humblings as being the common road through which men go that come to Christ then put in a few words to ease troubled souls because they cannot find them alas they little regard these words being but particular exceptions from a general Rule That soul which is tender and very inquisitive after the soundness of its own conversion will not be satisfied unless it can find all that in its self which other Converts have The scope of my book being to help remove stumbling blocks out of the way of a tender Christian who would fain be sound and get its work cleared out let me lay down my thoughts concerning Preparations in general under these following Positions First Position It is the duty of all the sons and daughters of Adam who hear the Gospel preached and Christ offered to them to believe in or receive Christ be they prepared or not prepared I say it is the Duty incumbent upon them All Not that it is their duty mediantibus preparationibus if you be prepared but not your duty if you be not prepared So that my duty depends upon my preparation not so but I say though men be not prepared yet they ought to believe it is their duty to receive Christ What men will do is another thing I shall speak to that in my next Position but now I am speaking of what they ought to do If you ask me of what use is this Position to a gracious heart troubled about its state I answer If it be made good as I doubt not but I shall make it good it is the best answer thou canst give to the objections which thy timorous heart and a cavilling devil do make against thy believing in Christ or thy Faith from the want of these preparations no answer like it experience you what I say Satan you have a long time been battering of my poor Faith and beating me off from Christ but here Christ is offered to me I am called to receive him is it my duty or not my duty to close with him Yes saith he I never denied it was your duty if you were prepared for him as your own Ministers preach by conviction great terrors fears sorrows humblings which thy unbroken heart was never acquainted withall But Satan where doth the holy Scripture by which I must be judged put that condition prepared into the Command to make it my duty I know very well why Ministers preach these preparations but do any understanding Ministers preach them as things antecedent to make Faith in Christ my duty As for my Will Christ hath it whatever my preparations were My soul embraceth him as he is offered his terms please me well If I do not believe I disobey the great Command Why then do you endeavour to beat me off from my duty by suggesting to me this my want of preparations Let me prove my Position 1 John 3.23 This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ Is the word prepared put in Doth it run thus This is his Commandment when we are prepared to believe in his Son The next words and love one another I hope this is not a duty depending upon our being prepared That when we are prepared then it is our duty to love one another and not before no more is our Faith in Christ our duty after we are prepared they are both joyned together in the Text. Commands bind the Creature immediately Commands express our duty unto God without Conditions Promises express the good Will of God to us upon Conditions It is as much every mans duty to believe in Christ when he hears him preached and offered as it is to love God and our neighbour But will any man say it is not our duty to love God and our neighbour until we be prepared Object The reason is not the same those were our duties in the state of innocency before the fall Answ The Argument signifies nothing For it is not the state I am in be it innocency or nocency that makes any thing my duty but the Command of the supreme Law-giver Take away the Command there is no Obligation But the Command being given to fallen man to believe in Christ his Redeemer it is as much his duty to believe in him in a state of nocency as to love God in a state of innocency 2. Reason doth as well dictate that fallen undone man a slave a captive under sin Satan and wrath should fly to God embrace a Redeemer revealed and offered as it doth dictate he should love his Creator in a state of innocency Object But Christs calls the weary the laden the thirsty c. which denote a soul qualified Answ What then doth it follow it was not their duty to believe in him and receive him before they were laden weary c No man will love God as he ought with that love his people do but there must be a great work first wrought on the heart but is it not his duty to love him before that work be done To this purpose speaks Christ John 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Those to whom Christ gives this answer did not appear to be men prepared by ver 26. yet this was the work of God which at that time they were bound to do then surely it was their duty Secondly That famous Text John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed in him c. Here is a blessed offer of Christ but to whom to the prepared ones The Text saith Whosoever believes in him Surely it is the duty then of every one to whom this blessed offer is made to accept him and not to say alas I am not prepared so this offer belongs not to me Thirdly The 18. ver and 36. ver of the same Chapter He that believeth not is condemned already If all men be condemned for not believing in Christ then all men were bound to believe it was their duty This plea will not serve the turn to say Lord it was not my duty to believe in Christ I was not prepared or qualified for faith Object This is the way to make plain Hypocrites and hath been the cause that so many have been made to wit men jump out of a state of nature into a state of believing without any humblings preparations and hence have held for a time but fallen off at last and that finally Answ 1. I pray first what do you mean by that state of believing or by faith if you understand faith as Mr. Perkins Mr. Rogers and the Ancient Divines it were dangerous indeed to talk of such faith without preparations but I do not affirm yea I utterly deny that faith to be the duty of all men 2. Shew that man who did ever truly close with Christ and grew an hypocrite or rotten at last for want of preparations before his closing with Christ I
