privilege. It is a chain of gold about a saint\u2019s neck, to bind\nChrist\u2019s laws about them, every link of that chain is more precious than\nrubies or diamonds. If there be any burden in it, it is the burden of\nhonour, the burden of privilege, and incomparable dignity, _honos_ not\n_onus_ or _onus honoris_.(448) This is that which he puts upon us, or\nrather that which a believer receives from him. Now I will not have you so\nto take it, as if Christ did not propose the terms thus, \u201cIf you will be\nwilling to take on the yoke of my laws, I will take on the yoke of your\nsins and curses.\u201d Nay, it is not such an exchange as is thus mutually\ndependent; for it hath pleased the Father without consulting us, and the\nSon without our knowledge or consent, to conclude what to do with the\nheavy and unsupportable burden of sinners. The Father \u201claid upon him the\niniquities of us all, and he\u201d of his own accord \u201chath borne our griefs,\nand carried our sorrows,\u201d (Isa. lii. 4-6) and that burden did bruise him;\nyea, \u201cit pleased the Lord to bruise him,\u201d and it pleased himself to be\nbruised. O strange and unparalleled love, that could digest so hard\nthings, and make so grievous things pleasant! Now I say, he having thus\ntaken on our burden already, calls upon us afterward, and sends forth\nproclamations, and affectionate invitations, \u201cCome unto me, all ye poor\nsinners, that are burdened with sin, and wearied with that burden; you who\nhave tired yourselves in these byways, and laboured elsewhere in vain, to\nseek rest and peace: you have toiled all night and caught nothing, come\nhither, cast your net upon this side of the ship, and you shall find what\nyou seek. I have undertaken your yoke and burden, why then do you laden\nyourselves any more with the apprehension of it? The real and true burden\nof wrath I have already carried away, why then do ye weary yourselves with\nthe imagination of it? Only come to me, and see what I have done, and you\nshall find rest and peace.\u201d\n\nNow this being proponed absolutely unto sinners, and they being invited to\nconsent to that which Christ has done in their name, in the next place he\ncomes to impose his easy yoke upon us, not at all for any recompence of\nwhat he hath done, but rather for some testimony of gratitude and\nthankfulness on our part, and for the manifestation of grace and love on\nhis part. I do indeed conceive, that the imposition of the yoke of\nChrist\u2019s laws upon believers, is as much for the declaration of his own\nlove and goodness, as the testification of our thankfulness. If you\nconsider the liberty, the beauty, and the equity of this yoke, it will\nrather be construed to proceed from the greatest love and favour, than to\ntend any way to recompence his love. Herein is perfect liberty, Psal.\ncxix. 32, 45. It is an enlargement of heart, from the base restraint and\nabominable servitude of the vilest lusts, that tyrannize over us, and keep\nour affections in bondage. O how narrow bounds is the liberty of the\nspirits of men confined unto, that they serve their own lusts! Sin itself\nand the lusts of the flesh, are a grievous yoke, which the putting on of\nthis yoke looses them from: and when the heart is thus enlarged with love\nand delight in Christ, then the feet unfettered, may walk at liberty, and\nrun in the way of God\u2019s commandments. \u201cI will walk at liberty,\u201d when I\nhave a respect to thy ways, Psal. cxix. 45. O how spacious and broad is\nthat way in reality, which to our first apprehension and the common\nconstruction is strait and narrow! The truth is, there is no straitness,\nno bondage, no scantiness, but in sin. That is the most abominable\nvassalage, and the greatest thraldom of the immortal spirit; to be so\nbasely dragged by the flesh downward, to the vilest drudgery, and to be so\npinched and hampered(449) within the narrowness of created and perishing\nthings. To speak properly, there is no slavery but this of the spirit; for\nit is not so contrary to the nature and state of the body, (which by its\nfirst institution was made a servant,) to be under the dominion of men,\nand further we cannot reach. Yea, it is possible for a man, while his body\nis imprisoned, to be yet at greater freedom than those who imprisoned him.\nAs his mind is, so he is. But to be a servant of sin and unrighteousness,\nmust totally degrade the soul of man. It quite defaces that primitive\nglory, and destroys that native liberty, in which he was created.\nTherefore to have this sin taken off us, and the yoke of Christ\u2019s\nobedience put on us, to be made free from sin, and become the servants of\nrighteousness, that is the soul\u2019s true liberty, which sets it forth at\nlarge to expatiate in the exceeding broad commandments, and in the\ninfinite goodness of God, where there is infinite room for the soul.\n\nWhen, then, I consider how beautiful this is for a reasonable spirit, to\nbe under the law of him that hath made it and redeemed it, I cannot but\nthink that Christ doth rather beautify and bless, than burden. The beauty\nof the world consists in that sweet order, and harmonious subordination of\nall things, to that law God hath imposed upon them, or engraves upon their\nnatures. If we should suppose but one of the parts of the world to swerve\nfrom the primitive institution, what a miserable distraction would ensue?\nHow deformed would this beautiful and adorned fabric become? How much more\nis it the beauty, grace, and comeliness of an intelligent being, to be\nunder the law of him that gave him a being, and to have that written in\nhis heart,\u2014to be in a manner transformed by the shining glory of these\nlaws, to be a living law? What is it, I pray you, deforms these fallen\nangels, and makes them devils? Why do we paint a good angel in a beautiful\nand comely image, while the devils are commonly represented in the most\nhorrid, ugly, and monstrous shape and visage? Is it not this that makes\nthe difference, that the one is fallen from a blessed subordination to the\nwill of God, and the other keeps that station? But both are equal in\nnature, and were alike in the beginning.\n\nAdd unto this, the equity of Christ\u2019s yoke. There is nothing either so\nreasonable in itself, or yet so suitable to ourselves. For what is it that\nhe puts upon us? Truly no new commandment; it is but the old command\nrenewed. It is no new law, though he hath conquered us, and hath the right\nof absolute dominion over us; yet he hath not changed our fundamental\nlaws. He changes only the present tyrannical yoke of sin: but he restores\nus, as it were, to our fundamental liberty we formerly enjoyed, and that\nsin forced us from, when it conquered us. Christ\u2019s yoke is not a new\nimposition. It is but the ancient yoke that was bound upon man\u2019s nature by\nGod the Creator. The Redeemer doth not invent or contrive one of his own;\nhe only looses off the yoke of iniquity, and binds on that sweet yoke of\nobedience and love to God. He publishes the same laws, many of which are\nalready written in some obscure characters upon our own minds; and he\nagain writes them down all over in our hearts. There is nothing superadded\nby Jesus Christ, but a chain of love to bind this yoke about our necks,\nand a chain of grace and truth to keep his laws. And truly these make the\nyoke easy, and take away the nature of a burden from it. O what mighty and\nstrong persuasions! O what constraining motives of love and grace doth the\ngospel furnish, and the rarest cords to bind on Christ\u2019s yoke upon a\nreasonable soul,\u2014cords of the most unparalleled love!\n\nI shall only add unto all this, that as herein Christ hath expressed or\ncompletes the expression of his love upon his part; so upon our part it\nbecomes us to take on his yoke, in testimony of our thankfulness. We owe\nour very selves unto him. What can be more said? We owe ourselves once and\nagain; for we are twice his workmanship, first created by him, and then\nrenewed or created again unto good works. We are bought with a price, we\nare not our own. Can there be any obligation imagined beyond this? Let us\ntherefore consecrate ourselves to his glory. Let all who believe the\ngospel dedicate themselves to its obedience, not so much for salvation to\nthemselves, as their obligation to their Saviour. We are not called so\nmuch to holiness and virtue that we may be saved, as, because we are\nsaved, to be blameless before God in love. O how gracious and honourable a\ndisposition of this kind would it be, to serve him more out of gratitude\nfor what he hath done, than merely for the reward that he will give!\n\n\n\n\nSermon IX.\n\n\n    Rom. xv. 13.\u2014\u201cNow the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace\n    in believing,\u201d &c.\n\n\nIt is usual for the Lord in his word to turn his precepts unto promises,\nwhich shows us, that the commandments of God do not so much import an\nability in us, or suppose strength to fulfil them, as declare that\nobligation which lies upon us, and his purpose and intention to accomplish\nin some, what he requires of all: and therefore we should accordingly\nconvert all his precepts unto prayers, seeing he hath made them promises.\nThis gives us ground, as it were, to retort his commands by way of\nrequests and supplications. The scripture here gives us a precedent, and\noften elsewhere hath made his command a promise. It is then in the next\ndisposition, and nearest capacity, to be turned into the form of a\nsupplication. The joy promised in the preceding verse is elsewhere\ncommanded; and this immediately disposes the sinner to receive a new form\nof prayer, from a believing heart, and that not only for himself, but for\nothers. You see how frequently such holy and hearty wishes are interjected\nin his writings. And indeed such ejaculations of the soul\u2019s desires,\nwhether kept within, or vented, will often interrupt the thoughts and\ndiscourses of believers, but yet they break no sentence, they mar no\nsense, no more than the interposition of a parenthesis. Such desires will\nfollow by a kind of natural resultance upon the lively apprehension of any\ndivine excellent thing, and secret complacency in it, and a stirring of\nthe heart to be possessed with it, will almost prevent deliberation. Such\nan attractive power the excellency of any object hath in the heart, that\nit draws it and engages it almost before any consultation be called about\nit. Now there is something of this in these objects which we are naturally\ndelighted with. All at least that they want the apprehension supplies, and\nthis draws the heart forcibly after them, as it were, with out previous\nadvisement. Yet because of the limitation, emptiness, and scarcity of\nthese things, commonly the desires of men are contracted much within\nthemselves, and run towards a monopoly of those things. They are so poor\nand narrow, that they cannot be enjoyed of more, without division, and the\ndividing them cannot be without diminution of each man\u2019s contentment, and\ntherefore men\u2019s wishes ordinarily are stinted within their own\nsatisfaction and possession, and cannot without some restraint of reason\nextend further to other men. But this is the vast difference between\nspiritual things and bodily, eternal things and temporal, that there is no\nman possessed of spiritual good, but he desires a community. It is as\nnatural upon the apprehension of them to enlarge the soul\u2019s wishes to\nother men, because there is such excellency, abundance, and solidity\ndiscovered in them, as that all may be full, and none envy or prejudge\nanother. They are like the light that can communicate itself to all, and\nthat without diminution of its splendour. All may see it without prejudice\none to another. They are such an ocean that every one may fill their\nvessel, and yet nothing less for them that come after. And therefore the\nsoul that wishes largely for itself, will not find that inward discontent\nat the great abundance of another, which is the inseparable shadow of\nearthly and temporal advantages. It is cross to men\u2019s interest, that love\ngain or preferment, or any such thing, that others grow rich, or are\nadvanced high in the world, for it intercepts what they desire. But it is\nnot at all the interest of a godly soul that others be worse than himself,\nbut rather the salvation and happiness of all men is that interest which\nalone he espouses.\n\nNow for this, my beloved, before we proceed further, you may find how the\npulse of your souls beats, and what your temper is, by considering what is\nthe ordinary unrestrained and habitual wishes of your hearts. Certainly as\nmen are inclined so they affect, and so they desire, and these\nunpremeditated desires that are commonly stirred up in the hearts of men,\nargue much the inward temper and inclination of the heart, and give the\nbest account of it. I think if men would reflect upon themselves, they\nwill find that earthly things are vain, while they put on another beauty,\nand have a more magnificent representation in their minds, and so draw\nafter them the choicest of their affections, that they cannot spare much\nreal affection for spiritual things, which are apprehended more slightly\nand darkly, and make the lighter and more superficial impression. But\ncertainly this will be the most natural beating of a holy heart and the\nordinary breathing of it, to desire much of this spiritual treasure for\nthemselves and others. You know what the thoughts and discourses of\nmerchants turn most upon. It is to have good winds, fair weather, good\nmarkets, and all things that may facilitate gain, and husbandmen wish for\ngood seasons, timely showers, and dry harvests, that there may be plenty.\nAnd generally what men\u2019s hearts are set upon, that they go abroad\nfervently and incessantly in longing desires after. Now truly this is the\nChristian\u2019s inward motion, and this is his salutation, wherewith he\ncongratulateth others. \u201cThe God of hope fill you with all peace and joy in\nbelieving.\u201d His gain lies in another airth.(450) His plenty is expected\nfrom another field, and that is from above, from the God of hope, the\nsweetest name (if all the rest be answerable) to be dealt withal, either\nfor gain or plenty, for it is hope that makes labour sweet, and if it\nanswer expectation then all is well. Therefore, in the sowing the seed of\nprayers and supplications, with tears, for this harvest of joy, and in\ntrafficking for this treasure of peace, it is good that we have to do with\nthe God of hope, who cannot make us ashamed; for he that soweth must sow\nin hope, 1 Cor. ix. 10. And therefore, though we sow in tears, yet let us\nmingle hope therewith, and the harvest shall be joy, and the plenty,\naffluence of peace in the Holy Ghost. Now if we believed this, would not\nour sorrows be deep, and our labours sweet?\n\nIn the words you have read, there is the highest wish of a holy heart for\nhimself and them he loves best; that one desire, if he had no occasion\never to present himself to God, but once, that he would certainly fall\nupon, or some such like, to be filled after this manner with all peace and\njoy in believing. These are the fruits of the Spirit he desires to be\nfilled with, and feed upon,\u2014peace as an ordinary meal, and joy as an\nextraordinary desert, or as a powerful cordial; and to supply what here is\nwanting at present, the hope of what is to come, and that in abundance.\nThis is even an entertainment that a believer would desire for himself,\nand these who have his best wishes, while he is in this world. He would\ndespise the delicacies of kings, and refuse their dainties, if he might\nsit at this table that is spread on the mountain of God\u2019s church, a full\nfeast which fills the soul with peace, joy, and hope, as much as now it is\ncapable of. Now these precious fruits you see in the words show the root\nthat brings them forth, and the branch that immediately bears them. The\nroot is the God of hope, and the power of the Holy Ghost. And a soul being\ningrafted as a living branch by faith into Christ, receives virtue to\nbring forth such pleasant fruits, so that they grow immediately upon the\nbranch of believing, but the sap and virtue of both come from the Holy\nGhost, and the God of hope. Or to take it up in another like notion. This\nis the river which gladdeneth the city of God with its streams, that\nwaters the garden of the Lord with its threefold stream. For you see it is\nparted in three heads, and every one of them is derived from another. The\nfirst in the order of nature is peace,\u2014a sweet, calm, and refreshing\nriver, which sometimes overflows like the river Nilus, and then it runs in\na stream of joy, which is the high spring tide but ordinarily it sends\nforth the comfortable stream of hope, and that in abundance. Now this\nthreefold river hath its original high, as high as the God of hope, and\nthe power of the Holy Ghost, but the channel of it is situated low, and it\nis believing in Christ.\n\nTo begin then with the first of these. Truly there is nothing can be\nspoken that sounds more sweetly in the ears of men than peace and joy.\nThey need nothing to commend them, for they have a sufficient testimonial,\nand letters of recommendation written upon the affections of all men. For\nwhat is it that all men labour and seek after but this? It is not any\noutward earthly thing that is desired for itself, but rather for the peace\nand contentment the mind expects in it. And therefore, this must be of\nitself the proper object or good of the soul, which, if it can be had\nimmediately, without that long and endless compass about the creatures,\ncertainly a man cannot but think himself happy, and will have no missing\nof other things, as if a man could live healthfully and joyfully without\nmeat, and without all appetite for it, no doubt but he would think himself\nthe happiest man in the world, and would think it no pain to him to want\nthe dainties of princes, but rather that he were delivered from the\nwearisome necessity others laboured under. Just so is it here, there is\nnothing would persuade a man to travel, and toil all his lifetime, about\nthe creatures, and not to suffer his soul to take rest, if he did believe\nto find that immediately without travel, which he endures so much travel\nfor. And therefore the believing Christian is only a wise man, who is\ninstructed where the things themselves, true peace and joy, do lie, and so\nseeks to be filled with the things themselves, for which only men seek\nother things, and not as other men who catch at the shadows, that they may\nat length find the substance itself, for this were far about, and labour\nin vain.\n\nPeace is so sweet and comprehensive a word, that the Jews made their usual\ncompellation, \u201cPeace be unto you,\u201d(451) importing all felicity, and the\naffluence of all good. And indeed our Saviour found no fitter word to\nexpress his matchless good-will to the well-being of his disciples nor\nthis (Luke xxiv. 36.), when he saluted them after his resurrection, \u201cPeace\nbe unto you,\u201d which is as much as if he had wished absolute satisfaction,\nall contentment and happiness that themselves would desire. Now this peace\nhath a relation to God, to ourselves, and our brethren. I will exclude\nnone of them from the present wish; for even brotherly concord and peace\nsuits well with the main subject of this chapter, which is the bearing of\nour neighbours\u2019 infirmities, and not pleasing ourselves, and such like\nmutual duties of charity. But certainly the other two relations are most\nintrinsic to happiness, because there is nothing nearer to us than the\nblessed God; and next to him, there is nothing comes so near us as\nourselves. The foundation of all our misery, is that enmity between man\nand God, which is as if heaven and earth should fall out into an\nirreconcilable discord, and upon that should follow the suspension of the\nlight of the stars, and the withdrawing of the influences of heaven, and\nthe withholding the refreshment of the early and latter rain. If such\ndissension fell between them, that the heavens should be as brass to the\nearth, and would refuse the clouds when they cry for rain, or the herbs\nand minerals when they crave the influences from above, what a desolate\nand irksome dwelling-place would the earth be? What a dreary habitation\nwould we find it? Even so it is between God and men. All our being, all\nour well-being, hangs upon the good aspect of his countenance. In his\nfavour is all our life and happiness; yet since the first rebellion, every\nman is set contrary to God, and in his affections and actions denounces\nwar against heaven, whence hath flowed the sad and woful suspension of all\nthese blessings, and comfortable influences, which only beautify and bless\nthe soul of man. And now there is nothing to be seen but the terrible\ncountenance of an angry God, the revengeful sword of justice shaken in the\nword; all above us as if the sun were turned into blackness, and the moon\ninto blood, and behold trouble and darkness, and dimness of anguish.\n\nNow whenever a soul begins to apprehend his enmity and division in sad\nearnest, there follows an intestine war in the conscience. The terrors of\nGod raise up a terrible party within a man\u2019s self, and that is the bitter\nremembrance of his sins. These are mustered and set in order in\nbattle-array against a man, and every one of these, as they are thought\nupon, strike a dart into his heart. They shoot an arrow dipped in the\nwrath of God, the poison whereof drinketh up his spirit, Job vi. 4. Though\nthe most part of souls have now a dead calm, and are asleep like Saul in\nthe field in the midst of his enemies, or as Jonas in the ship in the\nmidst of the tempest, yet when they awake out of that deep stupidity, God\nwill write bitter things against them, and make them to possess their\niniquities; and they shall find that he hath numbered their steps, and\nwatched over their sin, and sealed it as in a bag, to be kept in record.\nThen he will renew his witnesses against them, and put their feet in the\nstocks, and they shall then apprehend that changes and war are against\nthem, and that they are set as a mark against God, and so they will be a\nburden to themselves, Job vii. 20.  What a storm will it raise in the\nsoul! Now to lay this tempest, and calm this wind, is the business of the\ngospel, because it reveals these glad tidings of peace and reconciliation\nwith God, which can only be the ground of a perfect calm in the\nconscience. Herein is the atonement and propitiation set forth, that which\nby its fragrant and sweet smell hath pacified heaven, and appeased\njustice; and this only is able to pacify the troubled soul, and lay the\ntumultuous waves of the conscience, Eph. ii. 13-20; Col. i. 19-22. This\ngives the answer of a good conscience, which is like the sweet and gentle\nbreathing of a calm day after a tempest, 1 Pet. iii. 21. Now it is not so\nmuch God reconcileable to sinners, as God in Christ reconciling sinners to\nhimself, 2 Cor. v. 19. Though some men be always suspicious of God, yet\nthey have more reason to suspect their own willingness. For what is all\nthe gospel but a declaration of his love, and laying down the enmity, or\nrather, that he had never hostile affections to his elect, and so was all\nthis while providing a ransom for himself, and bringing about the way to\nkill the enmity? And having done that by the blood of Christ, he will\nfollow us with entreaties of reconcilement, and requests to lay down our\nhostile affections, and the weapons of our warfare; and for him we have no\nmore ado but to believe his love, while we were yet enemies. This, I say,\ncarried into the heart with power, gives that sweet calm and pleasant rest\nto the soul, after all its tossings. This commands the winds and waves of\nthe conscience, and they obey it. It is true that many find no trouble\nwithin, and some, upon terrible apprehensions of sin and wrath, find ease\nfor the time in some other thing, as a diversion to some other object, and\nturning aside with Cain to build cities, to worldly pleasures, or\nemployments, or company, that the noise of them may put the clamours of\ntheir conscience to silence. Some parleys and cessations men have, some\ntreaties of this kind for peace with God; but alas! the most part make no\nentire and full peace. They are always upon making the bargain, and cannot\nclose it, because of their engagements to sin, and their own corrupt\nlusts. And therefore many do nothing else than what men do in war, to seek\nsome advantage, or to gain time by their delays: but O the latter end will\nbe sad, when he shall arm you against yourselves! Were it not better, now\nwhile it is to-day, not to harden your hearts? Now, joy is the effect of\npeace, and it is the very overflowing of it in the soul, upon the lively\napprehension of the love of God, and the inestimable benefit of the\nforgiveness of sins. It is peace in a large measure, pressed down, and\nrunning over, breaking without the ordinary channel, and dilating itself\nto the affecting and refreshing of all that is in man: \u201cMy heart and my\nflesh shall rejoice.\u201d This is the very exuberance and high sailing-tide of\nthe sea of peace that is in a believer\u2019s heart. It swells sometimes upon\nthe full aspect of God\u2019s countenance beyond the ordinary bounds, and\ncannot be kept within in gloriation and boasting in God. When a soul is so\nillustrated with the Holy Ghost, as to make a kind of presence and\npossession of what is hoped for, that makes the soul to enlarge itself in\njoy. This makes the inward jubilation, the heart as it were to leap for\njoy. Now, truly this is not the ordinary entertainment of a Christian. It\nis neither so universal nor constant as peace. These fruits so matured and\nripe, like the grapes of Canaan, are not set down always upon the table of\nevery Christian, nor yet at all to some. It is enough that he keep the\nsoul in that healthful temper, that it is neither quite cast down or\ndiscouraged through difficulties and infirmities. It is sufficient if God\nspeak peace to the soul, though it be not acquainted with these raptures\nof Christianity. This hath so much sense in it, that it is not meet to be\nmade ordinary food, lest we should mistake our pilgrimage for heaven, and\nfall upon the building of tabernacles in this mount. For certainly the\nsoul would conclude it good to be here, and could not so earnestly long\nfor the city and country of heaven, if they had any more but some tastes\nof that joy to sharpen their desires after the full measure of it. It is a\nfixed and unchangeable statute of heaven, that we should here live by\nfaith, and not by sense. And indeed, the following of God fully, in the\nways of obedience, upon the dim apprehensions of faith, is more\npraiseworthy, and hath more of the true nature of obedience in it, than\nwhen present sweetness hath such a predominant influence. Besides, our\nvessel here is weak and crazy, and most unfit for such strong liquor as\nthe joys of the Holy Ghost. Some liquors have such a strong spirit in them\nthat they will burst an ordinary bottle; and as our Saviour says, \u201cNo man\nputs new wine in old bottles, for they will burst,\u201d Matt. ix. 17. Truly\nthe joy of heaven is too strong for our old ruinous and earthly vessels to\nbear, till the body \u201cput on incorruption,\u201d and be fashioned like unto\nChrist\u2019s own glorious body; for it cannot be capable of all the fulness of\nthis joy. And yet there is a kind of all fulness of peace and joy in this\nlife, \u201cfill you with all joy and peace.\u201d Indeed the fulness of this life\nis emptiness to the next. But yet there is a fulness in regard of the\nabundance of the world. Their joys and pleasures, their peace and\ncontentation in the things of this life, are but like \u201cthe crackling of\nthorns under a pot,\u201d that makes a great noise, but vanishes quickly in a\nfilthy security, Eccles. vii. 6. It is such, that like the loudest\nlaughter of fools, there is sorrow at the heart, and in the end of it is\nheaviness, Prov. xiv. 13. It is but at the best a superfice, an external\ngarb drawn over the countenance, no cordial nor solid thing. It is not\nheart joy, but a picture and shadow of the gladness of the heart in the\noutward countenance; and whatever it be, sorrow, grief, and heaviness\nfollow at its heels, by a fatal inevitable necessity. So that there is\nthis difference between the joys and pleasures of the world, and dreams in\nthe night; for the present there is more solidity, but the end is hugely\ndifferent. When men awake out of a dream, they are not troubled with it,\nthat their imaginary pleasure was not true. But the undivided companion of\nall earthly joys and contentment is grief and vexation. I wonder if any\nman would love that pleasure or contentment if he were assured to have an\nequal measure of torment after it, suppose the pain of the stone, or such\nlike. But when this misery is eternal, O what madness and folly is it to\nplunge into it! \u201cI said of laughter, It is madness, and of mirth, What\ndoth it?\u201d But the Christian\u2019s peace and joy is of another nature. Yet as\nno man knoweth the \u201chidden manna,\u201d the \u201cnew name,\u201d and the \u201cwhite stone,\u201d\nbut he that hath it, (Rev. ii. 17) so no man can apprehend what these are,\ntill he taste them and find them. What apprehension, think ye, can a beast\nform of his own nature? Or what can a man conceive of the angelical\nnature? Truly this is without our sphere and that without theirs. Now\ncertainly the wisest and most learned men cannot form any lively notion of\nthe life of a Christian, till he find it. It is without his sphere and\ncomprehension, therefore it is called \u201cthe peace of God which passes all\nunderstanding,\u201d (Phil. iv. 7), a \u201cjoy unspeakable and full of glory,\u201d 1\nPet. i. 8. Suppose men had never seen any other light but the stars of the\nfirmament, or the light of a candle, they could not conceive any thing\nmore glorious than the firmament in a clear night. Yet we that have seen\nthe sun and moon, know that these lights are but darkness unto them. Or,\nto use that comparison that the Lord made once effectual to convert a\nnobleman, if a man did see some men and women dancing afar off, and heard\nnot their music, he would judge them mad, or at least foolish, but coming\nnear hand, and hearing their instruments, and perceiving their order, he\nchanges his mind. Even so, whatever is spoken of the joy of the Spirit, or\nthe peace of conscience, and whatsoever is seen by the world of abstaining\nfrom the pleasures of the world, the natural mind cannot but judge it\nfoolishness, or melancholy, because they do not hear that pleasant and\nsweet harmony, and concert of the word and Spirit, in the souls of God\u2019s\nchildren. Else if they heard the sweet Psalmist of Israel piping, they\ncould not but find an inward stirring and impulse m themselves to dance\ntoo.\n\nNow the third stream is hope, \u201cthat ye may abound in hope,\u201d because this\nis not the time nor place of possession. Our peace and joy here is often\ninterrupted, and very frequently weakened. It is not so full a table as\nthe Christian\u2019s desire requires. Our present enjoyments are not able to\nmitigate the very pain of a Christian\u2019s appetite, or to supply his\nemptiness. Therefore there must be an accession of hope to complete the\nfeast and to pacify the eagerness of the soul\u2019s desire, till the fulness\nof joy and peace come; and if he have spare diet otherwise, yet he hath\nallowance of abundance of hope, to take as much of that as he can hold,\nand that is both refreshing and strengthening. Truly there is nothing men\nhave, or enjoy, that can please, without the addition of hope unto it. All\nmen\u2019s eyes are forward to futurity, and often men prejudice themselves of\ntheir present enjoyments, by the gaping expectation of, and looking after\nthings to come. But the Christian\u2019s hope being a very sure anchor cast\nwithin the vail, upon the sure ground of heaven, it keeps the soul firm\nand steadfast, though he be not unmoved, yet from tossing or floating;\nthough it may fluctuate a little, yet his hope regulates and restrains it.\nAnd it being an helmet, it is a strong preservative against the power and\nforce of temptations. It is that which guards the main part of a\nChristian, and keeps resolutions after God untouched and unmaimed.\n\nNow, my beloved, would you know the fountain and original of these sweet\nand pleasant streams? It is the God of hope, and the power of the Holy\nGhost. There is no doubt of power in God, to make us happy and give us\npeace. But power seems most opposite to peace, especially with enemies and\nit seems whatsoever he can do, yet that his justice will restrain his\npower from helping us. But there is no doubt but the God of power, as well\nas hope, both can and will do it. He hath this style from his promises and\ngracious workings, because he hath given us ground of hope in himself. He\nis the chief object of hope, and the chief cause of hope in us too.\nTherefore we would look up to this fountain, for here all is to be found.\n\nBut I haste to speak a word of the third thing proposed, viz.: The channel\nthat these streams run into. It is believing, not doing. Indeed this\nstream once ran in this channel. But since paradise was defaced, and the\nrivers that watered it turned another way, this hath done so too. It is\ntrue, that righteousness and holy walking is a notable mean to preserve\nthis pure, and unmixed, and constant. For indeed the peace of our God will\nnever lodge well with sin, the enemy of God, nor can that joy, which is so\npure a fountain, run in abundance in an impure heart. It will not mix with\ncarnal pleasures and toys. But yet the only ground of true peace and joy\nis found out by believing in another. Whatsoever ye do else to find them,\ndispute and debate never so long about them, toil all night and all day in\nyour examinations of yourselves, yet you shall not catch this peace,\u2014this\nsolid peace, and this surpassing joy, but by quite overlooking yourselves\nand fixing your hearts upon another object, that is, Jesus Christ. \u201cPeace\nand joy in believing,\u201d and what is that believing? Mistake it not. It is\nnot particular application at first. I delight rather to take it in\nanother notion, for the cordial absent and consent of the soul to the\npromises of the gospel. I say but one word more, viz.: meditation and deep\nconsideration of these truths is certainly believing, and believing brings\npeace, and peace brings joy.\n\n\n\n\nSermon X.\n\n\n    Matth. xi. 16.\u2014\u201cBut whereunto shall I liken this generation?\u201d\n\n\nWhen our Lord Jesus, who had the tongue of the learned, and spoke as never\nman spake, did now and then find a difficulty to express the matter herein\ncontained. \u201cWhat shall we do?\u201d The matter indeed is of great importance, a\nsoul matter, and therefore of great moment, a mystery, and therefore not\neasily expressed. No doubt he knows how to paint out this to the life,\nthat we might rather behold it with our eyes, than hear it with our ears,\nyet he uses this manner of expression, to stamp our hearts with a deep\napprehension of the weight of the matter, and the depth of it. It concerns\nus all, as much as we can, to consider and attend unto it.\n\nTwo things are contained here. The entertainment Christ gets in the world,\nof the most part, and, the entertainment he gets from a few children, of\nwhom he is justified. I say, it concerns you greatly to observe this,\u2014for\nChrist observed it very narrowly,\u2014what success both his forerunner and\nhimself had. Christ begins here to expostulate with the multitudes, and\nwith the scribes and Pharisees about it. But ere all be done he will\ncomplain to the Father. He now complains unto you, that he gets not ready\nacceptance amongst you, if it be possible that you may repent of the great\ninjury done to the Son of God, no not so much to Christ, as your own\nsouls, for \u201call who hate me love death, and he that sinneth against me\nwrongeth his own soul,\u201d Prov. viii. 36. Wo unto your souls, for you have\nnot hurt Christ, by so much despising him. Ye have not prejudiced the\ngospel, but ye have rewarded evil to yourselves, Isa. iii. 9. I say,\nChrist now complains of you to yourselves, if so be you will bethink\nyourselves in earnest, and return to yourselves, but if ye will not, he\nwill at length complain to the Father. When he renders up the kingdom, and\ngives an account of his administration unto God, he will report what\nentertainment ye gave his word. For he will say, \u201cI have laboured in vain,\nand spent my strength for nought with such a man. All threatenings, all\nentreaties would not prevail with him to forsake his drunkenness, his\nswearing, his covetousness, his oppressions,\u201d &c. You know Christ\u2019s last\nlong prayer, John xvii. He gives an account in it what acceptance he had\namong men, when he is finishing his ministry. These are the men he now\nspeaks unto in the text, \u201cWhereunto shall I liken this generation?\u201d Thus\nhe speaks of them to his Father. \u201cO righteous Father, the world hath not\nknown thee, but I have known thee.\u201d Well then, this is not so light a\nmatter as ye apprehend. Ye come to hear daily, but know ye not that ye\nshall give an account of your hearing? Know ye not that there is one who\nobserves and marks all the impressions which the word makes on your\nconsciences? He knows all the blows of the sword of the word, that returns\nmaking no impression on your consciences. Christ says to the multitudes\nhere, \u201cAnd what went ye out for to see?\u201d I pray you what went ye out to\nsee, seeing ye have not believed his report? Why went ye out unto the\nwilderness? Know ye who spake, or in whose authority? May we not speak in\nthese terms unto you, when we consider the little fruit of the gospel?\nWhat do you come to see, and what do ye come to hear every Sabbath, and\nother solemn days? I pray you ask at your own hearts, what your purpose\nis. Wherefore do ye come together so often? Men are rational in their\nbusiness. They do nothing but for some purpose. They labour, and plough,\nand sow, in order to reap. They buy and sell to get gain. They have many\nprojects and designs they still seek to accomplish. And shall we be only\nin matters of salvation and damnation so irrational? Shall we in the\ngreatest thing of the greatest moment, because of eternal concernment be\nas perishing brutish beasts, that know not what we aim at? Christ will in\nthe end ask you, what went ye out of your own houses so often to hear?\nWhat went you out to see? I pray you what will ye answer? If ye say, we\nwent to hear the word of the Lord, then he shall answer you, and why did\nnot ye obey it? Then why did ye not hear it as my word, and regard it\nmore? If ye shall say, we went to hear a man speak some good words unto us\nfor an hour or two, then is Christ also engaged against you, because he\nsent him, and ye despise him, for he says, \u201cHe that despises me, despises\nhim that sent me,\u201d so ye shall be catched both the ways. If ye think this\nto be God\u2019s word, I wonder why ye do not receive it, with the stamp of his\nauthority in your hearts. Why do ye not bow your hearts to it, for it\nshall endure for ever, and judge you? Why do you sit(452) so many fair\noffers, so many sad warnings? Are not the drunkards warned every day by\nthis word, that the curse of the Lord shall come upon them? Is not every\none of you, according to your several stations and circumstances, warned\nto forsake your wicked ways, and your evil thoughts, to flee from the\nwrath to come, before the decree of the Lord pass forth, and before his\nfury burn as an oven? And if ye think these to be the true words of the\neternal God, and the sayings of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,\nand the truth itself, if ye believe it as ye profess to do, why do ye not\nget out of the way of that wrath, which continues upon these sinners\ndaily? Shall ye escape the judgment of God? Shall not his word overtake\nyou though ministers that speak unto you will not live for ever? But these\nwords they speak will surely take hold of you, as they did your fathers,\nso that ye shall say, \u201cLike as the Lord of hosts hath said he will do unto\nus, so hath he done,\u201d Zech. i. 6. If ye do not think this is God\u2019s word, I\nbeseech you, why do you come hither so oft? What do ye come to hear? Why\ntake ye so much needless pains? Your coming here seems to speak that ye\nthink it to be God\u2019s word and yet your conversation declares more plainly\nthat ye believe it not. Yet Christ takes notice of you and O that ye,\nbeloved, would search yourselves that so ye might hear the word as in the\nsight of the all seeing God, and in his sight, who will judge you\naccording to it; a sermon thus heard, would be more profitable than all\nthat ever ye heard. Now to what purpose speak we of these things unto you,\nand why do we choose this discourse, when ye expect to hear public things?\nI will tell you the reason of it. Because I conceive this is the great sin\nof the times, and the most reprehensive and fountain sin, the root of all\nour profanity and malignity, even this which Christ points out in this\nsimilitude. The great blessing and privilege of Scotland is the gospel. Ye\nall must grant this. Now, then, the great misery and sin of this nation\nis, the abuse and contempt of the glorious gospel, and if once we could\nmake you sensible of this, ye would mourn for all other particular sins.\n\nThe words are very comprehensive. Ye shall find in them the different\nmanifestations of God in his word, reduced to two heads. The Lord either\nmourns to us to make us mourn, or joys to us to make us dance. A\nsimilitude and likeness is the end of all the manifestations of himself,\nthat we be one with him. Therefore when he would move our affections in\nus, he puts on the like, and clothes himself, in his word and\ndispensation, with such a habit as is suitable. So ye have both law and\ngospel. He laments in the one, he pipes in the other. Both sad and glad\ndispensations of his providence may be subordinate to these; the one, I\nmean his judgments, representing that to our eyes which his law did to our\nears, making that visible of his justice, which we heard; the other, I\nmean mercies, represents that to our eyes, which the gospel did to our\nears, making his good will, his forbearance, and long suffering, and\ncompassion visible, that men might say, \u201cAs we have heard so have we seen\nin the city of our God.\u201d Now these should stir up suitable affections in\nmen. This is their intendment and purpose, to stir up joy and grief,\nsorrow for sin, on the one hand, and joy in the Lord\u2019s salvation on the\nother hand; hatred of sin by the one, and the love of Christ by the other.\n\nBut what is the entertainment(453) these get in the world? Ye shall see it\ndifferent. In some it meets with different affections, or it makes them,\nand moves them, and these do justify wisdom. The accomplishment and\nperformance of God\u2019s purposes, in the salvation of souls, justifies his\nword. They justify Christ by believing in him; Christ justifies us, by\nmaking us to believe in him, and applying his own righteousness to us. He\nthat believes justifies the word, and Christ in the word, because he sets\nto his seal that God is true; and Christ likewise justifies the believer,\nby applying his righteousness unto him. The believer justifies wisdom, by\nacknowledging it as the Father\u2019s wisdom; Christ justifies the believer by\nmaking him and pronouncing him righteous, and a son of God. But in others,\nand in these a great many, it generally meets with hard hearts, stupid and\ninsensible, incapable of these impressions. You know music is very apt to\nwork upon men\u2019s spirits, and doth stir up several passions in them, as joy\nor grief. Now Christ and his ministers are the musicians that do apply\ntheir songs to catch men\u2019s ears and hearts, if so be they may stop their\ncourse and not perish. These are blessed Sirens(454) that do so, and pipe,\nday and night, in season and out of season, some sad and woful ditties of\nmen\u2019s sin and God\u2019s wrath, of the day of judgment, of eternal punishment,\nthat if it be possible, men may fore-apprehend these ills, before they\nfall into them without recovery. These are the boys in the market places\nthat strive to sadden your hearts, and make you lament in time, before the\nday of howling, and weeping, and gnashing of teeth. These also have as\nmany joyful and glad ditties, sweetening the sad. It may be, diverse men\nhave diverse parts of this harmony. John had the woful and sad part,\nChrist took the joyful and glad part; so the one answered the other, and\nboth made a complete harmony. It may be, one man in one spring mixes these\ntwo, and makes good music alone. The one part is intended to move men to\ngrief, and mourn once, that they may not mourn for ever; the other to\ncomfort in the meantime these that mourn, to mix their mourning with their\nhope of that blessed delivery in Jesus Christ. Now what is the\nentertainment these get from the most part? They can neither move men to\none affection nor another; they will neither mourn nor dance. As the\nchildren complain of some rude and rustic spirits, that are uncapable of\nmusic, and cannot discern one spring(455) from another, so does Christ\ncomplain of a generation of men, they can neither repent nor believe, they\ncare for none of these things. His threatenings and denunciations of wrath\nare a small thing to them, and his consolations appear also to be\ninconsiderable. Then souls are otherwise taken up, that they have no sense\nto discern the transcendent excellency of eternal things. We would then\npress upon your consciences these three things. First, That the word of\nGod comprehending the law and gospel, contains both the saddest ditties\nand the most joyful and sweet songs in the world. Next, We would discover\nunto you the great sin, and extreme stupidity of this generation, of which\nye are a part, that ye may know the controversy God hath with the land.\nAnd then at length, we would labour to persuade you to the right use of\nthis gospel, and justifying of wisdom, if ye would be his children.\n\nThe law is indeed a sad song and lamentation, it surpasses all the\ncomplaints and lamentations among men. Ye know the voice in which it was\ngiven at Sinai. It was delivered with great thunders, great terrors\naccompanied it. The law is a voice of words and thunder, which made these\nthat heard it entreat that it should not be spoken to them any more; for\nthey could not endure the word that was commanded, Heb. xii. 18, 19. Ye\nwould think if they were holy men, they would not be afraid of it, but so\nterrible was that sight, and that voice, that it even made holy Moses\nhimself exceedingly fear and quake. It made a great host, more numerous\nthan all the inhabitants of Scotland, to tremble exceedingly. And why was\nit so sad and terrible? Even because it was a law that publishes\ntransgression, for \u201cby the law is the knowledge of sin.\u201d If there were no\nfear of judgment and wrath, yet I am sure there is none that can\nreasonably consider that excellent estate in which he was once, that\nthrone of eminency above the creatures, that height of dignity in\nconformity and likeness to God, that incomparable happiness of communion\nwith the supreme Fountain of life; none I say, none can duly ponder these\nthings, but they will think sin to be the greatest misery of mankind. They\nmust be affected with the sense of that inestimable treasure they lost.\nAnd how sad a consideration is it to view that cloud of beastly lusts, of\nflesh and earth, that was interposed between the Sun of righteousness, and\nour souls, which hath made this perpetual eclipse, this eternal night and\ndarkness! How sad is it to look upon our ruin, and compare it with that\nstately edifice of innocent Adam! How are we fallen from the height of our\nexcellency, and made lower than the beasts, when we were once but a little\nlower than the angels! But then if ye shall consider all that followed\nupon this the innumerable abominations of men, so contrary to that holy\nlaw and God\u2019s holiness, that hath flowed from this corrupt fountain, and\nhath defiled so many generations of men, that they are all bruises and\nputrified sores, and in nothing sound from the head to the foot,\u2014the soul\nwithin becomes the sink of all pollution, the members without the conduits\nit runs through, and weapons of unrighteousness against our Maker. And\nwhat a consideration is this alone, how vile and ugly doth that holy and\nspiritual law make the most refined and polished civilian? He that hath\npoorest naturals,(456) most extracted from the dregs of the multitude, oh\nhow abominable will he appear in this glass, in this perfect law of\nliberty! So that men would despise themselves, and repent in dust and\nashes, if once they did see their own likeness. Ye would run from\nyourselves as children that have been taken up with their own beauty, but\nare spoiled with the small pox. Let them look unto a glass, and it will\nalmost make them mad. But if we shall stay, and hear out the trumpet which\nsounds louder and louder, there will be yet more reason of trembling. For\nit becomes a voice publishing judgment and wrath, for therein is the wrath\nof God \u201crevealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness\nof men,\u201d Rom. i. 18. It speaks much of all men\u2019s sins \u201cthat every mouth\nmay be stopped,\u201d but the voice waxed louder and louder, the spring grows\nstill sadder, that \u201call the world may become guilty before God,\u201d Rom. iii.\n19. It publishes first the command, and then follows the sad and weighty\ncurse of God. \u201cCursed is every one that abides not in all things which are\nwritten in the law,\u201d (Gal. iii. 10) as many curses as breaches of the law.\nAnd what a dreadful song is this! Ye shall be punished with everlasting\ndestruction, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power? If\nhe had said, ye shall be eternally banished from God, what an incomparable\nloss had this been? Men would lead an unpleasant life, who had fallen from\nthe expectation of an earthly kingdom, but what shall it be to fall from\nthe expectation of a heavenly kingdom? But when withal there is an eternal\npain with that eternal loss, and an incomparable pain with incomparable\nloss, everlasting destruction from God\u2019s presence, joined with this,\nalways to be destroyed, and never to be made an end of! It is the comfort\nof bodily torments, and even of death itself, that it shall be quickly\ngone, and the destruction ends in the destruction of the body, and so\nthere is no more pain. But here is an eternal destruction,\u2014not a dying,\nand then a death, but an eternal dying without tasting death. Now consider\n(if ye can indeed think) what it is to have a law of enmity, and a hand\nwriting of ordinances against us, as many curses written up in God\u2019s\nregister against us, as there were transgressions of the law multiplied\nand God himself engaged to be against us, to have no mercy on us, and not\nto spare us! Could any heart endure, or any hands be strong, if they would\nduly apprehend this? Would the denunciation of war, the publishing of\naffliction, the sentence of earthly judges, would they once be remembered\nbeside this? If ye would imagine all the torments and rackings that have\nbeen found out by the most cruel tyrants against men, all to be centred in\none, and all the grief and pain of these who have died terrible deaths, to\nbe joined in one, what would it be to this! It would be but as a drop of\nthat wrath and vexation that wicked souls find in hell, and are drowned\ninto, and that everlastingly without end.\n\nBut we must not dwell always at mount Sinai. We are called to mount Zion,\nthe city of the living God, to hear a sweet and calm voice of peace, to\nhear the sweet and pleasant songs of the sweet Psalmist of Israel, and of\nour glorious Peacemaker, Christ Jesus, the desire of all nations, and the\nblessing of all the families of the earth. His song is a joyful sound, and\nblessed are they that hear it. I am come, says Christ, \u201cto seek and to\nsave that which was lost.\u201d I am come to save sinners, and the chief of\nsinners. Let all these who find their spirits saddened by the terrible\nlaw, or who find themselves accursed from the Lord, and cannot be\njustified by the law of Moses, come unto me. Cast your souls upon me, and\nye shall find ease to them. Are ye pressed under the heavy burden of sin\nand wrath? Come unto me, and I will give you ease. Put it over upon me. Do\nye think yourselves not wearied nor burdened enough, and yet ye would be\nquit of sin and misery? Do your souls desire to embrace this salvation?\nCome unto me, and I will not cast you out. Whoever comes, on whatsoever\nterms, in whatsoever condition, I will in no case cast you out. Do not\nsuppose cases to exclude yourselves. I know no case. Ye who cannot be\njustified by the law of Moses, come unto me, and ye shall be justified\n\u201cfrom all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of\nMoses.\u201d Ye who have no righteousness of your own, and see the\nrighteousness of God revealed with wrath against you, now come to me, I\nhave a righteousness of God, beside the law, and will reveal it to you. Ye\nhave a band of enmity, and handwriting of ordinances against you, but come\nunto me, for I have cancelled it in the cross, and slain the enmity, so it\nshall never do you any harm. In a word, this is the messenger whose feet\nare beautiful, that publishes glad tidings of peace. This is the Mediator,\nwho reconciles us unto God. The whole gospel and covenant of grace is a\nbundle of precious promises. It is a set of pleasant melodious songs, that\nmay accompany us through our wearisome pilgrimage, and refresh us till we\ncome unto the city, where we shall all sing the song of the Lamb. What a\nsong is liberty to captives and prisoners, light to them that sit in\ndarkness, opening of the eyes to the blind, gladness of spirit to those\nwho are heavy in spirit! Ye would all think salvation and remission of\nsins a sweet song. But if ye would discern it, ye would find nothing\nsweeter in the gospel than this redemption from all iniquity, from sin\nitself, and from all kind of misery. How lovely and pleasant a thing is\nthat! When Christ hath piped unto you the remission of all sins in his own\nblood, then he plays the most sweet spring, the renunciation of sin, and\ndying to this world, by his death and resurrection. Many listen to the\nsong of justification, but they will not abide to hear out all the song.\nHe is our sanctification and redemption, as well as our righteousness.\nAlways to whomsoever he is pleasant, when he puts his yoke upon them, he\nwill be more pleasant in bearing it. Whosoever gladly hears Jesus singing\nof righteousness and holiness, they shall also hear him sing of glory and\nhappiness. Those who dance at the springs of righteousness and\nsanctification, what an eternal triumph and exultation waits on them, when\nhe is singing the song of complete redemption!\n\nAre these things so? Is this the law, and this the gospel? Do they daily\nsound in our ears, and what entertainment, I pray you, do they get from\nthis generation? Indeed, Christ\u2019s complaint hath place here, whereunto\nshall our generation be likened? For he hath lamented to us and we have\nnot mourned; he hath piped to us, and we have not danced. We will neither\nbe made glad nor sad by these things. How long hath the word of the Lord\nbeen preached unto you, and whose heart trembled at it? Shall the lion\nroar, and the beasts of the field not be afraid? The lion hath roared\noften to us. God hath spoken often, who will not fear? And yet who doth\nfear? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, in congregations every day,\nthat terrible trumpet of Mount Sinai that proclaims war between God and\nmen, and yet will not the people be afraid? Amos iii. 6, 8. Have not every\none of you heard your transgressions told you? Are ye not guilty of all\nthe breaches of God\u2019s holy law? Hath not the curse been pronounced against\nyou for these, and yet who believes the report? Ye will not do so much as\nto sit down and examine your own guiltiness, till your mouth be stopped\nand till ye put it in the dust before God\u2019s justice. And when we speak of\nhell unto you, and of the curses of God passed upon all men, you bless\nyourselves in your own eyes, saying, peace, peace, even though ye walk in\nthe imagination of your own hearts, add sin to sin, and \u201cdrunkenness to\nthirst,\u201d Deut. xxix. 20. Now, when all this is told you, that many shall\nbe condemned and few saved, and that God is righteous to execute judgment\nand render vengeance on you, ye say within yourselves, For God\u2019s sake, is\nall this true? But where is the mourning at his lamentations, when there\nis no feeling or believing them to be true? Your minds are not convinced\nof the law of God, and how shall your hearts be moved? Christ Jesus\nlaments unto you, as he wept over Jerusalem, \u201cHow often would I have\ngathered thee, and thou wouldst not!\u201d What means he? Certainly, he would\nhave you to sympathize with your own condition. When he that is in himself\nblessed, and needs not us, is so affected with our misery, how should we\nsympathize with our own misery! God seems to be affected with it, though\nthere be no shadow of turning in him. Yet he clothes his words with such\naffections, \u201cWhy will ye die?\u201d \u201cO that my people had hearkened unto me!\u201d\nHe sounds the proclamation before the stroke, if it be possible to move\nyou to some sense of your condition, that concerns you most nearly. Yet\nwho judges himself that he may not be judged? The ministers of the Lord,\nor Christians, may put to their ear, and hearken to men in their retiring\nplaces, but who repents in dust and ashes, and says, \u201cWhat have I done?\u201d\nJer. viii. 6. But every man goes on in his course without stop. The word\nye hear on the Sabbath day against your drunkenness, your oppressions,\nyour covetousness, your formality, &c., it doth not lay any bands on you\nto keep you from these things. Long may we hearken to you in secret, ere\nwe hear many of you mourn for these things, or turn from them. Where is he\nthat is afraid of the wrath of God, though it be often denounced against\nhim? Do not men sleep over their time, and dream of escaping from it?\nEvery man hath a refuge of lies he trusts in, and will not forsake his\nsins.\n\nAgain, on the other hand, whose heart rejoices within them to hear the\njoyful sound? Because men do not receive the law, and mourn when he\nlaments, they cannot receive the gospel. It cannot be glad news to any but\nthe soul that receives sad tidings, the sentence of death in its bosom.\nTherefore Christ Jesus is daily offered and as often despised, as a thing\nof nought, and of no value. Ye hear every day of deliverance from eternal\nwrath, and a kingdom purchased unto you, and ye are no more affected, than\nif we came and told you stories of some Spanish conquest, that belonged\nnot unto you. Would not the ears and hearts of some men be more tickled\nwith idle and unprofitable tales, that are for no purpose but driving away\nthe present time, than they are with this everlasting salvation? Some men\nhave more pleasure to read an idle book, than to search the holy\nscriptures, though in them this inestimable jewel of eternal life be hid.\nThe vain things of this present world have a voice unto you of pleasure,\nand profit, and credit. They will pipe unto you, and ye will listen unto\ntheir sound, but ye know not that the dead are there, and that it is the\nway to the chambers of hell. These indeed are Sirens(457) that entice\npassengers by the way with their sweet songs, and having allured them to\nfollow, lead them to perishing. Here is the voice that is come down from\nheaven, the \u201cWord that was with God,\u201d and he is \u201cthe way, the truth, and\nthe life.\u201d He is gone before you, and undertakes to guide you. He comes\nand calls upon simple men. The Father\u2019s Wisdom calls the simple ones to\nunderstand wisdom, to find life and peace. Will ye then so far wrong your\nown souls as to refuse it? And yet the most part are so busied with this\nworld and their own lusts, that the sweetest and pleasantest offers in the\ngospel sound not so sweet unto them as the clink of their money, or the\nsound of oil and wine in a cup. Any musician would affect them more than\nthe sweet singer of Israel, the anointed of the God of Jacob. Always(458)\nthese souls that have mourned and danced according to Christ\u2019s motions,\nand whose hearts have exulted within them at the message and word of\nreconciliation,\u2014blessed are ye. Ye are of another generation, children of\nwisdom, ye who desire to hear his voice. \u201cLet me hear thy voice.\u201d O thou\nthat dwellest in the gardens, the companions hear thy voice, \u201cfor thy\nvoice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely.\u201d If this be the voice of\nthy heart, blessed art thou. Thou mayest indeed dance, who hath rejoiced\nin his salvation, or who hath mourned at his lamentation, thy dancing is\nbut yet coming, for his piping is but yet coming. When all the companies\nof wisdom\u2019s children shall be gathered together in that general assembly\nof the first born, Christ Jesus, the head of all principalities, and in\nspecial the head of the body the church, shall lead the ring, and there\nshall be eternal praises and songs of those that follow the Lamb. They\nshall echo into him, who shall begin that song of the hallelujah,\nSalvation, blessing, honour, glory, and power to the Lamb, &c.\n\nNow, whereunto shall this generation be likened, that are not affected\nwith these things? What strange stupidity and senselessness is it, that\nmen are not affected with things of so great and so near concernment? It\nwould require the art of men to express the obstinacy of some Christian\nprofessors, or rather a pen steeped in hell. He would be thought unnatural\nthat would not grieve at his friend\u2019s death or loss. And what shall they\nbe called that will not sympathize with themselves, that is, their souls?\nIf we speak to you of corporal calamities, and ye could not be moved, it\nwere great stupidity. But what stupidity is it, that men will not consider\ntheir own souls? What shall ye profit, if ye lose your precious souls, and\nbe cast away? It is the greatest loss that is told you, and the greatest\ngain. Your affections are moved with perishing things, every thing puts\nthem up or down, and casts the balance with you. What deep ignorance and\ninconsideration is it, that ye who can mourn for loss of goods, of\nchildren, of health, of friends, that ye cannot be moved to sorrow for the\nsin of your soul, for the eternal loss of your soul! Other sorrows cannot\nprofit you, but this is the only profitable mourning. If ye were told your\nsin and misery, to make you despair and mourn eternally, ye had some\nexcuse to delay, and forget it as long as ye can. But when all this is\ntold you, that you may escape from it, will ye not consider it? When ye\nare desired to mourn, that ye may be comforted for ever, will ye not\nmourn? We would have you to anticipate the day of judgment, that ye may\njudge yourselves, and then ye shall not be judged. What folly and madness\nis this to delay it till endless, irremediless mourning come, a day that\nhath no light mixed with darkness! Those that now mourn at that law, and\nfor their sin, and dance at the promises of the gospel, may well be called\nchildren of wisdom, and O how may this generation be said to be begotten\nof foolishness, as their father, and wildness, as their mother! For is\nthere any such folly as this, to lose a man\u2019s self absolutely and\nirrecoverably, for that which they cannot have always? Is there any such\nfolly as to refuse this healing medicine, for the little bitterness which\nis in it, and then to incur eternal death?\n\nNow what should we do then? What doth the word of God call you to do? This\nis it, to mourn and rejoice, and this is to justify wisdom. These two are\nthe pulse of a Christian. According as he finds his grief and joy, so is\nhe. All of you have these affections, but they are not right placed. They\nare not pitched upon suitable objects. The worldling hath no other joy but\ncarnal mirth, no other grief but that which is carnal, these are limited\nwithin the bounds of time. Some loss, or some gain, some pleasure or pain,\nsome honour or dishonour, these are the poles all his affections turn\nabout on. Now then we exhort and beseech you, as ye would flee from the\nwrath to come, consider it now and fear it. As ye would not partake with\nthis untoward generation in their plagues, so be not like them in their\nstupidity.\n\nYe are called to consider your sins and God\u2019s wrath, that ye may turn unto\nthe Lord, and then you will hear the voice of peace crying unto thee, \u201cBe\nof good comfort, thy sins are forgiven thee.\u201d If ye submit unto the\njustice of God, or unto the holiness and righteousness of his law in\ncondemning you, you justify wisdom in part, but ye who have justified\nwisdom thus far, do not condemn wisdom after it. Justify the gospel, in\nbelieving upon Jesus Christ. Receive it as a true and faithful saying with\nyour hearts, and this shall justify you. And if ye justify the wisdom of\nGod in prescribing the righteousness of Christ unto you, ye will also\njustify wisdom in prescribing a rule of holiness and obedience unto you,\nand count all his paths pleasantness and peace. Ye must dance at the\ncommandments, as well as the promises, because all God\u2019s precepts are\nreally promises. Ye have nothing to do but to believe them as the way, and\nthen to dance until ye all sing the song of the Lamb with the saints\nabove.\n\nNow if ye believe his law and gospel, and be suitably affected with these,\nye are led also to sympathize with all the dispensations of his\nprovidence. Doth God lament to you in his works as well as his word? O\nthen, Christians, we exhort you to mourn. Yet mourning because of his\nlamentable providence, should be joined with rejoicing in his word. \u201cGod\nhath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice.\u201d We are a stupid generation,\nthat can neither see, nor hear, neither can we be affected with what we\nsee, nor hear. Do not his judgments go forth as a lamp that burneth, yet\nwho considers? Doth not the lion roar, but who is afraid? Is there not a\nvoice publishing affliction? Hath not God\u2019s rod a loud voice, and yet who\nhears it? Who fears? We do not receive agreeable impressions of the Lord\u2019s\ndealing with us, but every man puts the day of evil far from him. He will\nnot apprehend public rods, till they become personal, and therefore they\nmust become personal. If ye were mourning in a penitent manner, as a\nrepenting soul laments, would not our fast days have more soul affliction\nattending them? If ye did dance as God pipes in his providence, would not\nour solemn feasts have more soul rejoicing, and heavenly mirth? Alas for\nthat deep sleep that has fallen upon so many Christians! How few stir up\nthemselves to take hold upon God, though he hides his face, and\nthreateneth to depart from us? For the Lord is with you while ye are with\nhim; if ye seek him, and feareth for him with all your heart, you will\nfind him, but if ye forsake him he will forsake you.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XI.\n\n\n[It is extremely probable that this was one of the probationary discourses\nwhich the author delivered before the Presbytery of Glasgow, previous to\nhis ordination. The following is an extract from the Record of that\nPresbytery: \u201cDec. 5, 1649. The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen made his popular\nsermon 1 Tim. i. ver. 5 \u2018The end of ye commandment is charity.\u2019\u2014Ordaines\nMr. Hew Binnen to handle his controversie this day fifteen dayes, De\nsatisfactione Christi.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n\n    1 Tim. ii. 5.\u2014\u201cNow the end of the commandment is charity out of a\n    pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned.\u201d\n\n\nIn this chapter the apostle, after the inscription of this epistle,\nrepeats a former commandment that he had given to Timothy, how he should\nboth teach himself, and by authority, committed unto him by an\nextraordinary commission, see that other ministers teach so also. Paul\nalmost in all his epistles, sets himself against legal preachers, and\nfalse teachers. It was a common error in the primitive times, to confound\nthe law and grace, in the point of righteousness, or to make free\njustification inconsistent with the moral law. Therefore our apostle makes\nit his chief study to vindicate the doctrine of the gospel. He preaches\nthe gospel, and yet is not Antinomian. He preaches the law, and yet is no\nlegal preacher. He exalts Christ more than the Antinomian can do, and yet\nhe presses holiness more than the mere legalist can do. He excludes the\nlaw in the point of justification and pardon, and then brings it in again\nto the justified man\u2019s hand. If these words were rightly understood, and\nmade use of, it would put an end to the many useless controversies of the\npresent time, and reform many of our practices.\n\nThere are as many practical abuses among Christians concerning the law and\nthe gospel, as there are speculative errors among other sects. In the\nformer verse, he more particularly directs him what to take a care of,\nthat men may neither spend their own, or their neighbour\u2019s time, in\nfoolish, unnecessary, or impertinent questions, that tend nothing to the\nedification of the body of Christ, or in building them up in our most holy\nfaith, the doctrine of Christ Jesus, and faith in it. And in this verse,\nhe shows the true meaning and purpose of the law, and commandment, when he\nmeets these doctors, and draws an argument against them from their own\ndoctrine. They boasted of the law, and were counted very zealous of it,\nbut as it is said of the Jews, they had a zeal of God, but not according\nto knowledge, because they did not submit unto the righteousness of God.\nThey were also zealous for the commandment, but neither God nor the\ncommandment would give them thanks. Why? Because they wholly mistake and\npervert the meaning and purpose of the law. As long as they make the law\ninconsistent with the gospel, or would mix it with it, in the point of\njustification, they do it not unto edification in faith (as it is read),\nand as they ought to do, verses 4, 5, 6. We think this evangelic sentence,\nbut rawly,(459) yea, legally exponed by many, when they look upon the\nwords as they lie here, \u201cthe end of the commandment is love,\u201d for love\nworketh no evil, and is the fulfilling of the whole law, and this love is\ndescribed to be pure and sincere, by the following properties. But we\nconceive the main business is not to describe love, or to oppose this unto\ntheir contentions about trifling questions. We choose rather to understand\nthe text another way, according to the order of nature, which also the\nwords themselves give ground for, \u201cThe end of the commandment is love out\nof a pure heart,\u201d out \u201cof faith unfeigned.\u201d So then, according to the\nphraseology and meaning of the words, love is not first, but faith must be\nfirst, and primarily intended, so that the sense of the words is this, The\nend of the commandment is unfeigned faith, from whence flows a good\nconscience, a pure heart, and love, or the end of the commandment is\nfaith, which is proved unfeigned by these effects, that it gives the\nanswer of a good conscience, it purifies the heart, worketh by love, the\neffect of faith which is love, being to our knowledge more sensible than\nfaith itself. We think it then more native(460) to make a pure heart, and\nlove, marks of unfeigned faith, than faith and a good conscience the marks\nof love. This exposition is yet more confirmed by parallel places, Rom. x.\n4, \u201cThe end of the law is Christ for righteousness, unto them that\nbelieve.\u201d This is most principally intended, and even before love. Now it\nis all one to speak of faith as to speak of Christ. For faith and Christ\nare inseparably joined, and faith comes not as a consideration in the\ngospel, abstracted from Christ the object of it, as some enemies of Christ\naffirm. It justifies us not as an act or work, but as an instrument,\nwhereby we apprehend Christ and his righteousness. For faith abstracted\nfrom Christ is but an empty notion, and among the dung and loss that Paul\nwould quit to be found in Christ, Phil. iii. 7-9. Now this sense only fits\nthe scope and purpose, and leads on strongly against the false teachers.\nWhen Paul brings his argument from the law, which they defended against\nthe gospel, they made the commandment to contradict the gospel. Paul makes\nthe commandment to contradict them, and agree with the gospel, and to be\nso far from disagreeing with it, that it hath a great affinity with it as\nthe mean to the end as that which is unperfect, without its own complement\nand perfection. Faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, quieting a\nman\u2019s conscience, is the very intent of the law, and the command was never\ngiven since Adam, to justify men by obedience to it, but to pursue men\nafter Christ. And to satisfy you more fully, and clear it up he says,\nthough the end of the command be not to justify, but to pursue a man from\nit to Christ, yet the command suffers no prejudice by this means, but\nrather is established by faith, the end of it, because this faith\npersuades the heart, and makes a man obey out of love to God, whereas\nbefore it should never have gotten any obedience, while men sought\nsalvation by it.\n\nYou see then, there is an admirable harmony and consent between these\nthings that are set at variance, both in the opinion and practice of the\ntimes. For what seems more contrary than the cursing commanding law, and\nthe absolving promising gospel? Yet here they are agreed. Doth not justice\ngo cross to mercy in the ordinary notion? Yet here there is a friendly\nsubordination of justice to mercy, of the law to the gospel. Behold how\nfaith is environed with the law, commanding and cursing on the one hand,\nand obedience to the command on the other hand, how faith is the middle\nparty. A good conscience could never meet with the command since Adam\u2019s\nfall. A pure heart, and the obedience of love, had casten out(461) with\nthe command, but here is the union, the meeting of old friends. Faith is\nthe mediator, as it were, and the gospel comes between them, and so they\ndare meet again. Christ Jesus, who is our peace to make two one, comes in\nthe middle, and takes away the difference. The law never meets with an\nobedient servant, or friend, till it meet first with Christ. It can find\nnone righteous in all the world, none upright. Here you have the law\u2019s\ncommand and curse reconciled with the gospel\u2019s promise, and absolution\nreconciled with new obedience unto the command, the command leading to\nChrist, and Christ leading the man just back again to the command, the\ncommand serving Christ\u2019s design, and Christ serving the command. And this\nis the round that the believer shall go about in, until sin shall be no\nmore. He shall be put over from one hand to another, till Christ shall be\nall in all. The command shall put him to Jesus, and Christ shall lead him\nback again, under a new notion, to his old master.