Balm for Bleeding England and Ireland, Sermon 15
USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times.
COLOSS. 1.12.
Giving thanks to the Father, [who hath made us meete] to be partakers of that inheritance of the Saints in light.
OUr way is mountainous, every word is wonderfull high; we need wonderfull aide to doe well: I againe beg your Prayers; I prize them above all parts, to facilitate and felicitate my way, make me and your ſelves happy in them: make wings for me to aſcend to Heaven, my Text and worke lies all there. Giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light.
—Who hath made us meete, foreign who hath made us fit or ſufficient. Idoneum facere. Who hath [made, &c. Vox creationis, terminus creandi *Creating and making idem ſonant ſee Gen. 5.1. Doct.eſt. 'Tis a terme of Creation; Grace is another Creation: tis much out of nothing, much made from nothing, by nothing, but by him that is all. Giving thankes to the [Father] who hath [made us meete, &c.
The Image of God in Adam was a piece of the Creation, a peculiar, prime piece, tis noted ſo—In the Image of God made hee him, &c. Gen 5.1. The image of God was the reſult, the ultimate, the gloſſe, the glory of the whole piece; the furtheſt reach, the deſigne propoſed, the top of creating art lay in this*Creating and making idem ſonant ſee Gen. 5.1. Doct. in the likeneſſe of God made hee man &c. This prime piece was loſt, deeply loſt, generation will not reach it, regeneration onelyonly can: the reſult of generation is but mans image nakedly and no more; Gods image is a piece, that beares ſtill upon Creation. Who hath [made] us meete.
One miſerable Creature brings forth another; no Creature makes another good; Men of gifts, have not this gift: men of grace cannot make gracious; The skilfulleſt man cannot ſet another in Chriſt, he muſt be created in. We are created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good workes, &c. Saith the Apoſtle. Men whoſe art and trading lies onelyonly this way, to make gracious, yet theſe cannot; we are but inſtruments by whom men believe, but pipes thorough which grace is conveyed: the fountaine open is Chriſt. He is the fountaine of life; life, and the fountaine thereof; ſpirits bubble and ſpring out of his boſome and blood. Fountaine, 'tis a terme that notes no reception, becauſe none knowen, is uſed by the holy Ghoſt, as Melchiſedeck, to ſet forth a tranſcendent thing, a worke immediatly and onelyonly from God, as Creation was: ſo would the Apoſtle have this word ſound in our eare, which is uſed in my Text, who hath made us meet, who alone (i) hath done this, as he did things at firſt, Cunctis patientibus, every thing laying meerely paſſiue, as the Chaos before him.
The naturall ſpirit is ſtill created; you give Semen ſanguinis & ſemen carnis, but not Semen ſpiritus the ſeed of fleſh and bloud, but not the ſeed of your ſoules, you bring nothing to this glorious worke; not a ſtone, not a duſt to our inmoſt roome; God breathes the ſoule ſtill; if the naturall ſpirit, much more the divine, the holy ſpirit. Gives the holy ſpirit to them that aske it. Grace is another inbreathing, another in ſpiration, upon expiration, ſolemne requeſt as dead; an immediate Act from Gods owne Mouth, as the firſt breathing of the ſoule was; not leaning to or admitting of, any ſubordination or co-ordination. No Father hath grace but God, Giving thankes to the [Father] who hath [made] mee, &c.
The way of grace is via creationis, the way of Creation. The ſpirit moves freely, abſolutely; firſt as it did when it moved upon the Chaos: It workes not in reference to any preceding worke, or ſigne of enducement, much leſſe ingagement: All are under ſinne, dead; a Chaos, and he quickens whom he will: all inducement, is onelyonly from GOD and will. An out roome here below hee would have, and he ſayd let there be this, and let there be that, and it was ſo; and this was the manner of raiſing it: ſo now, a roome he will have here below, more inward from the noiſe of the World, and hee ſayd Ephata, let this window be opened, and let there be light, and 'tis ſo. Veſſels, hee will have for this low roome, and he makes them al himſelfe, according to abſolute will; hee makes one to honour, &c. Terminus creandi eſt, 'tis a terme of Creation, Synonimicall with this in my Text, who hath made us meete (i) by his word, and of his one free wil.
