they can lay no claim to him for they serve another God in their hearts their vile courses are instead of their God and in their affections above their God and therefore let them not think any promise belongeth to them in that course Let them think of God as a consuming sire as everlasting burnings while they be such and that their peace is as the peace that the soul hath when the strong man holdeth all in possession When the conscience is speechless and God hath given them up to hardness of heart which is a desperate peace This belongeth to them that are resolved not to live in any sin that have given themselves up to God and yet by reason of the remainder of corruption are driven to make use of that Petition which Christ bids them to pray forgive us our daily sins Hence issueth this truth that a Christian may be assured of his salvation in this world For first of all grant that we ought particularly to apply as God offers himself to us and that no infirmities nor sins hinder this claim then what followeth but a Christian believing and repenting of his sins daily may be assured that he is in the state of grace because there be grounds of particular application that therefore which seems to disable that interest hinders not at all And therefore labor to maintain that comfortable state of assurance by all means the grounds of it is particular application notwithstanding all sins and infirmities whatsoever because Satan envieth it most because it is a state wherein we honor God most I will not enter largely into the point because I have spoken of it in other Texts but for as much as concerneth this time we must labor for that without the which we cannot go through that which God calleth us to 1. There be many duties and dispositions that God requires which we cannot be in without assurance of salvation on good grounds what is that God bids us be thankful in all things how can I know that unless I know God is mine and Christ is mine can I be thankful for that which I doubt of and think I ought to doubt of therefore it is such a state without which I cannot perform other duties and particularly the grand duty of thankfulness And what a pittiful state is this that a man should not be thankful for Christ nor Heaven nor for the state of another world that there should be such great matters and yet they cannot thank God for them 2. Again God enjoyneth us to rejoyce Rejoyce and again I say rejoyce Can a man rejoyce that his name is written in Heaven and not know his name is written there The Disciples were very weak now and yet notwithstanding all their infirmities they loved Christ they cast themselves upon him and had not chosen another Saviour Therefore rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven and how can a man rejoyce that knoweth it not to be so By Gods writing of the Law in a mans heart he may know his name is written in Heaven Can a man alwayes rejoyce if he hath not grounds why 3. Again God requires chearfulness God loveth a chearful giver and a chearful doer It is the disposition that is required in every thing give me thy heart in every thing thou dost Alas how can I perform chearful service to God when I doubt whether he be my God and Father or no shall not I labor for a heart to yield chearful obedience doth it not come deadly off surely it doth We ought to comfort our selves and how can a man comfort himself in a condition full of uncertainties no comforts are comfortable without this That God is our God and our Father unless we know this comforts themselves are not comfortable unto us None of the comforts we have the comforts of this life are not comforts to us when the soul saith perhaps God feeds me to slaughter and perhaps I have these mercies as my portion in this world and how can he be comfortable when he apprehendeth not that they issue from a spring of love alas comforts themselves are uncomfortable And therefore shall not I labor for that without which I cannot be comforted especially it being a disposition for our good to be thankful and chearful and joyful and large hearted 4. God requires a disposition in us that we should be full of incouragements and strong in the Lord and that we should be couragious for his cause in withstanding his enemies and our enemies How can there be courage in resisting our corruptions Satans temptations how can there be courage in suffering persecution and crosses in the world if there be not some particular interest we have in Christ and in God it cannot be so unlesse we will denie obedience to all duty injoyned we must have this assurance which enters into all which is the spirit that quickeneth and enliveneth all Therefore labor for it 2. Else we shall take away the grounds that God inforceth good duties from in Scripture as he doth inforce duty from this ground As Elect see ye put on bowels of compassion I beseech you by the mercies of God Rom. 12. offer your selves as a sacrifice to God Alas I know not whether I shall have mercy or no why take away your ground and overthrow your principles And therefore shall not we labor for that state of soul wherein we are fitted to be in that disposition and to perform duty as God would have us I therefore beseech you labor for assurance of salvation That we may maintain it the better see the grounds of it It is not in our perfection for then the poor Disciples where had they been Alas they had dealt unfaithfully with Christ but the ground of firmness is on Gods side the certainty is on Gods part not ours Tell them I go to my Father and my God and their Father and their God Though we make