DOCT.

This Point is very plain in the Text, plainly collected from it. For saith the Apostle, Love out of a pure [Page 17] heart (and the like). Now that pure heart, I shall shew clearly af­terwards (if the Lord bring me to it) that the pure heart, is a gratious heart. So that the Love must flow from a principle of Grace.

There are three things especially in which the Completion, the full Constitution and making up of a good work, whether towards God or man doth consist; and they must all three concur in the business. Evil arises out of any single defect in that which is required: Bonum oritur ex i [...]te ra cau­sa, malum ex q [...]olibet defe­ctu. But a good action must have a concurrence of all things requisite thereunto. I name only these three.

First, That the work may be good, we must What requi­red to a good work. be sure that the matter of it be good. It must be good in it self, as being according to Rule. And

It must be good in the mind and in understanding of him that doth it: [Page 18] for to do that which is good, we not knowing and understanding it to be good, or not being perswaded that it is good, that action is not good to us. Yea, the Apostle tells you, It is sin, whatsoever is not of faith: and there he speaks not of justifying faith, but of perswading faith: what ever is not of faith is sin: And 'tis possible for one that is in a justified state, or one that hath justifying faith, yet not to do a thing with a perswading faith, and so it may be sin to him. That's one thing.

Secondly, The aim, or the end of the work, must be good; and among all ends that are good, the chief, and that which can never be left out, is the glory of God: Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they seeing your good works (your works of Love) may glorifie your Fa­ther which is in Heaven. Not glorifie your self, not set up self. 'Twas the setting up of self, or the making self the end, which corrupt­ed [Page 19] and poisoned all those materially good, very good actions of the Pha­risees, even their alms giving, their praying, their fasting, as you may read at large in Mat. 6. 1, 5, 16. and those that follow. The End doth denomi­nate the action. It must have a good end, else though the matter be never so good, the work is not good.

Thirdly, (Which is the matter in hand:) The Principle, or spring of the work must be good: 'Tis possible for one to do a work that's good for the matter of it, and to have some good ends in it, and yet not to do it out of a right principle: and this is it which the Text and Doctrine speaks, unless the Principle be good, the work's not good. As the Foun­tain is, such are the streams that come from it: As the Tree is, such is the fruit that grows upon it. Do men gather Grapes of Thorns, or Eigs of Thistles? Matth. 7. 16. Why, the Thorn hath not a Principle in Nature to put forth a Grape, the [Page 20] Thistle hath not a Principle in Na­ture to put forth a Figg; and there­fore saith Christ, A corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Which words of Christ, as they are prima­rily to be understood concerning false Prophets and their Doctrine, so they may be truly applyed to all false pro­fessors and their ends; they being corrupt, they cannot bring forth good fruit. If you would draw out of a vessel which is unseasoned, or ill scented, the liquor will taste of the Cask. Now we all by nature are unseasoned; yea, we are ill scented vessels, therefore the liquor, that which passes from us, considered so, must needs have an ill scent, an ill taste. And hence that cutting question of Christ to the Pharisees, Matth. 12. 34. O Generation of Vipers, how can ye being evil, speak good things? They might possibly speak good for the matter. Bad men wil often tip their tongues with good words, and appear Chrysostom's, Golden mouth'd speak­ers, [Page 21] when their hearts are nothing but brass and dross. But usually evil men speak evil; that which is evil for the matter. Their throats are an open sepulchre, the poyson of Asps is under their lips, as the Apo­stle speaks, quoting it from the Psalms, in Rom. 3. 13.

And as they usually, and natu­rally, (for that's their natural Lan­guage) speak evil, so they always mar the good they speak, either by their ill manner of speaking it, or by their ill meaning in speaking it. As the Devil when he made a con­fession of Christ, and said, he was the Son of the most high God, it was a confession like that of St. Peter, which Christ calls the Rock upon which the Church is built; the Devil spake it out of a base intent, and therefore Christ threw it away, and rebuked him for it. So evil men, they spoil good speaking with their ill manner of speaking, or their ill meaning in speaking; and therefore [Page 22] Solomon hath that expression, in Prov. 26. 7. As the leggs of the lame are not equal: so is a Parable in the mouth of fools. A Parable there, notes a Divine saying, a ruling word, a commanding word, that's a Para­ble, a word that should reign over us, so saith he, a Parable, a divine saying, in the mouth of a fool, are like the leggs of the lame. Good words do (as it were) lisp in the mouth of a bad man, and his heart never keeps pace with his Tongue. Thus you see, Christ saith, evil men cannot speak that which is good, they cannot speak to the purpose fully; now as they that are evil, cannot speak, so neither can they do good things answerable to the rule, or pleasing unto God. I do not say, they cannot do good things, but they cannot do good things, answer­able to the rule, or pleasing unto God. And that's the Apostles con­clusion, Rom. 8. 8. after a further discourse, he comes with his so the [...] [Page 23] here's the conclusion, so then, they that are in the flesh, they cannot please God, every action which comes up to the fulfilling of the Commandment, is pleasing to God, but saith he, they that are in the flesh, they can­not please God;—they that are in the flesh—what's that? surely not that which two Popes (as Infallible as they Judge themselves to be,) thought to be the meaning; they thought, that by being in the flesh, was meant being in a marriage State. But by being in the flesh, the Apostle means, being in a natural, that is, being in an unregenerate State, they cannot please God, and such do not only not please God when they do that which is evil, but they do not please God when they do that which is good, for the very Sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to him, Prov. 15. 8. and therefore the Apo­ple says of all men, in their natural capacity, or State, there is none that doth good, no not one, in Rom. 3. [Page 24] 12.—Why none do good? be­cause none of them have a principle, they have not a spring, though the matter they do may be good, and though possibly they have some good end in doing it, yet they not having a principle, there is none of them that doth good, that is, a compleat good, no not one, there's no excepti­ons. I need not labour further in the proof of the point, but I would make some use of it, and I would make a threefold use out.