Media gratiae, ordinem creationis ſubeunt.The meanes of grace have the order of Creation, ſtamp'd upon them: Chriſt the great wheele, that turnes all other wheeles of our ſalvation, is made unto us what he is, and made of God.—Who of God is made unto us, wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, &c. 1 Cor. 1.30. Chriſt is a full Sea indeed, but not a drop to us, but as made of God. So we are made able Miniſters of the new Teſtament, not of the letter but of the ſpirit. Could ſuch a poore man as I, by ſpeaking a while to the eare, turne the heart from ſinne to Chriſt, did not a creating bleſſing ſit on my lips? Divine inſtitutions have the formality of a Creation in them, becauſe they have what they have, and doe what they doe, from ſupreame power onelyonly, above all cauſe and reaſon:Other meanes have their reaſon in them, as a cauſe. Therefore are inſtitutions and meanes of grace here, not ſo much as mentioned, onelyonly the Father, meanes are ſo beſide likelyhood and reaſon, to ſo noble an end, as to make and fit ſoules for Heaven. Giving thankes to the [Father] who hath [made, &c. None elſe worthy to be ſo much as mention'd, in this noble worke.
Grace is a Creation,Creatio, & talis creatio' and 'tis ſuch a Creation, there is Creatio tranſiens, & continuans. Grace is a continued Creation. The Father workes [hitherto] and I worke; hee ſpeakes of Gods working grace, under the motion of Creation, and in that very phraſe, that wee ſhould call the working of grace, a Creation. The Creation of the World ceaſed in ſo many dayes,Tranſiens and God reſted from that labour, and doth ſtill, but the the Creation of grace laſts, hithertoo; 'tis the worke of the Trinity to this day without reſting, and how long yet further 'twill be, whether to the end of the externall Creation, I cannot ſay. The Word of God is a lively word, it hath a ſpirit in it: this is the worke of the Trinity ſtill, to put ſpirit into the Word, to make living words, and ſo living ſoules. So the workes of God are lively workes; what God does, 'has a voice; the ſtaffe, a voice; all that God ſayes, and does, all his words and works, they are made lively, that is, breathing and forming eternall life in man, by a tranſcendent concurrence of Father, Son and holy Ghoſt; the firſt is here mention'd, to wit, the Father, the reſt are to be underſtood, to wit, the Sun & the holy ghoſt; the workes of the Trinity ad extra are not to be divided. Giving thankes to the [Father] (i) to Father Sonne and Holy Ghoſt. Who hath [made] us meete, &c. Under this terme made, the Word of God and workes of God are meant as meanes, for he ſpeakes in the foregoing Verſe of ſufferings which attend truth, which are al conducing to this noble end to fit man for God.
Grace, 'tis a new Creation;Nova. a Creation that makes old things paſſe away, things as old as the old Creation, and then things to become new. 'Tas deſtruction in it, and then erection and edification; it takes away and then ſets up; it deſtroyes ſinnes, which are old things, as old as the Devill, and then ſets up grace; takes away the ſtone, and then builds with fleſh, this is the faſhion and manner of building within: kils the old man, and then makes a new; new light, new love, this makes a new heart, a new Creature, a new man. Who hath [made] us, &c. (i) who hath made us againe, who hath made us anew.
