SECTION I. Excellency of mans estate, as created.

WEE are now come (ac­cording to our Method) to the Threefold estate of Man. I am not igno­rant of those difficul­ties and disputes which occur in this Subject: Expect not from me in this [...]lace, an answer to all Objections, [...]or from any man satisfaction to each [...]ans curiosity. Salomon himself [...]ould not satisfie himself in all par­ticulars: [Page 2]Onely in the main of man he is very positive, and leaves us here two main Principles, whereof the first respects mans innocent and primitive estate; The second, his lapsed and forlorn condition, toge­ther with the cause of both. His or­der is open and obvious; he had said before, That man is wholly corrupt and now he delivers the original hereof; Negatively, it is not God Positively, it is man. We go on in our intended way of delivering Prin­ciples. And first, survey we mans firs [...] estate, and there look upon him as h [...] stands in Gods hand, and is of hi [...] making til he mar'd himself. Here we find his beginning very good by creation. An excellent, a lovely plain, even, uniforme piece, smoot without knots and slawes, straigh [...] without hook or crook; [...] So muc [...] Salomons comprehensive word im [...]ports; The result of all is this:

Doctr. Man at first a very one Hent &c desirable creature. Man at first was a very excellen and desirable Creature. This th [...] Point; and this is no more then Scrpture reports of him. Where men­tion is made of his first estate, Dav [...] brings him in with a crown upon h [...] [Page 3]head, and that crown is a crown of glory and honour. Thou hast crow­ned him with glory and honour, Psal. 8.5. His place was little lower then Angells, but far above all other Creatures: As Job affirmes, Job. 35. v. 11. God made him wiser then the beasts of the earth, then the fowles of heaven. Yea, the Prophet assures us that the worst piece of him, the very case and outside, was most cu­riously wrought and richly embroy­dered, Psal. 139.15. Moses goes yet higher, and carryes us above crea­tures to Gods blessed self, Let us make man, saith God, This Crea­ture, in our image and after our like­nesse, Gen. 1.26. Thus in Gene­ralls we have him set forth to us. For Particulars, I shall not trouble you with any large discourse touching his excellencies, either of soul, or body, or estate: Neither can we in this our decayed condition reach them. We see, we feel what he is; but what he either was or shall be, we can rather guess then judge,Greg. as blind men do of colours; onely this we are sure of, within there was nothing but what was desirable; without, nothing but [Page 4]what was amiable; about him, nothing but what was serviceable and comfortable: his understanding was as full of light as it was free from darknesse; his judgement, sound; his conscience, clear; his will, confor­mable to Gods will; his affections regular; nothing on that side wanting to his present happinesse. O [...] if we look without him, 1. His body had nothing of blemish or blushing, or distemper; but rather cloathed with all requisite beauties and abi­lityes, which might render him love­ly, and commend him to every eye. 2. For his estate, what it was before his fall we may guesse by that which is since restored by Christ, whereof we have a touch in that 8^th Psalme [...] to wit; God gave him a Soverainty over all the creatures, and stampt such a majesty upon him, that they did all acknowledge him, and received their severall names, as so many ac­knowledgements from him. As for his possessions, we need not stand to enlarge upon one Parcell of his Des­means, which they call Paradise, sith the whole, both of sea and land, and all the creatures in both, were then [Page 5]his possession, his Paradise. Thus the case stood with man at first, the crea­tures were as observant of him as he of his Creator. More then this I shall not speak in these particulars. This being a Theam so much treated of by Schoolmen and others, who write of this first estate.Cleared in his sev [...] causes. The whole matter will be further cleared if we look upon man in his causes.

If we consider the Efficient cause, 1 or the Author of man, it's God him­self: Adam, saith Luke, was the son of God, thence he derives his Pede­gree. Now from the excellency of the cause, it is not hard to infer the ex­cellency of the effect, especially since efficients work by way of assimilation; Naturall efficients, necessarily; vo­luntary causes, freely: both strive to accomplish their own works to their own ends and inclinations; now God (a voluntary agent) is all light, and works like himself, so that from him can come no darknesse; he is all good­nesse, all perfection, and can do no­thing but what is in its kind good and perfect; nay further, God is not simply to be considered in this work, but with relation to personality. [Page 6]The three glorious Persons concur in this externall work:Es. 54.5. Ps. 149.2. whence that expression job 35.10. God my makers. This is the joynt work of Father. Son and Holy Ghost, the issue of that power, wisdome, goodnesse which is common to them all, so that the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is in its measure put upon this noble creature.

2 Consider the Formall cause of man created. I mean, the manner in which God made him; and that is, 1. In the perfection of wisdome and deepes counsell, as being the Master-piece o [...] his visible works: hence for our better understanding Moses brings in God consulting with himself, Let us saith he, make Man. 2. In perfection of skill and workmanship, as in that 139^th Psalm, who hath made him a curious piece, and bestowed so much art and cost upon him, a [...] that the Master of Physick, Galen, was enforced to frame a song of praise to that Deity that frame [...] mans body. 3. In perfection of power: he created him, without the contribution of either matter or instrument, and so became the sole and whole cause of man.

The exemplary cause. And here we passe by that private opinion of Zan­chy's 3 and others, who conceive that Christ assumed mans nature for a pat­tern whereby Adam should be made. The text sufficeth us: God made man is his own image, according to his own likenesse: which passage, having an influence into much which shall be hereafter said, must a little be ope­ned. See then what is meant by those words; And the answer is, that image and likenesse in this case,Conser Ps. 58.4. cum Gen. 1.26. speak one and the same thing; but in an high and strong way: Not as Bellar­mine and others; who, for ends, make the one substantiall, the other, not. In our Image, most like our selves, that is, As near as the matter will suffer; There can be no pro­portion between the infinite God, and a finite man; some kind of re­semblance in some degree there may be: In every Beast there are some footsteps (as they are tearmed) of a deity, but more in man: some in every man, but more in some now. At first, of all visible creatures man came nearest to God. But wherein? not onely in regard of his nature; [Page 8]because he had an understanding, [...] reasonable will, a working immortal spirit in him, as Papists, and others speak; nor yet onely in order to his estate, because hee was made Lord over all creatures, as Socinians would have it; But also and specially in re­gard of his Graces and endowments seated in his soul: God made him wife, holy, just, upright, wherein the Apo­stle chiefly placeth Gods Image; and that most justly, Eph. 4.24. That be­ing the chiefe of Gods Image in the first Adam, which Christ, the second Adam, doth mostly repair and re­store. When then it is said, that God made man like himself, the mean­ing is, he made him holy, righteous, spi­rituall, according to the sampler, Gods blessed self.

4 Consider the Finall cause; God made man for most excellent ends and uses; hee made him to be a King of creatures, to be near to his most glo­rious Majesty, to be that great piece which should crown the rest of his works, and speak out all his perfecti­ons: he made him capable of an im­mortall [...]state, of true holinesse, and happinesse; and designed him for a [Page 9] marriage with the heir, Christ, and for nearest alliance with himself: and in order to these ends, he put so much honour upon him at the first. Nor can any man strange at this, sith it is the practise of all wise agents: Every skil­full workman (you know) layes out most of his skill and cost upon that piece which he intends for highest use and credit, as every builder is more exact in setting out a chimney-piece, then in making a gutter.

Object. Now if it be objected, that mans make is but of base materials, as dust, &c.

Sol. It's answered, that the matter con­tributes least of all causes unto the excellency of the work. And as much might be said touching the mean­nesse of it; The truth is: The poorness and meanness of the matter, doth of tentimes most advance and commend the skill of the workman. That God out of nothing should draw something, out of dead, blind dumb Clay should draw light, life, and speech, and out of such deformity should extract such beauty, strength, and excellency: this commends the workman, but doth not at all disparage the work. Be the [Page 10]stuffe what it will, God hath made a rich Arras of it; and the work is now honourable, through Gods power though the materials seem contem­ptible So much for that objection Other questions of like nature, we willingly passe over, and come to ap­ply this.

Ʋse 1 Informa­tion con­cerning mans pri­mitive estate. Let me call upon you all to be we grounded and Grammar'd in thi [...] truth, touching mans primitive estate The not heeding hereof hath let in those inundations of errours, which now over-spread the Christian World. You are not to look upon man as now he is, but as first he was existing out of his causes. And here shall commend unto you these prin­ciples.

1 Man had a beginning. Though now he be Immortall à parte post, yet once he was not; This is clear by the word and by his continued dependence.

2 His founder and maker was one and that was God. It was a wild and mad blasphemy to dream of Tw [...] beginners of the whole, as some did or at least of Man, as did others.

3 This God made him in his own like­nesse, Against Secinus. stamping upon him an Impres­sion [Page 11]of Holinesse, and as Peter cals it, the divine nature. These Princi­ples, (as others in other cases, have done) commend I unto you, nor would I have you once troubled with Socinus his cavils against the same; being such which scarce de­serve an answer.

Object. 1 First, saith hee, If man had born upon him Gods Image, intrinsecally, then man had been Immortall.

Sol. Sol. So he had, if he had not kil­led himself, and cast away his life. And though for the present he had nothing of death in him, yet was he mutable, and so might contract death.

Object. 2 Secondly, again he objects, If man were like God in holiness, then was he free from sin.

Sol. 1 Sol. 1. From the Act of sin hee was free in his first constitution, though not from the power of sin­ning being a voluntary agent.

Secondly, he was like God, but not 2 a God, that is, equall to God, and e­qually, uncapable of sin.

Object. 3 Thirdly, again, hee objects, If mans Image had consisted in holinesse, then upon his fall, the whole Image of God had been lost.

Sol. 1. So it was de jure, if God would have taken the forfeiture. Sol.

1 Yet, secondly, the argument holds 2 not, unlesse we did place the whole of Gods Image onely in holinesse. There indeed we lay it chiefly, but not onely We say that Gods Image is commu­nicated to the whole compositum or Man. We put a difference between the body of a man, and the body of a beast, whether living or dying: we yeeld that a dead man hath more o [...] God in his body, then a dead beast.

3 Thirdly, and in short, to cut of these disputes, wee say two things first that there be degrees of holinesse in this Image of God; and next, that it is not necessary that man should partake with God in all his attributes whereof some are incommunicable much lesse that hee should equalize God, though in some measure he be a representative of God.

4 To the former I adde this fourth principle. The distance is very great between man now, and man at the first, as Salomon here puts it: as man was changeable then, so now he i [...] changed very much; though some ruines and remnants of that which [Page 14]they call the substantiall Image abide upon him. This you must the rather be setled in, because Hereticks labour tooth and nayle, to confound these different states.Against Papists. Thus Papists-sweat to prove that man in his pure naturals is as good now as then: and the same then that he is now, differing no more, at least for intrinsecals, then a man cloathed, and uncloathed differs from himself; or, then a horse bridled and unbridled; The case was this, God put a bridle of supervenient righteous­nesse upon him to rein him in; other­wise he had the same seeds and prin­ciples of corruption, conflict, concu­piscence then, that he hath now.

Object. This they tell you, and Socinus brings his prop to uphold their rot­ten building; If, saith hee, there had not been a conflict betwixt reason and affection, how could man have sinned?

Sol. Sol. He should have said, If man could not have wrong'd himself, si­lenced reason, yeelded to appetite, how should he sin? But the matter is, man had power to be naught, (if wee may call that power) though for the present he was actually good.

But what strange men are these, [Page 14]who will fetch in God as an acce [...] ­ry to mans sin at least; in truth, principall? For if God, who sol [...] and wholly made man, so made h [...] as that he needed a patch, and an ventitious plaister so soon as ever was made, doth it not reflect up Gods perfection? but if hee were made as that there was a propension gainst reason, and a rebellion in members from the first; and if th [...] Rebellion be bad, at least not good is not God the author of it?

Object. Call they this Gods Image? [...] could god then see all that he ma [...] to be good?

Bellar. Bellarmines answer in this case given me no satisfaction at all, God, sai [...] he, intended the man: The corrupti [...] is but accidentall, as when the Gut [...] makes a sword, he mindes the sword, n [...] the rust of it.

Sol. For (to omit other differences) th [...] Cutler undertakes not to make th [...] matter, to wit, the Iron or Steel, bu [...] onely to give that matter a for [...] And the rust doth follow the matter not the form. The sword rusts no because a sword, but because Iron But now God gives man both; in [Page 15]deed all; nothing else contributes; and the saying is true, that who gives matter and form, gives the necessary [...]onsequents of both. But wretched [...]en care not how much they depresse God, so they may exalt flesh.

Let them go. And hold we this distance still: man is not so bad now, but once he was as good. Ori­ginall righteousnesse was once as naturall as sin is now, if not more. And this truth carries more in it, then as yet happily you are aware [...]f.

Ʋse 2 Justifie God in all his wayes: against ca­vils of flesh and bloud. Learn hence that which Salomon [...]ere presseth, namely, to justifie God [...]n all his wayes as holy in all his works. It is a fearfull thing to see what proud man renders to God for [...]ill his kindnesse. God made him a most glorious, happy, sufficient crea­ [...]ure: his own folly hath perverted [...]is wayes, and now his heart frets, [...]nd his mouth chats against the [...]ord: I beseech you, understand your Originall, and preserve your selves from the Pestilent errours of his age, and know how to plead for God, and to emplead sin. For exam­ple.

You shall hear men cry out Blondy doctrine touching Gods D [...] ­creeing men to fall; Object. nay, necessitati [...] them to damnation, &c.

Sol. Now here learn an answer of S [...] ­lomon, God made man good; made hi [...] for happinesse, put him into posse­sion of it, gave him power to ho [...] it, but he sought out many invention he he sought out &c. it was an act mans counsell and choice, hold we this, though we cannot so well con­ceive the concurrence of causes not as Adam did then, or as we sh [...] hereafter at the day of the revela [...] on of the righteous Judgement God.Rom. 2.5.

Object. Again you hear men say, that make God the greatest tyrant living one who gives impossible lawes, re­quiring impossibilities under the pe­nalty of damnation, unless we wi [...] yeeld that man can fulfill the law.

Sol. Now to this Answer. Then w [...] then: Now is now. When God tran­acted with man he required no mo [...] then man could do, now why mu [...] the rule be bended to man? or th [...] debt drawn to his ability, especiall sith the bond stands but for evident [Page 17]and mans good? God commits him, huts him up onely to humble him, Gal. 3.23, 24. [...]nd to drive him to seek a surety of [...]is own providing.

Object. It's replyed, that this salves not the [...]usinesse, since, in our doctrine, more is [...]equired of man lapsed, then of man in [...]nnocency; for God requires that faith [...]ow, which he did not then, and exacts what he never gave, gathering where [...]e never strawed. Thus they.

Sol. Wretched men! Doth God require [...]ny thing in the Gospel but upon 1 Gospel tearms? that is, that he will work the thing required when sought [...]nto.

Again what though Adam had not 2 [...]he exercise of faith in Christ, as nei­ther of patience or some other gra­ [...]es, yet he had all in the roote, seed, [...]nd power? The want was not in Adam, the subject: but the stay was [...]he had power to do, and to beleeve [...]ny thing that then did or after [...]hould concern him, and his place, [...]nd condition; and no more is requi­red of us now. I never saw an Elephant [...]n my life, why? not for want of a [...]rinciple in the subject; the same eye [Page 18]that can see an Horse, could an Ele­phant too, were it presented to [...] sight. I cannot be said not to see but it is not to be seen.

Object. Lastly, you heare men thus rea [...] ning. Why! I am as God made me am cholerick, I confesse it, but 'tis [...] nature: I am sleepy; Can I help it?

Sol. Answer. There are Defects wh [...] follow particular tempers, and [...] tures, Purely naturall; others wh [...] are sinfull flowing from the princip [...] of Poysoned nature: sinfull distempe [...] are yours, not Gods: you mig [...] once have prevented them, you m [...] now have them healed. It is an [...] gravation to lay our faults upon [...] natures, yea hereby we accuse [...] Creator. Therefore in stead of ex [...] sing our selves or accusing our ma [...] (as Adam and Eve did) let us [...] load on our selves; and that's the n [...] use.

