Grace to the humble· As preparations to receive the Sacrament. Preached by the late famous preacher Iohn Preston, Doctor of Divinity, and chaplen in ordinary to his Mtie. Master of Immanuel Colledge, and sometimes preacher in Lincolnes-Inne.

Grace to the humble· As preparations to receive the Sacrament. Preached by the late famous preacher Iohn Preston, Doctor of Divinity, and chaplen in ordinary to his Mtie. Master of Immanuel Colledge, and sometimes preacher in Lincolnes-Inne.

Table of contents

Title page

GRACE TO THE HVMBLE. The fourth SERMON.

GRACE TO THE HVMBLE. The fifth SERMO•.

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GRACE TO THE HVMBLE. AS Preparations to Receive the SACRAMENT. Preached by the Late famous Preacher IOHN PRESTON, Doctor of Divinity, and Chaplen in Ordinary to his Mtie. Master of Immanuel Colledge, and sometimes Preacher in Lincolnes-Inne.

LONDON Printed by Tho. Cotes, for Michael Sparke Iunior, and are to be sold at the signe of the Blue Bible in Greene Arbour. 1639.

GRACE TO THE HVMBLE. The fourth SERMON.

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LVKE 9.23.

And he said to them all, if any will come after me, let him deny himselfe, and take up his Crosse daily and follow me.

IN the receiving of the Sacrament, our choise businesse is, to remember the Covenant [Page] betweene God and us, and that hath two Parts:

1 First, The Promise on Godspart;

2 Secondly, the Condition on our part.

1 The Promise on Gods part, and that is the gift of Christ, whom hee gives as freely, as a man gives his Lands to his heire; now Christ he comes not naked, but he comes accompanied with these three blessings.

1 First, Iustification, and all that followes upon that.

2 Secondly, Sanctification, to whom hee gives Christ, them he sanctifies with his Spirit.

3 Thirdly, all outward things.

[Page]Now there is a Condition required at our hands, and it is exprest by divers words in the Scriptures, sometimes 1 by the name of repentance, Repent, for the kingdome of heaven is at hand. Sometimes 2 by the name of Beleeving, Beleeve me; and you shall be saved. And here it 3 is set downe by following of Christ. All these are joyned together, for if you Repent, you Beleeve, and follow Christ, and none can follow Christ, without Faith and Repentance.

Now the occasion of these words, is this: Our Saviour had told them a little before, That hee must suffer many things; he must die, & rise againe; and then [Page] tells them the consequent of this, that they must not looke for a temporall kingdome, my Disciples follow me, and I goe rough wayes: So that the maine duty that hee gives them here, is to follow him; to this hee addes two Conditions, or two causes, without the which wee cannot by any meanes follow him.

1 First, Hee must deny himselfe, that is, If a man will come to follow me; the flesh will propound to him many things that are pleasing and profitable; it will be as a rough byas to turne him aside, and therefore he must deny himselfe, and 2 his owne flesh. And againe [Page] he will meete with many afflictions; and for those hee must not looke out of the way, but hee must goe through these crosses, hee must take up his crosse dayly. The Doctrine is this,

That no man can have interest in Christ, Doct. without selfe-deniall: If any man will will be my disciple, let him deny himselfe. Although before you come to Christ, there is nothing required, but a simple and bare desire. It is no matter for Sanctification; yet when we do come, he must then be our Lord and Master, and wee must follow him, denying our owne lusts; and this cannot be without selfe-deniall; and [Page] therefore it is that, that those that have failed in this point have not followed him. Demas followed him a great way, but when he came to this selfe deniall, then hee left him, and embraced this present world, and this was the reason why Paul followed him, because hee was willing to deny himselfe; What was the reason that Caleb followed God so constantly, because hee denied himselfe, and resolved whatsoever he saw, to sticke close to God, and his Commandements; and so Abraham, hee left his country and friends cleaving to God.

Indeede if our will and [Page] Christs Will were coincident, then this might be without selfe-deniall, but being at oddes, we cannot goe together, for wee cannot walke together, not being agreed, and therefore wee must conforme our selves unto Christ, his Will must not be brought downe to ours, but our will is out often, and therefore it must be wound up to his.

Now the Question will be what selfe-deniall is.Quest.

To deny a mans selfe,Answ. is not to make himselfe his end, but God onely, and to renounce himselfe as sorry, hee is opposite to God and his wayes; So that to deny himselfe 'is to [Page] deny the aversement the corruption & illnesse of nature, wch is called the flesh, the body of death, and the old man, and the old leaven, which are a mans selfe; and this the Apostle meaneth, Wee preach not our selves, 2 Cor. 4.5. but Iesus Christ; that is, I preach not for applause and vaine-glory, to please my selfe by my selfe, here he meanes his flesh, which hee will not satisfie; for when the Apostle had told them of his Vision and Revelation,2 Cor. 12.5. of such a man, said he, I would rejoyce, of my selfe I would not rejoyce. Why should hee not rejoyce of himselfe? Because himselfe was nothing but a bundle of corruption [Page] in himselfe was no good but of such a man so renewed hee would rejoyce.

But why is flesh called a mans selfe?Quest.

Because it is so spread over all the faculties and powers of a man,Answ. and is predominant as the forme over the matter, for a man loves it as himselfe and fights against all things that oppose it, and nourisheth all that nourisheth it.

But how is it possible that a man can deny himselfe,Quest. for in denyall there must be one to aske, and another to deny, there must be one denying, and one denyed; himselfe must be denyed? how can himselfe deny himselfe?

[Page] Answ.To this I answer, that there is in every man that is in Christ a double selfe, and the regenerate man 1 hath three natures. First, a common nature, neither good nor bad in it selfe. 2 Secondly, a spirituall and renewed condition, Thirdly,3 the flesh and corruption. The meaning then is this; common nature guided by the spirit and renewed nature is to deny the flesh, that is, the corrupt natures petition when both stand in competition the flesh is to be denyed, if the flesh desires honours riches and preferments beside the rule, then the flesh is to be denyed, but the Spirit is to be heard in all his requests, [Page] and this is that, that every man must doe if he will be saved and there is not onely necessity but much reason why wee should deny our selves, as in every command of God there is much reason if wee could see it, so here is great reason for this.

First in regard of God,Reas. 1. God hath no causes, therefore hee may thinke himselfe the end: but every creature hath an efficient and finall cause: therefore it must not make it selfe its order, it is against the order of nature, and rule of things that the creature which is not of it selfe should make it selfe its end, being mans efficient cause is out of himselfe, [Page] therefore his end must needes be out of himselfe, hee should make himselfe God, and God an Idoll: For if a man will set up himselfe, that is, will not deny himselfe, he sets himselfe above God, and makes a God of himselfe. We doe not worship God as wee as wee ought without wee deny our selves.

Reas. 2.In regard of our selves, because if wee doe not deny our selves wee destroy our selves, because when we yeeld to our selves wee yeeld to the disease, and when wee yeeld to the disease, wee destroy our selves; this disease is the flesh, every man is aeger inter morbum & medicum; [Page] now which is better for a a man to hearken to the Spirit, the Phisitian, or to the flesh the disease. This reason is taken out of the sixt of the Galatians, Gal. 6.6. he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reape corruption; but hee that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting. He that yeeds to his flesh doth destroy himselfe, for all the wayes of sinne leade downe to the chambers of death, that is, they bring death at the latter end, that is the fruit and wages of it at the last, but he that doth deny himselfe, doth best provide for himselfe, for he hath not onely the generall promise,Mar. 10.3 [...] but also the particular [Page] promise;Mark. 10.30. there is noe man that hath left house or brethren, &c. Both in regard of our selves, and in regard of God there is equity for it: nothing is hard to a reasonable man, when hee sees a reason that it is best for him to doe it, hee is easily perswaded to it; besides it is the greatest folly in the world, to goe about to joyne God and our selves together, God and sinne, God and other respects, for you loose both by this: for God hates such an one, and you finde no content in minde, neither can you serve your selves perfectly if you joyne your selves with God, and therefore you [Page] can have no absolute content, and there will bee a reluctancy which way so ever you turne. Againe suppose they should both bee joyned, yet the more you gaine in the flesh, the more you loose of God and the Spirit. Now hee that hath any union, desires more union with God, and this cannot bee unlesse you have lesse union with the flesh Againe it is needelesse to joyne God and your selves together, you may have enough in God; you adde but a candle to the Sunne and water to the Ocean, and then you goe about an impossible thing for you cannot serve two masters,Matth. 6.24. all your labour [Page] will be lost.Mat. 6.24. Amaziah walked in the wayes of God; but hee lost all his labour because his heart was not perfect with the Lord.

Object.But now it will bee objected, how is it possible that a man should deny himselfe! In shunning sin may he not have an eye unto hell; and in walking the wayes of God, may he have an eye to heaven? To this I answer that we deny not but that a man may love himselfe,Answ. 1 for its impossible that he should do otherwise; for i [...]s impossible but that the will should bee carried to that which is good, or apprehended to be good: and it is a sinne for a man to hurt himselfe, it is a sinne [Page] for a man to kill himselfe, and every hurt is a degree to that, and God would not command that which is sinfull,Matth 3.2. and againe useth those as motives to seeke salvation. Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand; If you will come in behold here is a kingdome for you,Matth. 10 28. feare not him that killeth the body, &c. The wayes of wisedome are wayes of pleasure:Prov. 3.17. And lastly it 2 is a plant that God himselfe hath planted in the hearts of men,Matth. 15.13. and such plants as our heavenly father hath planted, no man ought to plucke up. This is the worke of nature, and that which is opus naturae est opus authoris, naturae. [Page] And grace doth not take away nature, gratia non tollit naturam, sed attollit, it doth not take it away but it reformes it; it doth not extinguish it, but sets it in order, it doth not dry up this streame, but turnes it into the right channell, it doth not extirpate these plants, but as the horse rider takes not away the nature frō the horse, but doth guide him: so it takes not the desire of nature away, but guides it aright; and if wee doe it in all desires of nature, wee must needs doe it in the chiefest desire, in the desire of salvation; but we would have a man to deny himselfe no further then the want [Page] thereof doth hurt him. Now the way to hurt your selves, is to make your selves the end, but the way for a man to doe good to himselfe, is not to follow his owne will, nor to seeke himselfe, but to seeke God, when his will comes in opposition with any command of Gods: for that is the difference betweene a regenerate and an unregenerate man, the unregenerate man thinkes his best way to get comfort, is to rely on himselfe and the creatures, not to seeke it from God: but the regenerate man seeing the vanitie of the creature, and the fulnesse of God, rejects these things and onely [Page] followes God, and serves with a willing heart and minde: Both seeke their owne good but a diverse way.

