Proverbs 1.10 11. opened in some particulars 129 230 231 The 4Vse by way of comfort and encouragement in 4 cases 1. When Church-affairs do meet with a dark and gloomy day 232 233 234 2. When the Saints are under sufferings for the name and in the cause of Christ. 235 236 Some further grounds of comfort offered 237 1. That God will stand by you in the day of your suffering because your sufferings are upon you for God ibid. 2. That the spirits of all the faithfull will be up in prayer for you 238 239 3. That God doth many times so moderate and allay the fury of men that it extends not to the taking away of life 241 242 4. That your death will be life from the dead to others in a spirituall sense 243 244 245 246 5. That 't is an honourable advancement to be singled out by Christ to suffer for him 247 248 3. When you are under sore and sharp temptations from the wicked one 249 250 1 Cor. 1.30 opened 251 252 253 254 4. When you are under castings down from a fear of your eternall welfare 255 256 The last Vse of Reproof 1. The profane and carnal world are reproved in 3 Particulars 257 1. For their uncharitable censuring of suffering Saints ibid. 2. For their unjust charge of hypocrisie upon them 258 Job 8.6 7. opened 259 260 3. For that definitive sentence which they pass upon suffering Saints as though they were cast of by God 261 Isa 49.14 opened 262 Jer. 37.20 opened 263 2. This reproves those who strengthen themselves with the arme of flesh and lean upon the creature when afflictions overtake them 264 265 3. This reprooves those who will not wait the Lords time but discover Impaciency if helps come not at their own time 266 The evil fruits of impaciency 267 1. Vnbelief 268 2. Discontented murmurings ibid. 3. Vse of unlawfull means 269 Psalme 78.41 opened ibid. 4. This drawes up a charge against those that retain not a remembrance of the great mercies of God toward them neither give him the glory of them 270 Hosea 13.5 6. opened 271 5. Those are reproved who do not live up to the signal preservation they have received from the Lord. 272 273 274. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OLD JACOB's ALTAR newly Repaired OR THE SAINTS TRIANGLE of Dangers Deliverances and Duties Text PSALM 94. vers 17. Vnless the Lord had been my help my soul had almost or quickly dwelt in silence THis Book of the Psalmes hath been honoured and that deservedly with high Commendations by the Antients being termed The Soul's Anatomy The Law 's Epitomie The Gospel's Index a little Bible The Summary of both the Testaments being alledged or aliuded to eighty four times or thereabouts in the New Testament as one observeth A sweet Field and Rosary of Promises Precepts Predictions Praises Soliloquies c. A Physick Garden richly furnished with all sorts of healing plants and Medicinal herbs suited to all the Spiritual distempers frail man is incident unto The holy Pen-man being a person of choice spirit and of large experiences meeteth with all the conditions of all the Saints in their state of militancy so that out of them as out of a Storehouse every Saint may meet with rich supply suting his respective condition and his addresses to God still finding much of his own estate in some Psalme or other as though the spirit of God spake de se in re sua of him and in his particular case As Athanasius observeth containing the Characters and Representations of his thoughts meditations affections and workings of spirit towards God towards man towards himself throughout all the changes of his Pilgrimage An Epitomy of the Bible or a little Bible as Luther calls it in this present world The Apostle James Chap. 5. ver 13. gives this general advice Is any afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes Lo here is the bread of mourners for sad spirits and here is the oyl of gladness for merry hearts here are healing potions for all heart distempers and cordial waters for all sinking spirits yea choice experiences to strengthen fainting soules in the day of their distress more pleasant then the pooles of Heshbon more glorious then the Tower of Lebanon more redolent then the oyl of Aaron and more fructifying then the dew of Hermon as one expresseth it and amongst many Psalmes though this hath not the Title Michtam of David affixed to it to wit A golden Psalme or David's precious jewel yet it is as the first borne among many brethren from a very small Parcel whereof viz. vers 17. we may consider a double acknowledgment 1. Of imminent danger set forth 1. By the nearness of it 2. By the greatness of it 2. Of eminent Deliverance in two considerable Circumstances 1. The reasonableness of Help 2. The sufficiencie of Help Which Considerations will appear to be very genuine and to be the plain meaning of the Prophet if we take the Text in pieces and examine each word apart 1. Except the Lord or if the Lord had not stood by me and appeared in the very nick of time this implieth the seasonableness of help the Lord usually reserving his hand for a dead lift as that passage Psal 124. vers 1 2 3. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick the word is used Psal 119. vers 92. Vnless thy Law had been my delight I should then have perished in my affliction which was the Lantgrave of Hessen's support Melancthon reporteth that he told him at Dresda That it had been impossible for him to have borne up under the manifold miseries of his so long imprisonment nisi habuisset consolationem ex verbo divino in corde suo If the Word of God had not brought in consolation into his heart Joh. Manl. loc comm pag. 139. alledged by Mr. Trap. in Psal 119.92 2. Had been my help the word signifieth not onely Help but summum plenum auxilium an helpfulness or full help the Hebrew hath a letter more then ordinarie to encrease the signification as learned Mr. Leigh observeth There is the sufficiency of help 3. My soul i. e. my life the word in the Heb. being often translated life of which the soul is the spring and fountain as Job 2. vers 6. The Lord saith unto Sathan Behold he is in thine hand but save his life I give thee full commission against the body of my righteous servant Job to fill it with diseases and distempers as he did it to purpose but not to take away his life This argueth the greatness of David's danger his Life had dwelt in silence that is his life had been gone and his dead corps had been laid in the grave as Psal 115. vers 17. The dead praise not thee neither
speeches and hard dealings as I meet withall Oh! this man that complaineth now on earth might ere now have cryed out in Hell He that weepeth on earth might long since have wailed in hell and he that gnasheth his teeth against God for his present sufferings might have had gnashing of teeth in endless and easless torments Oh then Wherefore doth living man complain Oh! this is a quieting Consideration to keep down all impatient risings of heart against God in a day of distress and will lead out the spirit to submit unto and trust God in the greatest streights For as it followes in the second head of Doctrine Doctrine 2 The Saints of God do sometimes meet with such distresses that cut off all hopes of deliverance from man Reason is at a stand heart and flesh fail carnal policy is at a loss all proud helpers stoop in vain yea Faith it self beginneth to flagge Thus Gen. 21. vers 14 15 16. Hagar with her sonne are cast out of Abraham's family and are now in a wilderness a place inhabited onely by wilde beasts their stock of provision spent and no supplies to be had What then what courss will Hagar take why she layeth down her beloved boy under a bush And what then she goeth a distance from him not being able to bear his dying groanes and cryes and having emptyed her bottle of water she seeketh to emptie her moaning heart by teares seeing nothing but the death of her Sonne as knowing no way to prevent it a great distress a sad streight but not her case alone Many of the Saints of God have come to the emptying of their bottles to cases of utmost extremitie a parralel case was that of the poor widow 1 Kings 17. vers 12. her whole store was spent and markets shut up as to new supplies a handfull of meal in the barrel and a little oyl in the cruse was her whole livelihood and she is now gathering a handfull of sticks to bake one cake for her self and her Sonne and what will she do when that cake is eaten did she see relief coming some other way no these were her thoughts she and her sonne would eat that cake and die It were easie to multiply presidencies of this kinde upon both accounts temporall and spirituall streights of bodie and pressures of spirit have been matter of the Saints complaint 1. Oh then thou that art a servant of the Lord who hast not been brought into these streights upon whom such a day of distress hath not been but findest the incomes of the spirit dost take in comfort from the promises walkest in the light of God's countenance and hast the candle of the Lord shining upon thy Tabernacle as 1 Kings 1.6 That hast been the Lords Adonijah Oh! charge it home by the way of thankfulness upon thy heart that the Lord should lead thee unto the land of rest and not by the way of the wilderness 2. Let thy bowels yearn toward the distressed of the Lord pity them pray for them and administer seasonable supplies of comfort to them considering thy self as being in the body especially let thy heart go out in tender compassions towards the afflicted in spirit to those who are brought into soul streights whose case runneth parallel with that of Heman Psal 88. ver 3. My soul is full of troubles Heb. is satiated with evills hath its fill is brimm'd up yea running over and these so pressing that my life draweth nigh to the grave and then vers 8. I am shut up I am a prisoner under restraint I but it is libera custodia he may go forth with his keeper no I cannot go forth Oh! t is a sad thing to be a close Prisoner to be so shut up that he cannot steppe one foot beyond the grate to take any contentment in the creature any delight in outward enjoyments or any comforts in relations Ah but Heman's case is far sadder he is so shut up that his spirit cannot go forth in prayer to fetch in comfort from the Promises nor healing from the Spirit nor life from Jesus Christ nor pardoning mercy from the God and Father of mercies nor evidence of Electing love nor assurance of Redeeming grace nor demonstrations of Adopting grace nay nor satisfying and soul-quieting conclusions of truth of grace but free amongst the dead like the slain in the grave whom God remembreth no more Dead to duty dead in duty dead from duty spirit dead and heart dead affections dead desires dead comforts dead hope dead faith dead yea all dead Oh! this is sad above what words can express onely the heart knoweth its own bitterness yet this day of distress hath been upon many precious Saints Oh! then draw forth the breasts of consolation to such sad souls Stay them with flaggons comfort them with apples And let this give you incouraging hopes of success in all your applications that the appearances of God are eminent and immediate in the day of his peoples greatest distress which is the main point I pitch upon as being the chief scope of the Text. Doct. 3 The Lord comes in often with seasonable and suitable mercies in times of greatest miseries He loveth to be seen on the Mount to be a present help in the needful time of trouble to help when none else can help when refuge faileth and hope is now at the giving up the ghost See that Gen. 21. vers 17 18. When Hagars fears were highest and her faith lowest as too oft is seen that when fear is up then faith is down when death was coming and life going when the water was spent her patience spent and all spent when she had received the sentence of death within her self for her self at least for her son whom she had given up for a dead childe Then then God heard the voyce of the lad and calleth unto her and biddeth her lift up the lad yea her own faith and hope and spirit for there was an universal sinking in her and telleth her he will make him a great Nation as if he had said Fear not the life of the lad for there are many lives bound up in his life if I should let him perish I should lose a Nation yea a great Nation and that distrustful thoughts might not arise in her heart God openeth her eyes and she saw a Well of water and gave the lad drink Let us pitch down a little upon this Quotation for it is a place of pleasant springs and draw these Observations 1. That the goodness of God is a springing fountain unto the Saints even in a wilderness Psal 107.35 There is alwayes water in this fountain Psal 36. vers 9. With thee is the fountain of life There are springs of providence and springs of promises both which do send forth refreshing streams unto the Saints There are alwayes supplies in the Lords store-house fresh cordials in the Lords closet yea he can and will create deliverances for his Jacobs though
it how good is a word of comfort spoken to a drooping soul in a day of mourning How good is a word of peace spoken by the Lord to a wounded spirit and then when its wounds are fresh and bleeding can any heart but the heart of Experiences conceive what healings those words of Christ brought to the poor woman Luke 7. v. 48. thy sinnes are forgiven thee being spake at that season when her heart was poured out under a deep sence of sinne Who can calculate what revivings of spirit the saint-thief felt from that seasonable Promise To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luke 23. ver 43. being so rightly timed even in ipso articulo mortis in the very moment before his death and when his conscience was both awakened and wounded with sinne Oh! surely the timeing of love doth marvellously add to the beauty of it and when is it so seasonable as in a day of distress A cup of cold water with one morsel of bread given to a weary and thirsty Traveller is more then a full meal at another time How pleasantly did Iael's milk relish upon Siserah's pallate when he was thirsty Judg. 4 vers 19. A small piece of silver given to a poor man when he wanteth to buy bread for his family is more then a great sum given at a time when his cupboard is full of bread Abrother is born for adversity and sure kindness shewed to a brother in a day of adversity speaketh up love with the loudest accents Now God reserveth his paternal love to such a time and then he unbosometh himself unto his people and at such a time his people read the love of God in the most legible Characters some drops of love taste sweeter then and are owned more then full draughts of love at another time Good Asaph experienced and acknowledged this Psal 73. vers 25 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee None in heaven none on earth No God is above all in this good mans esteem How cometh it to pass that God hath such a glorious high throne in Asaphs heart Oh saith he there is good reason for it and you will say so too when you know what love and good will God hath shewed unto me Oh! I was in such a sinking and dispairing condition That my flesh and my heart failed me heart and hope and help and all were gone I but then The Lord was the strength of my heart my heart stayed upon God as upon a firm rock the Lord was unto me as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land and he is my portion for ever he hath put in security for my everlasting safety Oh behold what manner of love is this and therefore he draweth up this conclusion It is good for me to draw nigh to God to rowle upon God in all my streights These appearances of God do make his love so visible and glorious that Angels and men may read it and say Behold how he loveth them Reason 4 4. Again God doth hereby more engage his people unto him he maketh them more his own getteth into their very hearts and setteth up his royal standard there There is nothing layeth stronger engagements upon an ingenious person then friendship in a day of adversity Jonathans interposures for David when Saul hunted for his life were so powerful upon Davids spirit that he wanted ways and words to express his sense of them his heart like a vessel of new wine sought for vent even when Jonathan was dead 2 Sam. 9.1 He putteth the question or rather maketh general proclamation Is their yet any left of the house of Saul What Is David afraid of a Corrival in the Kingdom Would he cut of the whole family of Saul to secure the crown upon his own head No this is not the ground of his enquiring but That I may shew him kindness not a word of revenge notwithstanding the haâ—red and hostility of Saul their father But why kindness Why he explaineth himself For Jonathan sake and again he reneweth his â—nquiry vers 3. To which Ziba replieth Jonathan hath yeâ—â—â— son who is lame of his feet A son of Jonathan that 's well but he is lame yea lame of his feet and so serviceable neither in Court nor Campe fit neither to stand before a Prince nor to march in the head of an Army No matter I will shew the kindness of God unto him and vers 7. when the lame son of Jâ—nathan is brought David said unto him Fear not it seemeth the remembrance of Sauls cruelty caused a trembling upon his Grand-sons spirit therefore David meets him with a cordial at the very door Fear not for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy fathers sake Oh! Jonathan was my friend a dear friend he hazarded his own life to save mine and therefore I am obliged to shew kindness to him even in his posterity in like manner the hearts of Gods people are drawn out unto him under the sence of great deliverances See how Moses and Israel were up in their spirits unto the Lord when they were now brought off from Egypt and beheld their cruel Taskmasters quackened in the red Sea Exod. 15. ver 2. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song c. The Lord is my strength and my song and he is become my salvation What then Oh! He is my God and I will prepare him an habitation God shall keep house in my heart there shall be the dwelling place of the Lord even of that God who is become my salvation and thus Psal 116. vers 1. I love the Lord my heart flameth out with hot affection to the Lord and why for vers 8. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling There 's nothing hears and heightens like unto a lively sense of the mercies of God in a day of distress The Saints are much wanting to themselves and more unto God in the neglect of this did we do this more God would have more of our hearts and hands too then he hath the love of Christ would constrain if we did often read over the stoâ—ry of it writ in his own blood Reason 5 Lastly The Lord cometh in seasonably and fully to his peoples relief in the day of their distress That he might blast the hope of their enemies and give their expectation the lye when they look for the down fall of Zion when adversity knocketh at the Saints door yea breaketh in forceably upon them then is the time come that the wicked looked for the day that they have longed after for surely the Serpents seed are true to their own principles they do really desire that the name of Israel was blotted out Cooperite cooperite diruite eximis sabvertite fundamentis Buchan and that their remembrance might perish from off the earth This was the language of Edom in the
