of this speech is given at verse 30. Because they said he hath an unclean Spirit And indeed if these men did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost our Lord and Savior Christ should tel us that there is an unpardonable Sin and not tel us what it is for unless it be in this Scripture you shal not find either in the Gospel or in the Epistles That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is any where mentioned in express words Now our Lord and Savior would not tel us that there is an unpardonable Sin and not tel us what it is but he saith expressly That whoever doth blaspheme or speak against the holy Ghost shal never be forgiven And he chargeth those Jews that they blasphemed and spake against the Spirit of God or that work which was done by the Spirit and therefore without doubt they did then sin the unpardonable Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Quest 2 But Secondly Why is it here said That he that sinneth this Sin shall never be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come is there any forgiving of sins in the world to come Answ Chrysostom saith As men are punished in this world and in the world to come so they are pardoned in this world and in the world to come Pardoned in this world when any temporal Affliction for sin is removed So I also understand that Parable in Matth. 18. at the latter end and pardoned in this life when a man is justified Rom. 4. pardoned and forgiven in the world to come So saith the Apostle in Acts 3.19 That your sins may be blotted out in the day of refreshing Which day of refreshing compared with the Speech which you have in Heb. 2. speaking of the World to come shews that the day of Refreshing is the time of the World to come but it is an usual phrase with Scripture noting the eternity of misery and therefore if you look again into Mark 3. you shal find That whereas here in Matthew the words run thus Shall not be forgiven either in this World or in the World to come Mark hath it thus He shall never be forgiven that Never being the Explication of this not in this World nor in the World to come The Words being thus far opened the Doctrine then will presently be this That the Sin against the Holy Ghost Doct. is the Unpardonable Sin That whosoever sins against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come For the opening of this great Truth which I shal the rather desire you to hearken unto because as it lies out of the ordinary Road so it makes your way clear to the laying hold of the former words of Gods Mercy I say for the opening of this Truth we must enquire into two Things First What this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for people are very ignorant of it Secondly How and in what respect this Sin against the Holy Ghost is above all other sins the Unpardonable Sin First If you ask What this Sin is I Answer both Negatively and Affirmatively First Negatively It is not that sin whereby men do barely deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost possibly a man may deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost and yet not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in Math. 12. For as Chrysostom observes in his time there were divers Hereticks that did deny the Personality and the Deity of the Holy Ghost and yet afterwards repented and were received into the bosom of the Church And ye do not find that these Pharisees who are here charged with this sin did either deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost So that plainly then the Sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in this The meer and bare denying of the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost Secondly As it doth not consist therein so neithâ—r doth it consist in every opposition or in a bare opposition unto the work of the Holy Ghost as distinct from the Father and the Son Unto God the Father belongs Power unto the Son Wisdom unto the Spirit Holiness The Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son to Redeem the Work of the Spirit or the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie Aâ—d hereupon some havâ— thought That opposition unto Holiness is the Sin against the Holy Ghost But you find here it is a blasphemy therefore not every opposition And if you look into Acts 7. you find that Stephen speaking of the Jews saith at verse 51. Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear ye do alwaies resist the Holy Ghost yet they did not sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost Why for Stephen praies for them at the last verse Lord lay not this sin to their charge But now saith the Apostle John in 1 John 5.16 There is a sin unto Death I do not say that ye shall pray for it Had they in Stephens account sinned this Sin unto Death he would not have prayed for them but he did pray for them So that this Sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in every opposition unto the Work of the Holy Ghost as it is distinct from the Father and the Son Thirdly As it doth not consist therein so it is not necessary that every man that sins the Sin against the Holy Ghost should be an Universal Apostate back-sliding from the Profession of the Gospel and the Power thereof I know it is ordinarily thought so but I say it is not necessary that whosoever doth sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost should be a Gospel Apostate back-sliding from the Gospel and the Power thereof once profest for these Pharisees who sinned against the Holy Ghost never profest the Gospel neither do we read of any back-sliding in them from the Power of the Gospel once profest and yet they sinned against the Holy Ghost Surely therefore such a Gospel-Apostacy is not of the essence of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Only here I must distinguish concerning the word Apostacy A man may be said to be an Apostate two waies either because he doth decline and fall away from the Profession of the Truth and Power of Godliness once profest or else because he doth rebel against Truth revealed and the Will of God manifested and wil go no further I wil express it thus Five or six men go a great Journey suppose to Wales or into the North to Scotland when they come about the middle of the way two or three of them say these waies are dirty and longer than we intended and therefore we wil go no further but say the other Let the way be as dirty and as long as it may be we wil go on and on they go Which of these men do depart one from the other do those that go on depart from them that stay No those that wil
go no further depart they are the forsakers So in the way to Heaven Professors let out together and some find the way long further than they thought of we wil go no further say they and we wil have no more Light but say the other God willing we wil on and on they go Which of these two sorts are the Apostates Those that wil go no further they think not so but the Lord knows the truth that those that wil go no further are they that leave and forsake the other I wil give you one Scripture for it it is in Numbers 14. there were certain Spies went into the Land of Canaan and they brought an il report upon the good Land And the Children of Israel murmured against Moses verse 2. whereupon Moses speaks unto them and saith at verse 9. Only rebel not against the Lord the words in the Septuagint which Greek the new Testament follows are Only be not Apostates against the Lord. So that in Septuagintal Language those that rebel against Light revealed and wil go no further are called Apostates Now indeed this kind of Apostacy alwaies goes with the Sin against the Holy Ghost but not the former alwaies for we do not find that the Pharisees were guilty of the former for they did not profess the Gospel So that the Essence of this sin doth not consist in Apostatizing or back-sliding from the Profession of the Gospel and the Power thereof Fourthly Some think that this Sin doth consist in final Unbelief and impenitency But final Impenitency and Unbelief Altissiodorensis Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sentent Desperatissimos convertit Deus August Sic homo potest penitere de finali impenitentia Altissiodorensis ibid. is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost for by final Unbelief and Impenitency they either understand that Impenitency and Unbelief which a man lives and dies in or that which he purposeth to continue in to the last The latter cannot be the Sin against the Holy Ghost for many have purposed to continue in their Unbelief to their death and yet have been converted and pardoned And the first cannot be the Sin against the Holy Ghost For 1. The Jews whom Christ spake unto did then commit this Sin and yet they had not continued in it to their death 2. Final Unbelief is rather a Sin against the Son but the Sin against the Holy Ghost is distinguished from that 3. Our Savior saith Those that commit this sin shall not be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Not in this world If therefore final Unbelief or Impenitency be this sin then Christ should threaten that he that dies in his sin shal not be forgiven whilst he lives 4. If a man sin against the Father or Son and die impenitently in that sin he shal not be forgiven either in this Life or in the Life to come but herein the Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser than the Sins against the Father or the Son and therfore it cannot consist therein 1 John â— 16 5. The Apostle saith There is a sin unto death I say not that you pray for it Doth he say that we must not pray for a man and for the forgiveness of his sin when he is dead 6. It is that sin for which there lies no remission but a man may sin such a sin whilst he lives for if any man sin wilfully there remaineth no sacrifice for sin and wilfully a man may sin before his Death 7. It is such a sin as a man may know anothâ—r man is guilty of whilst he lives for saith the Apostle There is a sin unto death I say not that you pray for it but final Unbelief and Impenitency is not known til death 8. Our Savior saith He that speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven but a word may be spoken against the Spirit long before a man dies and therefore surely this sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in final impenitency and unbelief final unbelief and â—mpenitency is not this Sin against the Holy Ghost 9. For then al wicked men living under the Gospel and dying impenitently should sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Blasphemia in spiritum sanctúm ca â—se vidâ—â—â— qua quis destinâ—ta malitia contra proprium animi sui sensum spiritâ— sancti gratiam et virtutem deique gloriam oppugnat Luc. Brugen in Math. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in Math. 12. which is false You wil say then What is this Sin against the Holy Ghost and wherein doth it consist Secondly Affirmatively It is that wilful sinning against God whereby a man doth maliciously oppose and blaâ—pheme the proper and peculiar work of the Holy Ghost and that after he hath been convinced thereof by the Holy Ghost 1. I say It is a wilful sinning against God and so the Apostle speaks saying If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin Heb. 10.26 So that the sin for which there is no sacrifice and of which there is no remission is a wilful Sin Now a man is said to sin Wittingly Willingly and Wilfully Wittingly in opposition to Ignorance Willingly in opposition to Force and Constraint Wilfully in opposition to Light Knowledg and Reason and so he that sins against the Holy Ghost doth sin for saies the Apostle If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth or after the acknowledgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2. He that commits this Sin doth also oppose and blaspheme the proper and peculiar Work of the Holy Ghost for it 's called here Dicere verbum contra spiritum sanctum est verbis impugnare Deum sanctificantem Cajet in Math. 12. vide sixt Senens in locum a blasphemy and a blaspheming of the Spirit as distinct from the Father and the Son Now the Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son to Redeem the Work of the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie and therefore he that sins this Sin doth oppose and blaspheme Holiness and Goodness and so these Jews did for when our Savior Christ did cast out the Devil that unclean Spirit they said he did it by the power of the Devil calling the work done a work of the Devil and did oppose him therein Yet this is not all For 3. It is that Sin whereby a man doth maliciously oppose Peccatum in spiritum sanctum dicitur illud quod ex certa malitia sit quod solent distingui tria genera peccatorum peccatum in patrem ex infirmitate humana peccatum in filium ex ignorantia quod patri appâ—opriatur potentia filio sapientia peccatum in spiritum sanctum ex malitia quia bonitas attribuitur spiritui sancto Altissidorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. Scot. in Sent. Lib. 2. Quest 2. and blaspheme and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.26
have much Experience yet if we do not trust in the Word of Promise under Christ over and beyond al our Experience we do evil And if al our Experience is to be reduced to the Word written then the Scripture is more excellent than al Experience but all our Experience is to be reduced unto Scripture Surely therefore the Scripture or the Word of God written is more excellent than al Experience and the Light thereof And thus I have done with the Fifth Instance Instance 6 As for Divine Providence the Scripture is a more sure Light than it For God doth somtimes try us by his Providence he doth somtimes lay a Providential Dispensation before us to try and see what we wil do So he led the Children of Israel in the Wilderness forty Yeers to try them and to know what they would do and to humble them But the Scripture is the Rule of our doing and therefore a more safe and sure Light to walk by And if the Providence of God extendeth unto al our Actions good and evil and to evil as wel as unto what is good then there is no certain Rule or Judgment to be made up from thence Now so it is that the Providence of God extendeth unto al our Sins the Jews crucified Christ Gods Providences did extend unto that Being delivered up by the determinate Counsel and fore-knowledg of God ye have taken and by wicked hands ye have crucified him Acts 2.23 When Jonah fled from God there was then present a Ship that was bound for Tarshish here was a Providence And when Josephs Brethren sold him into Egypt there came by certain Merchants who did trade into Egypt here was a Providence Now if the Providence of God do thus extend to our very Sins then we cannot make up our Judgment our Rule from a bare Providence but you may make up your Judgment and Rule from the Scripture and the Word of God written Quest Doth not God speak by Providence guide and direct by Providence somtimes Answ 1 Yea He doth somtimes guide us with his Eye as the Psalmist speaks Thus when the King could not sleep he called for the Records and â—ound therein that Mordecai had been faithful to him the Providentiâ—l Eye of God did guide the King to do somthing for Mordecai And when Abrahams Servant prayed and the Damsel came forth to meet him according to his Prayer The Providence of God did lead and guide to that Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca But though the Lord doth somtimes guide us with the Eye of his Providence yet if I make the Providence of God the Rule of Lawfulness or Unlawfulness then am I in a great error and exposed thereby unto al sin for then may I say if I be tempted to kill or murder my self the Providence of God is the Rule of Lawfulness or Unlawfulness Now here is a Knife a Rope a Pond or an Instrument of Death which fals in my way by unexpected Providence therefore I wil and must now murder my self Understand the thing rightly therefore I pray you thus In case that two things are before me and both are Lawful Providence opening a door to one and shutting the door upon the other it doth direct to that one and not to the other but the Providence of God doth not make a thing Lawful which is in it's self unlawful it doth direct us in doing of a thing Lawful but it doth not make a thing Lawful it is not the Rule of Lawfulness or Unlawfulness but the Scripture and the Word of God is it is the only Rule whereby I may and must make up my Judgment of Lawfulness and Unlawfulness it is that only which doth stamp Lawfulness upon an Action Surely therefore the Light of the Scripture is more excellent Light than Divine Providence And thus I have done with the Sixt Instance Instance 7 As for Humane Reason and the Light thereof Scripture-Light is more excellent than it For Though Humane Reason be a Beam of Divine Wisdom Morn praefat Lib. de vera relig prefat Lib. de Euch. Ames de traductione peccatoris ad vitam et de lum nat et Grae. Dr. Vort. de ratione humana de rebus fidei Alting Loc. com pars 1. Loc. 2 dg Tunc solum vere Deum cognoscimus quando ipsum esse credimus supra omne id quod de Deo cogitari ab homine possibile est Aquin. contra Gent. Lib. 1. Cap. 5 6. yet if it be not enlightened with an higher Light of the Gospel it cannot reach unto the things of God as it should it is Panis pauperum the poor mans Bread compared by some to the Dough which the Israelites brought out of Egypt which was prepared with much Labor and then called Panis Pauperum Deut. 16.3 But the Word of God in the Scriptures is compared to Manna called the Bread of Angels for the Gospel did come down from Heaven in a special manner for though Reason be the Gift of God yet it doth proceed from God as he is God and General Ruler of the World But the Gospel and the Light thereof did proceed from the Father by the Son to the Church Rev. 22.1 And he shewed me a pure River of Water of Life cleer as Crystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. John 1.17 18. Though Reason be the Gift of God and a Beam of the Wisdom of God yet it cannot sufficiently discover a mans Sins unto him not his secret sins not his Original Sin not his Sin of Unbelief and against the Gospel but the Word of God the Scripture Light can and doth And as meer Humane Reason cannot make a sufficient discovery of Sin so it cannot strengthen against Sin and Temptation Temptations answered by Reason wil return again it cannot convert the Soul But the Word of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Pâ—al 19. Though the Lâ—ght of Reason be good yet it is not a saving Light How many are there in the World who have strong Reason yet shal go to Hell and miscarry to al Eternity But the Light of the Scripture Gospel-Light is saving Light Surgunt indocti said a great Bishop and learned man et capiunt Calum et nos cum omni Doctrina nostra trudimur in infernum Poor men arise and take the Kingdom of Heaven by force when we with al our Learning are thrust into Hell Why so The poor receive the Gospel not many wise not many Learned Father I thank thee saith Christ thou hast revealed these things to Babes 'T is Revelation-Light from the Gospel that doth bring to Heaven meer Humane Reason cannot do it Quest Is there then no use of Reason and of the Light thereof Answ 1 Yea much Not only in Civil things but in the things of God comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual Dr. Voeti p. 5 6 7. de ratione humana in rebus fidei Did not Christ himself make use of Reason to