Ʋse 3 Be humb­led, that thou art fallen as thou art. Where see for humbling, whe [...] we are fallen, what we were, what are. Men love to talke of their An [...] stours, thereby to pride themselv [...] and can hardly descend in themselv [...] though tumbled down by Gods hat [...] Let us, on the contrary, abase [...] ­selves [Page 19]to our estate, and befool our [...]ves, as we see the Bankrupt doth, [...]nce, quoth he, was I well, could I [...]ve kept me well; I had mony, and, stock, friends and what not? at now I lye under poverty, scorn, [...]d contempt. Ah unwise man I! [...] like manner let each of us say, [...]nce I was light, now darknesse, [...]nce rich in grace, now empty; Once [...]ods favorite, now an enemy; Once [...]eautifull, now ugly, a very Ichabod, [...]y glory is departed, Ah foolish [...]an, how was I bewitched! Thus [...]t us rate and chide our selves into [...]low conceit of our selves. Howbeit, [...]l this signifies nothing, unlesse we [...]e this our misery in the cause there­of. Therefore look upon sin as a thing [...]ost pernicious and destructive. It is [...]n, (say) that hath undone me, that [...]ath ruined mine estate; cast me into [...]ebt; 'tis sin that hath slain my Cat­ [...]ll, deprived me of my Crop; 'tis [...]n, my sin in Adam that hath for­ [...] [...]eited mine honour, undermined my Authority over creatures. Time was when every beast, every bird, every [...]sh, would have owned me, would [...]ave done me homage: Now my [Page 20]very servants trample upon me, [...] once subjects rise against me, [...] have against God. Lyons are re [...] to devoure me. Bears to worry [...] horses to brain m [...], yea, every [...] terpillar, worme, flea, makes a p [...] of me. 'Tis sin, that hath marr'd body. Once I had a body perf [...] active, sound, glorious, the more [...] ked the more shining: now in sta [...] of those beauties behold a stench si [...] nesse, shame and whatsoever else [...] blushfull. It is sin that hath spot [...] my soul: at first I had near Comme [...] ­nion with God, close correspond [...] cy with his will and Image. T [...] peace of God, the joyes of God, [...] strength and life of God were up [...] me. Now hell is in my soul, da [...] nesse and confusion fills every room bear in stead of Gods glorious mage, the ugly Image of the dev [...] himself, and come as near unto h [...] as my nature is capable. Oh cu [...] this accursed thing, Sin, which ha [...] so undermined thee, and resolve gainst it for the future, as we do [...] gainst lesser evills, we decline suc [...] meats as threaten partiall miser [...] This rots my teeth, that hurts m [...] [Page 21]eyes, this distempers my liver, that [...] stomach, therefore I must for­ [...]ar. Oh fear that sin that destroys [...]e, and hand and head the whole [...]dy, the whole soul the whole man. [...]nd now bethink thy self of a reco­ [...]y as decay'd men do; lye not whi­ [...]g under losses, as Jacobs sons in [...]eir wants, much lesse run to base, [...]rking courses, as broken chapmen [...]; But bustle and bestir thy self be­ [...]nk thy self, Is there no help? is it [...]t possible to raise my self again? yes, [...]re is hope and help, the Lord [...]rist, the second Adam comes with [...]e Image of God upon him, as a re­ [...]rer of the breach, he is come to re­ [...]ver what was lost, to pay what [...]s owing, to repaire our ruines, to [...]ruit us again, he is able, he is wil­ [...]g to undertake us. Nay the thing [...]done already, therefore I'le to him, [...] once the bankrupts to David, I [...]ll confesse with the prodigall, I will [...]g for life, I will cast my self upon [...]m, and close with him being offe­ [...]d as an husband, as the only way [...] decay'd fortunes, so shall I he [...]e­ [...]red in bloud and repained in mine [...]ate. Thus resolve, thus do, and [Page 22]cease not doing till thou find his m [...] upon thee, his fruit and life in th [...] so shalt thou find more life and [...] pinesse in him, then there was d [...] and misery in the old Adam.

Ʋse 4 Blesse God for the first estate and that little which is left to this day. Lastly, learn to be thankfull this first estate: close with all Saints in that Song of theirs, Rev [...] ult. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to ceive glory and honour and power: thou hast created all things, &c. not little that we owe to God, this poor estate which yet is left for these poor eyes, these lame lim [...] these frail bodyes, these sick so [...] which we labour with every d [...] We are much bound to him, for meanest fare, for the least bit of c [...] sest bread, the least sip of thin [...] drink, and must confesse with J [...] that we are lesse then the least of al [...] now forfeited mercies; what tha [...] then can we render for our first est [...] which was every way full, free, [...] rious, whether we look upon sou [...] body, or place or state, or any th [...] appertaining thereto; nor is G [...] goodnesse and bounty the lesse, cause we have foolishly squander away. That greatens our folly [Page 23]wickedness, yet no way lessens Gods [...]gesse and kindnesse.

Object. But why did not God put us [...]st danger and losse, but left it in our [...]nds so lose?

Sol. An ungracious question: so [...]e unthrift talks when he hath outed [...]mself of his patrimony, Why did [...]y Father trust me? why did he not [...]tayle his land? There is no rea­ [...]ning with such froward children, either content full, nor fasting. A [...]acious heart must and will be thank­ [...] [...]ll, as for kindnesses intended, so [...]uch more bestowed, most of all for [...]ercies restored in Christ, who hath [...]ended that first estate.

SECTION II. Snfull estate of man, as fallen.

HItherto we have seen that man was first good, and well stated; [Page 24]But doth he continue so? No, he [...] made good, but mutably good, [...] so of himself, he fell from God [...] himself; and so we passe to mans n [...] estate, where we find the case is m [...] altured with him.

Doct. 2 A sinfull change in man at now fallen He is not what he was, he was [...] what he is: but now there is a [...] distance between himself and h [...] self, betwixt this and that sta [...] This the Point, and this the w [...] plainly proves, Rom. 3.10. &c. h [...] are layd down two received tru [...] 1. There's no goodnesse in [...] 2. They are altogether naught; [...] was in ever thus? No, they have g [...] out of the way, saith the Apo [...] they have corrupted themselves, [...] that from their youth, Gen. 8. [...] They erre, and that from the wom [...] Psal. 58.3. Yea, from their con [...] ption, Psal. 51.5. This better [...] pears, if we may compare estates p [...] and present: I. Man was good, G [...] 1. ult. now bad, Gen. 6.5. & [...] first he was straight as 'tis here, n [...] perverse, Gen. 17.9. first he b [...] Gods Image, now mans, Gen. 5. first he was glorious, now filth Job. 15.16. abominably filthy. A [...] [Page 25]at this we can the lesse marvell, since his beginning, he comes under diffe­rent hands; At first he was onely Gods workmanship, and then there was nothing in him but what was Gods, all was right as God is alto­gether pure: but since, he hath de­ [...]erted God and betaken himself to [...]hose Inventious which himself hath [...]atch'd and Satan fomented, and [...]ereby wrought two mischiefs at [...]once. First, he hath made an hand of all his holinesse. Secondly, he [...]ath made way to all evill, sin, hor­ [...]our, shame, confusion, have seised [...]pon all and rendered him most woe­ [...]ull, most hatefull; we need not [...]ore words to prove a change in [...]im. Their dreams of old who fan­ied him to be bad from the begin­ing, either in whole or part, are [...]ot worth confutation, we have lear­ [...]ed that the devils themselves were [...]nce good, but they kept not their [...]tation. Time will be better spent [...]n searching into the Particulars of [...]his change, as into the time when it [...]as, the nature of it, the subject and [...]tent of it, the cause of it, &c. 1. Time of this change.

And first for the time; we con­clude [Page 26]all in two propositions.

1. The first act of mans will after his creation, was not the first sin and cause of this his change; we find Adam a while well employed, in re­ceiving laws from his maker, in mar­king as it were, his cattle, in acting his calling, in accepting his Father choice of a wife, and thus far he was right. Nor are arguments of some Thomists against this, so cogent, tha [...] they need to stay us.

2. It's most reasonable to think that he quickly fell, (though not s [...] soon) from his happy estate, becaus [...] Satan was very subtill to take him at the advantage, before he was wel [...] setled, and experienced; and second­ly, very active, fired with rage and envy. Because he is said to be a mur derer from the beginning; or very near to it, which beginning mus [...] commence from man, not from him self. Adde hereunto, that he had no [...] so easily prevailed, if man had bee [...] long rooted, and so better enabled to have made stronger resistance; (for I make no doubt but Adam should have growen and emproved himself by experience, as some waye [...] [Page 27]the second Adam did) but he took his time, whilest yet they were un­experienced, as is seen chiesly in Eve, who as yet knew not, as it seems, the nature of the Serpent: whereto we may adde this, that she, the same Eve, had conceived her first born without sin, had any considerable time been 'twixt their creation and fall. But I will not be too peremiptory in things more disputable and lesse important.

For the second, the nature of this change. Thus we state it. First,2. Nature of this change. the change was not in Essentials, for such cannot be separated from the thing, without its dissolution:1. Nega­tively. but man was for substance, the same man before and after his change: Christ was essentially man, though far from sin. So shall we be in heaven. Therefore if this were the errour of Illyricus, it were an errour sufficiently gross. We read, that God made substances, he made no sins. Secondly, it was not in Supernaturals onely, for na­turals also are abated and eclipsed in him, neither was his Originall righte­ousness altogether supernaturall at that time; we may call that (proper­ly enough) naturall which is com­mon [Page 28]to the whole species, to all man kind, and passeth along in a way [...] generation, though we cannot ex­presse how. But then the objection is [...]

Object. If righteousnesse be any way na­turall, then that ceasing, man should also cease to be man.

Sol. Sol. The argument will not fol­low, because naturals do admit o [...] degrees: sight is naturall, speech na­turall, &c. yet a blind or dumbe mar is yet a man; we may safely say, th [...] righteousnesse was as naturall, as si [...] is preternaturall: and we mean n [...] more but that Justice was then as na­turall, as now sin is. Sin is either na­turall or preternaturall, (if you will so call it:) we speak of man in thi [...] case Morally not Physically conside­red, and heed not what Aristotle will call him, but what God saith of him This for the negative.

2. P [...]si­tively. Now positively, we say that this change is properly an alteration, con­sisting in Qualities and certain re­spects. Whereas man held a doubl correspondency with God, one Re­lative, as he stood in subjection to him, and a dependence upon him as his maker, master, father, &c. [Page 29]Another Representative, as he bare Gods Image, which he could not pro­perly beare in a relation of Inferio­rity: he is now much varied and changed, in both these. First of a subject, he is become a rebell, of a son a traytour, of a friend an enemy, and stands now at defiance with God.

Secondly, whereas he earst much savoured and resembled God, now he is most removed from him, and oppo­site to him, of light he is become dark­nesse, as Paul expresseth it in the ab­stract: Semblably, we may say of wisdome he is become folly, of good­nesse, in a sense, sin it self, as the very Heathens use to expresse him. And here is the change, in a mans estate both personall and locall. Subje­ction is turned into Rebellion, Con­formity into Dissormity, and so into Deformity, and consequently, his happinesse into unhappinesse it self. Thus for the second Question. Fol­lowes the third touching the Subject and Extent of this change: and this we dispatch in three words.

3. Extent, of this changes. First, all mankind is changed for the worse, and is warped aside.

Secondly, all of man, every par­ticular [Page 30]both power and part, is now degenerated; The whole frame of his heart is corrupted. Gen. 6.

And lastly, all men, all alike, a [...] involved, and suffer this unhappy change.

4. The cause of it. The cause of this change. First we exelude not God from any act though from all sin.

Secondly, we excuse not Satan from the sin, though from some acts in it.

Thirdly, we lay the blame where the fault is, upon mans self. To in large these a little.

1 First, we exclude not a divine con­currence; Gods decree, permissive (as some speak) went upon it; and this, to say the least, we must needs say, unlesse we will say that God stood Neutrall in one of the highest works of providence, neither willing non nilling it.

2 Secondly, Satan did so far concur as to bring a guilt upon himself, by tempting man. But the Word char­geth the sin upon mans self, they have sought out, so saith Salomon, so must we say. Though man would shift it from himself, and divide it [Page 31]betwixt God and Satan. But 'tis found upon him, and there we must leave it.

Object. But how could this be (will some say) how could man so accomplish it, admit of sin?

Sol. Sol. The Text tells us, he sought out many inventions: and we must consider, First, that man was made out of 1 Nothing, and therefore apt enough to return into his first principles and more prone to privations, such as sin is, then to positive goods, when he is left to himself.

Secondly, he is a compounded crea­ture 2 and therefore in and of himself mutable.

Thirdly, he is a finite creature, and 3 borrows all from without, and of himself is subject to deficiencies, and so may sin.

Fourthly, he is a creature so boun­ded 4 that he cannot see and do, and consider all things at once, and so may fall into diversions and excogi­tancies.

I, and Fiftly, he is a free creature, 5 and therefore may act or suspend, use or not use, his abilities at pleasure. [Page 32]But, it were better happily, leaving these disputes, to look up to God and admire with Austin, that thing should be against his will, and yet not altogether besides it; and to bethink our selves how we may rise, rather then how we did fall. It sufficeth for the present, that we clear God as much as Papists or any others: at least we desire to do it; and if they can teach us how to speak better, and more for the vindication of Gods holinesse, we shall thank them, mean while we mean as well as they, and speak as much for the vindication of Gods holinesse as any Bellarmine, o [...] Arminius of them all; we say, that God is no morall cause of sin, and Physical cause he cannot be: sin ha­ving only a cause deficient, but none efficrent; we do not say that any pre­cedent decree doth force the will or compell the man. Nor on the other side, do we say that the whole work of sin is only from man, nothing of it from Satan (as he reports,Estiuslib 2. distmet. 21. Sect. 11. & di­stinct. 3. who usual­ly is more modest) but this we do, we set the saddle on the right horse, and say as Salomon guides us, Man hath sought out many inventions. [Page 33]Do you understand what I have said, or shall I speak it yet more plainly? we yeeld a concurrence of many agents in mans change, but with a wide dif­ference, as to the manner of their working.

First for God; we must not con­ceive him to be only a spectator, in this high work of providence, we must acknowledge his disposing hand, his ordering hand, his decreeing hand, in leaving man to his own choice: but still without the least shadow of sin.

Secondly, for Satan; we must not excuse him whom God curseth, he was certainly a morall cause of mans sin, and did his utmost to perswade.

Thirdly, for Mans self; we must speak Salomons language, who lays not the fault upon the devill, as no reason he should: for a morall cause hath no influence, at least no inforcing power upon the subject. Much lesse doth he lay it upon God, who always seriously disswades from sin, Physi­cally infuseth no ill, nor withholds requisite strength. 'Tis true, flesh and bloud will cavill and find this ba­stard sinne many fathers: but man is father and mother both, himself: [Page 34]so the Word speaks it, and Adam with all his skill could not shift it off from himself, though never so willing I say in this case, as one said in ano­ther;August. Ep. 48. In one and the same thing many causes may concurre, but no to the same end, nor in the sam [...] thing.

Ʋse 1 Ever ob­serve this distincti­on of a good and bad estate. Now this makes sirst for our infor­mation. God, you see here, teach­eth us a double estate; learn we both God sets a bound and distinction thus farre goes his work; here begin ours: Now we must keep asunde what he so distinctly severed, the ra­ther because a confusion here is in [...] self most hurtfull, and by many most industriously endevoured: Oh ho [...] do wits sweat to trouble these waters to this end, that we should not se [...] our own faces, nor discern which which. Hence those uncouth conclu­sions in both estates. In the first There is no such thing as Original Ri­ghteousnes, no such Image of God [...] we fancy, say the Socinians; Next there is such a thing, say Papists, but was not natural; it was to man but a cloathes and trappings to the body as if man should not have been bor [...] [Page 35]in this spirituall armour, as some spake of Giants for other armour; but come into the world as naked of Grace, as a horse doth of a Saddle, &c. till God from without do furnish him. And in the second estate, how infinitly do men fumble? First, Originall sin that's, to many, a very dream; There is no such thing: Secondly, yes, say o­thers, there is such a thing, but it is onely imputed: Nay, saith a third, it's more then imputed, but yet Without the accesse of any positive malignity, 'tis a meer privation. Fourthly, that pri­vation is rather penall then sinfull. Fifthly, if sinfull, yet not in all. Sixth­ly, if in all, yet is it the least sin, de­serving privation of joy and blisse onely. Seventhly, in Saints it is gone, and so gone that we need not repent of it, nay, we ought not. In short, set aside some outward priveleges and ac­coutrements, man is where he was, changed onely in externals. Now what stronger proof of our declensi­on? what a miserable thing is man become! who rather then he will be beholding to God for his first setting up, or to Christ for his supplyed re­paires and recruits; rather then he [Page 36]will acknowledge himself such a fool such a beast to part with so faire an estate, cares not what he saith or re­ports, as to Gods work or his own in either estate. Oh madness! were it not sir for us to say with Salomon God made man upright, but man hat undone himself? Surely this were fit but then thinks proud flesh, what will become of free will? what of merit what of fulfilling the Law? what o [...] all fleshly boasting and excellency? were this granted, then must God be [...] justified; then must man be abased But rather then God shall goe away with all the credit, and man with al [...] the shame, he will mingle heaven and earth, light and darknesse, and come to this, either hee was never good and that reflects upon God; or else is good still, and then mought Christ have saved a labour;Fevardent. at least, much o [...] his bloud, if the Frier be right, who saith, that one fear of Christ could have redeemed all. Good my bre­thren, admit of light, of truths so fundamentall; know a change, acknow­ledge what it is, whence it is: It is from light to darknesse, from life to death, from wisdome to folly, from [Page 37]heaven to hell, from God to Satan. It is an universall apost asie, and it is from your selves, you were Adam, as the Text here tels you, legally, natural­ly considered, you can blame none but your selves, & none could change you, til your wils or minds did change. If as yet, you know not these things sufficiently, suffer the word of in­struction, submit to Catechising, conferre with your teachers, peruse the principles of your faith and reli­gion or, if already you doe know these things, freely acknowledge them, justifie wisdome and truth to the face of errour, and to the reeth of pride.

Ʋse 2 Be hum­bled migh­tily for this tall in. to sin. In the second place, let us set upon that hard (but seasonable) work of humiliation. The poyson of Adams first pride, nay of Satans, sticks yet in our soules; and the truth is, had man the devils capacities, be would be as proud as the devill himself; and the least cause, and the more sin there is, the more proud still. Sin is a lea­ven that heaves and swels him, and when hee is most sinfull, then least humble. And as it puts out his eyes, and hurts his understanding: so it [Page 38]corrupts his will. Of all things in this world, sinful man loves not to come down; hee would still be in credit with himself, however the world goes.Four great causes for deep hu­miliation. This being our nature, we must set more resolutely against it; and know that no one work better becomes our condition then the work of humiliation; and therefore we must break through all impedi­ments, and see what reason we have to pull down our selves.