earthquake though the house of Saul was gone yet his own house was a seed-plat of troubles unto him Amnon defiling Thamar Absolom slaying Amnon usurping the Crown and driving David from Jerusalem c. The Lord set this home in much mercy Vse 3. I shall come now to an Use of Exhortation Are the appearances of God eminent and glorious to his people in the day of their distress Hast thou experienced them to be so in thine own case canst thou witness this truth Except the Lord had heen thy help thy soul had well night dwelt in silence thou wert within a hairs breadth of death Oh consider what thy straights have been hast thou been in perils of waters or in perils of robbers or in perils of the City or imporils in the wilderness or in perils amongst false brethren in perils of war at home by thy own Country-men and abroad by strangers and hath the Lord been seen upon the Mount hath he come in with seasonable supplies and brought thee off from the borders of the grave Oh! what have thy returns to God been what improvement hast thou made to his glory and thy own spiritual growth how hath thine heart gone after the God of thy salvation If thou hast taken up the cup of blessing and praised the name of the Lord if thou hast paid the vâ—ws which thou madest in the day of thy distress If the sense of mercy hath had a kindely work upon thy spirit and brought forth the blessed fruits of sanctity newness of life new obedience and a total resignation of thy self unto God if thou livest in a lively sense of these things resolving in the strength of grace received to spend that life which thou receivedst from the dead not to the lusts of men but to the will of God and from a sense of thy temporal doest work out thine own eternal salvation with fear and trembling my work is done my end attained I have nothing to urge by way of exhortation upon thee onely desire to bless the Lord with and for thee endeavouring to draw up after thee exhibiting thy pattern as exemplary to my practice I profess my self to be much at the foot of the hill and far below such high at â—â—inments although my obligations to the most High God are very many and my experience of preserving mercy hath been very signal the sense whereof hath led me out to this Discourse and made these meditations publick Hence then by a frequent converse with mine own heart and often feeling the pulse of mure own spirit I have grounds to beleeve that a word of advice may be seasonable upon this subject to others and to my self seeing too little of this nature doth come either from Press or Pulpit there being very few who say Where is the Lord that brought us out of Egypt that led us through the wildernes through a land of drought and of the shadow of death And therfore in the strength of the Lord conduct of his teaching Spirit I shall improve this Doctrine by way of advice 1. To some peculiar Christians in a distinct capacity from other mâ—n I mean to some ranks and orders of men 2. To Christians in general without such particular references onely as they meet in Christ the common head and in the Church the common hody In my first address I shall onely single forth five ranks of men to speak unto 1. The Magistrates 2. The Ministers 3. Military-men 4. Mariners and Merchants whosetraflick and imployments lye at Sea 5. The restored ones of the land whom the Lord hath ransomed from the grave in these late dayes of Visitation 1. I humbly crave leave to be-speak the Magistrates with a word of Exhortation Ye that be the Rulers of the people and Judges of Israel let me beseech you seriously and often to consider the worth and weightiness of your office that though this or that title this or that form of administration be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an humane creature an ordinance of man 1 Pet. 2. vers 13. yet Government and Magistracy it self is an Ordinance and Institution of God himself Rom. 13. vers 1 2. That the cause which cometh before you is the cause of God Deut. 1. vers 17. That ye judge not for man but for God who is with you in judgement 2 Chron. 19. vers 6. that the dignity of place unto which ye are advanced is exceeding high ye being the Vicegerents of the most High God in all Civill administrations and upon whom the Name of God himself is called Ps 82. v. 1 6. I have said ye are Eloh'm Because God had conferred a part of his 〈…〉 and Judicâ—ary power upon them Mr. Iackson in lec Gods and all of you are children of the mâ—st High not by adoption of grace but by administration of office That the expectation of the Lords people is great from your That now the Lord hath turned his hand so much and often upon you as the Potter turns and fashions his vessel upon the wheel your dross should be purely purged away and all your tin wasted and that their Judges should be as at the first and their Counsellors as at the beginning such as David Hezekiah and Josiah were amongst the Kings and such as Joshuah Zerubbabel and Nehemiah were amongst the Judges and Governours of Israel that so their Jerusalem may be called the City of righteousness and their Nation an habitation of Justice That Zion may be redeemed with judgement and her converts with righteousness Isa 1. vers 25.26 27. and let it not be ill resented that I intreat you to consider how small your springs were which are now spread into broad Rivers how Jacob-like the passage of some have been over this Jordan Gen. 32. vers 10. How much of truth there is in Hannah's Song 1 Sam. 2. vers 7 8. And in Davids Psalm Psal 113. vers 7 8. one ecchoing to another like the Seraphims in Isaiah The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up he raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up egentem the needy from the dunghil to set them among Princes to make them inherit the throne of glory As David Agathocles Numa Maximinianus c. and that ye would alwayes keep a fresh sense of these three Considerations upon your spirits you that have owned the cause of God and acted in the work of this generation 1. Consideration Cousider how eminent and glorious the appearances of God have been unto you how the arm of God hath been mightily out-stretched for you when you met with opposition to blood and wasting in the Land and that from a numerous and inraged enemy How often the Lord defeated the plots befooled the Councels and broke the power and Armies of them who lifted up themselves against you and Amalek-like fought you in Rephidim when you were upon your march through the Wilderness to the land of promise and who were as
have been dwarfed in their growth dwindled in their fruit and decayed in their sent How was it with the Church Can. 2. ver 3 4.5 Like the apple tree among the trees of the foreest so is my well beloved among thâ—sons of men Isate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my taste At what a rate in this verse and some following verses doth she speak forth the praises and preciousnesse of the Lord Jesus expressing her delight complacency and acquiescence in him and the ardency and strength of her holy affections towards him again chap. 3. ver 1 2 3 4. How earnestly and instantly did she seek the Lord Jesus in his withdrawings from her How hastily did she get out of her bed and trudge to Jerusalem where the Temple Priests and ordinances were to find her beloved Jesus and how did she lay hold upon him and cling unto him clasp him with the embraces of faith and love and would not part with him untill she had her desires fulfilled like Jacob Gen. 32. ver 26. nay Chap. 4. ver 16. How fervently doth she pray for the graces and in-breathings of the spirit and invite her beloved to come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit and yet what an unhandsome return and how inevitable to all those affectionate pangs did the Lord Jesus receive from her Chap. 5. ver 3. Christ gives her a visit and calls to her to open the door and entertain him and she from within replies I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them what a pictifull answer is here and what poor reasons are here produced I have put off my coat like that Luke 11. ver 7. Tr uble me not the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed I cann't rise A great businesse sure to have risen a little from his children and opened the door to relieve the want of a neighbour the flesh is wayward as well as weak I cannot sayes he how can I saith she well enough she was past a child and not yet grown so decrepid with old age but she could make her self ready at least she might have slipt on her morning coat and stept to the door without any danger of taking cold but sin and shifting came into the world together as one observeth and the brats of our own begetting are alwayes with us in the bed of carnall security and flesh-pleasing yet let us a little plead the Churches cause and advocate for her to take off the rigour of the charge It may be she was asleep and had then let fall the watch of the Lord no she sayes ver 2. I sleep but my heart waketh there was wakfulnesse in the hidden man of the heart though her eyes might be a little drowsie It may be Christ made no noise without nor gave any notice he was there yes he knocked it may be he did but onely knock and in the night we are not willing to open the door unlesse we hear the voice of him that knocketh I but Christ both knocked and called It may be she did not know his voice and therefore did not open a chaste wife will not at unseasonable hours arise and open her doors unto a stranger in her husbands absence I but she knew his voice vers 2. It is the voice of my well beloved that knocketh It may be Christ onely knocked and called like a friend in his journey onely to enquire how it fared with her or to speak unto her at the window nay he spake his plain meaning He had her open unto him which implies his desire to have entered her house It may be Christ had given her some distast had let fall some unkind words which made her a little pettish a common fault among women or else the match was broke off no Christ owns her as his Beloved and courts her with the most winning and amicable tearms of love My Sister my Love my Dove my undefiled I but it may be Christ was too quick for her gave but a knock and a call and was gone before she could rise and open the door No Christ stayed till his head was filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night Christ stands bare headed and that in foul weather yea in the night time wooing intreating and beseeching admittance yet could obtain none but must go seek lodging in some other place Dr. Richardson in loc as one says All these circumstances being put into the ballance do sadly speak out both the fault and folly of the Church and give full testimony to those distempers which seize upon the best Saints But how did the Lord Jesus the best and great Physitian bring off the Church from this distemper Why vers 4. He put in his hand by the hole of the door the key hole Why his hand the reason of the phrase may be this we know the hand is the chief instrument of action with that we work we write we fight c. So the spirit is as the hand of Christ by him he convinceth quickeneth teacheth comforteth illighteneth and strengtheneth his people as Act. 11.20 21. those that were scattered spake unto the Grecians and preached the Lord Jesus And the hand of the Lord was with them so that a great number believed and turned unto the Lord so powerful and present was the spirit of the Lord in succeeding their Gospel-Ministery that faith was wrought in many of the Gentile-Grecians here the hand of the Lord implyed the blessing power and concurrence of the spirit of Christ so Christ put in his hand by the key-hole that is sent in his spirit to awaken reprove and convince the spouse of her great unkindness toward him by the way take this note Note That the spirit can finde a passage into the heart though the doors be barred and bolted never so fast The key of David will open any lock Satan with all his skill and artifice cannot frame a lock of such cross and curious wards and work that this key cannot open the spirit acts with irresistibility in the saving communications of grace to the stoutest sinner Lord what wilt thou have me to do was Sauls question the lock was soon opened the spirit had quickly got into his heart So here the spirit was quickly within doors and what then her bowels were moved for Christ she had no rest in her spirit her bowels yearned after him There was a strange tumult raised within her Heb. the word carries that signification her heart aked and quaked being by the spirit convinced of her unkind and inconjugal carriage toward her dear Lord This brought her off from her bed now she could put on her coat and feared not the fouling of her feet she starts and stirs and hastens to open the door and as soon as she had taken the key in her hand Her hands
unto them it is the presence of God that giveth light and life unto the soul and therefore when God hides his face they are troubled Psal 30.7 This cast the Spouse into a swooning fit you may finde her dead up the ground Cant. 5.6 My soul failed ceased all vital operation and if you inquire into her distemper what it was that came so near her heart she will tell you My beloved hath withdrawn himself and is gone he hath hid himself and I cannot finde him he hath broke up house and gone and if Christ be gone all is gone with her she had such panges of love such a Paroxisme of conjugal affection that the absence of her beloved struck cold to her very heart just as it was with Micha Judg. 18.23 24. When the Danites had plundered him of his Priest his Ephod and his Teraphim he runs crying after them and when they said unto him what ailest thou O says he you have taken away my God and my Priest and are gone away and what have I more Alas ye have undone me ye have left me God-less and Priest-less and what have I more All I have left is but lumber is but as empty caskes my estate my riches my comfort my happiness lay in these So it is with a gracious soul wife is nothing children nothing friends nothing honor nothing estate nothing all nothing when Christ is gone what have I more says a poor believer and if ever poor now is he so in his own apprehension Ah! Christ is so his all that when Christ is gone though indeed he is but stepped aside a little he loves his unto the end and therefore never leaves them all is gone with him peace gone joy gone comfort gone hope gone faith gone I and heaven too in his thoughts and what are all his enjoyments then but dorss dogs-meat but trash and lumber many sad stories may be told on this subject the bitterness of soul that the Saints have felt in the withdrawings of Christ hath been exceeding sad How at such a time as this if Ministers and Christian friends apply promise after promise speak comfort in the sweetest and most Evangelicat strain that can be yet no plaister will stick no cordial will stay no comfort will be taken he will tell you they are blessed who have a right to promises but I have none Gospel-priviledges are a precious portion But not to me they are blessed whose unrighteousness is forgiven and whose sin is covered but mine is charged there is fullness of joy in the presence of God but I am a cast-out they are happy indeed that shall spend eternity in heaven but I shall never come thither Many expressions of this nature speaking much distress of soul and much dispair have faln from the lips of Saints in times of great desertion If Israel make them a golden calf it is in the absence of Moses and if ever Satan gain upon the Saints it must be when Christ is withdrawn he knows that and therefore he presseth hard upon them at such a time now I am much perswaded that if an experienced Christian would make an humble and faithful narrative of his own condition to a deserted Sainâ— and tell him such hath been my case time was when the Lord hid his face from me when the lovingkindnessâ—s of God were shut up in displeasure against me when I had lost all communion with God all sense of pardoning and accepting grace with God when I could not poure forth my soul in prayer unto God and when I had no incomes by way of comfort from God though Ministers and Christians spake comfortably unto me spread the precious truths promises and priviledges of the Gospel before me and argued clearly and convincingly concerning my spirituall estate proving by evident demonstrations that I was in a state of grace a child of God an heir of life and under the peculiar love of God though at present the sence thereof was suspended for a little while yet such a damp had seized upon my spirit my soul was so filled with horrors and such sad apprehensions had I of sin and wrath that I lay at the very gates of hell nay so subtle a disputant was I being prompted by that old Sophister the devil that I could frame such arguments so full of fraud and fallacies that all my friends could not answer them and could with that readiness answer all their arguments that there was none could tell how to oppose me so that I triumphed as it were in that sad victory that I had baffled all my opponents and held up the cudgels against all comers But by the goodness of the Lord the mist is broke up the clouds are scattered the face of God appears again and I finde joy and peace and comfort in my soul yea the beams of Gods favor shine brighter and the streams of consolation run more fresh and freely then ever they did I found that precious promise made good to me Isa 54.7 8 9. For a little while have I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment in mine anger I hide my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee says the Lord thy Redeemer for this is unto me as the waters of Noah for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be angry with thee nor rebuke thee for the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee And therefore be comforted O thou deserted Saint the Lord Jesus stands at thy door and knocks open open then unto him and he will come in to thee and sup with thee and thou with him Rev. 3.20 There is a table spread his comforts are dished out the chairs are all ready set and I am sent as a messenger from the Lord to invite thee to this banquet and to assure thee in the name of thy dear Jesus that thou shalt eat many a meal at his table and thy countenance shall be no more sad Prov. 12.25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop but a good word maketh it glad Oh sure these experiments as to desertion and as to consolation as to the withdrawings and the returns of Gods favour would marvailously revive a drooping Saint and make his stooping heart glad my reasons are these 1. Because the methods of God in correcting and comforting his people are the same their tryals and their triumphs are alike as face answers face in a glass so the condition of one Saint answers another There is no new thing under the Sun that which is now hath been there is no temptation happeneth to any but what is common to man 1 Cor. 10.13 Yea the best of men 2. Because
