would seem to deny them See in David abundant proof of this Psalm 119. 25 Quicken me ver 28 Strengthen me ver 58. Be merciful to me ver 65. Let it be well with me ver 76 Let thy kindnesse be for my comfort ver 116. Vphold me ver 169 Give me understanding and all according to thy Word 2 In their challenges of Gods Justice Truth and faithfulnesse and all his Attributes to make them good So David Psal 31. 1. Deliver me in thy righteousnesse And Psalm 35. 24. Judge me according to thy righteousness Psalm 119. 40 Quicken me according to thy righteousnesse Ps 143. 1. In thy faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse So Abraham appeales to Gods justice Shall not the Judge of all the World do right Gen. 18. 25. And they presse sometimes upon the very glory of God and challenge their petitions upon the forfeiture of his glory Josh 5. 7. What wilt thou do for thy great name 2. Fear 2 A Saints fear of God in prayer consists 1. In that conscience of Duty that brings him into the presence of God if there were nothing else to move him thereunto though he had no need though there were no threatnings to the neglect of it no promises to the performance of it yet because God requires it he dares not neglect it This is that fear that God requires as a master of all his people as servants Now we must know that all fear of God as a master that is all obedience out of conscience of duty is not servile fear but then 't is servile when it is not so much out of conscience of duty as out of conscience of wrath or punishment upon neglect A child is a Fathers servant and obeyes him as such yet obeys not servilely Therefore God calls for this fear upon this account If I be a master where is my fear that is dutifull obedience to my commands Mal. 1. 6. 2. In the matter of our performances it is a diligent care of what we offer to God keeping the soul from offering stange fire bounding a mans desires with the will of God A fear lest any thing should slip from a mans mouth or heart that is displeasing to God As a child though he may make bold with his Father yet is carefull not to aske any thing of his Father that he knows will displease him so in this a Saint takes care that all his petitions be warranted by a rule and encouraged by a promise and beyond these he dares not wish much lesse come into the presence of God to aske any thing He dares not tempt God by depending on him for or desiring at his hands what his word doth not warrant But it is not such a fear as discourageth the soul in asking such things as a man hath warrant to desire So farre as the promise goes a soul dares ask else 't is not a child-like but a childish fear not the fear of a Courtier but the fear of a clown 3. In the manner of performing such duties it is a deportment of the soul with that reverence as becomes the greatnesse and glory of God compared with our own basenesse and unworthinesse and jealousie of our own hearts lest we should do any thing unbeseeming such a God or such a duty 1. No soul hath more reverend and high thoughts of God then such a soul as hath most right to holy confidence in his presence The more acquaintance with God the more of this fear None waits upon a Prince with more reverence and observance then the greatest favourites the ordinary and standing Courtiers A man that comes out of the Country and is not acquainted with Majesty and State is not so observant of every punctilio of ceremony as those that are perpetually about the Prince This it is that David speaks of Ps 89. 7. God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all that are round about him Gods greatest Courtiers are most observant of him The more we converse with God the more wee know what becomes his glory and majesty and all irreverence proceeds from ignorance and ignorance from want of converse with God A country man reverences a Prince no otherwise then he doth his landlord because he is not conversant in the Court and observes not the state and ceremony kept and used there The Seraphims that are the constant Courtiers of heaven they cover their faces with a fear of awe and reverence Isai 6. 2. 2. None is more watchfull over his own heart in the manner of a performance then a Saint that hath most grounds of boldnesse and confidence in the presence of God He dares not run rashly into Gods presence and if but a low mean thought of God arise how doth his heart rise against it If but a stragling thought carry him off from his businesse how doth he send out post after it and call it in again This is a fear of jealousie This is called watching to prayer of which above Carnis enim ingenium est ut exultando dissolvatur Musc in Ps 2. and watchfulnesse proceeds from a fear of warinesse though not from fear of dastardlinesse Thus you see what fear a Saint is bound to bring to God in every performance A dutifull fear A carefull fear A reverend fear A jealous fear 3. Mixed That and how both these will stand together we shall shew in the next place in a word For I have in a sort prevented my selfe herein already Only 1. That it is so see one or two places for it Psal 2. 11. Even in those services that require highest expressions of joy rejoyce before him saith the Psalmist with trembling A more remarkable place is that Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in them that hope in his mercy Hope which in the old Testament is often taken for and always implies faith is here joyned with feare one would think doubting and fear might have been better matched but see God joyns hope or faith the mother of boldnesse and fear together So Psalm 5. 7. 2. Concerning the manner how these are conjoyned it is 1. By a joynt premeditation and collation of 1. Gods greatnesse and goodnesse majesty and mercy 2. Our own meannesse with our great relations 3. Our own unworthinesse and Christs worthinesse 4. Our own inabilty and the Spirits supplies These as they joyntly affect our hearts in meditation so they leave sutable joynt-impressions in prayer 2. By a diligent observance of our spirits in the extravagancies of them both wayes in duty and checking them with contrary meditations as when we find a petulant wantonnesse of spirit apt to break out whereby we are endangered to make too bold with God a Saint may correct that with apprehensions of Gods majesty Isai 6. 6. If carelessenesse and slightnesse of spirit a Saint quickens it with thoughts of Gods holinesse and glory such