1 First, we, (onely under painfull e­vills) we ought to stoop; but sin is The evill, even the evill of all evils; that which doth hurt every creature, and would, if it could, the Creator. Now this sin is found upon us, and should shame us as the thief, when taken in the manner.

2 Secondly, these sins are many and mighty, we have done as wickedly as we could, Jer. 3. had we had more room for more sin, we would have bid it welcome; mean while we are as full as we can hold, there's not one spare room, Rom. 3.

3 Thirdly, had we but once offended, one treason were unsufferable; one sin would make a breach into all or­der, [Page 39]beauty, peace, reason, religion; and the whole creation. One finne had let in a legion of devils, a de­luge of all miseries: But now we have exceeded all bounds and dimensions; there's neither number nor measure of our wickednesse.

Fourthly, all this springs from our selves; 4 we spin all our poyson out of our own bowels, Es. 59.4. We may pretend occasions, inticements, en­forcements: but when all's done, all these excuses will prove but so many accusations and aggravations: and therefore let us look homeward, and strike the right veine, begin where our sin began, at and in our selves, at the heart, at the spirit.

More cause to be humbled for the first sin, then all that follow. This must bee our course in all our actings and failings; chiefly for the first sin; till a man comes to that, he is never truly humbled. Other sins are more private, partiall, and seem more pardonable, as issuing out of weaknesse, or ignorance or (at the most) of a will surprized and capti­vated; Oh but the first sinne which is known by the name of originall sin, was a strange sin whether the Subject, or Object, or Ingredients, or Conse­quents be considered.

Why? 1 First, for the Subject, it is the sin of mankind, never did all Subjects so con­spire in a rebellion; secondly, of all the man, nothing is exempt.

2 Secondly, for the Object, it is the breach of the whole Law, whether in graven or imposed, and of the whole Covenant, as Hosea expresseth it.

3 Thirdly, for the Ingredients, it's every sin virtnally, and the death of every grace me itoriously.

4 Fourthly, for the Consequences; it forfeits all goodnesse, life, creation; and is an in-let to all misery and confusi­on. We have read of some who in their vast luxuriousnesse have cast a­way whole Lordships Kingdomes at one throw,Cleopatra. have drunk up thousands at one draught: but these were toyes to Adams fact.Nero. His bloudinesse was horrid, who wish'd all Rome one head, that so hee might dispatch it at one time and blow, beheaded all man­kind, and slew at once all the soules and bodies that ever did, or ever shall descend of him.

Object. Object. But you'l say, What's this to us?

Sol. Sol. Wee are Adam. The sin in [Page 41]speech, is if a man may so speak, spe­cificall. And 'tis but an idle question amongst some wanton School-men, Who sinned most, Adam or Eve; and whether if Eve onely had sinned, we had been guilty and obnoxious. The whole kind, (saith good Austin is ob­noxious, and in this account Adam is Eve, and Eve is Adam, and every man is both. I mean it thus: That they must not here be personally con­sidered, but as parts and representa­tives of mankind. God contracted with mankind, and mankind with God. Mankind made; mankind brake the Covenant. There's no preceden­cy of sexes and persons in it, only in the manner and order of conveyance there is some. And so we fall upon the second thing in this sin,Habiruall corrupti­on, the se­cond part of the first sin. viz. Ha­bituall corruption, which follows up­on this unhappy act, and this is a Gulf fadomlesse, the dimensions whereof none can take but God who is the just measure of himself, and of all things else. Men can take the al­titude and latitude of vastest bodies; but the way of this sin, is like the Eagles in the aire, the ships in the Sea, its height is above all heights; [Page 42]its depth, breadth, and length be yond all our comprehension. You shall be like God, saith Satan; there is the snare, there is the design. Like him not in nature, but in state and condi­tion; Absolute, Independent: his will a law, his judgement a rule: and this poyson is in him still; every man hath a heart of a God in him, and is his own God, whil'st he is in this e­state, and at this passe he is, whilst he is but naturall. But this was but a Gull. What is the event? man is like not God but Satan, he is all flesh, all brutish, nay, devilish, saith the Apo­stle, he is a devill in and to himself; devill to his brother, with that vil­lain in Bodin, he would kill both soul and body, and send all the world to hell. He is a devill towards God, and hates him infinitely. The difference between the devill and him, lies one­ly in degrees and capacities; else there is nothing in us, in a morall sense, but what the devill likes, nothing in the devill but what we do or would like, if God did not bound us, and tye us up. Men have laboured, and that to good purpose, to set forth the par­ticulars of this sin, but shall I tell you? [Page 43]man is so bred in it, and maimed by it, that he cannot well tell what to make of it, where it ends, what a man would be, or what he would think, say, or do, or wish if he were left to himself: we finde enough for our humbling upon record, I, and in the best Saints. A man would have been bound for Davids good behaviour, but Jeremiah hath told us, that The heart of man is desperately wicked. It is not indeed beyond uncreated mercy, and infinite power and wisdome: but it is beyond all things else. Truths and virtues have their limits, may be defined, discerned, confined; whether an an­gell can say, how farre originall sin may bee extended in particulars, is more then I can tell. This I can tell, that we have cause to be humbled for this sin whilest we breath.

Quest. Quest. But wherein stands this work of humiliation?

Sol. Sol. I will tell you in few. First, in Conviction. Labour to be con­vinced, both by Law, and Gospell, of these things.

1 First, that thy sin and corruption is unspeakable, (as elsewhere I have shewed more largely) [Page 44]against all right and reason, all light and instruction; whereby at once thou hast made an hand of all grace, and hast given life to all sinne.

1 Secondly, that this was Thine own sin, as hereafter I must speak, Thou must own it, and acknow­ledge an hand in all sin, as to the seeds of them; and in all miseries, as to the desert of them.

2 [...] Secondly, to Conviction adde Contrition: be ashamed of thy self, tremble, blush, mourn, and as James phraseth it, be miserable. We grieve, and afflict our selves for other mens unkindnesses, and unreasonable be­haviours: bleed under thine own sins and follies, and understand that none have done thee so much wrong, prejudice and disgrace, as thou hast done thy self, whil'st thou hast thus ungraciously risen against thy God.

3 Thirdly, to Contrition adde Con­fession. Clear God, clear his Law, clear all the Jury, that hath been empan­nelled against thee. Yea, clear both men and devils in comparison of thy self. Say, I am The devill to my self, [Page 45]mine is the sin, and the shame.

4 Fourthly, to all the rest adde Sub­mission. Accept of the chastisement of God, Lev. 26. Yeeld to his re­bukes outwardly, to the lashes of conscience inwardly: tell conscience that he doth but his office; sit down by its checks, by the reproaches of enemies, by the reproofes of friends, and preachers, by all thy losses and crosses. Say, All is just, all is little. If the Lord throw me into hell it's just, if he spare me 'tis grace: I will beare the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, Mic. 7.9.

Ʋse 3 How we may undo [...] bad bargain. Since we have made a foolish bar­gain, and changed for the worse, what shall we do next? is there no way to undo this bargain? That's the first question usually in such cases: and blessed be our God we may as yet go back.

Object. Object. Oh! That I doubt is too good to be true. I had rather then all the world it were to do again.

Sol. Sol. That indeed is impossible, it is too late to call back yesterday: but not too late to improve our los­ses, and to salve all.

Quest. Quest. Why, what must I do?

Sol. 1. Make thy sensible whence thou art fallen,Sol. 1. and fare as the mary doth, who hath undone himself, and beggard his by foolish bargaines: he lookes upon his wife, and then sighs, lookes upon his boy and shakes his head, looks upon his Girle, the water stands in his eyes; in short he is ready to tear himself for his former folly. Do thou the same, do as the wife doth, who hath wilfully ca [...] away her self, and lost her friends for an un­thrift, that useth her like a beast, she could bite off her very fingers if that would untie the knot: mean while, she repents with all the veines in her heart, so do thou. Thou hast undone thy self, thy wife, thy childe: matcht thy self to a devill, without thy Fa­thers consent, who will use thee worse then a drudge, then a dogge: mourn for this.

2 Secondly, make to thy father as the childe doth when he knowes not what to do. Truth it is, thou hast unchilded thy self, but thou hast not unfathered him, he hath the Bowels of a father still, and may help thee, with honour enough.

Our children may do an act, which [Page 47]we neither can or may reverse or re­pair, not so Gods children: he may lawfully dissolve our covenants, which we have no authority to make without his consent: he may lawful­ly forbid the banes, and sue out our divorce betwixt us and Satan, annull that contract.

Object. But will he?

Sol. I tell thee a father will do much in such a case, for a penitent childe, especially when he sinds fraud and malice both in the cheater. There­fore cry with David, Lord seek thy lost sheep; Lord dissolve my Covenants with death: mind him of a former covenant and precontract, as the Church doth; Lord, we are thine, o­ther Lords have no portion in, us no right over us.

Thirdly, and above all, Fly to 3 Christ, and so to God through him. Saints and Angels are but of the Pre­sence chamber. The great Favourite, the Kings Son, who hath his heart and ear, he must speak for thee; I mean, Christ, whose errand it was to dissolve the works of Satan, and all contracts with him, to bring in a New Covenant, to save what was lost. It is [Page 48]his place and office, he is the Goel the next kinsman, he is the second Adam, and came purposely to reduce us to our primitive Image, state and liber­ties: and he can do it,Rom. 5.20. Rom. 5. there is more grace and life in him, then there can be losse and sin in Adam: Hold that firmly: nay, hold three things, which I will speak in as few words, and so end this point.

1 First, that none other can help thee, None else can make that strait which is crooked, can speak or work life, but this quickning Spirit.

2 Secondly, He can help thee; he is able to save to the uttermost those that come to him.

3 Thirdly, He will help thee: he ne­ver yet put back any that came in truth to him; he will never undergo, that reproach in Israel. This is the man whose shooe was pluckt off: he will never lose such an opportunity of eviden­cing his grace and powre: for here is a work fit onely for a God; namely, to make the world to go backward; to undo that which was so long since done; to enforce Satan to throw in thy bonds; to translate thee from a state of death and bondage, to a state [Page 49]of life and advantage: rest upon him, who was made for this work, and will settle thee, (if thou wilt beleeve him, and be ruled by him) in a bet­ter state and tenure, then ever thou hadst in Adam; or couldst have, if an Angel were thy Father, or bound for thee. Christ alone is all-sufficient; there is not a second Adam besides him, neither needs there: If he the Son make thee free, John 8.36. thou art free in­deed: If he the Son become thy sure­ty. The first Adam, was not more able to destroy thee, then he is to re­store and secure. There stay thy self. And there's an end of this point.

SECTION. III. Mans sin was caused by himself.

You hear how strangely man is altered. We proceed to the cause of this his change. Who is in fault? not God; he made man upright: But [Page 50]man himself. They have sought out, &c. The point is open.

Doct. 3 Mans sin is from mans self. That mans sin is from mans self. Man is the cause of his own naughti­nesse; the Author of his own sin and undoing, although not of every par­ticular in it. Salomon is positive, and makes a just distribution: Mans sin is either from God, or from himself; not from the former, God: Therefore from the latter, himself; nay, himself is a free cause of his own change: it is an act of his own choyce. Whose? Mans, and that at large: not this, or that man, but man, all men sought out sin, all sin, all inventions and wayes of sinning. Summe up all, and the result will be, that all the sins of man issue from mans self. This will ap­pear, if you consider him in his three­fold estate.Cleared by his three­fold estate.

1 First, look upon him at First. God put no ill principle into him; no crea­ture had any compulsive power over him; he had a true (though not In­dependent) Soveraignty over his own actions. He mought have stood, but he chose otherwise. No man can speak it more plainly then Salomon doth; which shall save us the labour [Page 51]of further proof, though further te­stimony of God, and conscience might be added, attesting this truth.

Secondly, look upon man in his 2 sinfull estate. V. Prov. 19.3. Ged. 8. Jude 13. Jer. 7. Job 5.7. And so sin flowes from him as naturally as waters from a fountain, Jer. 6.7. as sparkles from a furnace, Job 5.7.

From within, out of the heart of men proceed evill thoughts, Mar. 7.21. Mark 7.21. And these evill thoughts bedded there, beget adulteries, fornication, murders, &c. what not? he is a sink, a very Sepulchre, an open Sepulchre, and what can you expect thence but stenches?Rom. 3.13. Rom. 3.13.

Thirdly in his repaired estate; 3 Man hath still a body of sin,Rom. 7.24. Rom. 7. consisting of many rotten members, Col. 3.Col. 3.5. From within he sends forth evill, so saith James more then once,Jam. 1.14. and 4.1. cap. 1.14. cap. 4.1. So that as sin is In him, so still, you see, sin is resolved Into him; it issues from principles of his own; from his own darkned mind, defiled conscience, poysoned heart, and erroneous imagination.

Reas. 1 And as Divinity doth find him guilty, and a Felo de se; so doth Rea­son too. For every free Agent is Lord [Page 52]of his own actions, and did he not work freely, he were not a voluntary workman. As things be in nature, so in operation. Did not man work freely, there were no place for choyce and option. Naturall agents are de­termined to One, as a stone descends onely: But Voluntary, such as man is, have a freedome of choyce.

Reas. 2 Were not man master of his own actions he were not capable of a law, 'Tis absurd to lay lawes upon things, which work by instinct; To restrain or command by law sire to heat, or not, is absurd. Nay, more; He would be uncapable of good or bad; as a stone is; and consequently uncapable of re­ward or punishment; nay, uncapable of Christ, and an Holy Ghost; which dwels not in stocks. In short; Deny this, and you must deny man to bee capable of law, of deliberation, of sin, of punishment. A thousand such ab­surdities would follow, if man should not be the actor of morall things, yet objections are raised against all that is said.

Object. 1 First against Salomons distribution. Datur tertium, videlicet, the Devill.

Sol. Though the devill be aphysical & [Page 53]working agent in his own sphear: yet to man he can be no immediate physicall agent, but onely morall: He works not immediately upon the under­standing, nor so as God doth; but upon the passions of the body, and images of the phantasie: All that he can do is, to perswade, incite, sug­gest, He cannot, without man, have any Reall influence, unlesse man con­cur, not onely passively but actively too. True, he can bring poyson, as a theef stollen goods, and leave it with you, if you will receive it: he can­not force you to take it: for none hath any Soveraignty over man but God and himself. The devill may co-work immediately and physically by the mediations of our passions and distempers: but not so, as to excuse, or exempt us. Therefore Salomons distribution is sufficient.

Objecti­ons raised from mans first estate. It is further objected against the threefold estate of man. Against the first thus.

1. It is inconceiveable how man should sin of himself; Either God left him so, as that he was necessitated to the fall; and then God is involved, man cleared: Or else which way should [Page 54]sin come in? The devill could not compell him, you say; neither had he any evill matter in himself: he could not desire his own unhappinesse, and undoing, nor his own error &c.

Sol. 1 God did not so leave him but that it was possible for him to stand: God gave him power and intrusted him with it but God was not bound to act that power for him; That privi­ledge we have now in the second Adam; where God works both the will and deed.

2 Secondly, Satan though he could not compell, yet might he further mans sin and gailt by representing objects.

3 Thirdly, for himself, though he had nothing actually ill in him, yet was he mutable, sinite: and therefore must view things successively: he mought suspend his actions, as we said be­fore. The first sinne imaginable is Independence upon God and cessa­tion from goodnesse; which was then in his power.

Object. Object. But the Serpent beguiled them so, that our first parents sin­ned ignorantly.

Sol. He beguiled their expectations [Page 55]more then their judgement: there was error in their being beguiled, as in every sin: but that error was a consequent or adjunct, not the cause of the sin; Aliud eft peccare ignoran­ter; & ex ignorantiâ. But the silen­cing answer must be, That Adam­then saw his guilt, better then we can now. Rom. 2.7. And the last day will clear it Rom. 2. Till then we must say as Salomon here, and stop the mouth of iniquity with this; God made man upright, but they have &c.

Object 2 Frommans second estate. For the second estate it is objected. Man is not now to be charged with sin, for first, he is held to do Satans will, 2 Tim. 2.2 Tim, 2.26.

Sol. True, but willingly: he sings in that cage. Sol.

Object. Object. That dyscrasie now in him is penall, and he is passive in it.

Sol. Not so onely, it is not meer­ly penall, but vitions and volun­tary: and he is active: sin is his food, his sleep, his life,Pro. 15. [...].14. & 4.16. as Salomon speaks.

Object. Object. He cannot but sin, Rom. 8.7. and Peter speaks of such,Rom. 8.7. who cannot but sin, 2 Pet. 2.14. 2 Pet. 2.14.

Sol. Sol. This necessity comes not from [Page 56]any outward cause, but from an in­ward principle: 'tis voluntary, 'tis not imposed, but contracted.

Object. 3 From mans third estate. Against the third estate it is ob­jected; That a sanctified man can­not sin, 1 Joh. 3.9. 1 John 3.9. He that is born of God sinneth not.

Sol. Sol. That is not simply said: for the same Apostle assures us, cap. 1. v. 8. [...] Joh. 1.8. If we say we have no sin, we de­ceive our selves, &c. There is both actuall and habituall sin in all men: but the words are to be restrained to matter and manner of sinning; he cannot sin some sins: To death, in that degree. And he cannot sin with the whole man. There is a seed and a principle in him that resists, he can­not sin, that is, live in a trade of sin, as one inslaved to it.

Object. Object. Bur Paul saith Rom. 7.Rom. 7.20. not I, but sin &c.

