Gospel Holiness, Part 2 · Sermon 8
SERMON VIII.
Rom. 8. 5. For they that are after the fleſh doe minde the things of the fleſh, but they that are after the ſpirit, the things of the ſpirit.
I Have ſpoken of theſe words in generall, and now I will according to the ſtrength that God ſhall give me, ſpeak of them a little in partiticular, that ſeeing thoſe that enjoy this great priviledg to have the law fulfilled in them, are thoſe that walke not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit.
That we may find, whether we walke after the fleſh, or after the ſpirit, I would urge it a little further, and that according to the Apoſtles method. He pitcheth upon the mind, and the mind not ſimply conſidered, but as it is acting, and ſetting forth, the mind, in minding: therefore as he takes the chiefeſt facultie to judge the reſt by, ſo I will take the chiefeſt act in that facultie, that ſo you may judge of the reſt by that one, and ſo keep to the Apoſtles method.
Now the chiefeſt act of the mind (doubtleſſe) The chiefe act of the mind.is the reaſoning part of the mind. There are many acts in the mind; as it underſtands, it thinks, it imamagines; but eſpecially the reaſoning part, It belongs to the mind to reaſon concerning things, and reaſon is the chiefeſt part, and is called, and accounted by Schollers the chiefeſt part of man; and therefore they ſay, that man is a reaſonable creature: Now I ſay, if we will find out by the Scriptures, what we are, whether we be according to the fleſh, or according to the ſpirit (for there is the hinge of it) we muſt examine it by the mind; & not by the mind ſimply, as it is a faculty, but the mind acting, and exerciſing. And if we ſpeak of the exerciſe of it, let us take the reaſoning part of it, that is he beſt part, for of all the acts of the mind, the reaſoning is the ſtrongeſt, and that that moſt immediatly flowes from the underſtanding: therefore if the reaſoning of the ſoule be carnall, the whole ſoule is ſo, and if the reaſoning of it be ſpiritual, the whole ſoule is ſpiritual, that was one thing that did move me to pitch upon that, it being the chiefeſt.
Beſides, I find that the Apoſtle in 1 Cor. 5. 16. How Paul diſtinguiſheth Saints and others.he diſtinguiſheth thoſe that walke according to the fleſh, from thoſe that walke according to the ſpirit, by the reaſoning part, for ſaith he, Henceforth know we no man after the fleſh, yea though we have knowne Chriſt after the fleſh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. We doe not ſaith he, henceforth walke according to the fleſh; and we know it by our knowledge, we do know things, not according to the fleſh, but according to the ſpirit; if Chriſt himſelfe were here, we would not looke upon him with a fleſhly eye. What this knowledge is, you may ſee in the verſes before: For the love of Chriſt conſtraineth us, becauſe we thus judge, we thus reaſon, that if one dyed for all, then were all dead, and that he dyed for all, that they which live, ſhould not henceforth live unto themſelves, but unto him which dyed for them, and roſe againe. We know ſaith he, that we are ſpirituall, and not fleſhly, by our judging of things, by our reaſoning of things: for thus we judge, or thus we reaſon, that if one man dyed for all, that is, did dye for others, then ſurely we all are dead: And we reaſon further, that if one man did dye for us, and we are ſuffered to live, we ſhould imploy our life, not for our ſelves but for him that dyed for us. This kind of reaſoning we have, that walke after the Spirit, and not after the Fleſh, therefore I will pitch upon that. And the rather, becauſe the Lord hath been pleaſed, for ends beſt knowne to him, to keep that in my mind, and to fix it ſo on my thoughts, that I could not paſſe it by, and I uſually judge in ſuch caſes that God doth often doe it for your ſakes.
And therefore according to this method, wee ſhall obſerve this Doctrine, or this leſſon, thatDoct. Carnall men guided by fleſhly reaſoning.
Thoſe that are according to the fleſh, or that walke according to the fleſh, are ſwayed, and guided by fleſhly reaſonings, and thoſe that are according to the Spirit, are ſwayed and ruled by ſpirituall reaſonings.
True Goſpell Beleivers are ruled and ſwayed with ſpirituall reaſonings, and all carnall, fleſhly men are ruled by carnall, fleſhly reaſonings,
For ſuch as the mind is, ſo is the whole man, and if your reaſoning be right, then I dare ſay that all the acts of your mind are right: for that is the cheifeſt, you may judge of all the acts of your mind by your reaſoning: and therefore we cull out that for the triall of the reſt. I ſay carnall men are ſwayed, and led, with fleſhly reaſonings, and ſpirituall men with ſpirituall reaſonings. And this is the moſt distinguiſhing Character that I know in the Booke of God, betweene a Chriſtian and another man.
And as the Lord preſents it unto me I ſhall a little open unto you theſe termes, reaſoning, ſpirituall reaſoning, and fleſhly reaſoning. That you may underſtand theſe, you muſt conceive that there are three ſorts of mindes in the World: and therefore there be three ſorts of reaſonings: Three ſorts of minds.For our Reaſonings are according as the minde is.
There is firſt, a corrupt mind, as you have it 1. Corrupt.Epheſ. 4. The old man that is corrupt, that is (to ſpeake in your language, or according to your thoughts) a ſinfull mind, a mind that is exerciſed about ſinfull things. When a mans mind is an evill one, ſimplie evill.
Secondly there is a naturall mind, 1 Cor. 2. at 2. Naturall.the latter end, it is called there, the naturall man. where I would have you obſerve by the bye, that the mind is called the man there, the naturall man, that is, the naturall mind. The naturall man knoweth not the things of God; that is, the naturall mind, for a man is denominated by his excellenteſt part, which is his mind, as I told you before.
