that is to honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ CHAP. XV. Six Ends more For the encreasing of severall graces and destroying corruptions SIxtly as it makes for the triall and discovery of graces so it is a meanes sanctified to encrease them and to eate out corruptions First 1. To destroy corruption it is a meanes to destroy the flesh The incestuous Corinthian was to bee delivered to Satan that is to be terrified to destroy the flesh As corrasives eate out dead flesh so these terrours the dead corruptions and the reviving of the guilt of old sinnes doth kill the seeds of those that remaine in the heart For if an outward affliction which crosseth but the satisfaction of a lust is a meanes sactified by God to kill a lust then much more the inward terrour which the conscience feeles and which ariseth immediatly from the guilt of a sinne must needs bee a meanes much more Secondly 2. To humble it is a meanes to humble So Deut. 8. 16. the end of the biting of the Israelites by Scorpions which were the types of these stings and terrours were as to prove so to humble them and for this end was that buffeting by Satan we have so often mentioned 2 Cor. 12. 7. to keep downe being exalted above measure So also 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and if in any other affliction his mighty hand layes hardest on surely in these Thirdly 3. To encrease assurance in the event it is a meanes to bring you in more assurance and establishment 1 Pet. 5. 10. The God of all grace after you have suffered a while stablish and strengthen you He knew they could not be setled till they had suffered in this or some other kinde The tree rootes it selfe the more it is shaken Comforts abound the more that sufferings doe abound That light is clearest and strongest that ariseth out of darknesse because God creates it Those things which men doubt of most God gives the greatest evidence of in the end Fourthly 4. The fearâ— and obedience of God it traines you up to feare God more and to obey him Therefore in the Text these are added as the concomitant dispositions of the soule in such a case For of all other these of fearing God and obeying him doe most eminently and sensibly appeare in that estate Heb. 5. 8. Christ himselfe learnt obedience by what hee suffered The yoke tames the wanton wildnesse in beasts and makes them serviceable breakes them and so doe these the stubbornnesse of a mans spirit Fifthly 5. To pray more and more earnestly to set beleevers hearts awork to pray more and more earnestly So the Apostles buffetings 2 Cor. 12. made him pray thrice that is often So Christ Luke 22. 44. being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and being in feares he did lift up strong cryes Heb. 5. 7. So Heman by reason of his terrours was a man much in prayers Psal 88. 1. I have cryed day and night before thee Christians that enjoy not communion with God yet if they thinke they have not lost him they are secure and lazie in prayers but if they apprehend once that their 〈◊〉 gone or that they are in danger to lose him then they will seeke him all the world over but they will finde him Cant. 5. 6 7 8. and make 〈◊〉 and cry after him as the Church did there Sixthly 6. To prize the light of Gods countenance it causeth them to prize the light of Gods countenance the more when they againe obtaine it and to set a higher price upon it and to endavour by close walking with God as children of light to keepe it To prize it more then corne and oyle Cant. 3. at the 2. verse She loseth him but at the 4. verse Shee findes him againe and then Shee holds him and would not let him goe A CHILDE OF LIGHT WALKING in DARKNESSE ISAI 50. 10. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light USE 1. IF those that feare God and obey him are exposed to such a condition as hath beene described To those that feare not God nor obey him What darknesse reserved for such Then Who is amoÌ„g you that feareth not the Lord nor obeyes the voice of his servante You that live in knowen sins in omissioÌ„ of known duties which Gods servants your Ministers tell you you ought to perform that pray not withyour families who make not conscience of your speeches nor 〈…〉 be thus scarcely saved if they whom God hath loved with a love as great unchange able as himselfe yet suffer his terrors here what shall you dâ—e whom hee hath set himselfe to hate and to shew the power of his wrath upon without repentance If these things be done to the greene tree Luke 23 31. what shall be done to the dry which is fitted for wrath and the fire Nahum 1. 10. even as stubble fully dry as the Prophet speaketh If such an estate of darknesse and horrour befall them that are children of light whose inheritance is light Col. 1. 