Christ the Fountain of Life, Sermon 7
SERMON VII.
1 JOHN 5.12.
He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.
WE now come to a third head of Signes, by which it may appeare whether we have Chriſt or no, and that is from the third word in the Text (which is Life) for it is an Argument of like ſtrength and value, to argue the one from the other. He that hath the Sonne hath life, and he that hath life, he hath the Sonne; and therefore now at this time to open to you ſome ſignes, or markes by which it may appear to us whether we have life, or no; that Spirituall Life here ſpoken of: to wit, the life of righteouſneſſe in our Juſtification, and of Sanctification, of comfort and conſolation, and of eternall glory.
And the ſignes of Life are of three ſorts;Three ſorts of ſignes of Spirituall life. either you may diſcerne the life of Gods Grace by the cauſes of it, or by the effects of it; or by the qualities and properties of it, as we call them.
Firſt;1 Signe. for the Cauſes, the Holy Ghoſt uſually ſets forth the cauſes of our Spirituall life, and if we finde theſe cauſes to have been the work of that life, which we conceive our ſoules to be endued with, we may from thence argue the truth of our Spirituall life, and from thence the truth of our fellowſhip with Chriſt.
For the firſt;Firſt cauſe of Spirituall life. The firſt cause of our Spirituall life, is the holy and gracious will of God, Iam. 1.18. Of his owne will begat he us; It is that therefore to this life by which we are begotten, for all generation is unto life, it is of his own wil that we are begotten to this life.
And the Apoſtle John ſets it forth,Joh. 1.13. opend. by the removeall and deniall of all other cauſes, John 1.13. We are borne not of fleſh nor of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God: Not of bloods. Not of godly parents; for men may have godly Parents, and yet themſelves degenerate, and therefore it is not to be aſcribed to parentage, it is not from the parentage, but from the Covenant, and from Gods will in the Covenant, that begets a child of God, nor is it of the will of the fleſh; that is, of corrupt nature, nor of the will of man, nor of the beſt paines that they can take, though they take much paines for us, yet all may be in vaine, ſo as that unleſſe God ſet in with Chriſtian friends, and with the blood and Covenant of our Anceſtors, we ſhall not be brought on to live a ſpirituall life in Gods ſight. It is that which God himſelfe ſpeakes of in Ezek. 16.6. When wee were yet in our blood, yet God ſaid to us live. When we were in our blood, like an infant, gaſpeing for naturall life, and ready to periſh, even then when none could helpe us, then God ſaid to us live, and then we lived in his ſight. And therefore in a word, you may take this for an evident ſigne of the true life of grace, where ever you find the worke of grace wrought in any ſoule, you ſhall find the heart ſpeaking of it, as the worke of Gods owne hand. Take you a man in the eſtate of nature, and he will ſay, God be thanked he had alwayes a good mind, and his parents would never ſay no leſſe of him, but he was alwayes a toward and hopefull child he thanks God; and thus a man will ſpeake that is onelyonly well nurtured, he will ſay, it is a worke that was ever in him, and he ever thought ſo of himſelfe: But now take another man, that is indeed borne to a new life, and hath this life in him that ſprings from Chriſt, he will tell you as Paul was wont to ſay, Gal. 1.15, 16. When it pleaſed God to ſeparate me from my mothers wombe, and called me by his grace. There you ſhal as in a pattern diſcern what the maner of the expreſſion of a living ſoul is, he doth not ſay it was wrought when he had a good mind to hear ſuch a man, or to take ſuch a courſe, ſo it may be will fleſh and blood ſay, but when you come to an heart that indeed lives in God ſight, he expreſſeth himſelf thus: but when it pleaſed God it was done. I for my part ran cleane another way, I never had a deſire after God, I had indeed a kind of forme and ſhew, and could comply my ſelfe to my Governours and Neighbours; that I might be flattered and incouraged by them, and I ſhould never have taken better courſe of my ſelfe; but when it pleaſed God to call me by his grace, there is the life of a Chriſtian, he fetches his life from the higheſt heavens; It pleaſed God to call me by his grace, and to reveale his Sonne in me; when it pleaſed him to ſhew me the eſtate of my ſoule, and the ſinfull rebellion of my heart and when he revealed Chriſt, not ſo much to me, as in me, he was revealed to him, in Act. 9. in the firſt viſion and worke upon him; but when he revealed Chriſt in me, then he went that way the Holy ghoſt led him. Thus you ſhal eaſily diſcerne it plainly; though it be hidden in the pleaſure of God, yet it will ſhew it ſelfe evidently in the expreſſion of a Chriſtian man, when he comes to ſpeake of the life of his ſpirituall eſtate, they never attribute it to good inclination, nor to the good inſtructions of others, but they ſay, when it pleaſed God, thus and thus to reveal himſelf in me, when he ſhewed me my ſelfe, when God laid about to find which way to hemme me in, then it pleaſed God to do it, and ſince then I have lived.