And there is alſo the ſpirituall mind, which is 3. Spirituall.called there, the ſpirituall man. The ſpirituall man judgeth all things; that is, the ſpirituall mind judgeth all things, for it is the mind properly that doth judge, and the man is ſaid to judge, becauſe he hath the mind, or the mind is in the man: according Three ſorts of reaſonings.to theſe three ſorts of minds, flow forth; ſorts of reaſonings.
One is; corrupt reaſoning, and that is, when men 1. Corrupt,doe reaſon meerly ſinfully, according to that in 1 Cor. 15. The Apoſtle uſeth their carnall phraſe, Let us eate and drinke for tomorrow we ſhall die. Now here was a kind of reaſoning in this, here was an argument, to morrow we expect to die, that is, ſhortly, therefore let us eat, and drinke, and feed our luſts, &c. Here was a reaſoning, but it was corrupt. And ſo in Mat. 21. When they had killed the Servants that came to gather the rents. Now ſay they, the Heire is come, come let us kill him and then the Land will be ours. Here was reaſoning, but it was corrupt reaſoning. So in Luke 9. 44. there the diſciples did reaſon Who ſhould be the greateſt in the kingdom of God. There are ſuch reaſonings in our hearts: for man is called a rationall man; and though ſome men be called unreaſonable men (as I ſhall ſhew by and by) yet there is no man but hath reaſonings in him, either corrupt, or naturall, or ſpirituall. There is no act that a man doth, but there is ſuch a nimbleneſse in the underſtanding that it preſently drawes ſome argument and reaſon for it: a man never doth any thing but he hath ſome kind of reaſon for it, be it what it will be.
Secondly, there is a naturall reaſoning, and 2 Naturall.that we oft find in the Scriptures, as in Mark. 3. 6. Chriſt had there told a Leper that he had forgiven him his ſins, the Scribes ſitting there, reaſon in their hearts, Why doth this man ſpeake blaſphemy? who can forgive ſins but God. This was not properly corrupt reaſoning; it was true reaſoning. Who can forgive ſins but God? This man forgives ſins, therefore it is blaſphemie; they reaſoned right, and true, as farr as naturall light could goe, but here is the difference betweene naturall, and ſpirituall light, naturall light comes too ſhort, they did not ſee that he was God. None can forgive ſins but God, but they ſaw him not to be God. This was naturall reaſoning. Why? becauſe it was true according to their principle, had he been but a meere man they had reaſoned very well: but it was naturall becauſe it was lame, and low, and did not riſe up ſo high as to ſee that that man was God, and could forgive ſins. So Peters reaſoning was rather naturall then corrupt. Master ſpare thy ſelfe: it was naturall, and not corrupt reaſoning: becauſe it is good for a Servant to give good counſell to his Maſter. But this was but naturall: becauſe though it were honeſt, in a naturall way, yet it was lame, it wanted a principle that was ſpirituall, to ſee that it was needfull, and neceſſary that Chriſt ſhould die (according to the counſell of God) rather then that all the elect ſhould periſh.
Thirdly, there are ſpirituall reaſonings. As 3. Spirituall.there is a ſpirituall mind; ſo I ſay there are ſpirituall reaſonings in all godlineſſe. For all godlineſſe, and every peice of it (as I ſhall ſhew) is carried upon reaſon, only it is ſpirituall reaſon. Looke upon the whole bulk of godlineſſe, you may divide it into three parts. It conſiſts,
Either in beleiving, and doing.
Or in obedience, and doing.
Or in ſuffering, and doing.
All a Chriſtians life is ſpent, either in beleiving, or in doing, or in ſuffering. Now in all theſe three you ſhall ſee in Scripture that a Saint doth not all theſe hand over head, as being led by a fancie of them, but clearly upon reaſon, and the beſt reaſon in the World, as I ſhall ſhew you anon.
Firſt, for beleiving, looke to Abraham, who is 1. Spirituall reaſoning in beleiving.our patterne, our coppie. In Heb. 11. 19. By faith Abraham when he was tried, offered up Iſaak, and he that had received the promiſes offered up his only begotten ſon: of whome it was ſaid, that in Iſaak ſhall thy ſeed be called, accounting that God was able to rayſe him up from the dead, &c. Accounting, or as the Greeke word is, reaſoning, that God was able to rayſe him from the dead, from whence he received him in a figure. It is ſaid that by faith Abraham offered Iſaac, his onelyonly ſon, he that had received the promiſe, God had made the promiſe to Iſaac; In Iſaac ſhall thy ſeed he called. Iſaac was his ſon, and a ſon that he had in a ſtrong way, by an ancyent Woman, and his onelyonly ſon, and a ſon of whome the Meſſias ſhould come. Now there muſt be a great deale of reaſon to perſwade ſuch a godly Father to kill ſuch a hopefull Child, to put him to death, to whome God had given the promiſe of all bleſſings, to all Nations. Surely there muſt be a great deale of reaſoning before he could be perſwaded to doe this, and yet he did reaſon that God was able to raiſe him from the dead. The word reaſoning in the Greeke is a word taken from Arithmetitians, that take two or three Sums, and put them together, and tell you this is the reſult of them: ſo he did reaſon, this is my ſon, and all my hopes lie in him, and I received him when I was as a dead man, and for me to goe, and kill him, will daſh all the hopes of my ſalvation. But on the other ſide, ſpirituall reaſon comes in, and ſaith, that God that gave him me in a figure from the dead, that is, as it were from a dead woman, and when I was an old man, that God is able of his aſhes, when I have killed him, and burned him, to raiſe him up againe, and therefore I will goe, and Sacrifice him, and thence it is, that the holy Ghoſt ſaith, that God raiſed him fron the dead.