them is wrought by the Spirit and Finger of God in order to mans Salvation yet out of malice do blaspheme the same But why is this Sin above all other Sins Unpardonable Quest 2 Answ Not in regard of Difficulty only or because it is hardly pardoned as some would for many Sins are hardly pardoned and yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost Peccatum dicitur irremissibile septem de causis vide Altissiâ—dorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. for Zanchy doth wel observe if this Sin were only impardon because it is hardly pardoned then a mâ—n might pray for thoâ—â—â—at in this Sin but the Apostle saith There is a Sin unto 〈◊〉 I do not say that ye shall pray for it 1 John 5.16 Theâ—â—ore the impardonableness of it doth not lie here 2. Neither is it impardonable only in regard of event Because in event it shal never be pardoned for thâ—re are many Sins which in event shal never be pardoned which yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost There is many a wicked man that goes to Hel whose Sins in event are not pardoned and yet he did never sin against the Holy Ghost So that this Sin is not impardonable only in regard of event 3. Neither is it impardonable because it is so great as doth exceed the Power and Mercy of God for Gods Mercy and Power in forgiving sins is like himself Infinite If that be a good Argument that David useth Forgive my sin for it is wondrous great then the greatness of the Sin cannot be the only reason of the impardonableness of it There is nothing greater than that which is infinite Nunquam remittetur quod intellige regulatiter nam nec Divina potentia nec Divina miserecordia alligata est ad non remittendum spiritua blasphemiam sed secundum regâ—larem cursum eveniet non remissio quod comitem semper habet obstinationem Cajetan in Matth. 12. Dupliciter dicitur peccatum irremissibile dicitur uno quod nunquam remittetur alio dicitur irremissibile quod remitti non potest et sic non sequitur iste est similiter impenitens ergo habet peccatum irremissibile Holcot de imputabilitate peccati but Gods Mercy is Infinite 4. Neither is it impardonable because it is against the means of Pardon for then the Sin against the free Love of the Father and the Sin against the Son should be impardonable 5. Neither is it impardonable because a man doth not repent thereof for then al Sins unrepented of should be Sins against the Holy Ghost It is true That those who commit this Sin cannot repent as the Apostle speaks It is impossible that they should be renewed to repentance Heb. 6. because God doth give them up to impenitency but we do not find in Scripture that their not repenting is made the reason of the impardonableness of this Sin But the Sin is impardonable because there is no Sacrifice laid out by Gods Appointment for it If any man sin wilfully there remaineth no more Sacrifice Heb. 10. and without blood and Sacrifice there is no remission He that sinned ignorantly Numb 15. was pardoned Why Because there was a Sacrifice laid out for him but if any man sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an high hand he was to bear his own sin Why Because there was no Sacrifice laid out for him But why was there no Sacrifice for that Sin Not because the man did not repent after it but because that in the committing of that Sin he did despise the Commandement of God So now God hath declared That every Sin and Blasphemy against the Father and Son may be forgiven but if men come to that height of Sin as maliciously to oppose and blaspheme that very way and work of Gods Spirit which they have been convinced of by the Spirit then there shal be no Sacrifice for that and so no remission and pardon And thus now ye have seen what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is in what respects it is not and in what respects it is unpardonable and so the Doctrine cleered and proved That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is the impardonable Sin which shal never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come The Application follows Applic. 1 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the Impardonable Sin Then surely the Holy Ghost is God very God true God as the Father is For can it be a greater evil or more dangerous to sin against a Creature than against God the Father It is God that is sin'd against now the Holy Ghost is sin'd against yea the Impardonable Sin is against the Holy Ghost The Socianians say That if he be a Person he must needs be God true God but ye see by this Scripture that he is joyned with the other Person of the Son so also he is joyned with the Father and the Son in Matth. 28. In whose Name we are to baptize he who hath a Name and in whose Name somthing is to be done must needs be a Person And I pray you what is proper and peculiar to a Person is not Understanding Willing and Speaking these are al given to the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 1 Cor. 12.11 and Rom. 8.26.27 Acts 13.2 Acts 20.23 But I need go no further than this Text here the Spirit is joyned with the Son and the Sin against the Holy Spirit is made the impardonable Sin surely therefore he is verily and truly God as the Father is Applic. 2 If this Doctrine be true then what a necessity is there upon us al to know and understand what this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for if a man have sinned this Sin we are to forbear praying for him 1 John 5.16 therefore we may know what this Sin is and we may know that another hath committed the same for how can we forbear prayer for him if we do not know and understand what this Sin is the not knowing what this Sin is makes many men fal into it before they are aware When the Laws of a Nation are written in an unknown Tongue the People break them before they are aware because they do not know them So the not knowing what this Sin is makes many a poor soul to fal into it yea the not knowing what this Sin is breeds many scruples doubts and fears in new Converts O! saith one I have sinned that great Sin against the Holy Ghost and I saith another have sinned the impardonable Sin and why but because the man doth not know what this Sin is O! what a necessity therefore is thereupon us al to know and understand what this Sin is and wherein it doth consist Applic. 3 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the unpardonable Sin what Mercy and what Grace is it that the Lord hath kept us from this great Sin that though ye have fallen into great and hainous sins and the Lord hath suffered you to fall into such sins
us Page 112 3 He merited Heaven for us Page 113 4 He recovered the lost Image of God in us ibid. 5 He destroyed the power of Satan Page 114 6 He sanctified all things to us Page 115 7 He confirmed the Covenant of Grace Page 116 II. The remote effects of Christs death are many whereof seven are set down Page 118 Quest What assurance had Christ to see these fruits and effects ibid. Answ 1 He had the assurance of salvation of many thousand souls before his death Page 118 2 He had assurance of his own merit and his Fathers fai hfulness Page 119 3 He did not only merit the impetration of our Redemption but the application of it also Page 120 4 He merited not only sufficiency of Grace for us but the efficacy of Grace Page 121 5 He merited not only some blessings of the Covenant but the Condition of the Covenant ibid. Application 1 Christ did not die for al men Page 123 2 Consolation for those he died for ibid. Object I fear he died not for me ibid. Answ He died for his Sheep ibid. Sermon III. Christ's Contentment which he doth and shal find in his Assurance of Issue Page 127 The Introduction Page 128 Quest Wherein doth Christ express this Con entment ibid. Answ The Issue is what he travelled with or what be tâ—avâ—lled for ibid. I. For his Seed the Issue he travelled with his de ight is proved by eight Aâ—guments ibid. Quest Why doth Châ—ist take such contentment in his Issue Page 133 Answ 1 They are his own ibid. 2 They are given him of his Father ibid. 3 They have all relations to him ibid. 4 They are one with him ibid. 5 They are suitable to him ib. 6 By them also he liveth Page 134 II. For the Issue he travelled for his delight must be great 1 He sees the good pleasure of God prosper in his hands ib. 2 Thereby the reproach is â—owled away from his sufferings 3 He thereby obtains the end of his sufferings ibid. Quest How shall this appear that Christ â—aw this Page 135 Answ 1 It hath been cleered already 2 It is proved further by Scripture ibid. 3 Nothing can hinder Christ from it ibid. An Objection answered proving that Christ died for all Page 136 Application Use 1. Vniversal Redemption is false Doctâ—ine Page 137 Object Christ died c nditionally Page 138 1 Aâ—â—w negatively and consâ—med by three Arguments 2 Pâ—â—of that Christs mâ—rits were not conditional Page 139 3 Proof c. ibid. 4 Proof ibid. 5 Proof ibid. 6 Proof Page 140 7 Proof Page 141 8 Proof Page 142 9 Proof The Covenant of Grace is free absolute and without Condition ibid. 1 The Lord delivered it without Condition ibid. 2 It is like the Covenant made with Noah ibid. 3 In the Covenant of Grace there is a converting mercy promised ibid. 4 The Spirit is promised in the Covenant ibid. 5 The Covenant of Grace is easier than the Covenant of Works Page 143 Object All Divines say Faith and Repentance are the Condition of the Covenant ibid. Answ Not all not Luther Zanchy Junius Dr. Ames ibid. Use 2 The Saints cannot be Apostates Page 144 Use 3. This Doctrine looks upon Godly and Vngodly men Page 125 1 It cals on the Godly to be satisfied in Christ ibid. 2 The Godly are called upon to be contented with Christ and to endeavor all for him Page 146 Quest What must the Godly do to answer Christs love ibid. Answ Many things 1 To bear the same mind to Christ he bear to us ibid. 2 To use the means of Grace in publick and private Ordinances Page 147 3 To use one Grace so as to make us fit for another ibid. 4 To be thankful for our present Condition ibid. 5Vse no comâ—any but what you may receive some good from ibid. 6Vse yâ—ur particular Calling so as to be fit for a general Calling Page 148 7 Be merry yet so as you may not grieve afterwards for your mirth ibid. 8 It is excellent to know what Gods design is yet we must admire what we cannot understand ibid. 9 So mind the Truth of the Times as not to neglect the power of Godliness Page 148 149 10 Desire to die yet be contented to live ibid. FINIS A LIFTING UP FOR THE DOWN-CAST The Contents Sermon I. THE Words opened in two Branches Page 1 1 The sad Discouragements of a gracious Spirit Page 2 2 The Remedies ibid. Three Doctrines observeâ— in the first Branch ibid. 1 That the Saints have an inward Peace ibid. 2 This Peace may be interrupted ibid. 3 The Saints have no reason to be diâ—couraged This is the main thing aimed at ibid. Doct. 1. proved 3 The Father Son and Holy Ghost are engaged for their peace Page 4 1 The Father is engaged 1 By his Prerogative ib. 2 By his Commandement ibid. 3 By Vertue of his Promise Page 5 4 By Purchase ibid. 5 In regard of the Chastisements of the Saints ibid 2 The Son is engaged Page 6 1 By his qualifications he received from his Father ibid 2 By his own disposition Page 7 3 By his Office ibid. 3 The Holy Ghost is engaged As Christs Executor be it spoken with Reverence ibid. As our Advocaâ—e in some sence though Christ alone be our Advocate ibid. Object Experience sheweth the contrary by the unquiet Condition of the Saints Page 8 Answ Doct. 2 Their quiet may be interrupted Some distinctions â—herein â—o be considered ibid 1 There is a Fundamental Peace naturally flowing from Justification 2. There is an additional peace flowing from the sence of their Justification the former cannot be lost the latter may ibid. 2 There is great difference between peace comfort and joy Page 9 3 There is a peace in opposition to what one hath been and a peace that lies in opposition to what one would be ibid. 4 There is a dormant peace and there is a wakâ—ned peace ibid. Quest What is the Issue of this Page 10 Application 1 See what a blessed Condition the Saints of God are in ib. 2 Thankfulness of the Godly called for ibid. Object May be the Peace I have is not right wherefore I cannot praise the Lord for it Page 11 Answ 1 I grant that there is a false Peace that wicked men have but there is a true Peace to thâ— Godly Page â—â— Tâ—e diâ—â—ereâ—ce of true and false Peace ibâ—â— Common Peace ariseth from the apprehension of Gods common Goodness Special Pâ—ace ariseth from the apprehension of Gods sâ—ecial favor Fâ—â—se Peace is â— Guard to our Sins True Peace is a Guard to our Graces ibid. 2 True Peace is wrought by Faith ibid. 3 Truâ— Peace will live in the sight of Sin ibid. 4 True Peace loves to be tried ibid. 5 True Peace is spoken by God ibid. An Appeal to any that doubt of their Peace Page 13 Object I fear my inward Peace because it doth not continue â—â—id Answ The second Doctrine answers this ibid. Object I fear my
quidem opus est sed hujus conatum frustra sumi si solus erit non enim laboris sedulitas sed Dei benedictio rem faecundatet omnia perficit Luther farrago Epistol especially where Prayer and paynes Religion and Righteousness Frugallity and Liberallity are in conjunction some are much for payns taking and Little for Prayer Others are much for Prayer and little for paynes taking some are much for Religion and little for Righteousness others are much for Righteous dealings and little for Religion some are much for Frugallity little for Liberallity others are much for Liberallity little for Frugallity but blessed is that Family where Prayer and paynes Religion and Righteousness Frugallity and liberality meet and dwel together under one Roof Now those things I have seen amongst you Only as heretofore so now labor to abound therein more and more that you and your Family may be as the field which the Lord blesseth And as God hath raised you to an outward greatness in the world Nec quicquam in te mutaverit fortunae amplitudo nisi ut prodesse tandundem posses et velles Plin. Epist ad Vespas so let your hearts be great for God that what Pliny reported of Vespasian may be truely said of you your abundance hath changed nothing in you but this that your power to do good is now made answerable to your wil counting it greater mercy to lay out for God than to lay up for your selves for it may be when you come to die you wil have more comfort in what you have laid out for God than in what you have laid up for your Children And why should we not give that to God by an act of our Faith which he gave to us by an act of his Love And as for your Children if I might not exceed the bounds of an Epistle I would say to them 1. Children O Children know your Fathers the God of your Fathers Know your parents for that is the first Comandement with Promise you shal honor your selves in honoring them Camerar oper subcis Centur. 1. cap. 66. It s recorded of the Catanenses that they made a Stately Monument of kingly Magnificence in remembrance of two Sons who took their Aged Parents upon their Backs and carried them through the Fire when their Fathers House was al in a Flame And of al the Birds the Stork hath the Name for the good Bird and why but because the younger of them do help and bear up the Elder their weak Parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pia aviâ— ciconâ—s eximia inest pietas etonim quantum temporis impenderint foetibus educandis tancum et ipsae à pullis suis invicem aluntur Solinus cap. 11. Schind Parentes senectute confectos humeris suis gestare dicuntur Avenar but though your Parent is to be honored yet your God is more to be honored If you know God when you are young God wil know you when you are Old remember therefore your Creator in the daies of your Youth and your Creator wil remember you in the daies of your Age. 2. Take heed of youthful sins for the sweet sins of our Youth do bite sore in our Age. 3. Get an inward principle of Grace in your own Soules For if you live on your Parents Root when your Parents die your goodness wil die too and therefore look wel to the laying of your Foundation which is not to be laid in disputation but Humilation 4. Be not unwilling to bear the Yoak in the daies of your Youth For he that can carry a calfe when he is Young wil carry an Ox when he is old Affliction gives you understanding it is the School of Experience Vituli triturantes quotidir ligantur vituli mactandi quotidie in pascuis libere relinqountur August The Oxen that are for use are kept tied up when those that are fatted for the Shambles are let loose into the Pastures to feed at their pleasure 5. Be not too confident of what you can do or wil do Young Men are apt to be too confident as Old Men are apt to be too fearful but the best Swimmers are the soonest drowned because of their confidence wherefore in all thy waies acknowledg the Lord and leane not to thine own understanding Pro. 3. 6. When you come to the great turns of your life be sure that you make a right choyce For every Man is as his choyce is if there be any Dirt on the Hands it wil appear in the Knuckles the turning places and if there be Dirt in your Lives it wil be found and appear in your great turns 7. Let your dwelling place be where God dwels and he dwels where his Ordinances are For there he records his Name but though you live under Ordinances in regard of your Station yet live above them in regard of your affection passing through them unto Christ and through Christ into the Bosome of the Father it was not Davids sling that killed Goliah but the Name of God in the use of the sling 8. Seek not great things for your selves in this world For if your Garments be too long they wil make you stumble and one staff helps a Man in his Journey when many in his Hands at once hinder him but labor to do great things for God Infima pars faelicitatis perfectae est terrena faelicitas Austin and God wil do great things for you Terrene or earthly Faelicity is the lowest Part of perfect Faelicity 9. Be much in private Prayer for the more you come to God the more welcome you are his Customers have the best Penny-worths and if God do much for you in the Morning-duty do much for him al the day after A prece principium and if you have little from God in the morning walk humbly all the day after 10. Let your company be alwaies such as you may get good from or do good unto When you are alone think of good things and when you are in company speak of good things 11. Keep the truth and the truth will keep you 12. And whatever mercy or blessing you receive trace it to Heaven Gates and to Christs Blood For it flowed from Christs Blood and leades you to Heaven And the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make you all Parents and Children perfect in every good work to do his wil working in you that which is wel pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Your Servant in the Gospel of Christ WILLIAM BRIDGE TO THE READER Good Reader THe following Sermons on Psal 42. I have perused and find that they are the same which I Preached divers years since being then taken by a good Pen as they fell in Preaching They have been long buryed in silence and should have rested in their Grave had not the importunity of some