an hard matter to get out of this subject because I know there is nothing in this Gospel-surfeited age which damns more souls then a presumptuous and heady confidence of ignorant and besotted men that run away with a few shredds and odd ends of Gospell and build a general perswasion upon them that they are the persons to whom they belong and yet they never had any such work wrought upon them as may give any judicious Minister or Christian any grounds of hope that they are within a thousand leagues of the borders of the Kingdome of God CHAP. XVIII Some support to souls under this Spirit and satisfaction in a double case of Conscience HEnce also we may draw support to persons that are in this condition 'T is some comfort to a patient that he is in a way of recovery though he be not assured that he shall recover yet when he apprehends such symptomes upon himselfe as usually go before recovery in others how much are his spirits refreshed with this 'T is the comfort of a Traveller when he knows he is in the way to his journies end after long wandring in a wildernesse whereby he is encouraged to proceed though perhaps it be a very difficult passage rocky dirty uncomfortable every way in it self though his horse be dull or set hard in his pace the weather bad yet saith he I am in the way to my journies end and I may if I carefully observe directions attain it at last and this hope puts spirits into him whenever the difficulties that I have spoken of discourage him Now who ever thou art that art in a like condition though the way which the Spirit of bondage conducts thee in be attended with many difficulties discouragements yet cheer up thou art in an hopefull way to thy journeys end 'T is the way in which thou mayst arrive at the joyful liberty of the Spirit of Adoption Q. But I am before told that I may yet misse of the end and what comfort then can therebe in such a way wherein I may miscarry after I have gone through abundance of difficulties A. I answer True thou mayst yet there is much comfort or support rather Fr 1. Though thou mayst fall yet thou mayst not In thy former condition it was not so with thee The way thou wast in there was nothing in it but certain destruction that way led directly without all peradventure to the chambers of death Prov. 7. 2. 7. thou wast without hope Eph. 2. 12. Now this valley of Achor or trouble is the opening of a door of hope unto thee Hos 2. 15. 2. Thou art under the conduct of one whose discovery if thou wilt follow thou art assured not to fall away 'T is thy own fault if thou do so The Spirit that hath led thee so farre is an unerriug guide a faithfull conductor never any one miscarried that once came into this way but for neglect of his counsell and turning aside into by ways of his own Prov. 1. 32. 'T is the turning away of the simple that destroys them See also v. 33. 3. This fear is a good prognostick of thy successe therein A man that is suspicious asks many questions of all he meets and takes notice of their directions and thereby is preserved from mistakes Certainly fear of erring is a great preservative against it As on the otherside there is no more fearfull symptome of a dangerous Apostacy then self-confidenc◠This had like to have undon Peter no wonder therefore if the Apostle Paul direct those that labour for salvation Mat. 26 33. to do it with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And Solomon pronounceth a blessing on him that feareth always This fear is one great security against evil Prov. 14. 16. The wise Prov. 28. 14. man feareth and departs from evil 4. If thou continue in this self suspecting fear and follow God in the use of all his own ordinances if thou shouldest miscarry at last it would be a singular case Gods usual dealing with persons under such a work is otherwise I dare say very few if any that pursue their convictions so ever miscarry 5. There are some conjectural symptomes of a saving conviction whiles one is under it Qu. But what are those A. I answer over and above that fear before spoken of which indeed if it drive not from but rather spur on to duty is the better as I but now shewed likewise there may be a probable judgment made to another and possibly to thy selfe of the issue from these following notes I. If the sinnes a man is convinced of be not only actual but also and principally 1. Original when he sees not onely his actions damnable but his nature even before he had a being condemned when he complains not only or principally of such particular sins but alike or more feelingly complains under the body of death that he is possest withall For this man is most likely to be seriously converted from sinne who doth not onely aym at the branches or shrowds but lays the Axe of repentance at the very root To another who is convinced onely of the evill of one or two master sinnes though they may make a stir in the conscience for a while and that may drive the man to a wall so that he sees he must kill them or they will kill him and thereupon the man reformes and is taken notice of for a renewed man sinne will come in at a posterne door as fast as he drives it out at the great gate nay all his labour will be no other then Hercules his was about the many heads of Hydra as the Poets fancy they multiplying upon him as fast as he cuts them off It being proper to sinne when dealt with single crescere per damnum to gain by losing and grow by being cut down One particular sinne may destroy another For There is scarce a lust in a man but as it is contrary to grace so is it opposite to some other lust so that what Covetousness loseth commonly Prodigality gains and so vice versâ But if Original sin by such convictions be assaulted such a man goes a compendious way to a through Conversion he begins at the right end Indeed conviction of some actual sin usually begins this work but leaves it never it till it strike Original too 2. Not only open and scandalous but secret and of those especially Spiritual sins Many a man may be grieviously terrified under the guilt of such or such a notorious sin and forsake it and yet may not be really converted shame of the world disadvantage in point of estate or possibly the downright blowes of a powerful Ministry will not let him enjoy that quietly But when a mans conviction is deepest for undiscerned sins secret inward sins spiritual sins such as formality hypocrisie hardnesse of heart c. this is a good signe this conviction is likely to end in effectual conversion Because the grief and
bondage and shall enable you to set your feet on his neck c. More clearly Isai 61. 1 2 3. He gave Christ and annointed and sent him for that end to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound and not only to proclaim it by the Word but to apply it by the Spirit ver 3. To appoint to them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning and the garment of joy for the spirit of heaviness or the Spirit of Adoption for the Spirit of Bondage So Psal 126. 5 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy c. And Isai 57 15. a remarkable Promise I dwell with the contrite and humble spirit wherefore To revive the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever lest the soul should fail before me and the spirit which I have made See v. 18 19. The Spirit that is promised by Christ is called the Comforter Why so if not to denote the principall part of his work the comforting of the hearts of Gods people John 14. 26. Arg. 2. The Designe of God in troubling the conscience Soul-troubles are not brought on us meerly for their owne sakes for God afflicts not willingly nor grieves the Lam. 3. 33. children of men but they are ordinary Prologues of Comfort and Peace and therefore ordained to fit us to receive and prize it Hos 2. 14. I wil bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her to her heart Heb. Into the Wildernesse i. e. a maze and wood of troubles that she shall know no way out of into such a condition in which a dram of comfort will be dearer then all the world and then I will speak to her heart when she is quite out of heart Gods usages to his people in this world are like Tragi-Comedies sad beginnings divers times that put all the Spectators into a maze to think what will come of them that so he may come off the more gloriously at the last by giving a comfortable close beside all mens expectations He sets off as Painters do a light colour by the neighborhood of a dark He caused light at the first to shine out of darknesse not before it or 2 Cor. 4. 