12. then what is reserved for you that are darknesse and love darknesse more then light And if this befalls them for not stirring up the grace which they already have what to you that are utterly devoid of it and not onely so but despise and scoffe it If this befalls them for not humbling themselves for old sinnes though long since committed what will be fall you for going on to adde new to the olde with greedinesse If to them for neglecting the opportunities of drawing nigher to God what to you for neglecting the offer of grace and trampling under foot the blood of Christ All you that thinke there is no hell or if there be that it is not so darke as it is usually painted looke upon Heman ready to runne distracted through terrours and to give up the ghost every moment Psal 88. when yet his body was strong and outward estate whole looke upon David lying upon the wheels and the spirit of God breaking his bones Psal 51. when as otherwise hee being a King had all outward things at will Look upon holy Joâ— Chap. 6. Oh that my griefe were weighted it is heavier then the sand and my words are swallowed up that is I am not able to expresse and utter my griefe The arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poison thereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in battle array against me ver 4. Insomuch that at the 8. verse he wisheth God would cut him off and Is my streÌ„gth the streÌ„gth of stones sayes he or my flesh brasse as he complaines that he should be able to hold out against such fierce encounters My brethren Gods people finde paines beyond those of the Stone or gout and toothake the falling of Gods
nature and the divine though hypostatically united And likewise 4. That God hath given us eternall life and that life is in his Sonne this being 〈◊〉 great truth of the Gospell so as a Christian 〈◊〉 beleeves it not maketh God a lyar 1 Joh. 5. 10 11. Therfore Satan being that great lyar John 8. 44. opposeth this great truth and our faith therein above all others His 〈◊〉 at the advancement of our nature in Christ according to that truth is thought by some to have bin his fall and ruine so understanding that in Ioh. 8. He abode not in the truth However he doth now delight to make God a lyar to us in our apprehensions by questioning his promises and especially to enforce the perswasion thereof out of Gods owne dealing with us perverting his righteous wayes And secondly §. 2. as Satan hath such a desire is God may give his childe up into Satans hand for a while thus to afflict and terrifie his Spirit God may and doth give up his childe into Satans hands permit him thus to tempt him His last commission over Iob seemeth to extend thus far for his life only was excepted Iob 2. 6. He is in thy hand only save his life therefore after that leave given we heare Iob although never brought to question his estate yet crying out of terrors and of the sins of his youth for Satan then as he smote his body with boiles so buffetted his spirit And though Satan hath will of himselfe and a desire to it and power physicall enough and abilities to inflict this at all times yet he must further have power morall or leave and commission from God And God somtimes gives to Satan power over the sonnes and daughters of Abraham Luke 13. even as wel as others and as their bodies to be vexed by him so their spirits and as to provoke them unto sinne so much more to terrifie for sinne there being more of punishment then of sinne in that Thus he left David to Satan to provoke him unto sinne aswell as Iudas Therefore that provocation to number the people as it is imputed to Satan and his malice 1 Chron. 21. 1. so also to God and his anger in giving leave first to Satan 2 Sam. 24. 1. And as an evill spirit from the Lord troubled Sauls minde 1 Sam. 16. 14. So a messenger of satan was sent to buffet Pauls spirit 2 Cor. 12. wherein yet God doth no way help Satan with any further power then what as an Angell he furnished him with at his creation nor with any assistance or information of our secret sins against us to enable him the more to assault us this I finde not in Scripture but permissive power only Which is either 1. obtained and given at Satans motion request first made so that phrase Luke 22. 31. Satan hath requested and petitioned to winnow you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that also Job 2. 3. Thou movedst me against him doth imply and as it may seeme by singling out and calling forth some one for this combate as he did him more especially to whom therefore Christ addresseth that premonition and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies as much So also Iob was singled out for this duel both by God and Satan Or else 2. this is done through the ordinance of Excommunication and censures of the Church duely administred clave non errante for grosse and scandalous sinnes The proper inward effect that accompanies that ordinance which casts men out of the Church being inward affliction and distresse of conscience by Satan which of all afflictions is the greatest punishment as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. 