The saints security against seducing spirits, or, The anointing from the Holy One the best teaching : delivered in a sermon at Pauls before the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of London, upon the fifth of November, 1651 / by William Ames ...

The saints security against seducing spirits, or, The anointing from the Holy One the best teaching : delivered in a sermon at Pauls before the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of London, upon the fifth of November, 1651 / by William Ames ...

Table of contents

Title page

TO The RIGHT HONOURABLE, IOHN KENDRICK, Lord MAJOR, and the Right Worshipfull the Aldermen of the City of LONDON.

§

§

[Page]

1 John 2. 20.‘But yee have an Vnction from the Holy One, and yee know all things.’

THere hath been of old an irreconcileable feud between light and darkness, between good and evill,Truth and Error at enmity. and wheresoever truth hath had it's dwelling there error and falshood have endeavoured to intrude themselves; so that no sooner was truth incarnate in the Person of our Lord Iesus, but Antichrist, yea many Antichrists did arise and set themselves against it; sed magna fuit Veritas & praevalebat, Truth was great and did prevaile. But when error and falshood did perceive that Truth remained invulnerable in the Person of Christ, they betake themselves to his posterity, and the seed of the Serpent doth conflict and try it out with the seed of the Woman; yet still the victory hath been given on the Saints side. But such was the malice of Truths great Adversary, the Prince of darkness, that he would not onely not lay down the Tucklers, but that he might appear to deserve the name of Apollyon and Abaddon, Hee hath left no means unattempted, and hath more curiously sought out and invented how Hee might yet (if possible) carry the day against the Truth; and to carry on his undertaking hath projected two ways eminently, whereby either to Bannish Truth wholly out of the world, or to stop her growth and progresse in the world. The one hath been by open force and violence, Antichrists double designe. to persecute [Page] the persons of those who have professed themselves to be Truth's subjects; whereby he might at once make them weary of their profession, and deter and affright others from entertaining that Truth which was thus persecuted in those that did profess it.

The other way hath been by secret subtilty and cunning Sophistrie to undermine and imbase the Truth, to mixe his poyson with Gods wine, whereby Hee might with less difficulty either cheat the Professors, and owners of it, or at least hinder the Genuine and naturall effect which pure Truth should have upon the mindes of men. But upon all the glory there hath been a protection and defence, and this defence hath been the munition of Rocks.

First, 1 Open violence. That there have been violent assaults upon the persons of the Saints for the Truths sake, I need not fetch an argument from farr to demonstrate unto you: Every one that we meet withall is able to tell us of those primitive persecutions, and to relate unto us ruefull stories of the bloody Massacres that have been abroad. Who amongst us is ignorant of those Smith-field Butcheries, and those whole-burnt-offerings of holy men, which the bloody Priests of Rome did offer to their great Idol? What shall we say to this dayes rehearsall of those not invincible Armadoes, those Powder-plots and conspiracies, those armies and insurrections, those wars and tumults, which have threatned as with open mouth, to swallow up and devoure whole Nations, and Common-wealths, where Iesus Christ hath had his worshippers? Certainly nothing herein is so wonderfull as this, that Christ hath yet a Name in the world, that Hee hath yet a Name in England. And that which hath secured Truth and her subjects from the mischief of these designes hath been the powerfull providence of the Almighty. He that holdeth [Page] the Reins of Government in his hand, who is the great and supteam Moderator of this world hath taken to himself his great power, and hath reigned. Behold, God hath been to his Churches, and holy ones as a Refuge from the storme, and as a shadow from the heat of their persecuting Adversaries, whilst the blast of the terrible ones hath been as a storme against the wall; so that, as we have cause this day, in our Anniversary Commemoration of these never to be forgotten deliverances, wee may take up that Angelicall Doxologie, and say, Blessing, Honour, Glory and Power, be given to him that sits upon the Throne, and to the Lambe for ever, amen, Hallelujah.

Secondly, 2 Secret craft. That there hath been deceit and Sophistry used to steale away Truth from the professors of it, nothing is more clear and manifest. The Scripture speaketh expresly, that there were false Prophets amongst the people, and there shall false Teachers creep in, who shall bring in damnable Heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. And these Agents or Factors for Truths Adversary, are either those Tenebriones & Lucifugae, those Owles and Night birds, who doe secretly blaspheam the Truth, but dare not come into the Light, lest their workes of darkness should be revealed and made manifest. Or else they are those whom the Father calls Meridiani Daemones, those noon-day Devils, who with an impudent forehead dare set themselves to cry downe, and with most Devillish confidence to oppose that Truth which must prevail and conquer. And these may be those white Devils that would appear in the shape of Angels of Light, whilst indeed secretly and inwardly they are nothing else but Feinds of Darknesse. But against all these hath our Lord Jesus secured his Church and people; and hath brought off his Truth without [Page] loss or prejudice; and that by the powerfull working of his own Spirit living in the hearts of holy men. Now as we have cause every way to bless God for Truths safety, so from a godly jealousie and holy fear we may admonish and call upon the Professors of Truth, that they be not led away with the error of the wicked, or ensnared with the craft and subtilty of Antichristian seducers; And this was the occasion of that discourse which the Apostle falls upon in this Chapter, as may be gathered from the 26. Verse, These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

The aged Apostle in the beginning of his discourseThe Context. doth well consult the condition of Believers to whom this Epistle should come, and writes unto them as unto little Children. In Vers. 18. Little children, you, whose attainment it is to know the Father, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in him your God and Father. My little Children, It is Hora novissima, the last houre, and therefore you had need to stirr up your selves, and seriously to consider, how to save your selves from that great inundation of the mystery of iniquity, which will endeavour to suppresse the mystery of Godliness. My little Children, It is the last houre, and as you have heard formerly by those who instructed you in the Truth, that Antichrist should come, so now already there be many Antichrists, for this is the last time: And the danger is greater, forasmuch as those Antichrists who are abroad were sometimes pretenders to the truth of the Gospell, sometimes they professed themselves subject unto that Truth, which now they endeavour to oppose and vilify. Yet let me informe you in this, That they went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, no doubt, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be made manifest they were [Page] not all of us. Now after Hee had given this Alarum to Believers, concerning the approach of the Antichristian Adversary; He gives himself and them a Cordial and encouragement in the words which I have read, But ye have an unction from the Holy one, and yee know all things. Which words you may please to look upon as the Saints security in evill times, or the best protection of holy men against the impudent assaults of Brazen-faced error, and Antichristian falshood.

In these words be pleased to observe these three things.The Text opened.

First, 1 Christ the Holy one. A glorious Title given to Iesus Christ, the King of Saints. He is called the Holy one. You have an annointing from the Holy one. The spirits of Antichrist they are uncleane spirits, they are profane, debauched, polluted, and polluting spirits, but the spirit of our Lord Jesus, which is in you, proceedeth from one that is holy, harmless, and separated from sinners. This is a Title often given in the old Testament to the eternall Majesty, that increated Being, God himself: And our Lord Iesus, as the eternall Son of the everlasting Father, is dignified with the same Title, and called the Holy Child, the Holy thing, the Holy one; yea in Dan. 9. 24. he is called the sanctum sanctorum, The great Saint, or the most holy of all: There the Angel tells Daniel that after seventy weeks there should be a reconciliation made for iniquity, and everlasting righteousness brought in, and the most holy should be annointed: that is, our Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, should come in the flesh and be inaugurated, and installed into that great office of an high Priest, which had been for so many years past typified and shadowed out in their Priest that served in the Temple. Now this is worth our consideration, That if our Lord Jesus, who is the Fountain from whence we receive this spirit be so [Page] holy and pure, then surely the effects and operations that this spirit doth produce in those who receive it, must be holy and pure also. Impurity, uncleanness, and sinfull defilements cannot possibly proceed from so pure a spirit as the spirit of Jesus Christ is, whose Name is, The Holy one.