Use. The first may be for our Infor­mation. If those good works, both to God and Man, which are the ful­filling of the Commandment, must flow from a Gratious principle, then we are Instructed by this truth, how to Judge of their best works who still abide in the State of nature, having neither a pure heart, nor a good Conscience, nor Faith unfeigned.—Why what Judgement are we to make of their works? why [Page 25] surely they are not the end of the Commandment, they are not the fulfilling of the Commandment; the works of such, even their works of charity, of love, of temperance, Patience, of Justice. were call'd by some of the godly learned Antients, shining sins, and why we may not call them so now, I know no reason. That's the Judgement they give of such mens good actions; for as Christ tells the Pharisees, Luke 16. 15. that which is highly esteemed among men, is an Abomination unto God. Why? because it wants this principle. And to be sure, though their box of ointment, I mean the good things done by Persons who have not these principles, I say though their box of ointment may have a fragrant smell among many men, yet there are many dead flies in it, especially one great one, call'd unbelief, which makes their whole box of ointment very unsavory in the nostrils of God, for so saith the Apostle, Heb. 11. 6. [Page 26] without faith it is Impossible to please God. And that's one of the springs expresly spoken of in the text; Gospel charity is of a nobler extract than to be found in the whole compass of nature, and Godliness moves in a higher sphere than the best dress that the gayest Moralist ever reacht unto. In Matth. 5. 20. Except your Righ­teousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God. That's a word for Information.

Use. 2. Now upon that, let me take up a second use by way of Lamen­tation. If this be a truth, then 'tis to be Lamented that the Religious duties, and charitable Acts of many who bear the name of Christ, flow meerly from a natural principle, and doing so, they are not the fulfilling of the Commandment. The most of men Love one another with affe­ction no more spiritual than Damon and Pithius, and Pilades and Orestes, [Page 27] or any other who are most memo­rised, or admired among the Hea­thens for Love. Yea I may say; they worship God and Jesus Christ with a devotion no more raised, and spiritual, than the old Romans did worship their Jupiter, or the Ephe­sians their great Godess Diana. And surely this is to be Lamented, that Christian Acts should be done, and not from a principle spiritual, or not from a Christian principle. It is very possible, and very ordinary to follow Christ, yea to call upon Christ, meerly with human affections, with Carnal affections. Jesus Christ did find it so. In John 6. 26. Ye seek me, saith he, not because ye saw the Miracles, but because ye did eat of the loves and were filled. To follow Christ, was an excellent work, but they did it meerly upon a humane principle. Yea, that prayer of theirs in Verse 34. may well be Judged to come meerly from a carnal spirit. When Christ had discourse of the [Page 28] bread that came down from Heaven, and giveth life into the World, say they, Lord, evermore give us of this bread, and yet this was but from a Carnal desire, not knowing what that bread meant spiritually. And it appears clearly to be so, for in the close of the Chapter, many of his Hearers went quite away, they forsook him. Now certainly to do these excellent things, and to do them but with Carnal principles, this is a thing to be Lamented. So­lomon doth report it as a thing to be lamented, that often in this world it is done to good men according to the works of the wicked, and it's done to wicked men, according to the works of the righteous: Eccles. 8. 14. This is a thing to be lamented, but I now shall shew you two sights more, much more to be lamented.

First, 'Tis a very lamentable thing to see good men do according to the works of the wicked. Thus did David in the matter of Uriah, [Page 29] 2 Sam. 11. Thus did Solomon, when his heart went after strange Gods, and he built High Places to their Abominations, 1 Kings 11. 4, 5. Thus did Asa, a good King, when he imprisoned the Prophet, and in his disease sought to the Physiti­ans, and not to God, 2 Chron. 16. 10, 12. Yea, thus did St. Peter that holy Apostle, when he deny­ed, yea, forswore his Master, in Matth. 26. 72, 74. And thus have many other godly men done, under the pressures of Temptation and Corruption. And is not this a sad sight, to see one professing Godli­liness, yea, one that is really godly, act thus like a wicked man? This is to act (as I have sometimes ex­prest it) the old Creatures part, in the new Creatures state. This is a very sad thing.