Grace is a hid Creation:Abſcondita. 'tis formatio ſecreta — our life is hid. Know'ſt thou the way of the ſpirit in man? 'tis as the way of a Bird in the Aire, 'tis as the way of the wind in the Earth, very unknowne;Inviſibles ſtellae. A new name which none knowes but he that hath it. 'tis meate to eat which the World knows not of, no, which Chriſtians know not of. One Chriſtian doth not know what meate another Chriſtian hath at his Table, nor how ſweete; not what gueſts, nor how merry together: J have meate to eate which [yee] know not of. A Chriſtian is bound in the ſpirit, and cannot ſee the girdle; raiſed high, and cannot ſee the hand; taught wiſdome ſecretly, and like Samuel cannot tell the voice; warmed, and cannot deſcribe the fire; the ſoule as in Heaven, and yet in the body, and then whether in the body or out of the body, cannot tell. As there is killing without hand, ſo there is making alive without hand, without any ſeene, or to be diſcerned. Trees have their ſap and ſeed in them; their ſap and life is hid, it creepes up under the barke, and puts out gloriouſly, but very ſecretly, and unexſpreſſibly, beyond all demonſtration: ſo is the way of grace, and the working of the ſpirit of God in man.
Interna.Grace is an internall Creation, it makes a new heart, and a new ſpirit: 'tis glory within, tis bones broken, not fleſh and ſet againe and made glad: 'tis a heart prickt, wounded, and heal'd, not a head. Grace 'tis the foreſkin of the heart taken away; a Jew inwardly: 'tis great hammering, & yet no noyſe heard, 'tis ſo inwardly; a cry, but none heard in the ſtreetes, tis in ſuch inroomes: 'tis not onelyonly the hand without put forward, but the watch-wheeles within, ſet right to the ſun. Grace 'tis Anima indiviſibilis the ſoule broken all to pieces by ſupreame power, and curiouſly by the ſame power, ſet together againe. Grace is glory within, a roome of royall repoſe private: 'tis Chriſt in the heart of the Earth: the Kingdome of God is within us. The words which Chriſt ſpeakes they are ſpirit and life, ſo are all his workes, which now he workes, they are ſpirit and life (i) of life upon the ſpirit: hee hath done all his workes without doore, all his worke now is within, ſpirit upon ſpirit; not a worke more ſhould be wrought now, were it not to make influence upon the ſpirit. The ball and fleſh of the eye is made, all the worke now is about the pupilla, the nerves and Chryſtall faculties within, to make it ſee well, and farre off, as farre as Heaven.
Finally,Tota. grace is an univerſall Creation. In the firſt Creation all was good, ſo in the ſecond, all is good, all thinges become new. In the firſt, all was wonderfull good, good, good, very good; ſo all things in the new Creation are wonderfull good [behold] all things are become new,Tob, tob. Tob Meod. a new heart, a new tongue, a new joy, new hand, new foote, all new—A new Creature, not a new limbe onelyonly; all new, all good, wonderfull good [behold] All things are become new. The firſt Creation made the great World, all of it fit for Gods delight; the ſecond, makes the little World ſo, all fit for Gods delight; it makes, one Chriſtian, all Chriſtians all over, fit to to be partakers of an inheritance, the higheſt, the pureſt, the wonderful'ſt, —In light who hath made us meete to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light.
Ʋſe. I can ſtand upon this point, and ſee double miſery at many mens doors, plain. There is marring without, what making is there within? pulling downe without, what ſetting up within? killing without, what making alive within? deſtruction without, what ſalvation within? God is making bodies ſuitable to ſoules; temporall ſtates ſuitable to ſpirituall, to make that within ſpeake it ſelfe, in this without. Ah Lord! What totall ruine! What double what damnable deſolation, ſhall wee ſee! Name, State, Body, all made like unto the foule, all mar'd, and ruin'd.