6. thereby to bring a man to repentance Even as on the contrary the speciall worke of baptisme which admits into the Church to such as were fideles adulti and beleevers already was by joy in the holy Ghost to seale up their adoption and regeneration unto them as to the Eunuch Acts 8. 39. This we may see in the excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian whose excommunication is therefore expressed to be a delivering him up unto Satan in the name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. 5. 9. that is he was to be cast out by a commission from Christ which going forth in his name when they published it on earth he signed it in heaven Upon which rightly administred doth ensue first that as the Church doth cut them off from communion with them so God cuts them off from communion with himself and hides and withdrawes the light of his countenance the witnesse of his Spirit his comfortable presence and not only so but delivereth them up to satan that being the consequent of it which therefore because it implies the former is put to expresse the whole proceeding which delivery of him unto Satan was not a giving him a commission to cary him on to more sin for the end propounded by the Apostle was to destroy the flesh that is corruption the body of sinne and that the spirit might be saved ver 5. that is that contrary principle of grace which yet remained but was ready to die as it is Rev. 3. 2. might bee saved and kept from death and destruction though that often be indeed the effect of it in hypocrites as in Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 19. but it was to terrifie and afflict his conscience and to stir up in him the guilt of his sin with terrors for it which God sanctifieth to humble and to mortifie the flesh And thus when that Corinthian was excommunicated did Satan accordingly deale with him for in the next Epistle 2 Cor. 2. 7. we finde him well nigh swallowed up of sorow which was Satans doing for ver 11. We are not ignorant saith the Apostle in reference partly to this of his devices And thus Satan continued still to handle him even now when he began to be truly humbled and was a fit subject to receive forgivenesse and comfort ver 7. when though hee feared God and obeyed him yet hee walked in darknesse till the Church received him Or else 3. when this ordinance is not in the case of such sins administred then God himselfe who workes without an ordinance sometimes the same effects that with it doth excommunicate mens spirits from his presence and gives them up to Satan by terrors to whip them home to himselfe So that God gives him leave to exercise power over both godly men and wicked men onely with this difference Wicked men God gives up unto him as unto their Ruler and their head they are therefore called the rulers of the darknesse of this world Ephes 6. 12. Who therefore work effectually in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. Or else as captives to a Prince he taking them captive at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. so as they are captived and led away 1 Cor. 12. 2. But his owne God gives up to him but as
them and their working in the heart and suspitions c. which are such contrary dispositions unto selfe-flattery which swayed our opinions of our estates before should thus arise and bee started up in the heart upon the worke of faith and be apt rather to prevaile now after faith is 1 Because that in the worke of humiliation which prepares for faith all those strong holds of carnall reason being demolisht which upheld selfe-flattery and that false good opinion of a mans estate and those mountainous thoughts of presumption as then laid low a man is for ever put out of conceit with himself as of himself At which time also 2 he was so throughly and feelingly convinced of the hainousnesse of sinne which before hee slighted and of the greatnesse and multitudes of his sinnes that he is apt now instead of presuming as before to bee jealous of God lest he might have been so provoked as never to pardon him and is accordingly apt to draw a misinterpretation of all Gods dealings with him to strengthen that conceit And 3 having through the same conviction the infinite errour and deceitfulnesse of his heart before in flattering him and judging his estate good when it was most accursed so clearely discovered and discerned he thereby becomes exceeding jealous and afraid of erring on that hand still and so is apt to lend an eare to any doubt or scruple that is suggested Especially 4 he being withall made apprehensive both of that infinite danger to his eternall salvation there may be in nourishing a false opinion of the goodnesse of his estate if it should prove otherwise because such a false conceit keepes a man from saving faith whereas to cherish the contrary errour in judging his estate bad when it is in truth good tends but to his present discomfort so as he thinkes it safer to erre on that hand then the other And 5 being also sensible of what transcendent concernment his eternall salvation is of which he before slighted this rowseth suspition which in all matters of great consequence and moment is alwayes doubting and inquisitive and also keepes it waking which before lay asleepe And all these being now startled and stirred up doe not onely provoke carnall reason unsatisfiedly to pry into all things that may seem to argue Gods disfavour or the unsoundnesse of our hearts but also doe give entertainment too and applaud all such objections as are found out and makes up too hastily false conclusions from them Last of all §. 