A ſecond cauſe of my ſpiritual life is,The ſecond cauſe of ſpiritual life. The Word of God; the word of Promiſe, for ſo the Apoſtle tells you; Not all that are of Abraham, are the ſeed and children of Abraham; but the children of the Promiſe, are counted for the ſpirituall ſeed: That ſeed which is elected of God, and choſen to everlaſting life, that is the ſeed of Promiſe: That is, ſuch as are begotten of ſome promiſe of God or other, Every Iſaack is a Sonne of the promiſe. And leaſt you ſhould thinke it peculiar to Iſaack alone, the Apoſtle opens it ſweetly, in Gal. 4.28. As a thing common with Iſaack to all the people of God; it is a like Priviledge given to the Galathians, and to all others that were born of God: We brethren are children of the Promiſe; it was not peculiar to Iſaack alone to be borne of the Promiſe, and yet of the Promiſe he was borne, in a kind of peculiar manner; for before he was born, God gave Iſaack to Sarah by promiſe, and by vertue of that promiſe was he borne, even a naturall life: Now ſo farre indeed it was a ſpeciall peculiar Prerogative to Iſaack and Jacob: but the Apoſtle would from thence gather; that the ſpiritual birth of us all, is by a word of promiſe; All of us, one and other is born, by a word of Providence, but if we ſpeak of our ſpiritual birth, then we brethren are children of the Promiſe. So that you ſhall obſerve this to be an holy truth of God; That every child of God, is borne of the promiſe of God: So that then haſt thou a new birth, and doſt thou live a new life. Tel me then, what promiſe was it that did beget thee to God, that begat thee to this new life? What Word of God was it, by which thou waſt begotten? it is a general ſpeech, that in Ro. 10.17. Faith commeth by hearing, and by the doctrine of faith preached, Gal. 3.5. that is, the Goſpell of faith; ſo that this is the point: There is ſome promiſe which being reported to the ſoule in the miniſtery of the Word, is laid hold upon by the hearts of Gods people, the ſame Word of promiſe, working that faith in the heart, by which the ſoule cleaves to ſuch a promiſe. Then doe but conſider, if thou beeſt borne of God, what cauſe was there of thy birth? waſt thou born of that Word of God, or of thine own conceite, or of the good opinion of Chriſtians? or is there ſome Word of God, which thou haſt placed thy confidence in, and upon which thou haſt been reformed; and ſince that day to this, God hath turned thy heart and way to another courſe, and given thee to live in his ſight? It is true, it may be many a good ſoule cannot readily tell you,Note this. what promiſe did firſt bring them on to God; but though thou canſt not alwayes tell, yet a word of promiſe it was; and ordinarily, a word of Promiſe which the word preached did apply to thy ſoule, and cauſed thy heart to reach forth and to lay hold upon it; but though thou beeſt not always able to reckon up the firſt Promiſes, yet this I ſay: And marke it, there is no Chriſtian ſoule, but hath ſome promiſes of God on which his heart is ſtayed upon, and by which his life is nouriſhed, which argues it was bred of thoſe promiſes, of which it is now fed, though a man be not alwayes able to tell what promiſe it was; ſometimes a word of reproofe or of counſell, may ſink deep into a man, when God ſets it wel on; and may make a deep impreſſion in the heart of a man; And may ſo turne about the courſe of their lives, as that thereby they may reforme all common and outward, and knowne ſoule ſinnes, which before was ever cauſe and matter of reproofe, but that is not ſo ſafe a worke of Chriſt, not ſuch a ſtrong evidence of our ſpirituall life, when ſuch a word of reproofe or counſell hath ſet us in ſuch a courſe, and we have thereupon refrained gaming and breaking of the Sabbath, and vain faſhions; this is well, but it is not ſo ſafe a ſigne of our new birth; for this may befal even an hypocrite, he may be ſo convinced by a word of grace, and wiſe counſell, as may ſtrongly turne the ſtreame of his courſe another way; and yet bee without any life and power of godlineſſe, only the word of promiſe is able to work grace, and life in the heart of a man.
