The Communion of Saints, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
How the Saincts are called out of themselves, & taught to forsake their owne wayes and works, that they may have communion with God in Christ.
FOrasmuch as al mē bear in their bosomes naturall corruptions, bred with them †Psal. 51. 5.in the womb, & brought vp with them from the cradle, wherby they ar al alike ‖Eph. 2. 3.children of wrath: our separation from other wicked, wil litle availe vsus, vnlesse we be also separated from our selves, and learn to renounce the lusts and affections, yea even the fayr-seeming works and wisdom of the flesh. For what ar we the better for avoiding outward pollution by others, if a fretting leprosy cleav to our flesh & bones, and our *Iob. 9. 31.own clothes do make vsus filthy?
2 To draw vsus therfore quite out of the miry pit of corruption, the Lord hath caled vsus from the love and liking of our selves also; as being naturally both his enemies and our own; teaching vsus that our wits are *1 Cor, 2. 14,vncapable of his heavenly mysteries, our reason ‡Rom. 8, 7.enmitie against him & his Law; our thoughts & purposes ‖Gen. 8, 21.evil, our affectiōs †Ier. 10. 14. Psal. 73. 22.brutish, our wisdom ‡1 Cor. …. 19, 20.foolishnes, al our glorious grace †1 Pet. 1. 24,as the flour of grasse: and that therfore we must be turned and become *Mat. 18. 3.as litle children; even ‖Iohn. 3. 3,born againe, or els we cannot see the kingdom of God.
3. In matters of religion, we must not do what *Deut, 12, 8.seemeth good in our own eyes, nor †Esa. 66. 3.choose our own wayes, nor ‖1 Kin, 12, 33forge things out of our own harts, nor *Exod. 20. 4.make to our selves any similitude of things in heaven or earth, nor walk ‡Psal, 81. 12,in our own counsels: for what is man that he should invent services of God, or do any thing which the Lord ”Isa. 1, 12, Ier, 7, 31.requireth not at his hands. The things of God †1 Cor, 2. 11.knoweth no man but the spirit of God; of him therfore we must learn his fear, what he commandeth, that onelyonly must we doe, ‖Deut. 12. 32we may not put to it, nor take ought from it. For when Israel set their own thresholds and posts by the Lords, *Eze, 43, 8.they defiled his holy name with their abominations.
4. The ‡1 Tim, 3, 16mysteries of his faith, we may not measure by ”Iohn. 6. 52. 60. 63.carnall reason, or our own shallow vnderstanding; but learn with reverence to beleeve all his words; knowing that †1 Cor. 2, 9.the things which eye hath not seen, neyther ear heard, neyther came into mans hart, are which God hath prepared for them that love him: and neyther ‖Mat. 16. 17. Iohn, 6. 45,flesh nor blood, but himself doth manifest them vntounto vsus; and as his words are spirit and life, so is it *1 Cor. 2. 10. Ioh, 6, 63. Eph, 3. 3. 5.his spirit that sercheth al, even the deep things of God, reveleth them vntounto vsus, and quickneth vsus.
5. The promises which ar made vsus, we must embrace not by sight but by faith which is †Hebr. 11. 1.the evidence of thinges not seen. And seem they never so vnlikely or vnpossible, yet ought we not to ‖Rom. 4. 20. 21. 18.doubt of them, or reason against them through vnbeleef; but even above hope to believ vnderunder hope: being fully assured that he which hath promised is able to do it. For as Sara received strength to bring forth achild when she was past age, *Heb. 11. 11.because she judged him faithful which had promised: so contrarywise, the children of Israel, when God had brought them through the wildernes even ‡Deut, 1. 19. 20. 21. 26. 32 45. 46. Heb. 3. 19,to the borders of the land of promise; yet could they not enter in, because of their vnbeleef.
6. The commandments of God, how hard or vnreasonable soever they seem, we must readily and cheerfully obey; laying aside al *Exod. 4. 1. 2. 10. 13. 14.excuses, †Psa. 119. 60delayes, ‖1. Sam. 15 24. Ier. 1. 7. 8. 17.feares, or other things that may hinder vsus: knowing that all *Psal. 19. 7. 8. & 119. 128.his precepts are perfect, righteous, pure, and just. Therefore when God calleth vsus, we must follow him ‡Heb. 11. 8. Ioh. 21. 19. 22.though we know not whither we shal come; whē he sendeth vsus to any place, of danger, we must goe †Act. 20. 22. 23. 24. Luk. 10. 3.though we know not what may befal vsus there; when he commandeth vsus a thing, that is both ‖Gen. 22. 2. 3. Heb. 11. 17, 18.against nature of mā, and promise of God, we must obey without murmuring or reasoning: yea even to *Phil. 2. 8. Rev. 2. 10.the death must we be obedient, that we may receive the crown of life.
