Beams of Divine Light, Sermon 10 – Title page 11

Beams of Divine Light · Sermon 10 – Title page 11

p. 129DAVIDS CONCLVSION: OR, The Saints Resolution.

Psalme 73.28.

But it is good for mee to draw neare to God.

THis Psalm is a Psalm of Asaph, or a Psalm of David, and committed to Asaph the Singer: for Asaph was hoth a Seer, and a Singer. Those Psalmes that David made, were committed to Asaph, so it is thought to be a Psalm of David; and if not of David, yet of Asaph, that likewise was a Singer in the house of God.

The Psalm represents to us a man in a spirituall conflict; by a discovery of the cause p. 130of it,The contents of t…e Psalme. and a recovery out of the conflict, with a triumphant conclusion afterwards.

11A co…flict.He begins abruptly, as a man newly come out of a conflict, Truly God is good to Israel: as if hee had gained this truth in conflicting with his corruptions, (and Sathan who joynes with corruption in opposing:) say the flesh what it can, say Sathan what he can, say carnall men what they can; yet God is good to Israel.

22A discovery.After his conflict he sets downe the discovery, first of his weaknesse, and then of his doubting of Gods providence, and then the cause of it, the prosperity of the wicked; and Gods contrary dealing with the godly: then he discovers the danger he was come to,Verse 13. v. 13. verily I have clensed my heart in vaine, and washed my hands in innocency, &c.

And then the recovery in verse 17. I went into the Sanctuary, 33The recovery.and there I understood the end of these men. The recovery was by going into the Sanctuary;Verse 17. not by looking upon the present condition: but upon Gods intention, what should become of such men, and there he had satisfaction.

44The Victory.Then his victory, and triumph over all, verse 23. Neverthelesse I am continually with thee. Verse 23.It was a suggestion of the flesh that thou wast gone farre from mee: by reason of the condition of carnall men that flourish in the eye of the world. No; Thou art continually with me, and thou holdest me by my right hand; thou upholdest mee I should fall else. But what p. 131would God do so for the time to come? he will guide me by his counsell, while I live here, and when I am dead, what will he do fot me after? hee will receive mee to glory: whereupon saith hee, who have I in heaven but thee? and there is none in earth that I desire besides thee. Therfore, though for the present my flesh faile; yea and my heart faile; yet God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Wee see here his victory set downe, and hee gives a lustre to it, by Gods contrary dealing with the wicked: for loe, they that are far from thee, shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go awhoring from thee. Now in the words of the text, you have his Conclusion upon all this, neverthelesse, it is good for mee to draw neere to God.

This is the Conclusion upon the former principles;The scope of the words. this is as it were the judgement upon the former demurrs; the sum of all comes to this: let all things be weighed, and laid together, I am sure this is true: It is good for me to draw neere to God. So he ends where he began, God is good to Israel; therfore because God is so good to Israel, It is good to draw neere to God. So you see in what order the words come; they are the words of a man got out of a conflict, after he had entred into the Sanctuary, and after he had considered the end of wicked men, at whose prosperity hee was troubled, and took scandall.

Before I come to the words, it is not p. 132amisse, briefly to touch these points, to make way to that I am to deliver.

First of all that,

Gods children exercised with conflicts.Gods dearest children are exercised with sharp spirituall conflicts.

God suffers their very faith in principles sometimes to be shaken. What is more cleare than Gods providence? not the noone day: yet God suffers sometimes his owne children to be exercised with conflicts in this kind, to doubt of principles written in the book of God (as it were) with a Sun-beame; that have a lustre in themselves. There is nothing more cleare, than that God hath a particular speciall providence over his; yet Gods wayes are so unsearchable, and deep, that hee doth spiritually exercise his children; hee suffers them to bee exercised, as you see here, hee comes out of a conflict: but it is good for mee to draw neere to God. I will but touch it, therefore I will extend it only to Gods people, that (if by reason of the remainders of corruption, God suffer their rebellious hearts to cast myre, and dirt, to cast in objections that are odious to the spirituall man, that part that is good) they may not be cast down too much, and dejected. It is no otherwise with them, than it hath beene with Gods deare children; as we see in Ieremie, Habakuk, and others. It is a cleare truth; I only poynt at it, that we might have it ready, to comfort our selves when such things rise in our soules; p. 133it is no otherwise with us, than it hath beene with other of Gods deare children.