I, but now I have another sight to shew you, according to the Te­nure of this Text and Doctrine, which is very sad also. And what's [Page 30] that? Why, to see bad men do ac­cording to the works of good men, still continuing in their bad state. They plod on, and go on doing good things, but never mind to become good themselves: And so bad men do according to the works of the righteous: I say, This is a sad sight. And thus did Saul, when he was among the Prophets: There was a bad man doing good things, 1 Sam. 10. And thus did Ahab, when he humbled himself; a wicked man do­ing a very good thing, 1 Kings 21. Thus did Jehu, when he destroyed Idolatry: A very good work, but a very bad man, 2 Kings 10. 28. Thus did Judas, when he preacht the Go­spel; a very good work, but him­self a Traytor. And thus did De­mas, when he profest the Gospel, and followed the Apostles: A very good work, but himself an hypocrite, and a lover of the world. And thus in­deed do all hypocrites, and meer formalists, in their performing of [Page 31] Gospel worship. And thus Christ will tell them at the last day, as he saith, Matth. 7. 22, 23. when they came upon him so to upbraid him (as it were) with the good things which they had done. We have prophesied in thy name, we have cast out Devils in thy Name; we have done many good and mighty works in thy Name; Saith Christ to them, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity. Though you did these good things, yet you never did them from a sound principle, from a principle of Grace: No, you your selves were secret workers, or lovers of iniquity, while you did all these good things. Now is not this a sad sight? I confess, it is a sad sight, to see a bad man do that which is bad, or a wicked man to do that which is wicked; yet I say, it is a sadder sight to see a bad man continuing in his state, having no spiritual principles, to go on do­ing good: For what is this, but the [Page 32] just contrary to what I spake be­fore. This is the acting of the new Creatures part in the old Crea­tures state; and what will that avail?

And I would say these two things further.

God often declares himself very highly against such as do good, them­selves continuing evil. He declares himself weary of their services, espe­cially when there is hypocrisie in them. Isa. 1. 14. Prov. 21. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is abominati­on, how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? That is, when he brings it for base ends, hoping by his sacrifice to satis­fie God for his sin. Some hope by their good works to turn away the wrath of God; and they hope to get Heaven by their good prayers, and by their alms (and the like). I say, when a man doth a good thing, with such an evil mind as this, hoping to satisfie the Justice of God, and [Page 33] turn away his wrath by his doings; this is now abomination to God. Or when he hopes that God will be well pleased with him, in that he brings him a sacrifice, doth him some out­ward service, though he goes on in his sin. These are those the Lord doth so often protest against.

And I would say to them further: The good you do in that state, not having a spiritual Principle, the good that you do will not profit you, 'twill not advantage you; 'twill be no plea in the great day. All the profit you can have by it at most, when you have had the utmost that it comes to, it is but some external or outward mercy. As Ahab, he hum­bled himself: why, he had some­what for it; he had his penny: and therefore saith the Lord, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself? The Judgement shall not come in his dayes. A deliverance from an outward Judgement: but here was no delive­ [...]nce from wrath, and from eternal [Page 34] Judgement. And so Jehu, for the good works that he did, he had some­what; but alas, what was it? Indeed a great thing in the eyes of the world, a Kingdom; and a Kingdom for several Generations. But the truth is, A poor thing, for that was all indeed he had for his zeal in de­stroying Idolatry. He had the King­dom for four Generations; but he abiding a wicked man, while he did that good thing, himself was cut off for ever. And you see the Ruler in Mark 10. 21. who came to Christ, and told him, how he had done al­most all the matters of the Law: why, Jesus Christ saw indeed he had done them, but he knew he had not done them from a right principle; and therefore what was it that Christ gave him? Saith he, he beheld him, and loved him. A love of pity, as some expound the place. O it's a pity that such a person as thou art, that thou hast been a keeper of the Law, yet hast not done it upon a [Page 35] right principle. And that he did not, it is plain; for when Christ put him home he went away sorrowful. Now all that he had for it, Christ gave him some approbation: and as he did to that other in Mark 12. 34. Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God. I, but he was so far, as he should never come there, unless he changed his state. So that I say, The Condition of those that do good things, not out of a good principle, is indeed very lamentable, upon these and many other accounts.

But possibly you will say, If it be so, That they who do good, not out of a right principle, their work will not turn to their profit, and there­fore their case is to be lamented. If it be so, Were it not best to ad­vise those who yet remain unconvert­ed, to forbear doing good till them­selves are better?

I answer, No, by no means. We give no such advice in the matter: but let all men do all the good they [Page 36] can. And I would exhort the worst of men to do good: To hear the Word preacht, to pray, to give alms. Daniel gave that counsel to Nebuchadnezzar a Heathen King, Dan. 4. 27. The Apostle Peter gave that counsel to Simon Magus, whom he saw to be in the gaul of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity. And that the good that he had done, his receiving Baptism, and outward pro­fession of faith, it was so far from coming from a good principle, that he was in the very gall of bitterness; yet saith he, pray, if it may be, thy sins may be forgiven thee. Though men are evil, yet let them do good as far as they can: and I would say these three things about it.

First, They are under an obligati­on to do good. For mans inability to perform a duty rightly, doth not take off the obligation which is up­on him to perform it. And though a bad man sins in his manner of do­ing it, yet his refusing to do it, would be more sinful.

And I would say further, Though he please not God in doing it, yet he displeases God in not doing it: So that indeed, man naturally consider­ed, or in his fallen state, is fallen in­to a very sad Dilemma. If he neg­lect to do good, he sins. If he doth good, he spoils it in the doing of it. But notwithstanding all this (I say) I am far from discouraging the worst of men to do good, or to advise any to forbear to do good. No, I would convince all, that their present state is bad; and exhort all to apply them­selves to all means whereby them­selves may be made better. And that's the third Use which I shall briefly make of this point, and so I shall conclude.

