Sermons, Sermon 7
THE SEVENTH SERMON.
I. COR. CHAP. II.
verse 10 But GOD hath reuealed them vntounto vsus by His Spirit: for the Spirit ſearcheth all thinges, yea, the deepe thinges of GOD.
verse 11 For what man knoweth the thinges of man, except the ſpirite of a man, which is in him? Euen ſo the thinges of GOD knoweth no man, but the Spirite of GOD.
verse 12 Nowe wee hauehave receaued not the ſpirit of the world, but the Spirite which is of GOD, that wee may know the things that are giuen to vsus of GOD.
THE laſt day, Brethren, we heard a cleare deſcription & commendation of that wiſedome which `Paul ſpake and preached, which is none other, in effect, but this ſame bleſſed EVANGELL that is preached to you. We ſhewed you that there was nothing that might commende a ſcience or wiſedome in this world, but it concurred with him to the commendation, praiſe, and glorie of this wiſdome that is here deſcribed. The author of it is not the world, nor the Princes of the world, but God the maker of the worlde: The ſecrecie of it, was hidden vp in a myſterie ſo manie ages, from the creation to the comming of Chriſt, and manifeſtation of Him in the nature of man: The antiquitie of it, it was predeſtinated from all Eternitie: The end of it, our glorie: The ſublimitie and highneſſe of it, when it was reuealed at the cumming of CHRIST, none of the Princes of this world could vnderſtand it, for if they had known it, they had not crucified the LORD of glorie. The ſubject of it, the thinges which the eye neuer ſawe, the eare neuer hearde, which neuer entered into the heart of man, and yet for all this, prepared for them that louelove the LORD.
Nowe to come to the Text which wee hauehave in hand. It might hauehave bene asked of the Apoſtle, If ſuch thinges as were neuer ſeene, neuer heard of, nor neuer entred into the heart of man, were contained in that wiſdom which he taught, what profite hauehave we by that wiſedome? what profite hauehave wee of the thinges whereof wee are not capable? The Apoſtle meeteth this in the firſt verſe which we hauehave read, But (ſaith hee) God hath reuealed them vntounto vsus by His Spirit: It is true indeed, they paſſe the ſight of our eyes, they ſurmount aboue our hearing, they paſſe the capacitie of our mind, yet that LORD hath dimitted Himſelfe vntounto vsus, & by His Spirit He hath reuealed thoſe things to vsus the ſillie ones of ye world, not to the princes of ye world, but to the ſillie ſimple ones. Hee hath reuealed them not by our ſpirit, but by His owne Spirit. There is the ſumme of the anſwere ſhortlie: He giueth the reaſon in the next part of the verſe, and letteth vsus ſee, that the Spirite of Ieſus is able to reueale all theſe high and hidden things to vsus▪ ſetting out the nature of the Holie Spirit: For (ſaieth hee) the Spirite ſearcheth all thinges, yea, the deepe thinges of God. The Spirite is a ſearcher, and hee is a ſearcher of all things created in Heauen and earth. Nothing can eſcape him, but hee will ſe…rch into the ſecreteſt things in the world, and into the ſecreteſt parts of thine heart. What more? Hee is a ſearcher of the God of glorie Himſelfe, and will pierce into the infinite deepneſſe that is in God. Hee being ſuch a Spirit as this, is he not able to reueal the things whereof wee are not capable? There is the meaning of the whole verſe ſhortlie.
