Gospel Liberty, Sermon 8
The vvay to peace in a mans ſelfe.
1 CORINTHIANS 10.23.
All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not exdient.
THe laſt leſſon from theſe words was this, That a Chriſtian under the New-Teſtament ought not only to eye, what is lawfull, what is abſolutely commanded, or forbidden: but to eye alſo what is expedient, and what is inexpedient; what is convenient, and what is inconvenient, what edifies, and what edifies not. We opened this to you, and came to a Uſe, where we are at this time to exhort you, that this may ſinke into your hearts, to wit, that you would not make lawes to your ſelves in the New-Teſtament, where Chriſt hath not bound you; and where Chriſt hath left you free, and hath not determined things.
Secondly, I exhorted you, that you would be carefull, and vigilant, and wiſe, to take notice in all things what is expedient, and to doe the ſame; and to preſſe it on you, we propoſed one Motive to you, which was the maine drift of all the diſcourſe we intend upon this Scripture, to wit; that this is the ready way of peace, and to end ſtrife, and contention among the Saints. Now how that is, I have opened to you as I was able, and ſo finiſhed it this morning.
Now to ſet it on a little more upon your ſouls (not to repeate any thing) there are two or three words more that might ſtir you up. Conſider it, for I know it is a harſh truth to many of your eares, I feare you have many prejudices againſt it: but I beſeech you conſider it well, it is of great conſequence, it is one of the maſter ſtones in your foundation; I mean in your walking, and converſation, towards men at leaſt. I ſay, therefore I will add certaine motives more: and as the firſt was the way to peace among the Saints, to end controverſies that are among them;
Motive 2. The way to peace in a mans ſelfSo ſecondly, it is a way to peace, a way to end the controverſies of a Chriſtian with himſelf; For Beloved, I dare ſay, and I am able to make it good, and have known it by experience in other Saints, that the moſt of your guilt, and the moſt of your trouble that is within you,moſt of the guilt on Chriſtians. it ariſeth not from doing of things ſimply ſinfull, or neglecting things ſimply commanded but from ſome diſorderly doing of lawful things: and that is two wayes.
1. Doing lawfull things with commō hearts.Either that you doe lawfull things; as eating, and drinking, and ſleeping, (and divers other things) with common hearts, and eye not God in the doing of them; you doe them in a carnall faſhion, without holines: for we muſt be holy in all manner of converſation. You are not holy when you are eating; you have not a holy frame of ſoule when you are ſleeping: therefore your ſleep, and your meat, and ſuch like things, they produce a world of guilt, and trouble, you doe them with common hearts, as the Phariſees ſaid, the Diſciples eat with common hands.
2. Doing lawfull things inexpediently.Or elſe ſecondly, it is from doing lawfull things inexpediently, you eye not what is expedient. Meat, and drink, and ſleep, and talking, and walking, and cloathes, and recreations, they are lawfull: but in all theſe you look not what is expedient. And I mean not only (Beloved) thoſe civill things that I named to you, but alſo in religious things, wherein God hath not determined: you make laws to your ſelves, and then you faile in keeping of thoſe lawes, as uſually when God ſees men make lawes to themſelves, let them keep them themſelves if they will; it is juſt with God, not to give power to keep lawes that are not of his own making;God will not give ſtrength to keep lawes that hee hath not made. God will not help you: you make lawes I ſay, and you have no ſtrength to keep them, and then there ariſeth a world of guilt, and trouble. As thus, God commands us to pray alway, to be earneſt in prayer, to read the word, to teach our children, to help our neighbours, to doe good to their ſouls, and bodies. Now you have made a law, that you will pray in your family ſo oft, and pray privately ſo oft, and read ſo many Chapters a day, and keep ſo many dayes of humiliation, once a week, or ſo; here is a law of your own making. I ſay not but it is expedient to do ſo ſometimes, and many times; but you make it an abſolute law, that when God comes and calls you to another thing contrary to your law,Trouble of conſcience in Chriſtians whence. then there is nothing but guilt, and horrour, on your ſoules.
As for inſtance, you make a law that you will pray twice before you goe forth every morning; privately, and in your familyes, and it is a good courſe if things be according, becauſe you are bound to pray alwayes: but you make an abſolute law, and there comes another buſines of greater weight, you have prayed once, and you are going to the other, and it may be your neighbours houſe is on fire, or a poor man is in want; you goe, and you cannot chooſe, but then there is gall, and guilt upon your ſoules, becauſe you have neglected prayer. Whereas God hath not bound you to theſe things, but hath left you to doe this, or that according as it may be moſt for the honour of God, & the everlaſting advantage of your own ſouls. Hence if you obſerve, and looke upon your own ſouls when you finde your ſelves in trouble, you ſhall ordinarily ſee the truth of this doctrine: Ask the queſtion, whence is this trouble? why are your ſoules ſo ſad? you ſhall finde ſix times for one that the trouble, and guilt ariſeth from theſe things, from making of lawes, and we are not able to keep them; whereas if wee would make an abſolute law of nothing, but what God hath made, and doe the reſt in expediency, we might be able to let goe that, and doe this that is expedient, wee ſhould doe abundance more good, and with peace of conſcience.
