he hath ransomed from the grave in these late sickly times live the rest of your time in the flesh to the will of God in the advancement of Gospel-purity and the power of godliness let this be your return to the Lord observe his finger pointing to this as the especial work of your generation and believe that God hath brought you again from the dead that ye may give life to reformation national at least Congregational which for many years hath laboured under painful throes and pangs and yet is not delivered The Apostle Paul in that excellent Sermon of his preached at Antioch Act. 13. Speaking honorably of holy David verse 22. produceth letters testimonial under Gods own hand concerning him in these words I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart who shall fulfill all my wills 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gives this farther account of him vers 36. That after he had served his own generation by the will of God he fell asleep Whence I note in general that the best men and most eminent both for parts place and piety must dye Josh 1.2 God tells Joshua this news Moses my servant is dead what he was and how eminent the spirit of God fully declares And David full of days riches and honor died 1 Chro. 29.28 And go therefore work whilst it is day walk in the light whilst ye have the light bestir your selves for God for though eminent dye ye must as many of great eminency in this age of ours have dyed who are yet lamented by some now alive and will be more unless the Lord fill up their empty rooms with others of choice and noble spirits 2. In particular I shall briefly commend these few things unto you as 1. That the best and choicest of Gods saints are not exempted from service God exspects to have work done by every servant he will not suffer idle drones to live in his family he will not allow any lazy loiterers to sleep within the walls of his vineyard he doth not keep any idle Serving-men in his house no he appoints them all to labour and 't was well if the patterne of God's house was observed if the Lawes of his family were executed by our Great Ones much sin would be prevented which is nursed at the breasts of idleness nay places of great eminency are no exemption from Gods work The nobles of Tekoah have a brand set upon them because they put not their necks to the work of the Lord Neh. 3. ver 5. And the Lord puts this as the highest mark of honour into the scutcheons of his greatest Saints that they were his servants Moses my servant my servant David c. Matth. 25. ver 20 21. He that received five talents traded and at the day of accounts his labour was not onely honourably accepted but gloriously rewarded entrance was granted unto him into his Masters joy 2. That Gods will is and must be the only rule of our work The Master expects as to have his work done so to have his own orders and directions observed in the doing of it to neglect the work of the Lord and to do it cross to divine order is equally sinful Vzziah died upon the place for touching the Ark and Vzziah was stricken with the leprosie for attempting to burn incense upon the Altar of incense both which expresly thwarted the appointment of God It was the peoples sin to eat the Passeover otherwise then it was written 2 Chron. 30.18 Therefore David in the person of the Lord Jesus joyns both together Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will yea thy law is in my heart as the standard by which I work and our Saviour writes vanity upon the forehead of all service which is performed to God upon the single authority of man without a warrant under Gods own hand for it Mat. 15.9 In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men what bundles of vain worships are layed upon Gods Alter by the Pontificians And how ought we to be humbled also for the vanity of many services which have been performed by us in this Nation 3. That the great God commands us not onely to work but to do the work of our own Generation David served out his own Generation he did the work which was allotted by the Lord to him in that particular age he lived in which was to fight the Lords battels to subdue the enemies of his Church settle the Nation in peace establish the worship of God provide for the service of his Sanctuary and prepare for the building of the temple these were the works of his Generation in those 2 capacities of Prophet and King and therefore the holy Ghost engraves this Epitaph upon his sepulchre which shall not be defaced so long as the world endures that David served his own generation by the will of God Instances of like nature the Scripture affords many Quest But the great Query is How shall we know what are the proper works of our Generation Answ I answer much of this nature hath been offered by learned and judicious Divines in severall Treatises and though they have not been so harmonious as was defired in their judgement as to the manner yet they have agreed in one as to the matter Indeed repentance toward God and faith towards our Lord Jesus with those generall duties of Religion which are comprehenhended under these two heads none deny or dispute except some of prophane or perverted spirits and judgements and that things of order and Government in the Church should be reduced to the Primitive Pattern and Practice few of sober and Orthodox principles do oppose yea most desire and surely that this is the generation which God hath called forth to act in these transactions may be spell'd if not legibly read in the dispensations of his providence towards us I do not set up providence as a standing rule to work and walk by when it is either crosse unto or receives not approbation from the written word for that was to perswade the Traveller to sleep all day when the sun shines bright and clear and to take his Journey in the night when the starres do onely twinckle and the wayes are dangerous and difficult to find mistakes have been sad and many of this kind Numb 14. ver 40 41. the mistake of Gods minde in that dreadfull message ver 39. occasioned the slaughter of many men for the people apprehending that God was offended with them for not going up to take possession of Canaan rose up early in the morning and gat them up unto the top of the mountain saying Lo we be here and will go up into the place which the Lord hath promised for we have sinned and what followed why their attempting to invade their enemies under this mistake cost them many of their lives Thus did Saul mistake the mind of the Lord 1 Sam. 23. ver 7. when it was told
heart-deadness neglect of Family-discipline and that Formality even amongst Professours and Christians of long standing they would not sit down in such a lazie Profession and tolerate that Ignorance that profaneness and those abuses in their Families and Towns if they were throughly awakened by a due collection and serious communication of experienced mercies how often and how signal their deliverances have been from the jaws of death Oh receive in love this word of exhortation from an unworthy hand and the Lord set it home upon your hearts 2. I come now to the pure spiritual part of the exhortation Are the appearances of the Lord eminent and immediate for the help of his people in their greatest straights have you experienced this can you set your seal to this truth hath the Lord engaged for your help and brought you off with safety and comfort when you were under the greatest hazards then make a good use of such mercies and take my advice in these following particulars 1. Make a serious and speedy enquiry whether you are brought of from sin and wrath by Jesus Christ and what have been the methods of God toward you in your spiritual deliverance 2. Quicken up your selves to duty in all your deadness and damps of spirit 3. Be much in the sence and meditation of grace received keep up the consideration thereof To the first Improve your temporal preservatious by way of inquiry after your spiritual safety 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
place where he lives 206 The Saints are the best neighbours 207 1. In communicating to the outward wants of the poor ibid. 2. In procuring the blessings of God upon the Families and places where they live ibid. 3. In diverting or delaying of Judgements impending 208 4. In lengthening out the day of Gods Patience to the prophane world 209 5. In promoting the Conversion of their carnall neighbours 210 Considerations to stirr up Saints to endeavour the Conversion of sinners 211 112 213 214 Consid 1. It is a matter of great well-pleasingness unto God 215 Consid 2. It is an honour to Jesus Christ 216 Consid 3. The Providences of God which have gone over the Nation ib. 217 Consid 4. That we ought to do unto others what we would have others do unto us 218 219 Consid 5. That what your carnal neighbours are you were 220 Consid 6. That it is a piece of good friendship to your selves 221 1. It is an high point of spiritual good husbandry ibid. 2. It makes much for your personall safety ibid. 3. It makes much for your personall comfort 222 4. It layes a good foundation for posterity 223 224 5. It hath a tendency towards your everlasting comfort 225 Prov. 7.30 compared with Dan. 123. 