Then we ſee theſe things contained in the Heauenlie wiſedome, as the riches of God in IESVS CHRIST, our remiſſion of ſinne, our juſtification, our regeneration, our ſaluation, and life euerlaſting, euen common thinges which yee heare of daylie, together with Ieſus Chriſt the Mediator, in whome and thorowe whome all thinges are wrought, are the thinges which the eare hath not hearde, nor the eye hath not ſeene, neither hauehave they e…ered into the heart of man. Yet wee ſee that theſe thinges paſſe not ſo the capacitie of man, nor they are not ſo altogether hidden from man, but they are reuealed. And they are reuealed▪ to whom? To them for whom they are prepared. They are reuealed▪ when? euen in this life: there is none for whom they are prepared from all Eternitie, but in this life, before the ſoule goe out of the bodie, they ſhall receiue ſome reuelation and vnderſtanding of theſe ſame things: and thou that getteſt no reuelation of them in this life, and getteſt not a ſight of them ere the ſoule goe out of the bodie, I will ſay to thee, They were neuer prepared for thee: Remiſſion of ſinnes was neuer prepared for thee, Iuſtification before the Tribunall of GOD, Regeneration, Life euerlaſting was neuer prepared for thee. There is not a better token of life after this life, than a blink of life in this life, if it were but a glimmering (for the beſt of vsus hath but a glimmering) a blinke of IESVS Chriſt, and of the graces that are in Him in this life, is the ſureſt token that thou canſt hauehave of the life to come. And by the contrarie, There is not a worſe token of darkeneſſe after this life, than to hauehave thine eyes ſo cloſed, that thou haſt no blinke heere of that life to come. And when thou dieſt, hauing no ſight of the life to come, thou ſhalt die a miſerable catiue, & a faggot for the fire of H…ll.
Let vsus goe forward to the reſt. God hath reuealed them by His Spirit. Now yee ſee heere a reuelation by the Spirit… Marke it: I ſhall tarie ſomwhat vponupon theſe wordes. Yee heard before of a reuelation by the word which is this wiſedome. Now yee heare of a reuelation by the Spirite: It is not enough to receaue a reuelation by the word, though it were neuer ſo faire and ſo ſoundly preached, it will neuer doe thee good, it is nothing but as if thou wouldeſt holde a light before a blinde man, & ſay to him, Man, ſeeſt thou not this light? Wilt thou bid a blinde man judge of colours? thou ſcorneſt him. Euen ſo, all the ſpeaking of the Scriptures vntounto men is but ſcorning of them, except they get this reuelation of the Holie Spirite. What is this reuelation of the Spirit? I ſhall tell you what it is. With that preaching of the worde, which is the firſt reuelation, the Spirite of IESVS commeth downe, and ſeateth Himſelfe in thine eye, & openeth thine eye to ſee the thinges which are ſpoken commeth to thine eare, & openeth thine eare to heare the things which are ſpoken, entreth into thine heart, and maketh thee to conceaue the thinges which thou ſeeſt and heareſt, and maketh thee capable of them, of the which thou art no more capable by nature, than the verie ſtone in the pillar: ſpeak to thee, & to the ſtone, all is alike, till this alteration be made in thy ſoule.
Then, Brethren, There are two reu…lations, The firſt by ye word, when it is preached: The ſecond by the Spirit, when that Holy Spirit concurreth with the word. I will tell you the differēce of them, The firſt will bee common to all: the word is preached alike to all. O! but the other reuelation is not ſo cōmon, but is only made to ſome ſecret ones of ye Lord. That bleſſed Spirit will not light vponupon eueryevery man and woman, but onlie vponupon ſome ſecret perſons, vponupon whom the Lord hath pitie. Wee reade in the 16. Chapter of the Actes of the Apoſtles▪ that there is a meeting of manie: many are gathered together, Paule the Apoſtle the Preacher, hee reuealeth the graces of the worde to all alike: amōg all the reſt we reade of one ſpeciall perſon called Lydia (there was neuer a word ſpokē of the reſt) it is ſaid of her namely, that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia, to receiue that which Paul preached: the Spirit of IESVS opened her heart, not Paul: the Spirit of IESVS only is the reuealer: be neuer content with hearing onelie: fie on thee, if thou thinke thou haſt done enough, when thou haſt ſitten an houre or two, hearing, if thou finde not the ſweet operation of the Spirit to opē thine heart with ſuch a ſweetneſſe as is vnſpeakeable. And therfore fixe not your eyes ſo much on men, as vponupon the Lord, who ſendeth the Spirit, and crie euer▪ Lord, giuegive me ye Spirit, or els all is but wind: bleſſed is that body that getteth the Spirit, for the word will neuer doe good without the Spirit.
