with a mutiny in his understanding betweene faith and distrust and therefore hee was forced to rouze up his soule so oft to trust in God which shews that carnall reason did solicite him to discontent and had many colourable reasons for it Secondly a man indued with common grace is rather a patient then an agent in conflicts the light troubles him against his will as discovering and reproving him and hindring his sinfull contentments his heart is more byased another way if the light would let him but a godly man labours to helpe the light and to worke his heart to an opposition against sinne he is an agent as well as a patient As David here doth not suffer disquieting but is disquieted with himselfe for being so A godly man is an agent in opposing his corruption and a patient in induring of it whereas a naturall man is a secret agent in and for his corruptions and a patient in regard of any helpe against them A good man suffers evill and doth good a naturall man suffers good and doth evill Thirdly A conscience guided by common light withstands distempers most by outward meanes but David here fetcheth helpe from the Spirit of God in him and from trust in God Nature works from within so doth the new nature David is not onely something disquieted and something troubled for being disquieted but sets himselfe throughly against his distempers hee complaines and expostulates hee censures and chargeth his soule The other if hee doth any thing at all yet it is faintly he seeks out his corruption as a coward doth his enemie loth to finde him and more loth to encounter with him Fourthly David withstands sinne constantlie and gets ground Wee see here he gives not over at the first but presseth againe and againe Nature works constantly so doth the new nature The conflict in the other is something forced as taking part with the worser side in himselfe good things have a weak or rather no party in him bad things a strong and therefore hee soone gives over in this holy quarrell Fiftly David is not discouraged by his foiles but sets himselfe afresh against his corruptions with confidence to bring them under Whereas he that hath but a common work of the Spirit after some foiles lets his enemy prevaile more and more and so despaires of victory and thinks it better to fit still then to rise and take a new fall by which meanes his later end is worse then his beginning for beginning in the Spirit he ends in the flesh A godly man although upon some foile he may for a time bee discouraged yet by holy indignation against sinne he renues his force and sets afresh upon his corruptions and gathers more strength by his falls and groweth into more acquaintance with his owne heart and Satans malice and Gods strange waies in bringing light out of darknesse Sixtly An ordinary Christian may be disquieted for being disquieted as David was but then it is onely as disquiet hath vexation in it but David here striveth against the unquietnesse of his spirit not onely as it brought vexation with it but as it hindred communion with his God In sinne there is not onely a guilt binding over the soule to Gods judgement and thereupon filling the soule with inward feares and terrors but in sinne likewise there is 1. a contrarietie to Gods holy nature and 2. a contrariety to the Divine nature and image stamped upon our selves 3. a weakning and disabling of the soule from good and 4. a hindring of our former communion with GOD sinne being in its nature a leaving of God the fountaine of all strength and comfort and cleaving to the creature hereupon the soule having tasted the sweetnesse of GOD before is now grieved and this grief is not onely for the guilt and trouble that sinne drawes after it but from an inward Antipathy and contrariety betwixt the sanctified soule and sinne It hates sinne as sinne as the onely bane and poyson of renewed nature and the onely thing that breedes strangenesse betwixt God the soule And this hatred is not so much from discourse and strength of reason as from nature it selfe rising presently against its enemie The Lambe presently shuns the Wolfe from a contrariety Antipathies wait not for any strong reason but are exercised upon the first presence of a contrary object Seventhly hereupon ariseth the last difference that because the soule hateth sinne as sinne therefore it opposeth it universally and eternally in all the powers of the soule and in all actions inward and outward issuing from those powers David regarded no iniquity in his heart but hated every evil way The desires of his soule were that it might be so directed that he might keepâ—… Gods law And if there had beene no binding law yet there was such a sweet sympathy and agreement betwixt his soule and Gods truth that he delighted in it above all naturall sweetnesse Hence it is that Saint Iohn saith He that is borâ—… of God cannot sinne that is so farre forth as he is borne of God his new nature will not suffer him he cannot lie he cannot deceive he cannot be earthly minded hee cannot but love and delight in the persons things that are good There is not onely a light in the understanding but a new life in the will and all other faculties of a godly man what good his knowledge discovereth that his will makes choice of and his heart loveth What ill his understanding discovers that his will hateth and abstaines from But in a man not throughly converted the will and affections are bent otherwise he loves not the good he doth nor hates the evill hee doth not Therefore let us make a narrow search into our soules upon what grounds wee oppose sinne and fight Gods battells A common Christian is not cast downe because hee is disquieted in Gods service or for his inward failings that he cannot serve God with that liberty freedome he desires c But a godly man is troubled for his distempers because they hinder the comfortable intercourse betwixt God and his soule and that spirituall composednesse and Sabbath of spirit which hee enjoyed before and desires to enjoy againe Hee is troubled that the waters of his soule are troubled so that the image of Christ shines not in him as it did before It grieves him to finde an abatement in affection in love to God a distraction or coldnesse in performing duties any doubting of Gods favour any discouragement from dutie c. A godly mans comforts and grievances are hid from the world naturall men are strangers to them Let this be a rule of discerning our estates how wee stand affected to the distempers of our hearts If wee finde them troublesome it is a ground of comfort unto us that our Spirits are ruled by a higher spirit and that there is a principle of that life in us
with our owâ—… hearts than with the trouble it selfe We are not hurt till our soules be hurt God will not have it in the power of any creature to hurt our soules but by our owne treason against our selves Therfore we should have our hearts in continuall jealousie for they are ready to deceive the best In suddaine encounters some sinne doth many times discover it selfe the seed whereoflyeth hid in our natures which wee thinke our selves very free from Who would have thought the seeds of murmuring had lurked in the meeke nature of Moses That the seeds of murther had lurked in the pittifull heart of David That the seeds of deniall of Christ had lyen hid in the zealous affection of Peter towards Christ If passions breake out from us which we are not naturally enclined unto and over which by grace wee have got a great conquest how watchfull need wee be over our selves in those things which by temper custome and company wee are carried unto and what cause have wee to feare continually that wee are worse than we take our selves to be There are many unruly passions lye hid in us untill they be drawne out by something that meeteth with them either I by way of opposition as when the truth of God spiritually unfolded meets with some beloved corruption it swelleth bigger the force of Gunpowder is not knowne untill some sparke light on it and oftentimes the stillest natures if crossed discover the deepest corruptions Sometimes it is drawne out by dealing with the opposite spirits of other men Oftentimes retyred men know not what lies hid in themselves 2. Sometimes by crosses as many people whilest the freshnesse and vigour of their spirits lasteth and while the flower of age and a full supply of all things continueth seeme to be ofâ—… pleasing and calme disposition bâ—… afterwards when changes come like Iobs wife they are discovered Thâ—… that which in nature is unsubdued openly appeares 3. Temptations likewise have a searching power to bring that to light in us which was hidden before Sathan hath beene a winnower and a sister of old hee thought if Iob had beene but touched in his body hee would have cursed God to his face Some men out of policie conceale their passion untill they see some advantage to let it out as Esau smoothered his hatred untill his fathers death When the restraint is taken away Men as wee say shew themselves in their pure naturalls unloose a Tyger or a Lyon and you know what he is 4. Further let us see more every day into the state of our owne soules what a shame is it that so nimble and swift a spirit as the soule is that can mount up to heaven from thence come downe into the earth in an instant should whilest it lookes over all other things over-looke it selfe that it should bee skilfull in the story almost of all times and places and yet ignorant of the story of it selfe that we should know what is done in the Court and Countrey and beyond the Seas and be ignorant of what is done at home in our owne hearts that we should live knowne to others and yet die unknowne to our selves that we should be able to give account of any thing better then of our selves to our selves This is the cause why we stand in our owne light why wee thinke better of our selves than others and better then is cause This is that which hindreth all reformation for how can wee reforme that which wee are not willing to see and so wee lose one of the surest evidences of our sincerity which is a willingnesse to search into our hearts and to bee searched by others A sincere heart will offer it selfe to triall And therefore let us sift our actions and our passions and see what is flesh in them and what is spirit and so separate the precious from the vile It is good likewise to consider what sinne we were guilty of before which moved GOD to give us up to excesse in any passion and wherein we have grieved his Spirit Passion will bee 〈◊〉 moderate when thus it knowes it must come to the triall and censure This course will either make us weary of passion or else passion will make us weary of this strict course Wee shall find it the safest way to give our hearts no rest till we have wrought on them to purpose and gotten the mastery over them When the soule is invred to this dealing with it selfe it will learne the skill to command and passions will be soone commanded as being invred to be examined and checked As wee see doggs and such like domesticall creatures that will not regard a stranger yet will be quieted in brawles presently by the voice of their Master to which they are accustomed This fits us for service Unbroken spirits are like unbroken horses unfit for any use untill they be thorowly subdued 5. And it were best to prevent as much as in us lieth the very first risings before the soule bee overcast Passions are but little motions at the first but grow as Rivers doe greater and greater the further they are carried from their Spring The first risings are the more to bee looked unto because there is most danger in them and we have least care over them Siâ—… like rust or a Canker will by little aâ—… little eate out all the graces of the soule There is no staying when we are once downe the hill till we come to the bottome No sin but is easier kept out tâ—… driven out If wee cannot prevent wicked thoughts yet wee may deny them lodging in our hearts It is our giving willing entertainment to sinfull motions that increaseth guilt and hinderâ—… our peace It is that which moveth God to give us up to a further degree of evill affections Therefore what we are afraid to doe before men we should bee afraid to thinke before God It would much further our peace to keep our judgements cleare as being the eye of the soule whereby we may discerne in every action and passion what is good and what is evill as likewise to preserve rendernesse of heart that may checke us at the first and not brooke the least evill being discovered When the heart begins once to be kindled it is easie to smother the smoke of passion which otherwise will fume up into the head and gather into so thicke a cloud as wee shall lose the sight of our selves and what is best to bee done And therefore David here labours to take up his heart at the first his care was to crush the very first insurrections of his soule before they came to break forth into open rebellion stormes we know rise out of little gusts Little risings neglectd cover the soule before wee are aware If wee would checke these risings and stifle them in their birth they would not breake out afterwards to the reproach of Religion to the scandall of the weake
in Christ. 2 the joyes of heaven and the torments of hell 3. the last and strict day of accouâ—… 4. The vanity of all earthly things 5. The uncertainty of our lives c. From the meditation of these truthes the soule wil be prepared to have rigâ—… conceits of things and to discourse upon true grounds of them and thinke with it selfe that if these things be so iâ—…deed then I must frame my life sutable to these principles hence arise true affections in the soule true feare of God true love and desire after the best things c. The way to expell â—…ind oâ—… of our bodies is to take some wholesome nourishment and the way to expell windy fancies from the soule is 〈◊〉 feed upon serious truthes 4. Moreover to the well ordering of this unruly faculty it is necessary that our nature it selfe should be changed for as men are so they imagine as the treasure of the heart is such is that which comes from it An evill heart cannot thinke well before the heart be changed our judgment is depraved in regard of our last end we seeke our happinesse where it is not to be found Wickednesse comes from the wicked as the Proverb is If wee had as large and as quick apprehensions as Sathan himselfe yet if the rellish of our wil affections be not changed they will set the imagination a worke to deuise satisfaction to themselves For there is a mutuall working and refluxe betwixt the will and the imagination the imagination stirres up the will and as the will is affected so imagination worketh When the law of God by the Spirit is so written in our hearts that the law and our hearts become agreeable one to the other then the soule is enclined and made plyable to every good thought When the heart is once taught of God to love it is the nature of this sweet affection as the Apostle saith to thinke no evill either of God or man and not onely so but it carries the bent of the whole soule with it to good so that we love God not onely with all our heart but with all our minde that is both with our understanding and imagination Love is an affection full of inventions and sets the wit a worke to devise good things therefore our chiefe care should bee that our hearts may be circumcised and purified so as they may be filled with the love of God and then we shall finde this duty not onely easie but delightfull unto us The Prophet healed the waters by casting salt into the spring so the seasoning of the spring of our actions seasons all And indeed what can bee expected from man whilest hee is vanity but vaine imaginations What can wâ—… looke for from a Viper but poyson A man naturally is either weaving spidâ—… webbs or hatching Cockatrices egges thâ—… is his heart is exercised either in vaâ—… or mischiefe for not onely the frame 〈◊〉 the heart but what the heart frameth iâ—… evill continually A wicked man that iâ—… besotted with false conceits will adâ—… of no good thoughts to enter 5. Even when wee are good and devise good things yet there is still some sicknesse of fancie remaining in the best of us whereby wee worke trouble to our selves and therefore it is necessary we should labour to restraine and limit our fancie and stop these waters at the beginning giving no not the least way thereunto If it begins to grow wanton tame the wildnesse of it by fastning it to the crosse of Christ whom wee have pierced with our sinnes and amongst other with these sinnes of our spirits who hath redeemed us from our vaine thoughts and conversations set before it the consideration of the wrath of God of death and judgement and the woefull estate of the damned c. and take it not off till thy heart bee taken off from straying from God When it begins once to runne out to impertinencies confine it to some certaine thing and then upon examination wee shall finde it bring home some hony with it otherwise it will bring us nothing but a sting from the bitter remembrance of our former misspent thoughts time which wee should redeeme and fill up with things that most belong to our peace Idlenesse is the houre of temptation wherein Sathan joynes with our imagination and sets it about his owne work to grinde his greese for the soule as a Mill either grinds that which is put into it or else works upon it selfe Imagination is the first wheele of the soule and if that move amisse it stirres all the inferiour wheeles amisse with it It stirres it selfe and other powers of the soule are stirred by its motion and therefore the well ordering of this is of the greater consequence For as the imagination conceiveth so usually the judgement concludeth the will chuseth the affections are carried and the members execute If it breake loose as it will soone runne ryot yet give no consent of the will to it though it hath defiled the memory yet let it not defile the will though it be the first borne of the soule yet let it not as Ruben ascend unto the fathers bed that is our will and defile that which should be kept pure for the spirit of Christ resolve to act nothing upon it but crosse it before it moves to the execution and practise of any thing As in sicknesse many times wee imagine by reason of the corruption of our tast Physick to be ill for us and those meates which nourish the disease to be good yet care of health makes us crosse our owne conceits and take that which fancie abhorres So if we would preserve sound spirits wee must conclude against groundlesse imagination and resolve that whatsoever it suggests cannot be so because it crosses the grounds both of religion and reason And when we finde imagination to deceive us in sensible things as Melancholy persons are subject to mistake we may well gather that it will much more deceive us in our spirituall condition And indeed such is the incoherence impertinencie and unreasonablenesse of imagination that men are oft ashamed and angry with themselves afterwards for giving the least way to such thoughts and it is good to chastise the soule for the same that it may bee more wary for time to come whilest men are led with imagination they worke not according to right rules prescribed to men but as other baser creatures in whom phantasie is the chiefe ruling power and therefore those whose will is guided by their fancies live more like beasts then men Wee allow a horse to praunce and skip in a pasture which if hee doth when he is once backt by the rider we count him an unruly and an unbroken jade so howsoever in other creatures wee allow liberty of fancie yet wee allow it not in man to frisk and rove at its pleasure because in him it is to bee bridled
Reformation of their Gospell Nay rather what 's become of your eyes we may say unto them For God is nearest to his children when hee seemes furthest off In the mount of the Lord it shall be seene God is with them and in them though the wicked be not aware of it it is all one as if one should say betwixt the space of the new and old Moone where is now the Moone when as it is never nearer the Sun then at that time Where is now thy God Answ. In heaven in earth in me every where but in the heart of such as aske such questions and yet there they shall finde him too in his time filling their consciences with his wrath and then Where is their God where are their great friends their riches their honors which they set up as a god what can they availe them now But how was David affected with these reproaches their words were as swords as with a sword in my bones c. they spake daggers to him they cut him to the quicke when they toucht him in his God as if he had neglected his servants when as the devill himself regards those who serve his turn touch a true godly man in his Religion and you touch his life and his best freehold he lives more in his God then in himselfe so that we may see here there is a murther of the tongue a wounding tongue as well as a healing tongue men think themselves freed from murther if they kill none or if they shed no blood whereas they cut others to the heart with bitter words It is good to extend the Commandement to awake the conscience the more and breed humility when men see there is a murdering of the tongue Wee see David therefore upon this reproach to be presently so moved as to fall out with himselfe for it Why art thou so cast down and disquieted ô my soule This bitter taunt ran so much in his minde that he expresseth it twice in this Psalme He was sensible that they struck at God through his sides what they spake in scorne and lightly hee tooke heavily And indeed when religion suffers if there be any heavenly fire in the heart it will rather break out then not discover it selfe at all We see by daily experience that there is a speciall force in words uttered from a subtle head a false heart and a smooth tongue to weaken the hearts of professors by bringing an evill report upon the strict profession of religion as the cunning and false spies did upon the good land as if it were not onely in vaine but dangerous to appeare for Christ in evill times If the example of such as have saint spirits will discourage in an army as wee see in Gideons History then what will speech inforced both by example and with some shew of reason doe To let others passe we need not goe further then our selves for to finde causes of discouragement there is a seminary of them within us Our flesh an enemy so much the worse by how much the nearer will be ready to upbraide us within us where is now thy God why shouldest thou stand out in a profession that findes no better entertainment CAP. III. Of discouragements from within BUt to come to some particular causes within us There is cause oft in the body of those in whom a melancholly temper prevaileth darknesse makes men fearefull Melancholly persons are in a perpetuall darknesse all things seeme blacke and darke unto them their spirits as it were dyed blacke Now to him that is in darknesse all things seem black and dark the sweetest comforts are not lightsome enough unto those that are deepe in melancholly It is without great watchfulnesse Satans bath which hee abuseth as his owne weapon to hurt the soule which by reason of its sympahy with the body is subject to be missed as we see where there is a suffusion of the eye by reason of distemper of humours or where things are presented through a glasse to the eye things seeme to be of the same colour so whatsoever is presented to a melancholly person comes in a darke way to the soule From whence it is that their fancy being corrupted they judge amisse even of outward things as that they are sicke of such and such a disease or subject to such and such a danger when it is nothing so how fit are they then to judge of things removed from sense as of their spirituall estate in Christ To come to causes more neere the soule it selfe as when there is want of that which should be in it as of knowledge in the understanding c. Ignorance being darknesse is full of false feares In the night time men think every bush a theefe our forefathers in time of ignorance were frighted with every thing therefore it is the policy of popish tyrants taught them from the prince of darknesse to keep the people in darknesse that so they might make them fearefull and then abuse that fearefulnesse to superstition that they might the better rule in their consciences for their owne ends and that so having intangled them with false feares they might heale them againe with false cures Againe though the soule be not ignorant yet if it be forgetfull and mindlesse if as Heb. 12. the Apostle saith You have forgot the consolation that speaks unto you c. Wee have no more present actuall comfort then we have remembrance help a godly mans memory and help his comfort like unto charcoale which having once been kindled are the more easie to take fire He that hath formerly knowne things takes ready acquaintance of them againe as old friends things are not strange to him And further want of setting due price upon comforts as the Israelites were taxed for setting nothing by the pleasant land It is a great fault when as they said to Iob the consolations of the Almighty seeme light and small unto us unlesse we have some outward comfort which we linger after Adde unto this a childish kinde of peevishnesse when they have not what they would have like children they throw away al which though it be very offensive to Gods spirit yet it seazeth often upon men otherwise gracious Abraham himselfe wanting children undervalued all other blessings Ionas because hee was crossed of his gourd was weary of his life The like may be said of Elias flying from Iezebel This peevishnesse is increased by a too much flattering of their griefe 〈◊〉 farre as to justifie it Like Ionas I dâ—… well to be angry even unto death he would stand to it Some with Rachel are so peremptory that they will not be comforted as if they were in love with their grievances Wilfull men are most vexed in their crosses It is not for those to bee wilfull that have not a great measure of wisedome to guide their wils
aske what shall I doe for the time to come and then upon setling the soule in way of thankes will be ready to aske of it selfe What shall I returne to the Lord c. So that the soule by this dealing with it selfe promoteth it selfe to all holy duties till it come to heaven The reason why wee are thus backward to the keeping of this court in our selves is selfelove we love to flatter our owne affections but this selfe-love is but selfe-hatred in the end as the wiseman saies he that regards not this part of wisdome hates his owne soule and shall eate the fruits of his owne wayes 2. As likewise it issues from an irksomnesse of labour which makes us rather willing to seeme base and vile to our selves and others then to take paines with our owne hearts to be better as those that are weary of holding the reines give them up unto the horse necke and so are driven whither the rage of the horse caryeth them sparing a little trouble at first doubles it in the end as he who will not take the paines to cast up his bookes his bookes will cast up him in the end It is a blessed trouble that brings sound and long peace Thâ—… labour saves God a labour for therefore he judgeth us because wee would not take paines with our selves befor 3. And Pride also with a desire of liberty makes men thinke it to be a diminishing of greatnesse and freedome either to be curbed or to curbe oâ—… selves We love to be absolute and independant but this as it brought ruiâ—… upon our nature in Adam so it will upon our persons Men as Luther wâ—… wont to say are borne with a Pope iâ—… their belly they are loath to give 〈◊〉 account although it be to themselves their wils are instead of a kingdome 〈◊〉 them Let us therefore when any lawleâ—… passions begin to stir deale with oâ—… soules as God did with Ionah Doest thâ—… well to be angry to fret thus This wâ—… be a meanes to make us quiet For alâ—… what weake reasons have we often of strong motions such a man gave mee no respect such another lookt more kindly upon another man then upon me c. You have some of Hamans spirit that for a little neglect would ruine a whole nation Passion presents men that are innocent as guilty to us and because we will not seeme to bee mad without reason Pride commands the wit to justifie anger and so one Passion maintaines and feeds another Neither is it sufficient to cite the soule before it selfe but it must be pressed to give an account as we see here David doubles and trebles the expostulation as oft as any distemper did arise so oft did he labour to keep it downe If passions grow too insolent Elies mildnesse will doe no good It would prevent much trouble in this kinde to subdue betimes in our selves and others the first beginnings of any unruly passions and affections which if they be not well tutord and disciplined at the first prove as headstrong unruly and ill nurtured children who being not chastened in time take such a head thâ—… it is oft above the power of parenâ—… to bring them in order A childe set 〈◊〉 liberty saith Salomon breeds shame 〈◊〉 length to his parents Adonizeths example shewes this The like may be saâ—… of the affections set at liberty It is dangerous to redeeme a little quiet by yeelding to our affections which is never safely gotten but by mortificatioâ—… of them Those that are in great place 〈◊〉 most in danger by yeelding to themselves to loose themselves for they 〈◊〉 so taken up with the person for a tiâ—… put upon them that they both in loâ—… and speech and cariage often shâ—… that they forget both their natuâ—… condition as men and much more thâ—… supernaturall as Christians and theâ—… fore are scarce counsellable by othâ—… or themselves in those things that coâ—…cerne their severed condition that coâ—…cerneth another world Whereas iâ—… were most wisdome so to think of thâ—… place they beare whereby they are 〈◊〉 led gods as not to forget they must 〈◊〉 their person aside and die like men David himselfe that in this afflicted condition could advise with himselfe and checke himselfe yet in his free and flourishing estate neglected the counsell of his friends Agur was in jealousie of a full condition and lest instead of saying what have I done why am I thus cast downe c he should say Who is the Lord Meaner men in their lesser sphaere often shew what their spirits would be if their compasse were inlarged It is a great fault in breeding youth for feard of taking downe of their spirits not to take downe their pride and get victory of their affections whereas a proud unbroken heart raiseth us more trouble often then all the world beside Of all troubles the trouble of a proud heart is the greatest It was a great trouble to Haman to lead Mordecaies horse which another man would not have thought so the moving of a straw is troublesome to proud flesh And therefore it is good to heare the yoake from our youth It is better to bee taken downe in youth then to be broken in pieces by great crosses in age First or last selfe-deniall and victory over our selves is absolutely necessary otherwise faith which is a grace that requireth selfe-deniall will never bâ—… brought into the soule and beare ruâ—… there But what if pressing upon our soulâ—… will not help Then speake to God to Jesus Chriâ—… by prayer that as hee rebuked the windes and the waves and went upâ—… the Sea so hee would walke upon oâ—… soules and command a calme there 〈◊〉 is no lesse power to settle a peace in thâ—… soule then to command the seas to 〈◊〉 quiet It is Gods prerogative to rule 〈◊〉 the heart as likewise to give it up toâ—… selfe which next to hell is the greatâ—… judgement which should draw us 〈◊〉 the greater reverence and feare of 〈◊〉 pleasing God It was no ill wish of hiâ—… that desired God to free him from 〈◊〉 ill man himselfe CAP. VI. Other Observations of the same nature MOreover we see that a godly man can cast a restraint upon himselfe as David here staies himselfe in falling There is a principle of grace that stops the heart and puls in the reines againe when the affections are loose A carnall man when he begins to be cast down sinkes lower and lower untill he sinks into despaire as leade sinkes into the bottome of the sea They sunke they sunke like leade in the mighty waters A carnall man sinkes as a heavy body to the center of the earth and staies not if it be not stopped There is nothing in him to stay him in falling as we see in Achitophel and Saul who wanting a support found no other stay but the swords
our courses Is it not the greatest plâ—… of the world First to have their luâ—… satisfied Secondly to remove either by fraud or violence whatsoever standeth in their way And thirdly to put colours and pretences upon this to delude the world themselves imploying all their carnall wit and worldly strength for their carnall aimes and fighting for that which-fights against their owne soules For what will beâ—… the issue of this but certaine destruction Of this minde are not onely tâ—… dregs of people but many of the mâ—… refined sort who desire to be emineâ—… in the world And to have their owâ—… desires herein give up the liberty oâ—… their owne judgements and consciences to the desires and lusts of others to bee above others they will bee beneath themselves having those mens persons in admiration for hope of advantage whom otherwise they despise and so substituting in their spirits man in the place of GOD lose heaven for earth and bury that divine sparke their soules capable of the Divine nature and fitter to be a sanctuary and temple for God to dwell in then by clozing with baser things to become base it selfe We need not wonder that others seeme base to carnall men who are base both in and to themselves It is no wonder they should bee cruell to the soules of others who are cruell to their owne soules that they should neglect and starve others that give away their owne soules in a manner for nothing Alas upon what poore termes do they hazard that the nature and worth whereof is beyond mans reach to comprehend Many are so carelesse in this kinde that if they were throughly perswaded that they had soules that should live for ever either in blisse or torment wee might the more easily work upon them But as they live by sense as beasts so they have no moâ—… thoughts of future times then 〈◊〉 except at such times as conscience is awaked by some suddaine judgement whereby Gods wrath is revealed froâ—… heaven against them But happy were it for them if they might die like beasts whose miserie dies with them To such an estate hath sinne brought the soule that it willingly drowneth it selfe in the senses and becomes in some sort incarnaâ—…e with the flesh Wee should therefore set our selâ—… to have most care of that which Goâ—… cares most for which he breathed iâ—…to us at first set his owne image upon gave so great a price for and values above all the world besides Shall all our study bee to satisfie the desires 〈◊〉 the flesh and neglect this Is it not a vanity to preferre the casket before the jewel the shell before the pearle the gilded potsheard before the treasure and is it not mucâ—… more vanitie to preferre the outward condition before the inward The soule is that which Satan and his hath most spite at for in troubling our bodies or estates hee aimes at the vexation of our soules As in Iob his aime was to abuse that power God had given him over His children body and goods to make him out of a disquieted spirit blaspheme God It is an ill method to beginne our care in other things and neglect the soule as Achitophel who set his house in order when hee should have set his soule in order first Wisedome begins at the right end If all bee well at home it comforts a man though he meets with troubles abroad Oh saith he I shall have rest at home I have a loving wife and dutifull children so whatsoever we meet withall abroad if the soule be quiet thither we can retire with comfort See that all bee well within and then all troubles from without cannot much annoy us Grace will teach us to reason thus God hath given mine enemies power over my liberty and condition but shall they have power and liberty over my spirit It is that which Satan and they most seeke for but never yeeld Oh my soule And thus a godly man will become more then a conquerer when in appearance hee is conquered the cause prevailes his spirit prevailes and is undaunted A Christian is not subdued till his spirit be subdued Thâ—… Iob prevailed over Sathan and all his troubles at length This tormenteâ—… proud persons to see godly men enjoy a calme and resolute frame of mindâ—… in the midst of troubles when thâ—… enemies are more troubled in troubling them then they are in being troubled by them Wee see likewise here how to fraâ—… our complaints David complaines nâ—… of God nor of his troubles nor of others but of his owne soule hee complaines of himselfe to himselfe Aâ—… 〈◊〉 he should say Though all things else be out of order yet O my soule thou shouldst not trouble mee too thou shouldst not betray thy selfe unto troubles but rule oâ—… them A godly man complaines to Goâ—… yet not of God but of himselfe a carnall man is ready to justifie himselfe and complaine of God He complaines not to God but of God at the least in secret murmuring hee complaines of others that are but Gods violls hee complaines of the grievance that lies upon him but never regards what is amisse in himselfe within Openly he cries out upon fortune yet secretly he strike that God under that Idoll of fortune by whose guidance all things comes to passe whilst he quarrells with that which is nothing hee wounds him that is the cause of all things like a gouty man that complaines of his shooe and of his bed or an aguish man of his drinke when the cause is from within So men are disquieted with others when they should rather bee disquieted and angry with their owne hearts We condemne Ionas for contending with God and justifying his unjust anger but yet the same risings are in men naturally if shame would suffer them to give vent to their secret discontent their heart speakes what Ionas tongâ—… spake Oh but here we should lay oâ—… hand upon our mouth and adore God and command silence to our soules No man is hurt but by himselfe first Wee are drawen to evill and allurâ—… from a true good to a false by our owâ—… lusts God tempts no man Satan hath 〈◊〉 power over us further then wee willingly lie open to him Satan worâ—… upon our affections and then our affections worke upon our will Hee doâ—… not worke immediatly upon the wiâ—… wee may thanke our selves in willing yeelding to our owne passions foâ—… that ill Satan or his instruments draw us unto Saul was not vexed withâ—… evill spirit till he gave way to his owâ—… evill spirit of envy first The devill 〈◊〉 tred not into Iudas untill his coveâ—… heart made way for him The Apoâ—… strengtheneth his conceit against 〈◊〉 and lasting anger from hence thâ—… this wee give way to the devill Iâ—… dangerous thing to passe from Gâ—… government and come under Sataâ—… Satan mingleth himselfe with 〈◊〉 owne passions therefore wee should blame our selves first bee ashamed of