\n\nWe may consider in the text a twofold relation that faith stands in, the\nrelation of an end, and of a cause. Faith hath the relation of an end unto\nthe commandment, of a cause unto a good conscience and a pure heart, and\nlove, for these are said to be out of faith, which notes this dependence\nof a cause and fountain. The command is for faith, and a pure heart and\nlove are from faith. We shall use no other division but consider the\nmethod of these effects that flow from faith. There is an order of\nemanation and dependence. There is a chain here. The first link nearest\nfaith is a good conscience. The second link is a pure heart. The third is\nlove, the hand follows the heart, and the heart follows the conscience.\n\nWe need not be subtile in seeking our purpose on these words, we think\nthere is more in the plain words than we can speak of. We shall only\nresolve the verse in these propositions, without more observations.\n_First_, Faith in Jesus Christ is the end of the commandment, or law.\n_Secondly_, There is a faith feigned, and a faith unfeigned, a true and a\nfalse faith. _Thirdly_, Unfeigned faith gives the answer of a good\nconscience. _Fourthly_, Faith purging the conscience, purifies the heart.\n_Fifthly_, Faith purifying the heart, works by love. Here then is the\nsubstance of all the gospel, and all this makes up an entire complete end.\nFaith purifying the heart, purging the conscience, and working by love, is\nthe end of the commandment.\n\n_First_, The end of the commandment or law (for a part is put for the\nwhole) is faith in Christ or Jesus Christ apprehended by faith, which is\nall one. For ye cannot abstract faith from Christ, for the whole gospel is\na shadow without him. Grace and glory is but a beam of the Sun of\nrighteousness, that if ye come between it and Christ, it evanishes\npresently, Rom. x. 4, \u201cChrist is the end of the law for righteousness to\nevery one that believes.\u201d And if Christ be the end of the law, then faith\nis the end of it, because faith is the profession of Christ, and union\nwith him. But consider, I. That the end is not taken here for the\nconsumption or destruction of a thing. Christ is not the end of the law in\nthat sense, though indeed, if the Antinomian speak ingenuously, his sense\nwould be this, Christ makes an end of the law, contrary to Christ\u2019s own\nexpress meaning, \u201cI came not to destroy the law but to fulfil it,\u201d Matt.\nv. 17. II. The end is either the intention or scope of a thing, the\noriginal word imports both. III. There is an end principally and directly\nintended in the thing, or work itself, and an end adventitious, and of the\nwork. We may speak either of the end the law, of its own nature, is\nordained unto, or the end of the Lawgiver in promulgating the law. These\nmay be different. Next, concerning the law, consider, I. That the law may\nbe taken strictly in a limited sense, as it comprehends only the command,\nand the promise of life, and the curse on the breach of it, and in this\nsense, it is frequently taken in Paul\u2019s epistles to the Romans, and\nGalatians, and opposed to faith and the gospel, as the gospel contains\npromises of salvation to penitent sinners. Or, II. It may, or useth to be\nso extended, as to comprehend all the administrations made under Moses, or\nall God\u2019s mind revealed under the Old Testament; now, in this sense, it\ncomprehends the gospel, and covenant of grace in it, as we shall hear.\nFaith in Christ is the intention and scope of the law. Indeed, faith in\nJesus is not the intention of the law itself, as it is only made up of\ncommandments, promises, and curses. For the law as it commands, hath\nnothing to do, but to be a rule and obligation to men, and as it curses,\nit condemns men, and speaks nothing of Jesus Christ, or a way to make up\nthe breach of the law. The gospel is not contained in the law, but rather\naccidental to it. For Jesus Christ comes with the gospel, as if some\nunexpected cautioner would come in, when the Judge is, as the angel that\nheld Abraham\u2019s hand,\u2014when he was to slay his son, and offer him up a burnt\noffering,\u2014giving sentence to deliver him. It is an exception from the\ncurse.\n\nBut Christ is directly intended and pointed out by the law. If ye consider\nthe whole administration of Moses, that is, the law and covenant of works,\nthough it was preached after the fall, yet it was never preached alone\nwithout the gospel, and so if ye consider the whole administration of\nGod\u2019s mind and ordinances, Christ is principally aimed at. For, 1. The\ndoctrine Moses delivered in mount Sinai contained a covenant of grace. If\nyou look to the preface of the ten commandments, it is even the chief\ngospel promise, and article of the covenant. For how could God come to\nterms with men after sin, but in terms of grace? and on no other terms can\nman stand before God, nor God be his God. And likewise, seeing the gospel\nwas preached in paradise, and afterwards to Abraham, God could not be\nfalse in his promise made to Abraham, neither could the promulgation of\nthe law that followed make that null which went before, Gal. iii. 17. What\nmeant all the ceremonial law? It shadowed out Jesus Christ, the only\nsacrifice and propitiation. And this is the sum of the gospel salvation to\npenitents believing in Christ, and looking through the sacrifices unto\nhim, and thus David\u2019s righteousness was the imputation of righteousness,\nand not inherent holiness, Psal. xxxii. 1, 2; Rom. iv. 5. But 2. It used\nto be a question, whether the law delivered upon mount Sinai was a\ncovenant of works or not. Some say, that the law which was delivered upon\nmount Sinai was indeed a covenant of works, though they confess it was\npreached with the covenant of grace, and not delivered to them to stand by\nit or of intention to get righteousness by it, but to be subservient to\nthe covenant of grace. Others speak absolutely that the law upon mount\nSinai was a covenant of grace. We conceive this is but a contention about\nwords. The matter is clear in itself, (1) That neither is now the gospel\npreached without the law, as ye may see in Christ\u2019s sermon upon the mount,\nand his sermon to the young man, (Matt. chapters v., vi., vii., Mark x.\n17,) nor yet was then the law preached without the gospel, as ye may see\nin Exod. chap. xx. The preface to the commandments, and the second command\ncontains much of the gospel in them. Deut. xxx. 6, 7, &c., compared with\nRom. x. 6, &c., where Paul notes both the righteousness of faith and of\nthe works of the law. (2) Those who say the law on mount Sinai was a\ncovenant of works, do not assert that God gave it to be a covenant of\nworks, out of intention that men should seek salvation thereby, but they\nmake it only a schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ, and to discover our\nsinful condition; and those who say it was a covenant of grace, consider\nit in relation to God\u2019s end of sending it, and as it takes in all the\nadministration and doctrine of Moses. So there needs be no difficulty\nhere. The matter seems clear, that the covenant of works was preached by\nMoses, and so it was by Paul, (Rom. x., Gal. iii.) and that neither Paul\nnor Moses preached the covenant of works, but as a broken covenant; not as\nsuch that men could stand unto, or be saved by. No man can preach the\ngospel, unless he preach the covenant of works; not because both concur to\nthe justification of a sinner, but because the knowledge of a man\u2019s own\nlost condition under the one, presses him to flee to the other.\n\nNow I say, Christ Jesus, or faith in him, is the scope and intention of\nthe law. It is the scope and intention of the lawgiver, in giving out the\nlaw. God hath never given a command or curse since Adam\u2019s fall, but for\nthis end, to bring sinners unto Christ. This is the end revealed, and\nappointed by him in his word. This we shall clear from some texts of\nscripture, because it is very material, Rom. v. 20, 21. It might be\nquestioned from the former words, since death hath reigned before Moses,\nfor sins against nature\u2019s light, what means the new entry of the written\nlaw? What was the end of the promulgation of it on mount Sinai? He\nanswers, \u201cthe law entered that sin might abound;\u201d that is, the world knew\nnot sin, the letters of nature\u2019s light were worn out and rusty; men\nthought not of their miserable condition by nature, and did not charge\nthemselves before God; therefore a new edition and publication of the law\nmust be given, that all men may know how much they owe, and how they were\nguilty in a thousand things they never dreamed of. But wherefore serves\nthis? That grace might superabound where sin had abounded. The Lord would\nhave sin abounding in men\u2019s knowledge, and their charge to be great and\nweighty, that God\u2019s pardoning grace might be more conspicuous, and the\ndischarge more sweet. We also learn, (Gal. iii. 19.) that the same\nquestion was moved, \u201cWherefore then serves the law? Seeing the covenant of\ngrace was preached to Abraham, what meant the publishing of a covenant of\nworks upon mount Sinai?\u201d He answers, \u201cIt was added because of\ntransgression, till the seed should come, to whom the promise was made;\u201d\nand as it is said, Rom. v. 13, \u201cFor until the law sin was in the world.\u201d\nIt abounded in all places of the world before the law came; but men did\nnot impute it unto themselves, nor condemn themselves as guilty. Therefore\nthe law was added to discover many hidden transgressions, and to show them\nthe curse they deserved. Now this law is not against the promise or\ncovenant of grace, (ver. 21.) which it behoved to be if it were not given\nof intention to drive men to Christ. But the 22d verse speaks out clearly\nthe end of it, \u201cthe scripture hath concluded all men under sin,\u201d and under\nthe curse both. To what end? That the promise by faith in Christ might\ncome, or be given to believers. And ver. 24, \u201cThe law\u201d was a\n\u201cschoolmaster\u201d and teacher, to lead us unto Christ. The very doctrine of a\ncommand impossible for man to keep, was, as it were, a proclamation of\nChrist Jesus to him, a complete teaching of the necessity of some other\nway of salvation. The law exacted obedience rigorously, even such as we\ncould not perform, and cursed every degree of disobedience. This, if there\nwere no more, speaks that a man cannot stand to such terms, and therefore\nhe must flee to Jesus Christ, who mends the broken covenant.\n\nAgain, the apostle, 2 Cor. iii. 13, 14, while he speaks of the excellency\nof the ministry of the gospel beyond the ministry of Moses,\nnotwithstanding all the material glory that accompanied that ministration,\nas the shining of Moses\u2019 face, &c., now opens up a great mystery\nhere,\u2014Moses\u2019 face shining while he was with God upon the mount. This holds\nforth the glory of the law as in respect of God. By counsels and\ninventions they saw no more but temporal mercies in it, and were not able\nto fix their eyes on that glory; the carnal Israelites did not break\nthrough the ministry of the law and death, to see Jesus there, because a\nvail was upon their hearts. They thought God had been dealing with them in\nthe terms of a covenant of works, and they would stand to all God had\nsaid, and undertook indeed very fairly, \u201cAll which God hath commanded, we\nwill do, and be obedient.\u201d But though(462) they perverted God\u2019s meaning of\nthe law, and did not see Jesus intended; for they did not look steadfastly\nto the end of that mystery. Now what was it the vail hid them from? For\nthe same vail is yet on them to this day, while they read Moses and the\nprophets, and when they shall be converted it shall be done away in\nChrist, they shall then see him in Moses\u2019 law. So then, the end of this\nministry of the law was Jesus Christ, and this they could not behold.\n\nNow from all this it is very clear, that Jesus Christ, or faith in him,\nwas the great purpose and end of the law, and covenant of works. The world\nwas lying in sin, and none sought God, no not one; neither knew they well\nwhat sin was. Therefore God sends his gospel from mount Sinai, and\npublishes his law in a terrible manner, that they might know the way and\nmanner of the God they served, and see that their obligation was\ninfinitely beyond their ability or performance. But, poor souls! they\nclearly mistake the matter, and stand to the terms of the covenant of\nworks, as if they were able to perform them. But God did not leave them\nso. For he adds a ceremonial law, and sacrifices, to shadow out Christ\nJesus. Now, says God, though ye have undertaken so well, yet I know you\nbetter than ye do yourselves. Ye will never keep one word of what you say.\nTherefore, when ye sin bring a sacrifice, and look to my Son, the Lamb\nthat is to be slain and offered up, and ye shall have pardon in him.\n\nII. Christ Jesus apprehended by faith, is the accomplishment and\nperfection of the law. 1. Because Christ Jesus, or faith laying hold upon\nhim, accomplishes the same end that the law was ordained for of itself.\nThe law was appointed to justify men, that it might be a rule of\nrighteousness according to which men might stand before God and live. Now\nwhen the law was weak through the flesh, and could not give life, (Rom.\nviii. 3; Gal. iv. 21.) and the law ordained to life, wrought more death,\nand made sin exceeding sinful, (Rom. vii. 10-13.) therefore Jesus Christ\ncame in the flesh, to do what the law was unable to do, and to bring many\nsons unto glory, that the just might live by faith, Gal. iii. 11. The law\nshould never have gotten its end, no man should have stood before God, but\nthe curse only would have taken place, and the promise would have been of\nno effect. Therefore, Jesus comes, and gives obedience to the law, and\ndelivers men from the curse of it, and by faith puts men in as good, and\neven in a better condition, than they would have been by the promise; so\nthat the justified sinner may come before God, as well as innocent Adam,\nand have as great confidence and assurance, and peace by faith, as he\ncould have had by inherent holiness. Imputed righteousness comes in as a\ncovering over the man\u2019s nakedness, and doth the turn(463) of perfect\ninherent holiness.\n\n2. Christ, or faith laying hold on him, is the end or accomplishment of\nthe law, because faith in Christ fulfils the righteousness of the law, in\nrespect of a believer\u2019s personal obedience. Although the believer gave not\nperfect obedience, and so cannot stand in terms of justice, yet he gives\nsincere and upright obedience, which the law should never have got. The\ncommand wrought sin and death, by occasion of corruption, and never would\nany point of it be fulfilled by men. For as long as the curse was\nstanding, no obedience could be acceptable till justice was satisfied, and\nthough that might have been dispensed with, yet there is none that are\nrighteous, none seek after God. No good principles of obedience were in\nus, but all are corrupt, and have done abominable works, and all our\nrighteousness is as a menstruous cloth; and though upright obedience could\nhave been yielded, yet the law exacted perfect obedience. But now faith in\nour Redeemer absolves a man from the curse of the law, so that now he is\nnot looked upon as an enemy, but a friend; and then it puts a man upon\nobedience to the command from new motives and principles: and thus the\nrighteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, who walk after the Spirit,\nRom. viii. 4. And that imperfect obedience is accepted of God, and\nreceived off his hand, by virtue of the sacrifice and atonement of Christ.\nThe law would accept of no less, no not of nine commandments, if the tenth\nwas broken. But now God in Christ accepts of endeavours and minting,(464)\nand so is the law in some way or other accomplished. And faith leads a man\non till he be perfected. He walks by faith from strength to strength, till\nhe appear before God, and be made holy as he is holy. Faith in Christ is\nthe end of the law.\n\n3. Because whatever faith wants of perfect and personal obedience, it\nmakes up in Christ\u2019s obedience, and thus is the law thoroughly\naccomplished, for what it wants in the believer it gets in Christ. Paul\nwould have the Romans take this way, Rom. vi. 11: \u201cLikewise reckon ye\nyourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ.\u201d\nYe may gather by good consequence, that since Christ hath died to sin as a\npublic person so ye should die with him unto sin, and mortify sin with\nhim. And thus may ye have consolation against your imperfect personal\nmortification. Ye were thoroughly mortified in Christ. So the believer may\nlook unto Jesus, as one who hath given obedience even unto the death, and\nthat, not in his own name but for us, that the imperfect holiness and\nobedience of every sound believer, may have his complete righteousness to\ncover it, and come next the Father\u2019s eye. And thus is the law fulfilled,\nand this way doth faith not make void, but establish the law, Rom. iii.\n31. And as the law got better satisfaction in the sufferings of Christ,\nwho became a curse for us, than in all the punishment we could endure, so\nit gets more satisfaction to the command by his obedience than if our\npersonal had been perfect. Christ was \u201cmade under the law, that we might\nreceive the adoption of sons,\u201d (Gal. iv. 4) and the Son\u2019s being made under\nthe law is of more worth than all our being under it. Now faith puts that\nobedience of God Man in the law\u2019s hand. When we do God\u2019s will, he brings\nout Christ Jesus, \u201cLo, (says he) I come, I delight to do thy will,\u201d Psal.\nxl. 7-9. In a word, faith in Jesus accomplishes the law, in the commands,\nin the promise, in the curse, as might be easily shown, if your time would\nallow.\n\n(1) In the curse, because it lays hold upon Christ, who was \u201cmade a curse\nfor us,\u201d (Gal. iii. 13) and so gives complete satisfaction to the Lord\u2019s\njustice in that point. It holds up the sacrifice and propitiation of our\nSaviour, and justice says, I am satisfied. It holds up the ransom, (Job\nxxxiii. 24) and therefore Christ says, \u201cDeliver them from going down to\nthe pit, for I have found a ransom.\u201d Again we also observe, (2) That faith\nin Christ also fulfils the commandments of the law, because it is the\nfountain of new obedience unto the law. It hath a respect unto all God\u2019s\nrighteous judgments. It purifies the heart into the obedience of them, and\nit works by love, and so it is the end of the law for righteousness. It\nnot only gives the answer of a good conscience unto all challenges and\ncurses from Christ\u2019s blood, but daily derives virtue out of Jesus Christ,\nto bring forth fruit unto God. What it cannot reach by doing, it supplies\nby believing, and laying hold upon Christ\u2019s obedience. And this is the\nrighteousness of the law fulfilled in us. Let us also,\n\n(3) Look upon the promise of life, and it is accomplished also by faith in\nChrist. For the law could not have given life, and so the promise would\nnow be in vain; but Christ by faith justifies the sinner, and he lives,\nyea, hath eternal life in him, and so all the three are strengthened and\nestablished. Faith is the most comprehensive commandment, 1 John iii. 22,\n23. It is put for all the commandments, (1) By acknowledgment of the\nbreach of all, and so it magnifies the law, and makes it honourable, and\nsubscribes to the sentence of justice and the authority of the command;\n(2) By satisfaction, because it gives a price for the breach of it, and\nputs the Cautioner(465) in the craver\u2019s hand; (3) By obedience, because\nafter this, it hath a respect to all God\u2019s laws, and endeavours after new\nobedience to every one of them.\n\nThe improvement of all this is extremely plain. It may serve to discover\nunto us how we disappoint God of his end in giving unto us the command.\nAnd the law was given for the best purposes. But, the most part of men\nhave no end, no use of the law. God hath given it for some end, but they\nknow it not. They live without God, and without rule in the world. Men\nwalk as if there was no law, nor command, nor curse. There are but two\nends the command was ordained for, the first instituted end which it\nnaturally tends unto is life, (Rom. vii. 10) and the second end for which\nGod hath appointed it since the first is missed, is to pursue men to Jesus\nChrist, and convince them of sin, to make them once die that they may\nlive, Rom. vii. 9. But the most part know neither of these ends. A carnal\nprofane generation will not seek life by the righteousness of the law;\ntheir iniquities testify against them even to their face, and their sin is\nfound hateful. There is not so much as an endeavour among too many\nChristian professors, either to approve themselves unto men, or their own\nconsciences in their outward walking. They walk without any regard of a\ncommand, or rule, as it were by guess. Their own rule is what pleases them\nbest. What suits their humours, and crosses God\u2019s word, that they will do,\nas if they knew not the curse, or were afraid of the sentence of\ncondemnation. They walk in peace, and have no changes, they walk in the\nimagination of their vain hearts. They cannot say, and none will say for\nthem, they seek life by the law, their contempt of it is so palpable, and\nyet no other end of it they know so it is to them as if God had never\nappointed it. Again,\n\n2. There are many wrong and false ends, or uses of the law, when we make\nit the immediate mean to life and righteousness, and seek justification by\nit. And this was the end that these false teachers would have made of it.\nThis is the end that the Israelites looked to. \u201cAll that the Lord hath\ncommanded, will we do.\u201d O that was a great undertaking! Poor men, they\nknew not what they said. They thought upon no other thing but obedience to\nthe command, and so made it a covenant of works. Thus did the people that\nfollowed Christ, John vi. 28. And the young man that came to Christ said,\n\u201cWhat good thing shall I do, to inherit eternal life?\u201d Here doing was\npreferred to living by faith, Rom. x. 1-23. The Jews did so, and missed\nthe right way. And few of you will take(466) with this, that ye seek to be\njustified by your own works; and yet, it is natural to men, they will not\nsubmit to God\u2019s righteousness. There is need of submission to take Christ.\nO would not any think all the world would be glad of him, and come out and\nmeet him bringing salvation? Would not dyvours(467) and prisoners be\ncontent of a deliverance? Were it any point of self denial for a lost man,\nto grip a cord cast unto him? Yet here must there be submission to quit\nyour own righteousness. It were of great moment to convince you of this,\nthat ye are all naturally standing to the terms of a covenant of works, ye\nwho are yet alive, and the commandment hath not slain you, with Paul, Rom.\nvii. 9, 11. Ye are yet seeking life by the law, if ye have not applied the\ncurse unto yourselves. After application of yourselves to the command, ye\nare yet seeking life by it. Ye adorn yourselves with some external\nprivileges, in some external duties of religion, some branches of the\nsecond table duties, and come to God with these. Some think to satisfy God\nfor their faults, with an amendment in time to come. Some think God cannot\npunish some faults in them, because they have some good things in them.\nAsk many men the ground of their confidence, and in all the world they\nknow not how to be saved, unless their prayers do it, or their keeping the\nkirk.(468) But this is not the end that God hath sent out the law for. Ye\ncannot now stand to such a bargain. The law is now weak through the flesh,\nand it is now impossible for it to give life. Though you would pray never\nso much, all is but abomination. And would not many of you think ye were\nin a fair venture for heaven, if no man living could lay any thing to your\ncharge, but were you unblameable in all the duties of the first and second\ntable? [Could you say,] though you know nothing as by yourselves, that you\nwere frequent and fervent in prayer, reading, and meditation; and as far\nadvanced as Paul, or David, or Moses, or Job, sure ye would think\nyourselves out of doubt of heaven? Nay, but in this, ye may see ye are\nseeking righteousness by the law. Though ye were so far advanced, yet God,\nwho is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, would look to your sins, and\npass by your righteousness, and all that would be as menstruous rags\nbefore him; and therefore Paul was much wiser, who said, \u201cthough I know\nnothing by himself, yet am I not hereby justified.\u201d 3. Many make the law\nan end, when God hath only made it a mean. God hath appointed the law for\nsome other use, namely, to be subservient to Christ and the gospel. But\noftentimes we make the law the end of all God\u2019s speaking to us, and so\nconclude desperate resolutions from it, (Rom vii. 9). \u201cWhen the law came,\nsin revived, and I died.\u201d Here the man is slain by the commandment, and\nnot yet come to the healing Physician at Gilead. We use to gather\ndesperation of the command, when it presses so perfect and exact\nobedience, such as we cannot yield. When it craves the whole sum, without\nthe abatement of a farthing, we sit down under the sense of an\nimpossibility to obey, and will not so much as mint(469) at obedience.\nBecause we cannot do as we ought, we will not do as we can. Because we\ncannot do in ourselves we conclude nothing can be done at all. This is to\nmake the command the last word, and the end of God\u2019s speaking. Doth not\nthe child of God frequently sit down and droop over his duty, while he\nlooks upon the Egyptian taskmaster, the command, charging the whole work\nand portion of brick, and giving no straw to work upon? So are many in\nduties. While the aim and eye is upon some measure according to the\nperfect rule, the hands fall down feeble, and none is wrought at all, and\nthey do not look if there be another word from God posterior to the\ncommand, a word of promise. We use also to gather desperate conclusions of\nthe curse, and make the law according to which we examine ourselves, the\nend of God\u2019s manifesting his mind unto us, and do not look upon it as a\nway leading to some other thing. When ye have tried yourselves, and\napplied your own ways and state unto the perfect rule, God\u2019s verdict of\nall men\u2019s condition is true in you, \u201call have sinned, and come short of\nthe glory of God,\u201d \u201cthere is none righteous, no, not one,\u201d and so if\nnecessitated to apply the dreadful sentence of the judgment to yourselves,\nye stay there, and sit down to lodge with the sentence of condemnation, as\nif that were God\u2019s last word to sinners. Is not this to make the law the\nend, which is but appointed for another end? The curse is not\nirrepealable. Why then do ye pass peremptory conclusions, as if there was\nno more hope, but it were perished from the Lord?\n\nII. To discover unto us the right end and use of the law, the great design\nand purpose of God in making such a glorious promulgation of the law on\nmount Sinai, and delivering it by the ministry of angels, in the hands of\na mediator. The end which God hath been driving at these six thousand\nyears, is this only, that men may come to Jesus Christ and believe in him.\nThe end wherefore the covenant of works hath been preached since Adam\u2019s\nfall, is only this, to make way for a better covenant of grace, that men\nmay hearken to the offer of it. Now faith in Jesus Christ hath two special\nactings, either upon Christ for justification of the person, and eternal\nlife and salvation, or for sanctification of the person and actions, in\nthe fruits of new obedience. And in the text, unfeigned faith is described\nfrom both these, and gives the answer of a good conscience, that is, of\nabsolution from the curse, by the blood of Jesus, and makes him as quiet\nas he had never sinned. And then it purifies the heart, and worketh by\nlove.\n\nNow the law is a mean appointed of God, and instituted to lead to both\nthese, and Christ in these. The law is appointed to lead a man to faith in\nChrist, for salvation and righteousness, and the suitableness of it to\nthat end, we comprehend thus: 1. It convinces of sin; \u201cThe law entered\nthat the offence might abound,\u201d and \u201cwas added because of transgressions,\u201d\nRom. v. 20, Gal. iii. 19. This is the end of God\u2019s sounding the trumpet,\nand declaring our duty, \u201cthat every mouth may be stopped\u201d before God, and\nthat none may plead innocence before his tribunal. While men are without\nthe law, they are alive, and think well of themselves, but the entering of\nthe commandment in a man\u2019s conscience, in the length, breadth, and\nspirituality of it, makes sin to appear exceeding sinful. Sin was in the\nhouse before, but was not seen before, and now when the bright beam of a\nclear, spiritual, holy law, carrying God\u2019s authority upon it, is darted\ninto the dark soul, O what ugly sights appear! The house is full of motes.\nYe cannot turn the command where it will not discover innumerable\niniquities, an universal leprosy. For all the actions that were called\nhonest, civil and religious before, get a new name, and they being seen in\nGod\u2019s light, are called rottenness, and living without the law, Rom. vii.\n9 &c. Think ye, but the woman of Samaria knew her adultery, before Christ\nspake to her? Nay, but Christ speaks according to the law and makes it a\nmean of faith. He tells her all that ever she did. He tells her indeed\nwhat she knew before, but in another manner. Men know their actions, but\nthe Lord discovers the sinfulness of them, as offensive to God\u2019s holy\nmajesty, and pure eyes. It will force a man to give his sin the right\nname, it will take away all excuses and shifts, and aggravate sin, that it\nmay become exceeding sinful. But further, 2. This is not the last end of\nit. Not only is it ordained to stop all mouths, but to make all flesh\nguilty before God, \u201cFor by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be\njustified,\u201d Rom. iii. 18, 19. It convinces of an impossibility to stand\nbefore God, and so it kills a man. And now the man asks, \u201cWhat shall I do\nto be saved?\u201d He cannot stand before God in terms of justice, where none\ncan stand, and so either must some other delivery come, or he is gone. Now\nhere he is put from making satisfaction, \u201cWho can abide with everlasting\nburnings?\u201d He sees himself standing under the stroke of justice; and where\ncan he go from God\u2019s presence? If he go to heaven, he is there, if to\nhell, he will find him out, the light and darkness are alike to him, Psal.\ncxxxix. 7-11. Not only the cries of sinful man, but of wretched and\nmiserable man, are heard from him! Now these are the steps the law\nproceeds by. But it must not stay there, or else it is not come to the end\nof it. It must put a man within the doors of the covenant of grace. The\nlaw is a messenger sent to pursue a man out of his own house of self\nconfidence and security, he was like to perish in, and not to know it. Now\nby discovering his sinful and cursed condition, it brings him out of\nhimself, and out of all created things. But the end is not yet attained,\ntill it put him in Christ\u2019s hand, and enter him in the border of the city\nof refuge and this is the end of the abounding of sin by the law, that\ngrace may superabound, Rom. v. 20. And this is the end of the concluding\nhim under sin, and making him guilty before God, that the promise of faith\nmay be given him, and another righteousness revealed by faith, Rom. iii.\n20, 21, Gal. iii. 23. And now he is at peace, being justified by faith,\nand rests as a stone in its own place (Rom. v. 1, 2 ), and the law hath\nnothing to do with him; he is out of its jurisdiction. 3. Now when it hath\npursued him unto Christ for salvation, yet the command is still useful,\nand appointed yet for faith in Jesus, in performing new obedience. The\nChristian\u2019s daily walking is but the turning of the old round, as the sun\ndoth this day go about the compass it did the first day, so his life is\nbut a new conversion still. When he is now settled on Jesus for salvation,\nhe must yet be put by(470) the command. It discovers his dally sins, and\nso he is put to Jesus, the open Fountain for all sin and uncleanness. And\nthe command comes out in perfection, and discovers his shortcoming and\ninability, and therefore he is put to Jesus for strength. And this is the\nend of the perfect rule upon believers, that they, comparing duty with\ntheir ability, may be forced to make up their inability for duty by faith\nin Christ.\n\nIII. We may know from this what great encouragement we have to believe,\nand how great warrant, since not only God commands faith itself (1 John\niii. 23.), but he hath appointed faith to be the end of all other\ncommands, and hath given the whole law for this end. For \u201cwithout faith it\nis impossible to see God.\u201d Faith is that which God loves best in all\nobedience. What is it that makes faith so precious? Certainly not the act\nitself, but the precious object of it, Jesus Christ, in whom the Father is\nwell pleased. Faith glorifies God in his justice and mercy most, and\nabases the creature. Now what an obligation lies on us to believe? It is\nusual to question a right and warrant of faith, when we have no doubt of\nother commands. But, in all reason, any command might be questioned before\nfaith. There is no duty admits of less disputing. Hath not God put it out\nof all controversy? What warrant have ye to pray, or to sanctify the\nSabbath? Is it not because God commands these duties? And do ye not go\nabout them in obedience to God, notwithstanding of the sense of your own\ninability? How comes it then that ye make any more scruple of this? Hath\nnot the same authority that gave the ten commands, given also this new\ncommand? And shall not disobedience be rebellion, and worse than\nwitchcraft?(471) But when besides all this, it is the appointed end of all\nthe commands, so that ye may say, it is commanded in all the commands and\nthe whole law,\u2014command and curse is a virtual kind of commanding\nfaith,\u2014then what shall disobedience be? When ye break one command, ye are\nguilty of all. Much more here, not only because of God\u2019s authority stamped\nupon all, but because it is the common end of all. If ye could once come\nto believe that ye had as good warrant to believe in Christ as to abstain\nfrom cursing God\u2019s name, and as great obligation, what could ye answer for\ndisobedience?\n\nIV: This is a point of great consolation also. What more terrible than the\nlaw? Nothing in all the world. Nothing in all the word so dreadful as the\ntrumpet on Sinai, sounding louder and louder. The judge and law gives\nvoice. Yet if ye could look to the end of it and if the vail that was on\nthe Jews\u2019 heart be not upon yours, O how comfortable shall it be! Doth not\na command and curse form a dead sound in an awakened man\u2019s ears, and\nstrike unto his heart like a knife? But if he knew this, it would be a\nhealing medicine. Would not many sinners wish there would be no such thing\nin the Bible as a condemning law, when they cannot get it escaped? But\nlook to the end of it, and see gospel saving doctrine in the very\npromulgation of it. When it was published, it made the Jews all to tremble\nand cry out, and even holy Moses himself was afraid. But there is more\nconsolation than terror here. This condemning law is delivered in a\nMediator\u2019s hand, even Jesus Christ, Gal. iii. 19, 20. Who was he that\nspake out of the cloud, and fire, and came and set down his throne on\nSinai, accompanied with innumerable angels? Deut. xxxiii. 2, Acts vii. 53.\nIt was Jesus Christ that spoke to Moses in the mount, and in the bush\nalso, Acts vii. 35, 38. Is it then the Mediator\u2019s law, whose office it is\nto preach glad tidings, and the day of salvation? Sure then it needs be\ndreadful to no man. For if he wound, he shall heal, and he comes to bind\nup the broken hearted. Ye may look on the command and curse as messengers\nsent by mercy, to prepare you, and make his way straight before his face.\nThe end of the law is not to condemn you, to stop your mouth, and make you\nguilty. That is not the last work it is appointed for, but the Mediator\nhath another end, to bring you to the righteousness of faith, to save you\nwithout yourselves. Therefore ye may more willingly accept the challenge,\nsince it comes in so peaceable terms. What should be terrible to you in\nall God\u2019s word and dispensation, since the ministry of condemnation and\ndeath is become the port(472) of heaven and life? What must all his other\ndealings be? Surely there is nothing in the world, but it must lead to\nthis end also. Prosperity and adversity, the end of them is faith,\nconviction and challenges. Be not then as men without hope, when you are\nchallenged, for the challenge comes from a Mediator who would have you\nsaved.\n\nV: You may see hence how injurious they are to grace who cry down the law.\nThe Antinomian cannot be a right defender and pleader for faith (the end\nof the command), when he opposes the command that leads to that end. He\ncan not exalt Christ aright, or lead men to him, when he will not come\nunder the pedagogue\u2019s hand to be led to Christ. The law, even as a\ncovenant of works, is of perpetual use to a believer, because it lays a\nblessed necessity upon him to abide with Christ. It is a guard put before\nthe door, to keep him, as it was a schoolmaster to bring him to Christ,\nand makes a man subordinate to the gospel as a mean to the end, and so it\nought to be used. So then it is against the truth [to say] that the\nIsraelites were under the law, and not Christians. The law came not to be\na mean of life and righteousness unto them, but that the offence might\nabound, that so grace might superabound. The law was not intended, but\nChrist was intended, and this end they could not fix their eyes upon, by\nreason of the hardness of their hearts. It is also false, that Christian\nbelievers are wholly exeemed(473) from the command and law. No, he hath\nuse of all that leads to Jesus Christ, and the law itself becomes gospel\nunder that notion. The command stands in its integrity, that he may be\nconvinced of shortcoming and inability, and so may believe in Christ. The\ncurse also stands, and condemns him for new sins, that he may believe in\nChrist, who justifies the  ungodly. Again, it is not truth, that the law\nis no mean of conversion, though not in its own virtue and power, but as\nit is delivered in a Mediator\u2019s hand, and applied by the Spirit of grace\nand the gospel.\n\nUse VI: We exhort you not to disappoint God of his end, and if he hath\ngiven the law for this end, never rest till ye be at the end. Let the law\nenter into you once, or enter ye into it. Ye cannot come to Jesus unless\nit lead you. Let it enter into your consciences, with God\u2019s power and\nauthority as his law, and examine yourselves by it, else ye shall never\nbelieve in Christ. 2. Accept all the challenges of the law, let it enter\ntill your mouth be stopped. Read your obligation well, that ye may see how\nmuch ye owe. 3. Let faith be the issue and result of all the applications\nof the law to yourselves. Ye go in the law\u2019s hand to Christ, but sit not\ndown with it, or else you will not go free till ye have paid the last\nfarthing. Make faith in Christ the end of the curse condemning you, that\nhe may absolve you, the end of the command, commanding, that he may give\nstrength and fulfil in you the righteousness of the law. God never sent a\ncondition to you, but that you may believe, and be established. 4. Let it\nbe your exercise to travel between an impossible command, and Christ Jesus\nby faith, through whom all things are possible. Write always down how much\nye owe, that ye may see grace superabounding. Sit not down to examine the\nduty, or go not about it in your own strength. Be not discouraged though\nye find no strength. Ye are called in such a case to believe. Nay, in a\nword, what is all the Christian\u2019s employment? Faith exhausts it all. Look\non the command, and it calls for believing. Look upon the curse and it\ncalls also for believing.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XII.\n\n\n    1 Tim. i. 5.\u2014\u201cNow the end of the commandment,\u201d &c.\n\n\nWe come now, as was proposed, to observe, _Thirdly_,(474) That faith\nunfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience\ntowards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical\nknowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to\nthat rule. It is the laying down a man\u2019s state, and condition, and actions\nbeside the rule of God\u2019s word, or the principles of nature\u2019s light. It is\nthe chief piece of a man. The man is as his conscience is. It is a man\u2019s\nlord. As a wing to a bird, or as a rudder to a ship, so is conscience to a\nman in all his ways. The office of conscience is ordinarily comprehended\nin three styles it gets. It is a law or rule, a witness, and a judge, or a\nlight, a register, and a recorder, and an executioner. For the conscience\nits first act is some principle of nature\u2019s light, obliging it as a rule\nto walk by, or some revealed truth of God, whereof the conscience is\ninformed. Now the conscience, in the second place, comes to examine itself\naccording to the rule, and there it bears witness of a man\u2019s actions or\nstate, and faithfully records and depones.(475) And at length the\nconscience pronounces the sentence upon the man, according as it has found\nhim, either accusing or excusing, condemning or absolving. Now a good\nconscience is diversely taken in scripture, I. A good conscience is an\nhonest clean conscience, bearing testimony of integrity and uprightness in\nwalking, such as Paul had, 2 Cor. i. 12, \u201cOur rejoicing is this, the\ntestimony of our conscience, that in simplicity, and godly sincerity, we\nhave had our conversation in the world.\u201d Heb. xiii. 18, \u201cWe trust we have\na good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.\u201d Acts xxiv. 16,\n\u201cHerein do I exercise myself in having a conscience void of offence,\ntowards God and man.\u201d 1 Pet. iii. 16, \u201cHaving a good conscience, that\nwhereas they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that\nfalsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.\u201d II. A good conscience is\na conscience calmed and quieted, that hath gotten an answer to all\nchallenges, the blood and resurrection of Jesus, 1 Pet. iii. 21. And this\nwe take to be meant here. The good conscience is the conscience that is\nsprinkled with Christ\u2019s blood, from dead works, to serve the living God,\nHeb. ix. 14. For the guilty man that comes to Christ, and washes in the\nfountain opened for sin, hath no more conscience of sins, Heb. x. 2. And\ntherefore it is called a pure and clean conscience, 2 Tim. i. 3, \u201cI thank\nGod, whom I serve from my forefathers, with a pure conscience,\u201d &c.; the\nstain of guilt is taken away. Now I say, faith only gives the answer of a\ngood conscience. The man that comes to Christ hath an ill conscience, when\nhe hath examined himself according to the law, and given out faithful\nwitness of his own state and condition, and accordingly pronounced\nsentence,\u2014a sentence condemnatory. He finds himself lying under God\u2019s\ncurse, and so the conscience from a judge turns a tormentor, and begins to\nanticipate hell, and prevent(476) the execution of wrath. All the world\ncannot answer this challenge, or absolve from this sentence, until faith\ncome and give a solid answer, that may be a ground of peace. And its\nanswer is good and sure, because it dips the conscience in the blood of\nthe Son of God. For the blood of bulls and of goats could not do it, the\nredemption of the soul was precious. Faith puts the soul over head and\nears in the fountain opened, and it comes out like snow, or wool, though\nit were like scarlet or crimson. The law condemned, and the conscience\nsubscribed itself sinful, and concluded itself lost in sin; but faith in\nChrist pleads before mercy\u2019s throne, where judgment and justice also sit.\nIt pleads its cause over again, and gets the former sentence repealed. The\nconscience gave in the charge against the man, but faith sits down and\nwrites the discharge; and so he is as free as if all his debt was paid, or\nnever contracted. Faith puts the Cautioner in the creditor\u2019s hand, and\ngoes free. As the law writes down a charge of sin and curses, faith sets\nagainst it as many sufferings in Christ, as many blessings in the Blessing\nof all nations. And when the conscience that condemned itself by faith\nagain absolves itself, O what a calm, what a perfect peace is it then kept\nin! What a continual feast doth it enjoy! Prov. xv. 15. Make him never\nsuch a great man in the world, he would utterly despise it, and count\nhimself more blessed in the pardon of sin, and the friendship of God, than\nall the enjoyments of this world. He is better in some respect than if he\nhad never sinned, for his sin is, as it were, not before God. And withal\nhe hath got not only acquittance from guilt, but acquaintance with Jesus\nChrist, the Blessing of the nations, and the Desire of all the families of\nthe earth. Now may he triumph and boast in Christ Jesus. Who shall\ncondemn? It is God that justifies, it is Christ that died, and is risen\nagain. He may say with David, \u201cI will not fear, though my iniquities\ncompass me about;\u201d and with Job, \u201cIf he cause quietness, who can give\ntrouble?\u201d We observe then that,\n\nI. Before a man come to Christ, he has an ill conscience; for either he is\nat peace with himself, and absolves himself, saying, I shall have peace,\nthough I walk in the abominations of my heart, Deut. xxix. 19; or he also\nsays, \u201cBecause I am innocent,\u201d therefore God will turn away his wrath,\nJer. ii. 35. He cries peace, peace, when there is no peace, (Ezek. xiii.\n10.) and that is but a desperate condition, and a bad conscience, if any\ncan be so called. This is the secure and seared conscience, that either\ndoth not judge itself, because a man hath beaten it flint hard, or is\nconstantly absolving itself upon false grounds. That is the conscience\nthat in all the creation is nearest the desperate conscience, that shall\nnever have a good answer. His sin is but lying at the door like Cain\u2019s,\nand shall enter in when judgment comes. He is but flattering himself in\nhis own eyes, till his iniquity be found hateful, and till sudden\ndestruction comes as an armed man. Look upon Deut. xxix. 20, and see such\na man\u2019s case. There is no peace for him, the Lord will not pity nor spare\nhim, but pour upon him all the curses of the law, even when he blesses\nhimself in his own eyes. In short, he is such as is awakened to see where\nhe is, and condemns himself according to the word; and that is a better\nand a more hopeful conscience than the former, yet it is but an ill\nconscience. Conscience doth act its part aright, and in so far it is good,\nbut the man is but in a miserable condition. Withal it gives such a wound\nto the soul, as none can bear it. All the sad affections which take up\nmen\u2019s spirits come in, and this is the worm which never dies in hell, and\nthe fire which shall never be quenched. Anger, grief, hatred, despair,\nalways dwell with an ill conscience. This is both the resemblance of hell,\nand the sparks which come from that devouring fire. But, II. When the\ntroubled conscience, tossed up and down, and looking upon all hands for\nhelp, and all refuge failing them, and no person caring for their soul,\nwhen it gets once a look of Jesus, and roweth unto his shore, O what a\nchange! He commands the winds to calm, and the waves to cease, and says\nunto him, Son, be of good comfort, thy sins are forgiven. Faith finds in\nJesus ample grounds of answering all challenges, of silencing all\ntemptations, of overcoming all enemies, and commands the soul to go into\nits place of refuge. \u201cReturn unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath\ndealt bountifully with thee,\u201d &c. Psal. cxvi. 7-9.\n\nWe shall now shut up all with the application in some uses. Use I. We may\nlearn hence how few have a good conscience. Faith is a rare thing, but a\ngood conscience is much rarer. And here we may notice, 1. That the\nconscience which is dead and sleeping, is not a good conscience: every\nquiet and calm conscience is not a good one. Ye may dream over your days\nwith the foolish virgins, and take rest in a pleasing delusion, and cry\npeace, peace, and yet the end of it will be worse than the beginning. A\nconscience that acts not at all, nor judges itself, is, as it were, no\nconscience; either ignorance hath blinded it, and keeps it in the dark, or\nwickedness hath stopped its mouth. You think your conscience good because\nit tells you few of your faults, it troubles you not; but that conscience\nmust once speak, and do its office, it may be in a worse time for you. 2.\nIt is not a good conscience that always speaks good, and absolves the man.\nGod may condemn when it absolves. When ye walk according to false\nprinciples and grounds, and either take a wrong rule, or know not how to\napply the rule to yourselves, shall God approve of false judgment? Your\nconscience is erring and deludes you. But, 1. The good conscience is not\nonly a quiet conscience, but a quieted conscience. It not only hath peace,\nbut peace after trouble. Ye then that have no peace, but what ye had all\nyour days, it is but a mere fancy. The answer of a good conscience quiets\nthe distempered mind, it comes by the sprinkling and washing of Christ\u2019s\nblood. He that hath peace on solid grounds with God, hath once taken up\nhis enmity against him. 2. The good conscience hath been once an evil\nconscience, when it met with the command. The man has once been under the\nlaw, before he came to faith, and examined himself, and his conscience\ncondemned him as not righteous, and out of Christ. Ye then that never\nexamined your state, according to the perfect and holy law, and never\njudged yourselves, ye cannot believe in Jesus, and so can have no good\nconscience. 3. The good conscience flows nearest from faith answering the\nchallenges of the law. Some have had sore distempers of conscience, and\npuddling exercises of terror. But how they were eased or quieted they\ncannot tell, but their spring-tide ebbed, and they bubbled no more. It\nwent away at will, and did wear out with time. This is not a good\nconscience, that knows not distinctly the grounds of faith to oppose to\nthe law\u2019s condemnation. Some turn to build cities with Cain, and pass the\ntime pleasantly, or in some business, that they may beguile their\nchallenges. But this is not the conscience that faith makes good. Now, set\napart all these who do not examine themselves at all, nor judge\nthemselves, but live in a golden dream, who have never been arraigned\nbefore God\u2019s tribunal, or summoned by his deputy to appear before his\njudgment-seat; and join unto these all persons who, judging themselves,\ntake other rules of absolution than the word gives, who after trial\nabsolve themselves, and withal those, who, condemning themselves, yet flee\nnot unto this city of refuge, this blood of sprinkling, to get a solid\nanswer in the word to all their challenges, and O how few are behind! It\nis but as the gleaning after the vintage. Nay, many believers have not a\ngood conscience, though they have a right to it, because they settle not\nthemselves on the grounds of faith, and go not on from faith to faith.\nThere must be some sense of faith, before faith answer rightly, and give\npeace to the mind.\n\nUse II. Ye see the way to get a good conscience. Believe much, and\nmaintain your faith.    It is as simple and poor a mistake as can befall a\nsoul.   Ye think because ye have not peace after your believing, therefore\nit was not unfeigned and true faith: and therefore ye will not believe,\nbecause ye cannot get peace. But believe that ye may have a good\nconscience. Would ye know your sins are pardoned before ye believe? How\nprecious should faith be unto you, when by faith ye may not only overcome\nthe world, but, as it were, overcome God in judging, that the soul may be\njustified when it is judged? Ye will not get challenges(477) answered by\nyour own integrity and uprightness, or by your performing of duties. No,\nno, these cannot be sufficient grounds of your peace. Lay down the solid\nand satisfying grounds of faith, of imputed righteousness, and of\nsalvation by Jesus Christ, and this shall be a foundation of lasting\npeace. Sense makes not a good conscience, there is much lightness and\nvanity in it, and the rule it proceeds by is changeable, but faith\nestablishes the soul, and makes it not ashamed.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIII.\n\n\n    1 Tim. i. 5.\u2014\u201cNow the end of the commandment,\u201d &c.\n\n\nFourthly, Faith purging the conscience purifies the heart (Acts xv. 9.),\nand hope also purifies the heart (1 John iii. 3.), which is nothing else\nbut faith in the perfection and vigour of it. This includes, I. That the\nheart was unclean before faith. II. That faith cleanses it, and makes it\npure. But \u201cwho can say, I have made my heart pure (Prov. xx. 9.), I am\nclean from my sin?\u201d Is there any man\u2019s heart on this side of time, which\nlodges not many strange guests? In answer to this we may observe, that\nthere is a legal purity, and a gospel purity. A legal purity is a sincere\nand full conformity to God\u2019s holy will and command, in thought,\naffections, inclinations, and actions, and, in this sense, who can say, I\nhave made my hands clean? The old corruption sticks to the heart and\ncannot be thoroughly scraped out, there are many lurking holes for\nuncleanness to be hid in. Corruption is engrained in him, and it will not\nbe the work of one day to change it. The whole head is sick, and the whole\nbody full of sores. All the corners of the heart are full of filthiness\nand idols, and though the house be now sweeped and garnished, and all\nthings look better in it, yet there are many hidden places of rottenness\nundiscovered, and it is the soul\u2019s continual exercise to purify itself as\nhe is pure. But evangelical purity and cleanness is that which God\nreconciled in Christ takes to be so, and that which in Christ is accepted,\nand is a fount of his clean Spirit dwelling in the heart. The heart\nformerly was a troubled fountain, that sent out filthy streams, as a\npuddle. Corruption was the mud among the affections and thoughts, but now\na pure heart is like a clear running water, clean and bright like crystal.\nNow this purity consists in the washing of regeneration, and\nsanctification by the Spirit of holiness. Jesus Christ came both by water\nand blood, 1 John v. 6. He came by blood, to sprinkle and purge the\nconscience, that it might have no more conscience of sins, Heb. x. 2, ix.\n14. And he also came by water, that is, the washing and cleansing virtue\nof the Spirit of grace, to purge and cleanse us from all filthiness of the\nflesh and spirit. There are two things in sin that Jesus came to destroy,\nthe guilt and offence of sin, whereby the sinner is bound over to\ncondemnation, and lies under the Judge\u2019s curse, and the spot of sin, which\nalso Christ came to destroy. He did both in his own person, and he is to\nperfect this in us personally, who were judicially reckoned one with him,\nRom. vi. 3-12, 1 John iii. 5. Now Jesus Christ hath come with blood to\nsprinkle the conscience from dead works, and give it a good answer to the\nchallenges of the law, and an ill conscience. And he hath come likewise\nwith water, to wash and cleanse us from the spots, and filth, and power of\nsin. The first removes the guilt, the latter removes the filth of sin, and\nboth are done by faith, which is our victory over the world, and this is\nthe way how faith overcomes the world by the water and blood. 1 John v.\n4-6. The blood of Jesus Christ is holden by faith with a twofold virtue of\ncleansing, from the guilt, and from the filth of sin, and thus cleanses us\nfrom all unrighteousness, 1 John i. 7. According to the promise of the\ncovenant (Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26.), the application of the blood of\nsprinkling hath two effects. One is for justification, \u201cye shall be\nclean,\u201d another is, \u201cfrom all your filthiness and idols will I cleanse\nyou,\u201d that is sanctification. I. Now this purity consists in this, that\nthe pure heart regards not iniquity in the inward man, nor delights in\nsin, Psal. lxvi. 18. He sets not up his idols in God\u2019s place, Ezek. xxxvi.\n25. The cleansing of the heart is from idols. Although he cannot get\nhimself purified as Christ is pure, and though iniquity be in his heart,\nyet he regards it not. He looks not upon it as a guest approven and\naccepted. Sin may be an intruding guest, but sin is not welcomed with all\nhis heart. He dare not take that pleasure in sin that another man would\ndo. He hath a worm that eats up his pleasure when he departs from God, or\nhis thoughts go a-whoring from him. The unbelieving man\u2019s heart is a house\nfull of idols, but the entry of faith by God\u2019s Spirit makes their Dagon to\nfall. But, II. The pure heart hath much of the filthiness taken away that\nfilled it before, and so it is denominated from the best part. It is\nwashed and cleansed from a sea of corruption, and the body of sin that did\nreign within the heart was formerly like an impure fountain, that sent out\nnothing but rotten stinking waters. Unto him were all things unclean, for\nhis heart and conscience was defiled, Tit. i. 15. Nothing was pure to him,\nit ran continually in a stream of unclean thoughts and affections. But now\nhe is purified, and to the believer \u201call things are pure:\u201d the ordinary\nstrain and current of his thoughts and affections run more clearly free of\nthe earthly quality they had, more sublimated, more spiritualized, and he\nis named by that. Though, it may be, temptation may trouble the fountain,\nand make it run unclean and earthly, yet it will settle again, and come\ninto its own posture, and the dreg fall to the bottom, and the clean water\nof the Spirit be the predominant. But a standing puddle will run foul as\nlong as it runs, corruption goes through all. It is not a corner of the\nheart, but the whole heart.\n\nIII. A pure heart is like a running fountain, if it be defiled, it is\nalways casting out the filth, and is about returning to a right state. But\nan impure heart is like a standing puddle that keeps all it gets. If by\ntemptation the pure heart and affections be stirred, and the filth that is\nin the bottom come up to the brim, it hath no rest nor peace in that\ncondition, but works it out again, and it hath this advantage, that it is\npurer and clearer after troubling nor(478) it was before. For much of the\nfilth would run out that had been lying quiet before. But an impure heart\nkeeps all, and vents none. If ye trouble it, ye will raise an ill smell,\nand when it settles, it falls but to the bottom again, and there is as\nmuch to work upon the next time. In a word, the believer when he sins, and\nhis heart goes wrong, he weeps over his heart, and has no peace till it be\ncleansed. He washes in the fountain of Christ\u2019s blood. When a natural\ntransgression gets up, he sets himself against it and the root of it both,\nand bears down the original corruption, which is the fountain of all sin\n(Psal. li. 5), and at every descent he brings away something of that\npuddle. He is upon the growing hand by the exercise of faith and\nrepentance. Look upon him after he has seen and been sensible of his sins,\nand ye would say it is not the man ye saw. He hates sin more than he did\nformerly. We also notice,\n\nIV. That purity is sincerity and uprightness (James iv. 8), \u201cPurify your\nhearts, ye double minded.\u201d Hypocrisy is filthiness and abominable to God.\nHe then is a sincere man, that hath any honesty of heart toward God. When\nhis actions are not right, his heart doth not approve them, Rom. vii. When\nhe cannot come up to his duty, his desire comes before performance. A\nsincere man hath a respect to all God\u2019s commandments.\n\nV. The pure man is still purifying himself \u201ceven as God is pure.\u201d As he\nwho hath called him is holy, so he is holy in all manner of conversation.\nHe never thinks he is clean enough, and so he aspires after greater\npurity, and is named a saint, rather from his aim and endeavour, than from\nhis attainment. He cries, unclean, unclean, am I, and holy, holy, Lord\nGod, art thou. He hath taken up his lodging near the opened fountain, and\ndwells there, never to remove thence, till he have his robes clean and\nwhite in the blood of the Lamb. No unclean thing can enter into heaven,\nand he is trimming himself against that day, and setting apart all\nsuperfluity of naughtiness, and filthiness, and still all his\nrighteousness is as menstruous rags. He is cleansing his house, every day\ncasting out something, searching out all the corners of it, lest the\nunclean thing, and the Babylonish garment be hid. His pattern is to walk\neven as Christ walked, 1 John ii. 6.\n\nNow faith and a good conscience have influence on this purifying the\nheart. I. Because faith lays hold upon the cleansing virtue of Christ\u2019s\nblood. It applies Jesus Christ who came by water and blood, and his blood\npurges the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. The blood\nthat was offered up by the eternal Spirit, of how great virtue must it be\nwhen applied to the heart and conscience, Heb. ix. 14. No wonder it makes\nthat like wool which was formerly like scarlet. Now faith in Jesus Christ\napplies that blood. It is the very hand that sprinkles it. Faith takes up\nhouse beside the opened fountain, and dwells there. Faith takes Jesus for\nsanctification as well as justification, 1 Cor. i. 30. Faith looks upon a\njudicial union with Christ crucified, and sees his perfect offering once\noffered to sanctify all, and therefore makes continual applications with\nDavid, \u201cPurge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall\nbe whiter than the snow.\u201d II. Faith purifies the heart, because it lays\nhold on the promises, and makes use of the word, 2 Cor. vii. 1. Faith\nhaving such promises, cleanses the man from all filthiness of the flesh\nand spirit. The proper order of faith is the word, and the word is the\ntruth by which we are sanctified and made clean, John xvii. 17. There are\nmany precious promises of sanctification and holiness, and faith draws the\nvirtue of purifying the heart out of the promises, and applies the promise\nto his impure heart, and it is purged. III. Faith purifies the heart also\nby provocation and upstirring, in as far as it gives the answer of a good\nconscience. For the man who hath gotten a solid answer to all his\nobjections in Christ\u2019s blood, and hath the continual feast of joy and\npeace in believing, O how will he abhor himself, and repent in dust and in\nashes! Faith takes up God\u2019s holiness and purity, and loathes itself with\nJob, and cries, unclean. The believer will thus reason and conclude,\u2014shall\nI any more delight and live in sin, since I am dead unto it by Jesus\nChrist? Rom. vi. 1, 2. He falls in with the beauties of holiness, and so\ncannot abide his own. Faith begets hope, and hope purifies the heart.\nShall then the man who expects to see God, and be a citizen of the new\nJerusalem, where no unclean thing can enter, shall he walk in his former\nlusts, like the wicked world, and not make himself ready for the\ncontinuing city he goes to, and adorn himself for the company of the\nblessed God and angels?\n\nLet us now conclude, by applying all which hath been said in some uses.\nUse I. We may see from what hath been hinted, how little faith is among\nyou. Faith purifies the heart, but if ye examine yourselves, your hearts\nwill be found unclean, and such as the Holy Ghost cannot dwell in. The\ntemple in which God\u2019s Holy Spirit resides must touch no unclean thing, 2\nCor. vi. 16, 17. Are not many men\u2019s corruptions rank and lively? Unclean\nhands are an infallible demonstration of an unclean heart, James iv. 8.\nThese things which proceed out of the heart may teach you what is within\nthe heart. The streams may let you know what is in the fountain Mark vii.\n15-22, James iii. 11, 12. What need ye any more proof of yourselves?\nSinners, look to your hands, and your outward man, and learn from them to\nknow your hearts. These things proceed out of the heart and defile the\nwhole man. The profanity of the most part of men\u2019s practices, cursing and\nswearing &c., is a bitter stream that cannot proceed from a good fountain.\nIt is a wonder how the world satisfy themselves with a dream of faith.\nWhat influence hath your faith had upon your heart and conversation? Are\nye not as earthly and worldly as ever, as unclean as ever? Ye think your\nhearts good, but if your conversation be not good, your hearts are not\ngood. Will any person think his sins are pardoned, when he wallows in\nthem? Do they believe they shall obtain the remission of these sins they\nare not purging themselves from? No, no, the blood and water must go\ntogether and the Spirit\u2019s sanctifying with Christ\u2019s justifying.\n\nUse II. The children of God may hence gather the ground and reason of\ntheir little progress in sanctification. Why are your hearts so unclean,\nand why is there so much corruption yet living in your thoughts and\naffections, that it cannot keep within the heart, but, as a full fountain,\nmust run out in streams of external actions? It is even this, ye do not\nbelieve much, and though this be told you, yet ye will not believe it; ye\ntake ways of your own to purge out your corruptions, and it will not do.\nAll your resolutions, prayers, sad experiences, &c., are of no more virtue\nthan the blood of bulls and goats. Ye must then apply the blood of the Son\nof God, which was offered up by the eternal Spirit. It is but a poor fancy\nto suspend believing till ye see a pure heart. How shall ye get a pure\nheart? Is it not folly to forbear planting till ye see fruits, or to pluck\nup your tree because it bears not the first day? Abide in Christ, and ye\nshall bring forth much fruit. Believe, and believe, and believe again,\ntill faith be answered by a good conscience, till that sweet echo be given\nunto the Lord\u2019s comforting voice, \u201cThy sins, which are many, are forgiven\nthee.\u201d Be much in laying hold upon the precious promises, and then your\nheart shall fall out of love with this present evil world, and shall\nrelish spiritual things. But who will believe this report? Ye go away\nconvinced that this is the only way to purify yourselves, and yet ye\ncontinue puddling in your old way. May God persuade your hearts to do\nbetter.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIV.\n\n\n    1 Tim. i. 5.\u2014\u201cNow the end of the commandment,\u201d &c.\n\n\nFifthly, Faith purging the conscience, and purifying the heart, works by\nlove. Love is the fruit of faith. Love is the stream that flows out of a\npure heart and a good conscience. By love, we mean principally love to\nGod, or Jesus Christ, and then love to the saints next to our Saviour.\nThis is often mentioned in scripture, \u201cHope maketh not ashamed, (Rom. v.\n5) because the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts by the Holy\nGhost.\u201d This love is the consequence of the peace which a justified man\nobtains by faith, Rom. v. 1, 2; 2 Cor. v. 14. The constraining love of\nChrist flows from this ground, that a man judges Christ to have died for\nhim, from faith\u2019s taking up of Christ in that noble expression of his\nlove, (John v. 40, 42.) \u201cAnd ye will not come unto me that ye may have\nlife. I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.\u201d Faith works by\nlove. Love is faith\u2019s hand put out in action for Christ, and as the mind\ncommands the outward man, whether it will or not, so doth faith command\nlove, Eph. iii. 17. The rooting and building up in love is a fruit of\nChrist\u2019s dwelling in the heart by faith. Love is the branch that grows in\nfaith\u2019s root. These are often joined together, and comprehend the\nsubstance of the law and gospel, 1 Tim. i. 14, 2 Tim. i. 13. Faith fulfils\nthe obedience to the gospel, and love is the fulfilling of the whole law,\n(Rom. xiii. 10) so that faith leads a man back again to the command, that\nhe fled to faith from. Faith hath reconciled them and taken up the\ndifference. We shall then show how faith and a good conscience and a pure\nheart contribute to love.\n\nFirst, Faith is the eye and sense of the soul to take up Jesus Christ.\nNothing is loved but as it is known and apprehended to be good. The\naffections of themselves are blind, and cannot go forth but as led by the\ndirection of faith. Faith is the mind to present love\u2019s object. The world\nsees no beauty nor form in the commands, that they should desire them.\nEven Jesus Christ himself is but foolishness to a natural mind, he neither\nknows his need of him, nor Christ\u2019s suitableness to his need. But faith is\nthe first opening of the eyes, when we are turned from darkness to light,\nand from the power of sin and Satan unto God, Acts xxvi. 18. Christ\nbecomes the believer\u2019s wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and\nredemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. The day spring from on high visits them who sit\nin darkness, to guide their feet in the way of peace, Luke i. 78, 79. The\nlight of the knowledge of the glory of God shining in the face of the Sun\nof righteousness, doth arise and shine into their hearts. The man sees\nhimself in a dangerous condition, and says, Oh I where am I? And faith\ndiscovers, on the other hand, all things in Christ Jesus suitable to such\na case.  He sees nothing but vanity, emptiness, and misery, sin, and\ncondemnation in the creature, he sees grace, mercy, holiness,\nrighteousness and free salvation in Christ.  Set these beside one another,\nand judge ye if the soul cannot choose to run out in affection and longing\ndesire.  Oh! says he, to be one with him.  Faith presents all the motives\nand attractives of the heart, and then there needs no more to make it\nlove.  Faith discovers a man\u2019s self unto himself, and lets him see all\nmisery within, complete woe within doors, and it holds forth bread without\nthe ports(479) for the saint, and salvation for the lost.  It brings in an\namiable person, who is fairer than the children of men, who is all love,\nand hath no spot in him.  Is it not a sweet word, a Redeemer to captives,\na Saviour to sinners? And will not the soul rise up, and go forth out of\nitself? And will it not choose to flit(480) unto him who is the desire of\nall nations? Will it not go unto him for food and clothing? Love then is\nthe soul\u2019s journey and motion towards Jesus, whom faith hath brought in\nsuch a good report of.  But,\n\nSecondly.  When faith hath given the answer of a good conscience, and\nbrought Jesus nearer hand to the soul, or the soul nearer unto him, then\nlove is stronger, and grows like a fire that many waters cannot quench.\nIt is like jealousy, that is cruel as the grave, many floods cannot drown\nit.  Union is the ground of love, union in nature, or sympathy, or\nlikeness, is the ground of affection.  According as faith brings Christ\nnearer to the heart, the flame increases.  All things are desired and\nloved as good, but more desired, as not only good in themselves, but good\nunto us.  Gold in the Indies will not much move the heart, but bring it\nhither, and ye shall see who loves it.  The first act of faith puts a man\nin great need of a Saviour, and discovers a possibility of redemption\nthrough Jesus, and in so far he is loved. But when once faith has gone\nthat length as to make a good conscience, and to calm and silence the woes\nof a troubled mind, by the actual application of that desired possible\nredemption, and when it can particularly apply the common salvation, O\nthen what burning affection! \u201cWho is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth\niniquity, and passest by the transgression of his heritage, because he\ndelights in mercy?\u201d \u201cWhom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none\nupon earth that I desire besides thee.\u201d  \u201cI will love the Lord, because he\nhath heard my voice, I will call upon him so long as I live,\u201d as if it had\nnever loved before.  They will love much to whom much is forgiven.  Love,\nwithout such a faith, is full of jealousies and suspicions, but when faith\nhath brought in Christ to dwell in the heart, then it is rooted and built\nup in love, (Eph. iii. 17) and then perfect love casts out fear, 1 John\niv. 18. Love before such an assurance, is but a tormenting love, and hath\nmuch fear in it, saying, \u201cOh I may want him, and then I will be more\nmiserable than if I had not known him.\u201d But faith, giving the answer of a\ngood conscience, casts out horror and fear, and then perfects love, and\nthe soul then closes with Christ as a Mediator and friend, and closes with\nGod as a merciful Father, now reconciled unto him through Christ, and not\nany more as a stern or severe Judge.  But,\n\nThirdly.  When faith hath purified the heart, and cleansed the affections,\nthen the soul burns with a purer flame of affection and zeal to God, and\nis, as it were, delivered from the earthly weight put upon it.  When the\nheart is purified, love is like the flame, whereas, if he be not so\npurged, there may be some heat and fire latent in the ashes, covered with\ncorruption. But a pure heart is a spiritual heart, and minds spiritual\nthings, (Col. iii. 1) and it is a heart going back unto its own place,\nChrist hath touched it with his own heart, and with his salvation, and it\nlooks aye(481) sure to him in the heavens.  The love of the world is\ninconsistent with the love of the Father, 1 John ii. 15.  The love of the\nworld plucks the heart downward, and the lusts of the flesh are so many\nweights upon the believer, that he can not mount up in a spiritual cloud\nof divine affection to Jesus Christ.  But the pure and spiritual heart is\nnow more refined, and delivered from these impediments, and it is like a\npure lamp of oil burning upward.  When a man\u2019s heart is engaged to any\nthing of this world, love cannot be perfect.  For love is a man\u2019s master,\nand no man can serve two masters.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XV.\n\n\n    Matt. vi. 33.\u2014\u201cBut seek ye first the kingdom of God and his\n    righteousness,\u201d &c.\n\n\nThis is a part of Christ\u2019s long sermon. He is dissuading his disciples and\nthe people from carnal carefulness and worldly mindedness. The sermon\nholds out the Christian\u2019s diverse aspects towards spiritual and external\nthings. What is the Christian\u2019s disposition in regard to the world, how\nshould he look upon food, raiment, and all things necessary in this life?\n\u201cBe careful for nothing.\u201d \u201cTake no thought for your life, what ye shall\neat, or drink,\u201d &c. \u201cSeek them not as your chief good.\u201d But what is his\ndisposition towards spiritual and eternal things, and how ought ye to look\nupon them? \u201cSeek them, set your heart upon them, look upon them as your\ntreasure, and where your treasure is, let your heart be there also.