able to subdue all the enmity of his heart against God all his lusts and corruptions he must mortifie and walk before God in a holy frame continually he that undertakes this undertakes a hard task if he understand it he will soon find either of them impossible one as easie as the other chuse which you think is the easiest Thus then the Spirit takes him off First By convincing him of the nature of sin of guilt what it is to have a holy and just Law broken What are all thy duties thou performest What is thy righteousness though it were pure which it is not to satisfie the holy Law of a Just God which thou hast broken so many thousand times and hast a heart opposite and enemy to it If thy nature were now holy and all thy life from this time holy this is but thy duty and so it was alwayes Can thy doing that which is now thy duty to answer this day make satisfaction for not doing thy duty all thy life before If a man be taken clipping the Kings Coin or hath committed some one capital Crime if he comes before the Judge and pleads he lived all his life time before clear from such Crime and will do from henceforth it was but once that he did so will this answer the Law Will the Judge acquit him He did and doth but his duty if he lived before and will do after as he pleads he should have done so when he committed that Crime the Law calls him a Son of death and dye he must for that one Crime Shall then a man having a nature that hates the righteous Law of God and tramples upon it daily think with a few pittiful duties repentings c. to answer a thousand and ten thousand breaches of the holy Law of his Soveraign The wages of sin is death and dye thou must unless a ransome can be found Secondly By convincing him of the sin of his nature he opens to him that fountain of iniquity that sinning sin and if this be once opened by the Spirit it will take down the pride of any self-Justiciary let him that fecleth this talk of his righteousness duties works if he can if he doth I know what his language must be When I read men denying original sin I do not wonder at all their proud Opinions and self-advancing Doctrines Whence did these men descend Not from our father Adam surely there is talk now of another World in the Moon the inhabitants there came not from the stock we did certainly these men dropped out of that world and therefore deny this sin of our nature they find it not in their nature This I am sure of say these men what they please I know nothing that doth so abuse a man beats him out of himself and all conceits of his own righteousness that makes a man see himself loathsome undone damned for ever in himself as the discoveries and sense of this sin of sins Take a man who hath committed the vileir actual sins could I suppose that man to be guilty only of them and without this original sin I should not judge that man so sinful as he that is defiled with this original sin though by the restraining Providence of God he be kept from breaking out into actual gross evils I do more adore the riches of Gods grace in pardoning this sin then in pardoning any actual sin except Adam's first sin yet his grace deserves to be adored for pardoning actual sins Though Christ did beat Paul down to the earth with that miraculous light and voice which he heard yet I conceive he had not beat him out of his Pharisaical righteousness had not another light discovered this woful sin of his nature which makes the unspotted blameless Pharisee cry out and confess In me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing Rom. 7.18 Before there was no evil now there is no good Thus I agree as I said before with Mr. Shepherd if a man like Paul whom he mentions have trusted to his own goodness duties honest conversation righteousness and here have found his rest if ever God shew mercy to such a one then in the first stroke of Conviction he rips up this Monster he shall need no more I warrant him to make him change his thoughts and make him see the need of another righteousness and a strong Redeemer Thirdly God may let the same corruptions of which he was convinced at first and which caused those fears and sorrows to be working again putting forth themselves in strong motions the feeling of which doth almost sink his heart he thinks to Hell now he must go for he finds his lusts are too strong for him though he hath smarted for them and thought he should never have any thing more to do with them yet now he finds his heart is naught vile wicked as ever and begins to despair it may be in his struggling with his lusts he flabs is foiled if not carried away as before and this kills him Fourthly God may let more corruptions loose that is to be inwardly working that the man can see nothing but corruption and cryes out he was never so bad Sin taking occasion by the Law wrought in me all manner of coneupiscence Rom. 7.8 Luther found temptations to all sins but Covetousness Paul felt all manner of Concupiscence a common thing for Christians under the work to cry out they were never worse never so bad Fifthly God shews no acceptance of his duties le ts him find no peace or quietness by them but Conscience is still roaring at him drawing up bills of indictment against him still charging him with fresh sins which it may be he had forgotten or doth still commit so that the Soul finds no rest Sixthly The Lord may and doth many times withdraw his assistance unto duties that the man cannot pray nor mourn as before is not so lively but grows more dead and blockish hard hearted as he conceives and feels himself God is free in his assistance and influences he is not bound to give them while the man could pray and relent in prayer his heart tender and mourning he had some hopes but now his eyes are dry his heart hard cannot relent now all is naught this cuts off all his hopes and now must perish Seventhly The Spirit sets home this Doctrine with authority so that there is no opposing Without Christ there is no salvation He that believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 Thou thinkest thou hast this and that which will speak well for thee Hast thou Christ If a Christless Soul have you what you will else the wrath of God abideth on thee John 3. ult Such words are set home with that life that there is no gainsaying the Soul must look out for a Saviour else all will be naught More possibly may be added but I think these