The second poynt is, that, Gods children when they are in this conflict they recover themselves.Gods children recover … of conflict.

God suffers them to be foiled; but then they recover themselves. First there is a conflict, and then oft times the foyle: a man is foyled by the worst part in him: and then after awhile he recovers, and then (as in other conflicts) there is triumph, and victory: as we see here, his conflict, and recovery.

For Gods children go not farre off from him,Reas. Gods children go not far from him. (as it is in verse 27. Loe, they that are far off from thee, shall perish) they may have their thoughts unsetled a little concerning Gods providence:Verse 27. but they run not far off, they go not awhoring as carnal men do. They begin to …lip; but God hath a blessed hand under them, to recover them, that they do not fall away, that they fall not foulely. They may slip, and fall a little to stand better, and surer after; but they go not farre off, as wicked men do: they never slip so low, but Gods goodnesse is lower to hold them up: hee hath one hand under them, and another hand above them, imbracing them, so that they cannot fall dangerously. This is the second, from this that wee see here, he recovers out of this conflict.

Which may serve to discerne our estate in grace;Vse. To discerne our estate. if we belong to God, though such noysome imaginations rise, yet notwithstanding p. 134there is a contrary principle of grace alway in Gods children that checks them, at the least afterwards, if not presently. Such noysome thoughts as these rule, and reigne in carnall men: for they take scandall at Gods government, and they judge indeed that the wayes of wicked men are happy: they have false principles, and they frame their course of life to such false principles, and rules: from cherishing athiesticall doubts of Gods providence, and the like. It is farre otherwise with Gods children: there are conflicts in them; but there is a recovery, they check them presently; they have Gods spirit, and the seed of grace in them, that is never extinct.

The way to recover out of conflict to enter into Gods Sanctuary.The way of recovery, is to enter into Gods Sanctuary: for wee must not give liberty to our selves to languish in such a course; to look to present things too much: but look into Gods book, and there wee shall see what is threatned to such, and such ill courses; and what promises are made to good courses: and then apply Gods truth to the example; see how God hath met with wicked men in their ruffe, and advanced his children when they were at the lowest; when they were even at the brink of despaire. Examples in this kind are pregnant, and cleare, throughout the Scripture. The Lord saith, It shall go well with the righteous, and it shall not go well with the wicked, Let him escape a thousand times. p. 135Doubtlesse there is a reward for the godly. Let us look in the book of God,Benefit of entring the Sanctuary. upon the predictions, and see the verefying of those predictions in the examples that act the rules, and bring them to the view: let us see the truthes in the examples. This entring into Gods Sancturary it is the way to free us from dangerous scandalls, and to overcome dangerous conflicts: for the conclusions of the Sanctuary are cleane contrary to sensible carnall reason. Carnall reason faith,Different conclusions of Gods word, and carnall reason. such a one is a happy man, sure he is in great favour, God loves him: oh but the Sanctuary saith, it shall never go well with such a mam. Carnall reason would say of Dives, oh, a happy man: but the Sanctuary saith, he had his good here, and Lazarus had his ill here. Carnall reason saith, is there any providence that rules in the earth? is there a God in heaven, that suffers these things to go so confusedly? I, but the word of God, the Sanctuary saith, there is a providence that rules all things sweetly, and that all things are beautifull in their time.

We must not look upon things in their confusion, but knit things,To look to the end of Gods providence. Mark the end, mark the end of the righteous man, Psalme 37. Look upon Ioseph in prison,Psal. 37.Ps 37 here is a horrible scandall: for where was Gods providence to watch over a poore young man: but see him after, the second man in the Kingdome. Look on Lazarus at the rich mans doore, and there is scandall: but see him after in Abrahams bosom. If p. 136wee see Christ arraigned before Pilate, and crucified on the Crosse; here is a scandall; that innocencie it selfe should be wronged: but stay awhile; see him at the right hand of God, ruling principalities and powers, subjecting all things under his feet.