tinctured with a deep sense of that darkness which was upon you when day first broke upon your souls what desperate courses you were engaged in and out of what company the Lord pluckt you with whom ye were folded as thornes before conversion own the conduct of that providence whereby you have been led from Beth-haven to Beth-El from profane places and societies into such families such fellowships and Congregations where Religion has been owned family-duties carefully observed Sabbath-strictnes advanced the Word spiritually dispensed and holiness has been contended for whereby a saveving change has been brought forth in you or you have been more built up in faith and holiness Let the consideration of what you are compared with what you have been be much upon your spirits that you may with thankfulness adore the riches of that mercy by which you have been differenced as to present grace and hope of future glory from the profane world 3. Keep up your first love to Christ and your first hatred to sin Yonge converts have usually strong affections Those sinnes which have been Peccata in deliciis which have had most of the heart are most upon the conscience most in the confession most in the holy mournings and are most the abhorency of new Converts Again such is their sense of differencing mercy that they are all Love to God and all Zeal for his glory Apoc. 2.2 3. Mihi sane Auxentius nunquam aliud quam diabolus erit quia Arrianus Hilar. you may read this in the gallantrie of the Ephesians spirit I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil either passions in thy soul or persons in thy society c. a high strain of Love the stream must needs be strong that turns all these wheeles it argues a great force of affection to draw out the soul into all these noble actings for Christ but as a well-kindled fire abates in heat and light as the fuel wastes or as a passionate lover remits of that violent affection when the person beloved has been some time enjoyed So it fareth with these Ephesian Christians they left their first love the love of their Espousals and so became Aphesis â— Mr. Trap. n loc remiss and careless possest with a spirit of sloth and indevotion O let not this charg be drawn up against us that the candlestick may not be remooved from us What attempts have been made to un-church un-sabboth and un-gospel us and how signally the Lord has appeared for us you know O remember that strength of zeal that warmth of spirit that height of love to God his truth waies and people those sighings prayings fastings fightings c. that were amongst us when the yoak was loosned from our necks and when a doore was first opened unto us for Religion and Reformation in the long Parliament Labour therefore to keep up your first abhorency of sin and your first affection to Jesus Christ 4. Cherish an high esteem of Gospel-ordinances Remember how pretious the word was then unto you when visions were scarce how you blessed God for it and rejoyced in it when you ran to and fro to find it how your feet stood in the house of the Lord and you flew as Doves to their windows swiftly and in flocks when Pulpits began to be filled with zealous spiritual and conscientious Preachers O let not this Manna lose any of it's sweetness upon your tastes now that you have it in so much peace and plenty Bread if wanting is called for though the table be heaped with dishes The word is bread to all creature-comforts 't is that which makes them noble and nourishing O then be often in the galleries with the King Cant. 7.5 drink deep of his spiced wine feed freely of those dainties which are prepared and served out by the Eternal Spirit When you here a Sermon-bell think you hear a voice from heaven calling you in the words of Divine Herbert Come hither all whose taste Is your waste Save your cost and mend your fare God is here prepar'd and drest And the feast God in whom all dainties are You know and lament the negligence of some and the wantonness of others thin Congregations and empty seats is not the complaint of a simple Minister 1 Pet. 2.2 Still desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby Do not wean your selves from the breast whilst you are in a growing estate and never think you are past growth Ephes 4 13. until you be come to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ which state of perfection Scripture and your own experience duly consulted with will tell you is not attainable on this side Heaven 5. Maintain an evangelical brotherly love amongst your selves Love is the greate Gospel Soder and Cement a characteristical note of Christ's Disciples without which the highest pretence to piety and profession is under censure by the Holy Ghost Iac. 3.14 15 16. O how did Christians cling together in times of trouble What friendly entertainment did Saints find in the hearts and houses each of other when they were forced from their dwellings by an enraged enemy how did the old Primitive and puritane love begin to spring up and flourish in England And now that we have no enemy to quarrel with will you needs quarrel one with another What an unsuitable return is this unto the God of Peace for his astonishing mercies and preservations Ah friends well may the Lord take this ill from his people after such notable deliverances as ours have been it was a good wish of an Heathen Vtinam inimicitiae mortales Livye amicitiae immortales essent and I wish the same that your friendships were immortal your enmites mortal that your dissentions like to Jonas his Gourd might die at the root in one night and that Brotherly love might continue as a Teyle-tree and as an Oake whose substance is in them 1 Ioh. 3.14 vers 18. O then preserve this evidence for heaven un-blurred in your souls that you may know you are passed from death unto life because you love the Brethren let love be without dissimulation love not in word and in tongue onely but in deed and in truth it is easy to make them two who were never truly one to make them foes who were never truly friends to keep them oft from being one bread who were never one body And in case of difference leave your gift at the Altar not leave the Altar that 's not the mind of Christ and goe and reconcile your selves There is a memorable story of Aristippus an Heathen who went of his own accord to Aeschines his enemy saying shall we not be reconciled until we become a Table-talk to all the Country To whom Aeschines replied that he would gladly be at peace with him remember therefore said Aristippus that although I am the elder
of light and liberty do conscientiously act under different perswasions in indifferent things and therefore do much stand in need of Christian and prudent Moderators who may keep our fingers out of one anothers consciences may protect us from the violence of imposing spirits and principles and that uniformity may not be pressed with a Prelatical but with an Evangelical spirit in disciplinary points when the winde bloweth high and cross if the Pilot doth not wisely govern the helme the ship is in danger to be split at least much of the precious lading to be lost 2. That a sense of eminent preservations may stir you up to a careful suppression of sin and wickedness by a vigorous pursuit of such penal Laws as are now in force and by enacting more severe or adding to the former wherein they are defective that the Nation may not abound with oaths pride drunkenness thefts uncleanness oppression by depopulating inclosures and other abominations as it hath done and still doth nor mourn under a sad fear of that great controversie which the Lord may justly take up against it for them Hos 4. vers 1 2 3. That in order to this active and conscientious Magistrates may be placed in every County godly and stirring officers may be chosen and encouraged in every Town which affordeth persons meet for such a trust that the number of Ale-houses which have been the seminaries and seed-plots of vice and villanies may still be suppressed as they have lately been in great measure by the care of some worthy persons among us and that in order to both the Tables you may be a terrour to evill works not bearing the sword in vain Rom. 13. vers 3 4. having this inscription engraven upon all your Judiciary proceedings as was upon the sword of Charles the Great Decem preceptorum custos Carolus Charles is keeper of the ten Commandements and that upon account of your lenity and remisness to offenders that may not justly be said unto you by the Saints as was by the poor Smith to the Lantgrave of Thuring Duresce Duresce O infoelix Lantgrave 3. Improve your share in National mercies and personal yea Magistratical preservations to the comfort and countenance of the good people of the land though poor and inconsiderable upon any worldly account These all along have prayed for you and ventured all under you that you may speak those words Zech. 12. vers 5. The Governors of Judah shall say in their heart the Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of Hosts their God Surely the people of the Land who have a Covenant-interest in the Lord of Hosts have been much your strength under God both upon the Mount by praying and in the valley by fighting when your straights have been the greatest Oh then what Rabshekah spake in a bad sense give me leave to speak with some change of words in a good sense Isa 36. verf. 9. How then will ye turn away the face of one Captain of the least of my Masters servants So just how then will ye turn away your faces from the complaints of the least of my Masters servants the Saints and subjects of the King of Zion or how then will you dis-ingage the least of them that they should turn away their faces from praying for you much less turn their prayers against you Oh remember they have been your strength in the day of battel your sleighting of such in their addresments unto you and not pleading their cause in case of wrong and oppression when their Adversaries have been too mighty for them and relief could only be had from a Court of Equity and in a course of equity hath been much complained of upon earth and will hear very ill in heaven in the ears of the Lord of Hosts their God Oh then be Eliakims to the poor of the flock and make good that Prophesie That upon you may be hanged all vessels of smaell quantity from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flaggons Isa 22.24 Great vessels can stand upon their own bottoms And surely the fresh records of those glorious things which the Lord hath brought forth by you and for you will engage you to the things propounded yea to greater then these if set home by the Lord upon your hearts and that as returns for received mercies I shall apply this doctrine to my brethren of the Ministery suffer I beseech you a word of exhortation from one who is low in name and gifts in Israel yet your brother and fellow labourer in the Lords vineyard for the bringing in and building up of souls that I may give up my accounts with joy and through rich grace and free mercy in Jesus Christ may receive a crown of glory which fadeth not away when the great Shepherd shall appear 1 Pet. 5.4 whose glorious appearance we look for and long after and which according to Cronological computation and the opinion of some draweth near and indeed to believers ought to be ever at hand in the meditation and expectancy of it and mostly to the Ministers that we may be quickened up to duty and diligence That when our Lord cometh he may finde us doing his own works The elders therefore I exhort who also am an elder as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 5.1 though unworthy of that honor and office that you would improve the appearances of God which have been eminent and immediate in the day of his peoples distress Ah brethren hath a day of distress been upon us and hath the Lord stood by and strengthened us in all attempts which have been made against us Have we been stars and still are we in the hands Jesus Christ hath the Lord made us a fenced brazen wall unto the people of this nation when we have taken forth the precious from the vile in obedience to Gods command and Gospel-Order have they fought against us and not prevailed and whence was it that attempts against us succeeded not Why Because the Lord hath been with us to save us and deliver us Jer. 15.19 20. Oh brethren what have our returns been what sence have we of these mercies upon our spirits what apprehensions of our present standing 1. Oh Let us consider How deep a share we have had in all the National mercies and preservations if the ship had been wrackt we should hardly have escaped to land on broken boards if the enemy had prevailed that party had been conquered that interest dasht in pieces which we owned and adhered unto what quarter think ye should we have had however men of other capacities might have sped it would have been ill enough with us we should not onely have suffered in a common capacity as those who abetted the Parliamentary interest against the Royal Cause and Party but as Incendiaries as men in the sence of our adversaries who had blown the trumpet of rebellion and preach't up a spirit of Sedition amongst our people nay men
no God but my sword they shall surely finde that the sword of Gideon is but a wooden blade if the sword of the Lord be not with it be much in working that passage upon your hearts Isa 10.15 Shall the ax boast it self against him that heweth with it or shall the saw magnifie it self against him that shaketh it c. Ye know concerning whom these words were spoken proud Senacherib and upon what occasion to wit the vaunting of his success in wars and what follows why vers 16. Therefore the Lord the Lord of Hosts shall send among his fat ones principal Officers leanness and under his glory he shall kindle a fire May not that contempt which the Lord hath poured upon some ones of you spring much from this root of pride I onely interrogate and such are the respects I bear to the Restorers of our peace and liberty that I wish the Dream may be to those that hate you and the interpretation unto your enemies Dan. 4.19 2. Own the people of the Lord who have owned you and the cause ye have ventured in They have had a large share in the fraughtage of that ship which by the blessing of God hath been steered by you through stormy Seas into safe harbour Read often Prov. 27. vers 10. Thine own friend and thy fathers friend forsake not You cannot own God fully if you dis-own his people who under him have assisted in the work ye have had many Auxiliaries who have helped the Lord and you against the mighty Some have jeoparded their lives unto death with you in the high places of the field Judg. 5.18 It would be very disingenuous to lay such aside as depontani and over-look them as men unworthy of your knowledge now ye sit in the high places of the Nation An heathen mans conscience smote him for this crime The Popish Souldiers that went against the Angrognians said that the Minities with their prayers conjured and bewitched them that they could not fight And â—id not ye at Edge-hill say with others now for the fruits of prayer and did not ye receive the fruit of it Gen. 11. vers 9. and shall the guilt thereof rest upon you And some again have been upon the Mount when you have been fighting with your enemies in the valley and they have not been your worst friends neither have ye received the least aid from them When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed and when he let down his hands Amalâ—k prevailed Exod. 17. vers 11. Ye owe much of your success and safety in the late wars to a praying people It was observed and it was very observable that immediately after monthly Fasts ye got ground of the enemy in some places did not the Lord proclaime in your Camp that this and that victory was as well the procurement of a praying Assembly as of a fighting Army And that it was as well fetched from heaven by the tears of his Sanctuary as finished upon earth by the blood of his Souldiery Indeed ye deserve blame if ye sleight them who have wept and mourned fasted and prayed yea wrastled hard for you and by whom the war hath been much carried on in heaven and we are equally blame-worthy if we slight you who have laboured and marched and run the hazzard of limbs and lives yea fought and bled and by whom the war hath been carried on upon earth The Lord heal all hard-thoughtedness betwixt you and us and make us one as ever in the truth and cause of Jesus 3. Be humbled before the Lord A great Queen said she feared more the prayers of Ioha Knox and his Complices than an Army of thirty thousand men Trap in Mat. 18.19 for all the acts of violence and injustice either acted or permitted by you in the heat of war for all the breaches of Oaths or Covenants with God or man for all your failing in or falsifying of the Vows which ye made to God in the day of your didistress And that there hath been any root bearing wormwood or gall springing up among you that of your selves men have arose speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them Act. 20. vers 19. It is too evident and hath been that the File-leaders and heads of many errours that I say not of all have been either of or found shelter in the Army both have many witnesses at this day living It took no great impression upon us that some stragling persons blurted off their pot-guns at us but when we were drawn upon by the Souldiery or by a sort of men abetted by them and marching under their protection this was great grief of heart unto us this was a sword in our bones and drew tears from our eyes in our secret mournings before the Lord This made our prophane neighbours scoffe at us when they heard those truths opposed those doctrines contradicted those wayes of the Lord evil-spoken of and those Ordinances sleighted for which ye and we had contested so long with tears and blood This made the Cavalier-Minister laugh in their sleeves and deride when they beheld the faithful Ministers faithful to the Lord to you and to the cause contended for vilified disdained and traduced and that by a party of our own Army when they themselves met with no such trouble from them This we looked upon as very disingenuous to us and as unsuitable returns to the Lord. The Lord clear up his great Gospel truths above all possibility of mistake by his own people and fill the earth with the knowledge of the Lord as the water covers the Sea Isa 11.9 that ye and we may go forth by the footsteps of the flocke that ye may feed your kids by the shepherds tents and all of us may know where the Lord Jesus feedeth and where be maketh his flock to rest at noon Cant. 1. vers 7 8. For why should any of you be as they that turn aside by the flocks of strangers 4. Quicken up that ancient zeal those burning affections and that fixedness of spirit in you for the Lord his truth his cause his Ministery and his people which once ye had O if ye find your present peace and pleasure honor and full estates dignity and dominion to begin raise unwholesome damps in your souls the sense of grace received and mercies received so eminent as yours have been and the Nation in you will excellently scatter them if well improved Oh then the Champions of Israel who have vanquished Christ and his Churches enemies in the field draw up gallantly against corruptions in your own hearts As ye have subdued Kingdomes so work righteousness As ye have bled for Christ in time of war so bow down to Christ in time of peace As ye have sealed the walls of the mighty so pull down the strong holds of sin within your own bosomes As ye have cast down the high ones of the earth from their seats so cast down imaginations and every high