to the offence of the strong to the griefe of Gods Spirit in us to the disturbance of our owne spirits in doing good and to the disheartning of us in troubling of our inward peace and thereby weakning our assurance Therefore let us stop beginnings as much as may be and so soone as they begin to rise let us begin to examine what raised them and whither they are about to carry us The way to be still is to examine oâ—… selves first And then censure what stands not with reason As David doth when he had given way to unbefitting thoughts of Gods providence So foolish saith he was I and as a 〈◊〉 before thee Especially then looke to these sinfull stirrings when thou art to deale with God I am to have communion with a God of peace What then doe turbulent thoughts and affections iâ—… my heart I am to deale with a patieâ—… God why should I cherish revengâ—… thoughts Abraham drove away tâ—… birds from the sacrifice Gen. 15. 11. Troublesome thoughts like birds 〈◊〉 come before they be sent for but they should finde entertainment accordingly 6. In all our grievances let us loâ—… to something that may comfort us 〈◊〉 well as discourage looke to that wee enjoy as well as that wee want As iâ—… prosperity God mingles some crosses to diet us so in all crosses there 〈◊〉 something to comfort us As there is a vanity lies hid in the best worldly good So there is a blessing lies hid in the worst worldly evill GOD usually maketh up that with some advantage in another kinde wherein wee are inferiour to others Others are in greater place So they are in greater danger Others bee richer so their cares and sâ—…res be greater the poore in the world may bee richer in faith than they The soule can better digest and master a low estate than a prosperous and is under some abasement iâ—… is in a lesse distance from God Others are not so afflicted as we than they have lesse experience of Gods gracious power than wee Others may have more healthy bodies but soules lesse weaned from the world We would not change conditions with them so as to have their spirits with their condition For one halfe of our lives the meanest are as happy and free from cares as the greatest Monarch that is whilest both sleepe and usually the sleepe of the one is sweeter than the sleepe of the other What is all that the earth caâ—… afford us if God deny health and this a man in the meanest condition may enjoy That wherein one man diffâ—… from another is but title and but for a little time Death levelleth all There is scarce any man but the good hee receives from God is more than the ill hee feeles if our unthankfull hearts would suffer us to thinke 〈◊〉 Is not our health more than our sickenesse doe we not enjoy more than we want I meane of the things that are necessary Are not our good dayes more than our evill but we would go to heaven upon Roses and usually oâ—… crosse is more taken to heart than 〈◊〉 hundred blessings So unkindly 〈◊〉 deale with God Is God indebted to us doth hee owe us any thing those that deserve nothing should be contâ—… with any thing Wee should looke to others as good as our selves as well as to our selves and than we shall see it is not our owne case onely who are we that we should looke for an exempted condition from those troubles which God 's dearest children are addicted unto Thus when we are surprised contrary to our looking for and liking wee should study rather how to exercise some grace than give way to any passion Thinke now is a time to exercise our patience our wisedome and other graces By this meanes wee shall turne that to our greatest advantage which Satan intendeth greatest hurt to us by Thus we shall not onely master every condition but make it serviceable to our good If nature teach Bees not onely to gather hony out of sweet flowers but out of bitter Shall not grace teach us to draw even out of the bitterest condition something to better our soules We learne to tame all creatures even the wildest that wee may bring them to our use and why should wee glve way to our owne unruly passions 7. It were good to have in our eye the beauty of a well ordered soule and wee should thinke that nothing in this world is of sufficient worth to put us out of frame The sanctified soâ—… should be like the Sunne in this whiâ—… though it worketh upon all these inâ—… riour bodies and cherisheth them 〈◊〉 light and influence yet is not movâ—… nor wrought upon by them againe bâ—… keepeth its owne lustre and distanceâ—… So our spirits being of a heaveâ—… breed should rule other things beneâ—… them and not be ruled by them It 〈◊〉 a holy state of soule to bee under tâ—… power of nothing beneath it selfe Aâ—… we stirred than consider It this mâ—…ter worth the losse of my quiet Whâ—… wee esteeme that wee love what wee love we labour for And therefore 〈◊〉 us esteem highly of a cleare calme temper whereby we both enjoy our God and our selves and know how to raâ—… all things else It is against nature fâ—… inferiour things to rule that which thâ—… wise Disposer of all things hath set above them Wee owe the flesh neither suit nor service wee are no debtâ—… to it The more wee set before the soâ—… that quiet estate in heaven which tâ—… soules of perfect men now enjoy and it selfe ere long shall enjoy there The more it will be in love with it and endevour to attaine unto it And because the soule never worketh better than when it is raised up by some strong and sweet affection let us looke upon our nature as it is in Christ in whom it is pure sweet calme meeke every way lovely This sight is a changing sight love is an affection of imitation we affect a likenesse to him we love Let us learne of Christ to be humble and meeke and then wee shall finde rest to our soules The setting of an excellent idea and platforme before us will raise and draw up our soules higher and â—…ke us sensible of the least movings of spirit that shall be contrary to that the attainement whereof wee have in our desires He will hardly attaine to meane things that sets not before him higher perfection Naturally we love to see symetry and proportion even in a dead picture and are much taken with some curious peece But why should wee not rather labour to keepe the affections of the soule in due proportion Seeing a meâ—… and well ordered soule is not onâ—… lovely in the sight of men and Angâ—… but is much set by by the great Goâ—… himselfe But now the greatest careâ—… those that set highest price upon theâ—… selves is how to compose their oâ—… ward carriage in some gracefull mâ—…ner never
of trust breeds false Comforts true feares for in what measure we trust in any thing that is uncertaine in the same measure will our griefe bee when it failes us the more men relye upon deceitfull Crutches the greater is their fall God can neither indure false objects nor a double object as hath beene shewed for a man to rely upoÌ„ any thing equally in the same ranke with himselfe for the propounding of a double object argues a double heart and a double heart is alwayes unsetled for it will regard God no longer then it can injoy that which it joynes together with him Therefore it is said you cannot serve two Masters not subordinate one to another whence it was that our Saviour told those worldly men which followed him that they could not beleeve in him because they sought honour one of another and in case of competition if their honour and reputation should come into question they would be sure to be fals to Christ and rather part with him then their 〈◊〉 vne credit and esteeme in the world David here by charging his soule to trust in God saw there was nothing else that could bring true rest and quiet unto him for whatsoever is besides God is but a creature and what ever is in the creature is but borrowed and at Gods disposing and changeable or else it were not a creature David saw his error soone for the ground of his disquiet was trusting something else besides God therefore when he began to say My hill is strong I shall not bee moved c. then presently his soule was troubled Out of God there is nothing fit for the soule to stay it selfe upon for 1. Outward things are not fitted to the spirituall nature of the soule they are dead things and cannot touch it being a lively spirit unlesse by way of â—…aint 2. They are beneath the worth of the soule and therefore debase the soule draw it lower then it selfe As a Noble woman by matching with a meane person much injures her selfe especially when higher matches are offered Earthly things are not given for Stayes wholly to rest on but for Comforts in our way to Heaven they are no more fit for the soule then that which hath many angles is fit to fill up that which is round which it cannot doe because of the unevennesse and void places that will remaine Outward things are never so well fitted for the soule but that the soule will presently see some voidnesse and emptinesse in them and in it selfe in cleaving to them for that which shall be a fit object for the soule must be 1. for the nature of it spirituall as the soule it selfe is 2. constant 3. full and satisfying 4. of equall continuance with it and 5. alwayes yeelding fresh contents we cast away flowers after once we have had the sweetnesse of theÌ„ because there is not still a fresh supply of sweetnesse What ever comfort is in the creature the soule will spend quickly and looke still for more whereas the comfort we have in God is undefiled and fadeth not away How can wee trust to that for comfort which by very trusting proves uncomfortable to us Outward things are onely so far forth good as wee doe not trust in them thornes may bee touched but not rested on for then they will pierce we must not set our hearts upon those things which are never evill to us but when we set our hearts upon them By trusting any thing but God wee make it 1. an Idoll 2. a curse and not a blessing 3. it will prove a lying vanity not yeelding that good which wee looke for and 4. a vexation bringing that evill upon us we looke not for Of all men Solomon was the fittest to judge of this because 1. hee had a large heart able to comprehend the variety of things and 2. being a mighty King had advantages of procuring all outward things that might give him satisfaction and 3. he had a desire answerable to search out and extract what ever good the creature could yeeld and yet upon the tryall of all hee passeth this verdict upon all that they are but vanity whilest he laboured to find that which he sought for in them hee had like to have lost himselfe and seeking too much to strengthen himselfe by forreine combination hee weakned himselfe the more thereby untill he came to know where the whole of man consists So that now wee need not try further conclusions after the peremptory sentence of so wise a man But our nature is still apt to thinke there is some secret good in the forbidden fruit and to buy wisedome dearly when wee might have it at a cheaper rate even from former universall experience It is a matter both to be wondred at and pittyed that the soule having God in Christ set before it alluring it unto him that hee might raise it inlarge it and fill it and so make it above all other things should yet debase make it selfe narrower and weaker by leaning to things meaner then it selfe The Kingdome Soveraignty and large command of Man continueth while he rests upon God in whom hee raignes in some sort over all things under him but so soone as he removes from God to any thing else hee becomes weake and narrow and slavish presently for The soule is as that which it relyes upon if on vanity it selfe becomes vain for that which contents the soule must satisfie all the wants and desires of it which no particular thing can doe and the soule is more sensible of a little thing that it wants then of all other things which it injoyes But see the insufficiency of all other things out of God to support the soul in their severall degrees First All outward things can make a man no happier then outward things can doe they cannot reach beyond their proper spheare but our greatest grievances are spirituall And as for inward things whether gifts or graces they cannot be a sufficient stay for the minde for 1. gifts as policy and wisedome c. they are at the best very defective especially when wee trust in them for wisedome makes men often to rebell and thereupon God delighteth to blast their projects None miscarry oftner then men of the greatest parts as none are oftner drowned then those that are most skilfull in swimming because it makes them confident And for grace though it be the beginning of a new creature in us yet it is but a creature and therefore not to be trusted in nay by trusting in it we imbase it and make it more imperfect so farre as there is truth of grace it breeds distrust of our selves and carryes the soule out of it selfe to the fountaine of strength And for any workes that proceed from grace by trusting thereunto they prove like the reede of Aegypt which not only deceives us but hurts us with the splinters Good workes
when there is greatest neede thereof that so our hearts may be forced to put up that petition of the Disciples to God Lord increase our faith Lord helpe us against our unbeleeving hearts c. By prayer and holy thoughts stirred up in the use of the meanes we shall feele divine strength infused and conveyed into our soules to trust The more care we ought to have to maintaine our trust in God because besides the hardnesse of it it is a radicall and fundamentall grace it is as it were the mother root and great veyne whence the exercise of all graces have their beginning and strength The decay of a plant though it appeares first from the withering of the twigs and branches yet it arises chiefly from a decay in the roote So the decay of grace may appeare to the view first in our company carryage and speeches c. but the primitive and originall ground of the same is weaknesse of faith in the heart therefore it should be our wisedome especially to looke to the feeding of the roote we must 1. looke that our principles and foundation be good and 2. build strongly upon them and 3. repaire our building every day as continuall breaches shall be made upon us either by corruptions and temptations from within or without And wee shall finde that the maine breaches of our lives arise either frō false principles or doubts or mindlesnesse of those that are true All sin is a turning of the soul from God to some other seeming good but this proceeds from a former turning of the soule from God by distrust As faith is the first returne of the soule to God so the first degree of departing from God is by infidelity and from thence comes a departure by other sins by which as sinne is of a winding nature our unbeliefe more increaseth and so the rent and breach betwixt our soules and God is made greater still which is that Sathan would have till at length by departing further and further from him wee come to have that peremptory sentence of everlasting departure pronounced against us so that our departure from God now is a degree to separation for ever from him Therefore it is Sathans maine care to come betweene God and the Soule that so unloosing us from God wee might more easily be drawne to other things and if he drawes us to other things it is but onely to unloose our hearts from God the more for hee well knowes whilest our soules cleave close to God there is no prevailing against us by any created policy or power It was the cursed policy of Balaam to advise Balak to draw the people from God by fornication that so GOD might be drawne from them the sinne of their base affections crept into the very spirits of their minde and drew them from God to Idolatry Bodily adultery makes way for spirituall An unbeleeving heart is an ill heart and a treacherous heart because it makes us to depart from God the living God c. Therefore wee should especially take heed of it as wee love our lives yea our best life which ariseth from the union of our soules with God None so opposed as a Christian and in a Christian nothing so opposed as his faith because it opposeth whatsoever opposes God both within and without us it captivates and brings under whatsoever rises up against GOD in the heart and sets it selfe against whatsoever makes head against the soule And because mistake is very dangerous and wee are prone to conceive that to trust in God is an easie matter therefore it is needfull that we should have a right conceit of this trust what it is and how it may be discerned lest we trust to an untrusty trust and to an unsteady stay We may by what hath been said before partly discerne the nature of it to be nothing else but an exercise of faith whereby looking to God in Christ through the promises wee take off our soules from all other supports and lay them upon God for deliverance and upholding in all ill present or future felt or feared and the obtaining of all good which GOD sees expedient for us Now that we may discerne the truth of our trust in God the better wee must know that true trust is willing to be tryed and searched and can say to God as David Now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee and as it is willing to come to tryall so it is able to endure tryall and to hold out in opposition as appeares in David If faith hath a promise it will rely and rest upon it say flesh and bloud what it can to the contrary true faith is as large as the promise and will take Gods part against whatsoever opposes it And as faith singles not out one part of divine truth to beleeve and rejects another so it relyes upon God for every good thing one as well as another the ground whereof is this The same love of God that intends us heaven intends us a supply of all necessaries that may bring us thither A child that beleeves his father will make him Heire doubts not but he will provide him food and nourishment and give him breeding sutable to his future condition It is a vaine pretence to beleeve that God will give us heaven and yet leave us to shift for our selves in the way Where trust is rightly planted it gives boldnesse to the soule in going to God for it is grounded upon the discovery of Gods love first to us and seeth a warrant from him for whatsoever it trusts him for though the things themselves be never so great yet they are no greater then God is willing to bestow againe trust is bold because it is grounded upon the worthinesse of a Mediator who hath made way to Gods favour for us and appeares now in heaven to maintain it towards us Yet this boldnesse is with humility which carryes the soule out of it selfe and that boldnesse which the soule by trust hath with God is from God himself it hath nothing to alleadge from it selfe but its owne emptinesse and Gods fulnesse it s owne sinfulnesse and Gods mercy it s owne humble obedience and Gods command hence it is that the true beleevers heart is not lifted up nor swells with selfe confidence as trust comes in that goes out trust is never planted and growes but in an humble and low soule trust is a holy motion of the soule to God and motion arises from want those and those only seek out abroad that want succour at home Plants move not from place to place because they finde nourishment where they stand but living creatures seeke abroad for their food and for that end have a power of mooving from place to place and this is the reason why trust is expressed by going to God Hereupon trust is a dependant grace answerable to our dependant condition
far to our selves as to stir up this affection in us Another cause may bee a kinde of doublenesse of heart whereby wee would bring two things together that cannot suite We would grieve for sin so far as we thinke it an evidence of a good condition but then because it is an irksome taske and because it cannot be wrought without severing our heart from those sweet delights it is set upon hence we are loath God should take that course to worke griefe which crosseth our disposition The soule must therefore by selfe-deniall be brought to such a degree of sincerity and simplicity as to be willing to give God leave to worke this sorow not to bee sorrowed for by what way hee himselfe pleaseth But here we must remember againe that this selfe-deniall is not of our selves but of God who onely can take us out of our selves and if our hearts were brought to a stoâ—…ping herein to his worke it would stop many a crosse and continue many a blessing which God is forced to take from us that he may worke that griefe in us which he seeth would not otherwise be kindly wrought God giveth some larger spirits and so their sorowes become larger Some upon quicknesse of apprehension and the ready passages betwixt the braine and the heart are quickly moved where the apprehension is deeper and the passages slower there sorow is long in working and long in removing The deepest waters have the stillest motion Iron takes fire more slowly then stubble but then it holds it longer Againe God that searcheth and knows our hearts better then our selves knows when and in what measure it is fit for to grieve He sees it fitter for some dispositions to goe on in a constant griefe We must give that honour to the wisdome of the great Physitian of soules to know best how to mingle and minister his potions And we must not bee so unkinde to take it ill at Gods hands when he out of gentlenesse and forhearance ministers not to us that churâ—…sh Physick hee doth to others but cheerefully embrace any potion that he thinkes fit to give us Some holy men have desired to see their sinne in the most ugly colours and God hath heard them in their requests But yet his hand was so heavy upon them that they went alwayes mourning to their very graves and thought it fitter to leave it to Gods wisdome to mingle the potion of sorrow then to be their own choosers For a conclusion then of this point If wee grieve that we cannot grieve and so far as it is sinne make it our griefe then put it amongst the rest of our sinnes which we beg pardon of and helpe against and let it not hinder us from going to Christ but drive us to him For herein lyes the danger of this temptation that those who complaine in this kinde thinke it should be presumption to goe to Christ when as he especially calleth the weary and heavy laden sinner to come unto him and therefore such 〈◊〉 are sensible that they are not senâ—… enough of their sin must know though want of feeling be quite opposite to the life of Grace yet sensiblenes of the want of feeling shews some degree of the life of Grace The safest way in this case is from that life and light that God hath wrought in oâ—… soules to see and feele this want of feeling to cast our selves and this our indisposition upon the pardoning and healing mercy of God in Christ. We speake onely of those that are so farre displeased with themselves for their ill temper as they doe not favour themselves in it but are willing to yeeld to Gods way in redressing it and doe not crosse the Spirit moving them thus with David to check themselves and to trust in God Otherwise an unfeeling and carelesse state of Spirit will breed a secret shame of going to God for removing of that wee are not hearty in labouring against so farre as our conscience tells us we are enabled The most constant state the soule can bee in in regard of sin is upon judgement to condemne it upon right â—…nds and to resolve against it Thereupon Repentance is called an afâ—…isdome and change of the minde And â—…s disposition is in Gods children at 〈◊〉 times And for affections love of that â—…ich is good and hatred of that which 〈◊〉 evill these likewise have a setled â—…tinuance in the soule But griefe 〈◊〉 sorow rise and fall as fresh occasions â—…re offered and are more lively stirred 〈◊〉 upon some lively representation to 〈◊〉 soule of some hurt wee receive by â—…e and wrong wee doe to God in it â—…e reason hereof is because till the â—…e be separated from the body these â—…ctions have more communion with 〈◊〉 body and therefore they cary more â—…ward expressions then dislike or â—…omination in the minde doth We 〈◊〉 to judge of our selves more by that â—…ich is constant then by that which is â—…ing and flowing But what is the reason that the affectiâ—…s doe not alwayes follow the judgement 〈◊〉 the choise or refusall of the will Our soule being a finite substance is caried with strength but one way at one time 2. Sometime God calls us to joy as well as to grieve and then no wonder if griefe be somewhat to seeke 3. Sometimes when God calleth â—…o griefe and the judgement and will goeth along with God Yet the heart is not alwayes ready because it may bee it hath runne out so farre that it cannot presently be called in againe 4. Or the spirits which are the instruments of the soule may be so wasted that they cannot hold out to feed a strong griefe in which case the conscience must rest in our setled judgement and hatred of ill which is the surest and never-failing Character of a good soule 5. Oft times God in mercy takes us off from griefe and sorow by refreshing occasions because sorow and griefe are affections very much afflicting both of body and soule When is godly sorrow in that degreâ—… wherein the soule may stay it selfe from uncomfortable thoughts about its condition 〈◊〉 Ans. 1. When we finde strength against that sin â—…ich formerly we fell into and ability to â—…e in a contrary way for this answers Gods end in griefe one of which is a prevention from falling for the time 〈◊〉 come For God hath that affection 〈◊〉 him which hee puts into Parents â—…hich is by smart to prevent their childrens boldnesse of offending for the time to come 2. When that which is wanting in griâ—…fe is made up in feare Here there is 〈◊〉 great cause of complaint of the â—…nt of griefe for this holy affection is 〈◊〉 â—…band of the soule whereby it is â—…pt from starting from God and his â—…yes 3. When after griefe wee finde in â—…rd peace for true griefe being Gods â—…orke in us hee knowes best how
Queen Elizabeth might come to the Crowne 2. That hee might seale the truth with his heart blood 3. And that the Gospell might be restored once againe once againe which he expressed with great vehemency of spirit All which three God heard him in But the priviledges of a few must not be made a generall rule for all Priviledges goe not out of the persons but rest there Yet if men would maintaine a neerer communion with God there is no doubt but hee would reveale himselfe in more familiar maner to them in many particulars then usually he doth Those particular promises in the 91. Psalme and other places are made good to such as have a particular faith and to all others with those limitations annexed to promises of that nature so far forth as God seeth it will induce to their good and his owne glory and so farre forth as they depend upon him in the use of meanes And is not this sufficient to stay a gracious heart But not to insist upon particular promises and revelations the performance whereof wee enjoy here in this present life we have rich and precious promises of finall and full deliverance from all evill and perfect enjoying of all good in that life which is to come yet not so to come but that we have the earnest and first fruits of it here All is not kept for heaven Wee may say with David Oh how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee and not onely so but how great is that goodnesse which thou hast wrought in them that trust in thee even before the sons of men God treasures not up all his goodnesse for the time to come but layes much of it out daily before such as have eyes to behold it Now Gods maine end in revealing â—…ch glorious promises of the life to come is that they might be a ground of comfort to us and of praise to him even in this life And indeed what can be grievous in this world to him that hath heaven in his eye What made our blessed Saviour endure the â—…osse and despise shame but the joy of glory to come set before him The duty that David brought his heart to before hee had a full enjoyment of what he looked for was patient waiting it being Gods use to put a long date often times to the peformance of his promises David after hâ—… had the promise of a Kingdome was pâ—…t off a long time ere he was invested to it Abraham was an olde man before he enjoyed his sonne of the Promise Ioseph stayed a long time before he was exalted Our blessed Saviour himselfe was thirty foure yeares olde before he was exalted up into glory God deferres but his deferring is no empty space wherein no good is done but there is in that space a fitting for promises Whilest the seed lyeth hid in the earth time is not lost for Winter fits for Spring yea the harder the Winter the more hopefull the Spring yet were it a meere empty space wee should hold out because of the great things to come but being onely a preparing time we should passe it with the lesse discouragement Let this support us in all the thwartings of our desire it is a folly to thinke that wee should have Physick and health both at once we must endure the working of Gods Physick when the sick humour is caried away and purged then wee shall enjoy desired health God promiseth forgivenesse of sinne but thou findest the burthen of it daily on thee Cheere up thy selfe when the morning is darkest then comes day after a weary weeke comes a Sabbath and after a fight victory will appeare Gods time is best therefore resolve upon waiting his leisure For the better demeaning of our selves herein we must know we must so waite that we provoke not in â—…e meane time his patience on whom â—…e depend by putting forth our hand to any evill which indeed is a crossing of our hopes Therefore waiting upon God is alwayes joyned with doing good There is an influence in the thing hoped for in the spirit of him that truly hopes stirring him up to a sutable conformity by purging himself of whatso ever will not stand with the holines of that condition Waiting implyes all graces as Patience Perseverance Long suffering in holding out notwithstanding the tediousnesse of time deferred Courage and breaking through all difficulties that stand betweene For what is waiting indeed but a continuing in a gracious inoffensive course till the accomplishment of our desires Whence wee may discerne a maine difference betwixt a Christian and a carnall man who is short-spirited and all for the present hee will have his good here whereas a Saint of God continues still waiting though all things seeme contrary to what he expects The presence of things to come is such to faith as it makes it despise the pleasure of sinne for a season What evidence of goodnes is it for a man to be good onely upon the apprehension of something that contents him Here is the glory of faith that it can upon Gods bare promise crosse it selfe in things pleasing to nature and raise up the soule to a disposition some wayes answerable to that blessed estate which though yet it enjoyes not yet it is undoubtedly perswaded of and lookes for What can incourage us more to waite then this that the good we waite for is greater then wee are able to conceive yea greater then wee can desire or hope for This was no presumptuous resolution of Davids owne strength but it issued from his present truth of heart so farre as he knew the same together with an humble dependance upon God both for deliverance and a heart to praise him for it because Gods benefits are usually entire and are sweetned with such a sense of his love as causeth a thankfull heart which to a â—…e Christian is a greater blessing then â—…e deliverance it selfe as making the â—…ule better David doth acknowledge with humble admiration that a heart â—…larged comes from God Who am I saith he and who are my people He mentioneth here praising God in â—…ead of deliverance because a heart enlarged to praise God is indeed the greatest part of the deliverance for by it the soule is delivered out of its owne straits and discontent CHAP. XXVIII Divers qualities of the praise due to God With helps therein And notes of Gods hearing our prayers THough this be Gods due and our duty and in it selfe a delightfull thing yet it is not so easie a matter to praise God as many imagine Musick is sweet but the setting of the strings in tune is â—…pleasing our soules will not be long 〈◊〉 â—…e and it is harsh to us to go about the setting them in order like curious Clocks a little thing will hinder the motion especially passion which disturbs not onely the frame of grace in us but the very frame of nature
putting man out of the power and possession of himselfe and therefore David here when he had thoughts of praising God was faine to take up the quarrell betwixt him and his soule first Praising sets all the parts and graces of the soule aworke and therefore the soule had need gather it selfe and its strength together to this duty It requires especially selfe-denyall from a conscience of our own wants weaknesses and unworthinesse it requires a giving up of our selves and all ours to be at Gods dispose the very ground and the fruit which it yeelds are both Gods and they never gave themselves truly up to God that are not ready to give all they have to him whensoever he calls for it thankfulnesse is a sacrifice and in sacrifices there must be killing before offering otherwise the sacrifice will be as the offering up of some uncleane creature thanksgiving is 〈◊〉 Incense and there must be fire to â—…rne that Incense thanksgiving requires not onely affections but the heat of affections there must be some assuâ—…ce of the benefit wee praise God â—…or and it is no easie matter to maintaine assurance of our interest in the best things Yet in this case if we feele not sense of assorance it is good we should praise God for what we have we cannot deny but God offers himselfe in mercy to us and that he intends our good thereby for so wee ought to construe his mercifull dealing towards us and not have him in jealousie without ground if we being our hearts to be willing to praise God for that wee cannot but acknowledge comes from him hee will be ready in his time to shew himselfe more clearely to us we taste of his goodnesse â—…ny wayes and it is accompanied with much patience and these in their natures leade us not onely to repentance but likewise to thankfull acknowledgement and wee ought to follow that which God leades us unto though hee hath not yet acquainted us with his secrets It is good in this case to help the soule with a firm resolution and to back resolution with a vowe not onely in generall that we will praise but particularly of something within our owne power provided it prove no snare to us For by this meanes the heart is perfectly gayned and the thing is as good as done in regard of Gods acceptance and our comfort because strong resolutions discover sincerity without any hypocriticall reservation and hollownesse Alwayes so much sincerity as a man hath so much will his inward peace be Resolution as a strong streame beares downe all before it little good is done in Religion without this and with it all is as good as done So soone as we set upon this worke wee shall feele our spirits to rise higher and higher as the waters in the Sanctuary as the soule growes more and more heated see how David riseth by degrees Be glad in the Lord and then rejoyce ye righteous and then showt for ioy 〈◊〉 yee that are upright in heart the spirit of God will delight to carry us along â—…n this duty untill it leaves our spirits in heaven praising God with the Saintsâ—…d â—…d glorious Angels there to him that â—…h and useth it shall be given hee that â—…weth God aright will honour him by trusting of him hee that honours â—…m by trusting him will honour him by praying and he that honours him by prayer shall honour him by praises hee â—…at honours him by praises here shall perfect his praises in heaven and this will quit the labour of setting and keeâ—…ing the soule in tune this trading with God is the richest trade in the world when we returne praises to him 〈◊〉 returnes new favours to us and so an everlasting ever-encreasing intercourse betwixt God and the soule is maintained David here resolved to praise God â—…use hee had assurance of such a deâ—…rance as would yeeld him a â—…ound of praising him Praising of God may well be called â—…ense because as it is sweet in it selfe and sweet to God so it sweetens all that comes from us Love and Ioy are sweet in themselves though those whom wee love and joy in should not know of our affection nor returne the like but wee cannot love and joy in God but hee will delight in us when we neglect the praising of God we lose both the comforts of Gods love and our owne too It is a spirituall judgement to want oâ—… lose the sight or sense of Gods favours for it is a sign of want of spirituall life or at least livelinesse it shewes wee are not yet in the state of those whom God hath chosen to set forth the riches of his glory upon When we consider that if we answer not kindnesse and favour shewed unto us by men we are esteemed unworthy of respect as having sinned against the bond of humane society and love wee cannot but much more take shame to our selves when wee consider the disproportion of our carriage and unkind behaviour towards God when in stead of being temples of his praise wee become graves of his benefits what a vanity is this in our nature to stand upon exactnesse of justice in answering petty curtesies of men and yet to passe by the substantiall favours of God without scarce taking notice of them the best breeding is to acknowledge greatest respects where they are most due and to think that if unkindnesse and rudenesse be a sinne in civility it is much more in Religion the greatest danger of unthankfulnesse is in the greatest matter of all if wee arrogate any spirituall strength to our selves in spirituall actions wee commit either sacriledge in robbing God of his due or mockerie by praising him for that which we hold to be of our selves if injustice be to be condemned in man much more in denying God his due Religion being the first due It takes much from thankfulnesse when we have common conceits of peculiar favours praise is not comely in the mouth of fooles Godloves no blind sacrifice We should therefore have wisdome and judgement not onely to know upon what grounds to be thankfull but in what order by discerning what be the best and first favours whence the rest proceed and which adde a worthiness to all the rest it is good to see blessings as they issue from grace and mercy It much commends any blessing to see the love and favour of God in it which is more to be valued then the blessing it selfe as it much commends any thing that comes from us when we put a respect of thankfulnesse and love to God upon it and if we observe we shall find the unkindnesse of others to us is but a correction of our unkindnesse to God In praising God it is not good to delay but take advantage of the freshnesse of the blessing what we adde to delay we take from thankfulnesse and withall lose the prime and first fruits of our affections It is