Thus the Sanctuary teacheth us to knit one thing to another, and not brokenly to look upon things present, according to the dreams of mens devices; but to look upon the catastrophe, & winding up of the tragedy. Not to look on the present conflict, but to go to the Sanctuary, and see the end of all; see how God directs all things to a sweet end. All the wayes of God (to his children) are mercy, and truth; though they seeme never so full of anger, and displeasure. Thus you see, Gods children are in conflict oft times, and sometimes they are foyled in the conflict; yet by way of recovery, they go into the Sanctuary, and there they have spirituall eye salve; they have another manner of judgement of things, than flesh and blood hath.

The sight of faith …rawes us neere to God.Againe, we see, when he went into the Sanctuary, the very sight of faith makes him draw near to God. Somtimes God represents heavenly truths to the eye of sense, in the examples of his justice. Wee see sometimes wicked men brought on the stage: God blesseth such a sight of faith, and such examples to bring his children nearer to him: as we see immediatly before the text, thou wilt destroy p. 137all that go awhoring from thee, and then it followes, It is good for mee to draw neare to God. So that the spirit of God in us, and our spirits sanctified by the spirit, takes advantage when wee enter into the Sanctuary (and sees the divers ends of good, and bad) to draw us close to God.

Indeed that is one reason why God suffers different conditions of men to bee in the world (not so much to shew his justice to the wicked,Why God suffers different conditions of men. as) that his children seeing of his justice, and his mercy, and the manifestation, and discovery of his providence in ordering his justice towards wicked men, it may make them cleave to his mercy more, & give a lustre to his merciemercy. It is good for me to cleave to the Lord: I see what will become of all others.

The next that followes upon this;Gods children have a contrary course to the world. that Gods children thus conflicting, and going into the Sanctuary, and seeing the end of all there. They goe a contrary course to the World. Similie.They swim against the streame. As we say of the starrs, and Plannets, they have a motion of their owne, contrary to that rapt motion, whereby they are carried, and whirled about, in foure and twenty houres, from East to West; they have a creeping motion, and period of their owne; as the Moone hath a motion of her owne, backward from West to East that makes every monethmonth; and the Sunne hath a …everall motion from the rapt motion hee is caried p. 138with, that he goes about in a yeare. So Gods children they live, and converse, and are carried with the same motion as the world is: they live among men, and converse as men doe: but notwithstanding they have a contrary motion of their owne, which they are directed, and carried to by the Spirit of God: as here the holy Prophet saith; It is good for mee to draw neare to God. As if he should say, for other men, be they great or small, be they of what condition they will, let them take what course they will, and let them see how they can justifie their course, and take what benefit they can; let them reape as they sow; I doe not matter much what course they take, I will looke to my selfe; as for me I am sure this is my best course, to draw neare to God.

A Christians rule of life not from the world.So the sanctified spirit of a holy man; hee looks not to the stream of the times, what be the currents, and opinions, and courses of rising to preferment, of getting riches, or attaining to an imaginary present happinesse here: but hee hath other thoughts, hee hath another judgement of things, and therefore goes contrary to the worlds course. Heare Saint Paul, Phillip 3. saith he there,Phil. 3.Phil 3 All men seek their owne, I cannot speak of it without weeping: whose end is damnation, whose belly is their God, who mind earthly things. But what doth Saint Paul, when other men seek their owne, and are carried after private ends? oh saith p. 139he, our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour; who shall change our vile bodies, and make them like his glorious body; according to his mighty power, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe. So you see the blessed Apostle, (led with the same spirit as the man of God here) he considers not what men do, he fetcheth not the rules of his life from the example of the great ones of the world, or from multitude: these are false, deceiving rules: but he fetcheth the rule of his life from the experimentall goodnesse he had found by a contrary course to the world. Let the world take what course they will, it is good for me to draw neare to God.

