§ 1. And God said, Let us make man in our image.

IN the Words there are two things:

• 1. The consultation, [And God said.]
• 2. The executiō of it effected.

The consultation gives us to consider, partly the dif­ficulty of the worke, partly the excellencie, when in all other things it was but a [Let it be] but now there is an high Court of Parliament; the three Persons enter into a consultation to set upon this master-piece; better then all other creatures, except Angels, and in some case bet­ter then them. Father, Son, and holy-Ghost say, Let us make man; every one addresses himselfe to it with marvel­lous [Page 6] care. Come wee then to the Work. If you aske what's the pinnacle of perfection, from which Adam fell (for fall implies some prerogative hee had) I answer, it was this, That he was made in Gods image, and from this he fell

Gods i­mage is mans ex­cellency. Doct. The excellencie of Adams condition consists in this, that he was made in the image and likenesse of God. Therefore, Col. 3.10. the A­postle disputing concerning renovation, enjoynes them to put on the new man, which is renewed according to the image of him; that created it. In the Text are two things:

1. The worke of sanctifi­cation is that we had in Adam by creation; and therefore he cals it the new [Page 7] man. Adam having ble­mished it, Christ renewes it againe.

2. Observe, that both the worke of sanctification, and creation, are according to the image of God, Ecclesiastes 7.9. God made Adam up­right, yea a straight man.

This is a comparison taken from a straight line; there can be no crooking in it. So the heart of Adam lay levell, and exactly agreeable to the rule of righteousnesse. Eph. 4.24. Put ye on the new man, which is created after God in righteousnesse and true holi­nesse. Looke what is spoken of renovation, the selfe same Adam had in creation. Now wee read that the new man is after God, as the print of the wax is after the seale; [Page 8] and a man does his work af­ter a paterne, that is agree­able to it: So the stampe of Gods image was upon A­dam, that he was agreeable to his will.

For the opening of it, ob­serve three questions:

Q. 1. What is this Image?

Gods i­mage, what in generall. Ans. In the generall, it is that spirituall ability put in­to Adam, whereby hee was able to worke as God wrought, after the manner and measure of a creature. We doe all things according to our scantling: God hath a power infinite, Adam had it proportionably. Adam was not to equall, but to imitate God. Luk. 6.34. Be merci­full as your father is merci­full. Adam was holy as God, and ordred his conver­sation [Page 9] as God would. Wee say, That the child hath the image of his father, not in bignesse, but in likenesse, ei­ther in carriage, countenance, or behaviour: Or, as it is with an apprentice, that hath learned the skill of his Ma­ster, we say, Hee is his Ma­ster right; not because he is a man, but because he is a work-man, and imitates him exactly, and carries the print of his skill upon him. So the image of God in Adam is not so much in regard of the being of Adam, as in this, that hee was able to worke as God, hee was partaker of the spirituall ver­tue of God; he was able to know what was needfull, and to will what ever he knew agreeable to Gods will. Had [Page 10] God taken flesh upon him (as indeed Christ tooke flesh up­on him) he would have so behaved himselfe, and so approved of good courses, (being made after Gods Image) as did Christ (ta­king our flesh upon him) in whom there was no guile.

Q. 2. Whether may any creature be said to be created in the image of God, beside man?

Only men and an­gels made after Gods image. An. No Creatures beside Men, and Angels. It is true, that in all the frame of the creatures, there is a stampe of the holinesse and power of God left passively; there are footsteps of Gods good­nesse left in the creature▪ but no creature is able actively to imitate God, to have an [Page 11] holy wil, and to walk answer­ably. There is a great diffe­rence betweene a mans footsteps in the sand, and his picture. If his footsteps be in the sand, we say, A man hath been there; but what his stature and proportion is, no man can tell: Draw a picture of the same man, such parts, and such lims, this dis­covers what proportion he is of; The other concludes the man was there, but doth not discover his stature. If a man should see that mans sonne▪ just of his stature, hee would then say, There is the lively picture of his father: So it is here in the creation of the World; God leaves a foot-step of his attributes, that every man may say, Wisedome, Goodnesse, and [Page 12] power hath beene heere. Psal. 19.1. The Heavens de­clare the glory of God. They, as it were, speak it, and offer it to our consideration. Rom. 1.19. That which may bee knowne of God, is in them: that is, the foot-steps of God may bee observed in the creatures. But the image of God in Adam was like a picture; not a livelesse, but a lively picture. As the child that does like his father, doth discover him somewhat: So did Adam, God; he was able to expresse the vertues of God, that had created him. 1 Cor. 15.49. As wee have borne the image of the Earth­ly: So we shall beare the image of the Heavenly. All the sons of Adam had the image of Adam: hee was stubborne, [Page 13] so were they. Now as we have this image from Adam, so the saints have the image of Christ; holy, as he his holy. Joh. 1.16. Of his fulnesse wee have received, grace for grace. What ever grace is in Christ, he puts upon the hearts of his children. There is never a letter on the seale, but is on the wax: So every grace that is in Christ is im­printed upon his Saints pro­portionably.

The creatures have three things in them:

1. They are the effects of goodnesse.

2. They shew them forth to the consideration of o­thers.

3. A wise man may see the foot-steps of Gods good­nesse in them. The creature [Page 14] cannot be mercifull, as God is mercifull; the creature doth its nature: the fire burnes, the water moistens, but no creature can expresse Gods goodnesse, but Adam and the Angels.

Qu. What is the difference between the image, and like­nesse of God?

Ans. The difference is this: The one discovers the frame of the heart inwardly. The spirituall power Adam had to work, we terme the Image: The discovery of this, or the acting accordingly, the Likenesse. There is the power of Adam, and the exe­cution of this power; the lat­ter is Likenesse, the former, Image: Let us make man af­ter our &c. As who should say, Let us put a frame into [Page 15] Adams heart, and then he shall walke answerably to it in all his courses. Acts 13.22. it is said, I have found a man after mine owne heart, which shall doe all my will. This is the description of a man after Gods owne heart; hee does all his will. God hath such an heart as Davids, and if he were on earth, would do as he did, except his infir­mities. 1 Pet. 1.15. Be holy as your heavenly Father is ho­ly, in all manner of conversa­tion. He requireth not onely an inward frame, but an out­ward expressure thereof. God made Adam thus; who as hee had a power in his heart, so he expressed it in his life, and wrought as God wrought, which no creature else could.

[Page 16] Qu. But why did God make Adam thus?

Ans. There is no reason on mans part, but it was one­ly Gods will. The Lord is an understanding agent, there­fore he workes all things for a good end. And the reasons why God imprinted this I­mage in Adam, are two:

Reasons why God made man after his image.1. That he might fit him for spirituall and heavenly worship. God would have one creature neere to him, one of his Privie Councell, that might performe spiritual worship to him. Now unlesse God had created Adam in his image, he could not have performed spirituall worship to him, as it was requisite God should make some crea­ture so to doe. John 4.24. God is a spirit, and must bee [Page 17] worshiped in spirit, and in truth. None can approach to God, but in a spirituall man­ner. The trees grow, and the beasts serve man; they do their nature, and grovell on the ground, but reach not to God, because they are not spirituall, nor have they rea­sonable soules. Looke as it is with great Princes, though they imploy ordinary per­sons in ordinary affaires, as their under officers, Cookes, and Groomes, &c. yet no man must be Secreta­ry of State, unlesse he have eminent and excellent abili­ties without which he cannot close with his Prince, nor is fitted for him: So, it is true, that the God of heaven hath all things at command, and hee will worke some­times [Page 18] wonders by them: The heavens heare the earth, the earth heares the corne, and the corne heares Israel: but none of these can wor­ship God in prayer or the like, but onely Adam, who hath the image of God upon him. Adam is Gods councel­lour; He reveales his secrets to the righteous. An holy man can close with an holy God; they have union one with another. No other creature can come to God, but only man. All creatures serve man, that he may serve God. The heavens heare the earth, and the earth heares the corne, and the corne heares man, that man may serve the Lord. The text sayeth, God seeing that in the frame of heaven and earth, there was [Page 19] not a fit companion for man, did therefore make woman, such another as himselfe, to be with man: So neither had God one for his turne, when Sun, & Moone, and Stars, and all things else were made, therefore Father, Sonne, and holy-Ghost consult to make one that might be acquain­ted with the businesses of Heaven.

Againe, God purposes to cōmunicate himselfe and his image to one creature, that he, serving God, might be blessed of him. God would commu­nicate happiness to a creature, and none could receive it un­less he had the image of God. Hence (I say) they consult to­gether about it: I will create, saith the Father, and do you create, Sonne, and doe you [Page 20] create, Spirit. The work of the Father is discovered in creati­on, the work of the Sonne in redemption, the work of the Spirit in sanctification; all concurre to make him parta­ker of happinesse. This is the cause why no other creature is capable of happinesse but Men and Angels, because they onely have the image of God.

Reas. 2. Because God would have one creature a­bove the rest, that should take notice of his attributes discovered in his workes. God would have the glory of his attributes, that are ma­nifested in his workes. Hee creates a world; in that world hee expresses the workes of wisedome, power, and holi­ness. When first the heavens [Page 21] were bespangled with stars, the earth replenished with fruits, the sea with fishes, no creature could see Gods worke-manship, and honour him for it; therefore God makes man in his owne i­mage, makes him able by wisedome to conceive his works, and gives him wise­dome to returne him honour from all. It is requisite, there should bee some spectators. The goodnesse of God is in the heavens, they, at it were, speake the providence of God: now wee see these things, and cannot but admire them. Psalm. 103. ult. The Psal­mist speaking there con­cerning the wonders of God in the heavens, marke what he addes, Blesse the Lord all [Page 22] yee all his workes. As who should say, All yee sonnes of men come hither, see, and wonder at the power & good­nesse of God in these things, and blesse his name for them. Prov. 3.6. Acknowledge the Lord in all thy wayes. The creature cannot acknow­ledge God, because it wants the image of God; but man, that hath a spirituall ability to know God, cannot but ac­knowledge him in all his wayes. Men that have any curious workmanship which they would have seene, build up a stage for the better view of it. Why should they set it forth, if there were no man to come, and observe it? Just so God does; he makes the whole frame of the world, and in that expresses his [Page 23] power and goodnesse. To what purpose should all these bee made, if there were no man to see them, and wonder at them? Exod. 14.4. When God would raise his honour out of Pharaoh, he sets him upon a stage. He might have beene slaine amongst the first borne, but hee brings him into the middest of the Sea, and there slew him. This passed not without observa­tion, insomuch that the Hea­thens could say, These are the Gods that slew Pharaoh, &c. What should bookes doe, if there were no schollars? The world is the booke of Gods goodnesse; wherefore should this be, if there were no man to studie it?

Use 1. The first use is of in­struction,Dutie to God in this re­spect. to teach us what [Page 24] our duty should be to God, since his kindnesse is such to us. Adam was a common root, therefore what Adam had, thou hast in him. Hence then take notice of the extra­ordinary duty wee owe unto God. Hath God done more for us then for other crea­tures? then let us do more for him. All the world joyned together have not received so much as man. As the ex­cellency of man is above all, so his care should be to re­turne more to God, bestow the best affections, the utmost labour for the promoting of the praise of God. What a shame is it for a Prince to turne a Peasant? for Adam, the best, to become the worst? If the dog returne to the vomit, and the sow to the [Page 25] wallowing in the myre, if the horse and mule have no understanding, it is their na­ture: but Adam hath not the image of an irrationall crea­ture but the image of God; yea, of that God, that takes it in great indignation, that all should serve us, & we will not serve him. The Lord lights his candle for man to labour by, he drawes his curtaine for man to rest by, the crea­tures lift us up to God, and say, Serve him more then all. Isaiah 1.2. The Lord makes his moane to the creatures, Shall all creatures obey God, better then man, when man was made better by creation then them? When thou findest thy heart sluggish, quicken thy selfe thus; Aske the fowles of the ayre, and [Page 26] they will tell thee, thou re­ceivedst all from God; re­turne all unto him againe. When thou seest the heavens turne in their compasse, con­demne thy soule, that thou art so dead hearted in duty. The Sunne rejoyces like a Gyant to runne his course, because God commands it; the sea ebbes, and flowes, because God will have it so. Nay, the creatures will doe against their nature for God. 1. King. 13.5. Oh Altar, heare the word of the Lord, and the Altar breaks in peices; the poore stones rend in sun­der at the commandement of God, and yet after so ma­ny threatnings we stoup not: let us see it, and bee a­shamed.

Ob. But wee cannot obey God.

[Page 27] Ans. Yet see thy bond, though thou canst not pay it: see thy debt, & be humbled, though thou it not able to satisfie for it.

Use. 2. The second use is,It is not for one made af­ter Gods image to dote on the crea­tures. Learne from hence not to be servants to those that God hath made servants to you. Wee should not bee doting daily upon these empty shadows, because they are un­worthy the nature of man. Shall the Lord make us bet­ter then the best of all crea­tures, and shall wee abase our selves below the meanest condition of the lowest crea­ture? Think of this, that wee may consider whence we are fallen, as God speakes to that Church in Rev. 2. The drunkard is a slave to his cups, the covetous man is a [Page 28] drudge to the dirt of this world, the ambitious mans being, is the favour of men: Nay more, man is become not onely a slave to the crea­tures, but a vassall to his owne lusts: Let us be ashamed of this. The Apostle 1 Cor. 3.21. when divers had disputed of the excellency of Paul and Apollo, sayes, Hee all is yours, therefore glory not in your servants: The ar­gument fals more strongly here, Bestow not your selves on these empty things; they are your servants, bee not vassals to them. Men beare themselves according to their birth; the King scornes to stoup to a Peasant, and a man of Nobility scornes to stoup to a dung-hill churle. Oh that wee were thus wise [Page 29] for our soules; beare up your selves according to your birth, and thinke thus with your selves, When profits and pleasures crave your ser­vices, a man should conceive, in an holy ambition, that his heart were too good to trust to lying vanities: Man is of a better birth; and should answer them as Christ did the Pharisies comming to tempt him, Matth. 22.21. who, when they asked if it were lawfull to give tri­bute to Caesar, requireth a penny, & askes them, Whose image, & superscription hath it? They answering, Caesars; saith, Give unto Caesar, that which is Caesars, and to God that which is Gods: so ask this question, Whose superscrip­tion doth this nature beare? [Page 30] Gods; then give to God the things that are Gods. Let vanity be bestowed upon the world, but thy soule hath Gods image; give it him. If a creature be strayed, or stollen, though it be disfigu­red, yet when it is found, we returne it againe to the owner: so thy Mind, Will and Affections are straying from God, Satan hath stol­len them from the familie of the Almighty. Though thy soule be disfigured, yet it's Gods; returne it home to him. 1 Pet. 2.25. wee are as sheepe going astray, and fall now and then into a ditch: but now let us returne unto the Arch-bishop of our soules.

§. 2.

NOw wee come to the particular unfolding of this image: and the point is this;

Doct. The image of God was imprinted in the whole man. God sayes not,Gods i­mage in the whole soule. Let us make a body, or a soule, but man in our image. It was not with Adam as with children, in regard of their naturall parents; If the child bee but eyed like his father, wee say, He hath a brow like his father, and nothing else. It was not thus with Adam; but as it is with the picture of a man, if it bee drawne to the full propor­tion, there is a resemblance in every part, so it was with him; there was never a [Page 32] part of his body or soule, but there was in them a pro­portion of those vertues, which are in God infinitely, Gen. 2. ult. They saw them­selves naked, and were not ashamed; the meaning is, The eye of their consciences saw nothing within to a­shame them, the eye of their bodies saw nothing without that was shamefull: but when they had sinned, not only the eye of their con­sciences was open to accuse them for sin, but the eye of their bodies ashamed to be­hold that stained which be­fore was void of blemish.

Qu. What reasons may bee alledged to prove this?

Answ. The reasons are three:

1. Looke where sin takes [Page 33] place after the nature of man defiled, there was the image of God before; now sinne reignes in the whole man. Sinne and the image of God are both of a breadth. The privation of a thing can bee no where, but where the thing was; blind­nesse is no where, but where sight was, or might have beene; death is no where, but where life was, or might have beene: so sin could be no where, but where the image of God was, or might have beene. Sinne is like leaven, that leaveneth the whole lumpe: there is no whole part in man from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot, therefore the image of God was in the whole man. Matth. 15.1 [...]. [Page 34] Out of the heart come evill thoughts: There is the throne of sinne: but Rom. 6.12. Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies. Thus is the kingdome of sin described: for that a man is as it is, full of all unrighteousness, Rom. 1. The heart is full of malice, and the hand is full of bloud; the heart is adulterous, and the eye wanton; the mem­bers, the members of an Harlot (as the Apostle speaks:) for if profanenesse be once in the heart, the hand is full of mischiefe. If then the whole man bee depri­ved of Gods image by sinne, then the whole man had the image of God before sinne.

Reas. 2. The image of God was restored to the whole [Page 35] man by Christ. What Christ restores, that Adam had. Christ renewes what was before made: now Christ restores the whole man by sanctification; which is clear by Scripture. For it is called to this purpose the new man; not a new eye, or a new hand, but the new man. Those are two pregnant places, 1 Thes. 5.23. The God of peace san­ctifie you throughout, and I pray that your whole spirit and soule and body may be blamelesse unto the comming of Christ. and 2 Cor. 5.17. He that is in Christ is a new creature. He is not a monster, but a creature. This new creature hath all the parts of a creature: New thoughts, new endevours; the eye sees chastely▪ the tongue talkes holily; all [Page 36] things are new both in body and soule. If then the whole man had the image of God repaired, then the whole man had the image of God created.

Reas. 3. Because the whole nature of man was bound to the Law to obey it, there­fore it must be fitted by the i­mage of God to obey it. That all parts are under the law, it is cleare: the Scripture pro­vides a precept for every part: The eye must not lust, The hand must labour, Let him that stole steale no more, but work with his hands, Eph. 4.28. The Law hath a charge likewise for the tongue, Let your words bee gracious, Col. 3. Thus the Law reaches to the out-side; and for the in-side▪ it is cleare, Thou shalt [Page 37] love the Lord thy God with all thy soule, with all thy strength, &c. Unlesse the whole man had had the image of God, it could not have obeyed the Law: Otherwise, the dam­ned in hell, or the wicked could obey Gods Law; the soule is the same in substance, so that if the soule as it is a soul, could obey the Law, the damned in hell might. It was not Adams soule, but the image of God, that inabled him to obedience, therefore he must have this image, before either his body, or soule could obey. A man speakes Latine, not because he is a man, but because he is a schollar: a man builds an house cunningly, not because he is a man (for then every man might doe it) but by [Page 38] man might doe it, but by vertue of the cunning of a Carpenter: it is not the soule in regard of the essence of it, it is not the body in regard of the being thereof, that inables a man to keepe the Law. The Devils in hell have an Understanding, and Will, but they cannot love God: The essence of the soule will not doe it, but the frame that God puts into it.

Use. The use in Generall is this:

A triall of true san­ctificati­on.Thou mayest hereby per­ceive whether thou wert e­ver sanctified: for if so, thou hast the image of God in thee, and if it bee in thee, it is imprinted upon thy whole man; so Adam had it, so Christ renewes it. 1 Pet. 1.15. Be holy in all man­ner [Page 39] of conversation. It is not enough to have an outside, this is no argument of true grace; but if ever thou beest sanctified, all is made new. Hee that is in Christ is a new creature. It is a monstrous thing to have the eye of a Saint, and the heart of a Devill; to have the hands of Esau, and the voyce of Jacob; to howle and cry for sin, and yet to retaine our old corruptions. This is not to bee renewed, but to be patched up, a piece holy, and a piece unholy. Away with these appearances; if ever you be sanctified, the whole man must be chan­ged. When ever a man comes to meddle with a gracious man, he shall find him of another mould. It be­falls [Page 40] wicked men as it did NebuchadneZZars image; the head was gold, but the feet dirt: so men have an outward profession, an head of gold, but follow them home, and there you shall find their feet dirt. Cozening, and cheating pre­vailes over them. It is with carnall men often, as with NebuchadneZZar, Dan. 5. who had the shape of a man, but the heart of a beast, that is, beastly affections: so men have the visage of Christians, but yet such un­cleane and proud hearts, that scarce Beelzebub him­selfe hath worse. God does perfect bis worke: a good man hath the heart of a Saint, and tongue of a Saint.

§. 3.

NOw for the further ex­plication of the point, wee must presse into Parti­culars, that so wee may see the image of God instamped on every part of man. To this purpose these questions are to be scanned.

Quest. Where is the i­mage of God in the Soule?

Ans. For answer, observe, by way of preface:

What a soule is.

God imprinted his image in the soule of Adam, in his Understanding, Will, and Affections. Now con­cerning what the soule is, The soule is an immortall creature, and wee discover it by its acts; as in man, [Page 42] by conceiving, chusing and refusing a thing.

Of gods image in the Un­derstan­ding.For the Understanding; God imprinted in it Know­ledge and Wisedome suta­ble to the place in which he had set it.

Quest. What is this wise­dome?

Ans. The spirituall light, whereby the Understanding of Adam was able to pierce into the nature of things, and perceive them with that perfection as did fit him for the attaining of his end, and performing service to God.

There are three things in this description:

1. It is a spirituall light. It is with the Understanding as with the ayre; it is capable of darknesse in the night, [Page 43] as well as light in the day: So the faculty of Adams un­derstanding was capable of blindenesse and ignorance that might delude him, as well as of spirituall light that might guide him. A mans eye may have blind­nesse in it as well as sight: so the understanding is capa­ble of ignorance, and spiri­tuall wisdome too that might reveale that to us that should be done by us. Col 3.10. Put yee on the new man, that is renewed in knowledge. And Eph. 1.18. He prayes that the eyes of their understanding might be inlightened. The eye cannot see unlesse there bee a facultie of seeing put into it; which Adam had in his innocencie,

2. Whereby the under­standing [Page 44] of Adam was able to pierce into the natures of things; which piercing dis­covers it selfe two wayes.

1 The Understanding of Adam was able to close with every truth that was to bee apprehended, if he would diligently bestow his mind, and thoughts thereupon. If a man will turne away his eye he cannot see: so if Adam would turne a­way himselfe, and not be­stow his thoughts upon an object, he might bee decei­ved, as hee was by the Ser­pent; Not attending was the cause of his cozening. Hee had such a spirituall light that whatsoever was offered unto him, he, improving his wisedome, was able to dis­cerne the nature of the truth, [Page 45] and the reason thereof: for both these are distinct. When Rebeccah was with child, she saith, Why am I thus? She knew that she was with child, but knew not the reason of it: but Adam could apprehend upon every occa­sion he met withall, both the truth; and the ground of it. Gen. 2.19. God gave the creatures to Adam to name, & as hee named them, so their names were. He apprehended every creatures disposition, and accordingly gave them names.

2. The Understanding of Adam by this spirituall wise­dome, was of that large strength, that he was able to understand all occasions to helpe him in his worke: His reason did carry him [Page 46] clearely & speedily to do his work. This we call practicall wisedome. It was not enough for himselfe to see the truth, and the reason of it, but hee could carry himself answer­ably to it. I say, this practicall wisedome made him easily doe his worke. As in car­pentry, a man may stand by, and say, This must be done: but to be nimble in doing the work, must be the skill of the Carpenter. Adam he could both see how to order his businesse, and to doe his worke according to that or­der. Hee was able to looke into the creature, and imitate it. Col. 1.9. the Apostle prayeth, that they may bee filled with all knowledge and wisedome. The words are better translated, pru­dence [Page 47] and wisedome. To see truths, and the reasons of them, that is wisedome; to be cunning in practice, that is prudence. Eph. 1.8. God hath abounded to us in Wise­dome and Prudence. The op­posite to wisedome is folly, the opposite to prudence is blockishness in a mans whole course. Now Adam, who had both these, Wisedome and Prudence, was able to take up any trade in the World.

Qu. In what manner had Adam this?

Ans. It was in Adam in perfection. This you must consider two wayes:

1 Either such as concer­ned the attaining of his end: or

2 Such as concerned the [Page 48] performing of his service that he owed unto God. Adam had both these very perfect. True▪ Adam had not the actuall knowledge of all things. Our Saviour him­selfe had a knowledge by experience; for the Text saith, He learned by his suf­ferings: so Adam had not the knowledge of all things, but he had an habituall per­fection, that hee could con­ceive any thing, that might fit him to obedience. A mans eye doth not actually see all colours, but it is able to see all colours, if they were of­fered: so though Adam did not actually comprehend all things, yet whatsoever occa­sion he met withall, he was able clearely to passe judge­ment thereon. He was able [Page 49] to conceive of any thing, that might further him in pleasing God.

Qu. Wherein doth this perfection of Adams under­standing consist?

Answ. In three particu­lars.

1 In the universality of it.Adams perfection of under­standing, wherein. He was able to understand all things, that were presented to his understanding, and lyable to the power of rea­son, what ever might either bee necessary to direct him­selfe, or order the creature. Wee must not think he was able to conceive the secret mysteries of Gods counsell, or to dive into the secret thoughts of any other man, or else to foretell things to come; this onely belongs to God. Deut. 29.29. Secret [Page 50] things belong to God, 1 King. 8.39. For thou alone know­est the mind of all the sonnes of men. Isai. 44.7. When God did contest with the I­dolaters, hee saith, Let them foretell things to come; to which wee must not extend Adams knowledge. What ever might helpe in ruling himselfe, and governing the creature, he had; yet we must not extend the knowledge of Adam to Gods secrets. Adam was like the governour in a Campe, who hath not onely skill to governe himselfe, but to order all occasions, and removings of the Campe: Adam was the Generall of Gods Camp, the birds of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, were all un­der his dominion, hee had [Page 51] knowledge to order them all to the ends to which they were appointed for. We that have lost this image, under­stand almost nothing: How often are wee at a stand in common things? Esa. 59.10. Wee grope at noone day, as if wee had no eyes. Among the Saints, which have received some of this knowledge, that which they know is the least part of that they know not; so that the accusation of Job is against us, Job 26.14. What a little part doe we know of God? But Adam met with no difficulty, but he was able to search into the depth of it: there was no meanes usefull for him, but hee was able to order and dispose them for his good.

2. The perfection of Adams [Page 52] knowledge consists in the certainty of it: Hee knew things according to truth, not erring, or mis-judging; he did not onely perceive the truth of things, but he judged ac­cording to righteous judge­ment. How often are wee cozened with the affaires of this world, and the devices of Sathan? The eyes of our un­derstandings are like the mans in the Gospel, who saw men like trees; but it was not so with Adam, there was no web in his eye, no filme upon his understanding, but he was furnished with the perfection of knowledge.

Ob. But if Adam was able to discover deceits, how came he to be deluded by the Ser­pent?

Ans. The cause of his errour [Page 53] was not because he could not discerne, but because he did not bestow his mind upon it, and improve his wisedome: he had wisedome to discover Satans sleights, had he kept his minde and thoughts to a consideration thereof. Let a mans eye be never so cleare, yet if he consider not of the object, it may bee hard by him, and he perceive it not: a friend stands by, and wee know him not, because wee look not settledly upon him: so though Adam was able to discern the deceits of Sathan, yet his not attending made the devill put a cheat upon him.