\u201d So\nthen you see here two callings and employments of a man in the world,\u2014two\nuniversal callings that comprehend all men, one natural to us, and\nunlawful, the other divine, and lawful, the one paganish, the other\nChristian. What is the employment of all men out of Christ? There are many\ndifferent callings and employments among men. One spends his time and\nthoughts one way, and another another way, but all of them agree in one\ngeneral, whatever they are: Their heart is here. The thoughts they have\nare bounded and circumscribed in this present world. They are careful for\nnothing else but what concerns their back and belly,(482) or their name\nand credit. Take the best of them, whose employment seems most abstracted\nfrom the common affairs and distractions among men, yet their affections\nrun no higher than this present world. On the other hand, what should be\nthe exercise and employment of a Christian? It is even this, whatever he\nbe, or whatever his occupation be among men, he drives a higher trade with\nheaven, that should take him up. The world gets but his spare hours. He is\nupon a more noble and high project. He aspires after a kingdom. His heart\nis above where Christ is, and where his treasure is. And these things\nexhaust his affections and pains. Christ Jesus once takes the man\u2019s heart\noff these baser things, that are not worthy of an immortal spirit, let\nbe(483) a spirit who is a partaker of a divine nature. But because the\ncreature cannot be satisfied within itself, its happiness depends upon\nsomething without itself, (and this speaks out the vanity of the creature,\nand something of God, that is peculiar to him, to be self sufficient,)\ntherefore Christ changes the object of the heart, and fixes the spirit\nupon a nobler and divine exercise. Since the spirit of a man cannot abide\nwithin doors without starving, it must run out upon something, therefore\nJesus Christ hath described its bounds and way, its end and period.\nBefore, a man sought many things, because not one was satisfying, that the\nwant of one might be supplied by another; and therefore he was never near\nthe borders of contentment and happiness, because still a thousand things\nare wanting. But now, Christ puts the soul upon a satisfying and self\nsufficient object. And here the streams of affection may run in one\ncurrent, and need not divide or go contrary ways.\n\n_First_: We have here then the Christian\u2019s calling and employment in this\nworld, opposed to the carefulness and worldly mindedness of the men of\nthis world, \u201cSeek ye the kingdom of God.\u201d _Secondly_: His encouragement\nand success in two things, one is expressed, the other implied. That which\nis expressed, is seeking the kingdom of God, of grace and glory. If ye\nseek this kingdom, all temporal things shall be laid to your hand, all\nthese things that ye need \u201cshall be added unto you.\u201d The other imported\nis, ye shall get the kingdom who seek it. For the words, \u201cadded unto you,\u201d\nsuppose the first and principal intent to be gotten. Then the Christian\u2019s\nsuccess and encouragement is this, ye shall have the thing ye seek and\nmore also. It was said to Solomon, \u201cBecause thou hast sought wisdom,\ntherefore thou shalt get all other things.\u201d Because, O Christian, thou\nsought the kingdom of God, and not this present world which Satan is\nprince of, therefore thou shalt get according to thy word, and thou shalt\nalso get what thou asked not, 1 Kings iii. 11-13. He hath success in the\nmain business, and there is a superplus besides, some accession to his\nportion, that comes of will, so to speak. The kingdom of God in the New\nTestament is sometimes restricted to the elect, the word of the gospel,\nand the administration of it, by the Spirit of grace in the hearts of his\npeople. This is frequently called \u201cthe kingdom of heaven,\u201d and \u201cof God,\u201d\nMatth. xiii. 33. Sometimes the kingdom of God is taken for the state of\ngrace, a new principle of spiritual life, that grows up to the perfect\nday, and this kingdom is within us, Luke xvii. 21. It is taken also for\nheaven, the kingdom of glory, Luke xxii. 16. Both these must be sought\nafter, (Luke xii. 31.) and received, (Luke xviii. 17.) and must suffer\nviolence, Matth. xi. 12. The righteousness thereof may be taken for the\nrighteousness of God by faith, Rom. x. 3, chap. iii. 21, 22, 2 Cor. v. 21,\nRom. iv. 11, 13, Rom. ix. 30, chap. x. 6, Heb. xi. 7, Phil. iii. 9.\n\nWe would observe here: I. That the Christian his name and occupation is to\nbe a wanter and a seeker. II. The great exercise and employment he should\nhave in this world, that which should swallow up his affections, thoughts,\nand endeavours, should be the kingdom of God and his righteousness, which\nis clearly expressed in three things: 1. His first and chief care should\nbe to be at peace with God, and to be adorned with Christ\u2019s righteousness;\n2. To have the kingdom of God within him, a throne of judgment erected for\nChrist to rule the whole man, by his Spirit according to the word; 3. To\nbe made an heir here, and a possessor hereafter, of the everlasting\nkingdom of glory; 4. No man can either be a subject of God\u2019s gracious\nkingdom here, or his glorious kingdom hereafter, without the imputed\nrighteousness of the Son of God, and whoever seeks righteousness must also\nseek the kingdom of God. These are joined together, and there is a great\nopposition between seeking of the world, and seeking grace and glory.\nWhoever is careful in these things cannot be diligent here. But rather\nseek the kingdom of God (Luke xii. 31) also implies, 5. That whatever a\nman be, or his profession be, except he seek this way of righteousness,\nand yield himself unto God\u2019s kingdom of grace, and unless Christ rule in\nhim, he is but a pagan, or infidel Gentile, in God\u2019s account. We return to\nthe first of these, namely:\n\n1st. That the Christian is a seeker. This is the ordinary description of a\nchild of God, Psal. xxiv. 6, Psal. xxvii. 8. Many, at this time, call\nthemselves Seekers.(484) They profess they seek a true church, and seek\nordinances purely dispensed, but find none. But the child of God, the good\nChristian that seeks according to Christ\u2019s appointment, seeks not these\nthings as if they were not, but he seeks God in ordinances, he seeks\nChrist in the church, he seeks grace and glory, honour and immortality,\nand eternal life. He is in the church, he hath the ordinances rightly\nadministered, yet he wants the most part, till he find Jesus Christ in all\nthese. Many seek corn, wine, or any worldly good thing, saying, \u201cWho will\nshow us any good?\u201d Fie upon such a lax and indifferent spirit, that hath\nno discretion or sense of things that are good, that sees not one thing\nneedful, and no more good than is necessary. But the child of God is a\nseeker different from these also, he seeks the favour and countenance of\nGod, Psal. iv. 6, 7. He seeks wisdom above all things, Prov. ii. 4. He\nseeks but one good thing, because there is but one good thing necessary.\nThe seeking Christian is a wanter, one that hath nothing, and finds it so.\nHe wants, and knows he wants, else he would never seek. What wants he?\nNay, rather ask, what hath he? It may soon be told what he hath, but it is\nhard to tell what he wants. Look what he hath, and ye find little or\nnothing, and therefore ye may conclude he wants all things. The text tells\nwhat he wants: (1) He wants righteousness; (2) He wants grace; (3) He\nwants glory, and hath no right to it.  Men seek not what they carry from\nthe womb.  Therefore all men have come into the world with three great\nwants. (1.) Ye want righteousness. Ye cannot stand before God in the terms\nof strict justice.  There is nothing ye have, or can do, but it is a\nmenstruous cloth, Isa. lxiv. 6. All your religion and prayers will never\ncommend you to God\u2019s holy justice. The scripture hath passed this sentence\nupon you all, \u201cThere is none righteous, no not one,\u201d Rom. iii. 10. The\nrighteousness that the law of God requires is perfect, and complete, and\nexact. Either lay down the whole sum, or if it want a farthing it is no\npayment. Keep all the nine commands, but if ye break the tenth the nine\nwill not suffice. Now all of you have sinned and corrupted your ways, and\nit is impossible to make up the want. As the redemption of the soul is\nprecious and ceases for ever, so the broken and dyvour(485) man having\nbecome a bankrupt, shall never make up or pay his debt to all eternity. He\nhath once broken the command, and all your keeping afterwards will not\nstand for the obedience ye should always have given to it.  Therefore\nsinners of the posterity of Adam, and wretched men by nature, see this\ngreat want and impossibility to recover it in yourselves. (2.) Ye likewise\nwant all grace by nature. There is no delusion more ordinary than this,\nthat the world thinks grace is very common.  But believe it, Sirs, that\nall men came from the womb without grace, get it as ye will.  Look what\nthe scripture speaks of the whole race of Adam, \u201cThere is no fear of God\nbefore their eyes,\u201d Rom. iii. 18.  They are without Christ, without hope,\nand without God in the world, aliens from the covenants of promise, Eph.\nii. 1-3, 12.  Let grace be as common as can be, yet all of you once wanted\nit.  Ye have it not by birth, nor by education, nor by baptism.  Ye think\nperhaps a baptized soul cannot be graceless, but know it for a truth that\nye have neither legal righteousness nor evangelical holiness.  All of you\nhave wofully fallen from righteousness, and therefore ye lie, with Adam\u2019s\nposterity, without hope in the world Grace and truth must come from above\nby Jesus Christ Grace and glory are the gifts of God. (3.) The sinner also\ncomes short of the glory of God, Rom. iii. 23.  All sinners are born heirs\nof hell and wrath, without the hope of happiness.  There is none born with\na title to the kingdom of heaven, or any right to it.  Man in his fall\nlost his right to eternal life and immortality, and hath purchased a\ndoleful right to the Lord\u2019s wrath and to hell fire.  Ye think it strange\nthat any christened or baptized person should be damned, but the scripture\nknows no difference.  \u201cNeither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth\nany thing, but a new creature, and faith which worketh by love.\u201d  Neither\nto be a member of the visible church nor a pagan avails any thing, \u201cfor\nall have sinned and come short of the glory of God.\u201d  Now what have ye\nsince ye want righteousness?  Ye want grace and ye want glory, and in the\nplace of these ye have unrighteousness, all sin, all God\u2019s curses and\nwrath, and this makes up complete misery.  In a word, ye want God and\nChrist, and this is all, and enough for all, Eph. ii. 12.  Ye have, by\nnature, more sibness(486) with Satan, and nearer relation to him, than to\nGod, and if ye want God, what can ye have beside?  Your abundance is want.\nAs all things are theirs who are Christ\u2019s, so nothing is theirs who are\nnot God\u2019s.  In short, there is not in all the creation such a miserable\ncreature as man, whom God hath magnified and exalted above the angels, and\nthe rest of the works of his hands.  Now all men want these, but no man\nknows this but the Christian, whose eyes Christ hath opened, and to whom\nhe hath given eye salve.  Laodicea was blind and saw not, but she thought\nshe was rich enough, when she had nothing, Rev. iii. 17, 18.  The man, who\nwill discourse well on all the miseries of this life, and human\ninfirmities, may be ignorant of these things.  There is no man but knows\nsome want.  But what is it he misses?  Nothing but what concerns his\npresent being and well being in this world, and so the world may supply\nit.  But the Christian wants something this vain world will not make up.\n\u201cWhom have I in heaven but thee?  And there is none upon the earth I\ndesire beside thee,\u201d says the soul that hath found God. And whom want I in\nheaven but thee? (Psal. lxxiii. 25, 26) says the soul that seeks God.  He\nwants God\u2019s favour, and the light of his reconciled countenance, Psal. iv.\n6.  If ye ask him, what seek ye, what want ye in all the world?  He\nanswers, \u201cAnd now. Lord, what wait I for?\u201d  My heart and \u201cmy hope is in\nthee,\u201d Psal. xxxix. 7.  None needed ask at Mary, \u201cWhom seekest thou?\u201d Any\nbody that knows her, knows her want.  It is he, the Christ Jesus, and she\nthinks all the world should want him, and seek him with her, and thinks no\nbody should be ignorant of him; for she speaks to the gardener, as if\nthere had been no other in the world, John xx. 15.  But,\n\n2dly. His wants put him to seeking, to diligence.  He misses something,\nand O it is a great something, infinitely more than he is worth in the\nworld!  He wants being and well being.  He thinks himself as good as lost,\nand he comes at length to some point of resolution, with the lepers of\nSamaria, (2 Kings vii. 3, 4.) \u201cWhy sit we here till we die?  If we enter\ninto the city there is famine, if we sit still we perish, if we go out we\nmay find bread.\u201d And so the poor soul, with Mordecai and Esther, comes to\nthis conclusion, \u201cIf I perish, I perish;\u201d nothing but perishing as I am, I\nwill go and seek salvation in Jesus Christ, and it may be I will find it.\nWho knows but he may turn again?  Resolution is born a man at first, a\ngiant. It goes out to the utmost border of want the first day.  Wanting\nmakes desire, and desire, attended with some hope, makes up resolution and\npurpose, and when the soul is thus principled, then in the third\nroom,(487) it comes forth to action.  Desire and hope give legs to the\nsoul for the journey, and now the wanting Christian ye shall find with his\nhand in every good turn, his feet in every ordinance.  Ye shall find him\npraying, reading, and hearing.  It is true, resolution is born a man, and\npractice is born but a child, and scarcely will come up in many years to\nthe stature of resolution.  Always(488) diligence and violence is the\nqualification of his practice, (Heb. xi. 6, Matth. xi. 12) and this is\nwritten upon his using of means, \u201cHow love I the Lord!  I am sick of\nlove.\u201d  The Christian\u2019s diligence in the use of means proclaims his\nearnest desire to obtain, whereas many a man\u2019s practice speaks but a\ncoldrife and indifferent spirit. That is a neutral who cares not whether\nhe obtain or miss.  Some Christians have some missings of God, and\nspiritual things, but alas! their want, and sight of want, makes them\ntwice miserable, because it puts not their hand to action.  The slothful\nand sluggard\u2019s desire slays him, because his hands refuse to labour, Prov.\nxxi. 25.  O!  but he finds many difficulties in the way.  Though he have\nhalf a wish, or a raw(489) desire after Christ, yet it never comes farther\nthan a conditional wish. A beggar may wish to be a king.  He comes to no\npurpose in it and therefore his way is called a hedge of thorns.  Whereas\na seeking Christian finds a plain path where he goes, Prov. xv. 19.  The\nsluggard says, \u201cThere is a lion in the way, and a lion in the streets.\u201d\nHe concludes upon the means and duties of religion before ever he try\nthem, Prov. xxii. 13, Prov. xix. 24.  How lazy is he!  He will not bring\nhis hand out of his bosom, when he hath put it in.  Thus the lazy and\nsecure Christian is a brother to a great waster, his desire consumes him.\nHe hath no more religion than a spunk(490) of desire; and he sits down\nwith this spark of his own kindling, and the life of religion thrives not\nupon his hand, Prov. xviii. 9, 12. His seeking must have violence with it,\nMatth. xi. 12.  But we may also observe concerning the Christian, that he\nis,\n\n3dly. Defined on this side of time as a seeker.  In heaven he is an\nenjoyer, and he seeks no more; for how can the ox low over his fodder?  He\nsits down to eat the fruit and sweat of his labour, and well may he\ntriumphantly say, as the ancient philosopher said, \u201cI have found, I have\nfound.\u201d(491) But here he is a seeker still.  Whatever he miss, he is still\na seeker, and whatever he find, he is yet a seeker. He is named not from\nhis finding, but his seeking, not from his enjoyment or attainment, but\nfrom his endeavour and aim. Though he find righteousness in Jesus, and\nremission of sins, yet he is a seeker of grace; though he be justified,\nyet he seeks holiness. There are many who would seek no more of God than\npardon of sin. Let him deliver them from hell, and they will trouble God\nwith no more requests. Doth not some of your own consciences speak, that\nye would seek no more from Christ than to be saved from an ill hour, and\nto be found in him; whereas Paul was not content with this, but made an\nholy gradation, as we read, Philip iii. 8, &c. He desired to know the\npower of Christ\u2019s resurrection, and to be made conformable to him by any\nmeans; and now, when he is found in Christ, and justified, he counts not\nhimself well, or perfect and complete, or to have attained that which he\nstruggled earnestly for. Would not many be content with a Saviour, but\nthey love not to hear of a king to rule over them, nor of his laws to\nregulate their lives by? They love an imputed holiness, as well as\nrighteousness. But the true seeker seeks grace within him. Though he be\njustified, or freed from guilt and condemnation, and have the\nrighteousness of Christ to cover him, and though he should never come into\ncondemnation for sin, yet he seeks the death and destruction of it in his\nsoul, and the life of holiness implanted and perfected in his inward man.\nThough he is sure of heaven, yet he would have God\u2019s image upon his\nspirit, and whole man.\n\n4thly. Whatever degree of grace he have or attain, yet he is still a\nwanter, and still a seeker. He counts not himself to have attained, or to\nbe already perfect, but presses forward to gain the mark and prize of\nGod\u2019s high calling, Phil. iii. 13, 14. He stands at no pitch, but forgets\nwhat is behind, and overlooks it, he thinks it not worthy to come in\nreckoning. There is still so much before his hand, that he apprehends it\nto be lost time to reckon what is passed. His aim is to perfect holiness\nin the fear of God. He endeavours to be holy as God is holy, who is the\ncompletest pattern of unspotted purity and uprightness, and to be holy in\nall manner of conversation. He goes from strength to strength, till he\nappear blameless before God; he seeks grace for grace, Psal. lxxxiv. 5-8.\nAnd truly the man who seeks the exact copy or pattern, Jesus Christ, who\nis gone before his people into heaven, and he who knows the spiritual\ncommand in all its dimensions, he will not say \u201cI have found,\u201d but will\nstill want more than he hath, and seek what he wants. There are some\nprofessors who have attained some pitch and degree, as it were, the first\nday, and never advance further. They have gotten a gift of prayer, some\nway of discharging duties, some degree in profession, and they want no\nmore. Look on them some years after, and ye would say, they have sought no\nmore. And truly he who seeks no more shall never be able to keep what he\nhath already, as a fire must soon die away if ye add not new fuel to it.\nChristians are not green in old age, because they have come to a pitch in\ntheir religion, and stand there. No, religion should not come to its\nstature hereaway.(492) This is but the time of its minority. Grace should\nbe still on the growing hand. The grace of God is but a child here. Heaven\nand eternity make up the man. Glory is the man, who was once the child\ngrace.\n\n5thly. The good Christian is still a seeker till Christ be all in all,\ntill he apprehend that for which he is apprehended. As long as he is in\nthis world he is a seeker. Whereof, ye will say? Not only of more grace\nhere, but of glory hereafter. Here he hath no continuing city, but he\nseeks one to come, Heb. xiii. 14. He is a pilgrim on earth, embracing the\npromises afar off, and seeking his country, even heaven itself, Heb. xi.\n13, &c. All your present enjoyments in this world, your own houses and\nlands, would not make you think yourselves at home, if ye were Christians\nat the heart. Ye would miss consolation, ye would want happiness in the\naffluence of all created things. And therefore, Christians, do ye want\nnothing when all things go according to your mind? Is there no hole in\nyour heart that a world cannot fill up? This is not well. Ye ought to seek\na city, while ye are in your own country, and ye should never think\nyourselves at home till ye be in heaven. The Christian gets some taste of\nthe fruits of the land, some clusters in the wilderness and house of his\npilgrimage, and this makes him long to be there. This inflames the soul\u2019s\ndesire, and turns it all in motion to seek that which was so sweet. If\nhope be so sweet, what shall the thing possessed be? If a grape brought a\nsavour and taste so refreshful, what must the grapes plucked from the tree\nof life be, and the rivers of pleasures, which are at God\u2019s right hand,\nfor evermore be? Sit not down then, Christians, upon your enjoyments,\nwhether they be worldly or spiritual, but aspire to high things.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVI.\n\n\n    Matth. vi. 33.\u2014\u201cBut seek ye first the kingdom of God,\u201d &c.\n\n\nII. The Christian\u2019s chief employment should be to seek the kingdom of God,\nand the righteousness thereof. \u201cSeek first,\u201d &c. Upon this he should first\nand chiefly spend his thoughts, and affections, and pains. We comprehend\nit in three things. _First_, He should seek to be clothed upon with\nChrist\u2019s righteousness, and this ought to take up all his spirit. This is\nthe first care and the chief concern. Did not this righteousness weigh\nmuch with Paul, when he counted all things but loss and dung, that he\nmight be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, but the\nrighteousness which is by faith in Jesus Christ? Phil. iii. 8, 9. Now this\nrighteousness is of more concernment than all the world beside. For it is\nGod\u2019s righteousness, (Rom. x. 3, 4; 2 Cor. v. 21.) and this holds out a\nthreefold excellence in it. (1.) It is God\u2019s righteousness, because he\nalone devised it, and found it out. All the world could not have imagined\na way possible to save lost mankind, or ever one sinner of that wretched\nnumber. Satisfaction to justice was needful, and there was none righteous\namong Adam\u2019s posterity. But here God himself in his everlasting counsel\nhath found it out, and all hath flowed from his love. The mission of Jesus\nChrist to be the propitiation for our sins, comes from this blessed\nfountain, 1 John iv. 9, 10; Rom. iii. 24, 25. God hath been framing this\nrighteousness from all eternity, and even this world seems to be made for\nthis end. All God\u2019s dispensation with Adam, his making a covenant of works\nwith him, his mutability and liableness to fall, and so governing all\nthings in his holy providence that he should fall from his own\nrighteousness, and involve all his posterity in the same condemnation with\nhimself,\u2014all this seems to be in respect of God\u2019s intention and purpose,\neven ordained for this end, that the righteousness of Jesus Christ might\nbe commended to you, far more than all the dispensation of the law upon\nSinai, more than the curse and the command, the thunder and the lightning.\nThe very condemnation of the scripture was all in God\u2019s own mind and\nrevealed will also, as the means appointed to lead sinners to this\nrighteousness, Rom. x. 4. Therefore, how precious should that be to us,\nthat God keeps and preserves the world for?\n\n(2.) By this righteousness alone, we can stand before God, and therefore\nit is termed God\u2019s righteousness; and is not this enough to make it lovely\nin the eyes of all men? This is the righteousness without the law, though\nit was witnessed both by the law and the prophets. This is the only\nrighteousness that justifies, when all men are found guilty before God,\nRom. iii. 19, &c. Now, what is it in this world can profit you, if ye want\nthis? Condescend(493) upon all your pleasures and heart-wishes, let you\nhave them all, and now, poor soul, pray what hast thou? Though thou hast\ngained the world, thou losest thy soul, that thou should use the world\nwith? Let you then get what you so eagerly pursue in the world, what will\nye do when your soul is required by the hand of justice? \u201cThen whose shall\nthese things be?\u201d Luke xii. 20, 21. By all these things, a man neither\nknows love nor hatred, as Solomon speaks of external enjoyments, Eccles.\nix. 1. But hear the way, O men! how ye may stand before God; here it is\nonly. Will it profit you to enjoy the world, and bless God? And when all\nthese things leave you, and ye leave them, what will ye do,\u2014for riches\nwill not go to the grave with you? All that is here cannot help you in\nthat day, when ye must stand before the Judge of all flesh. If a man be\nnot found in Christ he is gone, and if he be found in him, then the\ndestroying angel passes by, death hath a commission to do him good, God is\nbecome his friend in Jesus. If ye could walk never so blamelessly in this\nworld, all this will not come as righteousness in God\u2019s sight, nor stand\nbefore him. It is only the righteousness of Christ that can be a covering\nto sinners.    But,\n\n(3.) This is God\u2019s righteousness, because it is the righteousness of\nChrist who is truly God, and so it is divine. This is the most excellent\npiece in all the creation, that comes from Jesus Christ his life, death,\nand resurrection. And let all men\u2019s inherent holiness blush here and be\nashamed. Let all your prayers, good wishes, your religious obedience be\nashamed, let them evanish as the stars before the sun. The righteousness\nof Christ is the bright sun that makes all the dim sparkles of nature,\ncivil honesty, and even religious education, disappear. Let even angels\nblush before him, for they are not clean in his sight, but may be charged\nwith folly. Innocent Adam was also a glorious creature, but the second\nAdam, the life-giving Spirit and the Lord from heaven, hath an infinitely\ntranscendent and supereminent excellency and prerogative beyond him, and\nall the creation of God. Look then upon this Jesus how he is described, as\nthe \u201cbrightness of the Father\u2019s glory and the express image of his\nperson,\u201d (Heb. i. 1-3; Col. i. 15, &c.) and wonder that such a glorious\none should become our righteousness, that he should take our sins upon\nhim, (2 Cor. v. 21; 1 Pet. ii. 24) and make over his righteousness to us.\nThis is the righteousness of the saints in heaven, Rev. xix. 8. This is\nthe glory of the spirits of just men made perfect. Think ye, my friends,\nthat the glorious saints shall wear their own holiness upon their outside\nin heaven? No, no, the righteousness of Christ shall cover them, and that\nshall be the upper-garment that all the host of heaven must glory in. Now\nthis is the thing that the child newborn, if he had the use of reason,\nshould first cry for, before he ever get the breast, to be reconciled to\nGod in Christ. Would ye then spend your time and thoughts upon other\nthings, if ye knew what need ye have of his righteousness, and how\nsuitable it were to your need? Should not the beggar seek food and\nclothing? Should not the sick man seek health, and the poor man riches?\nHere they are all in Christ\u2019s righteousness. Ye are under the curse of\nGod. This righteousness redeems from the curse. Ye are sinners, and none\nof you righteous, no not one. But Christ was made sin for us, that we\nmight be made the righteousness of God in him. O sinners, wonder at the\nchange! Hath Christ taken on your sins, that his righteousness might\nbecome yours, and will ye not do so much as seek it? But many a man\nbeguiles his own soul, and thinks he seeks this righteousness in the\ngospel. Therefore ye would know what it is to seek his righteousness. If\nye seek it, ye want your own righteousness. And who of you have come this\nlength, to judge yourselves that ye be not judged? It is a great\ndifficulty to convince the multitude of sin. That general notion, that we\nare all sinners, is but the delusion that many souls perish in. Never any\nwill deny themselves to seek another righteousness, till they be beaten\nand driven out of their own. There is need of submission to take and\nreceive this righteousness, let be to seek it, And now tell me, can ye say\nthat ye have seen all in yourselves as dung and dross, that ye count all\nthings but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus,\n(Phil. iii. 8, 9.) that ye have seen all your own privileges and duties\nloss, and are ye even sensible that prayer will no more help you than the\ncutting off a dog\u2019s neck? Ye that lay so much weight upon your being\nbaptized, and upon outward privileges, are ye void of righteousness? No,\nye seek to establish your own, and do not submit to the righteousness of\nGod. In a word, all who are ignorant of this righteousness of God in\nChrist, ye all seek to establish your own. There needs more. But not one\nof twenty of you can tell what this is, it is a mystery. Ask at any of\nyou, how ye shall be saved, ye will say, by prayer to God, and the mercy\nof God. Ye cannot tell the necessity of Christ\u2019s coming into the world.\n\n_Secondly_, Ye must see an impossibility to attain a righteousness, or to\nstand before God another way. When ye miss this righteousness and are\nconvinced of sin, it is not the running to prayer will help or mend it.\nWhen ye see the broken covenant, ye fall upon doing something, to mend\nyour faults, with some good turns, and some will make a few good works\nanswer all the challenges of sin. Alas! this is a seeking of your own\nrighteousness. Many a poor broken man seeks to make up his fortune. Poor\nwretched sinners are building up the breach of the old covenant, putting\nup props under an old ruinous house, seeking to establish it, and rear it\nup again. But ye will never seek Christ till ye cannot do better, till ye\nbe desperate of helping yourselves without him. Now I appeal to your\nconsciences. Who among you was ever serious in this matter, to examine\nyour own condition, whether you were enemies or friends? Ye took it for\ngranted all your days. But never a man will betake himself to an imputed\nrighteousness, but only he that flies, taking with(494) his enmity, and is\npursued by the avenger of blood, and flies in to this righteousness as a\ncity of refuge.\n\n_Thirdly_, Ye must seek this righteousness, and what is it to seek it? It\nis even to take it and to receive it. It is brought to your door. It is\noffered. And the convinced sinner hath no more to do but hearken, and this\nrighteousness is brought near unto him. Prayer to God, and much dealing\nwith him, is one of the ways of obtaining this righteousness. But coming\nto Jesus Christ is the comprehensive short gate,(495) and therefore it is\ncalled \u201cthe righteousness of faith,\u201d and \u201cthe righteousness of God by\nfaith.\u201d Now shall ye be called seekers of Christ\u2019s righteousness, who will\nnot receive it when it is offered? Ye who have so many objections and\nscruples against the gospel and the application of it, ye in so far are\nnot seekers, but refusers of the gospel, and disobedient. Christ\u2019s\nrighteousness should meet with a seeker not a disputer. Any thing God\nallows you to seek, certainly he allows you to take and receive it, when\nit is brought unto you. And therefore, whoever have need of Jesus Christ,\nnot only refuse him not, but stay not till they find him come to them.\nThis is a noble resolution, I will give myself no rest till I be at a\npoint in this. Seek him as a hid treasure, as that which your happiness\ndepends upon.\n\n(1) The kingdom of grace is worthy of all your affections and pains. That\ndespised thing in the world called grace is the rarest piece of the\ncreation, and if we could look on it aright, we would seek grace, and\nfollow after it. Grace extracts a man out of the multitude of men that are\nall of one mass. Grace separates him from the rest of the world, and to\nthis purpose are these usual phrases in scripture, \u201cSuch were some of\nyou,\u201d \u201cOnce ye were darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord,\u201d \u201cAmong\nwhom ye had your conversation in times past, fulfilling the desires of the\nflesh.\u201d All men are alike by nature and birth, there is no difference.\nGrace brought to light by the gospel makes the difference, and separates\nthe few chosen vessels of glory and mercy from the world, and now \u201cthey\nare not of the world, as I am not of the world.\u201d All the rest of men\u2019s\naims and endeavours cannot do this. Learning makes not a man a Christian.\nHonour makes not a man differ from a Gentile or Pagan. Riches make you no\nbetter than infidels. Speak of what ye will, you shall never draw a man\nentirely out of the cursed race of Adam, never distinguish him from\nGentiles before God, till the Spirit of regeneration blow where he\nlisteth. And this is grace\u2019s prerogative, beyond all other things. All\nother excellent gifts, even the gift of preaching, praying, all these are\ncommon, so to speak, and in a manner befall to all alike. Your external\ncalling is but common, but he gives grace to all his chosen ones. But (2)\nGrace puts a man in a new kingdom. It draws a man out of Satan\u2019s kingdom,\nand makes him a king, who before was a subject. The man was led captive by\nsin and Satan at their pleasure. He served his own corrupt lusts and the\nprince of this world. Sin reigneth in his mortal body, whatever his\npassion and corruption did put him to, he could have no bridle, but as a\nhorse went on to the battle. And ye may see daily that there is scarce one\nof an hundred that is master of himself. He is a servant of sin, but grace\nmakes him a priest and a king, Rev. i. 6, chap. v. 8, 10. He can now\ncommand himself. Sin reigned before unto death, but now grace reigns\nthrough righteousness unto eternal life, Rom. v. 20, 21. And O! but this\nvictory over a man\u2019s self is more than a man\u2019s conquering a strong city.\nThis victory is more than all the triumphs and trophies of the world\u2019s\nconquerors. For they could not conquer themselves, the little world, but\nwere slaves to their own lusts. Some men talk of great spirits that can\nbear no injury. Nay, but such a spirit is the basest spirit. The noble\nspirit is that spirit which can despise these things, and be above them.\nGrace puts men upon a throne of eminence above the world. The Spirit of\nGod makes a man of a noble spirit. (3) Grace translates a man from Satan\u2019s\nkingdom to God, and makes him a subject, a free born subject, of God or\nChrist\u2019s kingdom, and therefore Christ is the \u201cKing of saints,\u201d Rev. xv.\n3. Our Lord and Saviour hath an \u201ceverlasting kingdom,\u201d 2 Pet. i. 11. We\nwere subjects of the powers of darkness, but grace makes the translation\ninto the kingdom of God\u2019s own dear Son, Col. i. 13. Now what an\nunspeakable privilege is this, to be one of Christ\u2019s subjects, who is our\ndear Saviour and King! Surely we must all be great courtiers. David, the\ngreat king of Israel, had this for his chief dignity, his style of honour,\n\u201cthe servant of the Lord,\u201d as kings use to write down themselves; and this\nwas his title, \u201cservant of God.\u201d Paul gloried much in this, \u201cPaul, an\napostle and servant of Jesus Christ.\u201d And surely all the families of\nheaven and earth may think it their highest honour to get liberty to bow\ntheir knees to Jesus, the \u201cKing of kings, and Lord of lords,\u201d the\nfirst-born of God\u2019s creation. The converted man is turned from the power\nof Satan to God. Mark but the emphasis of these two terms. Mark the whence\nor from,\u2014that it is from Satan, the great destroyer of mankind, the first\ntransgressor and deceiver. And how great is his power, tyranny, and\ndominion! He had us all in chains reserved for the day of judgment. But to\nwhat a happy change grace turns us, _from_ him! But the term _to_, which\nis more admirable, it is to God, to Christ, to true religion, to God\nhimself most High. And O! but this must be a more wonderful and excellent\nchange than our conversion from darkness to light, from hell to heaven.\nThese are but shadows of this glorious conversion. (4) Grace makes a man\nlikewise a \u201cpartaker of the divine nature,\u201d 2 Pet. i. 4. This is the image\nand glory of God. This is the imitation and resemblance of God\u2019s spotless\nholiness and purity, \u201cBe ye holy, as I am holy,\u201d 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. Every\ncreature hath some dark characters of God. Some things speak his power,\nsome things his wisdom, but this he hath called his own image. And so the\nChristian is more like unto God than all the world beside. This is the\nmagnifying of a man, and making him but \u201ca little lower than the angels,\u201d\nPsal. viii. 3, 4. Therefore God loves grace better than all the creation.\nHoliness is a great beauty, and God requires to be worshipped in the\nbeauties of it. Albeit grace be often clouded with infirmities, and\nsometimes is reckoned despicable, because of the vessel it is in, yet it\nis precious as the finest gold, and more precious than any rubies. It is\nlike gold in ashes, not the less excellent in itself, though it appear not\nso. But sin is the devil\u2019s image and likeness, and therefore Satan is\ncalled the father of sinners. \u201cYe are of your father the devil, and the\nlusts of your father ye will do.\u201d O but sin hath an ugly shape! It is the\nonly spot in the face of the creation which God\u2019s soul abhors. For he\nloves righteousness, and hates iniquity, Psal. xlv. 6, 7. But there is one\nthing more, (5) That may commend grace to all your hearts. Grace is the\nway to glory. It gives title and right to, or at least declares it. It is\ninseparably joined with it. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is the\nflower of grace, grace is young glory, and glory is old grace. Without\nholiness it is impossible to see God\u2019s face in peace. No man can come unto\nheaven without grace. Glorification is the first link of the chain, Rom.\nviii. 30. But sanctification must intervene first. No unclean thing can\nenter into heaven, but he that gives grace, gives glory, Psal. lxxxiv. 11.\nHeaven cannot receive many of you, because ye have not holiness. But it\nmay commend holiness unto you, that it ministers an abundant entrance\n\u201cinto the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.\u201d As\nmuch as eternity is beyond the poor span of your time, so much is grace\nand holiness, whereon depends your everlasting condition, preferable to\nall things of this present vain world. O! but the children of men have\nmany vain pursuits of the creature, that when it is had is nothing and\nvanity. Ye labour to secure an inch of your being, and to have contentment\nhere in this half day, and never look beyond it to many millions of ages,\nwhen ye are to continue.  Your honour, your pleasure, your gain, your\ncredit, many such things like these can have no influence on the next\nworld. These cannot go through death with you. Only grace and holiness,\nbegun here, are consummated in glory, and make the poor man, that was\nmiserable for a moment, eternally happy.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVII.\n\n\n    Matth. vi. 33.\u2014\u201cBut seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his\n    righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.\u201d\n\n\nThe perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some\nimperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the\nsun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they\nappear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God\u2019s sight!\nHow far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a\npure mass of light and holiness, yet even these glorious beings cannot\nbehold this light without covering their faces. These God may charge with\nfolly. \u201cGod is light,\u201d saith the apostle, 1 John i. 5. This is his\npeculiar glory, for \u201cin him there is no darkness at all.\u201d Is there any\nthing more excellent and divine than to seek God, and find him, and enjoy\nhim? Yet even that holds forth the emptiness of the creature in its own\nbosom, that cannot be satiated within, but must come forth to seek\nhappiness. Nay, even the greatest perfection of the creature speaks out\nthe creature\u2019s own self indigence most, because its happiness is the\nremoval from itself unto another, even unto God the fountain of life.\n\nNow the enjoyment of this \u201ckingdom of God\u201d mentioned in the text, holds\nforth man\u2019s own insufficiency for well being within himself. But seeking\nthis kingdom declares a double want, a want of it altogether. Not only\nhath he it not in himself, but not at all, and so must go out and seek it.\nGod is blessed in himself, and self sufficient, and all sufficient to\nothers. Without is nothing but what has flowed from his inexhausted\nfulness within, so that, though he should stop the conduit, by withdrawing\nhis influence, and make all the creatures to evanish as a brook, or a\nshadow, he should be equally in himself blessed. \u201cDarkness and light are\nboth alike to thee,\u201d says David in another sense, Psal. cxxxix. 11, 12.\nAnd indeed they are all one in this sense, that he is no more perfected\nand bettered, when all the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits\nof just men made perfect, follow him with an eternal song, nor(496) before\nthe mountains and hills were, when nothing was brought forth. Many\nthousand more worlds would add nothing to him, nor diminish anything from\nhim. It is not so with man, he is bounded and limited, he cannot have well\nbeing in his own breast. He was indeed created with it in the enjoyment of\nGod, which was his happiness, so that he had it not to seek, but to keep,\nhe had it not to follow after, but to hold it still fast. But now, alas!\nhe hath lost that, and become miserable. Once all Adam\u2019s posterity were\nvoid of happiness. By catching at a present shadow of pleasure, and\nsatisfaction to his senses, he lost this excellent substance of\nblessedness in communion with God. Now, how shall this be recovered again?\nHow shall this pearl of great price be found?\n\nCertainly we must agree upon two principles, and according to them walk,\nere we come within reach of this. It is a great question that is of more\nmoment than all the debates among men,\u2014how shall man\u2019s ruin be made up,\nand the treasure be found? If ye think it concerns you, I pray you hearken\nto this, and condescend(497) upon these two grounds, that the question may\nbe right stated. One is, we have all lost happiness, fallen from the top\nof our excellency into the lowest dungeon of misery. We are cast down from\nheaven to hell. There needs not much to persuade you of the truth of this\nin general.     But alas! who ponders it in their hearts? And until ye\nthink more seriously upon it, ye will never be serious in the search for\nreparation of it. All of you by your daily experience find that ye are\nmiserable creatures. Ye have no satisfaction nor contentment. Ye are\ncompassed about with many infirmities and griefs. But this is but an\nappendix of your misery. All the calamities of this life are but a\nconsequent, a little stream of that boundless ocean of misery that is yet\ninsensible to you. Therefore enter into your own hearts, and consider what\nAdam once was, and what ye now are, nay, what ye will all quickly be, if\nGod prevent it not. We are born heirs of wrath and hell. It is not only\nthe infinite loss of that blessed sight of his face for evermore, which an\neternal enjoyment of creature pleasures could not compensate the want of,\none hour; but it is the kingdom of darkness, and the devil that we are all\nborn to inherit. Let this then once take root in your heart, that ye are\nin extreme misery, and that a remedy must be provided, else ye must\nperish. Now when this principle is established, ye must agree upon this\nalso. \u201cBut out of myself I must go. Blessedness I must have. It is not in\nme. While I look in, there is nothing but all kind of emptiness, and,\nwhich is worse, all kind of misery. Not only the common lot of creatures\n(that none is sufficient to its own well being) is incident to me, but I\nhave lost that being which I had in another, which was my well being, and\ndo now possess, or shall shortly possess, all misery.\u201d Now, are ye settled\nupon these two? I am not happy, I must go out of myself to find it. It is\nnot in me, in my flesh dwells no good thing, in my spirit and flesh both,\nis nothing good. Ask then this great question, Whither shall I go? What\nshall I do to find it? All men know they must seek it. But Christ tells\nwhere they shall seek it, and whither they shall go. The word of the\ngospel is for this very purpose to answer this question. If we were\nsensible that we had lost happiness, certainly we would be earnest in this\nquestion, where shall it be recovered? What shall I seek after? And no\nanswer would satisfy but the gospel itself, that directs unto the very\nfountain of life, and holds \u201cforth the kingdom of God\u201d as the true\nhappiness of men to be sought. \u201cSeek ye first,\u201d says Christ, \u201cthe kingdom\nof God,\u201d and the righteousness thereof. Here only is a solid answer. Seek\nme, for I am eternal life, I am the life and the light of men. Oh! that\nyour souls answered, with David, \u201cThy face, Lord, I will seek.\u201d Peter had\nsought and found, and thought himself well, so that he answers Christ with\ngreat vehemency, when he said unto his disciples, \u201cWill ye also leave me?\u201d\nPeter saith, Leave thee, Lord, \u201cto whom should we go but unto thee, for\nthou hast the words of eternal life? And we believe and are sure, that\nthou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,\u201d John vi. 66, &c. It were\nall the absurdity in the world to leave thee, or to go to any other thing\nfor life itself. Shall not death be found, if I leave life? It were\nmadness not to seek thee, but what shall it be called to leave thee, when\nI have found and tasted thee to be so good? Every man misses happiness and\njustification within himself, and so is upon the search after it. But is\nit not strange, that all the experiences of nations and generations\nconjoined in one, cannot hold forth even a probable way of attaining it?\nGather them all in one, the sum and result is, \u201cWe have heard the fame\nthereof with our ears,\u201d but \u201cit is hid from the eyes of all living,\u201d as we\nread more fully, and should apply, what Job said of wisdom, to the true\nhappiness of man, Job xxviii. 12, to the end of that chapter. Certainly\nthere is some fundamental and common mistake among men. They know not what\nwas once man\u2019s happiness, and so it is impossible they can seek the right\nremedy. Look upon us all, what do we seek after? It is some present thing,\nsome bodily and temporal thing, that men apprehend their happiness lies\nin, and so whether they attain it or not, or being attained, it doth not\nanswer our expectation, and thus still are we disappointed, and our base\nscent becomes a vain pursuit, whether we overtake it or not. Every man\nproposes this within himself as the principle of his life and\nconversation, what shall I seek after? What shall I spend most of my time\nand affections upon, to drive at? And alas! all men, save those whose eyes\nthe Spirit openeth, err in the very foundation. One man propones honour to\nhimself, another pleasure, and a third riches, and the most part seek all\nof them, some accommodation and satisfaction in a present world. And\nalmost every man conceives he would be blessed, if he had that which he\nwants, and sees another have.\n\nNow while men\u2019s designs are thus established, all must be wrong. The ship\nis gone forth, but it will never land on the coast of happiness. And thus\nwe see men seek many things. They are divided among many thoughts and\ncares, because no one thing is found that can satisfy, and so we have put\nourselves upon an endless journey to go through all the creatures. Neither\none nor all together have what we want, and neither one nor all can be had\nor possessed with assurance, though we had it. But the gospel comes to lay\na right foundation, and frame a right principle within us. \u201cSeek ye first\nthe kingdom of God.\u201d Here is the principal design that should be driven at\nand if men would make it, and follow it, O how should they be satisfied\nwith the fulness of that kingdom, the vast dimensions of it, the\nincorruptibleness of it!\n\nNow there is one of two you must fall upon, either many things, or one\nthing. All that a man can seek after is here ranked. On the one side is\nmany things, \u201call these things,\u201d that is, food, raiment, honour, pleasure,\nand such like, that concern the body, or men\u2019s condition here in this\nworld, and these things a man hath need of, verses 31 and 32, \u201cTherefore\ntake no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or,\nwherewithal shall we be clothed? (for after all these things do the\nGentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these\nthings.\u201d Nay, there is but one thing that is set up against all these many\nthings, namely, \u201cthe kingdom of God and his righteousness.\u201d Now without\nall controversy the more unity be, there will be the more satisfaction. If\nall other things be equal, it is a kind of torment to have so many doors\nto go to for help. If a man could have all in one, he would think many\nthings a great vexation and burden. If any one thing had in it as much as\nto answer all our necessities, that one thing would be of great price,\nbeyond many things, having but so much virtue among them all. I shall\nsuppose then, that there were real satisfaction and happiness to be found\nin the affluence and conjunction of all created things here, that there\nwas some creature that could answer every necessity of men, yet, I say,\nwould ye not exchange all that variety and multitude, if ye could find one\nthing that did all that to the full, that so many did but no more? Then\ncertainly ye would choose a variety in one thing beyond the scattered\nsatisfaction in many things. But when it is not to be found in all these\nthings, and though it were, yet all these are not consistent together,\nthen of necessity we must make another search. I say then, in the name of\nJesus Christ, that if ye seek satisfaction in this present world, ye shall\nbe disappointed. Ye may be all your days sowing and ploughing, but ye\nshall not see the harvest. Ye shall never reap the fruit of your labour,\nbut in the end of your days shall be fools, and see yourselves to have\nbeen so, when ye thought yourselves wise. I shall also suppose that ye\nhave attained what ye have with so much vexation toiled for, that ye had\nyour barns and coffers full, that all the varieties of human delights were\nstill attending you, that ye were set upon a throne of eminency above\nothers, and in a word, that ye had all that your soul desired, so that no\nroom was left empty for more desire, and no more grief entered into your\nhearts. Are ye blessed for all that? No certainly, if ye do but consider\nthat with all ye may lose your own souls, and that quickly, and that your\nspirits must remove out of that palace of pleasure and delight into\neternal torment, and then count, are ye blessed or not? What gained ye? It\nis madness to reckon upon this life, it is so inconsiderable when compared\nwith eternity. A kingdom, what is it, when a man shall be deprived for\nevermore of the kingdom of God, and inhabit the kingdom of darkness under\nthe king of terrors? Do ye think a stageplayer a happy man that for an\nhour hath so much mirth and attendance, and for all his lifetime is kept\nin prison without the least drop of these comforts? Will not such a man\u2019s\nmomentary satisfaction make hell more unsatisfying, and add grounds of\nbitterness to his cup? For it is misery to have been happy.\n\nNay, but this is a fancied supposal. All this, how small soever it be, was\nnever, and never shall be, within the reach of any living. Ye may reckon\nbeforehand, and lay down two things as demonstrated by scripture and all\nmen\u2019s experience. One is,\u2014all is vanity and vexation of spirit under the\nsun. All that ye can attain by your endeavours for an age, and by sweating\nand toiling, will not give you one hour\u2019s satisfaction, without some want,\nsome vexation, either in wanting or possessing. Nay, though you had all,\nit could not give you satisfaction. The soul could not feed upon these\nthings. They would be like silver and gold, which could not save a\nstarving man, or nourish him as meat and drink doth. A man cannot be happy\nin a marble palace, for the soul is created with an infinite capacity to\nreceive God, and all the world will not fill his room. Another is,\u2014that it\nis impossible for you to attain all these things. One thing is\ninconsistent with another, and your necessity requires both. Now then, how\nshall ye be satisfied when they cannot meet? I think, then, the spirits of\nthe most part of us do not rise very high to seek great things in this\nworld, we are in such a lot among men. I mean that we have not great\nexpectation of wealth, pleasures, honours, or such like. Oh then so much\nthe more take heed to this, and see what ye resolve to seek after! Ye do\nnot expect much satisfaction here. Then I pray you hearken to this one\nthing, seek the kingdom of God.\n\nThis kingdom of heaven and righteousness are equivalent unto, nay they\nexceedingly surpass, all the scattered perfections and goodness among\nthese many things, or all things that God hath promised to add to them in\nthe text. Why should I say equivalent? Alas, there is no comparison. \u201cFor\nI reckon (says Paul, Rom. viii. 18, 19) that the sufferings of this\npresent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be\nrevealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for\nthe manifestation of the sons of God.\u201d What this kingdom is in itself, is\nbeyond our conception, but all these things which God will add thereunto,\nare to be considered only as an appendix to it. Is not heaven an excellent\nkingdom? All that ye are now toiling about, and taking thought for, these,\n\u201call these things\u201d (as a consequent to itself), food and raiment, and such\nlike, \u201cshall be given you\u201d as your heavenly Father judges fit. \u201cFor\ngodliness (says the apostle, 1 Tim. iv. 8), is profitable unto all things\nhaving the promise of this life,\u201d as well as of \u201cthe life to come.\u201d I\nthink then, if all men would but rationally examine this business, they\nwould be forced to cry out against the folly and madness of too many men,\nwho have their portion only in this life, Psal. xvii. 14. What is it ye\nseek? Ye flee from godliness as your great enemy. Ye think religion an\nadversary to this life, and the pleasures of it. Nay, but it is a huge\nmistake, for it hath the promise of this life, and that which is to come.\nYe cannot abide to have Christ\u2019s kingdom within you. Ye will not have him\nto rule over you. Ye will not renounce self, and your own righteousness.\nBut consider, O men, that here is that which ye should seek after. Here is\nwealth, and honour, and long life, and pleasures at God\u2019s right hand for\nevermore. Ye seek many things first, and ye will not seek this one thing\nneedful, Luke x. 41, 42. But here is the way to get what ye seek more\ncertainly and solidly, \u201cSeek first the kingdom of God and his\nrighteousness,\u201d and all these other things will come of will. Ye need not\nseek them, for your heavenly Father knows best what ye need. Behold what a\nsatisfying portion this kingdom is. When the pitch and height of men\u2019s\nattainments in this world is but a consectary, an appendicle of it, what\nmust this kingdom be in itself, when all these things follow as\nattendants? Here then is one thing, worth all, and more than all, even\nJesus Christ, who is all in all, Col. iii. 10, 11. Ye speak of many\nkingdoms, nay, but here is one kingdom, the kingdom of grace and glory,\nthat hath in it eminently all that is scattered among all things. It\nunites us to Jesus Christ, \u201cin whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells,\nand ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and\npower,\u201d Col. ii. 9, 10. In his house is fatness, and ye shall be satisfied\nwith this, and drink of these rivers of everlasting pleasures that are at\nhis right hand, Psal. xxxvi. 8, 9, xvi. 11. When the pious Psalmist was\nover-charged with the very forethought and apprehension of this, he says,\n\u201cHow excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore the children of\nmen put their trust under the shadow of thy wings,\u201d Psal. xxxvi. 7. \u201cO how\ngreat is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee,\nwhich thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee,\u201d Psal. xxxi. 19, 20.\nWhen the sight of it afar off, and the taste of it in this wilderness, is\nof so much virtue, what shall the drinking of that wellhead be, when the\nsoul shall be drowned in it?\n\nAs these things are divided,\u2014on the one side, many things, and on the\nother, one kingdom more worth than all, so are men divided accordingly. On\nthe one hand are the nations and Gentiles, on the other a poor handful. Ye\nmy disciples, \u201cSeek ye,\u201d says Christ, \u201cfirst the kingdom of God, and his\nrighteousness, and all these things,\u201d what ye shall eat, and what ye shall\ndrink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed, \u201cshall be added.\u201d For after all\nthese things the Gentiles seek, and your Father knoweth that ye have need\nof them. \u201cFear not, little flock, for it is your Father\u2019s good pleasure to\ngive you the kingdom,\u201d Luke xii. 29, 31. Now this division hath been\nalways in the world. \u201cFor many say, (Psal. iv. 6, 7), Who will show us any\ngood?\u201d But they who have their affections gathered in one channel toward\none thing, are as it were but one man. But, Lord, \u201clift thou up the light\nof thy countenance upon us, thou hast put gladness in my heart more than\nin the time that their corn and wine increased.\u201d Here then is even the\ncourse of the world, the way of the multitude. They have their way\nscattered, their gain lies in many arts. Many things they must seek,\nbecause they forsake the one thing necessary. When they forsake the one\nfountain of living water, they must dig up, and hew out to themselves many\nbroken cisterns, that can hold no water, no one to help another. This is\neven proclaimed by the conversation of a great part of the world. Do ye\nnot declare this, by your eager pursuit of this world, and the things of\nit, and your careful thoughts of it, that ye have no mind(498) of\neternity, or the kingdom to come? Ye seek nothing but things here, and\nthese do not descend after you. Be persuaded, I beseech you, be persuaded\nof this, that when ye have your hearts below, that ye are no better, the\nmost part of you, than pagans. Ye have this pretence, that it is necessary\nto live and follow some calling. It is true indeed. But is it not more\nnecessary to live for ever after death than for a moment? Godliness will\nnot prejudge this life or thy calling, but ye seek after these things, as\nif ye were to live eternally in this vain world. Ye could toil no more,\ntake no more thought for a million of ages, than ye do now for the morrow.\nThis prejudges and shuts out all thoughts of heaven or hell. Ye are called\nto a kingdom. This is offered unto you. Will ye be so mad as to refuse it,\nand embrace the dunghill, and scrape it still together? We declare unto\nyou in his name, who is truth itself, that if ye will be persuaded to be\nChristians indeed, ye shall have these outward things ye have need of,\nwithout care and anxiety, which now ye are tormented for. And for\nsuperfluities, what need ye care for them? A reasonable man should despise\nthem, and much more a Christian. If ye would not be as pagans without the\nchurch, ye must be sober in these things, mortified and dead unto them.\nThere shall be no real difference between thee and a heathen, in the day\nof appearing before Christ\u2019s tribunal, O Christian, except thou hast\ndenied and despised this world, and sought principally the things that are\nabove. Is Christianity no more, I pray you, but a name? Ye would all be\ncalled Christians. Why will ye not be so indeed? For the name will never\nadvantage you, but in the day of judgment it shall be the greatest\naccession and weight unto your guiltiness, and also to your judgment. Ye\nwould all now be accounted Christians, but if ye be not so in truth, and\nin deed, the day will come that ye shall wish from your soul ye had wanted\nthe name also, and had lived among these Gentiles and pagans whose\nconversation ye did follow. For it shall be more tolerable for the\ncovetous worldly pagan in that day, than the covetous Christian.\n\nOh that ye were once persuaded that there is an inconsistency in them, who\nseek these many things, and this one kingdom. \u201cBut seek ye first the\nkingdom of God, and his righteousness,\u201d in opposition to the Gentiles\nseeking of many things. Ye may seek the world, but if ye seek it, seek it\nas if ye sought it not, if ye use it use it as if ye used it not, or use\nthe world as those who do not abuse it, knowing that the fashion thereof\npasses away. Certainly ye cannot with all seek grace and glory, 1 Cor. ii.\n29, 32. Therefore Christ says to enforce his exhortation, (Matth. vi. 24)\n\u201cNo man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love\nthe other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye\ncannot serve God and mammon.\u201d I fear many of you conceive that this\nbelongs not to you. Those who are not naturally covetous and greedy, who\nare not still in anxiety and perplexity about the things of the world,\nwill possibly conceive themselves free. Nay, but look upon the division\nthat Christ makes. Was there not many a heathen man among the nations, as\nfree of that covetousness noted among men? Were there not as gallant\nspirits among them, that cared as little for riches as any of us,\u2014nay, men\nevery way of a more smooth and blameless carriage than the most part of us\nare? Yet behold the construction that Christ puts on them, \u201cafter all\nthese things do the nations seek.\u201d I think many of them have declaimed\nmore against the baseness of covetous spirits,(499) than many Christian\npreachers, and in the very practice of it have outstripped the most part\nof the Christian world. Yet in the scripture sense, even all these who\nhave cried down the world, are but lovers of it, and of themselves too.\nHow can this be? It is certain every man is composed of desires and\nbreathings after some thing without himself. Some men\u2019s desires are more\nshallow and low than others. One man hath honour in admiration, and may\ndespise riches. Another follows his pleasures and may neglect both these.\nNay, possibly a man may be moderate in all these things, so that none can\nchallenge him, and yet he is but a lover of the world. It is the master he\nserves, and the idol he worshippeth, because no man wants one, or many\nidols, something to take up his affection and desires. Now though such a\nman seems moderate in these, in comparison of others whose hearts run more\nafter them, yet, because there is no other thing, that does take up his\nheart so much as these, he is but in Christ\u2019s account among the heathen\nnations. Some of you are not in great expectations, ye have but mean\nprojects, ye seem content with few things, ye are not vexing yourselves as\nothers do, but let the world come and go as it pleases, without much\ndisquiet. This, I say, may be the temper of some natural spirits, yet I\nask such of you, is there any thing else ye seek more after, or spend more\ntime and thought upon, and what is that? Is there any other thing ye are\nmore taken up with, than your present ease and accommodation in this life?\nNo certainly, ye cannot say so, however your projects be mean and low, yet\nthey are confined within time and things present, and the kingdom of grace\nand glory comes not much in your mind. Then, I say, thou art but a lover\nof the world. Mammon is thy god. Thou seekest not the kingdom of heaven,\nand shalt not obtain it. For that which the nations seek after is thy\npredominant.\n\nWill ye then, I beseech you, gather in your hearts to consider this. Is it\na light matter we speak of, life or death? Doth it not concern you as much\nas you are worth? Therefore consider it as seriously as if you were going\nhence to be no more. Many of you will not grant worldly mindedness a sin.\nWhen ye make it a god, and sacrifice unto it, ye fancy that ye are seeking\nheaven. I pray you do not deceive your souls. Give them as good measure as\nye would do your bodies in any thing. Would ye say ye were seeking after\nany thing, I suppose to find such a friend to speak to, would ye, I say,\nthink that ye earnestly desired to see that friend, and sought him, if ye\ndid all the day take up your time with other petty business that might be\ndone at any time? How can ye imagine ye seek not the world but heaven,\nwhen, if ye would look back upon the current and stream, both of your\naffections and endeavours, ye would find they have run this way toward\nyour present ease and satisfaction? Ye do not give one entire hour to the\nthought of Jesus Christ and his kingdom, it may be, in a whole week.\n\nAre ye then seekers of the kingdom? If ye did but examine one day how it\nis spent, ye might pass a judgment upon your whole life. Do ye seek that\nfirst which is fewest times in your thoughts, and least in your\naffections, and hath least of your time bestowed on it? Alas, do not\nflatter yourselves. That ye seek first which is often in your mind, which\nuses to stir up your joy or grief, or desire most. It is this present\nworld only, and this present world is your portion. Ye shall lose the\nkingdom of heaven by seeking to make the world sure. As for the children\nof God, ye who will be his disciples, (to such he speaks here,) it becomes\nnot you to be like the heathens. Ye ought, most of all, to adorn your holy\nprofession, your high calling to a kingdom above. If then ye seek these\nthings below, as if ye sought them not, ye ought to make religion your\nmain business, else ye are not indeed religious. If Christianity take not\nup a man, he hath not the thing, but the name. \u201cSeek first,\u201d that is,\nchiefly, principally, and above all, \u201cthe kingdom of God and his\nrighteousness.\u201d Nay, this is more strange, it is a first that hath no\nsecond. Seek this first, so as if ye sought nothing else, and all things\nnecessary here shall be superadded to the seeking and finding of this\nkingdom.\n\nThis is that which I would have engraven on all our hearts, that there is\na necessity of making Christianity our calling and trade, our business and\nemployment, else we must renounce it. It will take our whole man, our\nwhole time, not spare hours, and by thoughts. Ye have a great task to\naccomplish, a great journey to make. If ye give not all diligence to add\nto your faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness,\nbrotherly kindness, and charity, ye are certainly blind, and see not afar\noff, and have not been purged from your old sins, 2 Pet. i. 5-11. This\nimports that those who make not religion their great comprehensive study,\ndo neither know eternity, nor see into it. Oh, how may this word strike\ninto the hearts of many Christians, and pierce as a sword! Is our lazy,\nindifferent, and cold service at some appointed hours, \u201call diligence\u201d?\nOr, is it diligence at all? Is there not more diligence and fervour in\nother things than this, to add grace to grace? Who is covetous of such a\ngame? Are not many more desirous of adding lands and houses to their lands\nand houses, and money to their stock, than to add to their faith virtue?\n&c. Who among you is enlarging his desires, as the grave, after conformity\nto Jesus Christ, and the righteousness of his kingdom, that this treasure\nof grace may abound? Alas, we are poor mean Christians, because we are\nnegligent! For \u201cthe hand of the diligent maketh rich,\u201d Prov. x. 4. But we\nbecome poor in grace, because we deal with a slack hand. Is there any\ngreat thing that is attainable without much pains and sweating?\n_Difficilia qu\u00e6 pulchra._(500)\n\nThink ye to come to a kingdom by sleeping through some custom of\ngodliness? \u201cSeest thou a man diligent in his business? that man shall\nstand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men,\u201d Prov. xxii. 29.\nThis advances him to be a courtier. And is not this business of\nChristianity more considerable to be diligent about when it advances a man\ninto the court of heaven, into his presence in whose favour is life, and\nwhose loving kindness is better than life? And not only so, but if ye be\ndiligent here ye shall obtain a kingdom. \u201cSeek first the kingdom of God.\u201d\n\u201cThe hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the slothful shall be under\ntribute,\u201d Prov. xii. 24. If ye make this your business, and spend your\nspirits in it, ye shall be kings and priests with God in the kingdom\nabove, that may suffer many partakers without division or emulation. It is\nhe that overcomes, that shall have the new name, the white raiment, the\ncrown of life, and all the glorious things which are promised to them that\novercome in the second and third chapters of the Revelation. O what glad\ntidings are these! This is the gospel of peace. This is the joyful sound\nthat proclaims unto us so great, so excellent things as a kingdom, the\nkingdom of God, an everlasting kingdom like God, a kingdom glorious as he\nis, a kingdom suitable to his royal Majesty, and the magnificence of his\npalace above. Are we called into this by the gospel, and would ye know\nwhat is the sum thereof? It is this. Ho! every one that will have great\nthings, ho! every one that will be a king to God, and to bear rule over\nkings in the great day, come, here it is, overcome yourselves here in the\nLamb that hath overcome, follow Jesus the captain of your salvation, who\nfor the joy and glory which was set before him, despised all the glory of\nthis world, and the pains and shame of the cross, Heb. xii. 1, 2. \u201cWhy do\nye spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that\nwhich satisfieth not?\u201d Isa. lv. 1, 2, 3. All ye toil about, what is it?\nChildren\u2019s fancies. Such houses and kingdoms as they build in the sand.\nWhy spend ye your time and labour upon earthly things that are at an end?\nHere is a kingdom worthy of all men\u2019s thoughts, and affections, and time.\nThe diligent shall have it. Gird up the loins of your mind, and seek it as\nthe one thing needful. Many of you desire this kingdom, but alas! these\nare sluggard\u2019s wishes, ye have fainting desires after it. Your desires\nconsume and waste you. But ye put not forth your hand, and so ye have\nnothing. \u201cThe soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul\nof the diligent shall be made fat,\u201d Prov. xiii. 4. Do ye see any growing\nChristian, but he that is much in the exercise of godliness, and very\nhonest in it? See ye any fat souls, but diligent souls? Our barrenness and\nleanness hath negligence written upon it. Do ye not wonder that we are not\nfat and flourishing, as palms and cedars in the courts of our God?\nCertainly it is no wonder. Is it not a wonder that our sleeping away\nsecure, keeps so much as the leaves of a profession upon us? Therefore\nChristians, let this be your name, Seekers, but seekers of what? Not of\nany new religion, but of the good old kingdom of God, proponed to us in\nthe gospel. And remember that the seeker must seek diligently, if he think\nthat which he seeks worthy of finding. \u201cHe that comes to God must believe\nthat he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him,\u201d\nHeb. xi. 6. Your seeking will proclaim your estimation of what ye seek. It\nwill be written on it, what your desires are. Many men\u2019s unfrequent and\nlazy prayers have this written upon them in legible characters, I care not\nwhether God grant or not. Diligence speaks affection, and affection\nprinciples(501) diligence. And if ye be seekers, ye must be so still, till\nye find, and have no more want. When ye have done all, ye must stand, Eph.\nvi. 10, 16. When ye have found all, ye must seek. Ye do but find in part,\nbecause the kingdom of God is but coming in the glory and perfection of\nit. Nay, I believe the more ye find, the more ye will seek, because\ntasting what this kingdom is, can best engage the affection and resolution\nafter it. Seeking is an exercise suitable to a Christian in this state of\npilgrimage. Enjoyment is for his own country, heaven. And shall not the\nbitterness and pains of seeking, sweeten the enjoyment of this kingdom\nwhen it is found? This will endear it and make it precious. Yet it needs\nno supereminent and accessory sweetness, it is so satisfactory in itself.\nChristians, remember your name. When you have attained all, still seek\nmore. For there is more to be found here than ye have yet found. It is\nsitting down on our attainments that makes us barren and lean Christians.\nDesires and diligence are the vital sap of a Christian. Enlarge once your\ndesires as the grave, that never says I have enough. And ye have good\nwarrant so to do, because that which ye are allowed to desire is without\nbounds and measure. It is inexhaustible, and when once desires have\nemptied the soul, and made it capable of such a great kingdom, then let\nyour study be henceforth to fill up that void with this kingdom. Let your\ndiligence come up to desires, and at length ye shall be what ye would be,\nye shall find what ye sought.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XVIII.\n\n\n    Matt. vi. 33.\u2014\u201cBut seek ye first the kingdom of God,\u201d &c.\n\n\nO \u201cseekest thou great things for thyself,\u201d says God to Baruch, (Jer. xlv.\n5) \u201cseek them not.\u201d How then doth he command us in the text to seek a\nkingdom? Is not this a great thing? Certainly it is greater than those\ngreat things he would not have Baruch to seek after, and yet he charges us\nto seek after it. In every kind of creatures there is some difference,\nsome greater, some lesser, some higher, some lower; so there are some men\nfar above others in knowledge, understanding, strength, and such like. Yet\nsuch is the order God hath made, that the lowest angel is above the\nhighest man, so that in comparison of these, the greatest man is but a\nmean worm, a despisable nothing. Among things created, some are greater,\nsome lesser. \u201cWhen I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers,\u201d says\nDavid, \u201cthe moon and stars which thou hast ordained: What is man, that\nthou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?\u201d Psal.\nviii. 3, 4. But when all these are compared with God, then the difference\nof greater and lesser disappears. In the night there are different lights,\nthe moon and stars, \u201cand one star,\u201d says Paul, \u201cdiffereth from another in\nglory.\u201d Some are of the first, some of the second, and most of them the\nthird magnitude. Nay, but let the sun arise\u2014and all these are alike, they\nare all darkness when compared with the sun\u2019s brightness. What then are\nangels and men to God, who is a light inaccessible and full of glory, whom\nno eye hath seen or can see? \u201cAll nations before him are as nothing, yea,\nthey are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity,\u201d Isa. xl. 12-19; 1\nTim. vi. 15, 16. The sun himself shines not before him, and the moon gives\nnot her light. Now is it not so proportionably here? If we stay within the\nsphere of temporal and worldly things, some are great, some small, some\nthings of greater, some things of less consequence, greater or smaller in\ntheir appearance to us, and in men\u2019s fancies. But if we go further and\nlook into eternity, then certainly all these will appear small and\ninconsiderable. This earth seems very spacious, and huge in quantity unto\nus who dwell upon it. We discern mountains and valleys, sea and land, and\ndo make many divisions of it. But if one man were above where the sun is,\nand looked down upon the earth, he would consider it but as one point\nalmost invisible, that had no proportion to the vast dimensions of heaven.