are the Heads be they more or less by which the Spirit doth usually drive the Soul out of it self Some Christians experience some of these some more of them some fewer no matter how many of them or how few if the Spirit useth any of them they shall do the work he intends For the effects of this work of the Spirit what follows upon it I shall briefly touch them but make no use of it for the reason I gave in my former Head First The good opinions man had of himself are now confuted the high thoughts of himself are taken down he seeth now his money is but brass not so good How highly did Paul value his priviledges his Pharisaical righteousness before Christ came to this work What a low esteem had he of them all after this work that now we are upon Phil. 3.7 8 9. thus it is with all true Converts had the man any opinions in doctrien proud and high they were never so confuted as now did he cry up the great Diana of Liberum arbitrium as most do and we grant it to be Liberum when the Son hath made it free now he calls it Servum arbitrium as Luther did Jansen Augustin tom 2. l. 3. c. 5. p. 182. and blessed Austin long before him as Jansenius in his excellent Work doth manifest in several places and saith he knows not what that new Writer means he doth not name him who saith Nomen servi arbitrii was never heard of in the Catholick Church for fifteen hundred years when as he makes it clear by his quotations out of Austin that he had called it so several times Conses l. 8. c. 5. Blessed Austin vvas not the man alone vvho complain'd of his Ferrea Voluntas here are others vvith him vvho feel it as vvell as that blessed Saint did Had the man slight thoughts of imputed righteousness did he jeer at it as some have done and do still his thoughts are changed he is now convinced of such a necessity of a perfect righteousness that now imputed righteousness is the most precious Doctrine of the Gospel the very life blood of a Christian the Spirit hath so disputed with him in this work of self-emptying that now all the Arguments in the Jesuits Colledge he scorns them he hath sound it felt it Lord if thy free Grace do not save me my free will I am fure will damn me Surely in the Lord not in my self have I righteousness and strength in him only must I glory Isai 45.24 25. Secondly The second effect is this by this work of the Spirit there is made a further and fuller conviction of a mans misery God drives the nail home to the head he was convinced of a miserable state before but now it is confirmed with a witness for though by the former conviction he saw himself to be bad yet not so bad it may be but he might have some good he thought he could do something to help himself set some good works against his bad ones but now he seeth he was mistaken he is convinced with Paul In me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing Rom. 7. He doth not say there dwells but a little good but no good he did not think he had been so wicked so vile void of any thing that good is though he had read The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 yet he did not believe the Text to be true till his own heart became a Comment upon Gods Text and proved it Thirdly Now those Qualifications mentioned in the Gospel Luke 19.10 weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.28 are known experimentally others can prate of them but this Soul feels them Laden he is with the burden of his guilt and woful wicked heart a burden too heavy for him Psal 38.4 The man labours also under this would fain get rid of his load but he finds all is labour in vain no ease no rest comes but undone he is not withstanding all the duties he hath done or can do now he is lost though in his first conviction he saw he had gone astray from God and was going to hell yet he thought he could find the way home to God again by the compass of his own good duties repentance and reformation the new and living way he knew not nor thought there was any need of it but now he seeth he is bewildred quite lost when he hath walked a great while he seeth the Lake of hell fire before him still a way to hell he can find but no way to God Satan that Lion roars Conscience that affrights him in this Wilderness where he is wandring and what an afflicted condition that is lost Souls experience Fourthly Now is the Soul ready to listen to any one who shall direct him to get out of this misery in which he feels he is involved now the news of a Saviour is welcome the voice of the Gospel is pleasant now propound the terms say what you will only save me from my sin and misery and I shall willingly accept of a Christ the Soul now is rightly prepared for Christ It is a practise in some Towns so long as the poor in the Parish have any thing of their own in their houses which is money-worth except a bed or some such thing they will not take them into their Collection but let them make money of what they have and maintain themselves with that or make it over to them they must be poor indeed before they come into their Collection It is a truth I am sure here so long as the Soul hath any thing money-worth that it thinks is worth as Paul did Phil. 3 as it will not come to Christ so in this differs from many who are willing enough to burden Towns though they have something of their own so neither will Christ take them into his Collection or rather relief for he collects nothing he hath fulness enough to relieve all the poor of his Flock but poor they shall be before he will take them So long as the Prodigal could common with the Hogs fill his belly with husks he would not go home he was first brought to the starving point So it is with Souls if they can fill themselves or find any sustenance from their husky duty they will not go home through pride or shame but when brought to starving stay now Christ born in Bethlehem or house of bread And is that living bread becomes precious Thus John hath done his work that is To make ready a people prepared for the Lord Luke 1.17 Here we find this Soul thus far it is come it is prepared for the Lord. No saith holy Hooker and Shepherd there is something else required to a true preparation For Mr. Hooker though I had heard of his Doctrine yet I had not read his Book before I had read Mr. Shepherd and had seriously considered him I see both the Father-in-law Mr. Hooker