Chriſtians ful of queſtions whyAnd hence it is, that weak Chriſtians, (good people) are ſo full of queſtions, and caſes, and trouble themſelves, and Miniſters endleſſely. Why ſo? becauſe many profeſſors walk only by rule, by law; this is their religion, they will avoide that which is evill, and doe that which is good: This is good, but this is not all; and ſeldome in my experience have I ſeen a ſpirituall heart, that is ſpirituall indeed, much troubled with thoſe caſes of conſcience in outward things
Spirituall Chriſtians their carriageThe reaſon is this, becauſe a ſpirituall Chriſtian hath two eyes, the other hath but one: that is, when a ſpirituall Chriſtian falls on an action, he asks firſt, is it lawfull, or unlawfull? he eaſily reſolves that: but hee goes farther, is it convenient? doth it tend to the glory of God? will any be better for it? will my own ſoule be the better? is it decent? And it is ſix to one but he findes it expedient, and he conſiders the lawfulneſſe no farther, that is gone, and an inexpedient action to a ſpirituall man it is as abominable as an action altogether unlawfull. Therefore we ſee Paul how reſolutely he ſpeaks of eating of fleſh, The earth is the Lords and the fulnes thereof; and make no conſcience of what is before you, yet he ſaith if eating of fleſh offend my brother; mark his high language, I will never eat fleſh while the world ſtandeth, rather than I will offend my brother; that is, I would ſoone anſwer the caſe of conſcience, I will not trouble miniſters, or my ſelf about that. Weak Chriſtians not minding this, they ask only, is it lawfull? Is it lawfull to weare long haire? is it lawfull to play at tables? &c. They goe no farther, and ſo there comes guilt upon their ſoules.
I heard once (I ſpeak it not with prejudice) of ſome godly women, that were godly perſons,Baptiſme doubted of they made great doubt of their baptiſme; and going by the rule that I told you before, making a curious peice in the New-Teſtament, and laying ſuch ſtreſſe upon every nick, that all was overthrown if that were wanting, they were baptized the firſt, and the ſecond, and the third time, and ſtill they feared there was a fault, that they could not ſleep in their beds, for horrour of conſcience leaſt there ſhould be a nick, or flaw in the leaſt, in their baptiſme, and ſo were ſtill ſtudying a way to doe it better. So it will be in all caſes when men make lawes where God hath not made them, there will trouble and guilt follow, in that they are not able to performe them.
I ſpeak it not to weaken, or innervate any of the people of God, in abſolute commands: but where God hath left a latitude (as I have proved) let us take notice of it, and order all things for the glory of God, and the edification of our ſelves, and others. And that is another motive.
Briefly,Mot. 3. He that eyes not expediency cannot doe much for God. the third is this, to perſwade you to this (for I feare many doe not underſtand this, and you are hardly brought to it, becauſe your hearts are contrary to the real principles of the Goſpel, whereof this is one) as it is the way to end controverſies among the brethren; and the way to keep peace within our ſelves. So thirdly, unleſſe you will receive this truth, and labour to underſtand it, if you goe by the other way, taking every thing jure divino, to be an abſolute rule to binde people in all the world, and then when you have put ſtreſſe on them, and broken them, you conclude there is no Church, nor no believers: ſuch a ſoule will never be able to do much for God, he will never be able to honour God much; he may pleaſe himſelfe, as ſuch doe, and think that he is growen in grace, and hath out-ſtripped others and he may trouble the Kingdome, and rend the Churches, and make debate among the Saints: but take this for certaine, he ſhall never be able to honour God much, he ſhall doe little in his generation. I mean (that I may come to particulars) he will neither be able to do much in wining of ſinners, nor in ſtrengthening of weak Saints: for in thoſe two wayes are the greateſt opportunities we have of honouring God; If yee love me feed my lambes, ſaith Chriſt. He cannot doe it; why ſo?
