Four Godly and Learned Treatises, Doctrine 4

Four Godly and Learned Treatises · Doctrine 4

p. 265THREE SERMONS VPONUPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER.

1 Iohn 5.14.

And this is the assurance which wee have in him, that if wee aske any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

THe scope of the holy Apostle in this Chapter, is to set forth some of those principall priviledges we have by Iesus Christ. One maine and principall (which is the greatest of all the rest) is, that through him we have eternall life; And therefore (saith hee) know this, that when you have the Sonne once, you have life in the 12. verse, He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Sonne, hath not life. Therefore (saith he) have I written this Epistle to you for this purpose, that you might consider well what gaine you have by Christ p. 266Iesus. These things have I written, (saith he) in the verses before this that I have now read unto you, to you that beleeve in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternall life. After this he names another great priviledge, that wee have by Christ; mentioned in this verse, that I have now read unto you. This (saith he) is the assurance we have in him, that whatsoever wee aske according to his will, hee heareth us. This is the second great priviledge we have by Christ, we shall be heard in all our requests: it is no more but aske and have … up what petition you will, if you bee … once, you have this assurance, that he … you: but he delivers it with this … must first bee in him: We have … him (saith he) that if wee aske any … to his will, he heareth us. So that … are two plaine poynts lying … us.

Doct. 1.1 That except a man be in Christ, he … hee ought not to apply to himselfe any … spirituall priviledges, that we have by him: if we be in Christ, this and all other are ours; if you be in Christ, (saith he) then you have this assurance, for we have that assurance in him. The second point that the verse affords us, is,

Doct. 2.2 That whosoever is in Christ, whatsoever he askes he shall have it. Now my full intention was, onelyonly to have handled that which is mainely aimed at in the verse (for the other you p. 267see is but touched by the way) which is this great priviledge that belongs to all Christians, that whatsoever they aske in prayer according to the will of God, they shall be heard in it: But because I understand you had a Sacrament appointed for this day, I have altered a little that course; the hearing of that hath somewhat diverted me, & caused me at this time to pitch upon the other point which I named to you; That except a man he in Christ, he ought not to apply any priviledge to himselfe; if hee be, I say, all belongs to him.

When you come to receive the Sacrament it … great priviledge to meddle with those …, to have those simboles given to … love and favour of God in Christ; but … must remember this that except you be …, you have nothing to doe with him, and … it is a fit & necessary point for this … For when the Apostle would give directi… to the Corinth. what they should do, to prepare themselves to the Sacrament, that they may be worthy receivers; he gives it in this short precept: Let every man (saith he) examine himselfe, & so let him eate this bread and drinke this cup. 1 Cor. 11.28.1 Cor 11:28Now what is a man to examine himselfe of? Surely every one that comes to the Lords Table, is to examine himselfe concerning these two things.

11 Whether he be in Christ, and so whether he hath any right at all to come neere to him in that holy ordinance.

p. 2682 Though he be in Christ, yet hee must examine himselfe, whether he be particularly prepared, quickned, and fitted; whether his heart be put into such a trance of grace, or fashioned so as it ought to be, when he comes to the immediate performance of such a duty as that is. Now because I handle this point, but onelyonly for this particular occasion, I will not enter into such a manner of handling of it, as I was wont to do at other times, but onelyonly take up so much of it as may serve for the present occasion; Therfore because I say this to you: That except a man bee in Christ, he ought not to take any priviledge to himselfe: we will, First exhort every man to consider whether hee be in Christ: for this is the present question which any … heart would aske, when he heares this …; Why, if all the priviledges be … upon my being in Christ, my maine … to examine whether I be in Christ or no. … because a man may bee in Christ and yet … by some interveniall sinne, by … disposition of minde and heart, that may … on him, from the actuall injoying of the present fruit and benefit of that priviledge which belongs to him: therefore we will first give you rules to examine your selves whether you be in Christ or no. It is very useful to all that now are to receive, or at any other time; its usefull you know too, not onelyonly upon such an occasion as this, but upon all occasions; and therfore a point, page missing p. 277that men magnifie so much, I say, there was a time when they were exceeding good: but sinne hath blowed upon them, it hath blasted the beauty and vigour of them, so that now when the Lord looks upon them, this is the sentence that is pronounced of them, you know, in Eccl. 1.14. They are all vanity and vexation of spirit. Consider if thou be able to looke on al these things (even the best things the world hath) as things being but meere vanity; things wherein the Lord sowed not mens happinesse, and therefore thou canst not think to reape it there. If you marke but the expression the wise man useth in … saith he; All things under the Sun are but … there is a reason conteined in those … are but vanity; for waters you … not higher than the … carry not any thing higher than …; so all the creatures that bee … be but under the Sunne, … ascend to that happinesse … the Sun, nor carry you to that … is above, for happinesse is …, laide up in Heaven. Therefore …, all things under the Sunne if they bee considered to make a man happy, they are but vanity: Now consider whether thy judgement be so of them or no, whether it bee conformable to the holy Ghost, whether thou hast this conceit of all other things, but the quite contrary conceit of Iesus Christ; whether thou canst p. 278thinke of him, as of one that is most excellent and thy chiefest treasure, as one that is farre beyond all these, as one upon whom thy heart is pitched, as one in whom thy happinesse is conteined.

4 Againe, a mans treasure is that which hee will bee at any cost to get, hee will bee at any paines to attaine it. It is that, on which his … is bestowed, and affections are occupied …. Is it so with thee when thou … to Christ Iesus? art thou willing to … more cost and paines to get him, than any … besides? Is thy heart and affections … upon him? For where a mans treasu… … there his heart is. Math. 6.21.Matt 6:21I doe not aske whether … bestowest more time upon the matters of grace, than the duties of thy calling; but, whether thou dost them with more intention, whether thou bestowest thy time and paines upon them, as upon that which thou reckonest thy treasure, farre exceeding all other?

5 Fiftly, consider whether thou art willing to part with any thing rather than with Christ Iesus. for whatsoever is a mans treasure, you know a man wil part with any thing rather than it. Is it so with thee? hadst thou rather part with any thing than with Christ? than to part with a good conscience; with the graces of the Spirit, or with any thing that tends to holinesse to build thee up further in the worke of Gods grace? I say, consider whether thy heart bee p. 279willing to part with any thing rather than with Christ; for thou shalt finde this, that Sathan and the world will cheapen Christ, and when they come to bidding, they will bid well. Consider whether thy heart can give a peremptory answer to the world, and say thus; I will not sell … I will not sell a good conscience for any … when Sathan and the world bid … tell thee as hee did Christ, that he … all the riches, Math. 4.8, 9.Matt 4:8Matt 4:9and all the glory in the … wilt part with Christ; Consider … be ready to deny whatsoever …, (as he will be sure to offer that … most sutable to thy disposition) … heart hath taken this resolution to … Christ is my chiefest treasure, I will … with all therefore, I will part with liberty, with life, with goods, with credit, with pleasures with profits, with whatsoever is neere and deare unto me, rather than I will part with the Lord Iesus. If this be thy hearts resolution and minde, then Christ is thy chiefe treasure; that's the second thing.

3 Thirdly, consider what is thy cheife joy and delight, what is thy life; (I put them together, for that which is a mans chiefe joy indeed, is his life.) For wee know life is nothing else but that joy which the heart hath, wherby it is nourished and fed as it were; for life is not to have body and soule joyned together, to be a living man, in that sense we usually take life; for if that p. 264duplicate page p. 265duplicate page p. 266duplicate page p. 267duplicate page p. 268duplicate page p. 277duplicate page p. 278duplicate page p. 279duplicate page p. 262duplicate page p. 263duplicate page p. 264duplicate page p. 265duplicate page p. 266duplicate page p. 267duplicate page p. 277duplicate page p. 278duplicate page p. 279duplicate page p. 280were life, then those in hell should not bee said to dye the death; for you know in hell there is a conjunction of soule and body, and yet men are not said to live there; for it is death which is the punishment of sinne: and indeed you shall finde that there is something a mans heart cleaves unto, wherein hee rejoyceth, which is the same with his life. Therefore looke as the Soule enlivens the body, so the conjunction of the present things which hee reckons his joy, that is, his life, enliven his soule, he cannot live without them. Now if Christ be thy chiefe joy, thou wilt finde this, that thou canst not live without him, as men are wont to say of their delights; Such a man cannot live without such a thing; so it is true of every man that hath taken Christ, he is not able to live without him. This life is no life, and therefore if there be but a separation betweene thee and Christ, if a mans conscience bee as it were clouded for a time, hee findes no rest, he doth as the Spouse in the Canticles; She seekes from one place to another, Cant. 5.6.Song 5:6and gives her selfe no rest, till she finde him; and why? because it was he whom her soule loved. So you shall finde, Beloved, whatsoever it is that your soules love, whatsoever you make your chiefe joy, you will take no rest, but as farre as you love and enjoy it. Therefore for the finding of this, whether Christ be thy life and thy chiefe joy, consider what it is that thy thoughts feede upon; every wicked man, every man that is out of Christ, p. 281there is something that his thoughts feed upon, some things there are, in contemplation of which the soule solaceth it selfe; some pleasures that are past, present, or to come; the very thinking of these are the greatest joy of his heart, he roules them under his tongue; even as a Servant that hath got some dainty bit out of his Masters presence, and …ates it in a corner, so the soule of a man hath out of Christ some secret, some stolen, some unlawfull delights, that it feeds upon and delights in: Consider therefore well with thy selfe, what breakfast thy morning thoughts have (that I may so say) what breakefast they have every morning, what is that Pabulum, that food of thy soule, wherewith thy thoughts and affections are nourished and refreshed from day to day; whether it be some carnall pleasure, some reflecting on thy state, upon thy wealth, upon thy friends, or whether it be on Christ. See (as David exercised it) whether be they thy songs in the night time? All carnall men have something past whereby they comfort themselves,Psal. 42.8.Ps 42:8 something present where by they cheare up their hearts, something to come, something in hope. So every man that is in Christ, he hath the comforts of the Spirit, the meditation of the priviledges that he hath in Christ, the hope of Gods favour; These are his appointed food, these are the things that his soule feedes on in secret; yea the very workes that he doth, that seemes to be the hardest part p. 282of a Christians life, the very workes that hee doth in serving the Lord from day to day, even that is his meate and his drinke; that is, it is as sweet and acceptable to his soule, as meate and drinke is to the hunger and thirst of his body. Now consider with thy selfe whether it be so with thee; whether that which is thy continuall feast, without which thou canst not live, bee Christ; or the assurance thou hast, that he is thine and thou art his; whether it bee the priviledges thou hast in him; and the things that belong to the kingdome of God; See whether these be thy life, the things without which thou couldst not live; or whether it bee some thing else, some stollen delights, some unlawful pleasures, some thing else that thy soule and affections are set upon. This is the next thing by which thou maiest try thy selfe whether thou belong to Christ or no, to consider whether he bee thy chiefe joy, whether thy soule bee most filled and satisfyed with him. And this is the third thing.