For the Ground of the Point is this,Ground of the point. we cannot have a ſpirit of life wrought in us by the workes of the Law, nor by the words of the Law. Gal. 3.5. He that miniſtereth to you in the ſpirit, and worketh miracles, doth hee it by the workes of the Law? As if he ſhould ſay, did ye ever receive the grace of Chriſt, by the workes of the Law? or by the counſell of the Law, or by the commandements of the Law? or by the reproofes reached forth from the Law; he excludes it as impoſſible, and as no wayes able to doe it, verſ. 21. And therefore he doth ever lead us unto ſome word of the Goſpel, to ſome promiſe of grace for the ground of all our ſpiritual life; as if ever we would be able to ſay, we are begotten to a new Inheritance, we muſt be able, and are able to ſay, we have ſome word of Promiſe, which hath wrought this in our ſoules, which hath bowed us to looke to Chriſt, and to cleave to him for ſtrength, and increaſe, and groweth in grace.
For it is true indeed, The Workes of the Law may indeed cut us off from ſome bad wayes, but when it hath don ſo, it leaves us there; leaves us in an eſtate wherein we would not give offence, and would not diſpleaſe men, that are grave and wiſe; And this we may reach unto without reſpect to the glory of God, or any inward regard of his holy feare, but when as we are quickned to live by vertue of ſome Promiſe, then the love of God conſtraineth us to live to obedience and good ends, then our reſpects can reach heavenly and ſpiritual ends.
And therefore obſerve this as of neceſſary uſe for any man; that as he would be loath to be deceived in a counterfeit peece of money; ſo much more let him be carefull in the main points of his everlaſting eſtate: on this depends our having or not having of life. And therefore it behooves us to bee ſure that we be not diſappointed in this great myſtery of godlineſſe, and conſider ſeriouſly upon what your hopes and confidence was bred, and whence it was grounded.
Queſt. You will ſay; But is it not ordinary that the Word of the Law doth humble and caſt downe the heart and ſpirit before God, and cut them off from all confidence in the fleſh, before they come to lay hold of the promiſe of grace in Chriſt?
Anſw. True, it is ſo indeed, That ordinarily, ſome word of the Law, ſome word of conviction prevailes with the heart, and makes him in ſence of ſinne, ſay to his Chriſtian friends, what ſhall I doe to be ſaved? this is true, but yet this is not it, that makes him a new man in Gods ſight, it may reach to the reformation of his outward man, and to the alteration of ſundry of his former courſes, which no meanes elſe could have reclaimed; but yet this makes him not live a ſpiritual life, until he be not onelyonly humbled by the Law, but in ſome meaſure brought on, to look after the promiſe of grace in Chriſt, and to long after them, and to ſay, and deſire, oh that I had but my part in this or that promiſe, what a mercy of God would that be to me, could I but lay hold upon them, but thereupon the ſoule of a Chriſtian, doth ſtand poring and plodding, and wiſtly gazeing upon them, till in the end the very ſight of a promiſe, hath ſo ſeaſoned us with a ſpirit of faith, that we begin not only to long after that promiſe, but to cleave to it, and in time come to receive it into our hearts, and come to imbrace it, to rejoyce in it, to acknowledge it, and finde our happineſſe, and life, and comfort to bee wrapped up in it.
A third cauſe of our ſpiritual life,A third cauſe of Spirituall life. Is the Spirit of grace that which is borne of the ſpirit is ſpirit, whatever is borne of the fleſh and no more, is but carnall, but that which is borne of the ſpirit, is ſpirit, Joh. 3.6. there is a ſhedding abroad, the ſpirit of Gods grace in the heart of man, that makes him of another ſpirit, he is not the ſame man, that he was before his ſpirit was changed, his inclination and diſpoſition is changed.