Vse 1.Is it so then, that none can have interest in Christ without selfe-denyall: then first wee make this use of this. Hence wee see that both cannot stand together, seeking a mans selfe and following Iesus Christ. Hee that will follow mee must deny himselfe, there is an necessitie, chuse you which you will have, if you will follow mee you must you must deny your selves, and if you will follow your selves you must not have me; the words are put in a necessary disjunction: [Page] therefore deceive not your selves in this, to thinke you may follow your selves, and yet follow Christ. To deny a mans selfe, is if there bee any thing pleasing to him to part with it, for Christ; if there bee any thing pleasing, if a man be not willing to part with it for Christ, hee cannot have Christ and salvation: If any thing bee evill and hurtfull which hee most shunnes and avoydes, if hee cannot undergoe it, he must goe without Christ.

But if you aske what neede there shall bee of so generall denyall.Quest.

I answer, these very words to deny a mans selfe shewes us so much:Answ. for to deny [Page] himselfe, is to deny the whole body of himselfe: wee must not deny some part of our selves, as pleasure and profit, which are but some branches, but we must deny all. And therefore you see in Peter, that was the profession that hee made. Lord wee have forsaken all and followed thee:Mark. 10.28. If wee hold any thing betweene our teeth, wee must let goe our hold of Christ. Hee that will seeke praise and credit among men, must not have interest in Christ. How can yee beleeve which seeke honour of one another, and seeke not the honour that commeth from God;Ioh. 5.44. onely it will make him st [...]ll bee out [Page] of the way, when any such thing comes in competition. So the rich man in the Gospell, because hee had set his heart upon his wealth, Christ told him that time that he could not follow him. The light of the body is the eye, if the eye be single the whole body is light,Matth. 6.22. but if the eye shall be darke, marke what is said there of a single eye, and what opposition is made; An eye is sayd to be single in respect of the object, that is, if the eye bee single & look only on God, then all the body is light, that is, all his life is good, God counts his sinnes but infirmities. But if a man have a wicked eye, the opposition [Page] is if the eye bee double, but it is put in wicked, because a double eye is a wicked eye, that is, looking partly upon God and partly upon himselfe, then the body is darke; and there is good reason for this: For it is impossible if a man doe not make God his utmost end to be saved, if he make himselfe his coordinate end, he then makes himselfe joynt God, besides this man will bee constant in all his wayes, and therefore is not pleasing to God. The reason why God regards them not is because they are not constant:Iam. 1.8. A double minded man is unstable in all his wayes: who will regard [Page] him that is a friend to day and none to morrow? God loves not such whose hearts are not perfect with him; now no man is such that does not deny himselfe perfectly, if there bee any sweet morsell that he keeps under his tongue and will not part with it.

If we have not interest in Christ without selfe-deniall,Vse 2. then this should teach us to judge of things aright: it may seeme to rectifie our opinions; it should teach us what to thinke when wee begin to give up our names to Christ: wee must not thinke to goe to heaven in a Feather bed, where wee may have elbow roome enough as it [Page] was our Saviours precept we must lay the foundation before wee begin to build. So it was his practise, if any man came to him to tell him before what he should suffer afterwards: So when any one comes to him saying, good master I will follow thee, hee presently answers him,Matth. 8.19, 20. the Foxes have holes, and the Birds of the ayre have nests, but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head: Mark. 10.2. And when the young man came so prepared that Christ began to love him. I but mistake me not saith Christ, if you come to me you must deny your selfe, and that which is most precious to you which was his wealth: you must [Page] prepare your selfe for crossses, and not for crosses which should come now and then, but for daily crosses; you must keepe your selfe for a rough way, that is, you must bee ready to goe up the hill; you must be busie when your flesh would bee at ease, you must endure infamy and reproach when your flesh would have an applause, we must bee contented to bee hated among all men: A course of Godlinesse is nothing but a continaull opposition of the flesh to doe something contrary to our selves. To thinke upon this aforehand will helpe us much, we are to resolve and say in the [Page] morning this flesh will put many sinnes against the Spirit, but we must resolve to crosse our selves▪ and at night let a man examine himselfe and say, what is it that my flesh did desire, and how have I denied my selfe. This should bee the course of a Christian: If you will doe no more then that you are willing to doe its no thankes: Such as serve God with their ease so long as it stands with their flesh, what thankes have they? but wee must deny our selves and crosse the flesh, neither must wee doe this of necessitie, but chearefully: but wee must bee content to part withall, and thinke wee [Page] have a good bargaine too: as the Mercant man sold all his possessions and went away rejoycing: that is, we must not onely doe a thing for Christ for necessitie, because wee cannot otherwise have salvation, but also wee must thinke wee have got a good purchase; many will say, rather then I will goe to hell I will deny my selfe: But wee must labour to see an amiablenesse in Christ, a worth in Christ to draw us along, or else wee shall faint, and count it an hard way, we must think the gaine of Christ with the losse of all a good bargaine.

But how shall a man bring his heart to this hardQuest. [Page] thing? it seemes almost impossible, but if we were inlightned and could see things as they are, wee should doe it willingly, for that amiablenesse that is in Christ.

Answ.There are foure considerations why we should doe this and thinke it a good bargaine.

1 Consider the equity and justice of it, how unreasonably and unequally you deale with Christ if you doe it not: Christ hath bought us of our selves, not onely of the world and the devill, but also of our selves. Wee are not our selves, we are bought with a price:2 Cor. 6.16. wee are the temples of the living God, as [Page] God hath sayd, I will dwell in them, and I will walke in them, and they shall bee my people, and I will be their God: If a man will goe and sell himselfe to another man hee must not doe his owne worke, for then he shall wrong him that bought him.

But I make no such bargaine with Christ you will say?Object.

You have,Answ. or ought to doe it, you have done as much in effect: for Christ hath shed his blood for every man in this sense; so that it is propounded before all; and every man shall answer for the neglect of it: as it is, 2 Pet. 2. there shall be false teachers among [Page]you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, & bring upon themselves swift destruction.Rom. 14.15. Destroy not thy brother with thy meat for whom Christ dyed: So for every man that it lies exposed to him, and he commits a double sinne that doth not receive him, &c.

1. He doth neglect him.

2. He doth not as hee is commanded. In the Leviticall Law if one bought a servant, and he in punishi [...]g him dyed under his hands, there was no Law against him, for he was his mony. So wee may say of every man to whom the Gospel is revealed, that hee is [Page] Christs money; yea Christs blood; for that is the price that hath beene payd for him, and layd out for him, and it is his fault that hee takes it not; and hee shall be accused one day for one that tooke such a great price, & yet would not serve the Lord Iesus Christ: For as much as yee know yee were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and Gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the pretious blood of Christ. When Christ saw you walking idle in vanity hee comes and buyes you to his service not with silver and gold, but with his owne [Page] blood, and this hee hath done to redeeme you from your vaine conversation; but if any man walke vainely still, and does not follow Christ, hee rejects Christs price, and at the last day it will bee objected against him, that hee did not serve God for the price that hee had received. Therefore let this move you to serve Christ.

Object.But you will say, I see there is reason and necessitie for this, but I will not doe it yet, I will doe it hereafter.

Answ.But consider Christ hath payd the price for you, and hee hath bought all your life, not some one part, and as a man hired for a day [Page] doth not begin it til noone, hee doth the man wrong that hired him: So every man that doth not serve God in his youth wrongs God, let us not therefore deferre it, but doe it as sodainly as we can.

It is good for a man to deny himselfe, for his life is 2 more preserved in God then in himselfe, for else there were no reason for that commandement, love me more then thy selfe, and againe the perfection of every thing is in the end; every thing is then perfect when it attaines its end; now God is that end of every thing, and therefore of man, and man is to serve him though it bee with the [Page] losse of goods and losse of life, yea of life eternall; for yet mans happinesse consists in the attaining of God his end, and so those places of Moses and Paul are to be expounded;Exod. 32.32. If thou willt not forgive them blot mee out of the booke of life, so it may bee to Gods glory. So Paul, Rom. 9.3. I could wish that my selfe were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen in the flesh, so long as any advantage would come to God, they cared not what became of themselves, and besides if a man should seeke his good in himselfe, he could not get it, for there is no bottome. And againe besides th [...]se reasons the Scripture is [Page] plaine for it; if a man would loose his life for me he shall finde it. This is the best way to provide for himselfe: the best way for a man to doe good to himselfe is by way of reflection to serve God and man with his fatnes, so he shall have a full recompence, a measure pressed downe and running over; so that if a man would thinke with himselfe, what shall I doe now to get happinesse in this world, the way is not to get honour and riches, but to learne to deny my selfe, and how I may honour God, and how I may spend my life for his glory and his service, this is the wisest way to make our [Page] selves happy; labour therefore to bee perswaded of this, and you will easily be perswaded to doe it.

3 Consider the emptinesse of these things that draw us out of the way, that sue to us, and are the byasses of our life, that carry us wrong, the sight of their emptinesse is a great helpe to us to deny our selves, for a man should consider what hee seekes, and that is happinesse, and where it is to be found, certainly not in our selves, for how many thousand are there who are still seeking to other creatures, and if wee finde nothing in our selves, then surely in nothing below our selves, as riches, [Page] pleasures, and honours, therefore wee must seeke something above ourselves and that is God, those things are called vanitie and emptie things that seeme to promise something and performe nothing, as those things are sayd to bee emptie which promise some satisfaction but deceive us, as an empty well, and empty clouds that seeme to promise raine but there comes none: so it is with the creatures; all the world looke for some thing from the creatures, but that which wee seeke for is not in them, and God calls them empty. So the multitudes of them will shew that there can bee no [Page] perfection in them, for if they had any perfection, they neede not be so many, and though they would have contentment in them, yet they are but brittle as glasse, holding some comfort in them, which is quickly broken, and then our comfort falls like water upon the ground, which cannot bee gathered up againe. Now if wee would bring our hearts to be perswaded of the emptinesse of these things, then surely we should doe it with ease: it was easie with Salomon to deny himselfe in repenting, for hee saw the vanitie of all things, no argument will make us doe this, but onely the Spirit of God [Page] when we are convinced by it, and then wee shall doe it with ease.

By denying your selves 4 you shall weaken the flesh and strengthen the Spirit, that is, the more you yeeld to the flesh, the more you strengthen it, and the more you resist it the weaker it growes, and the more the Spirit is strengthned, that is, the renewed qualitie that is in you.

I but what motive is this?Object. what though the flesh doe get the superioritie and the Spirit decay?

O but if you had eyes of judgement to see the excellency of grace and renewed nature,Answ. and the basenesse of the flesh, it would bee a [Page] very good argument. Paul thought he had said enough to enforce the Galatians, when hee had told them that the workes of the flesh were adultery,Gal. 5.9.22. fornication, uncleannesse, wantonnesse, Idolatry, &c. This is enough to make a man strive against the flesh for the workes of it are vile, not worth a man, but the worke of the Spirit it is love, joy, peace, &c. Some men seeke excellency in health, wealth, earthly wisedome, but yours lies in the Spirit, the more you enlarge the health of your soule, and the more you deny your flesh, the more you weaken your disease, for the flesh is but a disease, and therefore [Page] Christ is sayd to come and heale the sicke, and the word of God is called balme: now where there is mention made of a Phisitian and a remedy there must bee a disease, and that disease is this flesh.