3. The perfection of A­dams understanding consisted in this, that he could under­stand all things clearly, with­out [Page 54] doubting. This is a weak­nesse that wee finde. Many things wee doe not know; many things that wee know, we mistake; and those things wee mistake not, we see at peradventures. Looke, what is the difference between the light of the sunne and starre-light: (In starre-light, if a thing be subtill, or small, we doubt of it, but when the sunne comes, we can perceive every thing undeniably:) such was the knowledge of Adam, whereby, as by the light of the sunne, he could discerne without staggering the things that were offered to his view. but a naturall man walkes in darknesse, or at most but by the starre-light of reason. The best Saint hath but twi­light: wee know in part, [Page 55] and understand in part.

Use. The use is double:

1. Of instruction.Ignorantia non excu­sat à toto, sed à tanto. From hence wee learne that igno­rance will acquit no mans person. God made Adam per­fect in knowledge, therefore the scales of ignorance will not acquit thee. Wee that have received so much from God, it is requisite we should repay something to God againe. Must men think they must be pardoned, because of their ignorance? Alas! say some, Schollers should know, but as for us, who have had no education, I hope God will not require wisedome at our hands. No? Why? will not God looke for his owne at every mans hands? Nay, unlesse thou wilt have God wrong his [Page 56] justice, God doth expect, that thou that hast received a weighty talent from him, shouldst returne it to him again improved. Be it known to you therefore, that God will knocke at every mans doore, and say, Where is that knowledge that I gave thee? Therefore our igno­rance cannot excuse us, it will condemne us rather. That it is thus, consider

1. Ignorance makes men strangers from the life of God, Eph. 4.18. How comes it to bee so? Through ig­norance. An ignorant heart is a stranger to life and happi­nesse: when all the mercies of God, and his holinesse, are propounded, it never pre­vailes with an ignorant heart.

2. Consider, what un­doubted [Page 57] plagues it brings with it, Hos. 4.14. The people that understand not, shall not onely stumble, but fall, that is, perish totally: Jer. 10.25. Lord correct mee not in thine anger: Whom shall I correct then, saith God? Oh poure downe thy wrath upon the peo­ple that know thee not: those are people prepared for ru­ine. All you ignorant crea­tures, thinke of this which the Prophet speaketh: God gave us knowledge, ignorance therefore cannot excuse us, but accuse us rather.

Use 2. The second use is of exhortation:Labour to recover thy lost wisedome. we ought to bee moved to recover our losses. The former truth should provoke us to get to that high pitch of understan­ding, which is so excellent. [Page 58] This the wise man presseth effectually, Pro 2.2. Incline thine eare to wisedome: if she will not come, then cry mightily after her: if shee will not heare thee, then seek for her as for hid treasure. The excellency of wisdome should be argument enough to force every man to an earnest eager pursuit after her. How doth the covetous man toile to get his wealth about him, because it is excellent; because wisedome is much more excellent, let us labour more to get it. Let never a covetous man outbid us, let never a merchant outgoe us in seeking of the riches of India, when wisedome is better then the gold of Ophir. Pro. 4. Above all thy gettings get understanding; as if hee [Page 59] should say, You will be get­ting, but when you finde your selves quickened in the pur­suit of these things, remem­ber this of the wise man; A­bove all paines, let me labour to get wisdome. Every man labours to imitate that in another, which most excels: If it bee but a fashion, if the best have it, every one la­bours to imitate it; here is the excellentest piece of all, by wisedome we come to be like God. What wouldest thou excell in? such a man (may bee) would bee some­thing more then ordinary: Wouldst thou excell in wealth? the golden mines have more then thou canst have: wouldst thou have strength? the oakes of Basan have more than thou canst [Page 60] attaine to: wouldst thou have pleasure? the beasts have more then thou canst injoy: but wouldst thou ex­cell in all other things? get spirituall knowledge, and thou shalt be above all, and like to him that is excellen­cie it selfe. Dan. 5. when Belshazzar had had experi­ence of Daniels wisedome, marke what a price hee sets upon him; The wisedome of the Gods is in thee: as if hee should say, Thou art a God-like man. What greater ar­gument can bee alledged to get wisedome, then this, It makes us like God? And as it is most honourable, so it is marvellous usefull. Eccles. 2.14. The wise mans eyes are in his head. The excellencie of wisedome is, that it makes [Page 61] a mans course easie: The poore blind man observes no inconveniences that might overwhelme him; but hee that hath his eyes in his head, can foresee them: so wisedome is able to descry inconveniences, and helpe us against them. Let therefore our owne profit be a meanes to provoke our hearts to get understanding.

§. 4.

Quest. WHat was the i­mage of God in the will?

Ans. How ever we see not our soule,Of Gods image in the will. yet there is a spiri­tuall substance in every man, which is immortall, and hath two faculties▪ Understan­ding and Will. Now the faculty of the Will, is like the [Page 62] hand, that puts away, or takes any thing. The will is like an unruly horse, that casts his rider; I will do what I will, though reason crosse it. This will, whereof we now speake, was graciously regu­lated, when it came out of the hands of God. Now for the Answer. Holinesse and righteousnesse were imprinted in the will of Adam, Eph. 4.24. The Apostle to the Co­lossians made knowledge a part of the spirituall image of Adam, and now he addes holinesse and righteousnesse, which were seated in the will, Luk. 1.75. Christ hath redeemed us, that we might walke before him in holinesse and righteousnesse all our dayes.

In the answer are 2. things:

• [Page 63]1. That holinesse, and
• 2. That righteousness were there.

Of these in order.

Quest. What is holinesse?

An. A spirituall power,Holinesse, what. or frame put into the nature of Adam, inabling him to doe Gods will, and fitting him to love God above all.

Three things are in this de­scription.

1. It is a spirituall power. It is not the very nature of the faculty of the will, but a frame put into the will, that sets it on, and carries it out to God: for the will of it selfe is not able to close with God, but onely so farre as it is car­ried out to him. As it is in the body, the tongue is the instrument of tasting; of it self it cannot taste, but there is [Page 64] a moisture there that makes it taste; hence if it be evilly af­fected, it tasteth evill; sweet things seeme soure, and soure things seeme sweet: or as it is with the hand; it cannot worke about any thing bare­ly as it is an hand, unlesse it receive strength and motion from the vitall faculty: for a dead hand, or a benummed hand, can exercise it selfe about nothing: so it is with the will; that power of it self cannot rellish the things of life and happinesse, but it must be an holy will that can close with an holy God: it is not barely the will, but there must bee an wholesome constitution put into it, and then it can close with an hea­venly God, having this hea­venly frame. Hence it is [Page 65] death to the wicked to bee under the ordinances of God. The devils have a na­turall faculty of will, but cor­ruption possesseth it, and therefore they abhorre the holinesse of God, because they themselves are unholy: but Adams will had a spiritu­all frame of holinesse put in­to it, whereby it was able perfectly to please God.

2. There was a readinesse and promptnesse put into his will, whereby hee was able easily to bestow himselfe up­on, and comfortably to bee carried unto the doing of the will of God. When the wheels of a clock are rightly ordered, they go on speedily; Adam was the clocke of God, and the maine wheele was the will: when the rust [Page 66] of sturdinesse hangs on the will, the motion to God­wards is hindered; but had our wills this oyle of holi­nesse, they would runne on chearily in the service of God. Men slight the means of grace, and cannot close with the ordinances of God, because their wills are unho­ly. As it is with sin, Rom. 7.23. it leads a man captive to the commission of evill, it puts a promptnesse into the heart to incline it to evill: so holinesse puts a quicknesse in­to the will, which carries it on joyfully to performe the will of God, 2 Tim. 2.21. If a man will purge himselfe, he shall be a vessell of honour fit for the Masters use, and prepa­red for every good worke. While a mans heart is like an [Page 67] uncleane vessell, he is not pre­pared for any good work, but when his heart is purged, he is fit for every good work, Deut. 28.47. Thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joy­fulnesse and gladnesse of heart. God will be served, but with what heart? with a joyfull and a merry heart: This gladnesse comes from the holinesse that was in A­dam.

3. He was by this able to love God above all; and this was the performance of the first Table: and this above all implies three things.To love God a­bove all, hath three things.

1. He did prize God more then what ever God could doe for him; nay, more then salvation it selfe, Psal. 73.26. When he was dazeled with the prosperity of the wicked, [Page 68] mark what he sayes, The Lord is my strength and my porti­on for ever; as if hee should say, I esteeme of God above all. A man makes an high account of his patrimony, so doth David esteeme of God.Psa. 73.26 If a man love father, or mo­ther more then mee, Mat. 10.37. hee is not worthy of mee: nay, a man must love God-better then his life, Psal. 63.3. Thy loving kindnesse is better then life, then the life of my wife, then the life of my child, nay it it is better then mine owne life.

2. He made choice of God above all. As a man prizeth a thing, so hee will make choice of it: When we come into a shop, look what com­modity wee prize, wee will take; so was Adams choice [Page 69] of God. Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? The renewed soule counts all things dung and drosse, in comparison of Christ. Adam had by vertue of this frame, that power, that if all the world were offered him, yet hee would chuse God above all.

3. Hee was able to have his heart carryed with great intention of soule, to be­stow his minde upon the Lord. When Adam did chuse God above all, then hee had power to have his heart car­ried with greatest extent of strength to him; for thus it is commanded, by our Saviour to the Lawyer in the Gospel, Matth. 22.37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy might, & with all thy strength: [Page 70] so was Adam carried with the utmost of his strength to close with God. If God should have threatned, Adam would have trembled; if hee should have revealed his goodnesse, Adam would have been inlarged in love thereof; if hee should have revealed his name, Adam would have honoured it. This frame of his will made him carry him­selfe proportionably to Gods will to the utmost of his strength. A man must love his neighbour with his whole heart, not with some of it, yet not with his whole strength: A man may love his neighbour too much; but when hee comes to the love of God, he must love him as much as he can. Adam ought to have loved his neighbour [Page 71] with his whole heart, yet it was not required of Adam to love his neighbour as his wife; but for his God, he was to bestow his whole strength upon him.

Quest. Why did God im­print this upon Adam?

An. First,Holinesse why im­printed on Adam. because Adam without this measure of holi­nesse could not returne that tribute of holinesse he owed as a reasonable creature, and which God expected as a Creatour. There is a pay­ment which God expects at the hands of a creature, name­ly, praise: for as Landlords let out their lands for rents which they expect at their tenants hands; so doth God require thanksgiving from Adam, which, unlesse he had holinesse, he could not have [Page 72] given. Deut. 10.12. When he had discovered the largenesse of Gods love, marke what he gathers, And now, oh Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require, but to love him with thy whole heart? as if hee should say, This I looke for, that for all my kindnesse, thou feare mee, and love me with thy whole heart; which to doe is a Christians Master­piece. Had God made Adam so, that hee could not have loved him, he could not have received honour from him, and so had beene accessary to the dishonour of his owne name.

2. Adam by this meanes attained his owne good. Hea­vie things never leave mo­ving, till they come to the earth; so Adam was rest­lesse, [Page 73] before he came to enjoy union with God▪ This was Adams, and is our happinesse, to enjoy God; which is the onely good of a mans soule. Isa. 26.8 The desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the re­membrance of thee. The up-shot of the desires of Gods servants is towards his name: when the body is in the grave, and the soule in hea­ven, the soule would faine be united to the body, that both may be united to God, and be possessed of him, and then all desires cease.

3. Because if Adam had not had this holinesse, God had required more of him, then he had ability to performe; which had beene a want of equity, which is utterly un­beseeming the sweet nature [Page 74] of God. To require a thing absolutely impossible, is a­gainst equity: had not Adam had power to love God, God requiring love from him, had required that of him, which he had not beene able to per­forme. It stood with equity, and Gods righteous will, to give Adam power to love him above all; yea it was a debt God owed to him, seeing he would require obedience from him. When Adam had not offended, it was requisite God should give him ability to discharge his service.

Use. The use hence is,

No shame to be holy.1. For instruction, to teach us, that it is no shame to be holy; holinesse is no mans dishonour. It is the greatest praise that can befall a man, to be holy: to be like God is [Page 75] no dishonour, and by holiness we come to be most like un­to him. It is one of Gods names, The holy One of Israel, Isa 43.14. Nay the Angels, Isa. 6.3. doe not say, Power­full, powerfull, but Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hostes: the Lord is said there to be the God of hostes, but he is three times holy, for his one time powerfull; not that holinesse is more in God, then power, but to shew how God rejoi­ceth in this name Holy. Who art thou then that art loath to have the name of holinesse? Yes, you are one of the holy crew, will they say. Art thou an enemy to holinesse? then thou art an ungodly man. The venome of such mens spirits as hate holinesse, is incomparable: there is no [Page 76] greater argument of a grace­lesse disposition.

Use 2. It is a word of ter­rour. It is cleare, that the sinne of those men, who op­pose holinesse, or keep others from it, is marvelous hainous. We will pursue both.

A great sin to op­pose holi­nesse.1. It falleth heavie upon those, who make holinesse the marke of their malice. There is no person so vile, no pra­ctice so abominable, but they will approve of: they will hugge drunkards in their bo­somes, and harbour adulterers in their houses, but if holinesse appeare in any mans practice, they are transported with fury against it. Their blood riseth in their faces, rancour in their hearts, and venome in their tongues, that they say as was said of S. Paul, Away with such [Page 77] a fellow from the earth; We cannot live in quiet for these holy men. Oh thou that doest thus, hatest the very image of God, and flyest in the face of the Almighty, and wouldest if thou couldest as well rend God from his throne, as these holy men from the face of the earth; there is no surer evidence then this, that God intends no good to thy soule. Salva­tion comes by holy meanes: God the Father is an holy God, that loves his people; Christ is holy, that redeemes his people; the Spirit is called the holy Ghost; heaven is an holy place, it is called the heavenly Hierusalem; the way to heaven likewise is holy, Isa. 35.8. nay, all those that doe walke in that way [Page 78] are holy, Isa. 63.18. the peo­ple of holinesse possesse it. The scripture saith, the Saints of God are Priests, and the Priest ware upon his breast-plate, Holinesse to the Lord. Dost thou that hatest holi­nesse think to goe to heaven? then there must bee another heaven, for this is holy. Heare, and feare thou whose conscience doth convince thee, that thou hast been car­ried with indignation against holy men: see the hainous­nesse of thy sinne; the place is holy, the Spirit holy, &c. If thou goest to heaven, God will come out of heaven, for he will not dwell with unho­linesse, Jude 4. God hath or­dained from all eternity, that unholy and ungodly men shall never come to heaven, [Page 79] but shall bee in an unholy place, among unholy Divels. Know thy sinne to bee hai­nous, and thy judgement heavie.

2. It reproveth those,A great sin to keep others from holi­nesse. that would keepe others from ho­linesse. Men count it a great wisedome in directing their families, if they can keepe them from looking after this holinesse. This is the counsel they give them, Doe what you please, onely bee not a precise fellow; be any thing but a Saint. It is all their cun­ning, to daunt the hearts of others from seeking after ho­linesse; hence wee heare so many fears suggested to men that labour to walke as they ought. Nay, saith the Master, if you must needs to the god­ly crew, I will breake the [Page 80] crew of you, &c. But do but consider what you doe.

1. You crosse the command of God, 1 Pet. 1.15. Bee holy, as I am holy: what heart hast thou then that commandest the contrary?

2. As you crosse Gods command, so you damne the souls of those that God hath committed unto your charge: thou that keepest their soules from holinesse, keepest them from happinesse. Oh it will one day be a wound to thy conscience, to thinke with thy selfe, My childe would have followed holinesse, but I would not suffer him: therefore is he gone into the bottomlesse pit, and I was the cause of it.

Try whe­ther thou be holy or no. Use 3. Doth holinesse fit a man to love God above all? [Page 81] and wouldest thou know whether thou hast an holy heart? Try it from the for­mer truth, Where ever holi­nesse is, it fits the heart to love God above all. Canst thou doe this, which holi­nesse enables a man to doe? then if there be holinesse in heaven, it is also in thine heart. I doe not meane, that any man should have the ex­actnesse that Adam had in cre­ation; but what hee had in perfection, wee must have in desire. Thou must have an heart enlarged to love God above all, though thou hast many weaknesses with it. Ma­ny for want of this are cast out, as not being partakers of this saving worke: Namely

Those that never had any readinesse to this saving work [Page 82] of God, further then shame or disgrace provokes them; for most that live upon the face of the earth, must have some constraining power to force them to the perfor­mance of Gods service; they say as those in Malachi, What a wearinesse is it? Mal. 1.13. The word of God, and his ordinances are a burden; the sabbaths are tedious; men come to Gods worship as a Beare to a stake, or a captive to prison: how willing are they to bee freed from these duties; whereas holinesse ever brings willingnesse with it!

Ob. But doe not the Saints finde a great deale of awk­wardnesse?

Ans I confesse it is true: but there is a great deale of difference between these and [Page 83] the other: The Saints wil­lingly oppose their corrupti­ons that clog them; but a carnall heart joynes sides with the flesh; hee desires means and occasions to with­draw him from the love of God; hee is glad to finde a pretence to travell on the Lords day, or to neglect prayer in his private family: But the Saints are weary of their untowardnesse and awk­wardnesse to holy duties. Matth. 26.41. the Disciples were overcharged with wea­rinesse, and fell asleepe; Christ addes the reason, The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weake. Rom. 7. The law is holy and the commandement holy, but sinne tooke occasion by the commandement, &c. It is not I, but sinne that dwelleth [Page 84] in me: as if hee should say, It is good to please God, and I will labour after it; but I confesse I have a wilfull wretched heart within mee, which opposeth this: yet there is a sparke of holinesse in this heart, and with that I love thee, though my flesh oppose thee.

§. 5.

Quest. WHat is righte­ousnesse?

Righte­ousnesse, what it is. Answ. The second part of the spirituall image put in­to Adam, whereby hee could love himselfe as hee ought, and his neighbour as himselfe.

In the description there are three things.

1. It is the second part of Gods image in the will. Ho­linesse [Page 85] fitted Adam to goe to God, yet, of it selfe, it could not fit him to love his bro­ther, therefore hee must have another frame, that is, of righteousnesse.

Againe, it is beyond the power of the soule to per­forme spirituall love to his brother; therefore it must have this part of Gods image in it: 1 Joh. 4.7. Love is of God: to love another holily, is beyond the power and fa­culty of nature. Indeed, a man may love another car­nally, as adulterers; and naturally, as creatures; but to love another spiritually, hee must have power from God. There is a double cunning of the hand (as David useth the word) a cunning to play on an instrument,Psa. 137. and a cunning [Page 86] to write; now the cunning of the one will not make a man skilfull in the other: so there is a double cunning put into the heart of Adam; the first Of holinesse, whereby hee could love God above all: the second, Of righteousnesse, whereby he could love him­selfe as hee ought, and his neighbour as himselfe.

2. The second part of the description was, By this he was fitted to love himselfe as he ought. The ground of all lawfull love comes from self-love, if it be pure. There is a selfe-love required; nay, if it be right, it is the standard of all love to another: He that loveth himselfe as he should, will be disposed to love ano­ther. Love lookes first at that which is most good to [Page 87] me; as to my honour (which is a greater good to me) before the honour of another man. It is true, what was said of Da­vid, 2 Sam. 21. Thou art better then ten thousand of us, that was in re­gard of his place and office: but take a man as a particular person, and my good is better to me then another mans.

Quest. How should a man love himselfe?

Ans. This love is bounded by three things:Selfe-love how to be bounded. by a right

• Order,
• Measure,
• Manner.

1. A man must love him­selfe in a right order, and that you must understand in three rules.

Rule 1. He must love him­selfe in the second place, God [Page 88] in the first, Pro. 3.9. Honour the Lord with the first fruits of thy increase. Mat. 6.33. First seeke the kingdome of heaven, all else must be served after God. In the old law it was required, that God should have the first fruits of a mans vintage. We must bestow the chiefest of our love and delight on God: we must love Gods ho­nour in the first place, our owne in the second, Mat. 22.38. This is the first and greatest commandement, To love God with all our heart: The second is like unto this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe.

2. He must love himselfe with a subordinate degree of love: but in the love of God he must put forth the utmost of his strength. In the old law, hee that brought a sacri­fice, [Page 89] was to bring a male, Mal. 1. ult. Cursed be the man that hath a male in his flocke, and offereth a female to the Lord, The male is the stronger, the female the weaker. All our prayers and services unto God, must bee male; but fe­male love and desire will serve our selves. God requi­red in the old law, that the sacrifices should not be shorn: our sacrifices are our duties to God, (they are the males we must offer) we may not sheare our joy and delight, but let them go with their fleeces on, that is, in their full strength to God; but when we come to our selves, we may sheare our love.

3. A man is to love him­selfe in God, and for God. A­dam was to love Gods image [Page 90] in himselfe, as a step to con­veigh him more speedily to the love of God. What wouldest thou love in thy selfe? thine honour? Get thee to a wise and glorious God, and love his glory more. Dost thou love thy life? Oh love the life of God, who is a living God, Rom. 9.3. I could wish to bee Anathema for my brethren, &c. Seeing that the Jewes would fall to the dishonour of God, hee did so prize the honour of God, that he could wish himselfe to be accursed, that they might stand. This was the cause hee loved the glory of God above all.

Adam had power to love himselfe in a right measure. This I referre to all those things, which concerne Adam [Page 91] in comparison with his fellow brethren.

In this right measure two rules are to be attended.

1. Adam was to love all things belonging to himself, with a love proportionable to them: He was to proportion his love sutable to the nature of the things. As one excee­ded another in goodnesse, so hee was to exceed in love towards them. Those things that were of the choicest nature, on them he was to be­stow the choicest affections; as for example, Adam was to love his life, honour, and good name, according to their nature: A man must love his life above his wealth, and the good of his soule above his life. As in a paire of scales the heavier the waight is in [Page 92] the one, the more weight we put into the other, if wee would have them even: so, answerable to the love that was in any thing, Adam was to weigh out an agreeable proportion of love. The hap­pinesse of the soule is everla­sting, therefore he was to be­stow unchangeable love up­on it: but wealth and riches are mutable, therefore muta­ble affections wil serve them; we must so love them, as to be content to leave them. Thy wife is dearer then thy kins­man, weigh out the affections of matrimony to thy wife, of friendship to thy kinsman. The credit of the world is good, but it is but a small good; weigh out but a little measure of love to it. The woman sicke of a bloudy [Page 93] issue spent all she had to save her life; and shall not a man spend his life to save his soule.

Rule 2. We ought to love our owne personall good, more then the good of ano­ther. All true love begins at home: I must love mine own honour, more then the ho­nour of another.

For the right understanding of this Rule, take notice of two cautions.

Caut. 1. I must alwayes compare my good with the good of another in the same kind: I must compare my life and his life, my soule and his soule: My owne soule is dea­rer to me then anothers. But if you take them not in the like quality, the rule bindes not. I must love the soule of my brother more then [Page 94] mine owne life. If a man might undoubtedly set for­ward the salvation of his bro­ther by laying downe his life, he must be content to dye: so likewise I must love the life of my brother better then mine owne riches. But com­pare them in the same kind, and the rule holds.

Caut. 2. There must be no overpowring circumstance to oversway mee, if the publicke good may bee pro­moted, or God may be ho­noured more by him then by me, in regard of his parts and place: 1 Joh. 3.16. We ought to lay downe our lives for our brethren. When God may receive more honour from a­nother man then from me, I must lay downe my life to save his. It was requisite a [Page 95] private Christian, should die rather then Paul the Apostle, because hee was chiefe; if therefore a private man should rescue Paul, he must lay downe his life for him. 1 Sam. 18.3. The life of king David is better, then the life of a thousand subjects; Gods honour may be more promo­ted by it. The arme will loose it selfe, to save the head.

Rule 3. We must love our selves in a right manner;The man­ner of lo­ving our selves. namely, in that manner that is comely and beseeming. This makes knowne it selfe in these thre particulars: It must be

• Really,
• Fervently,
• Purely.

1. Really, not in comple­ment, [Page 96] but with love unfained and hearty, 1. Joh. 3.18. Let us not love in tongue, or in word, but in deed and in truth: so it was with Adam, hee was able to do good to him­selfe, whereas wee that are corrupt, are most enemies to our selves, when wee seeme most to love our selves, Pro. 8. ult. He that despiseth wise­dome, [...] layeth violent hands upon himselfe (so the word in the originall is.) Out of selfe-love and pride you must not have your base courses con­demned, but you hate your soules in despising the means. God is Jehovah, a Being God, therefore requires that mans love should be reall.

2. Adam loved himselfe fervently, 1 Pet. 1.22. as Saint Peter calls it. There was, namely, a presse­nesse [Page 97] in Adams spirit, whereby the whole man was carried to improve any meanes for the good of himselfe. Adam was free from weaknesse within, from impediment without. As in Heb. 6.10. it is called, The labour of love, so was Adam painfull to use all meanes for his good. Ephes. 5.29. No man ever hated his owne flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, that is, hee im­ployes all meanes to helpe himselfe: whereas wee that are corrupt, cannot inlarge our hearts in duties of love. We are so distracted, that we cannot go on freely in our oc­casions, both in things that concerne God, and in things that concerne our selves, Rom. 7. The good we would do, we doe not.

[Page 98]3. Adam loved himselfe purely, not with carnall nor sensuall love. He loved onely that which was good in him­selfe: he loved his excellency, that so he might get more of it, and be fitted by it in the performance of his service. There are sixe good things belonging to a man; Honour, Life, Chastity, Goods, Good name, Prosperity: now Adam loved these, that hee might get more of them, and be fit­ted the better for Gods ser­vice. These two things Adam got by obedience: 1. more ability: 2. more dexterity in the performance of Gods command. Adam loved his honour, that he might receive more honour from others, and be more enabled to per­forme his duty to them; [Page 99] whereas we love good things for naughty ends. The cove­tous churle loveth his scra­ping humour, and growes more covetous: we love sin, which we ought to abhorre, and we doe good oftentimes for bad ends; but Adam lo­ved that which was good in himselfe, for that good end, to get more of it. Gods people are followers after righteous­nesse: Isa. 51.11. More of that (Lord) more chastity and meeknesse. As the beast that hunts his prey, pursues it still with more and more eagernesse, so doth the gracious man follow after righteousnesse. Adam was pa­tient, &c. but yet he desired more: wee love good things wel, but many times use them ill when wee have them. A man perhaps craves honour [Page 100] with moderation, but he lifts up his heart, when hee hath gotten it.

Part 3. The third thing in the description, is, He loved his brother as himselfe; for quality, not for quantity. The love of himselfe was a patern to imitate, not to equall or exceed.

Quest. How may we know how Adam was to love his brother as himselfe?

Ans. The rules are two.