4 The fourth is; to know whether he be thy chiefe Refuge; If thou bee one that hath tooke him and received him, I say, he is thy chiefe refuge. For every man hath some refuge, some castle or other to which his soule retires in all difficult and doubtfull cases, by reason of that indigency, that insufficiency to which the nature of man is subject▪ There is something that hee must have to leane unto, (marke it) for mankind p. 283is like that generation which the Wiseman speakes of: You know it is sayd of the Connyes, They are a generation not strong ▪ and what then,Prov. 30.26.Prov 30:26 and therefore they have their burrowes to hide themselves in. I say such is the generation of mankinde, he is a weake creature, a generation not strong, therefore there is something that he must leane to, something out of himselfe, some sufficiency besides himselfe, some strong hold, some refuge every man hath; I say every man hath some refuge or other, whither he thinkes his soule may goe, and there hee may have succour in cases daungerous and in troubles. Now consider what is thy refuge, whither thy heart runnes in all such cases, to what wing, to what strong hold: In daungerous cases, you see every creature hath some refuge or other: The Child runnes to his Mother. The Chickens runne to the henne. The Fox to his earth, the Connyes to their burrowes; so every creature to their severall corners and receptacles proper to them: I say so it is with every man, so hath every one of you to whom I speake, there is somewhat that is a secret refuge to which your hearts fly. Now consider whether that be Christ or somewhat else. A covetous man (or rather a man of this world) he hath wealth for his strong hold, in which his heart comforts it selfe; well, saith he, what change of time so ever come, yet I have an estate to hold me up; and when he is ill spoken of abroad, yet p. 284hee applaudes himselfe with that hee hath at home; The Courtiers, they have the Princes favour, that is their refuge wherein they comfort themselves; Those that are given to Company they have good fellowes, such as they, that are their compa…ions▪ and so long as they speake well of them, they …are not who speake ill of them; Some have a refuge of this kind, some of another, every man hath his refuge. If you will looke into the Scriptures, you shall see Davids refuge, in any distresse, upon any occasion; At Ziglag he comforteth himselfe in the Lord, 1 Sam. 30.6.1 Sam 30:6his hart did fly to him, as the chickens fly to the henne, there he comforted himselfe, there he shrowded himselfe, there he encouraged himselfe in the Lord. When he fled from his son Absolon, was not the Lord his refuge? Yet (saith he) hee is my buckler and my strong hold, Psalme. 3, which was made upon that occasion. What was Iacobs refuge when he fled from his brother Esau? Did not he goe to the Lord, and seeke to him by Prayer?Gen. 32.12,Gen 32:12 Lord thou hast said thou wilt doe me good, now I fly unto thee, I besech thee performe thy promise, thou art my refuge. Consider others now, what was their refuge. Iudas ▪ when he had betrayed his Master Christ, and his conscience was upon him for it; he goes to the high priests and brings the silver to them, why, saith he, you set me a worke, you are the authors of it, and I hope to find some comfort from you; you see he found little cōfort in his minde, yet that was his p. 285refuge. The Kings of Israel and Iuda when they were distressed, they fled to Egypt and to Ashur, to this or that helpe, which (the Lord said) were broken reeds to them, but yet that was their refuge. This is the maner of every man being out of Christ, of every unregenerate man, that is in his naturall estate, some refuge he hath; friends, or wealth, or credit, or the favour of the Prince, something or other it is▪ and if hee be destitute and have no refuge (as sometimes it so fals out) then his heart is shaken as the leaves of the forrest, Their hearts were shaken even for feare of the king of Aram, Isaiah 7▪ 2.Isa 7:2as the leaves are shaken in the forrest; and why? Because they knew not how to defend themselves: they had no refuge to fly to. So you see it was with Belshazars heart; so Achitophel; and so Saul; when he sees that hee must die the next day, and that there was no refuge for him: then I say their hearts sanke and dyed within them. And now consider how it is with thee, what is the refuge to which thy heart flyeth, and which thy heart makes most account of (for every man thinkes with himselfe, change of time may come, & what shal be my comfort what shal be my strong hold at that time.) Dost thou fly to Iesus Christ? is he thy succour when thy heart is dejected at any time & faints within thee? from which fountaine dost thou fetch thy comfort? Dost thou fly to Christ, to comfort thy selfe in him, when thou art in a doubtfull case, that concernes thee as much as thy p. 286life? whither dost thou goe for counsell and direction? is it to Christ, to beseech him to guide thee, to direct thee, when thou art pressed hard? whither doth thy heart goe for succour and for helpe to keepe thy selfe safe? Is it to Christ, or to some what else? My beloved, I assure you this, that a carnall man that is not in Christ, in these times of distresse knowes not whither to goe; hee dares not goe to Christ, for he feares that it shall be asked him, upon what acquaintance? for he hath been a stranger to the Lord, he was never acquainted with him: but a carnall man that is out of Christ, hee goes to his muses, he goes to his farmes, hee goes to his bushes, as the hunted hare was wont to doe, to goe to the places that shee used when shee lived quiet, thither shee flyes when shee knowes not how to escape: so in that fashōi it is with men, looke what things they were wont, to which their hearts had recourse in time of prosperity, and what their haunts have beene; to those bushes they fly: But alas! they are but bushes, such as will not defend them. But now the Christian on the other side, the muse, the farme as it were (it is but to expresse it to you) that his soule is acquainted with, the strong hold that hee was wont to fly unto, upon every severall evill, upon every ordinary doubt, upon every dejection, discouragement and fainting of heart; hee was wont to fly to Christ, and there he was wont to finde comfort, and thither hee goes in time of p. 287greatest difficulty in the day of death, and there hee finds comfort. Consider if hee bee thy chiefe refuge, for if thy heart hath taken him as he is thy chiefe excellency, thy chiefe joy, thy chiefe treasure; so he wil be thy chiefest refuge, yea when all things else are taken away, yet that cover remaines safe: Suppose thou be in prison, suppose thy credit bee taken away, (I meane) thy worldly credit (for the other credit cannot be taken away from any man that hath Christ:) suppose thy life be taken away, suppose thou bee stript of all that thou hast; yet thou hast Christ for thy chiefe refuge, and thou thinkest so, and thy heart is satisfyed with it. As Paul saith, when hee was a prisoner, when he was naked, when hee was destitute, when he was stript of all,2 Tim. 2.12.2 Tim 2:12 yet (saith he) I know whom I have trusted; As if he should say, yet I have him safe, yet my cover is over my head, yet I am safe in my castle, I have chosen him, I have him in death, yea then Christ he is advantage, he is a cover, a castle, and a refuge.

Answ.5 Last of all: consider whom thou settest up for thy chiefest Commander, who it is to whom thou givest the chiefe command in thine heart. You will say how shall I know that? Why (my beloved) he whom a man feareth most,Quest. and loveth most, that is he whose friendship above all others hee would least loose, and whose dislike and separation he doth most feare▪ certainely he will bee most obedient to him, he will be most p. 288observant of him. Art thou so to Christ? take all the things in the world, if thou set up him, as him whom thou most fearest and lovest, thou wilt most obey him: So againe, he whom thou thinkest can doe thee the greatest good, and the greatest hurt, him thou wilt most obey; if thou thinkest in good earnest that Christ is able to do it, certainely then thou wilt most obey him. As for example, if thou looke to any man in the world, a man that is out of Christ, he thinkes that the favour or the wealth of the King, can doe him more good and more hurt, than the favour, or the losse of the favour of Christ; He thinkes that wealth, or credit, or something else, (many thinges there are that hee thinkes) can doe him more good and more hurt; therefore hee more respects their command, than the command of Christ; but a man that sets up him for his chiefe Commander, hee regards nothing else when it comes to crosse it, when it comes to thwart any command of Christ, because hee saith thus to himselfe in his heart in secret: It is the Lord that can doe the greatest good, and the greatest hurt, therefore I care for no more. So Naboth hee cared not for Ahabs wrath. So Mordecay cared not for Hamans displeasure:Hest. 3.2. so did the Apostles, they cared not for the High Priests, nor what they could doe, Act. 4. So did the 3 children (as you call them) they cared not for the fiery furnace of Nabucadnezar, Dan. 3.16.17.18.Dan 3:16Dan 3:17Dan 3:18nor for all that hee was able to doe; and why? p. 289because they thought that Christ, that God was able to doe them more hurt, and more good. Now take any Commander in the world, when you regard not the punishment, nor the reward that he is able to inflict or to give you, his authority is gone; Now when you set up Christ, and thinke so of Christ, you are ready to obey him, and obey him rather than any other. Therefore consider with thy selfe this, and consider seriously: aske thy heart the question, what is that thou settest up to bee thy chiefest Commander? For there are three great Cōmanders in the world, that divide all mankind betweene them almost: And that is wealth, and estate; worldly credit and honour, to live in esteeme; pleasures, and delight. Now thinke with thy selfe when any of these three great Commanders come with any command, contrary to that which Christ commands, thinke with thy selfe what thou wilt doe in such a case, what wast thou wont to doe, looke to past experience; looke backe to thy former wayes, see what thou wast wont to doe; thinke with thy selfe when such a Command comes, what thy heart reasons upon; if concupiscence, if a strong lust, if a strong impetuous desire come, and bid thee to doe something, which is contrary to that which Christ would have thee to do, what art thou ready to doe in such a case? If thy profit, the mainetenance of thy estate, thy liberty, thy wealth, thy convenience in this world come p. 290and command thee to doe one thing, and thy conscience (which is Christs vicegerent) come in his stead, and command thee another thing, what art thou ready to doe in that case? So when thy credit, thy honour, and reputation, thy vaine glory shall come and bid thee do one thing, and Christ shall bid thee doe another, what is thy resolution, what art thou wont to doe? By this thou shalt know whether thou settest up Christ, as the chiefe Commander in thy heart or no, whether thou givest him thy chiefe throne, whether thou exaltest him for God in thy heart; you know when you exalt him for God, every thing then yeelds, if in truth he be set up for God in thy heart: Therefore consider what it is that thy heart sets highest, whether thou exaltest him most, whether (when any of these threatning, crying commands come) thou canst give them an absolute denyall, and say with thy selfe, I will not obey you; and if they threaten imprisonment, or disgrace, and losse of life, and if I doe not obey such a lust, I shall be wrung and pincht for it, I shall lose such delights: well, I am resolved to beare all this. On the other side, when they shall come with faire proffers, you shall have this honour, and this advancement, and this convenience: If thy heart can say now, I will have none of you, for I see it is a command contrary to his that is above, whom I have set up for my chiefe Commander, whom I resolve to obey, whom I p. 291take to be greater than all the friendship in the world, than all the profits, pleasures, and credits in the world; I say thus examine thy selfe what thy heart is toward Christ, what it is to his command; and (let mee touch that by the way) thou must also shew thy obedience to Christ, in thy obedience to others. My beloved there are indifferent things, that are in themselves not of moment one way or other, whether we doe them or not doe them; and though the omission of them in themselves be nothing, yet when it shall bee of contempt, and neglect of those that are set in superiour place over you, in such a case you ought not to doe it: this is a rule, and a true rule in divinity, that indifferent things may be omitted except in two cases, in case of scandall, and in case of neglect, and contempt of authority: therefore when there is neglect, when men shew contempt, for that cause it is to be done, though for the other it is not to be done. This I touch but by the way, that you may consider it in your particular occasion.

Now my beloved, you see these five things, by which you may know if you have tooke Christ, or no: yee know when a man comes to examine himselfe whether he be a fit man, a man that hath any right to come to the Lords table, hee must consider whether hee bee in Christ, otherwise hee hath nothing to doe either with this priviledge, or with any other. Now to bee p. 292in Christ, there must (as I said) goe a double act, there must be one on thy owne side, there must be one act on thy part to take him; and there must be an act on his part, there goes out a strength and a vertue from him by which hee takes thee and comprehends thee. The time is past, & I cannot proceed further; onelyonly remember this that hath beene said to you, and examine your selves by it, whether you bee in the truth, whether you make Christ your chiefe Excellency, your chiefe Treasure, your chiefe Ioy, your chiefe Refuge, your chiefe Commander; if thou finde that thou hast done this, if thou finde thy heart wrought to such an act as this, to take Christ in such a manner, then thou hast Christ, thou art in him, then thou hast a right in him, and maist come with comfort: but if thou have it not, then I must charge every one of you in the name of Christ Iesus (in whose authority we come) that you meddle not with such holy mysteries. My Beloved you know what I have often told you, there is a necessity laid on men to come to the Sacrament: you know hee that neglected the Passeover was to be cut off from the people. Levit. 23.29.Lev 23:29It was a very great sinne: so it is to omit the Sacrament: you have diverse Sacraments every Tearme, and if your businesse hinder you from one, you may come to another; yea there is a necessity lyes upon you to come, but yet we must give you a double charge, one that you omit it not; and another that you come p. 293not hither unlesse you be in Christ; What hast thou to doe that art a profane person, thou hast nothing to doe with Christ, thou that art yet a stranger to him, that thou shouldest thrust in to the Lords table? thou ought'st not to doe it, if thou dost, thou eatest and drinkest thine owne damnation, in stead of thy salvation.1 Cor. 11.29.1 Cor 11:29

The Second Sermon.