rebellion and disobedience But to go on how do the Marriners improve this mercy why ver 30. then are they glad because they are quiet so he bringeth them to their desired haven Hath this been your case hath the Lord calmed a tempestuous sea and steered your course by a good hand of providence to your desired harbour Let me ask you not whether you were glad but how you exprest your gladness did ye not sing and drink and swear and roar when your fear was past hath the sence of deliverance wrought you into an humble holy praising and thankfull frame which hath been the first place ye have visited when come to land the Tavern or the Temple and which hath been your first work pouring forth your soules in praises to God or pouring in of ale or wine to intoxicate your brains have ye been drunk with wine wherein is excess or have ye been filled with the spirit speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spiritual songs making melody in your hearts and singing to the Lord Eph. 5. ver 18 19. Oh sirs is this all the return that God expects Is this all the improvement ye should make of so great a mercy surely no ver 31. The holy Ghost directs to a better O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his works unto the children of men that they would confess it to the Lord both in secret and in Societies so the word importeth O friends lif ye read this doctrine read also your own duty in it If deliverances ingage any unto duty sure yours do yours are as eminent as any as immediate as any Ther 's nothing but the hand of God seen in your preservations in land-deliverances something of the creature is seen and man steps in for a share either by his power or policy prudence or providence but who can rebuke the windes and the seas but onely their great Creatour Caesarem vehis will not calme a rough sea such charmes will not be obeyed by the wilde Ocean That King found this true when walking upon the shore he commanded the tide to stop his course but so little the sea regarded the commands of this proud king though within his own Dominions that he found his safety lay more in his heels then in his head He alone who hath placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetuall decree can stay the tide in its full carreer and still the windes in their loudest bluster Jer. 5. ver 22. How apparently did the windes and sea fight for us in Eighty eight so that the enraged Spaniard said Christ was turned Lutheran Oh then Octogessimus octavus mâ—rabilis annus Beza Silete ne Dii vos hâ—c navigare sentiant was the Speech of an Heathen to wicked persons that sailed in a storm with him own God in all your sea-deliverances be awakened to a sence of them improve them upon a spiritual account wipe off that imputation which is cast upon you by men of In-land Countries that there is little of Religion among you Look after and lay hold on the Lord Jesus Christ least yea be thrown over-board in a state of impenitency and unbelief and sink down not onely like lead into the bottome of the sea but into the bottomless pit also Oh 't is sad going to Hell by land or water O get into Christ who will be a Noah's ark unto you in which ye shall not onely sail safely to an earthly haven but into heaven and when the Lord brings you off from a sea-voyage with broken masts torne sails and a wether-beaten ship let the sense of that great deliverance affect your hearts and if ye have not already done it Give diligence to make your calling and election sure T is the Apostles advice to all 2 Pet. 1.10 and mine to you shew your seriousness in a point of so great importance it was well said by a reverend Divine Thy bed is very soft Mr. Trap. in loc or thy heart very hard if thâ— canst sleep soundly in an uncertain condition Oh minde this as the main for this being obtained though you should suffer a wrack at sea yet verse 11. An entrance shall be administred unto you into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ The Metaphor is accommodated unto you ye shall not get into Heaven as a ship hardly puts into the haven with Anchors lost Cables rent sails torn and masts broken which is the case of many but shall sail in with masts up Cordage whole Tacklings sound Sails full Flags displayed top and top gallant trumpets sounding and so shall everlastingly rejoyce in the everlasting Kingome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 5. The naturall improvement of this Doctrine gives much by way of advice to the recovered ones of the land to those whom the Lord hath brought off from beds of languishment and fetched up even from the gates of death And truly the number of such is great scarce ever greater the Providences of God have been sad and humbling sundry times in the land and in particular places yet seldome hath avisitation been so generall both as to persons and places The pale horse and his Rider have passed through our several Towns and Countries like an army in their march and taken up short quarters but of late they have billetted amongst us taking up not onely their summer but winter quarters also so that we may take up the Churches complaint Jer. 8. vers 20. The harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not saved sickness and death have not removed their quarters neither is there any amongst us that knoweth how long their abode shall be Psal 74. vers 9. Their commission being under the Privy Seal of Heaven and if their hostilities be so great this winter season what wasting and desolation may we fear at the time when Kings go forth to battle 2 Sam. 11. ver 1. if winter agues be so violent what will the summer feavers be if these diseases sweep our Townes so much what will the besome of destruction do If we have run with the footmen and they have wearied us then how shall we contend with horses If we have been wearied in the land of Jordan O that the sence of our present sickness and the fear of an approaching mortality invading the land was set home upon all our hearts that we might improve the Lords counsel Hos 14.2 to take with us words and turn to the Lord and say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously that we might prepare to meet our God with an entreaty of peace before the decree come forth Oh that all especially the men of wisdome in the Nation would hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6. vers 9. and receive teaching from it My humble advice from the Lord to those who have been sick and now are west who are now in the land of the living
rid through and meet with very few that know any thing of God to purpose or that can give any considerable account of him though his appearances of late have been so glorious amongst us Oh that of Israel is sadly true of England Isa 1.3 The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his masters crib but Israel hath not known my people hath not understood The Lord heal this great ignorance and pardon it and quicken up all to keep up a sense of those great things God hath done for us 2. Fruit. This frequent discoursing of mercies healing redeeming quickning and soul-converting mercies c. will more endear God unto the Saints it will unite the heart into a more holy affection unto God Cant. 8. vers 5. When the Church came out of the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved when Christ was with her in the Desart and brought her forth from a wilderness where she was at loss in her self which way to go and what to do how to get her wants supplied how to have her life secured how to get her feet directed and how to free her self from those briars and thorns wherewith she was intangled and Christ had then come in had born her up upon everlasting Arms and had brought her forth into the plain field Oh how is she affected with this at what a pitch of love doth her spirit soar how doth she press upon Christ how would she get into the heart of Christ and bring Christ into hers vers 6. she puts up this request unto him Set me as a seal upon thy heart for love is strong as death which conquers all men jealousie is cruel as the grave which spares none and is never satisfied the coals whereof are coals of fire which have a most vehement flame many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it if a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would be utterly contemned What a Pyramid of love is here What an unquenchable flame What a pearl of great price is here and what is the fuel of this great fire What oyle doth kindle it and what preserves it Surely a strong and lively sense of Christs great affection to her when in the wilderness So were our thoughts and discoursings more upon wilderness-grace wilderness-convictions wilderness-illightenings wilderness-preservations and wilderness-deliverances our hearts would be more heated with holy affections towards God then they are Oh sure If there be any water at the bottome of the Well this Bucket will draw it up if any love in the heart sense of mercies will bring it forth and the more we discourse of mercies the greater will be our sense of them Nay farther a serious pondering of and a savoury discoursing over mercies received will bring forth a strong affiance in the people of God it will marveâ—lously scatter those fears and desponding thoughts which too often seize upon the best in a day of distress and will excellently prevail with the heart to bring it off from creature-shiftings and seekings to stay upon God Tribulation workâ—th patiâ—nce and patience experience we should never so fully experience the power providence goodness and faithfulness of God if we should alwayes sail upon a quiet sea if our estate was ever prosperous if the scale of adversity were not sometimes the heavier but when we are cast upon rough and rocky seas when we are brought into streights and know not what to do why then we see what a God can do what bowels mercies and tender-heartedness there is in a good God toward us Alas men as men and the best men are but men sometimes and in some cases are apt to fancy God to be like themselves as streight-hearced and incompassionate as themselves to persons in distress but now when an adverse condition hath put it to the trial then they have found it otherwise That as high as the heaven is above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Psal 103. ver 11. Nay as the heavens are higher than the earth so are Gods wayes wayes of mercy to his afflicted ones higher than mans wayes And his thoughts thoughts of goodness and good will to his oppressed ones above mans thoughts Isa 55. vers 9. Now this experience workketh hope hope of succour and relief from the Lord in an evill day this works an holy boldness in the Saints makes them lift up their heads and hearts with comfort and say Supplies will come Deliverance will come we will stand still and wait for the salvation of our God They rowl themselves upon God when new troubles do arise quiet their spirits with an expectancy of help from the Lord their sure friend their tried friend their good friend and in an high way of beleeving speaks Davids language Why art thou cast down O my sonl why art thou so disquieted within me hope thou in God for mercy will come supplies will come I have found the Lord to be a good God a faithful friend that never failed me a present help in the needful time of trouble Indeed men may fail as not being able to help but God is Omnipotent he can do abundantly above what we can ask or think or men may fail as being wearied out with often helping I but the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Again man may fail as not knowing the straits we are in or how to bring us out I but our heavenly Father knowâ—th the things we stand in need of and how to deliver his out of every temptation Lastly man may fail being changed in his affection unto us I but there is no variableness nor shadow of turning with God he loves with an everlasting love These Considerations do caray on the Saints with an holy triumph in their saddest pressures and they say with David I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my Gâ—d Psal 43. vers 5. I might multiply Scripture presidences abundantly upon this head but that it is done already in another place Oh friends gather up your experiences and lay them by you among your choisest treasures you will finde them to be singularly useful to you in an evill time and to others also your experiences being faithfully reported to them will comfort quiet and beget holy affiances in them when they are brought into greatest streights Psal 34. vers 2. My soul shall make her boast of God the hâ—mble shall hear thereof and be glad Rejoyce in tribulation This was the end proposed by the onely wise God Psal 78. vers 7. why his people should shew forth his marvellous works namely that their posterity might be taught that excellent lesson of living by faith that they might set their hopes on God that they might beleevingly expect help from a faithful from an Almighty God Fruit 4. A lively sense of mercy received leads the soul on in Gods wayes it is a