6 without it but out of it And as he doth in conversion so in comfort First darknesse in conversion then light Ye were darkness Ephes 5. 8 c. so he doth in the work of consolation When I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light to me saith the Church Micah 7. 8. So in the Apostles experience We had the sentence of death in our selves that we might trust not in our selves but in him that raiseth the dead 2 Cor. 1. 9. And as Christ would not keep Lazarus from dying when he could have done so but rather chose to raise him from the dead by a miracle so will Christ deal with his people quite bring them to the grave that then he may get the glory of a kind of miracle and say Return ye sons Psalm 90. 3 and daughters of men Now can we think that God will lose the glory of his grace when he so aimes at it in those troubles that work it And surely he will do so if his people perish under them Thence the Spirit of God teacheth the Saints in darkness to urge that as an Argument Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead c. What remembrance of thee is there in the grave where all things are forgotten Psalm 88. 10 11 and 6. 5. q. d. I know thy aim in all these dark nights that I undergo is to make thy glory shine the clearer and is this the way to let a poor soul that would fain praise thee to drop into the grave and for ought he knowes into hell in darknesse without the least smile from thee c. Arg. 3. The duties God expects of his Saints which cannot be so perfectly and ingenuously performed by any as by an assured spirit Indeed the truth of them may proceed from a soul that is not assured but such high and noble measures cannot 1 Love to him again A man may and every Saint doth love God by a holy sympathy as soon as he is regenerated whether he know it or no and the demonstration of that love in the Saints when they come to discerne it becomes a means of assurance to them As in Antipathies sometimes they are strong in nature and no reason can be given for them Non amo te Sabidi nec possum dicere quare c So in sympathies founded in the nature of the things Why doth Iron love the Load-stone and cleave to it or the needle touched with it point Northward This I constantly affirm that where the soul loves God Gods love is the cause of that love to him and so it is whether it be manifested to his conscience or no because every grace is a fruit of Gods eternal love This I am sure is held out in that excellent place 1 John 4. 19. though I shall not grant it a fruit thereof only when knowne 'T is not said Because we are assured he loved us first but Because he loved us first But yet the love that is without assurance is not so strong so rational so active as that that proceeds from assurance when the love of God is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost for this will enable a soul to love much Luke 7. 47. to rejoice in tribulation Rom. 5. 3 5 and do many other difficult duties with more vigor and activity A young child may truly love the Father when it is unable to reason it selfe into the duty of love from experience of the Fathers love but the love that a growne child shews to the father after his experience of many acts of love for many years is more strong solid and rational So when a soul can say as David I love the Lord for c. Psal 116 1 Now God requires his children should grow up into an ingenuous filial love upon grounds of thankfulnesse and reciprocation Ephes 1. 16 17 18 19 He would have them be rooted and grounded in the experimental knowledg of the love of Christ and thence to draw strength to obey him in all things And therefore it must needs be his ordinary way to those Saints from whom he expects this fruit to give them the Spirit of Adoption to testifie this Love to them And there is a Promise that love of good will to Christ shall be seconded with manifestation of love from Christ Joh. 14. 21. 2 Joy in the Holy Ghost and that alwayes 1 Thes 5. 16 Now although a soul may have some sprinklings of joy upon the general hopes which it gathers to it self from general Promises yet it is nothing to that whicâ— particular assurance gives Now God will have the joy of his Saints full joy John 15. 11. And
so in the case of assurance from the Spirit Because some godly Ministers cannot preach so every way experimentally as others can many troubled spirits decline them and their ministery and will scarce vouchsafe to discover their cases to them None must be supposed able to do them good but such and such Well such mens ministery is tryed and it may be not out of any deficiency in them who it is possible may preach truths and apply medicines of soveraign value and vertue but meerely through a secret hand of God rendering them unsuccessefull that he may keep the meanest of his Eembassadours from contempt and the most eminent humble and let people know that the Spirit of consolation and Adoption as well as that of grace and supplication bloweth where and whence and when and how he listeth the soul-patient finds no recovery but it is fain at last to bee beholden to a man of very mean abilities and to a word which seemed empty and barren before for comfort and assurance So for time A soul enlarged in prayer steeped in tears enflamed with desires thinks now verily the time the set time is come God will be found of me in a way of peace and satisfaction No friend no such matter God it may be will make thee stay till thou hast even doubted thy self out of all hope because of thy barrenesse and deadnesse and inability to perform any service as thou oughtest and then he will send his Spirit to shed abroad his love in thy heart thou shalt bring sorth this child of comfort when as Sarahs womb thy soul is dead and almost hopelessely barren 8. A sinfull ambition of self-preparations for comfort and peace were I so much humbled saith the poor soul so kindly and ingenuously affected with my sins could I recover of this deadnesse and flatnesse of spirit into any measure of livelinesse and spiritualnesse in my performances then I would believe comfort and assurance of Gods love belonged to me but that a soul so little so legally broken as I am so barren saplesse lifelesse spiritlesse in all my services should have any share in Christ any title to the Covenant of Grace any part or portion with the Saints of God I cannot I will not believe This is just like Peters unreasonable motion Depart from me for I am a sinfull man O Lord. Luke 5. 8. Foolish man to whom should the Physician come but to the sick 'T were a fond thing to imagine the patient must be recovered before he comes that he may be sit to entertain him So here Thou wilt not entertain any perswasion of an interest in Christ till thou attain such and such proportions and measures of grace Alas man till thou have some evidence of thy interest in Christ thou wilt never a tain them 't is want of that evidence occasions thy defects in humiliation thy deadnesse and sapplessenesse in duties c. Men travel heartlessely in the darke because they know not whether they go backwards or forwards whether the next step may not be a precipice to ruine them But when the day-light ariseth and shews them by the coast of the country that they are in their way this puts new life and spirits into them The joy of the Lord is a Christians strength Neh. 8. 