126. Six positions laid down 127 Consid 7. That bad men are very active and industrious to gain over others to their bad Principles and worse Practises 229 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 any that go down into silence Hence the Latines call dead men Silentes silent ones 4. Welnigh or almost The word signifieth A little space of time or place as if he had said so near was I unto death that there was but a minute or hair's breadth betwixt me and it a parralel place though upon a spiritual account you have Prov. 5. vers 14. I was almost in all evil quasi parum or parum abfuit quin or with in a little of all evil This sheweth the nearness of the danger so that the Psalmist speaketh after this sort If the Lord had not seasonably and fully appeared to my help so great and unavoidable was the danger I was just dropping into I had been a dead man and my dwelling had been in the quiet and tenebrous cloysters of death The Text thus opened presenteth you with these three Observations I. Obser ∣ vation 1 That the saints Exodus to heaven is through a red sea and a wilderness II. Obs 2 That the people of God are sometimes cast upon such streights that seem to cut off all means of relief from them III. Obs 3 That the appearances of God are eminent and immediate to the rescue of his people in their greatest streights I shall speak to the two first but sparingly and be more copious and enlarged on the last the prosecution whereof is mainly intended And take up the former in the Applicatory part of this Doctrine That the Saints of God do meet with many dangers Doctrine 3 and much adversity in this life Their Exodus to heaven is through a red Sea and a wilderness Psal 34. ver 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous The Account of their sufferings riseth very high the gross summ of their affliction is very great Isa 43. vers 2. they must pass to their Land of rest through fire and through water Acts 14. v. 22. We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of God Malcolm Plana via ad patriam coelestem est crux The readie way to heaven is the Cross-way If there be any way to heaven on horse-back Mr. Bradford surely this is the way saith that blessed Martyr The stones were not set into Solomon's Temple untill hewen neither is the corne laid up in the garner untill the flail hath passed upon it Flesh-pleasing formalists take up a delicate Profession thinking to divide betwixt Christ and his Cross coasting about in their wilde and roaving thoughts to finde out a way that will bring them to the Crown and yet baulk the Cross but alas their mistake will one day sadden their hearts when they shall read their present folly in their future disappointment Those whom John saw in the vision of the Spirit Apoc. 7. ver 14. cloathed with long white robes standing before the throne of God and of the Lamb are said to come forth of great tribulation implying they had been in great affliction they had all their share of breaking Oppressions This is a truth confirmed by the joint Testinonies of all ages and handed down to us writ in the bloud of many precious Saints 1. Then they that argue the certaintie of future blessedness from their present worldly happiness and conclude that God loveth them because they abound in those things which are beloved by them do reckon without their Host and must one day sore against their wills be constrained to reckon again The Rich man Luke 16. found it otherwise He was clothed with purple and fine linnen then which the best wore no better and fared sumptuously every day every day was a gaudie day to him second and third courses served to his table yet verse 22 23. This Rich man dieth was buried and turned into hell where he had misery without mercy sorrow without succour pain without pleasure he drank of the wine of Gods wrath without mixture Apoc. 14. ver 10. had judgement without mercy Oh that all cruel Oppressours and hard hearted Misers could consider this in time that suffer many a poor Lazarus to starve at their gates Oh! the time is drawing nigh when they shall be snatch'd from their full bowles and full barnes from their heaps and their hoards and shall be tumbled into hell from whence they may see despised Lazaras above in the bosome of Abraham Think of that unmerciful Courrier Christopher Landsale who suffered a poor Lazer to die in a ditch by him And he himself by the just hand of God dyed in a ditch also God sometimes payeth unmercifull men in their own coyn amongst whom the depopulating encloser leads the Van Isa 5.8 9 10. Hence they are asleep who dream of an earthly Paradise or an easie Religion Mic 2.2 as a meanes to arrive at that heavenly one and fancy a Profession without persecution a rose without prickles and a lilly without thornes Saint Paul sayeth otherwise Rom. 8. vers 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time concluding the present time to be a time of suffering and that all the day long ver 36. the whole course of a Christian's life is but a slaughter time or the whole day of the Gospel may be termed a slaughter day In Dioclesian's time 17000 Christians were slain in the space of one moneth In the Parisian Massacre 30000 in as little space and within the year 300000 as hath been computed And how fitly doth that sad story of the Christians of Calabria agree with this passage of the Apostle for being thrust up into one house together as into a sheepfold the
executioner cometh in and taketh one after another leading them to a larger place Acts and Monuments fol. 859. where he cutteth their throats with his butchers knife untill he had slaughtered them all to the number of Eightie eight persons even as the butcher prepareth meat for the shambles 3. Hence then they are below the name at least have not the magnanimous the great mindes and gallantry of Christians who cast of Christ when the Cross appeareth that not onely throw off their cloaks but their coats also when the sun of persecution beginneth to scorch them and they also are blameworthy who discover a whining and pettish spirit under afflictions crying out with Baruch Jer. 43. ver 3. Wo is me now for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow I fainted in my sighing and finde no rest as though all was lost when the yoke presseth heavie upon them whereas that one Consideration Lam. 3. ver 39. may stop the mouth for ever Wherefore doth living man complain a poor clod of clay alive on this side the grave and Hell and complain and quarrel with God what equity is there in his complaints what reason hath man to murmur when as man is punished for his sinnes Man that complaineth is guilty of many sinnes the wages whereof is death nay afflicted man who eighteneth his sufferings was ever grief like mine did ever any meet with such Crosses disappointments hard 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 The Saints of God do sometimes meet with such distresses Doctrine 2 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
his cause which truth hath been more then once attested by suffering saints so much of the spirit and wisdome of God hath been discovered in their answers that their adversaries and accusers have been non-pluss'd by illiterate men nay filled with astonishment Thus the Apostle Rom. 8. vers 36. For thy names sake we are led as sheep to the slaughter and what followeth why Vers 37. in all these things wee are more then Conquerours through him that loved us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we do over-overcome super-superamus if the cause be Gods we may trust our selves and it in Gods hand and possess our souls in patience when we have this assurance that not an hair of our head shall perish Luke 21. vers 18 19. Reas 3. Therefore God steppeth in to the help of his people in their greatest streights that he may give real testimony of his hearty good will unto them that they may know and their enemies also that they have a friend who will stick to them in the day of their distress affliction is the trial of affection Prov. 17. vers 17. A friend loveth at all times * Hebrew in all times that is in every opportune time in the fittest season now the timings of love the timings of acts of friendship addeth both worth and weight unto it Prov. 15. vers 23. A word spoken in season in his time saith the Hebrew how good is 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 4. Again God doth hereby more engage his people unto him Reason 4 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 hatred and hostility of Saul their father But why kindness Why he explaineth himself For Jonathan sake and again he reneweth his enquiry vers 3. To which Ziba replieth Jonathan hath yet a 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 Jonathan 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
a morning The Lord awaken the Nation and give us wisdome to improve our deliverances lest we also fall after the same example of unbeleef Heb. 4. vers 11. The other Scripture is that Psal 30. vers 6 7. In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong David thought himself cock-sure as we say of Gods favour and safe from the fear of any change because the Lord by his favour had made his mountain to stand strong He was not long fince a little hillock of a mean family in Israel and now he was grown up to be a mountain both in honour and power to be above all men in his present standing as the hills are above the vallies he was brought to this high and raised pitch by the favour of God nay had an establishment in that state and estate not by man but by God himself who hangeth the earth upon nothing supporting that weighty body without any Basis but his own will and word of power and all this not according to the course of his ordinary providence but in a way of special favour and that by the concurrence of many and glorious providences Yet for all this because he abused these mercies and came not up in his deportments to the Lords expectation God hid his face withdrew his covering Cherub and providential supplies and then his mountain his standing-strong mountain met with an 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 vows 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 attainments 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 men 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 body 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 whose traffick 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 Judiciary power upon them Mr. Iackson in lec Gods and all of you are children of the most High not by adoption of grace but by administration of office That the expectation of the Lords people is great from you 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
among the Nations and their off-spring among the people so that all they that seem may acknowledge them that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed Isa 61. vers 9. Suffer therefore an unworthy Son of Zion and Minister of the Gospel for the good of a part of that people over which the Lord hath set you to be a Remembrancer from the Lord unto you that mercies received may be improved by you and enkindle an holy zeal for God in you 1. To make good the Covenants and Oaths of your God which are upon you and into which by your authority and ensample at least many of you we entred that the sense of Covenant-mercies may provoke unto Covenant-duties for the advancement of the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus in unity peace purity and the power of godliness that Sabbath-strictness may be asserted by you Gospel-Ordinances may be vindicated a Professing-people may be countenanced a faithful Ministry may be still incourageed and protected such bounds may be set to that act for liberty that Heterodox opinions may not like a land-flood overflow the Nation but that horrid Impostors and notorious offenders may be punished that all Israel may hear and fear Deut. 13. vers 11. And that the anointing of God may give you safe rules of tenderness that guilt may not lye upon you from God nor just blame from good men for that softness of spirit you shew towards the Lords people who in these times 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