and discern but in the Hive doth the several Honeys of the Creatures meet and dwel that is the House thereof So there is a sweet tast of the several Attributes of God in al the Creatures but in Christ doth his fulness dwel bodily and in his suffering you may see the Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy of God in Conjunction and so know God indeed which knowledg was more worth to Paul than al other Knowledges for saith he I desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Hereby also I mean by the consideration of this great and sore Travel you wil prize and value Christ more and have your hearts drawn out with Love to him for shal I not prize him that suffered the Wrath of God and the torments of Hel for me The more you see his Love to you the more wil your hearts be inflamed with Love to him Now the greater his sufferings for you do appear to you the more you see his Love to you When I am lift up saith he I will draw all men after me that is when I am lift up on the Cross he doth not say when I am transfigured at Mount Tabor I wil draw al to me yet there was a drawing glory which made Peter say It is good for us to be here But his Love is the most drawing Object and that was glorious in suffering Thereby you wil learn to prize al your enjoyments for thus you wil see what they cost what rate they are at in the Kings Book there is no blessing or mercy which ye do enjoy but was bought in by Christ he laid down his Life for you and in him are you blessed with al Spiritual Blessings But did Christ suffer such hard things for my enjoyments O! what infinite cause have I then to prize them al Hereby also you wil be made willing to suffer any thing for Christ to become low and mean for him to endure the reproach anger and wrath of men for him For shal Christ suffer so hard a Labor for me in his Body in his Soul and shal not I suffer in my Estate and Name for him Shal he suffer the Wrath of God for me and shal not I be willing to suffer the wrath of man for him Shal he endure the very torments of Hel for me and shal not I be willing to suffer a little on Earth for him Thereby you wil be made unwilling to put him to a new Suffering for you those that fal away and decline do crucifie the Lord afresh saith the Apostle and put him to an open shame when Professors walk scandalously they put Christ to an open shame to a new Suffering But is this true That Christ hath suffered so great things for me and shal he now suffer by me what hath he not suffered enough already He hath suffered in his Body in his Soul the Wrath of God the very Torments of Hel and is not this enough God forbid that ever I should so walk that Christ should yet suffer by me who hath suffered such things for me Hereby also you shal be able to overcome your Temptations Corruptions and to be more fruitful and profitable and gracious in your lives here is the Shop of Vertues Officina virtutum whatever Grace or Vertue you want you may have in this Shop if you wil come for it Dost thou want hatred of sin here you may see it in its own colors and the reward thereof for if God spared not his own Son but he endured the Wrath of God and the very Torments of Hel when sin was but imputed to him O! what an Hel and flaming Fire shal those endure who have sin of their own and must bear it themselves And saies Gerard would you see the Torments of Hel the true punishment of sin Ito ad Montem Calvariae Go to Mount Calvary Or dost thou want Patience in thine Afflictions behold the Travel of Christ as a Lamb he opened not his mouth before the Shearer Or dost thou want a tender broken heart truly his heart is hard indeed which the sight of these breakings of Christ wil not break Hereby also you wil be engaged unto his Commandements and Ordinances For what are the Ordinances which now we enjoy but the Representation of a Suffering Christ whereby we hold forth the Lords Death til he come What is al our Preaching and your Hearing but of Christ crucified What is Baptism Lords Supper or any other Ordinances but that Bed wherein we have communion with a suffering Christ and shal Christ suffer such bitter things for us in his Soul and Body and shal we throw up those Ordinances whereby we are to have Communion with him in these Sufferings God forbid And hereby also you that are of a fearful heart may fully conclude the willingness of God to save Sinners For if God the Father had not been very willing he would never have put his own only Son to so great a Suffering for their Salvation What can be more abhorrent from the heart of a tender Father than to put his own only and obedient Son unto Death it goes to the heart of a tender Father to see his Child die I will not see the death of the Child said Hagar and she sate down over against him and lift up her voyce Gen. 21.16 and wept but to lay his own hands upon him in reference to his Death this is a grief beyond al expression yet this did God the Father do for he bruised his Son he put him to grief he smote him and he laid on him the iniquities of us al. Surely if God the Father had not been infinitely willing to save Sinners he would never have done a thing so contrary to him and if Christ himself were not willing he would never have suffered such hard things for their Salvation What is not a Woman willing to do for that Child whom she hath had a sore Travel for Now Christs Travel was a sore Travel surely therefore he is infinitely willing to save sinners and if God the Father be willing and Christ be willing then why should not every poor doubting drooping Soul say Lord I beleeve help thou mine unbelief I once doubted of thy Love because I doubted of thy willingness to save such as I am yea often have I put an If upon thy willingness saying with the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean But now I see thou art willing to save sinners why should I then doubt again And upon this account al poor sinners may be encouraged to come to Christ for if Christ did come down from Heaven for you wil he refuse you when you come to him If he have suffered such hard and bitter things for sinners do ye think he wil cast them away that do come to him surely he wil not O! what great encouragement doth this Doctrine proclaim unto al poor and great sinners for to come to Christ And hereby also your
no sin Now it cannot be said that he who knew no Sacrifice was made a Sacrifice for us indeed it follows by Consequence that he was made a Sacrifice for us which he was on the Cross For he offered up himself once for all saith the Apostle Heb. 9.26.28 which cannot be understood of his appearing in Heaven for us for that he ever liveth so to appear for us seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for us Heb. 7. and when he gave himself unto God for us then he was made an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor Ephes 5.2 But when he died for us then he is said to give himself for us Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me that is who loved me and died for me yea the very same word that is used for the Sin Offering Levit. 16. is attributed unto Christ Isai 53.10 When he shall make his Soul an Offering for sin The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sin-Offering Now the Sins of the People were laid on the head of the Sin-Offering and Christ being our Sin-Offering when he died on the Cross our sins were then laid on him and imputed to him 2. As our sins were charged and laid on him so they were laid on him by the hand of the Father Isa 53. It pleased the Lord to bruise him and he hath put him to grief verse 10. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all verse 6. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth somtimes signifie to pray and intercede but so it cannot be taken here for then the words should be read thus He hath made our Iniquities to pray or intercede on him or by him or with him but there is no good sense in that neither can it be said Verba Prophetae sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum Socini interpretationem orat pro illo 1. Christo sed hoc absurdum hac interpretatione itaque rejecta dicit Socinus vertendum esse Jehova occurrit per eum sive cum eo iniquitati omnium nostrum sed neque haec interpretatio consistere potest nomini enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nulla prepositio apposita est quae tale quicquam innuat docendum enim esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut autem ababsolute positum ita accipiatur neque ratio suadet neque syntaxis patitur nec simili exemplo ostendi potest Sib. Lubbert de Jes Christo servatore contra Socin Lib. 2. Cap. 5. p. 162. that the word here signifies to obviate as if the sense should run thus He hath made him to obviate our sins or our sins to be obviated by him which is that Interpretation which the Socinians do most adhere unto for the word is in Hiphil noting an efficiency and causality without any Preposition before the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin and therefore according to the Interpretation of the word the words must be translated thus He hath made our sins to obviate by him or on him which is no sense but rather than men wil lose their own sense and apprehension they wil make the Scripture to speak no sense The true Translation and reading of the words is thus He hath made our sins to meet on him and so our sins were laid on Christ by the hand of the Father 3. As the Father laid and did charge out sins on Christ on the Cross so he laid them on him by way of punishment our sins being the meritorious cause of his Sufferings and his Sufferings being the Punishment of our sins for what is a Punishment Paena vel supplicium est malum passionis quod infligitur propter malum actionis but a just inflicting of some Natural evil for some sinful evil It is the inflicting of the evil of Suffering for the sinful evil of Doing Now when Christ died on the Cross He was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our iniquities Isa 53.5 And where do we read either in Scripture or any Author that a man is said to be scourged wounded or afflicted for a fault but it notes a punishment and that such a fault is the meritorious cause thereof When God threatens to punish men for sin he threatens them with the bearing of their Sin So Levit. 20.17 He shall bear his iniquity is the same with he shal be killed verse 16. and he shal be cut off verse 18. So Numb 14.33 Your Children shal wander in the Wilderness and shall bear your whoredoms that is the punishment which is due to them So Ezek. 18.20 The Soul that sins shal die and the Son shal not bear the iniquity of the Father that is the Son shal not be punished for the Fathers sin So that in Scripture Language to bear the sin of another is to be punished for another So the Goat did bear the sins of the People and Christ who was our Sin-Offering did bear our sins on the Cross Isa 53. 1 Pet. 2.24 Who himself bare our sins in his own Body on the Tree Why so but because he did bear the Punishment that was due thereunto 4. As he did then bear our sins on the Cross so he accepted thereof and did willingly undergo this Task for saith he Lo I come to do thy Will thy Law is within my heaâ—t I delight to do thy Will Longe à salute mea verba delictorum meorum Longe hic Divinitus loquitur verba delictorum meorum quia nostra peccata reputat sua Hieron in Ps 21. et 41.5 Sana animam quamvis peccaverim tibi quamvis ego sum omnium maximus peccator imputative imo peccaâ—um 2 Cor. 5 ult et Phrasi Hebraea peccaverim tibi ratione officii quod sustinco Redemptor non personae quaÌ„do sum integer et peccatum nullum feci Tarnov in Psal passional p. 233. in Psal 41. quod igitur ad Deum Patrem spectat se non esse ratione officii innocentem fatetur ô Deus Pater inquit qui ratione humanae naturae es Deus meus Ps 22. tu novisti stultitiam meam hoc est peccatum Christus peccator Tarnov in Psal 69. p. 263. which he speaks in reference to these sufferings Heb. 10. Psal 40.8 and John 10. he saith I lay down my life no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self verse 17 18. yea and when our sins were thus charged on him he did accept of that Charge and cals those sins his Psal 40.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold of me so that I am not able to lookup which words are the words of Christ as appears plainly by the former Verses And so again Psal 69.5 O God thou knowest my foolishness and my sins are not hid from thee which Psalm is a Psalm of Christ who standing in our room and stead speaketh thus as being made sin for us So that as the Father charged our sins on him so he did accept of that charge 5. As he did
Testator Heb. 9.17 4. Then also the Miracles that Christ wrought and the Apostles preaching with the Gifts that Christ gave to them upon his Ascention should confirm the Covenant for saith the Apostle Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost verse 4. It seems then that the Truth of the Goâ—pel was confirmed to us by Miracles and the Apostles preaching yet the Miracles and preaching of the Apostles are not said in Scripture to confirm the Covenant which yet might very wel be said if Christs Death should confirm it by way of Testimony 5. If the Death of Christ doth confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony then the blood of Buls and Goats might have confirmed the Covenant for when God testified the Truth of his Promise to Adam Gen. 15. He said to him Take thee an Heifer of three years old and a shee Goat of three yeers old and a Turtle Dove and a yong Pidgeon and he took them and divided them in the mid'st ver 9 10. But the Apostle tels us plainly Heb. 9. That the blood of Buls and Goats could not confirm the Covenant 6. The Ordinance of the Lords Supper doth testifie Gods willingness to forgive sinners That Cup is the New Testament in Christs blood shed for many for the remission of sins But though the Lords Supper be a Seal of the Covenant sealing to us evidencing testifying and assuring us of Gods Love bâ— Christ yet it is not a Seal of the Covenant as Christs blood was which did not only â—eal to us but was a Seal of the Covenant it self as it lay between God the Father and him But if Christs death did only confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony then the Lords Supper might as wel be said to confirm the Covenant which is no where affirmed in the Scripture But 7. Look how the Obedience of the first Adam should have confirmed the Covenant in case he had stood and look how he broke that Covenant by his Disobedience so did the Death and Obedience of Christ the Second Adam confirm the new Covenant Now if the first Adam had stood and confirmed that Covenant he had confirmed it by performing the Condition of it and he brake it by not observing and not doing the Condition of it so the Second Adam Christ did confirm the new Covenant by his Death and in that by his Obedience he did perform the Condition of the New Covenant for his Seed Thus I say he confirmed the Covenant of Grace even by performing the Condition of it and this confirmation of the Covenant was the next and most immediate Fruit and Effect of his Death And thus you have seen both Negatively and Affirmatively what are not and what are the next and immediate Effects of the Death of Christ Secondly As for the remote Effects of the Death of Christ they are many As 1. Freedom from the Law Curse and the Wrath of God Gal. 3.13 1 Thes 1.10 2. Our Effectual Vocation or Calling 2 Tim 1.9 3. Our Justification and actual Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.1 Ephes 1.8 4. Our Sanctification and holiness of Soul and Life Ephes 5.25 26 27. Heb. 9.14 1 John 1.7 5. Our Adoption and al those Spiritual Priviledges whâ—ch belong to the Sons of God Gal. 4.4 5. 6. Our Peace Comfort and Freedom from Fears 1. Luk. 74.2 Heb. 14 And to name no more but this 7. Our Salvation in the World to come Heb. 9.15 Al which I cal the more remote Effects of the Death of Christ which though he did not presently see the obtainment of yet he shal surely see them And so I come to the Second thing propounded to be cleered and evidenced Viz. The Assurance of his Issue and the sight thereof Quest Having therefore seen what are the Fruits and Effects of the Death of Christ How may it appear that Christ shal certainly see the obtainment of these last Effects and what assurance had or hath he thereof Answ He had the Assurance of the Pre-salvation of many thousand Souls for when Christ died on the Cross many thousands were in Heaven upon the account of his Death God the Father took Christs word promising to die for sinners and so saved many aforehand As the Son died and took the Fathers Word for the Salvation of many after his Death so the Father took the Sons Word and saved many before his Death upon the account thereof Now when Christ died this pre-salvation of so many thousands was a great Assurance to him of the accomplishment and obtainment of al those things which he travelled for Secondly He had the Assurance also of his own Merit and his Fathers Faithfulness Merita Christi sunt causae omnium auxiliorum et totius gratiae quae in Natura lapsa conferuntur hominibus et idem dicendum de omnibus dispositionibus tam proximis quam remotis justificantem gratiam antecedentibus et de augmento gratiae Meruit gratiam et gloriam Thom Aquin. quest Q. 29. de gratia Châ—isti art 7. ad arg 8. Scotus Lib. 3. dist 19 qu. unica Altissiod Lib 3. Tract 1. quest 7. Aâ—uarez de anxil disput 29 Conclus 1. Molina de Lib art 6. concord qu. 23. ar 4 5 disp 2 conclu Vasquez in 3 part Thom. Tom. 1. disput 77. cap. 2. 3 4. Suarez in 3. part Thom. disput 41. Sect. 2 3. Astunicens de gratia Christi q. 5. 2 conclus Râ—ph Aversa pars prima qu 23. sect 15. Aureolus Lib. 3. in sent dist 20 q 1. Roder. de Ariaga in part 3. Thom. Tâ—â— 6 477 Zumel in 1 part Thom. qu 23. art 5. Bâ—nner in 1 part Thom. qu 23 art 5. Tâ—nnerus disput de incarnat q. 6 dub 5. Tom 4. T B Medina in 3. part Tho. 9. q 19 art 4. â—â—râ—aâ—iens in â— qu. contra Gent. Lib. 4 Cap. 55. Si qâ—is dixâ—â—it eandem gratiam Dâ—i â—eâ— Jâ—â—um Christum Dominum nostâ—um propter hoc taâ—uÌ„ nos acjuvaâ—e ad noâ— peccandum quod pâ—r ipsâ—m nobis revelatur â—t â—peâ—â—tur intelligentâ—a mâ—ndâ—toâ—umâ—â—â— sciamus quid appeâ—â—re quid vitare dâ—beanâ—us non autem per iliam nobis prâ—staâ—i ut quod fâ—ciendum cognovâ—timus etiam facere diligamus atque valeanius anathema â—it cum enim dicit Apostolus scientia â—â—slat charitas vero edificat valde impium est uâ—câ—edamus ad eam quae inslat nos habere gâ—atiam Christi ad eam quae edificat non habere cum sit utrumque donum Dei et scire quae facere debeamus et diligere ut faciamus Concil Milevitan 2. can 4. Bin. Tom. 1. For 1. He did not only merit Heaven and Salvation for those whom he died for but he merited Grace Holiness and Regeneration