according to the Question there are many things which are my duty to do yet the doing of them is not saving grace to pray to partake of the Sacraments to hear the Word c. they are my duty but praying receiving hearing are not saving grace the principles that move me to these duties may argue grace the manner of my performance of them may be gracious but the doing of the things do not argue grace yet I am bound to the duty as well as to the principles and manner of doing not to do these duties argue no grace say the bastard-spiritualists of our times what they please Let them tell God one day they were so spiritual that they had no need of but were above his Ordinances and Appointments see if this will satisfie their Judge for such contempt of his Institutions Thus to apply this my drawing up this Conclusion that Christ is mine and that my sins are pardoned may be my duty which I may be bound to assent unto though it be no saving grace a man may from a gracious principle draw up the Conclusion and graciously possess it and that he must do if possels it at all The Things which I would premise are these First Though it is true the Spirit of God must put to his assistance and must be the chief Actor in the drawing up the Conclusion and setting the Soul in the comfortable assurance of it yet this doth not take it off but it may be my duty as well to draw up this Conclusion This I put in to take off that Objection which some may have and many no doubt have it lye secretly within them this is the Spirits work and so look no further to any act of theirs but only to listen for some kind of revelation whisper or some such secret word as Mr. Bolton mentions which I quoted before out of him without making use of their examination and spiritual reason upon that self-examination If the Spirit of God doth not put to his hand in all the works we do and duties we perform we make bungling untoward work but this doth not take off my obligation nor my endeavour to perform those duties My duty is one thing what that free Agent will help me to do is another thing I am to attend my duty and look to him for his assistance It is the same case here Do our duty if it prove a duty and wait for the Spirit in doing it He witnesseth with our spirits Rom. 8.16 While we are doing our duty and our spirits witness the Spirit of God doth co-witness What do you know but he may do it now Secondly The drawing up this Conclusion as to the degree of the strength and clearness of it is very various among Christians some do it more strongly and clearly by far than others but what then if you cannot come to their degree will you endeavour nothing at all or is your little though weaker nothing because it is not so strong so clear as his I do not doubt but in many Christians where this work of examination heart-inspection is kept up but the Conclusion is in some small degree a supporting degree drawn up and might be more did they apprehend or could be convinced that there lay any duty upon them as to this work Thirdly Though Christians when they have laboured and ventured to draw up the Conclusion and found sweetness in that Honey comb cannot hold it long but loose it again to morrow it may be they are at a loss this doth not argue that thou didst err in drawing up the Conclusion nor take thee off at all from they duty to labour to conclude again yea if thou loosest it a hundred times yet endeavour to conclude again Alas saith the Soul I had it once I could humbly say Christ is mine it was so sweet unto me but now I have lost it What news you tell us as if no body knew it but your self find out if thou canst Christian how thou camest to loose it if you be sure it be lost may be it is only in a degree the Spirit the free Agent withdrawing for a time but if this be thy frame to search out causes if any such be blameable and labouring to come up again to conclude again if it be a hundred times as I said I shall like your condition better than I have liked some who have attained to a high pitch of assurance from an absolute promise set home by the Spirit as they think or any other way and hence they say Once the Lords and ever the Lords whom God once loves he alwayes loves and thus have rested upon such a revelation or call it what you will that gave them their full assurance at such a time but their future conversation hath not been so answerable to such high assurances not so tender awful holy as those who could never speak of such high assurances in such wayes as these Christians do Now for a few words to prove that a Christian who upon self-examination or examination by others judicious and godly being convinced so much at least that he dares not deny but God hath wrought the good work of faith in him ought to conclude Christ is mine and pardon is mine First Something he must conclude else to what end is his self-examination Either then he must conclude Christ is mine and pardon is mine or the contrary Christ is not mine c. For him to conclude Christ is not mine pardon is not mine is to give the lye to the Word of God and conclude that to be none of Gods Word I pray Christian go along with me and wind out if you can I say thou givest the lye to thy Bible for though it is true I cannot prove from the Bible by necessary consequence that I am a Believer as I can prove I am an undone Sinner and unbeliever naturally from the Scripture though my name be not in it but this being cleared I stand convinced and dare not deny the work of faith in me now for me to deny that Christ is mine or pardon mine is to give the lye to the Word of God for you say and suppose a man may be a believer in Christ and yet not justified nor united to Christ and so Christ his which is directly against the Word Rom. 3.26 That he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Acts 14.39 By him all that believe are justified from all things c. Yet once more If the Bible tell us this is saving faith you upon examination or others skilful in the work help you to examine and there you find that which agrees with that work mentioned in your Bible for saving faith if you will yet deny that you have saving faith or that you are a believer I cannot see but that implicitely at least you give the lye to your Bible for that which your Bible sayes is saving faith you cannot deny but you