sacrifice to your nets nor burn incense to your own drags do not say your own sword and your own bow hath gotten you the victory and so shut out the King of Saints and his anointed ones from any share in your many victories Take heed of Elations and up liftings of spirit in ascribing too much to your own prowess and policy and so carry away the honor of the day from the Lord of Hosts it is much a fault in many who will not own God in you nor acknowledge you as a Battle-ax in the hands of the great God whereby he hath broken the enemy and dasht in pieces the powers of the world which hath stood up against the Lord and his people and it would be much your sin if ye should by a proud Monoply engross the glory of the work wholly to your selves if any thing of this nature hath been upon your spirits or faln unwarily from your lips let me bespeak you in the words of an excellent woman and think it not dishonour to be counselled by the mouth of a woman though Abimelech did to fall by the hand of a woman 1 Sam. 2.3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly let not arrogancy come forth of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed He that trieth the heart and weigheth the spirits will certainly weigh such carriages and finde them too light if souldiers say with Ajax I know 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 did 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 Amalek 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
your bodies should have become a prey to sea-Monsters especially when engaged in a dreadful Sea-fight But was the sea alwayes rough the windes always high the ship alwyes in danger to be split or sunk no Ver. 28. Then they cryed to the Lord in their trouble then if ever a storm at sea will make seamen pray though they seldome do it on dry land yea cry thus Jonah Chap. 1. Vers 5. Then to wit in a storme The Mariners were afraid and cryed every man to his God Qni nescit orare discat navigare Rarae fumant felicibus arae He that cannot pray let him go to sea if he fears God or danger he cannot but pray but what doth God hear their cry yea he bringeth them out of their distress ver 29. He maketh the storme a calm so that the waves thereof are still Thus it was in that great storme Matth. 8. vers 26. when the ship was covered with waves through the violence of windes which rolled and dashed them over it The Lord Jesus rebuked the windes and the sea and there was a great calme he did but once chide those creatures and they submitted but against how many chidings of the Lord do these rebellious hearts of ours stand out winde and sea will rise up in judgment against us at the great day and will condemn us every drop of water in that sea upon which you sail will be a witness of your monstrous 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 thou 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 when as many labouring under the said distempers are gone down to the chambers of death is this I. That you would own with thankfulness the healing mercies of God whereby you have been restored Let your thoughts often reflect upon your former weakness what pains and faintings seased upon you what the opinion of your Physicians and the fears of your Relations were when your pulses beat low and softly when you drew your breath short and painfully when paleness had covered your faces when the grashopper was a burden to you such was your weakness Job 16. vers 16. when the shadow of death was on your eye-lids and all the symptomes of death appeared in you and all this at such a time when graves were opened very many in most places when God himself was the preacher and that upon this text Isa 40. vers 6 7. All flesh is grass and the goodliness of it as the flower of the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it which was fully confirmed every passing bell being a proof of the point and every dead corps a reason of the doctrine so that if ever now it might safely be affirmed the people is grass and you as grass might have withered into dead hay and though flowers might have faded into loathsome Carcases if the Lord had not preserved a secret sap at the root Oh consider to receive a message of life from the Lord when you had received a message of death from man to be kept alive by his almighty power when you were within an hairs breadth of death is a mercy worth the owning at all times but calls for more abundant thankfulness at such a time as this was when so many some out of the same houses and many out of the same Towns have been carried forth unto the places of burial when many of those had the same advantages for life yea greater some from men and means then ye had yet they are dead and ye are alive Oh these considerations lay great ingagements of thankfulness upon you especially if you seriously take notice what your sickness was by which ye received an arrest from the Lord it was not an ordinary disease it hath been very much ludibrium medicorum few Physicians have found out the true cause and the right cure of it the distempers have so varied and the effects have been so different in several persons and places so that with the Egyptian Sorcerers all have been forced to confess it was no other then the finger of God The Lord having made good upon us that threatning Deut. 28. Verse 61. In bringing a sickness among us which is not written in the book of the Law a Scripture parralel whereof in every particular cannot be found I shall represent it to you under these Considerations 1. It was general no County no Town no Family scarcely escaped the rod nay almost all persons found some alterations in their bodies as tendencies to that disease having as large a Commission as to smiting as the destroying Angel had Ezek. 9. vers 5 6. Go ye through the City and smite let not your eye spare neither have ye pity slay utterly old and young both maids and little children and women 2. It was suddain Many Diseases have their Prodromio's their forerunners which bring news of their coming some dayes or weeks before they seize a man but when men were in their apprehensions perfectly well and at their labour perceiving no symptomes of a sickness they were suddenly surprised some in the Towns some in the fields and brought home sick As if a man should walk in a Corporation and suddenly should be snapt by the Sergeants and carried to the Jaile when he feared nothing less 1 Thes 5.3 3. It was violent It seized many strong men with that violence at the first onset as though it would strike but once many thinking at their first surprisall they had been dropping into the grave like that Job 16. v. 12 13 14. I was at ease Read Mr. Jakson's notes in loc but he hath broken me asunder he hath also taken me by the neck and shaken me to peices and set me up for his marke His archers compass me about he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare he poureth out my gall upon the ground He breaketh me with breach upon breach he runneth upon me like a Giant 4. It was weakning the strength of the strong man was suddenly taken from him that he was either chained to his bed or like an old man walked with his staffe in his hand through age Zech. 8. ver 4. for Job 6. ver 4. the arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit And Psal 38.8 10. I am feeble and sore broken c. My heart panteth my strength faileth me by reason of inappetency Psal 107. ver 18. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat 5. It was languishing many diseases do their work in a few dayes either the distemper wears off and health returns or else sicknesse prevails and death comes In some cases the Malefactour is committed till the next Goal-delivery and then set free with a little scarre in his hand But in other cases a man is kept prisoner from Sessions to Assizes and from Assizes to Sessions and knows not when he shall have his freedome or whether his life will be spared at last So some diseases have their fixed periods of time after which health is restored but in
they might get a name and repute among believers and be counted somebody would be forward enough in this work speaking lies in hypocrisie and pretending to great things which they never expe rienced like that Amalekite 2 Sam. 1.6 7 8 9. who told David a fair tale how he stood upon Saul and slew him and took the crown that was upon his head and the bracelet that was upon his arm c. and all this that he might win credit with David and gain his favour by slaying his enemy who stood betwixt him and the crown when as the whole story was false this would be the case of some false-hearted hypocrites Again some of the servants of the Lord who are real converts would be at a loss within themselves not being able to give an account when and how the Lord first wrought upon them who can onely say with the blind man Joh. 9.25 This one thing I know that whereas I was born blinde I now do see the work of grace upon the hearts of some as to the quando and quomodo time and manner is undiscernable by them The Lord spiritualizeth their morals sanctifies their principles of education and drops down his spirit upon the seed and his blessing upon the off-spring so that they spring up as among the grass as Spring Flowers which lye buried under ground the Winter season and sprout forth as the year ariseth Isa 44.3 4. To this the Lord 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