\nEven so it is here, while men abide within their own orb, their natural\nunderstanding, and do compare time only with time, and temporal things\nwith temporal, riches with poverty, honour with disgrace, pleasure with\npain, learning with ignorance, strength with weakness, pleasant lands and\ngoodly houses with wildernesses and wild deserts where none do well. It is\nno wonder, I think, that those who compare themselves with some that\ncommend themselves, are not wise, 2 Cor. x. 12, 13. There is but one\nperfect pattern they should look to, if they would not be deceived. While\nye stay your thoughts within these bounds, ye apprehend in yourselves\ngreat odds between one thing and another. But if once the Spirit of God\nenlightened your eyes, and made you to see far off, if ye were elevated\nabove your own station, to the watch-tower of the holy scriptures, to\nbehold off(502) these, by the prospect of saving faith, things that are\nafar off, such as heaven and hell, eternity, salvation and condemnation, O\nhow would all these differences in a present world evanish out of sight,\nin the presence of these vast and infinite things! Food and raiment are\ngreat things to the most part of men, therefore do they toil so much about\nthem, and take so much thought for them, how to feed, and how to be\nclothed, how to have a full and delicate table, and fine clothes! Again,\nmany others apprehend some greatness and eminency in honour and respect\namong men; others in pleasure and satisfaction to their senses, even as a\nbeast would judge. Others apprehend some worth and excellence in great\npossessions, in silver and gold beside them, and have a kind of\ncomplacency in these. But if once this kingdom of God entered into your\nheart, if ye saw the worth of it, the vast dimensions of it, the pleasure,\nhonour, and profit of it, then certainly all other things would appear to\nbe mean and low, not worth a thought beforehand. Advantage and\ndisadvantage would be all one to you. Honour and dishonour, evil report\nand good report, pleasure and pain, would have no distance from one\nanother; this gain, this honour, this pleasure of the kingdom of God,\nwould so overmaster them, so outshine them.\n\nNay, I may say, if ye but knew your immortal souls, or your own worth\nbeyond the rest of the creatures, such as silver, gold, lands, houses,\n&c., I am confident ye would fall in your esteem of them. They would\nappear but low, base things in regard of the soul. Suppose even this world\ncame in competition, (the gain of it now seems great gain,) but I pray\nyou, if ye laid all that world in the balance with your soul, what would\nweigh most? Christ holds it forth to a rational man, to judge of it; \u201cWhat\nshall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own\nsoul, or be cast away?\u201d Would ye account yourselves gainers, when ye have\nlost yourselves? Matt. xvi. 26; Luke ix. 25. Is not a man better than\nmeat? Are not your souls more precious than the finest gold? When you lose\nyour souls, whose shall these be? \u201cWhat shall a man give in exchange for\nhis soul?\u201d And if there be no one more to possess or use, what profit is\nit? This then that we have in hand is one thing of greatest moment and\nconcernment in the world. Let me then beseech you to weigh these things in\nthe balance of the sanctuary,\u2014your souls, and this world, the kingdom of\nGod, and many temporal things, such as food and raiment. Ye never enter\ninto the comparison of these things in your mind. If ye did, would ye not\nsee to which side the balance would turn? Therefore we would have you look\nupon these words of our Saviour, which are the just balance of the\nsanctuary. Behold how the question is stated, how the comparison goeth. It\nis not whether I shall want food and raiment, and other necessary things\nhere, or the kingdom of God hereafter? It is not thus cast\u2014in the one\nbalance, the present life and its accommodations, in the other, the life\nto come and God\u2019s kingdom. Indeed if it were so, without all controversy\nthis kingdom would carry it. I say, if there were an inconsistency\nsupposed between a life here, and a life hereafter, suppose no man can be\ngodly, except he be miserable, poor, naked, afflicted, extremely indigent,\nyet I say the balance thus casten, would be clear to all men that judged\naright. Would not eternity weigh down time? Would not an immortal soul\nweigh down a mortal body? What proportion would the raiment of wool, or\ngold, or silk have to the white and clean linen, the robes of\nrighteousness, the robes of saints, and to the crown of glory that fadeth\nnot away? What proportion would our perishing pleasures have to the rivers\nof pleasures, pure, unmixed, undefiled pleasures at God\u2019s right hand for\nevermore? Would ye thus rate this present span, inch, and shadow of time,\nif ye considered the endless endurance of eternity? I am sure reason\nitself might be appealed unto, though faith were not to judge.\n\nThough it would hold well enough so, yet our Lord Jesus Christ states the\ncontroversy otherwise, and holds out another balance, that it may be the\nmore convincing and clear, if it were possible even, to overcome natural\nconsciences with the light of it. And it is this, in the one hand you may\nsee food and raiment, things that belong to this life; and, on the other\nhand, you may behold the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, grace, and\nglory; and, besides that, even all these other things that ye did see in\nthe other hand, food, raiment, &c., \u201call these things shall be added.\u201d\n\nWisdom, in the Proverbs, uses such a device to catch poor, foolish, and\nsimple men: \u201cHappy,\u201d says Solomon, \u201cis the man that findeth wisdom, and\nthe man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise thereof is better\nthan the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She\nis more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not\nto be compared unto her.\u201d Here is the weight of wisdom in itself. See how\nponderous it is of itself; so heavy that it may weigh down all that come\nwithin the compass of desire, and certainly its compass is infinite. But,\nhe adds, \u201cLength of days are in her right hand, and in her left hand\nriches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths\nare peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her.\u201d She is a\ntree of life in herself, though she had no accession of other things, \u201cand\nhappy is every one who retaineth her,\u201d Prov. iii. 13-19.\n\nNow, O men, if ye will not be allured with the beauty and excellency of\nthe princess, wisdom herself, then, I pray you, look what follows her.\nThat which now ye are pursuing after with much labour and pains, and all\nin vain too, is here in her train. Look how the comparison is stated.\nChrist Jesus would catch us with a holy guile, and, if it had success, O!\nit would be a blessed guile to us. Ye have large and airy apprehensions of\ntemporal things, which ye call needful, and ye cannot behold eternal\nthings. Ye know not the worth of this kingdom. Ye conceive that godliness\nis prejudicial unto you in this life, that the kingdom of grace will make\nyou miserable here; and that ye cannot endure. Ah, be not mistaken, come\nand look again. If godliness itself will not allure you, if the kingdom\nitself will not weigh with you, then, I pray you, consider what an\nappendix, what a consectary these have. Consider that the sum is added to\nthe principal, which ye so much seek after. But ye refuse the principal,\nthe kingdom. Ye have not right thoughts of godliness, \u201cfor godliness is\nprofitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is,\nand that which is to come,\u201d 1 Tim. iv. 8. Now, is not this \u201ca faithful\nsaying?\u201d If ye believe it so to be, is it not \u201cworthy of all acceptation?\u201d\n\nYe may have things necessary here, food and raiment. And if ye seek more,\nif ye will be rich, and will have superfluities, then ye shall fall into\nmany temptations, snares, and hurtful lusts, which shall drown you in\nperdition, 1 Tim. vi. 8-11. Nature and reason might check such\nexorbitances, for nature is content with few things. Therefore believe\nthat \u201cgodliness with contentment is great gain.\u201d Ye are now only seeking\ntemporal gain, but that is neither great gain, nor gain at all, when ye\nlose your soul. For that is an irrecoverable and incomparable loss. Ye may\nhave these outward things, God\u2019s blessing, and peace with them, and heaven\ntoo if ye choose this kingdom before all things, and above all things. But\nif ye give these other things the pre-eminence, it is uncertain if ye will\nget what ye seek, and ye shall certainly be eternal losers beside. If\nthere were no more but this kingdom alone, it might weigh all down. If\nheaven and earth were laid in a balance, would not heaven, if it were\nponderous according to its magnitude, weigh down the earth exceedingly out\nof sight? Would it not evanish as a point? Even so, though this kingdom of\ngrace and glory were alone, in opposition to all these things that ye take\nthought for, it would weigh them down eternally. Look what the weight of\nglory was to Paul, when he says, 2 Cor. iv. 17, \u201cFor our light affliction,\nwhich is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal\nweight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at\nthe things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal,\nbut the things which are not seen are eternal.\u201d The weight of glory is\neternal, and far exceeds any thing temporal. The one scale of the balance\ngoes up, as it were, eternally out of sight, out of thought, the one goes\nup for lightness and vanity, and the other goeth down, for weight and\nsolidity, out of sight, and out of the thought and imagination. If ye\nlooked upon these things which are invisible and eternal, as Paul did, it\nwould be so with you also.\n\nBut when withal the earth and its fulness is in the scale with God\u2019s\nkingdom and righteousness, will not these, with that accession, weigh down\nthe earth alone? Is it food and raiment that ye seek? Then I say, food and\nraiment is on this kingdom\u2019s side also. And ye shall be more sure of these\nthings, because ye have God\u2019s promise for them. The wicked have not his\nword and promise for prosperity, even not so much as to answer their\nnecessities, but only they may sometimes prosper in the world, in his\nprovidence. But God\u2019s people shall have him engaged in their need for\ntheir temporal being here in this world. \u201cO fear the Lord, ye his saints,\nfor there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and\nsuffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing,\u201d\nPsal. xxxiv. 9, 10. Godliness hath the promise of this life. Now, then, ye\nare more assured of temporal things by these means than any monarch can\nbe. The world\u2019s stability depends only upon a command. But your food and\nraiment here is grounded upon a promise, and though heaven and earth\nshould fail and pass away, yet not one jot of truth shall fail. God indeed\nmay change his command if he pleases, but not his promises. Now, then, let\nall the world judge, come and see this balance, how on the one hand are\nfood, raiment, and all things needful for this present life, on the other\nhand, these same thing necessary for our bodies, and well being here, and\nthat more solidly and sweetly flowing from God\u2019s love, grounded on a\npromise,\u2014I think this weighs down already, if we should say no more. But\nthen behold what more is on his right hand. There is a kingdom of God\nbeside, an eternal kingdom, and this weighs down eternally. All this world\nis but an accession and addition to it. The promises of this life are not\nyour portion and inheritance, they are but superadded to your portion, so\nthen we have as much beside, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled,\nas the world have for their inheritance, yea, and more sure and more sweet\nbeside. We might with reverence change that verse which Paul has on this\nconsideration, \u201cIf we had hope only in this life, we were of all men most\nmiserable,\u201d 1 Cor. xv. 19. He speaks thus because of afflictions and\npersecutions. But on this consideration we might say, If we have hope in\nChrist only in this life, we were _not_ of all men most miserable, but\nmost blessed, because we have all these things added to us, without toil\nand vexation, without care and anxiety, by divine promise and providence,\nwith God\u2019s blessing and favour, what the world takes thought for, rendeth\ntheir hearts for, toils their bodies for, and yet are not sure of success,\nor if they get them, they get a curse with them.\n\nNow when the balance is thus presented, what is your choice? What will ye\nseek after? Will ye seek this present world, and lose the kingdom of\nheaven? Or will ye choose to \u201cseek first the kingdom of God and his\nrighteousness,\u201d and then ye shall have in this world what is good for you?\nThe choice is soon made in men\u2019s judgments. Ye dare not any of you deny,\nbut it ought thus to be. But who seriously ponders these things till their\nminds affect their hearts? Who will sit down to meditate upon them, and\npass a resolute and well grounded choice upon deliberation? Remember what\nChrist says, \u201cNo man can serve two masters.\u201d Ye may indeed have both these\nthings, and the kingdom. But ye cannot seek them both, they are not so\nconsistent. \u201cBut seek first the kingdom of God,\u201d and then all these things\nshall be given you.\n\nNow there is no more need of any second seeking. For \u201call these things\nshall be added\u201d as an accessory to the first. O see then, ye whose\nprojects and thoughts are towards present things,\u2014ye spend the prime and\nflower of your affections, and time upon them,\u2014ye cannot also seek the\nkingdom of heaven. Unless ye seek them as if ye sought them not, ye cannot\nseek this blessed kingdom. If ye seek not this kingdom as the one thing\nnecessary, and your seeking proclaim that ye account it so, ye do not seek\nit aright. If ye be careful and troubled about many things, ye proclaim\nthat ye do not think there is but one thing needful, ye do not, like Mary,\nchoose the good part which shall not be taken from you, Luke x. 41, 42. If\nye would abandon the distracting care of the world, and let all your\nanxiety and care vent itself here upon the kingdom of God, all these\nthings would be added besides the kingdom itself. \u201cSeek the kingdom of God\n_and his righteousness_.\u201d I conceive this is added to make us understand\nthe better what it is, and what is the way to it. The kingdom of God is\nthe kingdom of grace, in which he rules in us by his Spirit. For Jesus\nChrist is come for this end, and made grace to superabound over the\nabounding of sin, that as sin reigned unto death, so grace might reign\nthrough righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. v.\n21), that as sin had a throne in us, so grace might have a throne, and\nsubject the whole man, rendered obedient to that rule of righteousness\nthat he here holds forth in his word. But this kingdom of God also\nincludes the kingdom of glory, wherein these who overcome this world by\nfaith in the Son of God, reign as kings set upon thrones with God the\nFather of all. Now because the most part, when they heard of the kingdom\nof God, dreamed of nothing but a state of happiness in heaven, and passed\nover the way to it, which is holiness, and they thought not upon the\nkingdom of grace, which is preparatory unto, and disposes us for the\nkingdom of glory, therefore Christ exhorts us also to seek his\nrighteousness, opposite to the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,\nwho satisfied themselves with a mere walk before men. This was man\u2019s\nrighteousness but not God\u2019s. This righteousness may be also opposed to the\nrags of our own righteousness, that we seek to cover ourselves with, Isa.\nlxiv. 6. The apostle says of the Jews, Rom. x. 3, 4, \u201cFor they being\nignorant of God\u2019s righteousness, and going about to establish their own\nrighteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.\nFor Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that\nbelieveth.\u201d\n\nNow here is the business, and I would have you to conceive it right. The\ngospel calls you to a kingdom. This is certainly more than all earthly\nkingdoms. But how shall ye come to it? Not at the nearest hand, not _per\nsaltum_.(503) No, believe it, ye must come and enter this way, before ye\ncompass the end, and the way to this kingdom is by another kingdom, namely\nrighteousness. It is the kingdom of grace within us, and the fruit of it\nis this. Deny thyself, and follow me, Matt. xvi. 24-26. Overcome\nyourselves, and your corrupt lusts, and ye shall be more than conquerors.\nKingdoms are gotten by conquest. But here is the greatest conquest and\ntriumph in the world, for a man to overcome himself. He that rules himself\nand his own spirit, is greater than he that taketh a city, Prov. xvi. 32.\nOther conquerors but overcome men like themselves, and yet are overcome by\nthemselves, and their own passions, and so are but slaves indeed. But if\nye deny yourselves, and resign yourselves to Jesus Christ, ye shall be\nmore than conquerors, Rom. viii. 37. This then is the kingdom ye must seek\nfirst, and it is the first step to the throne of glory. If ye would have a\nthrone after this life, you must have a throne of grace in your hearts.\n\u201cIf the Son shall make you free, then shall ye be free indeed.\u201d They truly\nare kings who are most subject to God above themselves, and free from the\nbonds of creatures. This is the glorious liberty of the children of God,\nto have liberty from him to make sin a captive. It is a righteous kingdom,\na kingdom of righteousness. Therefore ye must here study righteousness and\nholiness, \u201cfor the grace of God that hath appeared to all men, and\nbringeth salvation, teacheth us, that denying all ungodliness, and worldly\nlusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present\nworld looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the\ngreat God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ,\u201d &c. Tit. ii. 11, &c. All men\nlove the salvation it brings. But do ye love the lessons it teaches you?\nYe would all be glad to have that blessed hope, and obtain the salvation\nwhich the saints look for, when Christ shall appear again in glory. But\nhow few learn and practise what the gospel teacheth, to mortify and deny\nyour corrupt lusts, and live daily in the practice of sobriety, equity,\nand piety! O if this were engraven upon your hearts, that ye might study\nto do that in this present world, which this precious grace and gospel\nteaches us to do in it! Know ye not, brethren, that all your pains in\nseeking heaven, are not about heaven itself immediately, but the way to\nit, which is holiness? Without this, no man shall see the Lord, ye need\nnot seek the kingdom of glory, hope for it, and look for it. But seek\ngrace and righteousness in this world, and if ye obtain them, ye have not\nmuch to do, but to look for the blessed hope and Christ\u2019s glorious\nappearance to judgment. For if ye have sought and got grace here, Christ\nwill come with grace and glory at the day of his revelation. Will ye\nconsider that ye are redeemed by Christ? But from what is it? From hell\nonly, and eternal death only? No, no, for we are redeemed from all\niniquity, as well as the curse of the law and the wrath to come, Matt. i.\n21, Tit. ii. 14. This deliverance from sin is the greater and best half of\nour redemption. Consider also to what ye are redeemed. Is it to happiness\nand glory only? No certainly, but unto grace also. For Christ \u201cgave\nhimself for us, that he might purify us unto himself a peculiar people,\nzealous of good works.\u201d These things should ministers teach and exhort,\nand above all things press them upon men\u2019s consciences. We are redeemed\nfrom all our enemies to serve God without fear, in holiness and\nrighteousness all the days of our life, Luke i. 74, 75. Yea, glory is not\nglory, except it be complete grace, so we must call the kingdom of glory.\nIf ye believed that it was nigh you, ye would look then for the perfection\nof grace. And will ye not love the beginning of it here?\n\nBut this is not all. There is yet more here to comfort us. Seek the\nrighteousness of God. There is a righteousness of God by faith, manifested\nin the gospel for lost sinners, who have nothing to cover them. Now I say\nye must so seek inherent grace, as ye may not make it your covering, and\nthe only foundation of your confidence. Sinners, the thing which ye first\nseek and find, is to be clothed with God\u2019s righteousness, that he may see\nno iniquity within you, and then let it be your daily study henceforth to\nbe adorned and made all glorious within, with grace and holiness. Ye must\nfirst renounce all your own righteousness, and then be clothed with the\nrobes of God\u2019s righteousness, ye must still renounce it, that grace may\nappear as the gift of God, and not yours; as his beauty, not your\nornament. If ye be imperfect in your own righteousness, comfort yourselves\nin the righteousness of God made yours by faith, that worketh by love and\npurifies your hearts, for, says the apostle, Gal. ii. 16, 17, Though we\nare not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Christ, yet\nwe must keep ourselves from every wicked thing, and perfect holiness in\nthe fear of God, for if while we seek to be justified by Christ, and we\nourselves be found sinners, impenitent and impure, is therefore Christ the\nminister of sin? God forbid.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XIX.\n\n\n    Matt. vi. 33.\u2014\u201cSeek first the kingdom of God,\u201d &c.\n\n\nIt may seem strange, that when so great things are allowed, and so small\nthings are denied, that we do not seek them. The kingdom of God and his\nrighteousness are great things indeed, great not only in themselves, but\ngreater in comparison of us. The things of this world, even great events,\nare but poor, petty, and inconsiderable matters, when compared with these.\nYet he graciously allows a larger measure of these great things relating\nto his kingdom and righteousness, than of those lesser things he hath\npromised to give his people, and he commands us to seek after these\ngreatest things. \u201cSeek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,\nand all these things shall be added unto you.\u201d\n\nThis indeed is most suitable to his Majesty, and to us also. It is most\nbecoming his loyal Majesty when he is to declare his magnificence, and to\nvent his love, to give such high and eminent expressions of it. A kingdom\nis a fit expression of a king\u2019s love and good will. Kings cannot give\nempires, unless they unking themselves. But Christ is the \u201cKing of kings,\u201d\nand hath prepared a kingdom for them that love him. It is a glorious\ndeclaration of God\u2019s excellent name, that he is good to all, kind even to\nthe evil and unthankful. His tender mercies are over all his works. The\nwhole earth is full of his riches, and the wretched posterity of Adam have\nthe largest share of his goodness, even since the first defection from\nhim. Nay, but there are other things prepared and laid up for them that\nseek him, O how great is that goodness! How excellent is that loving\nkindness! Psal. xxxi. 19, 20, Psal. xxxvi. 5, 10. These things have not\nyet entered into the heart of men to consider. If ye could speak the mind\nof it, then the tongue could express it. If ye could apprehend the wonders\nof it, then the heart could conceive it, but this the scripture denies,\nIsa. lxiv. 4. \u201cFor since the beginning of the world, men have not heard\nnor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee,\nwhat he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him,\u201d or as Paul writes,\n\u201cEye hath not seen, nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of\nman, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God\nhath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, who searcheth all things, even\nthe deep things of God,\u201d &c., 1 Cor. ii. 7-14. Is not a kingdom a gift\nsuitable to such a Giver? And is not this kingdom of God every way like\nhimself? These things are prepared by Christ, and there is no more to do,\nbut to give to him that asks, and he that seeks shall find. This\nrighteousness, divine and human, is it not wholly of God\u2019s finding out? Is\nit so glorious, so excellent, as to hide the greatest spots of the\ncreation from his spotless eyes? For even hell itself is naked before him,\nand destruction hath no covering, even the heavens are not pure in his\nsight, he chargeth his angels with folly, Job xxvi. 6, chap. iv. 17, 18,\n19, chap. xv. 14-17. When all the creatures could not procure the\nsalvation of sinful men, when the depth said, it is not in me, and the sea\nsaid, it is not with me, and the heavens and heights said so too,\u2014even\nangels could not redeem us,\u2014the redemption of the soul was so precious, it\nwould have ceased for ever, if divine wisdom had not found it out, and\nalmighty power brought it to pass. \u201cSacrifice and offering thou wouldest\nnot, but a body hast thou prepared for me. Lo, I come, in the volume of\nthe book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea thy\nlaw is within my heart,\u201d Psal. xl. 6, 7, 8, Heb. x. 5-11. All this was\nwith God, and he knew the way thereof. Christ framed this royal robe of\nhis righteousness, by suffering and death, which may cover all our\nnakedness. He came and sought the human nature with all its infirmities.\nHe became in all things like unto us, sin only excepted. On him God laid\nour iniquities.  For he himself \u201cbare our sins in his own body,\u201d when he\nwas slain upon the cross or tree, \u201cthat we, being dead unto sin, might\nlive unto righteousness,\u201d 1 Pet. ii. 24, 2 Cor. v. 21.  Behold what a\nwonder! Iniquities, and our iniquities, laid upon the immaculate Lamb,\nJesus Christ. Our Redeemer hid his divinity, his holiness, and his\ninnocence, as with a vail and covering from the eyes of God\u2019s awful\njustice. He smites the Shepherd, his beloved Son, as he did the rebel\ncreature. It pleased the Father to bruise him and put him to grief, when\nhis soul was made an offering for sin, Isa. liii. 4-11, Zech. xiii. 7.\nJustice did not look through the covering to his innocence, but reckoned\nand numbered him among transgressors, when he bore the punishment of our\nsins, and made an atonement for them, Isa. liii. 11, 12, Gal. iii. 13, 14.\n\nNow hence it is that the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which he learned\nin the days of his flesh, and purchased by his death, is prepared for us,\nto put on. \u201cWho soever will, let him come and take it.\u201d  Empty yourselves,\nstripped naked of all kind of coverings but sin and unworthiness, that\nwhich God\u2019s holy eye cannot behold, and seek Christ\u2019s righteousness to\nadorn and cover you. Behold it shall hide all your sins and abominations,\nof whatsoever nature and degree, from the pure and unspotted eyes of God\u2019s\njustice, which are as a flaming fire, to consume what it cannot look upon\nwithout abhorrence. Put on this righteousness of God, and justice shall\nnot draw by the covering, to look under it. It shall look upon the sinner\nas a righteous man on the slave of Satan as a child of God, on the heir of\nhell as the heir of heaven, if he sincerely repent of, and forsake his\nsins, believe in Christ and obey his gospel. \u201cBehold all things are new,\nand all things are of God, who hath reconciled the world unto himself by\nJesus Christ,\u201d &c., 2 Cor. v. 17-19, Col. i. 19-24. Christ was no worse\ndealt with for our sins, than we shall be well dealt with for his\nrighteousness. This is the gift of God. And is it not worthy to be sought?\nIs it not a gift worthy of him to give?  Is it not also suitable for us to\nask?  \u201cIf thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee,\nGive me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given\nthee living water,\u201d &c. John iv. 10-15. So say I to you, if ye knew the\ngift of God, what this kingdom is, what this righteousness is, and who is\nappointed by God to be the treasure house of all fulness, to be\ncommunicated to us, ye would certainly ask of him the water of life. Ye\nwould surely seek this kingdom of God and his righteousness. He doth not\nvalue other things. God only hath these things offered in the gospel, in\nchoice of many, therefore are they laid up for some few, whom he makes his\npeculiar treasure and jewels, Mal. iii. 17, Exod. xix. 5, 6. If ye knew a\nmonarch that was a possessor of all this habitable world, and was about to\nexpress his singular affection towards some persons, if his kingdom or the\nhalf or whole of it was not sufficient, to be a token of it, but he had\nfound out some other thing, and laid it up for them, and distributed the\nkingdom, the lands and cities among others, certainly ye would think that\nbehoved to be some strange thing of great price.  If the Lord was pleased\nto give you abundance of all things here, make you all great, rich, and\nhonourable persons, then many would seek no other expression of his love.\nThey would think he did well enough to them. But alas! what is it all? He\nesteems it so little that he often casts it to swine, the profane and\nwicked world. He fills their belly with his hid treasure, Psal. xvii. 14.\nHe makes his sun to shine, and his rain to fall on the evil and the good,\nMatt. v. 45. It is a demonstration that it is but a base thing, when it is\nso common, I mean, in comparison of the portion of his saints. For though\nthese worldly things are good in themselves, yet they are not precious,\nthey are not pearls. Would he cast pearls before dogs and swine?  The\nhonourable man\u2019s brutishness and ignorance of God may demonstrate to you\nhe cares not for it. \u201cThe Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and\ngiveth it to whomsoever he will,\u201d and sometimes \u201csetteth up over it the\nbasest of men,\u201d Dan iv. 13-18. If God loved riches well, do ye think he\nwould give them so liberally, and heap them up upon some base covetous\nwretches? Surely no. But here is the precious thing that is laid up and\ntreasured. The world and its gain seems great, and big in your eyes, ye\ncannot imagine more, nor wish for more. But alas! how low and base spirits\nhave ye!  It is but as the dunghill that the swine feed on, or the husks\nwhich the prodigal desired to feed his belly with, when he began to be in\nwant, Luke xv. 13-17. So are all men\u2019s worldly pleasures, preferments, and\nprofits. But here are some particular things, that only deserve to be\ncalled good, namely, \u201cthe kingdom of God and his righteousness.\u201d And when\nGod had searched the whole world, (to speak with reverence of his glorious\nMajesty, who needs not inquire into secret things,) when he had looked\nthrough all the works of his hand, he sets these apart from all the rest,\nto be given to the men whom the King shall honour. This kingdom is the\nsubstance and accomplishment of heaven\u2019s eternal counsel and purpose of\ngrace, which was given in Christ before the world, and it is the end of\nthe Son\u2019s redemption of a sinful world, and his intercession for them at\nGod\u2019s right hand. \u201cFather,\u201d says he, (John xvii. 24), \u201cI will that those\nwhom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold the\nglory which thou hast given me,\u201d and for other things he makes them as the\nstones of the field.\n\nNow I say, as this kingdom of God and his righteousness are suitable\nexpressions of his love, according to his magnificence, so they are also\nsuited to our condition and necessities. No question but he would permit\nus to seek great things in this world, if these things were really great\nand good, and if they did become such great immortal spirits as we have.\nYour souls are above all these things. But this kingdom, and this only, is\nabove the soul. Now then, if ye go out to seek these earthly things, ye\nmust go down from the throne of eminency that God hath set your souls upon\nby creation, and abuse your spirits by stooping to the very dust of your\nfeet, to embrace these things, and, which is worse, ye put yourselves out\nof that high throne of dignity that ye are exalted to by Christ\u2019s\nredemption, which we may call a second creation. Jesus declared by the\ninfinite ransom he gave, when he offered himself a sacrifice without spot\nto God, (Heb. ix. 14) and laid down his life for us, what the worth of\nyour souls was. \u201cNone of them,\u201d saith the Psalmist, \u201ccan by any means\nredeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, for the redemption\nof their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever,\u201d Psal. xlix. 6-10.\nCall and assemble all the creatures in heaven and earth, summon gold,\nsilver, precious stones, houses, cities, kingdoms, places of trust and\ndignity, great learning and parts, and every other thing ye can imagine,\nlet them all convene in a parliament, and consult how men shall be\nransomed. All of them combined together, though they make one purse,\ncannot do it. They cannot pay the least farthing. The Lord Jesus Christ\nthen stepped in here, \u201cLo, I come,\u201d\u2014I give the body thou gave me, my life\nfor theirs, \u201cI delight to do thy will, thy law is in my heart.\u201d\n\nAre your souls then exalted to such great dignity? Is such a price set\nupon them, and will ye spend them, for that which could not pay the price\nfor them, \u201cfor that which profiteth not?\u201d Ye must go out of yourselves to\nseek happiness. Then I pray you, go not downward. It is not there, but\nmisery is there. And by going down to the creatures, ye have found it, and\ncannot lose it to this day. But the kingdom of God is the only thing\nabove. Go up to it. \u201cSeek these things that are above,\u201d Col. iii. 1-4. \u201cIf\nthen ye be risen with Christ,\u201d through the faith of God\u2019s operation, \u201cset\nyour affection on things above, where Christ sitteth at God\u2019s right hand,\nand not on things on the earth.\u201d These things are but great in your\napprehension. If they are at all great indeed, it is only in evil. If then\nye seek great things for yourselves, ye may find evil things, ye shall\ncertainly find such evil things as shall drown you in everlasting\ndestruction. \u201cThey that will be rich\u201d (in worldly things), who lay up\ntreasures for themselves, and are not rich towards God, \u201cfall into\ntemptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which\ndrown men in perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil,\nwhich while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and\npierced themselves through with many sorrows,\u201d 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. Great\nthings in this world are not always good. To seek them, makes them\ncertainly evil and hurtful. It is not so hurtful to have them, though very\ndangerous, but it is hurtful, yea, present ruin to seek them. But here is\na kingdom that is great, and great in goodness, every way answerable to\nour necessities. This is the kingdom we should seek above all things.\n\nWe would therefore beseech you to be wanters in yourselves, and seekers in\nChrist, and seekers ye cannot be till ye be wanters, and finders ye cannot\nbe except ye seek in Jesus all satisfaction and remedy of your necessity.\nThis is even the very nature of a Christian, his chief exercise and\nemployment. What then is a Christian\u2019s principal study, his great\nbusiness, his important calling, and what is his success in it? He is a\nseeker by his employment, or calling here, and he shall certainly find\nwhat he asks. But what puts him to seeking? The discovery of his own\nemptiness, and God\u2019s fulness. Therefore study these things most, if ye\nwould be Christians in truth and in deed. It is these two that ye must\nstill pass between, if ye keep them not both in your view at once, ye\ncannot well perceive any of them, either comfortably, humbly, or\nprofitably.\n\nThis is even the sum of Christianity. Look what ye want in yourselves, and\nmake up that in God. Discover your own emptiness and fill it up with God\u2019s\nfulness. \u201cThe liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall\nbe watered also himself,\u201d Prov. xi. 25. Be not niggards here. Be liberally\nminded, both in seeking and receiving, so shall ye please him best who\ncounts it his glory to give. \u201cThe instruments of the churl are evil, but\nthe liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things he shall\nstand,\u201d Isa. xxxil. 7, 8. Seek answerable to your own necessity, and God\u2019s\nall sufficiency, and know no other rule or measure.\n\nNow, Christians, this is your calling and employment here, to be seekers\nof God\u2019s kingdom and righteousness. But shall we come speed? Yes\ncertainly. It is so far put out of question here, that it needs not be\nexpressed. \u201cSeek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be\u201d\nsuperadded to you. He thinks it needless to say, _and ye shall find the\nkingdom of God, and his righteousness_, for it is supposed as a thing\nunquestionable, and he adds these words, \u201cand all these things shall be\nadded to you,\u201d to answer the faithlessness of these who could not credit\nhim in temporal things, though they had concredited(504) to him their\nimmortal souls. Ye do not doubt, then, but ye shall have the kingdom of\nheaven. Ye do indeed seek it. Many by seeking kingdoms lose here\u2014by\nseeking to make them more sure, they lose the hold they have. Many by\naspiring to greater things, lose these things they have, and themselves\ntoo. But here is the man that is only sure of success,\u2014the man that may\nreckon upon his advantage before he take pains, if indeed he resolves to\ntake pains for it. This one thing is made sure, eternal life, if ye lay\nhold on it here by faith, and quit your hold of present things that end in\ndeath, Rom. vi. 21. We may well submit to the uncertainty of all other\nthings, as David, who held himself well satisfied with the everlasting\ncovenant God had made with him, which was well ordered in all things and\nsure, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Though the kingdom and house go, it matters not, if\nhe keep this fast. If he take not away his loving kindness, this is all my\ncomfort, my joy, and my desire. Comfort yourselves with this, amidst the\nmanifold calamities and revolutions of times. Ye see no man can promise\nhimself immunity, or freedom from common judgments. Here ye have no\ncontinuing city. Why then do ye not seek one to come, and comfort\nyourselves in the hope of it? Your rights and heritable securities will\nnot secure your lands and riches for any considerable time. Therefore seek\nan eternal and sure inheritance, sure mercies. Seek that which ye cannot\nmiss, and having found, cannot lose. Nothing here can you expect either to\nfind, or keep, until ye have found it.\n\nBut besides all this, there is an accession to the inheritance. All\nneedful things shall be added, ye shall want \u201cno good thing,\u201d Psal.\nlxxxiv. 11. Will not all this double gain and advantage recompense, yea,\novercome all the labours of seeking? Shall it not drive away the\nremembrance of them? Here then is the most compendious and comprehensive\nway to have your desires in this life granted, to get your necessities\nsupplied. \u201cSeek first the kingdom of God\u201d and ye shall have them. But if\nye seek these things and not heaven, ye shall want this kingdom. I think\nthen it is all the folly and madness in the world, not to take this way,\nfor it is the way to be blessed here and hereafter. And if we choose any\nother way, it brings no satisfaction here, and it brings eternal misery\nhereafter. If ye would be well in this world, seek heaven. Do not think\nthat ye should have heaven, or seek God\u2019s kingdom from this sordid\nprinciple, that ye shall have all worldly things given you, which God\npleaseth to bestow. For now man can seek the kingdom of heaven aright, but\nhe that seeks it for itself. Yet if they were no more to proclaim the\nmadness of men, this would sufficiently suffice, all they can desire or\nexpect is promised with the kingdom, and yet they will not seek it.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XX.\n\n\n    1 Pet. iv. 7.\u2014\u201cBut the end of all things is at hand, be ye\n    therefore sober and watch unto prayer.\u201d\n\n\nIf ye would ask what ye should do till Christ come again, or what should\nbe your exercise and employment in this old age of the world, here ye have\nit in a word, \u201cbe sober, and watch unto prayer.\u201d When Christ was to go\naway to his Father, and leave his disciples in this world, as he left them\nnot orphans, or comfortless, without the Comforter, so neither left he\nthem without counsel and direction. The word he left to them was, \u201cTake\nheed, watch and pray,\u201d Mark xiii. 33. In this chapter, Peter is mindful of\nhis Lord\u2019s directions, as Paul also was, 1 Thess. v. 6. The substance of\nthis chapter is to exhort Christians to a holy conversation, suitable to\ntheir high calling. He presses mortification in general, from that which\nshould be of greatest force with a believer\u2019s heart,\u2014the strongest and\nmost convincing reason in the world,\u2014union with Christ crucified, even as\nPaul does, Rom. vi. And then, in the 3d and 4th verses, he argues from\ntheir former conversation, ye have sinned enough already, all the rest of\nyour time is over little(505) to consecrate to God, according then as ye\nhave advanced Satan\u2019s kingdom while under it, so advance Christ\u2019s kingdom\nwhen it comes to you, and take that noble revenge upon yourselves and\nsins, so as to bring them both captive to the obedience of Christ. And\nalthough the world may think it strange ye walk not with them, yet so much\nthe rather ought ye to aspire after a disconformity to the world. Be then\nambitious of being singular in the world. Ye would lay down such a\nconclusion as this, I am a stranger, and will walk as a stranger. And ye\nneed not think yourselves miserable to be out of so much company, and to\nbe alone. No, if ye knew what was to come upon them, ye would get you out\nfrom among them, lest ye be partakers of their plagues. The day of the\nLord is coming, and the world must give an account to the Judge of all\nflesh. Ye may endure their mockings, and all the hard measure which ye get\nher, for it shall be recompensed unto them. And your lot is the same that\nother saints had, who now sleep in the Lord. The gospel was preached unto\nthem, and they had the same fruit of it before God, and got everlasting\nlife by it, yet they were judged in the world as well as you, and were\ncounted base and contemptible. Now, in this verse, he comes to particular\nexhortations from the former reasons. This text hath two parts. I: An\nexhortation to some special duties, which are so conjoined in this form of\nspeech that they seem all but one duty. \u201cPrayer\u201d is the duty, and sobriety\nand watchfulness are means to it. II: There is a reason given, because\n\u201cthe end of all things is at hand.\u201d So, then, ye have here the posture the\nworld is in, and the posture a Christian should be in. This is the world\u2019s\nold age. It is declining, albeit it seem a fair and beautiful thing in the\neyes of them who know no better, and unto them who are of yesterday, and\nknow nothing. It looks as if it had been created yesterday, yet the truth\nis, and a believer knows, it is near the grave. Gray hairs are here and\nthere upon it, though many know it not, and Jesus the Lord is at hand to\nput an end to it. Now, what should be your condition in the meantime? What\nshould immortal souls do, that are to remain for ever, and outlive this\nhabitable world? How should they be employed? The spirit and soul is to\nendure longer than the man\u2019s possessions, goods, honour, and place. How,\nthen, should ye look upon these things? Here it is. Be sober in the use of\nall things. Use the world as if ye used it not, watch unto prayer. Ye are\nencompassed about with manifold temptations. Therefore watch, and be as\nmen on their way waiting for the Bridegroom. The bride\u2019s exercise, since\nChrist hath ascended unto heaven, should be to say, \u201cLord Jesus come\nquickly.\u201d\n\nIn discoursing upon this subject, I: We shall speak of these three parts\nof a Christians duty severally.  II: Consider how they help one another,\nand so jointly speak of them. And then, III: Of the reason and motive to\nthem all, and how it enforces such an exercise. As to be the first of\nthese, we observe, that sobriety is a duty becoming every Christian, that\nis united unto Jesus Christ, and is separated by God\u2019s holy calling from\nthe rest of the world. I add these two considerations because of the\npreceding verse. For in the first and second verses he lays down an\nexcellent ground of all kind of mortification, viz. the believer\u2019s union\nwith Christ crucified. Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, as a Common\nPerson, to sustain the guilt of our sins. He died as a Cautioner and\nUndertaker for us and as our Head and King, and we by virtue of that, are\nobliged to crucify sin also. In verses 3d and 4th, the other consideration\nis set down. There ought to be a vast difference between a believer now,\nand before his conversion. He should not be the same man, but as Paul,\nsay, \u201cI am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but\nChrist liveth in me.\u201d Gal. ii. 20. He should be separated from the world,\nthat all the world may wonder at him, and think it strange to see his\nconversation. Now I conceive this exhortation is gathered from both these,\nand the word of reference _therefore_ relates to the preceding verse, as\nwell as his reason in the words now read. Now therefore be sober. This\nsobriety is not limited to meat, drink or apparel, the object of it is\nmore comprehensive in scripture. It uses sometimes to be expressed singly,\nwithout making mention of any particular matter, evidently importing, that\nsobriety ought to be in all things. That which we ought to be sober in is\ncertainly the \u201call things spoken of in the reason of sobriety, whose end\nis at hand.\u201d They are most distinctly expressed 1 John ii. 15-17, \u201cAll\nthat is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the\npride of life,\u201d all that perishes is not of the Father, but of the world,\nthat is, the world which wicked men frame to themselves. Here then is a\nlarge commentary on \u201call things.\u201d Therefore whatever is in the world is\nthe matter of sobriety. Whatever comes under the senses calls for\nsobriety. Whatever comes under the object of the mind is the matter of\nsobriety. Nay, whatever is corruptible and perishing, or whatever the last\nday of the Lord a coming shall put an end to, in all these, there must be\nsobriety exercised. There is a threefold sobriety: 1. Sobriety in the\nmind, or sober mindedness, Rom. xii. 3. We ought not to think more highly\nof ourselves than we ought to think, \u201cbut to think soberly,\u201d 1 Cor. iv. 6,\n7, Tit. ii. 6, Rom. xi. 20, 1 Cor. vii. 2. Sobriety of mind is that\nexcellent lesson that Christ Jesus both taught and practised in his humble\nstate. \u201cLearn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,\u201d Matt. xi. 29.\nHumility is not like Peter, who said, \u201cDepart from me, for I am sinful\nman, O Lord,\u201d \u201cLord, thou shalt never wash my feet.\u201d But humility is\nrather like Mary, that sat down at Christ\u2019s feet, and washed them with\ntears. Sobriety of mind does not undervalue God\u2019s gifts and graces,\nneither doth it overvalue them. It thinks of itself according to the\nmeasure of grace freely given, (Rom. xii. 3) and sobriety looks on all its\nown gifts, and ornaments, as not its own but another\u2019s, as free gifts, and\ntherefore it puffs not up a man against his neighbour, though he should\nsee a gift given beyond his neighbour. High mindedness is like the high\nbending of a string of an instrument, which easily breaks in two pieces.\nSobriety walks with a low sail, and creeps through under the wind, but the\nhigh mind is like the cedar, that moves with the wind, and falls when the\nbowing twig stands still. Some will think the aspiring of the spirit a\nsign of a better spirit than the humble mind, and so look down upon\nothers. But oh, if they walk safely, they will walk humbly with God.\n\n2. There is also sobriety in the affections when they are moderate. The\nobjects of this world which come under the affections, are either sinful\nand unlawful or in themselves lawful and allowable. Now sobriety towards\nthe first kind is simple abstinence, towards the second moderation. The\nrule of the first is, \u201cAbstain from fleshly lusts which war against the\nmind\u201d (1 Pet. ii. 11), and, as it was said in another sense, \u201cTouch not,\ntaste not, handle not.\u201d \u201cHave no fellowship with the unfruitful works of\ndarkness,\u201d Eph. v. 11. As a man who would be clean should not touch pitch,\nand he who would not be burnt should not carry coals in his bosom, so\nought the child of God, who walked formerly in the lusts of ignorance,\nafter the custom of this world, to abstain from all appearance of evil (1\nThess. v. 22.), not only from sin itself, but from all the occasions of\nit, and inducements unto it, all that which hath any appearance of evil.\nThere is no measure of moderation here, a man must not think to give his\nlusts part, and Christ part. No, he must have all or none. Ye should have\nno quarters with sin, ye should be out of speaking terms with it. The\nleast motion of the affections and heart that way, is insobriety, and\ninordinate affections. 3. But sobriety in things lawful is moderation,\nwhen the spirit is kept within bounds, Col. iii. 1, 2. And the rule of\nthis is that which Paul prescribes, 1 Cor. vii. 29, \u201cUse the world as not\nabusing it,\u201d knowing that the fashion of the world doth pass away. Love\nthis world as if ye loved it not. Every thing hath too much of the heart,\nand Jesus Christ would have his royal palace his peculiar place here. He\nmay have suitable affections to God\u2019s dispensations in this world, (for\nthe Christian wants none of his senses,) yet he ought not to be \u201cgreatly\nmoved,\u201d as David speaks, Psal. lxii. 2. Now we consider this in three\nthings, (1) In seeking of any thing; (2) In enjoying of any thing; (3) In\nlosing or wanting any thing. That rule of Paul\u2019s may be applied to all the\nthree, he should seek the world as if he sought it not. He should enjoy\nthe world as if he enjoyed it not. He should want or lose the world as if\nhe lost it not. This sobriety makes him want, in abundance, and abound, in\nwant,\u2014to have nothing, and yet possess all things. All our time and pains\nand affections are spent out upon these, and turn about on these three\npoints. Desire, attended with care and anxiety, goes out to fetch in any\nthing that the mind fancies. When the soul hath gotten its desire, it\ndelights and rejoices in it, and when it is frustrated, disappointed, or\ncrossed, it grieves and torments itself. If ye find a Christian sober in\nthese, you find his pulse beat well. (1) Ye should then seek the world or\nany thing, as if ye sought it not. We are given to idolize the creatures,\nand dig broken cisterns, and forsake the fountain of living waters, to\nseek the creature as if it were God, and the strength of affections uses\nto be spent on it. Men have big and large apprehensions of the things of\nthis world, and are like foolish children amazed with pictures and dreams.\nFancy busks(506) up and adorns the object with all things suitable, and\nthus the poor soul is put in expectation of some thing, and stretcheth out\nitself, to the utmost of its ability, to purchase that, which being had\nwill not satisfy. The world promises fair to deluded minds that know no\nbetter. But the child of God must be sober here. He ought to have a low\nestimation of all created things, and conclude all under vanity and\nvexation of spirit, Luke x. 41, 42. Sobriety so seeks, that it can want,\nbecause it seeks a better thing that it cannot miss. But the poor\nworldling seeks this world as his only thing, and if he want it, what hath\nhe more? He must have it, or else he hath nothing. The child of God should\nseek as a rich man that is satisfied, and needs no more, so that he cares\nnot whether he obtain or not. The worldlings seek it as their portion,\ntheir heart and affections are on it, but he seeks it not as his portion,\nbut as an accessory to his inheritance, Matt, vi. 33. Again we observe,\n(2.) That the good man uses the world, and enjoys it, as if he enjoyed it\nnot. When riches increase, he sets not his heart on them. He is dead to\nthe world, and crucified to it. It is but an unpleasant thing to him, and\nhe to it. He can be refreshed with his meat more than another, because he\nsees God and his love in it, yet he hath it not as his portion. He is not\nexcessive in gladness for any dispensation cast in the balance, one kind\nof dispensation or another. That which would make another man think he was\nhalf in heaven, or half in hell, it will not add much moment and weight to\nsuch a spirit. It is but like the casting in of a feather in a great\nbalance, that will scarcely incline it to either side. (3) He loses or\nwants(507) the world, as if he lost it not. That which would break another\nman\u2019s heart, sobriety will make him go light under, and not be much\ndisquieted for any thing. Why, what is the matter of it? Can it trouble\nhis peace or access to God? Can his portion be removed? What, then, should\nail him, for the light of God\u2019s countenance is more recompense than all\nthe world? Proceed we now to apply this in some uses.\n\nUse I. It discovers unto the most part of men how little they are advanced\nin Christianity. Many are insober in the use of the world, and what must\ntheir affections be? The works of darkness, that become not the children\nof God nor the children of the day, are yet common in the visible church.\nInsobriety in many is palpable, and written on their forehead. That\nbeastly sin of drunkenness abounds in many congregations. But II. We would\neven convince the Lord\u2019s own children of great short coming in this duty.\nAlthough your carriage before men might pass free of censure of\ninsobriety, yet O! how many things will God put such a construction on!\nThere are many saints that cannot walk soberly in the use of this world.\nThey spend their time upon it, and this is insobriety. Scarce can prayer\nand communion with God get an hour in the day from their calling, and when\nye have to spend, insobriety is written upon many passages of your\nbehaviour. Your meat, and drink, and clothing, should declare that ye are\nwaiting for a better inheritance. But O! how are your affections wedded\nunto this present world! The current and stream of many of your thoughts\ngo this way, what shall I eat or drink, or what shall I put on for\nclothing? And ye spend your spirits in projecting, and in following out\nyour projects. There are some evident demonstrations of insobriety in the\naffections. For, (1) Most of your thoughts run upon temporal things and\ncertainly if your hearts were not in this world, your minds would follow\nyour hearts. Christians, too many amongst you spend whole days, and never\nany object enters into your minds but one thing of the world after\nanother. Your minds are highways for the travellers of this world to come\nthrough. It may be ye will steal an hour, or half an hour for prayer, but\nthe rest of your conversation is not in heaven, but void of God. According\nas every hour furnishes new opportunities, so are your minds here, Phil.\niii. 20. And meditation upon spiritual things, that is the nerves and\nsinews of religion, that is a rare thing. If your affections were not more\nupon this world than upon Christ Jesus, would not our Saviour be uppermost\nin your thoughts? Would not Christ interrupt your thoughts of the world?\nWould not heaven come in the midst of your business, and get a spare look\nand ejaculation? The world uses to interrupt your thoughts of God, and the\nmind is given to wander in prayer. But put you upon something temporal, ye\ncan fix your heart as long as you please, and never wander. David was not\nso. He awaked, and was still with God. He meditates upon him in the night\nwatches. He remembers him day and night, (Psal. lxiii. 8) and this made\nhim a lively Christian. But, (2) If ye be seeking any thing, ye seek it\nso, as insobriety is stamped upon it. Your seeking of the world is\nprejudicial to your seeking of God, and takes away much time for prayer.\nYe will be so eager in the pursuit of a momentary passing vanity, as ever\nye were in the seeking of God, Col. iii. 1, 2. Care and anxiety comes in\nto be your provision, and ye put not prayer in the place of it, to make\nyour requests known unto God. Ye seek it as if it were your portion and\ninheritance, surely this is insobriety. (3) Look upon your affections\ntoward present enjoyments, and are ye sober? Ye can delight in these\nthings, and take the sweetness of them, but the consolations of God are a\nsmall thing to you. Any thing adds to your joy and lifts you up. Albeit ye\nbe not in good terms with God, yet ye can take your pleasure in the world.\nYe see not a worm and moth in your pleasures, ye are not afraid to fill\nyour belly with honey. Some think themselves made up when they get such a\nlot. But saints, are ye sober when such a thing changes your condition? O\nbut the children of God look upon this world as David did in his fretting\ncondition, (Psal. xxxviii.) and in his prosperous condition, Psal. xxx. Ye\nsit down and say, \u201cMy mountain stands strong, and I shall never be moved.\u201d\nYe have more delight in your outward lot than ever ye had in Jesus Christ.\nBut, (4) When any outward thing goes cross to your mind, then your\ninsobriety appears. The taking(508) of a sad and cross dispensation will\nevidence how ye sought the world. The taking away of a friend or idol,\nwill declare ye idolized it. As the saints have too longing desires for\nthe things of this world, and look upon them as the paradise of God, not\nas Paul did, who thought the world a dead thing, so remove any thing that\nye enjoy, and your joy is taken from you. Give you something for which you\npray, your sorrow is away, and ye can no more mourn for sin; and take\nsomething away, and your joy is gone, ye cannot delight in God. Ye vex and\ndisquiet yourselves in vain, and are weighed down with it. Are ye not then\nunder the feet of this present world, when it tramples upon you? Are ye\nnot servants unto it, when your condition altereth and changeth according\nto the nod of outward things? Ye may know what puts you up and down that\ncommands you, and this is not sobriety. Ye are drunk with the creature.\nThe child of God should be like mount Zion, that can never be moved.\nTherefore,\n\nIII. We would exhort all the saints to study more sobriety in this world.\nWe need no more exhortation than what Paul gives, 1 Cor. vii. 29. It is a\nstrange language, saints, \u201cSet not your affections upon the things of this\nearth, but on the things which are above,\u201d Col. iii. 1, 2. \u201cLove not the\nworld, nor the things of the world,\u201d &c., 1 John ii. 15-17. Ye ought to\nstudy such a walk abstracted from this world, that ye might be as\nstrangers at home, as sojourners in your own country. The child of God\nshould sit down in his own family among his children, as if he were\nabroad, and he ought to be abroad, as if he were at home. Wherefore your\nlife is called a pilgrimage, and ye strangers. Engage not much your heart\nto any thing of this world. Take but a standing drink and be gone, ye may\nnot lay down your staff and burden, that his may bear you right. (1)\nConsider that insobriety is idolatry. Insobriety puts the creature in\nGod\u2019s place, and sobriety puts all things in their own place. When a man\u2019s\nheart or affections are set on any thing, that is his idol and his master,\nand Christ says, \u201cYe cannot serve God and mammon,\u201d (Matt. vi. 24) these\ntwo masters. Sure the worldling thinks not that he serves his riches, yet\nChrist puts that construction upon his loving them well, Christ calls any\nthing that is a man\u2019s master his god. Now, any thing that the heart goes\nafter is a man\u2019s master. That which commands a man\u2019s affections commands\nthe whole man, for the affections are the man\u2019s master, and they command\nthe man. If ye knew this, ye would be afraid of spending your hearts upon\nvanity; ye put that vanity in the place of Jesus Christ, and so your heart\nis a temple of idols, and the great gospel promise (Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26)\nhath not gotten place in you. The due place of the creature is to be\nsubservient to the Lord its Maker, to be only the footstool, that he may\nhave the throne. True insobriety puts the creature upon the throne, and\nworships it. (2) Insobriety or love to the world hinders the love of God,\nas much as is added to the one, is taken from the other, 1 John ii. 15. If\nthe love of the world have one gram weight of allowance more than Christ\nspeaks of, that is incompatible with the love of the Father. The creature\nwill suffer a parting of affection, and will be content with a share, like\nthe harlot and false mother that would be content with the divided child;\nbut God must have all or none, and will not share with the creature. Ye\nmay find it by experience when your hearts have been much set upon any\nthing in this world, Christ Jesus has not been so pleasant to you, ye have\nnot so much delight in him. Affection must run in the channel, or it is\nbut weak, if once ye divide the streams. The love of the world makes the\nheart carnal, it is the defilement of the whole soul, and a weight that\neasily besets us, that it cannot mount up in a cloud of divine affection\nto Jesus. Can the needle go to two contrary points both at once? Can it\nmove to the north and the south at the same time? Such an opposition is\nthere between the Father, and the things of the world. If then ye turn\nyour face on the creature, ye must turn your back upon God. Think not,\nChristians, to keep love entire to God, and to set your affections on the\nworld. Solomon\u2019s backsliding had this false principle, he thought to\nretain his integrity, and his wisdom should abide with him, though he\nwould try folly and madness, Eccles. vii. 23. But did he not grow more\nfoolish? Did he retain his wisdom? Many have come down from their\nexcellence by this presumption. (3) Insobriety is the world\u2019s sin. It is\nthe sin of the days of your ignorance, when ye walked after the lusts of\nthe Gentiles, and it is a shame for a child of God to be so. This\nduty(509) is opposed to their former walking, verses 3d and 4th. There\nshould be a great distance between you and the world, that ye may seem men\nof diverse countries. Though ye dwell in one city or in one house, ye\nought so to walk as men may think it strange, as it may be, a wonder in\nthe world. O but few Christians give the worldly men occasion to speak of\nthem for holiness, few give them any ground for wondering at and mocking\ntheir conversation! Your conversation is so like theirs, that they need\nnot think any thing in it strange. Is it not a shame, saints, to be like\npagans? Christ uses such an argument with his disciples to dissuade them\nfrom carnal carefulness, Matt. vi. 32. Sobriety is a work of the day\nbecoming a child of light, as Paul observes, 1 Thess. v. 4-9, importing as\nmuch as if it were a shame for the Christian to be found much in love with\nthe world, as it is for a man to be drunk at nine in the morning and\nstaggering in the streets. There ought to be as great a difference between\nyou and the world, as there is between day and night, light and darkness.\nSince the true light hath shined, to discover a more excellent happiness\nthan the world can give, and since it hath concluded all under vanity, ye\nare not answerable to your holy calling to have it in any higher\nestimation. Consider also, (4) That the world is not your portion. Your\nlife consists not in what you enjoy, your inheritance is above, reserved\nin the heavens for you. Therefore be sober. If ye believed this, that one\nday ye shall put on white robes, and be clothed with immortality, would ye\nso pursue after the world? It is the world\u2019s portion, and let them who\nknow no better seek it as their god, and love it as their inheritance; but\nfie upon believers, that have a hope laid up in heaven, and fixed as an\nanchor within the vail. Should ye cause your portion to be evil spoken of,\nby your groping so much after this present world? If ye walked right ye\nshould torment the world, and oblige them to be convinced that ye seek a\ncity to come, and that ye despise all their enjoyments. But, (5)\nInsobriety becomes not a reasonable soul and is very unbeseeming a\nChristian, even so is it to every man. Are ye not better, says Christ,\nthan many sparrows? Is not the life more than meat? Matt. vi. 25, Luke\nxii. 23, 24. So we may say, Is not the soul better than the perishing\ncreature? O it is the disgrace and debasement of an immortal spirit to be\nput under the feet of a piece of clay, to be subjected to vanity, and to\nthe poor perishing things of the world. If a man but knew himself, and his\nnatural prerogative above the creatures, let be(510) his Christian\nprivileges, he would despise the world, and think all that is in it not a\nsatisfying portion for his spirit. He would count it a great disparagement\nto lodge upon this side of infiniteness and divine fulness. Would ye not\nthink it a base thing to see a king\u2019s son sitting down among beggars, and\npuddling in the filth of the city? God made man to have lordship and\npre-eminence over the creatures, and his spirit shall outlive all these\nthings he sees, and looks to, and what a dishonour must it be to spend an\nimmortal spirit on vanity, to have no eye beyond the span of time? As\nChrist said, \u201cWhat hath a man gained, if he lose his own soul?\u201d What gain\nye in this world, though all things should befall you according to your\ncontentment, what gain ye, since ye prostitute an immortal soul unto the\nservice of the world, and have made it, to the prince of the world and all\nthings, a servant and slave?\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXI.\n\n\n    1 Pet. iv. 7.\u2014\u201cAnd watch unto prayer.\u201d\n\n\n\u201cWatch.\u201d A Christian should watch. A Christian is a watchman by office.\nThis duty of watchfulness is frequently commanded and commended in\nscripture, Matt. xxiv. 42, Mark xiii. 33, 1 Cor. xvi. 13, Eph. vi. 18, 1\nPet. v. 8, Col. iv. 2; Luke xii. 37. David did wait as they that did watch\nfor the morning light. The ministers of the gospel are styled watchmen in\nscripture and every Christian should be to himself as a minister is to his\nflock, he should watch over himself. This imports the Christian\u2019s\ncondition in this world, and expresses his exercise in it. Watching is a\nmilitary posture, and insinuates the Christian\u2019s case in this world. He is\ncompassed about with enemies, and therefore he must be a soldier, 2 Tim.\nii. 3. \u201cThou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus\nChrist.\u201d The Christian hath a warfare to accomplish in this world, and\ntherefore the church here is militant, and in heaven triumphant, 1 Tim. i.\n18. Every Christian should war a good warfare, holding faith and a good\nconscience. What is the reason that when Christ triumphed upon the cross,\nand conquered all his enemies, and is ascended on high, that he hath not\nmade all believers conquerors? Is the man that sits with Christ in\nheavenly places, (Eph. ii. 6) and he who was dead with Christ, and also\nrisen with him, is he yet a soldier, when Christ hath overcome, and gotten\nthe crown? And the believer, hath he not the victory that Christ obtained?\nWhy then is he put to fight any more? Hath not Christ completely done it?\nYes indeed, Christ hath overcome by his own strength, (Col. ii. 15) and is\nnow on high, yet he will have the poor pieces of contemptible clay to\novercome the Archangel,(511) the immortal spirits. It was not so much for\nthe prince Gabriel,(512) the messenger of the covenant, the King of\nsaints, to overcome his own creature, but he hath drawn out a battle and\nwarfare to all his followers, that, in the strength of their victory in\nhim already past, they may be made more than conquerors, and that there\nmay be a perpetual song of triumph and victory in heaven, he hath made the\nsaints strong, and hath made the strong weak. He hath set the poor with\nprinces, and the kings on the dunghill. The Christian\u2019s heart and grace\nare like a besieged city, that is blocked up upon every hand, there are\nenemies without, and false friends within. Its party is great\nprincipalities and powers, &c. (Eph. vi. 12) and these go about\ncontinually to spy a breach. In the city, what strength can do, what\npolicy can do, will not be wanting. All things of the world besiege the\nheart, and every sense is a port to let the enemy in. All a man\u2019s\nnegotiation and trading in the world, is as dangerous as the proclaiming a\npublic market in a town, for the country, while the enemy is about it.\nThere is a desperate wicked heart within, that hath deceived many\nthousands, and would surrender the city upon any occasion. Here are\nfleshly lusts which war against the soul, (1 Pet. ii. 11) temptation to\nsin, and to unbelief. There is a heart within that can conceive and bring\nforth sin, and needs no temptation, a heart within that can seduce\ntemptation itself, but it follows the tempter and when to all that a\nforeign power is added, Oh then, who can stand? Christ himself was\ntempted, but Satan found nothing in him, and had nothing in him, but when\nSatan comes he finds all in us, and we are like powder to conceive flame.\nWe can even tempt ourselves, as well as be tempted by another. The\nChristian keeps a house that the enemy surrounds, and if he sleep he will\nenter, he is here a pilgrim, and is not yet come home, yet he hath a foul\nand dangerous way to go through. He is like a servant that his lord hath\nleft, and given provision to, and is to come home when he pleases, Mark\nxiii. 33, Matt. xxiv. 32. If his master find him sleeping, woe to him.\nThis is his case. What then should his exercise and posture be? He should\nbe a watchman. (1) Watching is opposed to security and sleeping, Matt.\nxxiv. 42, Mark xii. 33. He must keep his eyes open, or else he is gone, (1\nPet. v. 8) be vigilant, lest the devil attack him. The sluggard\u2019s\ndestruction comes as an armed man, because of his \u201clittle sleep\u201d and\nslumber, Prov. vi. 10, and Prov. xx. 13. Security is the Christian\u2019s\nnight, when he ceases from his labour, and the adversary does with him\naccording to his pleasure. But the Christian is in a better condition when\nhe is wrestling with temptation, and getting sore blows. When he is at\npeace and dwells securely, as the people of Laish, he troubles himself\nwith nothing, but dreams over his days, but that is a decaying condition.\n(2) To watch, is to observe all things, 1 Sam. iv. 13, Luke vi. 7. This is\na special point of the watchman\u2019s duty, to let nothing pass by without\nobservation, whatever object would come in, to ask at it from whence, and\nwhither. The heart is a highway side that all things travel through.  If\nthe Christian then be not exact in this to know what comes in, and what is\nits errand, he may be surprised or he know. He should observe all the\nmotions of the enemy, and be well acquainted with all the subtleties of\ntemptations. He must know his own spirit, or his thoughts, he should also\nobserve all the Lord\u2019s motions and dealings with his spirit. It concerns\nhim also to know what is his enemy or friend. Therefore the Christian\nshould get upon the watch tower of the word, and look through the\nprospect(513) of faith round about him, that he may know what his\nspiritual condition is.  But, (3) The watchman gives warning while it is\nseasonable, and the enemy far off. He raises the alarm, and all must be in\nreadiness. So ought ye to be. Come to Jesus Christ with all ye observe,\ninform the Captain of your salvation whose soldiers you are. It is best\ndealing with temptation far off, and resisting the first motions of sin,\nfor when it comes near hand, it gets many friends within, and it is the\nwatchman\u2019s part not to give his judgment of what he sees, but to report\nonly. Do not ye sit down to pass the sentence on any thing, whether it be\ngood or evil, sin or not, but come unto Jesus, and let him speak, for\noftentimes we reason according to flesh and blood. (4) There must be no\ninterruption in this watching. He must give diligent heed to it, Mark\nxiii. 33, 1 Thess. v. 6. It is a very laborious exercise for a Christian\nto watch, all his senses will be exercised by it. He must look up, and\nthat steadfastly, he must stand, and when he hath done all, to stand. When\nhe hath overcome he must yet watch, lest he enter into temptation. He is\nin greater hazard after victory than before, Ezra vi. 13. He must watch\nwhen he is come out of one temptation lest he enter into another. The\ngreatest disadvantage that armies have gotten hath been after some\nvictory, when they were secure. Therefore we ought to give all diligence,\nand love not sleep, lest we come into poverty.\n\nFrom what hath been said, (1) We see how few are in a warlike posture\nagainst Satan. Many serve under Satan\u2019s colours, and the strong man keeps\nthe house. They watch not against him, but for him, they fight for him,\nand not against him. Do not many Christians, in profession, even watch for\ntheir sin, how to encompass what they would be at?  Many wait on all\nadvantages to get their own heart\u2019s desires, they watch against God\u2019s\nword, to hold out conviction. These are the children of darkness, in whom\nthe devil reigns. We also observe from this, (2) That even the children of\nGod are seldom found watching. There is much woful security among them and\nthis is the universal complaint, who of you walks as if you were among\nenemies? Ye walk as if ye were in a peaceable city without gates, as the\npeople of Laish, who dwelt securely. Ye have no friend in all the world,\nand yet what unspeakable negligence and sleeping is there among you? The\nflesh is so weak, that ye cannot watch but one hour for Christ. And O! but\nthe intermission of one hour\u2019s watching hath brought down many strong\nones. This made a breach upon David that could hardly be made up for ever\nagain. From the words, (3) We observe, that prayer is a part of a good\nChristian\u2019s exercise.  We may be ashamed to speak or hear of this duty.\nIt is true, indeed, our religion is all compendized in this duty. Yet this\nduty is so little in practice, that our religion must be but little. We\nwould, then, speak somewhat of prayer, and observe,\n\n1. That it is the distinguishing character of a Christian in scripture.\nThe child of God, and the man that calls upon God\u2019s name, is all one and\nthe same thing. The wicked man\u2019s name is one that calls not upon God, nor\nseeks him, but the godly call upon their Maker, Acts ix. 11, 1 Cor. i. 2.\nAll the saints in scripture have been praying men. The wicked, or natural\nman, is not an indigent man, he wants nothing, and therefore seeks nothing\nfrom God, but the Christian is one who hath nothing in himself, a beggar\nby birth, one that is cast out into the open field, and he is still\nseeking to make up his losses.  Praying and wanting goes hand in hand\ntogether. Prayer then is the first breathing of the new man. What sign of\nlife would ye know him by?  