AND so now wee come to the Vse,Vse. and that is, that there is an Act of Christ to make an union betwixt us, that we may be his, and he ours: there is an act of his, that is, there is a certaine power or vertue comes from him, even as there doth from the Load-stone to the iron, that drawes thee to him; there goes out a vertue and power from him as to the woman that touched the hemme of his garment, that healed her bloody issue; such a power goes out from Christ to every man, that is in him. And as you must examine it by your owne act, so in the second place you are to examine it by this; consider whether there hath gone out any such power from Christ to take and comprehend thee: For you must know this, that when once we are in Christ, then there goes forth an effectuall almighty power from him, which doth not make a little light alteration on the superficies p. 294of the heart, but it alters the very frame of it, it turnes the very rudder of the heart, so that a mans course is to a quite contrary point of the compasse; it is such an alteration as doth breed in us, not some good conception onelyonly of purposes and desires which many have, which when they come to the birth, there is no strength to bring them forth: but hee gives to us a power and strength to performe them: That is, hee doth not put upon us a washy colour of profession, but hee dyeth us in graine with grace and holinesse. And therefore consider whet… thou hast found any experience of such a power going out from Christ to thy heart; This my beloved, differs from common graces, from the common forme of godlinesse which is in the world, as much as the life differs from the picture, or the substance from the shadow; as a through performance differs from a proffer, or an offer: or as that which hath sinewes and vigour, differs from that which is weake and powerles. Therfore this power of Christ which hee puts forth and diffuseth into the heart of every man that is in him, is called the Kingdome. And the Kingdome of Christ is not in word,1 Cor. 4.20.1 Cor 4:20 but in power: That is, when once he rules but as a King, hee exerciseth a Kingdome there, and hee saith not onelyonly to us; I will have such a thing done, they are not weake and powerlesse commands that he gives to the heart of a man that he dwels it; but saith he, The Kingdome of God is not in word p. 295but in power; that is, there goes an efficacy with those commands, there goes a great strength with them, that brings every thought, and every rebellious affection into subjection to it; and therefore consider I say, if thou wouldest have these vertues, whether thou be in Christ, whether any such power hath gone out from Christ to thy heart.

But you will say,Quest. what is this power and vertue, and in what manner is it infused into the heart of man, for this seemes to be a narration of a thing a farre off?

Answ.My beloved, we will explaine it as well as we can to you; even as you see an Artificer working with his instrument, there goes a certaine vertue out from that art which is in his minde, and guides the instrument to make this or that, the which without it could not be done, when hee makes any artificiall thing, as a knife, or a sword; or when the Potter fashions the potte, his hand is set on worke, and there is a certaine invisible passage, a certaine secret influence of the art that goes along with his hand, that brings forth such an artificiall thing; or even as you see the members move; a man moving his arme, or his hand, or any part of his body, there goes a certaine vertue from his will, a certaine secret power, efficacy, and command that stirres them this way or that way; the thing wee see not, yet we see it in the effect; or as you see it in the creature, you see the creatures that God hath made, they p. 296have all the several instincts, by which they are instigated to doe this or that; you see the birds are instigated to make their nests in such a fashion, at such a season; so every creature according to his severall kinde. There goes out from God who is the authour of nature to these workes of nature, a certaine vertue that puts them on, and instigates them to this or that: and as you see an arrow that is shot by the Archer: there goes a vertue together with it, that directs it just to such … marke, so farre, and no further. So after this manner there comes a power from Christ to his members; as soone as a man is in him, there comes such a secret divine, unexpressable efficacy that workes vponupon the heart of him in whom he dwels. And therefore the conjunction betweene him and us, is compared to that which is betweene the soule and the body, that acts and stirres us to and fro, according to its will and pleasure: such an efficacy shalt thou finde, if thou belong unto him, and therefore consider if there bee such a thing in thee or no.

Quest.But you will say, to what purpose is this efficacy, and what doth it in my heart when it comes there?

Answ.Why, I will tell thee what it doth; it is expressed in plaine termes 2 Cor. 5.17. Whosoever is in Christ is made a new creature; That is the worke it effects; it is such a power and efficacy as makes thee a new creature; That is, it breakes p. 297in peeces the old building, it quite takes away the first print▪ As when a man comes to make a new stampe, the first must bee removed. So that this efficacy that goes out from Christ, it hath a double vertue in thy soule, to weare out the old stampe, to breed a death of the old nature, of the old man, to ruine and breake downe the old building, and to set up a new one; and that the Scripture calls a new creature: and therefore consider with thy selfe, whether thou find such a vertue as hath put thy heart into such a new frame, as hath moulded it all together, and hath put it into another fashion than it was, consider whether all in thee be new.

You will say, this is strange, must all be new?Quest.

Answ.My beloved, you know the words they are cleare; Old things are passed away, 2 Cor. 5.17.2 Cor 5:17all things are become new. (In the same place which I quoted before) that as the command was in the offering of the Passeover, not a jot of old leaven, but we must part with it; Now this is the nature of leaven, it is alwayes purging out, and it will be purging out while we are here, only the efficacy and strength thereof remaines not. Then thinke with thy selfe, is all new in me? looke what natural disposition I have had: looke what natural lusts and desires I have had, see what acts I was wont to doe, what old haunts and customes I have had, looke what old company I kept, what old courses I tooke, what my tract hath beene, is all this altered and every thing become new? p. 298(for,Cor. 5.17. saith he, it must be a new creature, a new nature:) That is, it is not enough for a man to have a new course for a fit, to have new purposes and a new change that comes like flashes, I say, that is not enough; you may have many new thinges in you, that may be in old hearts, like peeces of new cloath in old garments, that will do thee no good at al;Math. 9, 16.17.Matt 9:16Matt 9:17 the Lord regards not that: like new wine in old vessells, so it is where there are some new things, that are good things in themselves; in a carnall and old heart, they are not fit for the heart, and therefore they never stay long there: So saith the text, Put a new peece into an old garment, and it makes the rent greater.

Answ.Therefore all must be new; I say there must be a new nature, that these new things may bee there: even as the severall creatures are in their severall elements, as the elements are in their owne place, as the plants are in their proper soyle, as the branches are upon their own roote. For then they florish, then they hold out, then they continue; Therefore see whether this vigor, this efficacy, this vertue hath gone out from Christ into thy heart; whether it hath not only renewed al in thee, but also hath given thee a new nature; That is, whether it hath wrought such a change in thee, that all the wayes of godlines and new obedience, become in a measure naturall to thee, so that thou canst doe them cheerefully, even as wee heare, and see, and do naturall actions, and that thou dost them without p. 299wearinesse: for you know, things that are naturall wee are not weary of them; And so thou wilt doe them constantly, for what is naturall, stayes and abides by us, that it out-growes and out-wearies what ever is in us beside; Now hath there a vertue gone out from Christ, that hath wrought all this in you, that hath made all new, hath not onelyonly done so, but hath made it naturall to thee? But you will say, must it needs be so,Quest. cannot Christ take and comprehend me, but there must be this wonderfull change wrought, who can be saved then? I have then but little hope, when I am upon my deathbed, and then shall looke upon my old nature, and finde no such worke as this wrought upon me. Beloved, I beseech you consider this, that there is a necessity of it: It is so, and it must be so, and except you have it, you cannot be saved; you see the words in the Scriptures are most cleare, Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature:2 Cor▪ 5.2 Cor 5 Doe but consider whether it be so or no; there must bee a new-heaven, and a new earth; You see that was the great promise that was to bee fulfilled in our times of the Gospell. 2 Pet. 3.13,2 Pet 3:13Is there not a new priesthood; is there not a new covenant, and hath not the Lord said, there must be a new heaven and a new earth? That is, new graces from heaven, and a new company of men wrought on, and changed by those graces? Shall those that are borne of old Adam, receive a power from him, to make them like to him, to carry p. 300his Image, to be corrupt, carnall, and sinfull as he is: And do you not thinke that the New Adam, the Second Adam, shall have as much efficacy in him to make those new creatures, that are in him, that come to him? Certainely there is as much power, life, and vigor in the new Adam, to change every man that is in him, that comes to him, to make them new creatures, as in the old Adam, to make them like to him: Besides, hath not Christ said plainely, I came not into the world to save soules only, that is not my busines alone (though that was a great part of the businesse and errand for which hee came into the world:Tit. 2.14.Titus 2:14) but (saith he) I came to purifie a people to my selfe, zealous of good workes: in the 2 Tit. Now if that were the end of Christs comming, dost thou thinke that hee will loose his end? Wherefore its impossible, that any man should bee saved, or have part in Christ, that hee should bee in Christ and Christ in him, except his heart bee purified so, as to be zealous of good workes. If Christ dwell in thy heart, thou mayest easily know it; for dost thou thinke, that Christ will dwell in a foule and uncleane place? hath hee not pure eyes? And therefore it is certaine wheresoever hee dwells,Hab 1.13.Hab 1:13 that place must bee a fit Temple for him to dwell in; Wherefore of necessity hee must cleanse thy heart, hee must fashion it, and keepe it pure, cleane, and sweet, so as it may bee a fit Temple for him and his Spirit to dwell p. 301and delight in. Besides, doth hee not looke to his glory in all those that belong to him? he hath many eyes to looke upon them as it were, there are many spectators men and Angells, to see what they are,1 Cor. 4.9.1 Cor 4:9 and how they behave themselves: If he should have a company of men to belong unto him that are carnall, perverse, and worldly minded, that have crooked wayes like other men, would this be for his honour? would it not be said, Like men, like Master? would it not reflect upon him? Certainely it would; and therefore the Lord so orders it, that those whom he hath redeemed, shall be holy in all manner of conversation: Saith he, you must be as I am, else it will bee for my dishonour, As I am holy, 1 Pet. 1.15.16.1 Pet 1:151 Pet 1:16so every one of you must be holy, in all manner of conversation. Therefore let no man deceive himselfe, to thinke hee can goe away and yet bee in Christ, and bee saved through Christ and the mercies of God in Christ, when there goes out no such vertue and power from Christ to change him, to worke on him, to alter him, to make him another creature. And therefore I beseech you in the examining of this, (for its a matter of great moment) to consider with your selves, if this be wrought in you or no; whether you finde any experiment and effect of this mighty power, efficacy, and vertue: and let me bring you a little to particulars, Hath there gone out a vertue from him to enable thee to beleeve? There is a faith required p. 302in the Deity, there is a faith required in the promises of God, and there is a faith required in the providence of God, to thinke that every particular thing is ordered by it; There is also a faith in all the threatnings of God: Now for the manner of propounding; when the Scripture comes to propound any thing, it propounds it thus, and no more: as you see in Moyses, he writes nothing but,Gen. 1.1…Gen 1:1 In the beginning God made heaven and earth, &c. And so the Apostles write; Such a thing was done,Math. 1. Luk. 1.2.Matt 1Luke 1:2 Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary: Thus and thus he did. Now when the naked object is propounded, other writers wht they deliver or write is rationall; They use Reasons and arguments to convince men of those things which thy deliver; but when the Scripture sets downe any propositions of faith, it doth but barely propound them, for there is the Majesty and authority of God in them, to confirme them.

Quest.But now here you will demand, (the proposition being but nakedly laid downe in the Scriptures) what will enable a man to beleeve it?

Answ.I answere: that certainely there is a mighty power that goes out from God and Christ, that enables thee to beleeve with efficacy; so that when the object is set before thee, there goes out a power from Christ to worke faith in thy heart, whereby thou truly beleevest it, and so it appeares in thy life: We think we beleeve those things, but our lives do manifest the contrary; p. 303namely, That there is not a powerfull faith wrought in us; for all the errours of our lives (though we observe them not) arise from hence, that these Principles are not throughly beleeved: if they were, it could not bee, that there should be such inconsequences in the lives of men. Therefore consider if this faith bee wrought in thee, whether such a power hath gone out, to worke such a faith, that hath changed thy whole course, as it will doe, if it bee once wrought in thee, by the power of Christ: So also consider, whether there hath a vertue gone out from him to worke love in thy heart to the Lord; for otherwise it is certaine that there is no man in the world that is able to love God, or to come neere him, for all love riseth from Similitude, there must bee an agreement and similitude betweene those two that love. Now every man by nature is as contrary to Gods pure nature, as fire is to water, & without an almighty power to change his nature, and to worke a particular affection of love in him, he can never be able to love God: therefore its the baptisme of the holy Ghost; which workes this,Math. 3.11.Matt 3:11 He will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire, that is, with the holy Ghost which is fire: I will multiply thy sorrowes and thy conceptions, That is,Gen. 3.6.1Gen 3:6Gen 3:1 the sorrowes of thy conceptions. Now love is as fire in the heart, and one fire must beget another; And therefore you have it in the common proverbe, Love is a thing that cannot be bought with p. 304mountaines of gold and silver; yet if thou bee in Christ, there goes out a vertue from him, that stampes upon thy heart this holy affection, that breedes in thee this holy fire of love, so that thy heart cleaves to him, thou lovest him with as true, with as genuine, as naturall, and as sensible love, as thou lovest any friend; as thou lovest any creature in the world. Consider if this be wrought in thee or no. And so for thy knowledge; there is also a power in it, consider whether any such vertue hath gone out from Christ to make the knowledge which thou hast, powerfull.