for them for whatever God gives in time he gives upon the account of Christs Merit but in time he doth give Grace and Holiness for he doth bless us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Now Grace and Holiness are Spiritual blessings and therefore God doth bless us therewith in Christ 2. Look what the Father promiseth that he doth give out upon the account of Christ for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Grace and Truth comes by Christ the fulfilling of the Promise is truth but God the Father hath promised Grace as wel as Glory I will write my Law in your heart I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh I will give you a new heart saith God 3. Whaâ—ever Grace is derived from Christ and communicated by him to us he merited for us But of his Fulness we do al receive even Grace for Grace 4. We pray to God for the Conversion and Regeneration of sinners and we beg this in the Name of Christ thereâ—ore Christ hath merited not only Glory but Grace and Holine s. And 5. The Apostle tels us expresly in 2 Tim. 1.9 That we are called with an holy Calling in aâ—d by Jesus Christ Wâ—o hath saved us and called us with an holy Caâ—ling not according to our Workâ— but according to his own purpo e and Gâ—ace whiâ—â— he hath given us in Christ Jeâ—us before the Woâ—ld began As God doth work al Naâ—ural things by Second Cauâ—es so he doth work al Supernatural things by Christ By Câ—rist â—e dâ—d make the old Creation as he was the Eteâ—nâ—l Son of God and by Christ he makes the new Creation as our Mediator Now look what the Father worketh by him that did he merit for us but our new Creation is wrought by him and theretore he did not only merit Heaven and happiness but al our Grace and Holiness for us 2. He did not only merit the impetration of our Redemption but the application of it also the application of the means of Grace and the application of his own Merit for his Death is made the Reason of this application Meritum Christi sufficienter operatur ut causa universalis salutis humanae sed oportet hanc causam applicari per scripturam et per fidem formatum et ideo requiritur aliquid aliud ad salutem nostram praeter meritum Christi cujus tamen meritum Christi est causa Tho. Aquin. quest 29. de gratia Christi art 7. Esai 53.11 By his knowledg shal my righteous Servant justifie many for he shal bear their iniquities so again Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God and for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Covenant Now if Christ shal therfore justifie many because he did bear their sins then he did merit this application for al those whom he died for 2. If Christ did not merit this application then there is some Grace which is not from Christ Haec applicatio est maximum Dei donuÌ„ et maxime necessaria ad salutem sed Christus meruit nobis omnia Dei dona et omnia media necessaria ad salutem ergo haec applicatio est ex meritis Christi Suarez disput 41. sect 2. Nemo propter solum peccatum originis damnatur Armin. contr Perk. Arnold Corvinus contra Tilen p. 391. or this application is no Grace but the application of Grace and of Christs Merits and Redemption is Grace and there is no Grace which we have but is al from Christ 3. Our other Adversaries tel us that no Child perisheth or is damned only for Original sin but that sin is taken off from al by the Death of Christ therefore the death of Christ and his Merits are applied unto al Infants and if so then he hath merited the application of Redemption for al or else he did not die equally for al as they say 4. Look what God hath promised that Christ hath merited but he hath promised the application of Christs death Merits for saith he My Servant shal deal prudently he shal be exalted so shal he sprinkle many Nations Alias non perfectius meritum Christi esset causa salutis pâ—aedestinatorum quam non pâ—aedestinatoruÌ„ quia quod attinet ad sufficientiam meriti aequaliter respicit omnes homines sed differentia est in hoâ— quod quibusdam applicatur illud meritum quibusdam non ergo si haec applicatio non cadit sub merito Christi meritum Christi â— qualiter râ—spiceâ—et praedestinatos et non p aedestinatos Zumel quest 23. art 5 Isa 52.15 And 5. If he did not merit the application as wel as the impetration of our Redemption then he merited no more for those that are in Heaven than for those that are in Hel no more for those that are saved than for those that are damned For he merited the impetration of Redemption for al the particular men of the World say they But he did merit more for the saved than for the damned else those in Heaven have no more cau e to praise God and to be thankful unto Christ than those that are in Hel. Surely therefore our Lord and Savior Christ when he died did not only merit the Impetration but the Application also of our Redemption 3. He did not only merit a sufficiency of Grace for us but the efficacy of Grace also Hoc etiam salubriter profitemur et credimus quod in omni opere bono nos non incipimus et postea per Dei miserecordiam adjuvamur sed ipse nobis nullis praecedentibus meritis et fidem et amorem sui inspirat Concil Araufican 2. can 25. For look what Grace the Father gives in time that the Son merited for he blesses with al spiritual blessings in him but the Father doth not only give forth a sufficiency of Grace but the efficacy of it for saith the Apostle he worketh in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wil and the deed 2. Look what Grace the Father promiseth us that Christ merited for us but the Father promiseth not only a sufficiency but the efficacy of Grace I wil put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my waies saith God 3. Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant upon the account of his Death Heb. 9.14 15. therefore whatever Grace is promised in the New Covenant his Death is the meritorious cause of but the efficacy of Grace is promised in the new Covenant I wil write my Law in your hearts Heb. 8. 4. The Death and Obedience of Christ is more meritorious for us than the Sin and Disobedience of the first Adam was against us Rom. 5. But the Sin and Disobedience of the first Adam did not only merit a sufficiency of evil but the efficacy of evil upon our Nature and therefore the Death
and Obedience of the Second Adam did merit the efficacy of Grace for us Alius non perfectius meritum Christi esset causa salutis predestinatorum quam reproborum quia quod attinet ad sufficientiam meriti aequaliter respicit omnes tum reprobos quam predestinatos c. Bannez 1. part Aqui. 23. q. art 5. And 5. If Christ did not merit the efficacy of Grace he should merit no more for those that are saved in Heaven than for those that are damned in Hel for he merited a sufficiency of Grace say the Adversaries even for those that are in Hel but that is an ugly Assertion even in the Eyes of moderate Papists But 6. Do we not pray for the Efficacy of Grace and of Christs Death When David said Incline my heart to thy Law and not unto Covetousness when he said Open mine Eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law did he only pray for the sufficiency of Grace No but the efficacy of it therfore we may and do stil pray so and that upon the account of Christs Merits Surely therefore Christ hath not only merited the sufficiency but the efficacy of Grace 4. Cujus oppositum est erroneum maxime si nâ—gâ—tur Christum nobis meruâ—sse fiaâ—m Bannez 1 pâ—re q. 23. art 5. Zumel 1. part q. 23. art 5. He did not only merit some Blessings of the Covenant but that which is commonly called the Condition of the Covenant He died to procure Faith and Repentance he did not only die to merit a power for us to beleeve but by his Death he did also merit Faith and Repentance for look what the Father worketh in us by him that he merited but the Father worketh Faith and Repentance by him For he worketh in us that which is wel-pleasing in his sight by Jesus Christ Heb. 13.21 Now Faith and Repentance are wel-pleasing in his sight 2. Christ merited al that Grace which the Father hath promised for al the Promises are Yea and Amen in him but the Father hath promised not only to give us a poweâ— to beleeve but to take away the heart of stone that is actual resistance and to give an heaâ—t of flesh that is a yielding heâ—rt and what is Faith but a yielding unto God And ye shal all know me saith God 3. Christ merited for us that which he works in us but he works Faith in us for he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12. 4. We pray to God for Faith and Repentance I beleeve Lord help my Vnbelief and Christ prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail Si quis sicut augmentum ita etiam initium fidei ipsum credulitatis offectum quo in eum credimus qui justificat impium et regenerationem baptismatis pervenâ—mus non per gratiae donum id est per inspirationem spiritus sancti corrigentem voluntatem nostâ—am ab infidelitate ad fidem ab impiâ—tate ad pietatem et naturaliter nobis inâ—sse dicit Apostolicis dogmatibus adversarius approbatur Concil Arausican 2. Can. 5. Qui orat et dicit ne nos inseras in tentationes non utique id orat ut homo sit quo est natura neque orat id ut habeat libeâ—um arbitâ—tum quod â—â—m â—ccepit cum crearetuâ— ipsa natura neque orat remissionem peccatoruÌ„ quia hoc supâ—rius dicitur demitte nobis dâ—bita nostra neque orat ut accipiat mandatum sâ—d plane orat ut faciat mandatum Concil Milevetan Epist Familiaris B in Et hoc a deo ipso datum est vobis ut non solum credendo credatis in ipsum Christum Fabr. Boderian Et hoc a Deo ipso datum est vobis ut non solum credendo credatis in Meschicho Quiodmanstad We also pray for the Faith and Conversion of Infidels and that in the Name of Christ do we only pray that God would give them and us a power to beleeve that it 's said we have already we pray for Faith and Repentance in the Name of Christ therefore Christ hath merited Faith and Repentance And 5. The Apostle tels us expresly that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very work of Beleeving is given us upon the account of Christ Vnto you it is given for Christ not only to beleeve on him but to suffer for him Phil. 1.29 Some would read these words otherwise being much pinched with the strength of them but the old Siriack Translation reads them thus though Grotius either consulting with the Latin Translation or his own declined Judgment makes these words for Christ to be a Pleonatine but Councelâ— Fathers and others read them thus Unto you it is given for Christ not only to beleeve on him and so the words ought to be read for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be read in the first clause of the verse as it is read in the last but in the last part of the verse it is read for to suffer for Christ what is that is that in the behalf of Christ No but for his sake So therefore the same words in the former part of the verse are to be read for Christ that is for the sake of Christ to you it is given to beleeve for Christs sake Now look what the Father gives as an act of free Grace that he gives upon the account of Christs Merit for free Grace and Christs Merits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Versio Siriaca Concil A ausican 2. can 5. 25. Milevitan ad Innocent in Epist 95. Austin lih de praedest StoruÌ„ cap. 2. Ambros Anselm comment Vide Justinian Velasquez in Locum Vasquez in 3. part tom 1. Q 19 art 4 c. 2. go together in the Language of Pauls Epistles but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work of Faith is given us as an act of free Grace for saies the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and look what the Father gives for Christs sake that Christ hath merited but as the Father hath given us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer for him that is for his sake so saith the Apostle he hath given us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Christ that is for his sake to beleeve So that when Christ died for us he did not only merit a power to beleeve and repent but he did merit Faith and Repentance Now if Christ did merit al these things then knowing that the Father is Faithful in paying and performing what the Son purchased he must needs know and be fully assured that he should see and enjoy al those effects of his Death which he travelled for when he died Applic. 1 If the e be the Effects of Christs Death and he had such ful assurance to obtain them al then surely Christ did not die for al the particular men of the World for he did not only merit Eternal Life and Salvation but Grace and Holiness Faith and Repentance for al those whom he died for and he shal uâ—ely obtain al the
those very sins that he hath died and satisfied for Corvinus is not ashamed to speak it out and it or worse must needs follow from that Doctrine for many shal be damned not only for their Unbelief and sins against the Gospel but for their sins against the Law Rom. 2.12 2 Cor. 6.9 Either then Christ satisfied for these sins when he died for them or not if not then it seems that men possibly may have their sins against the Law pardoned which Christ hath not satisfied for for the Maintainers of that Doctrine say That it 's possible that al may be saved and so have their sins pardoned and if mens sins may be pardoned which Christ hath not satisfied for then is the Satisfaction of Christ made void according to the Doctrine of the Socinians and if Christ did bear and die and satisfie for these very sins which men are damned for then shal God punish the same sin twice which even a just man wil not do and then wherein doth our great Gospel Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross exceed the Sacrifices of the old Testament for the Apostle tels us Heb. 10.3 That in those Sacrifices there was a remembrance again made of sins every yeer but here shal be a remembrance again of sins made not every yeer but unto al Eternity O! how unsatisfying is this to the heart of Christ that instead of seeing the Travel of his Soul he shal see those damned that he died for yea damned for those sins that he satisfied for al which must needs follow upon the Doctrine of universal Redemption According to that Doctrine Christ may miss the ends of his Death and Sufferings for he died not only for the Salvation of those whom he died for but for their Sanctification Ephes 5.26 1 Pet. 1.18 Tit. 2.14 but al the men of the World are not sanctified clensed and redeemed from their vain Conversation and from al Iniquity Surely therefore if he should die for al particular men he should miss his Ends yea according to that Doctrine Christ may not obtain that which he hath merited and purchased for he hath not only merited Salvation but Grace and Holiness for those whom he died for as hath been proved already if therefore he died for every particular man of the World then al the men of the World must be gracious and holy or Christ must never come into his purchase nor obtain what he hath merited and can that be satisfying to the heâ—rt of Christ Sciendum est ita Christum Dominum pro peccatis totius generis humani satisfecisse donaque omnia gratiae quae illi post lapsum pâ—imorum parentum conferuntur infinitaque alia promeruisse et nihilominus applicationem effectuum suorum meritorum certis quibusdam legibus alligatam reliquerit Molina lib. arb Concord qu. 23. art 45. disp 2. Talis â—uit satisfactio Christi ut ea posita liberum fuit Deo obtinendae salutis eam conditionem ponere quam vellet ipse vero Deus posuit conditionem fidei Arnol. Corvin contra Molinâ— Cap. 28. p. 442. Impetravit Christus omnibus â—econciliationem et remissionem sed ea conditione Remonst Collat. Ha â—â—â—s Art 2. Licet satiâ—factio Christi sit praestita â—eatus noster non statim aboletur nisi prius fidei et poenitentiae conditionem impleamus Conr. Vorsrtius schol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad 54. Object But our Lord and Savior Christ did die conditionally and merited the blessings of the New Covenant conditionally to be given out upon condition of Faith and Repentance which are the Condition of the New Covenant and therefore though men do not obtain all the blessings of the Câ—venant yet Christ shal not lose his Ends nor the thing purchased by his Death because if men do not perform the Condition he never did intend they should have the blessing or the thing purchaâ—ed Answ But did Christ merit Grace and Holiness condâ—tionally the Question now is not about Salvation or Justification but about our Sanctification If you speak of our Salvatiâ—n in remission of Sin you speak not to the matter in hand and if you speak of our Sanctification what Condition can be performed before that 1. And if Christ did merit and intend that our Holiness and Sanctification should be bestowed on us upon condition of Faith and Repentance then a man may repent and beleeve before he be Sanctified and before he have any true saving Grace and Holiness 2. No Condition can be performed before Grace and Holiness but a work of Nature and hath Christ â—erited that Grace shal be bestowed upon a work of Nature the Apostle speaks directly contrary 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our Works but according to his own purpose and Grace And 3. If Christs Merits were thus conditional then the Will of God the Father must be also conditional for there is a correspondency between the Merits of Christ and the Wil of the Father the Father wils that to us which the Son hath merited for us and as the Son merited so doth the Father wil the bestowing of the blessing but the Father doth not wil our Grace Holiness and Sanctification upon condition for the Maintainers of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption say That Gods secret Wil and his revealed Wil are one and the same nothing different if therefore God doth wil our Sanctification and Holiness upon Condition then when he commands us to beleeve repent and obey his Commandement must be Conditional and when he commands us to forsake our sins his Command for that is Gods Wil must be Conditional and if those Commandements be conditional then they cannot be resisted nor his Wil resisted yea then it wil be no sin not to keep Gods Commandement for if his Commandement be to be observed upon Condition then if I do not perform that Condition I do not transgress his Commandement as if you command your Servant to do a thing if he will if he wil not he doth not transgress your Commandement Surely therefore the Wil of God and his Commandements are absolute such therefore is the Merit of Christ But Secondly If Christs Merits were thus Conditional relating to the performance of some Condition as of Faith Repentance and Obedience then Faith Repentance and our Obedience were not merited by the Death of Christ the contrary hath been proved already look whatever Christ laid down his life for that he merited but he laid down his life to redeem us from our vain Conversation and from al Iniquity therefore from Unbelief hardness of heart and from al the Disobedience of our Lives and therefore he merited our Redemption from these Thirdly If Christs merits were thus Conditional then the Wil of God the Father must be pendulous wavering uâ—certain and undetermined til it be determined by some act of Mans for if man do perform the Condition then he is to give out the blessing