Yet I goe forward, and I marke the reaſon: The Spirit ſearcheth all thinges, yea, the deepneſſe of GOD. Theſe are the wordes. There is a great deepneſſe in theſe wordes, if wee could attaine to it. The firſt thing that I take vp heere, is this, Great is that deepneſſe and that profundity that is in our God. Paul, in the 3. chap. to the Epheſ. and the 18. verſe, conſidering that deepeneſſe falleth out in theſe words, That yee, beeing rooted and grounded in louelove, may be able to comprehend with all Saincts, what is the breadth, and length (meaning of God, for He is both broade and long) and the depth (Hee is deepe) and the height (He is high alſo) Infinite in length, infinite in breadth, infinite in height, infinite in deepneſſe, what would yee hauehave? He Himſelfe is (as it were) a bottomleſſe Deepe. There is neuer a propertie in Him, as we call them, but all is an infinite deepneſſe, the wiſedome of GOD, an infinite and endleſſe deepneſſe: His power, an endleſſe deepeneſſe. And therefore the Apoſtle (Rom. 11. 34.) falleth out in an admiration of the deepeneſſe both of the wiſedome, and of the knowledge of GOD.
Well then, Brethren, it is no wonder, albeit it was ſaide in the verſe going before, that the thinges that are prepared for them that louelove Him, the eye hath neuer ſeene, the eare hath neuer hearde, neither hauehave they entered into the heart of man: Why? Becauſe all theſe things are hidden vp in a bottomleſſe deepneſſe, that is, in GOD. What wonder then, that thou canſt not ſee them? that the eye of a worme, creeping vponupon the earth, cannot ſee them? that the eare of a worme cannot heare them? and that the heart of a worme cannot be capable of them? It is true indeed, y• Goſpel ſpeaketh of them al vntounto vsus, yet the worde is not ſufficient to ſhew them▪ they are not ſo in the word, but they abide ſtill in that deepnes: the merciemercy is not ſo reuealed in ye word, & broght down frō Heauen, but yet it remaineth ſtill in that deepnes: remiſſion of ſins is not ſo reuealed in the word, but yet it abideth ſtill in that deepeneſſe. And therefore, the worde, when it ſpeaketh of theſe thinges, whither ſendeth it thee vntounto? When it ſpeaketh of the merciemercy of GOD in Ieſus Chriſt, of the juſtice of God, of Life euerlaſting, whither doeth it direct thee? Euermore to this deepneſſe. Goe thy wayes (ſaieth the word) to the deepneſſe of GOD, and ſee all theſe thinges plainlie. Therefore, the ſame Apoſtle ſaieth, (Coloſſ. 3. 1. 3.) Seeke the thinges which are aboue, where thy life is hidden with Christ in God. Where is thy life then? I am ſpeaking of it now: but where is it? It is hidden vp in that deepneſſe of God. The word ſhould not holde downe thine eye, but lift it vp to ſeeke all thoſe mercies that are aboue with God. Ye may ſee then, theſe thinges that concerne our ſaluation in Ieſus Chriſt, our remiſſion of ſinnes, our juſtification, our ſaluation (theſe are euen the things, to ſpeake them plainlie, whereof the Apoſtle meaneth) they are incomprehenſible to the wit of man▪ to the eye of man, to the judgement of man, to the nature of man. Hee will ſtand vp, and talke of his nature▪ of his engine, an high ſpirited man his wit will compaſſe all the worlde. O! but thy wit reached neuer vp heere to ſearch this deepneſſe. Therefore, by nature there is none aſſurance of remiſſion of ſinnes, of ſaluation, of life, if thou hauehave no more but nature, (ſcorne as thou wilt) although thou be a Monarch, thou ſhalt neuer get aſſurāce of life, but die like a deſperate dogge▪ Art thou able to pierce in to the deepneſſe of the ſea, that hath a bottome? or to the deepnes of the earth that is finite? No, thou wilt neuer ſee one foot into it, albeit thou be neuer ſo clear of ſight: & then, O foole, wilt thou ſtriue to reach vp to a bottomles deepneſſe that is in God, with thy wit and thy conception, when thou canſt not attaine to a finite thing?
