Gospel-holinesse, or, The saving sight of God laid open from Isa. 6.5 together with the glorious priviledge of the saints, from Rom. 8.4, 5 : both worthily opened and applied / by ... Walter Cradock ...

SERMON 4.

Isaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.

TWo lessons I observed from these words.

The first was, that

Every true Saint hath a peculi∣ar sight of God, even in this VVorld.

Secondly, that

A true saving sight of God, is the way to true Humiliation.

Concerning the first, I opened it, and proved it to you, and have already made severall uses of it. The last use was, to examine your selves, whether God have bestowed this priviledge upon you, or no. And that I shewed you is to be known.

By your apprehensions of it.

By the impressions it hath on you.

By the expressions of it, as it shewes it selfe in your lives.

I have but two words of uses farther of that Doctrine, and so I shall proceed to the other.

First, you may learne hence the reason of that great difference of temper, and life that is between godly men, and wicked men. Godly men, and wicked men use often to wonder one at another, as if they were Monsters; Godly men doe won∣der at the lives of carnall men, and at their temper, how they can laugh, and be merry, when they are ready to drop into Hell; and that they are merry, and joyfull, when they know they are in the hands of the Devill. And wicked men usually wonder at the Saints, to see them sad, and weep, and mourne, and the like.

Beloved, the main thing, that makes the diffe∣rence betweene their temper, and life, it is this: the one lives wholly upon base earthly things, as credit, and preferment, and wealth, and the like; and the other wholly lives upon the face of God, upon the seeing of God. Give a carnall man credit enough, and honour enough; commend him high∣ly, give him money, and meanes, and trading, and wealth, and there he lives; then he hath a good life, then he is as a Fish in the water. Now the o∣ther that sees the face of God in Jesus Christ, though you put him in a cold Prison, in iron chains, yet he is alive: Then give him honour, and riches, and credit, he cares not a straw for them, if Gods face be hid: Therefore saith David, Psal. 4. There be many that will say, who will shew us any good? That is, worldly men will aske, who will shew us a good bargaine? what course shall we take to encrease our trade? what course shall we take to be happy,

and rich, & the like? Saith David, Lord, I wil none of this, I am of another temper, my whole desire is, that thy blessed face may shine for ever on me.

This is the reason why carnall men wonder at the Saints, and that the Saints in a sort wonder at them. Nay, this is the reason why there is such a great difference betweene a Saint and himselfe; not only between him, and wicked men, but between him and himself. A Saint, O! how full of joy is he one day, when (it may be) his house is bare enough, and his clothes are bare enough, and he is full of re∣proach, yet he is full of joy, and sweetnesse, and com∣fort. Another time, it may be it is better with him in the world without, yet he is full of heavinesse, and sadnesse, and sorrow, and sighing: the reason is, the one day the Lord shines, upon his soule, but now the Lord hides himselfe; now when the Lord shines upon him, he is full of joy; but when the Lord hides himselfe he is full of trouble, as David saith. This is one word for your information.

There is another word for exhortation, and so I conclude this lesson, the exhortation is this. All you that are Saints, and doe see the wicked prosper, and it may be you shall see it more and more hereafter, unlesse God worke wonders; you shall see the wicked posper, and Hypocrites prosper, and have more honour, and more wealth, and more pre∣ferment, and the like. Beloved, my exhortation to you is, that you would no way envy them, but rather pitty them. Why so? Why? because this is all their Portion, and your Portion that God hath given you, is infinitly, incomparably beyond their Portion, your Portion, what is it? I remember

as the Lord saith in Ezekiel, of the Levites, they had no portion or inheritance with the People, but saith he, I am their portion; and as it is said of Elkana con∣cerning Hannah, he gave her a worthy portion; he loved her, though Peninnah bare him Children, he loved Hannah that was a worthy portion: So you have a portion, that theirs, holds no comparison with; that is, though you have nothing in the world else, yet you have portion enough, that Gods face shineth on you; that God in some mea∣sure, many wayes, and many times, makes knowne himselfe to you in a speciall manner through Christ, therefore envy them not, but pitty them; you that have tasted this by your owne experience, I appeale to you, (because you will hardly believe, but that they are happy people) there are none of you that ever have seene God, but sometime or o∣ther God hath hid his face; & it may be hath given these things of the world, at that time, he hath given you credit, much credit, and honour, and wealth, good meat, and brave cloathes, but he hath hid his face. I pray how merry were you in those dayes, in that weeke when God did so, when you had meat, and brave cloathes, and the like? you know you were weary of your lives for all these▪ then judge what is to be thought of a poor carnall man that hath no other all his life long. Only, this makes it a little more bitter to you, because they know no better, and you doe; they know no∣thing but merryment, and drunkennesse, and eating, and drinking, and roaring: Judge you by that weeke, or fortnight that you were in desertion, and yet had the good things of the World, what

the comfort of an Hypocrite, and a worldly man is all his life; envy them not. It is hard to learn this lesson, doe not say you are neglected, and despi∣sed, and you can hardly live in the world, and every base Professor, and every Hypocrite he gets up. Let him goe, and say with David, the Lord hath be∣stowed a faire portion on you, he comes once, or twice, or thrice a day in Jesus Christ to looke upon you: lay up these things. So I have done with that Lesson.

Now I come to the next doctrine.

You have heard in the former point, that a Saint hath a peculiar, speciall sight of God in this world.

Now the next Lesson is that,

That speciall sight of God doth truly humble the soule of a Saint.

OR

The saving sight of God in Christ is the right, and ready way to true Gospell humiliation.

VVoe is me, for I am undone; because mine eyes have seene the King, the Lord of Hosts.

Before I come to open this, I must lay down before hand for your understanding these three things.

First, that when I speak of Humiliation, because it hath many senses, and is taken variously, I doe not understand it as one act, for a fast day, or a day

of humiliation as you call it, to hang downe the head like a Bulrush, or in a preparatorie way to make a man fit for Christ or the like; whether that be right or no, I speake not now. But I speak of that grace of humiliation; that is, that gracious hum∣ble disposition of heart in a Saint, that in Scripture is so called, when men are said to be humble: it is a grace that is never away from a Saint; we should be cloathed with it as Peter saith: I am to speake of it in that sence; it is the gracious, lowly, spiri∣tuall humble frame of heart that is in a Saint, and is in no wicked man, nor can be, as I shall shew afterwards.

Secondly, when I am speaking, that the sight of God in Christ humbleth the soule, you must not mistake here, and thinke that I exclude other meanes, inferiour meanes: For I told you before, as God shews himselfe by any meanes, by any crea∣ture, by any providence, or any way: So he may so shew himself that way, that he may humble you in that way. Therefore you must not say, that there∣fore we speake against meanes, because I say the sight of God doth humble a Saint; for I exclude not other meanes.

Thirdly, and in a speciall manner take notice, that this sight of God; the seeing God of as Saints doe see him, doth not properly humble the soule of a man, but occasionally as it were. It doth it not properly: because you know that in Heaven; when we shall be in Heaven, we doe not read that we shall then be humbled. We shall then be in a state of glory every way, and yet we shall see God there more then ever we did before. But (belo∣ved)

the sight of God humbleth us here occasionally; that is, by reason of the frailtie, and corruption that is upon us. Just as the Law made Paul to sinne more, Rom. 7. Sinn taking occasion by the Law: So I say, because we are fraile and weake, and vile, and sinfull, every apprehension of a glorious, and great and powerfull God abaseth, and humbleth us, as in Luke 5. 8. when Peter saw a little of God in Christ, working a myracle (for I told you God many wayes, by any meanes can reveale himself to the soule of a Saint) saith he, Lord depart from me, I am a sinfull man. Peters heart was taken downe, and he was amazed to see the glory of God, and why so? because he considered he was a sinfull man; that threw him downe, and humbled him. Now these three things being laid downe before∣hand.

I shall briefly in a word prove this lesson, Job 42. 5, 6. when Job had seen God, it humbled him. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhorre my selfe, and repent in dust and ashes. So likewise Peter, Luke 22. 61, 62. Peter having a glance of Christ, Christ, looked on him; and he seeing his Master looke on him, he went out, and wept bitterly. Paul having seene the Lord, he was stricken downe from his Horse, and cried Lord, what wilt thou have me to doe? though God manifested himselfe variously; and their humiliation is variously exprest, and set forth in Scripture; yet it is but one, and the same thing; so it holds true, that this sight of God doth truly humble the soule.

I shall in the next place shew you two things.

First, I shall give you some reasons to prove that it is so.

And secondly, shew you somewhat, why it is so.

Concerning the first, I shall give you but these two or three reasons.

First of all, I finde clearly in Scripture, that God works all graces in the soules of his Saints, by be∣holding him; I say, I find clearly in Scripture that every grace that is wrought in the heart of a Saint, is wrought by beholding God in Christ; and if eve∣ry other grace be wrought thus; why not this? As for instance.

First, for holines, take it in a general sence 2 Cor. 3. ult. VVe all with open face, behold as in a glosse the glory of the Lord in Jesus Christ. We behold the glo∣ry of God as in a glasse, and are changed into the same image; that is, we are made like unto Jesus Christ, holy, as he is holy, we are changed from glory, to glory; that is, by beholding the glory of God in Jesus Christ, we are made holy.

And then you shall see for patience, that comes into the soule, by beholding God in Christ; as you shall have it, Heb. 11. 27. It is said that Mo∣ses, he endured, and feared not the wrath of the King; he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

How did Moses endure all the threatnings of Pharaoh?

The Lord revealed himselfe to his Soule, and by the grace of God, the Lord wrought him to a patiently bearing of all his threatnings. So Stephen in Act. 7. He saw Jesus Christ sit at the right hand of glory, and then he did quietly fall on his knees,

to pray for his enemies, when they were stoning him to death.

So also for faith; how wil you have faith see in Heb. 12. 2. Looking to Jesus the author, and sinisher of our faith. We have not faith of our selves; neither can we make a faith of our selves, but by beholding of Christ; the Lord works faith in our hearts to receive him. So, also I might shew, of wisdom, and of strength, as you may see Isa. 45. 23, 24. an observable place, Christ would have them to looke upon him, Looke to me and be saved, surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousnes, and strength. Christ bids them looke to him, and then they shall crie out, they have strength.

Nay, in Joh. 1. 12. you shall see that all graces are put together, VVe beheld his glory, as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of God, and out of his fullnesse, we all receive grace for grace. By beholding the glory of God in Jesus Christ, we receive grace for grace, that Jesus Christ hath, we have it, as they say, the Paper receives the print from the Presse. Now, beloved, if this be the ordinary way in Scripture to beget all other graces in the soule, then why not the way to humble the soule before God?

Only with this difference, which is worth your observing, that every other grace is wrought in the soule, by a kinde of assimilation; but this is wrought in a contrary way. I mean thus, by behold∣ing the strength of God in Jesus Christ, my soule is made strong: by beholding the wisedome of God in Christ, I am made wise; by beholding the holinesse of God in Jesus Christ, I am made holy. But now of this humiliation, it is not so; by beholding the

holinesse, and power, or strength, or any thing else in God, humiliation does not rise by assimulation, by making me like, but every thing in God dasheth a man, and makes him nothing in his owne eyes. Thus the sight of God works it.

Besides, I finde in Scripture, that every thing that is in God (if I may so speake) is of a humbling nature, I find, that God manifesting any attribute of his, at any time, to any of his children, it doth humble them; as for instance, let the Lord shew his greatnesse (in a spirituall way I meane) as he did to David Psal. 8. when he saw the greatnesse of God, that the Sun and Moone were the workes of Gods fingers, then David cries out; VVhat is man Lord, that thou doest respect him? It made poore Da∣vid to be as nothing. So also, his goodnesse, his love, as that in Samuell; when David daunced before the Arke; he cries, I will be yet more vile, Why so? Be∣cause God hath chosen me, (saith he to Michel) ra∣ther then thy Fathers House. He saw the goodnesse of God, therefore he would be more humble, and more vile: And so I might shew of all the rest, There is nothing in God, if it be discovered to a poore creature that is a sinner, but it dasheth and abaseth, and humbleth him; I will not speake of the Scriptures that positively, and punctually prove it; for I spake something of them before to you.

But if you aske, how can that be, that the [Quest.] looking upon God should make one humble? how can the beholding of God worke such a grace in the heart.

Beloved, I have told you a little how it doth [Answ.]

it; and I can tell you no more, and if this will not serve; if you cannot see clearly how this can be, I must referre you to the works of God in the crea∣ture, and there you shall see some resemblance of it, if you can tell me how Labans sheep conceived spotted Lambs, by beholding the peeled rods; or if you can tell me, how the men were healed of their wounds, by looking on the brazen Serpent; then I will tell you how a man by seeing of God in a spe∣ciall manner in Christ is humbled.

We see in nature many such strange mysteries, that we cannot unfold. As they say, the Basiliske with her eye, will kill a man at a distance: and as we see here in our owne home, an onion will make a man weep at a distance.

Wee can give something that wee call reason, but there are a world of things in the creature, as the ebbing, and flowing of the Sea, and the like, that we cannot give a reason of. And if it be so in the creature; why should it not in this, that a poore sinner beholding God in Christ, by faith spiritual∣ly should receive grace for grace from him? And if we be posed in knowing the particular reason of the strange operations of God in the work of crea∣tion; we might wel cease our disputes, how God hum∣bles the soule, even by beholding him; when God beholds the soule, or the soule beholds God.

But the last thing I shall open is this, why the [Quest.] Lord hath ordered it, that that shall be the way to humble our soules. [Answ.]

We cannot goe far in asking such questions as these: Why God will work it thus: but yet I will give you these two reasons instead of all.

The first is this, that I find that it is a generall rule with God towards all creatures: marke it; all good is in God; every good, and perfect gift comes from him; and I find that it is a generall rule, that when God gives any thing to Man or Beast, or Bird, to soule or body, he will make them looke up to him that is the giver. As in Psal. 145. 15. The eyes of all (saith David) wait on thee, and thou givest them meat in due season; thou openest thy hand, and satisfi∣est the desire of every living thing. That is, the mea∣ning is, that all the creatures, though you know not how it is, yet, God makes the Birds and Beasts in the Wildernesse, he makes them to eye, and to looke after him.

Another thing is this, the Lord will doe this as Christ said in another sence, that he might draw mens minds and hearts to him: just as we use to do, when we have a mind to bring our children to love us, we will have some fine thing to give them: we will give it, and the child must come to us; there is nothing in the childs comming, to make us give it: but because we will not only bestow the thing on the child for his good, but win his affections, and bring him to know us, and love us, and make a Leg, and to thanke us, and the like: so, the Lord will not give any thing to us, but we must come and looke to him, that we may not so much love the thing, as fall in love with that blessed hand that gives. Therefore, our life is hid with Christ in God, Why so? that our affections may be above where Christ is, Collos. 3. 2. So the Lord will not bestow any thing upon us, but he will have our eye upon him, that we may love, and delight in him that

bestowes all upon us. So much briefly for the opening of it.

Now I shal conclude at this time with a word, or two of use, & leave the rest for another opportunity.

The Use for the present is this, that you may clearely learne hence, that sinners, and carnall men, men that are not borne againe, or are not new creatures; they cannot be truly humbled; they can have no true humiliation: because as it is evidently proved in the doctrine before, they have no true sight of God: therefore they cannot be truly hum∣bled: they may keep Fasts, and come to church, and heare Sermons, and do a great many things, but they cannot be truly humbled. They may have di∣vers things like humiliation, but it is not true Gos∣pell saving humiliation.

As for instance, a wicked carnall man, he may see his sins; and he may be convinced of them, in a naturallway; just for all the world, as a man by the Statutes of England, if he have broken any of them if he read the Statutes, by the strength of reason, he may say I have brok the Statute. And so he may, by reading the book of God, God saith that whormon∣gers, drunkards, and coveteous shal not enter into the Kingdome of God; and he may say, but I am such a one; he may doe this in a naturall way; alas this is farre enough from humiliation.

Nay farther, the Lord may put wrath in the Law, he may put wrath in judgements, and afflictions, and he may be terrified, and wofully troubled be∣cause of sinne, and yet not be humbled: So the Devils in Hell, though they have enough of that, yet they are not humbled. So Judas, and Cain, and Saul, they were troubled in this manner, and yet

this was not the saving grace, that the Saints have, and that the Saints only have.

Nay farther, he may have many acts of humilia∣tion, or as it were, that that is like it; he may ex∣presse humiliation, he may hang downe his head as a bulrush for a day; he may keepe monethly Fasts as constantly as any; and be sorrowfull, and heavy, and yet he hath not true humiliation. But as the Prophet saith of the Hypocrites, they hang downe their heads for a day as a bulrush, but the Lord ab∣hors them, and their Service. But the likest thing that I know to true humiliation, is that that wicked men shall have at the day judgement: Then I finde that there will be somwhat like it; I find then that the wicked man his mouth shall be stopped; he shall be so farre humbled, that he shall have no argument to plead for himselfe, he shall have no cloake for his sinne: then the pride of wicked men will be pulled downe in a great measure, in a sort not∣withstanding it is not true humiliation: for, even then, and for ever in Hell, the wicked will be grumb∣ling against God; and a man is not said to be hum∣bled truly, till he submit to God in any thing: Therefore it is said in Mat. 22. in hell, there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. There is gnashing of teeth, for vexation, and an∣guish. There is no true humiliation, or shall be in Hell world without end. Nor there is no carnall man upon earth that is truly humbled.

Therfore to conclude, do not wonder; I say, cease wondring; (for indeed, a man cannot choose but wonder) but endeavour to cease wondring, when you see carnall men, and Hypocrites, notwithstand∣ing

all those meanes, wherein you see God comes clearly in the eyes of them, yet notwithstanding they grow worse and worse, prowder & prowder, and more hardened, and more coveteous, and more carnall: wonder not at it, because in all these, though you see God, and are bettered, and more humbled: as now in the carriage of things in these times; every honest heart makes a holy use of it, and God will discover himself to many of his peo∣ple through that, they shal be better for it. But won∣der not at worldly people that they are worse; they never had a sight of God: wonder not that sinners, and wicked men under the meanes of grace, are no∣thing better, as I feare there are many in this, and in other congregations, that notwithstanding all the meanes of grace, notwithstanding all the teach∣ing and preaching, and beseeching, and exhorting; yet they sometimes in secret can laugh, and jeere at re∣ligion, and persecute those that embrace it. A man would wonder at this, how men should be so sottish, as to learne nothing; how men should be so prophane under such meanes, and ministerie, and amend nothing: I say, a man would wonder; but only that it comes from this, God hath not shewed himselfe to them: if they had but one sight of God, as thou that art a Saint hast, it were a won∣derfull thing indeed: but it is because the Lord never revealed himselfe to them: they only see a poore weake creature, weaker then themselves; and they heare the Word read in the Bible, or they read a Chapter, but there is not one jot of the sight of God in it. So the other day, we had abundance of Victories; and strange∣ly

God came into the hearts of his Saints by it; how gloriously did the Lord appeare in them? and ravish their soules, that their hearts are yet nearer to God, and they walke more humbly, and closely, and thankfully. But we see the gang of the world, Magistrates, and Ministers, and all carnal people are more proud, and wicked, and carnall, and ready to beat their Fellow Servants; they are worse, and worse, and no wonder, because God hath not discovered himself in these mercies, they will not learne.

And then for corrections; a man would think that God did deale with us more palpably then he did with Aegypt; they had ten plagues, we had twen∣ty or thirty, God hath punished us, and then God stops his hand; and then we break out into mis∣cheif, and cruelty and oppression. And then God turnes the scale another way, and then we begin to amend a little. The other day the Lord did begin very fairly; the Lord turned the Scales divers wayes, you know how it was with Scotland, and with the King. One would thinke that there were no Magistrate, nor Minister, nor no man that hath the name of a Professor, but he would learne some∣what by all this; yet how many are bettered? no∣thing in the World. Wonder not; because God hath never shewed himselfe in mercy, in any ordi∣nance, in any correction, or affliction, or judgement to any carnall man.

I conclude with this word, carnall, wicked men, are never humbled in this world, that is certaine, unlesse the Lord change them, and reveale himself to them: but there is no wicked man in the world, but he shall have a Humiliation, such as it will be.

There will be a day when the worst man in the world, shall in some part be humbled: you shall read in Luke 2••. how men shall be at their wits ends, for feare of what shall come upon them. And in Revel. 6- when the Lord Jesus shall come to judgement, they shall runne to the Rocks, and to the Caves, and to the Mountains to hide them from the pre∣sence of God; their pride shall be pulled downe, there shall be a kinde of Humiliation, but no true humiliation, but even in hell, they shall be there grumbling against God for evermore.

Be pleased to learn from these few broken words, that it is the will, and way of God, that you get your soules humbled, which is the thing that I, and you principally (it may be) want, you see it is by see∣ing of God in Jesus Christ: therfore labour to see him, and study this blessed skill of seeing him; and though we know not how it is, yet you shall finde that that grace, and every other grace, will come more, and more into your Soules.

Notes

• 1 Reason of the difference be∣tweene godly and wicked.
• Wicked men live on earth∣ly things.
• A Saint lives by seeing Gods face.
• Why Saints differ from themselves sometimes.
• 1 Not to envy wicked mens prosperity.
• Saints sadnes in desertion.
• Doct. 2. The sight of God in Christ, the way to true humiliation
• 1 What humi∣liation, here meant.
• 2 Other meanes of humiliati∣on excluded.
• 3 Sight of God doth humble occasionally.
• Reas. 1. All graces wrought by seeing of God.
• Holinesse.
• Patience.
• Faith.
• Wisdome.
• Strength.
• Difference in the working of humilia¦tion, and other graces.
• Reas. 2 All that is in God, is of a humbling na∣ture.
• 1 Gods great∣nesse.
• 2 Gods good∣nesse.
• Secret works in grace and nature.
• Why the Lord will humble men b•• the fight of him.
• God will have all to looke to him in giving.
• God will draw our hearts to him by a fight of him.
• Use. 1. Unregenerate men cannot be truly hum∣bled.
• Yet he may 1 See his sins.
• 2 He may be terrefied.
• 3 He may doe acts of humi∣liation.
• Not to won∣der that the wicked grow worse.
• Carnall men see not God in Ordinan∣ces.
• Nor in mer∣cies.
• Nor in cor∣rections.
• wicked men shall one day be humbled.