a wise redeeming of time to observe the best seasons of thankfulnesse a cheerefull heart will best close with a cheerefull duty and therefore it is not good to waste so fit a temper in frivolous things but after some contentment given to nature let God have the fruit of his owne planting otherwise it is even no better then the refreshing of him that standeth by a good fire and cryeth Ah ah I 〈◊〉 warme David doth not say I will thanke God but I shall priase him though hee intends that Thankes is then best when it tends to praising and there ends for thankes alone shewes respect to our 〈◊〉 good onely praises to Gods glory and in particular to the glory of such excellencies whence the benefit comes and from thence the soule is enlarged to thinke highly of all Gods excellenties Hanna upon particular thankes for hearing her about a childe takes occasion to set out Gods other excellencies and riseth higher and higher from one to many from the present time to that which was to come from particular favours to her selfe she stirres up others to praise God for his mercy to them So David Deliver me O God and my tongue shall sing of thy praises Hee propounds this as an ingagement to the Lord to helpe him because it should tend to the inlargement of his glory he was resolved to improve Gods favour this way The Spirit of God workes like new â—…ine enlarging the spirit from one degree of praising God to another and because it foresees the eternity of Gods love as farre as it can it endeavours an eternity of Gods praise a gracious heart upon taste of favour shewed to it selfe is presently warmed to spread the praise of God to others and the more it sees the fruit of trusting God and his truth in performing promise the more it still honours that trusting as knowing that it lyes upon Gods honour to honour those that honour him blessing will procure blessing the soule hath never such freedome from sinne as when it is in a thankfull frame for thankfulnes issues from a heart truly humbled and emptied of it selfe truly loving and rejoycing in God and upon any sinne the spirit is grieved and straitned and the lips sealed up in such a heart for the conscience upon any sinne lookes upon it not only as disobedience against Gods will and authority but as unâ—…ankfulnesse to his goodnesse and this â—…elteth a godly heart most of all WheÌ„ Nathan told David God had done this â—…d this for him and was ready to doe nore he could not hold in the confessiâ—… of his sinne but relented and gave in presently We ought not onely to give thanks but â—…o be thankfull to meditate and study the praises of God Our whole life should be nothing else but a continuall â—…lessing of his holy name endeavouring to bring in all we have and to lay iâ—… out for God and his people to see where he hath any receivers our goodnesse is nothing to God wee need bring 〈◊〉 water to the fountaine nor light to the Sun Thankfulnesse is full of invention it deviseth liberall things though it be our duty to be good Stewards of our talents yet thankfulnesse addes a lustre and a more gracious acceptance as having more of that which God calls for Our praising God should not bee as sparkes out of a flint but as water out of a spring naturall ready free as Gods love to us is mercy pleases him so should praises please us It is our happinesse when the best part in us is exercised about the best and highest worke it was a good speech of him that said If God had made me a Nightingale I would have sung as a Nightingale but now God hath made mee a man I will sing forth the praises of God which is the worke of a Saint onely All thy workes blesse thee and thy Saints praise thee All things are either blessings in their nature or so blessed as they are made blessings to us by the over-ruling comming of him who maketh all things serviceable to his even the worst things in this sense are made spirituall to Gods people against their owne nature how great is that goodnesse which makes even the worst things good Little favours come from no small love but even from the same love that God intends the greatest things to us and are pledges of it the godly are more thankfull for the least favours then worldly men for the greatest the affection of the giver inhaunces the 〈◊〉 O then let us labour to improve â—…oth what we have and what we are â—…o his glory It discovers that we love God not onely with all our understanding heart and affection but when with all our might and power so farre as we have advantage by any part relatiâ—… or calling whatsoever we endeavour â—…o doe him service wee cannot have a â—…eater honour in the world then to be honoured of God to be abundant in this kinde Our time here is short and we shall 〈◊〉 ere long bee called to a reckoning â—…refore let us study reall praises Gods blessing of us is in deed and so should ours be of him Thankes in words is good but in deeds is better leaves are good but fruit is better and of fruit that which costs us most True praise requires our whole man the judgement to esteeme the memory to treasure up the will to resolve the affections to deâ—…ght the tongue to speake of and the â—…e to expresse the rich favours of God what can we thinke of what can we call to minde what can we resolve upon what can we speake what can we expresse in our whole course better then the praises of him of whom and through whom and to whom wee and all things are Our whole life should speake nothing but thankfulnesse every condition and place we are in should be a witnesse of our thankfulnesse this will make the times and places wee live in the better for us when wee our selves are monuments of Gods mercy it is fit we should be patternes of his praises and leave monuments to others Wee should thinke life is given us to doe something better then life in we live not to live our life is not the end of it selfe but the praise of the giver God hath joyned his glory and our happinesse together it is fit that wee should referre all that is good to his glory that hath joyned his glory to our best good in being glorified in our salvation David concludes that he should certainly praise God because he had prayedâ—…to â—…to him Prayers be the seeds of praiâ—… I have sowen therefore I will reap â—…at we receive as a fruit of our prayâ—… is more sweet then what wee have 〈◊〉 a generall providence But how doe wee know that God heares 〈◊〉 prayers 1. If we regard them our selves and â—…ect an issue prayer is a sure
of it neither is 〈◊〉 to bee attained or maintained without the strength and prime of our care I speake especially of and in regard of the sense and comfort of it For the sense of Gods favour will not bee kept without keeping him in our best affections above all things in the world without keeping of our hearts alwayes close and neere to him which cannot bee without keeping a most narrow watch over our loose and unsetled hearts that are ready to stray from God and fall to the creature It cannot be kept without exact and circumspect walking without constant self-deniall without a continuall preparation of spirit to want and forsake any thing that God seeth fit to take from us But what of all this Can we crosse our selves or spend our labours to better purpose one sweet beam of Gods countenance will requite all this We beat not the ayre we plow not in the sand neither sowe in a barren soile God is no barren wildernesse Nay hee never shewes so much of himselfe as in suffering and parting with any thing for him and denying our selves of that which wee thinke stands not with his will Great persons require great observance We can deny our selves and have mens persons in great admiration for hope of some advantage and is any more willing and more able to advance â—…s then the great al-sufficient God A Christian indeed undergoes more troubles takes more paines especially with his owne heart then others doe But what are these to his gaines What returne so rich as trading with God What comforts so great as these that â—…re fetched from the fountaine One day spent in enjoying the light of Gods countenance is sweeter then a thousand without it Wee see here when David was not onely shut out from all comforts but lay under many grievances what a fruitfull use he makes of this that God was his God It upholdâ—…h his dejected it stilleth his unquiet soule it leadeth him to the rock that was higher then he and there stayeth him It â—…eth him with comfortable hopes of better times to come It sets him above himselfe and all troubles and feares whatsoever Therefore waite still in the use of meanes till God shine upon thee yea though wee know our sinnes in Christ are pardoned yet there is something more that a gracious heart waites for that is a good looke from God a further enlargement of heart and an establishing in grace It was not enough for David to have his sinnes pardoned but to recover the joy of salvation and freedome of spirit Therefore the soul should alwayes be in a waiting condition even untill it bee filled with the fulnesse of God as much as it is capable of Neither is it quiet alone or comfort alone that the soule longs after no nor the favour of God alone but a gracious heart to walke worthy of God It rests not whilest any thing remaines that may breed the least strangenesse betwixt God and us CHAP. XXXIII Of experience and Faith and how to wait on God comfortably Helps thereto My God THese words further imply a speciall experience that David's soule had felt of the goodnesse of God hee had found God distilling the comfort of his goodnesse and truth through the promises and he knew he should finde God againe the same he was if hee put him in minde of his former gracious dealing His soule knew right well how good God was and he could seal to those truths he had found comfort by therefore he thus speakes to his soule My soule what my soule that hast found God so good so oft so many wayes thou My soule to be discouraged having God and My God with whom I have taken so much sweet counsell and felt so much comfort from and found alwayes heretofore to sticke so close unto me Why shouldst thou now bee in such a case as if God and thou haâ—… beene strangers one to another If we could treasure up experiments the former part of our life would come in to help the latter and the longer we live the richer in faith we should be Even as in victories every former overthrow of an enemy helps to obraine a succeeding victory The use of a sanctified memory is to lose nothing that may help in time of need Hee had need be a well tryed and a known friend upon whom wee lay all our salvation and comfort We ought to trust God upon other grounds though wee had never tryed him but when hee helps our faith by former experience this should strengthen our confidence and shore up our spirits and put us on to goe more cheerefully to God as to a tried friend If we were well read in the story of our owne lives wee might have a divinity of our owne drawn out of the observation of Gods particular dealing towards us we might say this this truth I dare venture upon I have found it true I dare build all my happinesse upâ—… it As Paul I know whom I have trustâ—…d I have tryed him he never yet failed â—…e I am not now to learn how faithfull â—…e is to those that are his Every new experience is a new knowledge of God â—…nd should fit us for new encounters If we have been good in former times God remembers the kindnesse of our â—…uth we should therefore remember the kindnesse of God even from our youth Evidence of what we have felt helps our faith in that which for the present we feele not Though it bee one thing to live by saith and another thing to live by sight yet the more wee see and feele and â—…aste of God the more we shall be led â—…o rely on him for that which as yet we neither see nor feele Because thou hast â—…een my helper saith David therefore in â—…be shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce The time was Lord when thou shewedst thy selfe a gracious Father to me and thou art unchangeable in thy nature in â—…hy love and in thy gifts Yea when there is no present evidence but God shewes himselfe 〈◊〉 contrary to us yet a former taste 〈◊〉 Gods goodnesse will enable to lay claime unto him still Gods concealing of himselfe is but a wise discipline for a time untill we be enabled to beare the full revealing of himselfe unto us for ever In the meane time though we have some sight and feeling of God yet our constant living is not by it the evidence of that we see not is that which more constantly upholds the soule then the evidence of any thing we see or feele Yea though our experience by reason of our not minding of it in trouble seemes many times to stand us in no stead but we fare as if God had never looked in mercy upon us Yet even here some vertue remaines of former sense which with the present spirit of faith helps us to looke upon God as ours As wee have a present strength from food received and digested before
THE SOVLES CONFLICT with it selfe AND VICTORY over it self by Faith A Treatise of the inward disquietments of distressed spirits with comfortable remedies to establish them Returne unto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee By R. Sibbs D. D. Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and Preacher of Grayes Inne London The Second Edition LONDON Printed by M. F. for R. Dawlman at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Churchyard 1635. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIP FVLL Sir IOHN BANKES Knight the Kings Majesties Attourney Generall Sir EDWARD MOSELY Knight his Majesties Attourney of the Duchie Sir WILLIAM DENNY Knight one of the Kings learned Counsell Sir DVDLY DIGGES Knight one of the Masters of the Chauncery And the rest of the Worshipfull Readers and Benchers with the Auncients Barresters Students and all others belonging to the Honourable Societie of Grayes Inne R. SIBBS Dedicateth these Sermons Preached amongst them in testimony of his due Observance and desire of their spirituall and eternall good TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THere be two sorts of people alwaies in the visible Church One that Satan keepes under with false peace whose life is nothing but a diversion to pre sent contentments and a running away from God and their owne hearts which they know can speake no good unto them these speake peace to themselves but God speakes none Such have nothing to doe with this Scripture the way for these men to enjoy comfort is to be soundly troubled True peace arises from knowing the worst first then our freedome from it It is a miserable peace that riseth from ignorance of evill The Angell troubled the waters and then cured those that stept in It is Christs manner to trouble our soules first and then to come with healing in his wings But there is another sort of people who being drawen out of Satans kingdome and within the Covenant of grace whom Satan labours to unsettle and disquiet being the God of the world he is vexed to see men in the world walke above the world Since he cannot hinder their estate he will trouble their peace and dampe their spirits and cut a sunder the sinewes of all their endeavours These should take themselves to taske as David doth here and labour to maintain their portion and the glory of a Christian profession For whatsoever is in God or comes from God is for their comfort Him selfe is the God of comfort his Spirit most knowne by that office Our blessed Saviour was so carefull that his Disciples should not be too much deiected that he forgat his own bitter passion to comfort them whom yet he knew would all forsake him Let not your hearts be troubled saith he And his owne soule was troubled to death that we should not be troubled whatsoever is written is written for this end every article of faith hath a speciall influence in comforting a beleeving soule They are not onely food but cordials Yea he put himselfe to his Oath that we might not onely have Consolation but strong Consolation The Sacraments seale unto us all the comforts wee have by the death of Christ the exercise of Religion as Prayer Hearing Reading c. is that our joy may be full the Communion of Saints is chiefly ordained to comfort the feeble minded and to strengthen the weake Gods government of his Church tends to this Why doth hee sweeten our pilgrimage and let us see so many comfortable dayes in the world but that we should serve him with cheerefull and good hearts As for crosses he doth but cast us downe to raise us up and empty us that hee may fill us and melt us that we may bee vessels of glory loving us as well in the furnace as when we are out and standing by us all the while We are troubled but not distressed perplexed but not in despaire persecuted but not forsaken If wee consider from what fatherly love afflictions come how they are not only moderated but sweetned and sanctified in the issue to us how can it but minister matter of comfort in the greatest seeming discōforts How then can we let the reines of our affections loose to sorow without being injurious to God and his providence as if wee would teach him how to govern his Church What unthankfulnesse is it to forget our consolation and to looke only upon matter of grievance to thinke so much upon two or three crosses as to forget a hundred blessings To suck poyson out of that from which we should suck honey What folly is it to straighten and darken our owne spirits And indispose our selves for doing or taking good A limbe out of ioynt can doe nothing without deformity and paine deiection takes off the wheeles of the soule Of all other Satan hath most advantage of discontented persons as most agreeable to his disposition being the most discontented creature under heaven He hammers all his darke plots in their braines The discontentment of the Israelires in the wildernesse provoked God to sweare that they should never enter into his rest There is another spirit in my servant Caleb saith God the spirit of Gods people is an incourageing spirit Wisdome teaches them if they feele any grievances to conceale them from others that are weaker least they b◅ disheartned God threatens it as a curse to give a trembling heart and sorrow of minde whereas on the contrary joy is as oyle to the soule it makes duties come off cheerefully and sweetly from our selves gratiously to others and acceptably to God A Prince cannot indure it in his subiects nor a Father in his children to be lowring at their presence Such usually have stollen waters to delight themselves in How many are there that upon the disgrace that followes Religion are frighted from it But what are discouragements to the incouragements Religion brings with it which are such as the very Angels themselves admire at Religion indeede brings crosses with it but then it brings comforts above those crosses What a dishonour is it to Religion to conceive that God will not maintaine and honour his followers as if his service were not the best service what a shame is it for an heire of heaven to be cast downe for every pety losse and crosse To bee afraid of a man whose breath is in his nostrils in not standing to a good cause when we are sure God will stand by us assisting and comforting us whose presence is able to make the greatest torments sweete My discourse tends not to take men off from all griefe and mourning Light for the righteous is sowen in sorrow Our state of absence from the Lord and living here in a vail of teares our daily infirmities and our sympathy with others requires it and where most grace is there is most sensibleness as in Christ. But we must distinguish between griefe and that fullennesse and deiection of spirit which is with a repining and taking off from duty when Joshua was overmuch cast
425 28 Divers qualities of the praise due to God With helps therein And notes of Gods hearing our prayers 439 29 Of Gods manifold salvation for his people And why open or expressed in the countenance 463 30 Of God our God and of particular application 477 31 Meanes of proving and evidencing to our soules that God is our God 495 32 Of improving our evidences for comfort in several passages of our lives 508 33 Of experience and Faith and how to wait on God comfortably Helps thereto 529 34 Of confirming this trust in God Seeke it of God himselfe Sins hinder not nor Satan Conclusion and Soliloquite 548 IN OPVS POSTHVMVM ADMODVM REVERENDI mihique multis Nominibus colendi RICHARDI SIBBS S. T. Professoris Aulae S tae Cath. Praefecti digniss mi. VAdé Liber pie Dux Animae pie Mentis Achates Te relegens Fructu ne pereunte legat Quà m foelix prodis Prae sacro Codice sordent Bartole sive tui sive Galene tui Fidus Praeco DEI coelestis Cultor Agelli Affidui Pretium grande Laboris habet Quo Mihi nec Vitâ melior nec promptior Ore Gratior aut Vultu nec fuit Arte prior Nil opus ut Nardum Caro combibat uncta Sabaum Altà ve marmoreus Sydera tangat Apex Non eget HIC Urna non Marmoreâ—…empe â—…empe Volumen Stats sacrum vivax Marmor Urna Pro. Qui CHRISTO vivens incessit Tramite Coeli Aethereumque obiit Munus obire nequit Ducit Hic Angelicis equalta saecula Lustris Qui VERBO Studium contulit omne suum Perlegat Hunc Legum Cultrix Veneranda Senecths Et quos plena DEO Mens super Astra vehit Venduntur quanti circum Palatia Fumi Hic sacer ALTARIS CAREO minoris erit Heu Pietas ubi prisca prosana ô Tempora Mundi Faex Vesper prope Nox ô Mora CHRISTE veni Si valuere Preces unquam Custodia CHRISTI Nunc Opus est Precibus nunc Ope CHRISTE tuâ Certat in humanis Vitiorum Infamia rebus Hei mihi nulla novis sufficit Herba Malis Probra referre pudet nec ènim decet Exprobret illa Qui volet Est nostrum stere silendo queri Flere Tonabo tuas Pietas neglecta querelas Quid non Schisma Tepor Fastus Astus agunt Addo-Sed Historicus TACITUS suit optimus Immo Addam Sphaerarum at Music a muta placet EDV o BENIOSIO Cressingae Templariorum Prid. Cal. Febr. M DC XX XV. On the Work of my learned Friend DOCTOR SIBBS FOole that I was to think my easie Pen Had strength enough to glorifie the fame Of this knowne Author this rare Man of men Or give the least advantage to his name bright Who think by praise to make his name more Show the Sunns Glory by dull Candle-light Blest Saint thy hallow'd Pages doe require No slight preferment from our slender Layes We stand amaz'd at what we most admire Ah what are Saints the better for our praise Hee that commends this Volume does no more Then warme the fire or gild the massie Ore Let me stand silent then O may that Spirit Which ledd thy hand direct mine eye my brest That I may reade and doe and so inherit What thou enjoy'st and taught eternall Rest Foole that I was to think my Lines could give Life to that work by which they hope to live FRA QVA THE SOVLES CONFLICT with it selfe PSAL. XLII Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God THe Psalmes are as it were the Anatomy of a holy man which lay the inside of a truely devour man outward to the view of others If the Scriptures bee compared to a body the Psalmes may well be the heart they are so full of sweet affections and passions For in other portions of Scripture God speakes to us but in the Psalmes holy men speake to God and their own hearts as In this Psalme we have the passionate passages of a broken and a troubled spirit At this time David was a banished man banished from his owne house from his friends and which troubled him most from the house of God upon occasion of Sauls persecution who hunted him as a Partridge upon the mountaines see how this workes upon him 1. He layes open his desire springing from his love Love being the prime and leading affection of the soule from whence griefe springs from being crossed in that we love For the setting out of which his affection to the full hee borroweth an expressioÌ„ from the Hart no Hart being chased by the hunters panteth more after the waters then my heart doth after thee O God though hee found God present with him in exile yet there is a sweeter presence of him in his ordinances which now hee wanted and tooke to heart places and conditions are happy or miserable as God vouchsafeth his gratious presence more or lesse and therefore When O when shall it bee that I appeare before God 2. Then after his strong desire hee laies out his griefe which he could not containe but must needs give a vent to it in teares and he had such a spring of griefe in him as fedde his teares day and night all the ease he found was to dissolve this could of grief into the showre of teares But why gives he this way to his griefe Because together with his exiling from Gods house he was upbrayded by his enemies with his religion where is now thy God Grievances come not alone but as Iobs messengers follow one another These bitter taunts together with the remembrance of his former happinesse in communion with God in his house made deepe impressions in his soule when he remembred how hee went with the multitude into the house of God and ledde a goodly traine with him being willing as a good Magistrate and Master of a familie not to goe to the house of God alone nor to heaven alone but to carry as many as he could with him Oh! the remembrance of this made him powre forth not his words or his teares onely but his very soule Former favours and happinesse makes the soule more sensible of all impressions to the contrarie hereupon finding his soule over sensible he expostulates with himselfe Why art thou cast downe O my souls and why art thou disquieted within me c. But though the remembrance of the former sweetnes of Gods presence did somewhat stay him yet his grief would not so be stilled and therefore it gathers upon him againe one griefe called upon another as one deep wave follows another without intermission untill his soule was almost over whelmed under these waters yet he recovers himselfe a little with looking up to God who he expected would with speed and authoritie send forth his loving kindnesse with command to raise him up and comfort him and give
as to fetch Christ from heaven and so bring him downe to suffer on the Crosse againe Where as if we beleeve in Christ wee are as sure to come to heaven as Christ is there Christ ascending and descending with all that he hath done is ours So that neither heighth nor depth can separate us from Gods love in Christ. But we must remember though the maine pillar of our comfort bee in the free forgivenesse of our sinnes yet if there be a neglect in growing in holinesse the soule will never be soundly quiet because it will be proane to question the truth of justification and it is as proper for sinne to raise doubts and feares in the conscience as for rotten flesh and wood to breed wormes And therefore we may well joyne this as a cause of disquietnesse the neglect of keeping a cleare conscience Sinne like Achan or Ionas in the ship is that which causeth stormes within and without where there is not a pure conscience there is not a pacified conscience and therefore though some thinking to salve themselves whole in justification neglect the cleansing of their natures and ordering of their lives yet in time of temptation they will finde it more troublesome then they thinke For a conscience guilty of many neglects and of allowing it selfe in any sin to lay claime to Gods mercy is to doe as we see mountebanks sometimes do who wound their flesh to try conclusions upon their owne bodies how soveraigne the salve is yet oftentimes they come to feele the smart of their presumption by long and desperate wounds So God will let us see what it is to make wounds to try the preciousnesse of his Balme such may goe mourning to their graves And though perhaps with much wrastling with God they may get assurance of the pardon of their sins yet their conscience will bee still trembling like as Davids though Nathan had pronounced unto him the forgivenesse of his sin till God at length speakes further peace even as the water of the sea after a storme is not presently still but moves and trembles a good while after the storm is over A Christian is a new creature and walketh by rule and so far as hee walketh according to his rule peace is upon him Loose walkers that regard not their way must thinke to meet with sorowes instead of peace Watchfulnesse is the preserver of peace It is a deep spirituall judgement to find peace in an ill way Some againe reap the fruit of their ignorance of Christian liberty by unnecessary scruples and doubts It is both unthankfulnesse to God and wrong to our selves to be ignorant of the extent of Christian liberty It makes melody to Satan to see Christians troubled with that they neither should or need Yet there is danger in stretching Christian liberty beyond the bounds For a man may condemne himself in that he approves as in not walking circumspectly in regard of circumstances and so breed his owne disquiet and give scandall to others Sometimes also God suffers men to be disquieted for want of imployment who in shunning labour procure trouble to themselves and by not doing that which is needfull they are troubled with that which is unnecessary An unimployed life is a burden to it selfe God is a pure Act alwayes working alwaies doing and the neerer our soule comes to God the more it is in action and the freer from disquiet Men experimentally feele that comfort in doing that which belongs unto them which before they longed for and went without a heart not exercised in some honest labour workes trouble out of it selfe Againe Omission of duties and offices of love often troubles the peace of good people for even in the time of death when they looke for peace and desire it most then looking backe upon their former failings and seeing opportunity of doing good wanting to their desire the parties perhaps being deceased to whom they owed more respect are hereupon much disquieted and so much the more because they see now hope of the like advantages cut off A Christian life is full of duties and the peace of it is not maintained without much fruitfulnesse and looking about us debt is a disquieting thing to an honest minde and duty is debt Hereupon the Apostle layeth the charge that we should owe nothing to any man but love Againe one speciall cause of too much disquiet is want of firme resolution in good things The soule cannot but bee disquieted when it knowes not what to cleave unto like a ship tossed with contrary windes Halting is a deformed and troublesome gesture so halting in religion is not onely troublesome to others and odious but also disquiets our selves If God be God cleave to him If the duties of religion be such as will bring peace of conscience at the length be religious to purpose practise them in the particular passages of life Wee should labour to have a cleare judgement and from thence a resolved purpose a wavering minded man is inconstant in all his wayes God will not speake peace to a staggering spirit that hath alwayes its religion and its way to choose Uncertaine men are alwayes unquiet men and giving too much way to passion maketh men in particular consultations unsetled This is the reason why in particular cases when the matter concernes our selves we cannot judge so clearely as in generall truths because Satan raiseth a mist between us and the matter in question Positive Causes May be 1. When men lay up their comfort too much on outward things which being subject to much inconstancy and change breed disquiet Vexation alwayes followes vanity when vanity is not apprehended to be where it is In that measure we are cast downe in the disappointing of our hopes as wee were too much lifted up in expectation of good from them Whence proceed these complaints such a friend hath failed mee I never thought to have fallen into this condition I had setled my joy in this childe in this friend c. but this is to build our comfort upon things that have no firm foundation to build castles in the aire as we use to say Therefore it is a good desire of the wiseman Agur to desire God to remove from us vanity and lies that is a vaine and a false apprehension pitching upon things that are vaine and lying promising a contentment to our selves from the creature which it cannot yeeld confidence in vaine things makes a vaine heart the heart becomming of the nature of the thing it relies on we may say of all earthly things as the Prophet speaketh Here is not our rest It is no wonder therefore that worldly men are oft cast downe and disquieted when they walke in a vaine shadow as likewise that men given much to recreations should be subject to passionate distempers because here things fall out otherwise then they lookt forâ—… recreations being
point And the greater their parts and places are the more they intangle themselves and no wonder for they are to encounter with God and his deputy conscience who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords When Cain was cast out of his fatheâ—… house his heart and countenance wâ—… alwaies cast downe for he had nothing in him to lift it upwards But a godly man though he may give a little wâ—… to passion yet as David he recover himselfe Therefore as we would have any good evidence that we have a â—…ter spirit in us then our owne greate then the flesh or the world Let us 〈◊〉 all troubles we meet with gather 〈◊〉 our selves that the streame of our 〈◊〉 affections cary us not away too farre There is an art or skill of bearâ—… troubles If we could learne it with out overmuch troubling of our selves As in bearing of a burden there is a way so to poize it that it weigheth 〈◊〉 over heavy If it hanges all in one side it poizes the body downe The greater part of our troubles we pull upoâ—… our selves by not parting our care 〈◊〉 as to take upon us onely the care 〈◊〉 duty and leave the rest to God aâ—… by mingling our passions with oâ—… crosses like a foolish patient châ—…ing the pills which we should swallow downe We dwell too much upon the griefe when wee should remove the soule higher Wee are nearest neighbours unto our selves when we suffer griefe like a canker to eate into the soule and like a fire in the bones to consume the marrow and drink up the spirits we are accessary to the wrong done both to our bodies and soules we wast our owne candle and put out our light We see here againe that a godly man can make a good use of Privacy When he is forced to be alone he can talke with his God and himselfe one reason whereof is that his heart is a treasury and storehouse of divine truthes whence he can speake to himselfe by way of checke or incouragement of himselfe he hath a spirit over his own spirit to teach him to make use of that store he hath laid up in his heart the spirit is never neerer him then when by way of witnesse to his spirit he is thus comforted wherein the childe of God differs from another man who cannot endure solitarinesse because his heart is empty he was a stranger to God before and God is a stranger to him now So that hee cannot goe to God as a friend And for his conscience that is ready to speake to him that which he is loath to heare and therefore hee counts himselfe a torment to himselfe especially in privacy We read of great Princes who after some bloody designes were as terrible to themselves as they were formerly to others and therefore could never endure to be awaked in the night without Musique or some like diversion It may bee wee may bee cast into such a condition where we have none in the world to comfort us as in contagioâ—… sicknesse when none may come neare us we may be in such an estate wherein no friend will owne us And therefore let us labour now to bee acquainted with God and our owne hearts anâ—… acquaint our hearts with the comforâ—… of the holy Ghost then though wee have not so much as a booke to looke on or a friend to talke with yet weâ—… may looke with comfort into the book of our own heart and reade what God hath written there by the finger of his spirit all bookes are written to amend this one booke of our heart and conscience by this meanes we shall neverwant a Divine to comfort us a Physitian to cure us a Counseller to direct us a Musitian to cheare us a Controller to check us because by help of the word and spirit we can be all these to our selves Another thing we see here that God hath made every man a Governour over himselfe The poore man that hath none to governe him yet may bee a King in himselfe It is the naturall ambition of mans heart to desire governement as we see in the Braemble Well then let us make use of this disposition to rule our selves Absolom had high thoughts O If I were a King I would doe so and so So our hearts are ready to promise if I were as such and such a man in such and such a place I would doe this and that But how dost thou manage thine owne affections how dost thou rule in thine owne house in thy selfe doe not passions get the upper hand and keepe reason under foot When wee have learned to rule over our owâ—… spirits well then we may be fit to rule over others He that is faithfull in a little shall be set over more Hee that câ—… governe himselfe In the Wise-man judgement is better then he that can governe a City Hee that cannot is like a Citie without a wall where those that are in may goe out and the enemies without may come in at their pleasure So where there is not a governmeâ—… set up there finne breaks out and Setan breaks in without controule See againe the excellency of the soule that can reflect upon it selfe 〈◊〉 judge of whatsoever comes from it 〈◊〉 godly mans care and trouble is especially about his soule as David heâ—… looks principally to that because 〈◊〉 outward troubles are for to helpe thâ—… when God touches our bodies our estates or our friends hee aimes at 〈◊〉 soule in all God will never remove 〈◊〉 hand till something be wrought upon the soule as Davids moisture was as the drought in Summer so that hee roared and carried himselfe unseemely for so great and holy a man till his heart was subdued to deale without all guile with God in confessing his sinne and then GOD forgave him the iniquitie thereof and healed his body too In sicknesse or in any other trouble It is best the Divine should bee before the Physician and that men begin where God begins In great fires men looke first to their Jewels and then to their lumber so our soule is our best Jewel A carnall worldly man is called and well called a fleshly man because his very soule is flesh and there is nothing but the world in him And therefore when all is not well within hee cries out My Body is troubled my state is broken my friends faile me c. but all this while there is no care for the poor soule to settle a peace in that The possession of the soule is the richest possession no jewell so precious the account for our owne soules and the soules of others is the greatest account and therefore the care of soules should bee the greatest care What an indignity is it that we should forget such soules to satisfie our lusts to have our wils to bee vexed with any who by their judgement example or authority stopp as we suppose