Use 3. Is it so, That those good works that flow from a good Princi­ple are pleasing to God? Why then we see the necessity of Regeneration. Christ saith in 3 John 3. Verily, verily. There's a strong and a double [Page 38] asseveration: Verily, verily, I say un­to you, except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. We are not born with this pure heart, with this good conscience, with this faith unfeigned, which are the requisites to a good work in the Text. We are not born with these: for Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. Not one among the sons of men. Job 14. 4. A pure heart, a good conscience, faith un­feigned, are the issues of the new birth. Education cannot make the heart pure; It must be Revelation which makes the heart pure. Good Education it may change the Life and the Conversation. As they say, To study Arts and Philosophy, it takes off the roughness that is in mans nature, —didicisse fi­deliter artes Emollit mo­res— and doth smooth them, and frame them very much for excellent uses. Good literature and education, it may civilize, but it cannot spiritualize: [Page 39] It may change a mans course, but it cannot change his nature, that's only done by Regeneration. Now I say, a mans state, his nature must be changed; he must have a pure heart, which we never have till our natures are changed. He must be good be­fore he can do good spiritually. Mark that word of the Apostle, Ephes. 2. 10. We are his workman­ship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordain­ed that we should walk in them. Mark it, here are good works. But how do we come to these good works? Why, we are his workman­ship, saith he, we are his [...]. God works us, before we can work for him: he makes us good, before we can do good. Saith he, We are his workmanship. And then, created, or so created in Christ Jesus to good works. We by union to Jesus Christ, come to have a spiritual prin­ciple to carry us out in the doing of all good works. Here's your way. [Page 40] You must be Gods workmanship, be­fore you can do Gods work: You must be new creatures, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, be­fore you can do them.

A Crab-tree will never yield plea­sant fruit, untill you change the na­ture of it. Take a Crab-tree and plant it in the best soil that you have, and water it, and dress it, and prune it as much as you can, yet this Crab-tree will bear nothing but Crabs, sowre fruit, till you come to graft it; and then your grafting of it, doth change the nature of the stock, and it hath another principle, and so then it brings forth good fruit. So it is in this case. Take the best natured man in the world, plant him in the best soil, in the best ground, in Church-ground, plant him in the house of God, and there let him be watered by the rain of holy Doctrine, and let him be drest and cultivated eve­ry day, yet he will bring forth no­thing but Crabs, nothing but unsa­voury [Page 41] fruit, till he himself be changed. Though he be under all those spiritual means, yet till those means have wrought effectually in him, his actions are all unsavoury. 'Tis only by our implantation into Jesus Christ, that we become fit to do good, so as is acceptable unto God. 'Tis this that makes the change. For as in nature, the graft doth change the stock; so in grace, the stock doth change the grafted branch. As we are grafted into Christ, he changes the branch; be­ing planted into Christ, by the pow­er of the Spirit, we are then made like him; and then we bring forth fruits of righteousness, which are to the glory of God by him. Mark the expression, Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Christ. That is, by vertue of union with Christ, of implantation and ingraf­ture into Christ. When once it is thus, then all your fruits are sweet fruit, and pleasant fruit, it is well [Page 42] tasted. Why, it is done First, From a principle of life in Christ. And Secondly, It is done from a principle of Love unto Christ: and then when your works, whether respecting God or man are thus done, then they are the fulfilling, and the final end of the Commandment. For then they come from the pure heart. Of which hereafter (if God will, I may speak). And so much at the present of the point in General, That until there be a good Principle, there cannot be a good work.

DOCT.

This only I shall speak a little to. When the world would crush the Righteous, press them down to the earth, yea, press them down to Hell if they could, yet like the Palm-teee, they grow up more and more.

It is said of the people of Israel, who were the Church of God in Exod. 1. that when Pharaoh put weights upon them, the weights of very heavy oppression; when he set over them Task-masters to afflict them with their burthens at ver. 11. it is said ver. 12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multi­plyed and grew. This was just like the Palm-tree. Pharaoh burthened them, but they multiplyed and grew. And surely we are to under­stand this, not only of their multiply­plying in number, but of their mul­tiplying in goodness too, or their in­crease in goodness: they multiplyed and grew (Doubtless there is that sense in it) not only that they had a greater company, and more fruit­ful [Page 95] as to the production of persons, but that they were more fruitful in their lives. And that's it which hath been said of the Church at all times, when under pressures and burthens. Saith One, They were bound, they were beaten, they were burnt, and yet they multiplyed and increased. And doubtless, it was with the two-fold increase I spake of before. The more persons were added to the Church; and those persons that were added, advanced more in wayes of Grace, in wayes of Holiness. And so that other saying of the Antients upon this very point; That the blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church. It was like seed indeed, and it brought forth, as the seed spoken of in Matth. 13. The good seed falling upon good ground, brought forth, in some thirty, in some sixty, in some an hundred fold. This is flourishing like the Palm-tree. And that we find in Dan. 11. 35. And some of them of [Page 96] understanding shall fall. Shall fall▪ How? Shall fall into the hand, and under the hands of persecuting Ty­rants; they shall fall into trouble; like that in the Proverbs, The Righte­ous falleth seven times a day. That is, he falls often into trouble, yet God helps them up again. Now saith he, some of them of under­standing; that is, of a spiritual un­derstanding, of a holy understand­ing: they shall fall into afflictions: for them of understanding, we may explain it by Dan. 12. 10. None of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. The godly wise, they shall understand. Now of these men of understanding: Ma­ny shall fall: Well, what shall be the effect of it? To try them. That's the First.