Sol. 1 Sol. Paul speaks Not de principio Quod but Quo: not of the Person but Principle.

2 Secondly, it is not he, because the sin doth not Redundare in personam, ingage that, God not imputing it: else he denyes not sin to be in him, and sin to flow from that body of [Page 57]sin in him; onely it is not his in re­gard of his affection, and Gods inter­pretation. The point then stands good; Man is the Author of his own sin.

Be informed, that is, Ʋse 1 Charge thyself with sin, not o­thers. get a judge­ment rightly sanctified, and infor­med touching this truth; man un­sanctified, is all self: sin admits of no search or reflexion: the proper effect of it, is either senslesness, hy­pocrisie, or impudency: The sinner yeelds not the fact, till found upon him, yea even then he will not yeeld himself (with Saul) to be in fault,1 Sam. 1 [...]. he looks to earth, to hell, to heaven, and will charge, all sooner then himself.

First, for Earth; that is nearest 1 hand. Chide men for defects, it is long of wife, minister, the word is hard, &c. Charge them with actuall sin, it is long of others, they would anger a Saint, make stones fall our; flesh and blood cannot beare it; as times and men be, none can do [...] therwise. Thus sin pleads: but what saith truth? Prov. 25. 26.Prov. 25.26. The righteous before the wicked is [...] troubled spring: Though he be a [Page 58]spring, yet when troubled, it is from his own mud:Jam 4.1. Whence are brawles, saith James, but from your own lusts? Surely wickednesse proceeds from the wicked: 1 Sam. 24.13: The Saints of old lived in as bad times, and had as bad neigh­bours; yet never brake out into our passions: Christ, Paul, others were as badly entertained; yet never swore, raged, &c.

Again, for naturall corruption. How do men shift it off? It is long of Adam. What can they help it? Thus hypocrisie speaks: but what is the truth? Adam is every man: the whole species mankind was in that pair; and their act specificall: so Salomon here: They sought &c. How can this be? naturally they and we are one; legally we had one cove­nant, in the propagation there is a priority, in the contraction of cor­ruption none. So then: other men must not own our faults: they may tempt, help forward sin: but till we concur, we are but objects, not sub­jects.

2 So say for Satan: As he is the great Accuser, so most accused.

Object. The devill owed me a shame, and [Page 59]now he hath paied me.

Sol. Ans. It is a sin to belye the devill; indeed he is stark naught in himself, and towards all: but his sin, tem­ptations, suggestions, cannot hurt thee without thy self. Joh. 14. Unlesse thou be tinder, he cannot strike fire in thee: thy sin is not the lesse for his: therefore David though moved by Satan to number the people, takes it upon himself. Rebellion is thy witcheraft; in witcheraft there is a confederacy; in this contract, the witch is not excused in consenting; though Satan be subtle, and malici­ous in propounding: so here, the truth is, if there were neither man on earth, nor devill in hell, thou wouldst be poysonfull and naught now: Therefore know thy self, Satan may hurt himself by tempting, thee he can­not, without thee.

3 And if the devill must not own our faults, must God? here mans sin is truly devilish, when it flyes upon God. I am as God made me, & I do my kind, it is my nature, I am ordained to it &c. O blasphemy! can any evill come out of heaven? darknesse from the Sunne? death from [Page 60]life? God is neither morall, nor phy­sicall cause of the evill of sin: Not the former: he perswades, com­mands, allows none: but contrarily disswades, forbids, disclaims it. Not the latter, he infuseth none: things work as they be: a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit.

Object. Object. Blasphemy objects. God is a physicall cause of sin, as appears by his acts of Counsell: of Creation: and Providence.

1 First, for acts of Counsell. God decrees all, and that's infallibly.

Sol. Sol. What then? first, decrees do not necessitate: they have no vio­lent operation;King. 12.15.24. there is a decree up­on things contingent, and most there.

2 Secondly. Infallibility and Com­pulsion are two things: There is an in­fallible decree passeth upon all we do: yet we do a thousand things freely.

3 Thirdly, decrees do not over-bear or exclude the will: but conclude it. If we see it not, let us say, I am blind, not God is bad.

Object. Ob. Yea, but I am as God made me.

Sol. Answ. No saith our text, God made man upright, &c.

Object. Object. But he could have preven­ted sin.

Answ. But he was not bound to it. Was it sutable to our natures?Sol. A Prince can bind subjects hand and foot, and keep them from rising. Are these fit cords for reasonable creatures? the Question is not, whether God could have made man better, but whether he did make him bad: Sa­lomon answereth, no.

Object. Ob. Yea, but God presents objects, and occasions of sin: yea he hardens the heart, and blindes the mind,Exo. 9.14. gives up to lusts; and in our doctrine, smites sin with sin.

Sol. Answ. True, and in Pauls doctrine too: we fear not to say, what God reports of himself. But how doth God all this? not by putting in bad­nesse, but by withholding goodnesse undue,Subtrahen­do, dispo­nendo, at most, not evocando. by leaving man to himself, who would be left. Darknesse fol­lows upon the Sunnes absence; but its from Sublunaries, not the Sunne: God is so far from bearing all mans blame, that he hath no finger in it; Indeed omne malum est in bono; there is a mixture; and what good is, is Gods: what bad, ours. And what ever malice may say touching our Atheisme, making God worse their [Page 62]the Devill; I know that we mean as well in this as any, and speak as mo­destly, as any that quarrell us, tou­ching this point. God then is no physicall cause of sin: he must there­fore be either a morall canse or none: but that he is not.

Object. 1 King. 20. Gen. 22. Ob. He commanded the prophet, to be smitten: Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

Sol. Sol. Hence it appears that God cannot sin because the formale of sin ceaseth upon his command: The prophet owed him his bloud; Isaac his life: if he call for what he gave, it is no injustice, in Arminius his School.

Object. Ob. But these things were against the law of nature.

Sol. 1 Sol. Particular nature must yeeld to universall. It is not against nature to cut off an hand, when the whole re quireth it.

2 Secondly, God is above all law: therefore it is no fault in him to command.

3 Thirdly, Gods will, and supreme prerogative is above our nature, and the lesse law must yeeld to the grea­ter. Suppose a Justice sends a war­rant [Page 63]for me, and at the same instant the King sends a Pursevant: It is no disobedience to the inferiour magi­strate, to prefer the superiour, &c. Let God then be justified, and every man a lyar. 'Tis an horrible sin to father bastards upon the innocent: 'tis the highest blasphemy to charge God with the least sin: and there­fore find out the right father.

Ʋse 2 Next when we are once humbled for what is past, let us now look forward, and see what is to be done; Surely if men will have sin prevented, and all well, they must begin where the dis­order began, at Themselves: study themselves, and all is learned; keep themselves, and all is kept; conquer themselves, and all is won; blame themselves, and all is right. This con­cerns men in both estates: but till God convince men of sin, there is no dealing with unregenerate men: all that we can say to them, is this.

1 First, that they will awake, suffer themselves to be startled by the Law and Gospell,Instructi­on to un­regenerate. out of their dreames; and to have its perfect work upon them. Till when, they will not fall out with themselves, or own their own lusts.

Secondly, that they will stand up 2 from the dead, save themselves from a dead Generation;Eph. 5.4. beginning with themselves, as he said, Lord deliver me from that wicked man, my self.

3 Thirdly, that they will suffer them­selves to be brought bed and all, to Christ, to the pool of Bethesda, till God shall enliven the means, and heale the spring, and so give life: this is all I can stay to speak to these.

Instructi­on to the Saint [...]. But for others, we have more to say. Are things amisse with thee? Physitian heale thy self, and see thou be a true Physitian to thy self. Begin, where he doth. The Physitian runs to the cause of sicknesse. First, is it from an Inward cause? or Outward: in the non-naturalia? aire? dyet? &c. Next if Inward, is it Ʋniversall? or Locall? Again: is it from the head, or liver, or whence? is it a plethora? or quite contrary, an Atrophia? And when he hath found the grounds, then he works. First, Purgeth, and there be­gins with Catholicks, before Topi­cals; then applies to the most affe­cted parts; after strengthens na­ture &c. so here. Sick we be: what, is the cause? Outward? as place, [Page 65]times, men, Satan? these indeed may forward the disease: but the core and root is within: from within, Mar. 7.21. saith Christ, Mar. 7.21. True, Satan in­jects? Nay, saith Christ, from within; from mans heart and spirit, proceed e­vil thoughts &c. So then: have we any bad thoughts? have we unclean lusts? have we any rising revengefull, any injurious, any malicious crafty pro­jects? any envious, proud, foolish, idle, unsetled, nay, hellish, blasphe­mous thoughts? These, all these come; from whom? not from one man, but men. So then, there being such a plethora, and redundancy, and su­perfluity of naughtinesse in the heart, here we must begin; purge the heart, wash the heart, the whole soul, (for poyson is in every part) with Catho­lick medicines; go to the sap, as Psal. 51.Psal. 51. David observes his naturall Cor­ruption as well as particular distem­pers of murder, and uncleannesse: This first done, then as any one part is more weakned, and affected, so ac­cordingly applications must be made of Topicals. But first, the main frame and constitution must be amended before we meddle with Symptomati­cals; [Page 66]this the first. For 'tis not the strength of Outwards that spoyles us, but our own weaknesse: therefore the Saints begin here, Job indents with himself; Agur prayes, that vanity, and lies may be removed from him, not from the things: men bring the vanity to the creatures,Rom. 8.20 Rom. 8. and put lies upon them: They tell none. The world hath no power, but from us: the corruption is in our lusts, as the Apostle speaks,2 Pet. 1.4. 2 Pet. 1.4. We make them tempting, and Satan strong; whose strength is from our darknesse.Eph. 6.12. Col. 1. Outward infection, must close with inward corru­ption, before it can distemper us: Therefore purge well, and that done fortifie grace, as Christ saith, Hold possession of your soules by patience, by grace. Thus David dealt with himself, and kept in his passions, and kept up his hope. Thus must we strengthen the inward man,Eph. 3.16. Eph. 3. Victuall well before a Fight, as the souldier doth: We have also our warfare, and must get our weapons, and armour ready: The world hath strong allurements and stratagems; but they are laid in our lusts: strong [Page 67]discouragements, persecutions, and such like, but their strength is from our basnesse. Why do you fear, (saith our Saviour) Oh ye of little faith? The fear is not from the greatnesse of the danger, but from the smalnesse of our faith. Were faith strengthned, it would overcome the world, and be victorious. Think the same of the Prince of the world. Satan himself. 'Tis true; he is mighty, but mighty through us: were we strong in Christ, we were stronger then that strong one. It cannot be denyed, but that the skirmish is for the time sharp, nay, sometimes there is a long siege, and we beleaguered: then we must do as souldiers do; repair breaches, and secure all passages, and stand up­on our guard, more then at other times. If within there be any com­bustible matter, away with it, out with it; if any false, or suspected party, out with him; and that done victuall, fortifie, barracado, make our selves as impregnable as we can: for that is most certain, which before was hinted, viz. It is our weaknesse, not the enemies strength and power, that spoyles us. We might prosecute [Page 68]the comparision further, and call up­on you to make sure the gates, and outworkes, to keep sentinell: but the main of all is, Take in Christ the Captain of the Lords Hosts; fight with his weapons, fight in his strength, swear fidelity to him, and ingage him in the fight, and victory is ever on his side. To speak all in few; see whence all our misery came; namely, from our selves. Had we been true, hell it self could not have scal'd us; and there the cure must begin: Purge self, fear self, guard self, fortifie self, gage self. For the truth is; we are though not all, yet the worst tempters and devils to our selves. Ingage we our selves to Christ, and Christ to us, and there lies our safety: unlesse this be done, were we in Paradise with Adam, or in heaven with Satan, there were no more safety to us, then there was to them.

Ʋse 3 Gods mer­cy to be admired. See here the infinite mercy of hea­ven towards us; God in Christ is that husband that will receive a wilfull wife, Jer. 3.1.Jer. 3.1. That shepheard, who gathers the straying sheep; Ezik. 34.11.12. not onely, when she is driven away, but runs a­way from him, Ez [...]k. 34. That fa­ther, [Page 69]who when his prodigall runs from him, runs to meet him with a pardon. Loe! we gave up God in the plain field, preferr'd his enemy, gave him more credit then God; we chose sin, death, misery; it was matter of choyce; yea, our secking; yea, wee could not satisfie our selves with va­riety of wandrings. And when wee had done God all the dishonour we could, we shewed not the least sor­row: rather flew out more against him, and all his; taking no course to do him right. In short; we could do nothing, we would do nothing, for Gods glory, and our own soules. Now what did God the while for us? he look'd after us, he pityed us, he took our parts against the enemy, he cen­sured all that had any hand in our hurt whether principall or accessary; and bought us again with dearest bloud, and hath now given us a bet­ter estate, then ever we had, put us into a better Adam, set over us a bet­ter Guardian, given us better promi­ses, better covenant, better security then before. Oh that we had hearts to see the height and depth of this love, the freenesse and fulnesse of this [Page 70]gift! how shall we do to love God enough? to prize Christ enough? where be our capacities? our expres­sions? All that you can do is this.

1 First, Give your selves to God, sith you have nothing better.

2 And secondly, Do somewhat for his friends, for Christs members, since you can reach no higher: do not say, when they need thy help, They may thank themselves; They threw them­selves into wants, and could not tell when they were well; let them for me drink as they have brewed. Oh! Remember, that thou hadst a better answer from God, follow his steps. Labour to humble them, and then shew them that mercy, which thy self hast received. Thou undidst thy self, and wouldst not take thy fa­thers counsell: yet God pityed thee. Oh: but these will never have done, they will be ever needy, ever craving, 'tis in vain to help, they cannot keep ought. Think the case thine own, pre­vent them as God hath thee: Give them by the week, lay it out thy self, be thou their purse-bearer, as Christ is thine. As for the rest, who see their folly, and are now willing to [Page 71]work, to submit, to amend; let the same bowels be in thee, which were in Christ, and so clear thine interest in him: And then,

Ʋse 4 Comfort in the midst of our great folly. Psal. 108.17. Lastly, here is a word of comfort. Be it that my own folly, sin, pride, unbelief, hath cast me into straights: yet in that case. God helps Fooles, as David speakes, Psal. 107. and there­fore I will to him with David, and acknowledge my folly and brutish­nesse, and give unto him the glory of his Goodnesse. Salvation is of him; Psal. 3. ult. Hos. 13.9. We have destroyed our selves, saith Ho­sea; but who saves: God in Christ; Death is ours, life is his: make him our All, and answer all with Him; mine is shame, and confusion of face, but all righteousnesse belongs to him; Own thine own, and let God have his own; Thine own is sin and misery, own that: And yet here own but thine own; nothing is ours, but what is from us, or accepted by us; Satan may lay his brats at our doores, but we need not open the doores for them; he may inject, and cast in sin: but if we reject it, 'tis his, not ours. Consent may make anothers sin mine, dissent may make mine, none of mine. And [Page 72]let this stay us; There may be use, confesse, in some cases of distinguish­ing betwixt I [...]bred corruption, and forein suggestions: but ordinarily it is sufficient to mark how sin is enter­tained, rather then whence it ariseth. Thou wilt say happily, that Satan makes a very through-fair of thy heart, and will not be hedged out; but bee thou still repairing the mounds, and call in Christ, to be thy surety; and he that prevented thee with mercy at the first unsought to, unthought of on thy part, will keep thee to the last, and crown his own graces, in his own time, with victory. Mean while never stick with Christ for any thing, to whom thou owest all, but sin and folly, which thou must call thine own onely.

Conclude with a Caveat for hum­ble walking with God continually. Sith the case is altered with us to our losse, let us bear our selves according­ly: 'tis hard to fall, and to bring down the heart to the estate: a man of noble birth can hardly forget his beginnings, and sit lower, but he must, he must cut his coat according to his cloth, and conform: so must we. It [Page 73]is with us as with Samson: now (said he) I'le shake my self as in former times:Quantum mut at us ab illo. 1. but poor Samson is not now the man, his wings are clipt, his hair cut, his strength lost, till God repair him; he must be now a captive, a bondslave.I Sam. 2.3 Oh talk not presumptuous­ly, as he said: leave that to others, to dream of their innate principles, of their semina and igniculi virtutis, of the rectitude of their reason, virgini­ty and freedome of their will, of their native good, of their hearts and meanings, of I know not what power, more then a passive capacity of good: let us know the case is altered with us: not presume as some who will not be old, but think to do now as they could in youth; but rather, with the Heathens Samson, Milo Cro­ton. have a fear of our selves and say, At hi lacerti jam mortui sunt, and keep a straighter watch: say, I have not the under­standing that once I had, Prov. 30. and therefore must beg eye-salve, and be content with teaching: I have not the memory that I had, and there­fore must be content with line upon line: and my conscience is not as it was, and therefore I must not build [Page 74]onely upon my self: mine eyes be not as they were, I must set a guard; my strength as it was, I must not haz­zard my self to temptation. Once ('tis true) I could have gone along with God, done all commanded, be­leeved all propounded, performed duty without wearinesse, resisted temptation, &c. And therefore as an aged weakened body concludes, I must not go as I did, nor fare as I did, nor look upon my self as a young man, but be more sober and watch­full then heretofore; so here. I know now there dwels no good in me, neither can I do as I could have done: and therefore my rule and wisdome is; First, to humble and abase my self before God, and to bewaile my losses. Secondly, to deny my self, and fear my self in all. Third­ly, to make out for a repair: here is some difference, An old decayed body can have no hope of a recove­ry here, his hope is in the resurrecti­on, but yet there's hope for us, this hope: First, go to our Father, and de­sire him to disanull our covenants with doath. Secondly, to our Advo­cate to plead our cause, nay our Sure­ty, [Page 75]nay our God, who was sent to repair us, to dissolve Satans workes, and by him we may be restored in bloud, renewed in part now, at pre­sent have a surer title and tenure then in Adam, and hereafter a more glo­rious estate then Adams was and shall finde our unhappy fall to prove our highest preferment.