Beloved, there is nothing that ſeems to be more without reaſon then Faith, and in faith there is nothing ſeemes to be more without reaſon, then for a man to go, and kill his Son, his only Son, and yet he reaſoned, is ſaid it. And ſo in Rom. 4. he looked not upon fleſh and bloud, but reaſoned from that promiſe, So ſhall thy ſeed be, What was that? God called him out in a cleare night, and ſhewed him the Stars in the firmament, and ſaid, ſo ſhall thy ſeed be, and he reaſoned, and ſtaggered not, but looked upon God as one that was able to bring it to paſſe, and therefore it is ſaid, in hope, above hope, he believed.
What ſhall I ſpeake of Moſes? you have it in that Chapter, they ſay, old men are twice children, but Moſes being 40. yeares old, refuſed to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs daughter: ſome might thinke what a madneſſe this was? the text gives the reaſon, he reaſoned, or he, Eſteemed the reproach of Chriſt, greater riches, then the Treaſures in Egypt; that is, he reaſoned thus, here I am in great honour, I may be called the Sonne of the Kings Daughter, and here I have hunting and hawking, and riches, &c, and yonder are the poore people of God making brick, and there they have burdens laid upon them every day, and are ſighing, and groaning, and making ſpirituall prayers, and ſaith he, the bleſsing of God is there, and theſe riches are but for a time, and there are the riches that are abiding, and bleſſed, and therefore ſaith the text, He choſe rather to ſuffer affliction with the People of God, then to enjoy the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon. Thus you ſee in theſe inſtances that faith goes all upon reaſon, upon ſpirituall reaſon.2. In doing
And ſo for doing; for obedience as it refers to doing, I will give you that one place, that I had even now 2 Cor. 5. 14. ſaith the Apoſtle, VVe thus judge, or we thus reaſon, That if one dyed for all, then were all dead. And further, this is an other concluſion, He dyed for all, that they which live, ſhould not henceforth live to themſelves, but to him which dyed for them, and roſe againe. There is no act of obedience, that a Saint under the Goſpell doth, but it proceeds from Goſpell, Spirituall reaſon, Chriſt dyed, God reveales this in the Scripture to me, and he ſeales this to my ſoule, that he dyed for me, when I was the veryeſt enemy in the world; why then there is all the reaſon in the World, he dying for me, that I ſhould live to him, and ſerve him all the dayes of my life; he redeemed me, and paid a rannſome for me, there is all the reaſon in the world, that I ſhould live to him, you muſt not thinke that the People of God take ſo much paines to deny themſelves, and to be carryed on in ſuch hard rough wayes, but that they are carryed on in a way of ſpirituall reaſoning.
And then for ſuffering; which is another part of a Chriſtians life. You ſhall read in Rom. 8. 18. 3 In ſuffering.If we be children, then heires, heires of God, & joynt heires with Chriſt, if ſo be that we ſuffer with him, that we may be alſo glrryfied together. For I reckon that the ſufferings of this preſent time, are not worthy of the glory that ſhall be revealed in us. Reckon, or I reckon; for it is the ſame word in the Greek, that is, he did put the two ſums together, as one learned Expoſitor ſayth, he put al the ſufferings on the one ſide as light things, as ſhort things, and the priviledges of the Saints on the other, that we are ſons, & heires and coheirs with Chriſt, and that if we ſuffer with him, we ſhall be glorified with him, and ſo after all his reaſoning, he ſaw it was better to undergoe ſufferings with Jeſus Chriſt, conſidering the gaine, and the loſs putting them both together in the Ballance, and therefore he reſolved to ſuffer any thing that God ſhould lay on him. So if we compare this place with 3 Cor. 4. 16. For this cauſe (ſayth the Apoſtle) we faint not, but though our outward man periſh, yet the inward man is renewed day by day: for our light afflictions which are but for a moment, worke for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory. We have abundance of afflictions as it is known to you Corinthians, as he ſaith before, VVe are afflicted on every ſide, there was a great deale of affliction, and yet notwithſtanding he did not faint, he was able to goe on, and ſuffer; Why ſo? Not phantaſtically, or raſhly, as many a carnall man may doe, for it is not ſo with a Saint, he will chooſe diſhonour when he may have honour, but it is upon good reaſon, I will tell you why; becauſe though the outward man periſh, yet the inward man is renewed day by day: and therefore ſaith he, our light afflictions which are but for a moment, they worke to us an exceeding eternall weight of glory. As if he had ſaid, the afflictions which are now upon me, however you may conceive them to be great, yet in the Skales of ſpirituall reaſon, I ſee they are but light, and little in compariſon of what the wicked ſhall ſuffer, and of what I have deſerved: and it is but for a moment, it is but for a time, and it doth worke, an exceeding, exceſſive weight of glory, and therefore I have all the reaſon in the World to ſuffer afflictions: for if the outward man ſuffer, the inward man gets by it; and if it be light, there is a weight of glory, and if it be for a moment, there is an externall weight of glory. And ſaith he, We doe not looke at things that are ſeene, for they are temporall, but at things that are not ſeene which are eternall. We looke at things in a ſpirituall way; and thus ſaith he, I bleſs God I doe not faint: and thus we have opened the Leſſon to you, that they that walke according to the fleſh, are led by carnall reaſons, and they that walk according to the ſpirit, are ruled by ſpirituall reaſons.