For Spirit is nothing elſe but the inclination, and diſpoſition, the habit of it; the ſpirit of wiſdome, is an habit or inclination to Wiſdome; the Spirit of grace, is an habit of Grace; the Spirit of prayer, is an inclination or an habit of Prayer: they are ſeverall words, but all meane the ſame thing: Be renewed in the ſpirit of your mindes, that is, bee renewed in the inclination and diſpoſition of your minde, Epb. 4.23. And not only be renewed in the mind, or judgement, or underſtanding of a man; but there muſt be a renewall of the whole ſoule of a man, the diſpoſition and inclination of the whole muſt be changed and altered. Caleb and Ioſhua was of another ſpirit, they could judge of things otherwiſe then other men could doe, other men not renewed in the ſpirit of their mind, have no alteration; but the truly regenerate they ſee a great change, they never ſaw the danger of their ſinnes before, nor ever before judged themſelves for their ſinnes, but now their ſpirit, and ſoule, and affection is changed, and now a ſpirit of feare, and love, and care, and every affection is altered; now a man is turned quite off from earthly things, ſo farre as they hinder him in the enjoyment of his Spirituall life, and now we are ſet upon the things of God, ſo as that he that is borne of God to a Spirituall life, is become a new Creature, and old things are past away, 2 Cor. 5.17. He hath a new mind, and a new heart, new affections, new Language, and new employments that he was never wont to doe before; now he can read Gods Word, and conferre with Gods people about the things of God, and can inſtruct others, and faſhion himſelfe to a new mould, and all upon the renewall of the ſpirit of his minde; ſo that if you ſee that God hath put another ſpirit into you then ever you had before, ſo as not only this, or that part, but the whole man is changed, and put into another frame, that though there be ſtill a taſte of the Old man, yet the frame both of the body and ſoule is of another mould, and all things are become new in ſome meaſure; then you live a new life indeed, elſe it is not a perfect change, though this and that alteration bee wrought in you. By theſe cauſes you may clearly diſcerne whether God hath given you a new life or no; conſider it therefore I beſeech you, how doe you now finde your hearts apt to ſpeak, when you ſpeak of that eſtate you are in? Are you in your Cloſets wont to ſay, That time was when you have been thus and thus led, in the vanitie of your minde, and the hardneſſe of your heart, and cuſtome of ſinne, but when it pleaſed God, who called you by his grace, when it pleaſed God, then it tooke place; you had been in good company before, and had uſed many meanes, but never any thing would worke; but when it pleaſed God, then it wrought, and from that day to this it hath been ſo and ſo with me. It is a good ſigne to you, if withall you can recall, that ſuch or ſuch a word of promiſe it pleaſed God to pitch your ſoules upon, you have long looked and waited for ſalvation, but in the end it pleaſed God to wrap up your ſoules in life by ſuch a promiſe; and if you can call to minde that ſuch a promiſe your ſoules did cleave unto, then are you indeed borne to a Spirituall life, becauſe you are right bred, bred of a Promiſe, and of the holy will and pleaſure of God; but if you finde your ſelves to be of another frame, and you are bowed to walke with God, and to reforme your courſe of life by outward bounds, this is not ſo ſafe; but if your whole man univerſally be bowed to a godly holy frame, and all things are become new; new friends, new affections, new deſires, if you finde ſuch an univerſall change, then you are right bred Chriſtians, and indeed no Chriſtians are right bred but ſuch Chriſtians; but if you make a great ſtirre about the great Reformation that is wrought in you, and it is from the good inclination, and diſpoſition you have alwaies had; you ever had a good minde, and in the end (you thanke God) you have reformed ſuch and ſuch evils as you have been blamed for; time was when you could have freely played at Cards and Dice, but ſince then you ſee the vanity of it,Note this. and you take better courſes, and doe now conſort your ſelves with wel ordered and ſtayed company, you had alwaies a good minde to be better, but you could not doe it ſuddenly, and ſo in the concluſion your reformation is but a good inclination or diſpoſition of your minde; and if you ſee that much good hath been wrought upon you by the counſell of ſuch and ſuch friends, and by the good example of ſuch and ſuch wiſe and diſcreet friends; and if you find that there is ſome ſtrange change in your carriage, your courſe of life is much altered, you are not ſo light and wanton as you were; but you take a farre more grave, and wiſe, and ſtayed courſe, and to much better purpoſe both for Church and Common-wealth wherein you live; now I ſay, if you ſhall goe on, and looke for that Spirituall life, which only ſprings from Chriſt Jeſus, and wil lead on to eternall glory, and therefore reſts not in any reformation of your ſelves, till you finde there be ſuch an inward and whole change wrought in you, which the heart is wont to ſpeake of to the praiſe of Gods grace, it was Gods will, elſe it could never have been wrought, and you could not ſpeak of it till now; and you never reſt ſatisfied in ſuch a change, as a word of reproofe or counſell, that hath wrought ſuch a change or reformation in you, that ſtayed in the outward man, or in ſome affections, till you found your hearts to ſanctifie the name of Gods grace in the acknowledgement of the word of Promiſe, and of the Spirit of grace, making you new, that you may bee able to ſay, that in very deed you have Chriſt, and with Chriſt life, and that life which will never decay, but wil hold to all eternity.