to desire to be troubled with a preventing trouble Let those that are not in the way of grace thinke with themselves what cause they have not to take a minutes rest while they are iâ—… that estate For a man to bee in debt both body and soule subject every minute to be arrested and caried prisoner to Hell and not to bee moved Foâ—… man to have the wrath of GOD ready to bee powred out upon him and Hell gape for him nay to cary a hell about him in conscience if it were awake and to have all his comfort here hanging upon a weake threed of this liâ—…e ready to bee cut and broken off every moment and to bee cursed in all those blessings that he enjoyes and yet not to be disquieted but continually treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath by running deeper into Godâ—… books for a man to bee thus and not to bee disquieted is but the Devills peace whilest the strong man holds possession A burning Ague is more hopefull than a Lethargy The best service that can be done to such men is to startle and rouze them and so with violence to pull them out of the fire as Iude speakes or else they will another day curse that cruell mercy that lets them alone now In all their jollity in this world they are but as a Booke fairely bound which when it is opened is full of nothing but Tragedies So when the booke of their consciences shall be once opened there is nothing to bee read but lamentations and woes Such men were in a way of hope if they had but so much apprehension of their estates as to ask themselves What have I done If this bee true that there are such fearefull things prepared for sinners why am I not cast downe Why am I no more troubled and discouraged for my wicked courses Despaire to such is the beginning of comfort and trouble the beginning of peace A storme is the way to a calme and hell the way to heaven But for raising of a right grief in the soule of a holy man looke what is the state of the soule in it selfe in whâ—… termes it is with God whether there be any sinne hanging on the fyle unrepented of If all bee not well with in us then here 's place for inward trouble whereby the soule may afflict it selfe God saw this griefe so needfull for his people that he appointed certaine dayes for afflicting them because it is fit that sinne contracted by joy should bee dissolved by griefe and sinne is so deepely invested into the soule that 〈◊〉 separation betwixt the soule and it cannot be wrought without much griefe when the soule hath smarted for sinne it sets then the right price upon reconciliation with God in Christ and it feâ—…leth what a bitter thing sinne is and therefore it will bee afraid to bee 〈◊〉 bold with it afterward it likewise aweth the heart so that it will not bee so loose towards GOD as it was before and certainely that soule that hath 〈◊〉 the sweetnesse of keeping peace witâ—… God cannot but take deeply to heart that there should bee any thing in us that should divide betwixt us and the fountaine of our comfort that should stop the passage of our prayers and the current of Gods favours both towards our selves and others it is such an ill as is the cause of all other ill and damps all our comforts 2. Wee should looke out of our selves also considering whether for troubles at home and abroad God calls not to mourning or troubling of our selves griefe of compassion is as well required as griefe of contrition It is a dead member that is not sensible of the state of the body Ieremie for feare he should not weepe enough for the distressed estate of the Church desired of God that his eyes might be made a fountaine of teares A Christian as hee must not bee proud flesh so neither must he be dead flesh none more truely sensible either of sinne or of misery so farre as misery carries with it any signe of Gods displeasure then a true Christian which issues from the life of Grace which where it is in 〈◊〉 measure is lively and therefore sensible for God gives motion and sense for the preservation of life As God bowels are tender towards us so God people have tender bowells toward him his cause his people and his Church The fruit of this sensiblenesse is earnâ—… prayer to God as Melanchton 〈◊〉 well If I cared for nothing I would prâ—… for nothing 2. Griefe being thus raised must as wee said before bee bounded aâ—… guided 1. God hath framed the soule aâ—… planted such affections in it as may answere all his dealing towards his children that when he enlargeth himselfe towards them then the soule shoâ—… enlarge it selfe to him againe when 〈◊〉 opens his hand wee ought to open oâ—… hearts when hee shewes any tokenâ—… displeasure we should grieve when 〈◊〉 troubles us wee should trouble aâ—… grieve our selves As God any 〈◊〉 discovereth himself so the soule shoâ—… be in a sutable pliablenesse Then 〈◊〉 soule is as it should bee when it is ready to meet GOD at every turne to joy when he calls for it to mourne when hee calls for that to labour to know Gods meaning in every thing Againe GOD hath made the soule for a communion with himselfe which communion is especially placed in the affections which are the springs of all spirituall worship Then the affections are well ordered when wee are fit to have communion with God to love joy trust to delight in him above all things The affections are the inward movings of the soule which then move best when they move us to God not from him They are the feet of the soule whereby wee walke with and before God When wee have our affections at such command that wee can take them off from any thing in the world at such times as wee are to have more neare communion with God in hearing or prayer c. As AbrahaÌ„ wheÌ„ he was to sacrifice left whatsoever might hinder him at the bottome of the Mount When we let our affections so farre into the things of the world as we canâ—… take them off when wee are to deâ—… with God it is a signe of spirituall iâ—… temperancie It is said of the Israelites that they brought Aegypt with theâ—… into the wildernesse so many bring thâ—… world in their hearts with them whâ—… they come before God But because our affections are neâ—… well ordered without judgement 〈◊〉 being to follow not to lead It is 〈◊〉 evidence that the soule is in a fit temper when there is such a harmony 〈◊〉 it as that wee judge of things as they are and affect as we judge and execâ—… as wee affect This harmony withâ—… breeds uniformity and constancie 〈◊〉 our resolutions so that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were an even thred drawne througâ—… the
whole course and tenour of 〈◊〉 lives when wee are not off and on 〈◊〉 and downe It argues an ill state of body when it is very hot or very colâ—… or hot in one part and cold in anothâ—… so unevennesse of spirit argues a distemper a wise mans life is of one colour like it selfe The soule bred froâ—… heaven so farre as it is heavenly minded desires to be like heaven above all stormes uniforme constant not as things under the Sunne which are alwayes in changes constant onely in inconstancie Affections are as it were the winde of the soule and then the soule is carried as it should be when it is neither so becalmed that it moves not when it should nor yet tossed with tempests to move disorderly When it is so well balaced that it is neither lift up nor cast downe too much but keepeth a steddy course Our affections must not rise to become unruly passions for then as a river that overfloweth the bankes they carry much slime and soile with them Though affections be the winde of the soule yet unruly passions are the stormes of the soule and will overturne all if they be not suppressed The best as wee see in David here if they doe not steare their hearts aright are in danger of sudden gusts A Christian must neither be a dead sea nor a raging sea Our affections are then in best temper when they become so many graces of the Spirit as when love is turned to a love of God joy to a delight in the best things feare to a feare of offending him more then any creature sorrow to a sorrow for sinne c. They are likewise in good temper when they move us to all duties of love and mercy towards others when they are not shut where they should be open nor open where they should be shut Yet there is one case wherein exceeding affection is not over exceeding As in an extasie of zeale upon a suddâ—… apprehension of Gods dishonour and his cause trodden under foot It is better in this case rather scarce to be 〈◊〉 owne men then to be calme or quiet It is said of Christ and David that their hearts were eaten up with a holy zeale for Gods house In such a case Moses unparalleld for meekenesse was turned into an holy rage The greatnesse 〈◊〉 the provocation the excellencie of thâ—… object and the weight of the occasion beares out the soule not onely without blame but with great praise in such seeming distempers It is the glory of a Christian to be carried with full saile and as it were with a spring tide of affection So long as the streame of affection runneth in the due channell and if there bee great occasions for great motions then it is fit the affections should rise higher as to burne with zeale to be sicke of love to be more vile for the Lord as David to be counted out of our wits with Saint Paul to further the cause of Christ and the good of soules Thus we may see the life of a poore Christian in this world 1. he is in great danger if hee be not troubled at all 2. when he is troubled he is in danger to be over troubled 3. when he hath brought his soule in tune againe hee is subject to new troubles Betwixt this ebbing and flowing there is very little quiet Now because this cannot bee done without a great measure of Gods Spirit our helpe is to make use of that promise of giving the holy Ghost to them that aske it To teach us when how long and how much to grieve and when and how long and how much to rejoyce the Spirit must teach the heart this who as he moved upon the waters before the Creation so hee must move upon the waters of our soules for wee have not the command of our owne hearts Every naturall man is carried away with his flesh and humours upon which the devill rides and carries him whither he list he hath no better comsellors then flesh and blood and Sathan counselling with them But a godly mâ—…n is not a slave to his carnall affections but as David here labours to bring into captivity the first motiâ—… of sinne in his heart CAP. IX Of the soules disquiets Gods dealings 〈◊〉 power to containe our selves in order MOreover we see that the soule 〈◊〉 disquiets proper to it selfe besides thâ—… griefes of Sympathy that arise from the bodie for here the soule complaines 〈◊〉 the soule it selfe as when it is out of the body it hath torments and joyes of its owne And if these troubles of the soule be not well cured then by way of fellowship and redundance they will affect the outward man and so the whole man shall bee inwrapt in miserie From whence we further see that God when he will humble a man needs not fetch forces from without if hee let but our owne hearts loose wee shall have trouble and worke enough though we were as holy as David God did not onely exercise him with a rebellious sonne out of his owne loynes but with rebellious risings out of his own heart If there were no enemie in the world nor devill in hell we carry that within us that if it be let loose will trouble us more then all the world besides Oh that the proud creature should exalt himselfe against God and runne into a voluntary course of provoking him who cannot onely raise the humours of our bodies against us but the passions of our mindes also to torment us Therefore it is the best wisedome not to provoke the great God for are wee stronger then he that can raise our selves against our selves and worke wonders not onely in the great world but also in the little world our soules and bodies when he pleases We see likewise hence a necessity of having something in the soule above it selfe it must be partaker of a diviner nature then it selfe otherwise when the most refined part of our soules the very spirit of our mindes is out of frame what shall bring it in againe Therefore we must conceive in a godly man a double selfe one which must be denied the other which must denie one that breeds all the disquiet and another that stilleth what the other hath raised The way to still the soule as it is under our corrupt selfe is not to parlee with it and divide government for peace sake as if wee should gratifie the flesh in something to redeeme liberty to the spirit in other things for we shall finde the flesh will be too encroching Wee must strive against it not with subtilty and discourse so much as with peremptory violence silence it and vexe it An enemy that parlees will yeeld at length Grace is nothing else but that blessed power whereby as spirituall wee gaine upon our selves as carnall Holy love is that which wee gaine of selfe-love and so joy and delight c. Grace
expectation of them 3. and preparatiâ—… for them When any thing is strange and sudden and lights upon us unfurnished and unfenced it must needs pâ—… our spirits out of frame It is good therefore to make all kinde of troubles familiar to us in our thoughts at least and this will breake the force of them It is good to fence our soules before-hand against all assaults as men use to keepe out the Sea by raising bankes and if a breach bee made to repaire 〈◊〉 presently We had need to maintaine a strong Garrison of holy Reasons against the assaults of strong passions wee may hope for the best but feare the worst and prepare to beare whatsoever We say that a set diet is dangerous because variety of occasions will force us upon breaking of it So in this world of changes wee cannot resolve upon any certaine condition of life for upon alteration the minde is out of frame We cannot say this or that trouble shall not befall yet we may by helpe of the Spirit say nothing that doth befall shall make mee doe that which is unworthy of a Christian That which others make easie by suffering that a wise man maketh easie by thinking of beforehand If we expect the worst when it comes it is no more than wee thought of If better befals us than it is the sweeter to us the lesse wee expected it Our Saviour foretels the worst In the world you shall have tribulation therefore looke for it but then hee will not leave us Satan deludes with faire promises but when the contrary falls out hee leave his followers in their distresses Wee desire peace and rest but wee seeke iâ—… not in its owne place there is a rest for Gods people but that is not here nor yet but it remaines for them they rest frâ—… their labours but that is after they are dead in the Lord. There is no sound rest till then Yet this caution must be remembred that wee shape not in oâ—… fancies such troubles as are never likely to fall out It comes either from weaknesse or guiltinesse to feare shaddowes We shall not need to make crosses they will as we say of foule weather come before they be sent for How many evills doe people feare from which they have no further hurt then wâ—… is bred onely by their causelesse feaâ—… Nor yet if they be probable must wee thinke of them so as to be altogether so affected as if undoubtedly they would come for so wee give certaine strength to an uncertaine crosse and usurpe upon God by anticipating thâ—… which may never come to passe It was rashnesse in David to say I shâ—… one day perish by the hand of Saul If they be such troubles as will certainely come to passe as parting with friends and contentments at least by death than I thinke of them so as not to be much dismayed but furnish thy heart with strength before-hand that they may fall the lighter 2. Thinke of them so as not to give up the bucklers to passion and lye open as a faire marke for any uncomfortable accident to strike to the heart nor yet so think of them as to despise them but to consider of Gods meaning in them and how to take good by them 3. Thinke of the things we enjoy so as to moderate our enjoying of them by considering there must be a parting and therefore how wee shall bee able to beare it when it comes 2. If we desire not to be overcharged with sorrow when that which we feare is fallen upon us we must then before-hand looke that our love to any thing in this world shoot not so farre as that when the time of severing commeth we part with so much of our hearts by that rent Those that love too 〈◊〉 will alwayes grieve too much It is tâ—… greatnesse of our affections which câ—… seth the sharpnesse of our afflictions 〈◊〉 that cannot abound without pride aâ—… high-mindednesse will not want wiâ—… out-too-much dejectednesse Love 〈◊〉 planted for such things as can retuâ—… love and make us better by loving them wherein we shall satisfie our loâ—… to the full It is pitty so sweet an affection should be lost So sorrow is 〈◊〉 sinne and for other things as they mâ—… sinne the more bitter to us The 〈◊〉 of a Christian should be a meditatiâ—… how to unloose his affections from inferiour things hee will easily die that 〈◊〉 dead before in affection But this will never be unlesse the soule seeth some thing better than al things in the world upon which is may bestow it selfe In that measure our affections die in theâ—… excessive motion to things below 〈◊〉 they are taken up with the love and admiration of the best things He that 〈◊〉 much in heaven in his thoughts is free from being tossed with tempest here below the top of those mountaines that are above the middle Region are so quiet as that the lightest things as ashes lie still and are not moved The way to mortifie earthly members that bestirre themselves in us is to mind things above The more the wayes of wisedome lead us on high the more wee avoyd the snares below In the uncertainty of all events here labour to frame that contentment in and from our owne selves which the things themselves wil not yeeld frame peace by freeing our hearts from too much feare and riches by freeing our hearts from covetous desires Frame a sufficiencie out of contentednesse If the soule it self be out of tune outward things will doe no more good than a faire shooe to a gouty foote And seeke not our selves abroad out of our selves in the conceits of other men A man shall never live quietly that hath not learned to be set light by of others He that is little in his owne eyes will not be troubled to be little in the eyes of others Men that set too high a price upon themselves when others will not come to their price are discontent Those whose condition iâ—… above their worth their pride above their condition shall never want sorrow yet wee must maintaine our authority and the Image of God in our places for that is Gods and not ours and we ought so to carrie our selves as we approve our selves to their consciences though we have not their good words Let none despise thy youth saith Saint Paul to Timothy that is Walke sâ—… before them as they shall have no cause It is not in our owne power what other men thinke or speake but it is in oâ—… power by Gods grace to live so thâ—… none can thinke ill of us but by slandering and none beleeve ill but by too much credulity 3. When any thing seiseth upon us wee must take heed we mingle not oâ—… owne passions with it wee must 〈◊〉 ther bring sinne to nor mingle 〈◊〉 with the suffering for that wil trouble the spirit more than the trouble it 〈◊〉 We are more to deale
studying how to compose their spirits and rather how to 〈◊〉 the deformity of their passions then 〈◊〉 cure them Whence it is that the fouâ—… inward vices are covered with the fairest vizards and to make this the worse all this is counted the bâ—… breeding The Heâ—…wes placed all their happinesse in peace and when they woâ—… comprise much in one word they would wish peace This was that the Angels brought newes of from heavâ—… at the birth of Christ. Now peace 〈◊〉 seth out of quietnesse and order aâ—… God that is the God of peace is the God 〈◊〉 order first What is health but when 〈◊〉 the members are in their due positâ—… and all the humors in a setled quieâ—… Whence ariseth the beauty of the world but from that comely order wherein every creature is placed the more glorious and excellent creatures above and the lesse below So it is in the soule the best constitution of it is when by the Spirit of God it is so ordered as that all be in subjection to the Law of the minde What a sight were it for the feet to be where the head is and the earth to be where the heaven is to see all turned upside downe And to a spirituall eye it seemes as great a deformity to see the soule to be under the rule of sinfull passions Comelinesse riseth out of the fit proportion of divers members to make up one body when every member hath a beauty in it selfe and is likewise well suited to other parts A faire face and a crooked body comely upper parts and the lower parts uncomely suit not well because comelinesse stands in onenesse in a fit agreement of many parts to one when there is the head of a man and the body of a beast it is a monster in nature And is it not as monstrous for to have an understanding head and a fierce untameâ—… heart It cannot but raise up a holy indignation in us against these risings when wee consider how unbeseeming they are What doe these base passâ—… in a heart dedicated to God and given up to the government of his Spirit what an indignity is it for Princes to goe a foot and servants on horse-baâ—… for those to rule whose place is to 〈◊〉 ruled as being good attendants bâ—… bad guides It was Chams curse to beâ—… sevant of servants 8. This must be strengthned with a strong selfe-denial without which there can be no good done in Religion There be two things that most trouble us in the way to heaven corruption within us and the crosse without 〈◊〉 that which is within us must be deniâ—… that that which is without us may bâ—… endured Otherwise we cannot follow him by whom wee looke to be saved The gate the entrance of Religion 〈◊〉 narrow we must strip our selves of oâ—… selves before we can enter if we bring any ruling lust to Religion it wil prove a bitter root of some grosse sinne or of apostacie and finall desperation Those that sought the praise of men more than the praise of God could not beleeve because that lust of ambition would when it should be crossed draw them away The young man thought it better for Christ to lose a Disciple than that hee should lose his possession and therefore went away as hee came The third ground came to nothing because the Plough had not gone deepe enough to breake up the rootes whereby their hearts were fastned to earthly contentments This selfe-deniall wee must carry with us through all the parts of Religion both in our active and passive obedience for in obedience there must be a subjection to a superiour but corrupt selfe neither is subject nor can be it will have an oare in every thing and maketh every thing yea Religion serviceable to it self It is the Idol of the world or rather the god that is set highest of all in the soule so God himselfe is made but an Idol It is hard to deny a friend who is another selfe harder to deny a wife that lyeth in the bosome but most hard to deny our selves Nothing so neere us as our selves to our selves and yet nothing so farre off Nothing so deare yet nothing so malicious troublesome Hypocrites would part with the fruit of their body sooner than the sinne of their soules CAP. XI Signes of victory over our selves and of 〈◊〉 subdued spirit BVt how shall we know whether we have by grace got the victory over our selves or not I answer if in good actions we stand not so much upon the credit of the action as upon the good that is done What we doe as unto God wee looke for acceptance from God It was Ionâ—… his fault to stand more upon his owne reputation than the glory of Gods mercy It is a prevailing signe when though there be no outward encouragements Nay though there be discouragements yet wee can rest in the comfort of a good intention For usually inward comfort is a note of inward sincerity Iehu must be seene or else all is lost 2. It is a good evidence of some prevailing when upon Religious grounds wee can crosse our selves in those things unto which our hearts stand most affected this sheweth wee reserve GOD his owne place in our hearts 3. When being privie to our owne inclination and temper wee have gotten such a supply of spirit as that the grace which is contrary to our temper appeares in us As oft wee see none more patient than those that are naturally enclined to intemperancie of passion because naturall pronenesse maketh them jealous over themselves Some out of feare of being over-much moved are not moved so much as they should be This jealousie stirreth us up to a carefull use of all helps Where grace is helped by nature there a little grace will goe farre but where there is much untowardnesse of nature there much grace is not so well discerned Sowre wines need much sweetning And that is most spirituall which hath least helpe from nature and is wonne by prayer and paines 4. When wee are not partiall when the things concerne our selves Daâ—… could allow himselfe another mâ—… wife and yet judgeth another mâ—… worthy of death for taking away a pâ—… mans lambe Men usually favour themselves too much when they are Chancellors in their owne cause and measure all things by their private interest Hee hath taken a good degree in Christs Schoole that hath learned to forget himselfe here 5. It is a good signe when upoÌ„ discovery of selfe-feeking we can gaine upon our corruption and are willing to search and to be searched what our inclination is and where it faileth Thâ—… which we favour we are tender of 〈◊〉 must not be touched A good heart when any corruption is discovered by a searching Ministry is affected as if it had found out a deadly enemy Touchinesse and passion argues guilt 6. This is a signe
God should take his Spirit from us there is enough in us to defile a whole world And although wee bee ingrafted into Christ yet wee carry about us a relish of the old stocke still David was a man of a good naturall constitution and for grace a man after Gods owâ—… heart and had got the better of himselfe in a great measure and had learned to overcome himselfe in matter of revenge as in Sauls case yet now wee see the vessell is shaken a little and the dregs appeare that were in the bottome before Alas wee know not our oâ—… hearts till we plow with Gods heiâ—… till his Spirit bringeth a light into our soules It is good to consider how this impure spring breaks out diversly in the divers conditions wee are in there is no estate of life nor no action wee undertake wherein it will not put forth it selfe to defile us It is so full of poyson that it taints whatsoever wee doe both our natures conditions and actions In a prosperous condition like Dâ—…vid we thinke we shall never be 〈◊〉 Under the Crosse the soule is troubled 〈◊〉 drawne to murmur and to be sulleâ—… and sink downe in discouragement 〈◊〉 be in a heat almost to blasphemy 〈◊〉 weary of our callings and to quaâ—… with every thing in our way See 〈◊〉 folly and fury of most men in this for â—…s silly wormes to contradict the great God And to whose perill is it Is it not our own Let us gather our selves with all our wit and strength together Alas what can wee doe but provoke him and get more stripes Wee may be sure hee will deale with us as wee deale with our children if they be froward and unquiet for lesser matters we will make them cry and be sullen for something Refractory stubborne horses are the more spurred and yet shake not off the rider CAP. XII Of originall righteousnesse naturall corruption Satans joyning with it and our duty thereupon §. 1. BVt here marke a plot of spirituall treason Sathan joyning with our corruption setteth the wit on worke to perswade the soule that this inward rebellion is not so bad because it is naturall to us as a condition of nature rising out of the first principles in our creation and was curbed in by the bridle of original righteousnesse which they would have accessary and supernaturall and therefore alledge that concupiscence is lesse odious and more excusable in us and so no great danger in yeelding and betraying our Souleâ—… unto it and by that meanes perswading us that that which is our deadliest enemie hath no harme in it nor meaneth any to us This rebellion of lusts against the understanding is not naturall as our nature came out of Gods hands at the first For this being evill and the caâ—… of evill could not come from God whâ—… is Good and the cause of all good and nothing but good who upon the creation of all things pronounced them good and after the creation of man pronounced of all things that they were very good Now that which is ill and very ill cannot be seated at the same time in that which is good and very good God created man at the first right he of himselfe sought out many inventions As God beautified the heaven with starres and decked the earth with variety of plants and hearbs and flowers So hee adorned man his prime creature here below with all those endowments that were fit for a happy condition and originall righteousnesse was fit and due to an originall and happy condition Therefore as the Angels were created with all Angelicall perfections and as our bodies were created in an absolute temper of all the humours so the soule was created in that sweet harmony wherein there was no discord as an instrument in tune fit to be moved to any duty as a cleane neat glasse the soule represented Gods image and holinesse §. 2. Therefore it is so farre that concupiscence should be naturall that the contrary to it namely Righteousnesse wherein Adam was created was naturall to him though it were planted in mans nature by God and so in regard of the cause of it was supernaturall yet because it was agreeable to that happy condition without which he could not subsist in that respect iâ—… was naturall and should have beene derived if hee had stood together with his nature to his posterity As hear iâ—… the ayre though it hath its first impression from the heate of the Sunne yet is naturall because it agreeth 〈◊〉 the nature of that element and though man be compounded of a spirituall and earthly substance yet it is naturall that the baser earthly part should be subject to the Superiour because where thâ—… is different degrees of worthinesse it is fit there should be a subordination of the meaner to that which is in ordâ—… higher The body naturally deâ—… food and bodily contentments yet iâ—… a man indued with reason this desire iâ—… governed so as it becomes not inorâ—…nate A beast sinnes not in its appetâ—… because it hath no power above to order it A man that lives in a soliâ—… place farre remote from company may take his liberty to live as it pleasâ—… him but if he comes to live under the government of some well ordered Citie then hee is bound to submit to the â—…wes and customes of that Citie under penalty upon any breach of order So the risings of the soule howsoever in other creatures they are not blameable having no commander in themselves above them yet in man they are to bee ordered by reason and judgement Therefore it cannot be that concupiscence should be naturall in regard of the state of creation It was Adams sin which had many sinnes in the wombe of it that brought this disorder upon the Soule Adams person first corrupted our nature and nature being corrupted corrupts our persons and our persons being corrupted encrease the corruption of our nature by custome of sinning which is another nature in us as a streame the farther it runnes from the spring head the more it enlargeth its channell by the running of lesser rivers unto it untill it empties it selfe into the Sea So corruption till it be overpowred by grace swelleth bigger and bigger so that though this disorder was not naturall in regard of the first creation yet since the fall it is become naturall even as wee call that which is common to the whole kinde and propagated from parents to their children to bee naturall So that it is both naturall and against nature naturall now but against nature in its first perfection And because corruption is naturall to us therefore 1. we delight in it whence it comes to passe that our soules are carried along in an easie current to the committing of any sinne without opposition 2. Because it is naturall therefore it is unwearied and restlesse 〈◊〉 light bodies are not wearied in thâ—… motion upwards nor heavie bodies iâ—… their motion
to maintaine what is evill or shifts to translate it upon false causes or sences to arme us against whatsoever shall oppose us in our wicked waies Though it neither can nor will be good yet it would bee thought to be so by others and enforces a conceit upon it selfe that it is good It imprisons and keepes downe all light that may discover it both within it selfe and without it self if it lie in its power It flatters it selfe and would have all the world flatter it too which if it doth not it frets especially if it bee once discovered and crossed hence comes all the plotting against goodnesse that sinne may reigne without controule Is it not a lamentable case that man who out of the very principles of nature cannot but desire happinesse and abhorre misery yet should bee in love with eternall misery in the causes of it and abhorre happinesse in the wayes that leade unto it This sheweth us what a wonderfull deordination and disorder is brought upon mans nature For every other creature is naturally carried to that which is helpfull unto it and shunneth that which is any way hurtfull and offensive Onely man is in love with his owne bane and fights for those lusts that fight against his soule §. 4. Our duty is 1. to labour to see this sinfull disposition of ours not onely as it is discovered in the Scriptures but as it discovers it selfe in our owne hearts this must must be done by the light and teaching of Gods Spirit who knowes us and all the turnings and windings and by-wayes of our soules better then wee know our selves Wee must see it as the most odious and lothsome thing in the world making our natures contrary to Gods pure nature and of all other duties making us most indisposed to spirituall duties wherein wee should have neerest communion with God because it seizeth on the very spirits of our mindes 2. Wee should looke upon it as worse then any of those filthy streames that come from it nay then all the impure issues of our lives together there is more fire in the fornace then in the sparkles There is more poyson in the root then in all the branches for if the streame were stopt the branches cut off and the sparkles quenched yet there would bee a perpetuall supply as in good things the cause is better then the effect so in ill things the cause is worse Every fruit should make this poysonfull root more hatefull to us and the root should make us hate the fruit more as comming from so bad a root as being worse in the cause then in it selfe the affection is worse then the action which may be forced or counterfeited Wee cry out upon particâ—…r sinnes but are not humbled as wee should be for our impure dispositions Without the sight of which there 〈◊〉 be no sound repentance arising from the deep and through consideration of sin no desire to be new moulded without which we can never enter into so holy a place as heaven no selfe deniall till we see the best things in us are enmity against God no high prizing of Christ without whoÌ„ our natures our persoâ—… and our actions are abominable in Goâ—… sight nor any solid peace setled in the soule which peace ariseth not from the ignorance of our corruption or compounding with it but from sight and hatred of it and strength against it 3. Consider the spiritualnesse and large extent of the law of God together with the curse annexed which forbids not onely particular sinnes but all the kindes degrees occasions and furtherances of sinne in the whole breadth and depth of it and our very nature it selfe so farre as it is corrupted For want of which we see many alive without the law joviall and merry from ignorance of their misery who if they did but once see their natures and lives in that glasse it would take away that livelinesse and courage from them and make them vile in their owne eyes Men usually looke themselves in the lawes of the State wherin they live and thinke themselves good enough if they are free from the danger of penall statutes this glasse discovers onely foule spots grosse scandalls and breakings out Or else they judge of themselves by parts of nature or common grace or by outward conformity to Religion or else by that light they have to guide themselves in the affaires of this life by their faire and civill carriage c. and thereupon live and die without any sense of the power of godlinesse which begins in the right knowledge of our selves and ends in the right knowledge of God The spiritualnesse and purity of the law should teach us to consider the purity and holinesse of God the bringing of our soules into whose presence will make us to abhorre our selves with Iob in dust and ashes contraries are best seene by setting one neere the other Whilest we looke onely on oâ—… selves and upon others amongst whom we live we think our selves to be some body It is an evidence of some sincerity wrought in the soule not to shunne that light which may let us see the soul corners of our hearts and lives 4. The consideration of this likewise should enforce us to carry a double guard over our soules David was very watchfull yet we see here he was surprized unawares by the sudden rebellion of his heart we should observe our hearts as governours doe rebells and mutinous persons Observation awes the heart We see to what an excesse sinne groweth in those that deny themselves nothing nor will be denied in any thing who if they may doe what they will will doe what they may who turne liberty into licence and make all their abilities and advantages to doe good contributary to the commands of overruling and unruly lusts Were it not that God partly by his power suppresseth and partly by his grace subdueth the disorders of mans nature for the good of society and the gathering of a Church upon earth Corruption would swell to that excesse that it would overturne and confound all things together with it selfe Although there bee a common corruption that cleaves to the nature of all men in generall as men as distrust in GOD selfe-love a carnall and worldly disposition c. yet God so ordereth it that in some there is an ebbe and decrease in others God justly leaving them to themselves a flow and encrease of sinfulnesse even beyond the bounds of ordinary corruption whereby they become worse then themselves either like beasts in sensuality or like devills in spirituall wickednesse though all be blinde in spirituall things yet some are more blinded though all be hard hearted yet some are more hardened though all be corrupt in evill courses yet some are more corrupted and sinke deeper into rebellion then others Sometimes God suffers this corruption to breake out in civill men yeâ—… even in his owne children