1. They preſent religion to others as endleſſe.Firſt, becauſe ſuch a man, or ſuch a people that are ſet in ſuch a way (as many are in theſe dayes, and many godly people) they preſent Religion to others alwayes as an endleſſe thing, as a thing that hath no end. And therefore when they perſwade weak Chriſtians to be religious, they look upon their religion as a bottomleſſe pit; as Solomon ſaith, The lips of a whore is a deep pit. They think here is a religion indeed, if we cloſe with this people we ſhall not know where to ſtay; the laſt monethmonth they were in one religion, and the laſt yeare in another; and ſo they ſeek a knot in a bulruſh, they ſeek for curioſity where God hath not laid it, & therefore they are ever wandering. They perſwade us to be of this Church, and of this religion, and we ſhall be ſafe, ſay carnall men; how earneſt are they to have us be with them, and two moneths agoe they were as earneſt for another, and it may be two moneths hence they will be for another; and ſo they run from them. Therefore in 2 Tim. 4. when there was a great deale of ſtir among the Chriſtians, about Genealogies, and old wives tales, and vaine ſtories; Paul bids Timothy take heed of them. Why? becauſe they were endleſſe, that is, if a man goe to them, they goe from one fancy to another, he knows not where to finde them. When Paul would cleare himſelf from an ill report they had of him among the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1. he takes this for one argument, our converſation was in ſimplicitia, we walked in the light of the Sun before you, and hee comes with another argument, our yea was yea, and our nay was nay; He brings this as an argument to regaine their thoughts for religion: for it was not for his own honour ſake that he carried himſelfe ſtayedly among the Saints (which is lovely:) for weak Chriſtians look on ſuch men, and on religion as a weak ſwimmer looks on the ſtreame of waters, ſaith he, I will goe in the ſhallow, for if I goe in the ſtreame, I ſhall not know where to ſtay, I ſhall be carried down to the Sea. So, though men may think that this is growth in grace, to grow from one fancy to another in externall things. As one that asked a woman, why ſhe was not baptized againe? ſaith he, you grow not in grace, as if he ſhould ſay; there is no growing in grace without theſe outward things. As I remember (without diſparaging the perſon, he is unknown to you) a man that was a member of a Church; and becauſe he ſaw infants baptized, and himſelf was not, he broke off from them and ſaid there was no Church, and all the ſtreame did run for two moneths together on baptiſme, there was nothing talked of but that, and concluded, the Anabaptiſts and all were Antichriſtian, and there was no Church, nor any thing till we had Apoſtles againe; as I told you, that any that hold that principle and follow it cloſely, and rationally, they will infalliably come to Apoſtles, and Miracles, and Signes from heaven. And reaſon ſhewes it; for they will frame ſuch a curious peice, like Moſes, that ſhall be an abſolute rule to binde every thing, and nothing ſhall be expedient, or inexpedient: but all cammanded, or forbidden, nuzzeling, and ſearching for this peice and cannot finde it; they will give over, and ſay, let us have Apoſtles, &c. And ſo how ſhall they win poore ſinners, when they ſee they whirle about? will they ever delight in your religion, when it is thus preſented to them? Carnall people, though they cannot anſwer their objections, yet they will ſay, theſe people we know not where they ſtand, therefore we will not meddle with them: Such people as ſtudie crotchets and put ſuch ſtreſſe on them, they can doe little good; whereas if they would walk by expediency, they would win people to the Lord. Therefore, ſuffer not thy heart to be above the word of God to maſter it, but put thy heart under the word of God, and let it ſquare thee, try thy heart by the word of God; or elſe I know who will have the worſt of it.
2. They preſent religion as burthenſome.Another reaſon is, as they preſent religion as an endleſſe thing; So as a wondrous burthenſome thing, as an intollerable task to them. And our nature, fleſh and blood is ſo averſe to goodneſs, that it is loath to under goe even the ſweet yoke of Chriſt. In the ſecond Pſalme there is a propheſie of the people under Chriſt, Let us break their bands (ſay they) and caſt away their cords from us. VVhichWhich is only meant of the law of Jeſus Chriſt, which is an eaſie yoke, and a light burthen; now when people ſhall goe, and add abundance to this, and make as many more lawes, and more grievous than Chriſt hath made, and ſhall preſent ſuch a maſſe to the people, no wonder that they ſtart off and run from them: For preſent Chriſt as lovely, and amiable as you can, yet a carnall heart accounts it a burthen, and runs away. That is the reaſon (to my knowledge) that in ſome countries people have laboured much, & done little good; VVhy? this was the greateſt ſtumbling block, they made lawes concerning haire; it muſt be of ſuch a collour, the ſcarfe, and the band, and the handkercheife upon it, & ſo caſt dams upon people; they law ſuch lawes that they would not come neare them, but railed againſt godlines, and ſome were readie to hang, & drowne themſelves, and from thence it comes, they make nicks & knacks where the ſcripture makes none. So that though all men do not ſo, yet generally carnal men conceive ſome ſuch thing. I remember a ſtory of a learned man, that there being a wild Gentleman of a great eſtate, ſet to him to traine him up, and bring him under a little: the young man hated and abhorred him, and had as leiv be hanged as come neere him: for he thought he ſhould looſe all his liberty: but the old Gentleman would walk, and the young man with him, and when the young man would bowle, he would bowle with him; and when he ſaw it was not ſuch a task, as he thought it had been, he proved a godly zealous man; So this is a mighty hinderance of doing good to others, to make religion to ſeeme gaſtly, by little inventions, and knacks that men make that Chriſt hath not bound them to; a carnall heart will not come into ſuch a priſon.