And therefore now to ſpeake ſomething of the ſignes of the life of our Juſtification.
Therefore a ſecond ſort of ſignes,Signes of ſpirituall life from the effects of it. is taken from the effects of Spirituall life, you ſee what is the cauſes of it, as the good pleaſure of God, the word of promiſe, and the Spirit of grace, theſe be the firſt ſort of ſignes.
Now a ſecond ſort of ſignes is from the effects and fruits of life, and herein take notice of ſome fruits of your life of Juſtification;Life of Juſtification. it is a principall part of our Spirituall life to have our ſins forgiven, Bleſſed is the man whoſe iniquity is pardoned, and to whom the Lord imputeth no ſinne, Pſal. 32.1, 2. And therefore it is, that forgiveneſſe of ſinne is called juſtification; then God accounts us righteous, and this is called, Juſtification of life, Rom. 5.18. becauſe in the pardon of our ſins is our life; As when a Malefactor by the Law is condemned, he is by the Law a dead man; and if his Pardon come, his pardon is his life, and it is ſo indeed: So is it in this caſe, the pardon of our ſins is the very life of our ſoules, and if God give us to finde that life, there is no feare of the life of our Sanctification, or Conſolation, &c.
The firſt effect then that flowes from the pardon of our ſins, is ſome inward peace of Conſcience,Inward peace flowes from pardon of ſins. ſome inward refreſhment and ſatisfaction yeelded to the heart, that it could never attaine to before, for ſinne may be pardoned in the ſight of God, and yet that pardon is not manifeſted and declared to my ſoule, untill God vouchſafe me ſome meaſure of peace, and a manifeſtation of the free pardon of my ſins, I can have little reſt; it is a notable ſaying, Rom. 5.1 Being juſtified by faith we have peace with God, through Jeſus Chriſt. A man juſtified, is one that hath his ſins pardoned, for what was it that all our life time before made us afraid of Gods diſpleaſure, and we had much diſquietneſſe about our eſtates; Oh, the ſinne of our ſoules that we had committed all our life long, the ſinne committed many a day agoe, that now lay heavie upon our ſoules, and the want of pardon lay as heavie as our ſins; but now if God come and ſay, Thy ſins are pardoned, then followes a ſweete tranquility of peace in the ſoule. A matter that Philoſophers have talked of, to quiet the minde, to lull men aſleep, and with applying remedies, did ſtupiſie for a while, and take off the heavie burthen, or the ſence of the burthen, rather then the burthen it ſelfe; but ſo ſoone as ever God pardons ſinne, there is ſhed abroad a ſpirit of peace in our ſoules, and ſometimes in that unſpeakable meaſure, as that it paſſeth the underſtanding of a man to conceive,Note this Phil. 4.7. But I doe not ſo conceive, that every Chriſtian as ſoone as ever his ſinne is firſt pardoned, hath ſuch an unconceiveable peace in his ſoule; but he findes a great deale of eaſe ſometimes, as if you had thrown a Milſtone from off his body; notable is that expreſſion in Eſa. 32.17. The work of righteouſneſſe ſhall be peace, and the effect of righteouſneſſe quietneſſe, and aſſurance for ever. He ſpeakes of that righteouſneſſe, whereby we ſtand righteous before God, and the imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe to our ſoules. The worke of righteouſneſſe ſhall be peace; from this worke and effect you may gather what the cauſes of it is: bleſſed are ſuch, it is quietneſſe and aſſurance for ever. Not that there is an everlaſting ſence of that peace, for the ſence of it is ſometimes obſcured for want of watchfulneſſe, and want of experience in the wayes of godlineſſe; and ſometimes through the buffetings of Sathan, or deſertions from the hand of God, and ſo many times our peace may be over-clouded, and the ſence of it taken away, but the worke of righteouſneſſe is peace; if ſinne be pardoned, peace will follow upon it, and the fruit of this righteouſneſſe is quietneſſe, and aſſurance for ever; the heart is now peaceable, quiet, and aſſured that God hath wrought this and that grace in me, which will abide in me for ever.