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 dropt with myrrhe and her fingers with sweet smelling mirrhe that is she had new tokens of Christs good-will refreshing consolations from a comforting spirit which being added to her former experiences of love had such a force upon her heart that she breaks off all delay runs to the door and opens and not finding her beloved there she fails poor heart she sinks down and swouns the sence of Christs dear affection to her and her disloyal carriage to him did so seize upon her that she sinks under it And being come to her self she seeks and enquires after him suffers for him breaths out her soul in strongest affection towards him breaks forth into highest Eulogies and commendations of him and through the whole Song you never finde her under any of this heart-deadness any more but full of love and full of life Thus it was with the Church of Israel Hos 2. The Lord brings her in vers 5. speaking forth such resolutions as these I will go after my lovers that give me my bread and my water my wooll and my flax mine oyle and my drink as if she had said I am resolved to stick close to mine Idols who have recompenced my service with such plenty and abundance The allusion is to a man and his wife betwixt whom before there is a final divorce and departure there is usually some decay of conjugal affection some neglect of conjugal duties some eminent failing in conjugal offices and thereupon follows a strangeness and at length a parting asunder So heart-deadness damps of zeal flatness of spirit freezings of affection neglect of communion in the Gospel-duties and appointments formality in profession earthly-mindedness and some kind of liberty and boldness to sin are usually precedaneous to an Apostacy and departure from God Thus it was with Ephraim But how doth she recover her self Why verse 7. she argues her spirit into a returning frame Mr. Ier. Burroughs in loc I will go and return unto my first husband for then was it better with me then now Hence it is the note of a late godly Divine That the sight and sence of this how much better it was when the heart did cleave to Christ then it is now since its departure from Christ is an effectual means to cause the heart to return unto him He brings in a repenting backslider under these reasonings of heart Heretofore I was able through Gods mercy to look upon the face of God with joy when my heart did cleave to him when I did walk close with him then the glory of God did shine upon me and caused my heart to spring within me every time I thought of him But now now God knows though the world takes little notice of it the very thoughts of God are a terrour unto me the most terrible object in all the world is to behold the face of God Oh it was better with me then it is now Before this my Apostacy I had free access unto the throne of grace I could come with humble and holy boldness unto God and pour out my soul before him such a chamber such a closet can witness it but now I have no heart to pray ye I must be haled to it merely conscience pulleth me to it yea every time I go by that very closet where I was wont to have that access to the throne of Grace it strikes a terrour to my heart I can never come into Gods presence but it is out of slavish fear Oh it was better with me then then it is now Before Oh the sweet communion my soul enjoyed with Jesus Christ one dayes communion with him how much better was it then the enjoyment of all the world but now Jesus Christ is a stranger to me and I a stranger unto him Before Oh those sweet enlargements that my soul had in the Ordinances of God! when I came to the word my soul was refreshed was warmed my heart was enlightened when I came to the Sacrament oh the sweetness that was there and to prayer with the people of God it was even an heaven upon earth unto me but it is otherwise now the Ordinances of God are dead and emptie things to me Oh it was better with me then then it is now Before Oh the gracious visitations of Gods spirit that I was wont to have yea when I awaken'd in the night season oh the glimpses of Gods face that were upon my soul what quickening and enlivenings and refreshings did I find in them I would give a world but for one nights comfort I sometimes have had by the visitations of Gods spirit but now they are gone Oh it was better with me then then it is now Before Oh what peace of Conscience I had within whatsoever the world said though they railed and accused yet my conscience spake peace to me and was as a thousand witnesses for me but now I have a grating conscience within me Oh the black bosome that is in me it flyeth in my face every day after I come from such and such company I could come before from the society of Saints and my conscience smiled upon me now I go to wicked company and when I come home and in the night Oh the gnawings of that worm It was better with me then then it is now Before The graces of Gods spirit how were they sparkling in me active and lively I could exercise faith humility patience and the like now I am as one bereft of all unfit for any thing even as a dead log before
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 I. Reasons 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
to heaven to have fellowship with God in Jesus Christ then was I touched with such a lively sense of a Divinity and power of a Godhead in mercy reconciled with man and with me in Christ as I trust my soul shall never forget Glory glory glory be to the joyful deliverer of my soul out of all her troubles forever How fully doth this president speak to the consideration proposed He that was under such an eclipse of light and comfort that his soul did almost dwell in silence now found such sweet and seasonable out-breakings of peace and joy from the presence of the Lord that were to him as life from the dead and gave him a blessed opportunity of praising God in the land of the living How many examples of the like nature may be gathered up and how many Saints now alive can bear witnesse to these things in their own experience how have the wounded in spirit found truth and healing in that passage Hos 16. ver 1 2 3. He hath torn and he will heal us he hath broken and he will bind us up after two dayes he will revive us and in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord that his going forth in relieving and refreshing mercy to his distressed ones is prepared Note nay decreed as the morning First suddenly second certainly third comfortably past 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 in 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 soak'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
acquaintance who had the same advantages of Education Ordinances and Gospel-Opportunities with me in ignorance and unbelief and hath he enlightened me called me wrought faith in me appointed me to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ and shall not I be active for Christ shall I sit still brooding over a patch of this base world or drive on the interest of mine own honour or advantage when the name of God is blasphemed the honour of Christ is empeached Gospel-truths are corrupted Gospel-Ordinances reviled and the way of God evil spoken of did Croesus his dumb son cry out for the life of his father and shall I that can speak now be dumb Do I thus requite the Lord is this my kindeness to my friend Jesus Saint Paul had another spirit like that of Calebs 1 Cor. 15. ver 8. last of all he was seen of me also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the emphasis lies in Me there 's an accent upon that word of Me vile Me wretched Me sinful me unworthy Me who was a blasphemer a persecutour and an injurious person but by the grace of God I am what I am by the Grace free grace and rich grace of God I am a chosen vessel a servant of the Lord a believer an Apostle of Jesus Christ and what followes doth he lap up this talent in a napkin doth he sing a requiem to his soul and bid her take her case no saies he his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all minde here how the sense of grace received carries out his soul in activity for God to labour yea to abound in labour for from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum he fully preached the Gospel of Christ and wrote more Epistles then all the other Apostles did hence he exhorteth the Saints vers 58. alway to abound in the works of the Lord Oh sure there would not be that selfishness and sloth among Christians if this course was duely practised a draught of t his wine taken next thy heart every morning would make the lips of them that are asleep to speak Cant. 7. vers 9. it would shew its strength and generosity in a wakening and enflaming the spirits of believers so that the most dull and slow of speech would there be made good and cloquent speakers in the cause of God and thus live best to God II. You will live best to your selves to your own spiritual advantage if you live much in the sence of grace received Gain is a great incitive unto action what will you give me was Judas his question and is too much the compass by which many sail Christians are generally prudent and providential in their family provision That advice of the Apostle Rom. 12.17 Provide things honest in the sight of all men is followed by most and may be without blame if the care be moderate and the provision be of things honest that is if Christians follow lawful callings and so play above-board that they be not afraid who see what they do nor ashamed to be accountable to man for every penny which they return when they fear neither sin nor shame though all men were eye witnesses to their way of trading these are things honest indeed and if Christians onely provided these the mouths of many would be stopt yet I will shew you a more excellent way surely those things which tend to the well-being of the soul to the enriching of that and filling your coffers with grace and comfort that 's the way these are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the honest and good things which Christians should trade in and turn every stone to obtain now there is no way will sooner do it and with more safety then that which is mentioned that will bring in the quickest returns as will appear in these particulars if rightly improved 1. You will live best to your selves upon this account Because you will live most off from sin sence of pardoning and redeeming and renewing grace gives a notable check to lust and marveilously banks up corruption Rom. 6.1 2. What shall we say then shall we continue in sin we