Balm for Bleeding England and Ireland, Sermon 20
USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times.
COLOSS. 1.12.
Giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us meete to be partakers, of the Inheritance of the [Saints] in light.
TIs conſiderable, how Chriſt makes his will: how hee diſpoſes of all, where hee gives moſt: where he caſts his beſt bleſſings, to wit, in the boſome of the beſt perſons. Heaven is the inheritance of Saints.
Doct. Divine fruition is ſtill made according to capacity. Men many times give place and honor, where there is no capacity nor fitneſſe, but Chriſt never doth. Chriſt brings not hell to Heaven; wickedneſſe inherits wrath, grace onelyonly inherits glory. Heaven is hell, to a depraved ſtate. As guilt ſhunes Juſtice, ſo doth ſinne holineſſe. A wicked man would not be where ſinne is puniſhed, nor where grace is onelyonly practized; He is as unwilling to Heaven as to hell, yet to one he muſt. Chriſt caſts hell upon many againſt their will, but Heaven upon none, but upon ſuch who are both willing and capable. Holineſſe makes capacity of happineſſe, purity will boſome purity: Chriſt puts no Toads in his boſom, but Saints—Inheritance of Saints, &c.
Corruption cannot inherit incorruption: Heterogeneals will not incorporate. Choyce flowers will not grow by ſtinking weeds. Capacity is abſolutely neceſſary, reſpecting the inheritance above. If Sinners would into Heaven, they cannot. Light and darkeneſſe are inconſiſtent: Fire and water oppoſe: God and ungodly men cannot live neare, Juſtice will fight it out with ſinne to the death. Without holineſſe man cannot ſee God; without this, God cannot endure to ſee the man. There be thouſands and ten thouſands in Heaven but not one ſinner amongſt them all; the Land will not beare Snakes, Toades, Serpents, no poyſonous creatures, only Saints.—Inheritance of Saints.
Juſtice makes exact diſtinction. Sheep and Goates though many, yet all parted; Not a Goate upon Chriſts right hand. Every attribute is exact at it's Office: mercy brings her children from the foure winds of the Earth, to Heaven, and leaves not one ſhort, nor brings not one over. Juſtice gathers her brats too from the foure Winds, and leaves not one for any higher preferment then hell will afford—The Lord knowes who are his, that's the Seale of Heaven; A Seale is for exact diſtinction. What a ſeale is unto us for exact diſtinction, that is Chriſts knowledge to him; hee doth as firmely, as laſtingly, as exactly diſtinguiſh by vertue of this, all perſons in the World as wee doe by our ſeales and Markes diſtinguiſh amongſt multitudes of things. Though the devill have many thouſands here below, and Chriſt but a few, and theſe tumbled up and downe amongſt the wicked; yet Chriſt knowes which is which, and who are his: And onelyonly his ſhall have all hee hath, Saints inherit.
God moves in relation. Children only inherit, bond ſervants have a little and turned off when their time is out. —If children, then heires: joynt heires with Chriſt. This Hypotheſis is a Theſis onelyonly in a Saint: Hee is a child of God out of queſtion; the nature of God is only manifeſt in a Saint. A holy man plainly and without controverſy ſpeakes out himſelfe to be a Sonne of God. Jus legale carries the inheritance to him. The wicked are of their father the Devill, they may not lay claime to Heaven upon paine of hell. If they touch the tree of Life, they die; when they promiſe Heaven, wrath then ſmokes, and hell never ſo neare as now. Bondſlaves doe not inherit, nor baſtards doe not inherit, the caſe is the ſame of either reſpecting Heaven. No Baſtard Chriſtians, no Baſtard Saints, but Saints indeed, inherit.
