of his soul say that his end in coming to duties publick and private is because he would see him whom his soule loveth and therefore he is not satisfied with a duty if he meet not with God in it he may then comfortably conclude from the performing of duties a principle of grace in his heart 3. A desire to get corruption weakned and grace strengthened This is one end why God hath instituted his Ordinances that sinne may be outed thereby and grace confirmed 2 Cor. 10. 4. and 1 Pet. 2. 2. Now when a person can in the integrity of his soule say that he prays heares c. that he may get love increased faith confirmed grace exercised that he may get his heart warmed his conscience purified then he may comfortably conclude from such duties that his heart is upright with God 3. When the deportment is fair after duties I shall here name two things First When we blesse God for duties 'T is a great mercy to enjoy the Ordinances of God Psal 147. 19 20. Now when you return from prayer hearing c. if you can from your souls blesse the Lord that you have had such an opportunity from a sincere heart then you may conclude that your hearts have a principle in them above nature when you look upon them as priviledges Secondly When the doing of duties make you fruitful When you heare and give up your selves to be ruled by the Word you heare Rom. 6. 17. When you desire as well to be doers of the Word as hearers of it Jam. 1. 22 23 24. When you pray and desire to live the prayers you make to God When your soules are troubled that you cannot finde that fruitful efficacy of your duties upon your hearts and in your lives which you would fain find You can heartily chide your selves that you are no better for your duties When you go to prayer or to hearing or to the Table of the Lord your earneâ—◠〈…〉 is that he would make you 〈…〉 When you go into your â—lâ—eset to 〈◊〉 the Word you send up some ejaculation to heaven that the Word may be effectual upon your soulâ— c. then you may comfortably conclude that there is a supernatural work upon your hearts But if these things be not in you in some degree and measure the bare performance of duties though they he done never so frequently never so exactly as to the outwards of them will be no ground to you for the reasons above mentioned that you are in a good condition This is the second false Rule 3. The third false Rule Outward Prosperity Multitudes of men judge of their spiritual condition by the Rule of outward Prosperity They think their soules are in health because their bodies are in health they think they are inwardly prosperous because they are outwardly happy They have great revenues a full trading they have a multitude of children their flocks and their heards are increased they are advanced to great honours therefore they blesse themselves and say God loves them and they are highly in his favour They think they are the heires of heaven because they are the possessors of the earth Thus it was with the ten tribes when the Prophets threatned the judgements of God against them for their sinnes they ran to this Sanctuary to secure themselves they concluded Gods special favour from outward prosperity Vid. Hos 12. 8. 'T is the general and common refuge of worldly men They think their hearts are full of grace because their purses are full of gold because the world dandles them upon her lap they think God dandles them upon his knee For the removal of this I shall propound four things First 'T is a mercy in it self to enjoy a competency of these outward things To have health wealth prosperitie plentie is a mercy to be received with much thankfulnesse from God To be poore sicklie weak is in it selfe an evil and to be rich strong healthful is in its own nature a blessing which I shall prove by these two Arguments 1. The Scripture puts outward prosperity amongst blessings Deut. 28. 3 4 5 to 15. So Lev. 26. 3 4 c. Now what the Scripture calls blessing is in its own nature a blessing The judgment of God is according to truth 2. Those which are rich c. have more opportunities of doing good then such as are poore They may by their outward estates promote Religion help to advance the worship of God in the world be instruments of planting the Gospel in forreigne parts A good purse and a gracious heart meeting together may be very instrumental sundry wayes for the glory of God and the good of men They may be the meanes of bringing in many to God both by their example which is very prevalent in the world and by giving unto men rewards for godlinesse sake One rich man in a Parish may be a great help to make a Parish Religious if not in heart yet in profession which is a great mercy Rich men have a capacity of doing that good which men of meaner condition want They may relieve prisoners cloath the naked feed the hungry ransome