last and they are also profitable for us to consider I shall take them in their order and speak only unto the first at this time which is this Doct. 1 There is an inward Peace and Quietude of Soul which the Saints and People of God ordinarily are endued with Therefore David saies here Why art thou cast down and why art thou disquieted within me It seems then that this was not his ordinary temper his Pulse did not alwaies beat thus high in this way of Discouragement but ordinarily he had Peace and quiet within So that I say There is an inward peace and quietness of soul which the Saints and people of God ordinarily are endued withal Ordinarily they are arrayed in white so they are brought in Rev. 7.13.14 verses What are these which are arayed in white robes at the 13. They are such as have washed their robes and made them White in the blood of the Lamb verse 14. this book of the Revelatâ—on doth attend much unto the Jewish customes and among the Jewes they had their Mourning their Rejoycing garment the Mourning garment was a black garment and therefore when a man is brought in in a mourning way he is brought in in a black garment as ye find in the next Psal the 43. the 2. vers why go ye in mourning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies Black Why goe ye in Black because of the oppression of the enemy So that the mourning garmenâ— was the Black garment the Black garment was the mourning garment And the white garment was the Reioycing gâ—â—ment therefore Eccles 9.8 it is said let thy garments be alwayes white and let thy h ead lack no oyntment Upon which â—ccount the nobles amongst the Hebrewes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 becanâ— they were clothed with white rayment Eccles Martinus de Râ—a sing S. Script Lib. 2. Cap. 1. 10.17 bâ—essed art thou O land when thy king is the son of nobles Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—on of princes or of those that are in white I confess this phrase doâ—h somtimes note the purity and holiness of the person so Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shal walk with me in white for they are worthy but ordinarily it notes the joy fulness and comfortableness of our state so in Rev. 7. the Saints are brought in in white not onely because of their purity and cleaneness but because of their rejoycing I say then ordinarily the Saints and people of God go in white they have a peace and a rest within Great peace have they that love thy law saies the Psalmist and nothing shal offend them Rom. 2.10 But glory honor and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Let him be what he wil be if he be godly if he work that which is good Glory Honor and Peace shal be upon him not onely an outward but an inward peace he shal have And indeed how can it be otherwise For the Saints and people of God do walk with God they converse with God they do acquaint themselves with God Now if ye look into Job 22.21 ye shal find that this acquaintance bringeth rest peace Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace The Saints and people of God are as I may so speak of Gods special acquaintance and so they have peace for they do walk with God and have communion with him They have communion with the Father and he is the God of al consolation they have communion and fellowship with the Son and he is the Prince of peace they have communion and fellowship with the Spirit and he is the Comforter they have communion with the Father and the Son and the Spirit in and by the Gospel and that is the word of peace the Gospel of peace How can it therefore be but that the Saints and people of God ordinarily should have peace within But to make out this more fully unto you Consider I pray How the Father the Son and the Holy-ghost with whom the Saints and people of God have communion and fellowship are engaged for their peace I. The Father is engaged to give peace unto them He is engaged by his Prerogative by his Commandement by his Promise by Christs Purchase and by the Saints Chastisements He is engaged by his Prerogative Kings and Princes wil stand ye know for their Prerogatives And this is the great Perogative of God the Father to give peace inward peace I create the fruit of the lips Isa 57.19 peace peace And he is called â—he God of peace the God of Consolation not the God oâ— Indignation not the God of War but the God of Peace This is the great Prerogative of God the Father to give peace unto his people He is engaged also by vertue of his Commandement And therefore if ye look into Isay 40.1.2 Ye shal find that he commands the Prophets and Ministers to preach comfort Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God vers 1. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received of the Lords hand double for al her sins Suppose a mans Affliction or Temptation be very great or much he hath commanded us to comfort and comfort twice Comfort ye comfort ye not once but twice Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord. But there are divers comforters that are indeed like Jobs comforters like Jobs friends they speak hard words unto poor distressed souls Wel saies he therefore at vers 2. speak ye comfortably so ye read it but in the Hebrew speak ye to the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak soft and sweet words speak to the heart of Jerusalem O! but my Temptation is so great that I am not able to hear those that come to comfort me Mark what follows Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem and cry unto her lift up thy voice and cry if a poor soul be distressed tempted and cannot hear easily you that are Ministers lift up your voice and cry not onely speak to the heart but cry lift up your voice and cry unto her Wel but what are they to speak and cry There are three things which wil comfort a poor distressed soul and they are here to be spoken Say 1. That her warfare is accomplished Affliction and Temptation is at an end it shal be no more 2. That her iniquity is pardoned Her sin is forgiven fully and freely 3. That she hath received at the Lords hand double for al her sins God hath no more against her no quarrel no controversie no further Punishment to inflict upon her she hath sufficiently born the punishment of her iniquity thus the Lord hath commanded Ministers for to preach peace and to preach Comfort And what God hath commanded us to speak he hath ingaged himself to
work Thus I say the Father is ingaged by vertue of his Commandement He is ingaged also by vertue of his promise And therefore if ye look into Psal 29. ye shal see what the Lord hath promised vers 11. The Lord wil give strength unto his people the Lord wil bless his people with peace Here is the promise the Lord wil bless his people with peace Yea if ye look into Isa 26. ye shal find there that the Lord hath promised to keep the peace of his people for them vers 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee So ye read the words but according to the Hebrew â—hey ought to be read thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou wilt keep peace peace twice peace Thou wilt keep peace peace for him whose mind is stayed on thee So that the Lord is not onely ingâ—ged to gâ—ve peace unto his people but he is by promise also ingaged to keep their peace for them Yea the Lord is ingaged by Purchase Christ hath purchased peace for his people and what Christ hath purchased for them God the Father is ingaged to give unto them Read the purchase in Eph. 2.13.14 But now in Christ Jesus ye who were somtimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wal of partition between us Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandements for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace vers 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross having slain the enmity thereby and came and preached peace unto you that were a far off and to them that were nigh So that thus ye see its the purchase of Jesus Christ this inward peace and quietness of soul it is Christs purchase and what Christ the Son hath purchased God the Father is engaged to give Yea the Father is engaged to give peace unto his people by al those Chastisements that they do meet withal And therefore in Isa 40. which I named before The Lord commands us to comfort and speak comfortably unto his people upon this account For she hath received of the Lords hand double for al her sins Even because a fullness of Chastisement had been upon them Thus I say God the Father by vertue of his Prerogative by vertue of his Commandement by vertue of his Promise by vertue of Christs Purchase by vertue of Chastisements that are laid upon his people is engaged to give peace unto his children II. But now proceed a little and ye shal see That as the Father is engaged So the Son also is engaged to give peace inward peace and quietude of soul unto his Servants He is engaged by those Qualifications and endowments that he received from God his Father for this end and purpose The spirit of the Lord is upon me saies he and he hath anointed me Isa 61. Why that I might comfort those that mourn That is one end But I pray look into Isa 50. and consider the 4. vers The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned They are plainly the words of Christ as wil appear to you if you read but the following words The Lord God hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned I away the back I gave my back to the smiters and my cheekes to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitâ—â—ng So that these are the words of Christ Wel what doâ—h Christ say hear He tells us that he hath received the tongue of the learned to comfort those that are distressed and troubled in conscience for to help poor wearied souls Why doth he say the tongue of the learned The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned All men desire to hear the Learned and it is the greatest piece of learning in the world to speak a word in due season by way of comfort to those that are weary this is the greatest piece of Ministerial learning and sayth Christ he hath given me the tongue of the learned Wel but al learned men have not Wisdom to speak in season Mark what follows He hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary But hath Jesus Christ such skil at this work in comforting those that are troubled Yes He wakeneth morning by morning As a Master is early up in the morning to teach his Schollers So hath God the Father been teaching of Christ from al eternity this great skil morning by morning He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learn'd This is the piece of learning saies Christ which I have been learning morning by morning of my Father from eternity and this is that great learning which he had attained unto So that in regard of this endowment which he hath received from the Father he is engaged to give peace unto his people for he hath received the tongue of the learned for this end and purpose that he might speak a word in season to them that are weary He is engaged also by his own Disposition his sweet loving and tender disposition He is a Lyon indeed of the Tribe of Judah but not that roaring Lyon seeking to devour He is a King indeed but he comes meekly riding upon an Asses Colt He doth not lift up his voyce in the streets When our Lord and Savior Christ left the world he saies unto his Disciples My Peace I give unto you my Peace I leave with you Joh. 14.27 not as the world gives Peace but my Peace I give unto you And assoon as ever Christ rose from the dead again and met with his Disciples what doth he say unto them When they were all met together Peace be unto you Joh. 20.19 As it was his last words when he left them so it is the first word that now he useth when he seeth â—hem again But O Lord we have sinned greatly since we saw thee Be it so yet Peace be unto you But O Lord here is Peter among us that hath denied thee since thou sawest us Be it so I know it very wel yet Peace be unto you Peace when he went away and Peace when he came again this is his Language and this is his disposition still Thus he is engaged Yea He is engaged by Office to give Peace unto his People Ye know the Apostle calls him our great High-Priest It was the work of the High Priest in the Old Testament to bless the People and when he did bless the People What did he say But The Lord bless ye and give ye Peace Now then If Jesus
Christ be our great High-Priest and it be the Office of the High-Priest to bless and to give Peace then Christ by vertue of his Office also is engaged to give Peace unto his People Take all these Three together Christ the Second Person is engaged By his Endowments he received from the Father By his own Disposition By his Office And it appears plainly that there is a great engagement upon Jesus Chriâ—t to give Peace unto his Servants III. As the Father and the Son are engaged to give Peace and quietude unto the Saints and People of God So also the Spirit the Holy Ghost is engaged to give peace unto them For as I may so speak with Reverence he is as it were the great Executor of Jesus Christ When Christ died he made his Will and gave a Legacy to his Disciples My Peace I give unto you and then he sent the Comforter the Spirit from Heaven on purpose to beget peace within their souls Yea The Holy Ghost is not only this Executor to see this Will of Christ fulfilled but he is as it were our Advocate Indeed we have but one Advocate that is Christ But I say we have as it were two Advocates One in Heaven above and one in our bosom When a man sins a godly man sins Satan accuses him in Heaven And therefore saies John If any man sin 1 John 1.2 we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous But if a godly man sin Satan doth also accuse him to himself And therefore saies the Apostle We have the Spirit within us making intercession John 14.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et sic translat Syriac And saies our Savior Christ I will send another Comforter So ye read it but it is the same word that is translated Advocate I wil send you another Advocate Yea the Spirit of the Lord is our Witness also For the Spirit shall bear witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Now when the Spirit bears witness with a mans spirit that he is â—he child of God then he hath peace and quiet So that if you consider al theâ—e Ingagements the Father ingaged the Son ingaged the Holy Ghost ingaged for the peace and quiet of Gods Children Must you not needs conclude this Point and Doctrine and say Surâ—ly there is an inward peace and quietness of soul which ordinaâ—ily Gods People are endued withal Object But our Experience seems to speak the contrary for â—here are many of Gods own People that have not Peace and Quiet within them but are full of Doubts and Fears about their everlasting condition Answ The Second Doctrine therefore speaks to that It is possible this peace may be interrupted Object But some never had Peace all their daies O! saies one I have been a long while afflicted troubled two four six yeers and never yet had Peace and quiet within me Either therefore this Doctrine is not true or else I am not Godly Answ All that may be which you speak of and yet this Doctrine may be true General Rules have alwaies some exceptions Though the Garment that the Saints do ordinarily wear be white yet here and there some do go in black and go so a great while But that there may be no stumbling concerning this matter I shall desire you to consider with me some few Distinctions First Ye must know That there is a Fundamental Peace which the Saints and People of God have and there is an Additional Peace A Fundamental Peace which does Naturally arise and slow from their Justification Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God Rom. 5. And then there is an Additional Peace which arises from the sence of their Justification Possibly a Child of God may for a long time lose the latter but the former he shal never lose As a Woman that hath a great Joynture goes abroad some Journey and meets with Theeves and they take away all the money that she hath about her but yet saies she though they have taken away my spending Money they cannot take away my Joynture I have not lost my Joynture So now the Saints somtimes may lose their spending money they may lose the peace that arises from the sence of their Justification but as for the Peace that ariseth and issues from their Justification it self the first Peace that they shall never lose Peace is the Churches Joynture and that Peace they shal never lose Secondly Ye must know That there is a great difference between Peace Comfort and Joy A man may have Peace that hath no Comfort a man may have Comfort that hath no Joy one is beyond the other one a degree above the other As now it may be day-light and yet the Sun may not shine forth the Sun may shine forth and yet not noon-day Possibly a man may have Peace and yet not much Comfort only stayed upon God possibly a man may have Comfort and yet not much Joy But now many a poor soul thinks because he hath no Joy therefore he hath no Comfort and because he hath not much Comfort therefore no Peace Labor to know the difference between these Thirdly Ye must know That there is a Peace which lies in opposition to what one hath been and a Peace that is in opposition to what one would be A godly man a weak Christian when he considers what he would be and what he would have he hath no rest nor quiet But now come unto the same man and say thus You remember what a wicked life once you led ye were a Drunkard or ye were a Wanton What say ye would you be in that condition again Oh no saith he then I would not be in that condition for all the world Here now the Soul hath Peace in opposition to what it hath been though it hath not Peace and Quiet in opposition to what it would be Fourthly Ye must know That there is a Secret Dormant Peace and there is a wakened and Apparent Peace Peace in the Seed and Peace in the Flower As it is with many a wicked man for the present he hath great Comfort but when affliction comes and the day of death comes then he hath trouble trouble in regard of sin Why the sin and guilt was in his heart before only it lay sleeping there but now it is risen So with a Godly man in regard of his Peace possibly for the present he may be full of trouble but when affliction comes and the hour of death comes then he hath Peace and Comfort Why it was there before it was at the bottom only he was not aware of it he did not know of it For now ask such a weak Christian who is thus full of fear for the present ye see there is a Drunkard a Swearer a Wanton Would you be in his Condition would you be contented to be in that mans condition O no saies he I would not be in such a condition for all the world