3. They preſent religion as rediculous.Thirdly, they can doe little good to others, becauſe they preſent religion to carnall men as a ridiculous thing to be laughed at. How ſo? I will tell you, carnall men however you conceive of them, they have oft a ſpirit of illumination, common knowledge, and right reaſon: and by common knowledge, and right reaſon, they may be able to judge farther than many Chriſtians, what is the will of God, and what is not, in externall things, though they be ſtrangers from the power of thoſe things. Therefore when you come to carnall men, and ſcatter ſuch lawes, and commands, and rules among them, though they be ſtrangers from the power, yet they are able to judge as well as your ſelves, whether they be the lawes of God or no: for they have underſtanding, and reaſon, they have Scripture, and they have common illumination: therefore when people make ſuch lawes, (whereas they ſhould reſpect what is expedient, and take the lawes that Chriſt hath made) they expoſe themſelves to be laughed at, they are ſo far from gaining of ſoules.
But Fourthly, (becauſe this is a great thing) for that reaſon we came into the world to win ſoules,4. By not eyeing what is expedient men deprive themſelves of opportunities of doing good. and to feed the lambes of Chriſt; therefore I ſhall ſhew you farther that by ſo doing you deprive your ſelves of abundance of opportunities to do good, that though they would never ſo faine do good as much as others, yet they are deprived of the opportunity to doe, or receive good. My meaning is not, that any ſhould doe evil that good may come of it: neither doe I mean that men ſhould doe lawfull things, if they be in a doubting condition: but my meaning is, they ſhould endeavour to remoove all prejudices, and miſconceits of things, whereby they lay blocks in their own way. As for inſtance, how many godly men in this land, godly, and holy, and of great gifts, & that deſire to doe good, and it may be out of a conceit, or rather (with reverence) out of conſcience of the Pulpit, or the places we preach in, have hid their tallents, and have laid downe their work, and kept in their gifts, and become unprofitable. And how many hundred Chriſtians are there that are godly, and holy people out of conſcience of the calling of the Miniſters, or the houſe that they meet in, have with the griefe of their ſoules, and many a heavy heart, ſhut themſelves in a hole, foure or five women together, and loſt the uſe of thoſe bleſſed gifts. If they had ſtudied whether it had been convenient, it had been worth the while to diſpute: but God hath made no law for preaching in a pulpit, or in a pew, or in a houſe of ſtone, or not of ſtone: but making an abſolute law that it muſt hold in all caſes, they fall into theſe ſnares that are greivous.
I ſpeak not this that you ſhould perſecute ſuch, for they are godly people, and it is a ſigne they have tender conſciences. I mean not ſo; nor doe I perſwade them to do things without ſome knowledg, that they ſhould not doe it doubtingly: but I deſire you to receive this truth, whereby the occaſion of ſuch ſcruples may be remooved. There be foure things;
The firſt thing is this, that clearly demonſtrates that they cannot doe much for God,5. If they do good it is by accident. or the honour of God: becauſe if they doe any thing for God, for the winning of others, it is, as I may ſay, by chance, by accident: for it is a thing beſide their intention. This is their religion; it is not to ſtudie how I may honour God, and bring in ſinners: this ſcarſly comes in their thoughts, but what is truth, and what is falſe, what is lawfull, and what is unlawfull. Therefore divers that elſe are godly men, let them have a nick right, or wrong they never conſider the Congregation, how they may doe moſt good: but they think this is truth, and every truth muſt be preached in every place, at every time, to every people, this is their religion; they never look if it may doe good. Wheras a Chriſtian that makes no more lawes than Chriſt hath made, and ſtudies what is expedient, and would win ſouls, hee muſt be wiſe, and watchfull, and circumſpect, and able to ſee what may conduce to edification. Therefore men in Scripture that were ſent to win ſoules; they are called fiſher-men; the Apoſtles were: and fiſher-men muſt be cunning, it is not every baite, that will catch every fiſh, he muſt baite and waite, and be cunning, and wiſe. Saith Paul, I took you by guile; I had a way to win you, and inſinuate into you: men muſt make it their ſtudie if they will win ſouls to the Lord, to look not only that they preach truth, but what truth, to what people, and what way they doe it. Therefore Paul Gal. 2. when hee came among people that were not able to receive the truth concerning juſtification, and concerning ceremonies, he preached to them of good repute; that is, choice Chriſtians that were able to beare it, that they might communicate it to others, or elſe he ſhould looſe his labour, and run in vaine. So in Act. 19. where there was great ſtrife about the Temple of Diana, Paul when he came there, he knew that the peoples hearts were ſet on their Temple, and the worſhiping of their Idol, therefore he doth wiſely to doe their ſouls good, he might have ſaid, I preach the truth; and down with the image of Diana; but when the buſines was done, beſpake not a word againſt Diana, and the Temple; he hated the image, and the Temple: but he went the wiſeſt way to work to win them. That is another reaſon.