SECTION IV. Mans undoing is from his non­dependence on God.

VVE have seen the cause of mans fall, now more parti­cularly, let us inquire into the steps thereof. How came man thus to in­gulfe himself? First, he goes off from God; leaves his hold there, and be­takes himself to himself. Secondly, being once off, he never comes on a­gain, [Page 76]but rangeth infinitely. These two Particulars comprise the whole flory, and state of man fallen, from the first to the last, and conclude all the interpretations made of the words. He had sought before, and now what finds he? I was casting up my reckoning, saith Salomon, but I finde the reckoning past my skill. Numbers may be still multiplyed, and there's no end of mans devices; hee still, still busily and vigorously (as the word in that Conjugation imports) projects more. The Points might be many. We first pitch upon this.

Doct. 4 Mans un­doing is from his non-de­pendence on God. Mans undoing is from his non-de­pendence on God; trace him, and you will finde that his ruin first and last is from his Independence upon God. This first caused; secondly, continues; thirdly, consummates all his misery. Salomon implies all this.

1 First, man of good is become bad; what's the cause? he gave up God, and fell to his own wits.

2 Secondly, man is now desperately wicked; there is no sounding of him; what's the reason? he still continues and inlargeth his estrangement from God.

Thirdly, man is now the vainest of vanities: the very source and seat 3 both, of all vexations. The reason. He keeps off from God, and beats out himself, with his own inventions. So then view him either in the en­trance of his unhappinesse, or in the progresse, or in the close of it. All is hence, that he goes out from God, and stands out to the last. His turning from God began his misery, his not re­turning to God perpetuates it. No wonder, if it be mans case now; it is the condition of all creatures, they all stand by a manutention. The strongest fall, if left to themselves; as wee see not onely in Adam, but in the Devils themselves. Nay, we find it in man now sornewhat healed and regenerated. Though hee hath an immortall principle in him, and a better guard about him, then ever he had, yet stands he no longer, then he holds dependence upon God: let him once step out from him, and stand High-lone; down he comes and falls as soon into a Guzzel, as into ano­ther place. We see it, in blessed A­braham, David, Job: In all, at their best, and in their best. We might be [Page 78]insinite in proofes, but wee wave them sith the thing is clear to Rea­son: for,

Reas. 1 First, what is God whom man leaves, in this case? he is all goodnesse, all wisdome, strength, holinesse, com­fort, life; not onely in himself, but to the creature.

Psal. 43.4. [...] Psal. 36.9. The joy of our joy, Psal. 43.4. the life of our life, * the strength of our strength; lose him, and all is lost: Take away the sun, & where is light? the fountaine, and where is the stream? the root, and where's the tree? The head and heart, as it were, then what's any member? Obstruct his influence for a time, what's an Angell?

2 What is man? he lives not in him­self; the procreant cause of his being is also the conservant, his Esse & por­ro esse is from God; his being, a meer dependeney. Take him alone, and he hath no bottome of his own; but look how Christs humane nature had its subsistence from the God head, by personall union:Col. 1.17. so hath man, by a spirituall union and dependence. Col. 1.17. Join him with all the creatures, and take in them to his suc­cour, [Page 79]and they without God, are but so many nothings and cyphers; now put a thousand ciphers together, and adde nothing to nothing, what's the product but nothing? They must all say, Strength is not in me, help in me. Unlesse God hear, the heavens, the heavens hear not us; and there's the same reason of all the rest.

3 Nay, thirdly, we say more. When man is once off from God, power, justice, all perfection in God is not onely removed from us, but is made a­gainst us; yea, all in our selnes is then against us; wit, memory, strength, or whatsoever may promise most; yea, all in every creature is against us.

Every thing becomes not onely vanity, but vexation: not wind alone, but the East wind; a piercing, a wounding reed, as well as a broken reed.

4 Adde to this, that Satan by Gods just hand for this Apostasie seiseth, as it were upon all strayes, and em­pty houses, as it is in the Parable. If he can but a while part Adam and Eve, hee makes sad work, but much more, when he can sever God from man, because man would be of him­self, [Page 80]and not lean upon God.

Ʋse 1 Note the steps of mans downfall. First, see the steps of mans down­fall: he would needs be absolute the first day, a free-holder, and acknow­ledge no Supreme, at least would mend his tenure, and be free from all wardship, and homage, and so quick­ly outed himself of all. See secondly, our strange folly, whom long expe­rience hath not yet made wise. Oh how impatient are wee still of any yoke! no bird so weary of his cage, no slave so weary of his bondage: no sooner bound Apprentices, but wee must be made free, like the Prodigal, in the Parable, weary of his father, and must bee presently at his own finding, till he had fooled himself out of all. We may see our selves in Isra­el; they could not abide within Gods mounds. They would not trust to an Ʋncertain Moses, or Ʋnseen God: they would have one in sight, in hand; they would not go to God for every penny, and live from hand to mouth every meale, they would be at their own finding and carving, have wells of their own, flesh of their own, bread of their own, they would not depend upon Gods Provision, of a Judge or [Page 81]Generall: they would have a King of their own. Just so it is with us in all passages of reliance and depen­dence. Men will not rest in Gods Authority and direction. They will superadde inventious of their own. They will have more words, then written words, Traditions, more Go­spels then one, more Articles then twelve, more Precepts then ten, more Mediators; more Gods then one. They wil not rest in Gods truth and promises; take his securities and seales; but adde more. They will not rest in Gods Wisdome for time and particu­lars. They are all for the bird in hand, all for sense, nothing for faith, Thus they say in plain English, they will trust to themselves not to God, So for the Providence, and point of protection They dare not put them­selves upon God: he is not strong enough, wise enough: they must shift for themselves, as sometimes A­braham and David did. And in poine of Provision and maintenance, they say as the childe doth: Mother let me have all, be it meat, money, and what else you can name, in mine own hand, and in mine own keeping. Hence [Page 82]in Matter of fact, such scambling; men strain wits, conscience, all, to get all out of Gods hands into their own. Faith then no faith, If wit, if slattery, if back-biting, if lying, if hell it self will do it, they will have it, and say it was a good providence too, as Zac. 11.5.Zac. 11.5 Hence in matter of faith, God would be alone in the throne, one God; we upon that account, re­fuse him, as the Senate did Christ, be­cause he would be All or None: we must have (would you thinke it?) thousands of Gods, as Israel; in eve­ry City, at least one; God would be acknowledged the fountain of all grace,1 Pet. 5.10 1 Pet. 5.10. Men will divide, Nature shall do somewhat: Freewill somewhat Some hand, or voyce, they will have in Election, Vocation, Justi­fication, Sanctification, Salvation. They will be partners. As they can do nothing without God, so God lit­tle without them. God would have us own all to him, depend upon him for the first, second, third, fourth, every grace; yeeld him the author and finisher, the Alpha and Omega of all. We trust to our own provi­tions, habits, gifts, and would prevaile [Page 83]by our own strength: In short; wee would not be confined to his wisdom as onely wise, to his care, his meanes, his houres, and times: but will shark, anticipate, and either contribute, or controll his proceedings, and call this our wisdome. This the practise, now consider,

1 First what a sin it is, thus to depose God: for deny Providence and de­ny All: and thus to deify our selves. For to be ind pendent, is to be God. This is to be like Antichrist, lawlesse; like Satan, a Belialist, that is, yoke-less.

2 Consider next, what a folly it is, we commit two absurdities at once, we forsake the sountain, for a bro­ken cisterne; we forsake the best com­forts, and as Jonah saith,Jona. 2.9. our own mercies; we leave Gods fire of di­rection, protection, and consolation, and walk by a worse light, our own sparks, as Isaiah speaks,Isa. 30. [...] and so at last lye down in sorrow. 'Tis a thing, both base Jer. 2.12. and bitter v. 19.Jer. 2.12. and 19. a certain forrunner of all misery and confusion. Alas! if we will be thus alone, we must bear our own sorrows, care our own cares, lye under our [Page 84]own burdens, as Rebells must, when they withdraw allegiance, and cease to be under protection. Whilest we go along with God we live upon him, and lye under his protection: but if we will be alone, God, leaves us to our selves, or sends us to our Idolls, at Judges 10.13, 14.Jud. 10.13, 14. Think not this, small matter to go a whoring thus from God: 'twill cost a Saint dear God will break his carnall confiden­ces, Jer. 2. ult. Jer. 2. ult. he will make our Gods, our own rods; punish us and our Gods together, as once he did in Aegypt; see this and be wise.

Ʋse 2 Repent, and let God be all again. Repent we of this our sacrilege restore God to his Crown, give him the intire glory of his absolute pow­er, wisdome, truth, all. Let him a­lone be wise, independent, and him­self. All the strugling betwixt God and man, ever was about this point namely, which should rule, and which obey; which direct, and which submit. Now do him and thy sell right, give all to him, leave nothing to thy self,Applyed to three sorts of men. but obedience, which is the portion of Inferiours.

This is applicable to three sorts of men.

To those who went off with Adam, but are not yet come on again.1. Sort. Let these understand themselves: they stand guilty of an horrible treason till they return: they are outlawed and left naked of protection, of di­rection, of life, of safety, of all; where they left God, they left all their happinesse, and their way is back again. Their ruine came by de­serting God, & 'tis continued whil'st a distance continues. Their work therefore is to return; First, for Gods sake, who is their Lord and rightfull King, and whom they have infinitely offended. Were it but a brother that had ought against them, they should make to him, much more to God, as Luke 15.Luk. 15.Father I have sinned against heaven &c. Secondly, for their own sakes, whil'st they run from God, they run from their own mercies and comforts, into a misera­ble maze; there's no end of erring, the heart is restlesse. They are sure of nothing, but fear upon fear, till they come home to him. Being thus in hucksters hands, they still be chea­ted and vexed, and at the last, as they have lived without God, so they [Page 86]will dye without God, which is the height of misery; for to be without him, is to be worse then nothing.

Object. Ob. Oh! but we have God in his Ordinances, Word, Sacraments, &c.

Sol. Sol. 'Tis true, God offers him there: but we have him not till we accept him.

Object. I, but we do that, we put all our trust in God, and expect all from him.

Sol. So we say, but if we do wholly de­pend, what means then so many in­ventions? what the use of ill means? what such adoring of Creatures? so high thoughts when they smile, so base, when they frown? so much fear when man, so little when God is offended? Tis certain; a naturall man is his own God; he depends up­on himself, his own wit, grace, friends, means, not upon God at all: & the Saints themselvs depend but lit­tle; did they wholly rest upon God, they would be glad to please, they would not sleep, till reconciled, as Josephs brethren; They would be even and setled in their way. That indeed is Repentance, namely, the change of your dependence, when you abhor all that is your own, and put [Page]all upon God, do all to him, from him, and his principles: Here then is the first work, To give up creatures; say: My bow, my horse, my money, nay, my prayers shall not save me. Salvation is of the Lord, not from the creatures; these you may use as servants but, not as Lords; amongst them you may trust some men, with a moral trust, but it must not amount to a Divine, for fear of that curse, Jer. 17.Jer. 17. Iron heates not but from an heate put to it, the pen speaks no comfort, unlesse some hand guide it, some head prompt it; so think of all creatures; they cannot so much as think of us, unlesse God mind them, much lesse pity, and help us, unlesse God give pity and help. He is the God of all comfort; 2 Cor. 3.2. there we must have it, or no where; unite to him, and close with him, and then thou art re­stored.

Object. Oh! but I doubt he will not re­ceive me.

Sol. That's answered, in the Parable, Luke 15.

Object. Oh! but I have stood out long, after Covenants, Sacraments &c.

Sol. That's answered, Jer. 3.1, 2.Jer. 3.1, 2. &c.

Object no more: suspend thy comfort no longer by adjourning re­pentance; thou makest thy return hereby the harder; every step out of the way must be unstepp'd again.

2 Sort. To such who are gone out from God the second time, at least in part, these revolts prove most dangerous & least pardonable. Thou hast bin once, as it were, burnt in the hand alrea­dy; fear the second time: thou hast tryed both estates, now tell me, which is the better? the snow of Lebanon; or dirty ditches? the waters of Siloah; or troublesome seas? Tell me whe­ther all the worlds injoyments be worth one hours communion with heaven: and when thou hast made use of thine own experience, lay down creatures; above all, lay down thy self: For there is nothing in us that can help us; in truth, nothing but what will hurt us, without God. We cannot so much as receive and enjoy comfort, so much as apprehend it, unlesse God give an apprehension; therefore deny self, and mortifie self. Say, I took my self for a God, but I am a devill: I thought my self wise, but I am a foole; I conceived my [Page 89]self safe, when I had a little grace in my own keeping; but I find that I can keep nothing; therefore hence­forward I will despaire of my self, know no man after the flesh, have no confidence in flesh, but bid adieu to all fleshly hopes: and then plant thy self upon God, there is no other bound or bottome; Every gift, Jam. 1.17. saith James 1.17. Every giving of that gift; The use, continuance, apprehension, is all of him, he is that principle which communicates all. See nothing but emptinesse out of him, and fulnesse in him: therefore close with him by knowledge, by faith, by love: do no­thing without him, trust not thy self in the least: take notice what a trea­cherous nature thou hast, how bent to backsliding, Hos. 11.7.Hos. 11.7. How far thou art sunk into it, and gone from thy self; how sweet God was once, and the creature now; how humble thou once wast, how disdain­full now; how once troubled upon the least estrangement, and how now thou canst live without God, for a long time. And again take notice of thy speed: what thy then happinesse was, what thy now deadnesse. And [Page 90]so conclude with the Church, Hos. 2. I will return to my husband again,Hos. 2. ult. for then was it best with me.

Object. Oh! but I am ashamed and afraid.

Sol. Answer, be neither ashamed or a­fraid of doing justice, of glorifying God. Think what Samuel said to revolting Israel,1 Sam. 12. 1 Sam. 12. Think what God saith to backsliding Judah, Jer. 4.Jer. 4. Think of Christs errand, who came to recover straies, and to sive what was lost. Think of the Prodi­galls entertainment, of our forgiving seventy times seven times in a day. Think of Gods practise with other backsliders, and beleeve the prophets, whose work it is to bring thee back to God, as the expression is 2 Chron. 24. And which is also the main of our repentance; and that is usually expressed by our returning to God, and it stands much what in the change of principles and dependence, as before was noted: Therefore here sit down, make God thy All, and de­pend upon him for first, second, third, every grace.

3 Sort. So much to the second sort, now to the third; and they are such as stand in tearmes of dependency, but [Page 91]too loosely. I have two words to say to these.

First, let them hold that depen­dency 1 they have arrived at, as their life. Let not wit put them off from depending upon Gods directions; nor pride, from submitting to his Sove­raignty; nor unbelief, from closing with his promises; nor any change of times, from their constant adherence. Tis. I consesse a very hard thing to hold close to God, in extremities; when the affliction and the triall is great, then to clasp about God is dif­ficult, as David and Abraham wit­nesse: and no whit easier in much peace and prosperity, as we see in the same David, Hezekiah and others. In great divisions, it is a hard thing not to trample and to warp aside, as we see in Peter Gal. 2. We are cast up­on Trying times, times of Antichrists rage: and then depending graces, as Faith, Patience, and the like, are most seasonable. Rev. 14.12.Rev. 14.12. Our care therefore must be to put off all self conceits, and hopes, and depen­dencies. We have in this case, but too much wit, strength, considence of our own. But all our own must down: [Page 92]for so much as there is of our own in us, so much there is of misery and de­ceit. Therefore be nothing in thy self, nothing in any creature, nothing in any Ordinance abstracted from Christ: hang the whole soul upon him; be no wiser then Christ, no ho­lier, no stronger then Christ. Make an entire resignation, and let thy de­pendence be absolute and universall for all grace, all counsell, all comfort. There is no other bottome or subsi­stence.

Quest. But when doth a man Depend up­on God? or what is it to Depend upon Christ?

Sol. 1 First, to rest upon his word through­out in the precepts and promises.

2 Secondly, to draw and derive all our strength from him.

3 Thirdly, to expect all in his way; and that is, in a subordination to his meanes, and in a community with his Church: for so he conveyes himself to each member. Cut the branch from the tree, or the member from the bo­dy, there's no life, no growth, Ephes. 4.

4 Fourthly, in all the meanes, use them, but trust him: take up the care [Page 93]of duty, leave to him the care of suc­cesse.

Secondly, let them strain towards 2 a further communion; for the best of our hearts hang too loose from God as yet; We are apt, with David, to look to the right hand, and to the left, and to be catching at every sprig. We look upon the world, as if it were as full of Gods, as the Roman Senate was said to bee of Kings. We deisie e­very creature. Nay, the truth is, eve­ry man would bee his own God, his own Christ, his own holy Ghost, and rather trust himself, then look out to God. This wickednesse must be re­sisted, and this must bee our study, To remove the creature further from us, and to say still with David, 73. Psal. ult. It's good for me to draw near to God; and conclude, that if it be best, to come nearer to him, it's best also to keep our selves with him, to do nothing without him: nay, if it were possi­ble, not to breathe without him, as Ignatius somewhere.