And the more you begin to deny this flesh, the more you escape that which you most abhorre and are ashamed of, namely death and sinne, first sinne, what fruite have you then of those things whereof you are ashamed:Rom. 6.24. for the end of those things is death. Shame indeede is the correllative of sin, and where sinne is there is shame, and no where else: the second is death and sicknesse, and [Page] death and trouble, and all steps and degrees thereto, but if you walke in the Spirit you have glory and life eternall, and all the comforts of this life, as steps and degrees thereto, to conclude all therefore resolve to deny your flesh and all his requests. And know thus much, that it is a very difficult thing, for the flesh is very neare and deare to us: Its hard to deny a stranger or a friend, harder to deny a childe or a wife, and therefore much more hard to deny our selves: Againe the flesh is importunate, & comes with a bribe in his hand, as ease, or profit, or pleasure or such like, & our hearts are quickly drawne [Page] to such; as Iron to the loadstone; againe its cunningly helped by the slight & pollicy of the divell, and therefore it is that S. Iames calleth sensuall wisedome,Iam. 3.15. devilish wisedome, because the divell joynes his wisdome with it. Therefore goe about this as an hard worke, deale hardly with it: as the Prophet bids them with the messenger that came from Ahab, shut the dooers on him, admit no conference with him, shut thy eares against the perswasion of the flesh, and wicked men, give it no hearing. The flesh is ready to suggest reasons, but we must not hearken to it: So Paul when hee was to goe about a hard [Page] matter, I did not conferre with my flesh saith he: we see that it was his practise when his friends entreated him not to goe up to Ierusalem, what meane you to weepe, and to breake my heart, for I am ready not to be bound onely,Act. 21.13. but also to dye at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus: he would admit of no conference with them. So David when Ioab and Abishas would have taken off Shimeihs head for cursing him, what have I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zerviah saith he:2 Sam. 16.9, 10. And so did Iesus Christ when Peter came to him Master pitty thy selfe,Mark 8.32. Matth. 16.23. what have I to doe with thee saith he? thou knowest [Page] not the things that belong to God, he would admit of no conference with him, the best is to deny our selves, to give peremptory deniall, have no more strength then our Mother Eve, shee was tempted by admitting plea wih the divell and the flesh: If wee thinke of our sinnes Sathan will bee ready to suggest reasons, distinctions and evasions to make us walke upon the brinke side, and then wee fall unawares into the pit.1 King. 13.1. So the Prophet which God sent to Bethel, when hee had conferred with the old Prophet, hee was enticed to come backe and eate with him, which was his destruction; when [Page] as indeede hee should not have conferred with him, kept himselfe close to the commandment of God: nothing is worse then a peremptory will in a bad cause, and nothing better in a good cause. Casta est quam nemo rogavit, shee is a chast woman that carries herselfe so, as that shee admits of no man to sollicite her. So wee should carry of selves so that the devill dare not to attempt us. Thinke that you shall be overcome it is hard and difficult, it is good to bee jealous over our selves in doubtfull things.

Vse 3. If all that are Christs disciples must deny themselves, hence then this will follow that our selves are [Page] prone exceedingly to evill: we are ready in every thing to act our selves, wee are ready to preach our selves; our flesh will have one hand in every thing, it will have an Oaer in every Boat. There is nothing to doe but the flesh will put it selfe forth; what the Apostle saith of envy the flesh lusteth after envy; wee may say of every sinne that the flesh lusteth after it. Take heede therefore to your selves;Iam. 4.5. as our Saviour bids us take heede of men. So we must take heede of our selves, nothing will [...]eceive us so soone as our owne hearts.Ier. 17.19.

The heart is deceitfull and wicked above all [Page] things, who can know? looke on the most deceitfull thing that is, the heart is more deceitfull then that. If you have a servant that will deceive you, you have an eye continually upon him. If there be any thing, wherein you may get applause and credit; how ready are wee to doe it, but if there be any things that appertaine to the glory of God, how backward are we, how ready to finde out excuses, twenty Lyons are in the way in such a case; if wee have a minde to doe any thing though the lawfulnesse bee doubtfull, yet we have distinctions and evasions for it, otherwise Christ would not [Page] command us here to deny our selves;Object. I but you will say, how shall I come to discerne this medling of the flesh?Answ. It is true some things are evidently good, and some things evidently bad, but in things ambiguous it is hard to discerne the flesh, a man may desire such a preferment, and think he does well, but yet this desire may be from the flesh, and therefore there are some rules whereby wee may discerne whether our desires come from the flesh, or no, and how wee may doe them.

If you finde the desires 1 turbulent, it is a signe they come from the flesh; for the desires of grace are [Page] like them that come from pure nature;Gen, 30.1. as Rachels desire, give mee children or else I dye: The vehemency shewes it came from the flesh.

2 When the desires are hasty, it is a signe they come from the flesh, for it is the property of the flesh to runne without his errond, to goe without his rule, the foole rageth and is carelesse, where is a wise man saith Salomon that ponders his wayes: we cannot goe about that which is good, without consideration.Psal. 119, 59. I considered my wayes saith David, and turned my feete into thy testimonies, If our nature were good, the more hasty it is to any [Page] thing the better it would be, but being our nature is bad it is likely the hastier it is to any thing the worse the things.

If you finde the thing desired to strengthen the 3 flesh; it is from the flesh; if it strengthen the Spirit then it is from the Spirit; if it weakens the Spirit and workes in us any indisposition to doe any good, as to pray, toward the word and such like, then it doth not come from the Spirit.

Consider what you doe 4 in like cases, where you have no selfe respect, wee may do many good things, and yet have selfe respect in them: for example Iehu was zealous enough for [Page] God, so long as he expected a kingdome, that pricked, but when it was gotten he fell to Idolatry. And so those they were ready to fast and pray, but there was selfe respect in it:Hos. 7.14. They assemble themselves together, but the Prophet saith it was for corne and wine: and so they were ready to follow Christ, but it was because they eate of the loaves and were filled,Ioh. 6.26. many in sicknesse and trouble are ready to pray and to seeke God, but when the storme is blowne over, what doe they then? by this wee may learne somewhat to judge whether the desires come from the flesh or no.

[Page]Hence learne how to judge of your condition,Vse 4. whether you are in Christ or not. Christ puts it as a necessary condition to deny your selves. It is a sure rule if you deny your selves you are in Christ, if not you have no part in him, but here every man (as it is the part of the most unsound to flatter themselves) will say he doth not professe himselfe, no body will grant that hee doth please himselfe. Therefore for the tryall of this, take these rules. If you will know whether you deny your selves or not, first 1 consider whether you are throughly humbled, vile & little in your owne eyes: [Page] such a man is not angry because hee hath no more grace but wonders he hath so much. He lets God deale with him as hee lists, if hee will have him to be disgraced willing to be shifted from vessell to vessell, from condition to condition, so hee have God in heaven, what becomes of him hee cares not. He counts Christ his greatest good, and sinne his greatest evill; He cares not what he looseth so hee can get God, such a man will deny himselfe, and no man else; we may see this disposition in Paul, if God will not have him preach in Bithinia, what desire soever he hath, he will not doe it; if God will have him shut [Page] up in prison hee is content, whatsoever it was hee would doe it. So in David we shall finde the same disposition; if God will take away his kingdome from him let him doe what seemes good in his sight: If God send Shimeah to curse him,2 Sam. 16.10. God the Lord hath bidden him curse David and let him doe it: and when hee was loaden with reproaches, hee was a dumbe man because God did it. And his words to M [...]chal shew the reason of it, I will bee more vile then this, and will be low in mine owne eyes and sight:2 Sam. 6.22. This shewes he thought himselfe vile before, but yet because God called him to it [Page] hee will bee more vile, but take a man of a contrary disposition, that hath a proud heart, that will have such a thing or else all is marred, such a man will not deny himselfe; if God come to him aske his credit or riches or any thing else, hee will not doe it, hee resists God, and God resists him. But God gives grace to the humble, that is, he shews favour to him,1 Pet. 5.5. & whatsoever he asketh he will grant him.

2 Secondly, if you would know whether you deny your selves, consider whether you doe it in time of difficultie, when lust and oppertunity meete together; it is no matter what you say in cold blood, A [Page] Pilots skill is in time of tempest, and a souldiers valour is in the heat of a battle, when you have no occasion to bee intemperate it is nothing, but when a faire way is layd open to you, and you can deny your lust his opportunity, it shewes you deny your selve. To professe Christ in a wicked and adulterous generation, when he hath some opposition to the contrary, is a tryall to a man. If a man can hate all sinnes, so as hee would not commit any for the greatest gaine; As David would not touch the Lords annointed for a kingdome:1 Sam. 24.7. when he would not omit the least good to avoyd the greatest evill; as [Page] Daniel would not omit prayer for the saving of his honour and of his life.Dan. 6.10.11. See what you would doe when the Lord and your flesh stand in competition; when the conscience shall bring you a message, the Lord hath neede of such a thing, and the flesh shall say, I have neede of such a thing contrary to it, what should wee doe in such cases? Indeede it is no tryall else except a man bee earnest with himselfe, when hee importunes hims [...]lfe, when a man is easie to deny himselfe i [...]s no tryall, set your particular humors, your personall sinnes; if you set your selves to deny them; when God would try Abraham [Page] whether hee preferred his will, before his owne will, he tries him in that whereon his affections were most set, the offering of his sonne Isaac and thereupon God pronounceth the sentence I know that thou lovest me seeing for my sake thou hast not with held thy onely sonne.Gen. 22.12. If there bee any thing on which our hear [...]s are more set, God tries us there, if we deny our selv [...]s there, then wee have the selfe denyall.

Consider whether you 3 are willing to bee fully enlightned: whether you are content to have a through information to sift the matter to the branne, then you have this selfe deniall, but [Page] when he hath secret whisperings in his conscience, and yet will shut his eyes, will not see to and fro, this man whatsoever he pretendeth hee sinneth against his conscience:Num. [...]2.23. therefore consider this in Balaams case, if wee looke upon Balaams carriage he seemed to deny himselfe as much as a man could doe, if thou wouldest give mee this house full of gold and silver, I could not doe except God commanded mee: but he would not seeke this out, hee sought the wages of Iniquity, there was a crevis of light, but hee would not search out the truth, such a case was that of Iohanan, hee came to Ieremiah and said [Page] unto him according to all things for which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us, whether it bee good or evill, wee will obey the voyce of the Lord God:Ier. 42.5.6. Ver. 20. Ieremiah comes and tels him againe, this is the businesse, but withall I must tell thee you dissembled in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, he discovers his hypocrisie to him. To bee throughly informed, to sift the things before you doe it is a signe of selfe denyall, it is ill halting before men, but God hee knoweth the Spirit, so the meaning of the flesh and mans conscience,2 Cor. 4.2, Gods witnesse will finde us out. Therefore of the Ministers [Page] of the Word saith Saint Paul, we approve our selves to the consciences of men, not to the wits, humors, and wills, but to the consciences, and the truth will alwayes joyne together.