5. as there are these corrupt principles of carnall reason 3. Principle The guilt in our owne consciences remaining in part defiled a cause of this darknesse and suspitiousnesse in us to raise and foment these doubts and feares from Gods dealings towards us So there is an abundance of guilt within us of our false dealings towards him And wee have consciences which remaine in part defiled which may further joyne with all these and encrease our feares and doubtings and as wee are darke and weake creatures so guilty creatures also And this guilt like the waves of the Sea or the swellings of Jordan doe begin upon these terrible stormes from God to rise and swell and over-flow in our consciences As in David Psal 38. when Gods wrath was sore upon him ver 1. 2. then also he complaines Mine iniquities are gone over my head ver 4. There is much guile and falsenesse of heart which in those distempers when our consciences doe boile within us and are stirred and heated to the bottome doth like the scumme come up and flote aloft Thus in David when hee was under the rod for his sinne of murther as the guilt of his sinne so the guile of his Spirit came up and he calls for Truth in the inward parts Psal 51. 6. For as his sinne ver 2. so his falsenesse of heart was ever before him and with an eye to this hee spake that speech Psal 32. Oh blessed is that man in whose spirit is no guile and to whom the Lord imputeth no sin Thus hee spake when God had charged upon him the guilt of his sin and discovered to him the guile of his spirit ver 4. 5. And this guile doth oftentimes so appeare that our consciences can hardly discerne any thing else to be in us it lies uppermost and covers our graces from our view and like as the chaffe when the wheat is tossed in the fanne comes up to the top So in these commotions and winnowings of spirit doe our corruptions float in our consciences whilest the graces that are in us lyecovered under them out of sight and the darke side of our hearts as of the cloud is turned towards us and the light side from us And indeed there are in the best of us humours enough which if they bee stirred and congregated in our consciences may alone cast us into these burning fits of trouble and distresse so as whilst Gods Spirit shall withhold from us the light of our own graces our own cōsciences represent to us the guilt and corruptions that are in our best performances our hearts may conclude our selves hypocrites as M. Bradfar in some of his letters cloth of himself others of the Saints have done Yea so as even our own consciences which are the onely principle now left in us which should take part with and encourage faith and witnesse to us as the office of it is the goodnesse of our estates in this may joyn with the former corruptions against us and bring in a false evidence and pronounce a false judgement Even Conscience it selfe which is ordained as the urine of the body to shew the estate of the whole and therefore is accordingly called Good or Evill as the mans state is This is apt in such distempers to change and turne colour and looke to a mans own view as 〈◊〉 as the state of a very Hypocrite And the reason of this is also as evident The reason as is the experience of it Even because conscience remaines in part defiled in a man that is regenerate and though we are sprinkled from an evill conscience in part yet not wholly so as though our persons are fully discharged from the guilt of our sins through the sprinkling of Christs blood before God yet the sprinkling of that blood upon our consciences whereby we apprehend this is imperfect and the reason is because this very sprinkling of conscience whereby it restifies the sprinkling of Christs blood and our justification thereby is but part of the sanctification of Conscience as it is a faculty whose office and duty is to testifie and with 〈◊〉 our estates and therefore as the sanctification of all other faculties is imperfect so of conscience also herein And hence it is that when Gods Spirit forbeareth to witnesse with conscience the goodnesse of our estates and ceaseth to embolden and encourage conscience by his presence and the sprinkling of Christs blood upon it against the remaining