Motion is an infallible sign of life and this\nis the motion of the new creature. Prayer is the stirring of the soul, and\ngoing out of itself for bread, it is the sucking of the breasts of\nconsolation. Grace turns a man\u2019s face God-ward and Christ-ward. 2. Prayer\nis the pouring out of an indigent man\u2019s heart in God\u2019s bosom. It is the\nemptying of the soul, and the landing of it on God\u2019s lee shore, Psal. cii.\n2, 1 Sam. i. 10, Psal. cxlii. 2, &c. When a pious heart is overwhelmed and\nsore disquieted, it prays. Prayer emptieth the vessel, and brings the soul\nabove the water again. It is a present ease in the time of trouble. Care\nand anxiety of spirit plunge the soul over the ears, but prayer brings it\nagain unto dry land, Phil. iv. 6. Care burns and drowns a man\u2019s requests,\nbut prayer makes them known to God in every circumstance of life.\nTherefore prayer is called a \u201cmaking known our requests unto God,\u201d and\n\u201cthe lifting up of our souls unto God,\u201d Psal. xxv. 1, 2. But, 3. Prayer is\nthe provision of a soul, for it is sufficient to do that which carefulness\nand thoughtfulness undertake to do, and effectuate not, Phil. iv. 6.\nPrayer does all a man\u2019s business. He lives by prayer, as Paul lived by\nChrist living in him, &c. Gal. ii. 20. He lived the natural life of a\nChristian by faith. So David says, \u201cI gave myself unto prayer,\u201d he opposes\nthis unto all that his enemies do against him. Not only doth it ease the\nspirit of the present burden, but prayer does all his business, because it\nputs it over into a better hand, viz., the hand of him who cares for us, 1\nPet. v. 6. It is like a child who is under his father\u2019s tutory,(514) and\nhe does nothing himself, but all is done for him, and he needs to do no\nmore but ask, and have, to seek, and find, to knock, and it shall be\nopened unto him. Prayer hath the promise of all spiritual and valuable\nblessings, and the promise is true. 4. Prayer speaks a life of indigence\nand dependence in the creature, and also speaks out the attributes of God,\nfor the supply of all our need, sovereignty, bounty, and good will in God.\nIt is the travelling of the poor creature between his own emptiness and\nGod\u2019s all sufficient fulness. It acknowledges that he hath nothing, and\nthat God hath all things he can desire to make him happy. Prayer is an act\nof homage and subjection to our Creator, and it is also an act of love and\nreverence, for prayer looks upon God, as a Lord, a Father, and a Master.\n5. Prayer is the pulse of a Christian, and here ye may find him. If he be\nvigorous and frequent here, he is well, a decay in this is a woful symptom\nof a dangerous and dwining(515) condition. This is the fountain of the\nspirit of life, and the Spirit\u2019s breath. For the Spirit helps our\ninfirmities with groans which cannot be uttered, (Rom. viii. 26, 27) and\naccording as the Spirit of God dwells in a man, in so far is he a good\nChristian. If, then, ye would ask how ye should walk here, and thrive in\ntrue Christianity, we would only say this, pray fervently and without\nceasing. Pray and prosper, and daily be strong, and the Lord shall be with\nyou. He will never fail nor forsake you. Again, consider, 6. That prayer\nis not so much a duty as a privilege, and if saints knew this, prayer\nwould not so often be a burden unto them. Is there any privilege like\nthis? For prayer is an admission into the secrets of God, it is an\nemptying of the heart into his bosom. It is a great part of our\ncorrespondence with heaven. It is a swift messenger sent thither, that\nnever comes back with ill news. It never returns empty, but accomplishes\nits intent. Prayer is as it were speaking with God face to face, as a man\nspeaks to his friend, and is it not an honourable privilege, that\nbelievers are admitted to him, and may boldly come to him under all their\nnecessities, and have such a sympathizing friend as Jesus? What is\nwonderful in scripture is, that God hath put that honour upon prayer to be\ninstrumental in obtaining the greatest blessings. Did not the Lord, at the\nprayer of Moses, dry up the Red sea? Did he not, at the prayer of Elias,\nwithhold and give rain? Did not the prayer of Joshua make the sun to stand\nstill, till he had vanquished his enemies? Wherefore was all this? Could\nhe not have done it unasked? Certainly, but the Lord would put that honour\nand respect upon prayer in all ages, that it might be a demonstration to\nall ages and generations, how ready and propense(516) God was to hear\nprayer. Nay, to speak with reverence, God will submit his own omnipotence\nto prayer. Command, ask of me, and command me, says the high and holy One,\nIsa. xlv. 11. O but \u201cthe effectual fervent prayer\u201d of the righteous avails\nmuch, 1 James v. 16. It does a man\u2019s business, and upon less expenses; it\ngives a reward in the hand, and the hope of the things sought. Withal,\nprayer is like Jacob\u2019s getting that within doors, without much toil, which\ncareful Esau goes about all the fields for, and toils all day to obtain.\nPrayer is the most compendious way of remedy of all things else. It always\nmakes up losses either of the same kind, or better; for if the loss be\ntemporal, if the want be bodily, prayer makes it up with access unto God.\nIt pays in gold. If it give not the same coin, yet it is better.\n\nWe have spoken something of prayer for this end, that your hearts may fall\nin love with it. It is the property of a sincere upright man, that he\ncalls always upon God, whereas the hypocrite will not always do it. Count,\nthen, yourselves as much Christians as ye find of the spirit of prayer and\nsupplication in you; for those that call not on God, their portion is very\nterrible. God will pour out his wrath upon them. God\u2019s face is set against\nsuch as do not pray. And I believe the multitude of this visible kirk have\nthis brand upon their face, they call not upon God. God hath taken this\ncharacter to himself, \u201cthe hearer of prayer,\u201d and those who mock at it,\ntheir judgment hasteneth, their damnation slumbereth not.\n\n\n\n\nSermon XXII.\n\n\n    1 Pet. iv. 7.\u2014\u201cBe ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.\u201d\n\n\nWe now come to consider the coherence and connexion these duties have one\nto another. _First_, Prayer is the principal part of the Christian\u2019s\nemployment, and sobriety and watchfulness are subordinate to it. \u201cBe\nsober, and watch unto prayer.\u201d (1.) Prayer is such a tender thing that\nthere is necessity of dieting the spirit unto it. That prayer may be in\ngood health, a man must keep a diet and be sober, sobriety conduces so\nmuch to its well-being, and insobriety makes prayer fail. Prayer respects\na wholesome Christian at his best estate. (2.) Because prayer that is well\nin itself must have much divine affection in it, that may be the wings of\nit to rise upon, the oil that may keep the flame, James v. 16. Now\ninsobriety is the moth of divine affection. The love of this world eats\nout the love of God and spiritual things; as much as the one goes up the\nother goes down, like the contrary points, 1 John ii. 15. Vehement desires\nwould be a cloud of incense to carry the petition up unto heaven; but the\nlove of this world scatters it, pours water upon the heart, and makes it\nneither to conceive heat nor flame. To be carnally minded is death, both\nhere and hereafter, Rom. viii. 5-7. It is death to duties, it kills the\nspiritual life of the soul. Insobriety is carnal-mindedness, and minding\nof the flesh, so that a man hath no more taste of Jesus Christ than the\nwhite of an egg. It quite distempers his taste, and makes that only\nsavoury which is like itself, and all other things bitter. But, (3.)\nPrayer must have hope in it. For how shall a man pray if he hope not to\ncome speed? If he maintain not a lively hope, he will cool in his\npetitions. Insobriety is not consistent with hope to the end, 1 Pet. i.\n17. He that would hope to the end must lift up his garments that hang\nside, and take a lick(517) of every thing by the way; he must not let them\nhang down, but gird up his affections with the girdle of truth and\nsobriety. We observe, (4.) That prayer must come out of a pure heart, and\nGod must be worshipped in spirit and in truth, John iv. 23, 24; 2 Tim. ii.\n22. Insobriety makes an unclean heart; the lusts of the flesh, and the\nlove of the world defile the spirit, and makes it to send forth impure\nstreams. (5.) There cannot be lodging for the Spirit where there is much\nlove to the world. This grieves the Spirit, and makes him depart from us,\nand so a man is best to express his own groans, or to have none at all,\nwhich is worse. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty, and the\nSpirit must have a clean house; ye must touch no unclean thing, if you\nwould have God to receive you into the holy adoption of his children. (6.)\nPrayer cannot thrive where faith is not in a good condition. For faith\npurifies the heart which sends out prayer, 1 Tim. i. 6; Acts xv. 9; 2 Tim.\nii. 22; and O! but insobriety makes an ill conscience; and faith and a\ngood conscience scarce sail in one bottom.(518) Both fall and stand\ntogether. How then can the soul look that Holy One in the face whose eyes\nare pure, and cannot look upon iniquity but with abhorrence? how can it\nlook upon his holiness, when it hath been going a-whoring after the world,\nand forsaking the fountain of living waters? In a word, the heart that is\nnot dead to this present world, will neither pray much nor well; for the\nheart is otherwise taken up, hath not many wants to spread before God, nor\nroom for spiritual things. The creature gives him no leave to come to God.\nO but communion with God is a tender thing, and subject to many\nalterations and changes of weather! A little more mirth than is needful\nwill indispose us for prayer. A little more sadness than is within bounds\nwill also indispose us for this duty. Carefulness and anxiety cannot pray.\nTherefore it concerns all the saints to keep their hearts with all\ndiligence, to keep themselves unspotted from the world. If ye would keep\nyourselves in speaking terms with God, ye must not entertain the creature\ntoo much. Any excess in your affections will divert the current of them,\nthat they shall not run towards God. And next, ye see a solid reason why\nye are so little in prayer, and keep not a praying temper, because ye are\ntoo liberal and lavish of your affections upon the world. Christians, how\ncan ye pray, when your affections are upon the things of the earth? Will\nye seek heavenly things, or care much for communion with God, when a\npresent world is so much in your eye? Prayer must be wersh(519) and\nunsavoury when the world is sweet; and religion turns a compliment, when\nyour hearts are here. Prayer is a special point of your conversation in\nheaven, and the love of this world keeps your hearts beneath heaven. Your\ntreasure is here, and your hearts can be nowhere else willingly. Ye must\nthen be mortified to the world before ye can pray aright. But we would\nlikewise consider,\n\n_Secondly_, That sobriety is a great furtherance to watching, and\ntherefore they are usually joined together, 1 Pet. v. 8; 1. Thess. v. 6-9.\nThis is clear. For if a man be not sober, but drink too much of the\ncreature\u2019s sweetness, or bitterness, till he lose his feet, he cannot\nwatch, and the enemy will make invasion when he sleeps. Sobriety is the\nmother of security. A surfeit of any thing indisposes the body for any\naction. When the mind goes without the bounds of moderation, and stretches\nits Christian liberty beyond the bounds of edification, it cannot hold\nwaking, a little sleep and slumber overtakes, till poverty and destruction\ncome like an armed man. (2.) When a man hath drunk to excess of the\ncreature and hath his heart engaged to it, he is in an incapacity to\ndiscern a friend from an enemy; whatever comes in with his predominant or\nidol will get fair quarters; though it may be, it will betray him. The\nlove of the world when it stands centry at a man\u2019s heart, will keep out\ntrue friends. It will hold out Jesus Christ and spiritual things, all that\nseems to come in contrary terms with itself, and will let in the enemy\nthat will destroy the soul. (3.) Insobriety entangles a man with the\nsnares of the world, and so he cannot be a good soldier of Jesus. I think\nthe conjunction here is expressed more fully, 2 Tim. ii. 2-4. The good\nsoldier of Jesus Christ that wars a good warfare, must not entangle\nhimself with the affairs of this life. He must be sober in the use of all\nthings, or else he cannot be faithful to his master; he will be about his\nown business when he should be watching. He will not only labour to please\nthe Captain of his salvation, Jesus, but he has many other things to\nplease besides: and if any of his too kind friends come to speak with him,\nhe will leave his duty and go apart with them, the watchman\u2019s office will\ntake him up nothing beside. But the insober man cannot give himself wholly\nto it. Because his idols cry upon him, he will prefer his pleasures before\nhis credit and honesty. Therefore, as ye would not expose your souls and\nall ye have, to the will of temptation, be sober. The devil hath gotten\nhis will of a man that he can force to lie down with the creature, and\nsleep in its bosom. If once Satan can gild up the world in your eyes, and\nrepresent it amiable, and cause high and big apprehensions of it, O, ye\nare in the greatest hazard from the world of being overcome wholly by it!\nThat was the temptation Satan sought to prevail with Christ by, but he\nfound nothing in him. If the devil hath taken thee up to a mountain to see\nthe glory of the world, and make you fancy a pleasant life here-away,(520)\ntake heed of it, for ye will drink drunk,(521) and forget yourselves, and\nwill not discern between good and evil.\n\n_Thirdly_. Prayer must be watched unto. We must not only pray, but\ncontinue \u201cinstant in prayer,\u201d Rom. xii. 12. We must \u201ccontinue in prayer,\nand watch in the same with thanksgiving,\u201d Col. iv. 2. It is a strange\nexpression, and familiar in scripture, Eph. vi. 18. O what a strange word\nis it! It is either very needless, or else imports the unspeakable\nnecessity of prayer. \u201cPraying always,\u201d what needed more? But we must pray\nwith all manner of \u201cprayer and supplication in the Spirit;\u201d and more yet,\n\u201cwatching thereunto;\u201d and to express the superlative degree of the\nnecessity of prayer, he adds \u201cwith all perseverance.\u201d Since the words at\nthe first view do speak infinitely more than we practise, let many a\nChristian express their own practice and set it down beside this verse,\nand blush and be ashamed. The most part of you behoved to speak thus, I\npray sometimes morning and evening, when I have nothing to do. And is this\npraying always, and watching thereunto with all perseverance? To watch\nunto prayer we conceive speaks these things.\n\nI. To observe all opportunities, occasions, and advantages of prayer,\u2014to\nbe glad of getting any occasion to sit down and pray. It is to seek out\noccasions and to be waiting for them. Too many use to excuse themselves\neasily that their other employments take them up, and they think on this\naccount they may omit prayer with a good conscience, as ministers, busied\nabout their calling, and at their book, think it no omission that they\npray not often. But alas, is this watching unto prayer? Ye should be as\nmen lying in wait upon some good opportunity to take hold of it. Prayer\nwould hinder no business of that kind, but much further it. Prayer would\nbe the compendious way of it. Ye used not to be challenged when ye get not\na commodity(522) to pray; but do ye seek opportunity when it is not\noffered? Do ye look after a retiring place, and withdraw from company,\nwhen ye cannot pray with company? This were indeed watching unto prayer.\nBut watching unto prayer will make men sometimes uncivil (so to speak,\nthat which it may be would be called uncivility). It will be a very\npressing necessity that will draw away the time of prayer, no compliment\nshould hinder you to go to it. If ye got a corner alone, that would invite\na man that watches unto prayer. He even seeks it when he finds it not\noffering itself. The watcher unto prayer will steal much of his time from\nothers, and other employments, and he will not spend time unnecessarily.\n\nII. To watch unto prayer is to accept willingly of all occasions and\nopportunities offered. O! if such a man find a corner, but it will be\nseasonable and sweet unto him. If he have nothing to do, and knows not how\nto pass his time, then he conceives he is called to prayer, and to keep\ncommunion with God. But how many opportunities have ye, and what advantage\nmake ye of them? Ye have time and place convenient, all the day or much of\nit, and yet ye content yourselves with an ordinary set diet. Sure this is\nnot watching. Watching unto prayer would make all emergent occasions\nwelcome, ye would not have any impulse of the Spirit and motion to pray,\nbut ye would follow it, and be led by the Spirit to your duty. Ye would\nnot hear of any rare passage of providence, or any of God\u2019s dispensations\ntowards yourselves, and other saints, but you would think it a good call\nto pray and make the right use and improvement of it.\n\nIII. To watch unto prayer is to observe all the impediments of prayer, all\nthe enemies of that precious thing prayer, that ye ought to keep as the\napple of your eye. Whatever ye find by experience prejudicial unto prayer,\nmark that. What indisposes the spirit and makes it carnal, mark that. What\nfills you with confusion and astonishment, and what hinders the liberty of\nyour delighting in God, and rejoicing in his promises, mark that; and set\nyourselves against these. O but many Christians find liberal discoursing,\nand much mirth, prejudicial to the Spirit\u2019s temper, and yet who watches\nagainst it?\n\nIV. Watch over your hearts that ye may keep a praying temper, and be still\nin speaking terms with God. And if ye would still keep a praying temper,\n1. Be frequent and often in the meditation of God. Keep yourselves in his\npresence, as before him, that ye may walk under the sight of his eye,\nPsal. cxix. 168; Psal. cxxxix. 1-7. Stealing out of God\u2019s sight makes the\nheart bold to sin. The temper of the heart is but like the heat of iron,\nthat keeps not when it is out of the fire, or like the melting of wax. If\nye be out of God\u2019s sight your hearts will close. But, 2. Let no object\ncome through your mind without examination of it. Let not your heart be a\nhighway for all. If a good motion enter, entertain it, and let it not die\nout. Give it up to God, that he may cherish it. 3. Repel not any motion of\nthe Spirit, but entertain it. There are three things ye would watch over,\nas, (1.) Yourselves, your own hearts, Prov. iv. 23, &c. ye must keep your\nheart, and it keeps all. (2.) Watch over your duty, Luke viii. 18. (3.)\nThe time of Christ\u2019s coming, his second coming to judgment, Matt. xxiv.\n42; Mark xiii. 33. So did David wait and watch till the Lord should\nreturn, Psal. cxxx. 5, 6. So did Job wait all the days of his appointed\ntime, till his change came. Now, Christians, where are ye? Is not your\npractice your shame? It is one among a thousand professors that can be\nnoted for much praying. Who among you can get this commendation that the\nHoly Ghost gives to Anna, she served God with fasting and prayer night and\nday? Your morning and evening are the limits of your duty, and it is\nalmost an heresy to go beyond that. Is there any tender well-doing\nChristian in scripture, but he prayed much? This made David so exemplary,\nand hath not Jesus Christ gone before you, (Heb. v. 7.) to lead the way?\nO! but Christ\u2019s praying so often in the days of his flesh, and making\nsupplication with strong cries, is a crying witness against the sloth of\nChristians in this generation. Both people and pastor, how should ye be\nashamed? Hath Jesus prayed so long and often, and should not the poor\nfollowers, indigent beggars, be all in supplication? The Christian should\nname himself as David did, \u201cI gave myself to prayer.\u201d Many a man sits down\nto his employment and prays not much, because he hath gifts and abilities.\nBut so did not Christ, who was able to save, yet he prayed and went about\nthe Father\u2019s work with dependence upon him. And O that ministers would\nseek all from heaven immediately, and people seek it from heaven also!\nThink ye that the Spirit will take twice a-day for praying always, and set\ntimes for watching thereunto? No, no, we think there is little of this\npractised in this generation.\n\nNow we come to the reason that is added in the text, \u201cthe end of all\nthings is at hand;\u201d that is, the day of the Lord is at hand. Christ Jesus,\nwho was once here offered for sins, shall again appear without sin, unto\nsalvation, unto them who look and wait for his appearance; and he shall\nput an end to all these things, either to themselves, by consuming them,\nor to the use of them. All that ye now dote upon is perishing, and it is\nnot far hence that ye shall see the world in a flame, and all that ye\nspend your spirits on; and Jesus Christ shall bring salvation to his own\nsaints, therefore be sober and watch. But how is it that the end is said\nto be at hand? Are not many generations passed since this word was spoken?\nIt is almost two thousand years since, and yet Peter spake of it, and\nChrist spake of this day, as at hand. Sure it must be nearer us now than\nit was then. The day of the Lord is at hand: I. Because if we would count\nyears as God doth, we would call the world but of one week\u2019s standing, for\nGod counts a thousand years as but one day, 2 Pet. iii. 8, 9. The world\nthinks he is slack concerning his promise, and asks, \u201cWhere is the promise\nof his coming?\u201d But believers, think not ye so, reckon years according to\nthe duration of the Ancient of days, and by faith see the Lord\u2019s day at\nyour hand, as it were to-morrow still. But, II. It is not without special\nreason that the New Testament speaks of all the time from Christ\u2019s coming\nto the end, as the last time, as it were but one age or generation\nimmediately preceding the great day, as if the day of judgment were to be,\nor this generation of the earth would pass. It is of great use to us,\nbecause the Lord would have believers in the last age of the world come to\nsome great pitch of mortification and deadness to the world, and hope of\nimmortality, than has been come to before. He would have them be as men\nwaiting for the Bridegroom, and this their exercise,\u2014every one in his\ngeneration standing with his loins girded, and his shoes put on ready for\nthe journey, and his lamp in his hand, Luke xii. 37; Mark xiii.; Matt.\nxxv. He would have all walking as if the day of judgment were to-morrow,\nas if the King of saints were now entering into the city, and all\nbelievers should go out to meet him as their King bringing salvation.\n\nThis then is the posture of the world, all things are near run, the\nfashion of this world passes away, 1 Cor. vii. 29: and the same\nexhortation is here pressed. This then, I say, is the state all things ye\nsee are in, it is their old age. The creation now is an old rotten house,\nthat is all dropping through, and leaning to the one side. The creature is\nnow subject to vanity and groaning, Rom. viii. 21, 22. The day is not far\nhence, that this habitable world must be consumed, and O! but many a man\u2019s\ngod and idol will then be burnt to ashes. 2 Pet. iii. 10-12, \u201cThe heavens\nshall pass away with a great noise,\u201d &c. God hath suffered men to live\nlong in this world, that they might come to repentance, and he hath kept\nit so long for the elect\u2019s sake. If it had not been for them, the world\nshould not be unburied till six hours at night;(523) but when he hath\ngathered in all the election, then shall an end be put to all the\nadministrations of kingdoms, all governments, all nations. Think ye that\nGod had so much respect to the world, or to the kings of it? No, he would\nput an end to all the kingdoms of the world, and never let them make their\ntestament, if the elect were completed. If Christ were completed, there\nwould be no marrying or giving in marriage, no more food and raiment, no\nmore laws and government, all your fair lands and buildings must go to the\nfire. Now ask the question that Peter asks, \u201cSeeing all things shall be\ndissolved, what manner of conversation ought ye to have?\u201d And here it is\nanswered, \u201cBe sober, and watch unto prayer.\u201d Ask at Paul, and he will tell\nyou, (1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, 31.) \u201cThe time is short,\u201d what remains then, but\nthat he that marries be as they who marry not, they that weep as they that\nwept not, &c. So then here is the duty of those who look for Christ\u2019s\nsecond coming; Christ hath left it with you till he come again, and put an\nend to all things: \u201cbe ye sober and vigilant.\u201d But consider what strength\nthis reason hath to enforce this exercise, and how suitable this duty is\nto them who look for Christ\u2019s second coming. 1. In relation to sobriety it\nhath a twofold force; for, (1.) It is all the absurdity of the world, that\nye should so eagerly pursue perishing vanities; that ye should fall in\nlove with the old decrepit world that is groaning under vanity, and very\nnear consumption. The day is coming that the soul shall see all these\nthings destroyed to ashes, and what will it then think of this idol? This\nis the thing I lost my soul for, and it is gone. And O how tormenting a\nthing will it be to the conscience! How have I been put by heaven for a\nthing of nought, for a vanity! Be sober, for the world cannot be a portion\nto an immortal spirit. Your spirit is immortal, and will continue after\nthese things are gone, and it will outlive this world. Your goods and good\nname, your pleasures and profits, your lands and rents, all will have an\nend, and your spirit shall continue after them. Why then will ye choose\nthat for your portion that will take wings and flee from you, or you will\nleave it? When ye see all burnt up, where then will your god and your\nportion be? (2.) Christian believers, ye have another portion; for Christ,\nwho comes to put an end to these things, shall appear in glory, and ye\nshall appear with him in glory. He shall come with salvation to you, Heb.\nix. 28; Col. iii. 4. Your life shall appear with him. Your inheritance is\nabove. That sweet Saviour that came unto this world for saving lost\nsinners, shall come again, and will not think himself complete without\nyou, and till he have all his members at his right hand. And therefore,\nsaints, be sober. While ye are in this world, ye need not any other thing\nin the interim but the hope of eternal life, to keep your hearts, and hold\nthem up. O but ye will think yourselves well come to it ere it be long. Ye\nmay laugh at the poor, blind, demented(524) worldlings, who are standing\nin slippery places, and like children catching a shadow, or labouring to\ncomprehend the wind in their fists. They are but dreaming that they eat\nand drink, and behold when the great day of awakening comes at the\nresurrection, they find their souls empty, though while they lived they\nblessed their own souls, and men blessed them also. Your inheritance is\nabove, and what need ye more that have such a hope? May ye not purify\nyourselves as he is pure, and purge your hearts from all corruptions, and\nuse this world as strangers, in your passage through it, that owns nothing\nas their own? Ye have no propriety(525) here, and therefore ye may the\nbetter live as strangers. But, 2. In relation to watching; Christ Jesus is\ncoming, and is near, therefore watch. This Christ himself presses\nearnestly: Be as men that wait for the coming of their Lord, since he is\nnot far off. Therefore, Christians, ye ought to be upon your feet, and not\nsit down with the creature. Ye should entertain this hope of his coming,\nand comfort yourselves by it, and be kept at your duty by it. I may say,\nthere is nothing that is less known among Christians. Christ and his\napostles often pressed it, as it seems he would have it the one ever\nrunning duty, through all generations. Ye ought then to be ready for\nChrist\u2019s coming, and not be found sleeping. 3. In relation to prayer; for\nif the end of all things is at hand, and Christ will soon come again, then\nthe Spirit\u2019s exercise, and the bride\u2019s should be, \u201cCome, Lord Jesus, come\nquickly.\u201d Pray Christ back again, and say, Why tarry his chariot wheels?\nPray him back with salvation, and hasten his return by prayer. He hath\nleft such a dependent condition, left such an employment for us, as speaks\ndependence and necessity. This is the time of promises, and we ought to\npray for their accomplishment. In heaven there will be no prayer, for\nprayer shall be swallowed up in praise, faith in vision, and hope in\npossession. But prayer is a duty suitable to the time, and to the\nChristian\u2019s minority, to his banishment and sojourning. Dream not of an\neternity here-away. Learn wisdom to number your days, and apply your\nhearts to religious wisdom; and if ye die thus, ye may rejoice that so\nmany of the number are passed, and cannot return again.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n\n    1 Baillie\u2019s Letters and Journals, vol. iii. pp. 286-288, MSS in Bib.\n      Col. Glas.\n\n    2 \u201cA Letter from Head Quarters in Scotland\u201d\n\n      \u201cSIR, We came hither on Saturday last, April 19th. The ministers and\n      townsmen generally staid at home, and did not quit their habitations\n      as formerly. These ministers that are here are those that have\n      deserted from the proceedings beyond the water, yet they are equally\n      dissatisfied with us. And though they preach against us in the\n      pulpit to our forces, yet we permit them without disturbance, as\n      willing to gain them by love. My Lord General sent to them to give\n      us a friendly Christian meeting, to discourse of those things, which\n      they rail against us for, that (if possible) all misunderstandings\n      between us may be taken away, which accordingly they gave us on\n      Wednesday last. There was no bitterness nor passion vented on either\n      side, with all moderation and tenderness. My Lord General the\n      Major-Gen. Lambert, for the most part maintained the discourse, and\n      on their part, Mr. James Guthrie, and Mr. Patrick Gelaspy. We know\n      not what satisfaction they have received. Sure I am, there was no\n      such weight in their arguments, that might in the least discourage\n      us from what we have undertaken, the chiefest thing on which they\n      insisted being our invasion into Scotland\u201d\u2014Sev. Proc. in Parl. May\n      1, to 8 Cromwelliana, p. 102. See also Durham\u2019s Comment on Revel.\n      Life of the Author, p. xi.\n\n    3 Nicoll\u2019s Diary, pp. 68, 94.\n\n    4 Along with Dr. John Owen, Joseph Caryl, John Oxenbridge, and\n      Cuthbert Sydenham officiated as chaplains in the army of Cromwell in\n      Scotland. Orme\u2019s Memoirs of Dr. Owen, p. 128. Neal\u2019s History of the\n      Puritans, vol. iv. p. 490, Lond. 1822.\n\n    5 Memoirs of Dr. Owen, p. 127.\n\n    6 See note, p. 512.\n\n    7 Annals of Scotland, vol. iv. p. 208.\n\n    8 Baillie\u2019s Letters, vol. iii. p. 200. MSS in Bib. Col. Glas.\n\n    9 Memorials of English Affairs from the beginning of the Reign of\n      Charles I. to the Restoration, pp. 444-446, Lond. 1682.\n\n   10 Hist. of Eng. vol. vi. pp. 180, Lond. 1825.\n\n   11 Memoirs of Dr. Owen, p. 126.\n\n   12 Thurlow\u2019s State Papers, vol. i. p. 189.\n\n   13 Thurlow\u2019s State Papers, vol. i. pp. 139, 160.\n\n   14 Orme\u2019s Life and Times of Richard Baxter, vol. i. pp. 140, 141.\n\n   15 P. 520.\n\n   16 \u201cAt Cathcart Kirk, 19th Oct., 1652\n\n      \u201cMr. Robert Baylie renewed his protestation given in be him the last\n      daye, against Mr. Hew Binnen moderating of the Presbyterie, in his\n      own name and in the name of so many as would adhere to that\n      protestation; and that upon the additional reason that Mr. Hew\n      Binnen of his own accord, had gone in to hear an Englishman preach\n      in his own kirk in the parish of Govan, who attended Colonel\n      Overtoun\u2019s regiment, and that the said Mr. Hew, be his example and\n      counsel, had moved the people to do the like, and did maintain the\n      lawfulness of this his action, in the face of the presbyterie as if\n      the abstaining from this should have been a needless separatione\n      upon his part, and the part of his people, though that having found\n      that some took offence at it, he did no more countenance that man\u2019s\n      preaching\u201d\u2014(Records of Presbytery of Glasgow). At the previous\n      meeting Bailie had protested against Mr. Binning\u2019s appointment to\n      the moderator\u2019s chair because he maintained, another member of the\n      presbytery had a greater number of uncontraverted votes.\u2014Id.\n\n   17 An Apology for the Clergy of Scotland, p. 45, London, 1692.\n\n   18 Orme\u2019s Mem. of Dr. Owen, p. 488.\n\n   19 Christian Instructor, vol. xxi. p. 547; Biog. Presb., vol. i. p.\n      131; Lorimer\u2019s Eldership, p. 155.\n\n   20 Neal\u2019s History of the Puritans, vol. iii. p. 120.\n\n   21 Id. p. 318. Mr. Herle, who came to Scotland with the Earl of\n      Nottingham and the Earl of Stanford preached in the High church of\n      Edinburgh on Sunday the 27th of February, 1648. Mr. Stephen Marshall\n      not long after, at the request of Mr. George Gillespie one of the\n      ministers of Edinburgh, preached in the same church, \u201che,\u201d says\n      Bishop Guthry \u201cwho being here four years ago professed to be a\n      presbyterian, but since turned independent.\u201d\u2014(Memoirs of Bishop\n      Guthry, &c., pp. 256-258, second edition). Fuller however says of\n      Mr. Marshall that he died a presbyterian.\u2014(Fuller\u2019s Worthies, book\n      2, p. 53; apud. Neal\u2019s Hist. vol. iv. p. 134). And Baillie\n      represents him to have been the best preacher in England.\u2014(Letters\n      and Journal, vol. i. p. 440.\n\n   22 Pp. 360, 362.\n\n   23 Miscellanea Scotica, vol. ii. p. 32.\n\n   24 See p. 497 _note_.\n\n   25 This was followed by a written controversy between the parties\n      (Wodrow MSS. vol. ix. in 13th Ad.). The same person disputed\n      publicly in the church of Cupar on two successive days, in 1652,\n      with Mr. James Wood, professor of theology at St. Andrews.\u2014Lamont\u2019s\n      Diary, p. 48.\n\n   26 Wodrow\u2019s Hist. of the Suf. of Ch. of Scot. vol. i. p. 165.  Glas.\n      1829.\n\n   27 See note, p. 512.\n\n   28 Balfour\u2019s Annals vol. iv. pp.  141-160. Brown\u2019s Hist. of Glas. vol.\n      i. p. 109. Peterkin\u2019s Rec. of Kirk of Scot. p. 672.\n\n   29 P. 489.\n\n   30 Small quarto, pp. 51.\n\n   31 Shields Faithful Contendings pp. 485-488. Faithful Witness Bearing\n      Exemplified, _preface_, p. iv.\n\n   32 Faithful Contendings, p. 66.\n\n   33 Memoirs of the First Years of James Nisbet, one of the Scottish\n      Covenanters, written by himself, Append. p. 287. Edin. 1827.\n\n   34 Pp. 54-58.\n\n   35 P. 486. See also Life of the Author, p. xliii. _note_.\n\n   36 Verse 1193.\n\n   37 Mr. Alexander Peterkin, the annotator of the Records of the Kirk of\n      Scotland, before presenting his readers with a long extract from the\n      \u201cWhigs Supplication,\u201d (ver 94-113) describing an armed body of\n      Covenanters, gravely declares, it was \u201ctaken from a MS copy of a\n      doggrel poem (by Cleland it is thought), which the editor presented\n      some years ago to the Library of the Antiquarian Society of\n      Edinburgh.\u201d See Rec. of Kirk of Scot. p. 533.\n\n   38 Baillie\u2019s Letters, vol. ii. p. 360.\n\n   39 Rec. of Kirk of Scot. pp. 627-633.\n\n   40 Records of Presbyters of Glascow.\n\n   41 P. xvii.\n\n   42 Pp xxv, xxvi.\n\n   43 \u201cThe sermons preached at conventicles, which are ordinarily\n      circulated, are a very unsafe rule by which to judge of the talents\n      of the preachers, and the quality of the discourses which they\n      actually delivered. We have never been able to ascertain that one of\n      these was published during the lifetime of the author, or from notes\n      written by himself. They were printed from notes taken by the\n      hearers, and we may easily conceive how imperfect and inaccurate\n      these must often have been. We have now before us two sermons by Mr.\n      Welsh, printed at different times; and upon reading them, no person\n      could suppose that they were preached by the same individual.\u2026 We\n      have no doubt that the memory of Mr. Peden has been injured in the\n      same way. The collection of prophecies that goes under his name is\n      not authentic; and we have before us some of his letters, which\n      place his talents in a very different light from the idea given of\n      them in what are called his sermons and his life.\u201d (Review of Sir\n      Walter Scott\u2019s Tales of my Landlord written by Dr. McCrie, Christian\n      Instructor, vol. xiv. pp. 127, 128)\u2014We are cautioned not to judge of\n      the talents of Samuel Rutherford as a preacher \u201cfrom the sermons\n      printed after his death, and of which it is probable he never\n      composed a single sentence.\u201d (Murray\u2019s Life of Rutherford pp.\n      221-223)\u2014And says Patrick Walker, the simple compiler of the \u201cLife\n      and Death of Mr. Daniel Cargill,\u201d \u201cI have seen some of Mr. Cargill\u2019s\n      sermons in writ, but I never saw none as he spake them; and I have\n      been much pressed to publish them, and other old sermons, which I\n      dare not do, upon several considerations; knowing that sermons would\n      have past then, and very edifying, which will not pass now, in this\n      critic and censorious age, without reflections; not knowing how they\n      were taken from their mouth, nor what hands they have come through\n      since.\u201d Biographia Presbyteriana, vol. ii. p. 53.\n\n   44 The presbyterian clergy in Scotland were much offended when this\n      silly yet mischievous book made its appearance, as they justly\n      looked upon it as calculated not only to blacken their reputations,\n      but to inflict a serious injury upon religion. (See \u201cA Just and\n      Modest Reproof of a pamphlet called The Scotch Presbyterian\n      Eloquence,\u201d pp. 36, 38. Edin. 1693.)\u2014No one is more perseveringly\n      held up to ridicule in it than the Rev. James Kirkton, whose\n      character as a man of talents, and possessing a sound judgment, has\n      been since sufficiently vindicated by the publication of his \u201cSecret\n      and True History of the Church of Scotland.\u201d Kirkton takes notice of\n      the Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence, and informs us that its reputed\n      authors were \u201cMr. Gilbert Crockat and Mr. John Munroe,\u201d adding\n      \u201cTruly one would think, a thinking man who reads this piece may\n      wonder first, what conscience governs these men, who publish, to\n      abuse the world, such stories, which they themselves know to be\n      lies, as well as they whom they believe. Next, what wisdom is among\n      them, who knew well enough there are thousands of honest people to\n      refute their calumnies!\u201d (p. 194)\u2014Provoked by an insulting reference\n      to the book under review, an able controversial writer of that\n      period says \u201cThou hast, by the bye, mentioned the Presbyterian\n      Eloquence. Every body knows that book to be a forgery out of the\n      curates shop. But to give the world a true test both of the\n      Presbyterian and the Episcopal eloquence, let us appeal to the\n      printed sermons on both sides. Do thou take the printed sermons of\n      the Presbyterians, and pick out of them all the ridiculous things\n      thou ever canst. And if I don\u2019t make a larger collection of more\n      impious and ridiculous things out of the printed sermons of the\n      Episcopalians, citing book and page for them, I shall lose the\n      cause.\u201d (Curate Calder Whipt, p. 11.)\u2014In such a contest as is here\n      proposed, religion must suffer, and truth be sacrificed. Lord\n      Woodhouselee therefore, does not hesitate to pronounce both the\n      Presbyterian Eloquence Displayed, and the Answer to it, to be\n      \u201cequally infamous and disgraceful libels.\u201d Life of Lord Kames, vol.\n      i. Append., p. 10.\n\n   45 Granger\u2019s Biog. Hist. of Eng. vol. i. part ii. p. 416. London 1769.\n\n   46 Burnet\u2019s Hist. of his own Times vol. i. p. 280. Oxford 1833.\n\n   47 Life of Professor Wodrow, p. 61.\n\n   48 Analecta, at present printing by Maitland Club, vol. i. pp. 277,\n      300. Biog. Presby. vol. i. pp. 236, 237.\n\n   49 Burnets Hist. of his Own Times vol. i. p. 279.\n\n   50 Watts Works vol. v. 350.\n\n   51 P. 213.\n\n   52 Journals and Letters vol. ii. p. 385.\n\n   53 Analecta, vol. iv. p. 171, vol. v. p. 342 MSS in Bib. Ad.\n\n   54 \u201cTheir ministers generally brought then about them on the Sunday\n      nights where the sermons were talked over, and every one women as\n      well as men, were desired to speak their sense and their experience,\n      and by these means they had a comprehension of matters of religion,\n      greater than I have seen among people of that sort anywhere. The\n      preachers went all in one track, of raising observations on points\n      of doctrine out of their text, and proving these by reasons, and\n      then of applying those, and shewing the use that was to be made of\n      such a point of doctrine, both for instruction and terror, for\n      exhortation and comfort, for trial of themselves upon it, and for\n      furnishing them with proper directions and helps, and this was so\n      methodical that the people grew to follow a sermon quite through\n      every branch of it.\u201d Barnet\u2019s History of his own Times vol. i. p. 2.\n\n   55 P. 600.\n\n   56 P. 356.\n\n   57 P. 131. See also p. 576.\n\n   58 Gillespie\u2019s Miscellany questions. p. 247. Edin. 1649.\n\n   59 P. 135.\n\n   60 P. 133.\n\n   61 Hist. of his Own Times, vol. i. p. 348.\n\n   62 Mede\u2019s Works, _General Preface_.\n\n   63 Heber\u2019s Life of Bishop Taylor, p. 171.\n\n   64 Pecock\u2019s Works, vol. i., Life of the Author, p. 22.\n\n   65 Manton\u2019s Sermons, Life of the Author, p. v.\n\n   66 \u0152uvres De Massillon, tome vi. p. 4; Essai Sur L\u2019Eloquence de la\n      Chaire, par le Cardinal Maury, tome ii. p. 231.\n\n   67 Address to the Christian Reader.\n\n   68 Memorial for the Bible Societies in Scotland, p. 91. See also pp.\n      30, 90, 112.\n\n   69 P. 5.\n\n   70 Pp. 42, 48.\n\n   71 P. 55.\n\n   72 P. 303.\n\n   73 P. 80.\n\n   74 P. 279.\n\n   75 P. 90.\n\n   76 Pp.  301-303.\n\n   77 P. 74.\n\n   78 P. 36.\n\n   79 P. 46.\n\n   80 P. 165.\n\n   81 P. 216.\n\n   82 P. 76.\n\n   83 P. 248.\n\n   84 P. 657.\n\n   85 P. 619.\n\n   86 P. 217.\n\n   87 [Mr. Robert Macward went to England as the secretary, or amanuensis,\n      of the famous Samuel Rutherford, when the latter was appointed one\n      of the commissioners to the Westminster Assembly (Murray\u2019s Life of\n      Rutherford, p. 233). When mentioning Macward\u2019s institution, as\n      Professor of Humanity in the old college of St. Andrews, in April,\n      1650, Lamond says of him, that he was previously \u201cservant to Mr. Sam\n      Rutherford, m. of St. Andrews\u201d (Diary, p. 16, Edin. 1830). Sir John\n      Chiesley was, in the same sense, and at the same period, the servant\n      of the celebrated Alexander Henderson, another of the commissioners\n      (Kirkton\u2019s Hist. of the Ch. of Scot., _note_, p. 71). It is justly\n      remarked by Dr. M\u2019Crie, when speaking of Richard Bannatyne, who was\n      also called _the servant_ of Knox, \u201cthat the word servant, or\n      servitor, was then used with greater latitude than it is now, and,\n      in old writings, often signifies the person whom we call by the more\n      honourable name of clerk, secretary, or man-of-business\u201d (Life of\n      Knox, p. 349. _Sixth edition_). Mr. Macward succeeded Mr. Andrew\n      Gray as one of the ministers of Glasgow, in the year 1656, chiefly\n      through the influence of Principal Gillespie (Baillie\u2019s Letters,\n      vol. ii. pp. 406, 407. Cleland\u2019s Annals of Glasgow, vol. i. p. 128).\n      A sentence of banishment was unjustly passed upon him for a sermon\n      on Amos iii. 2, which he preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow, after\n      the Restoration. As to what he said in that sermon regarding the\n      conduct of the parliament, Baillie declares, that \u201call honest men\n      did concur with him,\u201d though he disapproves, at the same time, of\n      Macward\u2019s \u201chigh language,\u201d and blames him, because \u201che obstinately\n      stood to all,\u201d and thereby provoked his persecutors (Letters, pp.\n      453, 454). But it appears, from Wodrow (Hist. of the Sufferings of\n      the Ch. of Scot., vol. i. p. 213, Glasg. 1829), that when Mr.\n      Macward understood that what had given offence was the use he had\n      made, in his sermon, of the words \u201cprotest\u201d and \u201cdissent,\u201d he did\n      not hesitate to explain he did not mean thereby a legal impugning of\n      the acts, or authority of parliament, but \u201ca mere ministerial\n      testimony\u201d against what he conceived to be sin. Macward retired to\n      Holland.\n\n      After repeated applications from Charles the Second, the States\n      General, on the 6th of February, 1677, ordered Mr. Macward, and\n      other two Scottish exiles, to withdraw from the Seven Provinces of\n      the Netherlands (Dr. M\u2019Crie\u2019s Mem. of Veitch and Brysson, p. 367).\n      That the States came to this determination with very great\n      reluctance, will appear from the following passage in one of Sir\n      William Temple\u2019s Letters: \u201cI will only say that the business of the\n      three Scotch ministers hath been the hardest piece of negotiation\n      that I ever yet entered upon here, both from the particular interest\n      of the towns and provinces of Holland, and the general esteem they\n      have of Mackand [Macward] being a very quiet and pious man\u201d (Vol. i.\n      p. 291). It is creditable to the good feeling, though not certainly\n      to the firmness of the States General that at the time they\n      determined to require Macward and his two friends to leave the Seven\n      Provinces, they voluntarily furnished them with a certificate\n      bearing that each of them had lived among them \u201chighly esteemed for\n      his probity, submission to the laws, and integrity of manners\u201d (Dr.\n      M\u2019Crie\u2019s Mem. of Veitch and Brysson, p. 368). He was afterwards\n      permitted to return to Rotterdam, where he had been officiating as\n      minister of the Scottish Church at the time he was ordered to remove\n      out of the country. He died there in the month of December, 1681.\n      Dr. Steven\u2019s \u201cHistory of the Scottish Church, at Rotterdam\u201d, p.\n      336.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   88 [In his very interesting \u201cHistory of the Scottish Church,\n      Rotterdam,\u201d Dr. Steven mentions (p. 72) that Mr. James Koelman was\n      deprived of his charge at Sluys in Flanders, for refusing to observe\n      the festival days and to comply with the formularies of the Dutch\n      church. He appears to have been a very conscientious and pious man.\n      Among the Wodrow MSS in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates\n      Edinburgh (Vol. ix., Numb. 28) there is a copy of \u201cA Resolution of\n      the States of Zeeland anent the suspension of Thomas Pots and\n      Bernardus Van Deinse, ministers of Vlissing, because of their\n      suffering or causing Jacobus Coelman to preach, together with the\n      Placinet (or proclamation) whereby the said Coelman is for ever\n      banished out of the province of Zealand, Sept. 21, 1684.\u201d Extract\n      out of the Registers of the Noble and Mighty Lords, the States of\n      Zeeland, Sept 21, 1684. It is set forth in this paper, that though\n      Koelman had been suspended from his office by the States of the Land\n      and Earldom of Zealand, in consequence of their \u201cResolution and\n      penal discharge of the 21st of September, 1674, made by reason of\n      his perverse opinions, and disobedience to his lawful high\n      superiors,\u201d he had notwithstanding \u201cadventured and undertaken to go\n      about private exercises within this province and also to preach\n      twice publickly within the city Vliesing [Flushing] on Sabbath the\n      3d of this instant moneth, September, and so hath rendered himself\n      guilty of the punishment contained in our forementioned Resolution,\n      and penal discharge, bearing that he should be banished the\n      province, so be he happened to hold any publick or private exercises\n      there.\u201d\n\n      Mr. Koelman, Mr. Macward and Mr. Brown of Wamphray, were the three\n      clergymen who officiated at the ordination of Mr. Richard Cameron in\n      the Scottish Church, Rotterdam, previous to his coming to Scotland\n      in the beginning of the year 1680 (Biographia Presbyteriana, Vol.\n      i., p. 197). It was Richard Cameron, when in the language of one of\n      his friends, he was carrying Christ\u2019s standard over the mountains of\n      Scotland, who repeated three times that simple and pathetic prayer,\n      before he was killed at Airs-moss, _Lord, spare the green, and take\n      the ripe_ (Id. p. 203) From a letter written from Holland, 7th\n      December, 1685, by Mr. Robert Hamilton of Preston, it may be seen\n      how much Mr. Koelman interested himself in the affairs of the\n      Scottish refugees (Faithful Contendings Displayed, pp. 203-205, 214,\n      215). There is prefixed to a Dutch translation of Binning\u2019s Common\n      Principles of the Christian Religion, which was executed and\n      published by Koelman at Amsterdam in 1678, a Memoir of the author.\n      Koelman acknowledges he had derived all his information respecting\n      Binning from a letter which he had received from Mr. Macward,\n      through a mutual friend. This letter, or a copy of it, with some\n      other of Macward\u2019s MSS., was in the possession of the publisher of\n      the duodecimo volume of the sermons of the author, printed at\n      Glasgow, 1760 (Preface, pp. iv, xxv). Koelman concludes his Memoir\n      of Binning, which contains some excellent pious reflections, but\n      almost no facts with which the English reader is not already\n      acquainted, with a feeling allusion to his ejection from his charge\n      at \u201cSluys in Vlaanderen.\u201d After this painful separation from his\n      flock, besides writing many useful original works, he seems to have\n      employed his leisure in translating into his native language some of\n      the most esteemed practical writings of foreign divines, such as\n      _Guthrie\u2019s Great Concern, Rutherford\u2019s Letters_, &c. Dr. Steven\u2019s\n      Hist. ut supra.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   89 [Adverting to a sermon, which was preached by Mr. Matthew M\u2019Kell, at\n      a field meeting in the year 1669, Wodrow says, that he was \u201ca true\n      Nathanael, and a very plain dealer\u201d (Hist. of the Suf. of Ch. of\n      Scot., vol. ii. p. 127). After having been, on different occasions\n      brought before the Privy council, and imprisoned, he was, on the 8th\n      of January, 1674, upon his refusing to engage not to preach, ordered\n      to confine himself to the parish of Carluke, and security was\n      required from him that he would appear before the Council at their\n      summons (Id. vol. i. pp. 371, 372, vol. ii. p. 248. See also History\n      of Indulgence, p. 36). He died at Edinburgh, in March 1681 (Laws\n      Memorialis, p. 183).\n\n      Wodrow does not speak with much confidence, as to the degree of\n      propinquity which existed betwixt Mr. Matthew M\u2019Kail minister of\n      Bothwell and Mr. Hugh M\u2019Kail, the young licentiate who was executed\n      at Edinburgh, 22d Dec, 1666, for being concerned in the insurrection\n      at Pentland. But Colonel Wallace, who commanded the insurgents on\n      that unfortunate occasion, styles \u201cMr. Hugh M\u2019Kell son of Mr.\n      Matthew M\u2019Kell minister of Bothwell\u201d (Wallace\u2019s Narrative of the\n      Rising at Pentland, in Dr M\u2019Crie\u2019s Memoirs of Veitch and Brysson, p.\n      430). The unhappy father was allowed to see his son in prison, after\n      his sentence. There is an affecting account in Naphtali (pp. 339,\n      345) of this mournful interview, and of another which took place on\n      the morning of the execution. The address of young M\u2019Kail on the\n      scaffold concluded with these sublime expressions\u2014\u201cFarewell, father\n      and mother, friends and relations. Farewell the world, and all\n      delights. Farewell meat and drink. Farewell sun, moon and stars.\n      Welcome God and Father! Welcome sweet Lord Jesus the Mediator of the\n      new covenant! Welcome blessed Spirit of grace, and God of all\n      consolation! Welcome glory! Welcome eternal life! Welcome death!\u201d\n      (Id. p. 348 Edin. 1761). We are told by Kirkton that \u201cwhen Mr.\n      M\u2019Kail died, there was such a lamentation as was never known in\n      Scotland before, not one dry cheek upon all the street or in all the\n      numberless windows in the market place\u201d (Hist. of Ch. of Scot. p.\n      249). It was discovered afterwards, that Burnet, archbishop of\n      Glasgow, had in his possession at the time, a letter from the king,\n      forbidding any more blood to be shed. But to the disgrace of his\n      sacred profession, and of his feelings as a man, \u201cBurnet let the\n      execution go on, before he produced his letter, pretending there was\n      no council day between\u201d\u2014Burnet\u2019s Hist. of his own Times, vol. ii. p.\n      435 Oxford, 1833.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   90 [All accounts agree in stating that Mr. Hugh M\u2019Kail, minister in\n      Edinburgh, was uncle to the preacher of the same name who was\n      executed. The minister of Bothwell, therefore, instead of being the\n      father, must have been the brother of the minister in Edinburgh. In\n      the years 1636, and 1637, when Mr. Samuel Rutherford was in\n      Aberdeen, according to his own description of himself, \u201ca poor\n      Joseph, and prisoner,\u201d with whom his \u201cmother\u2019s children were angry,\u201d\n      he wrote several letters to Mr. Hugh M\u2019Kail, in answer to others\n      which he received from him (Rutherford\u2019s Letters, pp. 41, 247, 272,\n      292 _Sixth edition_ Edin., 1738). The name of Mr. Hugh M\u2019Kail is\n      included in the list of ministers who, on the 19th of August 1643,\n      were by the General Assembly appointed Commissioners for the\n      Visitation of the University of Glasgow (Evidence of Royal\n      Commissioners for Visiting the Universities of Scotland, vol. ii. p.\n      261, London, 1837). Mr. Hugh M\u2019Kail, minister at Irvine, was\n      likewise one of the ministers commissioned by the Assembly, in 1644,\n      to visit the church in Ulster (Dr. Reid\u2019s History of the\n      Presbyterian Church in Ireland, vol. ii. p. 57). As a further proof\n      of the estimation in which he was held by his brethren, when it was\n      proposed by the Assembly, in 1648, to recommend to the general\n      session of Edinburgh six ministers, that they might choose four from\n      these to fill their vacant churches, Mr. Hugh M\u2019Kail was selected to\n      be one of the number (Baillie\u2019s Letters, vol. ii. p. 303). He was a\n      Resolutioner (Id. p. 387). He died in 1660 (Lamont\u2019s Diary, p. 121)\n      The editor of Kirkton\u2019s History of the Church of Scotland for the\n      purpose of bringing ridicule upon the presbyterian clergy of that\n      day, quotes a passage from the MS. sermons of Mr. Hugh M\u2019Kail. We\n      are much mistaken, however, if on reading that passage and after\n      making some allowance for an antiquated style, and a certain degree\n      of quaintness, one of the characteristics of the age,\u2014the impression\n      produced upon the mind of any candid person, who admires strong good\n      sense, though presented in a homely dress, is not in a very high\n      degree favourable to the character and talents of the author (See\n      Kirkton\u2019s History, pp. 227, 228). In the preface to Stevenson\u2019s\n      History of the Church and State of Scotland, reference is made to a\n      manuscript, having this title, \u201cA true relation of the Prelates\n      their practice for introducing the Service book, &c, upon the Church\n      of Scotland, and the Subjects, their lawful proceedings in opposing\n      the same.\u201d This manuscript, Mr. Stevenson observes, was believed to\n      have belonged to \u201cone of the Mr. Mackails, once famous ministers in\n      this church\u201d. Some information respecting it will be found in the\n      Appendix (pp. 191, 192) to Lord Rothess\u2019 Relation of Proceedings\n      concerning the Affairs of the Kirk of Scotland, printed in\n      Edinburgh, 1830. for the Bannatyne Club.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   91 [It appears from the dedication prefixed to the \u201cTheses Theologic\u00e6,\n      Metaphysic\u00e6, Mathematic\u00e6 et Ethic\u00e6, Preside Jacobo Darimplio, Glasg.\n      Excudebat Georgius Andersonus, An. Dom. 1646,\u201d that \u201cHugo Binningus\u201d\n      graduated \u201cad diem 27 Julii, Anno Domini 1646.\u201d Under the ancient\n      Statutes of the University, no student was entitled to receive the\n      degree of master, till he had reached his twentieth year. But this\n      rule was not always strictly adhered to (Report of the Royal\n      Commission of Inquiry into the state of the Universities of\n      Scotland, appointed in 1830, p. 220). Binning was not nineteen years\n      of age at the date of his laureation. His distinguished\n      contemporary, Mr. George Gillespie, took his degree in his\n      seventeenth year.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   92 [General Monk, who, for the part he took in the restoration of\n      Charles the Second, was made Duke of Albemarle, encouraged most\n      during the time he was in Scotland the _Resolutioners_, while\n      Cromwell, on the other hand, befriended the _Protesters_ (Life of\n      General Monk, by Dr. Gumble, one of his chaplains, who was with Monk\n      in Scotland, p. 51, London, 1671). Monk professed to be a\n      Presbyterian (\u201cThe Mystery and Method of His Majesty\u2019s Happy\n      Restoration,\u201d by John Price, D.D., one of the late Duke of\n      Albemarle\u2019s chaplains. Baron Masseres, Tracts, pp. 723, 775). \u201cIn\n      Scotland Mr. Robert Douglas [one of the ministers of Edinburgh] was\n      the first so far as I can find, who ventured to propose the king\u2019s\n      restoration to General Monk, and that very early. He travelled, it\n      is said, _incognito_ in England, and in Scotland engaged\n      considerable numbers of noblemen and gentlemen in this project. From\n      his own original papers, I find that when Monk returned from his\n      first projected march into England, Mr. Douglas met him and engaged\n      him again in the attempt\u201d\u2014Wodrow\u2019s Hist. of the Ch. of Scot., vol.\n      i. p. 59.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   93 [Physiologia Nova Experimentalis, Lugd. Bat. 1686.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   94 [The Appointment of Mr. James Dalrymple, as one of the Regents of\n      the University of Glasgow, took place by \u201cId Martu 1641\u201d (Annales\n      Colleg\u00e6). He was then only twenty two years of age. In the year\n      1635, a clause was introduced into the oath, which the Regents were\n      required to take at their election, binding them to resign their\n      situation in the event of their marriage. Accordingly, having\n      married in 1643, Mr. Dalrymple vacated his charge, but was\n      immediately afterwards re-elected. Sir Walter Scott has said of\n      James Dalrymple, that he was \u201cone of the most eminent lawyers that\n      ever lived, though the labours of his powerful mind were unhappily\n      exercised on a subject so limited as Scottish Jurisprudence, on\n      which he has composed an admirable work.\u201d It has been properly\n      observed, that during the whole of the seventeenth century, not only\n      at Glasgow, but in the other universities of Scotland, \u201cthe Regents,\n      or Teachers of Philosophy (with very few exceptions), were young men\n      who had recently finished their academical studies, and who were\n      destined for the church. The course of study which it was their duty\n      to conduct, was calculated to form habits of severe application in\n      early life, and to give them great facility both in writing and in\n      speaking. The universities had the advantage of their services\n      during the vigour of life, when they were unencumbered by domestic\n      cares, and when they felt how much their reputation and interest\n      depended on the exertions which they made. After serving a few years\n      (seldom more than eight, or less than four), they generally obtained\n      appointments in the church, and thus transferred to another field\n      the intellectual industry and aptitude for communicating knowledge,\n      by which they had distinguished themselves in the university. It may\n      well be conceived that, by stimulating and exemplifying diligence,\n      their influence on their brethren in the ministry was not less\n      considerable than on the parishioners, who more directly enjoyed the\n      benefit of attainments and experience more mature, than can be\n      expected from such as have never had access to similar means of\n      improvement.\u201d Rep. of Roy. Com. ut. supra, p. 221.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   95 [About the same period Mr. Alexander Jamieson, who was afterwards\n      minister of Govan, obtained the appointment of Regent in the\n      University of St. Andrews, after engaging in a public disputation.\n      The description of what took place on that occasion given by Mr.\n      John Lamont of Newton, is not devoid of interest as a picture of the\n      times\u20141649 Apr. 10, 11\u2014\u201cTher were three younge men that did disputte\n      for the vacant regents place in St. Leonard\u2019s Colledge, Mr. David\n      Nauee, (formerlie possessing the same, bot now deposed, as is spoken\n      before), viz., Mr. Alex Jamesone, ane Edenbroughe man, having for\n      his subject, _Syllogismus_, Mr. William Diledaffe, a Cuper man, his\n      subject, _Liberum Arbitrium_, and Mr. James Weymes, a St. Androus\n      man, he having _De Anima_ for his subject. All the tyme they had\n      ther speeches, ther heads werre couered, bot when they came to the\n      disputte, they were vncouered. Ther werre three of the five\n      ministers forsaide present at the disputs, viz., Mr. Alexander\n      Moncriefe, Mr. Walt. Greige, and Mr. Ja. Sharpe [afterwards\n      archbishop of St. Andrews], wha had decisive voices in the electione\n      of a Regent (thir werre the first ministers that ever had voice in\n      the electione of a measter to ane of the colledges there, the\n      custome formerlie, and of olde, was, that every colledge had\n      libertie to chose thir owne measters) For Mr. Ja. Weymes he was the\n      warst of the three, for in the disputs, he bracke Priscian\u2019s head\n      verry often, for Mr. Alex. James and Mr. Wil. Diled they werre\n      judged _pares_ by the wholle meitting, so that after longe debeatte,\n      they werre forcet to cast lotts, and the lott fell upon Mr. Alex\n      Jamesone wha did succeide to the forsaide vacant regents place. Mr.\n      Wil. Diled got a promise (bot with difficultie) of the next vacant\n      place. Mr. Ro. Noue, professor of Humanitie in the said colledge,\n      had no voice in the forsaide electione because, he was not present\n      at all the meittings of the disputs.\u201d\u2014(Lamont\u2019s Diary, p. 4, Edin.\n      1830)\n\n      The last instance of a public competition for a chair in the\n      University of Glasgow, occurred towards the close of the seventeenth\n      century soon after the Revolution. It is remarkable enough that in\n      this case also, the result was ultimately determined by lot. \u201cA\n      programme was immediately published, and on the day appointed no\n      less than nine candidates appeared to enter the lists in a\n      comparative trial. All of them acquitted themselves so well during\n      the whole course of a long trial that the electors were at a loss\n      whom to choose. Setting aside some of the nine who were thought less\n      deserving, they could not find a ground of preference among the\n      rest. It was therefore resolved, after prayer to God, to commit the\n      choice to lot. The lot fell upon Mr. John Law, and a present of five\n      pounds stirling was given to each of the other candidates. One of\n      the competitors was Mr. William Jamieson, a blind man known to the\n      learned world by his writings. He was after some years chosen to\n      give public lectures in the college upon Ecclesiastical History for\n      which he had a pension from the Crown till his death.\u201d\u2014MS. History\n      of the University of Glasgow, written by Dr. Thomas Reid, formerly\n      Professor of Moral Philosophy.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   96 [The day of his election was \u201ciiij Cal. Nov 1646 (Annal. Colleg.)\u201d\n      The _Nova Erectio_ or foundation charter, granted to the University\n      of Glasgow 13th July, 1577, in the minority of James VI, made\n      provision for the appointment of three Regents, or Professors, along\n      with the Principal. The first Regent was required to teach Rhetoric\n      and Greek, the second Logic, Ethics, and the principles of\n      Arithmetic and Geometry, and the third, who was also sub principal,\n      Physiology, Geography, _Astrology_, and Chronology (See Copy of the\n      _Nova Erectio_ in Evidence for University Commissioners for Scotland\n      vol. 8. p. 241 London, 1837). In the year 1581, the Archbishop of\n      Glasgow gifted to the University the customs of the city, which\n      enabled them to establish the office of a fourth Regent, to whom was\n      allotted exclusively the teaching of Greek, and, sometime previous\n      to the year 1637, a fifth Regent was chosen, who was Professor of\n      Humanity, \u201chumanitarum literarum\u201d (Old Stat. Acc. of Scot., vol xxi.\n      Append. pp 24, 25). This professorship however, was not permanently\n      established till the year 1706 (Rep. of Roy. Com. appointed in 1830,\n      p. 241). By the foundation-charter the Regents were restricted to\n      particular professions, or departments of academical instruction,\n      that they might be found better qualified for the discharge of their\n      different functions (ut adolescentes qui gradatim ascendunt, dignium\n      suis studus et ingenuus pr\u00e6ceptorem repettre queant). But this\n      practice, as will be seen from the following minute of a University\n      Commission, was changed in the year 1642. \u201cThe Visitat on after\n      tryall, taking to consideration that everie Regent within the\n      Colledge has beine accustomed hithertills to continue for more years\n      togithere, in and on the same professione so that the schollers of\n      one and the self-same class are necessitat yearlye to change theire\n      masters, have found it more profitable and expedient, that the\n      present course of teaching the schollers be altered, and that everie\n      master educate his own schollers through all the foure classes,\n      quhalk is appointed to begin presentlie thus that the classes, which\n      are taken up with the masters the zeir they go on with them, so that\n      Mr. David Munro having the Magistrand [or oldest] classe now, he\n      take the Bejane classe [or the youngest students, the _Bejani_,\n      derived from the French word _bejaune_, a novice] the next zeir.\u201d\n      (_Sessio 2__da__, September 17_. Evid. for Univ. Com. ut supra p.\n      260). This new mode of instruction continued to be followed till the\n      year 1727, when the old system enjoined in the foundation charter\n      was revived (Rep. of Roy. Com. ut supra p. 223). It is said that Dr.\n      Thomas Rand, the celebrated philosopher, was an advocate of the\n      system of ambulatory professors, which was adhered to in Kings\n      College, Aberdeen down to the beginning of the present century (Old\n      Stat Acc. of Scot., vol. xxi. Append., p. 83). The first class that\n      Binning taught was the class of the _Bejani_ (Wodrow\u2019s Analecta,\n      vol. i, p. 338. MSS in Bib. Ad.). He and the other Regents were all\n      styled \u201cProfessors of Philosophy.\u201d Appendix to Spottiswood\u2019s Hist.\n      of Ch. of Scot., p. 22, London, 1777.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   97 [It was the custom of the Regents to _dictate_, to the students\n      their observations on such parts of the writings of Aristotle,\n      Porphyry, and others, as were read in their classes. This was done\n      in Latin which was the only language allowed to be used by the\n      students even in their common conversation. At a meeting of\n      commissioners from the different universities of Scotland, which was\n      held at Edinburgh on the 24th of July, 1648, one of the resolutions\n      agreed upon, was to this effect\u2014\u201cBecause the _diting_ [dictating] of\n      long notes has in time past proved a hindrance, not only to\n      necessary studies, but also to a knowledge of the text itself, and\n      to the examination of such things as are taught, it is therefore\n      seriously recommended by the commissioners to the dean and faculty\n      of arts that the regents spend not so much time in _diting_ of their\n      notes, that no new lesson be taught till the former be examined.\u201d\n      (Bower\u2019s History of the University of Edinburgh, vol. i. p. 244).\n      Binning, it is said, \u201cdictated all his notes off hand\u201d (Wodrow\u2019s\n      Analecta, vol. i. p. 338. MS in Bib. Ad.) Had he lived it was\n      thought \u201che had been one of the greatest schoolmen of his time.\u201d\u2014Id.\n      vol. v. p. 342.\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n   98 [Long after the publication of the _Novum Organum_ of Lord Bacon and\n      even after the successful application of his principles by Sir Isaac\n      Newton and Locke, the logic and metaphysics of Aristotle continued\n      to occupy the chief place, in the course of instruction, in the most\n      celebrated universities of Europe. The first great reform, in the\n      mode of teaching philosophy, introduced into the college of Glasgow,\n      was effected through a royal visitation, which took place in 1727.\n      \u201cThe improvements in this university,\u201d says Professor Jardine,\n      arising from the regulations introduced by the royal visitation,\n      were greatly promoted by the appointment, which took place shortly\n      afterwards of more than one professor of singular zeal and ability.\n      The first of these was Dr. Francis Hutcheson. This celebrated\n      philosopher, whose mind was stored with the rarest gifts of\n      learning, illustrated, with a copious and splendid eloquence, the\n      amiable system of morality which is still associated with his name,\n      producing thus the happiest effects not only on his own students but\n      also on his colleagues, and infusing at once a more liberal spirit,\n      and a greater degree of industry, into all the departments of\n      teaching. Great obstacles, however, still remained. The professor of\n      the first philosophy class according to the practice of the times\n      continued to deliver his lectures in the Latin language, a method of\n      instruction which, although it must long have proved a great\n      impediment to the ready communication of knowledge on the part of\n      the teacher, and to the reception of it on the part of the pupil,\n      was not discontinued in this college, till upon the following\n      occasion.\n\n      In the year 1750 Adam Smith was appointed professor of logic and,\n      being rather unexpectedly called to discharge the duties of his\n      office he found it necessary to read to his pupils in the English\n      language, a course of lectures on rhetoric and belles lettres, which\n      he had formerly delivered in Edinburgh. It was only during one\n      session however, that he gave these lectures, for at the end of it,\n      he was elected professor of moral philosophy and it was on the\n      occasion of this vacancy in the logic chair that Edmund Burke whose\n      genius led him afterwards to shine in a more exalted sphere was\n      thought of, by some of the electors, as a proper person to fill it.\n      He did not, however, actually come forwurd as a candidate, and the\n      gentleman who was appointed to succeed Dr. Smith, without\n      introducing any change as to the subjects formerly taught in the\n      logic class, followed the example of his illustrious predecessor in\n      giving his prelections in English.\u2014Outlines of Philosophical\n      Education Illustrated by the Method of Teaching the Logic class in\n      the University of Glasgow, pp. 20-21, Glasgow 182.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n   99 [The office of principal of the University of Glasgow was disjoined\n      from the cure of the parish of Govan, in 1621, and the immediate\n      predecessor of Binning was Mr. William Wilkie, who was deposed by\n      the synod on the 29th of April, 1649. \u201cMr. William Wilkie, I\n      thought,\u201d says Principal Baillie \u201cwas unjustly put out of Govan,\n      albeit his very evil carriage since, has declared more of his sins.\u201d\n      (MS Letters, vol. iii., p. 849, in Bib. Col. Glas.)\n\n      There are certain extracts from the letters of Mr. William Wilkie to\n      Dr. Balcanqubal, dean of Rochester, published in Lord Hailes\u2019s\n      Memorials and Letters (vol. ii pp. 47, 48). The learned judge,\n      however, has mistaken the name Wilkie for _Willie_. Not knowing,\n      therefore, who the writer of the letter was, he says, in a note,\n      \u201cThis _Willie_ appears to have been a sort of ecclesiastical spy\n      employed by Balcanqubal the great confident of Charles I. in every\n      thing relating to Scotland\u201d (Ibid.). In his preface, Lord Hailes\n      acknowledges that the letters he has published were \u201cchiefly\n      transcribed from the manuscripts, amassed with indefatigable\n      industry by the late Mr. Robert Wodrow.\u201d But Wodrow himself states,\n      in his Life of Dr. Strang (Wodrow MSS, vol. xiii, pp. 4, 5, in Bib.\n      Coll. Glasg.), that he was possessed of six original letters, which\n      had been written by Mr. William Wilkie, minister of Govan, during\n      the sitting of the famous Glasgow Assembly in 1638, and addressed to\n      Dr. Balcanqubal, who had come down to Scotland with the Marquis of\n      Hamilton, the Lord Commissioner, and was then residing in Hamilton\n      palace. He also informs us that these and some other letters were\n      discovered \u201cafter Naseby encounter, or some other, where Dr.