with reason 6. Especially take heed of those cursed imaginations out of which as of mother roots others spring forth as questioning Gods Providence and care of his children his justice his disregarding of what is done here below c. thoughts of putting off our amendment for time to come and so blessing â—…r selves in an evill way thoughts against the necessity of exact and circumspect walking with God c. When these and such like principles of Satans and the fleshes divinitie take place in our hearts they block up the soule against the entrance of soule-saving truths and taint our whole conversation which is either good or evill as the principles are by which wee are guided and as our imagination is which lets in all to the soule The Iewes in Ieremies time were fore-stalled with vaine imaginations against sound repentance and therefore his counsell is Wash thine heart O Ierusalem how long shall vaine thoughts lodge within thee 7. Fancie will the better bee kept within its due bounds if wee consider the principall use thereof Sense and imagination is properly to judge what is comfortable or uncomfortable what is pleasing or displeasing to the outward man not what is morally or spiritually good or ill and thus farre by the lawes of nature and civility wee are bound to give fancie contentment both in our selves and others as not to speake or do any thing uncomely which may occasion a loathing or distast in our converse with men and it is a matter of conscience to make our lives as comfortable as may bee as wee are bound to love so wee are bound to use all helps that may make us lovely and indeare us into the good affections of others As wee are bound to give no offence to the conscience of another so to no power or faculty either of the outward or inward man of another Some are taken off in their affection by a fancie whereof they can give but little reason and some are more carelesse in giving offence in this kind then stands with that Christian circumspection and mutuall respect which wee owe one to another The Apostles rule is of large extent Whatsoever things are not onely true and honest and just but whatsoever things are lovely and of good report c. thinke of these things Yet our maine care should bee to manifest our selves rather to mens consciences then to their imaginations 8. It should be our wisedome likewise to place our selves in the best conveniency of all outward helps which may have a kinde working upon our fancie and to take heed of the contrary as time place and objects c. There bee good houres and good messengers of Gods sending golden opportunities wherein God uses to give a meeting to his children breathes good thoughts into them Even the wisest and holiest men as David and Solomon c. had no further safety then they were carefull of well using all good advantages and sequestring themselves from such objects as had a working power upon them by suffering their soules to bee led by their fancies and their hearts to runne after their eyes they betrayed and robbed themselves of much grace and comfort thereupon Solomon cries out with griefe and shame from his own experience Vanitie of vanities c. Fancy will take fire before wee bee aware Little things are seeds of great matters Iob knew this and therefore made a covenant with his eyes But a fooles eyes are in the corners of the earth saith Solomon Sometimes the ministring of some excellent thought from what we heare or see proves a great advantage of spirituall good to the soule Whilest Saint Austen out of curiosity delighted to heare the eloquence of St. Ambrose hee was taken with the matter it selfe sweetly sliding together with the words into his heart Of later times whilest Galeaceus Caracciolus an Italian Marquesse and Nephew to Pope Paul 5. was hearing Peter Martyr reading upon 1. Corinths and shewing the deceiveablenesse of mans judgement in spirituall things and the efficacy of divine truth in those that belong unto God and further using a similitude to this purpose If a man be walking afar off and see people dancing together and heare no noise of the musicke hee judges them fooles and out of thâ—… wits but when hee comes neerer and heares the musicke and sees that eâ—…rie motion is exactly done by art Now he changes his minde and is 〈◊〉 taken up with the sweet agreement of the gesture and the musicke that he is not onely delighted therewith but desirous to joine himselfe in the number so it falls out saith hee with men Whilest they looke upon the outward carriage and conversation of Gods people and see it differing from others they thinke them fooles but when they looke more narrowly into their courses and see a gracious harmony betwixt their lives and the word of God then they beginne to be in love with the beauty of holinesse and joyne in conformity of holy obedience with those they scorned before This Similitude wrought so with this Noble-man that he began from that time forward to set his mind to the studie of heavenly things One seasonable truth falling upon a prepared heart hath oftentimes a sweet and strong operation Luther confesseth that having heard a grave Divine Staupicius say that that is kinde repentance which begins from the love of God ever after that time the practise of repentance was sweeter to him This speech of his likewise tooke well with Luther that in doubts of predestination we should beginne from the wounds of Christ that is from the sense of Gods love to us in Christ wee should arise to the grace given us in election before the world was The putting of lively colours upon common truths hath oft a strong working both upon the fancy and our will and affections the spirit is refreshed with fresh things or old truths refreshed this made the Preacher seeke to finde out pleasing and acceptable words and our Saviour CHRISTS maner of teaching was by a lively representatiâ—… to mens fancies to teach them heavenly truths in an earthly sensible manner and indeed what doe wee see or heare but will yeeld matter to a holy heart to raise it selfe higher We should make our fancie serviceable to us in spirituall things and take advantage by any pleasure or profit or honour which it presents our thoughts withall to thinke thus with our selves What is this to the true honour and to those induring pleasures c. And seeing God hath condescended to represent heavenly things to us under earthly termes wee should follow Gods dealing herein God represents heaven to us under the terme of a banquet and of a kingdome c. our union with Christ under the terme of a mariage yea Christ himselfe under the name of whatsoever is lovely or comfortable in heaven or earth So the Lord sets out Hell to us by
whatsoever is terrible or tormenting Here is a large field for our imagination to walke in not onely without hurt but with a great deale of spirituall gaine If the wrath of a King bee as the roaring of a Lion what is the wrath of the King of Kings If fire bee so terrible what is hell fire If a darke dungeon bee so lothsome what is that eternall dungeon of darkenesse If a feast bee so pleasing what is the continuall feast of a good conscience If the meeting of friends be so comfortable what will our meeting together in heaven be The Scripture by such like termes would help our faith and fancie both at once a sanctified fancie will make every creature a ladder to heaven And because childhood and youth are ages of fancie therefore it is a good way to instill into the hearts of children betimes the loving of good and the shâ—…ning of evill by such like representations as agree with their fancies as to haâ—…e hell under the representation of fire and darknesse c. Whilest the soule is joyned with the body it hath not onely a necessary but a holy use of imagination and of sensible things whereupon our imagination worketh what is the â—…e of the Sacraments but to help our sâ—…les by our senses and our faith by imagination as the soule receives much â—…rt from imagination so it may have much good thereby But yet it ought not to invent or devise what is good and true in religion here fancy must yeeld to faith and faith to divine revelation the things we beleeve are such as neither eye hath seâ—…e nor eare heard neither came into the heart of man by imagination stirred up from any thing which we have seene or heard they are above not onely imagination but reason it selfe in men and Angels But after God hath revealed spirituall truthes and faith hath apprehended them then imagination hath use while the soule is joyned with the body to colour divine truthes and make lightsome what faith beleeves for instance it doth not devise either heaven or hell but when God hath revealed them to us our fancy hath a fitnesse of enlarging our conceits of them even by resemblance from things in nature and that without danger because the joyes of heaven and the torments of hell are so great that all the representations which nature affords us fall short of them Imagination hath likewise some use in religion by putting cases to the soule as when we are tempted to any unruly action we should think with our selves what would I doe if some holy grave person whom I much reverence should behold me Whereupon the soule may easily ascend higher God sees me and my owne conscience is ready to witnesse against me c. It helps us also in taking benefit by the example of other men Good things are best learned by others expressing of them to our view the very sight often nay the very thought of a good man doth good as representing to our soules some good thing which we affect which makes Histories and the lively Characters and expressions of vertues and vices usefull to us The sight yea the very reading of the suffering of the Martyrs hath wrought such a hatred of that persecuting Church as hath done marvellous good the sight of justice executed upon malefactors works a greater hatred of sinne in men then naked precepts can doe So outward pompe state in the world doth further that awefull respect due to authority c. Lastly it would much availe for the well ordering of our thoughts to set our soules in order every morning and to strengthen and perfume our spirits with some gracious meditations especially of the chiefe end and scope wherefore we live here and how every thing we doe or befalls us may be reduced and ordered to further the maine The end of a Christian is glorious and the oft thoughts of it will raise and enlarge the soule and set it on worke to study how to make all things serviceable thereunto It is a thing to be lamented that a Christian borne for heaven having the price of his high calling set before him and matters of that weight and excellencie to exercise his heart upon should be taken up with trifles and fill both his head and heart with vanity and nothing as all earthly things will prove ere long and yet if many mens thoughts and discourses were distilled they are so frâ—…thy that they would hardly yeeld one drop of true comfort §. 4. Oh but say some thoughts imaginations are free and we shall not be accountable for them This is a false plea for God hath a soveraignty over the whole soule and his law bindes the whole inward and outward man as wee desire our whole man should be saved by Christ so wee must yeeld up the whole man to be governed by him and it is the effect of the dispensation of the Gospell accompanied with the Spirit to captivate whatsoever is in man unto Christ and to bring downe all high towring imaginations that exalt themselves against Gods Spirit There is a divinity in the word of God powerfully unfolded which will convince our soules of the sinfulne sof naturall imaginations as we see in the Ideot Corinth 14. who seeing himselfe laid open before himselfe cryed out that God was in the speaker There ought to be in man a conformity to the truth and goodnesse of things or else 1. wee shall wrong oâ—… owne soules with false apprehensions and 2. the creature by putting a fashion upon it otherwise then God hath made and 3. we shall wrong God himselfe the Author of goodnesse who cannot have his true glory but from a right apprehension of things as they art what a wrong is it to men when wee shall take up false prejudices against them without ground and so suffer our conceits to be invenomed against them by unjust suspitions and by this meanes deprive our selves of all that good which we might receive by them for our nature is apt to judge and accept of things as the persons are and not of persons according to the things themselves this faculty exercises a tyrannie in the soule setting up and pulling downe whom it will Iob judged his friends altogether vaine because they went upon a vaine imagination and discourse judging him to bee an hypocrite which could not but adde much to his affliction when men take a toy in their head against a person or place they are ready to reason as hee did Can any good come out of Nazareth It is an indignity for men to be led with â—…urmizes and probabilities and so to passe a rash judgement upon persons and things Oftentimes falshood hath a fairer glosse of probability then truth â—…d vices goe masqued under the appearance of vertue whereupon seeming likenesse breeds a mistake of one thing for another and Sathan oftentimes casts a mist
before our imagination that so wee might have a mishapen conceit of things by a spirit of elusion he makes worldly things appeare bigger to us and spirituall things lesser then indeed they are and so by sophisticating of things our affections come to be missed Imagination is the wombe and Sathan the father of all monstrous conceptions and disordered lusts which are well called deceitfull lusts and lusts of ignorance foolish and noysome lusts because they both spring from errour and folly and lead unto it We see even in Religion it selfe how the world together with the helpe of the God of the world is led away if not to worship images yet to worship the image of their owne fancie And where the truth is most professed yet people are prone to fancie to themselves such a breadth of Religion as will altogether leave them comfortlesse when things shall appeare in their true colours they will conceit to embrace truth without hatred of the world and Christ without his crosse and a godly life without persecution they would pull a rose without pricks Which though it may stand with their owne base ends for a while yet will not hold out in times of change when sicknesse of body and trouble of minde shall come Empty conceits are too weake to encounter with reall griefes Some thinke Orthodoxe and right opinions to bee a plea for a loose life whereas there is no ill course of life but springs from some false opinion God will not onely call us to an account how we have beleeved disputed and reasoned c. but how we have lived Our care therefore should be to build our profession not on seeming appearances but upon sound grounds that the gates of hell cannot prevaile against The hearts of many are so vaine that they delight to be blowne up with flattery because they would have their imagination pleased yea even when they cannot but know themselves abused and are grieved to have their windy bladder pricked and so to bee put out of their conceited happinesse Others out of a tediousnesse in serious and setled thoughts entertaine every thing as it is offered to them at the first blush and suffer their imaginations to carry them presently thereunto without further judging of it the will naturally loves variety and change and our imagination doth it service herein as not delighting to fixe long upon any thing hereupon men are contented both in religion and in common life to bee misled with prejudices upon shallow grounds Whence it is that the best things and persons suffer much in the world the power and practise of Religion is hated under odious names and so condemned before it is understood Whence wee see a necessity of getting spirituall Eye salve for without true knowledge the heart cannot be good It is just with God that those who take liberty in their thoughts should bee given up to their owne imaginations to delight in them and to be out of conceit with the best things and so to reape the fruit of their owne waies Nay even the best of Gods people if they take liberty herein God will let loose their imagination upon themselves and suffer them to bee intangled and vexed with their owne hearts Those that give way to their imaginations shew what their actions should be if they dared for if they forbeare doing evill out of conscience they should as well forbeare imagining evill for both are alike open to God and hatefull to him and therefore oft where there is no conscience of the thought God gives men up to the deed The greatest and hardest worke of a Christian is least in sight which is the well ordering of his heart some buildings have most workmanship under ground it is our spirits that God who is a Spirit hath most communion withall and the lesse freedome wee take to sinne here the more argument of our sincerity because there is no lawes to binde the inner man but the law of the spirit of grace whereby wee are a law to our selves A good Christian begins his repentance where his sinne begins in his thoughts which are the next issue of his heart God counts it an honour when wee regard his all-seeing eye so much as that wee will not take liberty to our selves in that which is offensive to him no not in our hearts wherein no creature can hinder us It is an argument that the Spirit hath set up a kingdome and order in our hearts when our spirits rise within us against any thing that lifts it selfe up against goodnesse §. 5. Many flatter themselves from an impossibility of ruling their imaginations and are ready to lay all upon infirmity and naturall weaknesse c. But such must know that if wee bee sound Christians the Spirit of GOD will enable us to doe all things Evangelically that we are called unto if we give way without checke to the motions thereof where the Spirit is it is such a light as discovers not onely dunghills but motes themselves even light and flying imaginations and abaseth the soule for them and by degrees purgeth them out and if they presse as they are as busie as flies in Summer yet a good heart will not owne them nor allow himselfe in them but casts them off as hot water doth the scumme or as the stomacke doth that which is noisome unto it they finde not that entertainement here which they have in carnall hearts where the scumme soakes in which are stewes of uncleane thoughts shambles of cruell and bloody thoughts Exchanges and shops of vaine thoughts a very forge and mynt of false politicke and undermining thoughts yea often a little hell of confused and blacke imaginations There is nothing that more moveth a godly man to renew his interest every day in the perfect righteousnesse and obedience of his Saviour then these sinfull stirrings of his soule when hee findes something in himselfe alwayes inticing and drawing away his heart from God and intermingling it selfe with his best performances Even good thoughts are troublesome if they come unseasonably and weaken our exact performance of duty §. 6. But here some misconceits must be taken heed of 1. As wee must take heed that wee account not our imaginations to be religion So we must not account true religion and the power of godlinesse to bee a matter of imagination onely as if holy men troubled themselves more then needs when they stand upon religion and conscience seeking to approve themselves to God in all things and indeavouring so farre as frailty will permit to avoid all appearances of evill Many men are so serious in vanities and reall in trifles that they count all which dote not upon such outward excellencies as they doe because the Spirit of GOD hath revealed to them things of a higher nature to be fantasticks and humorous people and so impute the worke of the spirit to the flesh Gods worke to Satan which comes neare
blessing of others upon their children yet God hath promised a blessing to the offices of Communion of Saints performed by one private man towards another Can we have a greater incouragement then under God to be gainer of a soule which is as much in Gods esteeme as if we should gaine a world Spirituall almes are the best almes mercy shewed to the soules of men is the greatest mercie and wisedome in winning of soules is the greatest wisedome in the world because the soule is especially the man upon the goodnesse of which the happinesse of the whole man depends What shining and flourishing Christians should wee have if these duties were performed As wee have a portion in the communion of Saints so wee should labour to have humility to take good and wisedome and love to doe good A Christian should have feeding lips a healing tongue the leaves the very words of the tree of righteousnesse have a curing vertue in them Some will shew a great deale of humanity in comforting others but little Christianity for as kinde men they will utter some cheerefull words but as Christians they want wisedome from above to speake a gracious word in season Nay some there are who hinder the saving working of any affliction upon the hearts of others by unseasonable and unsavoury discourses either by suggesting false remedies or else diverting men to false contentments and so become spirituall traitors rather then friends taking part with their worst enemies their lusts and wills Happy is hee that in his way to heaven meeteth with a chearefull and skilfull guide and fellow-travellor that carrieth cordials with him against all faintings of spirit It is a part of our wisedome to salvation to make choice of such a one as may further us in our way An indifferency for any company shewes a dead heart where the life of grace is it is sensible of all advantages and disadvantages How many have beene refreshed by one short apt savoury speech which hath begotten as it were new spirits in them In ancient times as wee see in the Story of Iob it was the custome of friends to meet together to comfort those that were in misery and Iob takes it for granted that to him that is afflicted pity should bee shewed from his friends for besides the presence of a friend which hath some influence of comfort in it 1. The discovery of his loving affection hath a cherishing sweetnesse in it 2. The expression of love in reall comforts and services by supplying any outward want of the patry troubled prevailes much thâ—… Christ made way for his comforts to the soules of men by shewing outward kindnesse to their bodies Love with the sensible fruits of it prepareth for any wholesome counsell 3. After this wholesome words carry a speciall cordiall vertue with them especially when the Spirit of God in the affectionate speaker joines with the word of comfort and thereby closeth with the heart of a troubled patient when all these concenter and meet together in one then is comfort sealed up to the soule The childe in Elizabeths wombe sprang at the presence and salutation of Mary the speech of one hearty friend cannot but revive the spirits of another Sympathy hath a strange force as wee see in the strings of an Instrument which being played upon as they say the strings of another instrument are also moved with it After love hath once kindled love then the heart being melted is fit to receive any impression unlesse both pieces of the iron bee red hot they will not joyne together two spirits warmed with the â—…ne heat will easily soâ—…der together §. 2. In him that shall stay the minde of another there had need to bee an excellent temper of many graces as 1. Knowledge of the grievance together with wisedome to speake a word in season and to conceale that which may set the cure backwards 2. Faithfulnesse with liberty not to concealâ—… any thing which may bee for his good though against present liking The very life and soule of friendship stands in freedome tempered with wisedome and faithfulnesse 3. Loue with compassion and patience to beare all and hope all and not to bee easily provoked by the way wardnesse of him we deale with Short spirited men are not the best comforters God himselfe is said to beare with the manners of his people in the wildernesse It is one thing to beare with a wise sweet moderation that which may be borne and another thing to allow or approve that which is not to be approved at all Where these graces are in the speaker and apprehended so to bee by the person distempered his heart will soone embrace whatsoever shall bee spoken to rectifie his judgement or affection A good conceit of the spirit of the speaker is of as much force to prevaile as his words Words especially prevaile when they are uttered more from the bowels then the braine and from our owne experience which made even Christ himselfe a more compassionate high Priest When men come to themselves againe they will bee the deepest censurers of their owne miscariage §. 3. Moreover to the right comforting of an afflicted person speciall care must be had of discerning the true ground of his grievance the coare must bee searched out if the griefe ariseth from outward causes then it must be carried into the right channell the course of it must bee turned another way as in staying of blood we should grieve for sinne in the first place as being the evill of all evills If the ground be sinne then it must be drawne to a head from a confused griefe to some more particular sinne that so wee may strike the right veine but if wee finde the spirit much cast downe for particular sinnes then comfort is presently to be applied But if the griefe be not fully ripe then as we use to help nature in its offers to purge by Physick till the sick matter be carried away so when conscience moved by the spirit begins to ease it selfe by confession it is good to help forward the worke of it till wee finde the heart low enough for comfort to be laid upon When Paul found the Iaylor cast downe almost as low as hell hee stands not now upon further hammering and preparing of him for mercie that worke was done already but presently stirres him up to beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ here being a fit place for an interpreter to declare unto man his righteousnesse and his mercy that belongs unto him after he hath acknowledged his personall and particular sins which the naturall guile of the heart is extreamely backward to doe and yet cannot receive any sound peace till it be done If signes of grace be discerned here likewise is a fit place to declare unto man the saving worke of grace in his heart which Sathan labours to hide from him Men oft are
when men have not onely whom they desire but such also who are fit and dexterous in dealing with a troubled spirit yet their soules feele no comfort because they make idols of men Whereas men at the best are but conduits of comfort and such as God freely conueyeth comfort by taking liberty oft to deny comfort by them that so he may be acknowledged the God of all comfort 3. Some delude themselves by thinking it sufficient to have a few good words spoken to them as if that could cure them not regarding to apprehend the same and mingle it with faith without which good words lose their working even as wholesome Physick in a dead stomack Besides miscarriages in comforting times will often fall out in our lives that we shall have none either to comfort us or to be comforted by us and then what will become of us unlesse we can comfort our selues Men must not thinke alwayes to live upon almes but lay up something in store for themselves and provide oyle for their owne lamps and bee able to draw out something from the treasury of their owne hearts We must not goe to the Surgeon for every scratch No wise traveller but will have some refreshing waters about him Againe wee are often driven to retire home to our owne hearts by uncharitable imputations of other men even friends sometimes become miserable comfortens it was Iobs case his friends had honest intentions to comfort him but erred in their manner of dealing if he had found no more comfort by reflecting upon his owne sincerity then he received from them who laboured to take it from him hee had beene doubly miserable We are most privy to our owne intentions and aimes whence comfort must bee fetched Let others speake what they can to us if our owne hearts speake not with them we shall receive no satisfaction Sometimes it may fall out that those which should unloose our spirits when they are bound up mistake the key â—…isses the right wards and so we lâ—…e bound still Opening of our estate to another is not good but when it is necessary and it is not necessary when we can fetch supply from our owne store God would have us tender of our reputations except in some speciall cases wherein wee are to give glory to God by a free and full confession Needlesse discovery of our selves to others makes us feare the conscience of another man as privie to that which we are ashamed hee should bee privy unto and it is neither wisedome nor mercy to put men upon the racke of confession further then they can have no ease any other way for by this meanes we raise in them a jealousie towards us and oft without cause which weakneth and tainteth that love which should unite hearts in one CAP. XV. Of flying to God in disquiets of soule Eight observations out of the text WHat if neither the speech of others to us nor the rebuke of our owne hearts will quiet the soule Is there no other remedy left Yes then looke up to God the Father and fountaine of comfort as David doth here For the more speciall meanes whereby he sought to recover himselfe was by laying a charge upon his soule to trust in God for having let his soule runne out too much hee begins to recollect himselfe againe and resigne up all to God §. 1. But how came David to have the command of his owne soule so as to take it off from griefe and to place it upon God could hee dispose of his owne heart himselfe The child of God hath something in him above a man hee hath the Spirit of God to guide his spirit this command of David to his soule was under the command of the Great Commander God commands David to trust in him and at the same time infuseth strength into his soule by thinking of Gods command and trusting to Gods power to command it selfe to trust in God so that this command is not onely by authoritie but by vertue likewise of Gods command As the inferiour orbes move as they are moved by a higher So Davids spirit here moves as it is moved by Gods Spirit which inwardly spake to him to speake to himselfe David in speaking thus to his owne soule was as every true Christian is a Prophet and an instructer to himselfe It is but as if inferiour officers should charge in the name and power of the King Gods children have a principle of life in them from the Spirit of God by which they command themselves To give charge belongs to a Superiour David had a double Superiour above him his owne spirit as sanctified and Gods Spirit guiding that Our spirits are the Spirits agents and the Holy Spirit is Gods agent maintaining his right in us As God hath made man a free agent So he guides him and preserves that free manner of working which is agreeable to mans nature By this it appeares that Davids moving of himselfe did not hinder the Spirits moving of him neither did the Spirits moving of him hinder him from moving himselfe in a free manner for the Spirit of God moveth according to our principles it openeth our understandings to see that it is best to trust in God It moveth so sweetly as if it were an inbred principle and all one with our owne spirits If wee should hold our will to move it selfe and not to be moved by the Spirit we should make a God of it whose property is to move other things and not to be moved by any We are in some sort Lords over our owne speeches and actions but yet under a higher Lord. David was willing to trust in God but God wrought that will in him he first makes our will good and then works by it It is a sacrilegious liberty that will acknowledge no dependance upon God Wee are wise in his wisedome and strong in his strength who saith without me yee can doe nothing Both the budde of a good desire and the blossome of a good resolution and the fruit of a good action all comes from GOD. Indeed the understanding is ours whereby wee know what to doe and the will is ours whereby wee make choice of what is best to be done but the light whereby wee know and the guidance whereby wee choose that is from a higher agent which is ready to flow into us with present fresh supply when by vertue of former strength wee put our selves forward in obedience to God Let but David say to his soule being charged of God to trust I charge thee my soule to trust in him and hee findes a present strength inabling to it Therefore we must both depend upon God as the first Mover and withall set all the inferiour wheeles of our soules a going according as the Spirit of God ministers motion unto us So shall wee bee free from selfe-confidence and likewise from neglecting that order of working which God hath