I might adde a little further,Corrupt courses of the world settle Gods children. that The course, and corrupt principles of the world, are so far from shaking a child of God, that they settle him. They stir up his zeale the more. As we say; there is an antiperistasis, an increasing of contraries by contraries; as we see in winter the body is warmer, by reason that the heat is kept in; & springs are warmer in winter, because the heat is kept in. So the spirit of God in the hearts of his children, works, & boyles when it is invironed with contraries; it gathers strength, and breaks out with more zeale, as David, Psal. 119.Psalme 119.Ps 119 when he see men did not keep Gods law; we see how he complaines to God, It is time Lord for thee to work. Indeed it is the nature of opposition to increase the contrary: those that have the spirit, and grace of God in truth, they gather strength by opposition.

p. 140Therefore the use we are to make of it,Vse. is to discerne of our selves, of what spirit wee are,Of tr…all. what principles we lead our lives by, whether by examples of greatnesse, or multitude, or such like, it is an argument wee are led by the spirit of the world, and not by the spirit of God. Gods children as they are severed from the world in condition (they are men of another world) so they are severed from the world in disposition, in their course, and conversation: therefore from these grounds their course is contrary to the world. But, it is good for me; (But) is not in the originall, it is, And it is good for me; but the other is aimed at: the sense is, But it is good for me to draw neere to God, and so it is in the last translation. Thus you see what way we have made to the words. I do but touch these things, and it was necessary to say something of them: because the words are a triumphant Conclusion upon the former premises.

Doct.And in the words, in generall, observe this first of all,Wisdome justified of her children. that, God by his spirit inableth his children to justifie wisdome by their owne experience.

To make it good by their owne experience, It is good for me to draw neere to God. And this is one reason why God suffers them to be shaken, and then in conflict to recover, that after recovery they may justifie the truth nihil tam certum, &c. nothing is so certaine as that that is certaine after doubting, nothing is so fixed p. 141as that that is fixed after it hath been shaken; as the trees have the strongest roots, because they are most shaken with winds, and tempests. Now God suffers the understanding,Gods c…ild…en shaken, why? that is, the inward man, of the best men to bee shaken, and after settles them; that so they may even from experience justifie all truths: that they may say it is naught, it is a bitter thing to sinne: Sathan hath abused mee, and my owne lust abused me, and intised mee away from God: but I see no such good thing in sinne,Similie. as nature perswaded me before. As travellers will tell men, you live poorely here; in such a country you may do wondrous well, there you shall have plenty, and respect; and when they come there, and are pinched with hunger, and disrespect, they come home with shame enough to themselves that they were so beguiled. So it is with Gods children: sometimes he suffers them to bee foyled, and lets them have the reines of their lusts awhile, to taste a little of the forbidden tree; that after they may say with experience, it is a bitter thing to forsake God, it is better go to my former husband, as the Church saith in Hosea, when God took her in hand a little, sinne will be bitter at the last. So the prodigall, he was suffered to range, till he was whipped awhile; and then he could confesse it was better to bee in his fathers house. God suffers his children to fall into some course of sinne, that afterward by experience they may justifie good p. 142things, and be able to say that God is good.

And the judgement of such is more firme, and doth more good than those that have beene kept from sincking at all. God in his wise providence suffers this.

Vse.We should labour therefore to justifie in our owne experience all that is good. What is the reason that men are ashamed of good courses so soon? It may be they are perswaded a little to pray, and to sanctifie the Lords day, to retire themselves from vanity, and such like: I, but if their judgements be not setled out of the book of God, and if they have not some experience, they will not maintaine this, therefore they are driven off. Now a Christian should be able to justifie against all gainsayers whatsoever can bee said, by his owne experience; That to read the book of God, and to heare holy truths opened by men led with the spirit of God, it is a good thing▪ I find Gods spirit sanctifie me by it. To sanctifie the Lords day, I find good by it by experience. That where there is the communion of Saints; holy conference, &c. I can justifie it, if there were no Scripture for it: I find it by experience to bee a blessed way to bring me to a heavenly temper, to fit mee for heaven. So there is no good course, but Gods children should be able both by Scripture, and likewise by their owne experience to answer all gainsayers: when either their owne hearts, or others shall oppose it, he may bee able to p. 143say with the holy man here, it is no matter what you say; It is good for me to draw neere to God. So much for the generall. To come more particularly to the words.