You will say, what is that?

Answ.Quest.That is, to bring on these truthes which thy heart assents unto, to bring them with that evidence, and fulnesse of demonstration, that thou shalt yeeld unto them, and practise them according to thy knowledge. Beloued, there is much knowledge among us, but who practiseth according to his knowledge? We know God, but wee glorifie him not as God;Rom. 1.21,Rom 1:21 and the reason is, because there hath not gone a power with that knowledge, to make it lively and effectuall, to passe through all the faculties of the soule, and to overrule them; for if there were such knowledge, it would alwayes draw affection and practise with it. So likewise consider, whether there hath gone a power from him to mortifie thy lusts, (Whosoever is in Christ hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts;Gal. 5.24.Gal 5:24) not to lay them asleepe p. 305onelyonly, but to mortifie and subdue them. See likewise whether there hath a power gone out from Christ, to helpe thee to overcome the world, The lusts of thine eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life;1 Ioh. 2.16.1 John 2:16 for whosoever is in Christ overcomes the world, and all that is in the world. The world hath many things to worke upon us, and to resist and oppose us: It hath persecutions, it hath disgraces, it hath slanders and reproches, which it casts upon holy men, & upon the holy wayes of God. And the men that are actours in this, are the divels factours, though they thinke not so, as the Apostle Iames expresses it; Their tongues are set on fire of hell, Iam. 3.6.Jas 3:6to devise slanders and false reports, and to fasten them upon holy men, especially upon the Ministers of the Gospell, and so upon all the wayes of God: I say they are the divels factours, though they thinke not so: and those that beleeve them are the divels receivers; the one hath the divell in his tongue, the other in his eare. But the Lord hath appointed this. This is one thing whereby the world fights against the wayes of God, to discourage men and to hinder them, that they might be stumbling blockes to them. So it was with Christ; hee was the falling of many in Israel by reason of this; so was Paul, as a deceiver, Luk. 2.34.Luke 2:34and yet true, &c. Consider if thou hast this efficacy put into thy heart, that thou art able to overcome this, that thou art able to overcome all the offences, and persecutions, all the slaunders p. 306and reproaches that are cast upon the wayes of God; and notwithstanding that, to thinke well of them, and to walke in them, and practise thē. Likewise, as it hath these things on the one hand so it hath pleasures, preferments, glory, riche… credit, and all things of that nature on the other art thou able to overcome all these? So to shut up this point & prosecute it no further, thus you shall know whether you be in Christ: for that is the point; Wee have assurance in him; that if we aske any thing, we shall be heard, but first we must be in him; now … know whether we be in him (as you have heard) there must be an act of ours, and secondly an act of his, which is this power that goes out from him, to change, to take and comprehend us. So much for the first thing.

Now for the second; if a man will apply or take to himselfe the priviledges wee have by Christ, as this particular priviledge of being heard in our prayers, of comming to the Sacrament, or any other; know this, that it is not enough to be in Christ only, but there must be a certaine qualification, a certaine immediate fashioning, and preparation of the heart, or else though thou have a right to the priviledges, though they belong to thee: yet thou art suspended from the use, benefit, and comfort of them. And this is considered in these Five things. (I will but name them very briefely.) First, when a man comes to receive the Sacrament, it's not enough for him to be in Christ, no nor when he p. 307is come to do some other duties, but moreover there must be this also; those grace thou hast, this change, this new creature that is wrought in thee, which is but a heape of particular graces these must be acted and stirred up upon such an occasion: It is true, no man ought to come except he have the graces of Gods Spirit wrought in his heart, that they may lye there in the habits, that they may be in the heart as fire raked in the ashes. But if a man will come to receive the Sacrament, and suffer these habits, these graces he hath to lie still there, he comes not as a worthy receiver; (there are indeed degrees of unworthinesse) he comes not as a worthy receiver except hee stirres them up, except they be acted at that very time: as for example; when we come to receive the Sacrament, wee ought then to have an especiall humiliation and sorrow for our sinnes; we ought then to have an especiall love to Iesus Christ; we ought then to have a special rejoycing in him, and in all the Priviledges wee have by him; we ought then to have a speciall love to our brethren, the men with whom wee converse, and among whom wee live: now if a man come and receive, and do not stirre up and act these graces, he receivs unworthyly, and my ground for it, is this; You see in the feast of Reconciliation, the Tenth day of the Seventh monethmonth, the Lord tels them there, you shall come, and you shall keepe it, & you shall not do worke, &c. But is this enough? no, He that doth not actually p. 308afflict his soule (saith he) that day, he shall be cut off from his people, Levit 23.27, 28.29.30.Lev 23:27Lev 23:28Lev 23:29Lev 23:30Levit. 23.27. This is, though they had a habitual disposition, and their hearts were prepared to sorrow for their sinnes, and to take them to heart and bewaile them, this is not enough, (saith hee) at this time you must afflict your soules, that is, there must be a stirring up of that sorrow. So likewise you finde this in the feasts, in more places than one, that when they come to keepe the feasts, at that time they shall eate and drinke, and refresh themselves, but in any case rejoyce, Deut. 12, and Deut. 16. I will not stand to repeate the places: That is, it's not enough for you to have thankfull hearts, to have hearts prepared for these things in the habit, but you must then rejoyce, for it is the season of it,Eccles. 3.11.Eccl 3:11 (for every thing is good in it's season) and the Lord requires it at such a time. Therefore thus thinke with thy selfe whensoever thou comest to receive the Sacrament, this is the time that the graces I have, the habituall graces, must be new pointed as it were, they must bee new whetted, new scowred, that they may be bright and shining upon such an occasion, when the Lord cals for it, you must then quicken and stir them up, that they may bee all acted in your hearts.

And this is one thing, that it's not enough for a man to bee in Christ, to take the priviledges that belong to him, but there is a certaine qualification required that must be done at that p. 309time, when the Covenant is renewed: And this is one, to have the graces thus acted.

2Secondly, there must be a new Reconciliation. For the Saints, those that are within the covenant, those that are regenerate men, (you must marke it well, for it's a point of much use) when they commit sinnes against God, the guilt of their sinnes is retained: though they are within the covenant, and are not cut off from Christ, but are in him; yet (I say) when they have sinned, the guilt of that sinne continues, and is continued till they be reconciled and renewed by faith and repentance; as you see it was with David: 2 Sam. 12▪ 13.2 Sam 12:13Nathan would not have said when hee came to him, Thy sinnes are forgiven thee, if there had not beene a new thing, if there had not beene a thing done at that time; and therefore it intimates so much, that before his sin was not forgiven: that is, the Lord was angry with him. You must know therefore this, that when a regenerate man sinnes, there is only a particular guilt; the universall guilt of sinnes returnes not, (for that would cut him quite off, that would put him absolutely into the state of damnation,) but it's a particular guilt, for every particular sinne; that is, even as a father is pleased well with his son, and knowes him to be his sonne, hee is affected to him as to his sonne, yet hee hath done such a particular action that hath offended him, and for that particular offence, hee withdrawes himselfe from him, hee carries not himselfe to p. 310him as he was wont to do, being offended with him for such a fault; now till the sonne hath reconciled and humbled himselfe for that particular action, though the father hath an hundred gifts to bestow on him, yet hee shall have none of them, till hee hath reconciled himselfe; So thinke with thy selfe (if any sinne lye in the way) when thou commest to partake of this priviledge to receive the Sacrament, or when thou commest to call on God for any particular mercy, or to have any request granted; thinke then with thy selfe, such a sinne I committed, I must humble my selfe for it, I must labour to make reconciliation, labour to have this taken away, that my Father may bee reconciled to mee; then come and take the priviledge, for now it belongs unto me; therefore there is a necessity of renewing our repentance and reconciliation most exactly, and to take a very particular examination of our wayes when we come to receive the Sacrament, or when wee draw neere to God upon such speciall occasions, least our Father, (though he be a Father to us) have some particular quarrell against us; for even he whom we call Father, 1 Pet. 1.17, iudgeth every man, (even his owne sonnes) without respect of persons, that is, he did not beare any ill in them: thus you see did he with Moyses, with David, and others, and the like he doth with all the Saints. This is the second qualification that is required before you can have any part in any of the priviledges, p. 311before you can attaine unto this assurance, to aske and have; therefore it is not without use, and that not in the Sacrament onelyonly, but also in that which we have to deliver.

3Thirdly, suppose there be no particular sinne, suppose the grace you have, be acted, when you come to receive the Sacrament; yet there is a third thing required, a third qualification that must be found in the heart of him that will be a worthy receiver, and that is, to observe well what distance is growne betweene the Lord and him ever since the time, that he hath in a more particular manner beene reconciled to him. This is another thing than what wee named before, to consider what rust hath growne upon his soule, what soyle his heart hath contracted, by conversing in the world, and by medling with worldly and earthly things; for the soule gathers soyle with medling with them, even as the hands doe; now thou must thinke with thy selfe, when thou commest to the Lord; and drawest neere to him in this, or any other duty, thou must recover that distance againe, and bring thy heart neerer to the Lord, thou must draw neerer to him, thou must get thy heart to a more close, a more neere, & inward conjunction with him; thou must labour to have that hardnesse that thou hast contracted (as it will bee in a little continuance of time) thou must labour I say, to have that tooke away and removed; to have thy heart softened, to have the rust rubbed off; p. 312thou must labour to have all these things done. For thou must know this, That though there be not a particular sinne committed, yet as we see, the outward man is subject to a wasting, though there be no wounds, though there be no sicknesse; though a man be in perfect health, and all is well with him, and he observe all the rules of dyet, yet (I say) you see the outward man is subject to wasting, to fainting, to weakenesse, and decay; and therefore there must be a renewing of dyet, and of strength, or else it cannot bee able to hold out: So it is with the inward man; though there bee no particular sinne, though a man did keepe some good course in the wayes of godlinesse, without running out eminently or evidently, yet he is subject to a secret decay, so that sometimes hee must have some speciall meate, some speciall feast, which the Lord hath appointed for that purpose, (for he doth nothing in vaine:) And if this Sacrament could be spared, that a man might keepe the strength of the inward man without it, the Lord would not have put you to this trouble; but he seeth it necessary, and therefore he hath appointed it to be received, and that often, that you might feed upon the body and blood of Christ, that you might eate his flesh and drinke his blood, and gather new strength from it; that when there is a decay of grace in your hearts, you may goe to this Fountaine, and fill the Cisternes againe to recover strength. For when a man comes to the p. 313Sacrament as hee ought, hee gathers a new strength, as a man doth from a feast; his heart is cheered up as it is with Flagons of wine, he is refreshed, his hunger and thirst is satisfied; That is, the desires of his soule that long after Christ, after righteousnesse, and assurance, are quickned and refreshed. And this is the third thing.