by feeling but by faith it is the Duty of a Christian to begin with Faith and so to riâ—e up to feeling you would begin with feeling and so come down to faith but you must begin with faith and so rise up to feeling And I pray tell me Is it not sufficient to be as our Master was Did not Christ want the sence of Gods Love when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yea had not Christ the sence of Gods Anger upon him when he did perform the greatest act of Obedience that ever the Sun saw yet did he then say I am not the Child of God because I want the sence of Gods Love because I am under the sence of Gods Anger No but with the same breath that he said he was forsaken he said My God my God and at the same time he called God Father Father forgive them c. So may you do though God hath forsaken you though you want the sence of his Love yea and are under the sence of Gods Anger yet at the same time you may say the Lord is my Father and you may go to him as your Father and if ye can say God is my Father have ye any reason for your Discouragements Yet how often are Gods own People discouraged and cast down O! you that are the Disciples of Christ labor more and more to follow your Master and as David here so do you often say Why art thou cast down O my soul Answ 2 Secondly What a mighty vast difference is there between a Godly man and a wicked upon this account A godly gracious man hath no reason for his discouragements whatever his Condition be a wicked man hath no reason for his encouragement whatever his Condition be A gracious man is apt to be much discouraged but he hath no true reason for it a wicked man is apt to be much encouraged but he hath no true reason for it It 's said of the wicked Psalm 7. God is angry with the wicked every day whatever the day be God is angry with them though it be a day of Fasting and Prayer yet then is God angry with them though it be a day of Praises and of Thanksgiving then is God angry with them when he sins most and when he sins least God is angry with him not one day goes over his head but God is angry with him and one blow or another that Gods Anger reacheth forth to him every day he doth not alwaies feel those blows but God is smiting of him and is angry with hâ—â—â— every day and therefore whatever his condition be there is no reason for his encouragement Suppose a man were in Priâ—on committed for some great Offence and condemned to die under the diâ—pleasure of his Prince or State and his Servant should come unto him saying Sir Be of good Comfort your Wife is well at home you have very sweet children an excellent Crop of Corn your Neighbors love you deerly your Sheep and Cattel thrive and al your Houses are in good repair and order would he not answer that Servant and say What 's all this so long as I am condemned to die Thus it is with every wicked man he is under the displeasure of the great God a condemned man and God is angry with him every day and if his heart were open to be sensible of it he would say you tell me of my Friends and Goods and Name and Trade but what is al this so long as I am a condemned person and God is angry with me every day I rise but for the present he feeleth not his displeasure is not sensible of it yet let him know that there is a day a coming when he will find the Truth of this matter no reason for his encouragement whatever his condition be And as Saul once cryed out saying God hath forsaken me and the Philistins are upon me so shal he cry out and say God hath forsaken my soul temptations are now upon me my sins and guilt are upon me God hath forsaken me and the Devils are now upon me But now as for a godly gracious man though his condition be never so sad and his soul never so much cast down yet he hath no reason to be discouraged I say whatever his condition be what a glorious condition are the Saints in who would not be in love with this condition who would not be in Christ who would not leave the waies of the wicked who would not be Godly O! you that are ungodly labor to become Godly Answ 3 Thirdly The exhortation is specially directed to the Saints and with you I must leave a word of exhortation Take heed and beware of discouragements of being cast down you have no reason for it much reason against it Thereby You rejoyce the heart of Satan he claps his hands and laughs to see you cast down now O now faith he this man is like to me I am a despairing spirit and so is he I am discouraged and cast down and so is he he stands triumphing over you to see you under these discouragements when you are sad he is glad And as you rejoyce the heart of Satan so you grieve the heart of God one friend is grieved at the grief sorrow and discouragement of another and the more real friendship the greater is the affliction and trouble of the one if the other be grieved now God is the friend of the faithful Abraham the friend of God actively passively God was a friend to him and he a friend to God So with al beleevers Christ is their friend Hence-forth cal I you no more Servants but friends saith Christ and the Holy Ghost is their friend for it is the Spirit that comes and dwels in them and manifests himself to them and we are said to grieve the spirit As God is the worst enemy so he is the best friend the truest friend the most real friend in al the world therefore when you are cast down and discouraged ye grieve him you grieve the Father you grieve the Son you grieve the Spirit and do you know what you do when you grieve the Lord is it nothing to grieve such a friend Thereby you do in some measure yea in a great measure make void and frustrate the end of Christs coming who came not onely to free us from hell but from our present fears That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him without fear Luke 1. And wil you then go drooping discouraged bowed down under your fears al your dayes Thereby you unfit your selves for the service of Christ the Passover of old was not to be eaten with any old leaven the old leaven was to be purged our and none that were sad and sorrowful were to eat of the holy things Now saith the Apostle Christ our passover is Sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the feast that is the Gospel feast not with old leaven
humble and what they do want at the first they have it afterwards by degrees soaking into their souls Have they then any reason to be discouraged in these respects surely no. Quest But should not a Godly Gracious man be fully grieved and humbled for his sin Answ Grieved humbled for his sin yes surely though the Lord through the over-ruling hand of his Grace do work never so much good out of my sin unto me yet I am to be humbled for it and the rather to be humbled for it because he works good out of it I have read indeed of the Mother of those three Learned men Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor the three great pillars of the Roman Church for Lumbard wrote the sentences and Gratian the Popish Decretals and Comaestor Historiam Scholasticam that when she lay on her death bed and the Priest came unto her and called upon her for repentance of her whoredomes Hos tres Gratianum viz. Pet. Lumbardum et Pet. Comaestorem fuisse Germanos ex adulterio natos quorum mater cum in extremis peccatum suum confiteretur et confessor redargueret crimen perpetrati aduâ—terii quia valde grave esset et ideo multum deberet dolore et penitentiam agere respondet illa Pater scio quod adulterium peccatum magnum est sed considerans quantum bonum secutum est cum isti silii mei sint lumina magna in Ecclesia Ego non valeo paenitere Cui confessor hoc ex dono Dei est ex te autem adulterium crimen magnum et de hoc doleas c. Decret fol. 1. Gratiani vita for these three Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor were her bastards as the very popish writers do record it he telling her that she must be greatly afflicted grieved and humbled for her uncleanness or else she could not be saved why said she I confess indeed that whoredom and uncleanness is a great sin but considering what a great deal of good hath come to the Church of God by my sin that three such great lights have been brought forth into the world by my sin Non valeo paenitentiam agere I cannot I wil not repent thus it is with many poor ignorant souls when they see how the Lord by his over-ruling hand doth work good unto them out of their sin as some outward blessings mercys they do not repent of their sin but rather justify themselves in their sins but now take a Godly man a gracious soul and the more that he sees the Lord working good out of his sin the more he is humbled for it and upon that very ground because God works good of it therefore he is humbled the more Yet further it is observed that though the Lord did ordinarily cal David his servant yet when David had sinned that great sin he sent the prophet to him saying Go say to David he had lost the title of servant now bare David now single David now David without the title my servant And so though God ordinarily called the people of Israel his people yet when they had committed that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calfe the Lord doth not cal them his people but he saith to Moses The people not My people but The people and Thy people Moses now they had lost their old title Thus I say the sins of Gods own people do deprive them and divest them of their spiritual priviledges and can a gracious heart look upon this and consider how he is divested and disrobed of his spiritual priviledges and not mourn under it Can one friend grieve another friend and not be grieved himself The Saints by their sins they grieve God who is their best friend and therefore certainly they must needs be grieved they must needs be humbled or there is no Grace not grieved not humbled not Gracious But now because they are grieved and humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged I say because they are grieved and because they are humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged for discouragement is a hinderance to humiliation and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed the less he is discouraged and the more a man is discouraged the less he is truly humbled Quest You wil say then but what is the difference between these a man is to be humbled and not discouraged not discouraged and yet to be humbled what is the difference between these two being humbled and being discouraged Answ It is a profitable question and worth our time by way of answer therefore thus First When a man is humbled truly humbled the object of his grief sorrow or trouble is sin it self as a dishonor done unto God the object of discouragement is a mans own condition or sin in order to his own condition the ultimate object of discouragement being a mans own condition when a man is discouraged you shal find stil that his trouble runs al out upon his own condition O! saith a discouraged person I have sinned I have thus sinned and therefore my condition is naught and if my condition be naught now it wil never be better Lord what wil become of my soul Stil his trouble is about his own condition But when a man is grieved and truly humbled for sin his trouble is about sin it self as a dishonor done unto God To clear this by scripture you know Cain was discouraged but Cain was not humbled how may that appear Cain was troubled about his condition Ah! saith he My punishment is greater than I can bear on the other side the poor prodigal was humbled but not discouraged how may that appear his trouble was about his sin and not about his condition I wil return unto my Father saith he and I wil say unto him I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and I am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants David sometimes was both discouraged and humbled and then you find his repentance and humiliation to be very brackish but if you look into the Psal 51. you shal find David humbled but not discouraged for it is a penitential Psalm therefore humbled and not discouraged for stil he did keep his Assurance vers 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation But what was his repentance his trouble about It was about his sin and not about his condition read vers 23. and so on Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sin for I acknowledg my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me stil ye see his eye is upon his sin and not upon his condition only So that I say when a man is truly humbled and grieved for sin the object of his grief is sin as a dishonor
sate under the means yet you have no just cause and reason for Discouragement for though you may be weak in regard of others yee you may be strong in regard of your former self and be more strong in the Lord and in the power of his might than you have been heretofore And to cleer that Consider The more extensive a mans Obedience is unto Gods Commandements the more he is grown in Grace Weak Christians are much in some Duties and therein they are most intense but little or nothing in others and as they grow in Grace so their hearts are dilated and extended unto other Duties The more exact and accurate a man is in Duty the more he doth grow in Grace and the more he grows in Grace the more exact and accurate he doth grow in his Duty He that writes better than he did before doth not write more Paper or make more Letters only he doth write more exactly and accurately So the gâ—own Christian doth not perform more duties than he did before but the same more exactly The more a man sees and understands his Christian Liberty and yet doth walk more strictly the more he doth grow in Grace Some think they grow in Grace because they have more understanding in their Christian liberty though they do walk more loosly these are deceived in their spiritual growth but if I know my Christian liberty more fully and now do walk more strictly in my life then do I grow in Grace indeed Now is it not thus with you yes through Grace I am able to say That I see my Christian liberty more than I did heretofore and yet I am morâ— strict in my life though I cannot yet pray as I would and hear as I would and perform duty as I would yet I do perform my duties with more exactness than formerly and though I have not so much affection as I had in this or that work of God yet now I find that I am more dilated and my obedience is more extended and extensive unto Gods waies and Commandements than before Then though you are stil weak in regard of others yet you are grown stronger in regard of your former self and therefore certainly you have no just cause or reason to be discouraged in this regard Quest But suppose that I am yet but weak in Grace and Temptations or discouragements press in upon me in regard of the weakness of my Grace what shal I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against those discouragements Answ 1 Then consider what a great charge God the Father hath given to Christ of those that are weak Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him c. but why vers 3. A bruised Reed shal he not break and the smoaking Flax shal not he quench This is my Charge saith the Father which I give to my Son And upon this account he came into the world That those who have life might have it in abundance and for this cause he did die for us Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without strength in due time or according to the time that is the time appointed by the Father Christ died for the ungodly Answ 2 Consider also what charge our Savior Christ did give unto his Apostles and in them to al the Ministers of the Gospel concerning those that are weak in Grace Peter Peter said our Savior Lovest thou me then feed my sheep And again Lovest thou me then feed my lambs And again thirdly Lovest thou me feed my lambs Have a care of those that are weak in Grace Al the time that Christ lived upon Earth he went about doing good healing al sicknesses and diseases and condescending to the weaknesses of men One comes to him and thought to have stollen her cure yet Christ did bear with her Another comes and puts an If upon his wil Lord If thou wilt thou canst make me clean And he did bear with him Another comes and puts an If upon his power Lord If thou canst do any thing c. Yet Christ did yeild to him And when he left the world then he charges his Apostles with the weak Saints Feed my Lambs and again Feed my Lambs Answ 3 Consider also what a great mercy it is to have a little Grace though it be but a little For though you have never so little Grace yet if you have Grace in truth you have union with Christ you have communion with the Father you have your own nature taken away and are partakers of the divine nature you have a right and title unto al the promises yea unto al the Ordinances yea unto al the Creatures Your afflictions are not curses the curse is taken out of every cross you have an interest in al that Christ hath done and suffered you are made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light an inheritance uncorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away you have God for your Portion Christ for your Savior the Spirit for your Comforter Heaven for your Inheritance the Angels for your Guard and all the Creatures in the Earth under your feet this and all this you have though you have never so little Grace and can you read over al this Inventory of mercies and sit discouraged in the midst of them Answ 4 Yet if al this wil not prevayl in the time of your Temptation think with your self and consider seriously How much you shal weaken your self yet more and more by your discouragements in this kind Al discouragements weaken humiliation weakens not the greatest humiliation doth not weaken but the least discouragement doth upon what account soever Now if al discouragements do weaken then what an unreasonable thing is it for me to be discouraged at the sight of my weakness but so it is that discouragements even from the sight of our own weakness do yet more and more weaken surely therefore it is an unreasonable thing for a man to be discouraged at the sight of his own weakness wherefore lift up your hands O! ye Saints and be ye lift up O! ye drooping souls Wee aâ—e commanded ye may read our Commission Isa 35.3 To strengthen the weak hands and to confirm the feeble knees and to say to them that are of a fearful spirit be strong fear not And if it be our duty to say and speak thus then it is your duty to encourage your self in the Lord and to say to your self be strong O my soul and fear not Be thankful for your little and in due time you shal have much labor also for much yet be content with little even with little Grace if God wil have it so And thus I have done with the Second Instance A LIFTING UP In case of MISCARRIAGE OF DUTIES Serm. VI PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney May 14. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 3