Vſe. Let every man looke to his ſanctity: It doth not merit, but it doth entitle to the inheritance? If children, then heires. A man may looke into his boſome, and tell what he ſhall be for eternity. Know your hearts, and know them throughly, you cannot doe well elſe. 'Tis death to mee, to ſmell the breath of ſome of you, your inwards are ſo rotten, and yet I feare, I feare, you take notice of nothing. My Quaere to you all is, what have you to take to for eternity? Heaven? How doe you make that good? Can you make demonſtration of a holy ſtate? Yes, I live juſtly; I pray to God; I heare his Word. This is not infallible demonſtration of ſanctity. Civill conſcience calls and thruſts to all theſe, as 'tis ſo principled and under ſuch a government. A man may be juſt to men, and not juſt to GOD. Heathens have beene as juſt, as any of you all: That yong man which came to Chriſt, when the Law was read hee ſhould not kill, nor ſteale, but love his Neighbour, &c. All this have J done from my youth.. He was exact for Juſtice, and yet but in a ſorry ſtate for Heaven, if one may bel…eve his owne words. Drawing neare to God in duties, is a better demonſtration of ſanctity, and yet this may be done with the lips, when the heart is far from God. They draw neare, and ſit before mee as my people (ſaith God) But their hearts goe after their covetouſneſſe. A mans devotion may be hot for the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord; And yet himſelfe the Temple of the devill; ſtrict for new moones and ſolemne feaſts, and Gods ſoule loath all, both men and their devotion.
There is blind devotion, profane holineſſe: I will give you two or three principles demonſtrative of it, for I feare there are ſome deluded ſoules amongſt you.
Out-ſide holyneſſe, how ſplendid ſo ever it lookes, is profane holineſſe. The heart denominates action. The Phariſee was for Temple praying, for lifting up of eyes, and hands, but no heart; A meere image drawne out in ſuch a poſture, with his eyes and hands inclining upwards, and Chriſt made baſeneſſe of this beſt piece. God is worſhipped in ſpirit; If holineſſe reach not this, 'tis groſſe profaneneſſe. Holineſſe, is ſpirit yielding to ſpirit; bad, to good: 'Tis a pure heart, a heart captivated with Chriſt, and ſpending it ſelfe upon him. Holyneſſe, 'tis everlaſting doores within, doores of the ſoule, that everlaſting thing, opened to a King of glory. Tis affection catched with truth; one ſpirit bound by an other, a bad ſpirit by a good, and carried whither that liſt. It is a flame, and an Angell aſcending in it; A ſpirit a fire, and aſcending upward; A man upon his knees, and his heart upon his lips, taking riſe for Heaven, from this advantage.
Profane holyneſſe, is holineſſe meerely formall; piety ſuited to policy, to things on this ſide Chriſt and truth. My father did ſo, my grand-father did ſo, the moſt doe ſo; therefore 'tis beſt to doe ſo, and 'tis idle to doe otherwiſe. Many mens ſanctity, is a meere piece of antiquity, A humour to weare ſuch an old faſhion. No devotion but Schiſme, that is not in this old habit; No holineſſe but faction, that cannot be claſp't up, within the covers of a Common-Prayer Booke. Wedneſdayes and Frydayes, the onelyonly dayes for Prayer; The printed liturgy, an onelyonly forme for Prayer Ah Lord! What? is Biſhops holineſſe, onelyonly bleſſed holineſſe? Did not their bloudy zeale lie here? What a curſe is blind devotion! The things that dame them, are deare! True holineſſe is regulated by truth, and not by perſons nor time. Sanctifie them with thy truth, thy word is truth, ſaith Chriſt? Sanctity is made by truth, Gods truth; Gods truth is his word: his words are truth; Thy word is truth; not Biſhops words, nor any mans word, to ſquare holyneſſe by. Holineſſe is motion from Chriſt, to Chriſt. A ſoule taking riſe from truth, and ſo going to God, making Gods Word, Gods way to himſelfe.