\n      Balcanqubal happened to be, in a trunk found among the baggage,\n      which fell into the hands of the parliament\u2019s army.\u201d Wilkie\u2019s\n      letters contained an account of the proceedings of the Assembly,\n      Wodrow says, not very favourable to the majority there. And he then\n      adds it was \u201cfrom these and such other informations upon the one\n      side, Doctor Balcanqubal drew up The Large Declaration, under the\n      Kings name, in 1642.\u201d At the time of the Glasgow Assembly, Mr.\n      William Wilkie was one of the regents of the university.\n\n      Since this was written, Wilkie\u2019s letters have been printed, without\n      abridgment in the Appendix to vol. of a new edition of Ballie\u2019s\n      Letters, published at Edinburgh by the Bannatyne club.\n\n      \u201cThe originals of all these letters are contained in folio vol. xxv.\n      of the Wodrow manuscripts, which is now preserved among the Archives\n      of the Church of Scotland.\u201d\u2014Id. p. 481.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  100 [The estate of Trochrigg which is one of the largest in the parish\n      of Girvan, in the county of Ayr, is now the property of John\n      Hutchieson Fergusson Esq. It was sold by the descendants of the\n      ancient proprietors about the year 1782. It was to his paternal\n      residence at Brodrigg that Principal Boyd retired with his family in\n      1621, when he resigned his office as Principal of the University of\n      Glasgow, and it was in this retreat he wrote the Latin poem\n      entitled, _Ad Christum Servatorem Hecatombe_. This beautiful poem\n      has been justly described to be, cannon totius fere Christian\u00e6\n      Religionis, seu evangeli \u00e6 doctrin\u00e6 medullam, vel compendium verius,\n      cultissians dul tissimisque versibus, ex intimoque Latio petitis,\n      stropbarum Sopphicarum centuria lectori ob oculos proponens, \u201ca song\n      embracing almost the whole of the Christian religion, or placing\n      before the eyes of the reader in a hundred Sapphic stanzas, the\n      marrow, or rather a compend of evangelical doctrine, in the most\n      polished and mellifluent verses and in language taken from that of\n      the Augustan age.\u201d (Poet. Scot. Musa. Sacr\u00e6, p. 198, pr\u00e6f\u00e6tio, vol.\n      vi., Edin., 1739. Life of Boyd, Wodrow MSS., vol. xv. p. 123 in Bib.\n      Coll. Glas.).\n\n      The commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians (Roberts Bodn, A\n      frocheregia Scoti, In Epistolam ad Ephesios Pr\u00e6lectiones, fol. pp.\n      1236. London, 1652) contains the substance of the Lectures, which\n      Boyd delivered, when he was a professor of theology in the\n      University of Saumur. This is attested by his cousin Mr. Zachary\n      Boyd, who was one of the Regents at Saumur, and attended the\n      delivery of them (harum prelectionum assidutis tuit auditor). Some\n      time after the death of the learned and pious author, a copy of the\n      _Pr\u00e6lectiones_ was transmitted to Holland to his friend Andreas\n      Rivetus, that he might superintend the printing of it. As Chouet, a\n      well known Genevese printer, happened to be in Holland at the time,\n      Rivetus parted with the manuscripts to him, that they might be put\n      to press immediately on his return to Switzerland. But,\n      unfortunately, the vessel in which the manuscripts were shipped was\n      taken by another vessel from Dunkirk, and having thus fallen into\n      the hands of some Jesuits they never could be recovered. Rivetus\n      consoled himself with the reflection that the original manuscripts,\n      in the author\u2019s own hand writing, were safe in Scotland in the\n      keeping of the family. The church and the nation, however, being at\n      this period in such a distracted state, the work was not given to\n      the world till the year 1652, when it was published by the London\n      Stationers Company, (Andrea Riveti Epistoli de vita, scriptis,\n      moribus, et feliei exitu Roberti Bodn, ante Prelectiones Bodn)\n      though the General Assembly had passed numerous acts, and entered\n      into arrangements with different printers for the purpose. See Index\n      of Unprinted Acts for the years 1645, 1646 and 1647.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  101 [When the Presbytery of Glasgow had met on the 22d August 1649, \u201cThe\n      parochineris of Govane gave in ane supplicatione shewing that\n      whereas you are destitute of ane minister, and being certanelie\n      informed of the qualifications of Mr. Hew Binnen, one of ye regents\n      of ye colledge of Glasgow, for ye work of ye ministrie,\u201d they were\n      unanimously desirous he should be sent to preach to them, \u201cso soone\n      as he shall have past his tryels.\u201d The presbytery, in consequence of\n      this supplication, \u201cordaines Mr. Patrik Gillespie, moderator of the\n      presbyterie to wrytt to ye said Mr. Hew, to acquaint him wt the\n      desyre of the parochineris of Govane, and to repar to the presbytery\n      to undertake his tryels for ye effect forsaid.\u201d Records of the\n      Presbytery of Glasgow.\n\n      On the 5th September, 1649, \u201cMr. Robert Ramsay reported Mr. Hew\n      Binnen had exercised on the text prescribed, and had geven the\n      brethrene full satisfaction. He is ordained to handle the\n      contraversie scientia media, and to give in theses thereupon.\u201d Id.\n\n      \u201cSept 19, 1649\u2014The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen gave in theses upon the\n      contraversie prescribed unto him, de scientia media, to be sustenit\n      by him, he presbyterie appoint him to handle this contraversie this\n      daye eight dayes at nyne houres.\u201d Id.\n\n      \u201cSept 26, 1649\u2014The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen made his Latin lesson, de\n      scientia media, and sustenit the disputt thairupon, and was approven\n      in both. The following ministers were present, Mr. Patrik Gillespie,\n      Mr. David Dicksone, Doctor Jhone Strang, Mr. Zach. Boyde, Mr. George\n      Young, Mr. Hew Blair, Mr. Gab. Conyngham, Mr. David Benett, Mr.\n      Matthew Mackill. Mr. Wm. Young, Mr. Arch. Dennestoune, Mr. Jhone\n      Carstaires, Mr. James Hamilton.\u201d The presbytery \u201cordaines Mr. Hugh\n      Binnen to make ye exercise this daye fyfteen dayes, and the rest of\n      his tryels to be ye said day.\u201d Id.\n\n      On the 10th October, 1649, after Mr. Hugh had \u201cexercised\u201d\u2014\u201ccompeared\n      the laird of Pollok and the parochineris of Govane, and desyred that\n      Mr. Hew Binnen might preach to them the next Lordis daye, qlk was\n      granted, and he ordained to go and preach yr.\u201d Id.\n\n      On the 24th Oct., 1649, \u201cCompeared the parochineris of Govane, and\n      gave in ane call to have Mr. Hew Binnen to be their minister.\u201d Id.\n\n      \u201cDecember 19, 1649\u2014The qlk day Mr. Hew Binnen handled the\n      contraversie, de satisfactione Christi, and sustenit the disputt\n      upon the theses given in be him, and was approven.\u201d Id.\n\n      On the 2d January, 1650, his admission to the ministerial charge of\n      the parish of Govan is appointed to take place \u201cnext Fryday.\u201d The\n      minister who presided on that occasion was Mr. David Dickson, who\n      was one of the professors of Theology in the University of Glasgow.\n      Id.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  102 [Dr. John Strang, who was the son of Mr. William Strang, minister of\n      Irvine, was born in the year 1584. He studied at the University of\n      St. Andrews, where he took the degree of master at sixteen. After\n      having been a regent in St. Leonard\u2019s college for several years, he\n      was ordained in 1614, minister of Errol, in the Presbytery of Perth.\n      When Cameron _le grand_, as he was called, (Vide Bayle\u2019s Dict. Art.\n      Cameron) resigned his situation as principal of the University of\n      Glasgow, Dr. Strong succeeded him. He died at Edinburgh, on the 20th\n      of June, 1654, in the seventieth year of his age and was buried near\n      his distinguished predecessor, Principal Boyd. At his death, an old\n      friend and very learned man, _Andreas Rawin\u00e6us octogenarius_,\n      composed some Latin verses, as an affectionate tribute to his\n      memory. These may be seen in a short Life of Dr. Strang which was\n      written by Baillie and prefixed to Dr. Strang\u2019s work, _De\n      Interpretatione et Perfectione Scriptur\u00e6, Rotterodami_, 1663. It is\n      from this Life the preceding particulars respecting the learned\n      author have been taken.\n\n      It appears to have been chiefly through the influence of Archbishop\n      Law, who was his cousin, that Dr. Strang was made principal of the\n      University of Glasgow. When the latter understood that\n      _Trocheregius_ wished to be reinstated in his office, a\n      correspondence took place betwixt them, which is in the highest\n      degree honourable to the feelings and character of Dr. Strang. This\n      correspondence is inserted by Wodrow in his _Life of Robert Boyd of\n      Trochrig_ (Wodrow MSS. vol. xv. pp. 99-104 in Bib. coll. Glasg.).\n      Butler represents Dr. Strang to have been an acute philosopher, and\n      second to none in the kingdom as a disputant (nullique ad hunc usque\n      diem, in nostra gente, hac in parte secundus. Vita Autoris, ut\n      supra.) The strongly expressed commendation of such a man was no\n      mean compliment to Binning\u2019s talents and learning. Wodrow says he\n      was told by a neighbouring clergyman, Mr. Patrick Simson, minister\n      of Renfrew, who was ordained the same year that Binning died, and\n      who lived for some years after the commencement of the following\n      century, \u201cyt qn they were seeking to get old principal Strang out of\n      the colledge, ye principal said, \u2018Ye are seeking to get me out of my\n      place, qm have ye to fill my room? I know none, unless it be a young\n      man newly come out of the school, viz., Mr. Hugh Binning\u2019 \u201d\n      (Analecta, vol. iv. p. 171. MSS in Bib. Ad.)\u2014The Presbytery Records\n      show that the common head which was presented to Binning was not,\n      _De concursu_, &c, but one closely allied to it: _De scientia\n      media_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  103 [See his epitaph, p. 1.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  104 [Her name was _Mary_, or _Maria_ Simpson. The inventory of the\n      effects of \u201cMr. Hew Binning, at Govane, deceiasit in ye monith of\n      Sept. 1658,\u201d is given up \u201cbe Marie Sympsone, his relict, and onlie\n      exerix dative.\u201d (Com. Rec. Glasg.). Towards the close of her life,\n      Mrs. Binning became connected with the Society people. She seems to\n      have corresponded with the Rev. James Renwick, one of their\n      ministers, who, in a letter dated July 9, 1685, speaks of her as\n      \u201clike to die in prison,\u201d and in another, of her having \u201cgone to\n      Ireland\u201d (Renwick\u2019s Letters, pp. 104, 179). Howie of Lochgoin, the\n      author of \u201cLives of the Scots Worthies,\u201d assures us that it is Mrs.\n      Binning who is alluded to by Renwick in his Letters pp. 49, 104. He\n      likewise quotes part of a letter written to her in 1692 by Sir\n      Robert Hamilton of Preston, who commanded the army of the\n      Covenanters at the battle of Bothwell bridge (Shields\u2019 Faithful\n      Contendings, pp. 486, 487). In a catalogue of the manuscripts of the\n      Rev. Robert Wodrow, minister of Eastwood, which is in the library of\n      the Faculty of Advocates vol. xxiv. folio is stated to contain \u201c50\n      letters from Mrs. Binning to Mr. Ham.\u201d It is not known where this\n      volume is now to be found.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  105 [\u201cThe Rev. James Simpson was chaplain to the Lord Sinclair\u2019s\n      regiment. He appears to have settled in the charge of a congregation\n      in Ulster, perhaps at Newry, which was the headquarters of his\n      regiment for several years\u2014He was still in his charge in Ireland in\n      1650 in which year the Rev. Hugh Binning, minister of Govan, was\n      married to his daughter.\u201d Dr. Reid\u2019s History of the Presbyterian\n      Church in Ireland, vol. i. pp. 369, 370.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  106 [What Koelman says is this that the adjoining parish to which he and\n      his friends went was the one in which after sermon, the marriage\n      ceremony was to be performed. Mrs. Binning it is probable was\n      residing there at the time.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  107 [His eloquence procured for him, according to Macward, the name of\n      the Scots Cicero. Along with a distinct articulation be possessed\n      great fluency. When he preached in Glasgow, which being the minister\n      of a neighbouring parish was frequently the case, he was much\n      admired and followed (Koelman\u2019s \u201cHet Leven en Sterven van Mr. Hugo\n      Binning\u201d prefixed to his translation of Binning\u2019s Common Principles\n      of the Christian Religion). With regard to the estimation in which\n      as a preacher, he was held in his own parish, his mode of preaching\n      being so completely different from what they had been accustomed to,\n      it is said \u201che was more valued by Govan people after his death, than\n      when alive.\u201d Analecta, vol. i. p. 338, MSS in Bib. Ad.\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  108 [The writer of \u201cA Short Account of the Life and Writings of Mr. Hugh\n      Binning,\u201d prefixed to the small volume of his sermons, published for\n      the first time in 1760, remarks \u201cBy the _haranguing way_ I suppose\n      he means those sermons that are not divided or sub-divided into\n      dominant observations and heads, marked by the numbers 1, 2, 3, &c.\n      But the reader will see many of these discourses, where there are no\n      figures, no first, second, third, or any number of heads mentioned,\n      as regularly divided or sub-divided, as those sermons where we will\n      see a good number of doctrines and heads.\u2026 Some useful sermons have\n      been often perplexed with a great multitude of minds consisting of\n      two or three sentences without any proof or illustrations of which\n      the hearer or reader will remember or retain less than some sermons\n      that contain five or six heads, or have not their distinct divisions\n      marked with different figures or faces;\u201d pp. xxii-xxiii.\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  109 [It being \u201cthe perfection of art to conceal art.\u201d\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  110 [Mr. James Durham, minister of the Inner High church, Glasgow, was\n      the son and heir of John Durham of Easter Powrie, now named\n      Wedderburn, a considerable estate in the parish of Muirhouse, and\n      county of Forfar (Old Stat. Acc. of Scot., vol. xiii, pp. 162, 163).\n      In the time of the civil wars, and before he contemplated being a\n      clergyman, he was a captain in the army. He held the office of\n      king\u2019s chaplain, when Charles the Second was in Scotland. The\n      description which \u201cOld Aitkenhead, who had it from the gentlewoman,\u201d\n      gave, of Cromwell\u2019s visit, in April 1651, to the High church of\n      Glasgow, where Mr. Durham was preaching, is this: \u201cThe first seat\n      that offered him was P. Porterfield\u2019s, where Miss Porterfield sat,\n      and she, seeing him an English officer, was almost not civil.\n      However he got in and sat next Miss Porterfield. After sermon was\n      over he asked the minister\u2019s name. She sullenly enough told him, and\n      desired to know wherefore he asked. He said because he perceived him\n      to be a very great man, and in his opinion might be chaplain to any\n      prince in Europe, though he had never seen him nor heard of him\n      before. She inquired about him, and found it was O. Cromwell\u201d\n      (Wodrow\u2019s Anal., vol. v. p. 186, MSS in Bib. Ad.).\n\n      Mr. Durham sided neither with the Resolutionists nor Protestors. For\n      this he was strongly blamed at the time by Principal Baillie, who\n      took a keen part in the controversy, (Let. and Jour., vol. ii. p.\n      376) though after his death, he recorded, in the following terms,\n      his opinion of Mr. Durham\u2019s character and talents. \u201cFrom the day I\n      was employed by the presbytery to preach, and to pray, and to\n      impose, with others, hands upon him, for the ministry at Glasgow, I\n      did live to the very last with him in great and uninterrupted love,\n      and in high estimation of his egregious endowments, which made him\n      to me precious among the most excellent divines I have been\n      acquainted with in the whole isle. O, if it were the good pleasure\n      of the Master of the vineyard to plant many such noble vines in this\n      land!\u201d (Durham\u2019s Commentary upon the book of Revelation, Address to\n      the Reader, p. vi). The work written by Durham, entitled, \u201cThe Law\n      Unsealed, or a Practical Exposition of the Ten Commandments,\u201d has\n      commendatory prefaces prefixed to it, by two distinguished English\n      puritans, Dr. John Owen, and Mr. William Jenkyn. Dr. Owen wrote\n      likewise a preface to the Clavis Cantici, or an Exposition of the\n      Song of Solomon, by James Durham, minister at Glasgow, 4to, 1669.\n      Doubts have been expressed, however, whether Wood, in his Athen\u00e6\n      Oxomenses, (vol. ii, p. 747, Lond. 1721) was warranted to attribute\n      this preface to Owen, \u201cas the preface is anonymous\u201d (Orme\u2019s Life of\n      Owen, Append., p. 505). But the only copy of the work, which is in\n      my possession, (Glas. 1723) has attached to it the name of \u201cJohn\n      Owen, May 20, 1669.\u201d\n\n      The widow of Mr. Durham, who was the daughter of Mr. William Muir of\n      Glanderston, a branch of the family of the Muirs of Caldwell, was,\n      in 1679, twice committed to prison, for having in her house\n      religious meetings, or conventicles, as they were called in those\n      days of relentless tyranny and oppression. On one of the occasions,\n      she was taken to Edinburgh, and imprisoned there, along with her\n      sister, the mother of Principal Carstairs. Wodrow\u2019s Hist. of the\n      Suff. of the Church of Scot., vol. iii, pp. 10, 54.\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  111 [See page 368.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  112 [See page 406.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  113 [The following account of the origin of the differences between the\n      Resolutioners and Protesters, is that given by Kirkton. \u201cAfter the\n      defeat of Dumbar, the king required a new army to be levyed, wishing\n      earnestly it might be of another mettale than that which hade been\n      lossed. So he desired that sort of people who were called\n      Malignants, his darlings, might be brought into places of trust,\n      both in council and army, though they hade been secluded from both\n      by their own consent. And this request was granted both by committee\n      of estates and commission of the church sitting at Perth. But there\n      was a party in both these councils which alledged confidently, that\n      though the malignants were content to profess repentance for their\n      former practices, yet they should be found to be men neither sincere\n      in their profusions, nor successful in their undertakings. This was\n      the beginning of the fatal schism in the Scottish church. For though\n      the king, to secure Scotland, was content once more to take the\n      covenant at his coronation in Scoon (which instrument he caused burn\n      at London) yet the dissatisfied party continued still in their\n      jealousies, and even of the king himself whom they doubted most of\n      all. This party was called Protesters and Remonstrators as the other\n      was called Resolutioners, which names occasioned lamentable\n      distraction\u201d (History of the Church of Scotland p. 53). A more\n      particular account of this unhappy controversy, so fatal in its\n      results to both parties, may be seen in the introduction to Wodrow\u2019s\n      history.\n\n      Though Baillie was a Resolutioner, he seems to have had some\n      misgivings as to the course he adopted. \u201cWe carried unanimously at\n      last,\u201d says he in a letter to Mr. Spang, dated Perth, January 2,\n      1651, \u201cthe answer herewith sent to you. My joy for this was soon\n      tempered when I saw the consequence, the loathing of sundry good\n      people to see numbers of grievous bloodshedders ready to come in,\n      and so many malignant noblemen as were not like to lay down arms\n      till they were put into some places of trust, and restored to their\n      vote in parliament.\u201d (Letters and Journals, vol. ii, p. 366). In the\n      Life of Professor Wodrow written by his son, (pp. 29, 30, Edin.\n      1828) it is said, \u201cThere were great endeavours used in the year\n      1659, and 1660, entirely to remove that unhappy rent \u2019twixt the\n      public Resolutioners and Protesters in this church, and had not Mr.\n      Sharp struck in by his letters from London in order to serve his own\n      designs, and ruin both, and made Mr. Douglas and other ministers at\n      Edinburgh cold in this matter of the union, it had no doubt\n      succeeded. These put Mr. Wodrow upon an inquiry into that debate,\n      and when leaving the lessons during the vacation in the summer he\n      desired Mr. Baillie\u2019s directions what to read for understanding that\n      subject. The professor said to him, \u2018Jacobe, I am too much engaged\n      personally in that debate to give you either my judgement on the\n      whole, or to direct you to particular authors on the one side and\n      the other,\u2019 but taking him into his closet he gave him the whole\n      pamphlets that had passed on both sides in print and manuscript,\n      laid ranked in their proper order, and said, there is the whole that\n      I know in that affair; take them home to the country with you, and\n      read them carefully and look to the Lord for his guiding you to\n      determine yourself aright upon the whole.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  114 [This treatise was afterwards printed and is included in the present\n      edition of the works of the author.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  115 [See page 226.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  116 [Mr. Patrick Gillespie, who was brother to George Gillespie one of\n      the ministers of Edinburgh, was for some time minister of Kirkcaldy.\n      On the 4th December, 1641, \u201cMr. Pa. Gillespie produceit,\u201d to the\n      magistrates and council of Glasgow, \u201ca presentation grantit to him,\n      be his Majestie, of the place of the Highe Kirke, instead of the\n      bischope\u201d (Glasgow Burgh Records). He was one of the three ministers\n      who, in 1651, were summarily deposed by the Assembly, for their\n      opposition to the Public Resolutions, and protesting against the\n      lawfulness of that Assembly (Lamont\u2019s Diary, p. 33). His sentence\n      was reversed by the Synod of Glasgow (Baillie\u2019s Letters, vol. ii.,\n      pp. 414, 415). Gillespie was evidently desirous to effect a\n      reconciliation between the Resolutioners and Protesters, by means of\n      mutual concessions (Id. pp. 388, 401, 411). In the year 1553, he was\n      elected principal of the University of Glasgow, by the English\n      sequestrators (Id. p. 371, Lamont\u2019s Diary, p. 53).\n\n      No one in Scotland had more influence with Cromwell than Principal\n      Gillespie, who is said to have been the first minister in the Church\n      of Scotland, who prayed publicly for him (Nicol\u2019s Diary, p. 162). In\n      April 1654, the Protector called him up to London, along with Mr.\n      John Livingston of Ancrum, and Mr. John Menzies of Aberdeen, to\n      consult with them on Scottish affairs (Life of Livingston, p. 55).\n      He preached before the Protector in his chapel, and obtained from\n      him, for the University of Glasgow, the confirmation of \u201call former\n      foundations, mortifications, and donations made in its favour,\n      particularly that of the bishopric of Galloway, to which he added\n      the vacant stipends of the parishes, which had been in the patronage\n      of the bishop of Galloway, for seven years to come; and also in\n      perpetuity the revenues of the deanery and sub-deanery of Glasgow\u201d\n      (Old Stat. Acc. of Scot., vol. xxi., Append. pp. 25, 26). Through\n      his influence with the Protector, he likewise procured a grant to\n      the town of Glasgow, \u201cfor the use of the poor who had been injured\n      by the fire in 1653,\u201d [1652] (Brown\u2019s Hist. of Glasg., p. 120) and\n      \u201cassisted and pleasured sundry in the matter of their fines\u201d\n      (Baillie\u2019s Letters, vol. ii. p. 390). As to what is said by the\n      editor of Kirkton\u2019s History, that after the Restoration, \u201cGillespie\n      had made great efforts for a pardon, and offered to promote\n      episcopacy in Scotland\u201d (p. 111), the reader is referred to a Review\n      of that work, in the Christian Instructor (Vol. xvii. pp. 339, 340).\n      He died not long after this at Leith (Law\u2019s Memorials, p. 11).\n\n      Gillespie\u2019s work, entitled \u201cThe Ark of the Covenant Opened,\u201d\n      (London, printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1677) has a preface from the\n      pen of Dr. John Owen, who was with Cromwell in Scotland, as one of\n      his chaplains, and in this way, no doubt, became acquainted with\n      Gillespie (Wood\u2019s Athen\u00e6 Oxomensis, vol. ii., p. 738, London, 1721).\n      In his preface, Dr. Owen says, \u201cMy long Christian acquaintance with\n      the author made me not unwilling to testify my respects unto him and\n      his labours in the church of God, now he is at rest, for whom I had\n      so great an esteem while he was alive.\u201d Wodrow expresses his regret,\n      that \u201cthe other three parts\u201d of Gillespie\u2019s work have not been\n      printed, which, he informs us, the author \u201cwrote and finished for\n      the press\u201d (Hist. of the Suff. of Ch. of Scot., vol. i., p. 204,\n      Glasg. 1829). The Synod of Glasgow were informed, on the 8th of\n      Oct., 1701, that \u201cMr. Parkhurst, at London,\u201d possessed two\n      unpublished parts of Gillespie\u2019s Ark of the Covenant. They,\n      therefore, appointed a committee to communicate with him on the\n      subject, through some of the booksellers of Glasgow, \u201cconceiving\n      that the publishing of these pieces may be of use to the Church,\n      from the experience they have had of the works of that worthy author\n      already come to light, upon the same subject\u201d (Records of Synod). On\n      the 5th April, 1709, \u201cMr. Robert Wodrow reports, that Mr. Parkhurst\n      continues still indisposed, so that nothing can be done with respect\n      to the printing of Mr Gillespie\u2019s book formerly mentioned.\n      Wherefore, the Synod lets the matter fall out of their minutes.\u201d Id.\n\n      Chalmers (Caledonia, vol. iii., p. 591) seems to have imagined that\n      Patrick Gillespie was the \u201cGalasp\u201d ridiculed by Milton, in one of\n      his sonnets. Warton says, this was \u201cGeorge Gillespie, one of the\n      Scotch ministers of the Assembly of Divines\u201d (Warton\u2019s Milton, p.\n      339, Lond. 1791). But Milton referred neither to the one nor the\n      other, but to Allaster Macdonald _Macgillespie_, (_son of\n      Archibald_) otherwise known by the name of Colkittoch, or Colkitto,\n      who commanded the Irish auxiliaries in Montrose\u2019s army. See the new\n      edition of Baillie\u2019s Letters, now in course of publication, formerly\n      quoted, vol. ii. p. 499.\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  117 [This is a simple marble tablet surmounted with a heart, and the\n      emblems of mortality. It was placed in a niche in the front wall of\n      the old parish church; but, in 1826, when the present church was\n      erected, which is a Gothic structure, it was removed to the\n      vestibule. It is seen in the vignette of the title page. The\n      inscription may be turned into English, thus \u201cMr. Hugh Binning is\n      buried here, a man distinguished for his piety, eloquence, and\n      learning, an eminent philologist, philosopher, and theologian; in\n      fine, a faithful and acceptable preacher of the gospel, who was\n      removed from this world in the 26th year of his age, and in the year\n      of our Lord 1653. He changed his country, not his company, because\n      when on earth he walked with God. If thou wish to know any thing\n      beyond this, I am silent as to any thing further, since neither thou\n      nor this marble can receive it.\u201d\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  118 [John Binning of Dalvennan was served heir to his grandfather on the\n      19th of March, 1672 (Inq. Ret. Ab. Ayr, 580). And the Retour of his\n      heritable property, at the date of his forfeiture, specifies, as\n      having belonged to him, the ten mark land of the ten pound land of\n      Keires, comprehending the lands of Dalvennan, Yondertoun and\n      Burntoun, Daluy, Milntown, The Fence, Drumore, Hillhead,\n      Rashiefauld, Chappel, the mill of Keires, &c., in the parish of\n      Straiton; the lands of Over Priest-Craig and Nether Priest-Craig in\n      the parish of Colmonell; and a house, garden, and land in the parish\n      of Maybole, in the county of Ayr\u2014Inq. De Possess Quinquen\n      (18).\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  119 [The name of \u201cBinning of Dalvennan\u201d appears in the Act of the\n      Scottish parliament, \u201cRescinding the Forefaultures and Fynes since\n      the year 1665\u201d (Acts of the Parl. of Scot. vol. ix. p. 165) Previous\n      to the passing of that Act, however, a petition was presented to the\n      parliament by Mr. Roderick McKenzie, who had been a Depute Advocate\n      in the former reign, in which he stated, \u201cThat John Binning of\n      Dalvennan having been forefault for being in armes at Bothwell\n      bridge, anno 1679, and the deceased Matthew Colvill, writer in\n      Edinburgh, John Binning\u2019s greatest enemy, being very active to\n      obtain the gift of his forefaulture, with a designe of his ruine,\n      and the prejudice of his numerous and just creditors, the deceased\n      Mr. James Gordon, minister at Cumber in Ireland, John Binning\u2019s\n      father in law and former Curator, to whom he was oweing a\n      considerable soume of money, came over to Scotland, at John\n      Binning\u2019s desire, who was then in Ireland, to obtaine the said gift,\n      to disappoint Matthew Colvill thereof, who prevailed with the\n      petitioner to lend the money to pay the compositione and expenses of\n      the gift.\u201d Mr. McKenzie also affirmed, that he had \u201cno other\n      security for the money soe lent, but a right to the said gift,\u201d and\n      that the money he had advanced \u201cto the said Mr. James Gordon for the\n      compositione and expenses of the gift, with what he has payed of\n      John Binning\u2019s reall and confirmed debts, far exceeds the value of\n      his land.\u201d In consequence of these representations, \u201cTheir Majesties\n      High commissioner and said Estates of Parliament remitt the case of\n      Mr. Roderick McKenzie, petitioner, anent the forfaulture of\n      Dalvennan, to the consideratione of the commission nominate in the\n      General Act recissory of ffynes and forefaulters, with power to them\n      to hear the parties concerned thereanent, and to report to the next\n      session of this, or any other ensuing parliament.\u201d\u2014Id. pp. 162, 163.\n\n      John Binning was declared at this period to be \u201caltogether\n      insolvent.\u201d This is the reason probably, if he was not in the mean\n      time satisfied that his claim was untenable, that his case does not\n      appear to have been brought under the notice of parliament again,\n      and that he did not persist in his attempts to regain possession of\n      Dalvennan (Id. Appendix, p. 32). To confirm his title to a property,\n      which considering the office he held, seems to have been acquired\n      under very suspicious circumstances, McKenzie had contrived to get\n      an act of parliament passed in his favour, in the year 1685. In this\n      Act, he is lauded for \u201csuppressing the rebellious fanatical partie\n      in the western and other shires of the realme, and putting lawes to\n      vigorous execution against them, as His Majesties Advocate Deput,\u201d\n      and the lands of Dalvennan are said to have been transferred to him\n      by \u201cJean Gordon, as donatrix,\u201d who was the uterine sister of John\n      Binning, and who is described as \u201crelect of the deceist Daniel\n      McKenzie sometime ensign to the Earle of Dalhousie, in the Earle of\n      Marr\u2019s Regiment\u201d (Id. vol. viii. pp. 565-567). John Binning taught a\n      school for some time (Faithful Contendings p. 66). The General\n      Assembly showed kindness to him, on different occasions, for his\n      father\u2019s sake. In 1702, the Commission of the Assembly being\n      informed by a petition from himself of his \u201csad circumstances,\u201d\n      recommended him to the provincial Synods of Lothian and Tweedale,\n      and of Glasgow and Ayr \u201cfor some charitable supply\u201d (Rec. of\n      Commission, Sess. 39). In 1704, he applied for relief to the General\n      Assembly, and stated that he had obtained from the Privy Council a\n      patent to print his father\u2019s works, of which twelve years were then\n      unexpired, and that it was his intention to publish them in one\n      volume. The Assembly recommended \u201cevery minister within the kingdom\n      to take a double of the same book, or to subscribe for the same.\u201d\n      They likewise called upon the different presbyteries in the church\n      to collect among themselves something for the petitioner (Unprinted\n      Acts, Sess. 11). The last application he made to the Assembly for\n      pecuniary aid was in 1717, when he must have been far advanced in\n      life\u2014Idem, 13th May.\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  120 [Mr. James Gordon was minister of Comber, in the county of Down. He\n      was ordained about the year 1646. We find his name in Wodrow\u2019s list\n      of the non-conforming ministers in the synod of Ballimenoch in\n      Ireland (Hist. of Suff. of Ch. of Scot. vol. i. p. 324). According\n      to Dr Reid, \u201cMr. Gordon, after having been deposed with the rest of\n      his brethren in 1661, continued to officiate privately at Comber for\n      many years, but about the year 1683, in his old age, he appears to\n      have deserted his principles, and conformed to prelacy.\u201d Hist. of\n      the Presb. Ch. in Ireland, vol. ii. pp. 129, 130.\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  121 [May 14, 1654\u2014\u201cSederunt Mr John Carstaires and the Elders.\n\n      \u201cThe qlk day the session being conveened for election and calling of\n      a minr to the kirk of Govan, and having now this forenoon heard Mr.\n      David Veetch, with whom most are satisfied, but for the satisfaction\n      of all persons interested, who heard him never but once, both of\n      heritors and elders, the session have delayed their election till\n      they hear him again in the afternoon, and the session then were to\n      meet again for that effect.\n\n      \u201cSederunt Mr John Carstaires and the Elders.\n\n      \u201cThe heritors and elders having now heard the said Mr. David Veetch\n      twise, and both being well satisfied, and clear, and unanimous, the\n      satisfaction of the session being first enquired, and next of the\n      heritors, which, being both of one mynd, cordially for the thing, a\n      call was presently drawn up, and subt by moderator and clerk, also\n      by session and heritors, according to order. After the forsd\n      draught, at appointment of the presbytery and session, Mr. John\n      preached in the sd church, and, after sermon, did intimat to the\n      people their nomination of Mr. David to take charge in the ministrie\n      of that congregation, and ordained, that if any person had any thing\n      to object agt the said Mr. David being minr at the sd church, they\n      would come and signifie it to the session, now presently to meet at\n      the sd church for that effect, according to the practice in such\n      cases. The session having met, and none compearand to signifie their\n      dissent, or assent, they take their non compearance for their\n      signification of satisfaction, so, after three severall byesses at\n      the most patent door of the sd church, by the officer intimating the\n      forsd words, none at all appeared. So the sd Mr. David being desired\n      to come in to session, they presented to him their unanimous and\n      cordiall call of election to the ministrie of the kirk of Govan,\n      which he accepted.\u201d Records of Kirk-Session of Govan\u2014_Ed_.]\n\n  122 [12mo., Glasgow, 1609.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  123 [Macward\u2019s words are, _a prima manu_. Het Leven en Sterven van Mr.\n      Hugo Binning.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  124 [A copy of \u201cThe Common Principles of Christian Religion\u201d is now\n      before me which was Printed by R. S. Printer to the Town of Glasgow,\n      1666, and which bears to be \u201cThe 5 Impression\u201d.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  125 [All the works of Binning, which were published in the lifetime of\n      Koelman, were translated by him into the Dutch language. No fewer\n      than four editions of these have been printed at Amsterdam.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  126 [See page 457.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  127 [See page 465.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  128 [A contemporary of Binning, Mr. P. Simson, minister of Renfrew,\n      informed Wodrow, \u201cThat Dr. Strang was in hazard to have been staged\n      for his Dictates qch wer smoothed in his printed book, _De Voluntate\n      Dei_, and would have been removed from his place if he had not\n      demitted.\u201d (Life of Dr. Strang, Wodrow MSS. vol. xiii. p. 9, in Bib.\n      Coll. Glas.) Complaints regarding Dr. Strang having been presented\n      to the General Assembly, a committee was appointed, on the 18th of\n      June, 1646, to examine his written dictates, a copy of which was\n      produced by Dr. Strang, and to find out whether the doctrines which\n      he taught were in accordance with the doctrines of their own and\n      other reformed churches, and whether there were any expressions used\n      by him which gave countenance to the views of the enemies of the\n      truth. This committee was composed of some of the most able men in\n      the church, including several professors from the four universities\n      The list contains, along with others, the names of Alexander\n      Henderson, John Sharpe, the author of _Cursus Theologicus_, Robert\n      Douglas, George Gillespie, Robert Blair, Samuel Rutherford, James\n      Wood, William Strahan, David Dickson, Robert Baillie, John Neave,\n      Edward Calderwood and Robert Leighton, afterwards Archbishop of\n      Glasgow. On the 27th of August, 1647, the committee gave in a Report\n      to the General Assembly, to the effect that Dr. Strang had employed\n      some expressions in his dictates which were calculated to give\n      offence, but that on conferring with him, they were satisfied in\n      regard to his orthodoxy, and that to put an end to all doubts as to\n      his meaning, the Doctor had gratified them by proposing of his own\n      accord the addition of certain words to what was previously somewhat\n      ambiguous (Vita Autoris, Strangu De Interpret. Script.).\n\n      So far as can be collected from the imperfect account we have of the\n      circumstances of the case, Dr. Strang discovered, it was imagined, a\n      bias to Arminianism, whereas he seems to have been merely more of a\n      sublapsarian than a supralapsarian. The \u201cpeculiar notions\u201d he\n      entertained were vented, we have been told, upon that profound\n      subject _De concursi et influxu deimo cum actionibus creaturarum_ or\n      the concurrence and influence of God in the actions of his\n      creatures. In the two chapters of his published work which treat\n      expressly upon this point, we can perceive nothing that is at\n      variance with our own Confession. But this does not warrant us to\n      infer that the dictates, as originally delivered and before they\n      were amended and enlarged by the author himself, may not have\n      contained some very objectionable language at least, especially when\n      we look to the Report of the committee of the Assembly regarding\n      them. Indeed, all that Baillie himself says, who was one of that\n      committee, is, that Dr. Strang was pursued \u201cwithout any ground at\n      all _considerable_,\u201d and that \u201che got him _reasonably_ fair off.\u201d\n      Letters and Journals, vol. ii., p. 338.\n\n      The publication of Dr. Strang\u2019s work, \u201cDe Voluntate et Actionibus\n      Dei circa Peccatum\u201d (Amstelodami Apud Ludovicum et Danielson\n      Elzeurios, 1657. 4to. pp. 886), was intrusted to Mr. William Spang,\n      minister of the English church at Middleburgh in Zealand. The\n      manuscripts were sent to him by his cousin, Mr. Robert Baillie, at\n      that time Professor of Theology in the University of Glasgow, who,\n      after the death of his first wife, had married a daughter of Dr.\n      Strang. \u201cDr. Strang, your good friend,\u201d says Baillie, in a letter to\n      Mr. Spang, dated July 20, 1654, \u201chaving to do in Edinburgh with the\n      lawyers, concerning the unjust trouble he was put to for his\n      stipends, did die, so sweetly and graciously, as was satisfactory to\n      all, and much applauded over all the city, his very persecutors\n      giving him an ample testimony. His treatise, _Dei circa peccatum_,\n      he has enlarged, and made ready for the press. Be careful to get it\n      well printed, according to the constant friendship that was always\n      betwixt you and him.\u201d (Letters, vol. ii. pp. 382, 383) At the\n      request of Mr. Spang, Alexander Morus furnished a preface, and _Ad\n      Lectorem Commomito,_ for Dr. Strang\u2019s work.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  129 [\u201cThis is somewhat strange, observes Howie of Lochgoin, \u201cthat a\n      nameless author should quarrel that book because the publisher hath\n      omitted to tell his name, and hath only inserted the author\u2019s name.\n      He might have known that it was not long a secret that Mr. James Kid\n      (who was afterwards settled minister in Queensferry) was the\n      publisher, and upon that account suffered both long imprisonment at\n      Utrecht, and the seizure of all that they could get of the books.\n      And as for vouchers, Mrs. Binning the relict of the worthy author,\n      being then alive, had connexion and much correspondence with Mr.\n      Hamilton, Mr. Renwick, and many of the persecuted Society people,\n      and was of the same sentiments with them, as appears by several\n      letters yet extant in their own hand-writ\u2014and Mr. Renwick speaks of\n      her in some of his letters, as in the 49 and 104 pages of the\n      printed volume of his letters but especially it appears, by a\n      paragraph which is omitted in the printed copy, page 58, (which\n      shall be here transcribed from the original, written with his own\n      hand,) wherein he says, \u2018Likewise, according to your direction, I\n      challenged Mrs. Binning upon the commendation she gave to John\n      Wilson in her letter to you. But she says that she had not then seen\n      his testimony, and was sorry when she saw it that it was so contrary\n      both to her thoughts and commendation of him.\u2019 And likewise a\n      postscript to the 20th Letter, relative to the same matter is also\n      omitted. And about the same time that Mr. Binning\u2019s book was\n      printed, while Sir Robert Hamilton was prisoner, upon account of the\n      declaration [Sanquhar Declaration] in 1692, he wrote a letter to\n      Mrs. Binning, wherein he complains of her unwonted silence, in his\n      honourable bonds for such a noble Master. Yet trusting her sympathy\n      is not diminished, he adds, \u2018O, my worthy friend, I cannot express\n      Christ\u2019s love and kindness since the time of my bonds. He hath broke\n      up new treasures of felt love and sweetness, and hath been pleased\n      to give me visitations of love and access to himself, to comfort and\n      confirm poor feckless me many ways, that this is his way that is now\n      persecuted, and that it is his precious truths, interests, and\n      concerns, that I am now suffering for, whatever enemies with their\n      associated ministers and professors may allege, &c.\u2019 \u201d\n\n      \u201cBy which it is evident that they had much correspondence with Mrs.\n      Binning. And there is yet a fair and correct manuscript copy of the\n      foresaid book extant, which was in Sir Robert\u2019s custody, and it is\n      more than probable that it was procured from Mrs. Binning,\n      especially as she survived its publication without quarrelling it.\n\n      \u201cIt is unnecessary to notice what further is thrown out by the\n      foresaid anonymous writer, against the book and the publisher, as\n      Mr. Wodrow, in the preface to Mr. Binning\u2019s octavo volume of\n      sermons, printed 1760, hath modestly animadverted thereupon, and\n      says there is no reason to doubt if it was Mr. Binning\u2019s. He also\n      ingenuously confesseth, that there is in it the best collection of\n      scriptures he knows, concerning the sin and danger of joining with\n      wicked and ungodly men, &c., and that it was wrote in a smooth good\n      style, agreeable enough to Mr. Binning\u2019s sentiments in some of his\n      sermons.\u201d Faithful Contendings Displayed, pp. 486, 487, note. See\n      likewise Faithful Witness-bearing Exemplified, preface, p.\n      iv.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  130 [See page 527.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  131 [See page 527.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  132 [See page 528.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  133 [Ibid.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  134 [The word _reduce_ is here used in its literal etymological sense,\n      as signifying _to bring back_ or to _restore_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  135 [The allusion here appears to be to the doctrines of the Quakers\n      who, in Binning\u2019s time, were increasing in the west of Scotland, and\n      accustomed to rail, with impunity, at ministers in the face of their\n      congregations. See Baillie\u2019s Letters, vol. ii., pp.  393, 413,\n      419.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  136 [That is _felt_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  137 [These terms were made use of as descriptive of themselves by the\n      sect called the Familists. See Discovery of Familism, p. 7 _apud_\n      Baillie\u2019s Anabaptism, pp. 102-127, Lond. 1647.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  138 [That is, propound a nice question.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  139 [That is, careless.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  140 [The heathen poet whose words these are, (\u201cWe move towards what is\n      forbidden\u201d), describes well the perversity and the imbecility of our\n      nature. Vid Ovid Amor. lib. iii. eleg. 4 ver. 17 Met. lib. vii. ver.\n      20.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  141 [That is, the most natural.\u2014_Ed_]\n\n  142 [That is, a twist or undue bend.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  143 [That is, \"His will stands for reason.\" Juv. Sat. vi. ver.\n      222.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  144 [Mr. Binning was a Supralapsarian. In this and the two following\n      Lectures he treats of the \u201chigh mystery of predestination,\u201d the\n      consideration of which, though it should be handled with special\n      prudence and care, (West. Conf. of Faith, ch. 3) is nevertheless,\n      full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons.\n      Art. of Ch. of Eng. Art. xvii. His views of this mysterious doctrine\n      are stated with singular clearness, and the objections to it, which\n      he notices and answers, are brought forward with the utmost\n      ingenuousness and candour and expressed, it must be admitted, as\n      strongly as a caviller could desire.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  145 [The reader will remember that at this time the country was\n      convulsed from one end of it to the other.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  146 [That is, Fate leads the willing and drags the unwilling.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  147 [This was the only consolation which one learned Roman could\n      administer to another on the death of a friend. \u201cThis is hard,\u201d said\n      he, \u201cbut what cannot be remedied is more easily borne, with\n      patience.\u201d Hor. Carm. lib. I. carm. xxiv.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  148 [Or _by the by_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  149 [That is grains or particles.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  150 [What a sublime answer was that which one of the deaf and dumb\n      pupils of M. Sicard gave to the question, \u201cWhat is eternity?\u201d It is\n      \u201ca day,\u201d said Massieu, \u201cwithout yesterday or to-morrow,\u2014un jour sans\n      hier ni demain.\u201d The thoughts of our author on this boundless theme\n      are hardly less sublime.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  151 [That is, to have the same desires and aversions, that, in a word is\n      strong friendship\u2014_Sallust in Catil._ c. xx.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  152 [That is, twist.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  153 [Lycurgus, the Spartan lawgiver, made no law against ingratitude, it\n      is said, because he conceived that no one could be so irrational as\n      to be unthankful for kindness done to him.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  154 [That is, quarter.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  155 [The discourse ends so abruptly here, as plainly to show that it is\n      an unfinished production, and was not designed by the learned and\n      pious author for publication.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  156 [Perhaps the word ought to be museum, used in the sense of a place\n      for study.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  157 [That is, not to speak of.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  158 [This simple vernacular expression, which is used by other Scottish\n      theological writers of the period as employed here, is particularly\n      expressive. It signifies a place where either foes or friends have\n      agreed to meet. Is that place the temple of the Lord? There surely\n      will peace and harmony prevail. Is our Daysman there? He will make\n      intercession for us and reconcile us to God.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  159 [That is, orders us into his Son.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  160 [The following baneful and impious doctrines, which were, in\n      England, in those days, openly proclaimed from the pulpit, and\n      disseminated through the press, were, it seems, not altogether\n      unknown in the northern part of the island:\n\n      1. That the moral law is of no use at all to a believer, no rule for\n      him to walk or examine his life by, and that Christians are free\n      from the mandatory power of it.\n\n      2. That it is as possible for Christ himself to sin, as for a child\n      of God to sin.\n\n      3. That a child of God need not, nay ought not, to ask pardon for\n      sin, and that it is no less than blasphemy for him to do this.\n\n      4. That God does not chastise any of his children for sin.\n\n      5.  That if a man, by the Spirit, know himself to be in a state of\n      grace, though he should commit the greatest crimes, God sees no sin\n      in him.\n\n      Three leading Antinomian teachers were brought before a committee of\n      the House of Commons, for promulgating, in different ways, these and\n      similar opinions, which were justly regarded as subversive of all\n      morality.\u2014_Gataker\u2019s _\u201cGod\u2019s Eye on his Israel\u201d,\u2014preface, Lond.\n      1645.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  161 [\u201cAntinomians, contending for faith of assurance, and leading men to\n      be persuaded that God loveth every one, whom he commandeth to\n      believe, with an everlasting love, and that \u2018no man ought to call in\n      question more whether he believe or no, than he ought to question\n      the gospel and Christ,\u2019 do with Libertines acknowledge a faith of\n      assurance, but deny all faith of dependence on God through Christ,\n      as if we were not justified by such a faith.\u201d\u2014\u201cA Survey of the\n      spiritual Antichrist, opening the secrets of Familisme and\n      Antinominianisme.\u201d by Samuel Rutherford, Professor of Divinity in\n      the University of St. Andrew\u2019s, part II. p. 235. London,\n      1648.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  162 [These observations discover an accurate knowledge of the philosophy\n      of the human mind, as well as of the doctrines of Scripture. It is\n      certainly one thing to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and another\n      thing to feel assured of one\u2019s salvation, or to be persuaded that we\n      are possessed of that true faith which is the gift of God, and by\n      which the just shall live. To identify, as is sometimes done, faith\n      in Christ and the assurance of salvation, is calculated, on the one\n      hand, to encourage presumption; and, on the other hand, to give rise\n      to despair, Prov. xxx. 12, Ezek. xiii. 22, 23. What an earlier\n      writer even than Binning says upon this subject, is not unworthy of\n      notice. \u201cSt. Paul, wishing well to the church of Rome, prayeth for\n      them after this sort. \u2018The God of hope fill you with all joy in\n      believing.\u2019 Hence an error groweth, when men in heaviness of spirit\n      suppose they lack faith, because they find not the sugared joy and\n      delight, which indeed doth accompany faith, but so as a separable\n      accident, as a thing that may be removed from it, viz. there is a\n      cause why it should be removed. The light would never be so\n      acceptable, were it not for that usual intercourse of darkness. Too\n      much honey doth turn into gall, and too much joy, even spiritual,\n      would make us wantons. Happier a great deal is that man\u2019s case,\n      whose soul by inward desolation is humbled, than he whose heart is,\n      through abundance of spiritual delight, lifted up and exalted above\n      measure. Better it is sometimes to go down into the pit, with him,\n      who, beholding darkness, and bewailing the loss of inward joy and\n      consolation, crieth from the bottom of the lowest hell, My God, my\n      God, why hast thou forsaken me? than continually to walk arm in arm\n      with angels, to sit as it were in Abraham\u2019s bosom, and to have no\n      thought, no cogitation; but, \u2018I thank my God it is not with me as it\n      is with other men.\u2019 No; God will have them that shall walk in light\n      to feel now and then what it is to sit in the shadow of death. A\n      grieved spirit, therefore, is no argument of a faithless\n      mind.\u201d\u2014_Hooker\u2019s Works_, vol. iii. pp. 527, 528. Oxford.\n      1807.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  163 [That is, collect or obtain.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  164 [That is, between extremes.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  165 [Perhaps the word should be plungy, that is _rainy_. _Chauc._\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  166 [That is, cover with mist.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  167 [That is, deserving of consideration.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  168 [In the year 1661 Winston and some others sent a letter to Cromwell,\n      through General Lambert, in which they charge the English army in\n      Scotland \u201cwith divers errors countenancing of deposed ministers to\n      preach _silencing of ministers that preach of state proceedings_,\n      and suffering officers to preach,\u201d &c.\u2014_Whithel\u2019s Memorials_ p.\n      497.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  169 [Cromwell, in his despatches, after the battle of Dunbar, states the\n      number of his prisoners, exclusive of officers, to be near\n      10,000.\u2014_Cromwelliana_, p. 90. \u201cThe same daye the minister declaired\n      yt yr wes a petitioune come from the prisoners at Tinmouth quho wer\n      taiken at Dunbar, and representit to the presbyterie for support,\n      because they wer in ane sterving conditione, and all comanders. And\n      yt ye presbyterie hes recomendit the samen to ye several kirks of ye\n      presbyterie, Therfoir ordaines that ane collectione be yranent upon\n      Sondaye come 8 deyes, and intimation to be maid of it the next\n      sabbathe to ye effect ye people may provide some considerable thing\n      yranent.\u201d Records of the kirk session of Govan, 1st July, 1652.\n      \u201cUpon the desire of the Guinea Merchants (20th Sept., 1651,) 1,500\n      of the Scots prisoners were granted to them, and sent on shipboard\n      to be transported to Guinea to work in the mines there.\u201d\u2014Whitelock\u2019s\n      Mem. p. 485. \u201cLetters (25th October, 1651,) that many of the Scots\n      prisoners and others at Shrewsbury were dead of a contagious\n      fever.\u201d\u2014Id. p. 488.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  170 [That is, in this world.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  171 [That is, he will get, or meet with, a fall or fall lower as he, who\n      aims at being wise above what is written, is in danger of falling\n      into error.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  172 [That is, treat with indignity.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  173 [That is, check (from _compesco_, Lat.).\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  174 [Or, hesitation.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  175 [That is, more honoured.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  176 [That is, than.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  177 [That is, concourse.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  178 [Or pre-eminence above others.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  179 [That is, directions, or different points of the compass.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  180 [That is  careless or slight.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  181 [This was long a current tradition. But Maundrell avers that he saw\n      \u201cseveral birds flying about and over the lake of Sodom,\u201d or Dead Sea\n      as it is called \u201cwithout any visible harm\u201d\u2014Journey from Aleppo to\n      Jerusalem A.D. 1696 p. 137. Edin. 1812.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  182 [That is, destitute of reason.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  183 [Or property.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  184 [That is not so likely to happen.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  185 [That is, the obscurity or mystery of the gospel.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  186 [Coldly or carelessly.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  187 [That is, \u201cIf thou lovest the earth, thou art earth\u201d.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  188 [Increase.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  189 [Antiperistasis (\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9\u03c2 from \u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1 and \u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03b7\u03bc, the act of\n      hemming round) a term employed in ancient times by the Peripatetics\n      to denote the increase of one quality by the action of another of an\n      opposite nature as when internal heat or inflammation is increased\n      by external cold. It would be \u201ca holy Antiperistasis in a\n      Christian,\u201d it is said (p. 216) were the surrounding ignorance and\n      wickedness of the world to make the grace of God unite itself and\n      work more powerfully as fire out of a cloud and shine more brightly\n      as a torch in the darkness of the night. A learned English divine\n      who lived in the same age with Binning declares that in the case of\n      the faithful themselves sin derives additional power, by\n      _antiperistasis_ from the law, to deceive, captivate, sell as a\n      slave to make them do that which they hated and allowed not and do\n      not that which they would and loved.\u2014Bishop Reynold\u2019s Works vol. I.\n      p. 146, Lond. 1826.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  190 [Exuberant or abundant.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  191 [That is, conceived like that.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  192 [That is, _than_ to look.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  193 [That is, opposite.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  194 [See Note, p. 208.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  195 [That is disfigure.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  196 [That is, \u201cThe soul is where it loves, not where it\n      animates.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  197 [That is, indictment or accusation.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  198 [That is, exert.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  199 [These were booths, or other temporary erections, put up for the\n      reception of such as were infected with the plague.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  200 [In some of his epistles to his friends, Cicero expresses himself as\n      if he thought death was to be followed by utter annihilation. But he\n      speaks very differently in some of his other writings. The following\n      passage occurs in a work (_Consolatio_) which has been ascribed to\n      him\u2014_Gorgias orator, jam \u00e6tate confectus ac morti proximus rogatus\n      num libenter moreretur maxime vero inquit nam tamquam ex putri\n      miseraque domo l\u00e6tus egredior\u2014Mortem igitur in malus nullo modo esse\n      ponendam sed in pr\u00e6cipius bonus numerandam debitaturum puto\n      neminem_\u2014Gorgias the orator, when worn out with age and near death\n      being asked whether he would die willingly said: Very willingly\n      indeed for I depart as if I were gladly leaving a filthy and\n      wretched house.\u2014I therefore think that no one will hesitate to\n      believe that death is not by any means to be ranked among evils but\n      included among things which we account good in the highest\n      degree.\u2014Cic. Oper. tom. iv. pp. 1347, 1348. Basil 1681.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  201 [Animals that have a sting are called aculeata animalis. _Plin. Nat.\n      Hist._ lib. xx. cap. 91.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  202 [That is, not knowing.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  203 [Dr. Mead describes the means which were formerly resorted to in\n      this country to check the progress of the plague. \u201cThe main import\n      of the orders issued out at these times was as soon as it was found\n      that any house was infected, to keep it shut up, with a large red\n      cross, and these words \u2018Lord, have mercy upon us,\u2019 painted on the\n      door, watchmen attending day and night to prevent any one\u2019s going in\n      or out except such physicians, surgeons, apothecaries, nurses,\n      searchers, &c., as were allowed by authority, and this to continue\n      at least a month after all the family was dead or recovered.\n\n      \u201cIt is not easy to conceive a more dismal scene of misery than this,\n      families locked up from all their acquaintance, though seized with a\n      distemper which the most of any in the world requires comfort and\n      assistance, abandoned it may be to the treatment of an inhuman\n      nurse, (for such are often found at these times about the sick,) and\n      strangers to every thing but the melancholy sight of the progress\n      death makes among themselves, with small hopes of life left to the\n      survivors and those mixed with anxiety and doubt, whether it be not\n      better to die, than to prolong a miserable being, after the loss of\n      their best friends and nearest relations.\u201d\u2014_Dr. Mead\u2019s Medical\n      Works_ p. 273.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  204 [That is, stupified.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  205 [That is obstruction. \u201cMr. Prin and the Erastian lawyers are now our\n      _remora_\u201d\u2014Baillie\u2019s Letters and Journal, vol. ii., p. 158.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  206 [The ancient heathens seem to have looked upon a future state, says\n      Leland, (Advantage and Necessity of the Christian Revelation, vol.\n      ii. p. 305, Glasgow, 1819,) as too uncertain a thing to be relied\n      upon, and therefore endeavoured to find out motives to virtue\n      independent on the belief of the rewards prepared for good men after\n      this life is at an end. They represented, in an elegant and\n      beautiful manner, the present conveniences and advantages of virtue,\n      and the satisfaction which attends it, but especially they insisted\n      upon its intrinsic excellency, its dignity and beauty, and\n      agreeableness to reason and nature, and its self sufficiency to\n      happiness, which many of them, especially the stoics,\u2014the most rigid\n      moralists among them,\u2014carried to a very  high degree. Cicero, in his\n      Offices, and those excellent philosophers, Epictetus and Marcus\n      Antoninus, in their works, which seem to be the best moral treatises\n      pagan antiquity has left us, go upon this scheme. They were\n      sensible, indeed that, in order to recommend virtue to the esteem of\n      mankind, and engage them to pursue it, it was necessary to show that\n      it would be for their own highest advantage.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  207 [The Sun and the Wind had once a dispute which of them could soonest\n      prevail with a certain traveller to part with his cloak. The Wind\n      began the attack and assaulted him with much noise and fury; but the\n      man, wrapping his cloak still closer about him, doubled his efforts\n      to keep it, and went on his way. And now the Sun silently darted his\n      warm insinuating rays which, melting our traveller by degrees at\n      length obliged him to lay aside that cloak which all the rage of the\n      Wind could not compel him to resign. _Learn_ hence, said the Sun\n      _that soft and gentle means will often accomplish what force and\n      fury can never effect_. (Fable of the Sun and the Wind. Boreas et\n      Sol.) This is one of forty two fables ascribed to \u00c6sop, which\n      Avienus, a Latin poet who lived in the age of Theodosius turned into\n      elegiac verse. The employment of apologues, which is sanctioned by\n      scripture, seems to be a natural mode of imparting instruction.\n      These arrest the attention, disarm prejudice, give to unwelcome\n      truths a pleasing form and imprint deeply on the memory the lesson\n      that is intended to be conveyed. It is mentioned by Vincent of\n      Beauvais, who wrote in the middle of the thirteenth century, that\n      the preachers of his age were accustomed to quote the fables of \u00c6sop\n      in order to rouse the indifference and relieve the languor of their\n      hearers. Special Hist. lib. iii. cap. viii. p. 31. Ven. 1391, ap.\n      Warton\u2019s Diss. on Gesta Romanorum p. i.\u2014_Ed_]\n\n  208 [That is united or interwoven.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  209 [Or available.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  210 [Mr. Binning had the authority of Jerome for saying this. When\n      speaking of the Dead sea or as it is styled in Scripture, the Salt\n      sea, his words are Demque si Jordanis auctus imbribus pisces illuc\n      influens rapuerit statim mortuntur, et pinguibus aquis supernatant.\n      In fine, if the Jordan, which runs into it, should when swollen with\n      rain, carry any fish along with it, they die immediately, and float\n      upon the surface of the bituminous waters. (Hieron Comment in Ezek.\n      cap. xlvii.) He also states that no living creature of any\n      description was to be found in the Dead sea. (Comment in Joel cap.\n      ii.) According to Volney, clouds of smoke are still observed to\n      issue from this lake, and he represents the lava and pumice stones\n      which have been thrown upon its banks to be likewise indubitable\n      indicators of the agency of fire. The water however of what Milton\n      describes as\u2014\n\n      \u201cThat bituminous lake where Sodom dam\u2019d\u201d\n\n      \u2014though excessively bitter, and so heavy that the most impetuous\n      waves can scarcely ruffle its surface is now perfectly transparent.\n      M. de Chateaubriand who mentions this also informs us that he heard\n      a noise upon the lake about midnight, which the Bethlehemites who\n      accompanied him told him, proceeded from legions of small fish,\n      which come and leap about on the shore.\u2014(Travels, vol. 1, p. 397.,\n      Lond. 1812). He adds, \u201cM. Seetzen, who is yet travelling in Arabia,\n      observed in the Dead sea neither the helix nor the muscle, but found\n      a few shell snails.\u201d\u2014Ibid.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  211 [That is, guardians.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  212 [Or attempt to walk.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  213 [That is governed. \u201cMost people in the world are _acted_ by levity\n      and humour.\u201d _South\u2019s Sermons_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  214 [That is, spark.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  215 [That is, set conscience aside.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  216 [That is, corollary or consequence.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  217 [Of good spirit.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  218 [That is, compared to.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  219 [That is, disburthen.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  220 [That is, respecting.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  221 [Oyes, (from oyez, the old imperative of the French verb _ouir_, to\n      hear) a word used by public criers, before making their\n      proclamations.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  222 [That is, \u201cpious frauds\u201d.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  223 [That is, sue for you or make their suit to you.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  224 [That is, compared to those &c.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  225 [That is, the quarter.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  226 [It is unquestionably a remarkable fact that Pythagoras, one of the\n      most celebrated philosophers of antiquity, represented the Great\n      Author of all things to be possessed of a threefold form (Cudworth\n      System. Intell. cap. iv. p. 446, June 1733). Nor is it less\n      wonderful, as a learned writer has shown, that even the Chinese seem\n      to have received, from the dispersed Jews, long before the birth of\n      Christ, some knowledge of the doctrine of the Trinity. Bryant\u2019s\n      Philo Judaeus, pp. 283-290.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  227 [That is, a bottom, or ball of thread.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  228 [That is, to be manifested.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  229 [The word _furniture_ had formerly a more varied and extensive\n      signification than is now assigned to it. The old divines employed\n      it to denote the union of the divine and human natures in the person\n      of Christ, or the peculiar properties or qualifications with which,\n      as the Messiah, he was furnished, to act in the character of our\n      Mediator. \u201cConsider that Christ\u2019s calling to the office of\n      Mediatorship may import three things his designation, his\n      _furniture_, his investiture in the office.\u201d\u2014_Gillespie\u2019s Ark of the\n      Covenant_, p. 176. Lond. 1677.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  230 [Codrus respecting whom this incident is recorded was the last king\n      of the Athenians. His subjects from reverence to his memory resolved\n      that with him should terminate their regal form of government.\u2014_Val.\n      Max._ lib. v. cap. 6. _Just. Hist._ lib. v. cap. 6.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  231 [That is, appeal.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  232 [\u201cWhat Mahomet did, lies within any man\u2019s reach. He was authorized\n      by no miracle, he was countenanced by no prediction. But what was\n      performed by Jesus Christ, is absolutely above the power and the\n      imitation of man.\n\n      \u201cMahomet established himself by slaughter, Jesus Christ by\n      commanding us to lay down our lives. Mahomet, by forbidding his law\n      to be read, Jesus Christ by engaging us to search and read. In a\n      word, the two designs are in all respects so directly opposite that\n      Mahomet took the way, in human probability to succeed, Jesus Christ,\n      humanly speaking, to be disappointed. And hence, instead of so\n      irrational a conclusion, as that because Mahomet succeeded, Jesus\n      Christ might, in like manner have succeeded before, we ought to\n      infer, that since Mahomet has succeeded, Christianity must\n      inevitably have perished had it not been founded and supported by a\n      power altogether divine\u201d (Pascal\u2019s Thoughts p. 95. Lond. 1886).