10. Nor is it meet whiles thou art in this frame that thou shouldst have this witnesse in thy Spirit For if thou shouldst recover more life and vigour of grace and duty and thy assurance therein thou perhaps wouldst be proud of thy attainments and attribute thy assurance to them and so God would have lesse honour and thou lesse certainty of it God would have lesse honour because as I said grace I would scarce be seen through such qualifications The smell of some delicious fields they say so takes the dogges that they forget their prey and follow it no more such delicious fields of duties may dâ—aw off the soul from the sent of Christ And thou wouldst have lesse certainty of continuing it For it would rise and fall according to thy own qualifications and ablities For water in a water-course will never rise above its spring if the spring of assurance be your own perfections then as that is higher and lower so will the assurance be You that one time find your graces at a spring tide another time will find them at the lowest ebbe and then your assurance will ebbe with them as it flowes with them 9. Giving too much way to prejudices against God and his love from present sense and feeling For hereby we make the spirit double work First to untie and untangle our own knotty and snarled reasonings and then to build in us a new perswasion upon new arguments of his own A man had better Catechise a child or a rude ignorant heathen then endeavour to reduce an heretick because the one as he knows not the truth so he is not prejudiced against it the other is not only ignorant of it but he is possessed with contrary principles and hath subtilty of argument to resist it So a builder that is to lay foundataions where the ground is clear and hath not been occupyed that way before will not need to do much ere he set upon his work But he that is to lay new foundations and build a new house where the ruins of an old Abbey are already must have double work digging up the old and then laying the new Now 't is strange to hear what arguments Souls in this darknesse are prepossessed withall that God doth not love them 1. Present smart Can love consist with such blowes Those strokes sure are the strokes of an enemy To deliver mee over to Satan to be buffetted by him in such a manner to set me as a spectacle to Men and Angels and shut me up in such a dungeon of horrour as none besides me ever came into Is this consistent with love 2. Past obstinacy God hath said he will not hear me and justly for he hath call'd many times and I have turned the deaf eare to him Yea this is that the Lord hath said Prov. 1. 24. c. Be sure to stop the mouth of these prejudices by Heb. 12. 6. and Isay 55. 7 8 9. Jo. 6. 37. and other such places 10. Slacknesse and remissenesse in occasioned by successelessenesse of Ordinances and Duties When once those prejudices cause a soul to cry out there is no hope God Lam. 3. 6 7 8. hath builded against me he shutteth out my prayer then there is no temptation more likely to succeed then this Why man what dost thou labour for Why dost thou sow thy precious prayers on the sand of the sea shore whence there can no harvest be expected And hereupon the soul is if not taken off from duties yet for want of faith which is the lâ—fe of dutyes the chariot moves slowly when the wheels are taken off Hope to speed is the greatest encouragement to duty You clip
humiliation and humiliatiâ—… disposeth a man to partake of the secrets of Gods counsell and especially in the matter of particular assurance Isai 57. 15. Caution Yet is not this help so absolutely necessary as that I should put it in practise under every condition of body if I am not able without prejudice to my health to bear fasting I shall thereby more distemper my body and consequently more weaken my spirits then is convenient or indeed lawfull and thereby give greater advantage to Satan to trouble my tired mind then hee had before In such a case commend thy condition to the publique prayers of the Church especially upon days of solemn seeking God If persons be sick and in danger of death then a Minister shall have a bill handed to him to pray for their bodily health and that is good that in these days wherein every Ordinance of God and Duty of ours growes into disreputation men shew they value the prayers of the Church but I wonder that among all our bills there are no complaints of soul-sicknesse Oh Beloved it would do a Ministers heart good as we say to receive a score or two of bills upon a Sabbath day to this purpose One that hath an hard heart that hath been often heated and is grown cold again one that hath been long under conviction and finds no gracious issue of it one that cryes aloud after God can have no Answer one that is assaulted with fearfull temptations that cannot get any evidence of Gods love and goes heavily all the day long c. desires their prayers It may be God expects you should thus make many friends to speak to him that thanks may be rendred by many on your behalf as the Apostle expresseth himselfe in a like case 2 Cor. 1. 11. And neglect not to bee present as often as possibly thou canst at the publick prayers of the Church especially such as are put up in relation to thy case There is a remarkable story of one out of whom by the prayers of Mr. Rothwell an eminent Minister of late years in the North See Clark in the life of Rothwell and some faithfull Brethren a Devil was cast the man yet continuing dumb for some years after till he being present in a Congregation where he was particularly prayed for at the close of the petition God opened his mouth and he said Amen publickly and spake to Gods glory ever after So in thy case who knows whether God reserves comfort for thee to be dispenced in such a way Lastly Every day the Saints of God especially under bondage and darknesse can finde occasional times to knock at the door of grace when they are at leasure from necessary imployments There be some haunts where most men bestow themselves in the intervals of businesse in the breathing times between one imployment and another One man fills up these breaches parentheses and odd ends of time with idle discourse another with such and such pastimes lose-times we may better call them as commonly they are used a third haunts the Ale-house or a worse place it may be but such a souls usual haunt as I am speaking of in those fragments of time is the throne of grace and prayer and holy conference with God in other private Duties that is his pastime Will you know where David haunts at midnight when he cannot sleep At midnight will I arise and Psalm 63. 6. praise thee 119. 62. Will you know where his haunt is after meals Not only evening and morning but at noon also will I cry unto thee Psal 55. 17. If you enquire what time he begins in the mornings see Psalm 119. 