Now before I come to proove the doctrine unto you, to make way for it, becauſe in my apprehenſion it is a ſpirituall thing (as I ſhall ſhew you hereafter) There is nothing that I know in this bleſſed Booke, that may help you in a clearer way to diſcover your eſtates to you in a ſpirituall way, for ſuch as the man is, ſuch is his mind, and ſuch as his actions are, ſuch is his mind, and we may better underſtand the acts, then the mind, and we may better underſtand both, then the man.
And therefore that you may underſtand this, I will lay downe three things before hand, before Three things premiſed.I come to proove the Doctrine, or to applie it.
The firſt is this, that there is in all godlineſſe, in 1. Godlines hath the beſt reaſonevery part of it, excellent reaſons, there is the pureſt, ſublimeſt, excellenteſt reaſon in godlineſſe. Beloved, I may ſay, and ſay truely of godlineſs in a ſpirituall ſence, what ever you may ſay of Logick in a naturall way. Logick is the art of reaſoning, that is the definition of it, it is the right Art of reaſoning, ſo godlineſſe is the right art of ſpirituall reaſoning. There is not one dram of right ſpiritual reaſoning but in godly people: and there is not one act in godly people,, but it is carried on upon the pureſt, and ſublimeſt, and excellenteſt reaſoning that is; it is ſuch a kind of reaſon, that the Apoſtle calls it demonſtration, that is the ſureſt reaſoning in naturall Logick. Now in that you have other kind of reaſoning, as conjectures, and probabilities, and other topicks; but godly reaſoning is demonstration, as the Apoſtle ſaith. And therefore in 2 Theſ. 3. 2. wicked men that have not faith, they are ſaid to be unreaſonable men, he is a wicked man that hath not faith, let him be never ſo honeſt, or civill, yet in Gods language, if he have not faith, he is a wicked man; Paul prays that he may be delivered from ureaſonable men, from abſurd Abſurd, what.men as you have it the margine. Now what is it to be abſurd? you ſay when a man carries himſelf illfavouredly, that is abſurd; properly then when a man reaſons not rightly, it is abſurd, as to draw wrong concluſions from premiſes; as to ſay ſuch a Towne is garriſoned by the King, therefore London hath the plague, this is abſurd. Now all the actions and doings of wicked men, they are abſurd, there is no more hold of them, then of a rope of ſand. A wicked man may have naturall reaſon, and corrupt reaſon enough, but he is an unreaſonable man, he hath no ſpirituall reaſon.Ground of Saints conſtancie.
And hence it is, that godly ſpirituall men are ſo conſtant in their Spirits, and in their wayes; indeed they are not abſolutely conſtant becauſe they are godly but in part, but ſo far as a man, is godly, ſo far he is conſtant. As you may ſee in naturall things, the difference betweene a man that is at full age, and hath reaſon, and a Child that is not come up to reaſon, as the Scripture ſaith, be not as little children, toſſed too and fro, Now what is the reaſon that a Child is ſo inconſtant; he will love a thing to day, and have it to bed with him; and to morrow he will caſt it in the dirt? it is becauſe his actions are carryed by fancie, and he hath not reaſon to rule, and ſway him. Now you know a man doth not doe, and undoe things like a Child. See what difference there is in a naturall way, between a man at full age, and a Child at three or foure yeares old; ſo much, and more difference there is, betweene a godly, ſpirituall man, and a naturall man: and that is the reaſon, that when a godly man, heares a naturall man diſcourſe, and ſay he will do this, and that, he will go to the Wars, and he will take this, and that garriſon, he ſmiles at it, becauſe he knowes, he will not be conſtant. Take men all along in theſe wars for ſome yeares paſt, whither they were Commanders or others, you ſhall ſee how many brave reſolute men both went forth, and were here in the Parliament at home, and where are they now? But now take a godly man either in the Army, or elſewhere, and you cannot ſay of him, he was ſo; but he is ſo: becauſe he hath ſome reaſon to carry him along, that the other hath not; he went for the glory of God, & the reſpect of that continues with him, the other went out for a ſhew, for a blaſt, and ſo are turned about with every winde like a Wether-cock, and all this for want of ſpirituall reaſon.Why the Saints are comfortable in the worſt condition.
Moreover, it appeares by this, why the Saints that are godly, and ſpirituall are ſo comfortable, even in the worſt condition; and why other men are ſo apt to be dejected. Take a Saint, and put him into any condition, and he knowes how to rejoyce in the Lord. Take a Paul, or a Sylas, and put them in Priſon, and let them be to be hanged to morrow, and yet they can rejoyce, and ſing, they can rejoce in tribulation, as well as in proſperity, but now men that have not faith, that are not ſpirituall, though they laugh loud ſometimes when they are in Proſperitie, yet when affliction comes they are downe againe; and this comes from hence, not beeauſe godly men are mad men that they can rejoyce in Chaines as men in bedlome doe; but it is from ſpirituall reaſoning. When they are in affliction they can reaſon. I am now in much ſhame, and povertie, but I know that they that are in Christ, all ſhall turne to their good, they are Chriſts, and all is for their Salvation. And thus they will draw from the Scriptures by the help of the Spirit of God ſuch kind of arguments as will draw them up, and fill them with joy, even in the worst condition, which becauſe the others have not, they are up, and down, though their laughter be louder as Solomon ſaith, yet it is but as the crackling of thornes, that end in ſmoake, and ſmother, and aſhes: O, the godly are endued with a great deale of ſpirituall reaſoning.