22. Effect. That you may be further inſtructed in this point, ſee a ſecond effect of this life of juſtification, of the life of righteouſneſſe, which is of ſpeciall uſe for the right diſcerning of our Spirituall life, and that is this; Looke as in all naturall life, no man hath received life, but is carefull to preſerve it; Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give to ſave his life; and if his life be ſtruck at, he will have his hand cut off rather then have his head wounded; he will expoſe himſelfe or any member to any danger, rather then looſe his life. And ſo if God vouchſafe pardon of ſinne, and peace of conſcience; you wil find this an evident ſigne of pardon and peace together, and an evident effect of them both; a ſerious care, and a conſtant endeavour to maintaine and keep that peace, that as you ſee God hath been very gracious in ſpeaking peace to you, ſo you would preſerve that peace above all the bleſſings in the world, that whatſoever you looſe elſe, though you looſe friends, and goods, and lands, and trades, health, and liberty, you would not looſe your peace, though you hazard the loſſe of them all to preſerve and maintaine your peace; that peace when it was given you, was ſo unſpeakable and glorious, that life it ſelfe was not to be compared to this mercy which God hath vouchſafed us, when he gave us peace, Pſal. 63.3. Thy loving kindneſſe is better then life.
A man that hath found ſomething that is better then his life, he will looſe his life rather then it, and much more any thing elſe; and therefore if you ſee God incline your hearts to be tender and chary of your peace, then God hath beſtowed peace and pardon upon you; and it is evident; becauſe you are ſo loath to breake it. A man that never received this peace, he makes no conſcience of ſinne, unleſſe it blemiſh him in the eye of the World; he makes no great matter of conſcience to run into any ſinne, becauſe the old ſcore is yet undiſcharged: Chriſt is not wont to diſcharge that ſcore which we make no conſcience to run into againe.
And if they doe, he can tell how to make them feele the ſmart of playing ſuch Prodigalls, but when God hath blotted all our ſins out of his ſight, that there is no more mention of ſinne between God and our ſouls, that the heart of a Chriſtian will be marvellous chary and ſolicitous, that it ſinne no more againſt God; he that hath his ſinne pardoned, and knowes what it hath coſt, both on Gods part and on his own, he is very carefull of running into ſinne any more, and is very careful to walk more holily for ever hereafter, notable is that example, Gen. 39.9. When Joſeph was tempted to a pleaſing ſinne, oh (ſaith he) How ſhall I commit this great wickedneſſe, and ſo ſinne againſt God, how ſhould hee now breake his peace with God, and runne upon a new ſcore with God: It is certaine, he had ſinned before, and he had found pardon of it. And how ſhould he now ſinne any more againſt God: this is the conſtant care of every Chriſtian man, he is fearful of every ſin.
I grant you, it is true, that ſometimes, even thoſe that have their ſinnes pardoned, and the writing of tranſgreſſion by which they had ingaged themſelves to everlaſting torments hath been cancelled, yet even they have afterwards turned the grace of God into wantonneſſe, through ſinfull luſts. As David and Peter &c. through ſome corruption or other; but you ſhall alſo find this to be true, that as they have been over-taken and over-whelmed with ſuch corruptions as thoſe be, ſo they have held forth as much repentance, and affliction in this caſe; that if you had taken many lives from them, you could not have greived them ſo much as in this caſe they are put to. The blotting out of the ſence of this pardon, hath been more bitter to them then death it ſelfe: And if it be not ſo, that Chriſtian men in ſuch a caſe doe not more ſhame themſelves before God, and loath themſelves for all the evills they have done in Gods ſight; they will either lye downe ſeared and benumbed, and their ſpirituall life will evaporate away, and then it will argue, it was never true, and ſincere; and if it were true; it will lye ſo cloſe and hidden, that you may plainly ſee what a ſlaughter Satan hath made, and what heavy load hee hath put upon ſuch as are careleſſe to maintaine that peace with God, which hee hath vouchſafed them. And therefore if God give us hearts to keep our peace, it is an evident ſigne God is at peace with us.