that are justified by faith so have peace with God through Jesus Christ shall we continue in sin we that have a surer standing in grace through Jesus Christ then Adam had when he had his standing in innocency shall we continue in sin we who when we were enemies were reconciled to God by the death of his Son who shall be saved by his life and having now received the atonement do joy in God yee rejoyce in hope of the glory of God having the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us shall we continue in sin Oh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbid How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein that were unreasonable and to an ingenuous renued nature impossible Oh! when a Saint seriously reads over the counsels of God ministred not with ink and paper but with the blood and spirit of his eternal Son and that in a way of free-grace and rich mercy his heart must needs rise against sin if it be in a right frame when he argues it out thus was I born a child of wrath within a hairs breadth of hell Did sin and death pass upon me and over me from Adam was I under judgement by one person and one sin to condemnation and have I received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness to reign in life by one Jesus Christ And shall I sin against such a God against such grace Oh far be it did we often remember the dreadful terrors we lay under at our first awakening the doleful pangs of new birth the bitter wormwood wine which we drank in many and large draughts at our first repentance and sorrow for sin the sad fears of hell and wrath which overwhelmed us and then consider the riches of that grace which hath appeared tous in converting quickning quieting comforting and securing our souls against wrath to come we should find them singular yea sovereign antidotes against sin and may herewith put to silence the most audacious and importunate lusts See how the Apostle the weapons of whose warfar were mighty through God to pull down the strong holds of sin grapples with the national and common sin of Corinth 1 Cor. 6.13 14. ad finem and that was fornication and uncleanness a flesh-pleasing sin natures minion a sin for which Corinth was famous all over the world having store of Stews and Brothel-houses and a temple dedicated to Venus full-stockt with notable harlots yet the Apostle useth this way of Argumentation to bring them off I mean the Corinthian Professors from all unclean practices he lays before them First Their former estate how they were immersed in that sin of uncleaness and carried away with the torrent of those lusts some of you were fornicators adulterers effeminate Secondly The
dangerous condition of those persons who lye and dye in those sinful practices they shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven Thirdly The precious mercy of God unto them in recovering renewing pardoning and healing grace vers 9. Ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Fourthly Their union with Christ and their engraffment into Christ vers 15. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Fifthly The indwelling of the holy Spirit whereby their bodies are consecrated to be the temples of God Know ye not that your bodie is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you whom ye have of God Sixthly That these bodies of theirs should be raised up by the power of God at the last day vers 14. And now what is the answer of a gracious heart to these arguments It is true I have lived in uncleanness that sin unpardoned excludes from heaven but through free-grace I am redeemed by the Lord Jesus and incorporated into him as a member into the head my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and it shall be raised up at the last day fashioned like unto the glorious body of my dear Saviour And shall I soil my self again in the sink of my former uncleanness Shall I spot my robe again which hath been washed and made white in the blood of the Lambe Shall I prostitute a member of Christ and defile a temple of the holy and eternal Spirit of Grace Oh no! 〈…〉 abire sâ—let I will not I dare not Surely such arguings will bring forth such resolutions as to an hatred of sin and love to holiness if we rightly improve them If Scipro an heathen rejected the offer of an harlot with vellem si non essem Imperator I would if I were not a General A Saint may much better with à nolo Christianus sum I will not I am a Christian this is the first benefit you will receive from your keeping up a lively sense of grace received and surely you do then live best to your selves when you live freest from sin For 1. You will then be freest from the rod a towardly child is not often laid over the knee nor a close-walking Christian often under the rod sin usually bringeth forth sufferings Psal 89.30 If his children forsake my law then vers 32. I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquities with stripes 2. You will have quicker and safer returns of your prayers the dutiful child soonest speeds in his requests Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayers and the Apostle teacheth us that the way to draw nigh unto God with assurance and acceptance must be this To get our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean water Heb. 10.22 3. You will keep up closest and sweetest communion with God the obedient child lyes most in his fathers bosom 1 Joh. 1.6 If we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness we lye but verse 7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another God and we our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 4. You will have clearest and fullest evidences of your heavenly inheritance when the eldest son pleaded Luk. 15.29 That he never transgressed at any time the commandment of his father presently the reply of the father is All that I have is thine and when David feasted the wayfaring man with Vriahs Ew-lambe the joy of his salvation was lost as to the sense and comfort of it Psal 51.12 5. You will live in the nearest resemblance of heaven which consisteth in a perfection of holiness glorified souls are termed Spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 Hence he expressed himself thus Ansclme That if sin stood on the one hand and hell on the other he would choose hell rather if it might be without sin then heaven with sin 2. This serious reflection upon what the Lord hath done for you will be of excellent use to keep your souls close with God it will work your hearts into a steady frame and sure you will live best to your selves when your hearts are most fixed upon god and most fixed for God it is a singular mercy to be standing Christians in falling times this stability of spirit is much valued by God and receives much in way of spiritual incomes from God Apoc. 3.7 to the 13. the contrary is much disliked by the Lord Psal 78.8 the people of Israel are charged with this crime that they set not their heart aright and that their spirit was not stedfast with God and vers 9. The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows turned back in the day of battail bewraying their false-heartednoss to and faint-heartedness in the Lords quarrel Ah how is the Scripture sadly made good in our days We have hearts bent to back-sliding revolting spirits from the truths ways and cause of the Lord Jesus though the Lord hath opened his Gospel-Magazine amongst us given forth his spiritual armor in all the pieces of it furnished us with a gallant train of Artillery formed us into compleat bodies put us under the conducts of skilful leaders given us the advantage of winde and hill and the ark of his presence hath marched in the middest of us yet what dishonorable retreat have many of us made how have we flung down our Arms and forsooke our standard in the day of battel nay The swarm is up and setled in so many parts that it will be very hard to bring them again into one Hive Mr. Vines how have we been like a routed Army scattered here and there into small parties and all endeavors as yet prevail not to rally us again what a full comment is England upon and how parallel unto that Eze. 34.5 6. They were scattered and became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered my sheep wandered upon every mountain and upon every high hill let us make a little stay and gather up some observations As 1. That the word of God is the walk of Christs sheep the Scriptures of truth set boundaries to their Pastures 2. Every departure from the word in judgement or practice is an aberration the sheep that seek pasture beyond the bound of Scripture are straglers 3. That the sheep of Christ especially the fat and lusty of them are apt to wander to go beyond their bounds and in somethings to depart from their flock and fold but I would not be mistaken as though I interpret the departure of conscientious Christians from the common road of carnal Gospeling or from the foot track of formal profession nor yet their declining communion with the whole rout of professors at
hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth See Mr. Baxter in loc crucified among you This onely would I learn of you received ye the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith c Oh did ye much and often read over the passages of divine love unto you and would be true to your own experiences it would antidote you against many errors of the times and keep your hearts close with God 3. This serious recognition and review of the Lords mercies brings most comfort unto the soul and sure he lives best to himself who lives most to his own comfort a life of comfort is the sweetness the desireableness and life of life What is life to the bitter in soul which long for death and dig for it more then for bid treasures which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they finde the grave Job 3.21 22 23. And what comfort have men in living upon a natural account when those dayes are come wherein they say we have no pleasure in them Eccl. 12. ver 1. and is it not so in a spirituall sense a wounded spirit who can bear but a good conscience is a continual feast and the Kingdome of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. vers 17. Then do we come nearest heaven and live in the suburbs of it when we are filled with peace and joy in our soules 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