whether the Lord who hath made bare his Arm in signal deliverances for the life of your bodies hath also stretched forth the right arm of grace for the life of your souls and how the Lord hath methodized the ways of his grace unto you make these two particulars the matter of your great enquest 1. Put this question unto your souls and be serious in it as a matter of most concerning and everlasting import I shall speak now to single persons and therefore shall direct the enquiry to the Reader as though he was that very person I wrote this unto and for Say to thy soul Man The Lord hath often fercht me off from temporal dangers But O hath the Lord wrought that great deliverance for my soul Am I brought off from a state of nature by renewing grace Am I delivered from the bondage of fin and corruption by redeeming grace Am I brought back from spiritual Babylon by restoring grace Am I ransomed from under the power of Satan by victorious grace God hath given me life from the dead for my body but have I life from the dead for my soul also Oh! what will all these temporal deliverances avail me If I have not deliverance from wrath to come by Jesus Christ What advantage will it be unto me that I have often been kept out of the grave if when I dye I drop into hell What comfort will it be to me at a dying hour that God hath saved me out of six troubles yea out of seven if I shall then have no assurance of eternal salvation but rather perplexing fears of perishing everlastingly what was it for Cham to be preserved in the Ark when an overflowing deluge swallowed up the whole world of the ungodly seeing afterward he lived and dyed and lay under the curse of God to eternity or for rebellious Israel to be brought by so many miracles out of Egypt and yet entered not through unbelief into the land of rest Do not therefore hastily conclude from thy temporal salvations that thou shalt be eternally saved for that is unsafe but rather take occasion from thy temporal to enquire into thy everlasting safety let this put thee upon a strict and narrow scrutiny The Apostle urgeth this 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your own selves whether you be in the faith prove your selves know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates The first word in the proper signification implies a piercing through timber 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that tryal may be made what it is within whether sound or rotten or the piercing of a vessel that the Vintner may taste the wine and try the goodness of it thus Chrians must pierce through and through their hearts that they may know the soundness of them Men have a plausible profession yet but rotten hearts men may think their estate to be very good when it is starke naught and conclude they are brought over to God when they are still in the divels quarters therefore the Apostles advice is to try and to do it exactly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The divel is called the tempter because he goes through stitch with his work and tryes to purpose he perforates and pierceth through the heart and if there be any unmortified corruption or unsoundness there he will be sure to finde it out nay as though one word was not enough in a business of so great import the Apostle adds prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which refers to that trial which Goldsmiths make of their mettal that they may not put a cheat upon themselves And here the exhortation is doubled that the duty might be more enforced as being a most needful but a much neglected duty Hence as Zeph. 2.1 The Prophets says Excutite vos iterumque excutite vos Fan your selves yea fan your selves so the Apostle doubles his charge Examine your selves yea prove your selves as if he had said make it much the matter of your enquiry whether ye be in the faith whether Jesus Christ be in you otherwise notwithstanding all your gilded profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and form of godliness ye will be laid aside as counterfeit coin yea cast of as reprobate silver at the great day of tryal when the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the councels of all hearts 1 Cor. 4.5 and though your deliverances have been never so remarkable your preservations never so admirable as to thy temporal safety yet thou wilt be a cast-away and perish everlastingly if thou be not in the faith Christ be not in thee Oh then enquire into thy spiritual estate and labor to evidence the truth and life of grace in thy soul that as thou knowest and ownest deliverances from such and such dangers so thou mayest with safety conclude thy deliverance from wrath to come by Jesus Christ this wil sweeten all the providences of God unto thee this will make the remembrance of forepast deliverances pleasant unto thee Num. 13.23 and will be as the grapes of Eshcol upon which thy soul will feed with delight as Mat. 26.29 having some rellish of that wine which thou shalt drink new to eternity with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of his Father But when thou speakest or meditatest how and how often and in what cases of imminent danger the Lord hath preserved thee and then for want of a through tryal of thy spiritual estate thou beest in doubt what will become of thee to eternity then to say dubius morior quo vadam nescio I dye doubtfully not knowing in which of the two places Heaven or Hell I shall spend eternity Oh this will be sad this sting of death will wound very sorely but more sad and dreadful will it be unto thee if thy fears be great and nothing from within to check them that thou art reserved to the day of judgement to be punished or kept in store unto the day of perdition of ungodly men Oh this will like a bunch of wormwood in wine embitter all thy preservations Be much and serious in this great business and if upon due tryal thou findest the witness within and hearest the bird in thy bosome sing sweetly Be much in admiring the riches of free-grace not onely that thy name is not blotted out upon earth but that it is writ in heaven not onely that thou hast been preserved from the uppermost hell but that thou art preserved to the heavenly Kingdome if the scales hang even or thy fear outweighs thy faith give diligence to make thy calling election sure and the rather because thou hast tasted so much of the mercy and goodness of God in bringing the to safe harbor from many stormes This will make thy entrance more abundantly glorious into the everlasting Kingdom of thy dear redeemer when thou canst sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb together this will make melody in thy heart
Jesus speaketh Mark 4.26 27. So is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and the seed grows up he knows not how God sows the seed by the hand of a godly Parent or Pastor and in due season when and how they know not neither Parent Pastor nor the Person himself it bringeth forth fruit the word works sometimes many years after as they say of the Elephant that she brings not forth till the thirteenth year after she hath conceived The first springs in the womb of grace are precious and carefully preserved by the spirit and when they put forth it may be without any noise For the Kingdom of heaven doth not always come with observation Thus Timothy knew the holy Scriptures from a child 2 Tim. 3.15 not onely the bare letter and form of words that 's but little but knew them so as to love them to read them with delight and look for salvation wisdom in them through faith which is in Christ Jesus and probably by the care of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice sure gracious parents and godly education do contribute much though not infallibly to the seasoning of tender years and it was well if parents would make it much their care as blessed be God some do to furnish their children whilest children with Gospel-knowledge Mr. Trap. in 2 Tim. 3.15 It is reported That the Lady Wheatenhall so plyed her young Neece Mistris Elizabeth Wheatenhall that before she was nine years old she could say the New Testament by heart and was able to name the book and chapter where any word or passage was A singular president worthy of admiration Oh that Christian parents would take this hint The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Psal 19.7 That 's the genuine and native fruit of it at least through the blessing power of the spirit conversion is in it and from it and who knows whether the word being engraffed by godly parents may not bring forth early conversion in their children Sure we are there have been and are young Saints in the world who have rellished the ways of God and walked in them before they have travailed many years journey from their mothers wombs now to these I do not direct this particular advice but to those whose conversion hath been visible their change so signal that the whole Town ye Country hath rang of it some such there are who are able to say that at such a time under such means by such a word in such a way the Lord was pleased first to work upon them they can circumstantiate their conversion in all the occurrences of it Paul could tell the errand he went upon which was bad enough the company with whom the time of the day the manner how and the plat of ground as it were upon which he fell when the Lord fell in with him by converting grace as he discourseth at large Act. 22.6 7 8. compared with Chap. 26.12 13 c. Now then to such in a more peculiar manner I speak as thou dost observe and discourse over the passages of Gods providence toward thee in helping thee out of great straights and tellest thy friends what they were and how nigh unto death thou wast and how the Lord came in at such a time in such a manner and by such means and brought thee off with safety so be much in observing and shewing forth what God hath done for thy soul what providential passages were antecedent to thy conversion what awakening teaching and leading providences were in order to thy conversion whether God did not first awaken thee by such an affliction give a check to thy spirit in the high careers of sin by such an humbling providence or made way for the entertainment of Christ and Gospel by disappointing thee in such a worldly design or won upon thee by some notable deliverance as was the Jailors case Act. 16.28 or how the Lord was pleased to bring thee into such a family or into acquaintance with such godly Christians or under such a powerful and soul-searching Ministery these all through grace have had a sub-serviency to the great end of God in bringing sinners home unto him Then again consider those ways of God which were concomitant and as means were instrumental to thy conversion in what method the Lord was pleased first to work upon thee what measure of the spirit of bondage to fear thou wast under what sin thou wast first convinced of how long thou wast under conviction before conversion was brought forth in the fruits and evidences of it what lust the spirit first struck down in thy flesh what repentance and godly sorrow for sin was wrought in thee what attempts the divel made upon thee how forceable they were and with what success and how long thou didst ly under the sence of sin and wrath before thou hadst any quieting apprehensions of pardoning and accepting grace through the blood of Jesus let these and things of like nature be observed by thee and reports thereof seasonably made to others Nay Lastly take notice of the after-visits of the spirit of God and grace to thy soul what sweet and suitable returns the Lord gave thee in to thy prayers what seasonable succours thou receivedst in an hour of temptation what power from the spirit of holiness came in in thy contesting with some Lady-lust what measure of consolation was cast in after thy days of mourning how far thou hast been sealed with the holy spirit of promise and hast taken earnest of thine inheritance since thou didst believe Oh be much and with much seriousness in all these particulars make a due collection of all and as thou carefully observest the great deliverances which God hath wrought for thee upon a temporal score so much more read over and ruminate upon that great redemption from wrath and condemnation and say with the Psalmist when envited to it by a seasonable opportunity Psal 66.16 Come and hear all yea that fear the Lord and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul of which this treatise will give the a further account with directions for the managing of it and the benefits which redound from it 2. Quicken up your selves unto duty in all your hard-heartednesse and damps of soul the best trees are subject unto mosse which stunts them in their growth and that stints them in their fruitfulnesse so the best Saints are liable to deadnesse of heart and damps of zeal the love of the world like mosse over-grows them or else there is some worm of pride security self-confidence c. at the root which drinks up the sap of life and blasteth the fruits of of faith and holinesse O how have I seen some fruitfull Christian grow as the lily cast forth their roots as Lebanon spread their branches and beauty as the Olive-tree and their sent as Lebanon Hos 14. ver 5 6. which afterwards
one is shie of me Before I was going on in the wayes of life now these wayes I am going in God knows and my conscience tells me are the wayes of death Oh it was better with me then then it is now I have been large in transcribing these excellent and precious passages because the times we are cast upon do much abound with backsliders and who knows whether God may not in a way of recovering mercy bring this Treatise and this particular passage under the serious view of some Apostate and bless it with a healing virtue to his soul who happily never read it nor should have opportunity of reading it in the large Volume of Reverend Mr. Burroughs And who knows what gracious effect this may have upon some unstable spirits to settle and fix them sure upon God that the evil heart of unbelief may never cause their departure from God However there is a suteableness in it to the head we are improving And sure the people of God will finde a serious reflection upon the goodness and good Providences of God as an excellent means to heal heart-distempers and damps of spirit as also to quicken up and enflame their zeal and affections more unto God that they will say with that holy man Psal 73. ver 28. It is good for us to draw nigh to God they will find that it is best with them when they are nearest to God and therefore will bring back their hearts upon any recess from God by a lively sense of the goodness of the Lord unto them 3. Be much in the sence and meditation of grace received keep up the consideration thereof vigorous and lively in your hearts pray much preach much hear much and act much in the sence of what you were compared with what through discriminating and renewing grace ye now are How that except the Lord had been your help your soules had not almost but altogether and for ever dwelt in silence Oh 't is of excellent use they that have tried have found the usefulness of it The Apostle Paul you know was much in this as many passages in his Epistles do fully speak to I shall onely instance in that 1 Tim. 1. vers 12 13 14 15 16. I thank Jesus Christ our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me worthy putting me into the Ministery There 's a great Emphasis in me that Jesus Christ should do this for me why Who was Paul or what was he that it should be owned by him as such a singular act of Grace to be put into the Ministery The next Verse tells you yea he himself tells you who was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and Injurious bad enough and these words carry weight enough with them but I obtained mercy but how did he purchase mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus not onely Grace but exceeding grace not onely exceeding but exceeding abundant grace it is a pleonasme yea a superpleonasme and all little enough I had need of all I was a Blasphemer and so sinned against the first Table I was a persecuter and so sinned against the second Table and I was Injurious and so came near the sinne against the Holy Ghost and all these together do sadly speak me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gerson August at least in my own sence the chief of sinners primus quo nullus prior a file-leader one that marched in the Van and Front of the battel imo quo nullus pejor worse then the worst He strikes sail takes down all his Flags which he displayed Phil. 3. ver 4 5 6. sit's down in the dust and view's himself in his lowest abasement that so he might the more admire the riches of free grace and might bring his heart more under command for God the vouchsafements of whose goodwill had been so free and so full unto him neither doth he monopolize this and drive on a close trade betwixt God and his own soul as though he would engross all to himself and cared not how empty other mens coffers were so that his own were full like the Merchants of this world but he commends and by an Apostolick power command's this course unto others as Eph. 2. ver 11 12 13 14. When he had carried the Ephesian Saints up into the Paradise of God and displayed the mysteries and priviledges of grace even to the ravishment of their souls in the first Chapter and in the ten first Verses of this then he comes on with a Memento Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh that at that time ye were without Christ being Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the world Ye were in as bad a condition as men could be in ye dwelt as nigh the borders of Abaddon as people could dwell no people were in worse trading for heaven then ye were in ye had nothing that brought you within the outward Court of the Temple or gave you the least advance toward happiness ye were like dogs without Apoc. 22. vers 15. and how could it be otherwise seeing your wants and withouts were so many 1. Without the Mark of an Israelite in your flesh as being uncircumcised 2. Without the Camp and Common-wealth of Israel as being neither Hebrews nor Proselites 3. Without the Covenants having no covenant right to any spirituall good thing no nor earthly neither as being neither of the Flesh nor of the Faith of Abraham with whom God entred Covenant 4. Without any hope from the Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not having the hope of the Promise or not having hope of peace and reconcilement with God as being ignorant of the promised seed in the first or any following Promise 5. Nay without Christ without any saving Interest in Christ or knowledge of Christ untill the Gospel came amongst you for what could your great Goddess Diana make known unto you of God manifested in the flesh yea 6. and Lastly Remember ye were without God in the world ye were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye lived like and were Atheists in the world as 't is said of the poor brasileans at this day that they are sine fide sine Rege sine lege without common Faith or honesty without a King without a Law either to punish or protect them So was it with heathen Ephesus and thus also with our Pagan Predecessors Let me then be thy faithfull Remembrancer O England to put thee in minde what thy primitive and first estate was See thy face in this Ephesian glass what Ephesus was England was in each of these particulars but now how hath the Lord exalted thy horn and brought thy people near unto himself Psal 148. ver 14. nay may I not apply that of Israel to thee Deut. 4. ver 7. What Nation is there so great that
hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Oh that England would remember how it was and how it is how it was in Pagan in Popish and Prelatical times and how it is now as to Liberty as to Purity as to Protection and as to Countenance in all the good wayes of God Sure there would be better bloud better spirits better dispositions and better carriages in those that are true and genuine English towards God his wayes and people then now there are if former times were oftener thought upon and O that all the Saints would much and often reflect upon what they were compared with what they are in a spiritual and Gospel account that you would remember often what you were and how nigh unto the pit and place of silence when recovering grace first took hold upon you Consider that misery in which we were all involved through the first Transgression under which we might truly speak the words of my Text Vnless the Lord had been our help our soules had everlastingly dwelt in silence And that I may the more provoke mine own heart and others to a due and to a thankfull acknowledgment of that rich and singular grace I shall enforce it with these three Considerations 1 Consider The danger we were all exposed unto by the breach of the first Covenant 2. Consider What sad distractions the sence of this danger brought forth in our soules at our first awakening 3. Consider How unexspected and how welcome grace and mercy were then unto us under all our sad fears and horrours Consideration 1. For the First Work home upon your hearts a right sence of the danger we all were exposed unto by the breach of the first Covenant Note which I shall exemplifie in these words That man by nature is borne within an hairs breadth of Hell upon the very brink of the pit so that except Divine Grace had contributed saving help unto him by Jesus Christ he would have tumbled from the womb into hell Nothing but grace free grace mere grace and rich Grace hath preserved man from sliding into the bottomless pit From nature to grace and from grace unto glory is lost man's journey home again The journey is long and man's leggs are weak and not able to go it Mr. Lokier in Coll. 1.13 p. 18. and therefore God doth bear him from the one to the other and transferre him all along Observe the road You will finde none going that way but in Christs armes It is with man in an estate of nature as with an Infant in swathing bands laid upon the sharp ridge of an high building or upon the edge of a steep precipice who without some hand to stay it would soon roul down and dash it self in peices The Holy Ghost takes this resemblance of an Infant Ezek. 16. to set forth the helplesness of man in his lapsed estate That he was cast forth in the day he was born no eye pitying of him that when he lay in his bloud c. the love of the Lord was manifested who out of pure love and mere good will spread the skirt of his garment over him and said unto him Live The Apostle Paul doth excellently comment upon this Text in Rom. Chap. 5. Ver. 6. where he sayes when we were yet without strength Christ died for us How fitly doth this comport with a new born Infant who hath neither strength to work nor power to secure its own life from eminent and approaching danger The word signifying weak or strengthless and wherefore did Christ die for strengthless sinners what moved the Lord Jesus to receive that dreadfull charge of wrath from God and man The just to suffer for the unjust why when they lay in their bloud their time was a time of love from the Eternal Father Vers 8. God commendeth his love unto us in that whilest we were sinners Christ died for us Jesus Christ came upon the Errand of his Fathers love that cup which his Father put into his hand to drink was brimmed up with his love to sinners Bernard Oh! Ama amorem illius Love that love of his and never leave meditating thereon donec totus fixus in corde qui totus fixus in cruce Until whole Christ be fixed in your hearts who was fastened on the Cross But if you ask as some proud Justiciaries have done What needed all this affection in the Father and all this affliction on the Son I answer The necessity of sinfull man required all this to keep him out of Hell Reasons I. Reason Because man in his naturall capacity is under the first Covenant as he hath his standing in the first Adam Now Rom. 3. ver 20. The Apostle speaketh plainly that by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God not they who were Jews by nature no more then they who are sinners of the Gentiles Gal. 2. ver 15 16. and Gal. 3. vers 10 He concludes positively as many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse confirming this Thesis with a double Reason 1. Because Every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them is cursed for which Assertion he quoteth Deut. 27.26 Here 's an Obligation of Individualls to Individualls every person is obliged to every precept yea to continue in the doing of them the word signifying to stand firme like a foursquared stone in a building without jetting or jogging a hairs breadth out of its place and that under penalty of the Curse His 2. Reason is this Because The just shall live by his faith Hab. 2. vers 4. The spring of spiritual and eternal life is in Jesus Christ John 14. vers 19. Because I live ye shall live also The life of grace is derivative from Jesus Christ and Faith fetcheth both the Comforts of spiritual and Assurances of Eternal life from the same fountain and now that all men in their natural estate stand in the first Adam and in the first Covenant and so are liable unto condemnation is clear in many Scriptures Rom. 5. from Vers 12. to the end takes in both II. Reason Because man in a state of nature is under such an impotency and weakness which rendereth a perfect obedience unto the Law of works impossible unto him He was so wounded and weakened by his fall his bones were so shattered and broken and out of joynt that there remains no strength at all in him as suppose a man should fall from an high scaffold upon the hard stones and suppose his life should by a providential miracle be preserved yet his leggs and armes and back-bones and all should be broken and disjoâ—nted a total dislocation of all bones Alas what strength would there be in this man for labour what service would he be able to perform he would not be able to stirre hand or foot to
all possibility of disappointment Sathan and his agents may as easily hinder the day from dawning and the Sun from rising when the appointed minute for each is come both which are fixed by the unrepealable ordinance of the great Creatour Jer. 33. ver 20. as prevent the dawnings of comfort or darken the irradiations of the Son of righteousnesse when he is pleased to shine into the souls of his drooping ones Nay farther He shall come unto us as the rain as the latter and the former rain to the earth both were certain in the land of Canaan unlesse held back in wrath the first at seed-time to soften the ground and the latter a little before harvest to plump and pumple the corn in the ear in like sort as renewing so reviving grace is certain as the former came unto us Mr. Burroughs Lecture in loc to convert us when we were sinful so the latter shall come to comfort us when we shall be sorrowfull O precious mercy read and enlarge this in your own thoughts and take these few hints as helps which are more insisted upon by Mr. Burroughs 1. The Time of Gods delivering his people is the morning he takes the first and fittest opportunity after a sad and dark night 2. T is Gods presence that makes morning to the Saints all naturall helps cannot do it 3. Gods mercies to his people are prepared and decreed mercies 4. The Saints in the night of affliction comfort themselves with this that the morning is a coming 5. The Church hath no afflictions upon her but there comes a morning after them 6. A little before the Saints deliverance out of their greatest disturbances of misery and trouble the darkness of their night is the greatest therefore be not dismayed although not a starre appears in your night of trouble for the morning is approaching that darknesse is the Prodromus it ushers in the Phosphorus the bright morning starre of joy and comfort neither let the scoffing Ismaels of the world take advantage from the drouping of Saints to reproach Religion for Psal 97. ver 11. Light is sown for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright 〈◊〉 heart they have light and gladnesse insemine at their first conversion and at their first entrance into a distressed estate the husband man sets a harvest value upon his land when the seed is harrowed in because he trusts to the word of Gods Covenant with Noah So may a believer who hath had a seed time of grace passe over his soul comfort himself that he shall have his harvest time of joy also 't is sown and covenant dews will ripen it in due time and therefore you who think so basely of the Gospel and the professours of it because at present their peace and comfort is not come at least in any measure unto some but rather sorrow and mourning know it is on the way to them and comes to stay everlastingly with them where is your peace is going from you every moment and is sure to leave you without any hope of ever returning to you again Look not how the Christian begins but ends The Spirit of God by his convictions comes into the soul with some terrours Mr. Gurnall part 2. of his Christian in compleat armour pag. 396. but it closeth with peace and joy as we say of the moneth of March it enters like a Lion but goes out like a Lamb Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace O then ye servants of the Lord be much and serious in meditating upon recovering and relieving grace under those three particulars mentioned and you will find excellent advantages thereby you will live at the best rate of a spiritual and happy life which I shall evince in three considerations Consid I. You will live best to God 2. You will live best to your selves 3. You will live best to others I. You will live best to God and for God if you often remember how near to silence your souls have been upon a spirituall account if you often meditate in what dark and dangerous paths you once walked what a load of lust and sin you lay under how thwart your principles and practices were to God and godlinesse how you walked in time past according to the course of this world the mundaneity and worldlinesse of the world as the Syriack renders it which is wholly set upon wickednesse and lyes soaâ—â—t in sin and according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. ver 2. as a Smith worketh in his forge and an Artificer in his shop that ye were the devils journey-men your members as his working-tools your souls as his shop wherein and by which he carryed on that cursed trade of sin Oh! the sense of this will marvellously draw the soul after God and prevail with you to live unto God which is the great end of living Rom. 14. ver 8. the truth whereof is evidenced in three particulars 1. You will live most by faith upon God you will act faith in a more immediate and fiduciall dependency upon the Lord Try and then trust is the worlds motto now when you have a present sense upon your souls of what the Lord hath done for you how and in what methods of grace the Lord appeared to you when you walked upon the brink of hell and were ready every moment to drop into the pit this will work an holy boldnesse in your hearts this will answer all carnall cavills it will silence all the objections of your distrustfull hearts and bring up your spirits bravely to Jobs resolution Job 13. ver 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him he shall not be so rid of me I will hang on him still and if I must dy I will dy at his feet I and remember the wayes of God unto me his wayes of grace and mercy and free redemption when my estate was sad and bad and therefore under all those showers of arrows which fly from the Almighty against me and drink up my moisture I will roul my self upon him trust in him I and he also shall be my salvation see further ver 16 17 18 19. Oh if any man lives to God the just man doth who lives by his faith and fetcheth life and strength for his faith from his own experiences All the world could not shake the holy confidencies of Saint Paul when he had argued out the experiences of the grace and good will of God in Jesus Christ unto himself and believers Rom. 5. ver 16 17 18. then chap. 8. he begins conclusively there is therefore now no condemnation not one condemnation and carries it on at that high rate of affiance that ver 33 34. he doth arietem mittere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take the field and give a generall challenge to all his adversaries to plead and preferre what indictments
they can against him who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect who shall condemne who shall separate us from the love of Christ As if he had said O thou malicious devil that dost let fly at me with thy darts Mr. Banter Spirits wâ—tness to the truth page 124. Oh ye deluded Hereticks and infidels that fill my ears with your foolish Sophismes and trouble me with your disputes against the Lord my Redeemer go to them that make a Religion of their opinion and whose belief was never any deeper then their fancies go to them that never knew what it was to love Christ to desire after him to delight in his salvation nor to hope through believing for his promised blessednesse hereafter these you may possibly draw away from Christ and make Infidels of them that were never true Believers but do you think to do so by me what weapons what arguments do you think to prevail by shall tribulation be the means why I have that promise in the hand of my faith and that glory in the eye of my hope that will bring me through tribulation shall distresse do it why I will rather stick so much the closer to him that will relieve me in distresse and bring me unto his rest And so this reverend Author proceeds and you may further prosecute in your own thoughts Oh! that soul that hath the advantage of experiences and wisely improves the sense of grace received is bravely fortified against temptations to infidelity and will act faith upon the sure mercies of David the oath and covenant of God in the saddest conflicts 2. You will live best to God Because you will live most in the love of God when you consider much and with much seriousness what God hath done for you in order to eternity you will be drawn out in your affections unto God God will have more of your hearts then he hath of many others who make as big and bulke a profession as you do and how can it be otherwise when you fasten this meditation upon your hearts we might have been in hell in an undone condition past all hope or possibility of help from Angels or men had not God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins quickened us together with Christ Eph. 2.4 5. when you look upon the whole business of your salvation as transacted and carryed on by God and that in a way of free-grace rich mercy and meer good will and love this will marveilously draw out your love to God for amor amoris magnes love is the loadstone of love there is a magnetick vertue in it to draw out the very heart of a beloved person Cant 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast behearted me taken away my heart as he that hath his head taken away is said to be beheaded Oh! Christ knew the affections of his Spouse unto him and therefore makes a full return of love unto her again So the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constrains me I am wholly under the power of love made willing to do or suffer any thing or to be led any whither by this cord of love that is cast upon me by the Lord Jesus Christ indeed the Lord is first in affection 1 Joh. 4.19 He first loved us The air receives its light from the Sun the Sun must first shine and send forth his beams before the air can be radiant So the Lord must let in some sence of good will into the soul before she stirs out in affections unto him but now when she comprehends with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and knows the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 3.18 19. and lives in the sense of Gods peculiar and discriminating love unto her Oh! this fills her with holy affections unto the Lord the Church is then sick of love David cryes out O how I love the Lord my heart is ready to break it is so full of love to God I cannot make a narrative of my love it is so vast so boundless unto God This fixeth the creatures love upon God the stability of the Saints love doth very much arise from this Satan will have a hard pluck of it to pull a truely-loving-believer from the arms of his beloved Jesus when he remembers that love of his first espousals how Christ took upon him and washed him from his blood and spake peace to his wounded self-condemned soul when he remembers the straights that his Jesus brought him out of and the miseries which he rescued him from when he thinks thus with himself Oh what sohould I have done if I had not had a Christ what should I have done in my fears and griefs what should I have said to an accusing conscience how should I have escaped the jaws of the devourer Oh! these reviews do mightily renew his love these thoughts and remembrances do kindle such a strong and sacred fire of love in his heart that many waters cannot quench it and all temptations to break with Christ are made invalid It is the heart and not the head that holds Christ fast I held him and would not let him go says the Church Cant. 3.4 Love will hold Christ when reason alone will let him go Rom. 8.35 Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ Paul puts the question in this verse but draws up a peremptory conclusion and that with a full assurance verse 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Calvin Beza c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—gust Erasmus Dodate Great Annotations of the Assembly Mr. Baxtes Spirits witness to Christianity page 121. Expositors do much differ about the sence of these words some understand them as speaking of Christs love to us some of the sense and feeling of Christs love unto us others of our love to Christ or in a conjunct sense both of Christs love to us and our love unto Christ But surely the Apostle speaks at this rate what can unclasp those mutual embracements between Christ and his people or what can separate us from Christ by withdrawing or destroying our love to him and consequently turning his love from us we have many assaults but all in vain for when a Believer reflects upon what Christ hath done for him considers the death resurrection and intercession of Jesus Christ with the precious fruits of all unto his soul and that out of pure love who deserved to be an object of eternal hatred this makes the pulse beat quick and high in holy affections to the Lord Jesus And the want of this due reflection upon what by nature we were and what now by grace