6. They intend good only to few.A ſixt reaſon is this, theſe people cannot doe good for the winning of others, and for the feeding of the poore lambes of Chriſt; why ſo? If they doe any I told you it is by accident, it is beſide their intention, or if they intend any, it is a few of their owne minde and judgement, thoſe that are in fellowſhip with them only, and the reſt they look on them as unbelievers, though they be never ſo holy, and the Spirit of God have ſealed to their ſoules; yet they are unbelievers, and are in an Antichriſtian eſtate, and have the mark of the Beaſt on them, and goe from them as if they had the plague on them. I ſay, thou mayeſt doe good to thoſe people that are of thy owne minde: thou canſt never doe good to others with ſuch language under ſuch notions; whereas others that walk according to the truth that I teach, they walk equally to all Saints, and as Paul ſaith, I became all things to all men, that I might win ſome. He labours to win ſinners, to nouriſh the weak, if they have any thing of Chriſt hee loves them, & if they have nothing he endeavours to work it. VVhereas the other looks on them as Turks and Infidels, and can doe them no good.
But you will ſay, though wee looke ſo on them wee would doe them good if they would hearken to us.
It may be ſo, and it is probable you would do them good: but I tell you you ſhall never be able to doe it in that way; VVhy? becauſe as Paul ſaith, 1 Cor. 8. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth: If you love them not you can not edifie them. If I did know a man that ſhould teach mee, and loved me nor, I cannot, I will not be edified. VVhen good people that are ſealed that they are the Lords, and that Chriſt is in them; when people ſhall come and call them Antichriſtians, and that they have the mark of the Beaſt on them, and that they are unbelievers; are they like to doe them good? they are not, becauſe love doth not intervene.
7. They lead others to deſtruction.Shall I add one word more, and end that? Laſtly, they cannot win others, or doe good to others; why ſo? (It is a foreword, I am death to ſpeak it, but I know it is true) becauſe they are ſo far from edifying, that thoſe that goe that way, according to that principle, they lead many ſilly ſouls to their own deſtruction; How? I will demonſtrate it thus, the principle is this, that nick that is new, they lay ſuch ſtreſſe on it, that he that followes that is a believer, and a Saint, though he be ſtark naught; now there is no poor carnall man, there is no ſoule ſo wicked, and wretched but hee would be willing to doe ſomething for himſelfe, and when he findes ſo eaſie a way to Heaven, that it is but obſerving ſuch an externall thing, he will be of that way, though he be a whoremonger, an adulterer. As it is in Popery (though I compare not the perſons, but there is the ſame principle in both) how comes their Church to be ſo great? they come to poore people that know not what to doe for ſalvation, and they ſay, come, be of our Church and you ſhall be ſaved; take ſuch a Religion on you, confeſſe your ſins to the Preiſt, and doe this, and that, and then you ſhail be ſaved. It is the ſame principle; you place ſalvation, and heaven in externall things, and moſt of your owne making, and then poore ſoules that would goe to heaven, and goe the neareſt way they could finde, they come, and they will obſerve thoſe externall things: and then what is the end of it? After all this adoe there will be a carnall prophane heart, that was never changed, that Chriſt was never in. I have ſeen more than one that have been asked; what evidence have you that Chriſt is in you? I have walked in ſuch a way this twenty, or two and twenty yeares, or ſo long, and I am come out from Antichriſt. A man may doe ſo, and be a damned creature when all is done; I have ſeen ſome (though I think there be ſcarſe any Chriſtians in the world beſides that have done it) that have invented a world of tricks, and qu…rks out of the Scripture, and have made them abſolute lawes, and none muſt be held but they; and beſides I have ſeen ſuch boaſting, and ſuch blindneſſe in ſpirituall things, that with charity a man may ſay there is not grace in ſuch ſouls. Therefore poore carnall ſouls are gulled when ſuch tricks are put on them; carnall hearts run there, and think to be ſafe, and crow over others: & in the end they prove carnal. This is not the way to win others, or do good to others. So you have three motives.