Spirits witness to Son-ship and salvation which cases the Saints of God do usually meet withal whilest they are at home in the body and in the Apostles sense absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. ver 6. 1. You that are experienced Christians may much underprop a timorous and faint-hearted Professour in dayes of Persecution when his fears are great his dangers many and his courage low Have you not heard a servant of the Lord sadly speaking this Language I expect every hour an Apparitour or Pursevaunt to fetch me to the Court or Counsel But I fear I shall wrong the cause and Gospel of Jesus Christ in that I shall not be able to give an answer to them that ask me a reason of the hope that is in me 1 Pet. 3. ver 15. nor repel the subtil arguments which will be drawn up against the Truth and thereby shall bring shame upon my self reproach upon Religion and dishonour to the Lord Jesus Now if an experienced Christian shall reply Is this thy fear do such thoughts as these sadden thy spirit come cheer up man this is a path that I have troden I have been called out to bear witness to the truth before as learned subtil Inquisitours as these be and was under much trouble what to say and how to answer being then low in knowledg and weak in judgment but I found that promise made good unto me Luke 21. ver 15. I will give you a mouth and wisdome which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist I was supplyed from on high both with Invention and Elocution that I might 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 prospositum 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. Clark 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
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 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 unexpressable 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 New 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 as to love and union amongst the Saints would it not procure a right understanding to prevent Schisms and parties would it not meeken the spirits of dissenting brethren would it not dash those hot vapors which fly up into the heads of many and distemper their brains with notions and niceties and may it not through the blessing of God have an hopefull tendency to the quickening comforting confirming and spiritualizing the Saints the whole Nation over Mal. 3.16 Then in a time bad enough and it may be much worse then ours whatsoever some men say they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was writ before the Lord for those that feared him and thought upon his name c. What an encouraging practice of the Saints and promise of the Lord is here to quicken us up to a suitable carriage we have had much talk of Classical Assemblies of teaching and ruling Elders to advance the discipline of Christ O that we might have bear the word and blame not the wish Classical communions of Ministers and Christians to advance the doctrine and life and holiness of the Lord Jesus and that now the Lord hath given all his Churches rest throughout his Nation we may walk in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the holy Ghost with one lip and one shoulder consulting our mutual edification and the enlargement of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus taking that Primitive practice Act. 9.31 for our pattern and this gives me a leading hint to offer a fourth consideration unto you how you may live best unto those that are yet without 4. You will more advance Religion in your several Towns and maintain good neighborhood upon the best account if you lend a word of seasonable advice to those that are posting to hell and jogging on with more hast then good speed to the chambers of death and thus you will best do if you speak over unto them how it hath been with you how ignorant how carnal how earthly-minded how obstinate how foolish and vain you have been and how you were in the broad way to destruction yet altogether senceless and stupid as to any right apprehension of your danger or right use of means for your recovery untill the Lord convinced you by his spirit of sin of righteousness and of judgement Joh. 16.8 granted you repentance unto life Acts 11.18 and now being justified by his grace you are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life Tit. 3.6 Now by grace you are acquitted from the guilt of sins and have a clear title unto heaven And friends who knows whether the same mercy be not laid up in store for you whether the same blessed change may not be wrought in you whether the same kindness a d love of God our Saviour may not manifest it self to you Surely discourses of this nature which you may enlarge upon occasion according to the teachings of the good spirit of God may work in them a sense of danger and hope of delivery upon a saving account T is much that the Saints do for the profane world much for their unregenerate neighbors as is their duty commanded 1. In communicating unto them in their outward wants in drawing out their bowells towards distressed persons they have a word of command Ecc. 11.1 To cast their bread upon the waters giving a portion to seven and also to eight So Heb. 13.16 To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased and Gal. 6.10 to do good to all men supposed in distress as objects of mercy though the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the especially in the text directs them to a larger and more liberal charity towards the houshold of faith and I doubt not much water runs out at these two spouts of Mercy and Charity that this testimony may be given of many of the Saints 2 Cor. 8.3 That to their power yea and beyond their power they are willing to supply the wants of their fellow-Christians yea fellow-creatures also and indeed it would be much their shame and more their sin if men of carnal principles and worldly expectancies outstrip them in obedience to this great Gospel command Prov. 19.17 He that hath pitty upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Though God be much out of credit with the world yet the Saints dare take his word and do lend much unto the poor upon his single security 2. They have a great hand in procuring the blessing of God upon their carnal neighbors though God is good to all making his Sun to rise on the evil and sending rain on the unjust Mat. 5.45 bearing witness to his goodness and God-head in all nations by giving rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling the hearts of men with food and gladness Act. 14.17 yet even the mercies of the footstool the neither springs run much for the sake of the godly which are in the world and are much as a return of their prayers Laban the Syrian learned this by experience that the Lord blessed him as to his outward estate for Jacobs sake Gen. 30.27 Potiphar saw this also chap. 39.5 It came to pass from the time that Potiphar had made Joseph overseer in his house that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Josephs sake and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that be had in the
the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God ver 11. and why may not they be so can you give any other reason but free-grace and the meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good pleasure of God that you are washed whilest they continue filthy that you are sanctified whenas they are all over polluted or that you are justified whereas the guilt of sin lies upon them still and cannot the name of Christ and Spirit of God do all that in them and for them which is done in and for you Titus 3. ver 3. the Apostle gives this in charge unto Titus that he should enmind the Brethren of this as their duty to shew all meeknesse unto all men in their dealing with them under an hopefull expectancy that a gracious change may be wrought in them though little of God appears at present in them and this he inforceth by leading them back to consider what themselves once were for we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceiving serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another Con. 6. Consider that it is a piece of good friendship to your selves to endeavour the spirituall good of others you do very much consult your own advantage by it and this I shall offer in some particulars It is an high point of spirituall good husbandry an excellent way to encrease your own stock a good Minister cannot preach a good Sermon nor a sober Christian manage 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
Proteus like will the Jesuite cast himself how many hazzards of his neck will he run and how many hard journeys will he take to reconcile a poor Protestant to the Church of Rome neither do some others fall short of the Jesuites either pains or zeal to proselyte men to their opinions we have seen that made good in our dayes which our Saviour spake of the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23. ver 15. Ye compasse sea and land to make one proselyte What wanderers among the Nations have some of our Sect-Masters been what labours and hardships have some undergone what journeys tedious and dangerous by land and sea have some undertook what errand have they gone on what merchandizes have they exported but some old drugs and antiquated errours which the Saints in former ages and forreign parts have exploded but now being in-land commodities of the growth of our own Nation and being now put into a new dresse by men of English birth pretending hatred to the Romish Hierarchy are become vendible in most parts O what marts and markets have been kept by them in many of our towns to put off their stale and stollen wares and what sale have they had in some places who le towns almost in some places have come in to truck and barter with them the more is the pity that the spirit of delusion should gain so farre upon English ground O how should this provoke all that fear the Lord in truth to pursue salvation-work 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