temptations are various and manifold 1 Pet. 2. 6. even as the gifts and operations of the Spirit are 1 Cor. 12. 4 5. Now he having beaten out this controversie with all sorts knowes how to lay the dispute how to order and marshall and apply objections and weild his blowes with most successe and advantage That as Physitians having observed the severall workings of medicines of all sorts upon severall ages constitutions what severall issues and effects they have had doe therefore accordingly prescribe and apply severall medicines according to the severall and differing conditions of their patients though sicke of the same disease Thus Satan he by observation finding the hearts of some men answering to some others even as face to face in water as Solomon sayes and more alike and withall remembring what reasonings have alwayes taken most with such a sort or strain of Christians whose corruptions and whose graces were much alike unto those in this or that man hee hath now to deale with accordingly he makes use and application of these reasonings againe The conditions of men are exceeding various and so are capable of severall sorts of temptations 1 The temper of mens spirits we know is divers and so is capable of diversity of suggestions Men of melancholly and jealous spirits he plyes with reasonings and suggestions that will most take with their spirits And againe 2 the operations of graces as of sinne are various in those severall tempers And 3 Gods dealings with and workings upon his children are as various as either some he humbleth much some are led on with comfort some he workes on with a sudden and marvellous light as if the Sun should rise on the sudden at midnight and on others insensibly and by degrees as when the dawning steals upon the day some have had a false a counterfeit work before some were never enlightned untill savingly and this variety affords rise occasion for severall temptations So as what kinde of work any other Christian hath had is apt to be made an exception to another that wants it I was never thus humbled sayes one nor I thus comforted sayes another I had a sudden violent worke indeed which came in like a spring tide but now the tide is fallen and my first love abated sayes a third I had some workings and enlightnings heretofore sayes another and I was deceived then and I may be so now also and so he hath that vast tuske set him to compare a counterfeit work with a true Thus every severall way of working lyes open to severall exceptions and as we say that every calling earthly hath its severall and proper temptations to the severall wayes and maner of effecting this calling heavenly have their severall veines and currents of temptations All which Satan knowes and hath often traced and accordingly knowes how to sit them to men and to prosecute them the most advantagious way So in like maner hee takes the compasse of every mans knowledge notions and apprehensions according unto which as our knowledge is more or lesse we are also capable of severall temptations Many reasonings and objections which like small haile-shot could not reach or make any dint at all upon men of parts and knowledge that soare high out of the gun-shot of them and who have on the whole armour of God as the Apostle speakes Ephes 6. are in compleat armour abounding in all faith and knowledge yet are fittest to levell with at such as are more ignorant and fly low and have but some few broken pieces of that armour to defend some parts with but on the contrary those other of his great shot which he dischargeth on men of knowledge they would bee shot and cleane fly over the others heads and not come neer such smaller vessels All in Thyatira knew not Satans depths nor were capable of them Rev. 2. 24. Thus ignorance and want of knowledge of the meaning of the Scriptures and of the wayes of grace chalked forth therein how doth Satan abuse to the disquietment of many poore and good soules that want much knowledge by putting false glosses on them how many weake soules do stick in shallowes and are sometimes a long while 〈◊〉 with grosse mistakes and like small birds are held long under with limed strawes of frivolous objections which great ones fly away with S. Paul being a man of knowledge was not easily taken with such chaffe Satan fitly knowes how to apply his temptations We are not ignorant of his devices sayes hee 2 Cor. 2. 11. and therefore Satan takes another course with him and comes with downeright blowes and falls a buffet in him 2. Cor. 12. Thus doth Satan take measure of the bore as I may so speake of every mans understanding and fits them with objections proportionable of severall sises And as the Apostles in his Sermons prepared milk for babes but strong meat for strong ment so doth satan in his temptations apply and suite them to mens notions and apprehensions still framing objections according to their reading Thirdly §. 