when we experience a sedateness and serenity of spirit rejoycing in hope of the glory of God now sence of grace received doth marvellously comfort the soul 1. In our addressments unto God by prayer when we have any request to make at the throne of grace this will work a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and holy boldness of spirit in us we may encourage our selves to hope that we shall speed in our desires and have acceptation in heaven when we consider that God hath manifested the love of a father and given the portion of a childe unto us how he sought us up when we were gone astray met us with a welcome home at our returne and clasped us in the embraces of his paternall affections when we have the robe and ring to shew the spirit of Adoption which cryeth Abba Father and therefore if parents that are evil know how to give good things to their children See Mr. Teat in Matth. 7. vers 11. much more will our heavenly father give the holy Ghost to us that ask him Luke 11. vers 13. even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good things yea all good things for the Holy Ghost is a comprehensive and superlative terme all good things and that which is more then all besides sure we should not have that listlesness and loathness unto prayer that heart-deadness in prayer and those dead hopes as to expectancy of comfort from prayer if we were much and often in the meditation of Gods love Oh t is an excellent heart preparatory unto prayer and the readiest way to find the returnes of our prayers Care his Plus cum Deo quam hominibus loquitur while prayer standeth still the trade of Godliness stands still also and soul-wants are great and many all good comes into the soul by this door and all true treasures by this Merchants ship And sure they who have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and their bodies washed with pure water that have the sence of justifying and sanctifying grace have boldness and heart-willingness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus and may draw near to God with full assurance of faith Heb. 10. vers 19 22. in which the life of comfort doth much consist and by which it is much preserved in the soul 2. This heart-commanding will give you comfort in your attendance at the posts of wisdome O when you sit at the feet of Jesus in his teaching ordinances and your hearts are heated and heightened with a serious meditation upon the truth and work of grace you 'l taste comfort in every word and draw sweetness out of every dug if sin be roundly dealt withall and the arrowes of the Lord be keen to strike through the very heart of a lust you will rejoyce in it because 't is done against an enemy sin and you are now implacably fallen out and therefore you dare speak in the words of the Psalmist Psal 139. ver 21 22. Do not I hate them which hate thee and am not I grieved with them which rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Indeed in a sense we are to love our enemies but those that would draw off our hearts from the Lord and loosen our affections from holiness as sin would Oh they are enemies indeed and we shall bless God when the word wounds them deepest that they bleed and breath out their last Time was when we had secret heart-risings against the word when a reproof came too close and Ahab-like we have hated the Micaiah and have gone home to our houses heavy and displeased because of the word which hath been spoken unto us 1 Kings 21. vers 4. I but now we take pleasure in a sin-wounding Sermon a lust-laming discourse when the word gets a leg or an arm from the body of death so when impenitency is reproved and sentenced we shall be comforted when we find that God hath given us soft hearts and granted repentance unto life Acts 11. verse 18. If Gospel unbelief be threatened and the wrath of an eternal God denounced our hearts will be comforted by a reflection upon our faith of which Jesus Christ hath been the Author and will be the finisher Heb. 12. ver 2. nay if the bottomless pit be opened and a vision of that brimstone-lake belching forth smoke and sulphur be presented the sight whereof makes the sinners of Zion afraid and surpriseth the hippocrites with sinking fears crying out in the greatness of their distress who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Isa 33. ver 14. our hearts will feed upon this sad truth with comfort when we know that with Noah we are in the ark and with Lot we are in Zoar waiting for our Jesus from heaven who hath delivered us from wrath to come 1 Thes 1. vers ult The Devil is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a roaring lion roaring after the prey but our comfort is that the Lord Jesus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lion of the Tribe of Judah which rescueth us from the paws of this Lion Nay farther if Gospel priviledges be displayed Gospel-promises be applyed Gospel-treasures be opened and the name of Christ like oyntment be powred forth we may by an Act of believing grasp at all and say all is ours we are Christs 1 Cor. 3. ver ult yea Christ is ours Cant. 5. ver ult In a word if the state of after blessedness be discovered upon and heaven in all its glory be revealed according to frail man's utmost capacity to apprehend it Oh it will be matter of heart-rejoycing to us when our soules can go up to God with that triumphant Eulogy 1 Pet. 1. ver 3 4 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to this inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and which fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation in every truth the sence of grace received will give in comfort to a believer Oh try this and you will find a sweetness in the word however dispensed This also will render your approaches to the Lord's Table more acceptable to the Lord and more comfortable to your own soules for having tried the truth and coming in the sence of grace received you may lift up your hearts with chearfulness and humbly expect that the cup is the new Testament in the bloud of Jesus for the remission of your sins Matth. 26. v. 28. that all the benefits of the new Covenant even the whole purchase of Christ's passion are sealed up unto you if to this worthiness of person you add the worthiness of preparation also You shall then find his flesh to be meat indeed and his bloud to be drink indeed as living men
adversaâ—ies shall not be able to gainsay or resist I was supplyed from on high both with Invention and Elocution that I mightâ— say with Luther Nescio unde veniunt istae meditationes I know not whence those Arguments Answers and Objections came but sure it was the Spirit of my Father which spake in me and the Promise is universal to all the Saints when brought to a day of trial How bravely did Anne Ascue Alice Driver and other poor women answer the Doctours and put them to a nonplus Fear not then For it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak Matth. 10. vers 19. A Second Complaint of a poor Christian is this I have wife and children to take care for my heart goes out exceeding much unto them it goes very near me to bring them into an estate of want and povertie and therefore I much fear that I shall grudge exceedingly to suffer a confiscation of mine Estate for conscience sake I shall be loath to draw up mine own will in mine own bloud and give away all mine Estate from my dear relations that strangers shall inherit my labours and the children of mine own body shall be turned out of doors a sad tryal enough to dash those generous spirits of the Gospel in that heart where flesh and bloud are consulted with But now if an experienced believer shall take him to task and tell him in the word of faithfulness O friend this was my case I had a fair inheritance descended upon me had much improved it by my care and industry God gave me a fruitfull vine with many Olive branches round about my Table which made my heart full loath to forsake all and to follow Christ it cut me to the heart to think that for Religion and conscience sake I should be cruel to mine own flesh and make void their title to any who by the Law of nature and nations have a right unto all but through the good hand of my God when I was called to it I was crucified to the world and the world was crucified to me the Lord had so taken the world out of my heart and fill'd it so much with heaven and drawn up my relations to that height of self-denial that they spake to me the words of Origen to his Father Leonides who suffered in the fifth Persecution Cave tibi Mr. Fox Act. Mon. vol. 1. pag. 70. ne quid propter nos aliud quam martyrii constanter faciendi prâ—spositum cogites Beware lest for our sakes and out of principles of love to us you take up any other resolution then what becomes a faithfull martyr and confessour of the Lord Jesus so that I was able to take joyfully the spoiling of my goods knowing that in heaven I had a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10. ver 34. and to trust my self and family in the hands of that Jesus Christ who hath given this assurance to every one Iulian the Apostate put Valentinian out of the Tribuneship for his Religion who afterwardhad the Empire cast upon him that hath forsaken houses or lands for his name sake that he shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit eternal life Matth. 19. ver 29. and to take his word who hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. vers 5. and blessed be his name I have found much of this made good by my own experience I have not lost by that which I lost for Christ Queen Elizabeth would not have wished her self a Milk-maid when imprisoned for the Gospel sake if she had foreknown what a happy Raign of four and fourty years the Lord had reserved her unto 3. But a third Complaint which as the great deep swallowes up the two first of a poor Christian is this though I should not have much to lose or the Lord should give me a heart willingly to lose it for the Gospel sake yet I am afraid I shall never burn for Christ but when I come to the stake I shall prove a wretched Apostate and shall be farre from the courage of that brave Martyr Bishop Hooper who being brought to the stake Mr. Clarâ— in vita patrum at Glocester a box with a pardon in it was set before him which when he knew he cryed out If you love my soul away with it if you love my soul away with it Oh! great have been the fears of many in times of persecution But now when an experimental Christian shall say unto the fearfull Be strong Let not the sight of fire and faggot daunt thee Just thus it was with me I verily feared that the sight of a stake made ready with fire and faggot for me would have made me run out of my wits and Religion too and yielded to a base compliance to have saved this carkass But I bless the Lord when I was haled to the prison dragg'd to the dungeon and threatened with a tormenting death unless I would receive the mark of the beast and worship the whore I then found the incomes of the spirit so plentifully received such an Heroick faith in so high a measure and was so fraught with Christian magnanimity that I am humbly bold to perswade my self had I then been call'd to it I should have suffered Martyrdome with much cheerfulness and comfort I had that set upon my heart which was upon Mr. Bilney's who being told that fire was very hot replyed I know it having often tryed it by putting my singer into the flame of a candle yet I am perswaded by Gods holy word and the experience of some spoken of in it that in the flame they felt no heat and in the fire no consumption and I believe that though the stubble of my body be consumed yet my soul shall be purged thereby and after short pain will be in joy unspeakable I believed that Promise Isa 44. v. 2. When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon the doubtless if this course was duely observed the people of the Lord would be better prepared for a day of suffering How did the Primitive Martyrs and our Marian Sufferers comfort and encourage one another against the day of slaughter And certainly the Christians of our time would best live to their weak Brethren if by communicating their experiences unto them they would endeavour to prepare them for a suffering time not knowing but the Lord may call some of us unto it You that are experienced Christians may shew much kindness by way of comfort unto tempted ones if you would impart unto them the goodness of the Lord and the succours from an high which you have found in an hour of temptation if you would give your hearts a vent and pour forth your experiences into their bosomes Oh nothing more usual then to have Christians tempted nor then to hear them under temptations crying out Never was any poor creature tempted as I am
experiments gain much authority with us we are apt to expect good from a probatum est in order to natural so to a spiritual cure Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ says the woman to the Samaritanes Joh. 4.29 and upon this they went out of the City and came unto him this was the method of Saint John in his first Epistle ch 1.1 3. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truely our fellowship is with the father and with his Son Jesus Christ 3. Because God will hereby set a greater mark of honor upon the Saints and make them with more affectionateness love one another when they find that the eye hath need of the hand and the head of the foot 1 Cor. 12.21 that they are mutually dependent upon and mutually serviceable one to another It is much my thoughts that in the way proposed the people of God would be more comforted one by another and their hearts would be more knit up in love one to another 4. You will live best to others when you draw forth the sense and experience which ye have found of the love of God by way of hope and helpfulness unto those that mourn under the want of the spirits witness to their Son-ship and salvation with what holy earnestness doth many a servant of the Lord press after assurance how would he accept of it as a good bargain indeed if purchased with the loss of all outward enjoyments and how is it with many as it was with Paul in another case 2 Cor. 2.13 I had not rest in my spirit because I found not Titus my brother Certainty of salvation is this Titus the absence whereof fills the soul with a strange unquietness breathing after it in every duty in every ordinance in every promise they are strangers to the prayers and practices tears and troubles of the Saints that are ignorant of this That certainty of salvation is attainable is a clear truth 1 Joh. 5.13 These things write I unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know ye have eternal life not with the certainty of hope onely as the Papists say but of faith also in the foretastes of after-blessedness Apoc. 2.17 To him that overcome will I give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone with a new name written in it which no man knoweth saving he that hath received it indeed this sealing of the holy Spirit of Promise is a certain divine impression of light a certain unexpressiable assurance that we are the Sons of God a certain secret manifestation that God hath received us and put away our sins I say says worthy Dr. Preston t is such a thing which no man knows Ne Covenant p. 399. but he that hath received it it is a wondrous thing and if there were not some Christians that do feel it and know it you might believe that there was no such thing that it were but a fancy and Enthusiasme but it is certain that there are a generation of men which know what this seal of the Lord is now then if such as do experimentally know it and know how they attained unto it would be but free in their communications how might they be as faithful guides unto those Who ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward how might they set up way marks for them and led them by their ports within the view yea to the suburbes of heavenly Jerusalem telling them this course we steered we were much in prayer much in an humble attendance upon Gospel-appointments much in searching of the Holy Scriptures much in contesting against all corruptions much in a due and serious tryal of our own spiritual estate and gave much diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 We did not go to the university of election untill we had been at the Grammer-School of vocation as one saith we began below at our sanctification at the work and truth of grace in our hearts and so gradually ascended step by step unto the top-stone of our election we framed a Sillogisme of assurance from the witness of water and blood and the Lord at length superadded the witness of his spirit This we did and blessed be the Lord we are sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession Eph. 1.13 14. and therefore go you and do likewise pray in hope wait in hope and believe in hope under the perswasion that the vision is for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come and will not tarry Hab. 2.3 we can set our seal of experience to this truth though we waited long yet the vision hath spoken our souls have heard the speakings of God by his spirit in peace and joy and a rejoycing hope of glory to come and blessed be God it doth not lye it is not a presumptuous brag an opinionative boast which vanisheth into smoak and air in a time of tryal but a real evidence of divine love and demonstrative assurance of our eternal blessedness Therefore fear not ye servants of the Lord Who walk in darkness and as yet see no light light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Psal 97.11 the seed time is past and the harvest is drawing on you shall have your sheavs of joy also the vision that hath spoke to us will speak to you also Our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace will comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work 2 Thess 2.16 17. O how may the Saints of God in all these cases mutually contribute to the comforting councelling supporting and edifying each other in their most holy faith if they would be free in communicating their experiences to one another and more frequent in holding up communion one with another The wise man tells us As Iron sharpeneth Iron so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend the point of most Christian zeal is very blunt they are sharp enough in censures and contentions to draw blood of the credit yea the consciences of their brethren But what edge would be set upon their zeal in the best sense and for the best things if they would often meet together in love and sharpen each other by holy conferrences may not the neglect of Christian communion rightly managed be much a cause of our divisions and animosities and would it not be a healing means