And hence it was, becauſe there is ſo much reaſon in godlineſſe, that the Doctrine of the Goſpell of Jeſus Chriſt by a few Fiſher-men, and contemptible men, without any force of rme, without any Sword drawne, they have bene able to breake the great Emperour of the World, and to plant Religion over a great part of the World. It is true, there is no naturall reaſon in it in the World, that a hundred, or halfe a hundred ſhould goe forth, and tell a Storie of a man that was a Carpenters ſonne, a poore man that was at laſt hanged upon a Tree by the Jewes, and buryed in a Grave; and for a company of poore men that had no oratorie in the world, to goe and tell People, that by this man is ſalvation, and that they muſt believe in him, and that they had no power in themſelves to doe it; and that if they did believe in him, they muſt deny themſelves, and Father and Mother, and Lands, and Life; and then they ſhould have a Reward, they knew not where, nor whence, hereafter in Heaven, but nothing in this World; which there was no naturall reaſon to perſwade them to, and there was no Sword to Command them; for their Commiſſion was onelyonly to tell men, that if they beleived, they ſhould be ſaved, and if they did not beleive, they muſt be damned, and yet we ſee the Goſpell hath prevailed in many Kingdomes of the World, more or leſſe. Now when Mahomet came, he comes as a great man, and when he was asked, how will you proove your Religion to be true? He takes a Sword and ſaith by this: Such is the Doctrine of the Turks, and Perſians; but the Doctrine of the Goſpell came not ſo.
Now you muſt not conceive that the Goſpell works like a charme, that it works upon men like mad men, but hence it comes to paſs that though there be no naturall reaſon in it, nor the wiſedome of men yet they ſpeake in demonſtration of the ſpirit: they ſpeake the wiſedome of God to them that are perfect. There is ſpirituall reaſon in every peice of that Doctrine that is able to ſatisfie a man: and were there not ſtronger reaſon then any is in the World, men would never yeild to it. Thus I have given you a few hints, to ſhew you that there is abundance of profound reaſon in godlineſſe.
Beſides, when we ſee that godly men are ſo meek, Gentleneſſe in gody men whence it isſo gentle, ſo eaſie to be intreated. Whence is this? From the ſtrength of ſpirituall reaſon that is in them. As it is in naturall things, you know women are the weaker Veſſells, the Scripture ſaith ſo, and they are more apt to be froward then men. Why ſo? Becauſe there is not ſuch ſtrength of reaſon in them. Now men that are at full age, and have ſtrength of reaſon, they will beare unkindneſes, it is the glory of a man to paſs by an offence; it is the wiſedome of a man to paſs by an injurie. Now as it is in naturall things betweene a Man at full age, and a Child, ſuch a difference there is between godly, ſpirituall men, and naturall men; moſt naturall men are froward, and peeviſh, and very ungentle, and hardly to be intreated: but the godly, as farr as they are godly, as farr as they have the wiſedome that is from above, they are made gentle, and eaſie to be intreated; becauſe they have ſpirituall reaſon. As for inſtance, ſuppoſe a man offer another a great deale of unkindneſſe, and ſpeake very ill of him; naturall reaſon will ſay, why ſhould he doe this? or why ſhould I beare it? But ſpirituall reaſon comes in, and ſaith, When they curſe, doe you bleſs, and the Scripture teacheth me, that Chriſt loved me when I was an enemy, and ſo ſhould I doe to others. There is nothing that may provoke a godly man, but if he hath the uſe of ſpirituall reaſon, he may keepe his heart meeke, and calme as may be. Now you muſt not thinke that the Saints are ſtocks, or ſtones, for a Saint hath as much apprehenſion as a naturall man hath; but he hath ſpirituall reaſon, that he can ſhape the wrong done him, in a ſpirituall Mold, and ſo carry himſelfe meekly, and quietly.
Moreover, there is reaſon in godlineſſe, and Godly men ſee their way in confuſed times.hence it is that the godly in times of confuſion they can ſee their way in the middeſt of the miſt, when all others are at a loſs, and know not which way to go: a godly man can by ſpirituall reaſon ſeek out his way, as there is a full inſtance in theſe times, all carnall men are at a loſs, and think that all Religion is gone into confuſion, and one Governour is gone, and another come, and one man is of this opinion, and another of another; the whole World, even thoſe that are meere Spectators, they know not which way to goe, yet now the Saints that are ſpirituall they can ſerve God, as fully, & as ſweetly as ever. Why ſo? Becauſe though the others are at a loſs, yet A Saint looks with comfort on his life paſt.they have eyes in their heads, and can ſee their way.
And hence it is, by this ſpirituall reaſoning, that the veiw and contemplation of their lives paſt is ſo ſweet to them, and affords them ſo much comfort, as farr as it was Religious, whereas they remember their ſinfull actions with ſhame, and naturall actions with ſorrow. When we come to be men, we cannot indure to think of our carriage when we were Children, as making little houſes of ſtrawes, and of clay, &c. When a man comes to be a man he rejoyceth more that he hath gotten ſuch a houſe, and purchaſed ſuch land, and he rejoyceth in his Wife, and Children. There is more pleaſure in the remembrance of a rationall act, then of a fantaſticall, though when we were Children there was more pleaſure in a fantasticall act then in a rationall, as a Child hath more pleaſure, and will, to make Pies of clay, then a man hath to purchaſe a Houſe and Land. So looke to your lives past, you ſhall ſee abundance of corrupt acts, that you are aſhamed of, What profit had you (ſaith the Apoſtle) in thoſe things whereof you are now aſhamed: Comfort of ſpirituall duties, laſting.you are aſhamed to think of your drunkenneſſe, and cozening, &c. and you looke upon naturall acts with ſorrow, but looke upon any ſpirituall godly act, what you have done for Chriſt, or the Saints, the comfort of them is as much at the preſent as when you firſt did them, and that is a ſigne that they were ſpirituall, otherwiſe the comfort of them would vaniſh away. Thoſe things that we doe out of reaſon, have a more laſting ſweetneſſe, & comfort then thoſe that we doe out of luſt; that is the reaſon that if a man did a thing for God, though it were forty yeares agoe, yet the ſweetnes of it is freſh now, it is not ſo in naturall or corrupt actions, you befoole your ſelves in the one, and blame your ſelves in the other; but ſpirituall actions, you rejoyce in them.Godly men not taken with temptations.