3. he is able indiscernably to communicate all his false reasonings Satan is able indiscernably to communicate the most spirituall false reasonings and in such a maner as to make them take though never so spirituall which hee doth forge and invent and that in such a maner as to deceive us by them and to make them take with us First he is able not onely to put into the heart suggestions and solicitations unto sensuall and worldly objects such as that into Iudas heart to betray his master for money Iohn 13. 2. and to tempt maryed couples severed To suggest even the most subtill and abstracted reasonings about things spiritual to incontinuancy 1 Cor. 7. 5. But also the most subtill and abstracted reasonings concerning things spirituall which are utterly remote from sense he can insinuate and impart according to the measure and capacity of mens apprehensions Therefore we are said to wrestle with them about things heavenly and out interest therein is often made the matter of the contention and the subject of the question so that phrase Ephes 6. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it is said We wrestle with spirituall wickednesses in heavenly is rather to be understood of heavenly things then of heavenly places the word signifying rather supercaelestiall in the highest heavens whither if rendred of places the devils never came since their fall and it being used elsewhere for heavenly things as Heb. 8. 5. and the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or In being likewise sometimes put to expresse the object matter about which a thing is conversant as Matth. 11. 6. Blessed is hee that is not offended in mee that is with or about me for my sake it may congruously be so here meant as noting to us that the price about which wee wrestle with Satan the stake are not things worldly as honours riches and the like but things
affirmation But further also it would seeme to imply some kinde of physicall working though not immediately on the spring of the clocke yet upon the wheeles and weights of it I meane the passions in the body and the images in the fancy though not upon the understanding immediately all which what influence they have to sway the judgement and pervert it experience shewes Fourthly §. 4. he is further able to follow and continue his reasonings as occasion is Satan is able to continue the dispute and often to make replies to the answers of his false reasonings and to keepe up the dispute and hold out arguments with us and out-reason us by putting in new replies to our answers and so to maintaine and manage and cary along the dispute and to come up with fresh supplies which in this respect is called wrestling Ephes 6. 12. We wrestle not with flesh and blood but principalities and powers it being as the bodily wrestling transacted by reiterated assaults and attempts to overcome and get the victory hee as it were going about to strike up our heeles as wrestlers doe that is to take away from under us those reasonings which supported us by cavillling objections which kinde of spirituall wrestlings how often have we experience of in spirituall agonies In the houre of temptation beleevers finde conflicts and bandyings of disputes rationally caried along and pertinent objections brought in against those answers which they secretly meditate of In which case therefore Divines bid men not to dispute with that cunning sophister Thus many when death hath approached have found that they have had their reasonings for their estates and those evidences they have had recourse unto taken away confuted as fast as they have thought of them And that Satan hath this dexterity and skill thus to manage such kinde of disputes with us is further evident in the framing of heresies wherein he assists the contrivers of them with pertinent considerations to backe and confirme their notions in their private meditations studies and contrivements And indeed if Satan were not able and skilfull thus to oppose and reply these kind of temptations which consist in disputes could not be managed for otherwise Satan in theÌ„ did dispute with us but as if one of us should reason with a dumb man that can heare but his answers cannot be known so we know no way what reply to make Therfore surely Satan hath some way more or lesse a guesse and inkling often what may be the answers of the heart againe which were it otherwise the glory also which God hath by the victory gotten over Satan in these temptations were much obscured and Satans confusion lesse for the victory of our faith in these disputes and the resistance it makes lyes chiefly in those replies which are made wherby it quencheth all his darts whereof the devill when he is once sensible and perceives it he is confounded for then when he is once sensible and apprehensive that he is resisted doth he fly from us as the Apostle speakes Iames 4. 7. and that of his owne accord as the expression there imports even as a foiled and disgraced souldier And this we may see in his cariage in those his teÌ„ptations of Christ which were managed by mutuall disputes and the foiling of satan was by the answers out of Scripture which Christ gave Mat. 4. 