freely giving and the Son in purchasing great things what is that to you 3. Thankfully wondering at and admiring as I am sure you will wonder and admire at this Grace of his those Christians I say that thus endeavour to draw up the Conclusion they do quit themselves more like Christians answer their duty and shew a more humble Spirit and reverent awe of God than those who out of a pettish froward and quarrelling kind of humour set themselves to oppose whatever the most judicious experienced and godly Christians can say for their establishing and comfort Object The thing I am as willing to endeavour to do as you would have me But what if I do conclude Christ is mine and pardon is mine and I should be mistaken how then How woful were my condition Answ First All the Christians in the world that ever were or shall be may make this Objection so no Christian should ever have drawn up this Conclusion that Christ is mine c. Secondly How did our Christians in our Fathers times when they taught them that Faith was the particular perswasion and assurance that Christ is mine that my sins are forgiven This Objection was as full against them as me and as they apprehended Faith to be no body should have believed if this Objection be sufficient to keep them off Thirdly Is it a duty or not You are bidden to examine and prove your self To what end Do but say that and we shall know what to say to you if a duty then you perform an Act of obedience and say were it not for obedience Lord I dare not do it but since it is disobedience if I do not endeavour I will then beg of thee help me to draw up the Conclusion that now I may be able to say Christ is mine and pardon is mine Fourthly The consequences will prove whether a mistake or not see how this works if the heart by it be drawn forth in more love to God joy in God awful reverence of God humble and holy walking with God uprightness for God stronger life of faith upon God more quiet submission under God I say if these be the consequences that the Conclusion drawn up works this way fear no mistakes all will do well in the conclusion Object Since it is thus Tell me when may I truly conclude and say Christ is mine and pardon is mine When may I apply the precious Promises that carry these rich benefits in them to my self without deceiving my self Answ The Question is answered already in what hath been said to that experience which we often find in Christians scarce any thing more common when as upon serious examination of themselves or when others have helped them to clear out their work of faith so as they dare not deny it but stand convinced that God hath done it whereas now they should conclude then they are in a state of faith that Christ is theirs and pardon is theirs because the Word of God saith so which is the ground of the conclusion yet they fly off and dare not conclude But yet to give you another answer and it shall be the same which Mr. Shepherd gives to a Question like it Quest Sound Believer p. 211 212. When may a Christian take a Promise without presumption as spoken to him and given to him in particular To this he answers The Rule is very sweet but certain when he takes all the Scripture and embraceth it as spoken to him he may then take any particular promise boldly my meaning is when a Christian takes hold and wrastles with God for the accomplishment of all the promises of the New Testament when he sets all the Commandements before him as his Rule and Compass and Guide to walk after when he applies all the threatnings to drive him nearer unto Christ the end of them this no Hypocrite can do this the Saints shoul do and by this may know when the Lord speaks in any particular unto them Thus he This Rule is sure and will deceive no man if he do not deceive himself in the application of the Rule look you to that Christian and you have a full answer to your question Object Is that part of his answer right which teacheth Christians to apply all the threatenings to drive them to Christ Doth this agree with a true Christian to be acted with threatnings Is not this slavish and unworthy of him who hath ever tasted of the love of God that he must be driven to Christ to duty and taken off from sin by threatnings fears of hell c. Answ His Answer stands right no error in it as for the Objection it is that indeed which many Christians suspect themselves by they fear they are not right and question whether they may make use of such Arguments some Christians cry it down very much I have heard as if it were not a principle or practise consistent with Christianity therefore I will speak a few words to it and but briefly And thus I pass to some of those things which cause trouble in the conversation of a Christian constituted Here let us distinguish between a man 1 Who is actually under these terrors and fears of Hell or other judgments from an awakened Conscience that lasheth him sorely under which fears the man is a meer Passive they arise in him against his will and are upon him against his will shake them off as yet he cannot and while he is under these he dares not but perform duties he dare not follow his lusts or vain companious being acted and moved from these fears he now lieth under will he nill he And Secondly A man who is not actually under them not a meer Passive his conscience doth not terrifie him as the other but he as an Active or Agent makes use of this Argument Hell judgments and wrath of God to keep under that vile corrupt part which would be rebelling against God and carrying on his Soul to sin also to towze up his lazy heart to duty and to press after Christ more to get evidence of his interest in him thus to be moved and a man to endeavour to move and stir up himself to duty to follow Christ to keep down the rebellious risings of a corrupt principle within him is well consistent with true Christianity and not unbecoming him who hath tasted of the love of God This is First Rational It agrees with found reason Secondly Seriptural It agrees with the holy Scriptures and I hope this is enough I say it is Rational and that upon these Grounds First Christianity doth not at all destroy Reason the faculties of man as to their essence are the same after Christ union with him which they were before he knew Christ Now it is essential to the will to be moved with good or evil to chuse good to fly from evil To have the will taken off from any thing because there is great evil attends it this is but rational agreeing