Againe, from this it appeares that there is reaſon in godlineſſe, becauſe godly men are not caught with chaffe, they are not caught with luſts, as naturall men are: you know little Children, how you may catch them with a Babie, or a top, and a ſcourge, all the yeare about, you may feed their fancie by bringing them ſome new toy home, but a man of forty yeares old you cannot pleaſe him with a babie, or with a Horſe of wood, &c. Such is the difference betweene a naturall man, and a Spirituall man, you may pleaſe a naturall man, and catch him with a good Office, or ſome ſuch thing, but take a through, full growne, ſpirituall man (as we have bleſſed be God ſome inſtances, in the Armie, and in the Parliament, and Cittie) you offer him chaffe when you offer him theſe things, when you would tempt him to leave God, and to imbrace the World. That Germane beaſt, as it is ſaid of Luther, will not be caught with Gold, ſuch a man will not be catched with a bribe: a Saint can outreaſon all ſuch luſts, he ſees they are but the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon. Thus it appeares to you that in godlineſſe there is agreat deale of reaſon.
Nay let me add this before I goe further, there The beſt reaſon in godlineſſe.is the profoundeſt, and moſt excellent reaſon, and reaſoning that can be in godlineſſe, and I will demonſtrate it to you in three things. That there is reaſon you have heard: Now I ſhall ſhew you that there is the profoundeſt, and the beſt reaſon, and that there is no reaſon to be compared to it.
Firſt, becauſe that in godlineſſe there is a light 1. There is a new light in the ſoule.put into the ſoule, whence a man may reaſon: for man cannot reaſon without light put into the mind. That is the reaſon why a Horſe cannot reaſon, becauſe there is not light in him, underſtanding to deduct one thing from another. Now the light we have in naturall things is very uncertaine, and dim and darke, by reaſon of Adams ſin, you ſee in naturall things how imperfect Arts are, as Phyſick, &c. Why? becauſe the principles are few, we gather ſome things from herbes, &c. the principles are not cleare, but ſuch men have tryed ſuch, and ſuch concluſions, and ſo they make up an argument, but this is but dimme.
Secondly, there are in nature but darke, and confuſed principles: for reaſon is a deducting of 2 Naturall principles darke.one thing from another; reaſon is a dividing, as if you ſhould ſee the river Nilus, they draw the river from the maine Channell to a leſſer, and from that to another: So reaſon is nothing but the drawing forth of the light that is in a man, to this or that uſe, according as there ſhall be occaſion. Now in nature, we have but darke principles, and therefore we cannot draw things certainly: but in godlines, there are ſuch principles, that every thing in the Goſpell, is called cleare demonſtration. Demonſtration, that is, when a man ſets forth a thing, when he proves a thing eſſentially, and infallibly: demonſtrations are infallible, if they be truly and clearly drawne: So then the meaning of it is, that all the principles of the Goſpell they are cleare, and plain; they are demonſtrations, infallible to a ſpirituall mind: a carnall man may doubt of them, but wee ſpeak wiſedome to them that are perfect.
Thirdly, and laſtly, the facultie of the ſoule whereby we do apprehend this light, and in which we retain theſe principles, it is a great deal more exlent. I ſay the facultie, that is the ſpirituall minde: for I told you before, there were three minds, This ſpirituall minde is nothing elſe but the new Spirituall mind what.Creature; there is in a Chriſtian the old Creature and the new Creature; and the Scripture ordinarily calls it the old man, and the new man.
What is the new man?
Nothing in the world, but God puts as it were a new underſtanding in him; that is, he puts a new light in his underſtanding, and frames his underſtanding to be capable of that new light. For the minde we have naturally cannot receive ſpirituall things. Therefore it is not only a new quality, there is ſomthing more, or elſe God would not call it the new man, but the new quality, which he doth no where in Scripture; the Lord frames in the ſoule a capabillity, a faculty to apprehend and reaſon upon Spirituall things; and this is called the new man, and this comes from Jeſus Chriſt, and his holy Spirit, and is upon the growing hand more and more.
Now the other facultie, the naturall facultie, is corrupt with luſts. The old man is corrupt. And when I ſay the old man, you muſt take the naturall Old man what.man, as well as the ſinfull man. The old man is corrupt; what is that? he is corrupt, that is, he is rotten, How comes he to be rotten? He is corrupt by reaſon of the luſts of it: As it is with Timber, it would continue a long time, if it have not rayne come upon it, but if rayne fall on it, it makes it decay: ſo the naturall mind, the naturall Sin corrupts the naturall faculties.facultie in Adam before he ſinned was great deale more cleare, and therefore Adam was a better naturaliſt then any man, then all the men in the world; Adam was a better Navigator, a better Phiſitian, a better any thing. But as ſinne raiſed the Law of God out of mans heart, ſo ſinne begun to rot, and corrupt the naturall excellencies of man, as his mind, &c. and that right reaſon that Adam had before his fall, you ſee how he did name all the creatures, and what wiſedome he had, but after his fall, ſinne had not been long in him, but he was more corrupt. As you ſee in a houſe where there is a hole in the thatch, if the raine come in but two or three dayes, the Timber will not be much rotted, but in time it will ſpoyle it, So wee ſee after, when ſinne came to increaſe more in the dayes of Cain, man was more tainted; and yet ſurely, then naturall knowledge was more excellent then now it is, for you ſee what inventions they had Gen. 4. of muſick, and building, and Tents, and many things that they invented in Arts.