Lastly, Ʋse 3 see for thankfulnesse Gods unspeakable mercy to us, and that in many respects.

First, in that he would not lose us 1 [Page 94]when we were loose from him, as men use to do; Let him goe, say they, when a man will not trust them. If he would have put himself upon me, I would have stuck to him, and pro­vided for him, but sith he will be of himself, let him shift for himself. Thus men; but not so, God: though we would part with him, he will not lose us; but seeks us out, and takes us off, from our own bottomes: and this, (were it but onely thus much) it were a great mercy, though it cost us some trouble. When a bone is out of place, it is a favour to set it, though it cannot be done without pain. Though God stop our way with thornes, yet if thereby he brings us home to himself, the mercy is great. And therefore look upon this as such, when God, as a father, takes home his bankrupts, takes all out of our hands, more then the duty of dependence, and will trust us neither with soul, nor body, nor estate, nor any thing else. This is one mercy.

3 But secondly, there is more in it then so. God provides a new bot­tom; creates, as it were, a new Te­nure. Commits us to Christ, and [Page 95]Christ commends us back again to the Father, and both to the Holy Ghost sealing us; and all make it their joint work to secure soul, bo­dy, estate, all, here and hereafter. This is glorious mercy, here's a blessed change, a secure estate. God in­gageth for thy self, for thy seed, to all eternity: Interest thy self in him, and there's an end of all thy cares, feares, doubts, perplexities, Psal. 94.18, 19.

SECTION V. Man loose from God is restlesse in his wayes.

WE come now to the last point. They have sought out ma­ny, &c.] [inventions] say we: and the inventions are not few, which are discovered in the rendring of the words,Ratiocinia, saith Jun. Quastiones insinitas, saith the Vulg. Cogitationes vanas. Vatab. Computationes. Pagn. Cogitationes. Montan. Cogitationes magna­tum, saith Lodo. de Dicu. [...] Sept. [...] Symmac. Cogitationes alienas à recto. saith Merc. &c. [...]. Our own translation, being full enough, and sutable to the scope, we shall rest in that, and for the matter, take notice of mans pro­gress in evill, when once he is off from God; he works himself out of all, he hath his devices, hee hath many of them; hee seeks, and seeks again, and yet a­gain even unto infinitness. Whence we observe,

That when a man is once loose from God, and left to himself, Doct. 5 Man once loose from God, rest­lesse in his wayes. he becomes restlesse and endlesse in his own wayes. It fares with him, as with the Sea­man, or wayfaring man; when once he hath lost his rule and directions, and is out of his own knowledge, he is, as it were, in a mist or maze, walks the round, now backward, now for­ward, now on this hand, now on that, still in motion, and that swift; but all to no purpose. It will not offend you, I hope, if I compare him to the Poor Spaniell, which hath lost his Master: he cries, and stands, he runs and stops, he smels and searcheth, now on this, now on that side the way; but knowes not where he is, nor when to make end. It's much what so with man, Trace him from the first to the last, so soon as ever he went off from God, he began to rove into a world of devices: and herein worse then the spannill, which runs to find his master, but man runs from him, as we see Adam hides himself, palliates and transferres his fault, patcheth up a poor covering, and is as busie, to no purpose, as his then parts and time would give. Passe from him [Page 98]to Cain his son; so soon as he went out from God, he became a Rover, and both himself, and his children fell to inventions, some whereof God hath turned to mans good. After that, Ambition came in, and then Op­pression, and what ever else was naught, as a learned man disconrseth. And all along,Grotius, de Jure belli & pacis. as the world was peopled, so shops and forges were in­creased. In the end mans self was multiplyed within himself, in one you had a thousand.V. Varro in Ang. de ci­vit. dei. Gods were multi­plyed, for one there were thousands. Religions and worships were multi­plyed, for one Temple, they built many, as Hosea notes; for one Jeho­vah, Idols innumerable in every City, in every furrow, in every house, ri­ver, wood, place Gods without num­ber.

And for practicals, it were infi­nite to particularize; Men were as wicked, as they could tell how to be, as God complaines of his once people,Jer. 2. Jer. 2.

Come down to the time of Christs Incarnation; how many religions were then in the world? how many inventions on the Church, brought in [Page 99]by Pharisees, Sadduces, Essenes, and I know not whom, since that, how many amongst Jewish Rabbines? how many amongst Heathenish Gen­tiles? still, still, as men declined from the truths of God they added of their own; see it in the books of Scripture, in the Sacraments, in seve­rall confessions and models of religi­on, in worships, in Liturgies; How did they, who would be thought the chiefest Church-men, beat their braines about new ceremonies and formes? one Pope addes this, ano­ther that, and every one something, till the Church was surcharged. What should we speak of Heresies, and un­couth opinions? how have the Cata­logues swell'd in our hands? Epipha­nius mentions some Austin more, and after him, more and more in every Age. Nay, the Apostle in his time, speaks of endlesse strifes and disputes, of many spirits, of different doctrines, which since have swarm'd beyond all account. There is invention upon in­vention inventions new to confirm the old: new Additions, and new Editi­ons, and what not? Now the Rea­sons of these endlesse Mazes and pur­suits, are many.

God is the Boundary of all things; in him, Reas. 1 and no where else, the soul finds rest. There's light enough in him to fill the understanding: Good­nesse enough to satisfie the soul: Au­thority sufficient to command the conscience and the whole man.

2 And, secondly, man hath no con­sistence of his own: that which is said of fluid things, That they cannot bound themselves, is true of Man.

3 Again, he is too unruly to be held in by any but God; no mounds but Gods mounds will hold them in.

4 Adde to this, that he is now made up of Ignorances, errors, lusts; and though truths and virtues have their bounds, yet these have none.

5 Again, he is restlesse, as the needle jogg'd aside, till he faceth God: he finds all imperfect, that he deales in; and so must piece and patch up things as he can. He is made up of Busie principles, and the more busie because now distempered, and as it were feverish, and hence he runs like a Clock out of order; he is unwea­ryed in his own way and inventions, and is still adding, as in Mic. 6. Wherewithall shall we come before [Page 101]God? will rivers? will thousands serve the turn?

6 Yet further, he is unsatisfied in all that he can do, like the swift drome­dary, still traversing her wayes, Jer. 2. 23. hurried up and down with guilt Cain- like, in the Land of Nod.

7 Besides all this, when he is empty of God, Satan seiseth on him; acts him beyond himself; fils him with a spirit of fury, of giddinesse, and all hellish lusts, feares, objections, scru­ples, and such like trash, which mul­tiply like so much vermine.

Ʋse 1 Admire and be­waile this restles­nesse. For Information; To what a passe man is now brought? he is blind, yet busie like the Phrantick; then wisest when he is worst of all: he must now be no lesse then a God: he is able to make a God of his own, a worship of his own, a conscience of his own, a Bible of his own; weary of nothing but of dependence and confinement. Never was bird wea­rier of a Cage then he of Gods mounds; then most impatient, when he is not left to himself. See it in all the passages of his life.

1. In ci­vill af­faires. First, In civill affaires; he must have no superiour: A servant in one [Page 102]year grows weary of that yoke; Marry he must; he must be of himself, else no bargain. The little apprentice before he hath worn out half his time, must buy his time, set up of himself: and thus it is, for the most part, with all inferiours; they are weary of all Go­vernment, like Israel of old. God himself could not please them; they must have another King.

2. In spi­rituall. Secondly, in the spirituall regiment; where shall you find a man almost that will submit to any spirituall go­vernment? What should I speak of mens carriage towards their Pastors in that relation? they wil not yeeld to God himself. For the purpose. God would stand alone, and be sole com­mander Saviour: Man would share w^th him. God would be the Only Law-gi­ver: Men would put in somewhat into his Lawes. God would be Onely wor­shipped: Men will not sit down by this, but they will have some hand in all his dispensations. We see this every day both in Doctrinals and Practicals. In the first; How do men sweat to divide with God? If he bring Grace, they'l bring will. If he offer a match with his Son, they'll [Page 103]bring some portion. Whither tend all the points of Popery, Arminians, Socinians, Anabaptists, but to this, To take us off (in part at least) from a dependency? So in practicals, whe­ther work or wages be considered, God would have us live by faith, that emptying grace; we are all for sense; he would have us be beholding to Christ for all; we will warm our selves with our own sparks. He would have us stand to his allowance and mainte­nance, we will shark, and sift for our selves, and fear that God will be to seek, if we did not help him out with our supplies. All this while, see what becomes of our wit, and how ill we provide for our selves. First, we forsake the fountain, and our own mercies. Secondly, we imbrace lyng vanities. Thirdly, we throw our selves into a world of perplexi­ties: and lastly, pull upon our selves that curse of curses, to be left to our own counsels and inventions.

Ʋse 2 Double instruction to Parents for their children. Of Instruction. Is man thus end­lesse in his wandrings, when he is once left to himself. Then first, pity your children. They go astray from the wombe, and the longer they go [Page 104]in their own wayes, the more work, and misery do they create to them­selves. You may think perhaps that wedlock will tame them, time and experience will teach them: but that's your errour. The longer they live, the more inventive they will be &c. ful of crotchets. Stop them betimes, and be as mercifull to their soules, as you be to their bodies. If a limb be crooked, you will seek to straighten it, whil'st it is tender. If a bone be broken, you will not say, Time will work it out: You'll rather say; Alas! the childe will be a cripple all his dayes, if he be not timely look'd to: Think the same for their soules; They are quite disjoynted, and their faces look the wrong way, do your best to set them right: at least bring them to Gods bone-setters, who may restore them. Gal. 6. I.

2 Secondly, your selves; and the greatest mercy you can shew to your selves is,To Pa­rents for them­selver. To go from your selves to God again. If a man will be ruled by his own reason, by his own con­science, or rather fancy, he shall never have done; he will work himself out of his own Geares, run himself quite [Page 105]off his own legges. Therefore say with David, I hate all vain inven­tions. They are all vain,Psal. 119.113. and I have chosen thy statutes, O Lord. The way is plain simple, even, if we would follow it, as God chalkes it out; To us, (saith the Apostle, in matters of faith) there is but One God, one Lord, one Master, one Law-giver, one faith, Once given to the Saints,Jud. 3 [...]. once for all delivered in clearest Scriptures: Here stick, upon these plain principles, and decline inferences too farre fetcht in point of practise, the directions are very clear. I write unto you, saith John, that you sin not; we must plant that resolution in our hearts against all purposed sins; next, if we do sin besides purpose, make up the breach quickly. We have, saith he, an ad­vocate with the Father. Go to him, fol­low his counsell, in recruiting our selves: give glory to God in a way of Confession; give right to man in a way of Satisfaction; and then for the fu­ture, If yee know, saith he, that God is righteous, then know too, that eve­ry one that doth righteousnesse, and none other, is born of him, I John 2. ult. Here's a plain way; now make [Page 106]now bouts, nor strain wit to find e­vasions. In matters of Doctrine; strive not to bring opinions to our lusts, and make the Word speak what sin would have it: make not Scri­ptures servants to our interests. So in matters of life and conversation; hold to the rule, Sin not, saith John, Spare inventions.

Object. True: sin not, unlesse necessity dis­penseth; but God will have mercy, not sacrifice; I must not sterve my self and my children. Sin not, true: if it be simply and intrinsecally evill; but this that I do, is not sin in me, sin in this case. So in the case of repentance; nothing more plain. Repent, say the Prophets; Repent, saith Christ; Re­pent, say the Apostles. I acknow­ledge it, but what is it to repent? a man may be too leg all and slavish. I'll to Christ, and what needs more? Say, I have offended my neighbour. If Christforgive me, he must forgive me.

Sol. No, saith Christ, you must, to your offended brother too,Mat. 5.23, [...]4. else ap­proach not my Altar. Here stay, hear Christ, not wit; that will have twenty Pleas, It was not wrong, It was but just, It is not against charity, [Page 107]Who can tel whether he be a Brother or no? or, whether in discretion this be the best way, all circumstances considered? So again: We must be righteous as he is righteous: We must do as we would be done by; that's the Royall Law: yeeld to this rule, which very Heathens have yeelded to; and cast not a mist before thine own eyes; make not thy self beleeve, that thou would'st be so used thy self, onely be­cause thou would'st have a license to abuse another.

It were infinite to prosecute all particulars. Beleeve it; there will be no end of wandrings of fears, doubts, thoughts, till we come in to God. If a man will beleeve himself and give way to his own guides and principles, he will never be quiet: therefore give a flat deniall to them all; by name,

1 First, to self-reasonings. A man would run himself quite out of breath and become mad with reason, if he will exalt reason above God.

2 Secondly, to unmortified lusts. They will hurry a man into all precipices.

3 Thirdly, to a scrupulous conscience, which knowes no end or mean, till it hath wrought out it self, and wearyed [Page 108]the soul, as it befell a poor soul, whose name I conceale, who first made con­science (and that justly) of blessing food before received, and then yeeld­ing to some scruples came to this. If must blesse God for every meale, why not then for every second course or dish coming to the Table: and if so why not then for every bit eaten, and every drop let down: and if I must do so in case of meats and drinkes why not in all other things whatso­ever, and thus that poor soul made life it self a burden.

4 Fourthly, to mans example or au­thority, especially when it is counte­nanced with seeming sanctity. If a man make man his guide and his rule where shall he stay? or which man shall he follow? Rather follow true Guides: that is to say, Give up thy self to Christ with true light, I Pet. 2.25. next, make use of thy present light, whether of nature, or of Grace and next, shut not out any light of­fered, but receive all thankfully and humbly. Yet further: hold to the sure Rule of Scriptures, and there, first to the Fundamentals, to plain places, to the literall sense, where no incon­gruity [Page 109]will follow upon it: and for principles; make neither more nor fewer then the Word makes; onely be true to such: and for inferences and deductions, though they cannot be simply ejected, yet take heed they be not too farre fetch'd, or too much strained.

Ʋse 3 B [...]sse God who gives a stop to our wan­drings. Lastly, if the case be so with us, that the further we depart from God the worse we be, and the more we di­vide like a river, when further from the fountain, or like hayle shot, the further it goeth, the more it scat­tereth: Then blesse we God for cal­ling us in, and giving a stop to these our wandrings.

2 Herein hee seales up a world of love; for first, when would we e­ver come in again of our selves? ve­rily, as a rebell once gone out, is so farre from returning, unlesse pardon and grace fetch him in, as that he runs further and further, strengthens himself in his wickednesse, studies ar­guments to palliate his sin, and to maintain his cause against his Sove­raign: so it is here; when would A­dam, either father or son, have re­turned, unlesse God had laid hand [Page 110]on him? when would the lost groate or the lost sheep have found them­selves, if God had not first found them? men may talk of works prepa­ratory, of, I know not what, con­gruities, improvements of naturals, and such like wonders; but till God put forth his creating power, and hold forth his Golden Scepter, a wolf will as soon turn sheep; a Black-more, faire; a devill a Saint; as sin­full Adam a convert. And therefore for this mercy, blesse God.

2 Yet this is not all. What a mercy is this that God takes us off from our minting and coyning new, that is, false money every day? our forge is ever going, and going the wrong way. We do not study to finde out new truths, new duties for practise, nor new faults hypocrisies, backslidings, errours, for humiliation; but new opi­nions, forms, questions, wayes ten­ding to strife and contention, to pro­fanenesse, and loosnesse, so that A­frica it self did not more abound with monsters, then we naturally do.

Now herein Gods goodnesse is to be admired, that whil'st we are hat­ching one unhappy brood or other, [Page 111]he is contriving our return and safe­ty, and in his time takes us off by de­grees from these principles of ours, wit, fancy, deluded conscience, lust, sense, and the like; which are suffi­cient to trouble our selves and all the world.

3 And in the third place, What a mercy is this that he meets with this our wildenesse and mounds us in? how many banks, and railes hath he set about us? Magistrates, and heires of restraint, (as they are tearmed) in the State. Pastours and Teachers in the Church. Parents and Masters in the family. Brethren and helpers in a community. And above all, set­led us upon two never fayling foun­dations, Doctrinall, the Word truly translated, and soundly expounded to us; and Personall, the Lord Christ, who is made our Guardian, our Guide, our Prophet, our surety; who is so faithfull, that he will never faile us; so full, that in him our soules shall find ease and rest, and be secu­red from starting, if we will put our selves under his yoke, Mat. 11.

And now we are fallen upon the next estate of man, viz. his Restau­ration [Page 112]in the second Adam: and of this we shall say more, if God shall please to give health and opportuni­ty. In the mean, we shall (if God inable) speak something in the ge­nerall, leaving the particulars touch­ing Christs person, natures, offices to some other time, as we shall see cause and finde leasure.

SECTION VI. Saints by Christ are in a very happy estate.

WE have look'd upon man in a double estate: we have seen what he was in Gods hand, what in his own. Now we are to enquire what [Page 113]he is in Christs: These words will give us a generall hint thereof. Where Three things must be done, (if we do well.) First, the order; Secondly, the meaning; Thirdly the use of the words must be found out. For the first,Order of the words. they come in by way of Inference, that's confess'd. But whence they are inferr'd, is the que­stion.