The fourth Motive that ſhould move you to hearken to this truth,Mot. 4. Without looking to expediency a man cannot be an excellent Chriſtian. to labour to underſtand it, and receive it, and to walk by it, for otherwiſe you will never be excellent Chriſtians; remember that word: ſpirituall, excellent Chriſtians never make ſuch tricks: you ſhall alway obſerve that the Eagle lookes not after flies; I have never ſeen, and I have conſidered with my ſelf, I have ſcarſly ever, if ever ſeen a ſpirituall Chriſtian goe that way; you ſhall obſerve in your ſelves (if I be not deceived) that when your ſoules are in a ſpirituall temper, full of the love of God, and communion with Chriſt, and in a holy ſpirituall frame, you ſhall not finde ſuch a diſpoſition in you to make ſuch a glorious buſineſs of little externall things, neither that God hath commanded, though wee muſt not neglect that, much leſſe thoſe that God never commanded: So the excellency in Chriſtianity, or the beauty of holineſs. I would ſet it out (as a godly man in another caſe,) by the naturall beauty of a man or a woman; VVhat makes a man or a woman beautifull. It is not onelyonly the having of ſo many limbes; another man may have as many leggs, and fingers, and toes as a beautifull man hath, and yet not be beautifull; but what is the beauty of a man? a ſumety, or harmony and proportion, between the humours of the bodie with in, and the members without; as a man is not beautiful that hath a great head, and a little hand, that is no proportion; So a Chriſtian that walks by the rule of lawfulneſſe, and unlawfulneſſe only, by what is lawfull, and commanded, and what is forbidden, hee will not be a beautiful Chriſtian, that is but a limbe of Chriſtianity: but excellent Chriſtianity ariſeth from proportion between our actions, when an action is not only good, but it is done expediently, it is done decently, and orderly; As a Lute, or a paire of Virginals that have as many ſtrings as they need, yet there may be no muſicke: So there is no beautie in a Chriſtian that ſaith, what is truth, and what is falſhood, and what is lawful, and what unlawful; But the beauty is when a man ordereth his wayes, as that he doth things for the honour of God, and for the good of others, and of his own ſoule: this makes an excellent Chriſtian, the other cannot be excellent Chriſtians. The reaſons, and grounds of it (that I may touch them breifly)
Reaſon. 1 An excellent Chriſtian hath the minde of Chriſt.The firſt is this, (I ſpake a little before of it) becauſe an excellent Saint, or a happy Saint, hee hath the minde of Chriſt Jeſus, we have the minde of Chriſt ſaith the Apoſtle; VVhat is that? Thus, he hath the law, and will of God in the New-Teſtament written in his heart, there is juſt the ſame finger as was in penning this bleſſed book, with the ſame letters, and characters and the ſame order: thence it comes to paſſe, as wee ſee among lambes, and ſheep, put a lambe among a thouſand he will goe to his own dam: You are not able to give a reaſon, much leſſe the poore creature: ſo the will of God is written in the heart of a Chriſtian; one comes and tells him of a nick of outward ſanctity; though hee be not able to give an anſwer againſt it, yet there is a kind of ſagacity in him, the law of God is written in his heart; and therefore he will not obey that: he knowes not why, but he cannot touch it; So though a Chriſtian have reaſon in moſt of his wayes, yet the maine principle that leads him is ſomewhat above that. Thoſe Saints that have not their hearts touched with this landſtone will be carried about to any nick, till they be undone.
2. Hee is buſied about high things.Another ground is, becauſe an excellent Saint is buſie, and imployed about higher things, and therefore he cannot finde time to take up all his thoughts to ſtudie externalls. As ſome people all their preaching, and praying, and diſcourſe is about ſuch things in externalls. A Saint may look upon it, and talk reſpectively, but he is ſo taken up about knowing of Chriſt and his love, and bringing his ſovl into communion with him, and conformity to him, that he hath not while to doe it. That a man may ſay, and ſay truly, that there are divers people that trade in externall things; as Pharaoh, the people are idle; So it is a hundred to one but thou haſt an idle ſoule within, that is left at randome, thou knoweſt not what termes God and thy ſoule are in; And therefore you ſhall finde in ſeverall places in Timothy, there was a ſtir about Genealogies, they might have ſaid it is Scripture, and truth. Take heed of them ſaith Paul; How ſhall Timothy take heed of them? ſee the rule 1 Tim. 4.8. he calls him to other buſines, he takes him and puts him upon another work, Bodily exerciſe profiteth little; What ſhall he doe then? exerciſe thy ſelf to godlines. Why, this is godlineſſe, might they ſay: No; it is a hundred to one ſaith Paul, but they are people that are remiſſe in godlineſſe, that are taken up with fables. So in v. 12. Let no man deſpiſe thy youth: but be an example to the believers, in word, in converſation, in charity, in ſpirit, in faith, in purity. That is, in theſe ſpirituall things. So in chap. 6. 11. there was a great deale of ſtir about outward things; what muſt Timothy doe? O man of God flie theſe things, and follow after righteouſneſs, godlineſse, faith, love, patience, meekneſſe. That is, take up thy ſoult, impoly it in ſpirituall things, and I warrant thee thou ſhalt not be ſo ſtudious in making little knots, and knicks, and lawes.