Profane holineſſe, is faithleſſe; meere action reſted on. The perſon takes his goodneſſe from his workes, when hee hath to doe with me, yea, when he hath to doe with God for life, God [I] thanke thee, I am not as other men. Why? I doe this and that. His owne menſtruous ragges, his robes in which he glories. When the talke is about Heaven, the eye is upon workes: have I not done this and that, &c? Doing muſt make ſaving, or elſe no doing.—What ſhall I doe to be ſaved? And becauſe 'twould not doe that way, hee gets gone. Juſtice of action, makes not Juſtice of perſon; did ſo, but does not now: few men are practically cleere in this point, which makes great meaſures of holineſſe, ſinking and damning wickedneſſe. Motion by rule, does not reach rule; men come ſhort in Juſtice of action, and yet this muſt be their holineſſe. Much holineſſe in mans eye, is none in Gods. You call ſaints, which God calles divells. A man in his own righteouſneſſe, is as black as hell in Gods Eye. Chriſt is our ſanctification. Sanctity is Chriſt advanced to rule and ſave; ſoule and all given up to him, to be ordered and bleſſed: life ordered to his approbation here, perſon and life left wholly to him, for commendation above. Holineſſe, tis love become divine, and making with all her might to pleaſe Chriſt, that in him ſhee may be well pleaſing to the father. Holineſſe goes through two hands, but the laſt gives it, its formality & denomination: In us tis duty, in Chriſt tis ſanctity properly: wee give every good thought, word, and worke, a rough ſhape, Chriſt, a full form. We mar things, Chriſt makes both them and us.
If theſe things have made any diſcovery, let every one call himſelfe as he is. There are but two ſorts of men with God, holy and prophane, Saints and wicked. 'Tis hard to bring men, to rank themſelves right. The worſt will not owne their condition, nor their place; no Officer of Chriſt, can make them keep rankes with evill doers, and expect their inheritance; wherefore theſe are the two things that I would a little preſſe upon ſinners. Sinners, honour truth and confeſſe your ſtate. Lay hands on a bad heart, and bring it forth to the great ſearcher of ſecrets, and charge it with its owne. My heart is wicked, my perſon abominable, my ſtate damnable. Sinners can yee thus judge your ſelves? No. Why? Then you will be judged of the Lord. What a man will not lay hands on and bring forth to God, God will judge it where it lies; the ſinne you keepe cloſe, ſhall burne in your bones; David found it ſo; ſhall not a wicked man, much more? Hee that hideth his ſinne, hardens his ſoule, and hardens GOD to cut it off; hee can never proſper. Hypocriſie diſcovered by truth, and the man not owne it? Ah Lord! Grace is fruſtrated, Juſtice onelyonly muſt goe to worke upon this ſoule. Tis dreadfull to mee to thinke, what ſhuffling ſome make, to beare up before the light that condemnes them: you make a halter for your owne neckes in this, to be diſpatch't quickly. You fight with light, becauſe yee love darkeneſſe; what doe yee thinke will be the end of this? You make fuell for conſuming fire, to flame forth againſt you.
Owne your ſtate; call evill, evill. Expect your inheritance. As a man is, ſo hee has. Dignity goes according to quality ſtill with God The wicked inherit wrath. An hypocrites fortune lies all in a lake, and that Lake hath no fiſh in it, but Serpents: no water in it, but fire: no fire for uſe, but fire to choke fire and brimſtone. In the lap of Delilah, fancy workes goldenly: men devoted to pleaſe themſelves, fancy befooles them, they expect nothing but brave things: but believe the holy ghoſt, an hypocrites hope will periſh. Yee unholy ſoules. What doe yee looke for now? Doe yee not frame your expectation, ſui table to your fortune? Doe yee looke for any thing now, but a ſword for your bodies, and a hell for your ſoules? This is very conſiderable, There is not any reliefe, allowed an ungodly man. Expectation is to be torture to the wicked, as well as preſent dealing. Hee may not comfort himſelfe in hope, when in preſent diſtreſſe. Tell him his hope (ſaith the holy Ghoſt) ſhall be as the giving up of the Ghoſt: as his ſtate is, ſo let his thoughts worke; let not one thought bring in reliefe to him, no, not thoſe which goe furtheſt off, and take in longeſt time to doe it; let not any thoughts, no, let not one thought, goe forth in hope to relieve this man. Expectation is the proper reliefe of Saints, therefore are they called ſo often to hope in God. Other mens hearts muſt breake, when their Eſtate breakes; their thoughts for the future muſt be more burdenſome, then their ſtate for the preſent is miſerable, to thinke what is behinde yet: tis bad, 'twill be worſe; I am in hell, I ſhall be in another, bigger. Conſcience burnes already, 'twill burne worſe; I ſhall goe from burning to burning. Can yee thus make expectation ſuitable to fortune?