If we fly from ſin, as from the grave or hell, then ſurely thoſe ſinnes are pardoned which we doe abhorre. And that peace and reconſiliation is procured which wee deſire.
That is the nature of Spirituall life,Property of ſpirituall life. it deſires to maintaine it ſelfe, and to expell all that is contrary to it, if the body have taken any noyſome and hurtfull thing; it wil vomit and caſt it out, and will not let it reſt there in quiet, if it be an enemy to our life it will ſtrive againſt it, if there be any ſpirituall life in us, it cannot let ſin reſt in us; it will ſtrive againſt it, and never reſt till it be ſhut of it, any way, ſome way or other, out it muſt, though he ſhame himſelfe for it by an open confeſſion; and though it many wayes trouble him, yet out it muſt, it is an enemy to his life, and out he muſt caſt it; and therefore if God give us hearts to be fearfull of ſinne, and carefull to maintaine our peace, it is an evident ſigne of the truth of our Spirituall life; and this is a ſigne of life, for he feels not his peace becauſe it is clouded in him; he diſcernes no life in him, and he feares what he had was but a deluſion. Why, how ſtands thy care to preſerve thy peace, and to avoyd the danger of the loſſe of it? If God give thee an heart deſirous and carefull to maintaine thy peace, though it be not ſo lively as ſometimes it was, yet it is certainly true and good.
A third ſigne and effect of the life of righteouſneſſe,Love of God a ſigne of ſpirituall life. is that which our Saviour gives, Luk. 7.47. Her ſins are forgiven her, which are many, for ſhe loved much. So then, this is a third ſigne that our ſins are pardoned, and of the life of our juſtification, our love of God. Love of God, proportionable and ſutable, according to the greatneſſe of the ſins that have been forgiven and pardoned to us; this is a good evidence of the life of our juſtification, this is not a dead and a liveleſſe pardon. A Prince may pardon a Malefactor of his former offence, but he can put no new principle into him; but Gods Pardons doth convey life into the ſoule, and it hath this worke in it; when the ſoule ſees that all its ſins are done away, and thoſe ſins many and great, as many and great ſins are forgiven him; ſo is his love great and manifold, and this is of the ſame nature of the love there ſpoken of; ſhe was a wicked women, and very notorious for uncleanneſſe, for ſo ſaid the people, verſ. 38, 39. Surely if this man were a Prophet, he would know what manner of woman this was, for ſhe is a ſinner. And when they ſay, A ſinner, they meane not ſuch a ſinner as other men and women ordinarily be, but ſuch a ſinner as was a notorious wicked woman, and therefore a ſhame for him that profeſt himſelfe to be a Prophet to come ſo neare her; ſhe begins to waſh, and to kiſſe his feet, and to wipe them with the haire of her head, and to annoint him with precious oyntment. Now ſaith Chriſt, to Simon the Phariſee (and he was none of the worſt of them neither) for Chriſt ſeemes to imply, that he had ſome ſins forgiven him; I have ſomething to ſay unto thee, Simon, there was a Creditor had two Debtors, the one owed five hundred pence, the other fifty, and when they had nothing to pay, he franckly forgave them both; tell me therefore, which of them will love him moſt? Why, ſaith he, I ſuppoſe him to whom he forgave moſt; And Jeſus ſaid, thou haſt rightly judged, ſince I entred into thy houſe thou gaveſt me no water for my feet, &c. wherefore I ſay unto thee, her ſinnes which are many are forgiven her, for ſhe loved much. Shee ſhewed wonderfull much love, ſhe ſate behind him weeping, when ſhe though ſhe had not been ſo much ſeen, not preſuming to come into his preſence: Now therefore her ſins which are many, are forgiven her. You may ſee it plainly, becauſe ſhe loveth ſo much; and thou that haſt ſhewed leſſe love, thou haſt leſſe forgiven thee, but they that have many ſins forgiven them, they have much; And therefore if a mans ſins be forgiven him, and God give him peace in the pardon of them, according to the meaſure and multitude of his ſins, ſuch is the meaſure and variety of his love, the greatneſſe of his love to God; and as God hath forgiven him many ſins, ſo hee gives God manifold meaſures of love, he loves God greatly, the very feet of God; the loweſt and pooreſt members of the Body of Chriſt. He is content to ſtoop to the meaneſt office of love to Chriſt, or to any of his ſervants; any thing wherein love may be ſhewed to Chriſt, or his Members, he is content to ſtoop to it: According to what is thy forgiveneſſe, ſuch is thy love.