cold in prayer then comes these ill distractions So that certainly there is a great deal of evil indeed in these distractions Yet there is no reason for Discouragement For First What Rock is there so firm or fast but hath some seams of dirt upon it and what foul is there so firm and fast and immovable in Duty but hath some seams or dirt or distractions growing upon it Abraham the Father of the Faithful had Birds coming down upon his Sacrifice and what Child of Abraham is therâ— but hath these foul Birds unclean Birds of distraction one time or other coming down upon his Sacrifice Secondly If that these distractions shall not hurt the Servants of God nor their Sacrifices neither them nor their Duties then they have no reason be discouraged under them though to be humbled for them Now it is a true Rule non nocet quod non placet that which doth not please doth not hurt These distractions in Duty do not please the Saints they lie under them as a heavy burden they do not please them therefore they shall not hurt them You know what the Psalmist saith If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer Psal 66.18 Distraction in Prayer is a great iniquity if I regard this iniquity in my prayer the Lord wil not hear my Prayer But when may a man be said to regard iniquity You know that if you regard a man thae comes to your house you run and meet him at the door you bid him welcom have him in and set a stool for him and you give him entertainment but if you bid the man be gone saying I will have nothing to do with you you are my burden I pray be gone then you do not regard this man Thus it is with the Saints and People of the Lord distractions press in upon their prayer and Duty but doest thou fetch a stool doest thou give entertainment and doest thou bid welcome to these distractions No the Lord knows I bid them be gone the Lord knows they are my burden then certainly as that is true If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer so on the contrary if I do not regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will hear my prayer A man doth somtimes open a door for one of worth and others press and croud in with him and if the Master say to his Servant why did you let all these men in he answers Sir I did not open the door for these but for another and these did press and troud in upon me and I could not hinder then is the Master satisfied and the Servant excused So in this case it is and that often with the People of God Christ stands at their door and knocks they run to meet with him in Prayer and by Prayer they open the door of their heart to him but then distractions press and croud in upon them yet they can say in truth Lord I never opened my door for these but do desire that these and al these may be put out again What then do you not think that God wil be satisfied with this answer of uprightness Surely he will and therefore though these distractions do croud in upon you here is matter of affliction but not of Discouragement Thirdly If these destractions in Duties do move the Lord to pity then thou hast no reason to be quite discouraged though humbled under these distractions Ye know how it is with a loving Father a Father hath a Son whom he loves dearly this Child of his is crazy-brained but be hath his Lucida intervalla and he will speak very good reason somtimes his Father loves to hear this Child speak when he speaks reason but all on a sudden the Child is out What then doth his Father hate him for that No but the bowels of the man yerns O! now my Child is out then the Fathers heart doth ake over this Child whom he takes pleasure in Thus it is between God and a poor soul God loves his Children dearly Cant. 2.14 he loves to hear them pray Let me hear thy voyce and see thy face saith Christ for thy voyce is sweet and thy countenance is comely God loves to hear his Children pray but every foot they are out in and then out again out and then in again But what then is the Lord moved hereby to destroy his Children No but now the heart of your Father akes and now his bowels yern Shall there be bowels in the heart of an Earthly Father this way and shal there not be bowels in the heart of God our Heavenly Father this way Surely there is Well therefore though in regard of thy distractions thou hast cause for ever to be humbled yee certainly thou hast no cause to be quite discouraged Object O! but This is not my case For though I am troubled with many distractions for which I have cause to be humbled and though my heart be dead and dull and hard in duty and though I have no Parts and Gifts in Duty yet this is not the matter of my discouragement especially but that which discourageth me concerning Duty is this I pray and pray and am never the nearer I have been praying thus long thus many yeers and am never the neerer I have an undutiful disobedient child and I have been praying thus long and he is never the better I have been praying for the sence of Gods Love thus long and am never the neerer I have been praying for such and such a spiriâ—ual mercy thus and thus lâ—ng and am never the holier God regards me not for he answeâ—s me not and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragements now Answ No For First Though God doth not answer you presently yet he doth hear you presently Cito semper audit tardus aliquando respondet He heard Moses when he prayed though he did not gâ—ant his prayer and it is a great mercy that God will receive my prayer though I never do receive the thing that I pray for and I may yet say Father I thank thee that thou hearest me alwaies But Secondly It is usual with Gods own People and dearest Children to say and think somtimes that the Lord doth not answer their prayer when the Lord doth There is a Two-fold return or Answer of Prayer There is a Visible Return of Prayer and there is an Invisible Return of Prayer As it is with the Vapors that are drawn upward by the heat of the Sun some there are that do fall again in great Rain and Hail and ye hear and sâ—e the returns of those vapors in the day but somtimes the Vapors fall in a dew in the night and you do not see the return thereof but you go abroad in the morning and you find the dew upon the ground although you did not see when the dew fell So here your Prayers are drawn up by the heat of
be discouraged Now I say if you would be discouraged in case the Lord should alwaies answer your prayer presently then you have no reason to be discouraged because he doth not hear you presently but you would be discouraged in case the Lord should alwaies hear you presently you would say then God doth go the same way with me that he goes and hath gone with his children Surely therefore you that are the Saints and people of God have no reason for your discouragement in this respect Object 1 O! but I fear that God doth not only delay his answer but that he denyes my prayer Answ 1 It may be so for God doth somtimes deny his own people the thing they pray for Ye ask and have not saith James because ye ask amiss Yet they were the people of God Abulensis observes that God doth somtimes grant a wicked man his petition and deny a Godly man his petition that he may encourage wicked men to pray and teach good men not to rest on their prayers Answ 2 Yet Secondly quicquid placet tibi ut petatur a te procul-dubio placâ—t et tibi ut et id â—rgiaris petâ—â—ti prâ—sertimâ—â— iâ—sum largiri tâ—â—i câ—lat ad gloraim peâ— aâ—â— vâ—ro expediat ad sâ—â—â—tem Paristâ—ns 346. If the thing you ask of God be pleasing to him he doth stil beare up your heart in praying and depending on him it argues rather that he delayes than denies For Psal 10.17 The preparing of your heart and the inclining of his eare go together and 1. John 3. vers 22. The Apostle saith And whatever wee ask we receive of him because as a sign thereof we keep his Commandements and do the things that are pleasing in his sight Object 2 O! but there lyes my grief for I have not kept his Commandements and God I fear is displeased and angry with me Answ Be it so did Jonah keep his Commandements when he ran to Tarshish and was not God angry with him when he threw him into the Sea yet even then he prayed the Lord heard his prayer And did not Christ seem to be displeased and angry with the poor Canaanitish woman when he said unto her It is not meet to take the childrens bread and call it before doggs Object 3 O! but she did beleeve but I fear God wil never hear my prayer at al because there is so much unbelief in my prayer as there was not in hers Answ But was it not so with Dâ—vid I said in my hast I am cast out of thy sight Psal 31. nevertheless the Lord heard my prayer What unbeleif was here I said in mâ— hast I am cast out of thy sight Nevertheless the Lord heard his prayer Object 4 O! but I am affraâ—â— yet that the Lord wil never hear my prayer or regard my duty because I am so Selfish in it I come unto God in mine affliction and my affliction makes me go to prayer my affliction doth make me pray I cry by reason of my affliction and this is selfish Answ And did not those seek themselves at first who came unto Christ for cure Omnis amor incipit a seipso al true love begins in self-love the sweetest flower grows on a dirty stalk And I pray what think you yet of Jonah The Lord heard me saith he out of hell and yet I cryed saith he by reason of mine affliction Object 5 O! but I fear the Lord wil never hear my prayer because I was no better prepared yea not at al prepared thereunto Answ Do you not know how the Lord dealt by Hezekiah Hezekiah prayed 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. The Lord shew mercy to every one that is not prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary and saith the text the Lord hearkened and hea ed the people Yea God can rain without clouds without preparations Object 6 O! but yet I am affraid the Lord wil not hear my prayer or regard my duty for I am a man or a wâ—man of great distempers many passions and frowardnesses in my life and conversation Answ But what thiâ—k ye of Elijah Elijah prayed that there might be no rain and there was no rain â—or three yeers and a half and he prayed for rain and there was rain and yee saith the Apostle He was a mâ—n â—f like passions as we are Jam. 5.17 Object 7 O! but I fear I am affraid the Lord wil not regard my prayer or du y for I am such a one or such a one or such a one Answ What an one what an one art thou Art thou such a one as beginnest to look towards Christ but yet not fully come off you know what was said concerning Cornelius Acts 10.31 Cornelius thy prayer is come up before me Yet he did but begin to look towards Christ Are thou such a one as the Publican was the Publican stood and smote himself upon the breast and he said O Lord be merciful unto me a sinner And our Savior saith Luke 18.13 14. He went away justified rather than his fellow Or art thou such an one as the poor Prodigal he said to his Father I am not worthy to be called â—hy Son make me as one of thine hired servants and the Father heard him and over-granted his petition And if al these things be true what is there that can justly discourage any poor drooping doubting soul in regard of duty shal his want of Parts Gifts or his abundance of distractions c. No for though a Godly man have but weak Parts or Gifts Though his spirit and his heart be dul dead and streightened Though he labor under many distractions in duty Though the Lord hide his face and deser an answer to his prayer Though the Lord seem to be angry Though there be much unbeleif in his duty Though there be a great deal of selfishness Though his heart be not prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary Though he be a man of many passions and great distempers yet notwithstanding al this he hath no just cause or warrant to be discouraged cause there is to be humbled under al these things but no just cause to be discouraged and cast down Applic. 1 And if so then by way of Application 〈…〉 incouragement is here to every poor droopiâ—g 〈…〉 uâ—â—o God in duty though dead though dul 〈…〉 yet to come unto God in duty Applic. 2 And what a mighty difference is heâ—â— bâ—tween a 〈…〉 wicked man a wicked man goes to pâ—ayer and 〈…〉 abominâ—tion to the Lord. And if you look 〈…〉 8 you shal find at Vers 13. That the 〈…〉 men thus That when they do come to prayer and to offer a sacrifice to him that then he wil remember their iniquity At vers 12. I have written to you the great things of my law but they are accounted as a strange thing they Saâ—â—â—fice flâ—sh fâ—r the Sacrifices of my offering but the Lord accepâ—eth
Lord have you any reason to be discouraged certainly you have not therefore why should you not check your selves as David here and say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Only by the way Let no man mis-apply this Doctrine saying If we should not be discouraged although we do want Assurance then I will neglect the getting of my Assurance Beloved ye see into what times we are now fallen times of War and Rumors of War times of Blood these are dying times and is this a time for any of you to want Assurance of Gods Love When your Hay lies abroad in the Summer and you see a shower coming you say Cock up Cock up And I would to God you might not see showers a coming and yet your Evidences for Heaven lie at random Wherefore in the Name of the Lord Cock up Cock up and you that have false Assurance for you have heard that a man may think his condition is good when it is naught yea that he may die so too look you well into your condition and consider your condition duly this is no time to have false Assurance labor then to get true Assurance and you that have Assurance labor to grow up more and more into it and the riches thereof Quest But suppose for the present I do want Assurance I confess indeed I ought not to be discouraged although I do want Assurance as I have heard but it is an hard thing to bear up ones heart against all discouragemâ—nts in the want of the Assurance of Gods Love In Sola Christi morte totam siduciam tuam constitue huic morti te totum committe hac morte te totum contege eique te totum involve si Dominus te voluerit judicare dic Domine mortem nostri Jesu Christi objicio inter me et te et judicium tuum aliter tecum non contendo ipsius meritum affero promerito meo quod habere debuissem et heu non habeo Anselm in Meditat. Cavendum est in lucta cum Deo ne fragili fundamento innitaris quod ille facit qui de meritis suis confidit nam ut ille qui solis meritis suis innititur Deo auxilio seipsum privat sic qui de seipso toâ—aliter diffidit et soli gratiae innititur Dei adjutorium ad se trahit Parisiensis in Lib. de Rhetor. Div. Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae tutissimum est siduciam totam sola Dei miserecordia reponere Bellarm. Lib. 5. de Justif cap. â— but suppose I do want it for the present what shall I now do that I may bear up against Discouragements in this Condition Answ Some few things by way of Direction here and so I conclude this Argument First therefore Doest thou want Assurance of Gods Love and of thine own Salvation Labor more and more for to put to Sea I mean to the Sea and Ocean of Gods Love and the deeps of Christs Merit and Satisfaction When you are at Sea in a Storm or stress of Weather you desire Sea-room and if ye have Sea-room enough ye think all is well It may be there are some Passengers in the Vessel or Ship and they say For the Love of God set us ashore we are not able to ride out this storm O! set us upon some Land or other But the skilful Marriner saith Nay but still keep to Sea if ye come to the Shoar we are undone we are all lost Creatures So in this case the time of the want of your Assurance is a storm-time it is a time of great stress upon your soul and if ye skil not the Methods of Christ you wil say O! now set me upon some Duty upon the Coast of mine own Righteousness or mine own Holiness but if you have a skil in the way of the Gospel you will rather cry out and say O! Lord keep my soul in the Ocean of thy free Love Sea-room Sea-room and all is wel enough Now there is Sea-room enough in the Ocean of Gods free Love and of Christs Merits and Satisfaction but if you touch upon your own Righteousness you do but endanger your soul and sink your own heart into more despairing doubts and fears stand off therefore now from your own Shoar and keep to Sea even that great Sea of Gods Love and Christs Merits Secondly If you do want Assurance Take heed that you do not hearken unto any thing out of an Ordinance contrary unto the comfort which the Lord speaks to you in the time of an Ordinance Ye come to an Ordinance and there the Lord begins to comfort you so you go away and ye are satisfied and your souls are refreshed but then afterwards you sit down and parly with Satan and with your own souls and ye lose all again and doubt again turning Gods Wine into your own Vinegar and are unsatisfied again But suppose that a Father should give an Estate of Land unto his Child and make it over to him with the best Conveyance that the Law can provide and then this Son having laid down his Conveyance some where negligently a cunning Lawyer that he may get Money from him should come and write on the backside of this Conveyance For such and such Reasons this Conveyance is naught Should the Son do well thereupon to say my Father hath done nothing for me I have been deceived all this while my Father hath given me nothing Were this fair dealing with his Father and if he should run this course should he ever have any Assurance of his Land firm in his own thoughts Now so it is with you that are the People of God the Lord hath given you a fair Inheritance Heaven is your Inheritance the fairest and best Inheritance the Lord hath given it you under Hand and Seal and somtimes you think your Evidence is cleer and you lay it by and Satan comes and scribbles on the back of it and he saith it is naught and you beleeve it and then you doubt again and you are unsatisfied again Is this fair dealing with God Surely no. Wherefore then doest thou want Assurance The way to get it and the way not to be discouraged in the want of it is this Take heed that ye never hearken to any thing out of an Ordinance contrary to the Comfort which you have received in an Ordinance Answ 3 Thirdly Take heed that you be not discontented with your Condition Discontentment breeds Discouragement But doest thou want the Assurance of Gods Love Say thus with thine own soul However it be yet wil I wait on God when the Lord pleaseth he will give me Assurance I will only labor to be contented with my condition But if ye be discontented ye wil certainly be discouraged Answ 4 Fourthly If you do want Assurance of Gods Love and of your own Salvation Take heed that you do not say I shall never be Assured take heed you do not say I shal