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed In a word to shut up this head some people I know charge this way of seeking assurance with trusting in Duties and the persons that so seek with pride in them But sure there is more pride in not condescending to begge then in begging 'T were an unheard thing that a begger should be proud of his trade He that prays feelingly hath the greatest security against pride CHAP. XVI Concerning seeking Assurance in Sacraments Where a practicall Question whether and how Baptisme administred in Infancy can be helpfull hereunto THis assurance is promoted by Sacraments These we call by the warrant of St. Paul the Apostle seals Rom. 4. 11. Now the Spirit that is the personal seal may make use of the Sacraments as the instrumental seals of this assurance 1. Baptisme I mean not the repetition of it which is a course some vain people are seduced unto in hope to get comfort by it but many have found it hath been an occasion of many sad and fearfull Apostacies from the standing Ordinances of Jesus Christ and so hath eaten out the heart of their love to and zeal in following God in them whiles their prejudices to their former baptisme have caused prejudices against the Ministers that dispensed it and the Churches wherein they received it and so they have proceeded by degrees as finding no persons or administrations free from exception to throw off all ways of worship and duty altogether which when they have been made to see the evil of their way as it may by Gods goodnesse come to passe though seldome it do they find all the peace they got in those ways was but meer imposture But I mean the renewed meditation of the spiritual signification and end of that seal of the Covenant which having been applied to thee in thy infancy becomes of force to thee as soon as thou comest to know and to accept of the Covenant in the serious choyce and intention of thy heart One main intent of Baptisme is to work an assurance of the pardon of sinne by the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ And herein it answers to Circumcision Col. 2. 11 12. compared with Rom. 4. 11. Which Circumcision was a seal of the Righteousness which is by faith i. e. of the righteousnesse of Christ made ours by faith for justification 'T is called the baptisme of repentance for remission of sinnes that is signifying and sealing forgivenesse of sinnes to the conscience of a penitent sinner Now if a man Mark 1. 3. have not only a great Landlords word but his seal to assure him of such an estate he is confident thereupon to abide a trial at law before a just Judge so if thou make a right use of this seal thou mayst plead it whenever Conscience shall sit upon thee and call into question thy Spiritual or eternal condition Think now and then upon thy baptisme and the end of it and labour from thence to rise to a belief of the performance of that to thee in truth which was sacramentally exhibited to thee in the signe And know this That laying hold of the graces promised and sealed in Baptisme upon the terms convenanted gives thee a just and legal claim to them Object But this Sacrament was administred
to me in my infancy and therefore I want the lively and sensible application of the element to me which might possibly if it were now to be done prove effectual to give me this assurance What use can I make of such a past Sacrament Were it not beter to re-new it Answ Thou mayst make the same use of it as the Jews did of circumcision although many years after The Jews children no more saw their own circumcision understandingly then thou didst thy Baptisme Object Yea but the mark of Circumcision saythe Anabaptists was visible afterwards and so though they were circumcised in infancy yet they might know that they were so otherwise then by bare relation But I know that I am baptized merely by the relation of friends or the Register Answ The Jewes when men might see that their foreskin had been cut off but that it was done in a sacramental way they knew onely by relation as we have our Baptisme For how did a Jew know that he was borne of Jewish Parents and not of Ishmaels posterity or Esaus among whom circumcision continued when the Covenant was removed from them but by tradition But I will rell thee how thou shalt improve even thy Infant Baptisme Whenever then thou seest that sacrament administred upon others reflect upon thy self and draw an Argument of Assurance from it thus Loe here my soul the bloud of Christ in the element of water not only powred out but applyed to yonder little one And hath not God done as much for me And hath he thus sealed to me the promise of pardon and shall I not believe it Have not I performed by his grace my 1 Pet. 3. 21. Anima non lavatione sed responsione sancitur Tert. l. de resurrectione carnis part of the Covenant in the answer of a good conscience seriously desiring and resolving to take him for my God and do my duty to him to the utmost in the strength of Christ And shall I doubt his performance on his part Did not God shew his willingness to receive mee into his favour and pardon my sins when he was so gracious as to seal his Covenant to me in my very infancy Sure that was a great mercy to me that God afforded me that seal then whereas if I had lived unbaptised to these years possibly my scrupulous spirit would have kept me from it altogether as being unfit to receive it as now it See more of this in another Treatise of the same Authour concerning the practical use of Infant Baptism lately published doth from the other Sacrament Now seeing the Lord hath prevented me with this mercy and claimed me before I could claim him let me not think he will not hold his claim to me now I do claim and lay hold upon him and let me not doubt but if I follow after him I shall in time apprehend that for which I am apprehended in this visible way of claim by Christ 2. The Lords Supper This is an Ordinance in which rightly received Assurance comes on horse-back to the soul if I may so speak so many speaking actions and so many speciall applications in the name of Christ by a Minister standing in the stead and representing the person of Christ may probably be the means to conveigh this blessed message to thy soul from Jesus Christ Sonne or Daughter be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee CHAP. XVII Containing some practicall cases concerning the Lords Supper with relation hereunto BUt here ariseth an objection Object I am not a fit receiver without this Testimony of the Spirit which you speak of and therefore 't is improper to bid me seek that testimony this way whereas I cannot apply my selfe to this way till I have it in actual assurance Answ Hereto I answer Negatively That proposition which is the ground of thy mistake is but mistaken for truth to wit That none is a fit receiver of the Sacrament of the Lords Body and Bloud but one that is certified by the Testimony of the Spirit that he is a Child of God This is that that puzzles and embroyls many a poor soul that he knowes not which way to take between sinning against Gods invitation in refusing to come and against the institution in coming unworthily But I hope to speak a word satisfactorily in this case That this is a mistaken principle I prove by this Argument The actual assurance mentioned is not required under any of those things wherein we are to examine our selves before we