will not be seene till afterward Where we cannot trace him wee ought with S. Paul to admire and adore him When we are in heaven it will be one part of our happinesse to see the harmony of those things that seeme now confused unto us All Gods dealings will appeare beautifull in their due seasons though we for the present see not the contiguity and linking together of one thing with another 2. Hence likewise proceeds a holy resigning of our selves to God who doth all things according to the counsell of his owne will His will is a wise will it is guided by counsell a soveraigne prevailing will The onely way to have our will is to bring it to Gods will If we could delight in him wee should have our hearts desire Thus David yeeldes up himselfe unto God Here I am let the Lord deale with me as seemeth good unto him And thus Elie when God foretold by Samuel the ruine of his house quiets himselfe It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Thus our blessed Saviour stayes himselfe Not my will but thy will be done And thus the people of God when Paul was resolved to goe to Ierusalem submitted saying The will of the Lord be done a speech fit to proceed out of the heart and mouth of a Christian. Wee may desire and long after a change of our condition when wee looke upon the greevance it selfe but yet rembember still that it be with reservation when wee looke upon the will of God as How long Lord holy and true c. Out of inferiour reasons wee may with our Saviour desire a removall of the cup but when wee looke to the supreame reason of reasons the will of God here we must stoop and kisse the rod. Thus humbling our selves under his mighty hand which by murmuring and fretting we may make more heavy but not take off still adding new guilt and pulling on new judgements 3. The way patiently to suffer Gods will is to inure our selves first to doe it Passive obedience springs from active He that endures any thing will endure it quietly when hee knowes it is the will of God and considers that what ever befalls him comes from his good pleasure Those that have not inured themselves to the yoke of obedience will never endure the yoke of suffering they fume and rage as a wilde Bull in a net as the Prophet speakes It is worth the confidering to see two men of equall parts under the same crosse how quietly and calmely the one that establish eth his soule on Christ will beare his afflictions wheréas the other rageth as a foole and is more beaten Nothing should displease us that pleaseth God neither should any thing be pleasing to us that displeaseth him This conformity is the ground of com for t Our owne will takes away God as much as in it lyes If we acknowledge God in all our wayes he will direct our pathes and leade us the way that we should goe The quarrell betwixt God and us is taken up when his will and our will are one when wee have sacrificed our selves and our wills unto God when as he is highest in himselfe so his will hath the highest place in our hearts Wee finde by experience that when our wills are so subdued that wee delight to doe what God would have us doe and to be what God would have us be that then sweet peace presently riseth to the soule When wee can say Lord if thou wilt have me poore and disgraced I am content to be so If thou wilt have me serve thee in this condition I am in I will gladly doe so It is enough to mee that thou wouldst have it so I desire to yeeld readily humbly and cheerefully to thy disposing providence Thus a godly man sayes Amen to Gods Amen and puts his fiat and placet to Gods As the Sea turnes all rivers into its own rellish so he turnes all to his owne spirit and makes whatsoever befalls him an exercise of some vertue A Heathen could say that calamities did rule over men but a wise man hath a spirit over-ruling allcalamities much more a Christian For a man to be in this estate is to enjoy heaveÌ„ in the world under heaven Gods Kingdome comes where his willâ—… thus done and suffered None feele more sweet experience of Gods providence then those that are most resolute in their obedience After we have given glory to God in relying upon his wisdome power and truth wee shall finde him imploying these for oâ—… direction assistance and bringing aboue of things to oâ—…r desired issue yea above what ever wee looked for or thought of In all cases that fall out or that wee can put to our selves as in case of extremity opposition strange accidents desertion and damps of spirit c. here we may take Sanctuary that we are in covenant with him who sits at the sterne and rules all and hath committed the government of all things to his Sonne our Brother our Ioseph the second person in heaven Wee may bee sure no hurt shall befall us that he can hinder and what cannot hee hinder that hath the â—…yes of hell and of death unto whom â—…e are so neere that he caries our names in his breast and on his shoulders as the â—…igh Priests did those of the twelve Tribes Though his Church seemes a â—…iddow neglected yet he will make the world know that shee hath a Husband will right her in his good time But it may be demanded what course is to be taken for guidance of our lives in particular actions wherein doubts may arise what is most agreeable to the will of God 1. We must not put all carelesly upon a providence but first consider what is our part and so farre as God prevents us with light and affords us helpes and meanes we must not be failing in our duty Wee should neither out-runne nor bee wanting to providence But in perplexed cases where the reasons on both sides seeme to bee equally ballanced see whether part makes more for the maine end the glory of God the service of others and advancement of our owne spirituall good Some things are so cleare and even that there is not a best betweene them but one may be done as well as the other as when two wayes equally tend to one and the same place 2. Wee are not our owns and therefore must not set up our selves Wee must not consult with flesh and blood either in our selves or others for selfe-love will deprave all our actions by setting before us corrupt ends It considers not what is best but what is safest By-respects sway the ballance the wrong way 3. When things are cleare and God will is manifest further deliberation is dangerous and for the most part argues a false heart as we see in Balaam who though he knew Gods minde yet would bee still consulting
till God in judgement gave him up to what his covetous heart led him unto A man is not fit to deliberate till his heart be purged of false aymes for else God will give him up to the darknesse of his owne spirit and he will bee alwayes warping unfit for any byas Where the aymes are good there God delighteth to reveale his good pleasure Such a soule is levell and suitable to any good counsell that shall bee given and prepared to entertaine it In what measure any last is favoured in that measure the soule is darkned Even wise Solomon whilest he gave way to his lust had like to have lost his wisdome We must looke to our place wherein God hath set us if we be in subjection to others their authority ought to sway with us Neither is it the calling of those that are subjects to enquire over-curiously into the mysteries of government for that both in peace and war breeds much disturbance and would trouble all designes The lawes under which we live are particular determinations of the law of God in some duties of the second table For example The Law of God sayes Exact no more then what is thy due But what in particular is thy due and what another mans the lawes of men determine and therefore ought to be a rule unto us so farre as they reach though it be too narrow a rule to be good only so farre as mans law guides unto Yet law being the joynt reason and consent of many men for publique good hath an use for guidance of all actions that fall under the same Where it dashes not against Gods law what is agreeable to law is agreeable to conscience The law of God in the due enlargement of it to the least beginning and occasions is exceeding broad and allowes of whatsoever stands with the light of reason or the bonds of humanity civility c. and whatsoever is against these is so farre against Gods law So that higher rules be looked to in the first place there is nothing lovely or praise-worthy among men but ought to be seriously thought on Nature of it selfe is wilde and untamed and impatient of the yoke but as beasts that cannot endure the yoke at first after they are enured a while unto it beare it willingly cary their work more easily by it So the yoke of obedience makes the life regular and quiet The meeting of authority and obedience together maintaines the order and peace of the world So of that Question Though blindfold obedience such as our Adversaries would have be such as will never stand with sound peace of conscience which alwayes lookes to have light to direct it for else a blinde conscience would breed blinde feares yet in such doubtfull cases wherein we cannot winde out our selves we ought to light our candles at others whom we have cause to thinke by their place and parts should see further then wee In matters of outward estate wee will have men skilfull of our counsell and Christians would finde more sound peace if they would advise with their godly and learned Pastors and friends Where there is not a direct word there is place for the counsell of a prudent man And it is a happinesse for them whose businesse is much and parts not large to have the benefit of those that can give ayme and see further then themselves The meanest Christian understands his owne way and knowes how to doe things with better advantage to his soule then a gracelesse though learned man yet is still glad of further discovery In counsell there is peace the thoughts being thus established When wee have advised and served Gods providence in the use of meanes then if it fall out otherwise then wee looke for wee may confidently conclude that God would not have it so otherwise to our griefe we may say it was the fruit of our owne rashnesse Where we have cause to thinke that wee have used better meanes in the search of grounds and are more free from partiall affections then others there we may use our owne advise more safely Otherwise what wee doe by consent from others is more secure and lesse offensive as being more countenanced In advice with others it is not sufficient to be generally wise but experienced and knowing in that wee aske which is an honour to Gods gifts where we finde them in any kinde When we set about things in passion we work not as men or Christians but in a bestiall manner The more passion the lesse discretion because passion hinders the sight of what is to be done It clouds the soule and puts it on to action without advisement Where passions are subdued and the soule purged and cleared there is nothing to hinder the impression of Gods spirit the soule is fitted as a cleane glasse to receive light from above And that is the reason why mortified men are fittest to advise with in the particular cases incident to a Christian life After all advise extract what is fittest and what our spirits do most bend unto For in things that concerne our selves God affords a light to discerne out of what is spoken what best suteth us And every man is to follow most what his owne conscience after information dictates unto him because conscience is Gods deputy in us and under God most to bee regarded and whosoever sinnes against it in his own construction sinnes against God God vouchsafeth every Christian in some degree the grace of spirituall prudence whereby they are enabled to discerne what is fittest to be done in things that fall within their compasse It is good to observe the particular becks of providence how things joyne and meete together fit occasions and suting of things are intimations of Gods will Providence hath a language which is well understood by those that have a familiar acquaintance with Gods dealing they see a traine of providence leading one way more then to another Take especiall heed of not grieving the Spirit when he offers to bee our guide by studying evasions and wishing the case were otherwise This is to be Law-givers to our selves thinking that we are wiser than God The use of discretion is not to direct us about the end whether wee should doe well or ill for a single heart alwayes aymes at good but when we resolve upon doing well and yet doubt of the manner how to performe it discretion lookes not so much to what is lawfull for that is taken for granted but what is most expedient A discreet man lookes not to what is best so much as what is fittest in such and such respects by eying circumstances which if they sort not doe vary the nature of the thing it selfe And because it is not in man to know his owne wayes we should looke up unto Christ the great Councellour of his Church to vouchsafe the spirit of counsell and direction to us that may make our way plaine before us by
suggesting unto us this is the way walke in it Wee owe God this respect to depend upon him for direction in the particular passages of our lives in regard that hee is our Soveraigne and his will is the rule and we are to be accountable to him as our Iudge It is God onely that can see through businesses and all helps and lets that stand about After we have rolled our selves upon God wee should immediately take that course he enclines our hearts unto without further distracting feare Otherwise it is a signe wee commit not our way unto him when we do not quietly trust him but remain stil as thoughtfull as if wee did not trust him After prayer and trust followes the peace of God and a heart void of further dividing care Wee should therefore presently question our hearts for questioning his care and not regard what feare will be ready to suggest for that is apt to raise conclusions against our selves out of selfe-conceited grounds whereby wee usurpe upon GOD and wrong our selves It was a good resolution of the three young men in Daniel We are not carefull to answer thee O King We know our duty let God doe with us as hee pleaseth If Abraham had hearkened to the voice of nature hee would never have resolved to sacrifice Isaack but because he cast himselfe upon Gods providing God in the Mount provided a Ramme in stead of his Sonne CHAP. XVIII Other grounds of trusting in God namely the Promises And twelve directions about the same § 1. BUt for the better setling of our trust in God a further discovery is necessary then of the nature and providence of God for though the nature of God be written in the book of the Creatures in so great letters as hee that runs may reade and though the providence of God appeares in the order and use of things yet there is another booke whereby to know the will of God towards us and our duty towards him We must therefore have a knowledge of the promises of God as well as of his providence for though God hath discovered himselfe most graciously in Christ unto us yet had we not a word of promise wee could not have the boldnesse to build upon Christ himselfe therefore from the same grounds that there is a God there must be a revealing of the will of God for else we can never have any firme trust in him further then hee offers himselfe to be trusted Therefore hath God opened his heart to us in his word and reached out so many sweet promises for us to lay hold on and stooped so low by gracious condescending mixed with authority as to enter into a covenant with us to perform all things for our good for Promises are as it were the stay of the soule in an imperfect condition and so is faith in them untill all promises shall end in performance and faith in sight and hope in possession Now these promises are 1. for their spring from whence they proceed freâ—… ing agements of God for if hee had not bound himselfe who could and 2. they are for their value pretious and 3. for their extent large even of all things that conduce to happinesse and 4. for their vertue quickning and strengthning the soule as comming from the love of God and conveying that love unto us by his Spirit in the best fruits thereof and 5. for their certainty they are as sure as the Love of God in Christ is upon which they are founded and from which nothing can separate us For all promises are either Christ himselfe the promised seed or else they are of good things made to us in him and for him and accomplished for his sake they are all made first to him as heire of the promise as Angell of the covenant as head of his body and as our Elder brother c. for promises being the fruits of Gods love and Gods love being founded first on Christ it must needs follow that all the promises are both made and made good to us in and through him who is yesterday and to day and for ever the same That wee should not call Gods love into question he not onely gives us his word but a binding word his promise and not only a naked promise but hath entred into Covenant with us founded upon full satisfaction by the blood of Christ and unto this Covenant sealed by the blood of the Lord JESUS he hath added the seales of Sacraments and unto this he hath added his oath that there might be no place left of doubting to the distrustfull heart of man there is no way of securing promises amongst men but God hath taken the same to himselfe and all to this end that we might not onely know his mind towards us but be fully perswaded of it that as verily as he lives he will make good what ever he hath promised for the comfort of his Children What greater assurance can there be then for Being itâ—…o â—…o lay his being to pawne and for life it selfe to lay life to pawne and all to comfort a poore soule The boundlesse and restlesse desire of mans spirit will never bee stayed without some discovery of the chiefe good and the way to attaine the same men would have beene in darknesse about their finall condition and the way to please God and to pacifie and purge their consciences had not the word of God set downe the spring and cause of all evill together with the cure of it and directed us how to have communion with God and to raise our selves above all the evill which wee meet withall betwixt us and happines and to make us every way wise to salvation Hence it is that the Psalmist preferres the manifestation of God by his â—…d before the manifestation of him in his most glorious works And thus wee see the necessity of a double principle for faith to rely on 1. God and 2. the word of God revealing his will unto us and directing us to make use of all his Attributes Relations and providence for our good and this â—…rd hath its strength from him who gives a being and an accomplishment unto it for words are as the authority of him that uttereth them is When wee looke upon a Grant in the word of a King it stayes our mindes because wee know he is able to make it good and why should it not satisfie our soules to looke upon promises in the word of a God whose words as they come from his truth and expresse his goodnesse so they are all made good by his power and wisedome By the bare word of God it is that the heavens continue and the earth without any other foundation hangs in the mids of the world therefore well may the soule stay it selfe on that even when it hath nothing else in sight to relye upon By his word it is that the covenant of day and
us We should labour likewise for a single heart to trust in God onely there is no readier way to fall then to trust equally to two stayes whereof one is rotten and the other sound therefore as in point of doctrine wee are to relie upon Christ onely and to make the Scriptures our rule onely So in life and conversation what ever wee make use of yet we should enjoy and relye upon God onely for either God is trusted alone or not at all those that trust to other things with God trust not him but upon pretence to cary their double mindes with lesse check Againe labour that thy soule may answer all the Relations wherein it stands to God by eleaving to him 1. as a Father by trusting on his care 2. as a teacher by following his direction 3. as a Creator by dependance on him 4. as a husband by inseparable affection of love to him 5. as a Lord by obedience c. And then we may with comfort expect whatsoever good these Relations can yeeld All which God regarding more our wants and weaknesses then his owne greatnesse hath taken upon him Shall these Relations yeeld comfort from the creature and not from God himselfe in whom they are in their highest perfection Shall God make other fathers and husbands faithfull and not be faithfull Himselfe All our comfort depends upon labouring to make these Relations good to our soules And as we must wholly and only trust in God so likewise we must trust him in all conditions and times for all things that we stand in need of untill that time comes wherein wee shall stand in need of nothing for as the same care of God moved him to save us and to preserve us in the world till we be put in possession of salvation So the same faith relyes upon God for heaven and all necessary provision till wee come thither It is the office of Faith to quiet our soules in all the necessities of this life and we have continuall use of trusting while wee are here For even when we have things yet God still keepes the blessing of them in his own hands to hold us in a continuall dependance upon him God traines us up this way by exercising our trust in lesser matters to fit us for greater thus it pleaseth God to keepe us in a depending condition untill he see his owne ◅me but so good is God that as he intends to give us what wee wait for so will he give us the grace and spirit of faith to sustaine our soules in waiting till we enjoy the same The unrulinesse of a naturall spirit is never discovered more then when God deferres therefore we should labour the more not to withdraw our attendance from God Further we must know that the condition of a Christian in this life is not to see what he trusts God for hee lives by faith and not by sight and yet that there is such a vertue in faith which makes evident and present things to come and unseene Because God where he gives an eye of faith gives also a glasse of the word to see things in and by seeing of them in the truth and power of him that promiseth they become present not only to the understāding to apprehēd thē but to the will to rest upō thē to the affections to joy in thē It is the nature of faith to work whēit seethnothing and oftentimes best of all then because God shewes himself more clearly in his power wisdome goodness at such times and so his glory shines most and faith hath nothing else to looke upon then whereupon it gathers all the forces of the soule together to fasten upon God It should therefore be the chiefe care of a Christian to strengthen his faith that so it may answer Gods maner of dealing with him in the worst times for God usually 1. that he might perfectly mortifie our confidence in the creature and 2. that he might the more indeere his favours and make them fres◅ and new unto us and 3. that the glory of deliverance may bee entirely hi◅ without the creatures sharing with him and 4. that our faith and obedience may be tryed to the uttermost and discovered suffers his children to fall into great extremities before he will reach forth his hand to help them as in Iobs case c. Therefore Christians should much labour their hearts to trust in God in the deepest extremities that may be fall them even when no light of comfort appeares either from within or without yea then especially when all other comforts faile despaire is oft the ground of hope when the darknesse of the night is thickest then the morning begins to dawne that which to a man unacquainted with Gods dealings is a ground of utter despaire the same to a mā acquainted with the waies of God is a rise of exceeding comfort for infinite power goodnes can never be at a loss neither can faith which looks to that ever be at a stand whence it is that both God and Faith worke best alone In a hopelesse estate a Christiā will see some doore of hope opened 1. because God shewes himself neerest to us when we stand most in need of him help Lord for vain is the help of man God is never more seen then in the Mount He knowes our soules best our souls know him best in adversity thē heis most wōderful in his Saints 2 because our praiers thē are strōg cryes fervent and frequent God is sure to heare of us at such a time which pleaseth him well as delighting to heare the voice of his Beloved For our better incouragement in these sad times and to helpe our trust in God the more we should often call to minde the former experiences which either our selves or others have had of Gods goodnesse and make use of the same for our spirituall good Our Fathers trusted in thee saith the head of the Church and were not confounded Gods truth and goodnesse is unchangeable he never leaves those that trust in him so likewise in our owne experiences we should take notice of Gods dealing◅ with us in sundry kindes how many wayes he hath refreshed us and how good we have found him in our worst times After wee have once tryed him and his truth we may safely trust him God will stand upon his credit he never failed any yet and he will not begin to breake with us If his nature and his word and his former dealing hath beene sure and square why should our hearts be wavering thy word saith the Psalmist is very pure or tryed therefore thy servant loveth it the word of God is as silver tryed in the furnace purified seven times It is good therefore to observe and lay up Gods dealings Experience is nothing else but a multiplyed remembrance of former blessings which will
help to multiply our faith tryed truth and tryed faith unto it sweetly agree and answer one another It were a course much tending to the quickning of the faith of Christians if they would communicate one to another their mutuall experiences this hath formerly beene the custome of Gods people Come and heare all ye that â—…re God and I will declare what he hath done for my soule And David urgeth this as a reason to God for deliverance that then the righteous would compasse him about as rejoycing in the experience of Gods goodnesse to him The want of this makes us upon any new tryall to call Gods care and love into question as if hee had never formerly beene good unto us whereas every experiment of Gods love should refresh our faith upon any fresh onset God is so good to his children even in this world that he traines them up by daily renewed experiences of his fatherly care for besides those many promises of good things to come he gives us some evidence and taste of what wee beleeve here that by that which wee feele wee might be strengthned in that wee looke for that so in both 1. sense of what we feele and 2. certainty of what we looke for we might have full support But yet we must trust God as he will be trusted namely in doing good oâ—… else we do not trust him but tempt him Our commanding of our soules to trust in God is but an Eccho of what God commands us first and therefore in the same maner he commands us we should command our selves As God commands us to trust him in doing good so should wee commit our soules to him in well doing and trust him when wee are about his owne workes and not in the workes of darknesse we may safely expect God in his wayes of mercy when we are in his wayes of obedience For Religion as it is a doctrine of what is to be beleeved so it is a doctrine according to godlinesse and the mysteries of faith are mysteries of godlinesse because they cannot be beleeved but they will inforce a godly conversation where my true impression of them is there is holinesse alwayes bred in that soule therefore a study of holinesse must goe joyntly together with a study of trusting in God faith lookes not onely to promises but to directions to duty and â—…eds in the soule a liking of whatsoever pleaseth God There is a mutuall strengthning in things that are good trusting stirres to duty and duty strengthens trusting by increasing our liberty and boldnesse with God Againe wee must maintaine in our soules a high esteeme of the grace of â—…aith the very try all whereof is more â—…ious then gold what then is the grace of faith it selfe and the promises which it layeth hold on certainely they transcend in worth whatever may draw us from God whence it is that the soule sets a high price upon them and on faith that beleeves them It is impossible that any thing in the world should come betwixt the heart and those things if once we truly lay hold on them to undermine faith or the comfort we have by it the heart is never drawne to any sinfull vanity 〈◊〉 frighted with any terrour of trouble till faith first loseth the sight and estimation of divine things and forgets the necessity and excellency of them Our Saviour Christ when hee would stirre up a desire of faith in his Disciples shewed them the power and excellency of the same great things stirre up faith and keepe it above and faith keepes the soule that nothing else can take place of abode in it when the great things of God are brought into the heart by faith what is there in the whole world thâ—… can out bid them Assurance of these things upon spirituall grounds over-rules both sense and reason or what ever else prevailes with carnall hearts CAP. XIX Faith to be prized and other things undervalued at least not to bee trusted to as the chiefe THat faith may take the better place in the soule and the soule in God the heart must continually be taught of what little worth all things else are as reputation riches and pleasures c. and to see their nothingnesse in the word of God and in experience of our selves and others that so our heart being â—…ed from these things may open it selfe to God and imbrace things of a higher nature otherwise baser things will be neerer the soule then faith and keepe possession against it so that faith will not be suffered to set up a throne in the heart There must bee an unloosing of the heart as well as a fastning of it and God helpes us in both for besides the word discovering the vanity of all things else out of God the maine scope of Gods dealing with his children in any danger or affliction whatsoever is to imbitter all other things but himselfe unto them Indeed it is the power of God properly which makes the heart to trust but yet the Spirit of God useth this way to bring all things else out of request with us in comparison of those inestimable good things which the soule is created redeemed and sanctified for God is very jealous of our trust and can endure no Idoll of jealousie to be set up in our hearts Therefore it behooves us to take notice not onely of the deceitfulnesse of things but of the deceitfulnesse of our hearts in the use of them Our hearts naturally hang loose from God and are soone ready to joyne with the creature Now the more we observe our hearts in this the more wee take them off and labour to set them where they should be placed for the more wee know these things the lesse we shall trust them But may wee not trust in riches and friends and other outward helps at all Yes so farre as they are subordinace to God our chiefe stay with reservation and submission to the Lord onely so far and so long as it shall please him to use them for our good Because God ordinarily conveyes his help and goodnesse to us by some creature we must trust in God to blesse every mercy wee in joy and to make all helps serviceable to his love towards us In a word we must trust use them in under God and so as if all were taken away yet to thinke God being al-sufficient can doe without them whatsoever hee doth by them for our good Faith preserves the chastitie of the soule cleaving to God is a spirituall debt which it oweth to him whereas cleaving to the creature is spirituall adultery It is an error in the foundation to substitute false objects either in Religion or in Christian Conversation for 1. in religion trusting in false objects as Saints workes c. breeds false worship and false worship breeds Idolatry and so Gods jealousie and hatred 2. In Christian Coâ—…versation false objects
are good but confidence in them is hurtfull and there is more of our owne in them for the most part to humble us then of Gods spirit to embolden us so farre as to trust in them Alas they have nothing from us but weaknesse and defilement and therefore since the fall GOD would have the object of our trust to be out of our selves in him and to that purpose he useth all meanes to take us out of our selves and from the creature that he only might be our trust Yea wee must not trust trust it selfe but God whom it relyes on who is therefore called our trust All the glorious things that are spoken of trust are onely made good by God in Christ who as trusted doth all for us God hath prescribed trust as the way to carry our soules to himselfe in whom we should only rely and not in our imperfect trust which hath its ebbing and flowing Neither will trust in God himselfe for the present suffice us for future strength and grace as if trusting in God to day would suffice to strengthen us for tomorrow but wee must renew our trust for fresh supply upon every fresh occasion So that wee see God alone must be the object of our trust There is still left in mans nature a desire of pleasure profit and of what ever the creature presents as good but the desire of gracious good is altogether lost the soule being wholy infected with a contrary taste Man hath a nature capable of excellency and desirous of it and the Spirit of God in and by the word reveales where true excellency is to bee had but corrupt nature leaving God seeketh it elsewhere and so crosseth its owne desires till the Spirit of God discovers where these things are to be had and so nature is brought to its right frame againe by turning the streame into the right current Grace and sinfull nature have the same generall object of comfort onely sinfull nature seekes it in broken Cisterns and grace in the fountain the beginning of our true happinesse is from the discovery of true and false objects so as the soule may cleerely see what is best and safest and then stedfastly rely upon it It were an happy way to make the soule better acquainted with trusting in God to labour to subdue at the first all unruly inclinations of the soule to earthly things and to take adâ—…antage of the first tendernesse of the soule to weede out that which is ill and to plant knowledge and love of the best things in it otherwise where affections to any thing below get much strength in the soule it will by little and little be so overgrowne that there will be no place left in it either for obiect or act God or trust God cannot come to take his place in the heart by trust but where the powers of the soule are brought under to regard him and those great things hee brings with him above all things else in the world beside In these glorious times wherein so great a light shineth whereby so great things are discovered what a shame is it to be so narrow hearted as to fixe upon present things Our aymes and affections should be sutable to the things themselves set before us Our hearts should be more and more inlarged as things are more and more revealed to â—…s Wee see in the things of this life as wisedome and experience increaseth so our aimes and desires increase likewise A young beginner thinkes it a great matter if hee have a little to begin withall but as he growes in trading and seeth further wayes of getting his thoughts and desires are raised higher Children thinke as Children but riper age puts away childishnesse when their understandings are inlarged to see what they did not see before we should never rest till our hearts according to the measure of revelation of those excellent things which God hath for us have answerable apprehension of the same Oh if we had but faith to answer those glorious truths which God hath revealed what manner of lives should we leade CHAP. XX. Of the method of trusting in God and the tryall of that trust LAstly to add no more our trusting in God should follow Gods order in promising The first promise is of forgivenesse of sinne to repentant beleevers next 2. of healing and sanctifying grace then 3. the inheritance of the Kingdome of Heaven to them that are sanctifyed 4. and then the promises of all things needfull in our way to the Kingdome c. Now answerably the soule being inlightned to see its danger should looke first to Gods mercy in Christ pardoning sinne because sinne onely divides betwixt God and the soule next to the promises of grace for the leading of a Christian life for true faith desires hea ling mercy as well as pardoning mercy and then to Heaven and all things that may bring us thither By all this wee see that it is not so easie a matter as the world takes it to bring God and the soule together by trusting on him It must be effected by the mighty power of God raising up the soule to himselfe to lay hold upon the glorious power goodnesse and other excellencies that are in him God is not onely the object but the working cause of our trust for such is our pronenesse to live by sense and naturall reason and such is the strangenesse and height of divine things such our inclination to a selfe sufficiency and contentment in the creature and so hard a matter is it to take off the soule from false bottomes by reason of our unacquaintance with God and his wayes besides such guilt still remaines upon our soules for our rebellion and unkindnesse towards God that it makes us afraid to entertaine serious thoughts of him and so great is the distance betwixt his infinite Majesty before whom the very Angels doe cover their faces and us by reason of the unspiritualnesse of our nature being opposite to his most absolute purity that we cannot be brought to any familiarity with the Lord so as to come into his holy presence with confidence to rely upon him or any comfort to have communion with him till our hearts be sanctified and lifted up by divine vigour infused into them Though there be some inclination by reason of the remainder of the image of God in us to an outward morall obedience of the Law yet alas we have not onely no seeds of Evangelicall truths and of faith to beleeve them but an utter contrariety in our natures as corrupted either to this or any other good When our conscience is once awaked we meditate nothing but feares and terrors and dare not so much as think of an angry God but rather how wee may escape and fly from him Therefore together with a deepe consideration of the grounds wee have of trusting God it is necessary wee should thinke of the indisposition of our hearts unto it especially