Let us not shut up this truth in darkenesse, he that doth truth saith our Saviour commeth to the light that his deedes might bee manifest.Ioh. 3.21. It is a Metaphor taken from such who when they would throughly know what cloth it is they hold it up against the Sunne, to see if it bee moth eaten or not, or whether it have any other fault, therefore take heede of false pretences. A man if hee were convinced of them hee would bee [Page] more carefull and religious in his wayes, but he thinkes it superstitious, hee would bee more wary of his company but hee [...]akes it, for morosity and nicenesse, but if you would sift your selves there would be some signe of selfe denyall; but now for what end is all this? it is not to discourage any, it is not for the end that any should bee dejected in the wayes of God, it is not for destruction, but for instruction; It is for this that you may judge aright of your selves,Quest. but now at last you will beginne to s [...]y, I would doe this duty if I knew how to performe, and therefore I will shew you how to deny your selves.

[Page] 1 If you will bee enabled to deny your selves you must get another man into your selves then you have by nature. If a man hath nothing but that which hee hath by nature, his flesh, sinne, and corruption and the outward bulke of soule and body, whereby he consists when there is nothing else in a man, when he hath no other selfe in himselfe, then it is impossible for him to deny himselfe, but if a man hath another man in himselfe if hee have the regenerate part in him then this is easy, let a man reckon the regenerate himselfe, then hee will let all goe, rather then let himselfe be destroyed: he will [Page] bee sure to keepe sinne off, for that is it which destroyes him, hee will be sure to maintaine a good conscience. But now take another man a common man, that hath nothing given him but the bulke of the body, that is satisfied with meate, drinke, and cloathing, and house and friends, and the flesh and sinne, hee will let all goe that destroyes himselfe, God, Christ, faith, and a good conscience, and all, and therefore wee are to judge aright of ourselves, as the Apostle, It is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwels in mee: Rom. 7.17. The Apostle counts the flesh a troubleblesome guest, hee would [Page] gladly be rid of him:2 Cor. 5 1. and so we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed, we have a building given us of God, that is, an house not made with hands but eternall in the heavens, That is the regenerate part so long as that is going up it makes no matter, though the outward man suffer much: So long as this new building is goeing up it makes no matter though the old one be pulled downe, but when a man hath no such new building going up, he hath reason to keepe up the old, let a mans judgement bee right, let him conceive that to bee himselfe which is in himselfe, and then it is [Page] easy to deny himselfe.

You never deny your 2 selves but you are great gayners by it, and let a man yeeld to the flesh and hee looses by it, and that is the reason that is given verse the 24. and in other Gospels who soever shall lose his life for my sake shal save it, but when a man shall save his life, his libertie, his credit when God calls for it, shall be but as a flower: God wil blow upon it & he shall quickly loose it,Matth. 19.39. Matth. 16.25. hee that will save any of those he shal quickly loose them, God will so bring it to passe in the end, if you would consider that promise,Mark. 10.30. whosoever shall forsake houses or brethren,Matth. 19.29. or [Page] sisters, or fathers, or mothers, or wives, or lands for my sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit life everlasting, there would bee no difficultie in this thing.

Object.But you will say wee see such as wal [...]e most perfectly most deny themselves, a [...]e most despised, most trampled on, but this is no good argument.Answ. For as in the midst of all contents God can fill our hearts with bittern [...]sse, so in the midst of all wants God can fill our hearts with all comforts, as tribulations abound so comfort abounds, the Apostle Paul found this so, he had his consolations abounding when his afflictions [Page] increased. Consider with your selves whether any man lost any thing by denying himselfe to honour God. Did Abraham loose by it, by denying himselfe in his sonne Isaack? no his sonne was given him; was Salomon a looser by denying himselfe in riches and honour, when he asked wisedome to governe the commonwealth?1 King. 3.9. No, he gained all; did Ioseph loose by denying himselfe in his lust.Gen. 39.20. Though for the present to lose by it being cast into the prison, yet that was but a step to his honours. None ever gained by yeelding to the flesh:Gen. 49.3.4. As Ruben by yeelding to his lust, his father [Page] tells him, Rueben thou art my might, and the beginning of my strength. Thou shalt not be excellent because thou wentest up to thy fathers bed, thy excellency is gone: Hee should have had a Priesthood because hee was the first borne, but hee lost it, for Levi had it: he should have had the kingdome but lost it, for Iudah had it: Hee being the first borne should have had a double portion, but he lost it, for Ioseph had it; thus he was a loser in it, though at first he seemed to gaine. Now if these things be setled in us we shal come easily to deny our selves; now that you may be perswaded to this, cōsider two things.

[Page]Consider all these creatures, wherein you see 1 comfort can neyther doe you good nor hurt without God, there is nothing that doth good but the blessing of God, or the cursing of of God, that is, no creature can comfort unlesse God bids it comfort us: for that is the blessing of it when God must say refresh him, comfort him, strengthen him, or else it cannot doe no good.Ier. 4.24. I am the Lord who shew mercy, judgement and righteousnesse, he shewes mercy not the creatures, Therefore wee had neede to deny our selves in any thing that is contrary to him. The creatures are but instruments, [Page] and you know all instruments worke by some efficacy, which they receive from their efficient cause, they comfort with borrowed comfort, as the ayre inlightens with borrowed light, and the water heats with borrowed heate.

If you get your requests, riches and honours, and pleasures to you, eyther they will be snares to you, or crosses to you, we cannot promise our selves good from them as they come from Gods promise, but onely from his mercy. So on the other side, when we deny our selves, we can have no hurt by them, unlesse God bids them hurt us: let the Axe be never so [Page] keene, yet it will never doe any thing, except the carpenter takes it in his hand and sets to the work, so the tongues of men, though they bee as sharpe as a sword, yet Shimei cannot curse David till God bids him curse him.

Put case that they will 3 hurt you or doe you good, yet all things wherein God bids you deny your selves you must, God hee keepes all things, commit therefore what thou hast to him, put them into his hand. It was the speech of a great and wise man when he fell from the favour of the King, if I had served God, as I have served the King, I had not come to this, that [Page] is, had I committed the Kings favour to Gods keeping I should not have lost it: There is no change here upon earth but there is first a change in heaven: except there bee an eclipse first there, you shall finde none here to helpe you to deny your selves, labour to act these three graces.

1 First the knowledge of God.

2 Secondly Faith.

3 Thirdly love.

1 Labour to act them, stirre up in you first the knowledge of God, consider that you shall finde him worthy, that you should deny any thing for him; consider that hee is the fairest often thousand: As a man faith of [Page] a friend that hath done much for him, that hath ventured his life for him, if that friend should come to him, and aske him any thing, if he have any ingenuity in him, he will say let him have it, for hee is worthy of it, so must wee doe with Christ.1 Cor. 1.12 Thus Paul argues this, I saith that every one of you saith, I am Paul, I am Apollo, I am Cephas, & I am Christ: is Christ divided? was Paul circumcised for you, that is, those men are not to bee named with Christ, hath not hee beene crucified for you? is not worthy to be looked after before other men: So David when hee offered a masse of Gold to the building [Page] of the temple, out of my poverty saith he I have offered unto thee. Why, because hee thought God worthy of all, and more then hee had, therefore he thought himselfe poore.

Secondly Faith, labour to act that, consider the reasons of those great denyers of themselves, they did so more then wee because they beleeved more; what was the reason of Moses selfe denyall; Hee feared not the fiercenesse of the crosse, because hee saw him which was invisible; that is, hee beleeved the anger of God was greater then the anger of, Pharaoh. And that the love of God was greater then [Page] the love of Pharaoh, and therefore hee had an eye unto the recompence of reward; Goe and sell all that thou hast, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; Christ bids the young man in the Gospel, if hee had beleeved he would have done it,Matth. 19.21. for the Saints they suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods, knowing in themselves how they have a better and more enduring substance:Heb. 10.34 So Paul they wondered that hee had endured so much, but he saith therefore wee labour, and are rebuked because wee trust in the living God, which is the Saviour of all men, especially of such as beleeve.

[Page]Let a man stirre up his love, that will make him move him to deny himselfe, we know what is sayd of love there.1 Cor. 13.4.5. Love suffers long, it is bountifull it seeks not her selfe, it will deny her selfe for Christs sake as Paul did. The love of Christ carryed him thorough all bonds;Act. 21.33. and afflictions were nothing to him; if a man would labour to encrease his love, the more love the more selfe denyall, and the more knowledge the readier wee are to deny our selves. Lastly, when you come to any particular case wherein you come to deny your selves, bring arguments, give not over till you have [Page] brought your selves to some conclusion. For this consider these things.

First, put case you deny 1 your selves in any pleasure, you gaine more pleasure by it, for no man ever loosed by denying himselfe, for he doth gaine peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost.

Secondly, consider if you 2 deny your selves you doe wipe away your blot, and it is a great matter to keepe your selves blamelesse with God and spotlesse with the world.

Thirdly if you give way 3 to your inordinate desires you shall bee subject to a hundred indigences, and it is a mans happinesse that [Page] he meets as little as he can, but to stand on his owne bottome.

4 Againe consider if you deny your selves, in such a case, you are freed from the greatest bondage that can be: as Paul said, you will not be brought under the power of any thing by denying your lusts,1 Cor. 6.12 you gaine the greatest freedome that can be.

5 Againe consider if you yeeld to your selves in any thing, where your affection is inordinate there your crosse will be; as Ammons crosse was in his Tamar, 2 Sam. 13. 2 Sam. 18.33. Absoloms in his kingdome, David in his Absolom, 2 Sam. 18. strong affections bring strong afflictions.

[Page]Last of all consider, if you 6 yeeld to such a desire it will never make an end, for you doe but adde fewell to the fire; the greater the fire is, the more fewell it requires, and there is no way to extinguish our desires, but to put out the very sparkes of our lust; therefore in any particular case of lust, never give over till you have brought your selves to this resolution, whether it is best to deny my selfe or not to deny my selfe.

FINIS.

GRACE TO THE HVMBLE. The fifth SERMO [...].

[Page]

[Page]

LVK. 9.23.

And he sayd to them all, if any will come after me, let him deny himselfe, and take up his Crosse daily and follow me.

A Second doctrine is this,Doct. 2. that the wayes of God are full of crosses and difficulties, for Christ would not give [Page] them a warning to no purpose: hee would not tell men that they that come to him, must take up their crosse daily and follow him, unlesse his wayes were full of difficulties.

Doct. 3.The third Doctrine is, That notwithstanding this difficulty wee must goe thorough the wayes of God though they bee never so full of difficulty and crosses.

Reas. 1.They are full of crosses and that in foure respects.