\n      Whoever wishes to see this comparison carried farther, may consult\n      the masterly sermons of Professor White, preached before the\n      University of Oxford at the Bampton Lecture. These contain a view of\n      Christianity and Mahometanism, in their history, their evidence and\n      their effects pp. 225-463. Lond. 1792.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  233 [This was Cyrus, the younger son of Darius Nothus, king of Persia,\n      and the brother of Artaxerxes. He was slain in battle, when fighting\n      against his own brother. Plut. in Artax.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  234 [It has been said that the following circumstance led Alexander to\n      lay claim to a divine origin. As he entered the temple of Jupiter\n      Ammon in Libya, the high priest approached him, intending to address\n      him as his son. But not being master of the Greek language, instead\n      of saying \u03c0\u03b1\u03b9\u03b4\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd, (paidion) which signifies _son_ he substituted\n      _s_ for _n_, calling him \u03c0\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b4\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 (pai dios) which signifies _son of\n      Jupiter_. (Plot. in Alex.). Alexander required his soldiers to\n      address him as the son of Jupiter. This excited the indignation and\n      contempt of Hegelochus, one of his generals. \u201cDo we acknowledge,\u201d he\n      said, \u201chim to be our king, who refuses to own Philip to be his\n      father? It is all over with us if we can submit to these things. He\n      who demands to be thought a God (qui postulat deus credi) despises\n      not men only, but likewise the gods. We have lost Alexander. We have\n      lost our king. We have encountered pride, not to be endured by the\n      gods, to whom he equals himself nor by men from whom he withdraws\n      himself.\u201d\u2014_Quint. Curt._ lib. vi. cap. 11. See also the speech of\n      Callisthenes in the presence of Alexander himself.\u2014_Arrian_ lib. iv.\n      cap. 10.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  235 [These are the words of the Vulgate, signifying literally, that\n      \u201cgrief occupies the heights of joy.\u201d A humiliating truth, akin to\n      this, is contained in one of the maxims of Hippocrates: Ultimus\n      sanitatis gradus est morbo proximus. \u201cThe highest state of health is\n      as near as possible to disease.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  236 [The first of Francis Quarles, Emblems Divine and Moral, is the\n      picture of a heart.  A representation of the globe covers the whole\n      of the heart with the exception of the three angles or corners on\n      each of which a syllable of the word Tri ni tas is imprinted.\n\n      Frances Quarles was secretary to Archbishop Usher. He died in\n      1644.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  237 [That is, slight.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  238 [These are two adages. The former is quoted by Cicero as an ancient\n      proverb in his days (De Senect. cap. iii.). The meaning of it is,\n      that, \u201cequals or persons of the same age and rank, flock together.\u201d\n      The literal meaning of the other is \u201clike take pleasure in like.\u201d It\n      (\u03c4\u03bf \u1f41\u03bc\u03bf\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9 \u03c4\u03bf \u1f41\u03bc\u03bf\u03b9\u03bf \u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5) is as old as the days of\n      Aristotle.\u2014Ethic. Nicom. lib. ix. cap. 3.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  239 [That is, compound.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  240 [That is, \u201cthe darkness of too much light\u201d.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  241 [That is, a defect.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  242 [That is, genius.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  243 [That is, who look upon a part or portion of the gospel, as if that\n      were the whole of it.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  244 [A celebrated English preacher, who was cotemporary with Binning\n      makes a similar remark: \u201cNo question but those that have been so\n      bold as to deny that there was a God have sometimes been much afraid\n      they have been in error, and have at last suspected there was a God,\n      when some sudden prodigy hath presented itself to them and roused\n      their fears. And whatsoever sentiments they might have in their\n      blinding prosperity, they have had other kind of notions in them in\n      their stormy afflictions, and like Jonah\u2019s mariners, have been ready\n      to cry to him for help, whom they disdained to own so much as in\n      being, while they swam in their pleasures. The thoughts of a Deity\n      cannot be extinguished, but they will revive and rush upon a man at\n      least under some sharp affliction. Amazing judgments will make them\n      question their own apprehensions.\u201d (Charnock\u2019s Works, vol. 1, p. 42\n      Lond. 1682). An ancient historian relates, concerning Caligula the\n      Emperor of Rome, whose licentiousness knew no bounds, and who\n      professed the utmost contempt for the gods of his country, that,\n      when it thundered, he was accustomed from fear of the gods he\n      derided, to shut his eyes, cover his head, and even conceal himself\n      under a bed.\u2014Suet. in Calig. cap. 51 Seneca de Ira, lib. i, cap.\n      16.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  245 [That is, place or station.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  246 [That is, judge.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  247 [That is, to sue for.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  248 [Many of the speeches and actions of Philip, who was the father of\n      Alexander the Great, are worthy of being remembered. A collection of\n      his most memorable sayings has been made by Erasmus, in his\n      Apothegmata Opus (pp. 268-279, Luteti\u00e6 154). The conduct of Philip,\n      in many respects however, was very unlike that of a wise and\n      virtuous prince. Like mankind in general, though he was reminded\n      daily of this, he too often forgot that he was mortal.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  249 [There is no fact, connected with the history of former times, which\n      can be more easily proved than this that religious sacrifices were\n      prevalent throughout every part of the Gentile world. Animals, which\n      were deemed suitable for sacrifice by one nation, might be\n      considered improper for such a purpose by another. But in the most\n      remote countries victims of one kind or another, and not\n      unfrequently human victims were seen bleeding on the altars of\n      superstition, and with the death of these, the idea of substitution,\n      or of presenting life for life, was almost invariably connected.\n      When sacrificing her victim, Ovid makes his votaress exclaim\u2014\u201cI like\n      heart for heart, I beseech thee, take entrails for entrails. We give\n      to thee this life for a better one\u201d\u2014\n\n      Cor pro corde, precor, pro obras sumite fibras.\n      Hanc animam vobis pro meliore damus\n      Fast lib. vi. v. 161\n\n      But \u201cas Kennicot observes from Delaney, whatever practice has\n      obtained universally in the world, must have obtained from some\n      dictate of _reason_, or some demand of _nature_, or some principle\n      of _interest_, or else from some powerful influence or injunction of\n      some Being of universal authority. Now the practice of animal\n      sacrifice did not obtain from _reason_, for no reasonable notions of\n      God could teach men that he could delight in blood, or in the fat of\n      slain beasts. Nor will any man say, that we have any natural\n      _instinct_ to gratify, in spilling the blood of an innocent\n      creature. Nor could there be any temptation from appetite to do this\n      in those ages, when the whole sacrifice was consumed by fire; or\n      when, if it was not, yet men wholly abstained from flesh; and\n      consequently this practice did not owe its origin to any principle\n      of _interest_. Nay, so far from any thing of this, that the\n      destruction of innocent and useful creatures is evidently _against\n      nature_, _against reason_, and _against interest_, and therefore\n      must be founded in an authority, whose influence was as powerful as\n      the practice was universal and that could be none but the authority\n      of God, the sovereign of the world; or of Adam, the founder of the\n      human race. If it be said of Adam, the question still remains, what\n      motive determined him to the practice? It could not be nature,\n      reason, or interest, as has been already shown, it must therefore\n      have been the authority of his Sovereign, and had Adam enjoined it\n      to his posterity, it is not to be imagined that they would have\n      obeyed him in so extraordinary and expensive a rite, from any other\n      motive than the command of God. If it be urged, that superstitions\n      prevail unaccountably in the world, it may be answered, that all\n      superstition has its origin in true religion; all superstition is an\n      abuse; and all abuse supposes a right and proper use. And if this be\n      the case in superstitious practices that are of lesser moment and\n      extent, what shall be said of a practice existing through all ages,\n      and pervading every nation?\u2014See Kennic, Two Diss. pp. 210, 211 and\n      Rev. Exam. Diss. 8 p. 85-89.\u201d Magee on the Atonement, vol. ii. part\n      i. pp. 27-29.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  250 [That is, restrain.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  251 [See note page 96.]\n\n  252 [Lucius Cinna was the grandson of Pompey the Great. It was through\n      the intercession of Livia, the wife of Augustus, that Cinna was\n      pardoned. \u201cDo\u201d said she to Augustus, \u201cwhat physicians are accustomed\n      to do, who, when the remedies they have employed do not succeed, try\n      others which are entirely different. You have done no good by\n      severity\u2014Try now the effect of clemency. Forgive Lucius Cinna. Now\n      that he has been discovered, he cannot injure you, but he can\n      advance your reputation\u201d\u2014Seneca de Clem. lib. i.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  253 [Language of this description was in common use with the Antinomians\n      of the time, as may be seen in Edwards\u2019 Gangr\u00e6na (Part First, p. 22,\n      Lond. 1646). Gataker\u2019s Antinomiania Discovered and Confuted, (pp.\n      18, 19, Lond. 1652) and other similar works written about this\n      period.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  254 [How inconsistent is this maxim of Machiavel with the semblance even\n      of Christian integrity! Pascal, however, has supplied us with ample\n      proofs not only from the books of the Jesuits but from their public\n      Theses, that they hold it to be perfectly justifiable to calumniate\n      their enemies or to charge them with crimes of which they know them\n      to be innocent. He declares that this doctrine is so generally\n      received by them (si constante,) that should a man dare to oppose\n      it, he would be treated by them as a fool,\u2014Les Provinciales tome\n      troisieme quinzieme lettre.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  255 [The philosophy of Aristotle was called architectonica\n      (\u03b1\u03c1\u03c7\u03b9\u03c4\u03b5\u03ba\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd\u03b9\u03ba\u03b7), _pertaining to building_, from \u03b1\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03c2 _a leader_,\n      and \u03c4\u03b5\u03ba\u03c4\u03b7\u03bd an _artificer_), as if every kind of knowledge had been\n      rendered subservient to it.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  256 [That is, arts or sciences.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  257 [The Records of the Presbytery of Glasgow show, that this Fast was\n      appointed by the commission of the General Assembly. \u201cThe\n      commissioun of the Generall Assemblie, upone the 25 day of June 1650\n      did emit ane seasonable warning concerning the present dangeris and\n      dewties unto all the memberis of the kirk. To draw neir to God, to\n      murne for thair ayin iniquiteis, and for all the synnes,\n      prophanitie, and bakslydinges of the land, to studie to mak peace\n      with God in Cryst Jesus, to searche and try our wayis and to return\n      speedilie to the Lord, and to lift up our hartis with our handis to\n      God in the heavines, that he may spair and save his pepill, that\n      thai be not a prey to the enymie,\u201d &c. (Nicol\u2019s Diary of Public\n      Transactions in Scotland, p. 17. Printed by Bannatyne Club, Edin.\n      1836). On the 28th of June, a copy of this warning was presented to\n      the Scottish parliament, who thanked the commission of the General\n      Assembly for it, and requested them to delay the printing of it for\n      a few days, that it might be accompanied with a Declaration from\n      them suited to the existing crisis (Sir James Balfour\u2019s Annals of\n      Scotland, vol. iv. p. 63.). When the Presbytery of Glasgow met on\n      the 31st of July, 1650, \u201cthe brethrene that wer present declaired\n      that yei had keepit the fast, that yei had read the warning\u201d (Presb.\n      Rec). See also Lamont\u2019s Diary, 7th July 1650. The appointment of\n      Fasts to be observed on the Lord\u2019s day, was at a subsequent period\n      disapproved of by the Church of Scotland. \u201cAlbeit by the treatise of\n      fasting emitted by the Assembly 25 December, 1565, the Sundays were\n      appointed for some fasts as being for the greater ease of the\n      people, and since by the last act of Assembly 1646, a fast is\n      appointed on the Sabbath next except one preceding the then\n      following General Assembly, yet seeing the work to be performed on\n      the first day of the week is, by divine institution, already\n      determined, we ought to set about it exactly, which we all\n      acknowledge to be a thanksgiving and not a fast. Extraordinary\n      duties are not to interfere with the ordinary, nor is one duty to\n      shuffle out another. If either should be allowed, it would look\n      somewhat like the reverse of redeeming the time, for thereby\n      diligence is rather diminished than doubled in the service of\n      God.\u201d\u2014Overtures of the General Assembly, 1705.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  258 [\u201cThe abstinence is commanded to be from Saterday at eight of the\n      clock at night, till Sonday eftir the exercise at eftir noone, that\n      is, after five of the clock. And then onlie bread and drink to be\n      used, and that with great sobrietie, that the bodie craving\n      necessarie food, the soul may be provoked earnestly to crave of God,\n      that which it most neideth, that is mercie for our former\n      unthankfulnes, and the assistance of his holie spirit in tyme to\n      cum.\u201d (_The Ourdoure and Doctrine of the General Fast, set down by\n      John Knox, and John Craig, at the Appoyntment of the Assemblie in\n      the year 1565, Apud. Dunlop\u2019s Confessions_, vol. ii. p. 686.) This\n      Order was afterwards observed in all the fasts appointed by the\n      General Assembly. (Id. p. 699.)\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  259 [That is, \u201cNor does God please all, when he sends rain.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  260 [That is, parts.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  261 [The army of the Commonwealth was now on its march towards Scotland,\n      under the command of Cromwell, who had been appointed by the English\n      parliament captain general of their forces. But the hopes of the\n      people of Scotland had been revived by the arrival of Charles II.\n      from Breda, about a fortnight before this, who, at the mouth of the\n      river Spey, before he landed, had signed the national covenant, and\n      also the solemn league and covenant, though the commission appointed\n      to receive his subscription appear, on too good grounds, to have\n      suspected his sincerity (Sir Edward Walker\u2019s Hist. Disc., p. 158.\n      Life of Rev. J. Livingston, written by himself, p. 51. Glasg. 1754.)\n      A letter, addressed by Charles to the Committee of Estates,\n      immediately after the battle of Dunbar, and dated Perth, 12\n      September, 1650, contains the following passage: \u201cWee cannot but\n      acknowledge that the stroke and tryall is very harde to be borne,\n      and would be impossible for us and you, in humane strength, but in\n      the Lord\u2019s wee are bold and confident, whoe hath always defended\n      this ancient kingdome, and transmitted the governement of it upon us\n      from so many worthy predecessors, whoe in the lyke difficulties have\n      not fainted, and they had only the honor and civill liberties of the\n      land to defend, but wee have with your religion, the gospel, and the\n      covenant, _against which Hell shall not prevaile_, much lesse a\n      number of sectains stirred up by it. Wee acknowledge, that what hath\n      befallen is just from God for our sinns, and those of our house, and\n      the whole land, and all the families in it, have lykewise helped to\n      pull downe the judgement, and to kindle this fierce wrath. Wee shall\n      strive to be humbled, that the Lord may be appeased, and that he may\n      returne to the thousands of his people, and _comfort us according to\n      the days wee have beene afflicted, and the yeares that wee have\n      seene_. You are going, you sat, upon the deuites, for returne of the\n      afflicted land, (you do well to do soe,) and to try the\n      instrumentall causes and occasions of the disaster and surpressal.\n      Looke not too much upon second causes, the pryme and originall, and\n      only cause, is God\u2019s just displeasure: for the causes of defeats in\n      armys, they are harder to be found out than in any other of the\n      actions of men, a word, a sound, the mooving or remooving of any\n      body or squadron, may be, and have beane, the causes of the losse of\n      battles, and how often have pannicke feares seazed upon them, that\n      never any ground or resone could be given for? Lay not the fault\n      upon this or that, coming doune, or not staing upon a ground of\n      advantage, or upon this person or the other. That is the worst way\n      of all, for nothing devided nor discord can stand or prosper, but\n      leaste of all ane army; any thing of that kinde is the sodaine ruine\n      of it. Upon any other constitution it will not worke so soone.\n      Therefore wee intreete and charge you, as ye feare God, love his\n      cause in your hands, have affection to your countrie, or respect to\n      us, that you will remember, you are brethren in a covenant, and that\n      you now stand up and joyne together as one man for religion, your\n      countrie, your wives, children, liberties, and us, as your\n      predecessors have done in their difficulties in their generations.\n      Wee shall as willingly as any of them be ready to hazarde our lyfe\n      (nay to lay it down) with you for God, the covenant, and the honor\n      and freedom of this hitherto unconquered kyngdome, with any handful\n      you have together, or when it shall be thought convenient.\u201d\n      (Thurloe\u2019s State Papers, vol. i. p. 163.) The gross hypocrisy of\n      Charles, in putting his name to a letter containing sentiments like\n      these, and thus exciting false expectations in the minds of his\n      credulous subjects, must be apparent to all who are acquainted with\n      his subsequent history.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  262 [The narrative of Hume presents an affecting posture of the\n      cruelties perpetrated at the time of the Irish insurrection and\n      massacre.  (Hist. of Eng. vol. iv. pp. 361-366, Lond. 1825).  It is\n      said that \u201c200,000 Protestants in two months space, were murdered,\n      and many by exquisite torments, and many more were despoiled of all\n      their worldly fortunes.\u201d (May\u2019s Brevary, p. 33. First printed in the\n      year 1655. Reprinted London 1813).  For several years after this\n      period, Ireland was laid waste by contending armies and by the wild\n      rage of the native inhabitants.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  263 [A reference to this passage may be seen in the Life of the Author\n      prefixed to the Work.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  264 [That is, compensated.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  265 [When the national covenant was first subscribed by King James and\n      his household, and by persons of all ranks, in the year 1581, a\n      number of Jesuits and popish priests had unexpectedly made their\n      appearance in the country. Various dispensations from the Pope\n      likewise had been intercepted, whereby the Catholics were permitted\n      to _promise, swear, subscribe, and do what else should be required\n      of them, so as in mind they continued firm, and did use their\n      diligence to advance in secret the Roman faith_. These\n      dispensations, says Archbishop Spotswood, \u201cbeing showed to the king,\n      he caused his minister, Mr John Craig, form a short confession of\n      faith, wherein all the corruptions of Rome, as well in doctrine as\n      outward rites, were particularly abjured and a clause inserted\n      (because of these dispensations) by which the subscribers did call\n      God to witness that in their minds and hearts they did fully agree\n      to the said confession, and did not feign or dissemble in any sort.\n      This confession [or covenant] the king, for an example to others,\n      did publicly swear and subscribe; the like was done by the whole\n      council and court.\u201d (Hist. of Ch. of Scotland, pp. 308, 309). By an\n      ordinance of council and at the desire of the General Assembly, the\n      national covenant, along with a Bond for the maintenance of the true\n      religion, and the safety of the king\u2019s person and government, was\n      again subscribed by persons of all ranks in the year 1590. This Bond\n      had been previously entered into and signed by his majesty, and\n      various men of rank and station in the kingdom, in anticipation of\n      the threatened Spanish invasion, and as a counter association to the\n      Holy League, which had been formed by the most powerful popish\n      princes in Europe with a view to extirpate the reformed religion.\n      When the national covenant was renewed in 1638, and once more\n      subscribed by all classes of the community, the Bond which\n      accompanied it was altered to suit the circumstances of the times.\n      It expressed a solemn determination on the part of those who\n      subscribed it to aim at \u201ca personal reformation,\u201d as well as a\n      resolution to withhold their sanction from the late innovations in\n      religion, \u201ctill they be tried and allowed in free Assemblies, and in\n      Parliaments.\u201d These are the words\u2014\u201cAnd because we cannot look for a\n      blessing from God upon our proceedings, except with our profession\n      and subscription we join such a life and conversation as beseemeth\n      Christians who have renewed their covenant with God. We therefore\n      faithfully promise for ourselves, our followers, and all others\n      under us, both in public, and in our particular families and\n      personal carriage, to endeavour to keep ourselves within the bounds\n      of Christian liberty, and to be good examples to others of all\n      godliness, soberness, and righteousness, and of every duty we owe to\n      God and man\u201d (Dunlop\u2019s Confessions vol. II., p. 136.). The following\n      corresponding clause is contained in the Solemn League and Covenant,\n      which was ratified by the parliaments both of England and Scotland,\n      and subscribed generally by the people of both kingdoms in 1643, and\n      renewed in Scotland in 1648.\u2014\u201cAnd because these kingdoms are guilty\n      of many sins and provocations against God, and his Son Jesus Christ,\n      as is too manifest by our present distresses and dangers, the fruits\n      thereof, we profess and declare before God and the world, our\n      unfeigned desire to be humbled for our own sins, and for the sins of\n      these kingdoms, especially that we have not, as we ought, valued the\n      inestimable benefit of the gospel; that we have not laboured for the\n      purity and power thereof, and that we have not endeavoured to\n      receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of him in our\n      lives, which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much\n      abounding among us, and our true and unfeigned purpose, desire, and\n      endeavour for ourselves, and all others under our power and charge,\n      both in public and in private, in all duties we owe to God and to\n      man, to amend our lives, and each one to go before another in the\n      example of a real reformation, that the Lord may turn away his wrath\n      and heavy indignation, and establish these churches and kingdoms in\n      truth and peace.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  266 [Nemo repente fuit turpissimus\u2014Juv. Sat. II. v. 83.]\n\n  267 [Num. xxiii. 21.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  268 [Jer. l. 20.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  269 [\u201cAbout the time of the first renewing of the covenant, there was a\n      sensible change to the better in men\u2019s carriage and conversation,\n      most of all those who joined in opposing the defection not only\n      reforming themselves from common and gross sins such as drunkenness,\n      uncleanness, swearing, profaning the Lord\u2019s day, slighting of the\n      ordinances, self seeking, covetousness, oppression, &c., but giving\n      themselves to the duties of religion and righteousness, such as\n      sobriety, edifying discourse, chaste behaviour, hallowing of the\n      Lord\u2019s day, diligent seeking of the Lord in secret and in their\n      families, attending on the preaching of the word as often as\n      opportunity is offered, liberality, love, charity one toward\n      another, a public spirit and zeal for God. But all these things are\n      now decayed in many and they are again grown as ill if not worse\n      than before.\u201d Causes of the Lord\u2019s Wrath against Scotland. pp. 48,\n      49. Printed in the year 1653.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  270 [Much less.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  271 [An inference unfavourable to the religious character of the\n      countrymen of Binning, has been too hastily drawn from this and some\n      other passages in his works. (Orme\u2019s Mem. of Dr. Owen, p. 129). The\n      late Dr M\u2019Crie observed, that this was like \u201cthe attempts of popish\n      writers to prove the _Reformation_ a _Deformation_, by culling\n      quotations from the sermons of such Protestant preachers as\n      inveighed most freely against prevailing vices.\u201d (Christ. Inst. vol.\n      xx. p. 624). In the \u201cRepresentation, Propositions, and\n      Protestations,\u201d however, \u201cof divers Ministers, Elders, and\n      Professors,\u201d printed in the year 1652, and probably about the time\n      this sermon was preached, it is affirmed, that the religious aspect\n      of the country had undergone an unhappy change, in the course of the\n      two preceding years. \u201cIf we look back,\u201d it is said, p. 3 \u201cto that\n      which we have already attained of the work of Reformation,\n      (notwithstanding our short-coming in the power and practice of\n      godliness,) what purity was there of worship, what soundness of\n      doctrine, unity of faithful pastors, order and authority of\n      assemblies, what endeavours for promoting the power of godliness,\n      for purging of the ministry, judicatories and armies, and for\n      employing such in places of power and trust as were of constant\n      integrity and good affection to the cause, and of blameless\n      conversation? And again, if we consider how in place of these,\n      within these two years, have succeeded, for unity, division, for\n      order, confusion, for purity of worship, outward contempt; for the\n      power of godliness, atheism and profaneness; for purging of the\n      ministry, judicatories and armies, sinful mixtures; for zeal,\n      lukewarmness and toleration,\u2014it is too palpable that we are far gone\n      on in the way of declining, having lost much of that which we had\n      attained, and that which remains being ready to die.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  272 [The author and the other protesters disapproved not only of the\n      proceedings of the civil and ecclesiastical judicatures, but of the\n      composition of these courts, after the act of classes had been\n      rescinded on the 30th of May, 1651. In consequence of the repeal of\n      this act, they who, on account of what was in the language of the\n      times called malignancy, had formerly been excluded from their\n      places in the Scottish parliament, were allowed to take possession\n      of their seats, by signing a bond, the terms of which the parliament\n      prescribed. This the protesters considered to be wrong as a matter\n      both of policy and principle. They likewise declared the assembly,\n      which in July, 1651, met at St. Andrews, and afterwards adjourned to\n      Dundee, and also that which was held in Edinburgh, in July, 1652, to\n      be \u201cunlawful and corrupt,\u201d adding, that \u201calthough with the renewing\n      of the national covenant, and with the casting out of prelates, and\n      the corruptions introduced by them, the Lord was graciously pleased\n      to give repentance to not a few who were involved in that defection;\n      yet, since that time, there hath always remained a corrupt party of\n      insufficient, scandalous, and ill-affected ministers in the kirk,\n      enemies to the power of godliness, and obstructors to the work of\n      reformation, ... that party perceiving that they were not able to\n      endure trial in a time of reformation and purging, began the last\n      year to lift up their heads, and speak a language of their own,\u201d &c.\n      (Representation, ut supra, pp. 11, 12). The protesters, moreover,\n      are found complaining at this period, \u201chow gracious and well\n      qualified elders are removed and kept out from church judicatories,\n      and ignorant and profane persons brought in, and more endeavoured to\n      be brought in in their room, how gifted and gracious young men are\n      debarred from entering into the ministry, and a door is opened to\n      others, whereof some are loose and profane, and many are ignorant\n      and strangers to the work of the Lord upon their own hearts.\u201d\u2014Letter\n      from Protesters, subscribed in the name of many ministers, &c. met\n      at Edinburgh, 17th of March 1653, by Mr. Andrew Cant, p. 6. See what\n      is said in reply to this, in \u201cThe Assertor\u2019s Answer,\u201d printed in the\n      same year, p. 18.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  273 [Acknowledge.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  274 [See note, page 126.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  275 [Recognise.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  276 [That is, genius or ingenuity (from _ingenium_, Lat.) \u201cBut gif\n      corporall doth be commoun to all. Why will ye jeoparde to lois\n      eternall life to eschap that which neither ryche nor pure, neither\n      wise nor ignorant, proud of stomoke nor febill of corage, and\n      finally, no earthlie creature by no craft or engine of man, did ever\n      avoid?\u201d Letter of John Knox from Dieppe.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  277 [That is, \u201cHe who cries up his descent boasts of that which is\n      another\u2019s.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  278 [Much less.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  279 [This is a literal translation of a Greek proverb which is quoted by\n      Aulus Gellius (Noct. Att. lib. xiii. cap. 17) and which has been\n      rendered into Latin thus:\u2014_Multa cadunt inter calicem labrumque\n      supremum._\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  280 [Diod. Sic. Bibl. lib. i. p. 68.\n\n      Venit ad occasum, mun lique extrema Sesostris,\n      Et Pharios currus regum cervicibus egit.\n      Lucan lib. x. ver. 276.\n\n        The farthest west our great Sesostris saw,\n      Whilst captive kings did his proud chariot draw.\n      May\u2019s Translation.\n\n      Sesostris was so much affected and humbled, by the delicate appeal\n      of the enslaved monarch, that he immediately commanded him, and the\n      other unhappy kings who were harnessed to his car, to be removed\n      from it.\u2014Theophylact Hist. Maurit. lib. vi. chap. ii. Joan Tzetz.\n      Hist. Chibad. iii. 69.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  281 [See note page 98.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  282 [Hear, O heavens and give ear, O earth. ver. 2.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  283 [Regret, or accusation.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  284 [Agreeably to the course of discipline in former ages, (Hooker\u2019s\n      Eccl. Pol. vol. iii. p. 15,) they who had been convicted of any\n      gross crime were required by the First Book of Discipline, (chap.\n      ix.) and by subsequent enactments of the Church of Scotland, to\n      confess their sin in the hearing of the whole congregation. The same\n      thing was required of delinquents by the canons of the Church of\n      England. Dr. Grey, in his Impartial Examination of Neale\u2019s History\n      of the Puritans, (App. pp. 62-68,) has, from original documents\n      which were in his own possession, furnished us with various forms,\n      according to which, towards the end of the sixteenth century,\n      offenders were appointed to make their confession, in different\n      parts of England, in their respective parish-churches. The dues\n      which, in cases of scandal, were exacted by the ecclesiastical\n      courts of Scotland, were imposed and defined by acts of parliament.\n      Power to levy these was given to justices of the peace, who were\n      frequently members of the kirk session, or parochial consistory of\n      their district. In the year 1648, the General Assembly \u201crecommended\n      to every congregation, to make use of the 9th act of the parliament\n      1645, at Perth, for having magistrates and justices in every\n      congregation.\u201d (Rec. of Kirk of Scot. p. 511, Edn. 1839.) It was in\n      this way, it would seem, or from elders acting both in a civil and\n      in an ecclesiastical capacity, that the practice of exacting fines\n      by kirk sessions arose and was continued. \u201cYou object that our\n      church sessions did exact fines. But if you consider, that these\n      fines, which you mention, are particularly imposed and determined by\n      statute, and thereby appointed to be applied to pious uses, and\n      therefore the demanding and uplifting thereof only, as well for the\n      more summary and effectual restraint of sin, as for the end whereto\n      they are destined, is in use to be exercised by kirk sessions, or\n      rather by their officers and beadles in deficiency of the\n      magistrate, this your scruple must quickly cease.\u201d \u201cThe True\n      Non-Conformist,\u201d p. 55, printed abroad in the year 1671.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  285 [See Note, page 375.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  286 [This passage is quoted in the Life of the Author.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  287 [That is, the persons who prescribe or appoint it.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  288 [\u201cThe longer I live in the world the less fond am I of that divinity\n      that stand upon quirks and subtilties. What should drive us upon\n      determining whether faith or repentance goes first? What valuable\n      ends or purposes in religion can it serve to promote? What\n      edification can it give to an audience to dispute learnedly about a\n      point of this nature?... I cannot but heartily approve what Mr\n      Robert Blair, an eminent light of this church now in glory, said\n      upon the question in hand. He told his people from the pulpit, that\n      it was a very needless one. \u2019Tis just (said he,) as if you should\n      ask me, when we are to walk, which foot should we lift first. If we\n      should walk to purpose we must make use of both limbs; and so\n      despatched the thorny question. I wish we may all imitate the wisdom\n      of that great and good man. Is it not sufficient for us to declare\n      that both are necessary, without determining the nice point of\n      priority and posterority?\u201d (Essay on Gospel and Legal Preaching, by\n      a Minister of the Church of Scotland, pp. 22, 23. Edin. 1723.) \u201cMr.\n      Robert Blair, born in Irvine, was first a Regent in the College of\n      Glasgow, at which time he was licensed to preach the gospel, and was\n      from the beginning zealous for truth and piety.\u201d (Livingston\u2019s\n      Memorable Characteristics, p. 73) Mr. Blair died in 1666 in the 73d\n      year of his age. (See Memoirs of the Life of Mr. Robert Blair, the\n      first part written by himself, p. 128, Edin. 1754.) Mr. James\n      Durham, Minister of the High Church of Glasgow, a short time before\n      his death, intrusted to him the publication of his \u201cDying Man\u2019s\n      Testament to the Church of Scotland, or a Treatise concerning\n      Scandal,\u201d to which Mr. Blair wrote a preface. Principal Baillie\n      gives this account of Blair, \u201cTruly, I bear that man record that in\n      all his English voyages, in many passages of the Assembly, private\n      and public, he contributed as much to the pacifying of our\n      differences as any, and much more than many.\u201d Journals and Letters,\n      vol. i. p. 306.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  289 [Or, sin itself.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  290 [That is, _power_ of persuasion.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  291 [This is the word in the first Edition. It would seem to have been\n      substituted for _arrive_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  292 [That is, unless you please.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  293 [A proverb, which signifies that conscience does not deceive, and\n      that its testimony is as overwhelming as that of a thousand\n      witnesses\u2014_Quintil Inst Orator_ lib. v. chap. xi.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  294 [That is, not to will.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  295 [See Note, page 96. _Si vis cadem semper vella, vera oportet\n      velis._\u2014\u201cIf you are desirous to have always similar wishes, it is\n      necessary that you should wish for things that are proper.\u201d _Senec.\n      Epist._ xcv.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  296 [That is, laid open or explained.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  297 [Dispone is a Scots law expression. It signifies to convey a right\n      or property to another.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  298 See:\n\n      Non bene conveniunt, nec in una sede morantur,\n      Majestus et amor.\n\n      _Ovid. Met._ lib. ii. v. 846.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  299 [The name Immanuel \u05d5\u05e0\u05de\u05e2 \u05dc\u05d0 signifies, _God with us_. Immelanu \u05d5\u05e0\u05d0\n      \u05dc\u05d0\u05de\u05e2 signifies, _we with God_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  300 [The Goel (\u05dc\u05d0\u05d2), or nearest kinsman, was, by the Mosaic law,\n      entitled not only to redeem a forfeited inheritance, but to avenge\n      the blood of any of the family, by slaying the murderer, if he found\n      him out of a city of refuge. He was therefore called the redeemer,\n      or \u201cavenger of blood,\u201d Josh. xx. 3.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  301 [The word \u03bb\u03c5\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd denotes the price of redemption, or that which is\n      given to purchase the freedom of those who are in a state of\n      captivity. \u201cEven as the Son of man came not to be ministered to but\n      to minister, and to give his life a ransom (\u03bb\u03c5\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd) for many\u201d (Matt.\n      xx. 28, Mark x. 45). \u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03bb\u03c5\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd is but once used in the New\n      Testament. Its gratification is a counter-price, or the ransom that\n      is paid when the life or person of one is given for that of another.\n      \u201cFor there is but one God and one mediator between God and men, the\n      man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom (\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03bb\u03c5\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd) for all,\u201d 1\n      Tim. ii. 5, 6. Vide Leigh\u2019s Critica Sacra.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  302 [That is, proposed.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  303 [That is, however.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  304 [Verse 6.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  305 [That is, place it upon God or charge him with it.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  306 [That is, adorned itself.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  307 [_Scottice_ for _than_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  308 [There is some obscurity in this sentence. The sentiment that is\n      expressed, however, seems to be this:\u2014_Much love to a particular\n      object makes the act of seeking or praying for it to be loved\n      more._\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  309 [That is, an earnest (_arrha_ Lat.).\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  310 [Yule is a name that is still applied to Christmas, in the Northern\n      parts of England as well as in Scotland. \u201cThis name was originally\n      given to the great annual feast celebrated among the northern\n      nations, at the time of the winter solstice in honour of the sun.\n      Hence Odin was denominated Julvatter, or the _Father of Yule_.\u201d\n      (Jamieson\u2019s Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish language.) \u201cHe\n      praised God that he was born in such a time, as in the time of the\n      light of the gospel\u2014to such a place as to be king of such a kirk,\n      the sincerest kirk of the world. The kirk of Geneva keep Pasch and\n      _Yule_; what have they for them? They have no institution. As for\n      our neighbour kirk in England their service is an evil sad mass in\n      English, they want nothing of the mass but the liftings.\u201d (Speech of\n      King James VI, to the Central Assembly of the Church of Scotland, at\n      Edinburgh, August 1590. Calderwood\u2019s Hist. of the Ch. of Scot. p.\n      206.) What is called the birch or \u201cbirk in Yule even\u2019\u201d was probably\n      the _Yule clog_. On Christmas eve at no very remote period, the\n      _Yule clog_, which was a large shapeless piece of wood, selected for\n      the purpose, was dragged by a number of persons bearing in their\n      hand large candles, and placed by them on the fire where it was to\n      be burned in compliance with an ancient superstitious custom. Our\n      author may refer to this practice or perhaps he had simply in view\n      the old proverb, \u201cHe\u2019s as bare as the birk at Yule.\u201d\u2014Henderson\u2019s\n      Scottish Proverbs, p. 47. Edin. 1832.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  311 [The records of the kirk session of the parish of Govan, during the\n      incumbency of the author, after having been lost for many years,\n      were fortunately recovered not long ago. These show the great\n      strictness of the ecclesiastical discipline of those days. There\n      were not fewer than twenty-two elders in the kirk session. Each of\n      these had a ward or district assigned to him, of which it was his\n      duty to take a particular superintendence. It was hardly possible,\n      therefore, that any irregularity of which a parishioner was guilty\n      could be concealed, and consequently, what is recorded in the\n      register is to be regarded, not as a specimen, but as the gross\n      amount of the immorality of the parish. Some may affect to ridicule\n      the severe notice that was taken of particular instances of\n      misconduct. But the cognizance that was taken of such things is a\n      proof of the high tone of moral and religious feeling that prevailed\n      at that time among the office bearers of the church. Individuals, we\n      find, were brought before the kirk session, on account of family and\n      domestic feuds, for quarrelling with their neighbours, for solitary\n      instances of drunkenness, and of the use of profane language, for\n      carrying water on the Lord\u2019s day, for sleeping in church, for\n      resorting to taverns on the Sabbath, for calumny, and for neglecting\n      the education of their children, &c. They who were convicted of such\n      offences, were sometimes rebuked in private by an elder, and at\n      other times by the minister in the presence of the eldership. It was\n      only in the case of graver offences, the number of which was\n      comparatively small, that a reproof was administered in the presence\n      of the congregation.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  312 [In the \u201cCauses of the Lord\u2019s Wrath against Scotland, agreed upon by\n      the Commission of the General Assembly,\u201d 1650, \u201cBacksliding and\n      defection from the covenants and our solemn vows and engagements,\u201d\n      is specified (p. 46) to be \u201cone of the greatest and most\n      comprehensive and provoking sins in the land.\u201d _Printed in the year\n      1653._\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  313 [This is the language of a man who did not use \u201cat any time\n      flattering words,\u201d or utter to his people \u201csmooth things.\u201d From what\n      he says here, however, and in some other sermons, and from\n      corresponding evidence which might be adduced, we are forced to\n      conclude that the well-known description which Kirkton has given of\n      the state of religion in Scotland in those days, (Hist. of Ch. of\n      Scot. pp. 48, 54, 64) must be too highly coloured. The presence of a\n      large military force and a state of civil warfare could not but be\n      prejudicial, in various ways, to the religion and morality of a\n      country. I am perfectly aware that the authority of Lord Clarendon,\n      Bishop Burnet, Milton, and others, may be brought forward to prove\n      that the parliamentary soldiers were kept under the strictest\n      discipline, and were remarkable for their grave deportment. But I\n      know likewise that the characters of not a few of those soldiers are\n      seriously affected by the offensive details of the ecclesiastical\n      records of the parish with which Binning was connected.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  314 [See Note, p. 368.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  315 [Or together.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  316 [That is, explain.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  317 [Coldly or indifferently.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  318 [Languishing.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  319 [\u201cUpon Sunday, the 27th of February [1642], a declaration was read\n      out of the old town pulpit [Aberdeen] by our minister, Mr William\n      Strahan, showing the state of the Protestants in Ireland, and how\n      their wives and bairns were miserably banished, and forced to flee\n      into the west parts of Scotland for refuge, and the land not able to\n      sustain them. It was found expedient that ilk parish within the\n      kingdom should receive a collection of ilk man\u2019s charity for their\n      help and support, whereupon was collected of this poor parish\n      fourscore pounds.\u201d (Spalding\u2019s \u201cHistory of the Troubles in\n      Scotland,\u201d vol. i. p. 34. Aberdeen, 1792.) \u201cAs a body, the\n      presbyterians [in Ireland] suffered less by the ravages of the\n      rebellion than any other class. The more influential of their\n      ministers, and the principal part of their gentry, had previously\n      retired to Scotland to escape the tyranny of Strafford and the\n      severities of the bishops and were thus providentially preserved.\u201d\n      (Dr. Reid\u2019s \u201cHistory of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland,\u201d vol. i,\n      p. 339.) After the execution of Charles I, an oath called the\n      _Engagement_, was framed by the English parliament, requiring all\n      persons to be \u201cfaithful to the commonwealth of England as now\n      established, without a king or house of lords.\u201d The Irish ministers\n      refused to take this oath. The republicans were irritated by this\n      refusal, and by the loyalty of the ministers, who publicly preached\n      against them. They therefore imprisoned some of the ministers, while\n      others fled to the woods, and some to Scotland. At length, at a\n      council of war held at Carrickfergus in March, 1651, a formal act of\n      banishment from the kingdom was passed against them. \u201cThose that\n      staid in the country, though they could not exercise their ministry\n      orderly as formerly, and though their stipends were sequestered, yet\n      they, changing their apparel to the habit of countrymen, travelled\n      in their own parishes frequently, and sometimes in other places,\n      taking what opportunities they could to preach in the fields, or in\n      barns and glens, and were seldom in their own houses. They persuaded\n      the people to constancy in the received doctrines, in opposition to\n      the wild heresies which were then spreading, and reminding them of\n      their duty to their lawful magistrates, the king and parliament, in\n      opposition to the usurption of the times, and in their public\n      prayers always mentioning the lawful magistrate. This continued\n      throughout the summer of 1651, at which time there was diligent\n      search made anew for them. Some were again taken, others fled, and\n      those who were taken were imprisoned first, for a time, in\n      Carrickfergus, in lodgings where they quartered; and thereafter,\n      Colonel Venables not gaining any ground upon them, they were sent to\n      Scotland.\u201d Adair\u2019s MS. apud Dr. Reid\u2019s Hist. vol. ii. p. 246-248.\n      See also a narrative of the sufferings of the Irish Presbyterians,\n      for their religion and loyalty, in the \u201cSample of Jet-Black\n      Calumny,\u201d p. 214.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  320 [What is perhaps meant is, it _swelleth_ much.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  321 [That is, _that can lay claim to the favour of his Saviour even when\n      his Saviour turns away his face from him_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  322 [What is here said would seem to fix the date of this sermon. It\n      appears to have been preached before the battle of Dunbar.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  323 [That is, strongly.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  324 [That is, his utmost.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  325 [It is evident from this, and similar references to recent events,\n      that the Case of Conscience must have been written in the early part\n      of the year 1651. The proceedings of the commission of the General\n      Assembly, from July 1650 to July 1661, fill a large MS volume of\n      more than 400 pages. These proceedings have never been printed, with\n      the exception of certain detached papers, which are found engrossed\n      in the controversial pamphlets and journals of the times.\u2014Peterkin\u2019s\n      \u201cRecords of the Kirk of Scotland,\u201d p. 592.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  326 [\u201cThe Gen. Assembly itself at Edinburgh, in July thereafter, did,\n      upon the 19 of that moneth, publish a Declaration, in which they\n      give warning concerning Malignants thus:\u2014\u2018We exhort all those who\n      are in publick trust in ye comitee of Estates, or otherwise, not\n      only to take good head of their private walking that it be suitable\n      to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and of their families and followers,\n      that they bee void of offence, but also be straight in the cause and\n      covenant, and not to seek themselves, nor befriend any who have been\n      enemies to the Lord\u2019s work, self-seeking, and conniving at, and\n      complying with, and pleading for Malignants, having been publick\n      sins that have been often complained of; and we wish to God yr were\n      no cause to complain of these things still, notwithstanding of the\n      solemne confession of them, and ingadging against them. God forbid\n      that any mocke the Lord. He is a severe avenger of all such things,\n      and there is the more reason at this time not to own Malignants,\n      because it is ordinary with men so to be taken with the sense of the\n      dangers such is before them as not to look back to that which is\n      behind hem. There may be inclinations in some to employ these men,\n      and make use of them, that we may be strengthened in this and in our\n      neighbour land, but God hath hitherto cursed all such counsels, and\n      blasted such resolutions, and if we shall again fall into this sin,\n      as our guilt shal be so much the greater by reasone of many promises\n      and ingadgments to the contrair, so we may expect ane heavier\n      judgment from the Lord upon it. Let us keep the Lord\u2019s way, and\n      though we be few and weake, the Lord shall be with us, and make us\n      to prosper and prevail. They are not fit for the work of God, and\n      for the glorious dispensations of his more than ordinary works of\n      power and providence in these times, who cannot beleive nor act any\n      thing beyonde what sense and reasone can make clear unto them from\n      the beginning unto ye end of their undertakings. Former experiences\n      and present straits call upon us that we should act and follow our\n      deutie in such a way as may magnify the Lord, and make it known to\n      others that we may live by Faith.\u2019\u2014\u2018The Waters of Sihor,\u2019 or the\n      Lands Defectione, By Mr. James Guthrie, Minister of Stirling,\u201d\n      Wodrow MSS vol. xvii. p. 41, in Bib. Ad.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  327 [\u201cAt Stirlinge, the 12 of Septem. 1650. A shorte declaration and\n      warninge to all the congregations of the Kirk of Scotland, from the\n      commissioners of the General Assembly.\n\n      \u201cAlbeit the Lord quhosse judgments are unsearchable, and quhosse\n      wayes past finding out, has brought the land werey low wnder the\n      hand of ane prewaillinge enemey, yet must we not forbeare to declair\n      the mynd of God, nor vthers refusse to hearken thereto. It wer\n      superfluous to give answer to the maney calumnies and reproches that\n      are blazed abroad, for albeit in every thing we cannot justify the\n      conducte of the armey, yet we hold it our deutie to desyre every one\n      not to beleive groundless reports, bot rather to eye the Lord, and\n      looke vpe to the hand that smytts them. And therfor, in the first\n      place, we exhort and warne all the inhabitants of the land, to\n      searche out ther iniquities, and to be deeplie humbled before the\n      Lord, that he may turn away his wraith from us. The Lord hath\n      wounded us and chasteissed us sore, wiche sayes that our iniquities\n      are muche, and that our sins are increessed. It concerneth the King\n      to mourne for all the grivous provocations of his father\u2019s housse,\n      and for all his auen guiltiness, and to consider if he hes come to\n      the covenant, and joined himselve to the Lord, upone politicke\n      interests, for gaining a croune to himselve rather then to advance\n      religione and righteousness, that it is iniquitie quhilk God will\n      not forgett excepte it be speedilie repented offe. It concerns our\n      nobles and judges to consider wither ther carriadge in publicke\n      matters be straight and equall, or rather savoring of seeking\n      themselves and the thinges of this worlde, and how they walke in\n      ther families, and in ther privat conversations. There is in maney a\n      grate deall of perversenes and incorrigiblenes in regard of\n      forsaking some and performing some deuties, notwithstanding publecke\n      confessions and engagements, and this cannot bot heighlie provock\n      the Lord. And it concerneth the officers of the armey, especially\n      thesse quho are cheiffe among them, to weight weell quhat the Lord\n      hes against them, and to repent of ther diffidence and carnall way\n      of acting and undervaluing of God\u2019s people. And ministers have also\n      neid to searche themselves concerning ther faithfullness to be\n      sound, for wiche God is angrie, doutles even amongest thesse is\n      muche negligence. Albeit the Lord hes suffred that armey of\n      perfideous and blasphemous sectaries to prevaill. Yet God forbid\n      that the land should complay with him, quhatever may be the\n      plauseable and faire carriage of some of that enimey, yet doubtless\n      there is ane levin of error and hypocrassy amongest them wich all\n      the lovers of treuth wold decern and avoyd. As the Lord hes trayed\n      the stability and integritie of his people in the land heirtofore,\n      by the prevailing of malignants, so doeth he now tray them by the\n      prevailing of sectaries, and wee trust they will thinke it ther\n      deutie and commendatione to prove staidfast against them als weill\n      as the other.\n\n      \u201c3. Nather wold men be lesse cairfull and active to opposse the\n      enimey, then they have beine in opposeing malignants heirtofor, our\n      religione, lives, liberties and estaits, are als muche in hazard now\n      as ever, all the ordinances of Jesus Christ in the land are in\n      danger, and the foundatione lyke to be overturnid by thesse men quho\n      are oblidged, by the band of the covenant, to mantiene all thesse\n      and it wer a grate guiltines to ly doune and complay, and crutche\n      under the burden of the strange impositions that they will lay upon\n      us, and as men without head, to suffer our land to be brought in\n      bondage and ourselves to be robbed of all thesse things quhilk are\n      most precious and deire to us. If wee should doe so, the Lord wold\n      be angrie with us, and our posterity could not bot curss us.\n\n      \u201c4. We would not think that all danger from the malignants is now\n      gone, seeing that ther is a grate maney suche in the land, quho\n      still retein ther former principales, therfor we wolde, with als\n      muche watchfullnes and tendernes now as ever, avoyde ther snars, and\n      beware of complayance and conjunctione with them, and take head,\n      that under a pretence of doing for the king and kingdome they gett\n      not power and strenth unto ther handes, for advanceing and\n      promoveing ther old malignant desseinges. Doubtles our saftie is in\n      holding fast our former principales, and keeping a straighte faithe,\n      without declyning to the right hand ore to the lefte.\n\n      \u201c5. It concernes all the inhabitants of the land to bewarre of\n      murmuring and complaning against God\u2019s dispensations, and\n      questioning the treuthe and goodnes of our causse or quarreling with\n      God, or blaming or casting off the covenant, becausse of aney thing\n      that hath befallin them, that wer a grate iniquitie not to be\n      pardoned. Lett us beare the indignatione of the Lord patientlie,\n      becausse wee have sinned against him, untill he plead our causse and\n      execut judgment for us, he will bring us fourthe to the light, and\n      we shall behold his righteousnes.\u201d\u2014Sir James Balfour\u2019s Annales, vol.\n      iv. pp. 98-102.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  328 [\u201cCauses of a soleme publicke humiliatione upone the defait of the\n      army, to be keepit throughout all the congregations of the Kirk of\n      Scotland.\n\n      \u201cAlbeit soleme publicke humiliations hes beine muche slighted, and\n      gone about in a formall way by maney in this land, so that it is not\n      one of the least of our provocations that we have drawn neire to God\n      with our mouthes and keepit our heartes fare from him, for wich the\n      Lord hath turned the wisdome of the wysse unto foollishnes, and the\n      strenthe of the strong men unto weaknes, yet seing it is a dutie\n      that hath oftin provin comfortable to uswards, God doeth new call us\n      in a speciall way by a singular peice of dispensatione, and knowing\n      that all quho are acquainted with God in the land will make\n      conscience of it, wee conceave it expedient that the quhole land be\n      humbled for the causses following.\n\n      \u201c1. The continued ignorance and profanitie of the bodie of the land,\n      and the obstinacey and incorrigiblenes of maney, notwithstanding of\n      all the caires that God hath takin upon us by his word, and by his\n      workes of mercy and judgement, to teache us in the knowledge of his\n      name, and to refraine us from the eivell of our wayes.\n\n      \u201c2. The manifest provocations of the kinges housse wiche we feare\n      are not throughlie repented off, nor forsaken by him to this day,\n      togidder with the crooked and precipitant wayes that wer takin by\n      sundrie of our statesmen for caring the trettey with the king.\n\n      \u201c3. The bringing home with the king a grate maney malignants, and\n      indevoring to keepe some of them about him, and maney of them in the\n      kingdome, notwithstanding of publicke resolutions to the contrarey.\n\n      \u201c4. The not purging of the kinges familie from malignant and profane\n      men, and the constituting of the samen of weill affected and godlie\n      persons, albeit it hathe beine oftin pressed upone the parliament\n      and comittee of Estaits, undertaking and promessed to be performed\n      by them.\n\n      \u201c5. The leveing of a most malignant and profaine guard of horsse to\n      be aboute the king, quho having beine sent for to be purgit aboute 2\n      dayes before the defaite, were suffred to be and feight in our\n      armey.\n\n      \u201c6. The exceiding grate slaknes of maney and aversnes and\n      untowardnes of some in the cheiffe judicatories of the kingdome and\n      in the armey, in guid motione and publick deuties, especially in\n      thesse thinges that concerne the purging of judicatories and the\n      armey from malignant and scandalous persons, and filling all places\n      of powre and trust with men of knowen integritie and trust, and of a\n      blamles and Christiane conversatione, togider with grate\n      inclinations to keepe and bring in malignants to the judicatories\n      and to the armey, as if the land could not be gydit and defendit\n      without thesse, and grate repyning and craying out against all that\n      is done to the contrarie, and studding to make the same ineffectual.\n\n      \u201c7. The exceiding grate diffidence of some of the cheiffe leaders of\n      our armey, and others amongest us quho thought wee could not be\n      saved bot by ane numerous armey, who quhen wee have gottin many\n      thousands togider, wold not hazard to acte aney thing,\n      notwithstanding that God offred faire opportunities and advantages,\n      and fitted the spiritts of the souldiers for ther deutie, for\n      carnall confidence that was in maney of the armey, to the dispysing\n      of the enimey and promising victorie to themselves without eying of\n      God.\n\n      \u201c8. The lousnes, insolencie and oppressione, of maney in the armey,\n      and the litle or no caire that was taken by maney to preserve the\n      corne, by wich it hath come to passe that verey much of the food of\n      the poore people of the land have beine neidlesly destroyed, and\n      quhile wee even remember this, we wishe that the prophanitie and\n      oppressione of sundrie of oure officers and souldiers in Ingland,\n      quhen we were fighting for the assistance of the parliament of that\n      kingdome, may not be forgottin, because it was matter of stumbling\n      in that land, so it is lyke it is ane of the causses of the sore\n      indignatione now manifested against us by the hands of thesse men.\n\n      \u201c9. Our grate unthankfullnes for former mercies and deliverances,\n      and even for maney tokins of the Lords favor and goodness towards\n      our present armey quhile they wer togider, and the grate impatience\n      of spirit that was to be seine in maney thesse weekes past, quhilk\n      made them limitt the Lord, and to compleine and weerie of his\n      delaying of ane deliverance.\n\n      \u201c10. The enving and eyeing of the kings intrest and quarrell by\n      maney, without subordinatione to religione and the liberties and\n      saveties of this kingdomes.\n\n      \u201c11. The carnall selve seiking and crooked way of sundrie in our\n      judicatories and armies, quho make ther employments and places\n      rather ane matter of intrest and gain and preferment to themselves\n      then of advancing religione and righteousness in the land.\n\n      \u201c12. The not putting difference betwix thesse that fear God, and\n      thesse that fear him not, for our services, our companie, our\n      employments, bot acompting all men alike, maney times preferring\n      thesse quho have nothing of God in them.\n\n      \u201c13. The exceiding grate negligence that is in grate ones, and maney\n      others, in performing the deuties in ther families notwithstanding\n      of our former soleme acknowledgment of the samen; as also, our\n      neglecte of the deuties of mutuall edificatione, and grate\n      unfruitfullness and barrennes that is to be seene amongest all sorts\n      of persons; togider with the following of deutie with a grate deall\n      of mixture of carnall affections and fleschly wisdome wich grives\n      the Spirit of God, and takes away muche of the beutie of the Lords\n      image from our judicatories.\n\n      \u201cAs we wold be humbled for thesse thinges, so wold wee also intreat\n      the Lord that he wold sanctifie this affliction to his people that\n      they nather dispysse his chestisings, nor faint quhen they are\n      rebukit of him, bot that they may beare his indignatione patiently,\n      and cleive steadfestly to the treuthe, and the covenants, and the\n      causse of God without yeilding to the power of the enimey, or\n      receaving ther errors, or complaying ather with them on the one\n      hand, ore malignants on the other, and that the Lord wold poure out\n      of his Spirit upon the people, that ther spiritts may be raissed\n      unto ther deutie, and that they may be filled and furnished of God\n      with wisdome and resolutione to acte against their enimies for the\n      honor of God, ther awen preservatione; and that the Lord wold not\n      suffer them to be tempted above that whiche they are able to beare,\n      bot that he wold break the yoke of ther oppressors from off ther\n      neckes, and give them salvatione and deliverance; earnestly to\n      intreat the Lord in private and in publicke that he wold preserve\n      with us the ordinances of Jesus Christe, the kingdom, the kings\n      maties persone, the ministrie, from the power of ther enimies, quho\n      seekes the destruction of all.\u201d\u2014Id. pp. 102-107.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  329 [See the Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, Anno 1650, xxx\n      Novembris, vol. vi. p. 544.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  330 [\u201cAbout this time the king\u2019s head was filled by some unhappy men\n      about him, especially Dr. Fraser [who was the king\u2019s physician] and\n      Henry Seymour, with many extreme fears. After the affront at Leith,\n      they had raised suspicions in his mind, which, upon the defeat at\n      Dunbar, were increased, but by the separate rising in the west\n      brought near to the head of a design to break the treaty with him,\n      and agree upon his expences with Cromwell. Upon these motions the\n      malignants in the north stept in, and by the forenamed persons began\n      a correspondence for the raising of the north for his present\n      service, under the conduct of Middleton. So many noblemen were on\n      this unhappy enterprise. Crawford was given out for its head and\n      contriver, albeit be professed to me his opposition to it.\n      Lauderdale knew of it; but he has said so far to me, that I believe\n      him he opposed it to his power. However, the thing was so foolishly\n      laid, and the king, by the counsels of those about him, was so\n      various in giving order for that rising, sometimes commanding and\n      then countermanding to rise, that all the party was put in a\n      confusion; yet, by the information of these foresaid fools, the king\n      being put in fear, that Lorn, going timely to bury a soldier, was\n      drawing together his regiment to lay hands on him, contrary to his\n      former resolutions, he took horse with some two or three, as if it\n      had been to go a hawking, but crossed Tay, and stayed not till he\n      came to Clowe in Angus. By the way he repented of the journey, and\n      meeting with Lauderdale at Diddup, and Balcarras coming from Dundee\n      by accident, was almost persuaded by them to return, yet by Diddup\n      and Buchan he was kept in Clowe. But when he came to that\n      miserably-accommodated house, and in place of the great promised\n      forces, he saw nothing but a small company of Highlanders, he\n      presently sent for Robert Montgomery, who was near with his\n      regiment, and without more ado, did willingly return, exceedingly\n      confounded and dejected for that ill-advised start. When it was\n      first blazed abroad, it filled all good men with great grief, and to\n      my own heart it brought one of the most sensible sorrows that in all\n      nay life I had felt. Yet his quick return of his own accord, and his\n      readiness to give all satisfaction for that failure, and his kind\n      receiving by the committee of states, among whom he ever sat after\n      his return (though never before) turned our grief suddenly into joy,\n      his absence not lasting above two full days. Yet all men were not so\n      soon satisfied.\n\n      \u201cSundry of them who had been on the plot, fearing a discovery and\n      punishment, flew to arms; Lewis Gordon, Ogilvie, Athol, and others,\n      under Middleton\u2019s command, putting out a number of fair pretexts for\n      their rising. This might have destroyed all; yet, by God\u2019s mercy,\n      all was quickly quieted. D. Leslie, with all his horse, marched\n      towards them; the king wrote earnestly to them to lay down. The\n      committee of estates sent a fair act of indemnity, and so without\n      more ado they went home.\u201d\u2014Baillie\u2019s Letters, vol. ii. p. 356.\n\n      Middleton, like the Marquis of Montrose, had been at one time a\n      covenanter. After the Restoration, he was appointed to open the\n      Scottish parliament, as his Majesty\u2019s commissioner. But this did not\n      prevent him from taking part in the debate, when the Act Rescissory,\n      by which the presbyterian form of church polity was completely\n      destroyed, was under consideration. Mr. David Dickson, along with\n      some others, was delegated by the presbytery of Edinburgh to present\n      to the Earl of Middleton a petition upon this subject. Middleton\n      told Mr. Dickson \u201che was mistaken if he thought to terrify him with\n      papers,\u2014he was no coward.\u201d Mr. Dickson dryly replied, \u201cThey knew\n      well he was no coward ever since the bridge of Dee.\u201d This was a\n      skirmish which took place on the 19th of June, 1638, in which\n      Middleton had displayed great zeal for the covenant, in opposition\n      to Charles I. He took no notice of Mr. Dickson\u2019s sarcastic\n      remark.\u2014Kirkton\u2019s \u201cHistory of the Church of Scotland,\u201d p.\n      118.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  331 [This was the \u201cActe of Pardon and Indemnitie, granted by the King\n      and Comittee of Estaites to the Northerne Rebells, 26 October, 1650,\n      and proclaimed at the mercat crosse of Perth, the 29th ditto, by\n      Rosse Heraulde, A.L.\u201d See Balfour\u2019s Annales, vol. iv. p. 132.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  332 [He refers to \u201cThe Northerne Band and Othe of Engagement sent by\n      Mideltone to L. Generall David Lesley, 26th of October, 1650.\u201d\n      Middleton and the other subscribers of the Bond promise and swear\n      that they \u201cshall manteine the trew religione, as it is established\n      in Scotland; the covenant, league and covenant, the Kings Majesties\n      persone, prerogative, gratnes and authoritie; the previllidges of\n      parliament and freedome of the subjects.\u201d\u2014Id. p. 129.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  333 [See the Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, ut supra.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  334 [The reader will find a very interesting account of the negociations\n      at Breda, in \u201cA Brief Historical Relation of the Life of Mr. John\n      Livingston, Minister at Ancrum in Scotland, and last at Rotterdam in\n      Holland,\u201d who was one of the commissioners sent from Scotland to\n      Breda (pp. 39-52. Glasgow, 1754). Dr. Cook, who quotes from the MS.,\n      does not seem to have been aware that the Life of Livingston was\n      ever printed. See his \u201cHistory of the Church of Scotland,\u201d vol. iii.\n      p. 177, _note_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  335 [\u201cImmediately after the Scots army had marched in to England to the\n      parliament\u2019s assistance, did the King commissionate Montrose to\n      raise a war in Scotland, by which he made account either to oblige\n      the covenanters to recall their army out of England, or at least to\n      make that nation smart for their boldness.  And this indeed he did\n      effectually, for landing in the West Highlands, with a party of\n      bloody Irish papists, who had been but a little before clashed in\n      the cruel massacre of the innocent protestants he overran the whole\n      country and beat the covenanters forces in six bloody conflicts. His\n      war, I believe, was the most cruel in the world.