And not only so, but to purge, and to make them white. To purge out their corruptions, and to make their Graces very conspicuous. You see the improvement they made of their [Page 97] afflictions and sufferings for the truths of God: and that in Zach. 13. 9. teaches the same thing. I will bring the third part through the fire: through the fire of persecution. And what, shall they be burnt there? No, saith he, I will refine them as Silver is refined, and will try them as Gold is tryed: and they shall call on my Name, and I will hear them, I will say, it is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Thus they shall grow up in the actings of their faith to an assurance. Faith shall come to an appropriating act; they shall say, The Lord is my God. And when? Even when I bring them through the fire. I will re­fine them so, that their faith shall be exceeding transparent: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. And we know what the Apostle Paul found by the sufferings which befell him; and in him the Church of God, Phil. 1. 12. saith he, I would you should understand, Brethren, that the thing [Page 98] which happened unto me—Why, what things were these that hapned to Paul? What was it some great preferment, (as we say) some great Benefice, some great honour? No, the things that befell him, were trou­bles and afflictions; Bonds, as he doth express it in ver. 13. Now saith he, These have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel. How, to the furtherance of the Go­spel? Why, because persons by this affliction upon me, which threatned them also; and 'tis like took hold of some of them: why, saith he, They waxed confident by my bonds, and are much more bold to speak the Word without fear, ver. 14. They grew up like the Palm tree; they grew to a confidence. They were not only honest and faithful, but they were confident and bold. They had not only integrity for Christ, but a great increase of strength for Christ; and all upon his sufferings: They flourish like the Palm-tree. [Page 99] And that in Rom. 5. will reach it too: saith he, We glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh pa­tience, and patience experience, and experience hope. Why, tribulation did not hinder their Graces, but did further them. Tribulation did work patience. It seems to be a very strange sting. Tribulation doth ex­ercise patience indeed: But how? It did work patience, or make them more patient: for that's the mean­ing of it. Now it seems very strange, yet thus it doth. And then Patience experience, and experience hope. Here's a flourishing, and a growing up in all Graces, even in a time of tribulation. And it's the same thing that we have too in 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. That is, it works us into a greater fitness for glory, the afflictions that are upon us. We grow more up into Heaven, [Page 100] more into glory. Our hope doth. (as it were) rise up into glory by our affliction: And this is flourish­ing like the Palm-tree. Affliction will make us the fitter for Heaven: they will make us better than we were, and so fitter for Heaven, fitter for glory. Grace improved is very near to glory. Thus we see how the Scripture holds out this thing, that the righteous flourish as the Palm-tree. They are bettered, and made fitter by their afflictions for glory.

I will give you an account in some grounds of it, why it is so, how it comes to pass.

First, The pressures and weights that are upon the Righteous from the world, do wean them from the world, takes them off from the world. Why now the love of the world, and cleaving to the world, and desires going after the world, are a mighty impediment to our growth in grace, to our flourishing in the world. You see what's said in Matth. 13. the [Page 101] cares of the world, the pleasures of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and make it become altogether unfruitful. And truly the love of the world, and pursuit of worldly things, do exceedingly hin­der grace in the fourth Ground, in those that are truly godly, it is a great hindrance to them till they get their hearts mortified to the world, and weaned from the world. Now certainly the pressures that we meet withal in the world, are an exceed­ing great means to take us off from the pleasures of the world, and the profits of the world. We are morti­fied to the world: as Paul saith of the Cross of Christ, Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ. What's the Cross of Christ? Why, the suf­ferings which I have for Christ, the weights which are laid upon me for Christs sake. What was the effect of this? Why, whereby I am cruci­fied unto the world, and the world un­to [Page 102] me. Now when the soul is de­livered from this world, this evil world, it must needs flourish up to the other world.

Secondly, By the afflictions and troubles we meet with in this world, we get much light, and grow into a clearer knowledge of those things which makes for our increases Hea­ven-ward. It hath been antiently said, That affliction gives under­standing; and the School of the Cross, is the School of light. Light comes in while we are in the School of the Cross. And indeed there is a foursold light doth come in to us while we are under the Cross, and under sufferings. A light,

First, Which discovers more to us the vanity of the world, than ever we saw before, and the baseness of the world, and the wickedness of the world: and this is a great advantage to us. And,

Secondly, A light to see more of of the Mind of God, and of the [Page 103] Word of God. So David in Psal▪ 119. 71. It was good for me that I have been afflicted, for thereby I have learned thy Statutes. Saith he, learn­ed them? I have more of thy Sta­tutes, and I have learned every Sta­tute more. There hath come in a clearer light into my soul now by my afflictions. A state of affliction is in it self called in Scripture, A state of Darkness: it is a time of darkness: and yet it is wonderful, that out of this Darkness there comes a light; a spiritual light: so that we see more of the Word of God, and of the wonderful things of the Law.