Sinners your utter undoing time is come, you will have nothing ſet up within, you ſhall have all pull'd downe without and within; you will not have your ſoules made better, you ſhall have ſoule and body, all made worſe. A blind, lame, ruin'd ſoule will content you, will a blind, lame ruind, body content you too? you ſhall have this too; as much ruining, marring, deſolating as you will; none of us will ſee our inward eſtate, till God write it out at large in our outward; Englands plague, every mans plague is in this. God hath driven a high calling of ſoule making, in this Land many a yeare: but no man hath regarded it; this hath thruſt him upon body-marring, and ſpoyling of al, ſinners you looke not to the cauſe of your miſery. Every man complaines, hee is undone, in this and that, why O Plaintiffe, is not thy ſoule undone? did'ſt not thou play the Cavalier firſt, and ſpoyld'ſt God, conſcience, thy ſoule? Does not all lie ruinate within? have they not done ſo long? Is it much to thee that a few ſheepe, cattell and goods lie ruin'd, and waſted without, and is it not thought of by thee yet, what ruins are within? Why? thou ſhalt be more deſolate, moſt deſolate, marr'd quite, till thou better looke after ſoule-making. You kill the ſpirit, kill your conſciences, kill every good thought, and what looking after making alive? Shall bad onelyonly live and do well, no, God will kill that too; you have kil'd all good, God will kill all bad; If you bee ſet upon ruining, reſolved upon ruinning, God wil reſolue ſo too.
My great errand from the point in hand is, to ſoules ruined, and ruinous. The one will reſpect the wicked, the other the godly, and ſo we ſhall carry on, what wee have to ſay. I will give you ſome principles demonſtrative of a ſtate ruined, and then of a ſtate ruinous. The firſt principle demonſtrative, of a ſtate ruined is this, Not obſerving eſtate: The dead heed nothing. Confuſion, is every where, and no where: much and nothing; bad at any thing that is good; worſt of all, at obſerving it ſelfe: can abide no where, ſtudy no where, leaſt at home. Confuſion hath eyes but none in her head, they are in her heeles, at the ends of the Earth: —Eyes, but ſee not; great parts, but of no through uſe; good parts, but had ſtill in their uſe. Let things go as they will, as they can, this is confuſions order: lets drive things as farre as they'l goe, have our will as long as we can, all goe as 'twill at laſt: that's a ruind ſoule. Proſperous things obſerve themſelves, lick themſelves, moult themſelves, caſt their feathers, pick and ſet their feathers; things that decay and die, heed nothing, neither themſelves, nor any elſe. A ruin'd Soule lets all things runne to ruine, lookes to no thing till all be loſt.
Not obſerving eſtate, 2 Not caring to doe it. A ruin'd ſoule is careleſſe. A man broke and undone, cares, not to caſt up acounts. A ruin'd ſoule hath no eyes, no heart to good: nothing will ſtir the dead, no eye pitied thee, ſaith God, no eye? What not the mans owne? no, there are no bowels in a ruin'd ſoule, to it ſelfe. What ſhall I do to be ſaved? There is not ſuch a heart panting to be heard, in a ruind ſoule. The heart is a ſtone, the man a dead dog, a Nabal, dead alive; others muſt move for his good, hee has no heart; if David kil Nabals body, and God kill Nabals ſoule, ſo if God plague Pharaoh, Moſes muſt pray, Pharaoh cannot; if Elimas be in the gall of bitterneſſe, Paul muſt pray, Elimas has no art, no heart to it. A ruin'd ſtate is man without a heart, a heart without God; no love to it ſelfe as eternall.
Troubled with truth conſcience, friends which call to ſelfe obſervation. A ruin'd ſoule hath no good principle, but many bad, if theſe would mak't up: 'tis not good, 'twill not be good, 'twill not be tempted with the meanes: Chriſtians are Hypocrites; preaching, prating, foliſhneſſe; Chriſtianity, preciſeneſſe; meanes of grace kick't at, if not ſuitable to humor. Selfe-will rules every ruin'd ſoule, and yet this is very froward: froward wil, filthy affection, baffl'd light, fleſh leading the ſpirit; doth ſo, ſhall do ſo, till both fall into the ditch, into Hell: Ah Lord! Now all is ruin'd indeed! Can it ever be repaired? will Hell ever give up her dead, to Heaven? A ruin'd ſtate, hath two infallible Charters, pride and malice; theſe are the two black ſpots of a deadly plague in the heart; theſe are the lungs, by which the old man breathes out it ſelfe: theſe, the poyſon of the Toade, which ſpeake him infallibly.