11. by which being confounded he left him as the text sayes as out of pride ashamed that he was foiled So that Satan some way or other is able to guesse at and discernes the replies in our hearts to his objections as well as to make and cast in objections CHAP. VIII That Satan is able to worke upon that other corrupt principle in us Guilt of Conscience Both how farre he is able to know matter by us to object against us as also to set it on and worke upon the guilt and erroneousnesse of the conscience THus we see how able Satan is to joyne with and assist carnall reason in us against our selves wee will now further consider what power and working he may exercise upon that other principle in us our consciences in joyning with the filth and defilement thereof in accusing us and laying particulars to our chaâ—ge in which consisteth the greatest of his strength even in an army of accusations of us to our selves which in this warfare hee musters up against us This sort of temptations we have in hand consists either of false majors or false minors which are like the two wings of an army His false majors they are such as misapprehensions of the wayes and of the worke of grace or misunderstanding of sayings of Scripture c. which by reason of that darknes of ignorance that is in us he puts upon us wrested and perverted As That to relapse into the same sinne againe and againe is not compatible with grace and many the like For the opinions whereby some doe measure what strictnesse is essentiall to the being in the state of grace are often too severe and rigid as in others too loose The measure of some is too scant not giving allowance to failings as of others too large taking in such grosse corruptions and the constant practise of them as cannot stand with grace And Satan deceives with both As the one sort of prophane men to flatter themselves to be in a good condition when they are not so the other of weak and tender consciences that they are not in a good estate when they are And in like maner places of Scripture misunderstood doe oft prove matter of great temptation to many as that Hebrewes 6. unto One who having fallen from his first love concluded he could never bee saved because it is there said that they which are once enlightned if they fall away it is impossible they should be renewed to repentance whereas it is onely to be understood of a revengefull totall Apostasie Acts 13. 10. Thus as Elymas perverted the right wayes of the Lord So doth Satan also Elymas being therefore there called child of the devill because he did the work of his father therein Now all such false reasonings as are founded upon such mistakes of the things of the rule it selfe whereby we should judge of our estates false majors do properly beloÌ„g to the former head of Carnall reason But he hath another wing of forces to joyn to these and they are false accusations of a man to himselfe froÌ„ the guilt of his own heart wayes misconceits of a mans selfe and misapplications to a mans self another sort of arguments wherein the minors are false So as although a man be full of knowledge through the light thereof hath a right judgement both of the Scriptures of the wayes work of grace by which mens estates are to be judged so therein Satan cannot be too hard for him with all his sophistry yet by misrepresenting a man to himselfe and by perverting
11. so as he is able to save in the greatest distresse and I have heard that to him belongeth mercy also v. 12. therefore he may bee willing to help and because these are in him though I have nothing in my self yet these I rest upon and these alone Many such instances more might be brought The reasons why the name of God Reasons and what is in God is prop sufficient for faith to rest upon are First because the name of God that is Gods attributes and Christs righteousnesse doe sufficiently and adequately and fully answer all wants and doubts all objections and distresses we can have or can be in whatsoever our wants or temptations be he hath a Name to make supply For example take that his Name in pieces mentioned Exod. 34. 5 6. consider every letter in that his Name and every letter answers to some temptation may be made by us First art thou in misery and great distresse he is mercifull The Lord mercifull the Lord therefore able to help thee and mercifull therefore wiling Yea but secondly thou will say I am unworthy I have nothing in me to move him to it well therfore hee is gracious now grace is to shew mercy freely Yea but I have sinned against him long for many yeares if I had come in when I was yong mercy might have been shewne me To this he sayes I am long suffering Yea but my sinnes every way abound in number and it is impossible to reckon them up they abound in hainousnesse I have committed the same sins again again I have bin false to him broke promise with him againe and againe his Name also answers this objection