And becauſe no man hath ſo little forgiven him, but if any thing be forgiven him at all, he knows that little is ſo much, and ſo great, as would indeed have plunged him into the neathermoſt Hel; and therefore no true Chriſtian is conceited of the ſmalneſſe of his ſins, but he thinkes it a very great matter to have any one ſinne forgiven him; but he knowes if God had caſt him out of his ſight for any one of them, juſt had his Judgements been, and if at any time his love decay, he renewes it by repentance of that ſinne, for which before God had vouchſafed him pardon. And thus you ſee a ſix-fold ſigne of our ſpiritual life, three from the cauſes, and three from the effects; and the latter, the three effects chiefly concerne the life of our Juſtification.
And therefore doe but apply it home to your ſoules,Application, becauſe the whole diſcourſe is but an application, and an uſe of the point; but I pray you conſider what you have heard, and lay it to heart, and draw neare now into the cloſet of your ſpirits, that you may diſcerne what God hath done for you. Did you yet ever ſee any peace of Conſcience? you ſay, I never had a troubled unquiet Conſcience all my dayes; but to you I only ſay thus much, your peace hath neither a good root, nor will it bring forth any good fruit, not well rooted; for I pray you, whence came it? did it come from any word of Gods Promiſe, or any worke of the Spirit of grace, or from thy Selfe love, or is it not as benumbed peace? and if ſo, then it is not wel rooted.
And truly it hath and wil have as bad fruits, for if thou ſayeſt, thy ſins are pardoned, then what care haſt thou to keep that peace, and to preſerve it? Doth not a ſin befall thee, but it is an annoyance to thy ſpirituall life, and thou canſt not reſt till thou beeſt ſhut of it, and cannot be ſatiſfied till thou beeſt wholly diſcharged of it; it is wel, but if thou findeſt that thou canſt live quietly in knowne ſins, and thy ſoule is never troubled about them, this is then but a barren and falſe-hearted peace, and will deceive thee, and in the midſt of this peace thou mayeſt ſinke into Hell, unleſſe God heale this diſtempered peace in thee; and if God have given thee ſuch a peace, what love doeſt thou then return to God? Where is that great and manifold love thou gives to God? If this love be wanting, and thy care to preſerve it be wanting; If thy peace be groundleſſe and fruitleſſe, then ſpirituall life is wanting, but if God have been pleaſed, and thine own heart can find it ſo, and bear witneſſe to thy ſoule, that God hath pardoned thy ſinnes, then that peace which is in thy ſoul will refreſh thee; Haſt thou ever found ſuch a peace in thy ſoul, as hath been unſpeakable and full of glory, and thou haſt been ſweetly quieted when many troubles have been about thee, and haſt thou found comfort from hence in any of the Ordinances of God? And doſt thou find, that though that peace then gotten be in a great meaſure loſt and decayed, yet thou haſt as great a care as may be to preſerve it, and to maintain it, and to renew, and to recover it again by repentance, and art careful to preſerve thy ſelfe ſpotleſſe before the world▪ And doſt thou find that according as God hath been mercifull to thee, ſo thy love is great and manifold, thou canſt never love God ſo much as he hath done thee; thou canſt never anſwer the thouſand part of his love and mercy ſhewed to thee? And then no ſervice of God, or office ſo meane that he calls thee to, but to the utmoſt of thy indeavor art willing to ſpend and be ſpent for God, then it is an evident argument that juſtification is conveyed to thy ſoule; for God hath given thee peace, and hath given thee an heart to love him back again.