captives which other men cannot do Now it 's a mercy to be put into a capacity of doing good 〈…〉 a good man when he is not capable 〈…〉 the good he would though it be but a temporal good 'T is a greater trouble to a good man not to be able to give then it is to the poore to be turned away without giving Though in such case the liberality of the heart is accepted instead of the liberality of the hand He that would give when he hath not to give is set down in Gods Kalendar for a bountiful man though he give nothing at all This is the first conclusion Secondly Riches and grace do sometimes go together Outward Prosperity and inward do sometimes meet in the same person 'T is not impossible that rich men should be good men We have some instances of this in Scripture Abraham was very holy Called the righteous man Esay 41. 2. the Father of the faithful The friend of God c. and yet Abraham was very rich Gen. 24. 35. Job was exceeding pious a man whom God boasts of to Satan Job 1. 8. and yet he was very rich He had plenty of children those are first put in the inventory and he was rich in all other wealth ver 3. he had seven thousand sheep three thousand camels five hundred yoke of oxen five hundred she asses and a very great houshold and Chap. ult when his estate is surveyed againe you will finde it doubled ver 12. many other instances we have in Scripture of the Association of grace and greatnesse This God doth for these six Reasons 1. To confute the judgement of the world Plain dealing is a jewel saith the world but he that useth it will die a beggar God gives these things to his people to crosse that wicked Proverb 2. To
others and yet a child of perdition Was not Simon Magus baptized Act. 8. 13. Did not Ananias and Sapphira walk with the Church of God a long time Act. 5. 1. and yet they lived and died wickedly v. 5 6 10. Had not the five foolish Virgins lamps as well as the wise Matth. 25. 1 2 3. and yet they were excluded out of heaven vers 11 12. so the three sorts of ground Matth. 13. 4 5 6 7. 2. God takes men off in Scripture from resting upon this And that both in the Old Testament and in the New In the Old Testament Jer. 7. 4. In the New Testament Matth. 3. 9. Now for a man to make that an Argument of a good condition which God saith is no Argument is to no purpose 3. Our Saviour tells that many will plead this at the day of judgement in vaine Luke 13. 26. 27. 4 A man cannot be a hypocrite till he do all these things A hypocrite may pray and fast and heare as often and as well externally as a sincere Christian Esay 58. 3. and more plainly Esay 48. 1 2. lege Therefore the bare performance of these duties doth not argue a man to be in a good condition 4. And lastly yet may a person from the performance of these duties evidence himself to be in a good condition God-ward when he doth performe them according to those Rules which the Word of God layes down I shall reduce them to three Heads 1. When holy dispositions are brought with us to duties Several dispositions the Word of God requires in every duty 1 Holy feare and reverence of God Of this David speaks Psal 5. 7. In thy feare will I worship towards thy holy Temple 'T is meet the heart should be possessed with an holy reverential awe of God when it comes before him in any duty Heb. 12. 28. The distance that is between God and man the consideration of that pollution that is upon the soules of the best should breed this reverence We cannot sanctifie God if this feare be not in our hearts Esay 8. 12. Now that man that can finde such a dispisition in his heart when he comes to heare or to pray may conclude that there is a principle of grace in his heart Though bare hearing and bare praying will not argue our estate to be good yet trembling at the hearing of the Word and a filial awe of God upon the heart in prayer will evince a spiritual principle 2 Humility of spirit God expect◠〈…〉 that come to worship him should come 〈◊〉 humbly with low mean vile apprehensions of themselves So came the Publican Luke 18. 1â— There are many things that testifie his low conceit of himself He stood afar off He would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven He smote his breast c. Thus it was with Abraham Gen. 18. 27. and thus it was with Ezra Chap. 9. 6. Now though bare prayer will be no Argument of a good condition yet praying in godly humility will if it be from the heart if it be from a deep spiritual sense of our own vilenesse If our souls lie in the dust before the Lord when we come to worship him such worship will argue grace 3 Faith in the Promise 'T is the minde of God that we should bring faith with us to God in every duty He that cometh unto God must beleeve Heb. 11. 