How to love our brother as our selves1. He was to weigh out love, respecting as well his brothers good as his owne. In 2 Kin. 1.13. the poore man was afraid that Elias would have slaine him, therefore he prayeth him, that his life might he precious in his eyes: as Adam was able to set an high price on the honour and [Page 101] life of his brother, so should it be with thee: as thou desi­rest that that which is good for thee should be continued, so shouldest thou desire, that all good should bee given to thy brother. Wert thou in disgrace, thou wouldest de­sire reputation: have the like desire for the credit of thy brother. Act. 26.29. I would (saith S. Paul) that all that hear me this day, were altogether as I am: altogether holy, alto­gether assured of Gods love. Here is an heart, such an one as Adam had in perfection: it was as if hee should have said, I would to God that all that heare me this day, had the like evidence of Gods goodnesse. We ought to de­sire that what good befals us, might happen to our brethren [Page 102] also, Num. 11.29. I would to God that all the people of the Lord were Prophets. So, hast thou honour? say, I would to God all Gods servants had honour too. Is thy soul com­forted? say, Oh that all Gods servants were so! we thinke our candles burne the worse, because others burne bright. This was not in Adam, and ought not to be in us; wee should rejoice in the good of others, Luk. 15.8. They rejoi­ced with her: we must rejoice in the prosperity of others. Adam had the heart, to re­joice in the good of his bro­ther, and wee ought to doe the like.

2. We must be painefull to promote the good of our fellow-brethren, as our own. Love is solicitous and full of [Page 103] care to provide for what is beloved. Looke what care thou wouldest bestow to pro­mote thine owne honour, or welfare, the same dili­gence must thou use, in due time and place, though not in the same measure, to pro­cure the honour or welfare of thy brother. 1 Cor. 13.5. Love seekes not her owne. Gal. 5.13. Serve one another in love: Thou shouldst in this case be a servant to thy bro­ther; it should be one part of thy taske, to promote his good. We all ought to take speciall care of our brothers credit, for we are tearmed our brothers keepers:Gen. 4.9. yea we should take the honour, life, safety of our brother as our charge; we must keep evil from him, and not suffer it to [Page 104] lye upon him, Lev. 19.17. the evill of sinne especially, so farre as God puts occasion into our hands. God enjoynes not man this duty towards Scorners; E­phraim is joyned to his idols, Hos, 4.17. let him alone: wee must not cast pearles before swine, Lev. 19.17. yet thou shalt not suffer thy brother to lye in sinne. This is love in truth, to rebuke another plainely, and not to suffer sinne to lye upon him.Ezek. 13. To sow pillowes under mens elbowes, this love came from hell, it never came from righteousnesse.

Quest. Why was Adam thus furnished with righteousness?

Ans. Because he was made a sociable creature, for the maintaining of society, and propagating the Church. Love is the sinewes of socie­ty. [Page 105] In a building, all the parts must bee pinned together, otherwise one part will not uphold another: so it is in so­ciety, there must be inlets of love to uphold it: wee must bee souldred together with loving affections, else there is no continuing of society. The desolation of kingdoms, the ruine of nations, whence comes it, but from want of love? Saint Paul makes love a matter of excellency, 1 Cor. 12.31. I shew to you a more ex­cellent way. Adam therefore being made for society, must bee furnished with this love, which was a speciall meanes to helpe him therein.

The use is threefold.

1. It falls heavie upon ma­ny wicked and ungodly men,Malicious men have not Gods image on them. the vilenesse of whose hearts [Page 106] is such, that in stead of having in them righteousnesse and love, they have hearts full of rancour within, and tongues full of railing without. The sting of the serpent is in their hearts, and the poison of asps is under their lips; they re­gard not what they say against those that feare Gods name. If righteousnesse bee the image of God, then en­vie and malice is an argument of a man whose heart God never wrought upon; it is a blacke brand of a childe of the Devill. In this the chil­dren of God are manifest from the children of the De­vill. 1 Joh. 3.10. The chil­dren of God are the children of love, the children of Satan are the children of hatred. Hee that hateth his brother, [Page 107] is a childe of the Devill, it is manifest, thou maist conclude it undoubtedly. 1 Joh. 4.8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God: as if hee should say, Thou that hast no love, hast no interest in God. Hatred is that wherein the kingdome of Satan consists, Joh. 8.41. as for all other sins, they are practised among men, but this is the trade of the Devils in hell. The Pharisees bragged that they were Abrahams children, You seeke to kill me, saith Christ, which Abraham did not: if you were of your father Abraham, you would doe the workes of Abraham: but marke the 44. verse: You are of your father the Devill: for hee was a mur­therer from the beginning. You have never heard, that [Page 108] Sathan stabbed a man, but his murther was, Hee maligned Adam in his innocency: this therefore is a devillish sinne. Sathan doth not steale, neither is he drunke, but he is en­vious as hell. If this bee ex­pressed in your conversation, know, what ever your stocke may be, yet you are of your father the Devill. Those that set themselves against the life and honour of their fellow brethren (for we may set our selves against the sinnes of others) those, I say, whose hearts sinke at the good of their brethren, and rejoice if their goods and estates bee overthrowne, doe by that shew whence they draw their pedegree. This is the very brand of a wretch. Gal. 4.19. Ishmael was a cast away, as [Page 109] the text plainly speaks: what was his guise? He persecuted the sonne of Promise, he per­secuted him with a railing tongue; for this the Scripture often calls persecution: and this is the note of a man born after the flesh, who shall ne­ver see Gods face; for the Text saith, Cast him out. Envie and malice is the sinne of the Devill, and it is the note of a reprobate: the Lord there­fore looke upon us, that wee seeing our owne misery, may strive for power against it, and get love from God, that we may be possessed of hap­pinesse with him.

Use 2. The second use is of Instruction.Expect no friendship from the wicked. From the for­mer truth we may learn what to expect at the hands of the ungodly. There is no friend­ship [Page 110] to bee expected from a wicked man. Love is another matter then men make of it; it is a grace above nature, which no man can expresse, unlesse God put this image into the soule. Love comes from righteousnesse; We had as good look for honey in an hornets nest, or in a serpents den, or sweet fruit from a crab-stocke, as love from an unrighteous man: unlesse the root of righteousnesse bee within, love cannot bee without, 1 Pet. 1.22. You that have purified your hearts, &c. love one another with a pure heart. First we must have an heart purified by the spirit, and then we must love one a­nother: if purity be not with­in, love cannot be without; therefore delude not your [Page 111] selves. If thou seest a mans life profane, let him pretend what kindnesse he wil, let him promise golden mountaines, he will never love thee. Da­vid behaved himselfe wisely, so that Saul confessed him to be righteous; yet unrighte­ousnesse was in Sauls heart, and he (against reason) perse­cuted him as a partridge on the mountaines. Judas, that lived in the bosome of our Saviour, and never received evill from him, (which a man would have thought should have wrought upon him) yet loving money more then Christ, hee sold him for thir­tie peeces of silver. Never trust a wicked man, for he will sell thee for sixe pence. Doe not thinke with thy selfe, I will walke so carefully, [Page 112] that I will binde him to my love: Oh poore creature, thou canst not have what he cannot do: unlesse thou canst give him a righteous heart, thou canst never receive love from him. If a man have an horse that is surfetted within, or is lame of his legges, feed him with the best provender, he will halt still, unlesse his lamenesse be cured. It is an idle delusion, when you think to win him by friendlinesse; alas, hee that hath a naughty heart will oppose thee, not­withstanding all thy kind­nesse.Pro. 12.10. The tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty: That man can never be a friend to you, that is a foe to himselfe. He loveth not his own soule, therefore hee cannot affect thee heartily.

[Page 113] Use 3. We must hence see what course to take,To love a right be­gin in this righteous­nesse. that we may be inlarged in duties of love to our selves and others; which is the masterpiece of a Christian. All the whole Law consists in this one word, Love: Love is the end of our being,Rom. 13.10. and there is no better evidence of grace under hea­ven then this. Labour to get righteousnesse within, and love will be expressed with­out. Look what course God took in the creation of Adam in paradise, the same hee takes in our renovation: for first, he made Adam righ­teous, and then Adam per­formed all duties of love to his brethren. The deeper the root of righteousnesse is, the more will be the fruit of love. Wee take the wrong way, to [Page 114] labour to squeeze out a little kinde behaviour: the old na­ture will returne to the old course, but labour to get thy heart rooted in righteousness, and love will grow abundant­ly in thy whole course. The Musitian will first string his instrument before hee play with it: the waggoner will have his wheeles prepared, otherwise they draw heavi­ly: so if thou wouldest have thy heart make musicke be­fore God, tune it with righ­teousnesse, and then thy pra­ctice will go on chearfully. If a man had a righteous heart, he would doe good even to an enemy: but it must be the spirit of God, that must work this in thee, Rom. 8.2. Hee that will have heat must come to the fire that is hot, [Page 115] other things are but heated: so thou must come to God, and desire him to worke it in thee. The Apostle saith, 1 Joh 4.7. God is love: woul­dest thou therefore get love? then get more neare God, that he may worke this righ­teousnesse in thee: for it is he that enableth us to doe every good worke.

§. 6.

NOw we come to another passage:Of free­will in A­dam. from wisedome in the understanding, and ho­linesse and righteousnesse in the will, there flowes a third thing, and it is that which we call freewill: he had power to doe good, which flow­eth from the two former parts. Freewill to doe good is the garland of all graces, [Page 116] and is made up of them. We may easily perceive it by the want of it; for we hang back, and cannot be brought to the performance of service due to God. Adam had a free­dome of will, which was the excellency and beauty of wisdome, holinesse, and righ­teousnesse.

Quest. What is freewill?

What it is. A. It is a speciall priviledge proceeding from the image of God in Adam, whereby he was able to chuse any good without any impediment, yet after a mutable manner.

In this description are foure things.

1. It is a speciall priviledge proceeding from the image of God, viZ. holinesse, righ­teousnesse, and wisedome. The statelinesse of a building [Page 117] comes from all the parts con­joyned; beat down the parts, and it will bee an heape of stones: so freewill is the stru­cture that God put on Adam, whose beauty flowes from the joyning together of wise­dome, holinesse, and righte­ousnesse. This was a speciall priviledge to Adam: no crea­ture, besides him and Angels, had free liberty to doe good. God put this stocke into his hand. When I say Adam had this speciall priviledge, I do not say therefore he was free from subjection to God; for God gave Adam a law, and concurred with him in his worke; but the dispensation of the worke God left to A­dams liberty: if he did well he should be rewarded; if he did ill, he should be punished. [Page 118] God would not constrain A­dam to his service, nor compel him to evill. The other crea­tures could not meddle with him, for they were under him; therefore he was free. Hence the Philosopher ob­serves, that praise and dispraise belongs onely to man. Wee praise not the fire for bur­ning, because it is tyed to it by a bond of necessity; but Adam might doe, or not doe; if he did well, he was to bee praised, because hee might have done evill: if hee did evill, he was to be dispraised, because he might have done well. Still God concurres with Adam, as he doth with the nature of the creatures: he workes with the fire when it burnes, with the sparrow when it flyes: for so it is in [Page 119] 2 Cor. 3.17. where the spirit is, there is liberty: there is a soveraignty in the will of a regenerate man, by which all creatures are under his dispose, which God will not, the creature cannot hinder: Therefore Christ saith unto the beleeving Jewes, Joh. 8.32. If you heare my words you are free.

2. Hee was enabled to chuse any thing that was good. Freedome is not sea­ted in the understanding; therefore the description saith. He chuseth good; which is an act of the will. The will can imbrace nothing, but what the understanding presents unto it, 'tis true; but it is as true, that the liberty of freedome lyes mainely in the will: For example, when a [Page 120] man hath disputed what a duty is, and hath concluded it, he presents this unto the will, which either allowes or rejects it; so that still the choice lyeth in the will. It is easie to convince a mans un­derstanding, all the difficulty is in the will: The will saith obstinately, I will not heare upon that eare. If the Judge be unjust, hee will have the Jury bring in a verdict accor­ding to his minde. When the understanding hath observed what is true, and tells the heart, You must not doe thus or thus; the will saith, I must have another verdict: so that the root of liberty is mainely in the will. Deut. 30.19. I have set life and death before you, chuse life, &c. That is, the blessings are many if you [Page 121] obey; the curses are many, if you disobey: therefore chuse the good way. Act. 5.4. Was it not in thy power, &c? as if he should say, It was in thy choice to have given, or not to have given. I adde, that the will of Adam could chuse any good, whether naturall, morall, or heavenly; the two former remaines in us, but Adam was further enabled to chuse holy things. There was no command, but hee was able to obey, nor no truth but hee was able to chuse. Good is the food of the will, Adam was able to disgest any good with full content: and herein mainely consists liberty, for a man to chuse that which is good: It is no liberty for a man to be carri­ed on headily to evill. Men [Page 122] esteeme none so free, as they that chuse what they list. I will chuse bad as well as good, saith one; I will profane an holy-day as well as sancti­fie it; but this is not free-will, to be hurried on to evill. In 2. Pet. 2.19. the false Apo­stles would give a man free liberty to doe any thing, and yet goe to heaven, as the Text saith,2 Pet. 2.19 promising liberty when t [...]y themselves are the servants of sinne. There is no such slavery under heaven, as to be slave to sinne: but for a man to have a soveraigne un­controlled power, to be car­ried to that which is good truely and spiritually, this is liberty. The Angels of hea­ven are most free in the per­formance of their duty: they are so confirmed, that they [Page 123] cannot love evill; nay, God himselfe wills good most freely. There are no bounds to his will, and yet he cannot but will good: therefore when wee are able to will good most freely, wee are most free. He is a free man, that is able to follow good, beyond persecutions and temptations. The other de­scription of liberty is a very false one.

3. Without any impediment. Of impe­diments in chusing good. This is a great blessing, to be able to embrace good with­out any hinderance. Nothing could crosse Adam in his course. A man may binde anothers hands, but he can­not command the will. There was this speciall privi­ledge in Adams will, that no­thing could thwart him. Now [Page 124] this appeares in foure things:

1. There was no weaknesse in him to disable him: there was no good to be done, be­yond the depth of his under­standing, and reach of his will. Psal. 73.16. David had that feeblenesse of under­standing, that it was too dif­ficult for him, to observe the difference of Gods provi­dence: but this was not in Adam.

2. There was no stirre of corruption, that could oppose him: corruption is like a backe-byas, that hinders our course. The Saints of God finde alwayes some stirrings of corruption still oppo­sing them in duty; but it was not so in Adam. Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit. This every Saint of God [Page 125] findes: for when he would be humble, then pride stirres, &c. it was otherwise with A­dam.

3. There was no strength of corruption that might foile him; but our corruptions pre­vaile over us. Rom. 7.23. I see another law leading mee captive unto the law of sinne. Mans proud heart makes him vent wrathfull words, and foyles him; but Adam had no power of corruption to foyle him. As it is with a ship well trimmed, if winde and tide serve, it goes on amain: so Adams heart was full of ho­linesse, which carried him forward to good amaine: he had sea-roome to inlarge himselfe in the choice of good.

4. There was nothing with­out [Page 126] to stop Adam in what he would. The Divell might offer a temptation to Adam, but he could offer no compul­sion: he might see, if he could perswade him, but he could not force him. When the serpent spoke with Eve, if she had resisted him, he would have gone from her. For Adam had the soveraigne do­minion over the creatures, the Divell only usurpt it. A­dam had nothing within, no­thing without to hinder him.

The fourth thing in the description is, that it was af­ter a mutable manner. The meaning is, Adam was able, as to chuse any good which God had revealed, and per­forme it, so to entertaine any evill, and commit it. It was with Adams liberty as with a [Page 127] paire of scales that are equall; if you put more into the one then the other, you will easily make the one sinke and the other rise: so Adam was in an even poize, he might be car­ried to good, if hee would exercise that power he had; and he might turne himselfe towards evill, if hee would abuse that liberty he had.

For the opening of this, two questions may be scanned.

Quest. 1. What was the ground of the manner of this choice of good and evill in Adam?

Ans. It lay in the nature of Adam, and flowed from that mutability which was in the nature of Adam, who was a reasonable creature. Though nothing could force Adam [Page 128] to turne from a good course, yet there was a mutability joyned with his liberty, that he might turne himselfe from God. Solomon having discour­sed of the deceit of a wo­man, supposing it demanded whence it came? He answe­reth,Eccl. 7. ult I know, that God made man upright, but he sought out inventions: inventions were of his owne devising, not of Gods ordering. Nothing in the world could compell man to doe it; but hee sought out crooked wayes. This was intended in the two Sacra­ments, that Adam had, Gen. 2.9. the Lord set two trees in the garden: first, the tree of life, to intimate, that as verily as he saw that tree, so verily, if he loved God, hee should live for ever; and se­condly, [Page 129] the tree of knowledge of good and evill, to wit, if hee did eat of that fruit, hee should know what it was to have the image of God, and what to bee deprived of it. These two Sacraments inti­mated, that God had set life and death before Adam; hee might chuse the one, and refuse the other. Our Sacra­ments signifie not so. Baptism signifies our implanting into Christ, the Lords Supper sig­nifies our growth in Christ: but in the Sacraments of A­dam, the one shewed a possi­bility he had to live, the other the possibility he had to dye. This mutability was no part of the liberty of Adam; for it destroyed his liberty: but it was a quality, that did accom­pany the condition of Adam. Gen. 1.1. [Page 130] Darknesse was upon the face of the deepe. The text doth not say, God created dark­nesse, but it did accompany the creature naturally: so did this mutability accompany Adam. Immutability belongs to God onely, and therefore Job saith, he found no sted­fastnesse in his Angels: mu­tability therefore belongs to the creature, as a creature.

Quest. But how did this stand with the perfection of Adams nature?

An. Marvellous well, with­out any disparagement to the image of God; nay, he could be no other. It was no sinne in Adam to be mutable, but that he abused all, when hee might have used it to Gods glory. It was so farre from being a blemish to Adams na­ture, [Page 131] that it agreed very conveniently with it. Herein appeares the difference be­tweene Adams estate, the estate of the Saints glorified, and the wicked now damned. Adam was to trade for an im­mutable condition, therefore could not have it put into his hand at first. The Saints that have fought the fight of faith, are established, and never shall doe evill, because they have performed obedience unto God through Christ: The damned, because they have sinned against God, and have withdrawne themselves from his authority, are immu­tably evill; for God hath separated himselfe, all his ho­linesse, and the meanes of grace from them, and delive­red them up to the power of [Page 132] sinne; as who should say, Take them, all ye crue of cursed a­bominations, and carry them headlong to will evill eternal­ly, and perish everlastingly. Adam was to trade for this immutable condition before he could have it; first he was to fight before he could con­quer: And as he was not im­mutably good, so hee could not be immutably evill. As it is with a man that hath an estate left him; if he will trade with it, he may live; if hee spend it, he may lye in prison: so it was with Adam. Again, had God established and con­firmed▪ Adam, he should have prevented all opportunities of the manifestation of his ju­stice in condemning, and of his mercy in pardoning. Had hee been immutably good, [Page 133] none could have been puni­shed, because none had offen­ded, none could have beene pardoned, because none had sinned.

Quest. But why was this freedome to doe good im­printed on Adam?

Answ. Because without it, Adams obedience could not have beene acceptable: The Lord loves, as a cheerfull giver, 2 Cor. 9.7. so a cheerfull performer of service. It is the Apostles rule, The Lord accepts a wil­ling minde. If a man grudge to give to a poore man, God flings his gift into his face: a willing minde makes the ser­vice acceptable. All Gods servants must be Volunteers, not prest. As Deborah, Jud. 5.4. My soule is with those that offer themselves willingly. [Page 134] We abhorre it in our servants when they come to their worke as a Beare to the stake, and will God accept it at our hands? All the offerings of God must be freewill offe­rings. Thus our Saviour did, that knew how to please God, Psal. 40.8. I am deligh­ted to doe thy will, O my God, and thy law is within my heart. He comes not off with mur­muring,Joh. 4.34. but saith It is my meat and drinke to doe thy will. When you are at a feast, you can sit at it houre after houre; so if our duties be as our meat and our drinke, they will not be tedious to us. Eph. 6.7. Wee must serve God with a goodwill: It is an unseemely thing, to cause God to di­straine for his service. God will have his praise out of a [Page 135] proud heart: but then God honours himselfe, we honour him not. The Devill himself will do duties after this fashi­on. In Job 1.6. it is said, the Devill came also. He would have been ranging and raging about the world, but God made him come also. Mar. 5. We know that thou art the Son of God: God wrested a con­fession out of him. It is not acceptable, when we are ha­led to duty; the Devill doth so: the service that God ac­cepts is done willingly. Thou shalt serve the Lord with a glad heart, and be carried on full sayle in the wayes of godlinesse.

2. Had not Adam had a freedome to good, he could not have beene punished for sinne: for he that constraines [Page 136] another to do an evill action, is to be condemned. If a man should compell another to strike a man, hee that forced him ought to be blamed: a man cannot be blamed for what he cannot avoid. Now that Adams sinne might bee punished, and his service ac­cepted, it was necessary hee should have ability to chuse good, and refuse evill; where­fore the fault was Adams in falling, and not Gods.

Justifie God con­cerning Adams fall. Use 1. Hence. we learne to justifie the Lord, and let the fault of Adam lye upon him­selfe and his posterity [...] owne fault. The Lord [...] Adam ability to doe wh [...] he should; if therefore he did not what hee might, he is to be condemned, the Lord to be justified. It is in vaine for thee [Page 137] to plead, that thou canst not doe thy duty: The Lord knowes I carry a body of death about me: I confesse it is so, but whose fault is it? Esa. 3.11. Say unto the wicked, it shall goe evill with him, for hee shall receive the reward of his owne hands. Your owne hands framed your owne ruine. Prov. 1.28. They shall call, but I will not heare: they might reply, This is a hard chapter: But what saith the Text, they would none of my counsell, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own waies. This must cut off all pleas; re­member Adam had liberty, and thou in him. Thou shalt bee satisfied with the fruit of thine owne planting, and God will fill thee with the fruit of thine owne devices. [Page 138] The malicious man shall have malice enough in hell, and shall for ever hate God, and for ever be tormented.

Againe, it should still our repinings against God; vaine it is to snarle against the Lord. The Lord did not assist A­dam: yet there was no fault in God: for Adam had free­dome of will without any op­position, and thou in him; therefore thy bloud be upon thine owne head, God is to be justified. You sought out inventions; if therefore you have what you seek, the fault is your owne. Psal. 51.4. I was shapen in iniquity, and in sinne hath my mother con­ceived me. Thou O Lord art cleare, it is my iniquity that deserved it. Matth. 13.21. Whence came those Tares? [Page 139] The enemy hath done this. So say thou, I confesse my mind is blind, mine heart is corrupt, whence came these Tares? the Lord sowed good seed; if therefore I am uncleane, the envious man hath done it, therefore acquit the Lord for ever.

Hence wee may see,Use 2. To know whether Gods i­mage be restored. whe­ther we ever had this image reprinted and restored. Where ever the Image of God is, there is freedome. If ever sound grace bee in thee, thou shalt find thine heart unshack­led, and set at liberty to close with the Lord. 2. Corin. 3.17. Where the Spirit is, there is freedome, and an heart carried willingly to do the service God requires. It was that that our Saviour proclaimed. Isaiah 61.2. an acceptable [Page 140] yeare, it was that was typified in the old Law by the yeare of Jubilee, when the servant was free from his Master, the Debter from his Creditour: so Christ came to preach the yeare of Jubilee, that all poor drudges that have been slaves to Sathan, and indebted to Gods justice, should be freed from the guilt of sinne in justi­fication, from the slavery of sin in sanctification. In Act. 8. when Peter was in the towne streets, he perceived hee was not in a dreame, but it was a thing reall: so it is with thy soule: Canst thou finde that God hath knockt off thy fet­ters? then thou mayst know, this is a realitie, not a dreame of grace. If Peter had drea­med he had been out of pri­son, and had been fettered in [Page 141] the morning, hee would have knowne hee had been in a dreame: so thou hast drea­med that God hath renewed thee; Are thy fetters of sin on thee? then it was but a dream, indeed, and when thou a­wakest by death, thou shalt see thy selfe bound up in chaines of darknesse. Psalm. 45.17. All the sonnes of God are Princes; all Gods servants are free-men, 1 Cor. 7.22. If thou art Christs, thou art a free man, to be car­ried uncontrollably to good: though sinne and Sathan conspire against thee, they shall never overcome thee, but thou shalt still be victo­rious.

Qu. But what shall we say of many that seeme holy, whose sinnes clogge thim heavily? [Page 142] Where was Saint Pauls free­dome, when hee was led cap­tive, as hee speakes of him­selfe?

Of the ca­ptivity of sin in the godly. An. A man may be led cap­tive, and yet be free too. This freedome in captivity ap­peares in three things.

1. Though many times by the violence of Occasions, the Saints are surprized, yet they have hearts to approve of the good, they cannot do. This is that Saint Iames speaks of, Chap. 1. ult. If a man, saith he, hath Religion, and swea­reth, and rayleth against Gods truth, hee deceives himselfe; but this is pure religion to keep a mans selfe unspotted. Looke as it is with a City besieged, when it is taken, the enemies make those that are in the city sweare to their King; if now [Page 143] a man resolves to take his death, rather then the oath, he keepes himselfe unspotted from treason. So Sathan by long siege transports the heart unto the commission of evill; yet the soule keepes it selfe untainted, when it chuses the good it cannot do. Deut. 22.25. if an adulterer offer a rape to a Virgin, the sinne is his that forced her, it lies not on the party forced: so Sa­than in a sort forceth the soule to the commission of evill: if therefore thine heart beare it as a burthen, the fault is Sa­thans and not thine.

2. Yet the soule takes part with the word against both the temptations, that would inveigle it, & the corruptions, that would foyle it. As it ap­proveth all good, so it joynes [Page 144] sides with the word against all evill. Rom. 7.15. I doe the thing that I hate. The spirit lusteth against the flesh; the heart is resolved to die in the quarrell: though it cannot prevaile as it would, yet it will fight as it can. 2 Cor. 13.8. I can doe nothing against the truth.

3 The soule gets the upper hand of evill. David was never adulterous more, Peter never denied his master more; the soule not onely re­formes infirmities outward­ly, but subdues the distempers inwardly. 1 Ioh. 5▪18. Hee keepes himselfe, that the evill one touch him not. Rom. 8.2. The law of the Spirit sets a man free from the law of sin and of death. Sathan saith, Thou mayst be full of malice and [Page 145] spleen: the law of meeknesse saith, I will not bee full of spleen: so also the law of hu­mility takes off the law of pride.Pro. 28.13. Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne, shall finde mercy: the same phrase is u­sed, Gen. 2. The wife shall for­sake father and mother. The woman forsakes, First, the place and company. Second­ly, the authority of father and mother. Thirdly, shee is not to perform what service they will require, but what her husband requires: so the soule must forsake the house of sin. If thou wert married to Christ, thou wouldst loathe the place, and abhorre the so­ciety of those that goe down into hell themselves, and lead others with them. I say, if a man were married to Christ, [Page 146] hee would not bee under the authority of corruption, but being delivered from the bon­dage of sinne, will utterly for­sake it.