7. In all our trials and tribulatious, we must in faith & patience possesse our sowles. We may not ‡Num. 20. 2. 3. &c. Exod. 15. 24.murmur, though we want both bread and water; nor speak against God, Num. 21. 4. 5.though our way be never so grievous. VVhen we be in danger of our foes pursuing vsus, †Exod. 14. 9. 11. &c.we must not complain; nor be affraid, ”Psa. 3. 6. … Kin. 6. 15. 16.when they beset vsus round about. If God ‖Psal. 66. 12,cause men to ride over our heads; if he lead vsus into fyre and into water, if he give vsus as *Psal. 44. 11. 1…, 17. &c.sheep to be eaten, & scatter vsus among the nations; if he smite vsus down into the place of dragons, and cover vsus with the shadow of death: yet may we not forget him, nor deal falsly concerning his covenant; but in al these triumph ‡Rom, 8. 37.as more then conquerours, through him that loved vsus. When in our troubles we exspect his salvation, we must not †Isa. 28. 16.make hast, & ‖Hab. 2. 3. 2 k…ng. 6. 33. Lam. 3. 26.though it tary, we must wayt; if he hide his face from vsus, and *Psal. 80. 4be angry against our prayer, so yt we cry by ‡Psal. 22. 2.day, but he heareth not, and by night, but hav no audience; if he put vsus back †Mat. 15. 26.as doggs vnworthy of his grace; if he turn hīself ‖Iob. 30, …to be cruel against vsus, & to be enemie to vsus wt ye strēgth of his hand: yet must we remēber that he is the rock of our salvation, and say, *Isa. 8. 17.I wil wayt for the Lord that hath hid his face from Iaakob, and I wil look for him; ‡Iob. 13. …Lo though he slay me, yet wil I trust in him.
8, Notwithstanding al these & what soever els we can do or suffer for his names sake, yet must we empty & cast down our selves before him, confessing that †Luk▪ 17. 1…we ar but vnprofitable servants, we hav done that which was our dutie to doe: & it ‖Iob, 22. 3. & 35. 7.is nothing to ye Almightie that we are righteous, our *Psal. 16. 2….weldoing extendeth not to him. Neyther ‡Rom. 3. 28 & 9. 11. 2. Tim. 1, 9.for our works done, or of him foreseen to be done, hath he saved & caled vsus with a holy caling; but according to his own purpose and grace, wc was given to vsus through Christ Iesus before the world was. And because we ar al too wel perswaded of our selves & our good deserts, the Lord vseth two means for to humble vsus; the one is his Law which sheweth vsus our syns and infirmities; the other, Iob. 33. 16. 17,Corrections wherby he openeth our ears, to cause vsus to turne away our work, & that he might cover our pride; of both these Solomon sayth Prov. 6 23.the commandment is a lantern, and the law alight; & correcttions for instructiō, are the way of life.