a spirituall discourse Nephesh Berachah the soul of blessing but they do or may receive good to themselves Prov. 11. ver 25. The liberall soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall also be watered himself it is not the liberall hand though it be true as to acts of common bounty if rightly ordered but the liberall soul answering to that Prov. 10. ver 11. The lips of the righteous feed many by wholesome counsell seasonable exhortations and spirituall instructions now this is a fatning discourse the soul thrives bravely that observes this method your own graces will be more exercised your own consciences will be awakened your own knowledge will be more enlarged and your own spirits will be more quickened unto and established in the good wayes and truths of God you cannot be serious in reproving others but it will give corruption a wound in your own hearts you cannot perswade others to repent of their fins but it will stirre you up to renew repentance for your own sins you cannot exhort others to duty but you will be admonisht of your own and you cannot deal seriously with others about salvation but it will quicken up an holy diligence in you to mind your own salvation Surely these improvements are well worth your labour 2. It makes much for your personall safety the more there be to stand in the gap the better the breach will be made up ten would have preserved Sodom when as nine could not do it the Saints do much with God when numerous and unanimous when the whole Church prays for Peter an Angel procures his Goal-delivery you helping together with your prayers is Paul's expression owning the joint addresses of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1. ver 11. striving together for the faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. ver 27. Paul layes much stress upon number and unity when many strive and strive together like valiant Champions and a well ordered army it is like to go well with the Gospel in the Doctrines and liberty of it Therefore cast your bread upon the waters for you know not what evil shall be upon the earth Eccl. 11. ver 1.2 Take this in a spiritual sense and you will find an inforcement in it to the duty proposed for in a time of straight Zech. 12. ver 5. The Governours of Judah shall say in their heart even from the heart acknowledg it Legio fulminea the Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord their God By vertue of their Interest in the Lord their God evils have been diverted Judgments have been removed and blessings in their right seasons have been procured 3. It makes much for your spiritual comfort The soul of righteous Lot was vexed from day to day with the unlawfull deeds of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. ver 8. Is not this your case Do not your eyes run down with tears because men keep not Gods Law yea in that abundance that they swell into rivers Holy David's did Psal 119.136 Is not every profane wretch an Hazael to your eyes and a Hadadrimmon to your hearts and can you step out of your door in many places it is so and not see some piece of wickedness which cuts you to the heart or hear every man speak vanity to his neighbour Psal 12. ver 2. now how would it revive your spirits how would it rejoyce and comfort your hearts if you could see the face of things changed amongst you that you might go to this neighbours house and finde them praying to anothers and find them praising God to a third and find them reading and discoursing of the word and things of God nay that you could not walk in the streets but you should hear the Inhabitants of one city saying unto another let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts Zech. 8. ver 21. This sets forth the zeal and charity of those converts who would not come alone but draw others along in company with them to the worship of God which is lively expressed in a Mimesis Mr. Pemble in loc or imitation of the encouragements and invitations they should use one to another I will go also every one was as forward for himself as zealous for another as a learned Expositour hath it O blessed frame of spirit O religion would then flourish indeed when Ministers have their comes and calls each to other to the service of God nay that such an awakening should be upon your neighbours that here one should take hold of the skirts of your garments and here another as children catch hold on their Mothers gowns hang upon them and run after them saying we will go with you to such an Ordinance to such a Christian meeting for we have heard that God is with you we heard it formerly but believed it not yea derided it but now we have heard from the secret teachings of the Spirit of God within us and are convinced of it that God is with you with you in prayer with you in the word preached with you in all the duties of Religion with you in your private waitings upon him with you in the way of holiness Of a truth God is in you 1 Cor. 14. ver 25. and therefore we will go with you your God shall be our God your wayes shall be our wayes and your company shall be our company what a rejoycing of heart would this be to the truly godly and if the Lord give his blessing to the painfull endeavours of his faithfull Ministery and if you that are Christians act up with zeal to the course propounded how might the communion of Saints be maintained the Common-wealth of believers be enlarged and the places of our habitations be as the suburbs of heaven It layes a good foundation for posterity you are now sowing that seed the harvest whereof may be reaped by your children you are digging that well of which your Infants may fill their buckets Personall piety is profitable to posterity 2 Kings 10. ver 30. It was very much that was promised to Jehu for cutting off Ahab's wicked Family and destroying the temple and worshippers of Baal And the Lord said unto Jehu because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel And what a blessing doth the Lord entail upon the seed of the righteous Psal 112. ver 1 2. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Câ—mmandements his seed shall be mighty upon the earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed But that Religion which you now advance may be of spiritual advantage to them when you are dead Psal 102. ver 18. This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord even for your
with utmost diligence to endeavour with much seriousnesse of spirit the winning over souls to God! How shall we answer the charge of our own consciences at a dying hour how shall we look our dear Redeemer in the face at the last day nay how shall we stand against the great accuser before the great tribunal when he shall charge this spirituall sloth and negligence upon us when he shall speak to the Judge of all the world and cry for justice against us urging that his servants have been more faithfull and serviceable to him then we have been to the Lord Jesus though he never bled to redeem them never underwent the wrath of a sin-revenging God for them never laid down his life to save them out of hell never gave them inward and heart consolations here neither prepared for nor ever promised unto them a state of everlasting blessednesse and fulnesse of joy in his presence forevermore hereafter and therefore shall call for sentence to be given out against us as being unworthy of that crown of glory O this is a consideration of great weight the Lord help us to take the right poise of it let us take shame unto our selves for our former negligence and be quickened up to more industriousnesse for the future Let not any of the devils drudges out-work us nor any of his merchants out-bid us much lesse any of his pedlers out-sell us for the time to come let not others do more to undo then we to save souls nor be more unwearied in their labours and travells to pervert then we are to convert men if there be a person that deserves as a badge of honour the name of that old Disciple trudge o're the world let not Jesuite and Heretick get it from us To shut up this I beseech you dear Christians into whose hands providence shall cast this treatise weigh these considerations laid down and let them with what others the spirit of the Lord shall suggest unto you or any of my learned brethren shall offer have an holy force upon your spirits to put you upon serious endeavours of doing good to your carnall neighbours if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. ver 25 26. and that you may be used by the Lord as instruments of their salvation listen not to flesh and blood which will be tampering with you to disswade you from it and will throw in an hundred objections and carnall cavils against it onely observe your stations invade not the ministery nor despise it be humble in all your applications to your ignorant neighbours and under any successe which the Lord shall answer your endeavours with and under all discouragements and deadnesse of heart to this duty improve grace received and temporall preservations as arguments to quicken you up to this duty and to other duties which are mentioned in this treatise that you may live best to God best to your selves and best to all others and alwayes wear this text as a sign upon your hands and as frontlets between your eyes to enmind you of the Lord's mercies unlesse the Lord had been my help my soul had almost dwelt in silence Vse 4. Are the appearances of God eminent an immediate to the help of his people in the day of their distresse have you experienced this truth have you seen the outgoings of the Lord in your personall safety and preservations why then fetch comfort and encouragement from hence and lift up your hearts and hands unto God in expectancy of help and succour in these following cases 1. When Church affairs do meet with dark and gloomy day when the Gospel is under some restraint as to liberty or under some corruption as to purity in word and worships reflect upon the outgoings of God unto you and consider that mercy that goodnesse that wisdome that power c. which were engaged for your rescue in an evil day then play the good Logicians and in a way of divine induction argue à minore ad majus from the lesse to the greater if the Lord extended help to me in such an eminent manner how much more shall the arm of the Lord be made bare in the rescue of many Saints if a single believer found the Lord so present in a day of trouble how shall a society of believers find him in such a day if a little sculler was brought safe to shore from off a stormy sea how will the Lord calm the raging waves when the ship of his Church is tempest-tost if his care was so great over one member sure the whole family shall not be neglected by him O there 's much sweetnesse and much truth in this way of arguing Thus did David Psal 30. ver 1 2. O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my life from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down into the pit here was a personal deliverance and what doth he inferre from hence namely that the Church and people of God shall receive the same measure of mercy from him in the day of their distresse therefore he saith ver 4. Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his I but may the Saints say we have little cause of mirth we may now hang our harps upon the willows the waters of Babylon by which we are set down do call for weeping rather then rejoycing no sayes he I read your safety in mine own for ver 5. His anger endureâ—h but for a moment ista nubecula cito evanescat as he said of Julians persecution weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning the Churches afflictions though they be sharp yet they shall be but short though they be violent they shall be transient this I assert sayes he as having been mine own case I have had many clear mornings after cloudy nights for the Lord hath brought my life from the grave he hath kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Again Psal 31. ver 22. I said in mine hast so great were my fears and so small was my faith I am cut off from before thine eyes I am a lost a dead an undone man neverthelesse thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee what doth he conclude from hence why ver 23 24. O love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithfull and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer repayeth abundantly or with surplussage in seipso aut semine suo either in himself or in his posterity God will be sure to be meet with him and therefore he bids them be of good courage bear up bravely be stout and stedfast in the faith under trialls did the Lord hear my prayers and will he not hear his praying Church did he
which would attract all men to wit multitudes of men and women to believe in him The Spirit being to be sent forth and the Gospel being to be universally preached after his death O then ye believing ones look unto this Jesus and look unto this joy which in some measure will be given in unto you by the attractiveness of your deaths to draw soules to Christ and settle this upon your hearts that though your bloud may be spilt as water upon the ground yet by the wise appointment of a gracious God it may be as seed instrumentally not meri-toriously for in this sense onely the bloud of Jesus is of life and grace to poor sinners and be not so streiten-ed in your bowels to the Lord Jesus or to your poor brethren as to deny an handfull of seed if called unto it to encrease the greatharvest I shall subjoin but one Consideration more namely 5. That t is an honorable advancement to be called out by Christ to suffer for him a vouchsafement of grace Magna est huâ—us verbi Emphasis ex quo intellimus omnia deberi gratuitae Dei Electioni and that in a way of speciall favour to die a Martyr a right Martyr The Apostles Acts 5. ver 41. rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in a way of grace they had this honour put upon them that they were reputed as persons worthy to wear an honourable scar in their flesh for Christ though they were onely scourged this made Paul and Silas so meray at midnight that they sung Psalmes probably of praise to God that they were counted worthy to be shut up in the inner prison and to have their feet made fast in the stocks for the testimony of Jesus Acts 16. v. 25. Hence he tells the Philippians Phil. 1. ver 29. to you it is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is a grant of grace of rich grace in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him though that be an high honour but also to suffer for his sake as if he had said the Lord hath granted you this honour that ye shall believe on him when as he leaves thousands of your acquaintance country-men yea Betters upon a worldly score in unbelief This is worth your acceptation our admiration this calls for full returnes of praise and thankfulness but this is not all that this grant of grace conferres by way of honour upon you for ye ye that are believers shall also be sufferers be Martyrs for Christ and sure the crown of Martyrdome is a glorius crown and every soul won over to God by a dying Martyr will be as an Orient pearl and precious Diamond in his crown of far more value then that Adamant found about Charles Duke of Burgundy slain by the Switzers at the battel of Nantz sold for twenty thousand Duckets and placed as it is said in the Popes tripple crown Oh what foretastes of glory what ravishments of soul have many of the blessed Martyrs had in their suffering for Christ Hold Lord stay thine hand I can bear no more like weak eyes that cannot bear too great a light and oh what thankfulness and joy of heart have many express'd Act. and Mon. Fol. 1553. It is the greatest promotion God gives in this world to suffer saies Father Latimer I thank God most heartily for this hour Mr. Glover wept for joy of his imprisonment God forgive me my unthankfulness for this great exceedingmercy that among so many thousands he chuseth me to be one in whom he will suffer Martyr â—tiam in catenâ— gaudet August Act. Mon. Fol. 136â— 1744 saies Mr. Bradford Martyr I am the unmeetest man for this high office that ever was appointed to it saies Mr. Sanders Such an honour is it saies John Carlisle Martyr as the greatest Angel in heaven is not permitted to have God forgive me my unthankfulness Oh then what the Apostle saies Heb. 12. ver 1. as the close and Epilogue of that Martyrology so say I Wherefore seing you are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets you and run with patience the race which is set before you Ye know not what times ye may be called unto what quaimes of fears may be upon your spirits and what temptations to self pitty from Sathan and the flesh may then seize upon you Therefore store up Provision afore hand lay up Promises lay up Presidences lay up Arguments and lay up these considerations by an unworthy hand offered unto you keep a fresh sense of former deliverances and improve them by way of comfort and support in persecuting times Argue with David Psal 9. ver 13. Have mercy on me O Lord consider my troubles which I suffer of them that hate me and probably in the cause of Religion thou that liftest me up from the gates of death ex praesentissimo en certissimo interitu from present and certain dangers which shewed me the grave gaping for me and therefore raise up your spirits and believingly say as vers 6 7 8 9. O thou enemy destructions are come to a perpetual end the date of thy commission against us is expired and shall never be renewed and thy destruction from the Lord is irrevocable and eternal but the Lord shall endure for ever vivit regnatque Christus Christ lives and raigns and shall judg the world in righteousness and will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble Read and enlarge these and the following Verses in your own thoughts 3. Improve the consideration of temporal mercies by way of support under all your saddest and sorest temptations from the wicked one If the manchilde Christ Jesus in the spirit be formed in you and any actings of grace be brought forth by you the great red Dragon will wait to devour you He is your adversary an inveterate enemy he owes you an old grudg and will be revenged on the heel for the bruising of his head and that by your head It is his Interest to bestirre himself If Christ gaineth he looseth There 's a wedge loose with him when the word findes a welcome in a sinners heart There 's not a soul brought home to Christ but is fetch'd out of the Devils quarters not a convert gained but is wonne by Christ in a set battel Sathan sadly speaks those words of John the Baptist John 3. ver 30. he must increase but I must decrease The sea is in continual revolution when it is high water in one place its low water in some other so when it is high tide in such a nation country or town its low water with Sathan Christs gain is Sathans loss He knows how Christs and his own affairs go on in the world who gains and who looses and that his loss is Christs gain and therefore he tries all his tricks improves