But you will ſay, it is an eaſie thing to make Tents, and Organs.
It is an eaſie thing to perfect a thing that hath been 5000. yeares finding out, but were you now to find out the thing, it were not eaſie. Now I ſay that ſinne doth rott, and ruſt the nature of man more, and more; and as ſinne gets head more; ſo more, and more it will rot the faculties of man: but the facultie we have in the new man, it is new, it was never tainted; never any drop came into it, to corrupt it: for when God creates the new Creature, he makes it a more excellent peice then he did the old; and this growes more and more: & therefore ſeeing there is clearer light, & excellenter principles & a profounder facultie, there muſt needs be a more bleſſed, and glorious way of reaſoning in a ſpirituall way then in a naturall way. I had thought to have gone over the other two things premiſed; but the time is paſt, and therefore I will only now conclude this with one or two ſhort words of uſe.
And firſt of all, I will here in love admoniſh Uſe 1. Not to reject all reaſon in godlineſſe.you that are the people of God, to take heed of that deviſe of Satan whereby he would perſwade the Saints that there is no reaſon in godlineſſe. Reaſon is a word that is much prejudiced among Profeſſors: and if a man ſpeake of reaſon, they are ready to ſlight it, and ſay, ſhew me Scripture; as if ſound ſpirituall reaſon, and the Scripture, were contrary one to another; they are readie to ſay, what doe you talk to me of reaſon, ſhew me a Text for it: It is true, we muſt not talk of carnall, corrupt reaſon, that is abhominable, nor of naturall reaſon, that is too ſhort; but we may, and muſt in any thing belonging to godlineſſe, take in ſpirituall reaſon, and if it hold not with ſpirituall reaſon, doe not admit of it, let it be what Opinion it will.
Moſt of your wandrings and miſtakes doe ariſe from want of obſerving ſpirituall reaſon: we reject reaſon, and goe and take a place of Scripture, and ſo hand over head goe along, and not deduct things, as Paul, and Abraham did. But beware of this, for there is nothing in godlineſſe, but thon mayeſt find ſound reaſon in it; there is no abſurdity in godlineſſe; abſurdity belongs to wicked men that have not faith. Take heed of rejecting all kind of reaſon in godlineſſe; reject carnall reaſon, and expect godlineſſe to be above naturall reaſon, but if there be not ſpirituall reaſon in what thou doeſt, it is not of God.
Secondly, it is a word of exhortation, or invitation Uſe 2. Invitation to come to Chriſt.to you that are carnall, that you would come in, and receive Jeſus Christ, that you would imbrace Christ, and godlineſſe by him.
Why ſo?
Becauſe there is nothing in nature that may take with man, but there is that, and that in a more excellent way in grace, if men had grace to heed it. You know what takes with men in nature ordinarily, moſt of mankind, are weake, and come not up ſo high as to action, and contempldtion; but you know what takes with them, Riches, and Honour, &c. Now the Scripture tells us, in Chriſt we ſhall in herite all theſe things: ſome affect Liberty, here is that alſo, If the Son make you free, you ſhall be free indeed. And whatſoever men can fancie, ſaith Chriſt, Come, and buy of me gold, and Rayment, and milk, and honey, and Kingdomes, and Crownes, and whatſoever the nature of man is capable of. But there are ſome that feed not upon ſenſuall things, and to tell them of pleaſures, and Honour, and Riches by Chriſt, doth not ſo much take them: but thou art it may be an intellectuall man that studieſt the contemplation of things that belong to the underſtanding if thou Godlineſſe hath that that will exerciſe the intellectuals.wilt come to Chriſt thou ſhalt find ſuch matter for thy underſtanding to work on, rationall things that thou waſt never acquainted with before. There are ſome men if you ſhould give them all the contentments in the World, yet if they had not rationall companie, and Books ſuitable to their underſtanding, you could never content them: for indeed that is a greater delight by farr which is ſuitable to the underſtanding, then that which fits the fancie; and therefore when that is faſtned on, the other will be gone. As a child, when he is a child, he loves tops, and trifles, and the like, but when he comes to be a man he ſlights them. So a man that loves Riches, and Profit, &c. in a naturall way, if he come to ſtudie the Arts, he will ſlight riches. So if ever you will draw the man to godlineſſe, you muſt give him ſomthing that will delight him, delight his intellectualls. Now I ſay, there is that in godlineſse, which all that is in humane Books, is not to be compared to it, it is but ſolly in compariſon. I will inſtance in one place, Pro. 8. 10. 11. 12. VVhere wiſdome doth crie cut in the Streets. The meaning is, Jeſus Chriſt, who is called VViſedome, is inviting poore ſinners to come to him, Receive my inſtruction, (ſaith he) and not ſilver, and knowledge rather then choyce gold. Solomon, or any wiſe man would prefer Inſtruction before gold, and ſilver. For wiſdome is better then Rubies, and all the things that may be deſired are not to be compared to it. Theſe are ſenſuall things, what is there more in a rubie, then a pebble but only the fancie. Now Wiſdome is better then rubies. And wouldeſt thou know where to have this wiſdome? I wiſdome dwell with prudence, or with ſuttlety, as ſome reade it, and find out knowledge of wittie inventions: there are not in all the World ſuch wittie inventions, as there are in godlineſſe.