It is good for me to draw neare to God.

HEre you have the justification of piety, of holy courses, which is set downe by drawing neare to God. And the Argument whereby it is justified, It is good. This glosse put upon any thing, commends it to man: for naturally since the fall there is so much left in man, that hee drawes to that which is good: but when he comes to particulars, there is the errour, hee seekes heaven in the way of hell, he seekes happinesse in the way of misery, he seekes light in the way of darknesse, and life in the way and path of death; his lusts so hurry him, and carry him the contrary way: but yet there is left this generall foundation of Religion in all men; as the heathen could say, naturally all men from the principles of nature draw to that which is good. Here religious courses are justified, and commended from that which hath the best attractive, and most magnetticall force. It is good to draw neere to God. Good hath a drawing force: for the understanding that shewes, and discovers: but the will is the cheife guide in man; and answerable to the discovery of good or ill in the understanding, there is a prosecution or p. 144aversation in the will, which is that part in the soule of man that cleaves to good discovered. To unfold the words a little.

[It is good] To draw neere to God who is the chiefe good. It is good in quality, and good in condition, and state; It is good in quality and disposition: for it is the good of conformity for the understanding creature to draw neare to God the Creator, who hath fitted the whole inward man to draw neare, to conforme to him.

And then it is good in condition: for it is his happinesse to do so; the goodnesse of the creature is in drawing neare to God. The nearer any thing is to the principle of such a thing, the better it is for it: the nearer to the Sunne, the more light; the nearer to the fire, the more heat; the nearer to that which is goodnesse it selfe, the more good; the nearer to happinesse, the more happy: therefore it must needs be the happinesse of condition to draw neare to God. So you see what is meant, when he saith here, it is good: It is a pleasing good, conformable to Gods will, he commands it: and it is for my good likewise, it advanceth my condition to draw neare to God.

To go … God ….[To draw neare] what is it to draw neare to God, wee shall see by what it is to go from God. God is every where, wee are alwayes neare to God, Whither shall I go from thy presence? If I go to hell, thou art there, &c. saith p. 145the Psalmist. God is every where indeed in regard of his presence, & power, & disposing providence but then there is a gracious presence of God in the hearts of his children. And there is a strange presence of God to Christ, the presence of Vnion; which makes the humane nature of Christ the happiest creature that ever was, being joyned by a hypostaticall Vnion to the second person; but wee speak not of that nearnesse here.33How God is neare us There is a gracious nearenesse, when the spirit of God in the spirits of those that belong to God, sweetly inlargeth, and comforts, and supports, and strengthneth them, working that in them that hee works in the hearts of none else: for instance, The soule is in the whole man, it is diffused over all the members; it is in the foot, in the eye, in the heart, and in the braine: but how it is in all these? It is in the foot as it moves it, it is in the heart as the principle of life, it is in the braine, and understanding, using, and exercising, his reasoning understanding power: so that though all the soule be in the whole man, yet it is otherwise in the braine than in the rest; so, though God bee every where, yet hee is otherwise in his children than in others: he is in them graciously, and comfortably, exercising his graces in them, and comforting them; hee is not so with the rest of the world: you see how God is present every where, and how hee is graciously present with his. So answerable wee are p. 146faid to be neare to God (we are neare him in what state soever we are;How wee are neare to God. but then) there is a gracious nearnesse when our whole soule is neare to God, as thus: when our understandings conceive aright of God,11In our understanding. as it is said of the young man in the Gospell, when hee began to speak discreetly, and judiciously, Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God: when men have a right conceit of divine truths, they are not farre from the Kingdome of God; when there is clearnesse of judgement to conceive aright. Those that have corrupt principles, are farre off; if the understanding bee corrupt, all the rest will go astray: there is the first nearnesse when the judgement is sanctified by the spirit to conceive aright.