Sinners, can yee expect hell? Can yee pleaſe your ſelves, with the expectation of ſuch an inheritance? None elſe may yee lawfully looke for. If yee like not this, mend your manners. Look after a ſanctifyed condition.
Sanctity is a ſupreme birth. Now are yee cleane through the Word which [J] have ſpoken unto you. John 15.3. Cleanſing words, fall onelyonly from CHRISTS Mouth. His breath is emollient, opening, and looſening of filth about the breaſt and heart. OnelyOnly ſupreme Majeſty, can over-maſter a looſe ſoule. Man cannot make you holy, Ordinances cannot: Chriſt onelyonly cleanſeth Lepers. [I will] bee thou cleane. The Plague of the heart hath but one Phyſitian; hee unuſed, and 'tis irrecoverably mortall. Of what price is Chriſt with you, yee prophane ſoules? Doe yee hang about him as an onelyonly Phyſitian? As he alone, that hath ſoule cleanſing niter…? Or doe yee lie in your filth, and ſtudy one ſinne to drive out the ſenſe of another, and ſay you are cleane, when more filthy? Ah Lord! Will dirt fetch out dirt? Will addition, make no number? Will adding to ſinne, make no ſinne? This filthy wretch is ſentenced: he has his ſecret doome, Let him be filthy ſtill.
Sanctity, 'tis a free birth. The Sunne filles the world with riches, ſmilingly. 'Tis meate and drinke to Chriſt, to make bad ſoules good; the worſt, beſt: to forgive much, that they may love much. Grace falles from Heaven, as freely as dew—thou haſt the dew of thy youth. The laver of Regeneration coſt Chriſt deare, and yet hee waſhes ſinfull ſoules with it, for nothing. Hee bathes ſoules in his bloud for nothing. Vertue goes from him for nothing, to cure iſſues. Vertue is [gone] from mee, &c. Healing vertue makes to it ſelfe leggs, and goes of it ſelfe to relieve diſtreſſed: it boiles, runs over, and runs out it ſelfe, and quenches ſtrong fire which would burn the ſoule.
'Tis a facile birth. The wind blowes where it liſts. Chriſt can doe what hee liſt within, as you can ſet your mouth, and blow, and breath, this way or that way, as you liſt. 'Tis nothing to Chriſt to waſh a black-Moore white; to make ſcarlet ſinne white; to fetch out filth in graine. Chriſt quickens whom he will; hee can will you cleane. When the ſtrong man comes hee takes him and binds him, &c. Saith the Scripture. 'Tis nothing to Chriſt to take the ſtrong'ſt man, and binde him; to throw downe, and throw out the ſtrongeſt luſt. The ſtrong man is no man to Chriſt. Chriſt can with his finger caſt out Divells. If I by the finger of God caſt out Divels.
'Tis a full birth. One grace cannot be had without another; no grace, without all Chriſt. All Chriſt is our ſancti…y. Yee cannot have the ſtreame, unleſſe yee have the fountaine. Yee cannot have a beame of the Sun, unleſſe the Sun be yours. Tis in vaine to talke of holineſſe, till Chriſt be owned by faith. Chriſt made ours, makes us. Faith fetches him, that brings down, and brings in all to the ſoule. Chriſt is a troop of vertues. Behold a troope comes, when he comes. Behold he comes, if yee believe. Sinners, can yee believe in the Son of God? Can yee reſigne up all to him, which is all holy; if ſo, he will make you all holy; without this, he will not. Chriſt is holyneſſe all-over, ſo is the ſoule that i… filled with him. Sinners make it your deſigne to get Chriſt, to be holy: get the Sun to be glorious. Saints make it your deſigne to get more of Chriſt to be more holy, Of his fulneſſe [yee] receive, and grace for grace. Chriſt in fulneſſe in the ſoule, makes grace for grace. Twas Simeons ambition to have Chriſt in his armes; to have his boſome full of him: then had he his ſpirit at the fulleſt height, for Heaven. Our ſoules riſe in holineſſe and heavenlineſſe, as Chriſt comes in: all Chriſt come in to the ſoule, and all preſently makes away poſt, to perfect glory: if the King of glory were come in ad ſuam plenitudinem, the ſoule would arrive inſtantly apud ſuam beatitudinem at his full bleſſedneſſe.
FINIS.