Now, Brethren, I hauehave ſpoken of God, & of His deepnes: next we hauehave to ſpeak of the Spirit▪ of the ſearching of the Spirit: I ſhall only touch it ſhortly as farre as the Text will furniſh, and not digreſſe in amplifying of theſe common heads. I marke then of this Text: As there is an infinite deepneſſe in God, ſo there is a ſearcher of it, it wanteth not a ſearcher. The onlie ſearcher of this deepnes, is the Spirite of God: euerie ſpirite is a ſearcher: it is the nature of a ſpirite euer to pierce in, and to ſearch: for it is a ſubtile thing, and will pierce in very ſubtilely to the ſecrets of things. The ſpirit of an Angell is a ſearcher, and a ſubtile thing: the ſpirit of the Deuill is ſubtile, and will pierce in ſubtilely, he will pierce in to thine heart, and inſinuate himſelfe therein: likewiſe, the ſpirit of a man is a ſubtile ſpirit, and a ſearcher alſo: he will ſearch out the things that are in heauen▪ and in the ſea, and in the earth: for, he is wonderfully inclined to ſearching. But all the ſpirites, except the Spirit of that Holy One, ſearch onelyonly the creatures. The ſpirite of an Angell, of the deuill, of a man, ſearch but the creatures: As for the Creator, no ſpirit is able to ſearch in Him but His owne Spirit, yea, they knowe nothing in Him, but ſo much as He will reueale vntounto them. As for man, hee is very buſie▪ but for all his buſineſſe, hee could neuer yet ſearch out his owne heart …there is a myſterie of ſinne lying in the foldes of his heart, which hee ſhall neuer ſee, except this Spirite enter in, and giuegive him light. But the bleſſed Spirit of God and of Ieſus Chriſt (hee is the Spirit both of the Father and of the Sonne, for one Spirit proceedeth frō both) He ſearcheth the Father, He ſearcheth the Sonne, Hee diſcouereth all And no man can bee a good ſearcher, or a ſanctified ſearcher, except hee hauehave this Spirite. If thy ſpirit be not ſanctified by this Spirite, which is the onlie ſearcher and ſanctifier of all thinges, all thy ſearching is but vanitie.
Nowe to goe forward. Before Hee was called a ſearcher, and now He is called a reuealer: Firſt He ſearcheth out, then He reuealeth vntounto vsus, There is the order: He reuealeth the hiddē things in God, becauſe He Himſelfe of His owne nature is a ſearcher of them: and before that euer Hee reueale them, He ſearcheth them out firſt. Thē, he that will be a reuealer, and will ſet himſelf to reueale thoſe things to men (I ſpeak it in plain talk) he that will bee a Preacher of theſe hidden thinges to others, looke that firſt hee bee a ſearcher, and let him bee occupied in ſearching, and heartilie beſeech GOD, that the Holie Spirite would lead him in to thoſe things that hauehave none acceſſe: For hee is not fit to bee a Preacher of the Goſpell, that ſearcheth not with all his might, firſt to ſee theſe things in God, which he ſpeaketh to others. Woe to him that commeth in of purpoſe to ſpeake the things to others which he neuer ſaw nor felt firſt in his owne heart. Dauid ſaith, (Pſalme 116. 10.) I beleeued, and therefore I ſpake. Paule afterwardes ſaieth, We beleeue and therefore wee ſpeake, 2. Cor. 4. 13. What is this beliefe? None other thing, but, before hee ſpeake to others, to get an aſſurance of them in his owne heart. Now looke the maner of the reuealing of theſe things. The Spirit, he reuealeth, becauſe hee openeth our heartes, and taketh away the vaile off our heartes, to let vsus ſee them: otherwiſe in vaine were it to laye them before vsus. I ſee another maner of this reuelation, and therefore looke what more the Spirit doeth: Hee is not content only to take the vaile frō thine heart, but hee taketh thy ſoule by the hand, (as it were) and leadeth it in thorow the deepneſſe of God, he will rauiſh it out of the bodie, (as it were) and leade it in to that light which hath none acceſſe, and will ſay, Loe there is the merciemercy, loe, there is the righteouſneſſe, loe, there is the euerlaſting Life, which is ſpoken of, ſeeſt thou not them all in Him? So he will point out euerie thing in God. Therefore, no doctrine auaileth without this Holie Spirit, ſeeing Hee alone taketh the vaile from our heartes, and leadeth vsus in to ſee the thinges which are ſpoken of. There is no perfect Doctor but the Spirite of Ieſus onlie: There is no creature, although hee be an Angell, that can take the vaile off thine heart, to let thee ſee, that can bore thine care, to let thee heare perfectlie: And therefore, in preaching depend not vponupon the mouth of men, but onlie vponupon the Spirit of Ieſus Chriſt.