To get li­berty, la­bour for holinesse. Use 3. The third Use is of exhortation. The former truth should force every soule to imploy the best of his en­deavours to gaine this holi­nesse. Will any man be a free man? let him be an holy man. Bee sure of the one, and thou canst not misse of the other; and where the one is not, the other cannot bee. Liberty should bee like a load-stone, to draw us to it. Nature ha­teth slavery; then if we would bee freed from it, let us get holinesse. Experience tea­ches, that the poor bird will beat her selfe to death, rather then be kept in a Cage. What [Page 147] poor shifts men in captivitie take to bee freed from those that are hard taskemasters o­ver them, our often Briefes shew. Wee are all captives, taken by the policy of Satan; Let us make a gathering out of the stock of the prayers of Gods servants; and let thine owne prayer bee, Oh guide and direct mee how to get power against my corrupti­ons. How carefull are men to purchase the liberty of a Cor­poration, and how highly doe they account of it when they have it! In Acts 22.23. Saint Paul saith, he purchased to be a free man of Rome with a great summe. What slavish hearts have wee then, when we may be incorporated into the body of Christ, and will stick for a little? Goe and [Page 148] sell that you have, what ever it cost you, that you may bee free men in Christianitie. Christ saith, Joh. 8.32. If you continue in my words, you shall be free; To continue in Gods word, is to submit to the au­thority of the truth; for if we doe thus, we are free. Rev. 6.2. And I saw, and behold a white horse, &c. The white horse there, is the truth. It is called a white horse, because of the purity of it, and it pre­vailes wheresoever it comes. Would you be free? then let the Word prevaile in you. Is it not every mans desire, that when the strength of corrup­tion, and the violence of per­secution presse in upon him, then to be conquerour of all? Labour then to get this i­mage of God, and you shall [Page 149] be above all things, but God, and be carried on incontroll­ably in a good course.

§. 7.

NOw wee proceed to the image of God in the affe­ctions of Adam, as love, joy,Of Gods image in the affe­ctions. delight, sorrow, feare, which are seated in the sensitive soule; for all sensitive crea­tures have them. The poore creature feares the whip; and the creature againe, sports and delights it selfe. Now these Adam had, and in these was the image of God.

Qu. What was the image of God in the affections of A­dam?

Ans. It appeared in that serviceable subjection,What it is sweet agreement, and submission which they did yeeld unto [Page 150] holy will, and right reason. The Understanding directed what should bee done, the Will imbraced that, and the Affections yeelded servicea­bly to the command of Rea­son and Holinesse. Herein ap­peared the difference between these affections in Adam, and in other creatures. The crea­ture is carried by the rule of appetite; the horse rusheth into the battell, the wild asse snuffeth up the winde. The Psalmist saith,Psal. 32. Bee not like the horse and mule, which have no understanding, Psal. 32. Here was the excellency of Adam; that wisdome that God had imprinted in his understan­ding, that holinesse that hee had implanted in his will, commanded his affections, and they did sweetly yeeld [Page 151] thereto. Adams soule was like a well-tuned instrument, all the strings (the affections) being rightly tuned, make a sweet harmony. In a well go­verned common-wealth, the Councel directs, the King en­acts lawes, and the subjects obey: so there was wisdome in Adams understanding, and that counselled; there was holinesse in the will, and that commanded; and all the af­fections were like loyall sub­jects, imbracing what reason and holy will commanded. In this common-wealth there were no traitors; no, in A­dams heart there were no tu­multuous disorders, as now we finde; but what the rea­son said, and the will chused, that the affections embraced.

Quest. Wherein doth this [Page 152] subjection discover it selfe? How shall wee see Adams affections submitting to rea­son?

Ans. In foure particulars.

Wherein the affe­ctions sub­mitted to reason.1. The affections of Adam were willing to entertaine e­very command which wise­dome and holinesse gave. The affections are but so many ser­vants that attend on the un­derstanding. 1 Pet. 5.9. Bee sober and watch: There is a sobriety required in the soul; namely, a man should not la­vish out his affections on o­ther things, and so unfit him­self to be under the subjection of the Truth. This sobriety was abundant in Adam; he had a sweet easinesse and soft­nesse of affection, like waxe, to take the print of Gods Seale: whereas it is with our affecti­ons [Page 153] as with drunken servants, who, when their Masters call them, are not themselves: for there is a drunkennesse in mans heart, when it is inordi­nately carried with too eager a pursuit after vaine things; & though reason commands, yet it obeyeth not. Adams affections were in a sweete frame: for if God revealed any command, love embra­ced it. Ephes. 6.15. Having your feet shod with the prepara­tion of the Gospel of peace. The feet are the affections; the shooing of the feet, is the pre­paring of the affections to en­tertaine all the conditions of the Gospel of peace. A man that is shod, is fit to goe a jour­ney: so when the affections are thus shod, they are fit to walke in any way that God [Page 154] requires. Since Adam lost this sobriety of affections, what awkardnesse doe wee finde to duty! when a man should love an enemy, how hardly is hee brought to it! when a man ought to reforme a sinne, what a difficulty is there in it!

2. They were speedy in the performance of what was injoyned them. A wise un­derstanding could no sooner reveale a duty to be done, but they ecchoed answerably, This all of us would have Psalm. 40. mark how speedy Christ was in performing of duty: Behold I come, thy law is within mine heart. And Psal. 27.8. The Lord saith, seek yee my face: and his affections answered, Thy face (Lord) will I seeke. Also in Psal. 119.4, [Page 155] 5. Gods voice saith, I charge you diligently, keepe my Com­mandements: and they eccho again, Oh that our wayes were made so direct, that we might keep thy Statutes! 1 Pet. 1.13. Gird up the loyns of your mind. And in Luk. 12.35. it is said, Let your loynes bee girded a­bout, and your lights burning. The loynes of our mindes are our affections. They are com­pared to loose garments, such as they wore in the East Countries, which they gir­ded up, when they went on a journey. Our affections hang like loose garments about us, wee must gird them up, that we may with more speed goe in the pathes of Gods Sta­tutes. Thus David prayeth: Set mine heart at liberty, that I may runne the wayes of thy [Page 156] commandements. But we find the contrary: for though ma­ny times the minde so yeelds, that the course is holy, yet what a base wearinesse hangs on the heart! what slow hearts have we! how doe we draw our loyns after us! We feele this; and the ground of it is the want of Gods image.

3. They continued in the speed they made. Adams affections were to hold them­selves in an holy bent, with­out warping. Wee finde the contrary. In Gal. 6. the Apostle saith, Bee not weary in well doing. Sometimes a man is hot at first, and then his affe­ctions coole; this is the bane of Religion. Hee was holy; so they may say of a man-de­vill,2 Cor. 11.14. an Angell of light. But Adam was able to hold him­selfe [Page 157] in a right pitch. This Da­vid prayed for, Psal. 51.12. when he had wounded his af­fections, Oh stablish mee with thy free spirit! as if he should say: Time was, when I did love thy Word, mine heart did feare evill, and I did hate uncleannesse; but now, how unstedfast are my affections! therefore stablish mee with thy free spirit. If you finde your hearts giving way to any base lusts, you shall finde them easily giving back from holy duties. Rev. 2.31. Thou hast forsaken thy first love: O woe to that declining condition; that those who heretofore expressed forwardnesse in a good course, and could cry for mercy as for life, are now key-cold: But Adams affecti­ons were able to keep them­selves [Page 158] in full strength: and so did the Saints of God. Num. 14.24. Caleb followed God fully. Psalm. 63.9. My soule followes hard after thee. Hee pursued God with eagernesse, as the creature the prey. Da­vid stands not still, nor de­layes, but pursueth; and as the phrase is, (Esa. 51.1.) fol­lows after righteousnesse. Thou that hast a stubborne heart by nature, if thou beest once righteous, thou wilt then fol­low after meeknesse.

4. His affections were in an orderly tractablenesse to the rule of reason and holi­nesse. Reason and holinesse gave not only direction to the affections, but moderation in all things, and upon all occasi­ons The affections would not bee carried out of order [Page 159] nor measure upon any thing, nor stay longer then they should upon any object. An Embassador goes no farther then his Commission, stayes no longer then his Commissi­on gives leave: so reason and holinesse were the comman­ders of Adams affections; they received a command there­from, and went no further then reason and holinesse al­lowed them. It is lawfull for a man to love the world; but no more then reason and ho­linesse allowes: if God should say, I will take away these things from thee, love and joy should willingly part with them. The souldier, if he be loyall, when the Commander biddeth battell, hee goes; when hee soundeth a retrait, he returnes home againe: so [Page 160] the reason and will sanctified, were the commanders of A­dams course. When reason and holinesse saith it, a man may delight in the things of this life; but when they say, grieve no more for the losse of them, the affections should yeeld to the command of rea­son. It is quite contrary in us; a mans affections, though they are set upon a lawfull object, yet they goe so amaine like unruly colts, that they cast the rider: delight and desire out-bid reason, and sometimes transgresse the bounds of ho­nesty, most commonly of ho­linesse. It is marvellous hard to have our affections at com­mand. Lot goes into Sodom, and God could not get him out againe, but that the Angel was faine to carry him [Page 161] out by force: so when a man gets into Sodom, lets loose his affections on shoppe, or children, or the like, oh what an hard matter is it to say, No more of that! But Adams affections were so ordered, that if reason should say, Love that now, and then leave it; hee would love it now, and leave it then. Philip. 4.12. I know how to abound, and how to bee poore; his meaning is, if God would bestow these things, he had an heart to love them; if hee would take them away, he was content to leave them. Job 1.21. The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord; whereas wee sit Rachel-like, disquieted, be­cause our comforts are not.

Use 1. The first Use is of [Page 162] examination.By order in thy af­fections, esteeme what grace thou hast. A man may here plainely perceive what mea­sure of grace hee hath, and whether hee hath any or no: See what tractablenesse there is in thy affections, to submit unto the authority of holi­nesse. So much boysterous­nesse as thou findest against the evidence of reason, and frame of holinesse; so much corruption there is in thy heart. I speak this the rather, to take off the conceit of ma­ny, who use to commend a man in this manner; Hee is an holy man, but that hee hath one fault, hee is as dogged as may be: it is but a poor com­mendation. So much boy­ling as is in thine heart, so much want of grace is there. He is a good Christian (they will say) but wonderfull out­ragious: [Page 163] surely then there is but little good in him. The servant is stubborne against his Master, the master againe is quarrelsome for every word: if there bee grace in these, it is well; yet there is a great deale of the want of Gods image upon such a soule: 1 Cor. 3.3. When there are strifes and envyings a­mongst you, are ye not carnall? When the heart is boyste­rous and full of envie, is it not carnall? There is a great deal of rubbish in thy heart, which grace, if it were there, would remove. The Philosopher observes, that all stormes are here below in these baser bo­dies, there is none of them in the highest heavens: so, hadst thou an heavenly heart, all thunderings and lightenings, [Page 164] all crosse, dogged, and mali­cious distempers would bee gone, there would bee no newes of them. The fruits of the Spirit are love, Gal. 5.22. meeknesse, &c. But when men runne a­breast, the Master his way, and the Servant his way, where are the fruits of the Spirit? Are ye not carnall?

Ob. But may not a man by education or misery bee tem­pered, and cooled from these things?

Answ. Yes, he may have the ruggednesse of his affecti­ons smoothed, and the edge of furiousnesse blunted. But though a man may have these somewhat abated, and want grace, yet if a man have these, it is somewhat suspicious, whether hee have grace. There may bee a root, and [Page 165] yet no blossomes, and yet it is certaine, where there are blos­somes there is a root. If a man expresse envie in his life, there is sure a treasure of it in his heart. If there be so much filth in the streames, there is more in the fountain: if there be good in thee, there is but a little.

Here we may also see, whe­ther wee have any truth of grace: judge of it by the works. No fire but will burn: fire will heate the whole house; so grace will frame the whole soule. Art thou able to tame those jarring af­fections, and to stifle them? Art thou able, when they would transport thee, to allay them, and bring thy soule to a calme frame? Then it is a signe thou hast grace. God [Page 166] is the God of order, not only in the Church, but in the house, and every where. If thou canst master those boy­sterous affections, that they may be subject unto wisdome and holinesse, then it is cer­taine, there is some grace in thee.

Quest. But are not the best men troubled with passions and distempers?

Differen­ces of di­stempers in the godly and others. Answ. There are such in the best, upon whom the Lord hath beene pleased to look graciously: but they are in a farre different manner in them, then in the wicked. Their spots are different: Deut. 32.5. Their spot is not like the spot of my children: as who should say, the Saints have their spots, and the wic­ked have their spots; but they [Page 167] are not the same. The spots of the purples are dangerous, but the spots of the plague are deadly. The wicked have the spots of the plague; the Lord have mercy on them, they are but dead men. Though a Common-wealth bee sub­ject to conspiracies, yet a wise Kng can discover them; but when there is no King, (as in Israel) every man doth what he list: so in the heart of an ungodly man, corruptions do what they list, they make him as proud, and as covetous as they list. The Saints have ma­ny mutinies in their hearts, yet they have a wise King, a gra­cious will that quels these, and submits to God, and the pow­er of his grace.

The difference betweene the distempers of the Saints [Page 168] and the wicked, appeares in three particulars.

1. The Saints make those di­stempers and unruly affecti­ons which lye upon them, their greatest burthen; it is their heart-smart, though o­ther sins are greater: and the reason is, because they break the union between God and the soule, and they breed a distance between Gods good Spirit and it. 2 Cor. 12.7. God suffered Sathan to buffet St. Paul, which was some distemper, and provocation to sin; now this made him grone and sigh to the Lord, yea, it brought him on his knees thrice. As it is with an ene­mie, if his use bee to come suddenly upon a Towne, a wise Captaine will gather his forces together to hinder his [Page 169] designes: So must the Saints, because their corruptions sur­prize them suddenly. These make them cry out, This will be my bane; the least sin will damne me as well as the grea­test; I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul, &c. 1 Sā. 27.1. where­as a carnall man maketh no­thing of these, but beares all with a Pish, it is not such a great matter as some make it: I confesse I am passionate and cholerick; but I would I had no worse to answer for, and the like. Oh, how doth this argue a gracelesse heart, that can thus digest gracelesse courses. A toad will feede upon poison; but if a man take two or three drops, it will kill him: it is a signe thou hast a toadish nature, that canst digest these lusts. Gen. [Page 170] 15. ult. Esau went away care­lesly, when hee saw that hee lost his birthright. I confesse, it is possible for a carnall heart to grieve for these distempers, but it is either when a man hath monstrously befooled himselfe, or when conscience flies in his face; What, you go to heaven? Therefore a man on these termes may crouch, not because of sin, but of dis­grace, or the sting of consci­ence, that lies in his bosome.

2. The Saints, when they are thus, it is but a pang, they come to their cold temper againe, and they then will welcomly entertain the word, and desire that it would dis­cover their sinne. A gracious heart cares not what the man bee that discovers his sinne, whether he bee friend or ene­my, [Page 171] whether a good man or a bad man. Hee lookes not at the man, but at the good­ness of the command. 1 Sam. 1.17. Eli, when he had been indulgent, and the Lord threatned him for it, hee saith to Samuel, 1 Sam 3. Hide nothing from mee. Jonah being in a sullen fit, forsakes Gods command; but this is but in a push; in cold blood hee is otherwise. David, that had the heart of a Lyon, he would not leave a man alive in Nabals house; yet Abigail, a woman, makes him say▪ Blessed be thou, Chap. 25. & thy counsell▪ here was a gracious heart, that could submit to the counsell of so mean a person. But a wicked man cannot a­bide to have his corruption crossed: they are so incorpo­rated into it, that they cannot [Page 172] live without it: This was it that made the young man go away sorrowfull. They mur­mure against their instructers, as the Hebrew said to Moses, Exod. 2.14. What, wilt thou slay mee, as thou didst the E­gyptian yesterday? Let every cup stand upon his owne bot­tome; what have you to doe with mee? &c. A wicked man may bite the lip for the present, and say, I thanke you for your counsell; yet he will goe away, and fit you an evill turne. But the godly come, and acknowledge plainely, These passages and grace can­not stand together, and there­fore they will submit to the truth with all their heart. A wicked man will use all means to undermine the truth, and misconstrue it; and if any [Page 173] man will joyn side with him, hee will fly out desperately: but if hee cannot avoid it, hee will (like the dogge) bite the stone; if hee cannot have his will of the man, hee will owe him a grudge. The Saints will say, The Word of the Lord is good, strike here at this sin,Esa. 39.8 smite home.

3. The Saints are not only carefull to have their sinnes outwardly mortified, but their lives reformed; they do not complain of this and that, and yet maintaine it: no, hee that is burthened with sinne, will part with it. Luk. 2.8. When Christ came, crooked things were made straight: not onely mountaines were brought low, but rough things were made smooth: So in the Saints of God, there is not [Page 174] onely a new tongue, to talke of religion; but a new heart, and new affections. It is pos­sible for a godly man by the power of tentation to bee led aside, yet you shall alwayes finde him on the mending hand, and so in conclusion forsakes sin. I do not say, he will bee now and then drunk, and the like; (for we doe not read of those, that after they accustome themselves to gross sins, do ordinarily rise again;) but I speake of some boyste­rous distemper which breaks out, yet I say, hee will bee of the mending hand. As a man in an Ague, when nature growes strong, his Ague will leave him: so if a man bee o­vertaken with these, if grace grow strong, hee will leave them, else hee erres from the [Page 175] nature of true repentance. You know what God calls for, when hee requires repen­tance, Isa. 1.24. Cease to doe evill, learne to doe well. Jer. 26.3. Isa. 55.7. Let the wic­ked forsake his way, and the imaginations of his heart. This is repentance; this the Saints have done, as holy Job speaks, chap. 34.32. If I have done iniquity, I will doe so no more. Psalm. 18.23. I have kept my selfe from mine iniqui­ty. Gal. 5.24. They that are in Christ, have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof: the flesh is sin, the lusts thereof are the violent distempers thereof; hee that hates sinne, kils these. Can any man kill the roote, and the blossome flourish? so, can the root of sinne bee killed, and the fruit [Page 176] thrive? It cannot be. Again, morality can make a man somewhat qualified, and can­not grace much more? shall a Heathen bridle himselfe, and not a gracious man? That cannot be. But a wicked man gives way to, and continues in his course without any a­mendment, and that's the reason why they fall to day, and fall to morrow, and con­tinue in it. Jer. 8.6. He takes fast hold of iniquity, and rush­eth into it, as the horse rusheth into the battell: for a man cu­stomarily, usually to bee tran­sported with these boysterous distempers, this is the spot of the wicked; no righteous man can alwaies bee thus: for hee hath not that depth of wickednesse in him; yet up­on some occasion hee may [Page 177] and doth fall into sin. You see how the godly are, and how the wicked behave themselves. The wife railes, and the husband, out of a kind of sottish Nabalnesse, if any thing fall crosse, makes the wife and child pay for it. This is ordinary, these are the plague-sores of our townes; also the servant, if hee be ad­monished, then hee flies out, and warning must bee given presently to be gone. These are the spots of profession now-adaies.

Use. 2. It is a word of in­struction,Grace, ordering the affe­ctions, brings the most qui­et life. That a gracious heart brings most quiet to a mans life: that takes away the greatest troubles: that is most peaceable. Nothing can trouble a gracious heart, unlesse hee trouble himselfe. [Page 178] It is not the blowing of the winde that shakes the earth; but the wind is got into some hollow of the earth, and the shaking comes from within: so, when there is envie & ma­lice within, these breed hatred without, and these shake our holds: whereas, were these removed, were a man quiet at home, hee should never be troubled from without. It is not a mans condition, but his corruption that breeds discontent; therefore St. Paul saith, I can abound, and be poor; hee had quiet within him. Looke, as it was with our Sa­viour, Math. 8. when the winds arose, hee commands them to cease; so it is in the Lords power to rule these distempers: nothing under heaven can quiet a man thus [Page 179] enraged, but grace. Goe to God to take away thy unru­linesse. Grace makes a man on Gods side, and therefore there can bee no dissention: if God takes away any thing, the good soule is content; if hee will have any thing, the soule yeelds it, and so here is no trouble.

§. 8.

Quest. WHat was the i­mage of God in the body?Of Gods image in the body.

Ans. I answer two waies:

1. Negatively,Wherein it stood not. The image of God did not consist in the body of man, so as to bee in the flesh and bloud, bones and sinewes; and the reason is double.

1. Because if the image of God consisted in these, then [Page 180] other creatures should have the image of God: but other creatures, though thus quali­fied, have not the image of God, but only Adam.

2. God is a Spirit, Joh. 4.24. and consequently, Body implies rather an opposition. There is no proportion be­twixt a Spirit and a Body; Luk. 24.38. A Spirit hath not flesh and bones. This is a­gainst the plea of the Papists, that make the image of God the Father like an old man; the reason they give, is, be­cause man had the image of God, and therefore wee may resemble God by him. I an­swer, If flesh and bloud bee not the image of God, then there is no ground to resem­ble God thereby. Isa. 40.14. To whom will yee liken mee! [Page 181] To frame an image of God, is to commit a great sin.

Quest. Where was then the image of God in the bo­die?

Answ. In that framable­nesse,In what it was. whereby it was moved by the reason, will, and affe­ctions, and so did expresse the vertues of them. A mercifull heart doth expresse it selfe in a bountifull hand. So David, Psal. 45.1.Psal. 45.1. My tongue is the Pen of a ready writer; his heart indited it, and then his tongue did speak it.

Quest. Wherein doth this framablenesse appear?

Ans. In two things.

1. The framablenesse of the body to act the service that wisedome and holinesse required. The parts were not stiffe, not stubborne, nor [Page 182] weary, but in a readinesse to act what wisedome required. But wee finde it otherwise in us: St. Paul himselfe com­plained that hee was clogged with it. When a man is di­stempered, either sicke, or weak, there is a wearinesse in holy duties. The body is then like a darke shop, in which a good workman may cut his fingers. When the body is full of noysome humours, it is but an ill shoppe for the soule to work in: but this was not in Adam.

2. There was a fitnesse in each part for its taske. The eye was fit to see, the tongue to talke, &c. So that it is ob­served by Galen, though hee were an heathen, yet conside­ring the frame of the body, he fell in admiration of it; so [Page 183] that hee professed, that it was not possible for a naturall cause to bring forth such an effect. Rom. 16.8. Yeeld not your members instruments to unrighteousnesse. He calls the members instruments. The Devill oftentimes tunes the tongue, and hee seeth out of an adulterous eie▪ yea, his ma­lice vents it selfe in an unruly tongue. Looke againe in the 19. verse, and there it's said, a mans members should be ser­vants to holinesse, tooles or in­struments that should bee un­der the power of God. In a tool, there is both the metall, and the making, as in a saw or axe; so there is in the parts of the body, which are tooles serviceable to wisedome, and the power of holinesse, that they may work their works [Page 184] thereby. An hand is a toole, whereby the mercifull heart may deale mercifully. Wee say, in such a case, Here is a gracious tongue, a chast eye, &c. so the hand is the Almo­ner of a mercifull heart: so that this image of God in the body, is wide from that of the Papists.

Q. What's the reason of this?

A. This: Because it was not only requisite, that God should instampe his image inward­ly, but that is should bee ex­prest outwardly, that others might see it, and glorifie God in heaven Matth. 5.16. Let your light so shine among men, that they may see your good works, and glorifie your heaven­ly Father. 1 Pet. 2.9. Shew forth the vertue of him that hath called you out of darknesse. [Page 185] Hereby is Gods honour pro­moted. Eph. 2.9. We are the workmanship of God, created unto good works. When men see anothers excellent work­manship, they say, This man was a skilfull workman: So Gods workmanship is seen in you, when another reviles, and you are patient to beare. When hee is impatient and utters words of reproach, the wicked stand by, and say, I marvell how you can suffer it: This is rare workmanship to them. When the wicked challenge godly men, and say, What do they more then other men? The answer is, They feare an oath, their soule abhorres the least sinne; goe thou, and do so: they are wil­ling to heare a reproofe, doe thou likewise. But when a [Page 186] wretched man comes to lye on his death-bed, ready to go out of the world, aske him then what hee thinkes of the Saints; oh, sayes hee, that I might dye their death. Thus wee see, it is requisite the i­mage of God should bee in their bodies.

Murther an hai­nous sin. Use. 1. This Use is for instru­ction. Hence wee observe the hainousnesse of the sin of mur­ther, as being that which de­faces the image of God after a vile manner. What greater evill can there bee? He that clips the Kings coyne is a trai­tour; but if a man maimes the body of a Prince, every man thinkes no punishment is e­nough for him. That creature, for the creation of which, there was a consultation; that creature, upon whom the i­mage [Page 187] of God was imprinted, on whom all the works of the Trinity were expressed, of the Father in Creation, of the Sonne in Redemption, of the Spirit in Sanctification, which was the master-piece of Gods workmanship, to blemish that image, and over­throw the workmanship of God therein, what sinne more hainous! It is therefore cal­led a crying sinne, as it was said to Cain, Gen. 4.10. The bloud of thy brother cries up to heaven: Murther calls for vengeance, and will have no nay, Gen. 9.6. Hee that sheds bloud, by man shall his bloud be shed: because God made him after his image, therefore God pursueth the malefactor with unconceiveable horrour of heart. The reason is not on­ly [Page 188] because of the unnaturalnes of it, (though that bee great, for, Lions and Lions, Tygers and Tygers will lie together;) but herein also appeares the vilenesse, in that all the attri­butes of God are up in armes against a murtherer, because they have all been wronged. Drunkennesse wrongs sobrie­ty, adultery wrongs chastity; these sinnes wrong particular graces only, and a drunkard may honor God by sobriety, as hee hath dishonoured him by drunkennesse; but murther defaces the image of God, ne­ver to bee recovered. There was a gracious tongue, but when it is murthered, it will never speake more; a wise head,Grace in the heart appears in the body. but now will never plot businesse more.

Use. 2. Hence wee see the [Page 189] spreading nature of grace. Wheresoever holinesse and righteousnesse is, it will dis­cover it selfe. If it bee in the soule, it will appeare also in the body. It is with grace, as David speakes of the Sunne, Ps. 19. wheresoever it comes, it casts in its beams: so it is with the sun of grace, it goes into every crevice of the heart, and every practice of the life: there shall bee no work of the hand, no walk of the foot, but grace will frame it. Men thinke grace is confi­ned to a corner; sweare they doe grosly, but they have a good heart to God-ward: no, if thy heart be good, thy life will be good; if holinesse bee there, the instruments will be in tune. Others conceive, grace meddles not with mens [Page 190] practice. No? Grace will meddle with every occasion. In Isaiah 3.16. the Prophet speaks of proud women, who walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go; even such things grace will reforme. Psalm. 131.1. My heart is not haughty, my looks are not lofty. Rom. 16.16. Salute one another with an holy kisse: even our very salutations must bee holy; hence grace is compa­red to leaven, Mat. 13.33. When the oyle was poured upon Aarons head,Psal. 134. it ranne downe to the skirts of his garment: so it is with grace, it descends to a mans apparrel­ling, and speaking. Grace frames and fashions every thing. Hos. 4.6. His smell shall be as the smell of Lebanon. [Page 191] Lebanon cast forth an odori­ferous smell, like a boxe of balme; so that as a wretched man leaves a stench behinde him, so an holy man leaves a sweet smell of grace and ho­linesse.

