his actions in all his life by and then lookes up and is elevated to the right end the glory of God That his light might so shine before men that his Father may bee glorified which is in Heaven when hee doth all not for some worldly respect or for himselfe but is raised through all those transparent things and lookes through them all to God And as the stone through the liquid aire so hee lookes above all these things and poizeth to and lookes to as his end the glory of God that hee may approove himselfe to God that God may bee glorified in all his actions by his obedience obedience is right intrinsecall in these three respects and these are the intrinsecall characters of the synceritie of obedience 2. There are extrinsicall cognizances Cognizances by which a man may bee knowne to the world to bee syncere for by this only his owne spirit and that Spirit which searcheth the spirit can judge of his synceritie and so whether he doth the things which he doth aright or no but now men cannot imagine of others by these markes for they cannot enter into a mans secrets but yet there bee some outward badges by which men may judge of our synceritie and by which it may bee apparent to all that we are syncere and they are these two 1. A Current universalitie 2. A Constant perpetuitie of obedience Vniversally current adequate to the 1. A universall current of obedience reaching to whole latitude and compasse according to which wee should goe guiding the whole worke of obedience which God hath laid downe in his word for us to doe in these three respects especially 1 In respect of the Act eschewing all evill doing all good 2. In respect of the Rule the Decalogue first and second Table 3. In respect of the state generall and particular calling Act eschewing all evill doing all good First obedience if syncere it is universall in respect of affirmative and negative obedience in avoiding all evill and doing all good when a man is conscientious not only to avoid one evill but all evill and so farre as there is any difference his watchfulnesse against his owne iniquitie his owne evill his owne darling sinne hee is as nice to avoid as watchfull to prevent as harsh and bitter against that as any And when hee reacheth out not only to all negative Divinitive but to all affirmative and to doe all good to doe what ever God commands to doe every dutie in particular and to extend and reach himselfe to all duties in generall that is one thing in the universalitie 2. Obedience if syncere Rule Decalogue first second table it is universall to the whole Law when a man lookes on the duties of holinesse and righteousnesse and is conscientious in walking with God and in his addresse towards God in his ordinances wherein God is pleased to give him the meeting and to discover himselfe to him and doth performe those duties of holinesse that God requires of him Neither doth hee doe this onely towards God but towards the whole world too as hee thus walkes in the wayes of holinesse towards God in the first Table so hee walkes in the wayes of righteousnesse towards men with a care and conscience of all righteousnesse in the second Table not only doing no injurie but on the contrary excelling in charity 3. The last thing in this universalitie State in generall particular calling is in regard of a mans state calling in which hee is when a man walkes in an universall obedience not only in his generall calling as a Christian which may bee sufficiently circumscribed by what hath beene spoken but is conscientious in his particular condition and calling in which God hath set him as a Minister a conscientious Minister as a good Christian and so a wife a conscientious wife and so a childe a conscientious childe and a servant a conscientious servant and a master a conscientious master as well as a good Christian and so all other relations that God sets a man in when a man is conscientious not only in some generall way in a certaine stage like a post-horse but when God puts him on particular relations and duties he is conscious in generall and in particular duties too in all the particular relations God hath put him in this is one of the first caracteristicall cognizances viz. universalitie Perpetuitie Constant The second characteristicall cognizance followeth and that is constant perpetuitie when a man keeps a constant tenour that is not for a fit or a spurt not like some men who will be for a fit or in a humour in a mind to goe to heare a Sermon but they are not constant and so for prayer and fasting and the like but hee is constant in good wayes and will ever live and die in them not like a man that takes up resolutions and hath many good intents but is like a deceitfull bow or the morning dew and so starts aside and all vanisheth away having no root in the soule at all or having not root enough as Christ speakes in the Parable they have not any vertuall station or bottome and so are like grasse on the house top and therefore bring no crop come to no perfection there may be some affections darted into the heart of a man which are not incorporated in him and some love and some affections dart out again like lightning which guids not in but rather leads a man out of the way whereas a constant light guides a man even so it is in this case when a man hath some knowledge and some affections and some resolutions which if they bee not incorporated and rooted in a man are nothing but if they have a spring and a fountaine there as it were whereby a man walkes steadfast and continuall in a way of obedience in his ordinary course then it is syncere I know there may be failings and many of the best Christians may be sometimes out of the way as you know there is no traveller but may step out of the way but it is as you know the phrase animo revertendi and so the holy traveller to heaven may be out of the way sometime but what is his constant course and constant endeavour and his ordinary walk mark that and that will be one of the extrinsecal cognizances by which a man may judge of anothers synceritie If I see a man walk in all the ways of God that he knows and loves and feares and obeyes God constantly in his ordinary course and that it is his bent and trade and project and designe to doe so in his whole life this is an outward evidence and a very good one of his synceritie and the syncerity of his obedience which is the qualification of the third step in the way to happinesse and thus you have the explication of the point in the particulars The seventh Sermon SER. VII PSALME IV.VI. There be many