Theſe are principles demonſtrative of a ruined ſtate. I will now give you ſome principles demonſtrative, of a ſtate ruinous. All is well yet, I have many ſlips as others have; but I got up againe; fall often, but neck not broke yet; this is al the reliefe, that things are not paſt reliefe: this is a ruinous ſoule. Evidence is blur'd, but the man can make a ſhift to read a little, and that little is enough: halter about's, neck, but not yet turn'd of; conſcience charges home within, but judgements yet do not ſecond home without, therefore all is wel: this is a ruinous condition: houſe almoſt quite downe, and the Land-Lord thinkes 'tis wel, as long as any piece of the foundation, can be found. A ruinous ſtate, is not affected with it ſelfe▪ but with utter ruine; if it can keepe off there, 'tis well. A ruin'd, ſoule can beare ruins, al that is dreaded is deſolation, Hell: ſurely there is much or Hell in this heart already, he doth ſo onelyonly feare Hell, and as long as hee keepes on thus, 'twil increaſe. Scratching is nothing, wounding nothing, bleeding nothing, if it can be ſtay'd, ere all be out. All bad to day, worſe to morrow, all the reliefe that keepes up is I hope not ſtarke naught: I hope ſo too, but ſurely this is onward a pace to it.
All will be better, though little or nothing done to better what's amiſſe: this is a ſecond principle demonſtrative, of a ſtate ruinous. A ruinous ſoule is idle: his induſtry lies in ſhifts to evade, not in care to amend. Times will turne and be better, though the heart keepe on as it was, and the man in his old pace. Something is in the view of ſenſe, and this ſtrongly cleaved to; what tender hearts feare, is but feare; he believes ſtil what is neare hand, and ſhapd by the laſie fancy: a ruin'd ſoule is ſenſuall, as long as he can ſee or feele, he is never without hope though luſt every houre, baffle his light, and make a knowing man an evil doer, a man of light a walker in darkeneſſe. What a ſtate is this? can any condition come worſe then this, which this man is in? He can thinke of no bleeding, and yet his ſoule has ſcarce a drop of good bloud left; of no miſery, and yet ſcarce any can be more miſerable, then hee is already; good ſtill in his own eye, and yet ſtil bad, and does nothing to amend. The puniſhment of neglect, is upon this man; when troubles were far of, hee did nothing to prepare for them, now they are neare, he is left to apprehend none; Juſtice is in this, that the man may eate the fruit of his way. A ruinous ſoule, growes ſtil more ruinous: Juſtice hides opportunites, or denies ſtirrings to take them, for abuſe of ſo many, that ſhe may take folly naked, with a ſtinging rod.
Things are better with me yet then with ſuch a one. A ruinous ſoule compares himſelfe, with more ruinous; bad with worſe, which is the way to be ſtarke naught. One would thinke it ſad reliefe to a Leper, to heare him ſay, I am not ſo al over Leprous yet, as ſuch a one, when tis natural to the diſeaſe, to riſe to this upon every one. One would think it ſad reliefe, for a man to ſay to himſelfe, ſuch a one is going to Hell a little faſter then I.A ruinous ſoule is baſe, he maks baſe, and not noble ſpirits his patterne, that he may keep on his way, to ſerve his luſt. He goes as neare a down right worlding, a downe right time ſerver, as hee can; there is ſo much income to accomodate an engaged heart this way, over there is in nobility of ſpirit. A ruinous ſoule is a dunghil, kept from ſtinking in every ones noſtrils, and thats all. When hee begins to ſmel ſtrong, the ſhift is, ſmel to ſuch a one, he does this and that. A ruinous ſoule lives within the confines of Hell, to gaine Earth: 'tis a piece much below his allowance; hee wil be judged with the World in this life, hee wil have a Hell here,—ſcarce bee ſaved, ſeeme to come ſhort of eternal reſt; hee wil be ſaved by fire; A fiery ſalvatiō, an helliſh heaven, wil be to this man: he wil be dragged by the heeles, out of his baſeneſſe.