3. Hee reliſheth ſpirituall things.Another thing why an excellent Chriſtian cannot be ſo, is becauſe the excellent Chriſtian findes ſuch ſweetnes, having taſted how good God is in his love, in his Sonne; there is ſuch ſweetneſſe in ſpirituall things that you cannot feed them with ſuch husks. Bring a ſpirituall Saint, and tell him, here is a Church and Congregation, there is none like it in the world, they are all Antichriſtian but this: bring him there, and there all their prayers, and their diſcourſes, and ſermons, it is onelyonly of Churches, and Officers, and I know not what, and they are endleſſe upon that, and AntiChriſt is Babylon, and this is Jeruſalem, and Sion; a ſpirituall ſoule cannot feed on this, he cannot live there, no more than a fiſh on the ſhore. As Job ſaith, as the mouth judges of taſtes, ſo doth the eare of words. Wee can give no reaſon of our taſting, why a thing is ſweet, or ſoure, and ſo of hearing: but there is a ſecret thing within, that cannot ſavour thoſe external things, and husks that feed not the ſoul; and a Saint being a ſheep of Chriſt he knowes his voyce.
Another reaſon is this, that an excellent Saint hee hath ſuch a good ſtock, or eſtate within, that he cannot but contemplate his enjoying of God,He hath ſtock enough within. as much as may be, he needs not go abroad ſo far to thoſe things. Whereas on the other ſide, generally thoſe people that take up all their time & diſcourſe in thoſe wayes, you ſhall find uſually that they are banckrupts, The courſe of backſliders.or backſliders, they have crakt eſtates; for when men backſlid from God, and have loſt their communion with Chriſt; what then? they will make it up in outward things to the utmoſt, even to ſuperarogation. As in Iſaiah, when the people had backſlided, and revolted, they brought abundance of ſacrifices, God was weary of them; he complaines not of the want of them: but he ſaith, I will have none of them, away with them; the kernell of the ſoule is gone. So in Micah 6. thoſe wicked people that did enjoy nothing of God in their ſoules, ſay they; How ſhall I come before the Lord? ſhall I bring a thouſand rams, or ten thouſand rivers of oyle? ſhal I give the fruit of my body for the ſin of my ſoule? O no; the Lord will none of them. So, when ſoules are broken, and banckrupt, generally thoſe people for a while keep up a profeſsion in externall knacks. Therefore backſliders that run from God, and are aſhamed to be prophane, for a yeare or two, they take up an external Religion, and make endleſſe knacks, and will be brave people, and by and by down goes that too. Uſually when the devill drawes people from God, hee eates the kernell a yeare, or two before, and then he knows they will throw away the ſhell.
Mot. 5. To look to our principles againſt ſuffering times.Only, one thing more to move you to conſider this truth, and to endeavour to ſet your ſelves this way, is this, that all of you, or moſt of you I think, look on theſe times, (eſpecially that are coming) as ſuffering times, and you doe well ſo to doe, and it may be there is more reaſon to looke for it than before, it is fafe to make that account, and if it prove otherwiſe it will be the ſweeter; you make account to ſuffer, many of you (it may be) on right grounds feare ſorer ſufferings than foremrly, If you mean to ſuffer, conſider before hand, look to your principles, take heed that you ſuffer not as evil doers; that is, take heed that you be not brought to the ſtake to ſuffer for nicks, or conceits, or things of your own making: for however many of Gods own people have often ſuffered for ſuch nicks, and with comfort; it was the merciemercy of God, becauſe they had honeſt hearts; and many times carnall men, Scipio, and Cato, and thoſe ſuffered valliantly out of a naturall reſolution; yet you cannot be ſure that you ſhall have comfort in your ſuffering, without it be for the truth of God, that God hath laid down: Therefore as Jeremy ſaith in the Lamentations, ſo I ſay to you Wherefore is the living man ſorrowfull? man ſuffers for his ſins; And what followes? let us ſearch and trie our wayes. Beloved this is the benefit of affliction, nor only to make us ſearch our wayes, and to reforme what is amiſſe in that: But to make the wiſe to ſearch their principles, their beliefe, and their liberty, and their tenets, and to hold only that, that they are with joy able to lay down their lives for. As in a ſtorme when the Sea-men ſee it comming, they ſearch the Ship, and ſee if there be any ſuperfluous goods, and they caſt it overboard. VVhen the Conſtable comes if there be any ſtollen goods in the houſe, our with that; ſo if a ſtorme be coming, conſider; here is a nick that I have made will it hold? ſhall I burne for it? It will be fearfull when you ſhall ſuffer, either to relinquiſh, & ſo ſhame religion, or elſe to ſuffer for that that you know not duplicate page duplicate page whether it is right, or wrong, therefore ſearch your wayes, and your tenets againſt ſufferings come, that you make no more lawes than you may be able to die for.