Use. 3. We see hence how to get a conversation well or­dered.To order thy con­versation well, get Gods i­mage into thy heart. Get the image of God inwardly, and it will expresse it selfe outwardly. As the springs of a watch are, so the wheeles goe: so if there bee a principle of holinesse with­in, thy whole course wil strike proportionably. The husband complaines the wife is con­tentious; wilt thou have this reformed? it is not chiding will do it; bring thy wife un­der the meanes, and get holi­nesse into her heart, and then the outside will bee amended: [Page 192] So, it is not enough for a man to fall out with himselfe, be­cause hee hath abused God, and dishonoured his professi­on; this is not the way, get an holy heart, and all boysterous distempers will depart away. Let the fountain be pure, and the streames will not be pol­luted; let the root bee good, and there will be green bran­ches.

§. 9.

Of Gods image in respect of the creatures.FRom all this follows ano­ther thing, & that Divines call the outward image; and that was the dominion Adam had over the creatures.

Quest. What was this rule and dominion?

What the dominion over them is. Answ. It was a soveraign dispose of the creature, to fur­ther his service to God, as he saw fit.

[Page 193]Two things are in the de­scription.

1. A soveraigne dispose o­ver the creature, I meane, the beasts of the field, the birds of the aire, and the fishes of the sea. These were Adams journey-men. He could have called for the horse to wait on him, &c. so the text saith, Chap. 2▪ 20. For Adam was not to have dominion over the Sunne, or the Heavens, or the Waters, but over the sen­sible creatures.

2. I call this a supreme, or soveraigne dispose, because it was allowed him by God, for next him, hee was above all creatures. When Pharaoh had preferred Joseph, he saith, I onely will bee above thee. So God only would be above Adam, but all creatures should [Page 194] bee at his dispose.

Quest. Wherein doth this dominion discover it selfe?

Ans. In three particulars.

And in what.1. Adam had a supreme right and title unto the crea­ture: hee might in way of e­quity challenge service from it. Usurped authority is ty­ranny, but when a man hath a right title, this is true so­veraignty. Though God gave this to Adam, yet it was equall he should resigne it, if he required it of him. Adam was like a Steward in a noble­mans family, unlesse the Ma­ster giveth him authority, hee can have none; so it was with Adam: but since the fall, wee can challenge nothing. Dan. 9.7. To thee belongeth mercy, but to us shame. All that wee can challenge, is our owne [Page 195] sins, and our owne sorrow. If therefore God would arme creatures against us, he may. What God will doe for his mercy, is one thing; what we can challenge, is another.

2. Adam had skill and cunning to order the creature, and so could dispose it that way, whereby God might re­ceive most honour. He had a sufficiency in him to rule; for when God sets a man of government in a place, hee furnisheth him ability. 1 Sam. 10.9. When God cal­led Saul to be King, he chan­ged his heart; and when hee took his Kingdome away, his spirit went from him. A Ge­nerall must not onely dispose himselfe, but the Army: so Adam had cunning given him to dispose the creatures.

[Page 196]3. Hee had authority and power to awe the creatures, and uncontrollably to com­mand them in what he would. Gen. 9.2. The dread of you shall fall upon all creatures: But wee are rebels against God, therefore the creatures goe a­gainst us: the wilde beast de­stroyes one, the horse kils another: The creatures durst not doe so to Adam, but if A­dam commanded any thing, the creature would performe it. Gen. 2.13. Adams na­ming the creatures, implyed his ruling over them; They knew their names, and would come at his call. Those crea­tures that God named, Adam had no dominion over. Adam could not command the Sun to stand still; but the living creatures would neither op­pose [Page 197] his command, nor stand still and not doe it, when hee commanded.

The second thing in the description, is, that this was to further the service of God, not to abuse it. The creature was to serve man, as far as he served God. As it is with a Vice-roy, the King makes him as himselfe; but he must doe no more then his Commissi­on: so Adam was to rule over the creatures; but God gave him a Commission, he might doe no more then whereby he might honour him.

Quest. Whence comes it, that Adam must have this do­minion?

Answ. Why gran­ted to A­dam. Because all these creatures tend to those ends for which God made them: Now the creature being [Page 198] made for Adam to use, hee must have dominion over it. The creature could not come to his end, unlesse Adam brought it on. All creatures have a desire to come as neare God as they can; hence all creatures are uncessant in mo­tion; as the sea runs continu­ally, &c. The creatures there­fore would willingly bee gui­ded by that man that is ruled by the Almighty. Hos. 2.21. When God had brought home the Jewes, and received them into covenant, all the creatures come to serve them. The creatures are suppliants to God to serve a faithfull man. The heavens send their influence to the earth, and the earth to the corn, and the corn strengthens man, and man must give all to God.

[Page 199]2. Because otherwise A­dam might have had some excuse for himselfe, or plea for his sinne, if he had broken Gods command: had the creatures opposed him, or beene wanting to that supply he needed, Adam might have pleaded with God, I con­fesse, I knew what thou re­quiredest, but these creatures hindered me: I commanded them to be helpfull, but they would not, and that's the cause why thy lawes were transgressed. As it is with the Steward that hath recei­ved command from his Ma­ster, if any duty bee wanting, the fault is laid upon him; it is in vaine for him to say, others would not doe it; for he had power to compell them: so Adam was left without ex­cuse, [Page 200] he wanted nothing that might be required.

A shame to have lost power o­ver the creatures. Use 1. From the conside­ration of the great command we had, wee should bee asha­med of what wee want. It should amaze us, for that a­basement wee have put our hearts into by our sins. Wee had a command, and supreme right to all the creatures; but we have forfeited this right, & are put out of office; we were Stewards, but now are be­come drudges. All creatures contest against a sinfull man, and become masters and ty­rants over him; the fierce ad­der stings one, the mad dog bites another, nay, a fly, an haire many times is made a meanes to destroy him, that had dominion over all crea­tures. As it is with a traitour, [Page 201] though hee were of never so high a place, yet if hee com­mit treason, he loseth his life, and his goods are confiscated: so wee, having been traitors, have lost, not only our lives, but our dominion over the creatures.

Quest. Wherein doth this losse of right appear?

Ans. In three particulars.

1. No man since the fall can challenge, as his due, the use of the least creature; so that if a man receive punish­ment from Gods hand, hee hath no more then hee de­serves. God may take away a mans life, then much more every thing that shores it up. Lament. 3.22. The lamenting Church naming of their sins, quarrell not because they have not this, nor that; but [Page 202] mark how they speak, It is of Gods mercy that wee are not consumed. God commanded Abraham to slay Isaac; if God should make every Fa­ther the executioner of his owne child, hee required but what hee might. Whatever thou hast besides hell, is mer­cy; if we had dropped out of our mothers wombe into hell, and there been roaring, while now we are seeking to God, it had been just; for unto us belongeth nothing but shame and confusion.

2. A man now defiled with sin, hath not skill and ability to improve the benefit of the creature to the right end of it; and this is a great losse. The divine right of Adam was sea­ted mainely in this, He could improve the creature to the [Page 203] best advantage. God doth not bestow any good upon a man, that hee may abuse it in the service of Sathan; hee vouchsafeth not any blessing to this purpose: yet if God give us wealth, wee are ready to say to the wedge of gold, Thou art my God. Tit. 1.15. To the impure all things are defiled. Each man, though the blessing be never so great, yet if hee be sinfull, hee abuses it. Haggai 2.13. If he which is uncleane touch any thing, it is uncleane. Such is the vile­nesse of our wicked hearts, that whatsoever blessing wee enjoy, it is uncleane unto us. A filthy stomack will turne the best meats into noysome humours: so a sinfull heart turnes the best blessings of God into the dishonour of his [Page 204] name. What is better then the goodnesse of God? yet a carnall heart will despise that.

3. It goes against the creature, nay, it is a grief to the creature to serve a wicked man. It is a griefe, as I may so say, to the bed to lodg an adulterer; it is a grief to the drink to feede the drunkard, that feeds his lusts. This service to them is not a duty the creature oweth, but a vanity it undergoeth,Rom. 8.20. The creature is subject unto vanity. That is said to bee vaine that attaines not his end; a mans labour is vaine, when hee at­taines not what hee laboured for: so the creature was made for good; but when it is perverted, this is the vanity there­of: therefore the text saith, it doth this unwillingly. Rom. 8. Hence in Lev. 18.28. the Land is [Page 205] said to spue out her inhabitants, as a naughty stomack does meat: therefore also the stars fought against Sisera, Judg. 5.20. The Lord is the Lord of hosts: if the Generall be of­fended, the souldiers must joyn side with him: so when wee went from God, all the creatures tooke up armes a­gainst us. Job 5. Thou shalt bee at peace with the stones of the field. It is Gods mercy to curbe the creatures, else they would bee all up in armes; Christ makes all the creatures on a good mans side; but hee that is rejected of God, all the creatures are at deadly fewd with him: I say, were it so, that man had that divine right which Adam had to the crea­tures, they would not disobey his command. We see there­fore [Page 206] our great slavery, for all creatures would arme them­selves against us, would God permit it.

Blame thy selfe, not the crea­tures, fai­ling of their ser­vice. Use 2. Hence wee learne how to carry our selves in the dangers wee feare from the creatures, to wit, do not look at the creature, but at our owne sins, and there lay the blame. This is a marvellous usuall sinne, that in the failing of the creature, wee fall out with it. If the beast faile in travelling, men fall to cur­sing; Doe not so, lay thine hand upon thy bosome, and say, I am the cause: had not I deceived the trust God com­mitted into mine hand, the creature had not deceived mee. Sometimes, God arms the creatures against a man, and the creature so takes head [Page 207] that the bit cannot curbe it: the horse slayes one, the oxe another; I say, when you find this that your subjects rebell, do not rail at them, but blame thine owne sinne, and reason thus; I confesse, the creature may doe so; for how many commands have I had from God, and none would rule me, wherefore it is a wonder the creature takes not away my life? Numb. 22.23. Ba­laam smote the asse, and God opened her mouth, and she said, Was I wont to do so? as if she should say, It was not my fault, thou sawest not Gods wrath. When you find hurt from the creature, imagine you heard it say, The time was I stooped, but thy sinnes have made God to set me as a souldier against thee.

§. 10.

The excellency of Adams condition appeares in two things.

1. In the Image of God upon Adam; we have spoken of that already.

2. Concerning the Cove­nant made with him. In w^ch wee will discover two things.

• 1. The nature of it.
• 2. The seales and sacra­ments of it.

The nature and substance of it is discovered in the words of the text, quoted out of Lev. 18.15. The selfe same words being repeated, Gal. 3.12.

A couenāt of works.There is a double covenant.

[Page 209]1. The covenant of works; and the substance of that is this, Doe this, and live. Obey (saith God) and keepe my commandements, as thou maist, and thou shalt have what thou wilt.

2.And of faith. There is also another covenant: Adam falsified this, and did not performe ho­ly obedience; God therefore provided another means, that as it is Rom. 8. that which was impossible by the law, might be made possible by the Gos­pel: therefore in 2 Tim. 1.10. God brought life and immorta­lity to light through the Gos­pel. This second covenant is, Beleeve, and live: because thou hast not performed my commands, beleeve in ano­ther, and goe to Christ, that hee may doe it for thee. Be­leeving [Page 210] and living, belonged not to Adam; but the first co­venant, Doe this and live; tou­ching which, wee will pro­pose three things.

• 1. To tell you what it is.
• 2. The reason of it.
• 3. The use and applicati­on of it.

Qu. 1. What is it?

The cove­nant of works de­scribed. An. It is a compact between God and Adam; in which, upon condition of yeelding obedience to God for him and his, God promised life to him and his.

In the description are two things, which are the parties of the covenant.

1. The parties that make it; a covenant implies a covenan­ting, not with a mans selfe, but with another.

2. The termes of agree­ment: [Page 211] both are here expres­sed.

1. The parties; God and Adam: the Creator and the creature enter into an en­gagement one with another; the one to obey, the other to blesse and assist. This the Scripture shewes us in the re­newall of the covenant, Ex­odus 19.5. If you obey my voice (saith God) you shall bee my peculiar people: and in the 8. verse the people answer, Whatever the Lord hath said, wee will doe. This discovers unto us the covenant of A­dam, though it were made many yeeres before. This Law opposeth the covenant of the Gospel, Gal. 2.16. But Deut. 29.2. they took ano­ther oath, that what righte­ous lawes God appointed, [Page 212] they would performe, and God enters into the same con­dition with them.

2. For the articles of agree­ment, they are two.

1. That Adam should per­forme obedience for himselfe and his posterity.

2. God promiseth life to him and his posterity upon these termes.

He was to obey; for God delights in obedience. 1 Sam. 15.23. To obey is better then sacrifice. God gives not A­dam a charge to bee rich, but to keep his commandements, Joh. 4.23. God lookes not for men of great place, but those that yeeld sincere obe­dience. As the master com­mends such an office to the servant, and saith, This is your charge; so the charge that [Page 213] God gave Adam, was not to gaine prosperity, but to obey. Deut. 26.17, 18. Thou shalt keep all his commandements.

Quest. After what manner was Adam to performe obe­dience?

Answ▪ The manner of his obedience appeared in foure things.The man­ner of A­dams obey­ing God.

1. Hee had a power and principle in himselfe, to keep Gods commandements. A­dam had an uncontrollable li­berty of will, whereby hee could begin his owne worke. He needed only an ordinary concourse of Providence, w^ch God gives to other crea­tures. God put this stock in­to Adams hand, that he might manage the great affaires of life. But it is otherwise in the second covenant; wee must [Page 214] see our selves lost in regard of our owne ability to service, and therefore wee are bound by faith to go out to another; which Adam needed not. We that are weake of our selves, must fetch power from Christ. It may truly be said, that Adam had something of his owne. It was a debt to Adam, that if God required obedience, he should bestow ability on him; God could require no more of Adam in equitie, then hee gave him a­bility to discharge: but it is mercy, that wee have any thing: So that the substance is this; Adam needed not to de­ny himselfe, wee must deny our selves. Wee are dead in sins and trespasses, and there­fore it is not I, saith St. Paul, but Christ in mee. Joh. 1.16. [Page 215] Wee receive grace for grace from Christ; nay, wee must waite on God, and stay his time; for hee may as well withdraw helpe as bestow it; but he could not doe so with Adam: He engaged himselfe never to bee wanting to him; but God oweth us nothing in point of grace. Hence the co­venant of doing and belee­ving are put in opposition. Gal. 3.12. The Law is not of faith: the meaning is, belee­ving in Christ is not the perfor­mance of the morall Law. He that beleeveth, saith, I can doe nothing; Adam might say, I can doe all things. I say, Be­leeving in Christ is not a per­formance of a worke of the Law, but of a worke of the Gospel. Ephes. 2.8, 9. By grace yee are saved through [Page 216] faith, not of your selves. If a­ny one had been saved by his owne works, as Adam might have been, hee had been saved by himselfe; but now it is through Christ, and it is through grace that Christ as­sists us: this is the cause that many perish who think to bee saved by the merit of their works; but this is crosse to beleeving, this is not going out, but continuing within themselves. Those that are under the Law; that is, those that seek for life by do­ing, these are under the rigour and condemning power of the Law: Those that are of Faith, that is, those that are content to bee ruled by the power of the Gospel, they are saved by Christ. This is the meaning of that parable, [Page 217] Gal. 4.24. For Agar, spoken of there, is a type of the Law, Sarah of the Gospel; the Law hath children, and the Gospel children: the children of the Law are the children of bon­dage; but those that are be­gotten by grace, are free men, free from the guilt and pow­er of sin. If a man will come to salvation by the Gospel, hee must not come by him­selfe.

2. Adam had sufficiencie in himselfe fully to keep the Law in the rigour of it; A­dams heart, and the Law were of an equall breadth and la­titude. The Law took up his whole heart, and he was able to performe the whole Law. The Law was written in his heart, as in a book full writ­ten, never a white line left. [Page 218] David, Psal. 119.2, 6. some­times saith, hee will keep the whole Law; sometimes hee will keepe it with his whole heart. It is not so with us: as of our selves wee are not able to think a good thought. Our faith is like a graine of mu­stard-seed, mingled with im­perfection, 1 Cor. 13. We know in part, and we beleeve in part; our graces are mingled with many frailties. Rom. 7.21. When I would doe good, evill is present with me. Heb. 12.1. Sinne easily besets the soule. When wee performe duties, corruption stands by, and cros­ses it. In the best duties ex­ceptions may justly be taken; they answer not fully the Law of God.

3. Adam might have chal­lenged a recompence of re­ward [Page 219] by way of justice, for his doing. He needed to crave no pardon, had hee obeyed the Law, as he was able; be­cause there would be no fault in his performance. Rom. 4.4. If a man can performe the Law, recompence is due to him as a debt; which Adam was able to doe. Hee might glory in the performance of his duty, giving also glory to God. Rom. 3.27. Boasting is not excluded by the law of works, but by the law of faith. As if hee should say, Could a man doe what the Law re­quires, hee might boast; but the law of faith excludeth boasting: if I can do nothing but what God helps mee in, and perfect nothing but what God perfects in mee, why should I boast? A man can­not [Page 220] bee saved by workes and grace too. Rom. 11.6. If by workes, it is not mercy; if by grace, it is not his owne suffi­ciency: when wee have done what wee can, wee can chal­lenge nothing, but beg par­don. Psalm. 130.3. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark our ini­quites, O Lord, who could stand! Adam could have en­dured it; for he (I say) had no flaw in his obedience, but we (poore creatures) cannot doe this. Dost thou think to bee saved by thy services and me­rits?Rom. 4.7, 8. No, Happy is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sinnes are covered: those workes cannot save a man,Adam stood or fell for us as well as for him­self, & why in which there is enough to condemne him.

4. Adam did it for him­selfe and his posterity; if hee [Page 221] had kept the Law, wee had lived in him; therefore if A­dam broke the Law, and died, thou must also die; this is so by all rights.

1. By the right of Nations: The Kings sends over an Em­bassador, hee craveth termes of agreement; what ever the Embassador doth, all the Na­tion doth, because the Embas­sador goeth in the name of the King, who is the Ruler of the Nation.

2. Look into all Courts, what the party doth, the sure­ty doth; if the party falls, the surety falls: also, what the Parliament doth wee doe, be­cause we chuse men and send them thither.

3. Look into the law of Nature; if the Father hath a child borne long after the [Page 222] bond was made, yet hee must pay the debt; also if his fa­ther purchase land for his heire before he was borne, he must have the benefit of it. Adam was our Father, hee made a compact for all his posterity. Rom. 5.12. By one man sin entred into the world, and death by sinne. The te­nour of the compact was for his heires and executors; if hee kept the Law, hee and they should be happy: if he broke it, hee and they should be mi­serable. He did for his poste­rity, but here every man must beleeve for himselfe; it is not the faith of thy father that will doe thee good. Thy faith hath made thee whole, not ano­ther mans: another mans di­gesting of meat cannot help thee; so another mans faith [Page 223] cannot save thy soule.

Use 1.A sinfull disagree­ment which is for holi­nesse. The first Use disco­vers what the great God of heaven requires of his, name­ly, obedience; and then it falls marvellous heavie upon, and condemns the practice of wic­ked men. The ground of a­greement between God and Adam, was obedience; but obedience to God is now the cause of all jarres with men: if a man discharge his duty in obedience to God, it breeds divisions: Men are, as is spo­ken of Simeon and Levi, bre­thren in iniquitie; if they vent themselves in sinfull practi­ces, then they rejoyce in them. All contention comes from holinesse. It is surely an ar­gument of a malicious wretch, whom God will make an ex­ample, as he did Cain, 1 Joh. [Page 224] 3.12. Who slew his brother, because his deeds were evill, and his brothers good: hee loathes him, because his sacri­fices were accepted; on this root growes all the derision that befalls the righteous. So saith David, Ps. 38.20. They hate me because I doe the thing that is right. If a man begin to reforme his life, they bend themselves all against him. You who are maliciously bent against the Saints, mark this; Doth God shew salva­tion to them, and wilt thou shew contempt? either the Lord is to be blamed, or thou condemned. Exod. 19. If you will obey my voice, you shall bee my peculiar people. Hast thou then a child whose soule is a­wakened? that child should bee thy peculiar treasure, be­fore [Page 225] all other ruffian-like chil­dren. That husband or wife that obeyeth the voice of the Lord, should bee a treasure to thee; but if when the child sets his face towards goodnesse, thou art set against him, thine heart is gracelesse. Ps. 69.27. Blot out their names out of the book of life. Why? they perse­cute him whom thou hast smit­ten. When God hath smote a poor sinner, you add taunts to his trouble; take heed you bring not that judgement up­on your selves you shall never be able to beare.

Use 2.Holy per­sons, in league with God, may in all evils bee comforta­ble. It is a word of com­fort to cheare up the hearts of all poore Christians against contempt; though their wants are many, their oppositions great, that they are accounted the off-scouring of the world: [Page 226] Let this bee a cordiall unto you, God will accept you, not according to what you have, but according to what you desire. Hast thou riches and honour? God likes thee never the better for them; neither doth hee like thee ever the worse if thou wantest them. Psal. 147.10. God looks not at the feature of man, it is not his bravery and ornaments, it is not his silk coat that covers him, that God takes delight in, but in them that feare him, and hope in his mercy. Though thou hast not outward pomp, hast thou an heart to feare God? then God rejoyceth over thee, when all the migh­ty of the world shall bee dis­carded. Acts 10.24. God is no respecter of persons, but in every Nation, hee that worketh [Page 227] righteousnesse, Jam. 2.2, 3 is accepted of him. It is the guise of men, that when one commeth in a gold ring, he is respected; but if a poore Saint comes, they disdaine him. This entertain­ment you shall finde of the world; but know it of a truth, God loveth those that love him, and such shall bee respe­cted when the wicked shall be cast out of Gods presence. Micah 6.18. He hath shewed thee, oh man, what he requires, That thou shouldest walk before him. Reason therefore thus, It is true, I have not riches, or wealth; no matter, for God doth not require this: what he requires is obedience, and that I have.

Use 3. The third Use is of instruction, and it is double.

1. Hence wee may learne [Page 228] what care to use in walking in obedience;Take care to walke obedient­ly. this is that which gives God contentment. Do as thou canst, and God will accept of what thou dost, if it be sincere. We must not think to performe exactly what A­dam did, but to endeavour what wee can. Rom. 12.1. Give up your selves a living sacrifice to God. Would you please God? your reasonable service shall finde acceptance. Heb. 13.16. To doe good forget not, for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased. Mat. 6.20. This is called the heavenly treasure: looke, as it is with wicked men (Rom. 2.5.) They treasure up wrath against the day of wrath; the more sinne they commit, the more pu­nishment will lye upon their soules: so doth a good man [Page 229] lay up a treasure of holinesse. Should a man bring all the treasure of Dives, all the ho­nour of Ahashuerus, they would doe him no good. Wilt thou appeare, and say, Lord, I have cozened so ma­ny poore, and by this means I have gotten so much wealth! No, the onely commodity that will go off, is holy servi­ces.Rev. 14.13 Blessed are they that dye in the Lord, their works follow them; nothing in the world but works can follow a man. The services that come from a sincere heart, will go with thee to thy grave; therefore as Factours purchase things that will bee saleable when they come home, so let us now lay up that provision that will stand us in stead hereafter.

2. Hence we see how to [Page 230] carry our selves towards o­thers.Love those best who are best. As good children, let us imitate our father. God loves men that obey. Let the same minde be in us, Psalme 119.63. I am a companion of those that love thee. Hee saith not, I am a companion to those that haunt evill places, but to such as love God. Psalm. 103.6. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull in the land. 2 Chron. 15.2. The Lord is with you, while you are with him. The Lord keeps com­pany with them that keepe company with him in holy duties. Let us be of the same affection towards our bre­thren, and let nothing breed division, but only the sins of others. Zach. 8.23. Tenne men shall take hold on the skirt of a Jew, saying, Wee will goe [Page 231] with you: for the Lord is with you. I say, let nothing breed jarres between us and others, but only their sins.

§. 11.

NOw wee proceed to the second part of the Cove­nant;Of life promised to Adam if obedient. What God promises to Adam: Hee that doth these things shall live.

For the opening of this, wee must treat of three parti­culars.

• 1. What life is.
• 2. Wherein lies the sweet­nesse of the promise.
• 3. The universality of it.

1. What is meant by life?Life natu­rall. Life is double; naturall and spirituall: eternall life is no­thing but spirituall life made perfect. Naturall life is the motion of the creature, issuing [Page 232] from the joyning of the body and soule together, according to the kind thereof. The life of a tree is to grow; of a rea­sonable creature to discourse. This is not meant here; for Adam did thus live before and after he brake the Comande­ments of God.

And spiri­tuall.2. There is a spirituall life, which belongs to the soule in holy duties: it is called life by a similitude, and it is those spirituall workes which pro­ceed from the whole man, the soule being united to God. As the union of the body and soule causeth life; so the uni­on between the soul and God causeth spirituall life. Gen. 2.7. God breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life; so the Lord breathes assistance: and this is spirituall life here [Page 233] meant; which may bee disco­vered in three particulars.

1. Adam, Spirituall life disco­vered in 3. things. out of his speciall liberty hee had, was able to put himself under the streame of Providence, and so to bee carried on to holy duties. God would have assisted Adam, but hee must first put himselfe under the streame of Provi­dence: as the boat upon the streame, so would the Provi­dence of God have convey­ed Adam. All things were made for man, and man is next neighbour to God. Had Adam looked towards Gods wisedome, hee should have been quickned in wisedome: and so he might have received strength from any Attribute, if he would submit his heart to the streame of it. Joh. 1.16. From Christ we receive grace [Page 234] for grace. What letters are in the seale, the same are in the waxe; so when by faith wee look upon Christ, there is grace in him, and it is con­veighed to us. Psalm. 86.11. Unite my soule to thee: first the soule must be united, and then it acts from that union. John 6.68. Thou onely hast the words of eternall life: as if hee should say, By thy vertue on­ly wee must bee strengthened. By this time God and Adam are met.

2. The soule of Adam be­ing met with God, hence fol­lowed spiritual actions, name­ly, Adam was able to worke like God, according to his manner: the boat, and rower, and streame goe all one way. In 1 Pet. 4.6. a good man is said to live according to God; [Page 235] This is spirituall life, when a mans will and desire is answe­rable to God; but wicked men, Ephes. 4.18. are stran­gers to the life of God. Col. 4.12. The Apostle prayeth that they might stand perfect in the will of God. Psalm. 119.144. Give mee understanding that I may live. A man doth not live thus, because hee seeth as the beasts doe, or growes as the trees do, or reasons, which the devils can do; but because hee hath an understanding to live the life of God. When Adam is at God, hee is where he would be. Rom. 14.18. The kingdome of heaven con­sists not in meats and drinks, that is, in outward actions; they are in themselves neither good nor bad: but when a man is led by God to per­forme [Page 236] holy duties, hee then pleaseth God in them.

3. Hee had power to hold out this blessed will of God to others, that they might love it. Phil. 1.20. St. Paul prayeth that in life and death God might be magnified. A­dam did hold out the glory of God, that all the world might see how glorious hee was.

Quest. Wherein lyes the pith of this promise, & what should Adam reap from this?