all these have born up bravely by your faith above sinking and afflicting thoughts and solaced your Soul with the joyes of Heaven if it be so magnifie mercy and yet pity those who would walk with God uprightly and do for the main but have not yet attained to that measure you have but if you have not been under these conditions and experienced what the temptations are if you will teach them their duty how they should walk do it but yet let it be with compassion the poor body will complain we live an Animal as well as a rational and spiritual life and though I know God can send in that which shall lift up a Soul above all discouragements under these conditions yet that all Christians under these conditions have such influences of grace and comfort from God alwayes abiding by them to do it though sometimes a glimpse they meet with I do not find it Secondly As to the fixing of the thoughts upon such an object so as no other thoughts intermix themselves more than they should in prayer I have nothing to say against it if this be the duty that we must separate so much time for these thoughts or meditations only What others find of intermixing of thoughts in prayer I know not but this I know who hath cause to be ashamed and humbled for such intermixings had we not a High-Priest to bear the iniquities of our holy things I know it would go ill with some body When the mind of a man is like a Spannel that runs before his Master one while he keeps before him in the path presently he is hunting on the other side the hedge then into the path he comes again and runs a while by and by gone again thus the mind one while attends the business it is about presently it slips aside to other matters then in again but to hold it firm fixed in the work alwayes in the path this some body finds hard But when we come only to thinking meditating who will fix this Quicksilver The Bird hops off one bough to another stayes long on none this vanity and inconstancy is a wretched distemper and this makes the duty of meditation so hard If the heart be laden with sorrows or filled with fears it can fix the mind upon the Objects which cause these fears or sorrows if it be enlarged with joy delight it will fix on the Object that causeth it so if love and desire be greatly drawn forth after an Object it will fix the mind upon the Object Voluntas imperat intellectui quoad exercitium actus Impellit intellectum ad considerationem But the affections must be much enlarged else they will not fix the mind Hence many Christians I do not mean such as bear the name only but real and serious Christians if I have any skill to judge by the inward acquaintance I have with them and observation of their conversation have complained much and said they find this to be such a hard duty when they set themselves apart only to think and meditate that they cannot perform it after that manner which Divines write not out of a corrupt spirit and enmity to the duty for they are very willing with it and try to do it but cannot fix their minds and make them hold to the thing they propound but for secret prayer there they make up what they cannot in meditation And in truth the prayers of many Christians what are they but their spiritual meditations expressed in words to God But if other thoughts should come in are they as sinful as in prayer wherein we deal with God immediately in Divine worship Thirdly For the time allotted for this duty one hour or half an hour To hold the mind fixed one hour or half an hour together without any other thoughts intermixed about Heavens Joyes or iudeed about any other Grace what say poor Christians to this Hath the blessed God revealed this to be his will hath he set down the time how long Christians must meditate What if a Christian cannot hold his mind fixed a quarter of an hour what if not half a quarter doth he break any Command or Rule of God form editation I know very well the Scripture speaks of meditating in the Word day and night but the meaning of that Text I hope is not according to this duty of meditation which is urged in this manner Many poor Christians who cannot meditate of Heavens Joyes or other Graces half an hour nor quarter without thoughts intermixing do yet labour to meditate in the Word both day an night Psal 1.2 that is endeavour to have their conversation framed according to the Word both day and night I honour much that holy man whose name I have forgot but he was Minister either in Wales or near Wales the same man it was as I remember whose conversion was so observable two Livings he had before his conversion but discharged not his duty to one being at a Fair and buying something at a Pedlers Stall he rends off a leaf of Mr. Perkins Catechism to put the thing into which he bought and reading a line or two in it God set home something out of it which did the work presently he parts with his best Living kept the least and proves a faithful Labourer in Gods Vineyard This holy man was observed by those who lived in the house with him to keep Fasts alone and they observed this was his manner sometimes to walk then fall down upon his knees to prayer and was not at prayer but a very short time may be five or six minutes then walk again and pray again a few minutes and thus spent his day in meditation and prayer This man I much honour that could do thus and so I do those who can meditate if two hours or ten hours but to set down times how long men should meditate I know no ground for that First I conceive under favour meditation is then rightly performed when the affections are wrought up unto a sutableness with the object I am meditating upon Would I meditate upon the vanity of the Creature to which I see my self enslaved too much if I can by meditation come to see the vanity of it by the Spirit of God assisting me that I find my affections are more loosened from is get more above it and take up more in God I conceive meditation hath in its measure attained its end If it be any lust or sin that I would see the evil of it if the Spirit helps me in meditation to see the evil of it so that I fear it I tremble at it my will turns away from it and begs grace and strength against it a heart to hate it meditation hath its end If my Object be God Christ Grace Holiness and I would see the good of these if the Spirit assisting me I come so to see the good of these that my will chuseth love desire run out after these with an unsatisfied spirit