Thirdly, It must needs follow, that by affliction we have a clearer light to see the worth of grace, and of an interest in Jesus Christ, what an ex­cellent thing that is. And then,

Fourthly, A clearer light to see the excellency of Jesus Christ him­self. As of an Interest in Christ, so of the person of Christ, how glori­ous, [Page 104] how choice a one Jesus Christ is. I do but touch this now: By affliction a light comes into the soul: Upon all these, or upon other ac­counts, we must needs improve Hea­ven-ward, and grow up like the Palm-tree. In 2 Pet. 3. 18. saith the Apostle, Grow in Grace. Why how should we come to grow in grace? Why saith he, And in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In proportion to our growth in the knowledge, in the true knowledge; I speak not of a notional knowledge, a meer brain knowledge, but of an experimental knowledge of Jesus Christ. As we increase in this know­ledge, so we increase and grow in grace: and so of the rest. As we grow in the knowledge of the vanity of the world: as we grow in the knowledge of the Word of God; as we grow in the knowledge of the worth of grace, and of an interest in Christ; as we grow in the knowledge of the excellency of the knowledge of [Page 105] the Person of Christ, so we must needs grow in grace. Now then, the Cross and affliction giving us an ad­vantage for all these things, you see the ground of it. And then,

Thirdly, The weights and pressures which are upon these Palm-trees, up­on the Righteous, they do draw them more into their own hearts; to con­verse more at home, to search them­selves more, to be acquainted more with their own bosomes, and this will make us flourish, and grow up­wards: for indeed the reason why we grow up so little in acquaintance with Christ, lyes much in this, be­cause we grow so little in acquaint­ance with our selves. Now in an afflicted condition (if ever) the soul is upon its return to it self. In Lam. 3. when the whole Church was in that sad condition, under those grievous weights of Captivity, and all manner of trouble they were in: say they, Let us search and try our selves. Come, now let's go in to [Page 106] our selves; let us search for our cor­ruptions; search for our lusts, which lye in the secret corners of our hearts; let us search our selves, and let us search how it is with us as to Grace; what faith we have, what love we have, what patience, and so of the rest. Indeed, afflictions do put us upon this search of our selves, to find out the state of our graces; how it is with us, what condition they are in, how they fare. Now this the troubles we meet with in the world, give us an advantage for, and so an advantage of spiritual growth, of growing Heaven-ward, as the Palm-tree. And then,

Fourthly, These afflictions and pressures we have from the world, drive us nearer to God. As to a more acquaintance with our selves, so to a more acquaintance with God, and more communion with Christ. They do (as it were) force us to Christ, when the world deals so un­kindly with us. Many times when [Page 107] the world is kind to us, fair with us, and flatters us, and huggs us, and embraces us, we begin to for­get, and to slight communion with Jesus Christ; and to say as they in Jer. 2. We are Lords, we will come no more at thee. It is spoken of the people of Israel, when they were in a very flourishing condition. I, but when they were slaves, and in cap­tivity, and in a sad condition, truly then they saw reason to come to Christ, to come to him by prayer. The very Mariners in Jonah, when they were in the storm, every one went to his God. Isa. 26. In their trouble they have visited me. To be sure I shall hear of them then, In their affliction they will seek me early. It is so in evil men, much more is it so in the righteous, and in those that have walkt with God. If they have had a constant communi­on with God and Jesus Christ in a time of peace and prosperity, surely in a time of pressures they have [Page 108] much more communion with him. Now this must needs cause the soul to increase and flourish. For the nearer we are to God, the more we have of God, and receive impressions from him; as Moses, when he was with God in the Mount, his face did shine. But in times of outward peace, and when all is well, O we are very ready to neglect communi­on with God.

Fifthly, Lastly, While the righte­ous are under weights and pressures, like a Palm-tree, they have a special promise of the presence of God with them; and this is that which makes them flourish indeed. It is not our being in affliction, which will make us better, and make us grow Hea­ven-ward; but it is Christ being with us in affliction. It is Gods ma­nifesting himself to us in affliction which makes us grow, and flourish like a Palm-tree. Now I need not stay to tell you how many promises there are of the special presence of [Page 109] God to his people while they are un­der the Cross; that in Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the Rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. I will be with thee. And truly the pre­sence of God with us, it is not only for this end (Though that be there exprest) that we shall not be quite swallowed up, that the water shall not drown us, nor the fire consume us; but that the fire and water shall not consume us as to our soul state. That we shall not suffer loss or de­triment in our spiritual state, by be­ing in the fire or water; but that we shall increase there, and grow there. So in 1 Pet. 4. 14. If ye be reproach­ed for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth on you. It doth not on­ly come to you, and visit you, but it rests upon you. Now when the [Page 110] Spirit of God is, especially when the Spirit of God rests, and doth abide, there must needs be a growth, and an increase in our spiritual state. But so it is, while we are under these afflicting dispensations, when the weights are upon us, we have promises of more of the presence of God, and of the pre­sence of his Spirit, and of the rest­ing of his Spirit; and therefore we shall flourish, flourish spiritually, flou­rish in our inner man. That may serve for the clearing of the Point, That the Righteous flourish as the Palm-tree, under weights and pressures.