4Fourthly, besides all this; First the stirring up of the graces, and the acting of the habits; Secondly, making thy peace and reconciliation with God, and remooving of any particular offence, that is betwixt God and thee; Thirdly, this scouring off the rust, this remooving the distance betweene God and thee, the softning of that hardnesse which thy heart hath contracted; this recovering the strength that thou hast wasted; There is besides all these a fourth thing required, which is, that there be an Intention, a particular increase of thy will, in taking Christ, of thy desire to Christ, and of every grace that knits thee and Christ together; For there are certaine cementing graces, certaine glewing graces, that joyne Christ and thy soule together, as Faith and Love; these are the two maine graces; there are a great traine of graces that follow them, but these are the chiefe, and these I say must bee intended, For what is the end of the Sacrament? Is it not to knit the knot stronger betweene Christ and us, to make the union more full and perfect? is it not to increase our willingnesse to take and receive Christ? for you p. 314know all the acts of the soule may be intended. Put the case there be a resolved act in the heart and soule of any man, whereby he saith thus with himselfe: I am resolved to take Christ, and to serve and love him for the time of my life, yet this resolution of his, though it bee perfect and sincere, may receive intention; when a man is willing to doe any thing truly, there may bee degrees added to that will; when there is light in a roome (when thou bringest in more candles) that light may be increased: so it may in this, so may your faith and love; (by faith I meane nothing but the resolution of the heart to take Christ; I meane not the beleeving part, but the taking part, the act of the will taking Christ, or receiving him, which is nothing else but the choise of the will that resolves to take him.) I do but touch this by the way, because it is a point I have handled already at large; the thing I ayme at is this; I say the glewing graces are these two; Faith and love, wherby you thus take Christ for your Lord and Saviour; Faith is like the part of the compasse that goeth about and doth the worke; and love is that cementing grace wherby we are more knit unto the Lord; they have both their office and their place; You know love is an uniting affection, therefore this is the definition of it▪ It is a desire of union with that it loves. Now when thou comest to receive the Sacrament, or to pray, or put up any special request, when thou comest to have to do with God, to make use of p. 315any priviledge thou hast in Christ, thy chiefe busines is to intend this faith & love, at such a time to draw thee neerer, to make the union perfect.

You will say, how is this increased and how is it intended?Quest.

Answ.I answer; Two wayes in the Sacrament, one way is the very repetition, the very renewing the covenant, the very doing it over againe, the resolution of taking him, (for there is a mutuall covenant, you know, betweene Christ and us,) it is confirmed to us in the Sacrament, hee confirmes his, and wee confirme ours, as the friendship betweene Ionathan & David was increased by the renewing of the covenant, or else why was it repeated? The very repetition of the act intends the habit, the habit is increased by the repetition of the act, though it were no more; so the renewing of the covenant exerciseth thy faith, it sets a work thy faith and thy love, when thou comest to receive the Sacrament, the very intention is increased▪ but this is not all. There is another thing in the Sacrament that much increaseth it, and that is a thing I would have you chiefely to take notice of; That is the very Sacrament it selfe, the elements of bread and wine delivered to thee, with the very words of the minister, Take and eate, this is my body, 1 Cor. 11, 24, 25.1 Cor 11:241 Cor 11:25that was broken for thee; Take and drinke, this is my blood, that was shed, &c. For when these words are spoken to us, if wee did consider well of them, and thinke thus with our selves; These words p. 316that the Lord himselfe hath appointed the Minister to speake (for therein is the force of them that they are of the Lords owne institution) therefore the strength of every Sacrament lies in the institution; That is a rule in Divinity: the Papists themselves, who have added five other Sacraments, cannot deny, but that every Sacrament must have an immediate institution from Christ himselfe, even from his owne mouth, or else there is no strength in it; so that even as it is with all things that are symbols of other things, (as take markes in feilds that stand for the division of severall mens rights; take counters th… stand for Thousands and Hundreds; the very essence of these things stands in the very institution of them;) So in the Sacrament, except these words were from the Lords owne mouth that delivered it, this very delivering of the bread and wine, being a signe to you of the forgivenes of your sinnes, except the Lord had thus instituted it, there had beene no force in it. I say consider, they are words that the Minister speaks not in an ordinary course, but he is appointed by the Lord himselfe to speak them; and now whē these words make a new impression upon thy heart, it addes an intention to thy faith and love. For example, (to make it a little more cleare to you, that you may understand it distinctly.) The Lord hath said this, he will forgive the sinnes of all those that come unto him, hee will forgive them that forsake their sinnes, and take Christ p. 317Iesus, and love and feare him for the time to come. The Lord might have suffered it to goe thus in generall, that hee hath delivered it unto you and no more; But hee thought good to goe further and say thus to mankind: Its true, I have said it, but I will not content my selfe with that, but will adde certaine seales and symbolls, certaine externall signes, that thou shalt see and looke on; and I say to thee, this covenant have I made with thee, and when thou seest the bread and wine delivered by the Minister, know this, that the thing that thou seest is a witnesse betweene thee and me: That as it was said by Laban and Iacob when they made a covenant, This stone be witnesse betweene us:Gen. 31.48.Gen 31:48 And God said to Noah, when I looke upon the rainebowe, Gen. 9.13.14, 15,Gen 9:13Gen 9:14Gen 9:15it shall bee a signe that I will destroy the earth no more after this manner ▪ when the Lord hath said it and hath appointed this outward Symboll that thine eies looke upon, I remember the covenant and this as a signe betweene us, this shall bind mee to it and him likewise. Now when this is done anew, (it may be every month) this is a wondrous great mercy, this is a marvellous great helpe (if it be rightly understood) to strengthen our faith. Doth it not helpe us, when wee see the Rainebowe which the Lord hath appointed to put him in mind of his covenant?Gen. 9, 14, 15,Gen 9:14Gen 9:15 I will remember my covenant, when I looke on the Bowe in the Cloud it shall confirme me, and I will not breake my covenant to destroy the world with a flood; So this administration p. 318of the Sacrament, when the Lord lookes upon it, hee cannot but remember his promise and his covenant, of pardoning our sinnes; And when thou lookest on it, thou art assured of it, for hee hath said it; it shall bee a signe and a witnesse betweene us; Now I say that new impression that these words (thus contrived and understood, and delivered by the Minister) make upon the heart, intends our faith and love; as indeed it is a great matter to have it spoken to us by a Minister of the Gospell, sent from Christ, from his owne mouth; Take and eate, this is my body that is broken for you: 1 Cor. 11 24.25.1 Cor 11:241 Cor 11:25and this is my blood that was shed for you and for many, for the remission of sinnes. This is the fourth qualification that is required, that our faith and love be intended, and our union increased; that the will, resolution, and purpose of taking Christ for our Lord, receive more degrees; that so we may be more fast and firmely united and knit to him; which I say is done partly by the repetition on both sides (for the very repetition doth it;) and partly by a new impression that these words, (take, eate, &c) make on the soule. Now I adde the last thing which is required, (still remember the maine thing wee are upon, that it is not enough for thee to be in Christ, but if thou wilt bee a worthy receiver, thou must have these foure qualifications in thee, that I have named already, Thou must reconcile thy selfe anew, thou must rub off the rust from thy soule which p. 319it hath gathered, thou must recover the distance that is growne betweene God and thee; Thou must adde an intending and an increase; Thou must adde more degrees to thy faith and love, and after all these.)

5Fiftly, and lastly, this is also required (which is much for our benefit and comfort) namely, to put up thy request, when thou comest neere to the Lord in the Sacrament: Now thou must not onelyonly do this, but thou must also make some use of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with thee for his part, so that thou mayest think this with thy selfe; When I come to receive the Sacrament, I have but two workes to do, one is to recovenant with the Lord, & to renew my repentance, and to set all eaven; and the other is to remember the Lords covenant.

You will say, what is the Covenant?

It's a Covenant that consists of these three things or points; Iustification, Ier. 31.34.Jer 31:34I will forgive thy sins; Sanctification, I will make you new hearts and new spirits; and the third, All things are ours;Ezech. 36.26▪ 1 Cor 3.Ezek 36:261 Cor 3 that is, I have made you heires of the world, heires of all things, you have all the promises belonging to you, that belong to this life, & that which is to come; this is the Covenant which the Lord hath made. Now thou art bound when thou comest to receive the Sacrament, not onelyonly to remember this Covenant, Doe this (saith hee) in remembrance of Mee, and not barely of me, and of my being crucified for thee, & of all the love p. 320that I have shewed unto thee, but also in remembrance of the Covenant, and of those gracious promises, which are the particulars of which that Covenant is the summe: and therefore, thus a man is to do. What? hath the Lord vouchsafed mee this favour, that I may come to his Table, I may come and renew the nuptials and my covenant with him? Surely, then I will looke about and consider what I want, what request▪ I shal put up unto him; for there is nothing that is wanting, but it is within this Covenant; and thou art to put up thy request in a speciall maner, whatsoever it be, be it concerning things belonging to thy soule, to have a strong lust mortified, to have thy hard heart softned, to have some sin that lies upon thy conscience forgiven, & to have that forgivenes assured to thee: be it any thing that concernes thy particular estate, if it be to be delivered from a potent enemy, or whatsoever it be, put up thy request, and that largely, open thy mouth wide, that is, make thy request full, feare it not. Put the case (againe) it be somewhat that doth not concerne thee, but that it concerneth the Church abroad, or the Church at home, it is a case that much concernes any of these in the Church, put it up to him, and put it up with confidence. For this is a marriage day (as it were) it is the time when he reacheth out his scepter (as you know the things I allude to) and thou maist come to his presence: You know,Ester. 5, 3, when Hester was admitted to the p. 321presence of the King, then said he, What request hast thou? when thou art admitted to the familiarity and presence o… the Lord, he looks for it, he asks what request you have to put up to him? and the promises are large enough: I will give it, whatsoever it be, if you aske according to my will; and therefore, do in this case as Moyses used to do: you shall find when Moyses drew neere unto the Lord, when he was admitted into his presence, and saw him face to face (for that was the great priviledge Moyses had) when there was any special apparition of the Lord to him, Moses makes this argument: (saith hee) It is a great mercy that thou wouldest shew mee this, that such a poore man as I am, should have this priviledge, and give mee leave to make use of it: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, that is,Exod, 33.13, since thou hast vouchsafed mee such a favour in thy sight, do thus and thus for me: you see he made this request for the whole Church of God and saved them, or else they had beene destroied. If thou hast not any particular argument in this case, say, If I have found favour in thy sight, do this: so I say, when thou hast this promise confirmed, that Christ hath given himselfe to thee, and the symboll of that promise is the bread and wine which he hath given to thee, put up thy request: O Lord, if thou hast vouchsafed to give mee Christ, wilt thou not with him give mee all things else? Lord,Rom. 8, 32,Rom 8:32 if I have found favour in thy sight, to do so great a thing for me, deny p. 322me not this particular request. Thus we ought to doe, especially when we come to things that are beyond nature: when we come, let us consider with our selves; Indeed I have a naturall disposition that carries me strongly to evill, I shall never be able to overcome it, there are such duties to doe, I shall never be able to performe them: In such a case thou must doe it the more earnestly, thou must sigh & groane to the Lord. Elishah when hee comes to doe a thing so much above the course of nature,2 King▪ 4.34.2 Kgs 4:34 as to raise a dead child to life, hee sighed unto the Lord, that is, he prayed earnestly.Iam, 5.15. Eliah, when hee would have Raine, he cryed, he tooke much paines, he prayed. So must thou do in this case: and know this for thy comfort, that though thou thinke thou shalt never be able to doe these things, to overcome such lusts, such hereditary diseases, yet the Lord is able to helpe thee: though these are past naturall helpe, yet they are not past the helpe of grace;Iam. 4.6.Jas 4:6 though the spirit in us lust after envy; yet as the Apostle Iames saith, The Scriptures offer more grace, that is, the Scriptures offer grace and ability to doe more than nature can doe; nature cannot heale a spirit that lusteth after envy; or any other thing; a spirit that lusts after credit, after money, after the sinne of uncleanenesse, or whatsoever is presented: now the Scriptures offer that grace, that will overcome any of these sinnes, be they never so strong, or so old; Christ healed hereditary diseases, he healed those that p. 323were borne lame and blind: so though thou be borne with such lusts, Christ is able to heale thee; you see a Prophet could heale Naaman of his Leprosie, when there was no other that could doe it; so saith Christ; Come unto me all ye, and I will heale you. Math, 11.28.So that you see wee must put up our requests to God.

The third Sermon.