9. The Law *Rom. 3. 20,reveleth our syns which lay hid within vsus, & sheweth our weaknes to be greater then we could imagine. For first we are ‡Rom, 7. 9.alive (in our own conceyt) without the law, and wil not stick to say Exod, 19. 8Al that the Lord commandeth, we wil doe. But when he speaketh, we ‖Exod, 20. 19 …. Deut, 5. 5can not endure to hear the law at his mouth, but run away. Or if we do receiv it, it is with a vail *Exod. 34, 30—33.over Moses face, not discerning the true nature of the Law which is ‡Rom. 7. 14,spiritual, or end of the same, which is to †Gal, 3. 24,bring vsus to Christ: but in hypocrisie, with hollow and covered harts, imagining the outward observation therof howsoever it be, to be sufficient. But when it cometh in deed to our cōscience, we die, Rom 7. 9.for syn (which we thought was dead) reviveth, and *vers. 11.taking occasion by the cōmandemēt, deceiveth vsus, and therby slayeth vsus; and when the law sayth Thou shalt not lust, syn ‡vers. 8.worketh in vsus al manner of lust. And as the Israelites having heard the thundring voyce of the Lord from heaven, forbidding them to have any other Gods before his face; did before forty dayes were expired, forget both their ”Exo, 19. 8.promise, and their †Exo, 20, 18. &c,fear, & ‖Psal. 106. …1God himself their saviour, and *Exo. 32. 7, 8,made them Gods of metall: so is it with vsus al, when the cōmandement cometh, syn aboundeth and †Rom. 7. 13.appeareth to be syn, yea out of measure synfull. And because the wages of syn is death, the law also ‖Rom. 4. 15.causeth wrath, which is *Rom. 1. 18.reveled from heaven against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnes of men. Then are we cast down with sight and horror of our wretched case; and the more we strive to rid our selves out of these snares of hel, the faster we are intangled: for we find our selves ‡Rom. 7. 14.carnal, & sold vnderunder syn; so as if we have wil to do good, yet ”Rom. 7. 18.finde we no meanes to performe it; and without Gods grace we can neyther †Philip. 2. 13wil nor doe. VVherefore we ‖Rom. 7. 24.crie out vponupon our misery, and should die in desp…yr, wer it not that God did cause his favor in the face of Christ to shine vponupon vsus: in whom being graffed by faith, we *Gal. 2. 19. 20.ar dead to the law, but alive vntounto God by beleef in his son, who hath loved vsus, given himself for vsus, and liveth in vsus. Thus is the law, a light to discover, a fyre to burne, a ‡Ier. 23. 29.hammer to break whatsoever in vsus is exalted against God, & is †Gal. … ▪ … ▪a scholemayster to lead vsus to Christ, that we might be made righteous by him, after that we ar stript naked of our own misconceived righteousnes; & having our ‖Zechar, 3. 4,filthy garments taken frō vsus, may be arayed with chan… of rayment, even that *Rev. 19. 8.fine-li…n pure and shining, which … the righteousnes of the Sainct▪
10. The chastisements … God,† Lev, 26. 39. 40. 41. ar an other good means to …umble our stubborne nature, & baptised harts: making vsus to ‖Lam. 3. 39. 40.… & trie our wayes, and turn … to the Lord; to *Psal. 107. 12 13. 17. 18. 19. &. 78. 3….crie vntounto … our distresse; to hav care to ‡Psal. 119. 67. 71.… and keep his word. By them he †Deut. 8. 2.proveth vsus, to know what is in our harts, and letteth vsus hav experience both of our own infirmities, and of his power & grace. By them he bringeth vsus to an humble ‖Iob. 33. 19. …0—27. 28.confession & sorrow for our syns, and so delivereth our sowles from going into the pit. By them and our weaknes in thē, he teacheth vsus to *2 Cor. …. 8. 9.trust in him & not in our selves. Thus ‡Pro. 29. ….the rod and correction giveth vsus wisdome, and wee are chastened for ”Heb. 12. 10.our profit, that we might be partakers of his holines.
11. And thus God calleth vsus out of our selves, from the vnbeleef, blindnes, hypocrisie, hardnes of hart, pride, wantonnes, & all other inordinat affections that do possesse vsus, that we may beleev, love, feare and obey him alone; that we may †Num. 15. 4…remember and doe al his cōmandements, and be holy vntounto our God▪ He teacheth vsus to deny vngodlines and worldly lusts, even such as ”Iam. 4. 1.fight in our own members; that †Rom. 6. 6our old man being crucified with Christ, the body of syn may be destroyed, & we serve syn no more. But having ‖Psal. 131. 2▪our sowles as weanlings with vsus, withdrawn from all carnal pleasures, and having *Heb. 12. 1.cast off every thing that presseth down, and the syn that so easily compasseth vsus about; may delight in the Lord & in his law, depending vponupon him alone for life succour and salvation; neyther dispayring for our evill deeds, nor boasting of our good, but by faith taking hold vponupon Christ and saying, ‡Psal. 7…. 25. 26.Whom have I in heaven but thee? and I desire none in the earth with thee: my flesh faileth, and my hart, but God is the rock of my hart and my portion for ever. Then bidding farewell to the world, and meekly taking our crosse vponupon vsus, as men ”Ioh. 12. 25.hateing our own life heer, to †…. 14. 4.follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth and shall bring vsus, to mountaines or deserts, to hunger or thirst, to cold or nakednes, to trouble of body, or grief of mynd, to feares or terrours, or even to the dust of death: knowing that in all he wil susteyn vsus, & in the end, wipe al teares from our eyes; after we have gone into fyre and into water, †Psa. 66. 12.he will bring vsus out into a welthie place; in our weaknes he wil strengthen vsus, in our wants he will reliev vsus, in all our cares, doubts, dangers, & distresses, he will ‖Psal. 73. 24.guide vsus by his counsel, and after receive vsus to glorie.