6. Now when in hearing we can close with God by applying what we hear when in prayer we are able in some measure to cast our selves upon God to rely and depend on him for audience for acceptance When we can pray as David saith to God and look up for an answer Psal 5. 3. such dispositions in duties are Arguments of a work of grace upon the heart 4 Hungrings after God God looks that we should have strong desires after the duties of Gods worship David fainted and longed for the courts of God Psal 63. init Psal 84. 2. Psal 42. 1. When we do not onely pray but hunger after prayer When we are glad of an opportunity of hearing as David was Ps 122. 2. especially if these hungrings be to private duties as well as to publick such prayers are evidences of grace 2. When a man hath right ends in duties God looks much at the ends which men propose to themselves in all their actions And so do holy men I shall fiâ—st negatively remove those carnal ends which Hypocrites and carnal Professours propound in the duties of Religion First The pleasing of men Most propound no higher no other end of their holy services but this The Apostle dis-owns this end Gal. 1. 10. Secondly Custome When a man prayes and heares because it hath been his wont â—o to do Many men have no other end but meerly a religious wont They and their forefathers have been used to do so therefore they continue it Thirdly To avoid penalty of the Lawes This many men make their end in Religious duties Fourthly To get honour preferment repute with men When men shall pray heare meerly because they would be accounted Religious And thus the Shechemites were circumcised Gen. 34. 23. Fifthly To stop the voice of conscience Many men sometimes pray hear read the Scriptures that they may stop the mouth of conscience accusing them for some sinne committed This is nothing else but spiritual bribery Sixthly When duties are made a mask to cover some foule sinne either done or intended to be done As Jezabels fasting 1 Kings 21 9. The Pharisees long prayers Matth. 23. 14. He that makes these or any such thing◠〈…〉 end of his duties cannot conclude a principle of grace from the performance of them although they be never so frequently done But the right ends are such as these 1 Obedience to the Divine command When a person shall upon serious examination finde that his end in praying hearing c. is that he may shew his subjection to the Divine Precept He prayes not onely because he wants some mercy but because he would honour God by performing his Commands When a person can say with David Psal 119 4 5. Thou hast commanded c. He may from the performance of such services comfortably conclude that there is a principle of grace in his heart When we can appeale to God that we wait upon his Ordinances because we would do that duty we owe to God in such case we may argue from duties to grace 2 A desire to get and keep communion with God This is one end for which holy duties are appointed that by them God and the soule may come together And this hath been the end which holy men have propounded to themselves in holy duties Psal 27. 4. Thy face Lord will I seek Thus it was with David Psal 42. 2. When shall I come to appeare before God And Psal 63. 2. To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Now when a person can in the uprightnesse
without any investiture of promise or threatning carries a man out against sin then is his abstaining from sinne from a principle of true grace Not but that he that hath true grace may look both at the word of promise and the word of threatning God hath propounded both promises and threatnings to be as helps to preserve his people from sinning but the principal ground of acting against sinne is the revelation of Gods Will forbidding such actions This is that which David saith of himself Psal 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word He was kept from sinne upon the meer awful respect that his heart bore to the naked Word of God So Psal 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid within my heart that I might not sinne against thee So Joseph Gen. 39. 9. When the heart and the Word of God are shut up alone when heaven and hell promises and threatnings are laid aside and the heart and Gods command are alone if then thou be restrained from sinful actions upon the account of Gods command then is thy forbearing of sinne from a principle of grace Vid. Psalme 17. 4. By the words of thy lips Balaâ—m shewes himselfe an hypocrite in this very thing He pretends to abstaine from sinne upon the Authority of Gods Word Numb 22 18. yet afterwards in that very act goes away from God out of a covetous principle 2. He that forbeares sinful actions from a principle of grace acts against sinne out of love to holinesse He abstaines from sinne not onely as it is a deadly thing but as it is a loathsome thing Ps 119. 