Secondly, Christs spirit [...] anointing. Another thing considerable in the words is, An effusion of the Holy Ghost from Jesus Christ upon his people. Yee have an unction, or yee have received the anointing. The custome of anointing was anciently used either to separate and consecrate to an holy use, or to install and inaugurate to some office and service, or to endow with gifts suitable to some notable and eminent employment. And we finde in the Scriptures, That the anointing past upon some of their Prophets, their Priests, and their Kings. It is also further observed, That in the second Temple, the anointing, or the holy oyntment was wanting, which might signifie to the Jews that then were, that their Ceremoniall Rites were beginning to waste, they should therefore long for, and earnestly desire the Messiahs comming, by whom that anointing and other things should be supplyed and restored in a more singular and eminent way. Our Lord Jesus as our high Priest was anointed; and from him do all his people as so many inferiour Priests, receive and participate of that anointing: for as it is observed, the High Priest of old had most oyle poured upon his head, and the other Priests were but sprinkled with that holy oyle. So then the meaning of this anointing which is poured out from Christ upon his people must needs signifie a communication of the same spirit, of the same life, of the same grace and nature, that Jesus Christ, as the chief Priest, was anointed withall from the Father: so that the same disposition and goodness of mind doth flow out from Christ to a gracious soule.

[Page] Thirdly, 3 Knowledge the benefit of anointing. Here is the great benefit that Believers doe Receive by this holy anointing, which they have from the holy one, and that is, That they know all things. You have an unction from the holy one, and yee know all things. There is some difference in the reading of these words; The Syriack Translator reads them thus, yee know all men; and in that sence they may refer to that which the Apostle Paul speaks of in 1 Corint. 12. 10. where, amongst the gifts of the spirit, which he reckoneth up, this is one, namely [...], the discerning of spirits. And the truth is, this great gift of discerning mens spirits was more especially given to some then unto others in the primitive times, and they were able not onely probably to conjecture, but also to give a judgement concerning many with whom they conversed, and did thereby discover divers hollow and false-hearted Hypocrites: which gift may, peradventure, though in a smaller measure and lower degree, live even to this day in the hearts of holy men; for verily, they many times do give a very shrewd conjecture, not to say judgement, concerning Professors amongst whom they live; but this they doe with a sober, modest and compassionate spirit. As for profane monsters, and notorious sinners, their condition is obvious, and easily to be discerned, by men whose eyes are in their heads, who are not blinded with a Bride of favour, or prejudiced with some fond and passionate affection. But all the Greek Copies, as is observed, do read the words as we translate them. Yee know all things; that is, all those maine, necessary, and fundamentall Truths, which Jesus Christ came to declare, as from the Father to the World; or yee know all things, that is, All those Truths of the Gospel which those Antichrists that now are, or that great Antichrist which shall come, will sett themselves to oppose and contradict. [Page] You, who have this anointing doe most certainly and assuredly know, and are well established in these principall and capitall Truths which you have received by vertue of this anointing. Thus we have a brief account of these words presented to us: And the point that I shal discourse upon, with your Christian patience is this.

That the most certaine and assured knowledge of Christian doctrine is attained unto by a participation of the anointing of Iesus Christ. Doct. The Anointing best teacheth the Doctrine of Christ. Yee have received such an unction, and thereby it is that yee know all things. Every man almost, in these days, thinks himself well instructed in his Profession that hee makes, and in the Articles of Faith whereunto he declareth himself to bee a servant: who is there, that doth not judge himself to be as a Master of Israel; well understood in all points of Theologie, who yet, like Nicodemus, remaineth in the very darkness of ignorance, as not knowing what Regeneration and the new birth might signifie: for we shall finde that there is no such certaine and infallible way to come to the knowledge of heavenly Truths, as by Receving an unction from Jesus Christ.

When Iob's three Friends had spent much time in arguing and redarguing the case with Iob, Elihu standeth up and speaketh after this manner. I did expect that dayes should have taught wisedome, aud that I should have found understanding in the multitude of years, but now I finde, there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding; great men are not alwayes wise, neither doe the Aged understand judgement; I find a great difference between the judgement that these men, though grave seniors, give concerning Iob's case, and the judgement that the spirit of God giveth: The Censure of these men proceedeth from the peevish, angry spirits of men, but the judgement [Page] of the divine spirit in this case is according to Truth.

But that notable Scripture which I shall briefly speak unto is in 1 Corinth. 2. 13, 14. &c. where the Apostle speaking of this very subject, telleth us of many things: That which is the substratum, the maine business of his discourse, are [...], the things of the spirit; then he tels us of a naturall man and a spirituall man; then he speaks of the spirit of the World, the spirit of God, and the minde of Christ; and then Hee compares all these together, and bringeth forth thus much, namely, That the spirit of the world, the spirit of a naturall man, which is a mundane, worldly spirit, cannot receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are spiritually discerned, and onely they can know them, who have the same spirit living and dwelling in their soules, which Jesus Christ had dwelling in him having received it from the Father; Wee have the minde, and spirit of God, and hereby doe we know the things of the Spirit.

That I may the more clearly manifest,Foure Propositions preventive. to this great Assembly, what my understanding is in this weighty matter, give me leave to preface foure particulars, which may prevent mistakes, as if any private or particular designe were aimed at in such a Doctrine as this.

First,1 Rationall man the subject of Christs Doctrine. Man as a reasonable Creature is the subject of Christian Doctrine. Man doth not throw away his mind and understanding when hee comes to be proselited into the Truths of Christ. When God undertaketh to informe a man with heavenly doctrine, hee doth not deale with him as hee would deale with a stone which he would raise up to be a child to Abraham, for he findeth man already endowed with a minde and will, [Page] upon which account Hee is capable to heare further from his God. Mans understanding is of very good use in Christian Religion; for by that is man able to communicate much of his sence in heavenly things unto others, as also to plead for, and by argument to back the Truth received, against the Cavils and contradictions of such as oppose themselves. I must confess freely what I apprehend, That, in the moment of a mans conversion, when the grace of God powerfully ceizeth upon his spirit to turne him from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, those acts that he doth then performe, are the most rationall acts that ever he did performe in all his life. The acts of Repentance, Faith and Selfe-denyall, the act of turning from sin unto God, which are the acts that appear in the first motion of the soule unto God, these are in themselves and to the soule, most reasonable, equitable, just and right; yea, in the further progress of the grace of God in mans minde, when it growes up into sanctification and holiness, the understanding of a man doth act and acteth understandingly. The truth is, This minde and understanding of a man is [...], as the great Philosopher calls it, the very flower of a mans soule, which is not blasted and withered by the Truths of the Gospell, but it is thereby reformed, rectified, repaired and restored to its primaeve perfection, with great advantage. So that I think, in a sober sence, what the Apostle speaks of the Law, That it is [...], a School-Master to Christ, may be sayd of mans naturall knowledge, and understanding: In which sence one of the Antients calleth true Philosophy [...], an inferiour Schoole, or a fore-teaching to Christ, as it is that which renders a man capable and fit to receive the impressions of a divine spirit: For certainely a man in [Page]his witts, and not a mad, distracted man, is the subject of Gods grace, of his converting and sanctifying grace.

Secondly, 2 The written word the outward Rule. The written word of God, in the Scriptures of Truth, is the onely outward rule of faith and manners. This is the norma fidei & morum; According to this rule must every man order his conversation, Isai. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because they have not so much as morning-light in them. This is the royall Standard of Truth, unto which we must bring all mens dogmata, their assertions, and opinions, which are vended for Truth in the world: Hereby may we examine, and judge of all that, which men would obtrude upon us. I recommend, to evry one that heartes me, the constant studying of the holy Scriptures, as being the Oracles of God. It was that, for which, the Holy Ghost doth so highly commend the Beraean Christians, That they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so; and upon this account they were called [...], more noble, as being better borne, better bred; better educated then those of Thessalonica. I will onely adde this, That the Letter of the Scriptures is but dead without a divine power joyned with it, and a spirit, moving mans mind, without a word, is very questionable and dangerous.