come therefore 't is not necessary to make a fit receiver The graces to bee examined among the Protestant Divines are usually these four Knowledge Faith Charity and Repentance Under Knowledge Charity and Repentance I believe no man comprehends the certainty of his interest in Christ they being graces in their natures quite different from it though possibly in some higher actings of them it be supposed I dare not think there can be none of these without Assurance All the doubt is concerning Faith whether the Faith required to the receiving the Lords Supper be not Faith of perswasion that I am a Child of God from the Testimony of the Spirit I conceive the Faith required to my coming to the Lords Supper is no more but the having accepted the terms of Salvation revealed through Christ my having claimed my share in the free offer thereof in the Gospel and my reliance and dependance upon Gods faithfulnesse in the making that claim good unto me And if I can find these acts have seriously to my utmost knowledg and search been performed by me I need examine no further whether I have sufficient Faith to fit me for the Sacrament And my grounds are 1. Because by these acts there is a real application of the soul to Jesus Christ for justification which the Scripture expresseth by coming to Christ believing and trusting in him as was before shewn and of Christ to the soul which is expressed by receiving him and Psalm 2. 12 John 1. 12 in these acts the nature of faith as it applies Christ for justification is sufficiently expressed Now those that come to Christ cannot be supposed to have the witnesse of the Spirit in their heart that they are Christs For rest or peace of Conscience which is the immediate fruit of that assuring Testimony of the Spirit is promised as the consequent of coming to Christ Mat. 11. 28. and becoming the children of God which is lesse then knowing we are so is set down as the consequent of receiving Christ Joh. 1. 20 And therefore by the way to receive Christ is not to know that I am a child of God but to apply my self to him that I may be so And as for trusting or believing in Christ that it is truly done without actual assurance is clear because trusting in Christ the object of the Gospel is spoken of by way of distinction from this sealing or assuring act of the Spirit as that which goes before
yet you are sure of a glorious and happy condition hereafter This you have ver 17. And therefore that the present sufferings which you undergo are no way worthy to be laid in the ballance to abate the least dram of your joy ver 18. for you are heirs not younger children or servants to be put off with gifts as Abraham did the rest of his children besides Isaak but heirs to the estate and what is that estate Heirs of God of all that God hath and is and you partake of the same inheritance with Christ himself co-heirs with Christ 2 That in the greatest dejections deadness and decayes upon your spirits you are sure you shall have assistance enough to keep the intercourse between God and your souls alive verse 26 27. It may be Soul thou art in a strange stupidity of spirit that thou knowest not what to desire the Spirit shal teach thee what to pray for But though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bears or lifts against as a partaker of the same burthen thou know what would do thee good thou canst not ask it the Spirit shall help thy infirmities But it may be thou canst not speak a word when thou goest to seek God yet the Spirit shall help thee to groan But will God understand those groans Yes for he that searcheth the heart knowes the mind of the Spirit 3 That you shall receive benefit to your selves from the saddest of Providences ver 28. All things shall work together for good All things Ordinances Providences Prosperity Adversity sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 work together They are at work it is their bussnesse All the businesse of the Creatures being servants to God is for the good of his children and they work together for their good Things never so different in their natures and operations conspire for their good as several contrary ingredients in the same Medicine â—ee Ver. 31 correcting each other and one doing what the other cannot 4 That you shall want nothing that you had not better want then have ver 32. He spared not his Son Had he exercised that severity on an Angel it had been much But he spared not his Son not a Son by Adoption but a Son by Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But delivered him up for us all Delivered to whom to Herod and Pilate and Judas and Satan to what to the curse and wrath of God to the death of the Crosse for us in our stead And how shall he not with us give us all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How shall he not gratifie us with a free grant of all our desires A Saint assured of Gods love hath all the treasures of heaven and earth at command He is assured if God or creatures can supply him he shall never want any good thing Psal 23. 1. Psal 84 11. 5. That whatever your own misgiving heart tells you or Satan maliciously suggests you can never by all the power of earth or Hell be deprived of any of these priviledges nor lose them by your own sinful miscariages Sinnes cannot deprive you For this would destroy the satisfaction of Christ either Christ suffered for all the sinnes of Gods elect or for some only if for some only then none can be saved of all Gods elect seeing he cannot satisfie for that himselfe which Christ hath not satisfied for If for all then none of them can be condemned Sin may trouble them sadden their Spirits as it ought hide Gods face but it cannot condemn them The Apostle challenges sin and Divel and all in that case v. 34. And all creatures in the following verse 2. Plead it at all times 1. Before God In all those things which you come to God for you must plead Title If you come to God for any good thing you must plead some engagement upon him and the ground of your plea must be either a general or a special promise 'T is true general promises are a good plea when a man hath no other But God loves and 't is much for the comfort of Saints that we urge him upon special bonds Therefore the Saints are bid to say Father and our Father 2 Against Satan and his suggestions 1 Sinful 'T is a good Argument against temptations to sin How shal I that have had such tokens and tastes of Gods special love do this great wickedness and sin against such a God Gen. 39. 9. And if God makes it an aggravation of sin as he doth 1 King 11. 9 why may not we make it an Argument against sin 2 Troublesome When Satan molests the soul with fears and doubts of thy condition have recourse to thy Evidences Tell him thou wilt plead against him before God as a common Barretor for molesting thee in so clear a Title 3 Against the unbelief upon thy own heart This David keeps up withal Psal 73. 