till I enjoy these or if I cannot come to the enjoyment yet my affections and will pursue those I think meditation hath its end In meditation I see the object as it is I affect as I see and follow as I see and affect in my endeavours allowing here various degrees both in the sight and affections yet so as the prevalency is on Gods side I conceive this person hath in his measure performed this duty Now let this meditation be performed how it will let it be in what length or shortness of time what is that to the essence of the duty If a man can thus meditate as he sits in his house amongst others if as he walks in the streets about his other occaons if as he is at his work in his calling if as he walks in the fields or rides or in bed so the end of meditation be attained though he doth not separate himself only for meditation as for prayer if this meditation for the time be not a quarter of an hour or half quarter but often in a day as those who are plagued with their hearts followed with temptations all the day long are put upon these meditations frequently will not this meditation answer the Scripture-meditation unless we separate our selves one hour or half an hour to meditate and that upon the Joyes of Heaven If not let us hear a Scripture-reason to prove it For those who are able to contemplate and solace themselves with the Joyes of Heaven if it be ten hours together I only say they are the happier men and have great cause to bless God for such a mercy given to them But when I come to impose duties as meditation c. upon Christians to be performed by them in such a manner and for such a time and their soundness or unsoundness seriousness or slightness is determined according to their performance or non-performance according to that manner which I set down surely I had need bring clear Scripture proof to warrant what I impose and not speak or write that which shall perplex many sincere Christians and make them call all their work into question because they come not up to what I deliver Of the same opinion concerning meditation was that judicious and able Divine Mr. Nathaniel Rogers of whom I made mention in my Epistle to the Reader a man of solid judgment a close walker with God and awed with the reverent fear of God who could not be perswaded to publish any thing being troubled with an Haemoptysis or spitting of blood he thought it would kill him if he should go about such a work this excellency he had in his work that as he was very sound clear and searching so he was ever very tender and careful that he spake nothing which should perplex or trouble a poor sincere Christian Having handled a Christians daily walk with God which he did to the life and which deserved the Press as well as any practical piece of Divinity that is printed I observed he omitted that Head of meditation which I waited for I asked him in private why he did not preach upon it as others had done and that in such a manner as now we are speaking of as if meditation were not rightly performed unless men did separate themselves unto this duty daily as they do to prayer besides that meditation which they had as I instanced before To which he answered It is true men had printed so but he could not prove it out of the Word and he did not love to impose that upon the people of God which he could not find God himself to impose That meditation was a duty was not the question and so instanced how and when Christians might meditate but the question was as to such a way and manner of performing the duty which some Divines had set down putting the stress in the performance of it after such a way and manner binding all Christians to that as if the duty were not performed unless so performed this he could not prove therefore would not preach it but omitted it Secondly I conceive the fixedness of the thoughts in meditation to hold long upon such or such a Subject which we would meditate upon depend First Upon the tempers and constitutions of men Some are of a temper inclining to Melancholy which temper renders men more fixed in what they fasten upon in meditation be it what it will If the humour be predominant it fixeth men too much Others are of a more volatile hot constitution which temper cannot fix as the other can Secondly It depends upon the strength of the Invention For a man to dilate upon a Subject in meditation as he must if he holds long and fixed it cannot be if his Invention be weak Hence that worthy Divine who makes the Abridgment of Mr. Rogers seven Treatises upon that Chapter of Meditation as I remember for I have not the Book though once I saw it teacheth men how to help themselves in meditation by carrying the Subject they meditate upon through Ramus Topicks Hence for men of vast parts large inventions and of a more fixed melancholy temper to be longer in meditation than others is no wonder Hence also many Christians who cannot separate themselves to meditate an hour or half hour yet can tell how to improve the Sermons they hear because in preaching the Ministers invention hath helped their inventions giving them Light Arguments Motives c. which move upon their wills and affections and help them to pray and follow God to teach them to profit I say many Christians can do thus But what shall we say to many plain hearted Christians who go with a sincere frame to hear Gods Word and profit by it set themselves to observe and lay up for themselves but sometimes through the imprudence of the Ministers lading the hearers heads with many heads what with darkness being not clear in what they deliver what through want of method or tediousness in preaching many poor Christians can bring away nothing they hear something which they think they will lay up then they hear more and that they would lay up and thus while they are greedy to catch and lay up the Word while they lay up one thing they loose another and in conclusion loose all their weak memories being not able to retain what they hear and would lay up but while they catch at much and would lay up much they loose all then they complain of their unprofitableness and dulness none so bad as they How can they meditate upon that which they do not remember Yet divers of these good Christians it was not their giving way to sleepiness so much or want of attention but weakness of understanding and memory that hindered Thirdly It depends upon the strength of habitual Grace received and the influences which that habitual Grace hath from the Spirit of Grace Men who have received great Grace and whom the Lord doth influence daily with second