The sweet­nesse of the promise of life, wher­in. Answ. It lies in this; That God would so continue good to Adam, that if hee would obey God, hee would so sup­port him with his grace, that hee should have pleased him for ever: as if God had said, If thou will doe what I com­mand, I will unchangeably supply life to thee. I will [Page 237] expresse it by the contrary: Thus it befell Adam; hee broke the law, and therefore was vnder the power of sinne, to bee led by the force of it to sinne eternally, and perish e­verlastingly. The Lord said, Thou shalt not eate; Adam did eate; so going against the command, the Lord puts him under the authority of corrup­tion; and this is spirituall death. So then, it is not the law of God that rules thee, but the vanity of thy minde, that domineers over thy soul, and members of thy body. Contrariwise, had Adam plea­sed God, he should have been under the power of holinesse, and never have sinned. For God thus said to Adam, If thou will keep my Lawes, I will support thee, and thou [Page 238] shalt never bee subject to any evill. As it is with the dam­ned, they can doe nothing but sinne, and depart from God daily: so contrariwise, had Adam performed Gods laws, God, with a full streame of immutable assistance, had car­ried him on daily in his ser­vice. This is the happinesse of a Saint in heaven, not only to be freed from misery and an­guish, or to have joy and de­light (a man was not made only for these) but to please God. If it were possible for a sinfull creature to carry a proud heart to heaven, hee were miserable; but if a man have holinesse, all sweet con­tent is his. This is but the se­cond part of happinesse.

Qu. Why did God make this covenant with Adam?

[Page 239] Answ. This cove­nant ob­served, had added immutabi­lity to A­dams hap­pinesse. Because it was the only way to conveigh an im­mutable condition to Adam. God had furnished him with all things; nothing was wan­ting but immutability and constancy. Immutability is an essentiall property belonging to God, Mal. 3.6. Jam. 1.17. therefore it was impossi­ble that any immutable quali­ty should bee put into Adam. If Adam had made use of Gods continuall assistance su­staining him, though hee were in himselfe mutable, yet hee could never have changed. A glasse, though it bee brittle, yet hold it in a mans hand continually, it will never break; so, though Adam were brittle, yet if hee would have kept him in the hands of Gods assistance, he could not [Page 240] change. Adams obedience was an helpe hereto: had A­dam done Gods will, hee had pleased God; Gods pleasure is himselfe, himselfe is immu­table, therefore hee must have an immutable assistance. The damned in hell did offend God, and provoke his displea­sure, his displeasure was un­changeable; therefore he de­livereth them up to the autho­rity of sinne, to be unchange­ably sinfull, and perish everla­stingly: so it was here with Adam; Gods pleasure was immutable, therefore he plea­sing him, God must reward him answerably.

Use 1. The first Use is of Instruction:Impossi­ble to bee saved by the Law. it is impossible for any man to bee saved by the works of the law: Why? He that will bee saved by the [Page 241] covenant of works, must per­forme the conditions of the covenant: but no man can do this; for the law requires per­sonall obedience; that is, that which comes from his owne power, and constant obedi­ence in all things, at all times, without any failings: there­fore, no man being able to do this, no man can have life by his works. Rom. 3.20. By the law a man hath knowledge of sinne: now if the law dis­covers a mans sinne, and pro­nounce him guilty of death, it cannot save him. Gal. 3.10. They that will be saved by the works of the law are cursed: for cursed is every man that continueth not in all these things to doe them. If a man breake the law but once, though hee never breake it [Page 242] more, hee could not be saved by it. It is impossible for a man to keep the law since the fall, and therefore it is impos­sible for the law to save him. Gal. 4.21. Cast out the bond-woman and her son. The law begets children to bondage; it shewes a man his bondage in sinne, and condemnes him for it.

Adams sin is rightly charged upon us. Use 2. Wee learne hence not to repine at the Provi­dence of God, not to charge God foolishly, because the sin of Adam is imputed to us. We have in our hearts the old Proverbe of Judah, Our Fa­thers have eaten sowre grapes, and our teeth are set on edge. See (saith some man) Adam hath sinned, and shall I be pu­nished? Thus the soul snarles at God like a chained dog: [Page 243] Labour to quiet all such di­stempers. If Adam had per­formed the law, thou wouldst have beene content to have been happy: why then, is it not equall, that since he broke the law, thou shouldst bee plagued? It was the argu­ment Job used to his Wife, Job 2.10. Shall wee receive good at the hands of God, and not evill? So, when the heart begins to rise against God, saying, Adam sinned, and shall I be plagued? Thou speakest foolishly: shall wee receive good if he had kept the law? and shall we not receive evill, since hee hath broke it? Are you content to partake of the mercy of Christ, and not to partake of Adams sinne, who stood in your stead?

Use 3. The third Use is of [Page 244] direction,To live holily, get the Spirit of promise how to get power to carry us on in a Christian course. If thou wilt stand fast, have recourse to that which may support thee, have re­course to the Spirit in the pro­mise. Our grace is feeble, but the Word of the Lord endu­reth for ever, and it will make thee to endure, Rev. 14.

The reason why the grace of the Saints of God is feeble, is▪ because they have not re­course to the Spirit. We look to our owne pits, no wonder then if the streams of grace be dry: have recourse to the fountaine, which is Christ. 1 Sam. 2.9, 10. No man shall prevaile by his owne strength. Say, as David, Psalm. 51.14. Stablish mee with thy free Spi­rit; my spirit is feeble and unconstant, but doe thou sta­blish [Page 245] mee. Isa. 40.29. The strong men shall faile, if they trust in themselves: but hee that putteth his trust in the Lord, shall renew his strength like the Eagle. Hence many a weake Christian liveth and dyeth comfortably, when as the stronger stagger all their daies; because the one trusts to Christ, the other to his owne abilities. This David makes the foote of a Psalme,Psal. 136. The mercy of the Lord endureth for ever: bee sure therefore to repose thy selfe on that most constant bottome.

§. 12.

NOw we come to the seals of this Covenant,Of the Sa­craments of life to Adam. and [Page 246] those were two trees, the tree of life, and the tree of know­ledge of good and evill.Trees, types by Gods ap­pointmēt. They were not bare trees; but set apart by Gods appointment: As water in Baptisme is set apart to be significant to typi­fie spirituall Baptisme; so did the Lord appoint these for a significant end. They were naturall trees, but had a kinde of institution by God tou­ching the termes of agree­ment betweene him and A­dam.

Concerning these trees wee must enquire foure things.

• 1. The reason why God appointed them.
• 2. The nature of them.
• 3. The reason of their di­versity.
• Why ap­pointed of God.
  4. The use of the whole.

For the first of these; Why [Page 247] they were appointed. I an­swer: God did appoint them for a double end.

1. To perswade Adam of his faithfulnesse; that hee would put it out of question, that hee purposed seriously to doe what hee promised. Not that God needed this for any weaknesse on his part, but to condescend to the infirmity of Adam. When a man hath sealed to a covenant, hee can­not fly off: therefore the Lord did it to make all sure, and to fence them against the policy of Sathan, who told the wo­man, shee should not dye, Gen. 3.5. As if he should say, God grudges at your happinesse, hee knowes, if you eate, you shall live. Therefore the Lord sets his seale to certifie A­dam, hee seriously meant [Page 248] what hee had promised.

2. They were as monitors to stirre up Adam to watch­fulnesse over his courses; and therefore these trees were in the midst of the garden, Gen. 3.9. and any thing that is in the midst, wee easiliest discerne. A man that lookes upon the seale, is thereby put in mind of the covenant: so did these daily put Adam in minde of the covenant.

2. Qu. What was the na­ture of this seale?

Ans. The tree of life im­plyed two things.

Tree of life, why.1. It put him in mind of the covenant of life; and this is done by way of significati­on.

2. The eating of this (A­dam having first obeyed) would have been a mean [...] to [Page 249] conveigh to him immutable assistance to eternall life. There bee divers opinions of Divines touching this; but surely it did mainely seale the covenant; and the reason is, be­cause life, which was in the covenant, was communicated by this tree: but life spirituall only was intended in the co­venant; therefore the seales seale life spirituall onely. It is a weake opinion of some, that thinke the tree would make Adam immortall, though it were after his fall. They prove it out of Gen. 3.22. else why should God thrust him out of Paradise lest he should eate of the tree of life? I answer: This word (lest) implyes, not what followed, but what they conceived would fol­low.

[Page 250] Tree of know­ledge of good and evill.Touching the tree of know­ledge of good and evill, wee are to know three things.

• 1. What is meant by knowledge.
• 2. What by good and evill.
• 3. Why it is called so.

For the first: Knowledge in Scripture hath a double sense. Sometimes it signifies, to bee able to pierce into the nature of things; as it is Ephes. 1.17. This spirituall know­ledge was not here meant, for it was not here ratified, but taken away.

2. It signifieth sense and experience. We use to say, I never knew what poverty meant. Such a man may talk of it, but never had expe­rience of the pinching of it: so wee say also, I now know what a prison meanes. Per­haps [Page 251] hee knew what it was before, but that was but a bare notion; now he hath tasted of it by experience, and can read the nature of it by proofe. So, 2 Cor. 6. ult. it is said, Our Sa­viour knew no sinne: hee had knowledge humane, and spiri­tuall, and therefore knew the loathsomnesse of it: the mea­ning of it is, he knew not what it was by his own experience. Exod. 4.4. The Lord saith, Pharaoh shall know, that I am God; that is, hee shall know by experience, that I am a just God, and feele it to his cost. So, Isa. 26.10. The wicked will not learne righteousnesse; and in this sense it is here ta­ken, to wit, for experimentall knowledge.

2. Qu. What is meant by good and evill?

[Page 252] Answ. Good implies two things. 1. A performance of duty to God, and pleasing him. Micah 6.8. Hee hath shewed thee what is good. So David saith, I love the thing that is good in thine eyes. 2. It implies the happinesse and blessing that flowes from clo­sing with God. As a man by chewing meate receives nou­rishment, so doth a man by doing good. Psalm. 125.4. Doe good to those that are good.

Evill is a disobedience, and vengeance commeth there­from by a just recompence of reward.

3. Qu. Why is it called the tree of knowledge of good and evill?

Ans. Not because in it selfe it had any vertue to cause the knowledge of good and evill; [Page 253] for in its owne nature it was as other trees: Gen. 1. ult. God saw that all things were good, and this among the rest: But because God did hedge in this tree, and forbid Adam to eate of it, it was therefore unlawfull, because God for­bad it.

It was called thus in two regards.

1. It did signifie to Adam, that if hee did eat hee should die; and so have experience of good and evill.

2. If Adam did eat, then through his owne sinne it was made a means to make Adam know, by experimental proof, what it was to please God, and what to displease him; as you may see, Gen. 3.7. They saw by the eye of their con­science their lusts ovesprea­ding [Page 254] them, and shame follow­ing them, and that they were deprived of happinesse.

Q. But why did God give these two contrary seales?

Ans. 1. That Adam might see and know his changeable estate, that hee might goe in the right way, and be blessed; that hee might not goe in the wrong way and bee cursed. Our Sacraments are to one thing; by Baptisme God en­tertaines us into his family, by the Lords Supper hee nouri­sheth us in his family.

2. That hee might make ful provision for Adam, that so hee should not say, If I had had this, I might have stood. For, like as it is said, Exod. 33. I have set life and death before you, God set the tree of life to encourage A­dam, [Page 255] and the tree of know­ledge to affright him. Thus the Lord would bee wanting to him in nothing.

Use. Hear cur­ses to af­fright frō sin, aswell as mer­cies. The Use that will fol­low from the diversity of the seales, is this: Hence we learn as well to heare curses to ter­rifie us from sinnes, as mer­cies to encourage us. If Adam had need of this in his inno­cencie, that had no sinne, how much more need have wee, when the flood gates of sinne are within, abundance of bad examples without! If a man in a good and healthfull consti­tution need opening diet, then much more, a body that is corrupt, hath need of strong physick. If Adam, that was in an wholesome condition, had need of a threatning, how much more need have wee, [Page 256] that have hearts overcharged with strong distempers, and clogged with venome and malice. This cheks the con­ceit of carnall persons, that think Ministers ought not to speak such terrible things; ei­ther they must bee wiser then God, or wee must bee better then Adam. Therefore wee should deale with our hearts as men do with the creature; though it be somewhat tame, it must have an ordinary fence; and if it be unruly, wee shackle it: So Adam had a well tempered disposition, yet he had a prohibition: but alas, our natures are like an unta­med heifer, as they, Jer. 2. that snuffe up the wind like the wild asse, & are carried on violently into corruptions. What shall we say of these wild asse colts, [Page 257] as Job speaks? Ch. 11.15. for if Adam had need of a chek, a thousand threatnings are too little for such wretches as we are.

§. 13.

THis verse shewes unto us the proof of a wise man, and one that doth truly take notice of all the occasions of time, whereby he will redeem the time. Wise men will doe so.

In the verse are two things to be considered.

1. A Dutie; and 2. the Reason of it.

1. The Dutie: Redeeme the time.

2. The Reason: Because [Page 258] the dayes are evill, full of mi­sery and all abomination, and harder times will come in the last daies: so that all wise men should store up against an e­vill day.

To redeeme is to purchase, or to buy. The time, that is, a season, not a distance of many houres, but a season; and that is the convenience or meeting of many helps toge­ther. As winde and tide makes a season to saile in: so when there is a faire day, and the sun shines, tha'ts a season of travelling. When there is no winde nor tide, there are in­deed so many houres, but it is not a season: so in the night, there are so many houres, but not a season; no sun-shine or light, and therefore not a fit time or season for travelling: [Page 259] But that is a season, when there are helps afforded of doing good.

2. What is it to redeeme the time? It is no where read, but it signifies thus much, To buy in the market, as trades­men do. So should the chil­dren of God, while time, and meanes, and health, and life, and liberty is afforded unto them, store themselves with faith and ability against evill daies.

The Doctrine hence is this.

Doct. Improve gracious occasions for good. It is a point of spiri­tuall wisedome to purchase the opportunities of grace and salvation at any rate.

Where helps are, there are opportunities of doing good.

For the further explication of this Doctrine, there are 3. questions to bee propounded.

• 1. What are the seasons of grace and salvation.
• 2. What wee must part withall for them.
• 3. What course wee must take for to purchase them.

Quest. 1. What are the op­portunities of grace?

Opportu­nities of grace, what. Answ. They are either generall, or speciall. Gene­rall are such as men take in the time of their life; here is the time of working, here is the time of doing and getting: for, In the grave there is no wisedome, nor counsell, Eccles. 9.10. and there is no hope neither; for as death leaves us, so shall judgement finde us.

Eccles. 3.2. There are speciall op­portunities for every business: a time to plow, and sow, and reap: so there is a day of sal­vation, a day of grace.

[Page 261]These seasons may bee divi­ded into three heads.

1. When we have matter to worke upon. Then is a sea­son, when God calls us to do good. Sometimes the Lord casts us among the poore, that wee should relieve them; the ignorant, that wee should in­struct them; the wicked, that wee should reprove them. Sometimes the Lord lets us bee wronged, that is a time to use patience; and suffers us to be disgraced, that is a time to use humility, and to trample all reproaches under feet.

2. Sometimes there are speciall meanes of doing our selves good; as upon the Lords day, which is the mar­ket day for our soules, where­in God sets out his wares to sell, if men have hearts to [Page 262] come and buy; and such are the Sacraments, and commu­nion one with another. See how men do in worldly mat­ters, so do you in spirituall: one man sels cloth, another man corne: so should Christians: Thou shouldst give thy bro­ther a word of humiliation, he should give thee a word of comfort, as thou standest in need of the same.

3. When the Lord enlar­ges the hearts of his children, as hee doth many times, that is another opportunity; take hold of it: when the Lord strikes, strike thou; when the Lord moves, move thou. As when thou hearest the Word, and art convicted by it, and thy heart begins to move; oh then, that's a season. Make hay while the sun shines: fol­low [Page 263] the blow, and breake thy heart, and humble thy soule; for that is a speciall and a spi­ritual opportunity for good to thine own soul. Or sometimes, when thou art in thine owne private chamber, and the door shut, and the candle out, and the curtaines drawne about thee, then call thou to minde thy sinnes, and the many abo­minations thou hast commit­ted; oh then humble thy soul, and break thine heart, and blesse the Lord for that op­portunity.

Quest. 2. What must wee give for these opportunities of grace and salvation?

Answ. With what wee must part for them. What will you be­stow? This is Gods market day; if you will bid like a chapman, you are like to have them. I will tell you what [Page 264] you must give, and I will set downe the price in three par­ticulars.

1. A man must part with all his sinnes and corruptions; and a man may doe that upon as reasonable termes as may be: for a mans sins will never doe him good but hurt, and therefore he ought to forsake them.

2. (If it please God to set his commodities at so high a rate, then) wee must forsake all the comforts of this life, rather then lose salvation. Not only pleasures, and pro­fits, and delights; but meate, drinke, and apparrell, if God will have his wares so deare. Wee must part with all kin­dred, friends, and all, yea, life it self, if occasion should serve. But sometimes the Lord is so [Page 265] mercifull, and the market goes at so low a rate, that a man may have both the com­forts of this life, and the means of grace and salvation too: but if the Lord require these, then we must let all go. Phil. 3.7, 8. I count all things drosse and dung, yea, [...]. dogs-meat, in comparison of Christ. Wee must part with all for Christ, and bee willing to suf­fer for him, if God require. I count all dogs-meat, saith S. Paul, I count all these things nothing: A Pharisee of the Pharisees, a Jew, circumcised the eighth day, yet I account all these but dung. Mat. 19.27. There when Christ cal­led his Disciples unto him, Peter said, Master, we have left all, and have followed thee: What therefore shall bee to us? [Page 266] Hee answered, Yee that have followed mee in the regenerati­on, when the Sonne of man shall sit upon the Throne of his glory, even yee shall sit upon the twelve thrones, &c.

So that you that are content to part with all, house and land, silver and gold, friends and acquaintance, and follow Christ, in the regeneration, all things shall be restored un­to you. Christ saith unto the young man, Follow me: I pray (saith he) suffer me to bury my Father: No, no (saith Christ) Let the dead bury their dead; but follow thou mee. So, when our hearts hang after commo­dity and profit, and wee are loath to part with them, which indeed are but dead commodities & dead profits: they say, they will heare and [Page 267] attend afterward: oh (I say) Let the dead burie their dead, attend thou here.

3. Wee should bestow the best of our labour, and our continuall endeavour about these things. Wee must not think that the Lord brings us up for nothing but to live as we list, and to spend our time about what we please; no, he will make us seek for mercy, and downe on our knees, and beg for it, and make us be glad that wee can have it too, and bee wonderfully thankfull for it. Phil. 3.13. One thing I doe, but leave all the rest, for­getting that which is behind, and pressing forward to that which is before, to the reward of the high calling in Jesus Christ, if by any means I might attaine unto it.

[Page 268] Ob. Is this the price? Yes: But then some may object, and aske, May a man of him­selfe purchase salvation?

Ans. No, no, nothing so: Man cannot deserve it at the hands of God. No merchant can get a commodity, unlesse hee layes downe something for it: so it is here; unlesse we part with sin, and pleasure, and the like, we cannot have these. And these are the rates that God hath set on his wares; & that's the reason why they are called purchasing. As a man cannot have commodi­ties unlesse hee purchase them, [...]. unlesse hee payes for them: just so it is here; wee cannot have these, unlesse wee buy them at these rates that God hath set downe; and that is called purchasing.

[Page 269]Now when wee come into the market,Rules for buying at Gods mar­ket. that wee may buy those things wee want at the best hand, observe these foure rules (wee are all carefull to buy at the best hand, most care ought to be taken for the purchasing of grace and sal­vation).

1. We must runne betimes to the market, wee must take the day before us, wee must seek after the means of grace and salvation, and seek it in the first place. Wee must know that there is no buying, but in the market, and all men that need, repaire thither, and wee must rise betimes in the mor­ning, and be at the opening of the market. In the little coun­trey villages, you know, there are no markets, nor no com­modities that wee need; if a [Page 270] man stands in need of a com­modity, it is to bee had no where but in the market, thi­ther he must repaire: just so it is here; In every town there is not fasting, and praying, and preaching, then you must goe where it is: so that if we have not means at home, wee must seek for them abroad. When Josephs brethren wanted corn in the time of famine, they went to Joseph their brother, for hee had laid up some for them: There is corne in E­gypt, there is praying and preaching in such a towne, there you may buy corne. Ye should use all meanes, and take all paines to heare the Word; and though men scoffe at you, yet tell them that mar­ket-men must doe so. Dan. 12.4. Many shall run to and [Page 271] fro, and knowledge shall be en­creased. 2 Chron. 11.16. It is said there, that the people for­sooke all, and went up to Jeru­salem to sacrifice to God. Many times a man goes four, or five, or sixe miles to a market: I confesse, a man might make a shift for a while without a market, by borrowing of his neighbours; but a man cannot live without a market long, no, not the best gentleman in the countrey: so a gracious heart cannot live without the Word. Mat. 24. The text saith, Wheresoever the dead carcasse is, thither the Eagles will resort: so it is with the Saints of God; if there bee any Eagle-minded, they will resort thither where Christ is taught, and there seeke for Christ, as the Eagles for the [Page 272] carcasse. If he be a dung-hill sparrow, then he will be con­tent to live among the flyes: such men can live whether there bee any market or no; whether there bee fasting or praying, or no, they care not. Isa. 2.3. The people there say, Come, let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that hee may teach us of his waies. Each man calls his neighbour; Come, let us goe to the mar­ket, or to the faire: so should the Saints of God; Come, let us goe unto the house of the Lord, unto mount Zion, &c. There are a generation that are content to have commo­dities cryed at their doores, & will not come out for them to buy them: oh, surely such men never knew the want of grace.

[Page 273]As they must come to the market, so they must come with the first. Pro. 8.34. We must waite at the gate of Wis­dome: we should bee with the formost in the towne, not stay, as many doe, till halfe Gods service is past. Psalm. 103.4. My soule (saith David) doth even waite untill the morning watch: so wee should wait all opportunities to be first in the Church, and tarry till the last. When Peter was to come to Cornelius his house, Act. 10.24. before hee came, they were all there. A good hus­band, or a wise merchant will goe betimes to the market, goe, and stand at the townes end, and see what good cattle comes in, and what good pen­ny-worths may be bought; so that by this means he hath all [Page 274] the best before him, and seeing all the good penny-worths, will let none goe out of his hand. Oh that yee were as wise for your soules, as you are for your bodies, to come betimes! He that comes be­times, hath the chiefe, all the holy petitions, sweet promi­ses of the Gospel, and uses of instruction, admonition, re­proofe and comfort: But for a man to come late, when the prayers are finished, and the Minister hath tooke out his Text, and hath delivered such points, and such Doctrines, he loses all the benefit of them; and why? he came after they were delivered: as when the dayes of Fasting were, wee came at the last duty, when as many sweet prayers and hea­venly petitions had been put [Page 275] up to the Lord; and what is the reason you got no benefit by them? oh, you lost your market: you must seek to the means with the first.

2. When you are come to the market, you must attend upon it. You must bestow your selves upon the meanes that God hath bestowed up­on you: you must come for some good end. A wise man, as hee comes to the market betimes, so when hee comes there, hee attends it: hee will not stand hanging about stalls, or slip into an ale-house, (yea rather, an hell-house;) but he will attend his businesse, and see how the market goes, and observe the penny-worths; hee will see the choice things in the market, and will not let a good penny-worth passe his [Page 276] hands: so should a good Chri­stian bee attentive, and listen, & not suffer any choice thing to slip from him. You must attend the market; for your go upon life and death, upon sal­vation or damnation; there­fore do not lose your market. Rev. 3.2. Bee watchfull: let not a good penny-worth goe out of your hand, but hold it fast. A wise merchant sees a commodity, and layes hold on it, and will not let it goe; hee will cheapen it, and will not let it goe out of his hands for feare he should lose it: so, when the Word meets with you, hold it fast; oh, that's my sin (say,) and that belongs to me. Pro. 4.13 The text saith, Lay hold on instruction, let her not goe, keep her, for shee is thy life. Deale with it as men do [Page 277] many times with a commodi­ty; if they set on it, they will have it whatever it cost them. Oh that men were thus set up­on Christ! that they would resolve, hee should bee theirs, whatsoever he cost them! oh that our hearts were thus set upon the means! When the Lord hath shewed thee the necessity of them, and God hath revealed himselfe, oh, I say, hold fast there, let not that opportunity goe: it will be a marvellous folly if thou dost, and it will deprive thine heart of much benefit; nay, thou maist lose thy soule by such dallying; when you have time and opportunity, and yet lose it, sure it is for want of at­tendance. Likewise, the chil­dren of God must pray pri­vately, besides this, for they [Page 278] have private sins as well as o­ther sins. Attend not, looke not after temptations, but at­tend upon the means. Many men, when they come to mar­ket, wil fall about their home­ly occasions; that which they should doe at home, they doe in the market: just so it is here; when the Minister is preaching, then they are rea­ding, or praying, or conferring; oh this is a sinfull thing; you must doe your owne businesse at home, and not neglect the opportunity before you.

3. Wee must lay aside, yea, lay by those that are the best commodities, and most neces­sary. Wee see Trades-men need many things; but those things that are most profita­ble and necessary, they will be sure to have; and if their [Page 279] purse will reach and hold out, they will buy other things af­terward. Hee will buy bread now on the one side, and cloth on the other side: bread hee must have for his family to feed them, and cloth hee must have to cloath them; and if his money will hold out, then haply hee will buy some lace, or a rattle for his child: So I say, you have the choyce of all favours, and of all mercies; now provide that which is most necessary; First seek the Kingdome of God, and the righ­teousnesse thereof, Mat. 6.33. This is the maine thing: it is of necessity that the soule should be saved. What is here meant by the Kingdome of God? Some say, It is the kingdome of glory; others, the kingdome of grace: but [Page 280] how can a man seek the king­dome of glory, but first hee must have the kingdome of grace before that of glory? And how shall a man attaine to this? The Lord hath vouchsafed it to none, but to those that do seek it in his or­dinances; it is to bee had by the preaching of the Gospel of grace. Was there ever any man ordinarily converted, but by the Word of God?Rom. 10.17. for Faith comes by hearing, &c. This Word is the word of the Kingdome; first seeke that by which faith is bred, by which Christs righteousnesse is made ours; make this sure to thy soule: for this is that you cannot be without; this is that which David desired, Ps. 27.4. This is that I will require, Lord, (saith hee) that I may [Page 281] dwell in the house of the Lord, and see thy face in the beauty of holinesse. You make little of the preaching of the Gospel, and never regard it; but David was glad of it: O Lord (saith hee) One thing I have desired, whether I have health or no, life or no, I care not, but one thing (Lord) I crave, that I may see thy face in the beauty, &c. For this did Christ com­mend Mary; Martha,Lu. 10.42. Mar­tha, thou art cumbred about many things, and much busi­nesse, but Mary hath chosen the better part; that shall never be taken from her. Whether is the soule better then the bo­dy? A child of God will say, The soule is best. Whether is prayer better then profit, hea­ven better then earth? if pray­er and heaven bee the better, [Page 282] then let the earth stay, let commodity stay, let profit stay, let heaven and salvation be served first. This dashes the dreames of many men, that will not stir out of their shops. though they may well bee spared; will rather lose the Word of God, then lose the profit of six pence. Oh see now, come, and lay these things together, and see the difference between them.

Ob. But some will say, they will have them; but lay them by yet, and afterward they will bargaine.