breaches every day yet God breaketh not as Mal. 3. Verily I the Lord am not changeable and therefore you are not consumed We change ebbe and flowe are to and fro up and down every day varying in our dispositions though there be some root and seed of grace in us alwayes yet there is a change in our dispositions every day but it holdeth on Gods part and therefore Christ nameth not any qualification in them to build comfort on but my God and your God will yet maintain the relation of a Father to you that have not dealt as you should do and maintaineth the relation of a God notwithstanding your fall So that we maintain not our assurance on any part in us but on Gods love Whom he loveth he loveth to the end Our God unchangably loveth us in whom there is not so much as a shadow of change And therefore in the last of the Hebrews it is called an everlasting Covenant The God of peace that brought
Comfort in that Christ is our Brother Christ in glory owns his Churches Cause Use of exhortation by faith to labor to be one with Christ John 1. 16 Faiths usual work Christs calling his Disciples brethren adds much to our comfort Faith presents things to come as present Love teacheth what it knowes Humility will be instructed in what it knowes not Christ ascended into glory forgets not his people in debasement It is the highâ—st honor to be a member of Christ By faith in Christ both sin death and hell are overcome The freedom of a Christian The Christians dignity Satans Objection The Christians Reply Christ to be believed and not Satan Mother and brother in spirit is preferred before mother and brother in the flesh Christians are fruitful Trees of righteousnesse The world knowes not the excellency of Gods people and therefore regards them not The constancy and humility of Christ Christ speedy in comforting Object Christ takes his owâ— time to comfort the humble soul Christs love constant Question Resol Gods love is constant because grounded on his own eternall purpose Fuâ—damenta taâ—en stant inconcussâ— Syoâ—is Christ by death reconciles us by his life he saves us Obj. Answ Trusting in Christ takes off trouble The links of salvation hold firm on Gods part Gods love â—n Iterable In darkest times Christ is near to comfort Simile Note The Churches care to find her beloved Christs sweet and comfortab e spâ—ech â—o his beloved Christs high commendations of his spouâ—e Note Reason 1 Kindnesse shewed after dejection is very seasonable Reason 2. Christ deals not with us after our deserts Reason 3 Satan by laying guilt to our charge labors to carry us further fâ—om God Comfort to those that sh me themselves John 2â— 15 16 17 We are not so ready to come as Christ is to receive Well mâ— when Christ and the soul mâ—et together Presumptuous sinners The most humble Christian most subject to be discouraged Rom. 5. 20. Object Answ Jer. â— 1. Comforts against great sins Our comforts fail not because he is God and not man Note Difference between a carnal and a gratious heart Sin imputed to Christ as our surety Faith makes things absent present Saints look forward as Christ did Till we come to Heaven our desires are unsatisfied Simile Notes of our spiritual Resurrection Heavenly mindednesse Converse with the world be not defiled with the world Heaven injoyed on earth Quaere Reasons of Christs ascension Our enemies conquered and God appeased by Christs resurrection Victory triumph Heb. 9. 24 Christs blood speaks mercy and pardon The spirit hâ—râ— and Christ in Heaven here together His Resurrection ascension declares the Father to be satisfied to the utmost Rom. 10 6. 7. Christs intercession Apoc. 12. 9 Christ more skilful to save then Satan is to destroy The super excellent advantage of Gods people above the world 1 Joh. 21. Rom. 8. All Scriptures are for consolation The flighting of the Ministry is the havock of conscience Faith makes all present Fath the Christians priviledge Think on Christ as ascended with him Ephes 5. 20. 1 Joh. 2. 1. Mat. 6. 12. Go to God for pardon of sinners in the name of Christ To rely on Christ is to feed upon him God is first Christs God and Father and then our God Father How God is the Father of Christ Christ coequal with his Father Joh. 20. 28 1 Col. 20. God a Father All comfort is from God reconciled to us in Christ Mal. 3. 17. Father is a tearm of indulgence Luk. 15. 18 Gods infinite love to a sinful man Heb. 12. 6. A name of provision Luk. 12. 32 Luk 12 30 Father is a name of protection Pro. 18. 20 What we owe to God as a Father Fear God for his greatness love him for his goodness Gods wisdom and love God keeps the best things till the last Esay 49. 15 16. Psal 121. 4. Faith and prayer fetcheth all from God Mat. 7. 9. 10. Mat. 6. 8. God not a Father in Christ to the wicked The Hypocrite disposition To whom God is a Father Christs disposition The Character of a gratious Christian Quaere Solution No sin should hinder us from going to God as our Father The name of Father speaks no comfort to the malitious enemies of Christ Simile Rom. 1. 4. Heb. 1. 5. Gods unexpressible and wonderful love to mankind Psal 113. 6. Our nature advanced in Christ as high as can be God a Father to his discâ—nsolate Disciples Psal 117. 11. Job 42. 6. 8 Gods love to us is from his own bowels not from our goodnesâ— If mercy were not shewed to sinners none could be saved Comfort in afflictions Mat. 27. 46 God Christs Father in all his persecâ—tions The Law necessary to be teached Contentation in all conditions to be laboured for Humility a lesson to be learned from Brotherhood 2 Cor. 5. 