is mine will require the assistance and testimony too of that good Spirit when he helps the Soul to make his Syllogisme indeed the Soul shall be able to draw up his Conclusion according to his Premises He is called the Comforter and this his Office none can perform but himself if others help it is a he conveys himself by them Such is the work of Conversion from the first work of Illumination to the last all the things that come within the compass of a real Christian they do all depend upon the Spirit of God Men shall know it is not their great learning high parts c. that can do any thing belonging to a real Christian without the Spirit of God His work doth not depend upon the greatness of mens abilities God hath no need of them yea we find that as great parts hinder men from sound conversion that is a low thing fit for Mechanicks so where men have by the work of Gods Spirit attained to saving Grace their great parts have been great hinderances to their setling and comfort Many a poor sincere Christian whose natural abilities are but low shall be able to draw up the Conclusion and walk in the comfort of it that Christ is mine when other great heads though they have Grace shall not be able to reach it their excellent parts do but help them to be the more acute Disputants against themselves snarle and baffle themselves No flesh shall glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.29 Hence we have known great Scholars able Divines have been glad to confer with and listen to the experiences of plain Christians in these cases Thus the eye hath need of the hand 1 Cor. 12.21 yea of the foot Seventhly Many Christians must have their setling and assurance come in their way which they have set down they chalk out Gods path for him they must have their comfort and evidence as such a Christian had it may be in an absolute promise without any condition expressed this was the only way of evidencing which some cried up and all assurances that came not this way were not valued this would take up some paper to handle that question which did so unbottom many serious Christians it would be too long to treat of it here but thus divers have lain looking for and listning after such a word set home by an impulse of the Spirit and all other wayes of evidencing are neglected to draw up a mans evidence by syllogizing taking first the word then applying that word to my heart and if my heart answers the word then conclude thus or so of my condition this was cryed down as being no sure or sound way of evidencing Hence many poor but sincere Christians were afraid and dare not go this way to work This hath made sad work I know where Lastly Some Ministers have preached it and their works published have declared it that Assurance is no saving Grace it is comfort but not grace and now there is no great danger though they do want assurance for they want not grace but want the comfort only of their grace in wanting assurance So they may do well in the conclusion though they want comfort at present it is want of saving grace not comfort which will ruine them This will occasion another Question Quest Whether a Christian upon self-examination or examination by others judicious and godly being convinced so much at least that he dares not deny but God hath wrought the good work of Faith in him ought not now to conclude Christ is mine and my sins are forgiven I speak of such a Christian who hath been examining himself by what hath gone before or by any other Book or Rules which are sound and unerring Some their Rules are false and most men judge by false Rules but I am speaking of a real Christian who is careful of his Rule and as careful in the applying of his heart to the Rule Amongst these in discourse we meet with some who manifest too much frowardness pettishness whom I much mislike and suspect others of a more humble meekened reverent frame of spirit willing to subject to any way of God and would conclude if they dare but they fear they should be too bold and thus out of fear are kept from their conclusion these are the Christians I aim at and observe the stress of the question lyes in the word ought it is not what they may do but what they ought to do making it a duty incumbent upon them and if that can be made good though that be yielded assurance is not grace yet they are not at liberty to turn off the conclusion as they please Answ Our Fathers who defined Faith by a particular perswasion and assurance c. had here a mighty advantage for their assurance is grace and those who had it not must want saving grace for they wanted faith without which no salvation and this I believe did put on many Christians that they dared not to deny the conclusion that Christ is mine forgiveness is mine because therein lay their work of saving faith and the contrary to it was unbelief the great Gospel damning sin Few Christians then and many now I believe knowing no other faith but this or unbelief but what is contrary to this Hence rose that Position which hath been so stifly maintained If a Christian should fall into a scandalous foul sin yet he must not let go his assurance of his interest in Christ of the love of God but that he ought to hold firm Very true if faith be the particular perswasion and assurance that Christ is mine then it ought to be so for every mans duty and so his duty is to believe he must not be an unbeliever though he hath fallen But what danger lyes in this Some rotten bold Hypocrite may be will say he holds his assurance at such a time but shew me that real sound Christian that ever did so till by sound repentance and laying hold upon the blood of Atonement with true faith he had recovered himself and made up his peace with God When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren said Christ to Peter Luke 22.32 rising from scandalous great falls is as it were another conversion or a now conversion a man shall meet with works now more terrible it may be than in his first conversion Neither David nor Peter knew such at the first conversion that they did in their rising from their scandalous falls But no more of this now Before I come to try whether we may determine affirmatively upon the Question I would take off an Objection and premise two or three things The Objection runs thus If assurance be no grace then I ought not to conclude according to the Question I am not bound to any thing but what is grace The Consequence and the Reason of it here given I deny Though assurance be not saving grace yet I may be bound and it may be my duty to conclude