WE have already made some entrance upon the words: I told you what the Apostles scope is in them, which is, to make knowne to all Christians to whom he wrote, another great priviledge, besides that which hee named before: that is, That he that hath the Son, hath life; this (saith he) is another priviledge, that whatsoever you aske, you shall have; onelyonly remember that you have this assurance in him, that is, in Christ Iesus; That point (what it is to be in him, that it may be the ground of all the benefits and priviledges wee injoy) we handled the last day. Now wee come to the priviledge it selfe, If we aske any thing according to his will, hee heareth us. The words are so plain, I shal not need to spend any time in opening of them, but deliver you the point that lyes so evidently before us:Doct. which is this, [That all the prayers of the Saints made upon earth, are assuredly heard in heaven] whatsoever p. 324we aske, (saith hee) according to his will hee heareth us, onelyonly the conditions must be observed. When you heare such a generall as this, it must be limited, there are certaine bounds set to it, which we will name unto you: which are these foure conditions. First, all the prayers that are made upon earth shall be heard in heaven;Cond. if they be the prayers of a righteous man, and are faithfull and fervent. The person must be righteous, that must first be remembred: because, although the prayer be never so good, yet except the person bee accepted from whom it comes, the Lord regards it not: you know in the old Law, the blood of Swine was reckoned an abominable Sacrifice, Esay. 66.3▪Isa 66:3yet if you take the blood of sheepe, and compare them together, you shall find no difference; It may be the Swines blood is the better: then whats the reason the Swines blood is not accepted? even because of the subject of it, it was the blood of Swine, and therefore you see it was put downe, that it was an abominable Sacrifice. So it is with prayer; Take the prayer of a Saint, and the prayer of a wicked man; it may be, if you looke upon the petition, or whatsoever is in the prayer it selfe, you shall finde some time the prayers of a godly man more cold, and lesse fervent: the petitions are not so well framed as the wicked mans: yet because this comes from such a person, the Lord regards it not; you know the condition is mentioned Iames fift: The prayer of the righteous p. 325man availeth much, if it be fervent. Now as this is required in the person, so there is somewhat required in the praier also, that is, that it be fervent and faithfull; that it be fervent, you have it in the same place, The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent; that is, it must be a prayer made from the sence of the misery that is in us, & from the mercy of God, when a man takes a thing to heart, that he prayes for, and comes with confidence to bee heard, for that makes him fervent. This the Lord will have, and also he will have it faithfull: Iames the first, when the Apostle exhorts them to praier, if any man want wisdome (saith he) let him aske it of God. Iames 1, 5.6,Jas 1:5Jas 1:6but then marke, he carefully puts in this condition, see that He pray in faith, that is, beleeve that it shal be done unto him: now this faith includes repentance, for no man can beleeve that he shall be heard, except he make his heart perfect with God: If he allow any sin in himselfe, he cannot beleeve upon any good ground: therfore when I say it must be faithful, that also is included, we must regard no wickednes in our hearts, for in such a case, the Lord heares not, hee heares not sinners. Psal. 66, …8,Ps 66:8So that this you must remember; First,Iohn 9, 31,John 9:31 the person must be righteous, and the prayer must bee fervent and faithfull,

Secondly,2 Cond. the other Condition you shal heare in the Text, it must be according to his will; you must not thinke, whatsoever you aske, if you aske it loosely at Gods hands, that it shall presently p. 326be graunted you: No (saith he) it must be according to his will, if you aske fire from heaven, Luke 9.54.55.Luke 9:54Luke 9:55that is not according to his will, and therefore you see, they that aske it, were denyed it, with this reason, you know not what you aske. Likewise to …it at his right hand, and at his left in heaven, which was another request of the Disciples,Matth. 20, 21.22.Matt 20:21Matt 20:22 he puts them by with this; You understand not what you aske of the Father, and therefore it must be according to his will. And that is the second.

3. Cond.Thirdly, we must aske it in time, in due season: so the promise is true, Knock and it shall be opened to you; but you know the foolish Virgins knockt and it was not opened to thē; what was the reason of it? because they askt when the time was past; for there is a certaine acceptable time when the Lord will be found:2: Cor, 6.2. and when that oportunity is past, he is found no more. It is true, that this life is the time of grace, but God in his secret counsell hath appointed a certaine time to every man, which is the acceptable time, the day of grace; therefore he saith unto them, This day if you will heare: this day if you will come and seeke unto mee, if you will pray unto mee, I will heare you: when it's past, the Lord suffers not the doores to stand open alwayes, his eares are not alwayes open: therefore that condition must be carefully remembered, you must aske in time; It is a condition that should be carefully thought on by us. For, for the most part, we fly to prayer as Ioab did to the Altar, hee went not p. 327to it for devotion (for then he would have done it before) but when hee was in distresse, when hee was in extremity, then hee fled to it, and therefore you know what successe hee had by it, it saved not his life. So we goe not to prayer for devotion, that is, out of love to God, to doe him that service; but (for the most part) wee do it out of selfe love, when we are in extremity or distresse, wee passe the acceptable times he requires, and we goe to him in a time of our owne: For there is Gods time, and there is our owne time; Gods time is to come to him when wee may do him service in our youth, in our strength in the flower of our graces: Our time is to goe to him when we need him: Will not a friend say (when we never come to him, but when we have extreame need of him) why do you come now? you were not wont to visit me before, this is not out of love to me: Even the very same answer the Lord giveth;Iudg. 10.14.Judg 10:14 Goe to your Idols (saith he) those that you served in the time of peace, and see if they can helpe you.

The fourth and last condition is, That wee referre the time, the manner, 4 Cond.the measure of granting our petitions to the Lord. That is, we must not thinke to be our owne carvers, to thinke if it be not granted in such a manner, such a measure, or such a time, presently the Lord hath rejected our petitions; no, he that beleeves makes no haste: That is, he waits upon God,Esay. 28.16▪Isa 28:16 he stayes himselfe upon God, he is content to have it in p. 328that time, in that manner and measure, as best pleaseth the Lord: For the truth is, we know not our selves what is meete for us, we are unto the Lord just as the Patient is to the Physitian. The patient is importunate with him, for such things to refresh and ease him; But the Physitian knowes what best belongs to him, and when to give him such things, in what manner, and in what measure: So the Lord knowes best what to doe: Many times hee doth the same things that we desire, though he doe it not in the same manner: Even as the physitià he quencheth often the thirst with Berberries, or with such kind of conserves; what though it be not with drinke, is it not all one so the thirst be quenched? Is it not all one whether a man bee hindred from striking me, or if I have a helmet to defend the blow? sometimes the Lord keepes not off the enemy; but then he gives us a helmet to keepe off those blowes, to beare those injuries and evills that are done to us: he is a wise physitian, he knowes what manner, what measure, and what time is best, therefore that must be referred to him: now these conditions being observed, you must know that this great priviledge belongs to every Christian, That whatsoever prayers he makes on earth, he is sure to bee heard in heaven, it is a wondrous priviledge, that which wee have all cause to stand amazed at, that the Lord should so farre regard the sonnes of men, to grant them such a Charter as this; no p. 329more but aske and have, and what so ever you pray for, it shall be done to you. But a man is ready to say secretly in his heart when he heares it, This is too good to be true, That whatsoever I aske, I shall have. My Beloved, I confesse, it is a hard thing to beleeve it as wee ought to doe: and therefore before we come to apply this, we will spend a little time in endevouring to convince you of the truth of it, that you may not doubt of it, that what prayers you make to the Lord hee is ready to heare them.

1First, consider that whatsoever prayer you make, he takes notice of it, he observs every petition, there is not one petitiō that you make to him at any time, but he lookes upon it, he sees what the prayer is. And this thing although you thinke it common, (and who is there that know not this?) yet (my beloved) to beleeve this, to thinke that God is present where I make my prayer to him, to thinke he stands and heares it, even as I speake to a man that stands and heares me, and understands what I say to him; This is a great helpe to us. That this is true, see in 4. Eph. 6. Hee is in all, and through all, and over all, That is, the Lord is in every man, hee passeth through every thing, his eyes runne through the earth, and he is over all,2 Chron. 16.9. Psal. 44.…1.2 Chr 16:9Ps 44:1 looking what secrets are in mans heart, what thoughts; yea before hee thinkes them he knowes them, Psal. 139.23.Ps 139:23because hee seeth them in their causes: Hee that is in a man, that lookes in all the secret corners of the heart, hee p. 330must needs see what thoughts he hath, what petitions hee putteth up secretly, even then when his mouth speakes not. And lest that should not be enough, saith hee, He is over all, you know one that stands on high, and lookes over all that is below, hee easily can see whatsoever is done; So the Lord, he is in all, he is through all, he is over al. But this is enough for that; only I would have you remember, that he takes notice of all, he knowes thy prayers.

But you will say; I doubt not of that, I make no question but he heares me,Quest. and understands me well enough: but how shal I know that he is willing to grant the thing I pray for?

Answ.You shall see these 2 Reasons, in the 7. Mat. where our Saviour urgeth this very point, that we have now in hand, from the 7. verse downeward; Aske (saith he) and you shall have; seeke, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; here is the promise▪ For (he backs it with these 2. Reasons) Every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened unto him: As if he should say; ye have this reason for it, why you should beleeve it, that it is no more but aske and have; for (saith he) all that ever asked have obtained; all that ever have sought, have found; all that ever have knocked, it hath beene opened unto them. That is, looke through the whole book of God, & see what prayers ever have beene made to him, and you shall finde, that there is not a prayer mentioned p. 331in all the Scriptures. but it hath beene heard. Now when we have such a cloud of witnesses, it is a strong reason, when it is said to us that there were never any prayed but were heard.

Why, you will say, There were many prayed that were not heard;Quest. Did not David pray for his Childe, and was not heard? Did not Paul pray to be delivered from such a temptation, and was not heard?

Answ.My Beloved, Its true, they were not heard for the particular, but yet I dare be bold to say, that David was heard at that time, though (I say) not in the particular; for though his Childe was taken away, yet you may see the Lord gave him a Childe of the same woman, with much more advantage; he gave him a Childe that was legitimate, which this was not: he gave him a Childe that exceeded for wisedome, Salomon was the Child that he had: So that the Lord did heare him, and gave him this answer, as if he had said to him, David I have heard thee, I know that thou art exceeding importunate; thou shalt not have this, but thou shalt have another Childe which shall be better. And so he saith unto Paul 2 Cor. 12. Christ reveals this unto him; Paul (saith he) though I grant thee not this particular request, in the manner that thou wouldest have me, (To take away the pricke of the flesh which thou art troubled with) thou shalt bee a greater gainer by it, thou hadst better have it than want it; whē p. 332Paul understood that it was a medicine, and not a poyson as hee tooke it to be, hee was content and resolved in it; And a man resolveth not except he be a gainer. He saw that Gods power was manifest in his weakenesse, and hee saw himselfe humbled by it; and when he saw that God gained glory and himselfe humiliation by it, he was content to be denyed in it; So I say, whosoever asketh findeth, you shall never finde any example but that whosoever sought to the Lord as he ought, he was certainely heard, or else he had somewhat that was better granted to him instead of it. And this is the first reason that is used heere.Math. 7.9.10.11.Matt 7:9Matt 7:10Matt 7:11 The second reason is this; What man among you, if his Son aske bread, will give him a stone; or if he aske a fish, will give him a serpent? if you then that are evill, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shal your heavenly Father give good things to them which aske him? (saith hee) you bee not able to perswade your selves of this truth, because you know not the Father, for he dwells in light inaccessable, you are not acquainted with him, saith our Saviour: I will helpe you out with an argument that you better understand; even upon earth (saith he) take but a father here, a father that is ill (but the Lord is full of goodnes; fathers have but a drop, but a sparke of mercy in them, whereas the Lord is full of mercy, as the Lord is ful of light, he is the God of all comfort;) Yet, (saith hee) this father (when his sonne comes to aske him bread) p. 333he is ready to give it him, he is full of cōpassion and tendernes toward him; doe you not thinke that our heavenly Father is as true a father as he, that hee loves you as well as he whose compassion and pitty is much greater? doe you not thinke hee is ready to heare his Children when they call upon him? O this is a strong and unanswerable Reason, and this you see is backed in 16 Ioh. 27. you see there the love of the Father how it is expressed to us; I say not unto you that I will aske the father (saith he) the father himselfe loves you; Marke, as if he should have said, let this be one ground to you to think your petitions shall be granted, and that they are not onelyonly granted for my sake, for (saith hee) the Father himselfe loveth you, and hath a great affection to you, that is in naturall parents, there is a naturall affection to their Children; So if I were not immediatly to present your petitions (though that be not excluded) yet (saith hee) the Father hath such an affection to you, that he cannot choose but heare you; I say not (saith he) that I will aske the father, for the father himselfe loves you. So that this is the second reason which this promise is there backed with, the love of the father, That hee cannot find in his heart to deny us, even for that affection that he beareth to us. Wee will adde a third Reason that wee meet here in the same Chap. 16. Iohn, 23. In that day you shall aske in my name▪ verily, verily, I say unto you, yee shall aske the father in my name, and he will give it you; p. 334It is brought in upon this occasion, when our Saviour Christ was to goe from his Disciples, they were ready to complaine, as we see in the verses before, they were ready to say with themselves, alas, what shall wee doe when our Master shall be tooke from our head? Our Saviour answers them, you shall doe well enough, doubt you not, for though I be not with you; yet (saith he) go to the father in my name, and whatsoever you aske of him, you shall have it: So that hee answers that objection, when a man is ready to say:

Its true, I know that a father is exceeding loving to his Children:Quest. But it may be, my carriage hath not beene such, I am full of infirmities, I have much in me that may turne the love and affection of my Father from me.