Yet I ſhall make the matter more plaine, and ſhew how the Spirit will take thee, and let thee ſee the thinges which are in God. I will vſe a ſuppoſition which cannot bee, yet it will make the matter more cleare. I ſuppoſe that my ſpirit or ſoule entered into thee, if my ſpirite or my ſoule bee in thee, there woulde bee nothing within mee, but thou wouldeſt ſee it, all my thoughtes would bee patent to thee.
Now to applie this. This is no ſuppoſition. God will put His Spirite into a man or woman: for if His Spirit be not in vsus, wo be vntounto vsus for euer and euer. If God put His Spirit into anie of vsus muſt it not follow of neceſſitie, that wee muſt ſee in God at leaſt the things which concerne our weale and saluation. That ſpirite in mee, in thee, muſt reueale to mee, to thee, the thinges which lie in the verie deepneſſe of God, which concerne our weale and ſaluation: and that man that hath the Spirite of God, will ſee the verie heart of God, & His mind, he will ſee the remiſſion of his ſinnes in the mind of GOD, and all by the benefite of the Spirite of IESVS that dwelleth in him. Marke this yee that account ſo lightlie of the Spirite of Ieſus, in whom conſiſteth the onlie felicitie of man: For if thou want His Spirite, woe to thee, thou ſhalt goe to Hell. So wee hauehave a great vantage heere, that by the benefite of the Spirite, wee ſee the thinges that are in GOD.
But, Brethren, God hath as great an aduantage of vsus: for if Gods Spirit be in vsus, by His Spirit Hee ſeeth all that is in our heartes: for if my ſpirit were in thee (as I ſpake before) as thou wouldeſt ſee all that is in mine heart, ſo I would ſee all that is in thy ſoule, & the leaſt thought of thine heart would bee patent vntounto mee: ſo, much more that Spirit ſeeth the leaſt motion & thoght of the heart of man, in whom He is, & will preſent them all to the Father, and lay them open before Him. So al ſerueth to this end, that we ſhould take heed to the leaſt thought of our hearts, and beware to thinke one thought to diſpleaſe Him: for the Spirit, as He is called the ſearcher of the deepneſſe of God, ſo He is called the ſearcher of the heartes of men. There is not one thought, nor one grone in thine heart, or one motion of joy in thy ſoule, but He reporteth all to the Father. We hauehave neede to take heede to all the motions of our heartes, and neuer to thinke one thought, but that which wee thinke is acceptable to the Father, & neuer to anger the Spirit (as ye Apoſtle ſaith Eph. 4. 30.) neither in word or thought. And therefore, as thou wouldeſt keep Him & not anger Him, ſtudy to ſanctificatiō, & ſanctification ſhall bring on ſaluation, for it is ye very means that ſhall make thee to ſee God: look what th'Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 12. 14. Without ſanctification no man ſhall ſee GOD. Now vponupon all this diſcourſe I marke ſhortly: There were neuer two things ſo ſtraitly joyned together as God & man is: there was neuer ſuch kinred betwixt two things in ye world, as is betwixt the God of glory, and an earthly man: thou wilt count thy kinred with this man, and that man, if thou be joyned with him in blood or alliance. But I aske this queſtion, Is his ſpirite within thee? is his ſoule within thee? or is thy ſoule in him? Indeede it is true, the affection may goe out of thee to him, but giueſt thou him thy ſpirit with thy affection? or giueth he thee his ſpirit with his affection? knoweſt thou ye thought of his heart? or knoweth he the thought of thine heart? who will ſay it? O! but God with His affection giueth thee His Spirit within thee, that thou mayeſt know the thought of His heart, and He of thine. This is the conjunction that is betwixt God & thee: there is a narrow conjunction indeed betwixt ye members of that myſticall body, for they are conjoyned together by ye Spirit of Chriſt, & by louelove, but no member putteth his ſpirit into another member: there is ye other cōjunction betwixt the head and the members of the naturall bodie: for the ſoule will, as it were, come downe, and the ſpirit of the head to the members, and they will vnderſtand the thought of the head, and the head will vnderſtand the thought of the members, but there was neuer ſuch a conjunction betwixt the members & the head, as is betwixt God & man, and all conjunctions among men, are but a pendicle of that which is betwixt GOD and man. In this conjunction with thy GOD, and with thine Head, IESVS, (for thou art joyned with GOD in Him) ſtandeth thy felicitie and bleſſedneſſe.