16. Love to the Saints the highest mark of sincerity Notes of adoption God may be our God though we cannot alwayes make it Even sighs groans pierce through thick Clouds get to God Good things connatural to good men How to go to God in prayer Ephes 1. 3. 1 John 17 Mans insinite happiness by Christ Clay and dust taken into unity of the person of God Ephes 2 6. All we have or can expect to have must be obtained through Christ Use Blesse God for Christ as well as for our selves Luk. â— â—8 Christ as man the object of Gods love and predestination as well as we 1 Pet. 1. 4. How God is Christs God God our God in the state of grace 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. The Covenant of grace founded on Christ By vertue of Christs resurrection God is not only our Father but our God God our God in covenant with Christ Interest in God great comfort Even afflictions Satan himself conspires to make us happy Eccles 1. 2. Eccles 2. 17. Never rest till God be made our portion God our joy our comfort our Rock our all Examine our hearts what we make our God It is of eternalconcernment to make God our God Exo. 20. 2. Do all for God in obedience God gives us our being and wel being and doth all for us till we come to Heaven Humane nature nearer to Christ then the nature of the Angels Doct. What God is whâ—t he is able to do what he hath all is ours Answ Want it self is for the good of Gods people God all in all immediatly in Heaven Use Simile Pro. 18. 20 Go to God in things of extremity by faith and prayer Exo. 9. 28. The wicked outwardly make a shew to feaâ— God but hate him in their hearts A carnal man professes hiâ— own safety before the advancement of Religion Rom. 7. 8. The fearful condition of a wicked man at the hour of death Who are Gods enemiâ—t A Christian is a good man in his own particular Quest Answ The humble man more excellent then the proud Peace of conscience inward joy and comfort signs of love Mark 9. 24 Psal 73. 25. Arguments of Gods shining upon the soul Caution To call God our God when he is not so is an usurpation full of danger Psal 50. 16 17. Simile Propriety by â—itting our natures for communion with God Heb. 12. 29 Esa 33. 14 Comfort in our interest in God Particular exigencie supplyed by his all-sufficiency Religion is to know God â—nd to make use of him for good to honor him and to be thankful Sacrament seals God to be ours Man by some sins worse then the Devil Gods spirit both a severing spirit and an uniting spirit Friendship in mutual office of duty Doct. God to be apprehended as he offers himself Particular application of Christ how grounded Sacraments seal a particular faith Failings do not cut uâ— off from Christ If Christ hath satisfied for us notwithstanding our infirmities we may call God our God Heb. 12. 24. Mercy part of our mariage portion Object Answ Use Assurance Joy springs from knowledg Luk. 10. 20 Gods service must be performed with chearfulnesse No worldly comforts can satisfie the soul Assurance earnestly to be labored for 3 Col. 12. Grounds of assurance Assurance maintained to us on Gods part John 13. 1. Heb. 13. 20 Hos 2. 18. Ruleâ— to know how God is our God Simile God and Christ the Objects of faiâ—h and love Interest in God an argument against sin The flesh a Devil within us That God is our God â—nd our Father is ground of infinite comfort Assurance that God is our God wrought by the sealing of the spirit and the spirits sanctifying Conscience is a little God within us 1 Joh. 3. Respect with God preserved with much industry holiness 2 Pet. 1. 20 Psal 2. 11. The fearful condition of those that have not God to be their God The office of the Ministry is to prâ—ach life to all repentant sinners God preventeth us by his mercies God our comfort in the losse of all things 1. Glorie under hope of glory 2. Glory in affl ctions 3. Glory in God 2 Pet. 1. 10
A HEAVENLY CONFERENCE BETWEEN CHRIST AND MARY AFTER HIS RESURRECTION WHEREIN The intimate familiarity and near relation between Christ and a Believer is discovered LONDON Printed for John Rothwel and are to be sold at the Fountain and Bear in Cheapside 1654. TO THE READER THe scope and business of this Epistle is not so much to commend the Workman whose name is a sweet savor in the Church As to give thee a short and summary view of the generalls handled in this Treatise Though much might be said of this eminent Saint If either detraction had fastened her venomous nails in his pretious name or the testimony of the Subscribers of this Epistle might give the Book a freer admission into thy hands This only we shall crave leave to mind the Reader of That this bright Star who sometimes with his light refreshed the souls of many of Gods people while he sâ—one in the hoâ—izon of our Church set as we may say between the evening of many shadowes and the morning of a bright hoped for Reformation which though it be for the present overcast yet being so agreeable to the mind of Jesus Christ and ushered in with the groans and prayers of so many of his Saints we doubt not but will in Gods own time break forth gloriously to the dissipating of those Clouds and foggs which at the present do eclipse and darken it Now as it is the wisdom of God in bringing about his own designs to raise up fit and suitable instruments for the work of every Generation So it is also the gratious dispensation of God to put seasonable words into the mouths of those his Servants who by faith do fix their eyes on him for the guidance of his blessed spirit as every judicious Reader may observe in the works of this reverend Divine who foreseeing as it were what a degeneracy of spirit Professors