Answ.Put the case you have, yet Christ adds this for your comfort; If (saith he) the Father will not doe it for your sake, yet doubt you not, if you aske in my name, he will doe it; doe we not see it usuall among men, That one that is a meere stranger to another, if hee get a letter from a friend, he thinkes to prevaile; and he doth so, because though it bee not done for his sake (it may be hee is a stranger, one that deserved nothing at his hands) yet such a friend may deserve much: And when we goe to God in the name of Christ, this answers all the objections whatsoever you can say against your selves, it is all satis…ied in this: I goe in his name, I am sure he hath p. 335supply, I am sure hee is no stranger, I know hee hath deserved it, &c. Last of all, as he loves us, and because we aske in the name of Christ, is ready to heare us: we will adde this, that he is ready to heare us for his owne sake, hee is a God hearing prayer, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 65, 2.Ps 65:2that al flesh might come to him, even for this cause he heares, that men may be encouraged to come and seeke to him; for if the Lord should not heare, then no flesh would come unto him; that is, men would have no encouragement, no helpe; therefore he saith, he is a God hearing prayer, doubt ye not, hee will doe it for this purpose, that hee might have men to worship him, that men might come and seeke unto him. Besides that, hee shall be glorified, Thou shalt call upon me in the day of trouble, I will heare thee, and thou shalt glorifie mee;Psal, 50▪ 15, now the Lord is desirous of glory; it was the end for which he made the world. But in not hearing our prayer, hee loseth this glory; by hearing our requests, the more wee are heard, the more glory and praise we render unto him. Like wise he doth it for the Spectators sake; Moyses often presenteth that Reason, Lord doe it, What will the Heathen say? Exod, 32.12.13.and lest thy name be polluted among them, they will say thou hast brought out a people, and wast not able to deliver them. So David often, there are many instances in that; I say, for the lookers on sake he is ready to doe it. All this is enough to perswade our hearts, that hee is ready to heare us, that when prayers are made p. 336to him on earth, (So the conditions be observed) they are surely heard in heaven.

Vse. 1.Now to apply this: First, if the Lord bee so ready to heare, then this should teach us to bee more fervent in this duty of prayer than commonly we are; for to what end are such promises as this, but to encourage us to do our duties? when wee heare that prayer is of so much efficacy, that it prevailes with the Lord for any thing, shall we suffer it to lye by (as it were) and not make use of it? If a drug, or a pretious balme were commended to us, and it were told us, that if wee made use of it, it would heale any wound, it will heale any sickenes, and this and this vertue it hath: Will a wise man suffer it to lye by him, will he not use it, and see what vertue it hath? And when it is said unto us, that praier is thus prevalent with the Lord, that it is thus potent, that it is thus able to prevaile with him for any thing, shall wee not make use of it, when we are in any distresse, when wee need any thing: when we have any disease, either of soule or body to heale? Let us flye to this refuge that himselfe hath appointed. If a King of the earth should say to a man, I will be ready to doe thee a good turne, make use of me when thou hast occasion; he would be ready enough to do it. Now when the Lord of heaven saith, aske what you will at my hands, and I will doe it; shall we not seeke to him, and make use of such a promise as this? Beloved we are too backward in this; we p. 337should be more aboundant in this duty than we are, we should make more account of it. For whatsoever the case be, if you doe but seeke to the Lord, if thou doest but set downe thy resolution with thy selfe: Well, I see it is a thing (if I looke upon the creature and the meanes) I have little hope of, but the Lord is able to doe it; and therefore I will goe to him, I will weary him, and I will not give him over, I will not give him nor my selfe any rest, till I have obtained it: I say it is impossible thou shouldest faile in such a case. OnelyOnly remember to be importunate, for an importunate suiter hee cannot deny. You know the parable of the unjust Iudge. Luk. 18, 2, 3, 4. Luk. 11.7.Luke 18:2Luke 18:3Luke 18:4Luke 11:7You know also the parable of the man that is in bed with his children; when the widdow was importunate, when she knockt and would give him no rest, he gives her redresse; the other riseth and giveth his friend as many loves as he will, saith the Text; yea though she were not his friend, (for this is the meaning of it:) If, saith he, the Lord had not much love to you, if hee had not such an affection, if you did not come to him in the name of Christ whom hee loves, in whom he is ready to grant whatsoever you aske, if hee were not a friend to you; yet for your very importunity, he is ready to do it. As the unjust Iudge (for that is the scope of the parable) hee had no minde to grant the widdowes request, hee had no Iustice in him to move him, he had no mercy nor compassion, yet for very importunity he graunted it. p. 338Remember and observe the condition, for this is commonly a fault among us; when we goe to prayer, we thinke that the very putting up of the prayer will doe it. No, there is more required than so. As it is the error of the Country people, when they heare say, that such an herbe is good for such a disease, they are ready to thinke, that (howsoever it be tooke or applyed) it will heale the disease; No, it must be applyed in such a manner, it must bee used in such a fashion. So it is with prayer, you must not onelyonly doe the duty (and therefore when wee exhort you to it, not onelyonly to call upon God, for men are ready enough to doe that, especially in the time of distresse,) but with these conditions I have named.2 King. 4, 29.312 Kgs 4:292 Kgs 4:31 You know Gehazi when hee had got the staffe of Elisha, hee went to the Child, but it was not the staffe that could raise the child from death to life, there was something more required. So in prayer, it is not meere prayer that will doe it, there is something else, there must be other conditions that must bee observed. For wee are wont to doe with it, as those Conjurers were wont to doe with the name of Iesus; they thought if they used the name of Iesus, it was enough: but yee know what answer the Spirit gives them, Iesus we know, and Paul we know, Act. 19, 15.Acts 19:15but who are yee? So I say, we are wont to doe in this case, we thinke it is enough to make our request, and that is all. No, there is somewhat more required, you must make your request p. 339in such a manner as ye ought. Then I adde this further, that when thou makest them in such a manner, yet thou must not thinke to be heard for thy praiers sake: that is another thing we are apt to faile in. When wee have made fervent prayers, and have beene importunate with the Lord, wee thinke now surely we shall not faile. No, you must know this, the promise is not made to the prayer, but to the person praying. You shall not finde throughout the whole scripture, that any promise is made thus, because wee pray fervently wee shall be heard: but it is made to the person praying, the prayer is but the instrument, but the meanes by which the blessing is conveyed to us, is a meanes without which the Lord will not doe it, for the promise is made to the party. A cold prayer (so there be no neglect in it, so a man seeke the Lord, and pray as well as hee can,) it will prevaile sometimes as well as a fervent prayer: Who indites the petition, who makes the prayer fervent? Surely not thy selfe, but the Holy Ghost: he makes request in us, Rom. 8, 26.27.Rom 8:26Rom 8:27sometimes hee makes thee more fervent, hee enlargeth the heart more: sometimes againe the heart is more straitned in the performance of this duty: but both may come from the same Spirit. Not but that wee have cause of much comfort, when wee are able to pray fervently, for this is a ground of our comfort, that when we pray fervently, it is an argument that the Holy Ghost dwels in our hearts, and p. 340that our prayers are dictated by him; it is an argument, that our prayers come from a holy fire within. And therefore fervent prayer may give us hope of being heard, but yet it is not meerely the prayer, but because it is an evidence that it comes from a right principle, that it comes from the regenerate part, and is made by the assistance of the Holy Ghost it is not the very fervency that prevailes. And therefore when you heare this, that the Lord is ready to heare, I say make that use of it, bee fervent in this duty, remember the conditions: and yet withall know, that you are not heard for the very prayers sake, but for Iesus Christ his sake. He makes every praier acceptable, hee mingles them with his sweete odours.

Obiect.And if you object, O but I am a man full of infirmities.

AnswYou know how it is answered in the Fift of Iames, (saith he) Eliah when hee was heard, he was a man, Iam. 5.17.Jas 5:17and a man subject to passions, & to the like passions that wee are: As if he should say, do not thinke that Eliah was therefore heard, because hee was an extraordinary Prophet, for it was because the Lord had made a promise to him, and hee comes and urges that promise to the Lord, and therefore the Lord heard him. So (saith hee) should every one of you, if you have the promise, you may goe and urge it, as wel as Eliah did: though you be subject to many infirmities, Eliah was even so. You know there p. 331are infirmities and passions expressed in the Scriptures that he was subject to. And this is the first use we are to make of it, to be frequent and fervent in this duty, since wee have such a promise.

Secondly, if wee have such a promise, then wee should learne hence (when we have put up our prayers at any time) to make more account of them than we doe: for the truth is,Vse. 2. that we pray for the most part for fashion sake, many a man saith thus with himselfe: I will seeke the Lord, if it doe me no good, it will doe no hurt; but if wee made that account of our prayers as we should, we would performe this duty in another manner; but we doe not make that account of them as wee ought. Wee thinke not with our selves that the prayers that wee make are surely heard▪ ther be many evidences of it; what is the reason, that when wee seeke the Lord, we doe it so remisly that wee have scarce leasure to make an end of our prayers: we are so ready to hasten and goe about other businesse, wee are ready to turne every stone, to use all meanes to seeke the creatures with all diligence: but who prayes to the Lord as he ought, to worke his heart to such a fervent performance of that duty as hee should? men have scarcely leasure, for it is usuall with them when they have businesse to doe, and enterprises to bring to passe, they are exceeding diligent to use all meanes; and yet are remisse in the chiefe: what is the reason els, that p. 342wee see the doores of Princes and great men so full of suiters, though there bee porters set on purpose to drive them away; but the gates of heaven are so empty? It is indeed because wee doe not beleeve our prayers are heard, wee do but make our prayers for fashion. What is the reason likewise, that we use prayer in the time of distresse (if it will be an effectuall meanes to helpe us, when all other meanes faile,) why use we it not before? But that is an argument that wee trust not to it, seeing we use it, onelyonly in the time of extremity: for if it be not effectuall, why do we use it then? If it be effectuall, why do not wee use it till that accident? Therefore this use wee must further make, when wee heare that the Lord heares our prayers, to make more account of them than wee do, to thinke that our prayers when they are put up to the Lord shal be heard. Say thus with thy selfe, Well, now I have prayed, and I expect that the thing should be granted that I have prayer for, when I seeke to the Lord. It's true, I deny not but wee must use the meanes too, wee must lay the hands upon the plough, and yet pray; both ought to be done, as sometimes we use two friends, but we trust one; wee use two Physitians, but we put confidence in one of them: In like manner wee must both pray and use the meanes, but so as wee put our chiefe trust in prayer, it is not meanes that will doe it. But the truth is, wee doe the quite contrary: It may be, we pray and use the meanes, p. 334but wee trust the meanes, and not the prayer: that is a common and a great fault among us, it is a peece of Atheisme, for men to thinke the Lord regards their prayers, no more than hee regards the bleating of sheepe or the lowing of oxen, to thinke he heeds them not. And its a great part of faith to thinke that the Lord harkens to them and regards them, as certainely he doth.

Object.But you will say, I have prayed, and am not heard, and have sought to the Lord, and have found no answer.