\u201d (Kirkton\u2019s\n      History, p. 43) \u201cMontrose\u2019s History is written in good Latin\n      (supposed to be by Bishop Wishart), but with as little truth as most\n      in the world.\u201d  Id. p. 122.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  336 [Sir James Turner and Colonel Urrey were sent to the west of\n      Scotland with their respective regiments, in 1648 to overawe and\n      reduce to obedience, those who were averse to Hamilton\u2019s Engagement.\n      (Guthry\u2019s Memoirs, p. 272 second edition). This service seems to\n      have been perfectly congenial to the habits and taste of Sir James\n      Turner, who appears, says Sir Walter Scott, (\u201cTales of a\n      Grandfather,\u201d vol. ii. p. 211. Edin. 1829), by the account he gives\n      of himself in his Memoirs to have been an unscrupulous plunderer,\n      and other authorities describe him as a fierce and dissolute\n      character. On coming to Glasgow, the way he took, as he himself\n      tells us with considerable _gusto_, \u201cto make the hardest headed\n      Covenanter in the toune to forsake the kirk and side with the\n      Parliament,\u201d was to quarter on suspected persons \u201ctwo or three\n      troopers and halfe a dozen musketeers.\u201d In the same heartless strain\n      he proceeds to say\u2014\u201cFinding my Glasgow men groune prettie tame, I\n      tenderd them a short paper, which whoever signed I promisd, sould be\n      presentlie easd of all quartering.\u201d It was nothing but a submission\n      to all orders of Parliament, agreeable to the Covenant. This paper\n      was afterward, by some merrie men christend Turner\u2019s Covenant.\n      (Memoirs of his own Life and Times by Sir James Turner, pp. 53, 54\n      printed at Edinburgh, by the Bannatyne Club, in 1829). As he was\n      deprived of his rank by the Act of Classes in 1649, Sir James Turner\n      was one of those pretended penitents, of whom according to Bishop\n      Burnet, \u201call churches were full\u201d after the passing of the Public\n      Resolutions. (Memoires of the Duke of Hamilton, p. 425.) \u201cMartii 12,\n      1651. The qlk day was given in ane lettre from the comission of the\n      kirk, the tenour whereof follows,\u2014Reverende and loving brethrene,\n      having received a petition how general adjutant James Turner,\n      acknowledgeing verie humblie his sin, in ye great accession he had\n      to that unlawful engadgement against England, and partcularlie his\n      impious carriage in your citie by perturbing divine service, he\n      seems to be verie sensible of his former miscarriage. We however\n      still continue him under conference wt presbyteries hear. Bot if we\n      shall find him in a condition to mak publik satisfaction, we desire\n      to know of you, if he can com and staye there wt safetie, and\n      without danger from the enemie, that he may satisfie in ye kirk of\n      Glasgow, which we thinke the most convenient place for removing the\n      scandal, that if he can be secur, he may be appoynted to com to you,\n      and if not, we may tak such other course as shall be thought most\n      convenient. We have no more to say, bot commending you in all\n      thingis to ye Lordis direction, we remain your loving brethrene the\n      comissioners of ye generall assemblie. Perth, 13 Feb 1651. Sic\n      subscribitur, Mr. Robert Douglas, Moderator.\u201d (Records of the\n      Presbytery of Glasgow.)\n\n      What Principal Baillie says of the oppressive conduct of Sir James\n      Turner at Glasgow, during the time of the Engagement, is this\u2014\u201cSome\n      regiments of horse and foot were sent to our town, with orders to\n      quarter on no other but the magistrates, council, session, and their\n      lovers. These orders were executed with rigour. On the most\n      religious people of our town, huge burdens did fall. On some 10, on\n      some 20, on others 30 soldiers and more, did quarter, who, beside\n      meat and drink, wine, and good cheer, and whatever they called for,\n      did exact cruelly their daily pay, and much more. In ten days, they\n      cost a few honest but mean people, 40,000 lb., besides plundering of\n      those whom necessity forced to flee from their houses.\u201d Letters and\n      Journals, vol. ii. p. 294.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  337 [\u201cStirling, 27 Sept, 1650: The comittee of Estaits considering the\n      necessarey devine lying upone them in prosecutione of the acte of\n      parliament and according to the frequent and serious remonstrances\n      of the commissione of the churche for purging of the kings familey\n      of all profaine, scandalous, malignant, and disaffected persons, and\n      that it be constituted of such as are pious, and well affected to\n      the cause and covenant qwho have not opposed the same by ther\n      counsells and actions. And lykewayes considering the grate offence\n      hes beine taken that the persons after nominated have not removed\n      from courte nor departed out of the kingdome respectively, and\n      having taken also into consideratione the report of the sub\n      comittee, appoynted to think on the purging of the kings familey\n      doth heirby therfor ordaine and command, The French Marques of\n      Villaneuffe, The Earle of Cleveland, Lord Wentworthe his son,\n      Viscount Grandeson, Lord Volmett, Lord Withringtone, Robert Long,\n      Secretarey, Sr Edward Walker, Garter, Mr. Progers, Groome of His\n      Maties Bed chamber, Master Lane, Master Marche, Colonell Darcey, Mr.\n      Antoney Jacksone, Major Jacksone, Colonell Loes, Master Oder, Under\n      Secretary Lord St. Paule, Sr Philipe Musgrave, Sr Faithful Fortskew,\n      Sr Timothey Featherstons, L Coll Meutis, Collonell Carbraithe, to\n      depart the courte within 24 houres, and to remove out of the\n      kingdome within 20 dayes after intunatione, and Doctor Fraser and Sr\n      George Melveill to withdraw from the court within 24 houres.\u201d (Sir\n      James Balfour\u2019s Annales of Scotland, vol. iv. pp. 109, 110). Sir\n      Edward Walker, whose name is included in the above list, says,\n      \u201cMoney being ordered for my transportation, which I never got I was\n      connived at for about three months, and therein had the opportunity\n      to collect and write my observations of the Affairs as they then\n      stood. Yet upon Friday the 4th of October, I was, by Sir James\n      Balfour, lion king of arms, commanded from court, which I presently\n      obeyed, and about a month after imbarqued for Holland, where I\n      resided several years after.\u201d (Historical Discourses. Contents\n      folio. Lond. 1705.) The circumstances in which this zealous royalist\n      was placed, together with his national prejudices, may account for\n      his extreme credulity, in believing that the clergy of Scotland,\n      after the battle of Dunbar, offered up such impious prayers as he\n      has ascribed to them. (Id. p. 182) It was not to be expected that\n      Mr. Hume would neglect the opportunity which was thus afforded him\n      of covering with ridicule the Scottish covenanters. (See Hume\u2019s\n      Account of the Battle of Dunbar.) Rapin vindicates the conduct of\n      the Estates, in inquiring the removal from about the person of the\n      king, of some of his friends and attendants\u2019 men he says, \u201cwhose\n      principles and maxims were directly opposite to the interests of\n      Scotland and who were the kingdoms reputed enemies.\u201d Hist. of Eng.\n      vol. ii. p. 581. Lond. 1833\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  338 [\u201cAt the nod of a prince.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  339 [That is, \u201cHe says, I say, he denies, I deny.\u201d It is the parasite\n      Gnatho that is referred to. Terence makes the shameless sycophant\n      proclaim his own infamy\u2014\n\n      Quicquid dicunt, laudo, id rursum si negant, laudo id quoque\n      Negat quis? Nego. Ait? Aio.\u2014_Eunuchi_ Act ii. Sc. ii.\n\n      \u201cWhatever they say, I applaud. If again they deny that, I applaud\n      that too. Does any one deny a thing? I deny it. Does he affirm it? I\n      affirm it.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  340 [That is, the characteristics.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  341 [For an account of the origin, progress, and unsuccessful issue of\n      Hamilton\u2019s Engagement or the Unlawful Engagement, as it was also\n      called, the reader may consult Stevenson\u2019s History of the Church and\n      State of Scotland, book iv. chapter x., Cook\u2019s History of the Church\n      of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 149.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  342 [Old MS.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  343 [\u201cPearth Novemb. 29, 1650\u2014The Comrs. of the Gen. Assemb. considering\n      the great sin and offence these men are guilty of, who have had\n      accessione to the late Rebellione in ye north, therefore they doe\n      appoint that all these persons that were actually in arms at the\n      late rebellione, and all such as subscribed the Bond and\n      Declaratione emited by them to be suspended from the communione till\n      the nixt Gen. Assemb. to which there are hereby refered for further\n      censure, and for all others that had any accessione by counsel or\n      otherwise, to that rebellione, or to the King\u2019s withdrawing from his\n      Counsell, refers to Presbytries to try diligently in their severall\n      bounds these persons and the degree of their guiltiness and to\n      report the same, with the evidences and proofs thereof, to the nixt\n      meeting of this Commissione.\u201d A. Ker.\u2014\u201cThe Waters of Sihor.\u201d Wodrow\n      MSS., vol. xvii. pp. 44-45.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  344 [James, Marquis of Montrose. After his forfeiture by the Scottish\n      parliament he was usually styled in their Act and proclamations\n      _James Graham_, and sometimes _James Graham, late Earl of Montrose_.\n      Bishop Guthry says (Memoirs, p. 175) that it was considered a proof\n      of malignancy to distinguish him and the Earl of Auly by their\n      titles. In a letter to Principal Baillie, 19th March 1649, Mr. Spang\n      mentions that he was admitted to an audience by the Prince of Orange\n      at the Hague. Something was said by the Prince, which led Mr. Spang\n      to suspect he alluded to Montrose. \u201cI hoped,\u201d says Mr. Spang, \u201chis\n      Highness did not mean of that man, whose apostasy, perjuries, and\n      unheard of cruelty, had made him so odious, in all our country, that\n      they could not hear of his name.\u201d He presently gave me to understand\n      he meant not him or any such, for by the comportment of our Scottish\n      noblemen at court now, he perceives how odious _James Graham_ must\n      be at home, for they will not salute or speak to him, nay, not look\n      where they think he is, and this I have observed with my own eyes.\n      Baillie\u2019s Letters and Journals, vol. ii. p. 323.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  345 [On the 14th of December 1650, an answer was returned to Parliament,\n      \u201cbe the commissioners of the general assemblie to the qu\u00e6re, given\n      in to thame be the estattis of parliament, anent the persones to be\n      admitted to ryse in armes, and joyne with the forces of the\n      kingdome, and in what capacitie, for defence thereoff aganes the\n      armie of sectaries, &c.\u201d (Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, vol.\n      vi. p. 554.) The Answer of the Commission, after a declaration that\n      it is the duty of parliament to use all necessary and lawful means\n      for the defence of the land, and a description of the enfeebled\n      state of the kingdom, contains the following exposition of their\n      views. \u201cIn this case of so great and evident necessity, we cannot be\n      against the raising of all fencible persons in the land, and\n      permitting them to fight against this enemy for defence of the\n      kingdom, excepting such as are excommunicate, forfaulted,\n      notoriously profane or flagitious, and such as have been from the\n      beginning, and continue still, or are at this time, obstinate and\n      professed enemies, and opposers of the Covenant and cause of God;\n      and for the capacity of acting, that the Estates of Parliament ought\n      to have, as we hope they will have special care, that in this so\n      general concurrence of all the people of the kingdom, none be put in\n      such trust or power as may be prejudicial to the cause of God, and\n      that such Officers as are of known integrity and affection to the\n      cause, and particularly such as have suffered in our former armies\n      may be taken special notice of.\u201d\u2014\u201cA True Representation of the Rise,\n      &c. of the Present Division in the Church of Scotland,\u201d pp. 10, 11.\n      London, 1657. \u201cThe Answer of the Commission of the General Assemblie\n      to the Qu\u00e6ree Propounded to them from the Parliament,\u201d pp. 2, 3.\n      Aberdeen, Printed by James Brown, 1651.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  346 [\u201c_Act of Leavie_: At Perth, the twentie third day of December, one\n      thousand six hundred and fiftie yeiris, the Kingis Majestie and\n      Estaits of parliament, being verie sensibill of the dangerous and\n      distressed conditione of this kingdome, and most desyrious,\n      according to the law of God and nature, in discharge of there public\n      trust, to use all lawful and necessarie means for the saiftie and\n      defence of religione, his Majesties persone and royal authoritie,\n      laws and liberties of the kingdome, aganis an armie of sectaries,\n      who most unjustlie and perfidiouslie, contrarie to the solemne\n      league and covenant and treaties, have invaded, and are by all actis\n      of hostilitie destroying the same, Thairfore hes statute and\n      ordained that all fensible men, within the sherrefdomes of Fyiff,\n      and Kinross, Clakmanan, Stirling, Dumbartane, Argyll, Boott, Perth,\n      Forfar, Kincardine, Aberdeine, Bamff, Murray, Nairne, Inverness,\n      Ross, Sutherland, Cromartie, Caitnes, and Orknay, cum to an\n      randevouze in the severall divisions of ilk schyre respective, to be\n      set doun and appoyntit be the comitties of war in ilk schyre,\n      according to the number of the regimentis efter specifit. The haill\n      hertofore noblemen, gentlemen, and utheris to burt and landwartly\n      frenteris, woodsetteris, and all other fensible men, betwixt\n      thriescore and sixteine, with all there horses fitt for service, and\n      their haill armes for horsemen and footmen (except such as are\n      excommunicate, forfeited, notoriouslie profane or flagitious, and\n      such as have beene from the beginning, and continew still, or are at\n      this tyme, obstinat and professed enemies and opposeris of the\n      covenant and caus of God). Out of the quhilk haill number of\n      fensible persones, in ilk division, all such as are vigorous and\n      able men for war are heirby appoynted to be drawin out, and put in\n      Regimentis, as is efter specifit, with there best horses and arms,\n      so many as are serviceable horses, and the rest on foot, with their\n      best armes, twa part musquettis and third part pickis, and all with\n      swords. The horsemen to be armed with pistollis, hulsteris or\n      syidpistollis, and launces,\u201d &c., &c.\u2014\u201cActs of the Parliaments of\n      Scotland,\u201d vol. vi, pp. 560-562.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  347 [This disastrous attack was made by the forces in the west, from\n      whom had proceeded, what was called the Western Remonstrance, which\n      had been condemned both by the Committee of Estates, and the\n      Commission of the church. (\u201cCauses of the Lord\u2019s Wrath in Scotland,\u201d\n      p. 60, printed in the year 1660). \u201cBefoir this feight at Hammilton,\n      Collonell Ker inquyred the judgement of his inferior officers the\n      night befoir, quhat thai thocht of the caice of effaires, as they\n      then stood, and schewed thame that he wold joyne with nane quho wes\n      not for the Remonstrance, nor yit with those quho wold not declyne\n      the Stait,\u2014I meane the committee of Estait as it then stood.\u201d\n      (Nicol\u2019s \u201cDiary of Transactions in Scotland,\u201d p. 37) The following\n      letter from Cromwell describing the defeat at Hamilton, is\n      interesting in itself as well as on account of the writer. \u201cSir, I\n      have now sent you the results of some treaties amongst the enemy,\n      which came to my hand this day. The Major General, and\n      Commissary-Generall Whaley marched a few days ago towards Glasgow,\n      and the enemy attempted his quarters in Hamilton, and entred the\n      town, but by the blessing of God, by a very gracious hand of\n      Providence, without the losse of 6 men, as I hear of, he beat them\n      out, kild about 100, took also about the same number, amongst which\n      are some prisoners of quality, and near 100 horse (as I am\n      informed), the Major Gen. being in the chase of them, to whom also I\n      have since sent the addition of a fresh party. Col. Kerre (as my\n      messenger this night tells me) is taken, his Lieutenant-Col. and one\n      that was sometimes Major to Collonel Straughan, and Keires Captain\n      Lieutenant. The whole party is shattered, and give me leave to say\n      it, if God had not brought them upon us, we might have marched 3000\n      horse to death, and not have lighted on them, and truly it was a\n      strange Providence brought them upon him. For I marched from\n      Edenburgh on the north side of Cloid, appointed the Major-General to\n      march from Peebles to Hamilton, on the south side of Cloid. I came\n      thither by the time expected, tarried the remainder of the day, and\n      untill neer 7 o\u2019clock the next morning, apprehending the Major-Gen.\n      would not come by reason of the waters. I being retreated, the enemy\n      took encouragement, marched all that night, and came upon the\n      Major-General\u2019s quarters about two houres before day, where it\n      pleased the Lord to order as you have heard.\n\n      \u201cThe Major-Gen. and Commissary Gen. (as he sent me word) were still\n      gone on in the prosecution of them, and saith, that except 150 horse\n      in one body, he heares they are fled by 16 or 18 in a company, all\n      the country over. Robin Montgomery was come out of Sterling, with 4\n      or 5 regiments of horse and dragoons, but was put to a stand when he\n      heard of the issue of this businesse. Straughan and some other\n      officers had quitted some 3 weeks or a month before this businesse,\n      so that Ker commanded this whole party in chief.\n\n      \u201cIt is given out that the malignants will be all (almost) received\n      and rise unanimously and expeditiously. I can assure you, that those\n      that serve you here, find more satisfaction in having to deale with\n      men of this stamp, then others, and it is our comfort that the Lord\n      hath hitherto made it the matter of our prayers, and of our\n      endeavours (if it might have been the will of God), to have had a\n      Christian understanding between those that feare God in this land,\n      and ourselves, and yet we hope it hath not been carryed on with a\n      willing failing of our duty to those that trust us, and I am\n      persuaded the Lord hath looked favourably upon our sincerity herein,\n      and will still doo so, and upon you also whilst you make the\n      interest of God\u2019s people yours. Those religious people of Scotland,\n      that fall in this cause, we cannot but pitty and mourne for them,\n      and we pray that all good men may do so too. Indeed there is at this\n      time a very great distraction, and mighty workings of God upon the\n      hearts of divers, both ministers and people, much of it tending to\n      the justification of your cause. And although some are as bitter and\n      as bad as ever, making it their businesse to shuffle hypocritically\n      with their consciences and the covenant, to make it lawfull to joyne\n      with malignants, which now they do (as well as they might long\n      before) having taken in the head of them, yet truly others are\n      startled at it, and some have been constrained by the work of God\n      upon their consciences, to make sad and solemn accusations of\n      themselves, and lamentations in the face of their supream authority,\n      charging themselves as guilty of the blood shed in this warre, by\n      having a hand in the treaty at Breda, and by bringing the king in\n      amongst them. This lately did a Lord of the Session, and withdrew,\n      and lately Mr. James Leviston, a man as highly esteemed as any for\n      piety and learning, who was a Commissioner for the Kirk at the said\n      treaty, charged himselfe with the guilt of the blood of this war,\n      before their assembly, and withdrew from them, and is retired to his\n      own house. It will be very necessary to encourage victuallers to\n      come to us, that you take off customes and excise from all things\n      brought hither for the use of the army. I beg your prayers, and rest\n      your humble servant, _O. Cromwell_. Edinburgh, 4 Dec. 1660.\u201d\u2014Sev.\n      Proc. in Parl. Dec. 12 to 19, apud Cromwelliana, pp. 94, 95.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  348 [That is, \u201cHow much changed from that assembly which was formerly!\u201d\n      (Quantum mutatus ab illo Hectore, qui, &c. _Virg. \u00c6neid_, lib. ii.\n      ver. 274.)\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  349 [\u201cUlt. July, 1648. Post Meridian Sep. xxi. _A Declaration of the\n      General Assembly concerning the present dangers of Religion and\n      especially the unlawful engagement in War, against the kingdom of\n      England_. Together with many necessary exhortations and directions\n      to all the Members of the Kirk of Scotland.\u201d Records of the Kirk of\n      Scotland, pp. 498-505. Edited by A. Peterkin.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  350 [At a meeting of the Committee of Estates, on the 6th of January,\n      1651,\u2014\u201cRege Presente. The letter from the Presbytery of Stirling to\n      the Commission of the Generall Assembly, still disclaiming the kings\n      intereste, and the unity of all the subjects of the land to assist\n      their countrey against the comon enimey, redd, with the Commission\n      of the Generall Assemblies ansuer therto, redd lykwayes approvin and\n      ordained to be published and printed.\u201d (Balfour\u2019s Annales, vol. iv.\n      p. 235). The Commission of the Assembly complained, that the letter\n      of the Ministers of the Presbytery of Stirling, which was printed at\n      Edinburgh 165l, had prefixed to it \u201cthe false and odious title of _A\n      Remonstrance of the Presbtytery of Stirling against the present\n      conjunction with the malignant partie_.\u201d (\u201cAnswer of the\n      Commission,\u201d &c. dated Perth, 6 Jan. 1651 p. 19. Printed at\n      Aberdeen, 1651). What Binning now advances is in vindication of the\n      Letter of the Presbytery of Stirling and in reply to the Answer of\n      the Commission. Mr. James Guthrie, and Mr. David Bennet, Ministers\n      at Stirling, were charged by the committee of Estates with training\n      this Letter, and summoned to appear before them, at Perth, on the\n      19th of February, 1651, to answer for their conduct.\u2014\u201cActs of Parl.,\n      vol. vi. p. 578.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  351 [\u201cAnd first, we shall desyre every one seriously to consider the\n      case and condition wherein the kingdome is engaged and standeth at\n      this tyme, that now we are not upon an engagement of invasive warre\n      but upon necessary defence against a forraign enemy, who hath not\n      only injustly invaded us, but also (through the holy permissive\n      providence of God) slaine many of our brethren with the sword,\n      subdued a great part of the land, is oppressing the people of God\n      therein, and following his injust designes and intentions against\n      the rest of the kingdome, that in this case, in the ordinary way of\n      providence, according to which men must act, unlesse they would be\n      guilty of tempting God, there is need of, and ought to be employed\n      against the enemy, such a competency of power as is required in\n      right and warrantable prudencie, and may be had, not being of itself\n      sinful. This certainly is mans duety, whatever God, out of his\n      soveraignity, hath done, or may doe in the case of want, or\n      disproportion of meanes.\u201d\u2014Answer of the Commission, ut supra, p.\n      6.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  352 [\u201cIn such parts of the kingdome, as are yet free from the oppression\n      of the enemy, and so out of which any men can be raised, there is\n      not a possibility to get such a competencie of power, unlesse there\n      be a more generall calling foorth of the body of the people than\n      hath been before, this as it is most certain in itselfe, so it is\n      most apparent, and evident unto all, that doe understand these parts\n      of the kingdome. And whereas faithfull and honest men in the State,\n      well acquainted with the severall shares of that part of the\n      kingdome, have publickly declared that when all shall be brought\n      together, that can be called foorth of these parts, according to\n      publick resolution, there will scarce be a competent power against\n      the power of the enemy, we cannot but much wonder, if any, not so\n      acquainted therewith, shall hold the contrary, and not give credit\n      to the declaration of honest and faithfull men, especially in\n      authority, the matter being such, as in the immediate knowledge\n      thereof dependeth on sense, and, as to those that have not that\n      knowledge, pertaineth to humane faith, which giveth credit to the\n      testimony _testium idoneorum_ of competent witnesses such as these\n      are whom we have designed.\u201d\u2014Id. pp. 6, 7.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  353 [\u201cWe need say no more unlesse there were some show of proofe to the\n      contrary. Yet we shall say somewhat particularly to one place that\n      which is said in the case of Amaziah\u2019s associating with and taking\n      to him the Israelits for help in his just defence, (2 Chron. xxv. 7:\n      \u2018O king let not the army of Israel goe with thee for the Lord is not\n      with Israel even with all the house of Ephraim,\u2019) as being mainly\n      urged and as it seems most to stick with some in the present\n      businesse to which sundry things may be answered, which clear the\n      present businesse from the force thereof. 1. The Israelits were\n      idolaters, and forreiners not so in our case, in either respect. But\n      it is alledged that the reason why Amaziah is disswaded from taking\n      their assistance is because God was not with them, and therefore the\n      same reason having place in manie of these, whom the present\n      resolution comprehendeth, the disswasion hath the same force against\n      them. Therefore 2. God\u2019s not being with them may be either conceived\n      and understood, in regard of the estate of grace and reconciliation\n      with God but how-so ever that with many of them God was not in this\n      regard, yet the reason cannot be alledged in this sense because then\n      it would follow by the argument, that we might not take the help of\n      any man out of the estate of grace, for our just and necessary\n      defence, which none will admit, or it may be understood of God\u2019s\n      assistance and prospering providence simply. But neither can it be\n      taken thus, because it is certain and clear that God was often with\n      them in this sense in their own cause and quarrells. Therefore it\n      must needs be conceived, in regard of their profession, and\n      religion, which was corrupt and idolatrous. Now the reason thus\n      understood hath not place in our businesse. 3. Yet doe we not find\n      that Amaziah is commanded to exclude any of the subjects of his own\n      kingdom, from acting in that defence, or reproved for not doing of\n      it notwithstanding many of them no doubt were naughty and corrupt in\n      their way, 2 Kings xiv.\u201d\u2014Answer of the Commission, p. 12.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  354 [That is, \u201cchiefly.\u201d The strict signification of _ut plurimum_ is,\n      _as much as possible_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  355 [\u201cAt the bar of conscience.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  356 [\u201cDoeth our mentioning onlie the kingdome in that resolution, import\n      a separation of the kingdome, and the cause in the quarrell against\n      our enemie? Or what logick can draw out such a consequence out of\n      it? Wee do think that the kingdome being in danger by this enemie,\n      the cause also is in danger, and the defending of the kingdome will\n      be the defending of the cause also. And we trust no instruments\n      shall bee employed for the defence of the kingdom to the prejudice\n      of the cause.\u201d\u2014Answer of the Commission, ut supra, p. 19.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  357 [\u201cIn point of fact.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  358 [\u201cOn that very account.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  359 [Bishop Hall quaintly remarks, that \u201cNo devil is so dangerous as the\n      religious devil.\u201d \u201cSuppose the ends of this Engagement to be good,\n      (which they are not,) yet the meanes and ways of prosecution are\n      unlawful, because there is not an equall avoiding of rocks on both\n      hands, but a joyning with malignants to suppresse sectaries, a\n      joyning hands with a black devill to beat a white devill. They are\n      bad physicians who would so cure one disease as to breed another as\n      evil or worse.\u201d (\u201cA Declaration of the Gen. Assembly concerning the\n      present dangers of Religion.\u201d Rec. of the Kirk of Scotland, p. 501.)\n      In the year 1649 the Scottish parliament passed an \u201cAct against\n      Consulters with Devils and Familiar Spirits,\u201d &c. (Acts of the Parl.\n      of Scot. vol. vi. p. 359.) It was supposed that the power of some of\n      these was employed in particular instances for the benefit of\n      mankind. They were therefore distinguished from the others in the\n      same way that white witches or persons who used charms and\n      incantations for curing diseases, &c. were distinguished, but not in\n      the eye of the law, from black witches, or those who practised their\n      art for the purposes of mischief. (Whitelock\u2019s \u201cMemorials,\u201d p. 550.\n      See also Sir Walter Scott\u2019s \u201cTales of a Grandfather,\u201d vol. ii. p.\n      117.) If we look to the strange confessions of many of the\n      unfortunate creatures who were condemned to suffer death for\n      witchcraft in those days, without adverting to the cruel means that\n      were often resorted to with a view to extort from them such\n      confessions, the credulity of the age will not appear to have been\n      so extraordinary as it has been represented. It is impossible not to\n      admire the singular discretion of Dr. Grey, Rector of Houghton\n      Conquest when speaking on this subject: \u201cNothing,\u201d says he, \u201cmore\n      plainly discovers the iniquity of those times than the great numbers\n      of people executed in England and Scotland for witches, _if they\n      were guilty_, or the barbarous superstition of the times, _if they\n      were innocent_, which is the more probable.\u201d\u2014\u201cImpartial Examination\n      of the Fourth Volume of Mr. Daniel Neal\u2019s History of the Puritans,\u201d\n      p. 96, Lond. 1739.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  360 [That is, openly persisting. See \u201cThe Answer of the Commission to\n      the Presbytery of Stirling,\u201d p. 11.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  361 [See \u201cThe Nullity of the Pretended Assembly at Saint Andrews and\n      Dundee,\u201d &c., p. 312. Printed in the year 1652. As many had been\n      under age when the Solemn League and Covenant was first sworn the\n      Commission of the General Assembly ordained it to be renewed by\n      their Act, October 6, 1648, joining to it the \u201cSolemn Acknowledgment\n      of Public sins and Breaches of the Covenant, and a Solemn Engagement\n      to all the Duties contained therein.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  362 [\u201cWe desire it may be  remembered that in the beginning of these\n      troubles, anno 1638, when as there were then standing laws in this\n      kingdom, which are not yet repealed to this day, discharging all\n      subjects from rysing in armes, without the kings expresse warrant\n      and command, yet the subjects of this kingdome perceiving themselves\n      in danger to be destroyed by forraign invasion, did fynd these lawes\n      no wayes to bynd up their hands from taking armes, for their just\n      defence and selfe preservation,\u2014these lawes, in the intention of the\n      lawgiver, being made for the preservation of the kingdom and not for\n      the destruction of it.\u2014\u201d Answer of the Commission, pp. 13,\n      14.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  363 [See \u201cThe Waters of Sihor, or the Lands Defectione,\u201d Wodrow MSS.\n      vol. xvii. pp. 39-41, in Bib. Ad.  Peterkin\u2019s \u201cRec. of the Kirk of\n      Scotland,\u201d pp. 619-620.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  364 [See Note, page 96.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  365 [That is, \u201cevery where and at all times like himself and the\n      same.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  366 [We learn from Principal Baillie, (\u201cLetters and Journals,\u201d vol. ii.\n      p. 363,) that Binning had identified himself with the Association of\n      the West, which was required to dissolve itself, by an Act of the\n      Scottish parliament, passed 28th Decem., 1650.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  367 [Or, general officers.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  368 [The _first_ or _principal proposition_ in the preceding\n      syllogism.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  369 [(Minor probatur,) that is, _the second proposition_ in the\n      preceding syllogism.  It will be perceived that the arguments of the\n      author are constructed according to the rules of the Aristotelian\n      logic.  A familiar acquaintance with this mode of reasoning\n      continued to be cultivated, at this time, by all who wished to excel\n      in public disputations (Professor Jardine\u2019s \u201cOutlines of\n      Philosophical Education in the University of Glasgow,\u201d p. 12. Glas.\n      1825).  In the Westminster Assembly, the different speakers often\n      presented their opinions under the form of syllogisms, which were\n      impugned and defended by employing the usual terms and technical\n      formalities of the dialectic art.\u2014See Lightfoot\u2019s \u201cJournal of the\n      Proceedings of the Assembly of Divines.\u201d Works, vol. xiii. pp. 123,\n      157, 203-205, &c.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  370 [Aiming at.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  371 [Mr. Robert Ramsay, Principal of the University, reminded the\n      Presbytery of Glasgow at their first meeting in June, 1651, \u201cthat\n      Mr. Hew Binnen had expresslie protested that it was not lawfull for\n      us to pray for ye succeese of the armie, as it was constitute, and\n      becaus of those who now have power in the same. And farther, the\n      said Mr. Hew Binnen, when notice was taken of these words repeated\n      them over and over agane, and avowed, he wold pray for a blessing to\n      them, yt is, that yet might be converted, but, that he could not\n      pray for success to them as yet are now constitute.\u201d\u2014\u201cRecords of the\n      Presbytery of Glasgow.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  372 [Or shudder.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  373 [For the Instructions given by the Scottish parliament to the\n      Commissioners who went to Breda see \u201cActs of the Parliament of\n      Scotland,\u201d vol. vi. pp. 513, 514. A copy of the Treaty itself agreed\n      upon by his Majesty Charles II and the Scottish Commissioners and\n      afterwards ratified by parliament, will be found in Thurloe\u2019s State\n      Papers, vol. i. pp. 147, 148.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  374 [That is, \u201cwho, because they are wise, are ignorant of that which\n      they know.\u201d (Tu pol, si sapis quod scis, nescis. Terent Eun. iv. 4,\n      54.)\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  375 [That is, _lively_ or _distinct_ characters.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  376 [\u201cA fisherman is made wise by a bite.\u201d A Greek proverb, the original\n      of this (\u1f41 \u1f01\u03bb\u03c3\u03b5\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c0\u03bb\u03b7\u03b3\u03b5\u03c2 \u03bd\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c6\u03c5\u03c3\u03b5\u03c2) has been preserved in a\n      fragment of Sophocles, Erasmi Adagiorum Chil. Quat. p. 41.  Coloni\u00e6\n      1612. Scholiastes Gr\u00e6ci In Sophoc. Tom. iii. p. 602. Argentorati\n      1788.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  377 [\u201cAnother consequence of this defeat [at Dunbar] was, that every one\n      blamed the other, the one side for purging out too many who might\n      have been of service against the enemy, and these again blamed their\n      opposites for being too remiss, and not well enough purged.\u201d\u2014Memoirs\n      of the Life of the Rev. Robert Blair, p. 113. Edin. 1755.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  378 [Answer of the Commission, _ut supra_, p. 8.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  379 [P. 178 Edin. 1649.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  380 [Or as a general principle.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  381 [In opposition to what is here affirmed it is stated in the pamphlet\n      entitled, \u201cA True Representation of the Present Division in the\n      Church of Scotland,\u201d (p. 15.) that the Scottish Reformers did not\n      look upon their conjunction with the Duke of Chatelherault and his\n      followers, \u201cas a cause of that sad stroak, as some would make the\n      world believe, from Mr. Knoxes Sermon at Sterlin. For in the heads\n      of that Sermon, printed in the History of the Church of Scotland, p.\n      217 _Edit. Edinburgh_, 1644, in 4to, there is no mention of any such\n      thing but only of their carnal confidence, that possibly they had\n      not sincerely repented of their former opposition, and that they who\n      were late come in were made to feel in their own hearts, how bitter\n      a cup they had made others to drink before them. Nor doth he (as our\n      Brethren\u2019s tenets now lead them) presse them to purge out such as\n      were lately admitted, but doth only presse repentance upon all of\n      them.\u201d\u2014Dr. M\u2019Crie presents his readers with an analysis of this\n      sermon of the \u201cgreat Apostle of the Scots,\u201d as he was called by\n      Beza.\u2014See \u201cLife of Knox,\u201d pp. 192, 193, sixth edit.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  382 [See page 495 of this edition.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  383 [\u201cThe safety of the people\u201d is \u201cthe highest law.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  384 [\u201cThe very heathens had a notion of the unlawfulnesse of\n      confederacies with wicked men. For as Victorinus Strigelius on 2\n      Chron. 25, noteth out of \u00c6schylus his tragedy, intituled _Seven to\n      Thebe_, Amphiaraus a wise vertuous man was therefore swallowed up in\n      the earth, with seven men, and seven horses, because he had associat\n      himself with Tydeus, Capaneus and other impious commanders marching\n      to the siege of Thebe.\u201d (\u201cGillespie\u2019s Miscel. Quest.,\u201d p. 178.)\n      \u00c6schylus makes Eteocles give the following description of the\n      character of Amphiaraus, and foretell his destiny.\u2014(\u201cSeptem cont\n      Thebas,\u201d ver. 597.)\n\n          \u201cNothing worse\n      In whate\u2019er cause than impious fellowship,\n      Nothing of good is reap\u2019d   for when the field\n      Is sown with wrong the ripened fruit is death\n          So this seer\n      Of temper\u2019d wisdom, of unsullied honour,\n      Just, good, and pious, and a mighty prophet,\n      In despite to his better judgment join\u2019d\n      With men of impious daring, bent to tread\n      The long, irremeable way, with them\n      Shall, if high Jove assist us, be dragg\u2019d down\n      To joint perdition.\u201d\u2014_Potter_.\n\n      Regarded simply as a poetical fiction, the account which Statius has\n      given of the fate of Amphiaraus is particularly striking and\n      beautiful\u2014(Thebald. lib. vii. ver. 815-823)\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  385 [\u201cA Hypothetical Proposition is one which asserts not absolutely,\n      but under an hypothesis indicated by a conjunction. An hypothetical\n      syllogism is one on which the reasoning depends on such a\n      proposition.\u201d\u2014Whately\u2019s \u201cElements of Logic,\u201d p. 388.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  386 [\u201cFor he who gives life gives the things which are necessary to\n      life.\u201d\u2014Cic. De Offic. lib. cap. 4.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  387 [The MS. in my possession which will be afterwards described has no\n      part of this third answer. In place of it I find the following\n      passage: \u201cAnd though there had been disproportion of numbers betwixt\n      us and the enemy, yet we cannot but still say, it had been a way\n      much better beseeming the people of God, and in which there should\n      have been much more peace and consort, to have had to do our duty\n      with such a disproportion, than to have taken in the malignant party\n      for making it up.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  388 [Than with.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  389 [Dirge, or some such word is wanting here.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  390 [That is, put them in mind.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  391 [The remaining part of the Section is not contained in either of the\n      two preceding editions of the \u201cCase of Conscience,\u201d but is taken\n      from a MS. in the handwriting of the period with the use of which I\n      have been favoured by my friend David Laing, Esq., Secretary to the\n      Bannatyne Club. This MS. terminates with Section IV.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  392 [Mr. George Gillespie, who was the son of Mr. John Gillespie,\n      Minister of Kirkaldy, was at this time one of the Ministers of\n      Edinburgh, but he had gone to Kirkaldy for the benefit of his\n      health. He was one of the Commissioners from the Church of Scotland,\n      to the Westminster Assembly. In his letters from London, Principal\n      Baillie, who was also one of the Scottish Commissioners, speaks of\n      his youthful colleague in terms of high admiration. \u201cOf a truth,\u201d he\n      says, respecting him, in a letter dated March 26, 1644, \u201cthere is no\n      man whose parts in a public dispute I do so admire. He has studied\n      so accurately all the points ever yet came to our assembly, he has\n      gotten so ready, so assured, so solid a way of public debating,\n      that, however there be in the assembly divers very excellent men,\n      yet in my poor judgment, there is not one who speaks more rationally\n      and to the point, than that brave youth has done ever.\u201d (\u201cLetters\n      and Journals,\u201d vol. l. p. 451. See also, pp. 407, 419, 431.)\n      Gillespie\u2019s \u201cTreatise of Miscellany Questions,\u201d which was published\n      after his death, in 1649, contains a chapter entitled, \u201cAnother most\n      useful Case of Conscience discussed and resolved, concerning\n      associations and confederacies with idolaters, infidels, heretics,\n      or any other known enemies of truth and godliness\u201d (pp. 169-193.)\n      This, it will be observed is, with very little variation, the title\n      of the Tractate of Binning. It is probable, that they who first\n      undertook the publication of Binning\u2019s MS. were led to adopt this\n      title from the similarity of the views, as well as the identity of\n      the subjects of the two authors. When the Commission of the church\n      met at Perth, in December, 1650, for the purpose of considering the\n      _query_ of the parliament as to the persons who ought, or ought not,\n      in present circumstances to be employed, in the defence of the\n      country,\u2014it was not likely that the published opinions of Gillespie\n      upon such a subject would be overlooked. But says Baillie, when\n      giving an account of this meeting, \u201cThe question was alleged to be\n      altered from that which Mr. Gillespie writes of.\u201d\u2014\u201cLetters and\n      Journals,\u201d vol. ii. p. 365.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  393 [The name of \u201cM. F. Carmichael\u201d is attached to a warrant, which is\n      dated Sept. 1, 1651, and bears to be subscribed by certain\n      commissioners of the church, authorizing George Ogilvy of Harras, to\n      deliver up to Lord Balcarres, the Registers of the Kirk that were in\n      his house (Reg. of Deeds, 6 March, 1701. Dr. M\u2019Crie\u2019s Mem. of Veitch\n      and Brysson, Append. p. 525.) There can be little doubt that these\n      were the original records of the church, which were produced and\n      identified at the meeting of the General Assembly at Glasgow, in the\n      year 1638. (Id. p. 497. \u201cRec. of the Kirk,\u201d vol. l. pp. 22-24,\n      Edited by A. Peterkin.) It is boldly asserted by Gordon, parson of\n      Rothiemay, that the old authentic records of the Assemblies were at\n      that time in the hands of Archbishop Spottiswood, who had carried\n      them with him, he says, to London, though he more cautiously adds,\n      in a _nota_, \u201cIt is _very uncertaine_ if the registers presented wer\n      the principalls, or if only copyes.\u201d (\u201cHistory of Scots Affairs,\u201d\n      vol. i. pp. 146, 147. Aberdeen. Printed for the Spalding Club,\n      1841.) Keith tells us in what way these records afterwards came into\n      the possession of Mr. Archibald Campbell, a Scottish non-juring\n      clergyman residing in London, by whom they were most unjustifiably\n      detained from the Church after the Revolution, and subsequently\n      gifted to Sion College, the governors of which being expressly\n      restricted from permitting them to pass out of their custody.\n      (\u201cHist. of the Aff. of Church and State in Scot.,\u201d p. 497.) After\n      some delay on the part of the governors, the long concealed records,\n      bound up in three volumes, and embracing the whole period between\n      1560 and 1616, were given up by them for inspection, in the year\n      1834, to the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Church\n      Patronage. (\u201cMinutes of Evidence,\u201d pp. 126, 355, 374.) Dr. Lee, one\n      of the witnesses before the Committee, declared, after examining\n      them, he was quite certain that they were \u201cauthentic records.\u201d (Id.\n      p. 450). The loss of such invaluable archives, soon after this,\n      which now appears to be placed beyond all doubt, in consequence of\n      the destruction of the House of Commons by fire, is much to be\n      deplored.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  394 [At the Restoration, Mr. Moncrieff was ejected from his parish, for\n      the part he had acted in framing or sanctioning the \u201cRemonstrance,\u201d\n      and the \u201cCauses of the Lord\u2019s wrath,\u201d which was engenuously\n      confessed by him (\u201cActs of the Parliaments of Scotland,\u201d vol. vii.\n      p. 367.) Wodrow has collected various particulars regarding the\n      life, character, and subsequent sufferings, for conscience\u2019 sake, of\n      this pious and useful minister. (\u201cHist. of the Suff. of the Ch. of\n      Scot.\u201d, vol. i. pp. 197-200.) As he was persecuted, during the\n      Usurpation, for persisting in praying publicly for the king, he had\n      thus the singular misfortune of being punished both for his loyalty\n      and his supposed disloyalty. Mr. Moncrieff has had a niche assigned\n      to him by Howie among the _Scots Worthies_. (pp. 411-415. Dumfries,\n      1835.) Mr. James Guthrie, Minister at Stirling, who was imprisoned\n      at the same time with his friend, Mr. Moncrieff, and afterwards\n      executed, was accused at his trial of compiling \u201cthe Remonstrance.\u201d\n      This he denied, affirming he could prove, by hundreds of witnesses,\n      that he was at Stirling at the time, many miles distant.\u2014See his\n      Defences, \u201cActs of the Parl. of Scot.,\u201d vol. vii. Append. p.\n      37.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  395 [The parliament of Scotland passed the _Act of Classes_ on the 23d\n      of January, 1649. It was entitled an Act \u201cfor purging the\n      Judicatories, and other places of Public trust.\u201d Those whom it\n      declared to be incapable of sitting in parliament, or of holding any\n      civil or military appointment, were divided into four classes. The\n      disqualification of such as, on account of their supposed greater\n      criminality, were placed in the first class, was to continue for\n      life, that of the second class for ten years; that of the third\n      class for five years; and that of the fourth class for one year\n      only, provided they gave previously sufficient evidence of their\n      penitence.\u2014\u201cActs of the Parl. of Scots,\u201d vol. vi. p. 352.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  396 [\u201cAfter the woful rout at Dunbar, in the first meeting at Stirling,\n      it was openly and vehemently pressed to have David Lesly laid aside,\n      as long before was designed, but covertly by the chief purgers of\n      the times. The man himself did as much press as any to have liberty\n      to demit his charge, being covered with shame and discouragement for\n      his late unhappiness, and irritated with Mr. James Guthrie\u2019s publick\n      invectives against him from the pulpit. The most of the committee of\n      estates, and commission of the kirk, would have been content to let\n      him go; but finding no man tolerably able to supply his place, and\n      the greatest part of the remaining officers of horse and foot\n      peremptory to lay down, if he continued not; and after all trials\n      finding no maladministration on him to count of, but the removal of\n      the army from the hill the night before the rout, which yet was a\n      consequence of the committee\u2019s order, contrary to his mind, to stop\n      the enemy\u2019s retreat, and for that end to storm Broxmouth house as\n      soon as possible. On these considerations the state, unanimously did\n      with all earnestness entreat him to keep still his charge against\n      this order, my Lord Wariston, and, as I suppose Sir John Cheesly,\n      did enter their dissent. I am sure Mr. James Guthrie did his, at\n      which, as a great impertinency, many were offended. Col. Strachan\n      offered to lay down his charge, being unwilling more to be commanded\n      by D. Lesly. Some more inclined to do so, but all were quieted by\n      this expedient.\u201d\u2014Baillie\u2019s Letters, vol. ii. p. 350.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  397 [The religious zeal of Binning, his patriotism, and his dread of\n      arbitrary power were, it is clear, stronger than his loyalty. Sir\n      Edward Walker, however, vouches for the loyalty, at this period, of\n      the Scottish nation in general. \u201cFor the disposition of the people,\u201d\n      he says, (Hist. Disc. p. 194) \u201cthey are generally for the king and\n      his government, being most under the notion of Malignants and\n      Engagers, about 100 of 120 noblemen being in that condition. Most of\n      the Gentry are very loyal, and in a manner all the common people.\u201d\n      Binning\u2019s language respecting Charles II. at the time of passing the\n      Public Resolutions, appears to have startled his co-presbyter,\n      Principal Baillie, who writes thus in a letter which was first\n      designed for his friend Mr. Dickson, but afterwards sent to Mr.\n      Spang at Campvere.\u2014\u201cMr. Patrick [Gillespie] and Mr. James Guthrie,\n      wherever they came, uttered their passion. I heard one who had\n      married Mr. Patrick\u2019s sister\u2019s daughter report to Mr. Douglas, that\n      Mr. Hugh Binning, with Mr. Patrick, in Kirkaldy, had spoke like a\n      distracted man, saying to Mr. Douglas\u2019s own wife, and the young man\n      himself, and his mother-in-law, Mr. Patrick\u2019s sister, \u2018that the\n      commission of the kirk would approve nothing that was right; that a\n      hypocrite ought not to reign over us; that we ought to treat with\n      Cromwell and give him security not to trouble England with a king;\n      and whoever marred this treaty, the blood of the slain in this\n      quarrel should be on their heads.\u2019 Strange words if true.\u201d\u2014Letters,\n      vol. ii. p. 363. The ungrateful, impolitic, and barbarous treatment\n      which his Scottish subjects received from Charles II. after the\n      Restoration, must be held to be a proof of the sagacity at least of\n      Binning, and a justification of the suspicion with which he and some\n      of the other Protesters regarded him. It is not unlikely that, in\n      their case, the strong appeal to the fears of the English and\n      Scottish presbyterians, as the supposed friends of monarchy,\n      contained in Milton\u2019s \u201cTenure of Kings and Magistrates,\u201d which was\n      published but two years before this, had not failed altogether of\n      its effect.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  398 [I have not been able to discover to what \u201cold translation\u201d the\n      author alludes. But Wilcox puts the same interpretation, that he\n      does, upon the ninth verse of this chapter. \u201c_Sinne_, (viz. which\n      the wicked and ungodly men commit, and they know one of them by\n      another,) _maketh fools to agree_, (viz. one of them with another:\n      q.d. their partaking in wickednesse joineth the wicked\u2019s minds, one\n      of them towards another;) _but among the righteous_, (i.e. good and\n      holy people,) _that which is acceptable_ (viz. before God and good\n      men) _maketh agreement_ (viz. among themselves: q.d. good things\n      onlie tie good men\u2019s minds together).\u201d  _A Short yet Sound\n      Commentarie Written on that Worthie Work called the Proverbs of\n      Salomon._ London, 1624.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  399 [The Estates, or parliament.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  400 [That is, notorious or manifest.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  401 [In the margin of the authorized version the verse is translated\n      thus \u201cA great man grieveth all and he hireth the fool, he hireth\n      also transgressors.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  402 [That is, violent blowing. _Cairding_ however, is not unlikely the\n      proper word, a _caird_ being in Scotland the name of a\n      tinker.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  403 [\u201cAlthough you expel nature by violence, she will still\n      return.\u201d\u2014_Per. Epist._ lib. i. ep. 10. ver. 24.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  404 [Having burst, as it were, its floodgates.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  405 [That is, more.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  406 [That is, a deficiency.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  407 [Gen. xxx. 11.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  408 [Vide Cic. de Offic. lib. iii. cap. 33.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  409 [Or mines.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  410 [Or, unsuitable.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  411 [\u201cCharity does not inflict punishment because an offence has been\n      committed, but lest an offence should be committed.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  412 [\u201cHe that is not inclined to-day will be more inclined to-morrow.\u201d\n      This is reversing the saying of the poet\u2014\n\n      Qui non est hodie, cras minus aptus erit\n\n      Ovid, Remed. Amor. ver. 94.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  413 [\u201cShe does not see what is in the bag behind her.\u201d\n\n      Sed non videmus mantic\u00e6 quod in tergo est.\n\n      Catul. Carm. xxii. ver. 21.\n\n      There is an allusion here to one of the fables of \u00c6sop. Jupiter,\n      says Aesop, placed two bags upon men. The one, which contained their\n      own faults, he put upon their back, and the other, which was filled\n      with the faults of others, he suspended from their neck, upon their\n      breast. In this way, we cannot see our own misdeeds, but, perceiving\n      those of others, we censure them freely. Ph\u00e6d. Fab. \u00c6sop, lib. iv.\n      fab. 10.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  414 [These are terms (locus inventionis _the place or topic of\n      invention_, and medium, _the argument or middle term of a\n      syllogism_) which, belonging to the dialectic art, were employed by\n      the school-men. All the arts and sciences have certain general\n      subjects connected with them which presuppose particular facts,\n      axioms, and rules. These general subjects, being used in the\n      _invention_ of arguments, were called topics or common places. \u201cThey\n      were so called by Aristotle, as if they were the seats from which\n      arguments were to be brought forth.\u201d (Sic appellat\u00e6 ab Aristotele\n      sunt h\u00e6 quasi sedes e quibus argumenta promuntur). Cic. Top. cap.\n      ii.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  415 [We grant and solicit in our turn this indulgence.  Hor. De Art.\n      poet. ver. 11.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  416 [Or, condescendence.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  417 [Or, without its begetting love.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  418 [Overlook it.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  419 [Most.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  420 [The word _homo_ (man) has been supposed to be derived from _humus_\n      (the ground) because man sprang from the earth. Quintillian\u2019s\n      objection to this derivation of the word is that all other animals\n      have the same origin. (quasi vero non omnibus animal bus eadem\n      origo. Instit. Orator lib. i, cap. 6) Such an objection however has\n      but little force. For though, according to the account which Moses\n      gives of the creation, the earth at the command of God, not only\n      brought forth man, but other creatures, (Gen. i. 24) man alone was\n      called _Adam_ \u05de\u05d3\u05d0 because he was formed of the dust of the _ground_,\n      (\u05d4\u05de\u05d3\u05d0) Gen. ii. 7.\u2014Joseph, Antiq. lib. i, cap. 1.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  421 [That is, \u201chumble beings.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  422 [See note page 168.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  423 [Humility is \u201cthe seasoning of the virtues,\u201d as well as \u201cthe garb.\u201d\n      Cicero represents suavity of speech and manners to be the seasoning\n      of friendship (condimentum amiciti\u00e6). De Amicitia, cap. 18.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  424 [That is, \u201can ornament and covering.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n        425 [Crede mihi, bene qui latuit, bene vixit; et intra\n      Fortunam debet quisque manere suam.\n\n      \u201cBelieve me, he who has not attracted the notice of the world has\n      lived well, and every one ought to keep within his own proper\n      sphere.\u201d Ovid Trist. lib. iii. eleg. iv, ver. 25.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  426 [\u201cHe who falls on a smooth surface, (yet this rarely happens,) falls\n      in such a way that he can rise again from the ground he has\n      touched.\u201d Ovid, ut supra, ver. 17.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  427 [A relation of the principal circumstances in Binning\u2019s life\n      follows.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  428 [That is, he will not refuse.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  429 [Parcel.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  430 [Such a disburdening of former offences.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  431 [Inclination.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  432 [De Agricola filios suos docente. \u00c6sop. Fab. p. 98. Oxon.\n      1653.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  433 [Subdue.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  434 [Such a wonder.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  435 [Violent inclination.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  436 [That is, truths of little value.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  437 [In the Scottish universities, they were said to have _laureated_,\n      who had a decree conferred upon them, as they were \u201ccrowned with\n      laurel leaves.\u201d Ev. Un. Com. vol. i. p. 153. Lond. 1837.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  438 [These are the generous sentiments of an enlightened Christian. They\n      would lead us to infer that the author\u2019s views, as a Protester, had\n      been modified somewhat before he died or that he had never taken\n      such high ground, as some others on this score.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  439 [Or, _while we, on the other hand_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  440 [See note, page 168.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  441 [Perhaps it should be _at least, less_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  442 [The word _mystery_ seems to be used here in the sense of _energy_.\n      It is sometimes spelt by Scottish writers _mister_ and _myster_, and\n      signifies an art or calling, being derived from the old French word\n      _mestier_, a trade. When employed to denote something above human\n      intelligence, it has a different origin (being formed from\n      \u03bc\u03c5\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd, a secret).\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  443 [Exonerate, or unburthen.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  444 [Or harness.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  445 [Senec. Ep. 107.  See note, page 76.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  446 [We are not, \u201cof our own authority.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  447 [That is, weight or force.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  448 [That is, _the honour_ not _a load_ or _a load of honour_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  449 [Confined.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  450 [See note, page 115.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  451 [The friendly salutation which the steward of Joseph addressed to\n      his master\u2019s brethren, when they went a second time to Egypt to\n      purchase corn, was (\u05de\u05db\u05dc \u05de\u05d5\u05dc\u05e9 Shalom leikoum) \u201cPeace be to you.\u201d\n      After the lapse of so many ages, it is interesting to know that this\n      still continues to be, with little variation, the common salutation\n      of friends in the East. Salam aleikoum, \u201cPeace be with you,\u201d is\n      immediately acknowledged by a similar greeting, Aliekoum salam, \u201cTo\n      you be peace.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  452 [To sit an offer is, not to accept it.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  453 [Reception.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  454 [The heathen mythologists represented the Sirens to be three in\n      number, and described them as effecting the destruction of mariners,\n      by luring them from their course with their singing.\n\n                          \u2014They the hearts\n      Enchant of all, who on their coast arrive\n      The wretch, who unforewarn\u2019d approaching, hears\n      The Sirens\u2019 voice, his wife and little ones\n      Ne\u2019er fly to gratulate his glad return;\n      But him the Sirens sitting in the meads\n      Charm with mellifluous song, although he see\n      Bones heap\u2019d around them, and the mouldering skins\n      Of hapless men, whose bodies have decay\u2019d.\n\n      _Hom. Od._ lib. xii. v. 39. Cowper\u2019s Translation.]\n\n  455 [That is, one tune from another.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  456 [Or gifts of nature.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  457 [See note, page 595.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  458 [In the ancient Scottish dialect as in this instance, _always_ is\n      frequently synonymous with _although_, _however_,\n      _notwithstanding_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  459 [That is, coldly.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  460 [Natural.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  461 [Fallen out or quarrelled.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  462 [Some words are omitted here, which may be supplied thus:\u2014though\n      _they_ said _this_, they perverted God\u2019s meaning of the law,\n      &c.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  463 [Serves the purpose.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  464 [Imperfect attempts.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  465 [A Scottish forensic word corresponding to _Surety_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  466 [Acknowledge this.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  467 [A name formerly given to bankrupts in Scotland.\u2014See Act. James VI.\n      par. 23, cap. 18.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  468 [Attending the church.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  469 [Aim at.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  470 [Near the command.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  471 [A belief in the prevalence of witchcraft at this time seems to have\n      pervaded all ranks and classes. An Act of Parliament was passed\n      against it on the 1st of February, 1649.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  472 [Portal, or gate.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  473 [Exempted.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  474 [The illustration of the second proposition found in the text,\n      \u201cThere is a faith feigned, and a faith unfeigned, a true and a false\n      faith,\u201d (p. 602) is omitted. We may conclude that this was the\n      subject of a separate sermon, which has been lost.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  475 [Deposes or testifies.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  476 [That is, foresee or anticipate.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  477 [Charges, or accusations.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  478 [Than.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  479 [Gates.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  480 [Remove.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  481 [Always.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  482 [A proverbial expression signifying food and raiment.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  483 [Much less.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  484 [The sect of _Seekers_ hold that there are not at this time, neither\n      have been for many ages past any true ministers or ambassadors of\n      Christ. (Gillespie\u2019s Miscellany Questions, p. 1. Edinburgh, 1649.) A\n      few years before this, Laurence Clarkson, a _Seeker_, published a\n      pamphlet entitled \u201cThe Pilgrimage of Saints.\u201d Edwards, in his\n      Gangr\u00e6na (Part I, p. 24, Part II, p. 6. London, 1646) refers to it\n      for an account of the opinion of the Seekers. Clarkson declared that\n      in these days there ought to be no churches built, no sacraments\n      administered, that the saints as pilgrims, wander here as in a\n      temple filled with smoke, not being able to find religion, and that,\n      on this account, waiting for a church and for the coming of the\n      Spirit as the apostles did, they ought to seek knowledge of any\n      passenger, of any opinion or tenet whatsoever.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  485 [See note page 607.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  486 [Kindred alliance.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  487 [Or, in the third place.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  488 [Notwithstanding.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  489 [A cold desire.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  490 [That is a glimmering or slight degree of desire.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  491 [This was the exclamation of Archimedes the celebrated geometrician\n      of Syracuse, (\u03b5\u03c5\u03c1\u03b7\u03ba\u03b1, \u03b5\u03c5\u03c1\u03b7\u03ba\u03b1), after discovering, when in the bath,\n      a method of detecting the quantity of alloy, which a fraudulent\n      artisan had mixed with the gold of Hiero\u2019s crown.  (Plut. Mor. et\n      Phil. Op. p. 1094.) An exclamation somewhat similar was uttered by\n      Cicero, when, searching for the tomb of Archimedes in the\n      neighbourhood of Syracuse he at length perceived it covered with\n      thorns and brambles (Cic. Tusc. Quest lib. v. cap 23.) But if they\n      had cause to be delighted, much more surely had Philip the apostle\n      reason to be so when addressing Nathanael, he cried out in\n      ecstasy\u2014We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets\n      did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph! John i. 45.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  492 [In the present world.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  493 [Specify or enumerate.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  494 [Acknowledging.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  495 [Path or way.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  496 [Than.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  497 [Fix upon.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  498 [That is, no thought of eternity.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n                      499 [Quid non mortalia pectora cogis\n      Auri sacra fames?\n\n      _Virg. \u00c6neid_, lib. iii. ver. 56.\n\n      \u201cO sacred hunger of pernicious gold!\n      What bands of faith can impious lucre hold?\u201d\n\n      _Dryden\u2019s Translation_.\n\n      Nihil enim est fam angusti animi, tamque parvi, quam amare divitias\n      nihil honestius, magnifi entrusque, quam pecuniam contemnere, si non\n      habeas si habeas, ad beneficentiam liberalitem que conferre. \u201cThere\n      is no surer characteristic of a narrow and little mind than to love\n      riches, nothing more amiable and noble than to despise money if you\n      possess it not\u2014if you possess it, to be beneficent and liberal in\n      the use of it.\u201d Cic. De Offic. lib. i. cap. 20.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  500 [That is, \u201cIt is difficult things that are admired.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  501 [Excites.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  502 [From these, as from mount Pisgah.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  503 [That is, not \u201cby a leap.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  504 [Intrusted.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  505 [Too little.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  506 [That is, bedecks.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  507 [That is, has no interest in the world.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  508 [That is, _the way in which you will take or receive._\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  509 [That is, the duty of sobriety.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  510 [Much more.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  511 [It must be perceived that the reading ought to be \u201covercome _like_\n      the Archangel.\u201d\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  512 [It is no less obvious that for \u201cthe prince Gabriel\u201d we ought to\n      read, _the prince Michael_. See Dan. x. 13, 21; Jude 9; Rev. xii.\n      7.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  513 [That is, the prospective glass.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  514 [Or tutelage.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  515 [Declining.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  516 [That is, disposed. The word, though now obsolete, is found in\n      Hooker.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  517 [That is, that hang _low_, and take a _sweep_ of every thing by the\n      way.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  518 [A single word appears to have dropped out here, the absence of\n      which materially changes the meaning of the author, and makes him\n      contradict himself. The sentence, it is conceived, ought to run\n      thus:\u2014faith and a good conscience scarce sail _but_ in one bottom,\n      that is, _in one ship_.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  519 [That is, insipid.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  520 [Upon the earth.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  521 [\u201cIt is hard to find many who are not tipplers or common drunkards,\n      or will _drink drunk_ on occasions and with company.\u201d Causes of the\n      Lord\u2019s Wrath, p. 17. printed in the year 1653.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  522 [That is, a convenient time or place.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  523 [Or, till the evening.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  524 [That is, _insane_ worldlings.\u2014_Ed._]\n\n  525 [Property.\u2014_Ed._]","title":"The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":588268}