22In our minds.Then againe, there is a nearnesse, when we not only know things aright, but mind them; when the things are present to our minds, when God is in our thoughts. David saith of the wicked man, God is not in his thoughts. When we mind, and think of God, and heavenly things, they are neare to us, and wee to them: For the soule is a spirituall essen…e, it goes every where, it goes to heaven, and is present with the things it minds; wee are nearer to God, and heavenly things, when wee mind them, and think on, and feed our thoughts on them.

33In our wills.Againe, wee are neare them when our wills first make choyce of the better part with Mary; when upon discovery of the understanding, p. 147the will chuseth deliberatly: upon consideration followes the determination, and chusing of the will, and upon choice, cleaving, which is another act of the will; when it chuseth that which is spiritually best, every way best for grace, and condition, then it cleaves to it. As it is said of Ionathan, his heart did cleave …o David: so the woman cleaves to her husband, as Saint Paul speaks: when the will chuseth, and cleaves to that which is good, then there is a drawing neare.

And likewise when the affections are carried to God as their object,44In the affections then there is a drawing neare to God,Love. when our love imbraceth God, and heavenly things: for love is an affection of union, it makes the thing loved, and he that loveth to be one: it is the primary, the first borne affection of the soule, from which all other affections are bred, when we love God we desire still further, and further communion with him.Desire. And where there is love, if we have not that wee love, then the soule goes forth to God in desire of heavenly things; the heart pants after God, as the Hart doth after the rivers of waters, and after holy things, wherein the spirit of God is effectuall. And when we have it in any measure, then the soule shewes a sweet enlargement of joy, and delight in God.Io…. Thus when we judge aright of, and mind heavenly things, and make choyce of them, and cleave to God with all p. 148our affections of love, and joy, and delight, when these are carried to God, and heavenly things, then we draw neare to him.

Faith.And especially when the inward man is touched with the spirit of God, even as the Iron that is touched with the Load-stone, though it be heavy of it selfe, it will go up: so, when the inward man is touched by the spirit of God, with a spirit of faith, which is a grace by which we draw neare to God with trust: for it is confidence, and trust that drawes us neare to God. Faith it is wrought in the whole inward man, in the understanding, in the mind, in chusing, and cleaving: but especially it is in the will: for faith is described to bee a going to God, a comming to him, which is a promotion, or going forth, which is an act of the will, so by faith, and trust, specially we draw neare, and cleave to God. Even as at the first we fell from God by distrusting of his word, saith the Divell, yee shall not die at all, we beleeved a lier more than God himselfe. Now we are recovered by a way contrary to that we fell; wee must recover, and draw neare to God againe by trusting, and relying upon God. You see what is meant by the words, It is good for me to draw neare to God.

Doct.To come to observe some things from them,Con…iction of the judgement, the ground of pr…ct…se. first this, that, Spirituall conviction of the judgement, it is the ground of practise.

It is good, and good for me; For we know in p. 149nature that the will followes the last designe of the understanding; that which the understanding saith is to be done, here, and now all circumstances considered it is best, that the Will chuseth, and that a man doth: for the Will rules, and leads the outward man. Now where there is a heavenly conviction of the understanding of any particular thing, this at this time is good, all things considered; and weighed in the ballance, on the one side, and on the other; where this is, there comes in practise, and drawing near to God alway. Conviction is when a man is set down, so that he cannot gainsay nor will not, but fals to practice presently: then a man is convinced of a thing. That which is immediatly before practise, and leads to practise, it is conviction; Now there are these foure things in conviction.4. Things in conviction.

There is first truth, a man must know that such a thing is true. Then it must not only be a truth, but a good truth; as the Gospell is said to be the good word of God, and it is a true, and a faithfull saying. It is a true saying, that Christ came to save sinners; and it is a faithfull, a good saying. If it bee not good as well as true; truth doth not draw to practice as it is truth, but as it is good.