A Chriſtian finds out more witty inventions in a ſpirituall way in a day, then a hundred naturall men do in all their life time. And inventions in a ſpirituall way, are farre more taking with a man, than thoſe in a naturall way, come to me, and I will give thee knowledge of witty inventions, ſuch matter for thy invention to worke on, as thou never hadſt before, I will diſcover ſuch as ſhall ſatisfie thee. I have knowne one once, that was ready to be diſtracted, becauſe he could ſee nothing in the world that could ſatisfie his underſtanding, he ſaw all the world was but a whirlpoole of vanity, and vexation, and juſt as he was going to turne mad, God let the manifeſtation of Jeſus Chriſt into his ſoule, and that ſatisfied his underſtanding, there was a fit Chriſt only can ſatisfie the underſtanding.ſubject, there was all the choyce reaſonings in the world to work on: there was enough to ſatisfie his will, and to keep him in his wits, and to make him comfortable, and joyfull, or elſe he was confident he ſhould have been diſtracted.
For in naturall things there is a little comfort, but alwayes a man looks upon the back of it, he looks behind it, and ſaith, what ſhall I doe when this is gone?
Now when Jeſus Chriſt comes in, he ſatisfies the ſoule; a man looks not behind Chriſts back to ſay what ſhall I doe, when Chriſt is gone? but he and he only, is enough to ſatisfie a man: therefore art thou a man given to contemplation, and ſtudy Arts, be adviſed by Jeſus Chriſt, this is the way to finde out rare inventions, to come to Jeſus Chriſt, & ſtudy the deep things of the Goſpell, and there thou ſhalt finde out wittie inventions, and deviſes world without end.
One word more, and I have done; laſtly, hence it doth follow clearely, that godly men that are Uſe 3. Godly men the wiſeſt mentruly godly, and ſpirituall. I doe not ſay every paltry hollow-hearted Profeſſor, but a godly ſpirituall man, is the wiſeſt man. Why ſo? Becauſe he hath the moſt excellent, and profound reaſon, he hath a maſſe of rationallity, that the world knowes not of: we may ſay of a godly man, as the Heathen ſaid of a learned man, a learned man hath foure eyes, and the vulgar have but two, ſo a godly man hath three eyes, and a naturall man hath but two, and ſcarce that; a naturall man can reaſon things, but it is with a corrupt, or a naturall eye; but a Saint can reaſon with a ſpirituall eye. Naturall men have but a little darke light in naturall things, but a ſpirituall man can reaſon in naturall things, and in ſpirituall too, Wiſedome is juſtified of her children. If a Plow-man ſhould come to Oxford, and heare their diſputes in Logick, or Mathematicks, he underſtands not the termes, and would thinke that they were mad, yet wiſedome is juſtified of her children; they that know what thoſe Arts are, they will ſay they diſputed very well. So the world condemns godlineſſe, and thinks that godly men are mad men: but Wiſedome is justified of her children. You call it fooliſhneſſe, ſaith Paul, but Wee ſpeake wiſedome to thoſe that be perfect. And therefore you ſhall have the godly uſually when they are deſcribed in Scripture, they are called wiſe men, as it is often Wiſe men in Scripture who.in the Proverbs, the wiſe man and the Foole are put in oppoſition, the one to the other; the wiſe man is the godly man, and the foole is the ſinfull man, let him be as wiſe as he will be. And excellent is that word, 1 Cor. 2. 15. methinkes it is a word that Spirituall man judgeth all things.ſhould take with us, He that is ſpirituall, judgeth all things, yet he himſelf is judged of no man. What is the meaning of that? that is, put a ſpirituall godly man, with any naturall man in the world, let him be never ſo wiſe, he is able to ſee through the naturall man, and to know his principles, by which he goes all along, and the end he aimes at, and what he is like to doe, but the naturall man is not able to judg of his principles. As you ſee he that hath a darke Lanthorne, he can ſee every body as he goes, but no body ſeeth him; and that is the reaſon Why naturall men in place doe little good.that naturall men doe ſo little good in their places, becauſe they cannot diſcerne other men. We have ſeen brave men imployed about actions and deſignes, but they cannot judge ſpiritually, and therefore they doe not proſper; Why? becauſe ſome Flatterer comes, and cheats them; they want their darke Lant horne, a godly man is able to ſee through a naturall man, and to ſee his principles and ends, and as a wiſe man, will fetch it out. He can judge of things naturally, and corruptly, becauſe he hath been ſo himſelf, and he knowes how to iudge ſpiritually, which the other cannot doe. That is the reaſon that a godly man in a Committee, or a few in the Army or Parliament, they can tell how farr other men will goe, and how farre their principles will carry them towards God, or any good worke; Who ſit to be imploid in publick matters.therefore I would to God this poore Kingdome would be wiſe at laſt, that if there be any buſineſſe that requires wiſedome, either in Parliament, or Army, or Committee, or Citty, that they would put in godly men; they have their darke Lanthornes, they can ſee through things, and will not be taken with chaffe as others may: you ſee how God hath proſpered and bleſſed them, and how they have continued conſtant. Therefore I ſay henceforth let us not in any place or buſineſſe looke ſo much to our kindred, or Neighbours, or carnall relations, but that God would teach us to chooſe godly men in all places, they are the only wiſe men, and can judge of all others, and are judged of none; if we doe not thus, I feare we may repent it when it is too late.