in his time were falling a pace into that itch of Questions and Disputings like anoxious humor beginning then to break forth among Professors like a skilful Physician applyed himself to preserve the vitalls and essentials of Religion That the souls of his hearers being captivated with the inward beauty and glory of Christ and being led into an experimental knowledge of heavenly truths their spirits might not evaporate and discharge themselves in endless gainless soul-unedifying and conscienceperplexing questions For as it is in nature a man that hath tasted the sweetness of honey will not easily be perswaded that honey is bitter But he that hath only taken it up upon credit may soon be baffled out of it because no act can go higher then its principle and so it is in Religion for those good souls that have imbraced the truths of Jesus Christ upon a supernatural principle and experimented not only the truth but the goodness of them in their own souls they are the clinched christians the good hold-fast men as Mr. Fox stiles some Christians in his dayes they are the even and steady walkers Whereas those that have only a form of godliness a slight tincture who have only out of novelty and curiosity or pride and ambition or other self ends professed Religion will prove giddy and unconstant like Clouds carried about with every blast and while they promise themselves liberty be a prey to the net of every fancy and opinion To the sound and practical Christian that is not squeesie stomacked will the truths in this treatise be grateful supposing therefore and desiring if thou are not thou may'st be such a one Here is offered to thy consideration a divine and heavenly Discourse betwixt Christ and Mary between a soul-burthened sinner and a burthen-removing Saviour Thou may'st here see how diligent Mary is to seek how ready Christ is to be found Mary hath her heart brim full of sorrow Christ Comes as it were leaping over the Mountains with comfort and bowels of compassion Mary was in a strong pang of affection nay her affections were wound so high that her expressions seem broken and her actions might seem to savor of irregularity were it not to that excellency of the object did warrant the height of her affection and the compassion of Christ was large enough not only to interpret for the best but also to pardon and cover all her infirmities The woman was better at her affections then expressions They have taken away my Lord she speaks at random names no body whether Jews or Disciples or Souldiers But see the strength of her faith she is not ashamed to call him Lord even in the lowest state of humiliation though Christ be reproached persecuted despised rejected dead buried yet he shall be Maries Lord. Again I know not where they have laid him she dreams of a bodily asportation and resting of Christ somewhere and speaks with indignation as if she looked upon it as an indignity or incivility nay of cruelty Saevitum est in cadavera saevitum est in ossa saevitum est in cineres Cyprian of the Roman Emperors cruelty to remove a dead body What was done to Christ Mary takes it as done to her and good heart she thinks she hath so much right to him that he should not be stirred without her knowledge And I know not where c. Now while Mary is seeking Christ who is never far absent from a seeking soul he stands at her back Christ is neerer to us many times then we think of Sometimes a poor soul wants the sight of comfort more then matter of comfort and is like Hagar weeping for water when the well is hard by seeking of Christ is the souls duty but Christ manifesting himself is the souls comfort Mary turned her self and she saw Jesus Gerson saith the Angels rose up at the presence of Christ which Mary seeing made her turn about but omitting that conjecture The original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used for a turning of the face but most frequently for a turning of the whole body but to put it out of doubt here it is said exegetically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She turned her self back The same phrase the Steptuagint use of Lots wise looking back Many times Christ hath his face towards us when we have our backs upon him and therefore if thou wouldest finde Christ turn thy self to him Again here thou may'st see the true Joseph he knowes Mary when she knows not him but takes him for the Gardner Christ is alwayes before-hand with us in his grace he loves us before we love him and calls us before we call him Mary travails with desires to find Christ and Christ is full of yernings towards her like Joseph he could refrain no longer and because the general manifestation of Christ wrought little he calles her by her name Mary and she being a sheep of Christ knowes his voice and answers him with a title of dignity Rabboni that is to say my Master We may see here that discoveries of grace are not fruitless they stir