Application. First, This may con­firm us in a twofold Scripture-truth.

First, That there is no wisdom, nor counsel against the Lord. That's a Scripture assertion, which receives a mighty confirmation by this point. Prov. 21. 30. This point doth migh­tily confirm it. Why, what's the Counsel, what's the purpose of the world, when they hang their weights upon the Palm-trees, upon the righte­ous, [Page 111] what's the meaning? You shall understand their meaning: when the first weights that we read of in the Scripture were ever hung upon these Palm-trees, in the place before quo­ted, Exod. 1. 10. Come on, saith he, Let us deal wisely with them. The Wise man saith in the Proverbs, There is no wisdom, nor counsel against the Lord. Well, saith he here, Let us deal wisely with them. To what purpose? Why, saith he, Lest they multiply. We will keep them down; keep them down, that their persons multiply not; and we will keep them down too, that their Graces multiply not. Truly this is the design of the Counsels of men, in hanging their weights upon the Palm-trees; and so it hath been all along in the sufferings of the Church. What hath been their wisdoms? They thought by their sufferings to keep down those truths which they profest, which it may be they call'd Heresie: As Paul saith, After the [Page 112] way which you call Heresie, so worship▪ I the God of my Fathers. Heresies, they thought to suppress them as Errors and Heresies.

And they thought again to dis­courage the professors: yea, they thought not only to discourage them in matters of truth, of faith and worship; but they thought to turn them quite aside; to make them re­nounce it, to forsake it, to apostatize, to backslide, to deny the faith. This is the thing which they have had in their eye, in all the pressures which they have laid upon the people of God from one time to another, to strip them of their faith, and to strip them of the truth; to break them in the things of God. Now I say, this is their Counsel. And mark what the Scripture saith, There is no wisdom, nor counsel against the Lord. They thought to hinder them in all these things, to suppress the truth, to discourage the professors of the truth, and to cause them to turn [Page 113] away, and to deny the truth. But they have fail'd in it: for they mul­tiplyed, and the truth multiplyed; and they flourisht more by the weights and burdens that were upon their backs. So that we may say in this case, as the Prophet Isaiah, Chap. 44. 25. That the Lord turns the Counsels of the wicked backward. Turneth wise men backward: that is, their wisdom which they have been exercising, that hath produced a quite contrary effect to what they intend­ed: they thought to hinder the truth; and they have been rather a furtherance to it, as Pauls word is in the first of the Philippians. These things have hapned to the furtherance of the Gospel, which they thought should have ruined the Gospel. And this indeed is so notorious, that the enemies of the Gospel have been forced many times to acknowledge, and to confess it with grief, That the righteous have flourisht like Palm-trees. In Exod. 1. 12. when it [Page 114] is said, the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplyed and grew. And what follows? And they, that is, the Aegyptians, were grieved be­cause of the children of Israel. We see we cannot bring them down: their Counsels went quite backward. And you have the like in John 12. 19. The Pharisees when they had done all that they could to hinder the peo­ples receiving of Jesus Christ, they said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him. You see they were fain to make an acknow­ledgement of this thing their own selves. We have been labouring to stop the progress of this man, but we find it quite otherwise; we pre­vail nothing at all. Not only, not much, but nothing. And behold, the world is gone after him. He will get all the world shortly, they multi­ply so fast. So that we see from this, the truth of the Scripture, that there is no Counsel against the Lord.

And it may give you a further confirmation by way of Instruction, concerning that great truth, in Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that serve God, and are the called according to his purpose. All things work together for good. What things? Troubles, afflictions, pressures, burdens which are laid up­on them, they work for good. Why, this is one of the greatest goods that can be, to have grace flourish and grow. Faith and Humility, and Love to Jesus Christ, if one increase in these things. What is worthy the name of good, in comparison of an increase of these things. That's one thing we may take notice of from it.

Secondly, We should be hence raised up in our hearts, to magnifie the power, wisdom and goodness of God, who doth thus over-rule these things for his people: for certainly this doth declare the wonderful work of God. In Isa. 28. where he hath a [Page 116] notable Allegory, and speaks of the troubles and sufferings of the faith­ful people of God: For all that that is spoken of the Plowman, and of the Thresher, and of the bruising of the Corn with threshing Instruments, they do respect affliction and troubles which come upon the people of God, (as is clear.) But now, saith he, in the close of that Chapter, This also cometh from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. We may wonder at the counsel and wisdom of God, who doth his people good by threshing them, and bringing the wheel over them. Here are several sorts of af­flictions and sufferings, some lesser, and some greater. Now all this is but to separate the good seed from the chaff, and to make it more fit for use: for while the Corn is in the ear, it is not fit for use, and we cannot make bread of it untill it be thresht. Now the Lord hath seve­ral wayes to do it. But saith he, [Page 117] This cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Truly we may say, How wonderful is the counsel of the Lord! How excellent is his working, that he makes the Righteous to flourish like the Palm-tree; to grow upwards, by that which one would think should bring them down! As when we fee the Corn laid at, and thresht with a Flail, one would think there were great hurt intended to the Corn; but it is only to separate it from the chaff, that it may appear in its own beauty and usefulness. So the Lord hath a flail of tribulation, to sepa­rate the Chaff from the Wheat. Those acts of Providence towards Gods people, which seem to be for their hurt and undoing, when they are thresht as it were by the world, it is only to make them appear what they are. That which we find in Psal. 69. 22. concerning the wicked, by that we may observe the wonder­ful [Page 118] difference, and dealings of God with the wicked, who flourish as the Grass, and the righteous. David speaks there of such, and saith he, Let their table become a snare, and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap: that is, the Lord doth curse their Com­forts. By Table, he means the good things upon their table: when they have a full table, a plentiful table. And so all outward prosperity, saith he, it shall be a snare to them. And that which should have been for their good: that is, that which in the na­ture of it is for their good, It shall be an occasion for their falling: they shall grow more hardned by it, more proud by it, and more impeni­tent by it, and more strangers to God by it. But now when the Lord speaks of a righteous man, here the thing which was appointed for his snare, as the troubles and persecutions which lye upon him in the world, shall be a table to him; his very [Page 119] snares shall be a table to his inner man, where his Graces shall come and feed, and grow fat, and flourish, and increase. The things which the men of the world have devised for his falling, they shall be to him an occasion of good. This is wonder­ful, and we are to bless the Lord for it, when we find such effects of it: when we see it so in others, or have any experience of it in our selves, that our afflictions do not snare us, but are a table to our Graces. That's another thing, to give God the glo­ry of it; for it is not in the nature of these things to do it. No, things would work quite otherwise, but that God is wonderful in his Counsels, and excellent in his workings towards his people: they would rather drive us from God, and destroy our graces.