As it must be truth, and a good truth, so it must be good for me, as the holy man saith here, It is good for me, &c. A thing may bee good for another man; the Divell knowes what is good; and that makes him envy p. 150poore Christians so; wicked men know that which is good, when they sinne against the holy Hhost; but for them it is better to keep in the contrary: so that we must know it is a truth, and a good truth, and good for us in particular, that it is best for us to do so.

The fourth is this, though it be true, and good, and good for us; yet before we can come to practise, it must be a good that is comparative, better than other things that are presented, or else no action will follow. A man must be able to say, this is better than that. A weak man that is led with passions, and lusts, he ofttimes sees the truth of things, and sees they are good, and good for me, and wishes that he could take such a course: but such is the strength of his passions at this time that it is better to do thus, it is better to yeeld to his lusts, and he trusts that God will be mercifull, and he shall recover it afterwards. These foure things, therefore must bee in conviction, before wee can take the best course; and these are all here in this holy man: for he saw it was a truth, a duty, and likewise that it was a good truth: for to bee neare to God the fountaine of good, it must needs be good: And then it was good for him to be so: nay it was good, all things considered: for it is a Conclusion (as it were) brought out of the fire, out of a conflict; Nay say the flesh, and say all the world what it can to the contrary, It is good for me to draw neare to God, he brings it in as a p. 151triumphant Conclusion. Put drawing neare to God in one ballance, and lay in that ballance all the inconveniences that may fallow drawing neare to God; the displeasure of great ones, the losse of any earthly advantage; and lay in the other ballance all the advantages that keep men from drawing neare to God: as if a man do not keep a good conscience, he may please this or that man, hee may get riches, and advance himselfe, and better his estate; consider all that can bee, yet notwithstanding, it is better to draw neare to God, with all the disadvantages that follow that course, than to take the contrary: Thus you see the truth cleare, that conviction is the way, and foundation of practice.

Therefore we should labour by all meanes to be convinced of the best things.Vse. To labour for conviction. It is not sufficient to have a generall notion, and slightly to heare of good things: no, wee must beg the spirit of God that hee would seale, and set them upon our soules, and so strongly set, and seale them there, that when other things are presented to the contrary, with all the advantages, and colours, and glosses that flesh and blood can set upon them: yet out of the strength of spirtuall judgement wee may bee able to judge of the best things out of a spirituall conviction, and to say it is best to cleave to God. So said the blessed man of God Moses, there was in the one end of the ballance, the pleasures of sinne, p. 152the honours of a Court, there was all that earth could afford: for if it bee not to bee had in a Princes Court, where is it to bee had? his place was more than ordinary, hee was accounted the sonne of Pharoh's daughter: yet lay all that in the ballance; and in the other part of the ballance, to draw neare to Gods people; though the people of God were a base, fore-lorne, despised, afflicted people at that time: yet notwithstanding to draw neare to the cause of Religion, the disgraced cause of Religion, to draw neare to God when hee is disgraced in the world (it is easie to draw neare to God when there is no opposition) but to draw neare to Gods part, and side, when it is disgraced in the world, Moses saw it the best end of the ballance, put in the afflictions, and disgrace of Gods people, or what you will. So it was with Abraham when hee followed God (as it were) blind-fold, and left all, his fathers house, and the contentments he had there. So it was with our Saviours Disciples, they left all to follow Christ: they were convinced of this; surely we shall get more good by the company of Christ, than by those things that we leave for him.