it lookes upon all things it hath or desires to have as comming from God and his free grace and power it desireth not onely wisdome but to be wise in his wisdome to see in his light to be strong in his strength the thing it selfe contents not this grace of trust but Gods blessing and love in the thing it cares not for any thing further then it can have it with Gods favour and good liking Hence it is that trust is an obsequions and an observing grace stirring up the soule to a desire of pleasing God in all things and to a feare of displeasing him Hee that pretends to trust the Lord in a course of offending may trust to this that God will meet him in another way then he lookes for Hee that is a tenant at curtesie will not offend his Lord hence it is that the Apostle inforceth that exhortation to work out our salvation with feare and trembling because it is God that worketh the will and the deed and according to his good pleasure not ours Therefore faith is an effectuall working grace it workes in Heaven with God it workes within us commanding all the powers of the soule it workes without us conquering whatsoever is in the world on the right hand to draw us from God or â—…n the left hand to discourage us it works against Hell and the powers of darknesse and all by vertue of trusting as it draweth strength from God It stirres up all other graces and keepes them in exercise and thereupon the acts of other graces are attributed to faith as Heb. 11. It breeds a holy jealousie over our selves lest we give God just cause 〈◊〉 stop the influence of his grace toâ—…ds us so to let us see that wee stand â—…ot by our owne strength Those that take liberty in things they either know 〈◊〉 doubt will displease God shew they want the feare of God and this want of feare shewes their want of dependancy and therefore want of trust dependancy is alwayes very respective it studieth contentment and care to comply this was it made Enoch walke with God â—…d studie how to please him when wee know nothing can doe us good or hurt but God it drawes our chiefe care to approve our selves to him Obedience of faith and obedience of life will goe together and therefore he that commits his soule to God to save will commit his soule to God to sanctifie and guide in a way of well pleasing Not onely the tame but the most savage creatures will bee at the beck of those that seede them though they are ready to fall violently upon others disobedience therefore is against the principles of nature This dependancy is either in the use of meanes or else when meanes failes us true dependancy is exactly carefull of all meanes When God hath set down a course of meanes wee must not expect that God should alter his ordinary course of providence for us deserved disappointment is the fruit of this presumptuous confidence the more wee depend on a wise Physitian the more we will observe his directions and bee carefull to use what hee prescribes yet we must use the meanes 〈◊〉 meanes and not set them in Gods room for that is the way to blast our hopes The way to have any thing taken away and not blest is to set our heart too much upon it Too much griefe in parting with any thing shewes too much trust in the enjoying of it And therefore he that uses the meanes in faith will alwayes joyne prayer unto God from whom as every good thing comes so likewise doth the blessing and successe therof where much indeavour is and little seeking to God it shewes there is little trust the Widdow that trusted in God continued likewise in prayers day and right The best discovery of our not relying too much on meanes is when all meanes faile if we can still relye upon God as being still where he was and hath wayes of his owne for helping of us either immediately from himselfe or by setting a worke other meanes and those perhaps very unlikely such as we thinke not of God hath wayes of his â—…ne Abraham never honoured God more then when he trusted in God for â—…son against the course of nature and when he had a son was ready to sacrifice him upon confidence that God would raise him from the dead againe This was the ground upon which Daniell with such great authority reprooved Baltbazar that he had not a care to glorifie God in whose hand his breath was and all his wayes The greatest honour we can doe unto God is when wee see nothing but rather all contrary to that we looke for then to shut our eyes to inferiour things below and looke altogether upon his Al sufficiency God can convey himselfe more comfortably to us when he pleaseth without meanes then by meanes True trust as it sets God highest in the soule so in danger and wants it hath present recourse to him as the Conyes to the Rockes And because Gods times and seasons are the best it is an evidence of true trust when we can waite Gods leisure and not make hast and so runne before God for else the more hast the worse speed God seldome makes any promise to his Children but he exerciseth their trust in waiting long before as David for a Kingdome Abraham for a sonne the whole world for Christs comming c. One maine evidence of true trust in God is here in the text wee see here it hath a quieting and stilling vertue for it stayes the soule upon the fulnesse of Gods love joyned with his ability to supply our wants and releeve our necessities though faith doth not at the first especially so stay the soule as to take away all suspitious feares of the contrary There be so many things in trouble that presse upon the soule as hinder the joyning of God and it together yet the prevailing of our unbeliefe is taken away the raigne of it is broken If the touch of Christ in his abasement on earth drew vertue from him certain it is that faith caÌ„not touch Christ in heaven but it will draw a quieting and sanctifying vertue from him which will in some measure stop the issues of an unquiet spirit the Needle in the Compasse will stand North though with some trembling A Ship that lyes at Anchor may bee something tossed but yet it stil remains so fastned that it cannot bee caried away by winde or weather the soule after it hath cast anchor upon God may as we see here in David be disquieted a while but this unsetling tends to a deeper setling the more we beleeve the more we are established faith is an establishing grace by faith we stand and stand fast and are able to withstand whatsoever opposeth us For what can stand against God upon whose truth and power faith relyes The devill feares not us but him whom
trust in God In this case wee must goe to God with whom all things are possible to put forth his Almighty power not only in the pardoning but in subduing our iniquities He that can make a Camell goe through a needles eye can make a high conceited man lowly a rich man humble Therefore never question his power much lesse his willingnesse when he is not onely ready to receive us when we returne but perswades and intreates us to come in unto him yea after back-sliding and false dealing with him wherein he allowes no mercy to be shewed by man yet he will take liberty to shew mercy himselfe But I have often relapsed and fallen into the same sin againe and againe If Christ will have us pardon our brother seaventy seaven times can wee thinke that hee will enjoyne us more then he will be ready to doe himselfe when in case of shewing mercy hee would have us thinke his thoughts to be farre above ours Adam lost all by once sinning but we are under a better covenant a covenant of mercy and are encouraged by the Sonne to goe to the Father every day for the sinnes of that day Where the worke of grace is begun sin loses strength by every new fall for hence issues deeper humility stronger hatred fresh indignation against our selves more experience of the deceitfulnesse of our hearts renewed resolutions untill sin be brought under That should not drive us from God which God would have us make use of to flye the rather to him since there is a throne of grace set up in Jesus Christ we may boldly make use of and let us be ashamed to sinne and not ashamed to glorifie Gods mercy in begging pardon for sin Nothing will make us more ashamed to sin then thoughts of so free and large mercy It will grieve an ingenuous spirit to offend so good a God Ah that there should be such an heart in me as to tire the patience of God and damme up his goodnesse as much as in me lyes but this is our comfort that the plea of mercy from a broken spirit to a gracious Father will ever hold good When wee are at the lowest in this world yet there are these three grounds of comfort still remaining 1. That wee are not yet in the place of the damned whose estate is unalterable 2. That whilest we live there is time and space for recovering of our selves 3. That there is grace offered if we will not shut our hearts against it O but every one hath his time my good houre may be past That is counsell to thee it is not past if thou canst raise up thy heart to God and embrace his goodnesse Shew by thy yeelding unto mercy that thy time of mercy is not yet out rather then by concluding uncomfortably willingly betray thy selfe to thy greatest enemy enforcing that upon thy selfe which God labours to draw thee from As in the sinne against the Holy Ghost feare shewes that wee have not committed it So in this a tender heart fearing least our time bee past shewes plainely that it is not past Looke upon examples when the Prodigall in his forlorne condition was going to his Father his Father stayed not for him but meetes him in the way he did not only goe but ranne to meet him God is more willing to entertain us then we are to cast our selves upon him As there is a fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleannesse so it is a living fountaine of living water that runnes for ever and can never bee drawne dry Here remember that I build not a shelter for the presumptuous but only open an harbour for the truly humbled soule to put himselfe into CHAP. XXII Of sorow for sin and hatred of sinne when right and sufficient Helps thereto AH there 's my misery If I could bee humbled for sinne I might hope for mercy but I never yet knew what a broken heart meant this soule of mine was never as yet sensible of the griefe and smart of sinne how then can I expect any comfort It is one of Sathans policies to hold us in a dead and barren condition by following us with conceits that wee have not sorowed in proportion to our offences True it is we should labour that our sorow might in some measure answer to the haynousnesse of our sins but we must know sorrow is not required for it selfe in that degree as faith is If we could trust in God without much sorow for our sins then it would not be required for God delights not in our sorow as sorow God in mercy both requires it and workes it as thereby making us capable vessels of mercy fit to acknowledge value and walke worthy of Christ he requres it as it is a means to imbitter sin and the delightfull pleasures thereof unto us and by that meanes bring us to a right judgement of our selves and the creature with which sinne commits spirituall adultery that so we may recover our taste before lost And then when with the Prodigall wee returne unto our selves having lost our selves before we are fit to judge of the basenesse of sin and of the worth of mercy and so upon grounds of right reason bee willing to alter our condition and embrace mercy upon any tearmes it shall please Christ to injoyne Secondly if we could grieve and cast downe our selves beneath the earth as low as the nethermost pit yet this would be no satisfaction to God for sin of it selfe it is rather an enterance and beginning of hell Thirdly we must search what is the cause of this want of griefe which wee complaine of whether it be not a secret cleaving to the creature and too much contentment in it which oft stealeth away the heart from God and brings in such contentment as is subject to faile and deceive us whereupon from discontentment wee grieve which griefe being carnall hinders griefe of a better kinde Usually the causes of our want of griefe for sin are these First a want of serious consideration and dwelling long enough upon the cause of griefe which springs either from an unsetlednesse of Nature or distractions from things without Moveable dispositions are not long affected with any thing One maine use of crosses is to take off the soule from that it is dangerously set upon and to fixe our running spirits For though griefe for crosses hinder spirituall griefe yet worldly delights hinder more That griefe is lesse distant from true griefe and therfore neerer to be turned into it And put case wee could call off our mindes from other things and set them on griefe for our sinnes yet it is onely Gods spirit that can worke our hearts to this griefe and for this end perhaps God holds us off from it to â—…each us that he is the teacher of the heart to grieve And thereupon it is our duty to waite till hee reveale our selves so
to â—…easure it Therefore whatsoever â—…e God brings my soule into I am 〈◊〉 rest in his goodnesse and not except â—…gainst his dealing That peace and joy â—…ich riseth from griefe in the use of â—…eanes and makes the soule more â—…ble and thankfull to God and lesse censorious and more pitifull to others is no illusion nor false light The maine end of griefe and sorow is tâ—… make us value the grace and mercy of God in Christ above all the contentments which sinne feeds on Which where it is found we may know that griefe for sin hath enough possessed the soule before The sufficiency of things is to be judged by an answerablenesse to their use and ends God makes sinne bitter that Christ may be sweet that measure of griefe and sorow is sufficient which brings us and holds us to Christ. Hatred being the strongest deepest and steadiest affection of the soule against that which is evill Griefe for sinne is then right when it springs from hatred and encreaseth further hatred against it Now the soule may bee knowne to hate sin when it seekes the utter â—…lishing of it for hatred is an impâ—…ble and irreconcileable affection True hatred is caried against 〈◊〉 whole kinde of sin without respect 〈◊〉 any wrong done to us but only out of meere Antipathie and contrariety of â—…sposition to it As the Lambe hateth â—…he whole kinde of Wolves and man â—…eth the whole kinde of Serpents A load does us no harme but yet wee â—…e it That which is hatefull to us the â—…earer it is the more wee shun and abâ—…orre it as venomous Serpents and â—…full creatures because the neerenesse of the object affects us more deeply Therefore if our griefe spring â—…om true hatred of sinne it will make â—…o new league with it but grieve for 〈◊〉 sinne especially for our owne particular sinnes as being contrary to the worke of Gods grace in us then is griefe 〈◊〉 affection of the new creature and every way of the right breed But for fuller satisfaction in this case â—…e must know there is sometimes griefe 〈◊〉 sin in us when we thinke there is none 〈◊〉 wants but stirring up by some quickning word the remembrance of Gods â—…avours and our unkindnesse or the aâ—…â—…aking of our consciences by some â—…osse will raise up this affection feelingly in us As in the affection of love many thinke that they have no love to God at all yet let God be dishonoured in his name truth or children and their love will soone stirre and appeare in just anger In want of griefe for sinne we must remember 1. That wee must have this affection from God before we can bring it unto God And therefore in the second place Our chiefe care should be not to harden our hearts against the motions of the spirit stirring us to seasonable griefe for that may cause a judicial hardnesse from God God oft inflicteth some spirituall judgement as a correction upon men for not yeelding to his spirit at the first they feele a hardnesse of heart growing upon them This made the Church complaine Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy feare which if Christians did well consider they would more carefully entertaine such impressions of sorow as the spirit in the use of the meanes and observation of Gods dealing towardâ—… tselves or others shall worke in â—…m then they doe It is a saying of 〈◊〉 Let a man grieve for his sinne and 〈◊〉 for his griefe Though wee can neiâ—…er love nor grieve nor joy of our â—…es as we should yet our hearts tell 〈◊〉 wee are often guilty of giving a â—…ck to the spirit stirring these affectiâ—… in us which is a maine cause of the â—…y sharp afflictions wee endure in â—…is life though Gods love in the main â—…er of salvation be most firme unto 〈◊〉 We must not thinke to have all this â—…fe at first at once for oftentimes â—…n deeper after a sight and feeling of Gods love then it was before God is a 〈◊〉 Agent and knowes every mans seâ—…ll mould and the severall services â—…is to use them in and oft takes liberâ—… afterwards to humble men more â—…en he hath inabled them better to â—…e it then in their first entrance inâ—… Religion Griefe before springs â—…monly from selfe-love and feare â—…ger Let no man suspect his estate â—…se God spares him in the beginning For Christians many times meete with greater trials after their conversion then ever they thought on When men take little fines they means to take the greater rent God will have his children first or last to feele what sin is and how much they are beholding to him for Christ. This griefe doth not alwayes arise frâ—… poring on sinne but by oft considering of the infinite goodnesse of God in Christ and thereby reflecting on our owne unworthinesse not onely in regard of sinne past but like wise of the sin that hangeth upon us and issues daily from 〈◊〉 The more holy a man is the more hee sees the holinesse of Gods nature with whom he desires to have communion the more he is grieved that there shoul be any thing found in him displeasing to so pure a Majestie And as all our griefe comes noâ—… 〈◊〉 first so God will not have it come 〈◊〉 once but to be a streame alwayes â—…ning fed with a spring yet withiin 〈◊〉 bankes though sometimes deepâ—… sometimes shallower Griefe for sâ—… iâ—… like a constant streame griefe for â—…her things is like a torrent or swelling waters which are soone up soone downe what it wants in greatnesse is made up in continuance Againe If wee watch not our nature there will be a spice of Popery which is a naturall Religion in this great desire of â—…re griefeâ—… as if we had that then we had something to satisfie God withall â—…nd so our mindes will run too much â—…pon workes This griefe must not â—…ly bee wrought by God revealing 〈◊〉 sinne and his mercy unto us in Christ But when it is wrought wee â—…st altogether rest in a sense of our â—…e emptinesse upon the full satisfaâ—…on and worthinesse of Christ our Saâ—… All this that hath beene said tends 〈◊〉 to the abating of our desire to have 〈◊〉 tender and bleeding heart for sinne 〈◊〉 that in the pursuit of this desire we 〈◊〉 not cast downe so as to question our â—…es if we feele not that measure of â—…se which we desire and endeavour 〈◊〉 Or to refuse our portion of joy which God offers us in Christ. Considering griefe is no further good then it makes way for joy which caused our Saviour to joyne them together Blessed are the mourners for they shall bee comforted Being thus disposed wee may commit our souls to God in peace notwithstanding Satans troubling of us in the houre of temptation CHAP. XXIII Other spirituall causes of the soules trouble discovered and removed and objectâ—…ons answered ANother thing that
disquiets and casts downe the soule very much is that inward conflict betwixt grâ—… and corruption this makes us most worke and puts us to most disquietment It is the trouble of troubles 〈◊〉 have two inhabitants so neare in one soule and these to strive one against another in every action and at 〈◊〉 times in every part and power in â—…e the one carying us upward higher â—…d higher still till we come to God the â—…er pulling us lower and lower furâ—…r from him This cannot but breed a â—…t disquiet when a Christian shall bee 〈◊〉 on to that which he would not and hinâ—…d from that which hee would doe or â—…led in the performance of it The â—…re light there is to discerne and life â—…f Orace to be sensible hereof and the â—…re love of Christ and desire from â—…ove to be like to him the more irkesome will this be no wonder then that 〈◊〉 Apostle cryed out O wretched man 〈◊〉 lam c. Here is a speciall use of Trust in the â—…e mercy of God in justification conâ—…ing all is stained that comes from 〈◊〉 it is one maine end of Gods leaving 〈◊〉 in this conflicting condition that 〈◊〉 may live and die by faith in the perâ—…st righteousnesse of Christ whereby 〈◊〉 God more then if wee had 〈◊〉 righteousnesse of our owne 〈◊〉 by likewise wee are driven to â—…e use of all the promises of Grace â—…d to trust in God for the perforâ—…ce of them in strengthening his owne party in us and not only to trusâ—… in God for particular graces but for hiâ—… Spirit which is the spring of all gracâ—… which we have through and frâ—… Christ who will helpe us in this fight untill hee hath made us like himselfe We are under the government of Grace sinne is deposed from the rule it had and shall never recover the right it had againe It is left in 〈◊〉 for matter of exeroise and ground of triumph Oh say some I shall never hold out as good give over at first as at last I 〈◊〉 such strong inclinations to sinne in me and such weaknesse to resist temptation that I feare I shall but shame the cause I 〈◊〉 one day perish by the hand of Satan streâ—… thening my corruption Why art thou thus troubled Trust in God Grace will be above Nature God above the devill the Spirit 〈◊〉 the flesh Be strong in the Lord the battell is his and the victory ouâ—… before hand If wee fought in our 〈◊〉 cause and strength and with our weapons it were something but as 〈◊〉 fight in the power of God so are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by that mighty power through faith 〈◊〉 salvation It lyes upon the faithfulâ—…e of Christ to put us into that posâ—…on of glory which he hath purchaâ—… for us therefore charge the soule â—…ake use of the promises and rely â—…n God for perfecting the good â—…ke that he hath begun in thee Corruptions be strong but stronger 〈◊〉 that is in us then that corruption 〈◊〉 is in us When wee are weake in â—…owne sense then are we strong in 〈◊〉 who perfecteth strength in our â—…nesse felâ—… and acknowledged Our â—…ptions are Gods enemies as well â—…rs and therefore in trusting to 〈◊〉 and fighting against them wee 〈◊〉 bee sure hee will take our part aâ—…st them But I have great impediments and maâ—… discouragements in my Christian course What is our impediments be Mounâ—…s faith is able to remove them Who â—…hou O Mountaine saith the Proâ—…t What a world of impediments â—…t there betwixt Egypt and the land 〈◊〉 Canaan betwixt the returne out of Babylon and Ierusalem yet faith removed all by looking to Gods power and truth in his promise The looking too much to the Anakims and Grants and too little to Gods omnipotency sâ—… the Israelites out of Canaan and pâ—… God to his oath that they should never enter into his rest and it will exclude oâ—… soules from happinesse at length if looking too much upon these Anakims within us and without us wee basely despaire and give over the field considering all our enemies are not onely conquered for us by our Head but shall be conquered in us so that in strength of assistance we fight against them God gave the Israelites enemies into their hands but yet they must fight it oâ—…r and what coward will not fight whâ—… he is sure of help and victory But I cary continually about mee a 〈◊〉 rupt heart if that were once changed I could have some comfort A new heart is Gods creature aâ—… hee hath promised to create it in us A creating power cannot only bring somthing out of nothing but contrary 〈◊〉 of contrary Where we are sure of Gods â—…h let us never question that power 〈◊〉 which all things are possible If our â—…rts were as ill as God is powerfull â—…d good there were some ground of â—…scouragement In what measure we â—…e up our hearts to God in that meaâ—… wee are sure to receive them betâ—… That Grace which inlargeth the â—…art to desire good is therefore given â—…hat God may encrease it being both a â—…rt and a pledge of further grace There is a promise of powring cleane â—…er upon us which faith must sue out Christ hath taken upoÌ„ him to purge his â—…se and make her fit for himselfe But I have many wants and defects to â—…supplyed It pleaseth him that in Christ all fulâ—…sse shall dwell from whose fulnesse â—…ce sufficient is dispensed to us anâ—…erable to the measure of our faith â—…hereby we fetch it from the fountain The more we trust the more we have When we looke therefore to our owne â—…nt we should look withall to Christs â—…nesse and his neernesse to us and take advantage from our misery to reâ—… upon his al sufficiencie whose fulnesse ours as himselfe is Our fulnesse wiâ—… our life is hid in Christ and distilleâ—… into us in such measure as his wisdoâ—… thinketh fit and as sheweth him to bâ—… a free agent and yet so as the blame fâ—… want of grace lyeth upon us seeing hâ—… is before hand with us in his offers oâ—… grace and our owne consciences will tell us that our failings are more from cherishing of some lust then from unwillingnesse in him to supply us with grace But God is of pure eyes and cannot endure such sinfull services as I performe Though God be of pure eyes yâ—… he looks upon us in him who is blame lesse and without spot who by vertue of his sweet smelling sacrifice appearâ—… for us in heaven and mingles his oâ—… with our services and in him will God be known to us by the name of a kindâ—… Father not onely in pardoning our defects but accepting our endeavouâ—… Wee offer our services to God not 〈◊〉 our owne name but in the name of oâ—… high Priest who takes them from us â—…ents them to his Father as stirred 〈◊〉 by his spirit and perfumed by
devices turned upon their owne heads will more torment them In this case it will much comfort to goe into the Sanctuary for there wee shall be able to say Yet God is good to 〈◊〉 God hath an Arke for his there is no condition so ill but there is Balme in Gilead comfort in Israel The depths â—…f misery are never beyond the depths of mercy God oft for this very end strips his Church of all helpes below that it may onely rely upon him and that it may appeare that the Church is ruled by an higher power then it is opposed by And then is the time when we may exâ—…ct great deliverances of the Church when there is a great faith in the great God From all that hath beene said wee see that the only way to quiet the soul is to lay a charge upon it to trust God â—…d that unquietnesse and impatiency me symtomes and discoveries of an unâ—… leeving heart CHAP. XXVI Of divine reasons in a beleever Of his minding to praise God more then to bee delivered TO goe on I shall yet praise him In these words David expresseth the reasons and grounds of his trust namely from the interest hee had in God by experience and speciall covenant wherein in generall we may observe that those who truly trust in God labour to back their faith with sound arguments faith is an understanding grace it knowes whom it trusts and for what and upon what grounds it trusts Reason of it selfe cannot finde what we should beleeve yet when God hath discovered the same faith tells us there is great reason to beleeve it faith useth reason though not as a ground yet as a sanctified instrument to finde out Gods grounds that it may rely upon them He beleeves best that knowes best why hee should beleeve Confidence and love and other affections of the soule though they have no reason grafted in them yet thus farre they are reasonable as that they are in a wise man raised up guided and laid downe with reason or else men were neither to be blamed nor praised for ordering their affections a right whereas not only civill vertue but grace it selfe is especially conversant in ruling the affections by sanctified reason The soule guides the will and affections otherwise then it doth the outward members of the body It swayes the affections of confidence love joy c. as a Prince doth his wiser subjects and as Counsellors doe a well ordered State 〈◊〉 ministring reasons to them but the â—…le governes the outward members by command as a master doth a slave â—…his will is enough The hand and foot â—…ve upon command without regarding any reason but wee will not trust 〈◊〉 rejoyce in God without reason or a 〈◊〉 of reason at the least Sinne it selfe never wanted a reason 〈◊〉 as it is but we call it unreasonable â—…use it hath no good reason for it for reason being a beame of God cannot strengthen any worke of darknesse God having made man an understanding creature guides him by a way sutable to such a condition and that is the reason why God in mercy yeelds so far to us in his word as to give us so many reasons of our affiance in him What is encouragement and comfort but a demonstration to us of greater reasons to raise us up then there are to cast us downe Davids reasons here are drawne partly from some promise of deliverance and partly from Gods nature and dealing with him whom as he had formerly found an healing a saving God so he expects to finde him still and partly from the covenant of grace hee is my God The chiefe of his reasons are fetched from God what he is in himselfe and what hee is and will be to his children and what to him in particular though godly men have reasons for their trst yet those reasons be divine and spirituall as faith it selfe is for as naturally as beames come from the Sunne and branches from the roote even so by divine discourse one truth issueth from another And as the beames and the Sunne as the roote and branches are all of one nature so the grounds of comfortable truths and reasons taken from those grounds are both of same divinity and authority though in time of temptation discourse is oft so troubled that it cannot see how one truth riseth from another this is one priviledge of heaven that our knowledge there shall not be so much discoursive proving one thing by another as definitive seeing things in their grounds with a more present view the soule being then raised and enlarged to a present conceiving of things and there being no flesh and blood in us to raise objections that must be satisfied with reasoning Sometimes in a clearer state of the soule faith hath not so much use of reasons but upon neere and sweet communion with God and by reason of some likenesse betweene the soule that hath a divine nature stamped upon it and God it presently without any long discourse runneth to God as it were by a supernaturall instinct as by a naturall instinct a childe runneth to his Father in any distresse Yea and from that common light of nature which discovereth there is a God even naturall men in extremities will runne to God and God as the Author of nature will sometimes heare them as he doth the yong Ravens that cry unto him but comfortably and with assurance onely those have a familiar recourse unto him that have a sanctified sutable disposition unto God as being well acquainted with him Sometimes againe faith is put to it to use reasons to strengthen it selfe and therefore the soule studieth arguments to help it selfe by either from inward store laid up in the soule or else it hearkeneth and yeelds to reasons suggested by others and there is no gracious heart but hath a frame sutable and agreeable to any holy and comfortable truth that shall be brought and enforced upon it there is something in his spirit that answers what ever comes from the spirit of God though perhaps it never heard of it before yet it presently claimes kindred of it as comming from the same blessed Spring the â—…ly Spirit and therefore a gracious heart sooner takes comfort then another as being prepared to close with it The reasons here brought by David are not so much arguments to convince his judgement as motives and inducements to encline his will to trust in God for trusting being a holy relying upon God carieth especially the will to him now the will is led with the goodnesse of things as the understanding is led with truth the heart must be sweetned with consideration of love and mercy in him whom we trust as well as convinced of his ability to doe us good the cords that draw the heart to trust are the cords of love and the cords of love are especially the love of him to us whom we love and therefore the most prevailing reasons that
carie the whole heart are such as are drawne from the sweetnesse of God whereby the heart is opened and enlarged to expect all good and nothing but good from him But we must remember that neither reasons from the truth and power of God nor inducements or allurements from the goodnesse of God will further prevaile with the soule then it hath a fresh light and rellish brought into it by the spirit of God to discerne of those reasons and answer the contrary I will praise him David here minds praising of God more then his owne delivery because he knew his owne delivery was intended on Gods part that he might be glorified It is an argument of an excellent spirit when all selfe-respects are drowned in the glory of God and there is nothing lost therein for our best being is in God A Christian begins with loving God for himselfe but he ends in loving himselfe in and for God and so his end and Gods end and the end of all things else concenter and agree in one We may ayme at our owne good so wee bring our hearts to referre it to the chiefe good as â—…sse circle may well be contained in greater so that the lines drawn from both circles meete in one middle point it is an excellent ground of sincerity to desire the favour of God not so much out of selfe aymes as that God may have the more free and full praise from us considering the soule is never more fâ—… for that blessed duty then when it is in a cheerefull plight It rejoyced David more that hee should have a large heart to serve God then that he should have enlargement of condition Holy dispositions thinke not so much of the time to come that it will bee sweet to them as that it will further Gods praise True grace raiseth the soule above selfe-respects and resteth not till it comes to the â—…efe end wherein its happinesse conâ—…ts God is glorified in making us happy and wee enjoying happinesse must glorifie God Although God condescend so low unto us as not onely to allow us but to enjoyne us to looke to our owne freedome from misery and enjoyment of happinesse yet a soule throughly seasoned with grace mounteth higher and is caried with pure respects to advance Gods glory yea somtimes so farre as to forget it owne happinesse it respects it selfe for God rather then God for it selfe A heavenly soule is never satisfied untill it be as neere God as is attaineable And the neerer a creature comes to God the more it is emptied of it selfe and all selfe-aymes Our happinesse is more in him then in our selves Wee seeke our selves most when we deny our selves most And the more wee labour to advance God the more we advance our owne condition in him I will praise David thinkes of his owne duty in praising God more then of Gods worke in delivering him Let us thinke of what is our duty and God will thinke of what shall bee for our comfort we shall feelse God answering what we looke for from him in doing what hee expects from us Can wee have so meane thoughts of him as that we should intend his glory and â—…e not much more intend our good This should be a strong plea unto us 〈◊〉 our prayers to prevaile with God when we ingage our selves upon the revelation of his mercy to us to yeeld him all the praises Lord as the benefit â—…d comfort shall be mine so the praises shall be thine It is little lesse then blasphemy to praise God for that which by unlawfull shifts we have procured for beâ—…des the bypocrisie of it in seeming to sacrifice to him when we sacrifice inâ—…ed to our owne wits and carnall helps we make him a Patron of those wayes which he most abhorres and it is Idolatry in the highest degree to transforme God so in our thoughts as â—…o thinke he is pleased with that which comes from his greatest enemy And there is a grosse mistake to take Gods curse for a blessing to thrive in an ill way is a spirituall judgement exâ—…eamly hardening the heart It is an argument of Davids sincerity here that he meant not to take any indirect course for delivering himselfe because he intended to praise God which as no guilty conscience can offer being afraid to looke God in the face so God would abhorre such a sacrifice were it offered to him S. Paul was stirred up to praise God but withall hee was assured God would preserve him from every evill worke Sometimes indeed where there is no malicious intention God pardons some breakings out of flesh and blood endeavouring to helpe our selves in danger so farre as not to take advantage of them to desert us in trouble as in David who escaped from Achis by counterfeiting and this yeelds a double ground of thankfulnesse partly for Gods overlooking our miscariage and partly for the deliverance it selfe Yet this indulgence of God will make the soule more ashamed afterward sâ—… these sinfull shifts therefore it must be no president to us There can neither be grace nor wisdome in setting upon a course wherein we can neither pray to God for successe in nor blesse God when he gives it In this case God most â—…sseth where he most crosseth and â—…st curseth where the deluded heart â—…nkes he blesseth most CHAP. XXVII â—…our worst condition wee have cause to praise God Still ample cause in these dayes Shall yet praise him Or yet I will praise God that is however it goeth â—…ith me yet as I have a cause so I â—…ve a spirit to praise God when we â—…e at the lowest yet it is a mercy that â—…e are not consumed we are never so ill â—…t it might be worse with us whatsoever is lesse then hell is undeserved 〈◊〉 is a matter of praise that yet we have â—…e and opportunity to get into a â—…essed condition The Lord hath afflicted me sore but he hath not delivered mee 〈◊〉 death saith David Is the worst times there is a presence 〈◊〉 God with his children 1. In moderating the measure of the crosse that it be not above their strength 2. In moderating the time of it The rod of the wicked shall not rest long upon the lot of the righteous God limits both measure and time 3. Hee is present in mixing some comfort and so allaying the bitternesse of a crosse 4. Yea and he supports the soule by inward strength so as though it faint yet it shall not utterly faile 5. God is present in sanctifying a crosse for good and at length when he hath perfected his owne worke in his he is present for a finall deliverance of them A sound hearted Christian hath alwayes a God to goe to a promise to goe to former experience to goe to besides some present experience of Gods goodnesse which he enjoyes for the present he is a childe of God a member of Christ an heire of heaven hee dwells in