Thirdly, 3 The Vnction of the spirit a universall sense. The Holy Spirit, which is understood by this anointing, is no private spirit, or particular impulse, no singular perswasion or extraordinary inspiration, but a generall and universall sense in all regenerate minds. Holy men doe all agree, by common consent, in those Truths, which the New Creature doth chiefly resent and rellish. The Apostle to this purpose useth two expressions, 1 Cor. 12. 13. and 2 Cor. 4. 13. By one spirit are we all baptized [Page] into one body, and have been all made to drinke into one spirit: and wee have the same spirit of Faith. Where the Apostle considers the community of Christians, under the notion of a body made up of severall members, which must have a soule and spirit to informe, animate, quicken and enliven it: This is that spirit of Jesus Christ which doth live in the soules of holy men; and distinguish them from the common Herd of Infidels and Beastly sinners. Although we may be ignorant of that which the Philosophers meant by their Anima mundi; the soule of the world, yet me thinks every gracious heart should easily apprehend what is that spirit and soule of the regenerate world. But here I must acknowledge also, That the eternall spirit of God doth sometimes come downe as from Heaven, and particularly move upon a regenerate minde, whereby it doth [...], blow off the ashes and stir up those heavenly sparkes, which lay in the soule as buried under some clouds of sadness, and hereby the frozen and benumined spirit of a precious saint doth finde it selfe thawed into a vivacious fitness for any service. This is that which the spouse calls for in Song 4. 16. Awake O North winde, and come thou South, blow upon my Garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. This discourse, I conceive, may shew us the difference between the good spirit of God, which sober minds converse withall, and that fanatick and exstatick spirit, which vaine men pretend unto, and are deluded with. This spirit, in both the senses that we have spoken of, may not be condemned as a groundless Enthusiasme, for as the learned Cameron observes, Enthusiasmus est, ubi quis est merum organum, sine omni usurationis & judicij. Then is a man acted by such a spirit, when he uttereth Revelations without the use of his understanding and reason, as sometimes the Prophets of old did, who were but as [Page] a trunk or instrument through which the spirit conveyed those secrets, which God would declare unto the world.

Fourthly,4 The spirit of Christ lives in his Ordinances.The spirit of Christ signified by this anointing, is first received in the way of his Ordinances, and is thereby maintained and carryed on, and doth live with great delight in the use of those Ordinances where it was first received. He who hath received the anointing from the Holy one, knows where he hath received it, and he knowes also, that the same spirit can breath no where so freely, as in such holy aire. The new Creature was borne under the Ordinances of the Gospell, and is nursed and brought up under them. Faith came first by hearing, and Faith groweth and receiveth strength, being nourished by the same Doctrine, by which it was at first planted. They who have heard and learned of the Father come unto Christ, and know not whether to goe from him, because he hath the words of eternall life. The Apostle in 2 Cor. 3. 8. calleth the ministration of the Gospel the ministration of the spirit, as being that by which the soul doth receive, and grow up in this divine and heavenly life. Therefore the Author of this Epistle writing to anointed ones, tels them that as they had heard so it should be that Antichrist would come, and that they should abide in the Truth; whereby he doth commend them and their Teachers for their great care and diligence in searching out and receiving the Truth. I need not spend time in shewing the lawfulness, conveniency, and necessity of Gospell Ordinances, such as are, Hearing the word, prayer, breaking of bread, to shew forth the Lords death, and the rest which are of the like institution. Onely this I would speak by way of admonition, as it is a serious and generall observation which holy men have made, That no sooner do men cast off the use of [Page] the Ordinances and appointments of Jesus Christ, but at the same time they doe cast off God and godliness, and laying the Reins upon their own necks, they set the foot upon the holy Law, running desperately upon further mischeif. Thus hath divine Iustice branded those who would not humbly submit to such sacred Institutions. Such is the Majesty and Authority of these things, that almost every man in the use of them doth finde an awe upon his conscience, and feel himselfe commanded into a moderate and sober modesty, a modest sobriety and moderation.

Having thus layd downe these foure particulars by way of prevention,The Doctrine [...]ened in 7 pro [...]sitions. give me leave to explaine the sence of the Doctrine in these seven following propositions.

First,Christ as [...]ead first anoin [...]d.The Lord Iesus as head of his Church was first anointed with the divine spirit. Here began this holy Unction; Jesus Christ was the first Receiver of the Spirit. The eternall spirit powred forth an abundance of this ointment upon the person of our Lord Jesus, He was anointed with the oyle of gladness above his Fellowes. In the ancient anointings, God had appointed certaine measures of this oyl to be spent upon the persons anointed: Saul was anointed with a Cruise of oyle, as not like to continue in the throne long; David was anointed with a horne of oyle, his Kingdome being to remaine longer; but it pleased the Father that in Jesus Christ should all fulness dwell, so that in Isai. 10. he is called The anointing; and such is the savour of his good ointments that his Name is as ointment powred forth, therefore doe the Virgins love him. The Lord Jesus did Receive this fulness for our sakes, that from it we might receive, and grace for grace. Hee was to be the head of his Church, propter eminentiam & influentiam, not onely for superiority, but also for influence and conveyance, [Page] so that upon this account Hee was first considered in the business of anointing, that he might be usefull for conveyance of this spirit to his people. The ointment poured upon the head of the high Priest, ran downe upon his beard, and to the skirts of his clothing, leaving a sweet fragrancie and savour behinde it: so doth this spirit of our Lord Jesus, flow from him, down to all his saints, and perfumes them with his owne sweetness. And as the Prophet Elijah, when hee went to heaven, let his mantle and spirit fall upon Elisha: so did our blessed Lord and Saviour, after his ascention, send forth his owne spirit to dwell with his Disciples, as their solace, and comfort, in his necessary absence.

Secondly,2 Christ as a second Adam hath his offspring.Iesus Christ as a second Adam doth begett Children after his owne Image. The first Adam brought forth children in his owne likeness, deriving to them the same naturall spirit which was in himselfe: so doth the second Adam propagate his posterity, and give unto them his owne spirit which is supernaturall and heavenly; The Picture doth not so exactly resemble the face, as the regenerate soule doth resemble her everlasting Father. This Notion lyeth very obvious in the 5. of the Romans. Where the Apostle discourseth of the two Adams and their two posterities, with their severall advantages, or prejudices that they received from their head: As by one man sinne entered into the world, and death by sinne, and death passed upon all, for asmuch as all have sinned: which words referre to the whole posterity of the first Adam: so by one man came life, by one came forgiveness, by one came such a universall reparation; that as in Adam all dyed, so in Christ all are made alive; all the posterity of the second Adam are as much, yea more advantaged by their Head Jesus Christ; then all the posterity of the first Adam [Page] were damnified by his Apostacy, and the influence that it had upon them. The Lord Jesus findes the children of the first Adam in their naturall capacity, and maketh them the subjects of his grace, but Hee bringeth forth upon their minds and spirits a new creation, which he did not finde in them, no not in semine, not in the seeds or root of it: Hee cometh by his spirit to doe some thing in man, which could not be done by the sublimation or improvement of those Rudera naturae, those reliques and remainders of Shipwrackt nature, for if so, then what meaneth that bitter Cup, what meant that pomp of bloody sufferings, which Jesus Christ did undergoe? What need was there that he should come endowed with so much spirit? If Naturall principles, which yet remaine in the broken posterity of the first Adam, could have brought forth that which now is the great designe and undertaking of Christ in the world; Hee seemeth to have come in the flesh, and to have suffered such contradction of sinners, and so shamefull, accursed death upon the Cross upon too smal and too inferiour account. Doth Jesus Christ, after all this, effect no more upon men, then what the scattered peices of decayed nature being gathered together, could effect upon them? Surely, Brethren, Hee doth more then so, for hee begetts children unto himselfe as a Father, and uniteth members unto himselfe as an Head, Hee transplanteth soules into an other soyle, and they live in him, deriving sap and spirit from him as from their better soyle, their new Root. The Apostle in Gal. 4. doth thus exprese it, My little children, with whom I travaile in birth, [...], untill Christ be formed in you; that is, until the spirit of our Lord Jesus comes to be that to your soules, which your soules are unto your bodies; The reasonable soule in man is the principle of life, and that [Page] by which he is denominated to be a man, and distinguished from a beast; so doth the spirit of Christ working it selfe into the soule of man, transforme him into his owne image, and this new Creature hath the same spirit, nature and disposition with Jesus Christ, whereby he is denominated a Christian, and distinguished from other men. The person of Jesus Christ was that originall copy, according to which all his posterity should be made conformable. This is that which the Apostle speaks to in 1 Cor. 15. where Hee saith, As wee have born the image of the earthly, so must we beare the image of the Heavenly Adam; which is not onely to be understood in a corporeall sense, That our bodies in the Resurrection shall be called out of their dust into the likenesse of Christs glorified body, but in a spirituall sense also, for our minds and soules having received the first fruits of the Resurrection within themselves already, they also shall in union with their bodies rise up in a compleat similitude and likenesse to our Lord Jesus, having limbe for limbe, grace for grace.