Answ. But deferre not the time: Now, what will you give for them? Me thinks I heare mens soules say, O mercy, mercy is worth a thousand worlds. Oh, what availes it to be rich and miserable? ho­nourable [Page 283] and accursed? You little ones, what say you? Do not you wish for mercy? O mercy, mercy; without mer­cy we are for ever wretched; oh, it is mercy that wee live, and are not sent quick to hell. But now, will you buy it? you shall have it cheape enough. What will you give? (Now wee come to the maine) You must give as the market goes, and on Gods termes, for you must not thinke that God will save you with wishing: Oh, no, no, he will not. But now, Will you buy them? Then bid faire: you must part with all your sinnes; away with the proud heart, and away with the world and the pleasures thereof. Now see how the world replyes. First young ones reply, We have no wit, [Page 284] nor understanding; well, you must beleeve, else you must perish. The old man sayes, I am weake and feeble; well, you must get faith, or else you must perish too. Now you know the price of it, you must provide to pay it. Mat. 13.44. There it is said, The wise mer­chant, when he found the pearl, went and sold all that he had to buy it: That was a great price. Thou must sell all to buy this: if thy lust bee as deare to thee as thine eye, thou must part with it; if thou hast a proud heart, thou must downe with it; if a man have a faire estate, and so many hundreds, and such lands, and such and such wares in his shop, if God re­quire it, hee must part with it all. The drunkard must part with his cups, and the whore­monger [Page 285] with his queans: un­lesse yee doe part with these, ye cannot have Christ; this is the price of it. Returne to me an answer whether you will have it, or no, that I may re­turne an answer to the Lord, that hee may preserve it for you. See that of Judas, Acts 12.24. He would rather have the 30 pence; yea, he would betray his Lord for it, and he had it: but hee came againe with horrour of conscience, and threw it away, and threw away himselfe too; for hee went and hang'd himselfe, and now hangs in hell for e­ver. It is an easie matter for a man to tell over his money, but not so easie to make the heart willing to part with it: but if you will not part with it now, there will come a time [Page 286] at the day of death, and then the covetous man will say, Here, take my money that I have got by oppression; and the drunkard will say, Here, take my cups. Then (I say) now part with them; be wise merchants, part with them now, and the match is made: Then now resolve. Is it mer­cy (saith the soule)? then it is enough, Lord take all, though I never see a good day more: if it be mercy, then Lord take all; my God I will have, my God I must have: so that now the decree is set downe, what ever it cost I will have it, Act. 11.23. and now I see the commodity is faire, and the offer is kind. As a merchant, if he have a great stock, some in corne, some in houshold-stuffe, and land, and cattell, if [Page 287] he sees a bargaine, he will sell all that hee hath; yea, leave himselfe neither shoppe nor house, and all to buy this pur­chase: so I beseech you, play the wise men; here 's a deale of time spent in eating and drinking, and sleeping, and re­creating, and apparrelling, and company-keeping, and bow­ling, and vaine things: Play now the wise men, now God must have time, prayer must have time, and now a stub­borne heart will aske a great deale of time to batter down; many a sigh, and many a tear, and many a prayer; now no more apparrell then will serve the turne, &c. What a deale of tricking and trimming there is for the body! It might fare well with the soule, if it were but served as our sinkes are [Page 288] many times: what washing and scouring have they? A­way with this tricking and trimming▪ if you doe not leave it, it will cost the setting on, if God require more then this. Be wise for your soules; if you have not time enough, then put off your pleasure, nay, and put off the world too, nay, put off friends, put off all, sell all. No marvell indeed, though many men say, I mar­vell how such a man lives, and runs up and downe so much: oh, let them know, there is a purchase in hand that will well requite both his paines and cost. Doe not then stand hig­ling with God, and break off for a little odd money. For many say, I would serve God, but my friends will forsake me; and I would come to [Page 289] Gods house on the week day, but the boyes in the streete would laugh at me. I say, why will you dodge with God in this manner? Wil your friends save you? When you lie on your death-beds, and your consciences accuse you, and you cry out, Now friends save mee: they cannot; for they may perish, and you too. Oh, away with this dallying with God. What if your Landlord frowne on you? what if your father forsake you? Resolve thus. What though I have the frowne of men? I have the favour of God. What though the world be gone? yet hea­ven is my comfort; happiness, that's not gone: Then say, I'll dodge no longer with God. Saint Augustine stuck fast to his corruptions, yet To mor­row [Page 290] Lord, and to morrow hee would leave them, and yet he prayed against them, and at last hee read the place in the Romans, Lay aside chambering and wantonnesse, &c. and then he said, Why not to day Lord? and so strooke through the bargaine. You see the com­modity, if you will have it, speake: if you have it not, you may go away, and repent you of it as long as you live. Now I pray you answer me; Will you have grace? will you have salvation? and will you buy this, and give as the mar­ket goes? tell mee, doe not delay while to morrow. Why not to day? O let your soules answer and say, Yea, Lord, to day. Take all, onely save my soule. Come what will come, I'll have it. Then now the [Page 291] businesse is ended, the bargain is made; go and take the con­dition; it is yours.

4. Buy not onely for time present, but for future times. If thou hearest the Word of God now, then store for thy soule. Let this day bee a day of reconciliation; and then you may say, at such a day the Lord afforded you grace, and you bargained, and that the Lord knowes it: Keepe that by you, that when Sathan tempteth you, and saith unto you, Have you any grace? you may recall this, and say, I provided such a day against such a question, and I remem­ber the time, place, and stone I stood on, and the Minister that spake, and the Lord is my witnesse. Oh store up: it is the part of a wise man so to [Page 292] doe. Isa. 42.23. Who attends, that hee may heare for after­ward? Joh. 16.4. These things (saith Christ) I speake unto you, that in the time to come yee may remember them. So yee see the opportunities of grace, the market day for it; then go home cheared, and, having gotten grace, keepe it by you. Hee that was content to sell all, hee had the pearle. This will cheare you, to sell all to get Christ, and keepe him by you.

In the last place: When the match is made; then in all o­ther things you doe, you must change the property of them: you must now trade for grace, use the world as if you used it not, and you must not live to your selves, but to God; you must trade for God, and [Page 293] walke with God. You see how you must bestow your labour and paines, else heaven will not bee had. If you aske the maner how you must seek these things; it must be in the first place: Come to the mar­ket betimes, and see the choyce, and buy the best upon any termes, and store up for the time to come; and then buy other things. You must seeek grace in the first place: when you are at the meanes, you must bestow your heart on the means; and when you have seene the bargaines, lay aside those that are more ne­cessary, and then part with all to have them; and thus store up for the future.

And Lastly, Use all out­ward means no otherwise then to help you forward to speed.

[Page 294]To proceed; Now wee must retaine in our callings three things.

1. Wee must use them so, that they must give way to spirituall things. I would not have trades-men so set to their callings, as that they will give no liberty for prayer, and for hearing of the Word of God. Let commodity, let profit go to the wall, rather then to let prayer and the Word to fall, and to be neglected. First seek the Kingdome of God: As any man will doe, if there come two men to him, if the one be better then the other, he will bid the other stand by till his betters be served: so it is here, God is better then commodi­ty, then profit; then let God be served first, let dutie be per­formed first.

[Page 295]2. We must so use our cal­lings, as that we may bee the better fitted to perform more duty to God. It is very fit wee should have some tast of God in our daily imployments, that we may thereby be the better fitted for his service. As a man takes a cup of sack be­fore supper, not that he makes a meale of it, but to make way for his meale: just so, we should have our hearts more enlarged by it to performe our duties, every way to take notice of Gods favour and kindnesse towards us.

3. We must keep heavenly minds in earthly or worldly occasions; and that is a mar­velous hard thing, & this is the reason that the Saints of God being snatcht away by so ma­ny worldly occasions, and so [Page 296] many businesses, that their hearts many times come to be deaded and dulled. But a man should use them no further, but that his heart may bee en­larged to God. Looke what good wee finde in our trade, let us bee led by that to see what goodnesse is in God, who is the fountaine of all good. When we see that great good, and the commoditie that comes in to us, then let us see the riches of God: and seeing this is so good, what should wee think of the good­nesse of God? Let us see his goodnesse in it; for unlesse the Lord smile on us, what avails it for us to bee rich? what, to be rich and to be damned? this is very pitifull.

But what is the reason men are so backward in buying [Page 297] these things? how shall wee doe to bring men to bid like chapmen? The reason to per­swade them may bee taken from two grounds.

• 1. The excellency of the commodity.
• 2. The time wee have to purchase it.

I. To make the first plaine,The excel­lency of the cōmo­dity to be bought. these three arguments are to be taken from the commodi­tie.

1. Because the meanes of grace and salvation is a thing of as great excellencie and price as can bee; therefore in reason wee should lay downe a price for them. For the bet­ter the commodity is, all wise men will lay down answera­bly. The price of salvation is a great price; because there is nothing better that is or can [Page 298] be desired. Pro. 4.7. Wisdome is a precious thing, but above all things get understanding. The world, honours, pleasures may be got; but Wisedome is best of all, therefore get that first. For all the things here below are vaine things, be­cause they are lying vanities; but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. 1 Pet. 1.25. and that will make us en­dure for ever too, if wee are humbled by it. The Word of the Lord will stand by us, for it is an immortall Word, and it will make us immortall al­so: it will stand so by us, as it will make us live for ever, and it will cheare our soules when nothing in the world will. Phil. 2.13. Wee must work out our salvation with fear and trembling: Now the man­ner [Page 299] how wee shall doe this, is not by making our selves rich in this world, and getting the things thereof, but by getting grace, that it may goe well with us: this is the maine thing that wee may get the love of God, to get our soules to be humbled and cast down. Now, if this bee the best, (as it is) then in all reason, it requires the greatest price. Is it so, that the Word of God will endure for ever, will stand by you and save you? then if you give a price for any thing, give most for that.

2. As the meanes of grace is best, and of greatest worth; so it is most necessary for us. What is the reason that men buy commodities? Because they have need of them; as if a man should say, This I must [Page 300] have, and I have need of it. Gold is better then silver, and pearls then both; but bread is best of all, for all these must be left for it: a poor man will part with silver and gold, and all for bread, for that he must have. Now, there is nothing so necessary as for the soule to be saved; for if a man want a­ny thing else, hee may make a shift; if he be poor, haply his friends be rich, and they will relieve him well; but if the soule have sinned, and is be­come miserable by reason of sin, oh what hope, what help but only from God! There­fore that is most needfull: without it the soule is starved & famish'd: And what though you have mony? yet your soul may perish, and goe downe to hell. What's that to the soul [Page 301] for a man to bee rich, or what is that to the soule to have the person applauded, and have a­bundance of all things, and the poore soule is starved and fa­mish'd, and wants all things? Me thinks I heare your soules cry out, The body, that's cloa­thed, the house filled, and the shop, that's stored; oh, sayes the soule, I shall bee damned; all is provided for, only I shall smart for it, I shall pay for all, I shall goe to hell for it. I be­seech you think of it. The time will come when you will prize mercy, and cry out for it. When thou liest on thy death bed, when thou art breathing out thy last breath, then one dram of mercy Lord, and then one dram of faith Lord; then it wil be worth a world to thee. Mat. 23. It is said there, the [Page 302] foolish Virgins cry out, Wee have no oyl, oh, lend us some; oh then, Lord, open unto us. One day the poor soule will have need of mercy. You see that it is most necessary, then buy it, lest you bee forced to borrow and cannot have it. So then there is but one needfull thing, Luk. 11. ult. It is not of necessity to be rich, it is not of necessity to be honourable; but oh, this is of necessity, that thy sins should bee pardoned, thy person accepted, and thy soule saved.

3. Here is a point of great christian policy, for in getting of grace and salvation, you shall get all other commodity with it, and all other good things. It is the best husbandry to buy that which will bring in most good. For all outward [Page 303] comforts and contentments that this life can afford, they come all in this. As, a man that sees such a tree, and such an acre of ground, if it likes him, he will not go to buy that, but he will buy the Lordship, and then all the trees are his, and all the ground is his. So, this is our misery, we stand puddling our selves here for a little ho­nour, and for a little riches: go (I say) and buy the Lordship, and then all will be made sure unto thee. Pro 3.14, 15, 16. Get wisdome, for life and honour are on her right hand, and ri­ches and pleasure are on her left hand, &c. First seek the king­dome of heaven, and all other things shall bee cast in upon you. So that a good man compares all this outward commoditie to pack thred & paper, which [Page 304] if a man goes into a shop, and buyes wares, he shall have into the bargaine for nothing. So here, get once grace, and then all things else you shall have into the bargaine: for Godlinesse is great gain: it hath the promise of this life, and that which is to come, 1 Tim. 4. You may sit and sing Care away; for all is yours, heaven is yours, the earth is yours. It is a marvellous folly in men, who take a wrong course to thrive. If you would bee rich, then Consider your owne wayes, and your hearts, and turne unto the Lord; Hag. 1.16. for that is the way. It is not all the policie, and the car­ping and caring in the world that will make a man rich; for the Lord hath a veine of ven­geance to waste this mans e­state, and a secret plague to [Page 305] plague another mans wealth: So now consider your waies. Consider, how that when you were carelesse of God, then the Lord crush'd all you did. Where are mens hearts, thus to waite upon, and to follow God? I say, where are mens hearts? if grace bee the best good, then labour herein.

II. Secondly,Time to purchase it, is but short. See the op­portunity that God gives us to get grace. From whence we may draw two reasons. One from the shortnesse of our life: and the other from the short­nesse of the meanes of grace and salvation, by reason of our unprofitablenesse. It is our wisedome to strike while the iron is hot; the means of grace and salvation is short, and hee that dies without grace shall never be saved. Consider of [Page 306] it, this may bee the last time that I ever shall speake, or you shall heare: for the Lord may take away our lives, or the meanes from us. Therefore while you have time, imploy your time; for there is a great deale past, and that's gone, and cannot bee recalled againe; so that's none of ours: then for the time to come, that's none of ours, for we cannot tel whe­ther we shall live or no; there­fore onely the time present is ours. Heare therefore while you have time and means: the offer of grace is tendered: Oh turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die! But see what became of it; the Lord offers commodity, but 'tis not worth the buying a­mongst some What saith the Text, Mat. 23.37. Oh Jerusa­lem, Jerusalem, how often would [Page 307] I have gathered you as an hen doth her chickens, but (saith the Text) ye would not! O let us not stand out with God, lest hee leave such an heavie doome upon us, as hee did on Jerusalem. Now your house is left unto you desolate. How often would I have re­ceived you, and you would not! O then I say, take heed that the Lord doth not say to us, O England, how often would I, but you would not! Ye care not now for teaching, yee will have no instruction: Well, you shall not, (saith God to Jerusalem), you shall never see my face more till you can prize it; yea, till you say, Blessed is he that commeth in the Name of the Lord, Ho­sanna in the highest. So the Lord may say unto us, Oh ye [Page 308] have refused mercy; but yee will cry and houle, and never shall have mercy more. How dost thou know this, oh man, whether ever thou shalt have the offer of mercy againe? You may never have any more offer. Luk. 19 41. Christ stood over Jerusalem and wept, Oh (saith hee) that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are hidden from thine eyes; now they are taken away because ye would not. They may have the Word, but shall finde no good in it. Oh that is the doom of all dooms, when the Lord curses his blessings, when the Lord gives a man up to the hardnesse of his own heart, and to the blindnesse of his owne eyes! Who knowes but the Lord may speake to [Page 309] some of us now, and that hee will never offer nor worke a­gain? Pro. 1.27. They shall call and cry, but I will not answer them, saith the Lord. Who knowes, but that this may bee thy lot? This may bee thy share. Is there any one whose soule stirres within him, and sayes, Oh the precious means of salvation that I have had! how kindely did the Lord come, and I had almost yeel­ded, and yet withstood the Lord! Is there any that hath been thus? I charge thee take heed lest the Lord set it down upon thy forehead, Wel, grace hath been offered, and it hath been refused, it shall never be offered more; My Sabbaths they have had, but they pro­faned them; well, they shall never see Sabbath more: of all [Page 310] plagues, there is none like to this. O fearfull, that the Word should never work more; and They shall cry, but I will not an­swer! Pro. 1.24. A man were better to be torn in pieces with wild horses, then to hear that voice: Wisdome saith there, I will laugh at your destruction. When a man is in perplexity, and the Lord should see him, and laugh at him in his misery, and should say, This is he that heard the Word and opposed it, this is the man; come and behold him, O Angels, come and rejoyce at his destruction; this is he, let him be accursed; this is hee that despised all meanes, therefore send him downe quick into utter dark­nesse: then ye will know what it is to oppose grace. Time may come, that thou would­est [Page 311] pray, and thou mayest have no heart; or if thou dost, the time may come when God will not hear thee. Oh, I with­stood all means, and therefore with what heart can I doe any thing! Oh that ye would but think on this; thou mayst seek, and seek, and seek often, and that with tears, and yet mayst have the repulse. Deut. 1.41. The people of Israel began to murmure against the Lord, Would to God wee had dyed in Egypt. The Lord heard them, and made a solemne vow, that they should never enter into the land of Canaan. Deut. 1.45. Then they returned and wept, and prayed, but the Lord heard them not. Therefore take heed how yee oppose grace and salvation: I beseech you, for the Lord Jesus Christ [Page 312] his sake think of it. How ma­ny offers of grace have wee had, and then have said, wee would labour that our hearts might bee enlarged towards God, and wee would be more holy? wee have had many Sabbaths, how little have wee profited by them? If God shut the Israelites out of Ca­naan for the refusing of one offer; feare God, I say, feare and stand agast. Seeing it is so, it is the part of wise men to take the offer of grace and salvation whilest it is offered to them.

I. The Prayer of Faith.

THE holy Apostle hath pressed the distressed & scat­tered Jewes to the practice of a marvellous hea­venly and holy duty, but a marvellous hard one, and that [Page 314] indeede which might seeme most unseasonable, consider­ing the extreme pursuers that then pursued them beyond strength almost. The duty was this (as it is expressed in the words of the text) Ver. 2. Brethren, count it all joy when you fall into many temptations. Each word carries a weight, and a kinde of impossibility to a distressed spirit, and a per­plexed heart. Hee sayes not, they should finde this by proofe, and that it would ap­pear in issue, that temptations would bring them forth plea­sant fruits of righteousnesse through the blessing of the Lord; but hee bids them ac­count it so before hand, when they felt nothing but vexati­on. Now this was not to bee done alone when they were [Page 315] assaulted by troubles, but when they were oppressed with them too; not when they met with miseries, but when they fell into them: now, when hee falls into a pit that he is over head and eares in it; he falls into the snare, so that hee is intangled in it; and yet then he must count it joy: and further, not when they fall in­to some temptations, out of w^ch there were some hope to get out with some speed: but when they fall into many, and yet more, to make the matter wonderfull, he wils them not alone to count it some joy, but all joy. When their miseries were so great that more could not be endured, yet there their joy must bee so great, that more could not be expressed. A duty wonderfull hard, and [Page 316] wonderfull heavenly! and therefore in verse 4. he adds marvellous sweet and pithie reasons to perswade to so heavenly a taske; and they be taken from the incomparable profit that would come there­by: a man should be a gainer by all his losses, and a getter by all his extremities: The tri­all of their faith would bring forth patience, and let patience have her perfect worke, and then they shall be perfect, and intire, and want nothing. For they that have no want may have all joy, if any in the world may.

But because the feeble heart might here haply reply, How shall a poor sinner, who wants both wisedome and strength, bee skilfull to know how to carry himselfe in such extre­mities, [Page 317] or yet bee able to un­dergoe such pressures passing strength? To this the Apo­stle answers in the 5. verse, If any man want wisdome, let him aske it of God, who gives abun­dantly, and upbraids no man, and it shall be given him. By wisedome is meant, not the grace of spirituall understan­ding in the generall; but that speciall point of wisedome which might sute with the present occasion, and make a man cunning to carry the crosse. And the Apostle so propounds the direction, that it might answer and point to all the carnall pleas that a cor­rupt and distressed heart might cast in the way; and therefore you shall observe each cir­cumstance is worth observan­cie. If any of you bee bani­shed [Page 318] and persecuted, not only such as are able Christians, of great graces, and large abili­ties, of glorious parts and performances, and therefore might hope to speed best; no, if any the weakest, the fee­blest, and the meanest. Oh, but I want a world of wise­dome, so much that it's not like to finde a sufficient supply; a little will not serve the turn: Why, behold the Lord gives abundantly, richly; if thou beest a beggar in knowledge, he hath riches of knowledge, and he can supply thee. Oh, but I have abused his mercy and help in this kinde, which he hath given mee, and there­fore I feare hee will give mee no more: He will not upbraid the sinner for what hee did a­buse; (the text adds, hee up­braids [Page 319] no man) but will give him what he needs and askes. Oh, but what's that to mee, that God hath enough to be­stow on whom he will, if hee will give none to mee? Be­hold this also is answered; for the words say, If any man aske, it shall bee given him. Now this may seem strange, and to be too good to be true to a distressed spirit, and a distrustfull soule; Why, is it possible that God should give wisedome to mee, who am so ignorant? succour and supply to mee, who am so weake and unbeleeving? I cannot ima­gine it, I cannot think it, much lesse can I expect it at the hands of God: therfore the A­postle in the words rehearsed, gives us a caution to his for­mer direction; Let him aske [Page 320] in faith: What a man askes, it shall be given him; but take this with you, alwaies provi­ded, hee aske in faith: other­wise, if a man doubt, he shall be disappointed of his hopes. So that the scope of the words are to teach us how to pray, that wee may bee sure to ob­taine what wee pray for.

In the words two things are to be considered.

1. The duty required, Pray in faith.

2. The hinderance to be a­voyded, which may let the duty; Nothing wavering: and this wavering is further ampli­fied by a double argument a­gainst it.

1. A distressed, distrustfull, staggering heart needs no­thing to vexe & trouble it; be­cause it wil be racked and tor­mented [Page 321] in it selfe in restlesse disquiet: for such a man is like unto the sea waves, whirling now this way, tossing againe that way. Feares and hopes are the hangmen of the heart; Hope sayes, It may bee, and Feare sayes, I suspect it will not be; thus a man becomes like a wave.

2. This doubting doth de­barre a man of that he should have. Let not that man think to have any thing at the hands of God. Thus the Apostle cuts off the soule from any expectation of good. Let not that man; as though hee had said, Let none such plead any priviledge; for neither shall be accepted that unbeleever, nor that party, nor any that staggers and wavers, doubt­ing of the performance of [Page 322] Gods promise. Againe, hee saith not thus, He shall not re­ceive any great favour, but he shall receive nothing from the Lord. To put it past perad­venture, hee adds peremptori­ly, Let not such a man cozen himselfe with vaine hopes and groundlesse expectations, that yet the Lord will pity and supply him. Hee affirmes ex­pressely: Let him not think it; I would not have him so much as imagine such a mat­ter, for it will never be.

We purpose only to trade in the maine dutie, which will be our taske at this present: so that the Doctrine will be,

Doct. Hee that purposes to prevaile in prayer, must bee sure to aske in faith.

For the sense of the Do­ctrine, it is here to be concei­ved, [Page 323] that it is presumed in the text, that a man hath faith, and hee that is to pray is supposed to bee a beleever: for how can he pray in faith that hath no faith? But that is not all, nor sufficient to expresse the sense of the point, That he that prayes should bee a beleever; but that hee should put forth the power and vertue of his faith in prayer; Nay further, it is not alone here required, that hee should put forth the work of faith in generall tou­ching the Covenant; as, that God is reconciled to him: but, that hee should exercise the work of his faith touching that particular which he is to begge, and which hee now begs at the hands of God; and this especially is to bee atten­ded. For these two works are [Page 324] farre differing one from ano­ther, and may be one without another. Each faithfull man doth beleeve the covenant of grace touching the pardon of his sinne, and the attainment of eternall life through Christ; and yet may stagger on the promise touching some parti­cular which God hath pro­mised, and hee stands in need of. Thus Abraham was ruled by God, Gen. 12. and cast himselfe upon the call, com­mand, and promise of the Lord, departing from his kin­dred and fathers house, depen­ding upon Gods direction and blessing in the land unto which hee would bring him, and where hee had engaged himselfe to blesse him; and yet he was not perswaded of that speciall branch of the Cove­nant, [Page 325] that he would give him a childe out of his loynes, which should bee an heire to him, (as the text plainely testi­fieth, Gen. 15.3.) Now both these acts of faith are here re­quired, and the last is princi­pally intended: so that the full sense of the Doctrine seems to be this; He that will speed in prayer, must put forth the vertue of faith, to beleeve in particular the obtaining of that he prayes for. Jam. 5.15. The prayer of faith shall save the sick. He saith not, The prayer of a faithfull man; but the prayer of faith: as though the Apostle had spoken thus, It's not the man so much that must pray, as faith in the man, that must frame and follow those petitions which we put up, if ever wee speed. Mar. [Page 326] 11.33. Whatsoever yee aske praying, beleeve you shal receive it; that is, the very particular which you beg for, shall bee given you. For the clearing of the Point, we will enquire,

• 1. What it is to pray in faith.
• 2. The Reasons why hee that doth begge in faith shall receive.

To pray in faith, according to the sense of the Doctrine, implyes 3. things.

1. Faith sees, and settles upon the fulnesse of the suffi­ciency, and the freenesse of the riches of grace in Christ, which is able every way to supply it, and to satisfie abun­dantly all the necessities which can befall the soule: and this gives ground and encourage­ment unto faith, to go to God, [Page 327] because there is enough to be-had, and therefore it's likely it shall speed of that it would have. Thus Abraham, Rom. 4.20. Hee beleeved that God who had promised, was able to give a childe, though his body were not able to beget one, being now dead: Sarahs wombe was not able to conceive one, be­ing now barren: therefore he counted it bootlesse to consi­der of them; but being fully assured that God was able, was encouraged to go to him, to rely upon him by faith: This al sufficiency gives foo­ting or foote-hold to our faith.

2. As the riches of good­nesse encourageth faith for to pray, so in the second place, it closeth with the spirit in the promises, sets that on worke, [Page 328] and fetches vertue from thence whereby it may bee enabled for to pray: for it is not faith that of it self puts forth pray­er by its owne power imme­diately; but that that closeth w^th, & sets the spirit of Christ in the promise on worke; by the lively efficacie whereof, the heart comes to bee quick­ned on, and carried forth comfortably to this dutie. Hence the Apostle, We know not what to aske as wee ought, but the Spirit helps our infir­mities, and it makes request. A man must not fetch his prayer from his parts, as will, memory, understanding or a­bilitie, but from the Spirit, who is the prayer-maker, Jude 18. praying in the holy Ghost.

3. Faith, by the riches of [Page 329] Gods grace being encoura­ged, and by the spirit enabled and set on worke to prayer, carries the heart unto God, and holds it with God untill it hath mercy:Gen. 32.26. I will not let thee go until thou bless me. For,

1. Faith puts wings to a mans desires; or if you will, Faith closing with the Spirit, that puts fire to our petitions, lifts up our prayers, and causeth them to come in unto the Lord, and lay hold upon him▪ hope expects, and desire longs, and the will rests, and makes choyce of God, and then holds there, and so all lie at God dayly: that is the first.