Answ.Well, it may be thou hast not for the present, but hast thou stayed the Lords leasure? (for that is to be considered in this case,) sometimes the Lord comes quickly, he gives a quick answer to our requests; somtimes he staies longer: But this is our comfort, that when the returne is longer, the gaine is the greater: …s we see in trades, some trades have their returne very quicke, it may be the tradesmens money is returned every weeke, but then their gaine is so much the lighter; but when their returne is flower, as is your great merchants, when it stayes three or foure yeares, wee see the ships come home laden, bringing so much the more: So (for the most part) when our prayers do stay long, they returne with the greater blessings, they returne loaden with rich cōmodities. Let this be an encouragement to us Though I stay, the Lord will grant it; and thinke not with thy selfe, I made such a prayer long p. 344agoe, I found no fruit of it; for be sure, the Lord remembreth thy prayer, though thou hast forgotten it, the prayers that thou madest a good many yeares agoe, may doe thee good many yeares hence. May not a man pray to have his Child sanctified, to have him brought to better order? It may be hee lives many yeares, and sees no such thing, yet in the end, the prayer may be effectuall: So likewise it may be in many cases, you see there are many examples for it: Abraham prayed, he stayed long; but you see it was a great blessing that he had, when he prayed for a Sonne, you know what a Sonne hee was, he was a Sonne of the promise, in whom all the nations of the earth were blessed. So David when the Lord promised him a kingdome, hee staied long for it: Many such examples there are. Therefore comfort thy selfe with this: though I stay long, this is my hope, this is my encouragement, that sustaines me, If I seeke the Lord, and waite upon him, Hee will come with a great blessing, the gaine shall bee heavier and greater, though the returne be not so quicke and sudden.

Vse 3.Last of all, when you heare such a promise as this, That whatsoever you aske you shall bee heard in it; you shall hence learne, to spend some time in the meditation of this great priviledge that the Saints have, and none but they; This I propound to every mans consideration; that those that are not Christians, that is, those that are not regenerate, may know what they p. 345lose by it; and those that are, may understand the happines of their condition, that they may learne to magnify it, and to blesse themselves in that condition, that they have such a great priviledge as this: It is no more but aske and have, therefore that which in the third place I exhort you to, is this, namely to spend time in the meditation of it, to consider what a great advantage it is; David cannot satisfie himselfe enough in it: In 18. and 116. Psalmes; Lord I love thee dearely: hee cannot prayse enough, and why? I sought to thee in distresse, & thou heardest me; I called upon thee, and thou inclinedst thine eare to my praier. I say, consider this mercy as you ought to doe, it is part of the thankes we owe to the Lord for so an exceeding priviledge, That whatsoever our case bee, it is no more, but put up our requests, and wee shall bee heard. When there was a speech among some holy men (as you know that man that was named in the story;) what was the best trade, he answered, Beggerie; It is the hardest, and it is the richest trade. Now he understands it not, of common beggery (for this is the poorest and easiest trade, that condition he puts in) but (saith hee) I understand it of a prayer to God, that kind of beggery I meane; which as it is the hardest, nothing more hard than to pray to God as wee ought, so withall there is this comfort in it, it is the richest trade of all others; there is no way to inrich our selves so much, with all the promises that belong either p. 346to this life, or to that which is to come: Even as you see among men, a Courtier, a Favorite in the Court, get… more by one suite, (it may be,) than a Tradesman, or Merchant, or husband man gets with twenty yeares labour, though he takes much paines; for one request may bring more profit, may make a Courtier richer than so many yeares labour and paines: So in like case a faithfull prayer, put up to God, may more prevaile with him, wee may obtaine more at his hands by it, than by many yeares labour, or using many meanes; and therefore it is a rich trade, and great priviledge, a priviledge that we cannot thinke enough of, that wee cannot esteeme enough. You have heard of a noble man in this Kingdome, that had a Ring given him by the Queene, with this promise: that if he sent that Ring to her, at any time when he was in distres, she would remember him and deliver him; This was a great priviledge from a Prince, and yet you see, what that was subject unto; he might be in such a distresse, when neither King not Queene could be able to helpe him; or though they were able, (as shee was in that case) yet it might be sent, & not delivered: Now then consider what the Lord doth to us. Hee hath given us this priviledge, he hath given us prayer, as it were this Ring, he hath given us that to use, and tells us whatsoever our case is, whatsoever wee are, whatsoever we stand in need of, whatsoever distresse wee are in, doe but send this up to me, p. 347(saith hee) do but deliver that message up to me of prayer, and I will bee sure to relieve you. Now certainely what case soever wee are in, when we send up this, it is sure to be conveyed, whersoever we are: Againe, whatsoever our case is, we send it to one that is able to helpe us, which a Prince many times is not able to doe. This benefit we have by prayer: That whatsoever we aske at the Lord… hands, wee shall have it. Now consider this great advantage which you have; It is expressed 4 Phil. in these words, Be in nothing carefull (saith the Apostle:) And that you may see wee have ground for this generality, In nothing bee carefull, but in all things make your requests knowne unto God. That is, whatsoever your case bee, I make no exception at all, but whatsoever you stand in neede of, whether it concernes your soules or your bodies, your name or your estate; yet be in nothing carefull. This is a great matter: There is none amongst you that heares me now, but sometime or other hee is carefull of something or other, for which he is solicitous: Now when a man hears such a voyce from heaven, that the Lord himselfe saith to us, Bee carefull for nothing, doe no more but make your request knowne, it is well enough, I will surely heare in heaven, and grant it; It is a great comfort. Beloved, comfort your selves with these words, and thinke this with your selves, that this is that Charter, & great Grant that the Lord hath given you, and to none but you, that p. 348what prayers you make to him, hee heareth you.

Quest.But it will be objected, why is this said so generally? That wee must in nothing be carefull, but in all things make our request knowns? For then if a man were but a poore man, it is but going to the Lord, and asking riches, and hee shall have them; If a man were sicke of an incurable disease, it were no more but going to the Lord, and hee should be sure to be recovered; If a man hath an enterprise to bring to passe, it is no more but goe to him, and it shall be done: what is the reason then, that godly and holy men have not these things granted to them?

Answ.To this I answer, you must understand it with this condition, even as it is with a Father (I will prove it to you by that,) suppose he should say to his sonne, I will deny thee nothing, whatsoever I have, I will deny thee nothing but thou shalt have part in it; Though he say no more, yet we understand it with these conditions.

1First, that if his Childe shal aske him for that, that is not good for him, or if the child should refuse to have that done, or pray his Father and say, I beseech you doe it not, when the Father knowes it is good: here the Father is not bound hee thinkes: as for example, if a Father sees his childe needes Physick, it may be, the child finds it bitter, and therefore is exceeding loath to take it, it makes him sicke, and is irkesome unto him, so that hee earnestly desires his Father that hee p. 349may be excused, that he might be freed from it; In this Case, the father will not heare him, for hee knowes the Child is but mistaken. On the other side; if the Child aske something that is very hurtfull, if he aske for wine in a feaver, the Father denyes it him; No, (saith hee) you are mistaken, I know your desire is that you might have health and recover, and this I know will hurt you, though you know it not; This the Father understands, and therefore he puts in that condition. So when the Lord saith, In nothing be carefull, but in all things make your requests knowne: If you mistake the matter at any time, and your prayer shall not bee the dictate of the Spirit, (so that yee alway make request according to his will) but the dictate of your owne hearts, and shall bee the expression of your naturall Spirit, and not the Lords Spirit: In this case there is no promise of being heard, and yet the Lord makes his Word good, Be in nothing carefull, but in all things make your requests knowne.

2Secondly, a Father when he saith to his Child, I will deny you nothing, but you shall have part in all that I have, yet the Child may carry himselfe so, that the Father, upon such an occasion may deny him, and bee ready to say unto him; Well, if you had followed your Booke, if you had not runne into such disorders, if you had not bin negligent to doe what I gave you in charge, I would have done it: In this case, the p. 350Father withholds the blessing that hee will bestow upon his Child; not because he is unwilling to bestow it, but because he would thus nurture his Child, he useth it as a meanes to bring him to order:Numb. 20.21. Psal. 106.32, 33.Num 20:21Ps 106:32Ps 106:33 So the Lord saith to Moyses, That because he had spoken unadvisedly, because he had not honoured him before the people, at those waters, the waters of strife, therefore the Lord tels him by the Prophet, he should not goe into the good land:2 Sam. 12.142 Sam 12:14 And so he tels David, that because he had sinned against him, hee would not give him the life of the Child: So the Lord saith to us sometimes; I will not grant you this request; for though I bee willing to grant it, yet this is one part of the discipline and nurture that I use to my Children, That such a particular request, I will deny you for such an offence; as worshipping of Idols, &c. Beloved this is not a generall denyall, & this is not for our disadvantage, but it is a helpe to us, it makes us better, that sometime we should be denyed: knowing hereby that it is denied to us for our sinne, that we may learne to come to the Lord, and renew our repentance, and to take that away, that we may come to prevaile in our prayers with him.

3Thirdly, when a Father is willing to grant it, yet hee will thus say to his Child, Though I be willing to doe what you aske at my hands, yet I will not have you aske it rudely, I will have you aske it in a good manner, and a good Fashion. (For when wee come to call upon God, p. 351& come in an unreverent manner, in such a case the Lord heares not.) Or againe, hee will say to his child; I am ready to heare you, but you must not aske in a negligent manner, as if you cared not whether you had it or no: So the Lord saith to us; I wil have you to pray fervently, you shall aske it, as that which you prize. Againe he will say to his child: I am willing to bestow this upon you, but I do not give you this mony, to spend it amisse, to play it away, to spend it in trifles, and geugawes, that will do you no good: So saith the Lord, I am willing to give you riches, but not to bestow upon your lusts. Iam. 4.3.Jas 4:3Thus speakes the father to his child, when hee comes to aske, hee tels him hee must come in such a manner as becomes a child, hee must speake to him as to a Father, he must sp…ke with confidence to receive it: So also the Lord tels us,Iam. 1.6.Jas 1:6 wee must come in faith; So that (in a word) this is to be remembred; That though the Lord promise, that hee will give whatsoever we aske, and bids us, In nothing be carefull, but make our requests knowne; yet notwithstanding this, hee would have us to understand that our requests be made in such a manner as they ought to bee. Last of all, it may be the Father is willing to doe it; but hee makes a little pause, hee will not give it presently, and suddenly to his child, though he purpose to bestow it upon him, that he may come by it with difficulty; So the Lord useth to with-hold his blessings many times, that his duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page p. 1duplicate page p. 2duplicate page p. 3duplicate page p. 4duplicate page p. 5duplicate page p. 6duplicate page p. 7duplicate page p. 8duplicate page p. 9duplicate page p. 10duplicate page p. 11duplicate page p. 12duplicate page p. 13duplicate page p. 14duplicate page p. 15duplicate page p. 180duplicate page p. 181duplicate page p. 182duplicate page p. 183duplicate page duplicate page p. 185duplicate page p. 186duplicate page p. 187duplicate page p. 188duplicate page p. 189duplicate page p. 190duplicate page p. 191duplicate page p. 192duplicate page p. 163duplicate page p. 194duplicate page p. 195duplicate page p. 196duplicate page p. 197duplicate page p. 198duplicate page p. 199duplicate page p. 200duplicate page p. 201duplicate page p. 202duplicate page p. 203duplicate page p. 204duplicate page p. 205duplicate page p. 206duplicate page p. 207duplicate page p. 208duplicate page p. 209duplicate page p. 210duplicate page p. 211duplicate page p. 212duplicate page p. 213duplicate page p. 214duplicate page p. 215duplicate page p. 216duplicate page p. 217duplicate page p. 218duplicate page p. 219duplicate page p. 220duplicate page p. 221duplicate page p. 260duplicate page p. 261duplicate page p. 262duplicate page p. 263duplicate page p. 264duplicate page p. 265duplicate page p. 266duplicate page p. 267duplicate page p. 268duplicate page p. 269duplicate page p. 270duplicate page p. 271duplicate page p. 272duplicate page p. 273duplicate page p. 274duplicate page p. 275duplicate page p. 276duplicate page p. 277duplicate page p. 278duplicate page p. 279duplicate page p. 280duplicate page p. 281duplicate page p. 282duplicate page p. 283duplicate page p. 284duplicate page p. 285duplicate page

End of the text · John Preston, Four Godly and Learned Treatises (1633)