Thirdly,3 Christ's spirit fitteth the soule to know his Truth.The spirit and life of Christ communicated to his people, doth make them capable and able to understand his will. When the spirit of Regeneration is past upon the soule, then doth a man become fit to understand heavenly Truths. It is true, There is a kinde of rationall assent to heavenly Truths before conversion, and the naturall man doth understand the letter of the spirit, but not the spirit of the letter; yet no man hath so clear, so full and undoubted understanding of those things as he whose minde is defecated and purged from the dreggs of worldly lusts, which are like a fogg and mist upon the face of the soule. The soules of men are like so many glasses, which reflect the image of things presented before them, now if there be a steame breathed upon the [Page] glasse, the Reflection is very little, or none at all; or if the light, which should convey the species from the object to the glasse, bee but a dim twi-light, a weake and insufficient light, there is no reflection neither; so it is with the soules of men, whilst our worldly affections, and adulterate love to sinne and wickedness, doe boyle and bubble up within us, sending up their steames into our minds, the things of God cannot be seen, according to the greatness of that beauty and excellency which is upon them; He that caused the light to shine out of darkness, must shine in our hearts, to give that [...], that light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; for as the Psalmist speaks In tuo lumine lumen videbimus, in thy light we shall see light. The holy nature of Jesus Christ is the true Collyrium, the true eye-salve, wherby the soul must be cured of its blindness; and the Apostle speaks in Col. 3. 10 of putting on the new man [...], which is renewed into knowledge, according to the image of him that created him: Untill we be renewed in the spirit of our mindes, and taken off from the love of this world, and the things thereof, wee cannot attaine to a right new Testament knowledg of those things, which Christ hath revealed from the bosome of the Father. There is a praeputium cordis, a foreskin of the heart, a pride and insolency of the naturall spirit, which must be circumcised and destroyed, before the soule can attaine unto a full view of that excellent and glorious Truth, which Jesus Christ doth present us withall.

Fourthly,Argumentative knowledge doubtfull and [...]certaine.The knowledge of Christian Doctrine grounded onely upon Argument is but doubtfull & vncertain knowledge. I conceive, that Syllogismes and arguments are onely for this world, and the things of this world, but not for the things of God & of the other world. The natural Philosopher [Page] attains to his naturall knowledge by observations and experiments in severall particulars, by Antecedents and consequents, & most of his knowledge in those things is very feeble, crazy and questionable, which made that great Philosopher after all his inquiry for knowledge, profess, That he onely attained to this, that he knew himselfe to be ignorant, Hoc tantum scio quod nihil scio, This onely do I know, that I know nothing. But God hath ordained a better way to convey his Truth into our hearts, and that is by a renovation of our minds, and by the communication of a divine nature. God hath not left his people at uncertainties in those things which are materiall and necessary, but hath given them more then the certainty of a demonstration. Whatsoever I doe receive for Truth upon the account of argumentative conclusions, that I am bound to lay aside and disowne for Error upon the like account, when a more probable argument comes: And truly Friends, if all the ground of our entertaining Christ and Truth, or Christian Doctrine, be, because such an argument conveyed it unto us, what shall become of us and the Truth, when wee meet with a subtile sophister and Antichristian Head, who shal frame an argument against the Truth, unanswerable by our Logick? Where shall a man ever consist, if he must live upon these tearmes in the world? Besides, every one to whom the Gospell of Christ is preached, hath not an head strong enough to grapple with the bignesse and depth of some kinde of arguments, who yet may have their hearts truly mortified to this world, and carryed out in love to the person and nature of our Lord Jesus. The ground of that antient scepticisme, and that [...], of the Academicks, whereby they did assert that nothing could be comprehended, might be this; All their knowledge was derived unto them by probable [Page] conclusions, so that no thing was certainly and eternally true and infallible, but conjecturall and probable onely, and to be entertained according to the retinue and pomp of well dressed arguments. Hee that is but an Argumentative Christian, is rather a sceptick, then a true Christian: He is a Christian at the greatest uncertainty in the world: I must confess, many Notions which are obtruded upon men as Orthodoxal, and contended for by others as principall pieces of Theologie, must be soberly examined by Scripture and reason, for they are not per senota, they are not seen by their own light, & in such opinions, modesty and sobriety are highly commendable. Yea, I confesse further, That the heavenly principles of the New Creature may be Back'd and strengthned by rationall arguments, and many times, the soule is constrained by a practicall Syllogisme to be lesse disquieted within it selfe; but yet, The most cleare evidence, and assurance of the Truth and goodnesse in these holy things of Christ and the new Creature, ariseth out of themselves, as light floweth from the body of the Sun, without the contusion or compulsion of an harsh argument; yea, and a regenerate heart doth by an holy Sympathy, entertaine with infinite delight these precious and holy Truths. Arguments and Syllogismes doe make a great noise in the world; mee thinke, they are not unlike to that appearance in Horeb unto the Prophet Elijah, when the great and strong winde rept the mountaines, and brake in pieces the Rocks, but it is said, the Lord was not in the winde, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but he was in the still, small voice. Lux spiritus sancti est lenis lux, perfundens se mentibus. The Holy spirit doth gently hover over the soule, and brood upon it; Heavenly Doctrine falleth downe upon the spirits of men, not like a mighty violent raine, but like a showre of oyle, like a sweet honey-dew.