Thirdly, Seeing it is so, that righ­teous ones do flourish as the Palm-tree, then when any weights of af­fliction, [Page 120] either personal or publick, or persecution, or whatsoever are upon any of us, let us mind the pur­pose of God towards us. Let us not think that he comes to hurt us, but to make us grow and flourish like a Palm-tree. Let us mind this, and joyn with God in this Counsel, in lay­ing such things upon his people: Let us joyn with God, and promote the Counsel of God in our own hearts and lives, and in the hearts and lives of others, that they may be bettered by their sufferings, and be encouraged by their sufferings, to believe more in God, and more for God, than ever they were. God doth not in­tend us hurt, but good by it; and so we should find it, if we were wise to joyn with him in his Pur­poses.

Fourthly, And then I would say yet further, This may be mat­ter of Tryal to us. We may take a tryal of our selves, both as to [Page 121] the state of our persons, and as to the state of our graces.

First, As to the state of our persons: Why, how is it with us under suf­ferings? Do we improve by them? Do we grow, do we flourish, though we have these weights upon us? Why, truly it is an argument and evidence that our state is good: for a bad man is not made the better by the evils that are upon him. I know God may use afflictions to change a man; but unsound hearts, they that have been unsound and false in the profession of the Go­spel, they do discover themselves in such a time, shew their rotten­ness, and their naughtiness. And it is a very great question, whether they that are not bettered by affli­ctions, were ever good. Though I would not speak it to lay a trou­ble upon any. Our betterings some­times under afflictions, is not very discernable, at least at present. But [Page 122] I say, it may put us much upon a doubt, whether we, or any were ever really good, if we are not bettered by afflictions, and by try­als, and by the troubles that are upon us, and by our fears, and by our dangers.

And likewise, we may hence have a great tryal, as to the state of our graces, whether our graces are in good plight, yea, or no. For in­deed, if faith be down (and the like) we shall make little improve­ment of all our afflictions and crosses. If love to Christ be down, we shall rather be upon the losing side. But now if we find that we are increased, and are growing and flourishing in spirituals, when the weight and pressure is upon us, it is an argument that our graces are in a good state: and grace is in a good state when it thrives, and thrives by such means, as seem ra­ther for the quenching of grace, [Page 123] and the hinderance of grace; and therefore truly we should consider our selves at this day: for certainly the Palm-trees are now with their weights upon them, and many have discovered themselves sadly as to their persons, states, and the state of their graces, that they have very little love to, and faith in Jesus Christ, because they have not flou­risht in such a day; but rather have declined, and withdrawn, and been ashamed of what they have former­ly been. And therefore let us re­member that which the Apostle speaks in Heb. 12. speaking of af­flictions, which are sufferings for Christ, (that's taken in the Chap­ter) not only those afflictions, which are fatherly chastisements from the hand of God; but those which are from men, for righteousness sake. Certainly that is the purpose of God; it is all for our profit. There­fore let us consider, whether we [Page] profit, yea, or no. We have had Fa­thers of our flesh which corrected us; and we gave them reverence: Shall we not much rather be in subjecti­on to the Father of Spirits, and live? Submit to the will of God, if he will lay any tribulation upon us for his Name sake; for he hath done all for our profit. What profit? For the profit of our purses, and estates in this world? No, for a better profit than all that; for our profit, that we might be made par­takers of his holiness.

And truly that is another thing, with which I shall conclude. We say this, That we have no reason to be impatient under afflictions and persecutions, under the troubles we meet with in this world for the Name of Christ. Why? for they are for our profit, for our grow­ing; and that we may be made more partakers of the holiness of God: That we may be better [Page 125] while we live, and fitter to dye, and to glorifie him both living and dying.

And thus I have only toucht these things, That the Righteous do flou­rish like the Palm-tree, with their weights and pressures upon them.