Laſtly, (to conclude at this time) this ſhould move you to conſider,Mot. 6. It will offend God to make laws where hee hath not or abuſed liberty. how much the Lord will be offended with you, and that juſtly, in caſe when you come to judgment you be found to have either bound your ſelves where God hath made you free, or have uſed your liberty to his diſhonour; for both theſe I drive at. God hath given us liberty in the New-Teſtament, a great deale of liberty; he hath given us that honour as ſonnes, hee hath not bound us with little lawes, as in the Old Teſtament, he did them as little children. Now if we uſe this liberty to his diſhonour, and not ſeek in every thing to advantage our own ſoules, and to further his glory, there will be a fearfull reckoning.
Let mee tell you a word, that may ſeeme ſtrange to ſome of you; That the Lord may be more offended with a Chriſtian for doing an inexpedient thing, or for not doing an expedient thing, than for forgoing a thing abſolutely commanded; As thus, God oft gives us an abſolute command, and he ſends another dutie in that makes him ſuſpend with the former (as I have ſhewed) as a leſſe duty is no duty when a greater comes in place: but when it is expedient compleatly, God never diſpenſeth with ſuch an action, but it is a ſin not to doe it. As for inſtance, ſuppoſe you have a ſonne that is at age; and you have an Apprentiſe and you bid him doe ſo much work, & you go home to your houſe, and bid your ſonne ſtudie to doe that that may be for the honour of his father, but you tie him to nothing. And when you are from home the ſonne meets with an opportunitie that might have inriched his fathers houſe for ever, if he had taken it, but he did it not, and the ſervant is negligent, and doth not doe his work in your abſence; When the father comes home, and the ſonne ſhall ſay, I had an advantage to have advanced you, and us all, but I did not take it, his father did not command him to lay hold of the opportunitie; but judge you, would you be more angrie with the ſonne, or with the ſervant, that neglected only a few trifling things. So you have opportunitie to make God honourable (as I may with reverence ſpeak) in ſuch a Court, in ſuch a Committee, at ſuch a time, in ſuch a thing that God hath not abſolutely cōmanded, or forbidden. This is the reaſon if you compare Jude with 2 Pet. why there are ſuch woes threatned againſt thoſe that turn the grace of God into wantones, they bring upon themſelves ſwift damnation. Why ſo? God beſtoweth grace and hath made them free, and redeemed them, and they turne all to wantoneſſe, and looſneſſe. Therefore I will conclude only with one inſtance, and that is thus, ſuppoſe you had a ſervant in your houſe, the maſter workman of the ſhop, that you doe not uſe to tie to any thing, he is a good ſervant, and hath wiſdome to do himſelf good, and to advance the familie, & you have a little young Apprentiſe, and you tie him to doe ſo much work againſt you come home; and both neglect it, the great man, and the boy, they have done nothing; What will you ſay? You will ſay to the man, I thought you had had more wiſdome, I thought you would have given good example to the childe, that you had been a man of wiſdome, and would have been truſtie when I was gone from home, and for you to be idle, and to let goe ſuch a market, and ſuch cuſtomers; you would be a hundred fold more angrie with him than with the other. Thus the Jewes were children, and were tied to an ilet-hole, and to the ſnuffe of a candle. Now the Lord hath left us free for his honour, and our advantage. Now, when we ſhall come to reckon before the Lord, and God ſhall finde carnall profeſſors that never laid hold of an opportunity to honour God; what will God ſay? I thought you would have honoured me, you have another Goſpel for clearneſſe, and glory, and you have more wiſdome, and the offer of my Spirit, and yet you were drunken, and carnall profeſſors, you had ſo many opportunities, and you let them goe, and did me no honour; but lived as droanes, and did goe out as the ſnufe of a candle; I will pay you for all. The ſumme is, not to neglect any known commandment, but to make no more than God hath made, and to make out the reſt in expediencie; that is the way to honour the Lord. Therefore to conclude, I wiſh, and exhort you, as James ſaith, So ſpeak, and ſo do, as thoſe that ſhall be jugded by the law of liberty. O, the law of liberty will be a ſevere law one day. God hath called us to be ſonnes, he hath given us a great deale of liberty, whereby we may ſerve him more to his glory, and with more honour to our ſelves, if we abuſe this, and walk carnally, and ill-favouredly, it will be a ſevere law to us, and a ſevere day to ſuch profeſſors.