[Page] Fifthly,5 Inward sense judgeth between Christ and Antichrist.The inward sense of a regenerate minde, doth easily judge between Christ and Antichrist. Such holy soules are well resolved about the things of God, they do not halt between God and Baal, arguing themselves out of all Religion and modesty; but they have a naturall tendency towards these things, and they feel a magnetick vertue secretly over-power them: This is the naturall working of the new Creature, whereby the soule doth inwardly savour and rellish, difference and distinguish between the Doctrines of Christ, and the Impostures of Antichrist. Jesus Christ tells us in Iohn 10. That his Sheep do hear his voice; but they will not follow a stranger, for they know not the voice of strangers. Whereby he would have us to understand, That all his Disciples, who are truly taught of him, doe carry within themselves the Lapis Lydius, the Touch-stone of Truth, and such is the present Touch or Taste that some things do make upon their spirits, that they doe easily discerne from whence they come, although they doe not bring them to an externall Judicatory. The Divine nature whereof we are made partakers, doth put a difference between that which is really and truly heavenly, and that which is onely counterfeit stuffe, as the Touchstone doth between Gold and Copper. It is worthy of our observation, That every life doth attract and concoct that which is suitable to its nature, and the most inferiour life hath such a faculty. The Plants of the earth do draw unto themselves that sap and juice which is proper for them, and do digest it into nourishment; The Beasts of the field doe naturally move towards those things which will maintaine their lives, and turne aside from that which is poysonous and destructive to them, and what is by them received, they turne, in succum & sanguinem, into food and nourishment, and doe grow thereby. [Page] The rationall life in a naturall man doth by observation, argument, and dispute, gather up naturall Truths, whereby the man becomes well polished in his understanding, and may deserve the name of an instructed Philosopher; so doth that spirituall and heavenly life, which we call the new Creature, and Divine nature in a Christian, it, being indued with such an attractive and digestive faculty, doth know what is suitable or unsuitable to it selfe, and doth accordingly affect or dis-rellish it. The Needle touched with a Loadstone doth not more naturally move towards the Pole, then a soule touched with a Divine Spirit, doth move towards and freely embrace the truths of Christ; it cannot rest at any point in the compass untill it be centered there. Men in whom the spirit of this world lives, and is praedominant, do naturally affect worldly things, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life. He that loveth profit, is wholly taken up in getting wealth; He that loveth honour and popular applause, doth set himselfe to please men; Hee that loveth pleasures, studieth excess, riot, wantonness, and dalliance; and all these do finde their spirits move with a kinde of naturalness towards such things, and take wonderfull contentment in them; so that as the Apostle speakes, These men are [...], Lovers of pleasure, lovers of mony, rather then lovers of God. The spirit of Iesus Christ, in the hearts of holy men, doth, with savour and rellish, entertain the things of God, whilst other men that have but common spirits, cannot take any delight or complacency in them. Such was the hearty & sincere affection of Timothy towards the Philippians, that Saint Paul saith, there was none like him, who did [...], naturally take care of their affaires. And it is much more true of a regenerate heart; for none attaine to such a [Page] discretion in heavenly Truths as it selfe attaineth unto, for unto a man void of such a life, those precious truths are like the white of an egge, without any savour.

Sixthly,6 Heavenly knowledge proportionable to Sanctification.The true knowledge of heavenly things encreaseth according to the measure of Sanctification. I doe not speak of knowledge falsly so called, as the Apostle some where termes it, but of true knowledge, that is, inward, experimentall understanding, and this grows up as holines doth enlarge it self in the soule. The clearer the Glass, the more perfect is the Reflection that it makes; The more pure and spotless the soul is, the better doth it receive and judge of heavenly things. If it be but Day-break, or a dim and duskie twilight, we have a more doubtfull appearance of things that are before us: but if it growes to a morning-light, and once encreaseth into a noon-day brightness, then have we a more exact and judicious vision of them. When the soul begins at first to turn unto God, it hath some taste or smattering of these spirituall dainties, and it is like that taste, which new-borne babes have of the milk which they suck from the Brests; but when the Christian follows on to know the Lord, whose going forth is prepared as the morning, and when he doth resolvedly, and strongly carry on the work of sanctification in his heart and life, then doth he come to a more mature and ripened judgement of these things; Hee was a child before, but now he is grown up to a strong man in Christ. The great Apostle tells us, When he was a child, he thought as a child, Hee understood as a child, but when he became a man, hee put away childish things, His apprehensions of truth were but low and weak, because his capacity was not great, but now he looks upon the brighter face of truth with greater complacency then he did before. Our Lord Jesus tells us in Iohn 7. 17. If any man will doe his will, hee shall know [Page] of the Doctrine whether it be of God. The best way to know assuredly and impregnably the truth of those things which God speaketh in his word, is to observe and obey those things which God enjoynes. The Holy Ghost, which is the best witnes of Jesus Christ & his Doctrine, is given to them that obey him, Act. 5. 32. and these men do sweetly rest in an assurance of the truth, whilst others who are of impure spirits do quarrell and snarle against it. He that would grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, let him grow in grace, as the Apostle exhorts in 2 Pet. 3. 18. One that is newly entered into the School of Christ, doth finde it a hard and difficult task, to subdue every corruption: The sins of education, custome, and naturall tendency, are not easily mastered; Hence it comes to pass, that upon any laps, or fall into any particular sin, the soule begins to be haunted with scrupulosities, doubts, and fears, yea, it doth upon such occasions fall to question the truth of grace, and the certainty of the Gospel, whereas, in case of a constant and close walking with God, there be no such clouds arising, but a constant serenity upon the face of the soul. The truth is, all those secret suspicions, and jealousies concerning the certainty of the wayes of Christ, or of the worke of his grace upon our hearts, doe proceed from some guilt contracted by acts of violence against the light and principles of the new Creature. Would you then bee perfect in, and assured of the truths of the Gospel, take the Apostles counsell, Put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.

Seventhly,knowledge by [...]e anointing [...]maineth. The holy anointing in a regenerate soule will remaine without pollution by Antichristian falshood. This anointing which yee have received abideth in you, and as it hath taught you, yee shall abide in him; so saith [Page] our Apostle, in 1 Ioh. 2. 27. & Paul in 2 Cor. 1. 21. shews the ground of a souls establishment in the truth to be this holy unction, this participation of the divine nature from God, He that establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God. Such a soule can do nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth. They who are perswaded into an Orthodox opinion, or article of faith, by an humane argument, may againe be easily cheated of that opinion by that [...], that dice-play of men, when some cunning Antagonist shall cogg an argument which may seem to import a fairer probability. But he, that hath this inward light of the life of Christ, as his guide into the knowledge of holy things, is not easily removed from the Truth, or much affrighted with the terror of arguments, but shall hold his owne for ever. Children and fools may exchange their Gold for Counters, but the wise mans eyes are in his head, and he will not part with his most precious Faith upon such easie tearms. This true knowledge of God, and spirit of Christ in the soul, is that immortall seed, that eternall life, which shall never die; he that hath said, Touch not mine anointed, will suffer none to lay violent hands upon his tender offspring; and in case of any impudent assault or bold affront offered to his sacred image, it shall appear, That Hee who is in a renewed mind is greater then he that is in the world. This holy anointing, this new creation in the soule, is a Principle of recovery in case of some particular Apostacy, and may be signified by that voice behind one, which the Prophet Isaiah speakes of, which shall say, this is the way, walk in it, when he turneth to the right hand, and when he turneth to the left. Suppose a man having received this anointing, should, at any time, by a sodaine temptation, defile himselfe with sin, whereby his glory is stained, his spirit disquieted, his conscience [Page] wounded, and his peace interrupted, he shall finde such secret struglings and strivings within himselfe, that he is never quiet untill his filthiness be washt off, and the new Creature within him restored to former freedom. Upon this account the spirit of Christ is an holy unction; for as oyle will not easily mixe with other liquors, or incorporate with other bodies, so this divine spirit will preserve it selfe pure, and hate the very garment spotted with the flesh. An holy soule is like a fountain, or well spring of water, into which there may be thrown dirt and trash, but the fountain will still be cleansing it self, and purging out that filth which was cast into it; the spirit of Jesus Christ dwelling thus in the soule, will continually be working out of all darkness, and leading it on from light to light.

Thus have we opened the Doctrine unto you, and made it manifest, That the most certain knowledge of heavenly truths, ariseth from the anointing of Christs spirit within the soule, and not from outward arguments. The spirit of God doth convey these truths into the soule, The new Creature doth resent them, and this anointing doth establish the soule in a certain assurance of them. Now by way of application, give me leave to speak briefly to some few Corollaries or deductions which flow naturally from this notion which hath been thus explained.