of God whatsoever is peculiar to our present condition for considering he hath made himself a God to us he is all-sufficient for every turn therefore out of his all-sufficiency take out whatsoever is fit for any particular exigency Lord I am now in a straight and want wisdom thou in Christ hast abundance of wisdom Christ hath in him all treasures I now want friends I want counsel I want help I want strength God hath a fulness of all this for his Children He hath it not only to content himself and look on his own happiness but for his friends that be in covenant with him that be in covenant with him that be so near him that he will own him to be their God If you aske what is Religion it is to know God to have all-sufficiency in him for my good and then to make use of him by dependance on him for that good and by advancing of him in giving him the due honour and thanks of it And therefore we deserve not the names of religious persons if we do not study what he is to his Creatures in the Covenant of grace Then make use of it by a spirit of dependency and alwayes giving praise and thanks This is our whole man and what is all else nothing but trouble and vanity Get our bonds sealed that he is our God and then break with all the world beside come what can come or what will come we are sure to be safe It is a comâ—ort of wonderful large extent The use of the Sacrament is to seal that God is our God in particular and that Christ is ours as verily as the Bread and Wine are ours And let us desire the Lord to seal to every one of our souls that are to have communion with him in particular that he in Christ is ours Christ with all his merits and the fruits of them forgiveness of sin and life everlasting as verily as the outward man partakes of the outward seals and then we shall come and go away with comfort and be made partakers of that end and use of the Sacrament for which our blessed Saviour instituted it Having spoken before of common favours which Devils and Castawayes may have as well as we I shall inlarge my self a little in this because it is a point of concernment As in other sins we be like the Devil so in this sin a man is worse then the Devil himself if a man will be a common swearer and opposer and malitious against goodness being only in love with some idle conceipt of his own which he will have God himself stoop to else he will not to Heaven he will not be saved but by his own foolery A man that hath a bitter spirit against the power of grace that is a common blasphemer that carrieth a spight against Religion for him to say God is his God the Devil will as well say so He will say of Paul and Sylas these are the people of God but he will not say himself is For a man to live in sins against Conscience defend them oppose all that opposeth his sins and yet claim an interest while that disposition standeth in him it is more then satanical impudency and it is extream hardening of the heart against all goodness for how many thousands in the Church perish and sink to Hell under this presumptuous conceipt I am Gods and God is mine when the title is false and the evidence false And therefore is is a point deserving throughly to be examined continually what those evidences of graces be that we venture our souls and salvation upon I will not stand much to presse the point But you see the necessity of it consider therefore I beseech you whaâ— I have sâ—id If God be ours there will be a separation where there is an owning of God for our God There will be a separation from all that is not his as well as a gathering to them that be his The work of Gods spirit in his Children is like fire which hath two properties to sever all heterogeneal and strange stuffe and drosse and the like and gather all the homogeneal stuffe of one nature And so the works of the spirit gathereth to the soul so much as is good and refines that and severeth that which is contrary That spirit of God that telleth them that they be Gods it is is a severing spirit and a uniting spirit it severs contraries and it uniteth things of the same nature there is a joyning to what is good and a separating of what is evil I will add this farther that wheresoever on good title we can say I am Gods there is a reflect act of the soul to say God is mine God hath put a light of reason and friendship into man Now friendship standeth in mutual office of duty and gift where this is not there is no friendship no reconciliation no owning on good tearms The end why God saveth a company of men and bringeth them to Heaven the body of Christ which we call the Church it is that he may have eternal communion with them in the Heavens as he hath with the blessed Angels and in Christ a nearer communion then he hath with them Now how can this communion be unless we turn to God unless we have something to answer Gods love Again note God is ours because Christ is ours the Covenant is first made with Christ and then with us Whence we see a ground of particular application of that which we call particular faith a ground of particular application by a spirit of faith of God to us and Christ to us that God in Christ is my God and your God The ground of this is as God offereth himself we must apprehend him but Christ offers God and he knoweth how to offer him He teacheth us how God is to be presented and he presenteth him as our God and our Father and therefore let us entertain him as ours Thus you see a good ground of particular application of God the Father and Christ to us in particular in two respects not only that every one in particular ought to have a particular faith and not to think a general faith is enough to believe as the Church believeth but to have a particular faith of the object not only of the subject but of the object that that is his in particular I go to my Father and your Father God is the Father and the God of all the Elect and only the Elect and of every one of the Elect as we say in solidum that is said to be in solidum when every one applieth the whole to himself without diminution of any part The sum is in solidum to every one that will make use of it to inlighten every Creature that shutteth not his eyes As a common Fountain is no mans in particular for no man can say this is my Fountain alone and yet every man