It must needes be so from Gods providence hee hath ordeined so, it is his will that all those that are members of his sonne, and have interest in him, should bee made conformable to his sonne: And hee through [Page] many tribulations entred into the kingdome, so should they, and if there were no other reason wee should rest in this: for in many things wee have no reason but Gods will: As thou hast hid these from the wise and men of understanding, and hast revealed to fooles;Matth. 11.25, 26. even so Father for thy good pleasure was such: and partly hee doth it that there may bee a witnesse borne to the truth: Now there is a twofold witnesse.

First, a witnesse in words which may bee done without crosses.

Secondly, a witnesse in deedes, when with mans blood there is a witnesse [Page] borne to the truth, and this is called a good witnesse; Christs witnesse is a good witnesse,2 Tim. 6.13. before Pontius Pilate, for it is better then that which is in word onely And to this end God sendeth crosses, that hee might give witnesse to the truth. And againe that those that are appointed, might be tryed, that those that are good might bee knowne: As it is sayd of heresies, there must be heresies even among you,1 Cor. 11.19. that they which are approved among you might bee knowne: So it may be said of crosses, there must bee crosses, that the true members might be distinguished from the worldlings, the [Page] Gold from the Copper.

It must needes bee so if 2 wee looke upon the nature of the thing: No duty but hath one crosse joyned with it: If wee come to reprove a man which must be done, yet this will bring losse of credit, friends, liberty, and life, as it did Iohn Baptist: It cost him his life;Matth. 14.10. wee must preach and professe Christ, which will bring trouble, ignominy, and persecution, as it did Paul, as it did Christ, as it did Daniel, wee must keepe the Commandements and walke downe right with God, and yet this will breed us much trouble, this will cause us to be loosers, when others [Page] are gainers: it will cause us to loose many advantages, which we might gaine with wicked consciences.

3 It must needes bee so in regard of the world, the world hates them, the world loves her owne, and they are opposite to them: if they were not opposite to the world, or able to resist their forces it might be otherwise, but the Saints are of low estate, and where the hedge is low every beast will leape over. The godly are Antipodes to the world, they are of a contrary condition, and disposition to the world; and therefore it fareth with them as it did with Christ; when ChristLuk. 2.35. is come then the [Page] thoughts of many hearts shall be opened, that is, to oppose; for before Christ came they thought no hurt, and so it is with the Saints that are the Image of Christ, that have the same spirit with Christ, that doe the same things for kind, though not for degree with Christ.

It must needes bee so in 4 regard of the Saints, they neede this to keepe them in order, they neede humiliation, and they neede a renewing of their repentance, they had neede to bee chastised for their sinnes past; as we see in David, Also to keepe them from future sinnes, that they might keepe the flesh low; for [Page] God does with his Saints as Shepherds do with their sheepe, the Shepherd sometimes sends his dog onely to barke at his sheepe, if that would doe it, but afterwards hee sends his dog to bite them too, onely to keepe them in the right way. So doth God with the Saints to keepe the right way, so that if you joyne all these together, the providence of God, hee will have it so, the nature of the thing, scarce any thing but is hard, the hatred of the world, and the condition of the Saints, that they are to bee kept in the way, from straying out of it, wee shall finde that the wayes of God are full of crosses.

[Page]I adde they are full of 2 difficulties, for as those wor [...]ds, take up your crosse daily and follow, shew they are full of crosses, so these words, you must deny your selfe, shew they are full of difficultie. They are full difficultie in these respects.

First, because the Law of God is a pure Law and straight,Reas. 1. but our natures are corrupt and sold under sin; now when such a nature is to bee brought to such a Law, then there is a difficultie: If the Law were a leaden rule to bee bent to our disposition, then it were not hard, but it is a straite rule and wee must bee conformable to it in all things, [Page] and therefore it is difficult.

2 If we looke upon our affections, they shew that it is a difficult thing; they are apt to be distempered, and quickly stirred up, and when they are distempered, not easily quieted, hardly ruled; our affections are ready to take hold of every twig, to stay us in our wayes; so that our affections are moved upon every occasion, to love when wee should not love, and to love and to over-love, and to joy and over-j [...]y; we are apt to mourne and to overmourne, we are ready to speake and to over speake: As a barrell of Beere if you stirre it, all [Page] that you draw out of it will bee thicke, and taste naughtily, because it was stirred; so it is with a mans affections, they are ready to bee distempered upon every occasion, and then his speech and all his actions are out of order.

In respect of our nature; 3 In a man out of Christ there is a common nature and a corrupt nature; and in a man in Christ there are these two things though there bee something else. Now all the wayes of God, all the duties of new obedience are above common nature, now it is a hard thing to doe a thing beyond our reach, to goe up the hill must needes bee [Page] difficult: & againe they are contrary to corrupt nature, and where contrariety is there must needes bee reluctancy, and where that is, there must needes bee griefe, and all griefe is but a certaine revitency to the will, and where this is there must needes be difficulty.

4 Consider it comparatively and it is difficult, if wee compare Religion with other things; as take other things whereto our natures are agreeable, there is a difficultie in them if they be excellent as manuall arts they are hard. A man must serve apprentiship of seaven yeares, and labour very hard; and so in liberall sciences, to get sciences [Page] is a difficult thing, there is much labour to get much wisedome in these artes, there is much trouble and griefe of the flesh: Now Religion is an art above all, much more harder then all these, and much more difficult.

The varietie of imployments 5 a Christian is occupied in, shewes that the way is difficult, a Christian must bee content to doe every thing, and to suffer any thing, hee must learne to bee in low estate and high estate, to be in riches and poverty, hee must learne to want and to abound, now to doe all this is difficult; may bee a man cares not for poverty, [Page] when hee hath riches, but when riches doe encrease hee sets his minde upon them readily: Its hard for him to resist, the world comming upon him, and though hee can doe this let passe riches too, yet it may be in a matter of praise, he can bee content to have praise, and seeke it where hee should not, and if not so, yet disgrace againe and an ill report that is a hard thing to beare, or againe it may be hee can beare ill report, yet hee hath some thing which hee doth desire much, and hee cannot leave that, some delight that is connaturall to him, some lust that is deare to him, therefore to keepe a mans [Page] heart aright in all must needes be difficult.

And againe the paucity 6 of those that goe with us shew that it is difficult, wee have no company, there are so few to bare us company, and not that onely but the multitude of those that are against us, we goe against the croud, against the streames of the world, and where a multitude is against us, there must needs bee shame cast upon us, though they bee in a wrong way; and this is sufficient to shew there bee many difficulties in the way to heaven. Now there are two questions to bee answered before wee come to the uses.

[Page] 1 This may first be demanded, how this can come to passe that the wayes of God should bee difficult,Quest. whereas the wayes of wisedome are pleasure and all her pathes prosperity,Prov. 3.17. that is, a man takes not a step in the wayes to godlinesse, but there is some delight in them, there is prosperity that attends upon the wayes of godlinesse▪ So againe Christ tells them his yoke in as easie yoke,Mat. 11.30 and his burden is a light burden, and the reward of such as feare the Lord is life, honour and riches.

Answ.For answer to this the wayes of God are pleasant in themselves, and the reason why wee finde them not [Page] so, is from the distemper of our nature, we finde them so distastefull, because of the badnesse of our nature even as you say of meate and drinke, if any man aske you what, is not the meate sweete, yes, but to a weake and sicke stomacke they are most unsavory a sicke man cannot endure meate and drinke, and he takes it for the greatest injury you can doe him to set them before him. And dowe not say of light it is most pleasant? as it is indeede, but if a man have sore eyes, nothing is so unpleasant to him as light: So it is in the wayes of God, they are light they are most pleasant in themselves, but to [Page] those that have sore consciences they are the worst of any things. But are there none that finde this pleasure? yes, there are some that are removed out of their sicknesse, those that have a desire to keepe the Law of God finde this pleasure and content as the Apostle speaketh of wisedome, wee speake among you that are perfect: So we may say of all the wayes of God,1 Cor. 2.6. though to carnall men, to sicke men, to wounded men, to those that have a sore conscience, they are not pleasant, yet to the perfect they are pleasant, that is to those that have attained to the highest [Page] pitch of a godly life, but those that are sincere and upright, for so (perfect) is taken in that place.

If the wayes of God bee so full of difficulty and crosses,Quest. how can a man undergoe them? this is the way to make men affraid of the wayes of God; it is a hard thing for flesh and blood to doe all this, and who shall bee religious, and who shall bee saved, if all this be true.

For answer to this as Christ sayd to his Disciples,Answ. A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heaven, that is, a man that sets his heart upon riches, whose heart is not in his [Page] owne hands should turne when he would; for to doe this to walke in these wayes of God, with man it is impossible while hee is left to his owne strength, yet it is most possible with God, but how is it possible? for answer to this, foure things there are which makes it easie.

It is possible if God give 1 you a new nature, yee shall have new affections, and new delights, if wee have a new Law given us, wee shall have new delights in it, and then wee shall doe it with delight and facility.

2 If you consider that though the toyle of Christians, and it being taken [Page] alone, and it doth make them of all men most miserable, as the Apostle saith, if we have our reward here we are of all men most miserable,1 Cor. 15.17. yet if you put into the other end of the ballance, that which wee have for reward, that wch. accompanies the paines, they are made sweete. As it is with the Merchant man, tell him of the danger he must undergoe, then it is difficult for him to undertake, but he considering the gaine hee shall get by his travaile undertakes it: And so the covetous man greeves to breake his ease, but the gaine sweetens all the toyle, for we say, Finis dat amabilitatem medijs, let [Page] a man looke to the end, and it will sweeten the whole labour: So Phisicke though it bee bitter, yet considering it procureth our health, it is easily taken of us. Though the wayes of God are odious to the flesh, yet if we looke to the crop, the gaines, the victory that followeth, then wee may walke in them with ease.

3 If the burthen be heavy yet if a man have a new sufficient strength given him, hee rasily beares it. If you put a heavy burthen upon a child having but a childes strength it will presse him downe, but give a man strength and he will easily bare it. Set a man to doe a work and if he have no skill [Page] then it is hard to be done; but if he have skil & the art, then hee doth it with ease, so if God give strength equall to the burthen, which he layeth on us, then wee doe it with ease: if God give new habits, new graces, wch abilitate us & make us to beare the burthen.

For a man to part with 4 the things, that are pleasant to him according to the the flesh, with the things that he prizeth much, that he thinkes his life, and his safetie consists in, while he thinkes of them, thus it is hard to deny himselfe: but let a man bee enlightned once and they bee shewed him, to be onely as vanishing things; while hee sees [Page] them as vanitie hee will dispise them; and therefore the Scripture calls them [...]; no man grieves at the flowers which are within his hand; or for the losse of some counters, or false treasure, or that the shadow perisheth. Now the things of the world are like to these as Saint Iames saith,Iam. 1.10. The rich shall vanish away as the flower of the grasse, that is, though hee be glorious for a time in the sight of all men, and in his owne conceite, yet this beauty presently perisheth, and so a man must reckon of his treasure, but as some counter or counterfeit treasure, as that place declares. IfLuk. 16.11 we have not beene faithfull [Page] in the unrighteous Māmon, who wil trust us in the true treasure? intimating that the other is but a false treasure, that is, that it is but Copper, that is, but a counter, it is but a counterfeit thing: So againe the things of this world are but shadowes, the best of the wicked are but as a shadow; now when one comes home to Christ hee sends his Spirit into his heart, to inlighten him, which shewes him the vanitie of these earthly things, and then hee is willing to part with them.