First, 1 Use. The promises of the spirit expounded. If the new Creature brought forth in the soul, by the spirit of regeneration, be that which teacheth the certain knowledge of Christian Doctrine, Then here we may see what is the true meaning of that spirit of Christ, which he hath so universally promised to bestow upon his people. The Old and New Testament is full of promises in this kind. All thy people shall bee [...], taught of God; a new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to [Page] walk in my statutes; I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel, I will put my laws into their minde, and write them upon their hearts, and they shall not teach every man his Neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, as if they were ignorant of him, or unacquainted with him, for they shall all know mee, from the least to the greatest, & this spirit, which I will poure out upon my servants, and mine handmaids, shall lead them into all Truth. Now all these, and the like glorious promises, do signifie unto us that experimentall knowledge of God and Truth, which is the proper effect of this Renovation of minde which hath been sett before us. When the soule is borne againe of that incorruptible seed, and transplanted into our Lord Jesus, as into a new root, partaking of his sap and spirit, then doth it attaine to a more cleare understanding of the will of God, and hath a more perfect savour, and rellish of Christ and his wayes. This holy Spirit is that true Shechenah, that indwelling of God in the soule, which was antiently shadowed out by that cloud of presence, which sate between the Cherubims wings, in Solomons Temple. Then are we indeed taught of God, when this spirit dwells within us; then are wee under the fulfilling of these promises, when we have received the truth, not as it comes from Paul, or as it is delivered by Apollo, but the Truth as it is in Iesus: when the spirit of Truth doth make us to know not the word but the power of it, implanting the minde of Christ in our mindes, and turning of us from the ways of sin, into the love of God. I do not here determine what those larger measures, or higher degrees of this teaching may be, in the latter dayes, when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters doe the Sea.

Secondly, 2 Use. Proud man must be humbled. If the best way to a certainty of knowledge [Page] in heavenly things be by a spirituall anointing, Then proud man must be humbled and bee willing to bee taught by a divine spirit. Flesh and blood cannot reveal unto man the things of the spirit, neither can any man call Jesus the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, for the flesh profiteth nothing, it is the spirit that quickneth, and these things they are spirit, and they are life. All things that Jesus Christ spake, and did, they were spoken in parables, and done in parables to those that are without; that hearing they might hear and not understand, and seeing they might see and not perceive: but to his Disciples he saith, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome, unto you, these things are revealed from the Father. The Apostle tells us in 2 Cor. 10. 5 That the weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but mighty through God to the pulling down of those [...], those strong holds, and reasonings, those insulting notions that lift up themselves against Jesus Christ. After all the Inquisition that our carnall reason can make into the Scriptures of truth, to finde out articles of faith: we shall still remain unsatisfied, and may perceive that we are still ready secretly to aske the same question that Pilate did, What is Truth? Many men doe sometimes think that they throughly understand spirituall Truths, when, alas! all their knowledge amounteth to nothing more, then a zealous or passionate arguing for them. The whole Bible to a reasonable man, not regenerated, will be, as that book was which the Prophet speaks of when it was delivered to the learned to read it, he returns it, and saith, I cannot, for it is sealed; and when it was delivered into the hands of the unlearned to read it, he saith, I am not learned. We carry Bibles in our hands; and say, we study the word of God, wee do well, but untill we have a spirit from God teaching of us inwardly, [Page] and reforming us according to the Tenor of that word, we shall be no great Proficients in that knowledge. Hence it is that in the 19. Vers of the Epistle of Iude, one that hath not the spirit, and one that is sensuall, are accounted to be the same person, sensuall, not having the spirit. The truth is, vaine man would be wise, though he be like a wilde asses colt: Men would not onely be Masters of reason, and naturall knowledge, but would also have dominion over other mens faith, and would subdue the spirituall sense of the new Creature to the Soveraignty and supremacy of humane arguments. But as the Apostle speaks [...], where is the wise? where is the Disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisedome of this world? These men indeed, be those [...], that would seem to be wise; but is it not with them as the Apostle speaks in Rom. 1. 21. [...], are they not become dark, and vain in their imaginations; yea, doe they not cum ratione insanire, even run madd with that, which they call their reason, though it be nothing better then a corrupt enmity against the honesty and simplicity of Christ. Give me leave to speak freely in this point; when the great mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven, such are Self-denyall, reliance upon the grace of God revealed by the Messiah, living by Faith in another, and deriving strength from Christ through a promise; I say, when these things and the like are propounded to a naturall understanding, and un unmortified heart, will it not say, that you doe lapides loqui, speak stones unto it, and offer that which is too hard to be received? Me thinks, when I offer such spirituall Truths to be judged at the Tribunall of naturall understanding, which I call argumentative knowledge, it is as when that which belongeth to one sense, is presented to an other, which [Page] cannot give a perfect judgement of it. Hee that would make mee to understand what Musick is, and the excellency of it, must not bring mee to one that can with eloquence relate a story thereof, and tell me in words, what ravishing Harmony, and rare delights it doth entertaine one withall, and then bid me imagine how every note exceeded the other; for this is not to touch upon the right string, but he must bring me to a Consort, where mine eare may receive a true impression from such musicall delights. It is not enough to paint out the beauty of a Rose in the most lively colours, and set it before mine eyes, but I must smell to the rose it selfe, and thereby come to know the sweetnesse of it. Wee may thinke to make our selves great Doctors of the Law by a [...], a forme of knowledge, but thereby we deceive our selves, attaining onely to a poor and beggarly understanding of the truths therein contained; for the best way to know them, is to obey and practise them. He that hath his heart truly mortified to this world, & is crucified with Christ, being made alive againe by that spirit of regeneration, Hee alone, doth attaine to the most quick and lively apprehensions of those Truths, that are revealed by Christ in his Gospel.

Thirdly, 3 Use. [...]cked men not judge a [...] of hea [...]ly Truth. If they alone doe truly know the things of Christ, who have received his anointing, then certainly, wicked men are no competent Iudges of Christian Doctrine. Whatsoever their parts are, or their acquired learing in arts and sciences, yet, as to heavenly things, they are very darke and ignorant. Perhaps, this inference, may provoke the great wits of the world, to say as those Pharises did to Christ, Are we blinde also? But I am sure the Apostle tells us, Hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his, and he that is not one of Christs flock, I doe not know how he should understand Christs [Page] voice. The prophaner Jews had the magnalia legis, the great things of the Law delivered to them, and they accounted them as a strange thing, for, as the Apostle speakes, Moses hath a veile lying upon his face, and when that people shall be converted unto the Lord, this veile shall be taken away. There is the flesh of Christ covering his spirit, there is the letter and shell of the word of Christ as it is printed in our Bibles, which doth, like a Masque, cloude and hide the beautifull face of Truth, so that a carnall heart cannot discerne the beauty, or judge aright of the excellency thereof, so that the preaching of Christ crucified, is, [...], an offence to the Jew, and to the Greeks foolishness; but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, it is the power of God, and the wisedome of God. Great men are not always wise men, and the men of the world are not fit to advise withall in the things of God. Some there bee whom God hath given up [...], to a Reprobate minde, to an injudicious minde, which hath no true judgement in heavenly things. Would any one make a madd man his Counsellor? No, He would chuse one that is compos mentis, one that is of a sober and discreet reason & advise with him in a matter of difficulty. He that is of a ranting spirit, and given to the love of fleshly pleasures, may verba conari, may, like a Parrot, speake words which hee understands not, but he is crazed in his intellectualls, and knowes not the way of the spirit in the soule. Let me heare one speake concerning the worke of Grace, the actings of Faith, the drawings of the spirit; whose eyes have been opened, as Baalam said of himselfe, in another case, one who hath had an internall sense and feeling of these things within himselfe, for Hee is best able to unfold such hidden mysteries. But let us cease from man, for wherein is he to be accounted of? The Day-dawning and [Page] the day-star arising in our hearts, will give us better light into that more sure word, of the Prophets and Apostles, then all the learned School-men, or voluminous Commentators, who have not plowed with Gods Heifer.