26. I confesse saith he I am at an utter losse both without and within yet God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psalm 42. ult and 43. he checks his heart in sadnesse upon this account Why art thou cast down c. Trust still in God who is the light of my countenance and my God CHAP. XXXI An exhortation to recover the lost evidence of the Spirit And some advice how to do it in two particulars HEnce be exhorted thirdly to labour to recover it if lost Qu. How shall I do that A. 1. Sit not down quietly rest not in that condition If a man have lost the evidences of his land he will look over all his boxes and chests and romage every corner as we say and will not leave till he hath found them again Thus in the place before quoted did the Holy man Ps 77. My spirit made diligent search The Saints of God in the Scripture could never sit still under such a dark condition It was death to them Psalm 13. 3. and 143. 3 4 7. And no wonder for the darkening of their evidences is a suspension of all influences As during the darknesse of the night or the eclipse of the sun by that interception of light there is a suspension of that quickening influence which the sun hath in things below All graces will wither when God thus hides his face all Duties will be dead and barren all comforts clouded and imbittered as I before also shewed you A woman that loves an husband is reassured of his affection to her cannot endure long absence from him If ever you have been ravished with the love of God you cannot bear his absence long Here I do not advise you to an impatient Caution restlessenesse under that condition No that is too often the fault of Saints But I caution you against a sloathfull resting in such a condition I must be contented with it as it is Gods pleasure but I must not be contented with it as it is occasioned by my default To know this you must 2. Enquire where and how
such distracting suggestions and you then watch against him when you set your heart against them and turne your prayers edge against them till you have cast them out and then returne to your duty again Watch against your usual carelesnesse and when you find it growing upon you do likewise Watch against vain wandring thoughts and throw them out by a speedy laying hold upon some more weighty Meditation if any such be at hand if not but thou findest thy self wholly possest with such fancies do as before I advised turn the edge of thy prayer for that while against them Watch the kindlings of the Spirit and where thou findest but one little spark of fervency and zeal glowing ply that Meditation that Subject hard that kindleth it Follow the Veyne and thou wilt be Master of the Mine at last 4 Be much in begging the Spirit of prayer and calling him in to constant assistance in the Duty Urge his Office upon him he is a Spirit of Grace and Supplication And to enliven and embolden the Saints is his principal work 5 Rest not in formes of Prayer I do no way doubt but that a godly person newly brought in to the exercises of Religion may be sometimes to seek in expressing himself before others and in such a case if a publick person or Master of a Family I am not so severe as to forbid him the use of a good form either of his own or others framing and in the closet it may be good to read now and then for example and pattern the formes of others but especially the prayers of the Saints recorded in Scripture and among them the Psalmes which are most of them made up of matter of prayer either in way of Confession Petition or Thanksgiving that they may suggest to us quickning matter of prayer Nay whiles I read anothers form wherein I meet with passages sutable to my condition I know not why I may not say Amen to such Petitions But yet I know not by what warrant any one in private or constantly before others binds himself to the very same series and frame of words Nay I think it is an Argument either of much lazinesse in not improving the utmost of a mans owne abilities and interests in the Spirit to enable him or at least it proceeds from a fond and erroneous conceit of God as if he minded more an exact composure of Petitions then the real although immethodical and lesse quaintly dressed desires of a mans heart The truth is no man useth a form of prayer much but finds it if hee know his owne heart a great deadning to his Spirit If a Preacher should twenty times in a year preach over the same Sermon would not the veryest Formalists of his Congregation and indeed all others sleep and grow weary under such preaching And do we not see the same effects generally under a form of Prayer or at least is there not the same reason why wee should expect them A perpetual use of the same form is a more tedious tautology then that which such persons often blame in conceived Prayer viz. the repeating againe and againe the same Petitions in the same prayer For this may proceed from fervency See Psalm 124. 4 5. and 116. 14 18. and 80. 3 7 19. The other imports or begets lazinesse at least it gives suspicion of it and that not altogether causeless to others which hath much of the appearance of evil in it Object But Sir will you have us alwayes adventure upon an extemporary way of prayer Shall I offer to God that that cost me nothing Ans No by no meanes But you must know that conceived Prayers upon the variation of a mans condition or other occasions are not the same with extempore prayers 1 A man may pray extempore in a forme if he come unprepared and rush upon it as too many do as the horse into the battel he offers up the Sacrifice of fools and is rash with his lips before the Lord which is forbidden Eccl. 5. 1 2. 2 And on the other side a man may alwayes very as occasions vary and yet not pray extempore having before meditated upon the matter of his Petitions and layd up store of furniture for prayer though he trust much to present gifts for expressions I cannot call this extemporary praying 3. Neither yet is it unlawful upon some occasions and in some cases to adventure upon this Duty extempore both for matter and form As in daily and hourly occasional Ejaculations in case of a sudden call unto the Duty by any unexpected providence c. in which cases Christian prudence being the Judg and judging rightly the petitions are neverthelesse welcome to God for their extemporarinesse 4 And lastly yet must we use this liberty very tenderly and suspiciously lest our hearts perswade us that there is a greater frequency of such occasions then there is and so it prove a snare to us when we find it may be more then ordinary abilityes without ordinary endeavors as somtimes when God calls to sudden service he gives in sudden supplies we may be tempted to expect the same abilities in the same way without the same call We must not tempt the Lord our God And that is done one way when we expect extraordinary supplies from him in the neglect of the ordinary way appointed by Mat. 4. 7. him for the attainment of them CHAP. LIII A third Duty to come boldly to the Throne of Grace pressed 3 COme boldly to the Throne of Grace as Children to a Father 1 Under the Assurance of Gods love this is easie This will make a man talk with God face to face as a man talketh with his friend as it is said of the familiarities that passed between God and Moses Exod. 33. 11. to commune with God and draw nigh to plead with him when others stand at a distance as Abraham Gen. 18. 22 33. 2 We may under that assurance claim it as our priviledg A Princes Son when others are kept out by Officers and Guards is admitted at all times if any Guard stop him he pleads the priviledg of his Relation So though there be never so much darknesse and fire and terror round about God that seems to guard his presence from a Creatures approach an assured Saint can say Make way there and let me come to my Father guards are appointed to exclude strangers not sons 3. God expects and requires we should come with boldnesse to his Throne Hebr. 4. 16. Let us come boldly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking liberty to speak any thing so the word signifies in the Original Not simply any thing quicquid in buccam for Solomon cautions us against that Eccles 5 1. as is abovesaid but any thing that becomes the reverential duty and honour that we owe to God as to a Father A child may say any thing to a father that is that becomes a child to speak or a Father to hear Besides he may speak