to suffer saith the Apostle It was the Speech of a good man now in Heaven being once under great Afflictions O Lord these Afflictions are thy Pearls and I wil wear them for thy sake 3. They are but seeeming Evils They are real Tryals and seeming Evils Therfore the Apostle saith Every Affliction seems grievous but considering altogether it is rather a Seeming than a real grief and therefore saith he 2 Cor. 6.9 10. We are as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we hee as chastened and not killed as sorrowful yet alwaies rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things In which words as Austin observes he puts a tanquâ—m sicut AS upon his Afflictions as if his Sufferings were but as Afflictions and not Afflictions When a man takes any Physick he is sick withal yet because it is but Physick-sickness you do not call it a sickness it is as a sickness but not a sickness Now all the Afflictions of the Saints are but their Physick prescribed and given them by the hand of their Father and therefore though they be sick therewith yet it is but as a sickness not so indeed al things rightly weighed When an unskilful Eye looks upon the threshing of the Corn he saith Why do they spoil the Corn But those that know better say The Flail doth not hurt the Corn if the Cart-wheel should pass upon it there would be spoil indeed but the Flail hurts not Now there is no Affliction or suffering that a Godly man meets with but is Gods Flail And if you look into Isay 28. ye shal find the Lord promiseth under a similitude that his Cart-wheel shal not pass upon those that are weak ver 27. For the Fitches are not threshed with a threshing Instrument neither is a Cart-wheel turned about upon the Cummin the Fitches are beaten out with a staff and the Cummin with the Rod God wil alwaies proportion his Rod to our strength But though mine Affliction be not greater than I can bear yet if it lie too long upon me say some I shall never be able to bear it Nay saith the Lord ver 28. Bread-Corn is bruised because he will not ever be threshing it But what is this to us Yes it is a Parable for ver 26. His God speaking of the Plow-man doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him And if the Plow-man have this discretion much more shal the Lord himself for verse 29. This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working I am Gods Corn said the Martyr I must therfore pass under the Flail through the Fan under the Mil-stone into the Oven before I can be bread for him And if our Chaff be severed from our Graces by this Flail have we any reason to be discouraged because we are thus afflicted The truth is the day of Affliction and Tribulation is a godly mans Day of Judgment it is at his Judgment Day he shal never be judged again so as to be condemned at the Day of Judgment Ye are judged with the world saith the Apostle that ye may not be condemned with the world And when the Godly mans Affliction-Day is he may say Now is my Judgment-Day and I shal never be judged again why therefore should he be discouraged whatever his Afflictions be And in the Second place This wil appear also if you consider Whence their Afflictions come If al the Sufferings of Gods People do come from Divine Love the Love of God in Christ to them then have they no reason to be discouraged though they be much afflicted every Rod is a Rod of Rosemary to them fruits of their Fathers Love and if you look into Heb. 12. ye shal find both the thing proved and the Inference The thing is proved at ver 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Which he illustrates by a similitude Suppose a man have two Sons one a Bastard and the other Legitimate he wil rather give Education and Correction to the Legitimate Son and neglect the Bastard and saith the Apostle verse 8. If ye be without Chastisement then are ye Bastards and not Sons What then verse 12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees As if the Apostle should say If al the Sufferings and Afflictions and Chastisements of the Saints do proceed from Love then have they no reason to hang down their hands or heads But so it is That all their Sufferings come from Love and therefore no reason for their Discouragements Thirdly This wil appear also if you consider What comes with the Afflictions of the Saints There comes much supporting Grace much Light much of Gods Presence Fëllowship and and Communion with Christ in al his Sufferings Much supporting Grace Thy Rod and thy Staff comforts me God never laies a Rod upon his Childrens back but he first puts a Staff into their hand to bear it and the staff is as big as the Rod it matters not what your Afflictions be great or smal it is al one you shal be upheld and upholding mercy is somtimes better Via Crucis via Lucis than a mercy that you are afflicted for the want of But the Lord doth not only uphold his People under Sufferings but he gives forth much Light therewithal The School of the Cross is the School of Light Affliction is our Free-School where God teacheth his Children and learns them how to write both their Sins and their Graces Their sins So long as Leaves are on the Trees and Bushes ye cannot see the Birds Nests But in the Winter when al the Leaves are off then ye see them plainly And so long as men are in Prosperity and have their Leaves on they do not see what Nests of sins and lusts are in their hearts and lives but when all their Leaves are off in the day of their Afflictions then they see them and say I did not think I had had such Nests of sins and lusts in my soul and life Job 36.7 He withdraweth not his Eye from the Righteous Verse 8. And if he be bound in Fetters and be holden in Cords of Affliction then he shows them their works and their trangressions that they have exceeded Yea Affliction do not only discover their sins unto them but it is Gods Plaister thereby he doth heal the same Before I was afflicted I went astray saith David And Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity Yea these Afflictions and Sufferings of the Saints do not only discover and heal their sins but do put them upon the exercise of Grace In their Afflictions saith God they will seek me early Yea they do not only draw out their Graces but discover their Graces too which possibly they did never take notice of before I have read of some foolish Youths that
wicked and slave them because they trust in him So in Isai 26. verse 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Mark the words Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace so you read it but in the Hebrew the words run thus Thou wilt keep peace peace not peace and doubting not peace and trouble but peace peace why because he trusteth in thee But I cannot trust in God I have no assurance of Gods Love Mark the words he wil keep him in peace peace whose mind is stayed on thee he doth not say who hath assurance of Gods Love but if it be but a Faith of Relyance though it be not a Faith of Assurance he wil keep him in peace peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Now if the Lord be thus engaged to help and succor men that do beleeve then certainly Faith can do very much in a suffering day Now I have given you an account of the General how it comes to pass that Faith can do it Faith wil carry us through al our Sufferings though they be never so great and you see how Faith can do it and so the Doctrine is cleer Now for Application If true saving Faith be such an accommodation unto al our Suffering Applic. then in case that any of you are to suffer any great Suffering the first thing you do cal in for Faith As I said upon the former Doctrine seeing that Faith wil do great things and therefore if you have any great thing to do cal in for Faith So now I say upon this Doctrine Seeing that true saving Faith can and wil suffer very hard things in case you have any thing to suffer first cal in for Faith cal in for Faith If you have a great sickness you wil send for the best Physitian that hath the most skil at such a Disease Faith hath the best skil at your Suffering and therefore send and call in for Faith as soon as ever you come to the brink of these Waters cal for your Faith and look to your Faith Object You wil say But these are no suffering times the Winter is past and there is no suffering now Answ Then bless God and praise the Lord that you have so much Gospel Liberty as you have But our Lord and Savior saith that in the last daies there shal be such great tribulation as never was and I am sure we are fallen into the last daies our Brethren in the Vallies of Pâ—edmont they have suffered and the Apostle commands us to be in bonds with those that are in bonds and to be afflicted with those that are afflicted what do you know what your Faith may do for them But to come a little neerer our selves Is there never a Servant here that suffers from an evil Master that would fain go to the Ordinance frequent the Ordinance but checked scorned and despised by his Master Is there never a Husband here or Wife here that suffers hard things from his or her Relation meerly upon the account of Religion Is there never a man or woman here that hath suffered hard things from the hand of his or her Kindred since they began to look towards Christ Is there never a Professor here that suffers from the hand of some Professor what devouring among us biting consuming one another Of al reproachings and sufferings you wil find those most bitter that come from Professors when one Professor doth reproach another and slander another and persecute another Now if there be any here unto you I speak cal in for Faith whatsoever your Sufferings be cal in for Faith But suppose there be none of these Sufferings among us who knows how soon you or I may be called forth to Sufferings if not in the PublicK yet in our Particular I have heard of a good man and woman that were feasting at a great Dinner upon the account of Gods Goodness and Mercy to their Family and while they were at Dinner celebrating the goodness of the Lord to their Family them and their Children comes a Messenger in and saith One of your Children is dropt into the Well and drowned Beloved in the Lord Who knows how soon a Relation of yours or mine may be in the Well how soon such a Comfort of yours or mine may be in the Well Wherefore cal in for Faith in al your Sufferings cal in for Faith Quest You wil say unto me What shall we do that we may so strengthen or improve our Faith as that we may bear up in a way of beleeving against Sufferings for I am a man or a woman that I confess have met with Sufferings and I am seldom out of Sufferings somtimes in my Body somtimes in my Name somtimes in my Estate somtimes in my Relation and the Lord knows what I may be called to suffer what shall we do that we may so strengthen or improve our Faith that we may bear up in a way of beleeving against al our Sufferings Answ 1 First of al Consider frequently what great things the Lord hath done for you already I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high I will remember all thy wondrous works saith the Psalmist stirring up his Faith and getting strength from Faith The Consideration of what great things God hath done for you already wil engage your heart and make you willing to suffer For Example go along wih me a little and I wil instance only in that great matter of your first Conversion and turning to God That day that thou were converted and brought home to God al thy sins were pardoned past present and to come I say vertually those that are to come That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thou wert made the Child of God and Heir of the Kingdom which is incorruptible undefiled and which fadeth not away That day thou wert converted and brought home to God thou hadst the Key of the Scripture put into thy bosom I say thou hadst the Key of the Scripture put into thy bosom to wear it I mean the Spirit of God That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thy old Nature was taken away and thou were made partaker of the Divine Nature That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thou wert received into Union with Christ and into Communion thou wert received into Union and into Communion with the Father and with Jesus Christ That day that thou wert converted and brought home to God thy Soul was freed those that the Son makes free they are free indeed though your wil were not libera yet it was liberata as soon as a man is converted and brought home to God he is free to Duty though not free from Duty and he is free from his sin though he be not free to his sin That day thou wert converted and brought home to God thou wert received
wâ—â—lst he liveth Page 358 4 He that dieth in any sin against the Father or the Son shal never be forgiven 5 This is asserted from 1 Joh. 5.16 ibid. 6 A man may sin this unpardonable sin whilst he lives ibid. 7 It is a sin a man may know another man to be guilty of whilst he lives ibid. 8 A man may speak a word against the holy Ghost whilst he lives ibid. 9 All wicked men dying impenitently under the Gospel should sin this sin ibid. 2 Affirmatively ibid. 1 It is a malicious wilful opposing the holy Ghost ibid. 2 He that commits this sin blasphemeth the peculiar work of the Holy Ghost ib. 3 It must be malicious blasphemy Page 359 Quest How can a man sin maliciously since he will is alwaies carried to what is good ibid. Answ Affirmatively For 1 That good is either moral good natural good or profitable good but the will is not alwaies carried upon that which is honestly good in appearance c. Page 359 2 If this were a reason the Devils do not sin maliciously ibid. 3 Though every man sins ignorantly yet every man doth not sin out of ignorance for then Page 360 1 Why is there so vast a difference between a sin of ignorance and presumption ibid 2 If every sin should arise from ignorance in the understanding the will would be alwaies carried upon honest good at least in appearance ibid. 3 If it were so the will could not fal off from the dictate of the Vnderstanding Page 361 4 If the will alwaies follow the understanding then the created and defiled will of man cannot tend unto any object upon any reason upon which the Divine will of God cannot â—end unto its object ibid. 5 All men confess a sin of malice and a sin of ignorance ibid. 4 Suppose that some ignorance in the understanding be the remote cause of the sin yet malice is the next and chief cause Page 362 5 A Question answered how the will should be alwaies carried upon that which is good and yet a man may sin maliciously ibid. 6 It is a malicious sin against the Holy Ghost after he hath been convinced by the Holy Ghost Page 363 Quest 2. Why is this sin unpardonable above all others ibid. Answ 1 It is not because it is hard to be pardoned Page 364 2 It is not only unpardonable in regard of event ibid. 3 Nor is it greater than Gods mercy ibid. 4 Nor because it is a sin against the means of pardon ibid. 5 Nor because a man doth not repent thereof ibid. But it is unpardonable because God hath appointed no sacrifice for it ibid. Application 1 If the sin against the Holy Ghost be unpardonable then the Holy Ghost is God Page 365 2 There is great necessity to know what this sin against the Holy Ghost is that if a man have sinned tâ—is sin we may not pray for him ibid. 3 Think on Gods mercy that hath kept us from this great sin ibid. Object 1. I fear I have sinned this great sin because my sins are so great Page 366 Answ How great may that sin of yours be and not be that sin Page 366 Object 2. I fear it for I have fallen fowly into it gross sin ibid. Answ So did David ibid. Object 3. But I have lost my communion with God ibid. Answ So did the Church of Ephesus Page 367 Object 4. I have resisted Gods Spirit ib. Answ A man may do so and yet not sin against the holy Ghost ibid. Object 5. I have denied the Truth ibid. Answ So did Peter ibid. Object 6. I have been a blasphemer ibid. Answ So was Paul Page 368 Object 7. I have sinned maliciously ibid. Answ Maliciously is taken three waies Either sinning from some ill habit as all wicked men do Or out of passion as Paul did Or out of liberty of his own will and self-conviction Had you sinned this last way you would not be troubled about it but wel pleased with it ibid Object 8. I have forsaken God and God hath forsaken me ibid. Answ David thought so ibid. Object 9. I despair Page 369 Answ You know what Heman said All thy waves are gone over my head ibid. To cleer this I ask five Questions ibid. 1 Art thou willing to forgive men that have trespassed against thee ibid. 2 Have you opposed the waies of God out of malice ibid. 3 Do you not desire to be humbled for your sin ibid. 4 Do you not desire above all things the breathings of Gods Spirit upon your heart Page 370 5 Where do you find in all the Bible that they that sinned against the Holy Ghost are afraid that they have sinned it The great misery of that man who hath sinned against the Holy Ghost ibid. What great comfort is here for Beleevers that cannot commit this sin Page 371 Applic. 4. If this be unpardonable what great cause have we to look to our selves ibid. Quest What must we do to be kept from this unpardonable sin Page 372 Answ 1 Do as David did against presumptuous sins ibid. 2 Be alwaies humbled for lesser sins Page 372 3 Fear alwaies ibid. 4 Resolve to do good Page 373 5 Do not blaspheme what you understand not ibid. 6 Never blaspheme the way of God that thou hast found to be true ibid. 7 Take heed of all declinings ibid. 8 Forsake not the assembling your selves together as the manner of some is ibid. Of SINS of Infirmity ON Matthew 26.43 THe difference between the true and the false Disciple Page 377 The Text divided ibid. Here is the Disciples sin and the Lords Grace Page 378 1 They slept ibid. 1 The Cause for their eyes were heavy ibid. 2 The Repetition he found them asleep again ibid. 2 Christ comes again ibid. DOCT. Though a man sin again and again yet if it be a sin of Infirmity Christ will come to him again ibid. Three things considered in the opening of the words ibid. 1 A good man may fall oft into the same sin 2 This sin may be but a sin of infirmity 3 That Christ will not leave him for it ibid. I The first Proposition proved Page 379 II The second Proposition proved And to cleer it consider what a sin of Infirmity is Page 380 1 It is a sin of weakness in Scripture Phrase ibid. 2 Infirmity is a defect in one that hath life Page 381 3 It ariseth not from wilfulness but from want of strength to resist ibid. Quest 1. Is every sin a godâ—y man commits a sin of Infirmity ibid. Answ Negatively with the Reasons ibid. Quest 2. Is any sin a wicked man commits a sin of Infirmity ibid. Answ Negatively with the Reasons ibid. Quest 3. Can any great foul sin be a sin of Infirmity ibid. Answ Negatively with Reasons ibid. Quest How may I know a sin of Infirmity Page 382 Answ First Some mistakes are observed Secondly It is answered Negatively Lastly Affirmatively Page 382 1 There are mistakes on both