belong to the Spirit such as are communicable not only to the good and elect of God but to the wicked and reprobates such as neither have nor shall have any part in God they may have many gifts but they are but common gifts which doe not commend them to bee the sonnes and daughters of God wicked men may have a great deale of knowledge and outward godlinesse and know a great deal of the mystery of faith and other things and therefore let no man build on this sandie foundation to conceit that he is in the favour of God and a possession of him and so in a state of happinesse and way unto it 2 But to come to that which I aime at Make sure that God iâ— yâ—â—â—s make it sure unto our selves that God is ours let men goe throughly to worke and consider and deliberate of it as it becomes so solid and so serious a businesse Make sure God is yours to make sure of their salvation to work out their salvation with feare and trembling and in one word for I shall only put you in minde of what I delivered in the explication which will be the crisis of a mans estate and condition No man is in the fruition of God but he that is truly regenerated and effectually called and hee that is received into a covenant and league and confideracie with God Now therefore here will bee all the triall Let a man examine whether he be thus truly regenerated and effectually called and in one word the summe of all will be this if hee doe embrace Christ and God in Christ as Christ is offered him in the Gospell and resignes himselfe to the regiment and government of Christ and doth so esteeme and prise him that he counts all things as dung and drosse in comparison of him and can leave father and mother and forsake all to follow him and can take up his crosse undergoe any crosse and affliction that shall bee laid on him rather then he will forsake Christ or part with him they that have thus brought him in their hearts to contract it in one word to resigne themselves to the government of the Law of God and set themselves in every thing to walke with him and to approve themselves to him that have some evidences that God hath brought them into covenant and that he hath effectually called them and that all the promises and priviledges doe belong to him but without this he must not rest secure till he hath deserved some signes of this for certainly I know there be degrees of this but except he bee assured of this in some measure let no man presume that hee hath an interest in God and therefore that hee is not in the state of happinesse but he is yet in the state of sinne and of misery and that hee must repent and alter his course that so hee may make an approach to happinesse 2 But then in the second place is God our happinesse and the possession of him alone perfect happinesse then as they that as yet have not God make that the first thing they do to get him and neglect all other things for otherwise they are out of the state of and way to happinesse So in the second place let those that have God and doe enjoy him learne how charie they should be to maintaine their communion with God Retaine him they should be as charie and warie as in a thing that concernes their happinesse so neere No man would neglect his happinesse nor willingly forgoe his happines more or lesse God is all in all to the happinesse of a man And therefore if God hath given you any taste of this if he hath brought you home unto himselfe any Christian that is made sure of this let him make precious account of it and let him be very charie and warie how hee forgets his happinesse consider your close keeping to God is your close keeping to your owne happines your life and your good and your happinesse belongs to that learne therefore to depend on God and to looke charily to that Now there bee two things necessary toward this and I take both out of the Scripture Seeke his favour 1 If we would enjoy God then as in the Psalm Thou saidest Lord seeke my face thy face Lord will I seeke if we would enjoy the light of Gods countenance then it should be our care our first and chiefe care to doe our dutie to seeke the face of God O Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us seeke the face of God make it our care to keepe close to and walk with our God and not straggle and wander away from him in the wayes of sinne That which the Prophet gives us counsell to doe in Isaiah 1.17 Cease to do evill learne to doe well may serve as a generall rule Eschew evill 1 If we would enjoy God then let us be carefull to avoide and take heed of evills for every sinne doth make a separation from God sinne is the wall of separation and a cloud that hides Gods face from us Doe good 2 Seeke his face and walke more diligently and constantly in the practice and exercise of all holy duties especially the spirituall dutie of continuall prayer that is one thing by which you maintaine communion with God and so all other spirituall duties that are spirituall they are the things that doe approximate us to God and therefore let us practise them and bee serious and spirituall in the performance of them that is one thing wee must seeke his face by abstaining from every evill and doing every good especially by doing those things by which our communion with God is in an especiall manner maintained Acknowledge his favour 2 And then when all is done there is another thing Lord hide not thy face from us we must acknowledge it is all of the speciall grace of God Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us if we should set our selves to seeke God and God should hide himselfe from us if we seeke his face I say yet if God should hide his face from us there might be a great deale of sorrow and anguish of spirit it is Gods gracious freenesse to lift up the light of his countenance and therefore let us walke humbly with God that wee may not provoke him to hide his face in indignation let us prise him so I say and walke so with him as he may not forsake us For if we live not loosely and doe not evill yet if wee are but formall and cold in the performance of duty and goe not submissively about the worke and shew not the vivacitie of love and affections towards him this may cause him to hide his face from us and punish us sharply though his good will be towards us And therefore we should doe all these things that I spake of before and doe them withall humilitie and all vivacitie