Having given theſe principles of diſcovery, attend to your charge. I charge you ruined and ruinous ſoules, with al the ruines of England. Ye deſolate ſoules, yee have deſolated a glorious Land; the cry of bloud and deſolation is againſt you, what do you do to diſcharge your ſelves? yee ruined, do you ſti…l lie weltering in your bloud, to procure more bloud? yee ruinous, do yee meane to continue cold, luke-warme, and baſe ſtill, till God ſpues us out all? the bloud of all be upon you: I waſh my hands, from the bloud of every baſe ſoule. Know that you have a ſeaſonable word, your miſery ſleeps not, which have made ſo many miſerable, by your baſeneſſe. If you plead, you would be better, if you could; why? God can make you better. Your wil is your worſt piece, and you thinke 'tis the beſt. You have no minde to be better; becauſe to be better wil not ſo wel ſerve your turne: Had you had a wil to be better, could you have rub'd, along ſo baſe, til now? that judgement ſtates you in the Face?
Creating and making power hath but three hinderances, 1. Ʋnbeliefe. 2. Frowardneſſe, 3. Beſottedneſſe, it never failes elſe, to make any man meete to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light.
Creating power workes in order to believing: as a man credits Chriſt, ſo hee puts forth power to caſt out Devils; Chriſt wil have the honour of judgement, ere he wil make towards a man. Judge highly and honorably of Chriſt, and he wil viſit you, and ſhew you what an arme hee hath, and how poſſible your ſtate is to him. If you judge that he can make you cleane, he wil honour your judgement and fulfill your Faith. Chriſt wil be to you in action, what you make him in apprehenſion; not a dram of your faith ſhall faile you. If you believe that he can remove mountaines, he wil do it; that he can create a new heart, hee wil do it. Your faith puts you into a capacity of a Creation, Creation puts you into a capacity of any thing; what can be wanting, to him that ſtands, under the bleſſing of a creating power?
Creating power workes in order to ſubmiſſion Stubbornneſſe gets nothing at Chriſts hands, but blowes. A man muſt lay his ſoule at Chriſts Feete, and let him doe with it what he wil; that would be made happy by him. Pride is reſiſted; a pitifull condition muſt be pitifully layd open, and then bowels beate. Son of David have mercy upon me and then ſaith Chriſt what wilt thou? Any thing now.
Finally creating power workes in order to ſenſe. A beſotted ſoule abides ſo: he is what he is in conceit; hee dies ſo; good opinion keepes him bad, leaves him ſo to death. The rich need nothing; they have nothing, to make them better. They have all, what needs a Creation? making power is put forth upon extreamity, ſharpe ſenſe: men and brethren what ſhall I do? Now Chriſt beſtirres himſelfe, and does ſomething indeed, to make a miſerable Creature happy, partaker of an inheritance.
The riches of the Saints is in this point, I will touch this and conclude. Your mercies do not generate, Generation kils, it caries away ſo much of the ſtrength of the reines; they are created, created power is omnipotent, everlaſting; ſo it makes Chriſtians mercies. Generatio eſt limitatio; fertur ad quoddam tale, ad individuum tale. Generation ſpeakes limitation, it ſpeaks reſtraint to ſuch a ſpecies, to ſuch kind of things, and no other. Creatio eſt illimitatio fertur ad omnia. Creation ſpeakes, illimitation, boundleſſe proceſſe; you may have what you wil, that ſtand under the bleſſing of this power. You ſtand in a capacity of al; what would you be, that creating power cannot raiſe you to? I am [made] all things to all men, ſayes the Apoſtle; making power makes a generall Chriſtian. [make] me to heare joy and gladneſſe ſayes the Pſalmiſt. No bleſſing too big for making power, twil make joy and gladneſſe in the moſt bleeding ſoule, Heaven in Hell.
FINIS.