De amiss, grat. &c. l. 5. c. 7. Bellarmine, I remember, knits them to the 7^th Chapter, especially to those words. [Not I, but sin, &c.] and his conceit is this. There the A­postle had proved lust, i. e. residex­cies and dregges of Originall sin, to be no sin, and here he concludes, There­fore there is no matter of condemna­tion in Saints. But this cannot stand. For, first, the conclusion is too wide for the premises, if they were true; since other sins may damne, though Originall sin did not. Secondly, the Premises and ground are not true. Paul doth not say, That concupi­scence and the reliques of originall corruption are no sins; he saith the contrary, over and over in that Cha­pter, in so much as Arminius cannot beleeve, that what he saith, can agree [Page 114]with a sanctified estate. As for that verse, [not I, &c.] the Apostle doth not dispute, whether there be sin or no in him, that he yeeldeth, but from what principle that sin comes; from a principle of flesh, not of grace. Let's set by this then. Ames knits these words to the fifth Chapter. O­thers to the seventh. Others, best of all, as I conceive, to the whole dis­course foregoing. The Apostle ha­ving proved our Justification by grace, or faith, or Christ, which up­on the matter come all to one, and taken off some objections, and absur­dities in the 6^th and 7^th Chapters, which might at first sight seem thence to flow, he now like a good Artist sums up and infers the main conclusion; as if he had said. Now then since 'tis cleared that Christ is a ruits as well as Adam, and as full of life as he was of death, and puts forth this life effectually to free us from all manner of deaths, it hence followes, Therefore there is no condemnation to them that be in Christ. This the or­der and cobarence.

Meaning of the words. Now for the words, what's meant, in the first place, by condemnation? [Page 115]Here we divide again. The Popish sense is this, There is no matter con­demnable, nothing worthy conde­mnation in Saints. This sense we can­not receive, for then it will follow that there is nothing worthy absolu­tion and pardon in them: Then were they free from all sin, for sin, as sin, is deadly, c. 6. at least free from all mortall sin, which the state and sto­ty of David, Salomon, Peter, and thousands more do sufficiently con­fute. This therefore must not be it, What then? The word imports a con­demnatory sentence, as Mark 10.33. and elsewhere. There is none such abides the Saints, the law is dis­charged, and disarmed of its con­demning power, as to Saints, they are removed from under it; the law borrowes its condemning strength from sin, and that's taken off as to the guilt and power of it; as the A­postle after speaks. It is Christ, saith he, that justifies, who shall condemne? so then the beleeving Saints are pas­sed from death, they come not into condemnation. Some objections are made by the Jesuits against this inter­pretation. But 'tis not worth while [Page 116]to dwell long upon them.

Object. First, This were to make the Apostle to speak absurdly. There is no condemnation, no hell to living Saints; who knowes not this? whil'st I see them upon earth, I am sure they are not actually condemned in hell.

Sol. Answer, the Saints, (notwith­standing this Jeer,) find it work e­nough to beleeve that they are not under the condemnatory sentence of the Law: and he mought, if he had pleased, see a wide difference be­twixt Sentence and Execution.

Object. I but, If Saints have sin, they must needs have guilt, and that merits damnation.

Sol. It doth so; therefore are they freed in Christ, and of grace not of merit.

Object. I, but sin, and guilt, and punishment cannot be severed.

Sol. True, not for merit, yet they may in the execution; and if they be in­separable, why do they in their do­ctrine of humane satisfaction sever them?

Object. I, but shall we impute falshood to God? will he say there is no sin in [Page 117]Saints, when there is?

Sol. God doth not say there is no sin in them, no desert of death, that's their saying, God onely saith, that for Christs sake there is no execution or actuall condemnation of them.

Object. Why but then, what's the ground and reason that no condemnation passeth upon such, and of what extent and latitude is this proposition? reacheth it to all under the Gospell, since the covenant of Grace?

Sol. To all in Christ, to all as are in him, as once they were in Adam; that is to say, to all that are branches of him, and members of that body whereof Christ is head, and a prin­ciple of life: For to be in Christ, (to touch that by the way) is not onely to be united to Christ by knowledge, so that we be in the faith, and Chri­stian Religion: but that we be in­corporated into him, by faith and the spirit, united to him in love and life, so that we have our subsistence and dwelling in him, 1 John 3. ult. He that is thus in Christ is passed from death to life, he comes not under a sentence condemnatory, John 3.18. and 5.24. he shall sit on the bench in [Page 118]the day of Judgement not stand at the barre, there to be arraigned; but why all this, because they walk aster the spirit? So indeed our Countrey man Stapleton would have it, but that's against the whole discourse of the Apostle in the foregoing Cha­pters, & that were to confound Law, and Gospell. The Text doth not say, there is no condemnation, because they walk after the spirit; he meddles not now in the conclusion with the causes of Justification, those he handles elsewhere, some before, some after, but now he is upon the subjects, and persons justified, and tells us in this place, not why they are justified, but who they be, and how qualisied; or if you will, the cause or ground of their freedome is upon this account, because they are one with Christ: the evidence and proof of this, because they live under a new guide or Law, walking not after the flesh, but the spirit. And thus for the words. Now the result hence is this. Doct. Saints by Christ, are in a very happy estate.

Saints in Christ are in a very hap­py estate and condition. That's our Point, Our renewed estate is as good in Christ, as it was bad in Adam. It is [Page 119]not for nothing, that Saint Paul makes this his highest ambition to be all in Christ, and nothing out of him, Phil. 3. 9, 10. or this to be the highest honour and commendation to be styled Saints in Christ, Phil. 1.1. Brethren in Christ. Col. 1. Churches in Christ, in his first and se­cond Epistle to the Thessalonians. This the highest dignity the best seniority; They were, saith Paul, before me in Christ, Rom. 16. 7. and 11. Our Saviour himself makes this the main of his Ministry. First, to call men to him; then, to perswade an abidance in him: and to this very end hath established an everlasting Ministry that thereby men might be called into the fellowship of Christ, 1 Cor. 1. 9. Nay, and into the Glory of Christ, and his most glorious priviledges, 2 Thess. 2.14. Now that our condi­tion is not more desperate out of Christ, then blessed in him, will fur­ther appear. If we consider this estate, either singly or in way of com­parison. To begin with the latter.1. In com­parison of others

First, Adams estate in innocency was (as we have heard) a very rich 1 and glorious estate, he was heire of [Page 120]all the world, held all of God imme­diately, he was in the actuall posses­sion of all required Graces, and had in himself a power of perpetuating his estate in Fee simple upon himself and his for ever: a faire estate, but short of ours now. Adam had not the heir himself as we have, had not so near an union with God as we by Christ; he had a good Land-lord, but not a Father by marriage; nor had he that security and warrantise, against all pretenders and claimers that we have: he held God by the hand, but God holds us. To say nothing of another life in heaven, which whe­ther Adam heard of, is more then we can tell.

2 Secondly, the holy Angels in hea­ven, are doubtlesse in a very good condition, their estate is free, glo­rious, sure, yet ours in Christ our head, exceeds theirs. They are ser­vants; we are members, they are the friends of the bride-groome, we the bride, they have their personall glory and life, but we the same for substance with Christs; Job. 17. They are near to Christ in place and em­ployment, but not so near as we, who [Page 121]are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone.

Thirdly, the Saints now in heaven. 3 are in a blessed state, and for time have gotten the start of us; yet for the substance of the matter, we have as good, as sure an estate as them­selves; the difference lies in this, they are seised of it in person and in part, we in our proxy and head Christ; there we also sit, Eph. 2.Eph. 2.6. neither shall they be perfected till we come to them. Now then to close this comparative consideration, If our estate in many things exceeds Adams, in some things the Angels, if for the main we hold pace with the soules now in blisse, having the same both heire and inhe­ritance, our estate is certainly good; Adams was good, the Angels better, he Saints best, and the Saints is ours or the substance of it.

2. In a sin­gle consi­deration. Secondly, This further appears if [...]e survey the thing in it self, and [...]ook upon it in the causes of it. Se­ondly, in the subjects, or possessors [...]f it. Thirdly, in the privileges, and enefits of it.

For the causes of it. For the first, it is an estate of Gods 1 [...]wn making. We are, saith the [Page 122]Apostle, of God in Christ, 1 Cor. 1.30, and for us is Christ, of God, made wisdome, righteousnesse, redemption all. It pleased God out of the riches of Grace to take counsell with him­self alone, how to make man, as hap­py, as man needed to be. And where­as before, though he had a vast estate yet was he wider then his estate, and thereupon step'd over his bounds he was pleased to resolve upon a [...] estate larger then man, even his own estate, Glory, Joy so farre as commu­nicable, and enters him upon that even upon his Masters Joy, as it is in the Gospell; and Glory, as it is, 2 Thess. 2. Thess 2.14. 2. And whereas man was not at first himself, but as they were once used to speak of such as were under Covert without head, God resolved now upon a head and Guardiar Christ, and the conclusion is, Christ should pay all and have all. Hereupp­on the Father gives the Son, the So [...] gives himself to purchase an estate and to instate us in it. Now cons­der what price the Father set upon that his Son, the Son of his love, an thence inferres the greatnesse of th [...] estate; for what loving Father wi [...] [Page 123]part, with the life shall I say? nay, with one limb of his childe for a whole world? why, Saints in Christ have such an estate as God was content to re­deem with the bloud of his Son; a precious purchase, and therefore a precious state. Consider also Christ and his worth. He lookes upon the estate, when it was to be purchased; and when the matter was propoun­ded to him, and surveyed by him, he was willing to sell himself to his skin, to his soul to compasse it: now cer­tainly, that state must be very glori­ous that hath God for its founder, God for its purchaser, God for its price.

For the subjects and heires of this, 2 For the possessors of it. estate to speak them all in one, it is Christ mysticall. First, Christ, the heir apparent of all, the Kings eldest, the Kings onely son. Secondly, Christians, that is, the Church in one body, the Kings onely Daughter, upon whom this state is settled, by way of Joynture shall I say? or ra­ther, Dowry: now when the King of Kings shall drive a match between his onely son, who is heire of all, and his onely daughter by adoption, (as the [Page 124]son by nature) as once he did be­tween Adam and Eve, and settle both worlds upon them, as he did the first upon Adam, how can it be but that the estate will be very rich, and every way full? And that will appear yet further to you, if you consider the last things, viz. The privileges and properties thereof.

3 First, it is a spirituall estare, it lies not here in the dirt, For the privileges. as Adams first estate did, it lies in light, Acts 26. it 1 is undefiled, Acts 26.23. as Peter speakes. And upon that account the more excel­lent, because it is so spirituall; [...] Pet. 1.4. for, of things, spirituals in their natures, are best, as most nearly approaching the best of all.

2 It is a free estate, a created senure whereto none can pretend, free from all incumbrances, all forfeitures, de­cayes, impositions, endowed with all immunities: here is freedome from the Law, in its rigour, curse, irritati­on, sting; though it remain in its di­rective, and detective, and corrective use, yet its destructive power is taken away; there is no condemnation, saith the Text. Freedome from wrath, Satan, sting of conscience; in a word, [Page 125]from all bondage. We were indeed formerly in a state of vassallage, but the Son makes us free, John 8.Joh. 3.36.

Thirdly, it is a full estate; in Christ 3 we are compleat, Col. 2. Yea,Col. 2.10. with the Son God gives us all,Rom. 8.32. Rom. 8. all things are ours, all persons ours, be­cause Christ is ours, and Christ is Gods, 2 Cor. 3 ult.

It is a firm estate. All is everlasting, 4 unchangeable, unmovable, unfading: all heires, Joint heires, with Christ. If the state stand good to him, it will to us: We shall speed as he and the Father speed, Joh. 17. Now the Son abides for ever, and the Daughter a­bides for ever, the estate dies to nei­ther, and neither to other. We are heires as of the things promised, so of the promises themselves, Gal. 3. ult. estate, and writings are all made over to us: by Christ we have right to all; in and with Christ, we are in the pos­session of all, in his right, and in our name, livery and seisin are given and taken. Thus you see the state.

Reas. Now if you ask me a reason, why God hath settled such an estate upon us, us beggers, us bankrupts, us tray­trours? I can give you none other [...] [Page 124] [...] [Page 125] [Page 126]then what the Apostle hath given me, 2 Thess. 1.2 Thess. 1.12. the motive is, meer grace in God through Christ; the end, that Christ may be glorified in us his bo­dy, and the fulnesse of him, who is the fulnesse of all, Eph. 1. ult. and to be admired by us to all eternity. Or, if you will have it in Christs own words;Luke 12.32. Is is the Fathers pleasure to give this estate, which is somtimes cal­led an Inheritance, sometimes a King­dome, a glorious kingdome, an hea­venly kingdome; Gods kingdome; Christs kingdome; The Saints king­dome. We will say no more at pre­sent, though much more might be said tonching the excellency of this estate in the immunities and preroga­tives thereof. We come to Appli­cation.

Ʋse 1 To be hap­py, come to Christ. For those who never yet closed with Christ, these must be exhorted, as they love themselves, to come to 1 him. For Motives. Consider, First, the necessity of so doing, Not onely in regard of his precept, Come to me, all ye that are heavy laden, &c. but in order to themselves; for, no Christ, no inheritance, Gal. 4.28. Without Christ no life. They dye in their [Page 127]sins: he that hath, saith John, the Son he hath life onely, he that hath not the Son, hath no life, 1 Joh. 5.12. He is the Ark, without which there is nothing but death; he is the City of refuge; you dye, if you fly not thi­ther. Adam leaves you under sin, sin cals for Justice, and Justice will persue you to the Gates of that City. Other remedy there is none, the se­cond Adam was onely able to remove the hurtfulnesse of the first. There must be Adam for Adam, as there was serpent for serpent in the wilder­nesse, covenant for covenant, grace for grace. I know some men talk of another passage discovered, and o­pened to heaven: But as Paul said in another case, though there be Gods many, and Lords many, yet to us there is but one: to us in the word; to us in this Hemisphere of the Go­spel there is but one way made known, one Lord, one Jesus, one living way; and in this sense also living as well as in others, that it never dyeth or changeth. What secret wayes the Lord is pleased to betake himself un­to, we are not to inquire into; our rule of faith is not Gods prerogative, [Page 128]but his will revealed in the word. Let us submit to this rule, and suffer our selves to be convinced by the Gospel, that there is nothing but sin, and guilt, and death, and slavery, and hell, out of Christ, but he alone is our life, our way, our truth. If we come to him, he casts out no man; if we come not, we cast away our selves.

2 Consider the possibility of recove­ring our selves, and our estate, if we come to him. Herein man in his lost estate is beyond Devils. Christ hath made him capable of Salvation. He came on purpose to recover him lost, to redeem him sold, and forfeited; and by the Gospell to bring again to light, what was banished and buryed, to wit, life and immortality. That's his businesse, and hereunto he is all-sufficient, perfectly able, as the A­postle saith,Heb. 7.25. to save to the worlds end, all that come to him. There is no stay on his part, if any thing hin­der, it is from us.

Object. Oh, but we cannot come to him.

Sol. When didst thou try? what means hast thou used? what prayers? or what paines hast thou been at? It is [Page 129]not want of Can, but want of Will, at least it is a wilfull imporency, as Christ layes the charge, You will not come to me, that you might have life, Joh. 5.40. You will not saith he, there's the misery; you will not come that you may have life, I offer life to your dead soules, you will not receive it.

Object. I, but I have not the power of willing.

Sol. Come to him that thou maist receive this power, he is a quick­ning spirit to soules, as well as bo­dies; and if thou unite to him, he will as easily raise thy soul out of the grave of sin, Joh. 5.25. as he did the dead body, by the touch of the Prophets bones.

Quest. But how can I come to him?

Answ. Come to his ordinances, attend his mouth, yeeld to convictions of the word, and in private propose good questions. This the woman of Sama­ria did, and this maist thou too. And if thou wilt suffer thy self to be drawn thus by these cords of love, Christ will in no wise cast thee off. For all that the Father giveth me, shall come to me, saith Christ, Joh. 6.37. [Page 130]And for my part, I came to do my Fa­thers will, v. 38. And my Fathers will is this, that I should lose none, v. 39. but give life to all that so come, v. 40.

3 Consider the certainty of speeding if we do come; the estate is already purchased and settled, writings sealed, and proclamation made to all;Ef. 55.1. Rev. 22.17. Ho! every one that thirsteth come and drink sreely. It was Christs very er­rand to bring us in again; he still em­ployes his messengers, and invites us saying, Come, all things are prepared. He offers marriage with us upon easie tearmes; your foreskins will be dowry enough, as Saul said to his Son in law; therefore come and make no more doubts; I say to thee, as they said to the blind man, Be of good com­fort, arise, he calleth thee. Cast away thy ragges as he did, and speed as he did, who immediately received sight, Mark. 10.49. &c.

Object. Oh but I fear he will not accept me. It is no small thing to be such a Kings Son in law.

Sol. Well, try as David did in his case, do as Abigail did with David him­self, David wooes her, she is sensi­ble of her distance, and acknow­ledgeth [Page 131]her unworthynesse, but yet she followed the call, accepted the motion, and it proved a match.

Object. I, but there is one thing sticks with me, had I like interest in Christ, as I had in Adam, I could promise to my self as much good from this Adam, as I have received hurt from the other. But now there lye shrewd blocks in my way, first, this doctrin of particu­lar election doth much discourage me.

Sol. And why so, I pray? Is it not more comfortable to hear, that some shall certainly be saved, then that it is un­certain, whether any at all shall be saved: for thus runnes the doctrine, touching generall redemption and generall (if you will speak contra­diction) election, viz. Notwith­standing Christs death and price paid, salvation is suspended upon mans choice, and it is uncertain what choice he will make.

Object. Object. Yea, but if we descend to particulars there is no particular word given out to me.