To come to the next verſe. It might hauehave bene ſaid to the Apoſtle, Thou dedicateſt all to the Spirit of God, may not the ſpirite of man doe ſomething in this purpoſe? may not my ſpirit ſearch in to God, and diſcouer the deepnes that is in Him? He anſwereth, Noman can ſee the thinges that are in God, but His owne Spirit. Then hee declareth his anſwere by a compariſon, Euen as no man can ſee the thinges which are in man but by the ſpirit of a man, ſo nothing can ſearch the things which are in God, but the Spirit of God. Thou canſt not ſee the things that are in me. onlie I my ſelfe will ſee the thinges that are in me: euen ſo no man can ſee the things that are in God but onlie His owne Spirit.
Nowe the Apoſtle heere hee meeteth the verie, pride of the heart of man, that hee will conciet of himſelf, that he by his ſpirit will ſearch the things that are in God. Paule had this experience in the Corinthians, who were but carnall, they tooke vponupon them to judge vponupon his doctrine that was ſpirituall. Haſt thou but that ſpirite which is carnall? albeit thou bee a Monarch, thou art too bolde to take vponupon thee to judge of thinges which are ſpirituall, and ſpoken ſpirituallie.
This ſame is the pride of the Papiſts this daye. There will come out a Thomist, a Scotist, who hath the ſpirit of a man onlie, and a verie ſubtile, or rather a Sophisticall ſpirit, an humane. Philoſopher, and hee will judge of the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, and turne it ouer into humane Philoſophie. They hauehave turned the Goſpell of Ieſus to Aristotle, all their writings are but ſpiritleſſe. There is not ſo much as a ſmell of the Spirit of Ieſus in them all: But, O that terrible judgement that abideth ſuch Doctors as are prophane polluters of the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt! There is none of vsus all, but if a man would ſtand vp and ſay to mee, or to thee, I knowe thine heart, and what is in thine heart, wee would be angrie at him. Then, will not that glorious God bee angrie at a prophane villane, that will ſay, hee will ſearch in to that profunditie, hauing only his owne ſpirit?
Brethren, when I was younger than I am, if I had ſeene one of great engine, & great capacitie, & great graces, I thought immediately he would comprehend the whole Bible, but I proteſt before God, that the longer I liue, I thinke euer the leſſe of the wit of man, I had rather hauehave ye leaſt ſponk of the Spirit of Chriſt, nor all the engine & knowledge of ye world: No, a ſilly body that hath ye Spirit of Ieſus will conceiue more of ſpiritual things, than all the high headed bodies in the worlde. Therefore, alwayes renounce thine owne wit, and be a foole, that thou mayeſt be wiſe.