140. Thy Word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it David abstained from sin because of his love to the purity of Gods Law out of his love to righteousnesse This is that which is in Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me When we are kept from sinne because of the feare of God then its a right abstinence Neh. 5. 15. Esay 30. 22. When sinne is cast away and abstained from as a menstruous cloath because it hath filthinesse in it and because it pollutes them that meddle with it such forbearance of sinne argues truth of grace Psal 119. 113. 3. He that abstaines from sinne upon principles of grace will abstaine from all sinne From profitable and pleasurable sinnes as well as disparaging disgracing sinnes from small sinnes as well as great sinnes from sinful anger as well as murther from sinful words as well as sinful actions He will abstaine from walking and standing as well as from sitting with the ungodly Psal 1. 1. he will pray with David Psal 139. ult See if there be any wicked way Psal 119. 104. I hate every false way This is clear from what goes before he 〈…〉 sinne out of respect to Gods Law and 〈…〉 to holinesse therefore he cannot but desire to forbear all because every sin is unholy every sin is derogatory to Gods Law 4. He that forbears sin from a principle of grace will act as well against the being of sinne in his nature as the breakings out of sinne in his life He will labour to suppresse the corruption of his heart as the excursion of his feet Psalme 51. 5. In iniquity was I shapen c. He would be delivered from a polluted heart as well as from a polluted hand So it was with Paul Rom. 7. 23 24. he that acts against sinne from common restraint will never much care for the inhabitation of sinne but he that hath grace is most careful and sorrowful for that he would keep down the filthinesse of the spirit as well as of the flesh 2 Cor. 7. 1. the sinful habit is worse to a gracious man then the sinful Actions 5. He that forbears sinne from a principle of grace is as careful of doing good as of abstaining from evil He prays as David did Psal 119. 5. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes He that hath onely restraining grace matters not much the neglecting of good but he that hath true grace is very careful for this as well as for the other he chuseth the way of obedience as well as refuseth the way of disobedience A godly man is described by this character that he chuseth the things that please God Isa 56. 4. He is every jot as careful for the Positives as he is for the Negatives of Religion When these things concur then the forbearance of sinne will witnesse your condition to be good otherwise it will be no evidence 2. The second false Rule is Outward profession There are many who do conclude that they are in a good condition for their souls meerly because they are members of the Church especially if they heare pray c. This is the general rule whereby carnal Professours judge their condition to be good They have been baptized they have come to Gods Table they have lived in the Church c. therefore surely they are in a very healthful condition I have four things to say for this particular 1. 'T is a great honour to be a member of the Church though it be onely by visible Profession Theodosius accounted it a greater honour to be Membrum Ecclesiae then Caput Imperii It was that which advanced the people of Israel above all other people Rom. 3. 1 2. The Church of God is the most honourable society upon earth Such as are the members of the Church are neerer to God then any others They enjoy such priviledges as none else enjoy They have more helps to salvation then any others We can never be sufficiently thankful for this favour 2. To pray and to hear and to frequent the publick Ordinances c. is that which all that hope to be saved are to do That man is in a bad estate that slights these duties The wrath of the Lord lies upon them that do not call upon the Name of the Lord Jer. 10. 25. He that wilfully neglects these can never be saved Psal 14. 14. not to call upon God is the character of a worker of iniquity 3. Yes all this may be done and 〈…〉 be in a very sick estate 1. There are many instances in Scripture to prove this Was not Ishmael circumcised was not he a member of the Church Gen. 17. 16. and yet without any saving interest in the promise Was not Esan Jacobs brother was not he likewise a member of the Church and yet lived and died a profane wretch Heb. 12. 16. Did not Cain sacrifice as well as Abel Gen. 4. init and yet the Apostle saith he was of that wicked one 1 John 3. 11. What think you of Saul Ahab and all those wicked men did not they live in the Church did they not observe outwardly the worship of God and yet the sonnes of Belial In the new Testament did not the Publicans fast and pray Luke 18. 12. Was not Judas a Disciple did not he preach as well as