Now wee come to the use of it;Vse. 1. first then learne hence to prepare for crosses [Page] make account of them, that is wee must not looke for pleasure here, seeke for great things here, our great things are layd up in heaven.Ioh. 16.33. In the world saith Christ yee shall have trouble, that is, here you shall have crosses, if you will be downe right in your profession, and walke in the streight way of the Gospel; you must resolve to part with those things that are most pleasant to you, and to undergoe those things which are most unpleasant to you, when you resolve to serve God with a perfect heart, you must make account to beare whatsoever crosses shall come; and if any better thing come you [Page] must count that as gaine; looke about and consider what is deare to you and resolve to leave it: And know that when the knot is tied between God and you and the band be made, then you are engaged to this; it may be God will not bring you to it, but you must howsoever prepare for it; shall a souldier goe to war and not make account of enemies? hee is no good souldier that resolves not to dye in battell: shall a Pilote goe to Sea and not resolve for a tempest? Aristotle speaks of a fortitude which comes from ignorance when they see the thing more difficult, and their strength lesse then they [Page] thought of, they presently desist; and so wee finde it with many Christians because they considered not before of the danger, they leave off the good way that they began to walke in; many a man goes out of Egypt, leaves the flesh, and resolves to take a new course but hee dyes by the way, and never arriveth at heaven, by reason of the difficultie he meeteth with never expected, therefore say with your selves though Sommer be now, yet Winter may come, though it be faire to day, yet wee know not but a storme may come before night, prepare therefore for a storme in a faire day.

[Page]We should learne hence not to mistake the wayes of God,Vse. 2. for though the wayes of God bee full of crosses, then certainly that is not the way to heaven, which most men goe;Luk. 6.25. it is not for naught that our Saviour saith, cursed be you that have your heaven here, and that laugh here, the meaning of those words is this, as if he should say, it is impossible to bee a true Christian indeede, and enjoy that carnall pleasure, wealth, and ease that others doe, otherwise there were no end of those words if they might bee joyned together: The rich men are blamed for that they lived in pleasure on the earth, [Page] yee have lived in pleasure upon the earth: and in wantonnesse you have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter, that is, you may looke for pleasure in heaven, but if you looke for pleasure here on earth you shall never goe to heaven. And if you goe to a place, and if it should be told you that the way is full of danger, of narrow bridges and stiles, full of theeves and syrens, baytes to entice you away, if you meete with none of all these, you may justly suspect you are put out of your way; so it is here, for if the way of God be such a way, a way full of difficulties and full of crosses, and you enjoy [Page] pleasure and ease, you may conclude you are out of the way.

I but this is to such as are indiscreet,Object. that know not when to speake, and when to hold their peace? but will not discretion helpe me? & yet if not that? will not a mans innocency and good parts helpe him out?

I answer, none of all those will doe it:Answ. If you looke upon David, he was a man of as great wisedome and discretion as men are usually capeable of, and it is sayd of him that David behaved himselfe wisely,1 Sam. 18.5. and was accepted in the sight of all the people, and hee was a man of excellent [Page] parts,1 Sam. 18.5. an excellent souldiour, an excellent musitian and he had honour enough too. David hath slaine his 10000. and yet for all this, he was subject to the obloquies of men. And if this example will not serve the turne, then looke to Iesus Christ, in him there was no want of wisedome, in him there was no want of goodnesse, and yet hee was thus opposed: therefore you must be so farre from thinking your selves freed from troubles, and crosses by your discretion, innocency and good parts, that you must bee resolved on the contrary, that the more you have of these, the more you are liable to the crosse, and [Page] there is good reason for it, for if the object be greater the more the facultie is exercised above it. Now goodnesse and holinesse is the object of the worlds hatred, the more of this goodnesse and holinesse you have, the more the world hates you: And the more you grow in grace, the more opposition you will have. The world loves her owne, therefore in what measure a man is not the worlds, in that measure the world hates him: and therefore take heed of mistaking the wayes of God; and you have more reason to looke to it now at the receiving of the Sacrament: for if you bee in this [Page] way, many thinke if they sinne and aske God forgivenesse they may come to the Sacrament; but that is not enough; you must remember that whosoever takes Christ as a Saviour, must take him as a Lord too: you finde these two words joyned together, the Lord our Saviour; and what God hath joyned let no man seperate; that is, he that will have Christ as a Saviour,Matth. 10.5. must have him as a Lord too: many will serve Christ as retainers doe; they will attend on their Master on Sabboth dayes, and Holy-dayes, and weare their Liveries, but will not doe any other service all the weeke, so wee would [Page] take Christ for our Saviour, to have the use and benefit of him, but wee are not willing to serve him, wee are loath to take him as an husband, for better for worse to subject our wills to his: some come to the feast without their wedding garments of their conjugall love. There are two things in that wedding garment. First, shee that 1 will marry another must divorce her selfe from all other. Secondly, she must 2 love her husband. So it must be in the love of Iesus Christ; 1 Cor. 16.22. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ, let him be an Anathema, Maran-atha; wee must love him indeede downe right, [Page] wee must love him in good earnest; as a chast wife loves her hu [...]band; wee must not part with him; where there is error personae there is no marriage: so many men marry themselves to an imaginary Christ, they mistake Christ, and therefore the marriage hold not; except your righteosnesse, that is, you that are in Christ, and are justified by him, except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot bee saved. There must bee Pauls disposition in us, Lord what wilt thou that I doe? what should I suffer for thee.

Vse 3.Hence wee learne not to [Page] bee discouraged from any exercise, for any crosse that followes it, or difficultie that is in it, because these are necessary companions of doing good, they will not be seperated: for it may be many a man hath a good meaning; hee would doe such and such a thing, but hee shall loose such and such an advantage, he shall suffer such and such a disgrace; but this you must not doe, for these are knit together; duties, crosses, and difficulties: we finde it in the Scriptures sayd of good Kings, that they turned not to the right hand nor to the left, that is, a man must walke in a streight course, he shall meete with [Page] Lyons, and with stormes, but hee must not bawke them, but he must grapple with the Lyon, if hee withdraweth himselfe, as the Apostle speaketh in the name of God,Heb. 10.29 my soule shall have no pleasure in him; simple doing is not worth the doing, but the crosse hath the blessing. Againe to what end have we grace and the Spirit, but to raise us up to higher degrees of parts, we heare of men that shall seeke out adventures: Souldiers are glad when they have occasions who shall scale the walls, who shall first set upon the breach. For ought I see Luther was so farre from fearing disgrace, [Page] as that he rejoyced in it, and the Apostle not to bee excepted against; thus Saint Paul counted it a great grace, and counted the Philippians happy that they had occasion to exercise this grace. Let us not draw our selves into difficult matters, for Christ knowes our worke, and our opportunitie. And you know this you shall be punished, as well for omission as for commission; for sinfull silence, as well as for corrupt talke. There is a prize in the hand of a foole and he knowes not how to use it; for every opportunity to doe good is as a particular talent, as a prize for the use of which wee must be [Page] countable: such as fought not the Lords battailes were accursed as well as such as fought amisse, and the fearefull and unbeleeving are shut out from heaven: And remember this, that barren trees shall bee cut down as well as thornes and bryers,Reve. 21.8. for the Text saith, they keepe the ground idle: Many a man set in a great place doth nothing, but another in his place having his opportunitie would have done much, why hinders hee the good. It was the Prophets complaint, no man is bold for the truth. Many have good opportunities, but no courage. As wee say of Hartes they have great [Page] hornes, but they doe nothing, quia deest annimus, because they want courage. And remember when you have taken such a person as Christ upon you, you must doe the things beseeming such a great person. Thus a man should bee ready to say as Saint Paul saith: It is better for mee to dye, then to hinder the Gospel of Christ any way. The keeping of a good conscience is our treasure, the best flower in our garden, wee had better loose all then this: let a man so reckon of it, let a man consider what is every man that is a Christian, he is a pearle among common stones; his works [Page] and actions must not be the same with theirs. As wee say a mud wall might bee made of any thing, of any rubbish, but if a man will make a pallace hee must take the best and finest stones; so to make a temple for the holy Ghost, there must be holy affections, a new frame and temperature, your words must bee changed with your behaviour, if you be of Christ you must set upon greater things, then others doe.

Object.But it will bee objected, I shall doe no good by doing of this; if I should doe any good by it, I would willingly doe it.

Answ.But to this I answer that [Page] it is nothing howsoever; whether you doe good by it or no, you must doe it, for it is your deare friend, and besides witnesse must bee borne to the truth: which you may doe, though you attaine not to your end; and againe consider though you doe mee no good, yet you have your reward; as the Physi [...]ian looseth not his reward though the patient dye. The Lawyer is not deprived of his fee, however the case goe. So let a man indeavour and though the successe answer not his intent, yet hee hath reward.

But you will say the times are so evill,Object. that it is not to no end to goe about [Page] such a thing now.

Answ.But this must bee quite otherwise, for in coldest weather the fire is hottest; now in such a time God hath neede of some to stand for him. The more evill the times are the more couragious you should shew your selves in Gods causes.Object. I but I am alone.Answ. So was Luther, when he began he was alone, and Elias hee was alone, and though you bee alone, you know not what good you may do, you [...]e on [...] cole kindles another, and that another, and you know not how farre it may goe. And againe consider the Prophet complaines of these, thereEzek. 22.30. is not any that could [...] [Page] most pitch you can, for if you doe otherwise, your labour will bee to short for the worke.

If Religion bee so crosse and opposite to our nature,Vse 5. learne hence to humble our selves; if Religion be good, then the contrary to it must needs be bad, which is our nature, we must not runne out as a mans heart would doe, to say they are streight Lawes, Lawes made with blood, and God is a hard God, a hard Master, but learne on the other side to returne to our selves, and say, what natures have we, that we cannot walke in the wayes of God, without this difficultie, say with Saint Paul, the Law is spirituall, [Page] but I am carnall and sold under sinne; we must humble our selves, and not exalt our selves as many doe, and say wee are but flesh and blood, we doe as much as we can, our minde and intention is good: but we must humble our selves, when you finde Religion opposite to you, and you opposite to Religion and God, thinke that out of this contrariety must needs come Gods hatred, looke to his pure nature, and your impure affections, and sure they must needes breede an Antypathie betweene him and us; therefore we cannot but bee loathsome to God, and hee must needes hate us; now wee should [Page] confirme our judgements to God, and loathe, hate, and abhorre our selves, for the evill disposition that is in us, and every time that you come to an holy duty, as to pray, and you finde backwardnesse in your selves, when you come to speake profitably, and you finde a contrarietie in you, when you come to heare the word, and you finde a lumpishnesse in your hearts, this should humble you, this should open as it goes a new crevice of light to you, which makes us to see our misery, and long after Christ and prize him: we should humble our selves that God may lift us up; for God giveth grace to the [Page] humble, this advantage wee may get by the sight of our owne vilenesse.