2. It will not leave God untill it see his power and wisedome, faithfulnesse and mercy goe forth, to the ac­complishment of that that [Page 330] hath been desired; faith followes the blow home, and rests not untill it see the wis­dome of God contriving, and his faithfulnesse and power effecting the thing craved; jogs the everlasting arme of Gods power, and providence, and mercy to worke forth good of such whose necessi­ties are pitied; jogs the ever­lasting displeasure, and just in­dignation of the Lord, and followes it home to the heads and hearts of the enemies of Christ, whose ruine is desired. Faith goes not to meanes first, but goes to God, that he may worke with meanes, without means, above means, against means. Faith will not neglect means, but faith goes to God to provide means, and to goe out with them, and to give a [Page 331] blessing to them. It befalleth a faithfull man in this case, as it doth sometimes a poore tenant oppressed by the inju­ry and cruelty of the steward; he repaires to the Nobleman himselfe, intreats so much fa­vour from him, that he would injoyne his steward to deale equaly and justly with him: the honourable personage ea­sily grants so equall a request, and therefore bids him tell his steward, It is his minde, that he should deale fauoura­bly with him: the poore man replyes, Alas Sir, he will not passe for my speech, nor re­spect my words; I beseech you let mee have but two words in writing, or a token from you, and then I am per­swaded hee will not dare but do your command; and when [Page 332] that is obtained, hee knowes his desire will be effected: so faith gets a Letter under Gods hand; the Lord sends a token of his displeasure and indig­nation, a token of vengeance, and terrour, by the prayer of faith (as by a Post or Pursui­vant) unto the hearts of the wicked, to chide Laban over night, to calme the heart of cruell and fierce Esau; and then it's certaine all shall goe well.

Thus Jacob strove with God, and would not away from the promise before hee had it under Gods own hand, Thou hast said thou wilt deale well with thy servant, and I will not leave thee till thou sendest this message to the heart of Esau, that hee may know it is thy minde: at last [Page 333] the Lord granted, and then all the mischiefe was stopped. Thou hast prevailed with God, and thou shalt prevaile with man.

Reason 1. Unbeliefe binds Gods hands, as it were, that he cannot give, and stops the cur­rent of Gods kindnesse, that he cannot conveigh that mer­cy wee beg and need: for as God hath decreed to give a blessing for any thing; so hee hath appointed and decreed faith to bee the means to con­veigh it.

If therefore we will not be­leeve, we cannot expect what wee desire. God cannot give it because hee cannot deny himselfe, nor crosse his decree, nor alter the word, the oath that is gone out of his mouth; for marke, Hee could doe no [Page 334] great thing because of their un­beliefe.

Reason 2. Unbeliefe inter­cepts the blessing upon the meanes, that those meanes which God hath appointed for our good, God neither goes out with them, nor workes by them; but the streame of providence is tur­ned another way. Asa tru­sted to the Physician, there­fore the phisick could not help him.

Conceive a streame able to carry and conveigh a Barge speedily to the haven, if this streame be stopped, or turned another way, it will not bee able to carry a Boat; because the strength of it runs into an­other channell: so 'tis with the streame of providence dam­med up, and turned another [Page 335] way by distrust. Mat. 14.31. when Peter was to walke up­on the water, all the while he sank not, his faith was sure; but when a great wave came, then hee began to faile; the Lord cryes to him, Oh thou of little faith! (not why dost thou sink? but) why dost thou doubt? The word in the ori­ginall is, [...]. why art thou divi­ded? part of his heart looked to God by faith, and so was supported; part looked to the waves, and feared the great­nesse of them, and so was car­ried downe the streame, as plucking himselfe from under the power and providence by which he should have beene supported.

Reason 3. Unbeliefe indis­poseth and unfitteth a man, and maketh him uncapable of [Page 336] that mercy he begs, and God is willing to bestow. Look, as it is with a vessell, turne the back-side of it to the spout, and it will scatter all the wa­ter; but hold now the hollow side, and then it receives it: so it is with the soule, unbeliefe is the back part of the heart, that spils all the mercy and goodnesse that God offers in the promise, and will not suf­fer the least refreshing thereof to come to the heart. Jer. 17.5.6. Cursed bee the man that trusts to the arme of flesh, and departs from the living God, [...]he shall be like a naked shrub, (for so the originall goes) and shall never see when good comes.

Use 1. The first Use is of terrour, to dash the comforts, and to daunt the hearts of all [Page 337] unbeleeving sinners under the cope of heaven. They have no faith, they shall never, they can never have any thing at the hands of God for their good. His pains is to no pur­pose, his labour is lost, his prayers spilt like water on the ground, without any profit, whoever remains in the estate of unbeliefe: let him pray, God will never answer him; let him seek, God will never be found of him; let him want, and beg till his eyes sinke in his head, and his tongue faul­ter in his mouth, and his heart faile in him, let him not thinke hee shall ever get any good that hee begs at the hands of God: nay, the Lord cannot give it, unlesse he should deny his owne word, alter his de­cree, make a new covenant, [Page 338] new Scriptures, make a new way to bring a company of unbeleeving wretches to heaven: which God will ne­ver doe.

Use 2. Gods people may, by way of instruction, here see, what price they should set on faith, and what use they may have of it. Faith is not onely necessary for the attain­ment of eternall life and sal­vation, but is necessary also in the whole course of our lives. If you pray, faith must helpe you; if you seeke God, faith must guide you; if you fast, and purpose to speede, carry faith with you. You have not more neede and use of your breathing, then of your beleeving, in a Christian course.

Use 3. Hence the poore [Page 339] servants of the Lord may take comfort to themselves, and cheare up their hearts in the midst of all wants that might discourage, in the midst of all miseries that doe any way an­noy them. Let them but pray in faith, and they are sure to obtaine what they pray for: for all those wants of theirs are sure to bee supplyed; all their miseries are sure to bee removed. Goe your way, and be comforted, you blessed spi­rits; You complaine, your mindes are blinde, your abili­ties poore, your corruptions great, your hearts straight, your desires weake; be it so, yet if your desires be of faith, God will grant them; if your prayers be of faith, God will hear them, and accept them.

Ob. Oh, but my wants are [Page 340] many, my necessities great, and need a great deale of mer­cy to pardon such sins where­of I am guilty. I lack a world of wisedome to direct mee in such straights into which I am cast, and yet, wretch that I am, I am unworthy of what I aske, and have abused all that I have received.

Ans. Bee it granted: yet what ever you bee, what ever you lack, it skils not; be your person never so unworthy, or your wants never so many, aske but in faith, God cannot but give it. Such a man can­not but obtaine what he seeks, and therefore may therein be comforted, because he is sure to bee satisfied abundantly, and never bee upbrayded in what he shall receive.

Use 4. Lastly, Wee have [Page 341] here a ground of encourage­ment for to call in faith, and to be confident to speed, and to gaine audience whenever wee call; and indeede, who would not beg, when he shall bee certaine to speede? Have but faith in prayer, and have whatever ye will at the hands of God; in nothing doubt, and in nothing miscarry.

Quest. But how may wee fence our hearts, and help our selves against this wavering, which (we see) hath been the bane of our hearts, and the o­verthrow of our prayers?

Ans. Wee must be warie and watchfull; for which, ob­serve two Rules.

1. We must be marvellous fearfull that we enter not into termes of contention with the truth, and set up falsehoods by [Page 342] cavellings, & disputings against the promise; as when we grow willing to deceive our selves, and to invent subtill pleas, how wee may object against the promise, and defeat it of the proper powerfull work it would have upon our hearts, and deprive our selves of the comfort we might have there­by. It's said, Acts 11.2. They of the circumcision [...]. contended with him; it is the same word that is used for [...] wavering in the text, when we (by armies of carnall reasonings and cur­sed cavellings against the truth of the promise, set up a com­pany of surmises and jealou­sies in our soules, to keep off, and to stop the entrance of the promise into our hearts,) are apt to say, as Nicodemus did unto our Saviour,Joh. 3.9. How can [Page 343] these things be? and with Sa­rah, who laughed and said,Gen. 18.13. Can Sarah have children in her old age?

2. A man is said to waver when hee questions the pro­mise, though hee doe not di­spute against it. This we must be as wary of as of the other. Act. 10.39. when the Lord had directed Peter in the visi­on, that hee should not count the Gentiles uncleane, he pro­fesses he came without gaine­saying; for when the Lord hath promised, and the Word hath spoken, wee ought not once to question it, but conclude un­deniably, that it wil be. Ps. 23. Doubtlesse, mercy and truth shall follow mee all the dayes of my life. Isa. 39. He hath said hee will doe it, and not one jot, nor one tittle of his Word shall [Page 344] faile; which may bee a good ground to keepe our faith from failing, and our prayers from wavering.

II. A preparative to the Lords Supper.

COncerning the prepara­tion to the Sacrament, three things are considerable.

• 1. How wee may know whether we have a title to the Sacrament, yea, or no.
• 2. How to bee prepared for it.
• 3. Thirdly how to reape and receive the benefit of it, being so prepared.

For the first, Whether we have a title to the Sacrament, or no, we will discover it two waies.

[Page 345]1. Wee will shew what doth interest the soul thereto.

2. What doth not hinder; and consequently, what also doth hinder the soule from comming.

Inverting the order: First then, What doth not hinder? I answer briefely and punctu­ally, thus.

Rule 1. First, the want of the sense and feeling, either of Gods favour towards us, or of the present apprehension, to our owne sense, of Gods grace in us, doth not hinder. I say, that the want of the sense and feeling, either of Gods fa­vour to the soule, or of the worke of grace in the soule, doth not hinder a man.

The ground of it is this; If hee that hath great interest in Gods love, may yet notwith­standing [Page 346] not be assured of it in his owne sense; if he that hath a great work of grace, may yet not be able to apprehend that worke that God gives; nay, if a man that walkes exactly before God, cannot see the power of grace, that helps him so to do; it is certain, this cannot hinder him from the right of comming to the Sa­crament; But the former may be, ergo, &c. The Rule is un­deniable.

Rule 2. This is no hinde­rance from comming to the Sacrament, that a man findes a deadish heart within him in the performance of service; that a man findes a body of death oppressing of him, and lying upon him when hee comes to this duty: And the reason is this; because the [Page 347] soule, (sometimes) when it is most pestered, and the heart most deaded and clogged, is then truly in the estate of grace, and also walkes most humbly before God, and la­bours to depend upon, and seek much more for his mer­cie, and to strive most sincere­ly against its corruptions: all which argue, that a man is deepely interessed in Gods love, and hath an interest, in a great measure, to the Lord Christ and his Covenant, and so consequently to the Sacra­ment. I dare say this, That the worst services of a Chri­stian man to his owne sense and apprehension, finde most acceptance with God. The poorest duties, for the per­formance outwardly, are sometimes most perfect; [Page 348] Why? Because then the heart is most abased in it selfe, and then it sees most neede of Christ, and then also doth it crave succour and reliefe from Christ therein. In a word, as inlargements of heart, and great freedome, and for­wardnesse, and sufficiencie many times unto duty, is ac­companyed often with most falsenesse, at least wise with most pride and haughtinesse of heart; so deadnesse, wea­rinesse, untowardnesse, inabi­lity, is many times accompa­nied with most humility, with most brokennesse, with most basenesse, with most going out of himselfe unto Christ, and with most sincerity in ap­proving the heart unto Christ.

Rule 3. The third Rule is this: Former unpreparednesse [Page 349] unto Gods service, and haply sometimes (to a mans owne sense) unprofitablenesse under the Sacrament, in the recei­ving thereof, is not, should not bee any sufficient hinde­rance to any faithfull soule to come yet freely hereunto: for it skils not what a man hath beene formerly, nor what his failings have been in former times at the duty, if now those be amended, and hee be hum­bled for them, & strive against them, yea, and for the present doth addresse himselfe unto this duty. There cannot but be many failings in each mans performances; what then? if this sinne might hinder, then other sins might hinder also: but no sin may hinder a man from comming to Christ; for it is a great sin not to beleeve [Page 350] in the Lord, yet a mans for­mer unbeliefe, as it must not keepe him from comming to Christ; no more may it hinder him from comming to the Sa­crament of the body & bloud of Christ. Besides, shall un­profitablenesse and unprepa­rednesse before, hinder, be­cause it is a sinne? that should rather make us take heed that we doe not commit a sinne in not comming to the Sacrament when we should; for if unpreparednesse and un­profitableness hinders because it is a sin, then not comming when wee should come, hin­ders because it argues a sinner.

Quest. How shall I know whether I have the worke of grace; and so consequently title to, or interest in the Sa­crament?

[Page 351] Answ. The first evidence is taken out of 1 Joh. 5.18. He that is borne of God keeps him­selfe that the wicked one tou­ches him not. We may disco­ver the truth of grace by the worke of grace: this is one, That a gracious heart keepes himselfe so, that the wicked one doth not touch him. So that where there is true grace, there is power against all cor­ruption: and the soule that is truely wrought upon by Christ, is enabled by the spi­rit of the Lord Jesus to master any distemper.

Quest. Why, but (a man might here say) would you have a man so perfect, or shall his grace bee so pure and holy, that corruption should not be in him, nor lodge in his soule?

[Page 352] Ans. I answer, The text doth not say so: the text saith this; The evill one toucheth him not: that is, closeth not with him, fasteneth not upon him, doth not domineere o­ver him: this is to keepe a man untouched.

Quest. But how shall a man know that hee is only oppres­sed and foiled by corruption, and that yet he is not touched with it?

Ans. That may be percei­ved on this manner.

1. When the soule cannot master corruption as it would, and overcome the un­ruly distempers thereof, yet it will stand in the defence of Jesus Christ, and will not plead for a base corruption: he will not say, Oh, it is my infirmity, it is my nature, alas, I cannot [Page 353] amend it, &c. but a gracious heart will come to this; hee sees his sinne, and observes his distemper and corruption; and the heart saith, The Law is holy and good, the reproofe is good, the admonition is good, the duty good; yea, the soule will freely say, I have the vi­lest heart under heaven; but the Law is a blessed Law.

2. When the soule ob­serves, and hates, and loathes, and discovers, and pursues all manner of traiterous devices and rebellious dispositions in others against the Lord Jesus Christ. It is certaine hee did never hate sinne in himselfe, that joynes or sides with sinne in another mans heart and life.

3. Observe what authority, or what value, or what excel­lency [Page 354] the Word hath in the account of the soule: namely, Is thy soul under the supreme government, and soveraigne royalty and authority of the truth? if it bee, then it is a gra­cious soule. It is one thing for a man to have sufficiencie to the discharge of a dutie with strength and prompt­nesse, and another thing to be under the authority of the truth, and to submit himselfe to the governement of that good Word. There is a pas­sage that sometimes hath been much in my thoughts, in Psal. 119.29. Take from me the way of lying, and grant me thy Law. Sin is a way of lying; not only a step of lying, but a way of ly­ing; the whole guise & cariage of it is deceitful: now when he saith, take away the way of lying, [Page 355] his meaning is, I cannot ma­ster it my self, but good Lord take it away: And the text ad­deth, grant me thy Law: as who should say, It is the greatest blessing the soul desireth to en­joy in this life. For when the soul is cōtent that God should pluck away every corruption from him, even the dearest, it is a signe of grace.

Qu. But the question here growes further, namely, how a man shall understand whe­ther hee be content that God should take from him the way of lying, and to part with eve­ry beloved corruption?

Answ. You shall observe this in two or three passages.

1 Do thus; observe either what speciall sinne you have in your soule, and what the darling, and the secret distem­per [Page 356] of the heart is.

2. Or if not that, then ob­serve what a man is in his cal­ling: there be some particular corruptions that sally out up­on a man when hee comes to his particular place; for some­times when the sin of a mans nature and constitution hath failed, yet the sinne of his calling hath overthrown him, and also discovered him to be false.

3. And thirdly, observe what it is in the world, or in any outward contentment, a man puts the highest price and the greatest esteeme upon: as thus, One man he esteemes wealth, & is not able to endure poverty; and another man e­steemes his credit, and he can­not abide to suffer shame; an­other man the glory of his [Page 357] parts, that hee would have a sufficiency above another, &c. Now (I say) if yee will trie whether the soule be content that God should take away the sinfulnesse of the heart, try it thus,

1. By finding out if the soule bee in good earnest con­tent that the Lord should dis­cover all these courses, and whatever sinne is in them, and should shame him for them.

2. If the Lord should take away all these, and the Word take place, and pull away all these distempers, and then the soule findes a restlesnesse un­till the Lord pluck them away from him.

3. Whether the soule is willing, and strives much, and contends sadly that it may be content that the Lord should [Page 358] take all that outward excel­lency from him, that is so much prized by him: If hee prize wealth, to bee content that God should make him a begger; if he prize his credit, content that God should co­ver him with shame; if hee prize his parts and gifts, con­tent that God should make him lye in the dust. What­ever the soul is not content to part withall (if it be a tempo­rall thing) that is a way of ly­ing, and he loves it imoderate­ly. Oh where is that man that can beare contempt, that can beare poverty, and is wil­ling to be left under the table, and to bee made base in the eyes of the world! Hee that would hold any thing that he is not content the Word should take away, it is cer­taine, [Page 359] that that is the king, and the master, and the comman­der of the heart.

Now the text adds, And grant mee thy Law. Whether the heart have this frame, is discovered in these three par­ticulars.

1. The heart puts the high­est price upon the Word, and the graces of God therein working, and conveighed thereby: as namely thus, The soule that is addicted to cove­tousnesse, cries, Grant mee li­berality, Lord; the soule that is addicted to pride, prayes, Grant me humility: he puts a higher price upon that which is contrary to his sinne, then ever his sinne was sweete to him.

2. Hee lookes for, and is willing also to entertaine the [Page 360] authority of the Word to or­der him, and to carry him out to this way and worke.

Thirdly and lastly he finds a full sufficiency and contented­nesse herein. Grant mee thy Law; I desire no more: Now by this time a man is fully under the authority of the Word: though I cannot doe what I would, my corruptions being strong, my temptations boysterous, yet take from mee the way of lying: Whether it be my beloved sinne, or sinne of my calling, or the outward comforts of those things I prize, I am content it should be taken away. And when it saith, Grant me thy Law, 1. It most prizeth it. 2. It most yeelds unto it. 3. It is satis­fied therein. By this time (I say) it appeares, a man hath [Page 361] a title unto the Lord Christ.

Touching the fitting of our selves for the Sacrament, two things are a little to be atten­ded. 1. The necessity of our comming: The second is the manner how to prepare our hearts when wee doe come, that we may come fitted, and (as we are necessarily injoyn­ed) prepared to this Table of the Lord.

For the first, severall que­stions are to bee propounded and answered, and then the point will be cleered.

Quest. 1. Is it left unto a mans liberty to come, or not to come unto the Sacrament?

Answ. It is not a point of indifferency, it is a point of necessity, which the Lord lay­eth upon us as a duty, which God expecteth from us, if [Page 362] God affords occasion with conveniency; it is a sinne in us to doe the contrary: I say, If God afford occasion with con­veniency, nothing should de­tain us from cōming; yet some straight may haply lie upon a man, that it were neither re­quisite nor reasonable for him then to presse in to that duty. As,

1. Were it so that a man could not receive the Sacra­ment unlesse he should crosse some comfortable assurance of Gods favour towards him in the committing of some sin; as to receive it by halfs, as the Papists do; then he were not bound, nay, hee ought not to receive it; it is not a point of conveniency; for no man must doe evill that good may come thereof: it is their fault [Page 363] who pollute the holy ordi­nance in aberring from Christs institution, it is not my fault not to receive.

2. The second case of in­conveniencie is, when a man shall occasionally presse into a place, and not bee acquainted with the Congregation; or give offence unto it, because he belongs not unto that Con­gregation: in this case the Lord affords him liberty to depart; the reason is, because it is a wrong done, seeing hee can­not come unto Gods ordi­nance without being trouble­some unto the people where he is, which God (who is the God of order) allowes not, nor requires.

3. If the Sacrament bee so ordered, and so given and ce­lebrated, as the occasion of [Page 364] the times carry, that haply it is done three or foure times in the weeke, by reason of the multitude of the Congrega­tion, (as now on Easter day, Easter munday, and Easter tuesday, and the like) I take it, a man is not bound here at all times to come particularly to the Sacrament: and the reason is this; because God requires that I should come alwaies to a Congregation, when, accor­ding to the order of the Church, it is appointed or celebrated for all; but here it is celebrated at severall times for severall persons, by reason of the greatnesse of the Con­gregation: And now these cau­tions premised, it is a sin for a man not to take all the occa­sions, in the place where hee lives, to partake of Gods or­dinance [Page 365] that hee hath appoin­ted for his good.

Now the grounds of the Point are these.

1. Our own necessity might justly require this: our sinnes many; wee want strength and power against them: our abi­lities small; weakenesse of grace great, and therefore we had need of all the helps that may encourage us, of all the means that might strengthen us, of all Gods ordinances that might carry us on with more chearfulnesse, and comfort, and sufficiency in a Christian course.

2. Look wee here to the mercy of God, and the rich­nesse of Gods goodnesse, and the bounty and the large pro­vision that God makes for us: hee also requires our care and [Page 366] christian attendance unto the enjoyment of the meanes for our good; the Lord is the Master of the Feast, it is his mercy to provide these means, and his free grace to give us liberty to enjoy them: then, to turn our back unto these or­dinances, is to cast his kinde­nesse into the kennell; it is an high dishonour to God, and an high contempt unto his or­dinances.

Quest. 2. But what if a man bee not prepared for the Sa­crament? is hee then bound to come?

Answ. No, he ought not to come unto the Supper of the Lord; but this hee must know, His sin is desperate, his offence is hainous and high, that he is thus unworthy, and sinfull, and unprepared for to [Page 367] come; and therefore he must not rest here in this estate, but take it as a marvellous hai­nous and miserable condition, wherein hee must never give himselfe rest untill he get out thereof. There is such a pee­vishnes of distemper in a mans spirit, & such an idleness in his nature, that, because he cannot have and do what he would; therefore he will neither have nor doe what he should; and because his heart is not hum­bled, and the like, therefore he will be content to continue in his corruptions, and keepe his sinne; and cast Gods kind­nesse behind him; for, in effect, he saith, he will not doe what hee should, unlesse the Lord will doe for him what he list. A gaine, there is also an idle distemper in the heart, when [Page 368] a man thinks thus, If I should come to the Sacrament, I must walke thus strictly and exact­ly, and I must part with my corruption; and that is the reason we will not receive the Sacrament.

Quest. 3. But you will say, What great sinne is there in this, that a man should abstain from comming to the Sacra­ment? wherein appeares it?

Answ. It appeares in this; in that the soule loveth his sinne, and harboureth his cor­ruption more tenderly, and imbraceth it more neerly, and prizeth it more highly then he doth the bloud of Christ, or the mercy and favour of God in Christ: this every man (that will not prepare for the Sacrament, nor come to the Sacrament) shewes by his [Page 369] practice, and proclaims in the course of his life.

The second thing to bee handled was, After what ma­ner, or how he should be pre­pared.

There bee two things here considerable.

1. How a man should bee prepared for the Sacrament.

2. How he may partake of the benefit and fruit of the Sacrament.

For the former, that a man may bee prepared for the Sa­crament, two things are re­quired.

1. He must have these gra­ces, Faith, Repentance, Know­ledge and Love; for with­out these no man can receive good from the Sacrament.

Ob. But here may some ob­ject and say, If a man cannot [Page 370] find or feel that he hath grace, must he therefore abstaine?

Ans. A mans sense and fee­ling, and the judgement that he passeth upon himselfe out of his weaknesse, is no rule to go by in this case. The reason is, because many times the best Saints are most suspicious, and hee that hath most grace in temptation, hath least sense and feeling of his grace.

Qu. Why, how then? what course must hee take, and by what rule must he be judged?

An. He must openly, naked­ly, plainly, and to the full lay open his estate unto some faithfull, judicious, and holy-hearted Minister; and if upon sincere relation of his estate, the Minister, out of the Word, shall answer all the objections that he can make against him­selfe, [Page 371] and is able to give, out of his owne relation, argu­ments to convince him, then is hee bound to submit unto the Word, and to addresse himselfe unto the partaking of the Sacrament.

2. For preparation to the Sacrament, it is not enough for a man to have these gra­ces, but he must renew them, and put fresh colours upon all those spirituall abilities that God hath bestowed upon him: hee must not only have faith, repentance, knowledge and love, but hee must renew all these. For the renewing of repentance, observe this: Look what sin thy soule hath over-loved, look what staines and blots thy heart hath taken since thou hast received the Sacrament, and get thy heart [Page 372] more loosened from every sin then ever it was before the committing of it, and never leave it untill it bee come to a right set and frame, and as ready to entertaine the grace that is in Christ, and to sub­mit thereto, as formerly thou hast been, nay, more then ever thou wast before. Also, re­new thy faith thus: Looke what doubtings and stagger­ings thou hast had since the last Sacrament, how thy faith hath been weakned and clou­ded, and renew this grace a­fresh: and to this purpose re­member this rule; See a grea­ter insufficiencie in thy selfe then ever thou didst formerly, and come with greater bold­nesse, and confidently expect more mercy and favour from the Lord by his ordinances [Page 373] then ever thou didst before. And so likewise for renewing of thy love, observe this rule: See a greater need of the Sa­crament then formerly thou hast done; and then see a grea­ter strength & assistance to be received from the Sacrament every day more and more.

Now for the second thing, which is the way to partake of the good of the Sacrament: that is done these waies.

1. You must rightly inform your selves of what you must expect from, and what you may have in the Sacrament; what you come for, and what is there to be gotten: All spiri­tual good that your hearts can desire is to be had here: The soul can want nothing, can de­sire nothing; God hath pro­mised nothing, can bestow no­thing, [Page 374] but it is here to be recei­ved. The ground is this, be­cause Christ is there, and all his merits; and he that hath the Sonne hath life, and in him, all things: In a word, all that the sinner can desire, as, the par­don of what is amisse in him, power for the subduing of all corruptions for him, and the quickning of his heart to the well-pleasing of God, are all conveighed and communica­ted to the soule by the Sacra­ment, and to bee received therein.

2. You must understand how this is communicated to the soule in the Sacrament.

Quest. How is pardon and power conveighed unto mee by the Sacrament?

Ans. I answer; This comes from a right discerning of the [Page 375] body and bloud of Christ: when I can see beyond the outward elements, and see the spirit of Christ undoubtedly communicating the spirituall good, as I see the outward ele­ments communicating the temporall good; when I can see something beyond bread, and something beyond wine, and something beyond brea­king, something beyond pou­ring out, something beyond taking, and see as certainly the Spirit of God communicating the spirituall comfort unto my soule, as the outward elements would do to my body: in this case the Spirit of God doth as certainly communicate assu­rance of Gods favour, & pow­er against corruption, and to walke with God, as the bread doth food to my stomack, and [Page 376] the wine sweetnesse to my taste and refreshment to my nature: I say, the Spirit of the Lord doth as undoubtedly give Christ and his merits, the fruit and benefit of them in the forgivenesse of sin, and strength against corruption, as drynesse goes with the bread, and moysture with the wine.

III. The Character of a sound Christian, in seven­teen markes.