Prophanesse whence it is.Let us labour therefore to be convinced of the excellency of spirituall things, & then spirituall practice will follow. And undoubtedly the reason of the prophane conversation of the world, it comes from hidden atheisme: p. 153that men make no better choyce than they do, that they draw not neare to God; let them say what they will, it proceeds from hence. I prove it thus; when men are convinced of good things, they will do good: for conviction is the ground of practise, and when men do not take good courses, it is because they are not convinced of the best things. Therefore men that sweare, and blaspheme, that are carnall bruit persons, at that time Atheisme rules in their hearts; that they beleeve not these things in the book of God to be true. Can the swearer beleeve that God will not hold him guiltlesse that takes his name in vaine: that a curse shall follow the swearer? and the whoremonger, that whoremongers and adulterers God will judge? and so the covetous, and extortioners, (they that raise themselves by ill means) shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven, can men beleeve this, and live in the practise of these sinnes? (if they did beleeve these things indeed, as the word of God sets them downe, if they did beleeve that sin were so bitter, and so soule a thing as the word of God makes it) certainly they would not: therefore it comes from a hidden Atheisme. Indeed there is a bundle of Atheisme, and infidelity in the heart of man, and we cannot bewaile it too much: In the best there are some remainders of it: as this holy man, so foolish was I, and as a beast before thee, when he thought of his doubting of Gods providence. p. 155Therefore considering that the cause of all ill practise, is that we are not spiritually convinced of the contrary, that sinne is a naughty, and bitter thing; nor are wee sufficiently convinced of the best things, let us labour more and more to be soundly convinced of these things—

Now, nothing will do this but the holy Ghost,T…e holy Ghost …meth. Iohn 16.John 16 as yee have it Iohn 16. Christ promiseth to send the Comforter, the holy Ghost, and he shall convince the world of sinne: that is, hee shall so set sin before the eyes of mens soules, that they shall know there is no salvation but in Christ; hee shall convince them of unbeliefe, that horrible sinne; they shall have it presented so to them, that they shall beleeve presently upon it. This the holy Ghost must do.

But the holy Ghost doth it in the use of meanes;The holy Ghost convinceth in the use of meanes. therefore it must be our wisdome, to heare, and pray, and meditate much, that God would vouchsafe his spirit to perswade us, to convince our understanding, to convince us of all our false reasonings against good things; that there may not a vile imagination rise in our hearts contrary to divine principles.

It is good to draw neare to God: therefore it is good to come to the Sacrament,Application to the Sacrament. which is one way of drawing neare to God. Let us be so convinced of it, that it is not only a necessary, but a comfortable, and sweet p. 155duty to have communion with God: for will we suffer for Christ if wee will not feast with him? What shall wee say of those therefore, that are so farre from drawing neare to God when they have these opportunities, that they turne their backs? They cleane thwart this blessed man here, he saith, It is good for me to draw neare to God; nay say they, it is good for mee to have nothing to do with God, nor Christ, no not when he comes to allure mee. Now hee is come neare us indeed, that wee might come neare him: because wee were strangers to God, and could not draw neare to him simply considered, God became man, Emmanuel, God with us, that he might bring us to God. Christ is that Iacobs ladder that knits heaven and earth together; Christ, God and man, knits God and man together: this was the end of his incarnation, and of his death, to make our peace, to bring those neare that were strangers, nay, enemies before, and of our part and portion in the benefit of his death, we are assured in the Sacrament. Therfore let us draw neare to our comfort, with chearefulnesse, for his goodnesse that we have these opportunities. Let us draw neare to God to have our faith strengthned, and our commuion with him increased.

Only let us labour to come with cleane hearts, God will be sanctified in all that come neare him. Let us know that we have to deale with a holy God, and with holy things, and therefore p. 156cast aside a purpose of living in sinne, let us not come with defiled hearts: for then, though the things be holy in themselves, they are defiled to us; let us come with a resolution to renew our covenant, and come with rejoycing that God stoups so low, to use these poore helps, that in themselves are weak, yet by his blessing they are able greatly to strengthen our Faith.

FINIS.

KING DAVIDS EPITAPH: OR, An Epitome of the life and death of King DAVID.

In three Sermons.

By The late learned, and reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS.

Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge; and sometimes Preacher at Grays-Inne.

Luke 1.74, 75.

That we being delivered from our enemies, might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him, all the dayes of our lives.

2 Sam. 14.14.

For we must needs die, and are as water spilt upon the ground.

LONDON, Printed by E. P for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford.