sometimes been better then his word he hath ever performed and he hath over performed hee promised the children of Israel only the Land of Canaan but he gave them besides the whole Land of Canaan two other Kingdoms which hee never promised Ah! how often hath God prevented us with his blessings and hath given Viâ—es reports of a Jew that having gone over a deep river on a narrow planck in a dark night comming the next day to see what danger he had escaped fell down dead with astonishment Ah the astonishing mercies that we have had in these late yeers us in such mercies as have been as far beyond our hopes as our deserts How hath God in these dayes of darknesse and blood gone beyond the prayers desires hopes and confidences of his people in this Land and beyond what we could read in the Book of the Promises Satan promises the best but payes with the worst hee promises honour and pays with disgrace hee promises pleasure and pays with pain he promises profit and pays with losse he promises life and pays with death But God pays as he promises all his payments are made in pure gold therefore take these promises wherein God hath engaged himself to assure thee of his love and spread them before the Lord and tell him that it makes as well for his honour as thy comfort for his glory as for thy peace that he should assure thee of thy everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Fifthly There is in all the Saints the springs of assurance and therefore they may attain to assurance precious Faith is one spring of assurance and this is in all the Saints though in different degrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obtained by loâ— I may say of Faith as Luther says of Prayer it hath a kind of Omnipotency in it it is able to do all things Est quaedam omnipotentia preâ—um Tantum possumus quantum credimus Cyp. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Faith in time will of its own accord raise and advance it self to assurance Faith is an appropriating grace it looks upon God and saith with David this God is my God for ever and ever and hee shall be my guide unto the death It lookes upon Christ and saith with the Spouse I am my Beloveds and his desire is towards me It looks upon an immortall crowne and saith with Paul Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse It looks upon the righteousnesse of Christ and saith this righteousnesse is mine to cover me It looks upon the Mercy of Christ and saith this mercy is mine to pardon me It looks upon the Power of Christ and saith this power is mine to support me It looks upon the Wisdome of Christ and saith this wisdome is mine to direct me It looks upon the blood of Christ and sayes this blood is mine to save me c. As Faith so Hope is another spring of Assurance Col. 1. 27. Christ in you saith Paul the hope of glory So Heb. 6. 19. which hope wee have as an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vaile Hope taketh fast hold upon heaven it selfe upon the sanctum sanctorum A Christians hope is not like that of Pandora which may flye out A Saints motio is Spero meliora the hypocrites hope is like the morning dew Job 8. 13 14. Iob 20. 11. Prov. 7. of the box and bid the soule farewell as the hope of the hypocrites do no it is like the morning light the least beame of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till perfect day When Alexander went upon a hopefull expedition hee gave away his gold and when he was asked what he kept for himselfe he answered Spem majorum meliorum the hope of greater and better things So a Christian will part with any thing rather then with his hope hee knows that hope will keep the heart both from aking and breaking from fainting and sinking he knowes that hope is a beame of God a sparke of glory and that nothing shall extinguish it till the soul bee filled with glory Soules that are big in hope will not be long without sweet assurance God loves not to see the hopeing soule go alwayes up and downe sighing and mourning for want of a good word from heaven for want of possessing what it hopes in time to enjoy hold out hope and patience a little little longer and he that hath promised to Heb. 10. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come will come and will not tarry Againe a good conscience is another spring of assurance 2 Cor. 1. 12. Tolle conscientiam Tolle omnia For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly Conscientia pura semper secura to you wards So in that 1 Joh. 3. 21. Beloved if our heart condemne us not then have we confidence towards God A good conscience hath sure confidence he that hath it sits Noah-like in the midst of all combustions and distractions sincerity and serenity uprightnesse and boldnesse a good conscience and a good confidence go together What the probationer Disciple said to our Saviour in that Mat. 8. 19. Master I will follow thee whithersoever It is a notable speech of SalviÌ„ Such as are truly blessed in their owne consciences cannot be miserable by the false judgements of others thou goest that a good conscience sayes to the beleeving soule I will follow thee from duty to duty from ordinance to ordinance I will stand by thee I will strengthen thee I wil uphold thee I wil be a comfort to thee in life and a friend to thee in death though all should leave thee yet I will never forsake thee A good conscience will look through the blackest clouds and see a smiling God Looke as an evill conscience is attended with the greatest fears and doubts so a good conscience is attended with the Innocency is bulwark enough if you be not guilty saith Seneca greatest clearnesse and sweetnesse And as there is no hell in this world to an evill conscience so there is no heaven in this world to a good conscience He that hath a good conscience hath one of the choysest springs of Assurance And it will not be long before God will whisper such a man in the eare and say unto him Son be of good Matth. 9. 2. chear thy sinnes be forgiven thee Again real Love to the Saints is another spring of Assurance and this spring is a never failing spring this spring is in the weakest as wel as in the strongest Saints Joh. 3. 14. Wee know
loathsom Dungeon the pavement whereof was sharp shells and his bed to lie on a bundle of thorns All which this blessed Martyr received without so much as a groan breathing out his spirit in these words Vincentius is my name and by the grace of God I will be still Vincentius inspight of all your torments Persecution brings death in one hand and life in the other for while it kills the body it crowns the soul The most cruel Martyrdom is but a crafty trick to escape death to pass from life to life from the prison to paradise from the cross to the crown Justin Martyr says that when the Romans did immortalize their Emperors as they called it they brought one to swear that he see him go to Heaven out of the fire But we may see by an eye of Faith the blessed Souls of suffering Saints flie to Heaven like Elias in his fiery Judg. 13. 20. chariot like the Angel that appeared to Manoah in the flames John Hus Martyr had such choice discoveries of God and such sweet in-comes of the Spirit as made his patience and constancy A patient man under reproaches is like a man with a Sword in one hand and a Salve in the other he could wound but he will heal invincible When he was brought forth to be burned they put on his head a Triple Crown of Paper painted over with ugly Devils but when he saw it he said My Lord Jesus Christ for my sake did were a Crown of Thorns why should not I then for his sake wear this light crown be it never so ignominious truly I will do it and that willingly And as they tied his neck with a chain to the stake smiling he said That he would willingly receive the The Motto of patient souls is plura pro Christo toleranda we must suffer more then so for Christ same chain for Jesus Christs sake who he knew was bound with a far worse chain for his sake Well remember this their names that by a patient suffering are written in Red Letters of blood in the Churches Calender are written in Golden Letters in Christs Register in the Book of Life A second Reason why the Lord Reas 2 lifts up the light of his countenance upon his people in suffering times and that is for the confirmation of some for the conversion of others and for the greater conviction and confusion of their adversaries who wonder and are like men amazed when they see the comfort and the courage of the Saints in suffering times Pauls choice carriage in his bonds was the Phil. 1. 14. vide Estius confirmation of many And many of the Brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the Word without fear And as the sufferings of the Saints do contribute to the confirmation of some so by the blessing of God they contribute to the conversion of others I beseech thee says Paul for Philem. v. 10. my son Onesimus whom I have begotten in my bonds It was a notable saying of Luther Ecclesia totum mundum convertâ—t sanguine oratione The Church converteth the whole world by blood and prayer Basil affirms That the They knew it could be but a days journey between the cross and paradise between that short storm and an eternal calm Primitive Saints shewed so much comfort and courage so much Heroick zeal and constancy that many of the Heathens turned Christians so that choice spirit that the Saints have shewed in their sufferings when Christ hath overshadowed them with his love and stayed them with flagons and comforted them with apples hath madded grieved vexed and extreamly It would be too tedious to give you an account of all particular persecutors in this case whom the courage faith and patience of the Saints have tyred out tormented and made weaty of their lives and also bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers tormented their tormentors Lactantius boasts of the braveness of the Martyrs in his time our children and women not to speak of men do in silence overcome their tormentors and the fire cannot so much as fetch a sigh from them Hegesippus reports an observation of Antoninus the Emperor viz. That the Christians were most couragious and confident always in Earth-quakes whilest his own Heathen Souldiers were at such accidents most fearful and dis-spirited Certainly no Earth-quakes can make any Heart-quakes among the suffering Saints so long as the countenance of God shines upon their face and his love lies warm upon their Hearts The suffering Saint may be assaulted but not vanquished he may be troubled but can never be conquered he may lose his head but he cannot lose his Crown which the 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. righteous Lord hath prepared and laid up for him The suffering Saint shall still be master of the day though they Mori posse vinci non posse kill him they cannot hurt him he may suffer death but never conquest And they overcame him by the blood of Rev. 12. 11. the Lamb and by the word of their testimony O Lord Jesus said one I love thee plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me more then all my goods more then all my friends yea more then my very life and they loved not their lives unto the death They love not their lives that love Christ and his truth more then their lives they that slight contemn and despise their lives when they stand in competition with Christ may be truly said not to love their lives In these words you see that the Saints by dying do overcome They may kill me said Socrates of his enemies but they cannot hurt me A Saint may say this and more The Herb Heliotropium doth turn about and open it self according to the motion of the Sun so do the Saints in their sufferings according to the internal motions of the Sun of Righteousness upon them A third Reason Why the Lord Reas 3 causes his goodness to pass before his people and his face to shine upon his people in suffering times and that is for the praise of his own Grace and for the glory of his own Name God would lose much of his own glory if he should not stand by his people and comfort them and strengthen them in the day of their sorrows Ah the dirt the scorn the contempt that Exod. 32. 12. Num. 14. 13. vain men would cast upon God Look as our greatest good comes thorow the sufferings of Christ so Gods greatest glory that he hath from his Saints comes thorow their sufferings If ye be reproached for the name of Christ. 1 Peâ— 4. 14. Vide Bezam happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you On their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified It makes much for the glory of God that his people are cleared and comforted quickned and raised spiritualized and elevated in
with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins And as they are pardoned freely so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gracious gift of God Charisma signifies a gift flowing from the free-grace and favor of God John 10. 28. they shall be saved freely Rom. 6. ult For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus you see O despairing souls that all is of free-grace from the lowest to the highest round in Jacobs Ladder all is of Grace Christ is a Donative the Covenant of grace is a Donative Pardon of sin is a Donative Heaven and Salvation is a Donative Why then O despairing souls should you sit down sighing under such black sad and dismal apprehensions of God and your own state and condition Verily seeing all happiness and blessedness comes in a way of free-grace and not in a way of doing not in a way of works you should arise Revel 21. 6. 22. 18. O despairing souls and cast off all despairing thoughts and drink of the waters of life freely What though thy heart be dead and hard and sad what though thy sins be many and thy fears great yet behold here is glorious grace rich grace wonderous grace matchless and incomparable riches of free-grace spread before thee O let this fire warm thee let these waters refresh thee let these Cordials strengthen thee that it may be day and no longer night with thee that thy mourning may be turned into rejoycing and that thy beautiful garments Isa 52. 1. may be put on that so the rest of thy days may be days of gladness and sweetness and free-grace may be an everlasting shade shelter and rest unto thee Again tell me O despairing souls do you understand and most seriously and frequently ponder upon those particular Scriptures that do most clearly sweetly and fully discover the mercies of God the bowels of God the grace and favor of God to poor sinners as that Psal 86. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Gods mercies are above all his works and above all ours too his mercy is without measures and rules All the acts and attributes of God sit at the feet of mercy the weapons of Gods artillery are turned The Rainbow is signum gratiae foederis into the Rainbow a Bow indeed but without an Arrow bent but without a string The Rainbow is an emblem of mercy it is a sign of grace and favor and an assurance that God will remember his Covenant it is fresh and green to note to us that Gods mercy and grace to poot sinners is always fresh and green Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon Nehe. 9. 16 17. But they and our Fathers dealt proudly and hardned their necks and hearkned not to thy Commandments And refused to obey neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them but hardned their necks and in their rebellion appointed a Captain to return to their bondage but thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and forsookest them not Thou art a God says he ready to pardon or rather as it is in the Original and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou a God of pardons There is a very great emphasis in this Hebraism a God of pardons it shews us that mercy is essential unto God and that he is incomparable in forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here Nehemiah sets Micah 7. 18. him forth as one made up all of pardoning grace and mercy as a circle begins every where but ends no where so do the mercies of God When Alexander did sit down before a City he did use to set up a light to give those within notice that if they came forth to him whilest that light lasted they might have quarter if otherwise no mercy was to be expected O but Luke 13. 7. Jere. 3 1. to 15. such is the mercy and patience of God to sinners that he sets up light after light and waits year after year upon them When they have done their worst against him yet then he comes with his heart full of love and his hands full of pardons and makes a proclamation of Grace that if now at last they will accept of mercy they shall have it Why then O despairing soul dost thou make thy life a hell by having such low and mean thoughts of Gods mercy and by measuring of the mercies and bowels of God by the narrow scantling of thy weak and dark understanding Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon those words in Isai 55. 7 8 9. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veish Aven The man of iniquity i. e. One that makes a trade of sin man or rather as it is in the Original the man of iniquity his thoughts And let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will multiply to pardon or he will increase his pardons as the sinner increases his sins He will multiply to pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher then the Earth so are my ways higher then your ways and my thoughts then your thoughts Turn O despairing souls to these Scriptures Numb 14. 19 20. Exod. 34. 6 7. Micah 7. 18 19. Isai 30. 18 19. Psalm 78. 34 to 40. 103. 8. to 13. Jere. 3. 1. to 12. Luke 15. 20. to 24. 1 Tim. 1. 13. to 17. and tell me whether you have seriously and frequently pondered upon them O how can you look so much grace and mercy so much love and favor and such tender bowels of compassion in the face as appears in these Scriptures and yet rack and tear your precious souls with despairing thoughts O there is so much grace and goodness so much love and favor so much mercy and glory sparkling and shining thorow these Scriptures as may allay the strongest fears and scatter the thickest darkness and chear up the saddest spirits c. Again tell me O despairing souls do you not do infinite wrong to the 1 Pet. 1. 19. precious blood of the Lord Jesus Three things are called precious in the Scripture the blood of Christ is called precious blood and faith is called precious 2 Pet. 1. 1 4. faith and the promises are called precious promises Now what a reproach is it to this precious blood that speaks better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. for you to faint and sink under the power of delpair what doth this speak out O doth it not proclaim to all
is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue What this Knowledge is that accompanies Salvation I shall shew you anon Secondly Faith is another of those special things that accompanies Salvation 1 Thes 2. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation thorow sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1 Pet. 1. 5. You Vide Parcus Esteum Gerhardum on the Text. who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Vers 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Heb. 10. 30. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul John 3 14 15 16. Mark 16. 16. Acts 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. Isa 45. 22. Phil. 2. 8. Joh 11. 25 26. 1 John 5. 10. All â—hese and many more Scriptures speaks out the same truth This dâ—uble asseveration or protestation is used onely in matters of weâ—ght and unhappy are we â—hat we cannot believe without them And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Vers 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Chap. 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Chap. 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth he Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Vers 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Thirdly Repentance is another of those choice things that accompanies salvation 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow The very word repâ—nt was very displeasing to Luther till his conversion but afterward he took delight in the work Paehitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet Luth to sorrow for his sin and then rejoyce in his sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Jere. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Matth. 18. 3. And Jesus said verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Fourthly Obedience is another of those precious things that accompanies salvation Heb. 5. 9. And being Vide B. Dewâ—h of Justification 17. c. 7. made perfect speaking of Christ he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Psal 50. 23. whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I declare the Salvation of God Fifthly Love is another of those singular things that accompanies salvation Deus nihil corenat nisi dona sui August When God câ—ownâ—th us he doth but crown hâ—s own gifts in us 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing James 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren haâ—h not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written eie hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him James 1. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when The word Crown notes to us the perpetuity of that life the Apostle speaks of for a Crown hath neither beginning nor ending 2. It notes plenty the Crown fetches a compasse on every side 3. It notes dignity it notes majesty Eternal life is a coronation day It notes all joys all delights in a word it notes all good it notes all glory he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Matth. 19. 28 29. And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The whole is as if Christ had said whosoever shall shew love to mee this way or that in one thing or another out of respect to my Name to my Honor mercy shall bee his portion here and glory shall bee his portion hereafter Sixthly Prayer is another of those sweet things that accompanies salvation Rom. 10. 10. 13. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2. 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved That is saith one hee shall be certainly sealed up to salvation Or as another saith he that hath this grace of Prayer it is an evident sign and assurance to him that he shall be saved Therefore to have grace to pray is a better and a greater mercy then to have gifts to prophesie Matth. 7. 22. Praying souls shall finde the gates of heaven open to them when prophecying souls shall find them shut against them Seventhly and lastly Perseverance is another of those prime things that accompanies salvation Matth. 10. 22. And yee shall be hated of all men for my name sake but he that indureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 24. 12 13. And because iniquity shal abound the love The same words you have in Mark 13. 13. of many shal wax cold but he that indureth unto the end the same shal be saved Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of
cleanse the hearts of his people from all and to set their soul◠against all Jere. 33. 8 Ezek. 36. 25 29 33. 1 Iohn 1. 9. Repentance for sin is nothing worth without repentance from sin I love So in Ezek. 18. 30. Therefore I will judge you O house of Israel every one according to his ways saith the Lord God Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine So in Ezek. 33. 11. As Noahs flood drowned his neerest and his dearest friends so the flood of penitent tears drowns mens neerest and their dearest lusts Be they Isaacs or Benjamins be they right eyes or right hands Repentance that accompanies Salvation puts all to the Sword it spares neither Father nor Mother neither Agag nor Achan it casts off all the rags of old Adam it leaves not a Horn nor a Hoof behinde it throws down every stone of the old building it scrapes off all Leviathans skales it washeth away all leprous spots Ezek. 14. 6. Therefore say unto the house of Israel thus saith the Lord God Repent and turn your selves from your Idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations Sin is a turning the back upon God and the face towards Hell but Repentance is a turning the back upon sin and a setting the face towards God He that looks upon Jerusalem and upon Thus did Herod and Judas to their eternal ruine Jam. 2. 10. Babylon with a learing eye at the same time He that looks upon God and at the same time looks upon any sin with a learing eye hath not yet reached unto this Repentance that accompanies Salvation his Repentance and Profession cannot secure him from double damnation He that serves God in somethings and his lusts in other things sayes to God as David 1 Sam. 19. One stab ar the heart kills one hole in the ship sinks her one act of treason makes a Traytor So one sin not forsaken not turned from will undo a soul for ever Sin ever ends tragically and this puts the penitent in battel array against every sin said to Mephibosheth concerning his Lands Thou and Ziba divide the Lands So thou and Satan divide my soul my heart between you Ah doth not such a soul deserve a double Hell Christ takes every sin at a penitent mans hands as Caesar did his wounds from him of whom he merited better usage with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou my son What thou wound me what thou stob me that shouldst venture thy own blood to save mine There are no wounds that are so grievous and terrible to Christ as those that he receives in the house of his friends And this sets the penitent mans heart and hand against every thing that makes against Christ A true penitent looks upon every sin as poyson as the vomit of a dog as the mire of the Isa 30. 22. Nihil in lege menstruato immundius Hieron street as the menstruous cloath which of all things in the Law was most unclean defiling and polluting Pliny saith that the very Trees with touching of it would become barren And his looking thus upon every sin turns his heart against every sin and makes him not onely to refrain from sin but to forsake it and to loath it more then Hell Thirdly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation is not onely a Isa 1. The Hebrew word for Repentance is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shob which signifies to return implying a going back from what a man had done turning from all sin but it is also a turning unto God it is not onely a ceasing from doing evil but it is also a learning to do well it is not onely a turning from darkness but it is also a turning to light as the Apostle speaks Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and It notes a returning or converting from one thing to another as from sin to God from evil to good from Hell to Heaven from the power of Satan unto God So in Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord c. It is not enough for the man of iniquity to forsake his evil way but he must also return unto the Lord he must subject his heart to the power of Divine Grace and his life to the Will and Word of God As Negative goodness can never satisfie a gracious soul so Negative goodness can never save a sinful soul It is not enough that thou art not thus and thus bad but thou must be thus and thus good or thou art undone for ever Ezek. 18. 21. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die Negative Righteousness and Holiness is no Righteousness no Holiness in the account of God It was not the Pharisees Negative Righteousness nor Luke 18. 5. Matth. 20. 13 14. his Comparative Goodness that could prevent his being rejected of God his being shut out of Heaven his burning in Hell It is not enough that the Tree hears no ill fruit but it must bring forth good fruit else it must be cut down and cast into the fire that Tree that is not for fruit is for the fire Every Matth. 7. 19. He that holds nor wholly with Christ doth very shamefully neglect Christ Aut totum mecum tene aut totum omitte Greg. Nazian And therfore if Christ trample upon them at last it is just tree that brings not forth good fruit sayes Christ is hewn down and cast into the fire Men that content themselves with Negative Righteousness shall finde at last Heaven Gates bolted upon them with a double bolt All that Negative Righteousness and Holiness can do is to help a man to one of the best Chambers and easiest Beds in Hell That Repentance that accompanies Salvation brings the heart and life not onely off from sin but on to God it makes a man not onely cease from walking in the wayes of death but it makes him walk in the wayes of life They do no iniquity they walk in his wayes Psal 119. 3. Fourthly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation strikes most Augustine a great sinner wrote Twelve Books of Repentance and walked most cross to the particular sins he had most lived in effectually and particularly against that sin or sins that the sinner was most apt and prone to before his Conversion The hand of Repentance is most against that sin it is most upon that sin that the soul hath looked most with a learing eye upon The chief and principal sins that Israel was guilty of was idolatry and sinful compliance Now when God works kindly upon them they put the hand of Repentance upon those particular sins as you may see Isa 27. 9. By this therefore shall the This
HEAVEN ON EARTH OR A Serious Discourse touching a wel-grounded ASSURANCE of Mens Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Discovering the Nature of Assurance the possibility of attaining it the Causes Springs and Degrees of it with the resolution of several weighty Questions By THOMAS BROOKS Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full Assurance of understanding Col. 2. 2. Qui fidei suae sensum in corde habet hic scit Christum Iesum in se esse Ambros 2 ad Corinth c. 13. 5. London Printed by R. I. for John Hancock and are to be sold at the first Shop in Popes-head Alley in Corn-hill 1654. Mr. Brooks on Assurance To the Right Honorable The Generals of the Fleets OF THE Commonwealth of England And to those Gallant Worthies my much Honored Friends who with the Noble Generals have deeply jeoparded their Lives unto many deaths upon the Seas out of love to their Countreys good and out of respect to the Interest of Christ and the faithful people of this Commonwealth Such Honor and Happiness as is promised to all that Love and Honor the Lord Jesus Renowned Sirs THe better any thing is the more communicative it will be for bonum est sui communicativum There are two sorts of goods â—here are Bona Throni and there are Bona Scabelli Goods of the Throne as God Christ Grace Assurance c. Nihil bonum sine summo bono Aug Nothing is good without the chiefest good Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good And Goods of the Foot-stool as Honors Riches c. A man may have enough of the goods of the Footstool to sink him but he can never have enough to satisfie him Mans Happiness and Blessedness his Felicity and Glory lies in his possessing the Goods of the Throne which that you may I humbly desire you seriously to view over the ensuing Treatise It was an excellent saying of Lew is of Bavyer Emperor of Germany Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent Such goods are worth getting and owning as will not sink nor wash away if a shipwrack happen but will wade and swim out with us Such are the goods that are here presented in this following Discourse in all storms tempests and shipwracks they will abide with the Soul they will walk and lie down with the Soul yea they will to the Grave to Heaven with the Soul they will in the greatest storms be an Ark to the Soul I have observed in some A Philosopher could say in dâ—nger of shipwrack in a ligh starry night Surely I shall not perish there are so many eyes of providence â—ver me But these had neither so much faith nor courage these men of might had lost their hands and hearts Psa 76. 5. vide terrible storms that I have been in that the Mariners and the Passengers want of Assurance and of those other Pearls of price that in this Treatise are prepresented to publick view hath caused their countenance to change their hearts to melt it hath made them to stagger and reel to and fro like drunken men like men at their wits ends whereas others that have had Assurance and their pardon in their bosoms c. have bore up bravely and slept quietly and walkt cheerfully and practically have said as Alexander once did when he was in a great danger Now saith he here is a danger fit for the spirit of Alexander to encounter withal so they now here are storms and dangers fit for assured pardoned Souls to encounter withal c. Gentlemen This following Discourse I do not present to you as a thing that needs your protection for Veritas stat in aperto campo truth stands in the open Fields I and it will make the lovers of it to stand triumph and overcome Magna est veritas valebit Great is truth and shall prevail but upon these following grounds I tender it to you First You have honored the Almighty by helping him against the high and mighty and he hath honored you by owning of you by standing by 1 Sam. 2. 30. As it was saâ—d of Caesâ—r that while here stored the Statue of Pompey he estabâ—ished his own so while men honor God they preserve their own you by acting for you and by making of you prosperous and victorious over a near enemy a powerful enemy an enraged enemy a resolved enemy a subtil enemy a prepared enemy a lofty enemy and therefore I cannot but desire to honor you by dedicating the following Treatise to the service of your Souls Secondly Because you are my Magnes amoâ—is amor Love is the loadâ—â—oâ—e of love and therefore he said right Si vis ama i ama if thâ—n wilt love thou shalt be loved Friends and that cordial love and friendship which I have found from you hath stampt in my affections a very high valuation of you The Ancients painted Friendship a fair yong man bare headed in a poor garment at the bottom whereof was written Life and Death in the upper part Summer and Winter his bosom was open so that his heart might be seen whereupon was written longè propè a Friend at hand and a far off Verily your undeserved love and respects have made me willing to open my bosom to you in this Epistle and in the following Treatise as to Friends that I love and honor When one came to Alexander and desired him that he might see his Treasure he bid one of his servants take him and shew him not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Money but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Friends It seems he put a higher value Secrates preferred the Kings countenance above his coyn upon them then he did upon all the wealth which he had Faithful Friends are an unvaluable Treasure and the rarity of them doth much inhaunce the price of them Thirdly Because of its exceeding usefulness and suitableness to your conditions I have been some years at Sea and through Grace I can say that I would not exchange my Sea Experiences Psal 107. 24. It is between Christian and Christian as between two Lute strings that are tuned one to another no sooner one is struck but the other trembles for Englands Riches I am not altogether ignorant of the troubles trials temptations dangers and deaths that do attend you And therefore I have been the more stirred in my spirit to present the following Discourse to you wherein is discovered the nature of Assurance the possibility of attaining Assurance the causes springs degrees excellencies and properties of Assurance also the special seasons and times of Gods giving Assurance with the resolution of several weighty Questions touching Assurance further in this Treatise as in a glass you may see these ten special things clearly and fully opened and manifested 1. What Knowledge that is that accompanies Salvation
men turn like the Chamelion into all coulors forms and And men are apt to make Elephants of Flies and Gyants of Pigmies till men reach assurance they will still creaâ—e fears rather then want them Psal 23. 3. fashions yea they make their lives a Hell Oh but now assurance will scatter all these fears as the Sun doth the Clouds it will extinguish these fears as the Sun doth the Fire Assurance made David divinely fearless and divinely careless Yea though I walk thorow the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Ah how full of fears and perplexities Gen. 21. 16 19. Vide. was Hagar till the Lord opened her eyes to see the Well of Water that was neer her So the soul will be full of fears and perplexities till it comes to see assurance to enjoy assurance Christians When all is said that can be this will be found at last a most certain truth That there is no way to be effectually rid of your fears but by obtaining a wel-grounded assurance of your happiness and blessedness Again Assurance will rid you of your burden of doubts now you are still a doubting sometimes you doubt whether that you are a thorow Christian and Remember Christians first that doubts are bred and fed by ignorance and unbelief and therefore are sinful Secondly that they rob the soul of all joy comfort and content Thirdly they render Men Babes in Christianity Fourthly they throw reproach upon God Christ and the Promises Fifthly they give Satan the greatest advantage against us not an Agrippa an almost-Christian an half-Christian as most Professors are sometimes you doubt of your Sonship and that leads you to doubt of your Heirship sometimes you doubt of your acquaintance with God and that leads you to doubt of your access to God and acceptance with God sometimes you doubt of your union with God and those doubts lead you to doubt of the truth of your communion with God c. The truth is your whole life is a life of doubting and so it will be till you reach to a wel-grounded assurance Though the two Disciples had Christ for their companion yet their hearts were full of fears and doubts whilest their eyes were held that they should not know him Luke 24. 14 15 c. Till a Christians eyes be open to see his assurance his heart will be full of doubts and perplexities Though John 20. 13 14 15 16. Mary Magdalen was very near to Christ yet she stands sighing mourning and complaining that they had stoln away her Lord because she did not see him Christians though you may be very near and dear to Christ yet till you come to see your assurance you wil spend your days in doubting mourning and complaining The sum of all is this As you would be rid of your burden of cares your burden of fears and your burden of doubts get a wel-grounded assurance of your happiness and blessedness but if you are in love with your burdens then neglect but the making of your Calling and Election sure and you shall certainly make sure your burdens they shall rise with you and walk with you and lie down with you till they make your lives a Hell The fourth Motive to provoke you Motive 4. to labor after a wel-grounded assurance is To consider that Satan will labor with all his art and craft with all his power and might to keep you from attaining a wel grounded assurance of your happiness and blessedness Such is Satans envy and enmity against a Christians joy and comfort that he cannot but act to the utmost of his line to keep poor souls in doubts and darkness Satan knows that assurance is a Pearl of price that will make the soul happy for ever he knows that assurance makes a Christians wilderness to be a paradise he knows that assurance begets in Christians the most noble and generous spirits he knows that assurance is that which will make men strong to do exploits to shake his tottering Kingdom about his ears c. And therefore he is very studious and industrious to keep souls It is said of Marcellus the Roman General that he could not be quiet Nec victor nec victus neither conquered nor conqueror Satans envy is such against the joy and comfort of the Saints that he cannot rest nor cease from making use of all his wiles whereby poor souls may be kept off from assurance and their lives made a burden to them off from assurance as he was to cast Adam out of Paradise It is no wonder that Satan who envied the first seeds of Grace that divine Love sowed in thy soul that he should envy the increase of thy grace yea thy assurance which is the top and royaltie of grace When thou wast a Babe Satan cast water upon thy smoaking flax that it might not flame forth into assurance and now thou art grown up to some more maturity he is raised in his enmitie so that he cannot but put out his power and policy to keep thee from assurance of felicitie and glory Satan envies thy candle-light thy torch-light thy star-light how much more that the Sun should shine upon thee Satan envies thy eating of the crums of Mercy under the Table how much more that as a childe thou shouldst sit at Wisdoms Table and eat and drink abundantly of Wisdoms delicates Satan envies thy feeding upon Husks among the Swine how much more that thou shouldst eat of the fatted Calf Satan envies thy fitting with Mordecai at the Kings Gate how much more that thou shouldst wear the Kings Robes Satan envies thy tasting of the least drop of comfort how much more thy swimming in those pleasures that be at Gods right hand for evermore He envies thy sitting upon Gods knee how much more then thy lying in his bosom He envies thy being admitted into his service how much more that thou shouldst be of his Court and Counsel Some say of the Crystal that it hath such a vertue in it that the very touching of it quickens other stones and puts a lustre and beautie upon them Assurance is that Heavenly Crystal that quickens souls and that casts a beautie and a glory upon souls and this makes the Devil mad Satan knows that assurance is Manna in a Wilderness it is water out of a Rock it is a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night He knows that assurance is Salve for all sores and Physick for all diseases and a Remedy against every malady He knows that assurance is a Christians Anker at Sea and his Shield upon Land and that it is a Staff to support him and a Sword to defend him and a Pavillion to hide him and a Cordial to cheer him And therefore it is that he labors both as a Lion and as a Serpent to keep poor souls from a wel-grounded assurance This Son of the
Morning is faln from the top of Glory to the bottom of misery and therefore he strives to make all as miserable and unhappy as himself Ah Christians have not you need It is a true Maxime He findes his enemy strong at a dear rate who contemns him as weak to seek Assurance with all your might who have to do with so mightie an adversary who cares not what torments he heaps upon himself so he may prove your tormentor by keeping your souls and assurance asunder O that this very consideration might make you restless till you have got this White Stone in your bosoms The fifth Motive to provoke you to Motive 5. get a wel-grounded assurance is this Consider that a wel-grounded assurance is a Jewel of that incomparable value it is such a Pearl of price as will abundantly recompence the soul for all the cost and charge it shall be at to enjoy it I the enjoyment of Hujusmodi lucri dulcis odor The smell of this gain is sweet to many then what is assurance it self c. assurance in that hour when the soul shall sit upon thy trembling lips ready to take her leave of thee and all the world will richly recompence thee for all those prayers tears sighs and groans that thou hast breathed out in one place or another in one service or another Surely the Gold in the Mine will recompence the Digger the Crown at the end will recompence the Runner the Fruit in the Vineyard will recompence the Dresser the Corn in the Barn will recompence the Reaper and the increase of the Flock will recompence the Shepherd so Assurance at last will abundantly recompence the soul for all its knocking weeping and waiting at Mercies door God will never suffer the Seed Isai 45. 19. of Jacob to seek his face in vain There is a reward not onely in keeping Psal 19. 11. but also for keeping of his commands Joseph for his thirteen years Matth. 25. 34 to 41. Revel 3. 11 12 imprisonment had the honor to reign fourscore years like a King David for his seven years banishment had a glorious reign of forty years continuance Daniel for his lying a few hours among the Lions is made cheif President over a hundred and twenty Princes The three Children for taking a few turns in the Fiery Furnace are advanced to great dignitie and glory Ah doubting souls pray hard pull hard work hard for Assurance the pay will answer the pains Christ will sooner or later say to thee as the King of Israel said to the King of Syria I am 1 Kings 20. 4. thine and all that I have I am thine O doubting soul sayes Christ and Assurance is thine and Joy is thine my Merit is thine my Spirit is thine and my Glory is thine all I am is thine and all I have is thine O this is Alvearium Divini Mellis an Hive full of Divine Comfort O this will recompence thee for all thy wrastling and sweating to obtain Assurance Augustine in his Confessions hath this notable expression How sweet was it to me of a sudden to be without those sweet vanities and those things which I was afraid to loose with joy I let go for thou who art the true and onely sweetness didst cast out those from me and instead of them didst enter in thy self who art more delightful then all pleasure and more clear then all light Ah Christians do but hold up and hold on and assurance and joy will come and thou shalt after all thy working and waiting sit down and sing it out with old Simeon Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation my heart hath found the sweetness of Assurance and now Lord let thy servant depart in peace The sixth Motive to provoke you Motive 6. to get Assurance is this Consider what labor and pains worldlings take Scripture and Histories abounds with instances of this kinde as all know that know any thing of the one or of the other to make sure the things of this life to them and theirs Ah what riding running plotting lying swearing stabbing and poysoning is used by men of this world to make sure the poor things of this world that are but shadows and dreams and meer nothings How do many with Samson lay heap upon heap to make their Crowns and Kingdoms sure to make the tottering glory of this world sure to themselves what bloody butchers do they prove they will have the Crown though they swim to it thorow blood Men will venture life and limb to make sure these things that hops from man to man as the Bird hops from twig to twig O how should this stir and provoke us to be up and doing to labor as for life to make sure spiritual and eternal things Is Earth better then Heaven is the Matth 6. 19 20. The laborious the active Christian is tempted but by one Devil but the idle slothful Christian is tempted by all saith one It is very sad when worldlings are a reaping that Saints as to spirituals should be slumbering and sleeping glory of this World greater then the glory of the World to come Are these riches more durable then those that corrupt not that are laid up in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeves doâ—not break thorow nor steal No. O then be ashamed Christians that worldlings are more studious and industrious to make sure Pibbles then you are to make sure Pearls to make sure those things that at last will be their burden their bane their plague their hell then you are to make sure those things that would be your joy and crown in life in death and in the day of your account Pambus in the Ecclesiastical History wept when he saw a Harlot dressed with much care and cost partly to see one take so much pains to go to Hell and partly because he had not been so careful to please God as she had been to please a wanton lover Ah Christians what great reason have you to sit down and weep bitterly that worldlings take so much pains to make themselves miserable and that you have taken no more pains to get assurance to get a pardon in your bosoms to get more of Christ into your hearts The seventh Motive to provoke you Motive 7. to get Assurance is To consider that Assurance will inable you to bear a burden without a burden As in Heb. 10. 34. For ye had compassion of So Moses and all those Worthies in the eleventh chapter me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Here you see that assurance of Heavenly things makes these Worthies patiently and joyfully bear a burden without a burden So the Apostles knowing that they 2 Cor. 5. 1. 6. 8 9 10 11. had a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens went thorow honor and dishonor
evil report and good report They went thorow many weaknesses sicknesses wants and deaths they had nothing and yet possest all things they had burden upon burden cast upon them by the Churches by false Apostles and by an uncharitable world and yet they chearfully bore all burdens without a burden thorow the power of a wel-grounded assurance Assurance makes heavy afflictions 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. light long afflictions short bitter afflictions sweet Where a man wants assurance there the shadow of a burden frights him and the weight of the least burden sinks him such a man is still a crying out No mans burdens to my burden my burden is greater then others my burden is heavier then others The want of assurance often times makes mens very mercies a burden their comforts a burden their relations a burden yea their very lives a burden unto them Job 7 20. Ah Christians you will never bear burdens without a burden till you come to attain an assurance of better things This will inable you to leap under the weight of any cross to rejoyce under the weight of any Mountain Assurance fits a mans heart to his condition and when a mans heart is fitted to his condition nothing proves a burden to him Assurance of better I have read of Albas Paulus who handled Serpents and Scorpions and cut them in pieces without any hurt and said If a man be holy all things are subject to him as to Adam before his sin in paradise Surely assurance will inable a man to do much this way things takes away the sting the poyson that attends these lower things and the sting and the poyson being taken away the very worst of these things are so far from being a burden to a man that they become rather a pleasure and a delight unto him When the sting is taken out of this or that venomous Creature a man may play with it and put it in his bosom Ah assurance pulls out the sting that is in every cross loss c. And this makes the assured soul to sit down singing when others under far less crosses and losses sits down sighing mourning and complaining Our burdens are greater then we are able to bear If there were but more assurance of better things among Christians there would be less complaints among them of this burden and that Mole-hills then would be no longer Mountains Christians it is not new notions new opinions new nothings as I may say in your heads but the gaining of a wel-grounded assurance in your hearts that will inable you to bear all kinde of burdens without a burden The eighth Motive to provoke you Motive 8. to get assurance is drawn from those particular commands of God whereby he engages Christians to get assurance The Saints in Heaven have felix necessitas an happy necessity of obeying God alway but we infelix necessitas an unhappy necessity of disobeying continually The precepts of God saith Lactantius do so change the whole man and make him new that you can hardly know him to be the same Lactant. de falsa sapient lib. 3. cap. 27. A thing which Philosophy hath much labored in but could never archieve Christians The pressing of those very commands last cited upon your own hearts may produce that comfort and peace and make such a blessâ—d change in your inward condition as may bespeak much admiration as that in the 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall So 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates or unapproved as the Greek imports So Heb. 6. 11. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Ah you dull doubting drousie Christians you should take all these commands of God and press them with all the power and authority you can upon your hearts to awaken them and provoke them to get assurance of your eternal wel-being Take one command and charge that upon the heart if the heart be stout and will not yeeld then take another command and press that upon the heart if that will not do it then take another and lay that home upon the heart and never leave this work till your souls be effectually stirred up to labor for assurance with all your might Christians on should tell your souls that the commands of God binds directly and immediately that they binde absolutely and universally You must obey God intuitu voluntatis upon the bare sight of his Will and in one thing as well as another Christians if I am not much mistaken you should make as much conscience of those commands of God that requires you to get assurance of your future happiness as you do of those commands that requires you to pray to hear c. It is very sad to consider that many that complain much of the want of assurance should make no more care and conscience of those commands of God that requires them to get assurance then some of the Heathens have done of the commands of their gods who when they have called for a man have offered a candle or as Hercules who offered a painted man in stead of a living Verily Christians while you make light of any of Gods commands God will make as light of your comforts Did you make more conscience to act answerable to the forementioned commands I am very apt to believe that the Sun of Righteousness would certainly and speedily cause his love and glory to beam out upon you Minde Gods commands more then your own wants and complaints and light will break in upon you By obeying Christs commands you shall gain more then you can give by kissing the Son you shall even command him and make him and assurance yours The ninth Motive to provoke you Motive 9. to get assurance is this You cannot gratifie Satan more nor injury your selves more then by living without assurance by living without assurance you lay your selves open to all Satans snares and temptations yea you do instigate and provoke Satan to tempt you to the worst of sins to tempt you to the greatest neglects to tempt you to the strangest shifts and to reduce you to the saddest straits Ah Christians in what in what hath Satan so gratified you that you should thus gratifie him hath he not robed you of your glory in innocency hath he not kept your souls and your Saviour long asunder when with Joshua you have been standing before Zech. 3. 1 2. the Lord hath not he stood at your right hand as an adversary to resist you hath he not often set the glory Matth. 4. of the world before you that he might bewitch you and ensnare you hath he not often
in blood it made the Martyrs to complement with Lions to dare and tire their persecutors to kiss the stake to sing and clap their hands in the flames to tread upon hot burning coals as upon Beds of Roses The assured Soul knows that Death shall be the Funeral of all his sins and sorrows of all afflictions and temptations of all desertions and oppositions He knows that Death shall be the Resurrection of his joyes he knows that death is both an out-let and an in-let an out-let to sin and an in-let to the souls clear full and constant injoyment of God And this makes the assured soul to sing it sweetly out O 1 Cor. 15. 35 36 37. death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory I desire to be dissolved Phil. 1. 23 Make haste my beloved Come Cant. 8. ult Revel 22. Lord Jesus come quickly Now Death is more desirable then life Now says the Soul Ejus est timere mortem qui ad Christum nolit ire Let him fear Death that is loth to go to Christ So I may be with Christ though I go in a Cloud I care not sayes the assured soul so I may be with Christ I care not though I go in a Fiery Charriot sayes the assured soul The Persians had a certain day in the year in which they used to kill all Serpents and venomous Creatures The assured Christian knows that the day of Death will be such a day to him and that makes Death lovely and desirable he knows that Sin Morimur dum non morimur was the Midwife that brought Death into the World and that Death shall be the Grave to bury Sin Ambrose said to his friends about him when he was dying I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live nor yet fear I death because I have a good Lord c. And therefore Death is not a terror but a delight unto him he fears it not as an enemy but welcomes it as a friend As Crook-back Richard the Third in his distress cried A Kingdom for a Horse a Kingdom for a Horse So souls that want assurance when they come to die will cry out A Kingdom for Assurance a Kingdom for Assurance And as Severus said If I had a thousand worlds I would now give them all for Christ So a Soul that wants Assurance when he comes to enter upon a state of eternity will cry out O had I now a thousand worlds I would give them all for assurance whereas the assured soul would not for a thousand worlds but die When his glass is out and his sun is set he cryes not out as that Lady did A World a World for an inch of time but rather why is it why is it Lord that thy chariots be so long a coming Eightly Assurance will very much sweeten that little oyl that is in the 1 King 17. 12 c. Cruse and that handful of meal that is in the Barrel Assurance will be sauce to all meats it will make all thy mercies to taste like mercies it will make Daniels pulse to be as sweet as Princes Dan. 1. delicates it will make Lazarus Rags Luke 16. as pleasurable as Dives Robes it will make Jacobs bed upon the stones to be Gen. 28. Amos 6. 4. as soft as those Beds of Down and Ivory that sinful great ones stretch themselves upon Look as the want of assurance imbitters all a sinners mercies that he cannot taste the sweetness and the goodness of them so the enjoyment of assurance casts a general beauty and glory upon the Believers meanest mercy And hence it is that assured souls Prov. 15. 16. live so sweetly and walk so chearfully when their little all is upon their backs and in their hands whereas the great men of the world that have the world at will but want this assurance that is more worth then the world live as slaves and servants to their mercies in the midst of all their abundance they are in straits and perplexities Job 20. 22. full of fears and cares and nothing pleases them nor is sweet unto them because they want that A Believer knows 1. That his little mercies are from great love Secondly That they are pledges of greater Thirdly That his blessings are blest unto him Fourthly That they shall not at last be witnesses against him assurance that sweetens to a Believer the ground he stands on the air he breaths in the seat he sits on the bed he lies on the bread he eats the cloaths he wears c. Ah were there more assurance among Christians they would not count great mercies small mercies and small mercies no mercies no no then every mercy on this side hell would be a great mercy then every mercy would be a sugared mercy a perfumed mercy Look as the Tree that Moses cast into the Exod. 15. 23 24 25. waters of Marah made those bitter waters sweet so Assurance is that Tree of Life that makes every bitter sweet and every sweet more sweet Ninthly Assurance will make a man The Rabbins say That the Angels attend in all Judicatories very Angelical it will make him full of motion full of action it will make him imitate the Angels those Princes of glory that are always busie and active to advance the glory of Christ they are still a singing the Song of the Lamb they are still pitching their Tents about them that Psal 34. 7. Heb. 1. ult fear the Lord they are Ministering Spirits sent forth for the good of them that are Heirs of Salvation Assurance will make a man fervent constant and abundant in the Work of the Lord as you may see in Paul The Assurance makes a Saint all fire it makes him like â—he burning Seraphims Isal 6. 2 3 4. assured Christian is more motion then notion more work then word more life then lip more hand then tongue When he hath done one work he is a calling out for another What is next Lord sayes the assured soul what is next His head and his heart is set upon his work and what he doth he doth it with all his might because there is no working in the Grave An assured Christian Bellarmiâ—â— is of opinion that one glimpse of Hell were enough to make a man not onely turn Christian but a Monk to live after the strictest rules to be abounding in wel-doing Surely assurance of Heaven will make a man do more will put his hand to any work he will put his shoulder to any burden he will put his neck in any yoke for Christ he never thinks that he hath done enough he always thinks that he hath done too little and when he hath done all he can he sits down sighing it out I am but an unprofitable servant In a word Assurance will have a powerful influence upon thy heart in all the duties and services of Religion nothing will make a man love like
They know that it is not their profession but living up to their principles that will effectually stop the mouths and convince the consciences of vain men 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the Will of God that by wel-doing that is by living up to your own principles you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men There is no such way in the world to still and silence wicked men to make them dumb and speechless to muzzle and tie up their mouths as the Greek word notes as by living up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to your own principles The lives of men convince more strongly then their words the tongue perswades but the life commands thirdly They know by living up to their principles they cast a general glory upon Christ and Matth. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. his ways This makes Christ and his ways to be well thought on and well spoke on fourthly They know that the ready way the onely way to get 2 Pet. 1 5. to 13. and keep Assurance Joy Peace c. is to live up to their principles fifthly They know that by their living below their own principles or contrary to their own principles they do but gratifie Satan and provoke wicked men to blaspheme that worthy Name by which they are called They know Jam. 2. 7. The very Heathen as Salvian observes did thus reproach Christians that walked contrary to their principles Where is that good law which they do believe they read and hear the holy Scriptures and yet are drunk and unclean they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they profess a Holy Law and yet do lead impure lives that by their not living up to their own principles they do but multiply their own fears and doubts and put a sword into the hand of Conscience and make sad work for future Repentance Now these and such like Considerations do exceedingly stir and provoke Believers to labor with all their might to live up to their own principles to get to the very top of Holiness to be more and more a pressing towards the mark and to think that nothing is done till they have attained to the highest perfections that are attainable in this life It is true many Hypocrites may go up some rounds of Jacobs Ladder such as make for their Gen. 28. 12. profit pleasure applause c. and yet tumble down at last to the bottom of Hell as Judas and others have done Hypocrites do not look nor like nor love to come up to the top of Jacobs Ladder to the top of Holiness as you may see in the Scribes and Pharisees and all other Hypocrites that the Scripture speaks of Thirdly It is their greatest desire and endeavor that sin may be cured rather then covered Sin most afflicts a gracious soul David cryes not perii Psal 51. out peccavi not I am undone but I have done foolishly Daniel complains Dan. 9. 5. not we are reproached and oppressed but we have rebelled Paul cryes not Rom. 7 23. If a Snake should sting thy dearly beloved Spâ—use to deaâ—h wouldst thou preserve it alive warm it at the fire hug it in thy bosom and not rather stab it wâ—th a thousand wounds You are wise and know how to apply it out of his Persecutors but of the law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde A gracious soul grieves more that God by his sin is grieved and dishonored then that for it he is afflicted and chastned The heart feeling within her the operation of the Serpents poyson runs from the thorns and thickets and runs over he green and pleasant Pastures that she may drink of the Fountain and be cured So gracious souls being sensible of the poyson and venom of sin runs from the Creatures that are but as thorns and thickets and runs over their own duties and righteousness which are but as pleasant Pastures to come to Christ the Fountain of Life that they may drink of those Waters of Consolation of those Wells of Salvation that be in him and cast up and cast out their spiritual poyson and be cured for ever Believers know that their sins do most pierce and grieve the Lord they lie hardest and heaviest Amos 2. 13. upon his heart and are most obvious to his eye The sin of Judah is written Jere. 17. 1. with a Pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond their sins are When Brutus went to stab Julius Caesar he cried out What thou my sen Brutus c. So may God well cry out what thou my Son what wilt thou stab me wâ—th thy sins is it not enough that others stab my honor but wilâ— thou my Son against beams of strongest light they are against the bowels of tenderest mercy they are against the manifestations of greatest love they are against the nearest and dearest relations they are against the choicest and highest expectations And this makes believing souls cry out O a cure Lord a cure Lord O give me purging grace give me purging grace though I should never taste of pardoning mercy yet give me purging grace It was a notable Speech of Câ—smus Duke oâ— â—lorence I have read saith he that I must forgive my enemies but never that I must forgive my friends The sins of Gods friends of Gods people provoke him most and sad him most and this makes them sigh and groan it out Who shall deliver us from this body of death O but now wicked men labor not that sin may be cured but onely that sin might be covered and that the consequents of sin viz. Afflictions and the stingings Hosea 7. 10. to ult of Conscience may be removed as you may see in Cain Saul Judas and divers others In their affliction they Hosea 5. 14 15. will seek me early saith God they wâ—ll then seek to be rid of their affliction but not to be rid of their sins that hath brought down the affliction upon them Like the patient that would fain be rid of his pain and torment under which he groans but cares not to be rid of those evil habits that hath brought the pain and torment Sin doth ill in the eye worse in the tongue worser in the heart but worst of all in the life upon them Psal 78. 34 35 36 37. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rock and the High God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant In these words Ah England England as face answers faee so doth thy carriâ—ge towards God answer the carriage of these people whose baseness and falseness God hath put upon record to this very day c. you see plainly that these people are very early and earnest in
speak the things which we have seen and heard And now Lord behold their threatnings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And when they had called the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the Name of Jesus and let them go And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name And daily in the Temple and in every House they ceased not to Teach and Preach Jesus Christ Acts 4. 19 20 29. 5. 40 41 42. compared Thus you see no tryals no troubles no terrors no threats no dangers no deaths could deter them from peremptory Obedience to Divine precepts It is not the Fiery Furnace nor the Lyons Den nor the Bloody Sword nor the Torturing Wrack that can fright gracious Souls from their Obedience to their dearest Lord. Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements Sixtly The end of that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is Divine Propter te domine propter te Is every godly mans Motto Quicquid agas propter Dâ—um agas Was an Eastern Apophthegm Drusius glory the Eye of the obedient Soul in prayer and praises in talking and walking in giving and receiving in living and doing is Divine glory Rom. 14. 7 8. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords In all actions the obedient Soul intends and attends most Divine glory If Satan the World or the Old man do at any time propound other ends to the Finis movet ad agendum The End moves to doing Soul this great end Divine glory works out all those ends for this is most certain That which a man makes his greatest and his highest end will work out all other ends Look as the light of the Sun doth extinguish and put out the light of the fire so when a man makes the glory of God his end that end will extinguish and put out all carnal low base ends That man that makes himself the end of his actions that makes honor riches applause c. the end of his actions he must at last lie down in eternal sorrow he must dwell in everlasting burnings Isai 50. ult 33. 14. the man is as his end is and his work is as his end is if that be naught all is naught if that be good all is good and the man is happy for ever Seventhly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation that borders upon Salvation that comprehends Si dixisti sufficit teriisti Aug. If once thou saidst it is enough thou art undone Salvation is a constant Obedience Psal 119. 112. I have enclined my heart to do thy Statutes alway even unto the end The Causes Springs and Motives of holy Obedience are lasting and permanent and therefore the Obedience of a sound Christian is not like the morning dew or a deceitful bow Psal 44. 17 18 19. All this is come upon us History reports that it hath been the ancient custom of pious Christians under persecuting Emperors to meet and by the Sacrament to binde themselves for ever to flie what was evil and follow what was good what ever it cost them yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy ways Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death The love of Christ the promises of Christ the presence of Christ the discoveries of Christ the example of Christ and the recompence of reward held forth by Christ makes a sound Christian hold on and hold out in ways of Obedience in the face of all dangers and deaths Neither the hope of life nor the fear of death can make a sincere Christian either change his Master or decline his Work Phil. 2. 12. Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence onely but how much more in my absence Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling This was the Philippians glory That they were constant in their Obedience whether Paul was present or absent they constantly minded their work Ah but Hypocrites and Temporaries Such Hypocrites may well cry out as Ecebolius did who was onely constant in inconstaney 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tread upon me that am unsavory Salt are but passionate transient and inconstant in their Obedience they talk of Obedience they commend Obedience and now and then in a fit they step in the way of Obedience but they do not walk in a way of Obedience they are onely constant in inconstancy Job chap. 27. vers 10. Will the Hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty Will he always call upon God Or as the Hebrew hath it Will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he in every time call upon God will he call upon God in time of prosperity and in time of adversity in time of health and in time of sickness in time of strength and in time of weakness in time of honor and in time of disgrace in time of liberty and in time of durance c The answer to be given in is He will not always he will not in every time call upon God As a lame Horse when he is heated will go well enough but when he cools he halts down-right even so an Hypocrite though for a time he may go on fairly in a Religious way yet when he hath attained his ends he will halt down-right and be able to The Monk in the Fable being a poor Fisher-mans son still spread a Net over his Table as a remembrance of his mean original till he had by these shews of humility attained to the highest preferments which when he had attained he laid away the Net because the Fish was caught go no further The Abbot in Melancton lived strictly and walked demurely and looked humbly so long as he was but a Monk but when by his seeming extraordinary sanctity he got to be made Abbot he grew intolerably proud and insolent and being asked the reason of it confest That his former carriage and lowly looks was but to see if he could finde the Keys of the Abbey Ah! many unsound hearts there be that will put on the Cloak of Religion and speak like Angels and look like Saints to finde the Keys of Preferment and when they have found them none prove more proud base and vain then they Ah! but that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is constant and durable A Christian in his course goes strait on Heaven-wards The two milch Kine 1 Sam. 6. 12. took the strait way to the way of Bethshemesh and went along the high-way loughing as they went and turned not aside
to the right-hand or to the left So gracious Souls go strait along the High-way to Heaven which A Christians emblem should be an house moving towards Heaven saith Clemens is the way of Obedience though they go loughing and weeping yet they still go on and turn not aside to the right-hand nor to the left If by the violence of temptation or corruption they are thrust out of the way at any time they quickly return into it again They may sometimes step out of the way of Obedience but they cannot walk out of the way of Obedience Psal 119. 3 4. The honest Traveller may step out of his way but he soon returns into it again and so doth the honest Soul Eightly and lastly Passive Obedience accompanies Salvation as well as Active Every one that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 17 18. Acts 14. 22. from Tongue or Pen from Hand or Heart If we suffer with him we shall reign with him there is no passing into Paradise but under the flaming Sword Thorow many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven A sincere heart is as willing I might produce a cloud of witnesses that have been excellent at suffering at burning to obey Christ Passively as Actively Acts 21. 13. I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus I am willing says Paul to lofe my comforts for Christ I am ready to endure any dolors for Christ I am willing to lose the Creature and to leave the Creature for Christ Paul Phil. 3. 8. speaks of himself as having been like one in a Sea tempest that had cast out all his precious wares and goods for Christs sake For whom says he I have suffered the loss of all So must we in stormy times cast all over-board for Christ and swim to an Immortal Crown thorow sorrows blood and death But because I have in this Treatise spoke at large of the sufferings of the Saints I shall say no more of it in this place And thus you see what that Obedience is that accompanies Salvation The fift thing that I am to shew you is What Love that is that accompanies Salvation That Love doth accompany Salvation I have formerly shewed you but now I shall shew you what that Love is that doth accompany Salvation and that I shall do in these following particulars I shall not speak of the firstness freeness fulness sweetness and greatness of Christs love to us but of that Love of ours that accompanies Salvation concerning which I shall say thus First That Love that accompanies Salvation is a Superlative Love a Transcendent Love True love to Christ doth wonderfully transcend Matth. 10. 37 38. Luke 14. 26 27 34. and surpass the Love of all relations The love of Father Mother Wife Childe Brother Sister yea Life it self Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Christ Friends may have the Milk of a Believers love but Christ hath the Cream will be Alexander or Nemo he will be all or nothing at all There are the greatest causes of love there are the highest causes of love there are all the causes of love to be found in Christ in Angels and Men there are onely some particular causes of love all causes of love are eminently and onely to be found in Christ Col. 1. 19. It pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell There is not onely plenitudo abundantiae but plenitudo redundantiae an over-flowing of Fulness in Jesus Col. 2. 3. Christ All Wisdom all Knowledge all Light all Life all Love all Goodness all Sweetness all Blessedness all Joys all Delights all Pleasures all Beauties all Beatitudes all Excellencies all Glories are in Christ The true lovers of Christ know that Christ We so far love as we know Tantum diligimus quantum cognoscimus loves as a Head as a King as a Father as a Husband as a Brother as a Kinsman as a Friend The love of all relations meets in the Love of Christ and this raises up a Believer to love Christ with a transcendent love They know that Christ loves them more then they love themselves yea that he loves them above his very life Joh. 10. 11 17 18. And Magnes amor is amor Certe non amant illi Christum qui aliquid plusquam Christum amant Aug. Certainly they do not love Christ who love any thing more then Christ Love is the Loadstone of Love Christ is amiable and lovely he is famous and conspicuous he is spotless and matchless in his Names in his Natures in his Offices in his Graces in his Gifts in his Discoveries in his Appearances in his Ordinances he is full of Gravity Majesty Mercy and Glory He is white and ruddy the chiefest Cant 5. 10. ult among ten thousand His mouth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweetnesses yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of him is desires or all of He that holds not wholly with Christ doth very shamefully neglect Christ Aut totum mecum tene aut totum omitte Greg. Nazian him is delights Christ is wholly delectable he is altogether desirable from top to toe he is amiable and lovely he is glorious and excellent Christ is lovely Christ is very lovely Christ is most lovely Christ is always lovely Christ is altogether lovely He is the express Image of God he is the brightness of his Fathers glory if the soul can but anatomize him it shall finde in him all high Perfections and supereminent Excellencies And upon these and such-like considerations the Saints are led forth to love Jesus Christ with a most transcendent Love Secondly That Love that accompanies Salvation is Obediential Love it is Operative and Working Love the Love of Christ makes a man subject to the commands of Christ If any John 14. 21 22 23. man love me he will keep my Commandments And again He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that I have read a story of an Elephant who being fâ—ln down and unable to help himself or get up again by reason of the inflexibleness of his legs a Forrester coming by helped him up wherwith the Elephant by the very instinct of nature was so affected that he followed this man and would do any thing for him and never left him till his dying day Ah Sirs will not Divine Love make a man do more loveth me Divine Love is very Operative Psal 116. 1. I love the Lord says David Well but how doth this Love work Why says he I will walk in his ways I will pay my vows I will take the cup of salvation I will offer the of thankssgiving and I will call upon the Name of the Lord as long as I live Vers 2
secrets and Ephes 3. 5. Col. 1. 26. mysteries that have been hid from all ages and to be swallowed up in the full enjoyment of thy Blessed Self Thirdly A wel-grounded Assurance is usually strongly assaulted by Satan The Devil marcheth well armed and in good array saith Luther on all sides Satan is such a grand enemy to the Joy and Peace to the Salvation and Consolation of the Saints that he cannot but make use of all his devices and stratagems to amaze and amuse to disturb and disquiet the peace and rest of their Souls No sooner had Jesus Christ heard that lovely voice from Heaven This is my Matth. 3. ult 4. 1 2 c. beloved Son in whom I am wel-pleased but he is desperately assaulted by Satan in the Wilderness No sooner was Paul 2 Cor. 12. dropped out of Heaven after he had seen such visions of glory that was unutterable but he was presently assaulted and buffetted by Satan Stand up stand up assured Christians and tell me whether you have not found the Isa 25. 4. blast of the terrible one to be as a storm against the wall Since the Lord I verily think that they have very much cause to question the truth of their assurance who know not what it is to have their assurance assaulted strongly by Sâ—tan said unto you be of good chear your sins are forgiven you Have not you found Satan to play the part both of the Lyon and the Woolf of the Serpent and the Fox and all to weaken your Assurance and to work you to question the truth of your Assurance and to cast water upon your Assurance and to take off the freshness and sweetness the beauty and glory of your Assurance I know you have His malice envy and enmity is such against Satan is that old Serpent as John speaks Revel 12. 9. He is as old as the World and is grown very cunning by experience he being a spirit of above five thousand years standing Gods honor and glory and your comfort and felicity that he cannot but be very studious and industrious to make use of all traps snares methods and wayes whereby he may shake the pillars of your Faith and weaken and overthrow your Assurance Pirates you know do most fiercely assault those ships and vessels that are most richly laden so doth Satan those precious souls that have attained to the riches of full Assurance Assurance makes a Paradise in Believers Souls and this makes Satan to roar and rage Assurance fits a man to do God the greatest service and Satan the greatest dis-service and this makes him mad against the Soul Assurance makes a Saint to be too hard for Satan at all weapons yea to Rom. 8. 32. ult lead that Sun of the Morning captive to spoil him of all his hurting power to bind him in chains and to triumph over him and this makes his Hell a great deal hotter and therefore never Luther cryes out I am set upon by all the world without and within by the devil and all his Angels wonder at Satans assaulting your Assurance but expect it and look for it The Jaylor is quiet when his prisoner is in Bolts but if he be escaped then he pursues him with hugh and cry so long as the Soul is in bolts and bondage under Satan Satan is quiet and is not so apt to molest and vex it but when once a Soul is made free and John 8. 36. assured of his freedom by Christ then sayes Satan as once Pharaoh did I Exod. 15. 9. will arise I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them The experience of all assured Saints doth abundantly confirm this Israel going into Egypt had no enemies no opposition but travelling into Canaan they were never free Fourthly A wel-grounded Assurance makes a man as bold as a Lyon it makes him valiant and gallant for Prov. 28. 1. Tanto plâ—â— gloriae referemus quoniam eo plures superabimus The number of opposers makes the Christians conquest the more illustrious say Saints under the power of Assurance c. Christ and his cause in the face of all dangers and deaths After the Holy Ghost was faln upon the Apostles and had assured them of their internal and eternal Happiness O how bold how undanted how resolute were they in the face of all oppositions afflictions and persecutions as you may see from the second of the Acts of the Apostles to the end of the Acts. So Assurance had this operation upon Davids heart Psal 23. 4 6. compared Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Well David but how doth this Assurance of yours operate Why saith he Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil So Moses having an Assurance of the recompence of reward he fears not the wrath of the King for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was constant he endured as seeing him who is invisible Heb. 11. 26 27. So in Heb. 10. 34. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowing that you have in your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a better being in Heaven and an abiding one ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance O that Knowledge that Assurance that they had in their own hearts of enjoying in Heaven a better and a more enduring substance made them bear cheerfully and gallantly the spoiling of their worldly goods Though the Archers the World the Flesh and the Devil do shoot sore at a Soul under Assurance yet his Bowe will still abide in strength Assurance will make a man to break a Bowe of Steel to trample down strength and to triumph over all oppositions and afflictions Colonus the Dutch Martyr called to the Judge that had sentenced him to death and desired him to lay his hand upon his heart and asked him whose heart did most beat his or the Judges Assurance will make a man do this and much more for Christ and his Cause Fifthly A wel-grounded Assurance of a mans own eternal Happiness and Blessedness will make him very studious and laborious to make others happy Psal 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul I will acquaint you with the soul-blessings with the soul-favors that God hath crowned me with I was darkness but he hath Eph. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 30. made me light I was unrighteousness but he hath made me righteous I was Col. 2. 10. Isa 1. 6. Ephes 5. 26 27. Cant. 4. 7. deformed but he hath made me compleat I was full of sores and spots and blemishes but he hath washed me and made me all fair without spot or wrinkle I have found the want of Assurance I now