Fourthly, 4 Use. Litterall knowledge doth not make a Christian. If knowledge of Christian Doctrine must be received by spirituall anointing, then to be instructed in the Letter of the Scriptures, is not enough to make a Christian. A man may by naturall understanding, exercised upon the Letter of the Bible, attaine to very great Orthodoxie in Articles of Faith, and severall points of Religion, for that which is true in Divinity, is true also in Reason; but notwithstanding all this litterall knowledge, his soule may be like Pharaohs leane kine, a starved and ill-favoured soule. The generality of men in the world are exceedingly mistaken in this businesse; for they have thought it to be Reformation enough, if they might but purge their Articles of Faith, and set forth in print that which might vindicate the truth of their opinions, and wayes, from the prejudice that they lye under in the World, whereas in the midst of such reformation, men shall be as carnall and devilish as they were before, they shall inwardly be as full of pride, and covetousnesse, of envy and malice, of hatred and revenge as ever; and they shall have leave to study mischiefe, and conceive evill will against their neighbour, notwithstanding all the elaborate nicenesse of a reformed System. Brethren, Wee must not onely reforme our Bookes, though that be very good, but we must reforme our hearts, and our lives; the power of this anointing must eat out the proud flesh of our distempered hearts, and quicken us also into a more pure and refined spirit. Professors doe thinke they attain to a great measure of heavenly skill, if they are but so well read in the Bible, as to turne from one Scripture to anoother, [Page] and compare one place with another, whereby they may more strongly back that opinion which they would defend, whereas all this while, The Scripture is a thing without them, and the minde of God is in their Bibles, not in their hearts, but the true Christian hath the word of God transcribed into himself, and can say in his measure, as Jesus Christ did, I delight to do thy will, O my God, Yea, thy Law is within my heart. Eunapius in the life of Porphyrie, speaking of his Master Longinus sayth, Hee was such an excellent Schollar, That hee was [...], a living Library, a walking Studie; all his books were so well digested, and their notions concocted in his minde, that he did (as it were) give life & motion to his Books, in a requitall for that learning which he had received from them. He is a Christian to purpose, who hath the Bible transpirited into his minde, who hath digested the sense of Scripture into practice and vitall blood. Hee is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, whose praise is not of men but of God.

Fifthly. 5 Use. Want of anointing the ground of Apostacy. Doth the Apostle bring in this anointing of the spirit, as that which secures holy men from Antichristian impostures, then here may wee see the ground of those great Apostacies that are abroad. Doe wee at any time see some eminent professor come tumbling downe like Lucifer from the height of his profession, and immerd himselfe in the dung of worldly wickednesse, let us know, the reason is, because he had no root in himselfe. They went out from us; saith our Apostle, for they were not of us, They were leviter [Page]tincti, sed non penitus imbuti, they have had perhaps some sodaine and transient tasts of sweetnesse in the wayes of God, but never did feed upon them with savour, nor digest them. They went out from us, that it might bee manifest that they were not all of us; There be some men in the world, who have much of that which we call light in their understandings, but have no grace nor honesty in their hearts, and it is no wonder if they turne away from the Truth in a time of Temptation, and day of Tryall; it is the good ground that bringeth forth fruit, and it is the honest heart that stands in a tempest, being well bottomed and grounded upon a Rock. Hee that is hurryed into any profession, by the impulse of his worldly affections, can not be setled and established in that profession, but must turn about when those affections give the word; Hee is like a ship whose sails are open to every gale of winde, but hath neither Ballast nor Rudder to keep it steddy in its motion. Many people thinke themselves so good Protestants, that they should never turn Papists; who yet, I feare, would fall from their owne stedfastnesse into the error of the wicked; and casting off the Protestant Articles, would easily entertaine for Faith the dogmata of Rome; the reason whereof is, Their souls are not converted to that Faith which they professe. To an unregenerate man who gives up himselfe to licentiousnesse, All Religion is alike, for Religion doth oblige and command the soule into a diligent obedience to some Rule, but such an unmortified heart cannot endure the beautifull bands of a Religious Law. But where the Gospell of Christ cometh, as it did to the Thessalonians, not in word onely, but [...], in power and much full assurance, where the [Page] word of Truth is made manifest, in mens consciences, and becometh an engrafted word, there we may be perswaded with the Apostle, that hee who hath begun a good worke, will perfect it unto the coming of Christ. This I must confesse, That men by the improvement of their naturall understandings, and by observing the Dictates of naturall conscience, may reforme some externall enormities and scandalous vices of their lives, and proceed further in profession upon account of some worldly considerations, but from all this reformation, though improved and carryed on very high, they may againe revolt, and apostatize, because the principles thereof were externall and politicall, not internall and genuine: Such men as these are not like Timothy, whom Paul calleth his naturall sonne in the Faith, they are not naturall, but artificiall Christians. But hee that is, not in appearance onely, but in Truth also transformed into the image of Christ, hath the seed of God remaining in him. and eternall life implanted, which shall never wither; Hee shall never drowne himselfe in sensuality, or fall away from the holinesse of a godly life, into the filth and basenesse of a degenerate spirit. The Apostle saith, Oportet esse haereses, There must bee haeresies, That they which are approved may be made manifest. The understanding Merchant knows which is the Pearle of price, when one that is ignorant may be cheated with a counterfeit. This is the excellency and glory of a spirit taught of God, That when others fall away from the Truth of Doctrine and integrity of life, that will still adhere and cleave unto him; when the whole world shall lye in wickednesse, that will preserve it selfe unspotted and blamelesse, unto the comming of Christ. Hence it was that the Martyrs of old, though [Page] they could not dispute, yet they could dye for Christ. Hee that is alive in God, shall not be religious onely when he hath the times with him, for that is easie, the dead fish can swimme downe the streame; but when the wickednesse of the times, and places where hee lives draweth other men into a dissolute loosenesse, Hee shall stand like mount Zion, and never be removed.

Sixthly, 6 Use. Deal kindely with the spirit of Christ. If the Spirit of Christ be such a teaching spirit, whereby we know him aright, then it concernes every regenerate soule to deale kindely with that spirit. Oh! Bee very tender of the good spirit of Jesus Christ. I meane not onely that Gentle spirit, which sometimes breaths upon the Garden of our souls, and makes the spices thereof flow out and give their sent, but that spirit of Christ also which is united unto and implanted in our Spirits, that New Creature which is formed within us. Oh! Take heed of grieving, tempting, or quenching this spirit; Spiritus Sanctus est res delicata, The divine spirit is a very tender thing, Let none dare to cast water upon it, whereby to coole or dampe it, but let it act according to its own natural tendency. It was the great request of Davids heart in Psal. 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy spirit from mee. O Lord, whatsoever thou takest away, doe not take this away: This spirit is that which puts me upon observance of thy will, and doth many times recover and bring me back again, when I have forgotten my selfe and thee. Christians! would you know what you are most of all beholding to in the world? It is the good spirit and life of Jesus Christ; This is the Life of your lives, and the soule of your soules; without this spirit you were but as other men, yea, you were unto God, but as dead carkases and [Page] stinking Carryons. Now if this spirit be our life, and if by this men live, Oh! then be kinde and tender towards it; take heed least by any meanes you doe offend it. Then doth a soule deale harshly and unkindly with this spirit, when it opposeth, resisteth and endeavoureth to stifle the motions of it, when the will of Christ in the soul is gain-sayd. Take heed, Christians, that you be not so rude as to offer violence, and to force this holy spirit; when that moves you towards God, doe not you turne away from God. What the Apostle beggs for patience, I would begg for the spirit of Christ, let the Nature, Spirit, and Life of Christ have its perfect worke in you, let it act according to its owne freedome and latitude. The Holy Ghost that dwells in you, doth advise you not onely to be Christians, pro hic & nunc, by fits and starts, so as may serve your owne turnes, but also to be enduring, and universall Christians: This divine Spirit is not satisfied if you bee onely moved by it in your publick Assemblies, unlesse you be moved by it also in your Closets, your Shops, and in all your Relations: for the Spheare of the new Creature, is, a sober, righteous, and godly life. Where this holy Spirit dwells, it will prompt the soule to something which is transcendent, and above the straine of vulgar spirits. Now suppose I should propound to this great Assembly the Question that Christ propounded to his Disciples in Matth. 5. [...], what singular thing doe you more then others? Yea, let me but propound it to those who are called the holy ones of the most High, Wherin doe you excell the Spirits of worldly men? What is there that may speake you to bee anointed with this Divine Spirit? Are you not as Proud, as Covetous, as vaine in your conversations, [Page] as other men? Oh! Then let me commend this unto you, as seasonable and wholesome counsell, Take heed how you use the spirit of Christ which dwelleth in you, and suffer it to act like it selfe.