Another thing I marke heere. When hee hath magnified the Spirit, and made Him the ſearcher of all the deepneſſe of God, ſee howe hee holdeth off him the proude conceites of men: hee will not let thee touch him, or his priuiledges, that is, to ſearch the deepneſſe of God. Therefore, if yee will ſpeake of God, to His honour, (He is inuiolable) ſaue him from the proude conceites of men. Hold proude men off God, & let them not touch Him, or violate that inuiolable Majeſtie, or elſe thou ſhalt be guiltie, if Hee be violated by thy default. Alas! wherefore art thou ſet in this world, but to preach His glorie? and to keepe it inuiolate from the injuries of all fleſh in the worlde. Looke what he doeth next in the laſt verſe, when he hath, as it were, holden off GOD the proude conceites of men, who woulde take vponupon them to ſearch in to the deepneſſe of God, what doeth he? He draweth that Spirit to himſelfe, and ſaieth, Nowe wee hauehave receiued, not the ſpirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God. whereby hee learneth thee this leſſon: It auaileth thee not to magnifie, to glorifie God and His Spirit, except in the end thou take that Spirit to thy ſelfe, and mayeſt challenge Chriſt and His Spirit, as thine owne propertie. Men hauehave ſpoken verie highlie of Chriſt, and hauehave had little adoe with Him. Speake thou not of Him ſo, but as thou ſpeakeſt of Him to His praiſe, take Him to thy ſelfe: otherwiſe, in all thy ſpeaking of Him, thou art but a verie babler, if thou hauehave not that Spirite within thee: For the Apoſtle ſaith, No man can call Ieſus Lord, except he hauehave the Spirit of Ieſus, 1. Cor. 12. 3. Therefore, as thou wouldeſt ſaue thy ſelfe from prophaning of God, and of His Spirit, and of His graces, when thou art praiſing and magnifying Him, looke that thou hauehave the Spirite, that thou mayeſt ſay to thy ſelfe, This Spirit whom I praiſe, is mine: this God, whom I hauehave bene magnifying, and all His graces, is mine. In the end of the verſe hee ſetteth downe the ende wherefore GOD hath giuen vsus this Spirit. The end is this, To make vsus to know the things which are giuē vntounto vsus by God. I ſee here the Spirit of Ieſus, when He maketh our eye to looke in to that deepneſſe of God, to that ſtore of merciemercy, He will let vsus ſee nothing in GOD, but meere grace & mercy. As this Euangell preacheth nothing but meere grace and merciemercy, ſo the Spirit of Ieſus, when He letteth thee ſee al the hidden things in GOD, Hee letteth thee ſee nothing but meere merciemercy and grace. And therefore, hee that will tell the people of the merits of men, or of the Saints, that they are not juſtified by meere grace, but muſt ad to their own deſeruings, I wil tell you my judgmēt of ſuch a man, ſuppoſe he be neuer ſo glorious a Doctor, neuer ſo ſacond or ſo learned, hee neuer ſpake by the Spirite of IESVS. Papiſt Doctors, who leade men to leane to their owne merites, and to the merites of Saincts, neuer ſpake nor wrote by the Spirit of Ieſus: For the Spirite of Ieſus letteth thee ſee nothing in God but mee…e merciemercy: for one merite of man will deſtroye all grace: ſo contratie is the Spirit of God, & the ſpirit of man, the grace of Chriſt, & the merit of man, And this is ye ſpirit that men ſtriue to put amōgſt vsus againe: for if they bring in Papiſtrie amōgſt vsus again, farewell ye Spirit of Ieſus. No, I ſpeak it from mine heart, if that Idolatrie come in againe, I ſhall ſtand vp in my laſt Preaching, and ſaye, Farewell the Spirit of Ieſus: For, no more than Hell can accompanie Heauen, no more can that bleſſed Spirit of Ieſus accompanie that dirt & dung of mans doctrine. Therefore, as thou wouldeſt keepe the Spirit of Ieſus, holde abacke theſe men, for thou ſhalt not enjoye them both in deſpite of thine heart. The Lord Ieſus cannot remaine amongſt Idolaters: and if thou hauehave not His Spirite, thou art not His, (Roman. 8. 9.) if thou be not His, thou art the Deuils, and ſhalt goe to euerlaſting damnation. Therefore I ſay ouer againe▪ Holde them away, as thou wouldeſt keepe that bleſſed Spirit of IESVS CHRIST: To whom with the FATHER and the Holie Ghoſt, be all Honour, Praiſe, Power, Glorie, and Dominion, both now and euer worlde without ende,
AMEN.