hee is aboundant in goodnesse hee abounds more in grace then thou in sinning and though thou hast beene false againe and againe to him and broke all covenants yet hee is abundant in truth also better then his word for he cannot to our capacities expresse all that mercy that is in him for us Yea but I have committed great sinnes aggravated with many and great circumstances against knowledge wilfully c. hee forgives iniquity transgression and sinne sinnes of all sorts Yea but there is mercy thus in him but for a few and I may be none of the number yes there is mercy for thousands and hee keepes it treasures of it lyes by him and are kept if men would come in and take them Object what thou canst his Name will answer thee Needest thou comfort as well as pardon hee is both Father of mercies and God of all comforts that is his Name 2 Cor. 1. 3. Needest thou peace of conscience being filled with terrours he is the God of peace 1 Thess 5. 23. Yea but I have an heart empty of grace and holinesse full of corruptions He is the God of all grace to heal thee as wel as of peace to pardon thee Needest thou wisdome direction he is the Father of lights as the Apostle sayes Is thy heart inconstant and full of double mindednesse he is unchangeable also as hee speakes there Iames 1. Thus all objections that can be made may be answered out of his Name Therefore it is al-sufficient for faith to rest upon The like may be as fully shewed in his Sonnes name in whom God hath made himselfe strong to shew mercy and bestow all good things Whose Name is adequate to Gods Name that is is of as large extent in worth and merit as Gods heart is in his purposes of shewing and bestowing mercies to purchase all that God meant to bestow Whose Name hath likewise an al-sufficiency in it to supply all our wants and desires and satisfie all scruples For example that his Name mentioned by the Prophet Esay chap. 9. 6. which he here directs to compared with 1 Cor. 1. ult For would we have peace of conscience and the guilt of sinnes removed He is the Prince of peace and is made Righteousnesse to us Are we in depths of distresse terrours within terrours without out of which wee see no redemption he is the Mighty God able to save to the utmost being made redemption to us Want we grace and his image to bee renewed and increased in us He is the Everlasting father a Father to beget his likenesse in us and everlasting to maintaine it ever when it is begun once he is made sanctification to us Want we wisdome to guide us He is the counsellor and is made wisdome to us All wee want he hath even as all he hath we want and further although we not onely want all these but never so much of all these his Name is also Wonderfull For such he is in all these able to doe beyond all our expectations to wonderment Or if the soule desires more distinct and particular satisfaction in point of justification which consists in the pardon of sins acceptation to the favour of God it being the point which in this state of desertion is questioned and wherein the soule desires satisfaction That other name of his The Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. will answer all objections and doubts that our hearts can make if we had but skill to spell all the letters in it For if that righteousnesse of his satisfied God who in condemning us 1 Iohn 3. 20. is greater then our hearts then it may satisfie our hearts much more The righteousnesse of his life and death is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an adequate sufficient ransome 1 Tim. 2. 6. But there is plenteous redemption in it Psal 130. Yea to superfluity as the Apostles phrase implies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1. 14. that is overfull more then would serve the turn and that to pardon his sins who v. 15. was the chiefe of sinners Hee elsewhere challengeth all the wit and powers of sin and hell and darknesse to appeare in this dispute and undertakes to answer them all out of this one position which he layes as a bottome truth Christ hath dyed Rom. 8. 34. which is in effect the same with this The Lord our righteousnesse Who therefore sayes he shall condemne What can be alledged either in the hainousnesse of sinne in the generall or in any of thy sinnes in particular unto which an answer may not hence be fetcht from the righteousnesse of his death and life Is it that sin is an offēce against the great God Against thee against thee c. as David speaks and is not this his righteousnes the righteousnes of Jehovah Iehovah our righteousnes who is the mighty God Is the glory of this great God and all his excellencies debased by us in sinning and will not the emptying of his glory Phil. 2. 7. whose name is the brightnes of his fathers glory Heb. 1. 2. in performing this righteousnes for us satisfie and make amends Are our sinnes the transgression of the holy and righteous Law in every part of it and did not Jehovah who gave and made that Law to make