to raise their heart to such a pitch When fervency of spirit comes in with a grosse neglect of quickening endeavours its suspicious Not that a child of God may not now and then find an heat kindled in prayer which he can give no account of But he constantly seeks and labours for it in the regular way 2. It is grounded on a promise A natural man seldome eyes a promise but his wants Ob. Yea but I can draw no comfort from this because all this concernes such as have the Spirit of Adoption in its witnessing work In me that have it not it may be stil a fervency of a natural impression from meere necessity or sense of want Answ 'T is true that this work eminently proceeds from the Spirit of Adoption in its witnessing Act but it also proceeds from the Spirit of Adoption in its renewing Act. The Spirit is a Spirit of Supplication not only as a Spirit of consolation but also as a Spirit of grace Ze. 12. 10. And therefore although such persons who have the witnesse of the Spirit may take comfort in seeing this fruit of it yet we must not think that there is no such fruit where there is not such a witnesse And therefore if thou find this fervency that is above described in thy heart if it do not proceed from the Testimony of the Spirit as possibly it may from its more obscure and remiss Testimony of which I have spoken before although thou dost not know or at least not for the present observe it yet it always proceeds from that Spirit that is in all the children of God the Spirit of grace and supplication if so qualified as is said Indeed that that is most sensible in the fervency of an unassured soul is sense of want But they may also observe in themselvs that they are not fervent only in such things at least that they labour for it in other things 2. As for boldness in duty 1. I have before shewed you wherein it consists and how it joynes with fear And that which is not of the right stamp commonly failes in one of the forementioned particulars it is a boldnesse that allowes a man as much to neglect as performe duty that tempts God by petitioning and expecting what is not according to his will or at least not in his way c. And here I shall shut up this Treatise earnestly desiring that God will give all that read it experience of these works that they may be able to seal to the truth of it Amen FINIS A SAINTS DIRECTION IN AN AFFLICTED CONDITION By SIMON FORD B. D. and Minister of the Gospel in Reading London Printed for Sa. Gellibrand at the Ball in Pauls Church-Yard 1655. To the noble and worthily honoured Ladies and Gentlewomen The Lady CECILIA KNOLLYS the Lady LETICE VACHELL the Lady ANN PYE Mrs. LETICE HAMPDEN Mrs. ELIZABETH MARGARET and MARY HAMMONDS Mrs. TREVOR and all the rest of the noble Families concerned in that late sad stroke of providence the death of that much bewailed Gentleman Colonel ROBERT HAMMOND TO you much honoured and beloved in the Lord I make bold to present my Meditations upon this Subject not long since delivered in the hearing of most of you upon a double account Partly that I may testifie the sense I have of those many obligations which you have laid upon me since Gods providence cast me into these parts and partly that I might add a few mites of advice and direction to your store concerning the improvement of the late sad stroke upon your noble Families and these Nations in the decease of that great prop of all his Relations and eminent Instrument of the publick good whom both you and I and this poor Town and all the Country hereabout have abundant cause to mourne for This I am sure is an affliction to us all of an high nature and so much the greater because befalling us in a juncture of time wherein our hopes from him by reason of his publick imployments newly entred on being called but immediatly before to an eminent civil and military Trust in Ireland and chosen High-Steward and Burgesse in Parliament for this Corporation were as the highest I know you are not ignorant what use to make of such a blow But give me leave upon this occasion to leave this monument in your Cabinets to be your Remembrancer of and Direction in a Duty which although you alwayes conscionably practise yet you may as well as others through the oppression of your spirits under this heavy burthen possibly find some additional excitations and directions not altogether unuseful or unnecessary thereunto The Lord if it seem good in his eyes find our some way how the great gap which the fall of such an Oak hath made in our hedge may be filled up by some or other of those young plants who are related to him and are concerned to imitate him in those things which have rendred him a publick losse and support you under this grievous stroke This is and by Gods assistance shall be the prayer of him who is Your Servant in the Gospel of Christ SIMON FORD Reading Decem. 5 1654. JAM 5. 13. former part Is any among you afflicted Let him pray The PREFACE WHat one said of Books Procaptis Lectoris habent sua fata libelli that their entertainment is sutable to the capacity temper or distemper of the Reader may with a little variation be affirmed of Sermons especially such as seem to upbraid the times with those Diseases which they labour under they are liked or disliked as people understand or are affected towards the matter they deliver or the occurrences that occasion it Thence is there such a general disrelish of suffering Doctrines in these dayes wherein divers persons see nothing but visions of peace and glory and triumph to the Saints that a man that handles such a Subject as this in diverse places is thought to be as absurd as he that preaches a Funeral Sermon at a Wedding or mars the Solemnity of a Feast with some sad story In all ages the judgement that the most of men have made of the goodnesse or badnesse of the times hath been sensual thence so much difference of opinion appears even among those that undertake to be skilful Physicians because every one pronounceth according to what he feeles There was never any time so black and dismal to the Church of Christ as that all persons would confesse it such The Papists then and ignorant Protestants since agreed in magnifying the dayes of our fore-fathers under Hen. 8. and Q. Mary when as we all know there were never dayes more sad to the Truth and the sincere profession thereof When Israel was in Babylon under a grievous captivity robb'd at once of all Civil and Church liberty when they hung up their Harps upon the willowes the cruel persecuters would fain perswade them they had as much cause to keep rejoycing Festivals as ever and presume