Seventhly, 7 Use. A guesse at heavenly glory. and Lastly. If holy soules know heavenly things by virtue of the anointing from the holy one, which teacheth so sweetly and clearely, then from hence wee may guesse at the glory of Heaven. Wee may stand upon this Truth as Moses did upon the top of Pisgah, and from thence view the land of Promise. If the dignity of Christian in this world, bee such as to have his minde enlightned with the pure spirit of Christ, whereby he knoweth the minde of God with infallible certainty, then what shall his glory bee in the world to come? The Scriptures call that Spirit which Believers receive here, the Seale, the earnest and first-fruits of that which they shall receive hereafter. And although this present knowledge which they have of heavenly Truths, doth so farre exceed and transcend all the litterall knowledge of other men; yet the Apostle accounts it dark and aenigmaticall in comparison of that knowledge which hee expects at the Revelation of Jesus Christ; for in this mixture of flesh and spirit the soule doth use glasses and perspectives, but then it shall see [...], face to face, then shall it know even as it is knowne. Oh! What infinite serenity and surpassing brightnesse shall then incompasse holy soules, when they shall see all Truth in him who is Truth it self? Here wee may often meet with vexations disputes from contentious Spirits, but in Heaven there shall bee altum silentium, a deep silence and everlasting rest, where our soules shall wade into a Sea of light and enter into [Page] a vast eternity of Truth. There shall be no spots, nor blemishes, no doubts nor scruples arising in our spirits, for it shall bee all day, even a day without clouds. Wee shall never more be troubled with the importunity of busie arguments, there shall bee no room for the Disputer of this world, but the immaculate Lamb our Lord Jesus shall bee the light of that new Ierusalem, and he shall enlighten our soules with his own light and glory for ever. Amen.

FINIS.

§

§

[Page]

THE SAINTS SECURITY, AGAINST Seducing Spirits OR, The Anointing from the Holy one The best Teaching.

Delivered in a Sermon at Pauls before the Lord Major, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City of London, upon the Fifth of November, 1651.

BY WILLIAM AMES. M. A.

Sonus verborum aures percutit, Magister intús est

Cathedram in Caelo habet qui corda docet.

Aug.

LONDON, Printed by M. Simmons, for William Adderton, and are to be sold at his Shop at the three Golden Falcons in Duck-lane, 1652.

TO The RIGHT HONOURABLE, IOHN KENDRICK, Lord MAJOR, and the Right Worshipfull the Aldermen of the City of LONDON.

[Page]

[Page]

Honourable and Beloved.

SOme who have been judicious Spectators of those uncharitable quarrels, which have broken forth in these Latter dayes, amongst Professors, have been ready to conclude, That either Men have not understood that thing which Religion signifies, or else they have abused [Page] the Name of Religion, making it serve to advance themselves, and promote some worldly designe: And if they shall consider the power of unmortified lusts in the hearts of wicked men emboldened by the Advantage of such generall dissentions, it will not be so great a wonder to see many cast off God and Holinesse, as to see any keeping the Faith, and cleaving unto Christ in such an houre of Temptation. One great snare, that the Devill hath layed to intangle soules, hath been, To put them upon it to call every thing into Question; which hath been the more dangerous, because such enquirie doth pretend to Ingenuity, and is like that Tree of knowledge, a Tree to bee desired to make one Wise, and certainly it is farre better to be humbly and modestly inquisitive, then Popishly and Sottishly ignorant, for the Wise mans eyes are in his head, but the Foole destroyes himselfe by a strange implicit faith, and blind obedience: But when a Proud and Deboyst Spirit shall become one of those [...] those haesitating Questionists, how will he Vaunt and Triumph in his conceits, as if he had Posed and Non-plust Truth it selfe: When such a one is gotten into this strong hold, what will not his bold confidence dare to Question? [Page] And although hee might consider that a Foole may aske more questions then ten Wise men can answer, yet still he persisteth in vaine Interrogatories; And such is the disturbance of his minde occasioned by the pride and wickednesse of his heart, that lett the most cleare and pertinent Reply be made to his Demands; yet is Hee wholly indisposed to receive satisfaction. Thus is the poor, but proud and insulting Sceptick, at once Really the Devils Bondslave, and conceitedly his owne freeman.

When I was, by your Order, called to this publique service, many things of this kind did presse in upon me, And the greatest impression that I could perceive [...] my spirit was, To speake something, that [...], by the blessing of God, tend to the Vindication of the Truth of Religion, from the Malicious, but Frivolous affronts of Prophane, yet Cunning men; and I could not finde out a more Direct meanes to this end, then by an appeale to the Common sense of all Regenerate soules, which I have done in the following discourse, according to the measure of the gift received, the effects whereof I heartily desire may be these two,

First, For ever to silence that Machiavilian [Page] Blasphemy, that Religion is nothing but a Politique Engine, and that there is no such thing indeed any where to be found. There are those in the world, who in a true spiritual sense, have heard with their eares, and seen with their eyes, and handled with their hands of the word of Life; And it is to be feared, that those soules, which deny, that there is any Religion abroad, are wholly devoid of it within themselves. Religion is not a Chimaera or Notion, but a real thing in the hearts and lives of good men.

Secondly, To stirre up and awaken Professors, that they rest not satisfied in any Outward forme, without the inward life and power of Religion. Oh! Bee not contented to serve in the Oldnesse of the Letter, but in the Newnesse of the spirit. Wee have raised such a Dust by our Disputes in lesser matters, and by our espousing such triviall quarrels, that we have almost lost our Christ, and alienated our affections from our first Husband. It is time for us now to call forth that Primitive spirit of Love and Purity, if by any meanes wee might remove the Scandal of our contentions, and exhort one another so much the more, as we see the day approaching.

After you had patiently given this Sermon the [Page] Hearing, you were pleased to importune the Publication thereof, whereby your selves and others might the better Perpend, and truly examine what is therein contained; which request of your Honours I could not easily deny, but have accordingly performed, and do here tender it to your Christian Acceptance, with hopefull confidence, that seeing for the Truths sake, it found such unexpected entertainment at your eare, it shall not be despised at the more severe Tribunal of your Eye. Now, that good spirit of Jesus Christ open the eyes of your mindes, that you may see and approve things that are excellent, and perswade your hearts to receive the Truth in the Love of it, and direct your steps to walke in the paths of Mercy and Truth, that you may be Saved.

So prayeth,

Yours and the Churches Servant in the Gospel. William Ames.

§

§

[Page]

Imprimatur

December 4. 1651.

JOSEPH CARYL.

Information about this book

Title statement

The saints security against seducing spirits, or, The anointing from the Holy One the best teaching : delivered in a sermon at Pauls before the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of London, upon the fifth of November, 1651 / by William Ames ...

Ames, William, d. 1689.

Edition statement

1652

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A25299

ID [STC]

Wing A3009

ID [STC]

ESTC R11

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

13413712

ID [OCLC]

ocm 13413712

ID [VID]

99437

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A25299)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 99437)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 782:3)

Source

— The saints security against seducing spirits, or, The anointing from the Holy One the best teaching : delivered in a sermon at Pauls before the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of London, upon the fifth of November, 1651 / by William Ames ..., Ames, William, d. 1689..

Extent

[8], 39 p.

Printed by M. Simmons for William Adderton and are to be sold at his shop ...,. London :: 1652.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.