Vse 6.Hence we may learne to justifie the truth of our Religion; if it had beene the device of Polititians they would have had one of these two ends, either to please themselves, or else to get a multitude of followers; so to make something of themselves: but you shall finde Religion to have in it that which is contrary to a mans desire; it crosses his will, it crosses his opinion, it crosses his affections and intentions; and takes his ends, his profit his credit, and his pleasure. And besides, there is nothing [Page] in it to draw our nature after it, but it is contrary to it. Take them that are fishers and fowlers, they alwayes use baites that are agreeable to the Fish, and the Fowle. This is not the way that Christ hath taken. In his Word there is nothing to draw our nature, but quite opposite to it: wee must deny our selves, wee must bee ready to part with all, and become other men, and we shall mee [...]e with crosses every day and hee that followes Christ must looke for them: This puritie in the whole booke of God contrary to man, and these infinite crosses here foretold may helpe us to make [Page] an argument to confirme us in the present truth.

Doct. 4.The last Doctrine that these words afford us is this, that all that are Christs Disciples must follow him, that is, although this be required that you must deny your selves, and take up your crosse, though difficulty hang upon Religion, yet you must goe through all: All that are Christians, all that will have any benefit by Christ, must tread in his steps, must bee made like Christ.Rom. 8.29. God hath predestinated them which hee knew to bee conformed to the image of his Sonne, that he might be the first borne among many brethren; that is, God will have all his [Page] Sonnes of one fashion; as parents will put their children in one fashion, masters their servants in one livery, so God will have you like his eldest Sonne, he will have no iniquality: Indeede there is inequality for degrees, but God will have an equality for fashion, hee will have a perfection for parts, though not for degrees that hee may bee the first borne among many brethren; that is, every man that will bee saved, must looke what Christ did, that must hee doe. As Gideon sayd to his Souldiers,Iudg. 8.17. looke what yee see me doe, doe yee likewise: for I am your guide and captaine whom you [Page] must follow, when you see me blow the trumpets, and when yee see me break the pitchers doe you so. So when Abimelech cut downe bowes,Iudg. 9.48. all his people did doe the like, so saith Christ, whatsoever you see mee doe that doe yee, for he is our Captaine, he is our Prince, hee is the Generall of the Army, and all that will bee victors must bee obedient unto him, as Souldiers are unto their Generall, which is the strictest obedience that is, they must keepe their watch and stations, oppose all dangers, fight when hee will have them, turne this or that way as hee commands, and every relation [Page] that replies, following is found in him; hee is the guide, the guide of our feete, our Lord, our Master, our Captaine, our Father, our Husband. Hee saith this to all his Disciples follow mee; that is, as if hee should say, there are two sorts of men in the world, some stragling people, as sheepe without Shepherds: Malantes milites, as Souldiers without a Captaine, Masterlesse servants, as wandring beggars, of which not onely our high wayes, but also our cities and streets are full; that is, they are idle persons that make a conscience of nothing, that sweare, that breake the [Page] Lords day: They are priviledged persons, they may doe what they will, I have nothing to doe with them. But there are another sort of men, that have given up their names to Christ to be his servants, such as you are must follow mee, you have a rule to goe by, that is Christ.

Quest.But is Christ our rule? the Law is our rule; have we two rules?

Answ.It is true the Law is our rule? but Christ is the rule of that rule: Christ and that Law differ, as Christ and the example, as in our Grammer and Logicke, you have the rule and the example: So it is here, the Law is the rule, and [Page] Christ is the example.

But Christ is an high example, he is to high for us,Object. wee can never attaine to him, and take away the hope and take away the the indeavour; Tolle spem & tolle conatum.

To this I answer,Answ. that though it bee so that wee shall never attaine to him, yet it is best that there should bee an high example; for the best coppy is the best helpe: And so those that learne to write, wee set the best coppy to them that begin to write, and there is reason for it; because a man cannot hit the marke, therefore shall I set him a wrong marke: so because a man could not doe according to the rule, [Page] therefore shall I set him a false rule? And againe it is necessary that wee should have him for an example, though hee be so high that wee may bee still on progresse, goe on further still in godlinesse, and it is not expected that wee should doe all at the present, but that we should be still mending and turne to the right rule, and last of all it is needfull you should have such an example set you, that you may bee kept humble, it will shew us our defects when wee compare our selves with our selves, or other men we thinke somewhat of our selves: But when wee compare our selves with Christ, then [Page] wee are humbled, as Peter when hee once saw him in his purity, and his majesty that confounded him, Lord I am a sinfull man, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come to me.

But you will object it is [...]ue indeede;Object. if Christ had [...]ived among us as among [...]he Apostles, if hee would [...]ead us by his hand, but he is taken from us and how should we doe?

But to answer to this,Answ. know that though hee bee gone, he hath left his Spirit and that Spirit is put into your hearts, and that Spirit will guide you, that is, it will be as a monitour behind your backes to tell you this is the way, walke [Page] in it, when we are stragling out of it, it lusteth against the flesh: this Spirit all those that are in Christ have, because you are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts:Gal. 4.6. Rom. 8.9. If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his: that is, every man that comes to him, though hee be taken from him, yet he sends his Spirit into his heart, and tells him the way, the Spirit shall lea [...] you into all truth. Though in speciall it led the Apostles, yet in fundamentall points it shall lead them all that are the servants of Christ.

Object.But this is an uncertaine [Page] rule, I may bee deceived in it; I may take the suggestion of the Divell for the evidence of the Spirit.

But to try you have the word for a rule,Answ. the Spirit dictates nothing but agreeing to the word; if it agree with the word it is from the Spirit.

But yet you will say the words of the Spirit are but remote guides,Object. they are but intellectuall things: Therefore there are more sensible guides,Answ. the lives of the Saints which are written for our instruction; and wee have many living Saints, the present Saints that live among these are helpes to you, these are companions in your wayes [Page] these are good lights to follow: God hath not left himselfe destitute, but hee hath Saints in every nation, where the Gospell is preached: But this caution you must take, that the Saints may erre from the way and straggle a little from it Therefore you must follow them as that you must fix your eyes upon Christ, because he onely is the Author and finisher of your faith, that is, as hee began the doctrine of faith, and taught us the rules of it, so hee hath consummated it, and left us examples to follow: it is not so with men, for that rule is most true. Non est ejusdem & inv [...]nire & preficere artem. [Page] Take the most learned man though hee found out an art, yet he never finished it, yet Christ hath done this: Therefore looke to him; though there be a cloud of witnesses as a cloud went before the Egyptians, yet Christ is the surest guide: But further to explaine this I will shew you two things.

First, what it is to follow?1

Secondly, whom you 2 are to follow; first the act, and then whom you are to follow.

First what it is to follow,1 and thus I may briefly describe it to you:A description of following. To follow Christ is nothing but to resolve, to doe and suffer willingly, [Page] and withall our heart what hee commands, &c. There are foure difficult things put together in this description, which are to be handled severally.

I say to follow Christ, is nothing but to resolve, that is, when you come to Christ once, you must have a minde to goe which way soever hee will lead you: wee must not reason with flesh and blood, but be obedient to him, not knowing whether we goe, as a man that goes into a strange county, hee puts himselfe into another mans hands, saying I will follow thee; bee the wayes what they will hee is resolved to goe through rough and plaine, [Page] thicke and thinne, whether his place bee dangerous or safe, hard or easie, such a resolution must they have that follow Christ, there must be no mincing, no excepted place, I will follow thee but not in this path, but not in this place, as the Apostle speaketh you have obeyed from the heart to the whole forme of doctrine whereunto you have beene delivered;Rom. 6.17. that is, there is a whole forme of doctrine, every jot of this must be obeyed, Christ hath delivered you to obey it, that is, to this end Christ hath redeemed you from hell and death, that you may obey the whole passage of it; not picke and [Page] chuse, but whatsoever hee doth command wee must resolve to obey, whatsoever way hee lead to follow him, may be hee will lead through poverty and infamy, and disgrace, & hatred of all men, and imprisonment. Therefore I say wee must resolve to doe and suffer, for indeede suffering is but a higher degree of doing, as the Philosopher well sayd, bare suffering is not laudable, but so farre as a man acts in his suffering, that is, some actions there are that require but simple obedience, but in some actions you must suffer if you will doe them, the good ground brings forth fru [...]te with patience, that is, many [Page] duties have crosses joyned with them, with patient bearing they bring forth fruite.Heb. 12.1. Runne with patience the race that is set before you;Rom. 2.7. so we render it continuance, the originall is by patience in well doing. So God sent Annanias to tell Paul, Act. 9.16. what hee must suffer at Damascus, I will shew how many things hee must suffer for my names sake. So it is with every one that is called home to Christ. There are certaine things that hee must doe and suffer, that he must resolve to doe and suffer. Secondly hee must resolve to doe and suffer willingly and with all his heart: There is a kinde of [Page] following which proceeds from a naturall inclination, as the leafe the bow, the Iron, the loadstone, they can doe no otherwise: thus must you follow Christ.

But you will say have we flesh in us which is backward and untoward, and therefore wee cannot follow Christ so willingly. But as wee say a Beare followes to the stake obtorto collo, against his will, and this is found in the Saints as it is sayd of Peter, when thou art old another shall stretch forth thine hand,Ioh. 21.18. and ano [...]her shall gird thee, and leade thee whether thou wouldest not. Christ tells him there of his death, and that hee should leade him whether hee would [Page] not, now Peter was a Martyr, and wee cannot thinke but that he dyed and suffered Martyrdome willingly:Answ. but yet hee should bee led whether he would not, that is, whether his flesh would not: it is true the flesh cannot thus willingly follow Christ: therefore you must if you would follow Christ aright, finde something in you, that you should follow Christ, with propensivenesse and willingly: to expresse this I have added these other words, with all your heart, wee finde expressed in the old Testament by three phrases, love the Lord with all your minde, with all your heart, and with all [Page] 1 your might, first, with all your minde, that is, your 2 understanding; secondly, with all your heart, that is, 3 your affections; thirdly with all your might, that is, with your executive power. Wee are to follow him with all our minde, and I rather use these three, because the word (follow) is applyed to all these, some are sayd to be followers of such whose opinions they follow. As those that follow Aristotle and Ramus: So some are sayd to follow Paul, some Apollos, but we must follow Christ: thus wee must follow his opinions his tenents, keepe close to his word, that is, wee should consider what Christ [Page] sayd, what the Scripture saith, for otherwise it is no faith, for is fides fundatur in ore Dei; wee must not take things on trust, wee must not receive such a truth, because such a writer set it downe; but wee must see what warrant it hath in the word of God, otherwise we are not rooted in the faith, we are to have an estimation of orthodoxall fathers, but we are to fix our eyes on Christ. As for example the doctrine of justification, this you may learne out of writings, but you must see what footing it hath in the Scriptures, or else when our strong adversaries set upon us wee [Page] shall quickly be convinced: And againe you must doe it that when you preach the Word of God, you may have more authority: when one creature hath to deale with another it hath no authority, but when God hath to deale with the creature, hee doth much prevaile.