wit will find something to say against it But it is no matter what men or thy owne carnall reason say so Gods word saith otherwise And therefore away with all such foolish carnall reasonings as these I would doe such a duty but there is a secret suggestion of my heart now that I thinke it not best to do it or I will doe it some other time but away with these when wee know what we should doe fall on it and doe it Away with carnall feare Feare away with feare take heed of it Rusticus expectat c. A countrey man expects at the water side to goe over he seeth the waterrunning and is resolved to stay till it was all gone but hee considered not that it came from a Fountaine And so as there wil be disputes alwais so there is a spring of difficulties that will arise as indeed there can beno good action but there is or may be some danger or difficulty in the performing of it and something that may be a restraint against the performance of it Carnall feare will hinder I shall have some shame a nick name it may be set upon me I say carnall feare of shame may hinder that is an other but we must rectifie this feare with the feare of God nay mortifie it A man must not respect such foolish things nor feare some Bug-beares but fear God And let that feare extinguish all carnall feare that may otherwise discourage and dishearten us in the thoughts of any duty 3. There is likewise carnall sloth Sloath. and sluggishnesse of our nature whereby wee learne to delay and put off and the Devill is ready to envegle us with it and put it into our heads that this may be done soone enough before I die what shall I be godly and holy and be a Saint before I come to heaven yes I tell you you must you must be Saints here or else you shall never bee Saints there Doe not delay nor dally nor suffer your corrupt nature therefore to keepe you off by any reason that can be objected againt this Do not fall off from the duty out of a meere sluggishnes to be loath to put your hands to your mouth as they say loth to put out your hands to reach the Crowne Take heed of these carnall things 2. Take heed of worldly distractions Worldly distractions It is a wonder to think into what a labyrioth the world leeds a man if hee will dance after the pipe of it sometime with this thing and sometime with the other thing so that there is no time for any duty to God doe it I must and not slothfully I see that this is a duty and there is no excuse to bee made but the subtilty of the world insinuates it selfe into us drawing us from one taske to an other taske from one occasion to an other oceasion from one visite to an other visite and complement after complement that a man eats out all his precious time cats out al good thoughts while a man danceth in that maze and followeth the world in a wild Goose chafe And certainly if a man will stay while all worldly busines bee done a man shall never have any time for God But remember one thing is necessary take your selvs off from worldly distractions do not plunge your selves over head and eares in the world Be not so deep in the world as too too many are that have nothing left nor spirit nor time for God nor for their own souls But remember 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let not the world have al bestow some time upon God some time upon your ownsoules 2. I will add but a word for the affirmative part take care of and that is concerning what you must take care of In a word 1 Hint of take the hint of al outward opportunities occasions when God offers an oportunity of doing him service of doing any act of obedieÌ„ce do it 2. And take the hint of inward motions when the Spirit of God and the dictate of our conscience doth say this is the way walke in it and thou oughtest to doe this doe it 1. Take the hint of opportunity 1 Opportunity as suppose thou hast an opportunity of prayer take heed of all those creepings and windings those serpentine tricks of the flesh and the world that would stay thee and when thou hast an opportunity to prayer offered lay hold upon it and make use of it take I say the occasion when God hath now led thee to privacy thou art then where thou maist freely have communion with God Take also that opportunity that thou hast offered to doe good to thy neighbour while wee have opportunity let us doe good to all It is not good to let slip any opportunity that is a certaine truth Doe not neglect therefore nor slightly but upon just ground let fall any opportunity when God gives a man an occasion and an opportunity it is Gods call and therefore let no opportunity slip It may be now thou hast a good knowledge of the waies of God thou hast a good affection to it and thou dost not act yet according to it but when there comes any opportunity for us let us take that occasion let that wind blow us over to God by duty let that opportunity make all move to God 2 Take the hint of the motion of Gods Spirit I doe not speake of any extraordinary motion Inward motions or revelation It is not needfull for me to stay for them neither are they such common things as some fanaticall and fantastick spirits have and do imagine whether out of strength of fancy or wickednesse of policy I know not yet notwithstanding the spirit of God hath divers wayes of revelation as in his word or upon some occasion of some acts of the spirit the spirit of grace that God hath planted in a mansheart that stirs him up to good And this spirit of God doth often times whisper to us saying this is a duty thou must doe and thy conscience doth witnesse with the spirit that it is so and thy owne affections if thou hast any heaven ward duty-ward do stirre thee also now these come on thee doe not neglect the offer of the spirit doe not quench the spirit of God Thou hast it may bee a motion to goe and pray to God and this comes from a regular ground and it is also seasonable doe not lightly then extingtish and quench the spirit through neglect drive not away the spirit God is willing to strive with thee and thou shalt not drive away the spirit if thou art but â—achable if thou hast but an eare to hear oh â—f God wil sweetly converse with us and put an hâ—nt to quicken good motions in us if hee will I say O let us cherish them by putting ourselves ponduty O when God offers the hint by his spirit take it take that hint I say A man may doe