advenâ—…re we may well looke for a returne 2. It is a signe God hath heard our prayers when hee stirres up thankfulâ—…e aforehand upon assurance thankfulnesse cannot be without either the â—…ce of God by which we are thankâ—…ll or some taste of the things we are thankfull for God often accepts the prayer when hee doth not grant the thing and will give us thereby occasion of thanksgiving for his wise care in changing one blessing for another fitter for us God regards my prayers when 〈◊〉 prayer my heart is wrought to that frame which he requires that is an humble subjection to him from an acknowledgement of my wants and his fulnesse There is nothing stirred up in our hearts by the Spirit no not so much as a gracious desire but God will answer it if we have a spirit to waite 3. We may know God hath accepted our prayer wheÌ„ he makes the way easie plain after prayer by a gracious providence when the course of things begin to change and we meete with comforts in stead of former crosses and finde our hearts quieted and encouraged against what we most feared 4. Likewise earnestnesse in prayer is a signe God heares our prayers as fire kindled from heaven sheweth God accepts the sacrifice the ground of prevailing by our prayer is that they are put up in a gracious name and for persons in favour and dictated by Gods owne spirit they work in the strength of the blessed Trinity not their owne giving God the glory of all his excellencies It is Gods direction to call upon him in trouble it is his promise to deliver and then both his direction and promise that we shall glorifie him When troubles stirre up prayer Gods answer to them will stirre up praises David when 〈◊〉 saith I shall praise God presupposes â—…d would deliver him that he might â—…ve ground of praising his name And 〈◊〉 knew God would deliver him beâ—…use as from faith he had prayed for deliverance so hee knew it was the order of Gods dealing to revive after drooping and refresh after fainting God knowes otherwise that our spirits would faile before him A thankfull disposition is a speciall â—…lp in an afflicted condition for thankfulnesse springs from love and love rejoyâ—… in suffering Thankfulnesse raises â—…e soule higher then it selfe it is a traâ—…g with God whereby as we by him â—…o be gaines by us Therefore the Saints â—…d this as a motive to God that hee would grant their desires because the â—…ing praise him and not the dead If God expect praise from us sure he will â—…t us into a condition of praise Unthankfulnesse is a sinne detestable â—…th to God and men and the lesse puâ—…hment it receives from humane lawes the more it is punished inwardâ—… by secret shame and outwardly by publique hatred if once it prove notorious When Gods arrests come forth foâ—… denying him his tribute he chiefly eyeâ—… an unthankfull heart and hates all sinne the worse as there is more unthankfulnesse in it the neglect of kindnesse is taken most unkindly Why should we load God with injuries that loadeth uâ—… with his blessings who would requiâ—…e good with evill Such mens mercies will prove at last so many inditements against them I beseech you therefore labour to be men of praises If in any duty wee may expect assistance we may in this that altogether concernes Gods glory the more we praise God the more we shall praise him When God by grace enlarges the will he intends to give the deede Gods children wherein their wilâ—… are conformable to Gods will are sure to have them fulfilled In a fruitfull ground a man will sow his best seed God intends his owne glory in every mercy and he that praises him glorifies him When our wills therefore cary us 〈◊〉 that which God wills above all wee â—…y well expect he will satisfie our deâ—…es The living God is a living founâ—…ine never drawne dry he hath never â—…one so much for us but hee can and will doe more If there be no end of our praises there shall be no end of his goodnesse no way of thriving like to 〈◊〉 By this meanes we are sure never 〈◊〉 be very miserable how can he bee dejected that by a sweet communion with God sets himselfe in heaven nay â—…keth his heart a kinde of heaven A Temple a holy of holies wherein Incense 〈◊〉 offered unto God It is the sweetest â—…anch of our Priestly office to offer â—…p these daily sacrifices It is not only â—…e beginning but a further entrance 〈◊〉 our heaven upon earth and shall bee â—…e day our whole imployment for eâ—…r Praise is a just and due tribute for all â—…s blessings for what else especially â—…e the best favours of God call for at â—…r hands How doe all creatures â—…aise God but by our mouthes It is a debt alwayes owing and alwayes paying and the more we pay the more we shall owe upon the due discharge of this debt the soule will finde much peace A thankfull heart to God for his blessings is the greatest blessing of all Were it not for a few gracious soules what honour should God have of the rest of the unthankfull world which should stirre us up the more to be trumpets of Gods praises in the midst of his enemies because this in some sort hath a prerogative above our praising God in heaven for there God hath no enemies to dishonour him This is a duty that none can except against because it is especially a work of the heart All cannot shew their thankfulnesse in giving or doing great matters but all may expresse the willingnesse of their hearts All within 〈◊〉 may praise his holy name though wee have little or nothing without us and that within us is the thing God chiefly requires Our heart is the Altar on which wee offer this Incense God lookes not to quantity but to proporâ—…ion he accepts a mite where there is â—…o more to be had But how shall we be enabled to this great â—…y Enter into a deep consideration of Gods â—…rs past present and to come think of the greatnesse and suteablenesse of them 〈◊〉 our condition the seasonablenesse â—…d necessity of them every way unto 〈◊〉 Consider how miserable our life â—…re without them even without â—…mon favours but as for spirituall â—…ours that make both our naturall â—…d civill condition comfortable our â—…y life were death our light were â—…nesse without these In all favours â—…ke not of them so much as Gods â—…cy and love in Christ which sweeâ—… them Thinke of the freenesse of 〈◊〉 love and the smallnesse of thy own â—…rts How many blessings doth God â—…tow upon us above our deserts yea â—…e our desires nay above our very â—…ghts He had thoughts of love to 〈◊〉 when wee had no thoughts of our â—…es What had we been if God had not been good unto us How many blessings hath
in him If we will not trust in salvation what will we trust in and if salvation it self cannot save us what can out of salvation there is nothing but destruction which those that seeke it any where out of God are sure to meet with How pittifull then is their case who goe to a destroyer for salvation that seeke for help from hell Here also we see to whom to return praise in all our deliverances even to the God of our salvation The virgin Mary was stirred up to magnifie the Lord but why Her spirit rejoyced in God her Saviour Whosoever is the instrument of any good yet salvation is of the Lord whatsoever brings it hee sends it Hence in their holy feasts for any deliverance the cup they drank of was called the Cup of salvation and therefore David when he summons his thoughts what to render unto God hee resolves upon this to take the Cup of salvation But alwayes remember this that when we thinke of God as salvation wee must thinke of him as hee is in Christ to his For so every thing in God is saving even his most terrible attributes of justice and power out of Christ the sweetest things in God are terrible Salvation it selfe will not save out of Christ who is the onely way of salvation called the way the truth and the life David addeth He is the salvations of my countenance that is hee will first speake salvation to my soule and say I am thy salvation and when the heart is cheered which is as it were the Sâ—… of this little world the beames of that joy will shine in the countenance True joy begins 〈◊〉 the center and so passeth to the circumference the outward man The countenance is as the glasse of the soul wherein you may see the naked face of the soule according as the severall affections thereof stand In the coutenance of an understanding creature you may see more then a bare countenance The spirit of one man may see the countenance of anothers inner man in his outward countenance which hath a speech of its owne and declares what the heart saith and how it is affected But how comes God to be the salvation of our countenance Answ. I answer God onely graciously â—…nes in the face of Jesus Christ which 〈◊〉 with the eye of faith beholding receive those beames of his grace and reâ—…ct them backe againe God shineth â—…on us first and we shine in that light â—…f his countenance upon us The joy of salvation especially of spirituall and â—…all salvation is the onely true joy all other salvations end at last in destruction and are no further comfortable then they issue from Gods saving love God will have the body partake with the soule as in matter of griefe so in matter of joy the lanthorne shines in the light of the Candle within Againe God brings forth the joy of the heart into the countenance for the further â—…eading and multiplying of joy to others Next unto the sight of the sweet countenance of God is the beholding of the cheerefull countenance of a Christian friend rejoycing from true grounds Whence it is that the joy of one becomes the joy of maâ—… and the joy of many meet in one by which meanes as many lights together make the greater light so many lightsome spirits make the greater light of spirit and so God receiveth the more praise which makes him so much to delight in the prosperity of his children Hence it is that in any deliverance of Gods people the righteous doe compasse them about to know what God hath done for their soules and keep a spirituall Feast with them in partaking of their joy And the godly have cause to joy in the deliverance of other Christians because they suffered in their afflictions and it may be in their sinnes the cause of them which made them somewhat ashamed Whence it is that Davids great desire was that those who feared God might not be ashamed because of him insinuating that those who feare Gods name are ashamed of the falls of Gods people Now when God delivers them this reproach is removed and those that had part in their sorow have part in their joy Againe God will have salvation so open that it shall appeare in the countenance of his people the more to daunt and vexe the enemies Cainish hypocrites hang downe their heads when God lifts up the countenance of their brethren when the countenance of Gods children cleares up then their enemies hearts and looks are cloudy Ierusalems joy is Babylons sorow It it with the Church her enemies as it is with a ballance the scales whereof when one is up the other is downe Whilst Gods people are under a cloud carnall people insult over them as if they were men deserted of God Wherupon they hang down their heads the rather because they think that by reason of their sins Christ his Religion will suffer with them Hence Davids care was that the miseries of Gods people should not be told in Gath. The chief reason why the enemies of the Church gnash their teeth at the sight of Gods gracious dealing is that they take the rising of the Church to bee a presage of their ruine A lesson which Hamans wife had learned This is a comfort to us in these times of Iacobs trouble and Zions sorrow The captivity of the Church shall returne as rivers in the South Therefore the Church may say Reioyce not over me O my enemy though I am fallen I shall rise againe Though Christs Spouse be now as black as the Pots yet shee shall be white as the Dove If there were not great dangers where were the glory of Gods great deliverance The Church at length will be as a Cup of trembling and as a burthensome stone The blood of the Saints cry their enemies violence cryes the prayers of the Church cry for deliverance and vengeance upon the enemies of the Church and as that importunate widow will at length prevaile Shall the importunity of one poore woman prevaile with an unrighteous Iudge and shall not the prayers of many that cry unto the righteous God take effect If there were Armies of Prayers as there are Armies of men wee should see the streame of things turned another way A few Mosesâ—… the Mount would doe more good then many souldiers in the valley If wee would lift up our hearts and hands to God he would lift up our countenance But alas wee either pray not or crosse our owne prayers for want of love to the truth of God and his people It is wee that keepe Antichrist and his faction alive to plague the unthankfull world The strength he hath is not from his owne cause but from our want of zeale we hinder those Halâ—…luiahs by private brabbles coldnesse and indifferency in Religion The Church begins at this time a little to lift up
this world that Gods people are like Israel at the red â—…ea invironed with dangers on all â—…des What course have wee then to â—…ake but onely to looke up and wait for â—…he salvation of our God This is a breast full of consolation let us teach our hearts to suck and draw comfort from â—…ence Is God our God and will he suffer any thing to befall us for our hurt Will he lay any more upon us then he gives us strength to beare Will hee suffer any wind to blow upon us but for good Doth he not set us before his face Will a Father or Mother suffer a child to be wronged in their presence if they can help it Will a friend suffer his friend to be injured if he may redresse him And will God that hath put these affections into Parents and friends neglect the care of those hee hath taken so neere unto himselfe No surely his eyes are open to looke upon their condition his eares are open to their prayers a booke of remembrance is written of all their good desires speeches and actions hee hath bottles for all their teares their very sighs are not hid from him he hath written them upon the palmes of his hands and cannot but continually looke upon them Oh let us prize the favour of so good a God who though he dwels on high yet will regard things so low and not neglect the meane estate of any Nay especially delights to be called the comforter of his Elect and the God of those that are in misery and have none to flye unto but himselfe But wee must know that God onely thus graciously visits his owne children he visits with his choysest favours those onely that feare his name As for those that either secretly undermine or openly oppose the cause and Church 〈◊〉 God and joyne with his enemies â—…ch as savour not the things of God â—…t commit spirituall Idolatry and Aâ—…ltery with Gods enemies the world â—…d the devill God will answer these 〈◊〉 once he did the Israelites when in â—…eir necessity they would have forced â—…cquaintance upon him Goe to the gods â—…m you have served to the great men â—…hose persons you have obeyed for adâ—…antage to your riches to your pleaâ—…re which you have loved more then God or goodnesse you would not lose 〈◊〉 base custome an oath a superfluity a â—…hing of nothing for me therefore I will not owne you now Such men are more impudent then the devill himself â—…hat will claim acquaintance with God 〈◊〉 last when they have caried themselves as his enemies all their dayes â—…athan could tell Paul and Sylas they â—…ere the servants of the living God but â—…e would not make that plea for himselfe knowing that he was a cursed creature Miserable then is their condition who live in the world nay in the Church without God Such are in 〈◊〉 worse estate then Pagans and Iews for living in the house of God they are strangers from God and from the covenant of grace usurping the name of Christians having indeed nothing to doe with Christ. Some of these like spirituall vagabonds as Cain excommunicate themselves from Gods presence in the use of the meanes or rather like devils that will have nothing to doe with God because they are loath to be tormented before their time they thinke every good Sermon an arraigning of them and therefore keep out of reach Others will present themselves under the meanes and cary some savour away with them of what they heare but it is onely till they meete with the next temptation unto which they yeeld themselves presently slaves These shrowd themselves under a generall profession as they did who called themselves Iewes and were nothing lesse But alas an empty title will bring an empty comfort at last It was â—…old comfort to the rich man in flames that Abraham called him sonne Or to 〈◊〉 that Christ called him friend Or â—…o the rebellious Iewes that God stiles â—…em his people Such as our profession 〈◊〉 such will our comfort be True profession of Religion is another thing then most men take it to be it is made 〈◊〉 of the outward duty and the inward 〈◊〉 too which is indeed the life and â—…ule of all What the heart doth not 〈◊〉 Religion is not done God cares for no retainers that will â—…ely we are his livery but serve themselves What hast thou to doe to take his 〈◊〉 into thy mouth and hatest to be reforâ—…d Saul lived in the bosome of the Church yet being a cruell Tyrant â—…hen he was in a desperate plunge his â—…tward profession did him no good â—…d therefore when he was invironed â—…ith his enemies he uttered this doleâ—… complaint God hath sorsaken mee 〈◊〉 the Philistims are upon me A pittiâ—… case yet so will it be with all those 〈◊〉 rest in an outward profession thinking it enough to complement with God when their hearts are not right within them Such will at length bee forced to cry Sicknesse is upon mee death is upon me hell is before me and God hath forsaken me I would none of God heretofore Now God will have none of me When David himselfe had offended God by numbring the people then God counted him but plaine David Goe and say to David c. whereas before when hee purposed to build a Temple then goe tell my servant David When the Israelites had set up an Idoll then God Fathers them on Moses THY people which thou hast brought out of Egypt he would not owne them as at other times then they are MY people still whilest they keep covenant No care no present comfort in this neere relation The price of the Pearl is not known till all else be sold and we see the necessary use of it So the worth of God in Christ is never discerned till we see our lost and undone condition without him till conscience flyes in our faces and dragge us to the brink of hell thenâ—…ver â—…ver we taste how good the Lord is wee 〈◊〉 say Blessed is the people whose God is 〈◊〉 Lord. Heretofore I have heard of 〈◊〉 loving kindnesse but that is not a â—…sand part of what I see and feele â—…e joy I now appreheud is unutteraâ—… unconceiveable Oh then when we have gotten our â—…les possest of God let our study be 〈◊〉 preserve our selves in his love to â—…ke close with him that he may deâ—…t to abide with us and never forâ—…e us How basely doth the Scriptureâ—…ak â—…ak of whatsoever stands in our way 〈◊〉 makes nothing of them What is 〈◊〉 but vanity and lesse then vanity 〈◊〉 nations but as a drop of the bucket as 〈◊〉 dust of a ballance things not at all â—…siderable Flesh lookes upon them 〈◊〉 through a multiplying glasse making â—…m greater then they are but faith 〈◊〉 God doth sees them as nothing This is such a blessed condition as 〈◊〉 well challenge all our diligence in â—…ouring to be assured
in himselfe out of his goodnesse would stoop low to us And we should delight in the meditation of him not onely as good to us but as good in himselfe because goodnesse of bounty springs from goodnesse of disposition he doth good because he is good A naturall man delights more in Gods gifts then in his grace If he desires grace it is to grace himselfe not as grace making him like unto God and issuing from the first grace the free favour of God by which meanes men come to have the gifts of God without God himselfe But alas what are all other goods without the chiefe good they are but as flowers which are long in planting in cherishing and growing but short in enjoying the sweetnesse of them David here joyes in God himselfe he cares for nothing in the world but what he may have with his favour and what ever else he desires hee desires onely that he may have the better ground from thence to praise his God §. 4. The summe of all is this The state of Gods deare children in this world is to bee cast into variety of conditions wherein they consisting of nature flesh and spirit every principle hath its owne and proper working They are sensible as flesh and blood they are sensible to discouragement as sinfull flesh and blood but they recover themselves as having a higher principle Gods spirit above flesh and blood in them In this conflicting state every principle labouring to maintaine it selfe at length by helpe of the spirit backing and strengthening his owne worke grace gets the better keeping nature within bounds and suppressing corruption And this the soule so farre as it is spirituall doth by gathering it selfe to it selfe and by reasoning the case so farre till it concludes and joynes upon this issue that the onely way to attaine sound peace is when all other meanes faile to trust in God And thereupon he layes a charge upon his soule so to doe is being a course grounded upon the highest reason even the unchangeable goodnesse of God who out of the riches of his mercy having chosen a people in this world which should be to the glory of his mercy will give them matter of setting forth his praise in shewing some token of good upon them as being those on whom he hath fixed his love and to whom hee will appeare not onely a Saviour but salvation it selfe Nothing but salvation as the Sunne is nothing but light so whatsoever proceeds from him to them tends to further salvation All his wayes towards them leade to that which wayes of his though for a time they are secret and not easily found out yet at length God will be wonderfull in them to the admiration of his enemies themselves who shall be forced to say God hath done great things for them and all from this ground that God is our God in covenant Which words are a stearne that rule and guide the whole text For why should we not be disquieted when we are disquieted Why should we not be cast downe when we are cast downe Why should we trust in God as a Saviour but that he is our God making himselfe so to us in his choisest favours doing that for us which none else can doe and which he doth to none else that are not his in a gracious maner This blessed interest and intercourse betwixt Gods spirit and our spirits is the hindge upon which all turns without this no comfort is comfortable with this no trouble can be very trouble some Without this assurance there is little comfort in Soliloquies unlesse when we speake to our selves wee can speake to God as ours For in desperate cases our soule can say nothing to it selfe to still it selfe unlesse it be suggested by God Discouragements will appeare greater to the soule then any comfort unlesse God comes in as ours See therefore Davids art hee demands of himselfe why hee was so cast downe The cause was apparant because there was troubles without and terrours within and none to comfort Well grant this saith the spirit of God in him as the worst must be granted yet saith the Spirit Trust in God So I have Why then waite in trusting Light is sowen for the righteous it comes not upon the suddaine we must not think to sowe and reape both at once If trouble be lengthened lengthen thy patience What good will come of this God will waite to doe thee that good for which thou shalt praise him he will deale so graciously with thee as he will deserve thy praise he will shew thee his salvation And new favours will stirre thee up to sing new songs every new recovery of our selves or friends is as it were a new life and ministers new matter of praise And upon offering this sacrifice of praise the heart is further enlarged to pray for fresh blessings Wee are never fitter to pray then after praise But in the meane time I hang down my head whilest mine enemies carie themselves highly and my friends stand aloofe God in his owne time which is best for thee will be the salvation of thy countenance he will compasse thee about with songs of deliverance and make it appeare at last that he hath care of thee But why then doth God appeare as a stranger to me That thou shouldst follow after him with the stronger faith and prayer hee withdrawes himself that thou shouldst bee the more earnest in seeking after him God speakes the sweetest comfort to the heart in the wildernesse Happily thou art not yet low enough nor purged enough Thy affections are not throughly crucified to the world and therefore it will not yet appeare that it is Gods good will to deliver thee Wert thou a fit subject of mercy God would bestow it on thee But what ground hast thou to build thy selfe so strongly upon God He hath offered and made himselfe to be My God and so hath shewed himselfe in former times And I have made him My God by yeelding him his Soveraignty in my heart Besides the present evidence of his blessed spirit clearing the same and many peculiar tokens of his love which I daily doe enjoy though sometimes the beams of his favour are eclipsed Those that are Gods besides their interest and right in him have oft a sense of the same even in this life as a fore-taste of that which is to come To the seale of grace stamped upon their hearts God super-adds a fresh seale of joy and comfort by the presence and witnesse of his Spirit And shewes likewise some outward token for good upon them whereby he makes it appeare that hee hath set a part him that is godly for himselfe as his owne Thus we see that discussing of objections in the consistory of the soule settles the soule at last Faith at length silencing all risings to the contrary All motion tends to rest and ends in it God is the center and resting place of the soule and here
Favour of God how to preserve the sence of it 525 Failings pardoned where is no malicious intention 424 Former favours make the soule more sensible of contrary impressions 4 Friends living spirituall priviledges by them 221 Friends departure comfort in it 408 G Galeacius Caracciolus how converted 196 God makes every man a governour over himselfe 67 God still left to a good heart for comfort when all others faile 247 God onely is the fit object of trust 264 God cannot out of Christ be thought on comfortably 267 God is some mens God specially 477. Hence is the spring of all good 481. When we prove this to our soules 495. Tokens of it 501. Comfort by it in extremities 505 Gods presence sweetneth all places and estates 2 Gods glory more to be regarded then our owne good 420 God is many salvations to his people 464. A Rock not to be undermined 464 Godly men when best disposed 114. They can cast restraint on themselves in distempers 63. Can make a good use of privacy 65 Great ones in most danger 60. And why 224 Greatnesse of finne may encourage us to goe to God 355 Griefe gathered to a head will not be quieted at the first 5. It casteth downe as joy lifteth up 50. How to be mitigated 216. Griefe faulty when 94. Even godly griefe is to be bounded 97. How it is to be ordered aright 100 Griefe for sinne why wee want it so much 372. What we must doe in the want of it 382. It is not all at first 383 Griefe of contrition and of compassion 101 Growth in laying claime to God 488 Guard over the soule to be kept 170 H Hatred of sinne a good signe of grace notes of it 380 Heart of man not easily brought unto God 254 Heart to be most watcht and kept in temper 42 Heart though vile shall be fitted for God comfort and glory 390 A Heart enlarged to praise God is the chiefe deliverance 439 Heart of Christians first cheared by God then their countenance 468 Help by others in discerning our estates 287 Help where none is yet trust in God Ibid. Holinesse of God no discouragement to true Christians in their many infirmities 392 Hope the maine support of a Christian 263. The difference of it from faith Ibid. It quieteth the soule Hope most in a hopelesse estate two grounds 301. and 491. Houre of mercy not yet past if yeelded unto 368 Humbled persons comforted 370 To humble us God need not goe without us to fetch forces 109. And wee need goe no surther then our selves 151 I Idle life is ever a burthen to it selfe 32 Idlenesse is the houre of temptation 190 Imagination and opinion the cause of much disquiet 176. How it hurteth us 183. How sinfull imaginations worke upon the soule 181. The remedie and cure of this evill 183. Opportunities of helping it to be sought and taken 195. How it may be made serviceable in spirituall things 198. Not impossible to rule our imaginations 210. Misconceits about them 212 Immanuel a name of nature and of office 478 Impediments should not discourage Christians 389 Impudencie in wicked men more then in devills 522 Inclinations of soule to the creature should be at first subdued 328 Instinct supernaturall leades the godly unto God 418 Interest in God the ground of trusting in him 477 Ioy and praise help each other 430 Ioy stilleth the soule Jbid. Iudgement and reason well employed will raise up a dejected spirit 51 L Large faith and large object should be shaped together 519 Latimers three prayers all granted 433 Law of God extent and spiritualnesse of it to be considered 168 Least mercy of God must be prized 450 Liberty Christian may not be unknowne nor yet abused 32. 114. Life of a Christian a life of trouble 107 Life of Christians a mixture of good evill 428. Hid. 515 We Lose our selves most by yeelding most to our selves 60 Love such things as can returne love 122 Love of God to be lookt at in every mercy 446 Love-tokens from God arguing he is ours 501 Love of God not to be questioned grounds 298 Luther assured of a particular mercy in prayer 433 M Massacre of France terrible afterward to the King 66 Meanes whether relyed on or no. 343 Mercy of God must not bee limited by mans sinnes 358. It is Gods name he pleads for it 535 Moone in the change neerest the Sunne so wee to God in greatest dejection 18 Motions of sinne to be at first crushed 129 Murther of the tongue 19 N Nature of man since sin came in subject to misery and sorrow 9. proved 10. applyed 11 Natures favourers enemies of grace 164 Nature divine the onely counter-poyson of sin 172 Naturall righteousnesse in Adam 155 Naturall sinnes in us voluntary too 161 O Objects of Religion or conversation not to be substituted 319 Offence against God takes not away trust in God 253 Omission of duties breeds trouble to the soule 34 Opinions of others not to be too much heeded 37. 124 Opposition to sin in the godly is universall 88 Over-joying in outward comforts breeds trouble 35 Outward things no fit stayes for the soule 321. 325 P Passions conflict one with another 78 Passions not to be put to our troubles 124 Passions hid till drawne out and how this is 126 Peace the Epitome of all good 138 Perseverance in grace warranted and how 388 Portion of the godly is God alone 517 Power that wee have over our selves is of God 243 Prayer needfull to keepe our selves in temper 62 Prayer heard signes of it 453 Prayer and praise depend each on other 422. 455 Praise in trouble more minded by the godly then their delivery 420. Special times to praise God 425. No easie matter to praise God aright 439. conditions 448. motives 459. meanes of performing it 459 Prepare for an alteration of thy estate and spirit 40 Presence of God with his in worst times what it doth for them 426 Pride must ever be taken downe though the spirit be dejected 61 Pride and passion mischievous 58 Promises of God what they are in divers respects 296 Promises are not all reserved for heaven but partly verified on earth 434 Propriety in God chiefly to be laboured for 483 Providence of God makes all good to us as himselfe is good 267 It is a speciall stay of our faith 270. What God is he makes good by providence Ibid. Graces to be exercised in observing divine providence 278 R Reall praises of God necessary 451 Real things put out troublesom thoughts 185 Reason for sinne none at all 415 Reasons of a godly man are divine 417 Relations wherein wee stand to God must be all answered and how 307 Relapses pardonable and curable 366 Repentance begins in the love of God 197 Resolution necessary in Christianity 442 Want of it breeds much disquiet 34 Resolution firme peremptory to be assumed 256. renue it 258. and that quickly 260 S Salvations of God plentifull and manifold 464. To
be thought upon in trouble 466. The golden chaine of it 484 Satan and his instruments still casting-down the godly 14 Satans cunning in divers humours of Christians 26. To discourage those whom God encourageth 536 Satans study to unloose the heart from God 335 And to divide betwixt God and us Selfe-deniall requisite to praise God 440 Selfe what in the godly and what in others 110 Signes of a good estate 28 Sicknesse comfort in it 397 Sin ever unreasonable amidst seeming reasons 56 Sinne is the greatest trouble 400. Avoyd not trouble by sinne Ibid. Sinne sweet in committing bitter in the reckoning 353 Side with God in evill times 503 Sight of God not alwayes alike Reasons of it 532 Soliloquies of speciall use 220 Solitarinesse ill for afflicted ones 236. Intolerable to the wicked why 66 Sorrow weakens the heart 44 Sorrow not required for it selfe as sorrow 370. No sorrow can make satisfaction 371. Dangerous to desire it over-much 375. Popery in it Comfortable degree of sorrow for sinne when 378 Soules most constant estate in respect of sinne 577 Soule to be cited and pressed to give accounts 59 Soules excellency in reflecting on it selfe and judging all its issues 68 Soule debased by wicked men 70 Soule should be first set in order 73 Soule needs something beside it selfe to uphold it 110 Soules temper when right 97 Soule though over-borne a while gets free againe 262 Soule if gracious most sensible of the want of spirituall meanes 6. Knowes when it is well with it when ill 7 Superstition the force of it 182 Symmetrie of soule most lovely 137 T Temptation divine what it is 13 Thanks then best when it tends to praising 447 Thanks should be large 448 Thankfulnesse never without some taste of mercie 453. It is a speciall help in an afflicted condition 453. Excellent use of it 462 Thoughts to be set in order every morning 202. Are not free 203. Danger of that opinion 208 Thoughts of praise should be precious to us 430 Titles empty titles of goodnesse bring but empty comfort at last 523 Our Title in God to be maintained against all cavills 530 Trade of conversing with God the richest in the world 443 Triall of trust whether it be right 337 Troubles outward appointed to help the soule inwardly 68 Trouble inward three-fold miscarriage of it 92 Trust is the meanes to bring God and the soule together 264. To settle trust know the minde as well as the nature of God 295. Trust must answer the truth of God 300. Directions about trusting 303. Whether we may trust to friends riches or helps 318. A sinne so to doe 323 Trust it selfe not to be trusted in 326 Trusting should follow Gods order of promising 330 Tryall of our selves exceeding necessary 127 V Victory over our selves signes of it 142. How it may be obtained 147 Vniformity necessary in the lives of Christians 139 Vnthankfulnesse to God most sinfull 445. Detestable to God and man 455 Vnworthinesse may not keepe from God 489 There is a sanctified use of all troubles to Gods children 250 W. Wayting on God a necessary duty 435. What it is to wayte 437. Be ever in a wayting condition 529 Wayting difficult Helps to wait on God Will of man hath a soveraignty 162 Will of the godly conformable to Gods will 421 Worldly good hath some evill and worldly evill hath some good 132 Y. Yet not in hell not at worst a mercie and undeserved 425 Youth to be curbed quickly 61 FINIS John 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4. 〈◊〉 Ps. 95. ult Deu 28. 65 Tua praesentia Domine Laurentio ipsam craticulam dulceÌ„ fecit Judg. 7. 10. 2 Pet. 10. Heb. 7. 2. Praemium ante praemium Hoâ—…it in Gen. Respondit divinas consolationes Martyrum se sensisse Robur hostium apud Deum Ego miserrimas curas quibus te consumiscribis vehementer odi Quod sic regnat in corde tuo non est magnitudo causae sed ma gnitudo in credulitatis nostrae Si causa salsa est revocemus Si vera cur facimus illum tantis promissis mendacem I uctaâ—… contra teipsum maximum hostem 2 Cor. 1. ult 1. verse 1. 2. verse 2. Quest. Answ. verse 3. verse 4. verse 7. verse 8. Vers. 10 Obser. 1. Obser. 2. Reason Acrius urgent quae necessitatis sunt quam quae spectant ad voluptutem Obser. 3. Parts 1. 2. 1. 2. Obser. 1. 1. Christ the Head was a man of many sorrowes 2. The Church hath beene and is full of sorows 3. The members of the Church have been and are ful of crosses Acts 14. 22. Vse Obser. 2. Reas. 1. 2. 3. Outward causes of disconragement 1. God himselfe A divine temptation what Mat. 27. 46 2. In regard of Satan who is all for casting downe The devill envies our happinesse first and last 3. Satans instruments who are al for casting dovvne Psa. 35. 13. Psal. 39. 1. verse 3. Mat. 4. This was preached in the beginning of the troubles of the Church Gen. 22. 14. Quest. Vers. 10 A murther of the tongue 1 Iudg. 24. Iudges 7. 4. Discouragement comes from our selves Simile 5. A deluded fancy causes disquietnesse 2. Causes privative of discouragement in our selves 1. Ignorance in the understanding 2. Forgetfulnesse causeth discouragement 3. Not duely prizing of comforts Iob 15. 11 4. A childish peevishnes Gen. 16. 1 Kings Ionah 4. 9. Ier 31. 15. 5. False reasoning erroneous discourse A double cunning of Satan according to the humour of his patients 6. A fals method and order in judging of our estates 2 Pet. 1. Mat. 13. 20 Eph. 1. 13. 1 Iohn 4. 19. 1 Iohn 4. 20. Comfort sought in sanctification Phillip 3. Psal. 24. 3. Rom. 8. 39 To have and maintaine true comfort we must grow up holinesse 8. Want of a cleare conscience raises tumults in the soule Psal. 51. Gal. 6. 16. Ignorance of our Christian liberty Danger of abusing Christian liberty 10. Want of imployment 11. Omission of offices and duties of love Rom. 13 8 12. Want of resolution in good things 1 Kings 18. 21. Iames 1. 6. When meÌ„ lay up too much comfort in outward things Prov. 30. Mich. 2. 10 Psal. 39. 2. Too much relying upon the opinions of others Sic leve sic parvum est animum quod laudis avarum subruit aut reficit Job 1 Sam. 1. 14. 3. Too much looking and poring on evils in our selves abroad Philip. 4. 4 Vse 1. Vse 2. Obser. 1. Joh. 14. 1. Vse Obser. 2. Luk 18. 13 Reason How sorrow doth weaken the soule 1. 2. Eccles. 4. 10 Vse How to prevent casting downe Pro. 12. 25. Matt. 11. Obser. 1. Reason Remedies against casting downe disquieting Reasons against discouragement 1. It indisposes to all good duties 1. Thess. 5. 2. It Wrongs God making us thinke amisse of him 3. It makes a manforget former blessings c. 4. It makes us unfit to receive good Iames 1. 21. 5. It hinders beginners comming into Gods wayes 1 Pet. 3. Mat.