2 We use to say some follow such a man whom they desire to imitate: for there are some who in their opinions are higher then the rest of whom wee thinke that all that they doe is comely; and this is that second way of following Christ to love him, when wee affect whatsoever wee see him doe, and whatsoever [Page] wee see of him in his servants, that is, we must so imitate them as that our imitation may bee referred to Christ, when wee see the image of Christ in them, we must take heede that wee adhere not to the creature, but say it is a sparke and glympse of Christ; I will follow him: But above all take heede of the contrary, when wee see something of Christ rising in their conversation, that wee doe not despise and contemne him: It is the world that hates the godly. We are to follow him with 3 all our might, that is, with al our executive powers; that is, whatsoever wee doe, whatsoever we act, whatsoever [Page] wee take in hand, wee must follow him, when a man followes another mans counsell, he will follow that and nothing but that, as courtiers follow the King, when any one aske us a thing wee must pause upon it, to see whether it be Gods will or not: As it is sayd of David, I have a man after mine owne heart, &c. on this manner wee should follow Christ; wee must follow him at all times, for there are uncertaine times, when it is easie to follow Christ; but there are some difficult when you are put to an exigent, when there is some difficultie in following Christ, now you must not picke and chuse, [Page] but you must take him for better and worse, there are some brunts as we may see, shunne not them. If Daniel might have spared himselfe, in such a brunt as this, he might have spared himselfe in all, but wee see it might not doe it: If Mordicai could have bowed to the Kings favorite which doubtlesse hee could not doe, then he he neede not have procured that displeasure. Moses might have enjoyed Pharaohs pleasure, if in some particulars hee might have granted to him, but he might not: we must not doe as many servants doe with their masters, run from them when harvest comes in, when labour [Page] begins; for if we doe wee may feare Christ will say to us, as such masters say to such servants. If you will stay from mee when I most neede you, I will not keepe you all the yeare besides when I have no neede of you, and therefore take heede of it. If a man out of fearefulnesse in such times shall not follow Christ, he shall receive no reward. A souldiour when the battaile comes flees from his colours, but hee can bee content to take his wages and lye in quietnesse and peace: take heede of forsaking Christ when the battaile comes, that is, when there comes something dangerous to the [Page] flesh: you must resolve to follow Christ thus. Christ tells you that if you follow him, that he hath no houses, no lodging, no earthly content, neither must you looke for any, your will and advantage must be spirituall. In the world you shall have trouble: Hee dealeth with man in this case as Naomi dealt with Ruth;Ruth 1. wee see how shee dealt with her, shee bids her goe to returne againe, and tells her shee was too old to beare children, &c. and then shee sets upon her againe; Behold thy sister is gone backe, and wilt thou goe alone? At length Ruth gives her this answer, that nothing but death should [Page] part, I will goe, &c. and there shee rests: After this manner Christ deales with us, when men come to follow him, he tells them they must looke for no Riches, as to the young man in the Gospell, goe and sell all that thou hast and then come to mee, you must looke for no ease. The Foxes have holes, and the birds of the ayre have nests, but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head, you must looke for many crosses; but if hee meete with such a one that saith, naught but death shall part thee and mee, such an one Christ receiveth, such an one God accepteth. So that it is as it was with the [Page] Israelites, if any one were faint hearted, he should not goe up to battaile, for they would doe no good, and then also they weakned others: So wee say to all men we tell you now what it is to follow Christ, you must go to warre with him, and wee tell you, if you be faint hearted, you must not come under the banner, if you will not follow Christ through the love and hatred of all men, through poverty and riches, you will doe no good, but discourage others.

Wee must follow Christ 4 all manner of wayes, now for the meaning of this last it is this, that is, those two-wayes, inwardly and outwardly, [Page] and there is difficultie 1 in both: you must follow Christ inwardly; whom I serve with my Spirit saith Paul, that is, I doe not onely doe the outward worke, but I serve him with my Spirit, it is a hard thing to doe so, it were nothing, if wee were onely to doe the outward worke, but wee must doe it with our spirits, that is, when your conscience shall tell you within you, such a duty you must not omit, such vaine glory you must not seeke, such pleasure you must part with: then so to doe that duty is to follow Christ inwardly; to approve all the inward affections of your hearts to God, [Page] who searcheth the inmost windings of the Spirit, that is difficult, many might goe well away were it not for the inward lust.

You must doe it outwardly, that is, you must professe his name, and that you must doe before a wicked and adulterous generation, when there is difficulty, shame and disgrace, then wee must follow Christ: so this was the occasion of these words, If you will venture to follow me, know this, that I must suffer many things at Ierusalem; therefore deny your selves and take up your crosse daily and follow me. Many a man will follow Christ, but he will follow him a far [Page] off, hee will follow him without his livery, that men should not know whose servant he is, but he that will follow Christ must follow his colours before all men openly: hee that will bee ashamed of me, saith Christ, I will bee ashamed of him before my father which is in heaven; wee are fallen into such times as it is easier to follow Christ inwardly then outwardly, when men are ashamed to make shew of so much as is within them, whereas heretofore times were such as men should make a shew of more then hee had. So wee see what it is to follow Christ, consisting in these foure things. [Page] First, to doe whatsoever he 1 commands. Secondly to do 2 it with all our hearts, that is, wi [...]h all our mindes, with all our soule, & with all our might. Thirdly, to follow 3 him at all times. Fourthly, all manner of wayes.4

The second thing is what is to be followed, and that is Christ, that is, to follow his example, and to follow his p [...]ecep [...]s, but this in the generall is to little purpose, therefore I will picke some speciall examples, & some speciall precepts wherein wee are to follow Christ, therefore you shall finde these things in Christ example.

First, hee was abundant in love which hee shewed [Page] many wayes, hee shewed it by giving a life for us, no greater love then to give himselfe for us, when wee were his enemies, when there was no worth nor goodnesse in us, hee shed his blood for us.Rom. 5. So it was shewed partly in his aptnesse to giving.Acts 20.35 Paul relates this as a love saying of our Saviour: It is better to give then to receive. And what hee sayd no doubt he preached: againe another fruit of his love was to forgive, no disgrace no contumely so great, but hee easily passed it by: So in the greatest despite of all his crucifying hee easily forgave them that crucified him. And another [Page] thing wherein his greatest love was seene, was his great compassion, his bowels rowled in him. Hee was compassionate both to mens soules and bodies: So on other bodies,Matth. 9.36. hee tooke compassion on them as sheepe having no shepherd: So when hee saw the people fainting after they had followed three dayes,Mark 6.38 hee had compassion on their bodies; he wrought a miracle to helpe them,Col. 3.12, 13. he fed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes▪ And this is that that is commended to us in Christ, Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels, &c. And so I say to you [Page] labour to abound in love, in love to God, and in love to one another, bee ready to doe any kindnesse, and forgive any unkindnesse, let your bowels melt over other mens miseries, have a tender compassion for other mens sins especially in ministers labour to have a love to all mankind, for it is love that edifies, knowledge that puffeth up, and it is that which Saint Iohn moveth us unto in his Epistles; love one another, yea transgressions and any offences wee must forgive them even as Christ forgave us our sinnes; If there be any infirmities we must passe by them as Christ passed by ours, that [Page] is, your failings towards Christ are ten times more then mens failings towards you, he forgave you, therefore doe you forgive them, and this love must be renewed at the Sacrament, &c.

Hee was one that sought no praise of men, no applause,2 no vaine glory, hee desired not to be some body in the eyes of men, which appeares by this, all which he did hee laboured to hide, that which was excellent in him, observing his miracles, charging those in whom he wrought them to be silent: Hee endured the Crosse and despised the shame, that is, when he was mocked he despised [Page] it; so should we despise the shame, marke the word despised the shame, endured the Crosse, because that was a heavy burden, and he endured the shame. There will still be Ishmaels that will mocke the Isaacks of God, false nicknames and approbrious speeches will be cast on such as make profession of Religion: But despise the shame, alas shame is but a chip of the Crosse;Object. but why did Christ despise it? hee had an eye to the recompence of reward, that is, when a man beholds God, and lookes upon heaven having such great things in his eyes, hee cares not what men say, and if you despise you w [...]ll [Page] despise credit as Christ did, as that deede of his shewes more pl [...]inely.Luk. 23.8.11. Herod desires to see him, Pilate sent him to him, and so expected some miracle of him but Christ would doe no miracle, so that Herod his men of warre despised him: Now here a man is more put to it, when men expect somthing from him, when hee is ingaged for his credit to doe something then to despise this, and omit this opportunity is a great thing. Hee was despised of Herod, and of his men of warre, hee despised obloquies & the reproach of men, and also praise of men; for it was but an empty thing; but [Page] let the prayse of God bee great in your eyes.

3 Thirdly, hee was exceeding obedient to his Father, if God would have him dye on the Crosse which was a great matter, hee would doe it: So in drinking of the cup hee seemed unwilling something, but yet since his Father had mingled it hee would doe it, this is obedience, when we doe what God would have us doe? wee would have health but God puts us in sicknesse; hee afflicts us with sharpe diseases: this is the cup that my Father hath mingled for me, and I will drinke. And another part of his obedience is in this; [Page] when he had sent forth his Disciples, when they brought in poore fellowes he thanked God for it; of which there could bee no other reason rendred but his Fathers will.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

Grace to the humble· As preparations to receive the Sacrament. Preached by the late famous preacher Iohn Preston, Doctor of Divinity, and chaplen in ordinary to his Mtie. Master of Immanuel Colledge, and sometimes preacher in Lincolnes-Inne.

Preston, John, 1587-1628.

Edition statement

1639

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A09971

ID [STC]

STC 20228

ID [STC]

ESTC S106423

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99842139

ID [PROQUEST]

99842139

ID [VID]

6769

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A09971)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 6769)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 585:10)

Source

— Grace to the humble· As preparations to receive the Sacrament. Preached by the late famous preacher Iohn Preston, Doctor of Divinity, and chaplen in ordinary to his Mtie. Master of Immanuel Colledge, and sometimes preacher in Lincolnes-Inne., Preston, John, 1587-1628..

Extent

[2], 177, [1] p.

Printed by Tho. Cotes, for Michael Sparke Iunior, and are to be sold at the signe of the Blue Bible in Greene Arbour,. London :: 1639.. (A different version of "The doctrine of self-denial" in "Three godly and learned treatises" (STC 20221.7).) (Reproduction of the original in the Folger Shakespeare Library.)

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