Sol. Sol. Neither is there any particu­lar barre or caveat put in against thee, be thou Jew or Gentile, Bond or Free, [Page 132]Traytour or Felon, all is one in this case. There is no exception lies a­gainst thy nation, thy condition, thy person in particular. And as to that particular of Election, thou maist have far better assurance, that thou art elected, then that thou art not.

Quest. What's to be done then?

Answ. 1 First, be sure of this, that there is nothing but sin and death, nothing at all of life, or righteousnesse out of Christ. None in thy good mea­nings, none in thy good nature, none in the meanes and ordinances of Christ abstracted from his Spirit, therefore lay down all thine own, all naturall righteousnesse, all legall, all personall, with all unrighteous­nesse; so farre make use of the Law as to fire thee out of thy self, and all self-considences, and that done look up to Christ,

2 In the second place, and close with his person, for so it must be in this marriage.Encou­ragement to match with Christ. There must be person to person, not person onely to the estate; and for thy further incouragement, take notice what the Gospell offers.

1 First, for the person saving, It is the Lord our righteousnesse. The [Page 133]great redcemer, the mighty deliverer, who comes Authorized out of Zion to turn away ungodlinesse from Ja­cob, Rom. 11.26.

Secondly, for the parties delivered, 2 (for we say no more as yet of the deliverer) Jesus Christ his Message is to the poor, to the broken hearted, to the captives, to the blind, to the bruised, to the most lost men, and to the greatest of sinners, Luk. 4.18. So that if thou be lost enough, poor enough, bad enough, deep enough in hell, the Saviour is sent to thee.

Thirdly, for the meanes where 3 Christ offers himself, hee comes cloathed in an ordinance, in a pro­mise, every promise is full of Christ, whole Christ, who is tendered to us in each Article, and Seal of the Co­venant, and is indeed before-hand with us in Baptisme, which at least is as much as Judah's Ring and Staffe, though no arguments of Thamars goodnesse, yet evidences good against Judah.

Fourthly, for the Tearmes, they 4 are very free and gracious. First, let fall all other hopes, and cry with some Martyrs, None but Christ, J. Lam­bert. no [Page 134]husband but Christ, no portion but Christ, none other Law-giver, Pro­phet, King, but Christ alone. Second­ly, receive as sole, so whole Christ, to all intents, and purposes of Salvati­on. Make him thy ruling Christ, as well as thy redeeming Christ; he be­comes author of Salvation to them that obey him, Heb. 5.9. Give up thy self wholly to be ruled by him, take him for better and for worse, and the bargain is made. The estate passeth with the person, our broken estate sals to Christ, he stands in­gaged to all our debts, and his full estate becomes ours, all his privileges are made over to us, as were Adams incumbrances. Now then sith you are all for good estates, good tenures, clear titles, labour to be thus instated in Christs estate, and say as she, Give me children or else I dye, so Lord give me Christ or else I dye: and as Abra­ham once, What doth all this availe me, if I have no heir of mine own? so think thou, what will all the riches, and titles, Ʋse 2 Beleevers should keep close to Christ. and accommodations in the world availe me, if I have never a Christ? and this the first use.

For such as are already come home [Page 135]to Christ; Keep you well whil'st you are well, we smart yet for our first fall, though through grace there is some remedy provided against that; but take heed of a second, if wee fall from the second Adam, there's no more sacrifice, nor sacrisicer, no new word of Salvation, no new Christ; God hath said, and done all that he meanes to do in order to Salvation by his Son, Heb. 1.1. Hereupon it is, that our Saviour in the Gospel, and his Apostles in their Doctrines and Epistles, drive mainly at perseverance in the faith once given, and call thick upon us, for persisting therein, for standing fast, for standing out, for overcoming and continuing to the end, in this blessed estate of grace; wherein now we stand; and labour nothing more then to take us off, from all other Christs, Gospels, Do­ctrines, wayes, estates; it is the main drift of all or most of the Epistles. For well did they see that a continuance was as necessary as an entrance; they well knew our unsteadinesse and ficklenesse, and how licorish our na­ture is after novelties; nor were they ignorant of Satans wiles, of perilous [Page 136]times to come, and therefore have they given us so frequent, and so loud warnings. Now beloved seeing you know these things before-hand, be­ware that you be not drawn away from your own stedfastness, 2 Pet. ult. Rather grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ, and herein be so much the more serious, by how much the more busie the tempter and his agents be. Let me tell you all the Doctrines of later Editions drive mostly at this, to wrest you from this estate in Christ, and to create and establish another title and tenure. Hence those new wayes of happinesse without Christ. Hence the revivall of our crackt title in Adam, hence the deniall of Christs purchase, hence the addition of joynt purchasers with him, hence the adding of more strings to our bow, and the superad­ding of our righteousnesse to Christs ad corroborandum, yea and the depo­siting of all the evidences and assu­rances with our selves. Look to your standing, and be true to your colours, Christ hath bought you to himself, and hath listed you into his service, betray not his right, who will never, [Page 137]never, never, as he saith Heb. 13. de­sert you, if you flinch not from him: you know in whom you have be­leeved, continue in the faith of Jesus, as you have been taught the truth in him. Abide in the communion of Christ, in the grace of Christ, in the power of Christ, find all your hopes, joyes, life, safety, and subsistence in him alone, fetch all your strength and life from him, nothing from any o­ther, hold all of him, flye to no other title, ascribe all to him, and, in a word, owe to him, and to him onely, all wisdome, righteousnesse, sancti­fication, redemption, salvation: whole Christ, or no Christ.

Ʋse 3 Get chil­dren into this good estate. Having secured our own estate in Christ, let's cast (in the next place) for our friends, especialy children. World­ly men, who see no higher then the earth, will travell with their children, whil'st they labour under an evill estate world-ward. If a childe be in depth or in prison, they will put under some ragges, to pull out their Jeremy where he sticks. This is no more then they will do, nay, then we should all do, for an enemy; nay,Exod. 23.5. for an enemies beast, Exod. 23.5. There­fore [Page 138]as Saul bestirred himself for his countreymen, Moses for his, nay, David for his sheep, when invaded; so must we much more for children thus ingulphed, and the rather, because we have been instrumentall in their misery. In the Law, the slave was to have his liberty for his eye spoyled: We have put out the eyes of chil­dren, and must indevour in way of recompense their liberty; and as in case of Justice, there was heretofore allotted eye for eye, tooth for tooth, &c. So now in mercy and justice both, we must labour to restore to our undone children eye for eye, hand for hand, soul and bo­dy, for body and soul. But how can this be done? however it speed, this must be our endevour, and rest we must not, till we have done our utmost to repair their estates. This is the common and constant care of all Parents, to see their children setled somewhere in some estate, and the quieter, and fuller it is, the more the heart of Parents is satisfied: now 'tis certain, that there is no comfor­table, no secure estate, till they come to be stated in Christ.

But they are so already, Christians they are so soon as Baptized.Obsject.

Sol. Sol. Sacramentally they are so, and that should encourage us the more, because God is so farre before-hand with us and them: but we must not rest here; Outward Baptisme, is no more then was outward Circumcision, which was nothing without the new creature; when Christ is formed in thy children when thou seest in them, the eye of Christ, the mouth, and heart of Christ, Christs Image drawn quite over them, then are they safe and thou happy; till then thy feares and cares, (if thou hast either, for their soules) are endlesse, and all thy paines and cost, are lost upon them, if they be lost.And how this may be done. But still the question is, what can I do to bring in children:

Quest. I cannot give grace?

Sol. Sol. Do? do what is incumbent up­on thee to do.

First, bring them to Christ in the 1 Ordinance of Baptisme, there mourn for that cursed condition, which thou hast brought upon them: pray that God would baptize them with water and the Holy Ghost.

Next, as they grow up, so teach 2 them the use of Baptisme, and the na­ture of that Covenant, whereof that is a seale.

3 At all times set them good copies and examples, and let instruction and correction be duly applyed; If thou place them abroad, have a care of setling them in good families, and under a good Ministry. This gives thee best hopes of Religions continu­ing in the family; And though pos­sibly there may be an Esau amongst them, yet ordinarily some either in the first or next generation, prove good: however, this is the best service thou canst do to God the best thanks thou canst return to Christ, the best work thou cast perform to the Church and Ministry, the greatest mercy thou canst shew to thy poste­rity, the wisest way thou canst take for thy self: so shalt thou engage their hearts more to thee, Mal. ult. so thou shalt more comfortably dye, when thou seest them thus placed with, and matched to, Christ. A poor man may possibly preferre his childe by a good match, none like to this of marrying them to Christ. Sith then [Page 141]a way not onely of recovery but of preferment is found out, be not wanting to God, to Christ, to the Publick, to your selves here, to your posterity hereafter; if they may be happy, leave them not miserable; if they may be found in Christ, leave them not in Satan, in hell.

Ʋse 4 Douple instructi­on. If this state in Christ be so happy, when we are thus united to him by vocation, and hold communion with him through justification and sancti­fication, and receive perpetuall influ­ence and supportance from him, then inferre hence two things.

Beware how we slight so great a 1 privilege in others;Slight not so reat a privilege in others. Is any a Saint and member in Christ? acknowledge Christ in him, receive him though in some things differing from us, and in many things inferiour to us: have not the glorious faith of Christ in respect of persons. If Christ be not a­shamed to call them Brethren, Heb. 2. If God be not ashamed to call them children, Heb. 11.16. why should we bee coy of their acquaintance? Think the same of every faithfull Preacher. If Christ own him as his Embassadour, and gives him the title [Page 142] of the Glory of Christ, why should we slight any such, because of some diffe­rences or infirmities? I go further, If any Church or society of Christians be in Christ, why should not we look upon them as Paul did? Grace and peace, saith he, be unto the Churches at Thessalonica and elsewhere, which are in God the Father and in Christ the Saviour. Doubtlesse the Church of Thessalonica, and at Corinth had their blemishes, errours in some doctrinals, failings not a few in practicals, yet because they were Churches in Christ, the Apostle ownes and honours them. The Churches of Galatia were much declined, yet Paul and the Brethren with him, look upon them as Churches of Christ. The seven Churches of Asia wanted no faults, and those of no ordinary alloy, yet are they Golden Candle­sticks in Christs eye, and such as he conversed withall. And if so, why should we separate from them; or bring up an ill report of any of them?

Quest. You will say happily that you med­dle not with particular persons, you conceive hopefully of many that live amongst us: but the thing questioned [Page 143]is, about the state and constitution of our Churches, if that be Antichristi­an, what communion then with Christ?

Sol. Brethren, if there be any amongst you, who are indeed tender, and fear­full in this case, I beseech you with all the mercy, mildenesse, and ear­nestnesse, that I can, to lay aside all prejudice, and seriously to consider these things. First, what a grievous thing it is to misname, or misvalue any estate in Christ. Secondly, whe­ther you dare say, that none of our Churches, or of like community be in Christ. Study I beseech you, what states a Saint or Church in Christ, and what nullifies or forfeits that state. Try whether you cannot find some footsteps of Christ, some Seales of his Ministry amongst us, and if so, why may not that house and habitation please us that pleaseth him? why may not we dwell, where Christ is pleased to dwell? Object not, thousands of failings; the question is, whether we have a true being in Christ, and if he be amongst us as head, and root, why should not his be acknowledged members, and branches?

But how can we partake with such, but we shall be partakers of their sins? Quest.

Sol. How did Christ? he was daily in the Temple, and at Temple Services, amidst the Pharisees, and other Do­ctors, yet no way partaker of their errours and abuses: he inwardly distasted them, and outwardly dis­countenanced them; do thou the like, and then thy presence (being onely Locall, not Morall) doth not fetch thee within a guilt.

Object. Oh but we have no power to censure and whip out offenders as Christ did.

Sol. Consider first, whether any such power be due to us. Secondly, whether we may take it up of our selves. Thirdly, whether the abuses are such, & so malignant, as that they will warrant a forsaking of the assem­blies. So long as Christ is there, what fear of being member of that body, which hath Christ for its head?

Quest. But the abuses are of so high a na­ture, as that there is no tolerating of them.

Sol. Answ. That's an high charge: be sure of thy grounds, before thou layest such an aspersion upon a society [Page 145]which beares the face of a Church: in judging rashly thou maist possi­bly sin against the generation of the righteous, therefore consult, and con­sider, and then give sentence; for clear it is, that as we must not par­take in sin, nor joyn ourselves to Har­lots, so neither must we be more strict, and severe then Christ himself: therefore drive things to an issue; this or that Church so called, either is, or is not in Christ. If not in Christ, we have nothing to say for it, out of Christ, there is nothing but death and darknesse; If in Christ, 'tis true it may be, there may be just cause of mourning, great need of reforming, but when we have done all that l [...]es within our power and calling to do, whether then there be ground for a divorce and desertion, think thou of that: and think advisedly, lest thou condemne where Christ saith, there is no condemnation.

Secondly, let not this consolation 2 seem small to us,Comfort to them that are in. Christ that we are taken into such an estate. Say, though poor as to the world, say, a scorn of men, a slave to men, be thy estate as bad as Malice can make it, or Phan­sie [Page 146]conceive it, yet if thou be in Christ, thou art in a blessed conditi­on. Time will not now give, to spread before thee the particulars of this estate; how unworthy thou wast of it, how freely, and yet how dearly it cost thy Redeemer, what an infinite gulph and distance there is betwixt thy former, and this renewed estate; work these things upon thine own heart in private: say, once I was a slave, now free; once Satans, now Gods; once an enemy, now a childe; once a limbe of Adam, worthy to be hanged up as a traytours quarters, now a piece of Christ; once cursed, now un­der blessing; once for hell, now an [...]eire of heaven; once a damned crea­ture, now there is no condemation; once death was terrible, the grave dreadfull, but now in Christ, I am more then a Conqueror. To be un­der Christ, is a great privilege, he is the Tabernacle of many coverings to shelter us, and our hiding place; but to be in him, to be made one spirit with him, And how this may be known. is to be as high, and as safe as we can be, and therefore enjoy that privilege.

Quest. I, but how shall I know, that I am in Christ?

The Word tells thee, He that is in Christ is a new creature, Sol. 1. old things are pass'd, the old man crucified,Cor. 5.17. 2 Cor. 5. the old husband buryed,Rom. 7. ac [...] princip. Rom. 7. old lusts mortified, the old world dead to us and we to it,Gal. 5.25. Gal. 2. and 5. Chapters, and we redeemed from our old conversation, 1 Pet. 1.18. Our old guides and leaders ca­shiered, 1 Pet. 4.2. Eph. 2.2.—. Secondly, All things are become new, a new mind, a new understanding, a new heart, a new nature through­out, a new creation to all good workes, Eph. 2.10. The Holy Ghost formes whole Christ in us, the minde of Christ, the heart of Christ the tongue of Christ, whole Christ; we are under a new guide, the Spirit of God, (here Rom. 8.2.) gives Lawes, we are led by the Spirit, and walk in that Spirit, Gal. 5. 'Tis true,Gal 5.2 7. the flesh sometimes transports, and commits a rape upon us, but the Spirit is the guide and guardian of choice—Thirdly, a new aime, and end in all, as Christ did not please himself, Rom. 15.3. but sought the publick good, so is it with his members in their measure. Briefly, all is made [Page 148]new, new hopes, new joyes, new feares, new delights, new desires, all new, all eyeing Christ.

3 He that is in Christ, is a fruitfull branch,Joh. 15.5. Joh. 15. Christ hath no use­lesse member, every one doth its' of­fice, bears fruit, its own fruit, in its own season, and bears all to Christ; find thy self thus renewed, thus pruned and made fruitfull to an in­crease of fruitfulnesse, then we can tell thee that to thee there is no con­demnation, no bondage, no curse, no hurt, no hell: nay, we can say more then so, then all persons are thine, all things thine, all times thine, all estates thine, because Christ is thine, 1 Cor. 3.22.

Object. Object. But I have many objection [...] against all this.

Sol. Sol. Like enough so; the Apo­stle foresaw that, and hath prevented thee in this, and the foregoing Chap­ters: for instance; I am a childe, say'st thou, of Adams.

Sol. Thou art so by nature, but by the grace of Adoption in Christ thou art a childe of God.

Object. Object. But I am a captive to sin.

Sol. Sol. A captive of sin rather then to [Page 149]it: sin surpriseth thee, but fore a­gainst thy will: Thou cryest for help, Oh wretched man! who will resoue me?

Object. Oh! but I have a world of sin.

Sol. I, but there is no condemnation; that sin, saith Paul, is not thine, though in thee.

Object. Oh! but I am compassed with mighty temptations, afflictions and the like.

Sol. Yea, but all shall work for thy good in the close, and thou shalt find it so.

Object. Oh! but I can do nothing well, not so much as pray, or begge for my self

Sol. I, but the Spirit of Christ, helps our infirmities, and utters it self, when we cannot utter our selves.

Object. Oh! but I tremble at the accusa­tions of Satan and conscience; at the thoughts of those terrible things to come, Death, Judgement, &c.

Sol. 'Tis God, saith the Apostle, that justifieth, and who then shall condemne? it is Christ that appears for us, who dares appear against us? it is Christ that hath killed death, buryed the grave, cowed Satan, overcome all, [Page 150]and who then shall stand up against us?

Object. But how shall I be able to hold out, when the assay lants are so fierce, the defendant so weak, when there are such variety of changes to passe through?

Sol. The Apostle hath said all, neither life, nor death, nor Angels, nor de­vils, nor persons, nor things present, or to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature one or other shall be ever able to separate us from Gods love, which is in our Christ and Lord.