12. But these things ar so hard vntounto flesh and blood, that the natural man chooseth rather to remayn stil in his woeful state, and injoy the momentany pleasures of syn, then in such streights and difficulties to folow Christ. For it is a heavy thing to renounce and forsake his own affections, to condemne his own wisdome for foolishnes, to rest wholly vponupon Gods word and promises, when nothing is seen but present want & calamitie; to abandon pleasures, to tame and subdue his wanton lusts, to bear cheerfully the reproches and persecutions of the world, and whatsoever els God shal bring vponupon him; oftentimes to the loste of friends, wife, children, goods, lands and life it self. Therfore this state is in deed †Luk. 9. 23.a Denial of our selves, & carying of our crosse dayly: a ‖Col. 3. 5.Mortification of our earthly members, even a *1 Cor. 15. 31.dayly dying and ‡Psa. 86. 15.breathing out of the ghost. As the sacrifices given vntounto God were ‖Lev. 1. 5. &c. Ezec. 43. 24.killed, salted, and sent vp in fyre; so wee that must give vp our own *Rom. 12. 1.bodies for a living sacrifice, must also be salted with fyre, as ‡Mar. 9 49.Christ hath sayd. And as himself (fulfilling the figure of the syn offrings which were burnt without the camp,) ”Heb. 13. 11. 12. 13.that he might sāctify vsus with his own blood, suffred without the gate of Ierusalem, so must we likewise go out of the camp, bearing his reproch; which we never do willingly, til he †Song. 1. 3. Iohn. 6. 44.draw vsus. For this our new birth, is not ‖Ioh, 1. 13.of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God; who regenerateth, caleth, and sanctifieth his Israel, increasing them with men like a flock; *Eze. 36. 37. 38.and as the flock of holinesses, as the flock of Ierusalem in their solemne feasts, so filleth he desolate cities with flocks of men, which being by the ministery of the gospel ‡Rom. 15. 16. Isa. 66. 20.offred vp for sacrifices, are acceptable being sanctified by the holy Ghost.
13. When thus we be changed by the power of Gods grace, and have got the victorie of our selves, subduing and ruling over our own spirits, which as Solomon sayth ”Pro. 16. 3… ▪is better then if we wan a city; whē we have hearkned to the crye of the †Isa. 40. 6. 7.Voyce that al flesh is grasse, & al the grace thereof as the flower of the feild, and when we have found our grasse to be withered and flower faded, because the spirit of the Lord hath blown vponupon it: when the strong hold of our imaginations is cast down, and every ‖2 Cor. 10. 5.thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; when we have discerned our syns, felt the smart of them in our consciences, *Lev. 26. 39.pined away for our iniquities, and ‡Eze. 20. 43judged our selves worthie to be cut off for all our evils; when we have renounced al cōfidence in our selves, reiected all our righteousnesses ”Isa. 64. 6.as filthy clouts, and being humbled vnderunder the mighty hand of God, do with Iob †Iob. 42. 6.abhorre our selves & repent in dust and ashes: then will hee look vponupon vsus and turne our captivitie, and bring vsus into his promised rest, into which we ‖Hebr. 4. 3. &c.entring by faith shall there keep the true Sabbath of God, *ver. 10.cease from our own works as he did from his, & wholly give our selves to work the works of God, which is ‡Ioh. 6. 28. 29.to beleev in him whom he hath sent, euen Iesus Christ our ”1 Cor. 1, 30.wisdome, justice, sanctification, and redemption, who caleth vsus with a holy calling from the fellowship of Satan, Syn, this world, and our own corruptions, to the happy communion with himself and with his Father, by fayth a while on earth; til we †Psal. 17. 15.shal behold his face in justice, and when we awake, be satisfied with his image.
O Ierusalem, wash thine hart from wickednes, that thou mayct be saved: how long shal thy wicked thoughts remayn within thee?
Ier. 4. 14.