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 every method and turns every stone to keep his own ground to man his own forts maintain his own principality and withall to gain soules to himself to fetch them off from the embraces of Christ nay he is so bold and daring that though he sees the actings of godliness from the Saints and findes a work of grace in them which he doth find by those strong repulses the heart gives to his secret temptations which are his spies sent forth to search the land by whom he learns what frame the heart is in Though he sees his strong holds beat down and defaced by a conquering spirit though he observes the stream running in another channell and that the soul is now in armes against him believing repenting mourning praying watching hearing and all against him yet he will play an after game and not be wanting in skill or will to reduce the soul And he ploughs in hope and sowes in hope for he cannot read the Lambs book of life he knowes not the decrees of God they are Secret to him untill death brings forth a discovery and the soul is taken up to God and therefore though he fears such or such a Saint that is gone off from his quarters is under electing grace yet he hopes the contrary Yee see how busie he was with Joshua the High Priest Zech. 3. ver 1. and how hard he pressed upon him probably not without some hopes to have got him or the day against him until Christ rebuked him and told him he was a brand plucked out of the fire singled out by the purpose of the eternal Father to be a vessel of grace then he sleared away and left him Yet as our Saviour probably but for a time Luke 4.13 nay though he should read their names writ in heaven though he knowes the immutability of Christs love that whom he loves once he loves to the end John 13. ver 1. and of Gods counsel that his gifts and calling are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance irreversible Rom. 11. ver 29. yet such is his malice and so great is his rage against the Saints that if he cannot keep them out of Canaan hee 'l sting them and scratch them in the wilderness before they get thither though he cannot put out their light hee 'l be a thief in their candle to swail away much of their comfort though he cannot reach them in heaven he will reckon with them on earth if they must to heaven he will send them cripples thither he will have a leg or an arm out of joint or broken or he will want of his will some way or other he will vex them buffet and disquiet them many long stories and sad ones too may be told of his exploits against the Saints my own experience can witness something of his trains and treacheries of his malice and the Lords mercy of his black designs and of the Lords gracious support and disappointments blessed be his holy name and adored for ever be his goodness O then in the name of the Lord lift up your banners buckle on your armour stand with your weapons in your hands ready to receive and charge your adversary and that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day gather up your experiences of God and meditate upon the great things God hath done for you in the day of your outward troubles what that power that wisdome that goodness of the Lord hath been which hath appeared unto you and engaged for you in the time of your greatest streights and what those streights and distresses how sharp and how pressing from which the Lord hath wrought your deliverance And then go to your spiritual Logick frame such an argument as this The Lord gives help to his distressed Saints in their outward troubles therefore also will he help them in their inward temptations now if Sathan shall argue that God doth not give in succours to the Saints in their outward troubles it 's true they and it may be ye had help and deliverance but it came not from God when ye were cast upon such and such sick-beds that ye despaired of life and your friends gave you up for dead then the Physician came and by his great skill administred such physick which wrought your recovery or when ye were in such streights the liberality of your friends relieved you or in such exigencies the wisdome and potency of your allies brought you off God was not seen in all your deliverances what will you do now why your business is to secure this fort by summoning your experiences and placing them upon the works saying that ye beheld the face of God in such deliverances that your help was onely from on high that men and means stood off and came not in no not for a reserve or though men and means were seen upon the wall yet God acted by the instrumentality of them though Christians were consulted with yet the blessing of God upon the means brought forth the cure be sure ye own God in every preservation how visible and potent soever creature-helps are or have been entrench your faith in this perswasion that whatsoever secondary causes contributed the chief agency was from God If Sathan beat you out of this trench he will soon take your standard and rout your whole army but if ye make good this ground if ye have the advantage of the hill ye are out of gunshot all his murthering pieces will not reach you ye may then quiet your
O friends mind the annointings of the Spirit the sealings of the Spirit the witness of the spirit and draw up a fair Copy of all the gracious visits actings and workings of your blessed Redeemer by his Spirit unto and upon your hearts that your soules may often read therein that so when you come to die as needs you must and be as water spilt upon the ground which can be gathered up no more you may then be set down in the valley of Achor nay may finde the valley of the shadow of death as the valley of Baracha God hath pluckt out the sting of death and so death is given as a favour unto you O read your own blessedness in the light and print of the spirit Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord from * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e vestigio amodo ab ipso mortis articulo Mr. Trap. in locum henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them A Christian says one is here like quick-silver which hath in it a principle of motion not of rest never quiet like a ball upon the rackets a ship upon the waves but death brings him to his rest his body to the grave which is his bed of rest Isa 57.2 and his soul into Abrahams bosom That rest which remains to the people of God Heb. 4.9 And your works shall follow you mors privare potest â—pibus non operibus death doth strip a Saint of his wealth not of his works there shall be a resurrection of your prayers and piety yea honorable mention will be made of your charity to the poor Saints at the great day Mat. 25.35 I was an hungry and ye fed me c. Oh comfort your hearts with these considerations duly weighing what ye have read and you will find when you sive most in a lively sense of grace received and in the improvement of it you live best to your selves as to a greater freedom from sin a closer walking with God and living a life of greatest comfort 3. A sober and savourly collection of grace received will make you live best to others No man is born to himself says the heathen and no man liveth to himself says the holy Ghost Rom. 14.5 he is a monster in nature that centers onely upon himself and is fitter to dwell like an Anchoret in a Cell or like a leper apart then in a community with men and Christians as there is a circulation of the blood in natural bodies that every part may receive warmth and spirits to supply its want and to render it serviceable to the whole So ought there to be a circulation of gifts and graces in the body mistical upon spiritual accounts therefore says the Apostle We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak either bear with them or bear up the infirm and weak Christians as pillars do the poise of the whole house or parents bear their babes in their armes and not to please our selves that is not to live onely in a way of self-pleasing as men acted by principles of self-love but vers 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification for even Christ pleased not himself The end of Christs coming into the world was not to seek great things for himself upon a carnal and self-pleasing score nay though the cup and cross were displeasing unto him as man and he prayed against them yet when he considered that the will of his father was to bring many sons unto glory and that by making the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings he presently submitted and said not my will but thine be done Here 's our pattern in the pursuance of others good our lives should be as so many Sermons on the life of Christ as one saith this is to walk as Christ walked and this will give boldness in the day of Judgment Now we shall best seek our neighbours good to edification when we keep up a sence of our own wants and weaknesses supplies and succours we shall thereby be like the good Scribe Matth. 13. ver 52. which is instrutied to the kingdome of heaven who hath things new and old in his treasury to bring forth upon every occasion The Rabbins Proverb is Lilmed le-lammed Learn that ye may teach and the Scribe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extrudit copiose alacriter freely and fully gives forth his store to the needy hearer Christians as well as Ministers must be like full paps Mr. Trap. in Mat. 13.52 which pain the nurse with their fulness and therefore draw them out to their babes that they may be drawn or like Aromatical trees which sweat out their soveraign gummes and oyls But alas how few such sweating trees grow upon English ground how many dry breasts have we every where and those that are full have sore nibbles that will not give suck because of the painfulness in drawing Truely when I observed this great evil amongst the Christians of our age and Nation I was pressed in spirit to provoke unto love and good works and to publish my thoughts by way of brotherly advice unto them that a wise and faithful improvement of our own cases and graces would excellently advantage the good of our neighbours I shall instance in some Particulars 1. Your own experiences faithfully communicated will marveilously encourage young Converts they will be as a staff in the hand of the weak whereon to stay New beginners have many fears and pull-backs at their first setting forth for heaven many adversaries that do way-lay them and many enemies that do pursue them Egypt at the red sea and Amaleck in the wilderness Satan levies all his temptation to render the seed of grace abortive in their soules so that it would bring forth fruit to perfection at a slow rate if the Lord Jesus who planted it did not also water and preserve it and that every moment Isa 27. vers 3. Bendes when the Lord gives a converted sinner a vision of himself lets him see his own vileness the heaps of sin and lust the springs and falls of corruption in his nature how he lies under the guilt of black and horrid sins open to the wrath of an Almighty and sin-revenging God and ready to drop into the grave and hell out of which there is no recovery Oh the fears that are upon his spirit the dismal thoughts that roul up and down his mind the dreadfull sound that is in his ears but now if you that are Christians of some standing in the grace of God would impart your experiences and tell him what your fears and terrours and troubles were and how the Lord gave you in comfort and establishment sure this would mightily encourage a young convert and have a special influx to his peace quietness and consolation This was the Apostle Paul's way 1 Tim. 1. ver 15. This is a
faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners That is the Doctrinal part which indeed flowes with much comfort into the heart of an humble believing sinner as Mr. Bilney Martyr found in a great conflict But now the Applicatory part gusheth out with streams of comfort and what 's that of whom I am chief howbeit I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting as if he had said One great reason next to the secret purpose of his own free grace why this grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was so exceeding abundant towards me even to a pleonasme of mercy was that I might be held forth as a pattern of free grace as a monument of pardoning and sparing mercy to all sin-laden and sin-loathing persons who are the true Penitents Oh how would a wounded spirit yet healing a broken heart binding and a drooping soul reviving from such discoveries of misery and mercy of guilt and grace sin and salvation there would no be such sinking of spirit neither would the wounds of many be so long raw and bleeding if experienced Christians would be free in communicating their conditions and comforts unto them and would like the good Samaritan pour in the wine and oyl of their experienced mercy 2. This would be a mighty support to weak believers the experiences of stronger Christians rightly imparted and improoved will exceeding buttress up their faith alas when God first opens their eyes they see men walking afar off as trees they have but imperfect apprehensions of Gospel depths Godliness is so great a Mystery the work of Redemption in all its causalities concurrences and qualifications is so mysterious wrapt up so much in the glory of divine wisdome held forth under such seeming impossibilities to carnal reason and contradictions to corrupt nature that they are ready to cry out Nunquam natura mutabit sic sua jura ut virgo pâ—reret nec vâ—rginitate careret as that Iew said How can these things be John 3. vers 4. And if these things be so who then can be saved Luke 18. vers 26. and are afraid to give assent unto those deep Mysteries as the truths of God but when the Lord hath helped them over these doubts and difficulties that they set their seal to the Gospel as spoken by the Lord and confirmed by them that heard him God also bearing them witness with signes and wonders and divers miracles and gifss of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Heb. 2.3 4. so that they do willingly embrace this so great salvation yet alas the greatest work of faith is behind and that is to live upon the promises to appropriate Jesus Christ to put on Christ to believe that he is made unto us of God wisdom righteousness holiness and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Christus vivit Christ liveth was Luthers motto and Christ liveth in me loveth me and gave himself for me is the language of true faith Mr. Trap. in Gal. 2. v. 20. Gal. 2.20 true faith individuateth Christ and appropriateth him to a mans self this is the pith and power of particular faith But ah how long doth many a poor soul lye upon the bankes of Jordan before he can waft over to the land of Canaan Some of the Saints have many a hard pull for faith they are fain to tug hard with fears and doubtings sometimes faith is up and fear down sometimes fear is up and faith is down Why now if strong believers who have the work of faith fulfilled in their hearts with some power 2 Thess 1.11 who have passed through the several stages of fear and faith and have found those very fears and troubles in their own souls if such would receive the weak in faith affeciu charitatis into the bosome and embracement of Christian love not making them question-sick by doubtful disputations Rom. 14.1 but deal tenderly and gently with them and give them a free and full account of their former fears and present faith recounting their experiences how and in what methods the Lord hath given them an establishment in the faith sure it would much conduce through the grace and blessing of God to the quieting strengthening and confirming of weak believers suppose I should labor under a distemper which in its nature and to some is mortal and a friend tells me he hath had the same disease in the same height and accompanied with the same pains and that in the use of such and such means he had cure and now is a healthful man though I cannot be recovered by such a narrative yet I am perswaded to use those medicines and am raised up to an expectancy of cure in the right use of them So when a believer who hath been upon the rack of fears and diffidences comes to a doubting Christian that is torn in peices as it were with them and whose spirit even sinks within him and tells him that it was so with him that he wrestled long with discouragements and in a pet of unbelief was ready to throw up all crying out all men are lyars that notwithstanding what this Prophet and that Apostle this Preacher and that Preacher hath said I shall perish in my sins and be a cast-away to all Eternity and that then the Lord came in led him by the hand of his spirit to this and that Promise shewed him the sealed fountain open Zech. 13. vers 1. the bloud of Christ as a fountain therefore full and as open therefore free both to pardon sin and purge uncleanness and that now he is justified by faith and hath peace with God through Jesus Christ Rom. 5. vers 1. yea joy in God through Jesus Christ by whom he hath now received the attonement vers 10. Thou I say a believer cannot spare any oyl out of his own vessel to supply the want of another with nor work faith in his heart that being the peculiar work of the Lord Jesus Heb. 12. ver 2. yet such discoveries as these will mightily raise up the heart of a sinking Christian and beget in him a hopefull expectancy of faith in this evidence of it however he brings him up to the Conclusion To sear the Lord and obey the voice of his servant yea though he walk in darkness and sees no light yet to trust in the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50. vers 10. And thus is his soul quieted in this recumbent act of Faith untill the day dawn and the day star arise in his heart You will live best to others when in the sense and evidence of Grace received you communicate your experiences by way of comfort unto others in these 4 particular cases 1. In the black day of Persecution 2. In the sad hour of Temptation 3. In the dark night of spirituall desertion 4. In the bewailed want of the
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 never had any such buffetings as I have never were such black lines drawn in any Christians soul as are in mine and indeed Sathan loves to hear them cry out was ever grief like mine did ever any feel such terrours and tempests in their soules as I do in mine Surely the day of the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon me Lam. 1.12 It is the Devils masterpeice of pollicy to perswade tempted Saints that their sorrow is great that their sorrow is from the Lord that their great sorrow is from the Lord in a way of fierce anger and that it is a none-such calamity for hereby he perswades the Saints to hard thoughts of God and that God hath hard thoughts of them this he attempted upon Job by making his wife not a miserable comforter onely Reverend and learned Mr. Caryl in his Lectures upon this Scripture gives us the several judgment of expositors pag. 275 276 277 278. but a miserable counseller also when she sayes Job 2. ver 9. Dost thou still retain thine integrity Dost thou fear God still love God still have honourable thoughts of God still canst thou imagine that God should send or suffer all these evils upon thee and yet love thee yet bear the good-will of a Father unto thee surely no thou puttest a wrong Interpretation upon these sad providences and therefore answer hatred with hatred wrath with wrath revenge with revenge curse God let fly in the very face of God let the world know him to be such a God as thou findest him to be a harsh God an unmercifull God a cruel Master to his best servants and an implacable adversary to his best friends This seems to be the sence of those words curse God for Bereck as it signifies bowing the knee or speaking ill as 1 Kings 21. vers 10. The false witnesses laid it to Naboths charge That he did blaspheme God and the King yet the word is Berekath from Bereck Thus Job 1. v. 5. and Ver. 11. the same is used so that we need not study Arguments to acquit our Translatours of blame for rendring the word Curse God This reason is given by a learned Expositour Dr Richardson in locum That the crime of blaspemy was so odious yea execrable in those dayes that though the Hebrews had a proper word to express it by yet they chose rather to express it by a word which signifies to bless or praise God and there is much probabilities that this is the sence of the words Unless this Story of Iob was before the Law was given is the judgment of some Mr. Iackson in the 1 Ch. of Iob. Mr. Caryl and others Yet then had they the Law and light of nature by which they punished blasphemy with death Mr. Caryl in loc p. 28. because the Law against blasphemy was capital and punished the offender with death Levit. 24. ver 15 16. Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin and he that blaspemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death and all the Congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as the dweller in the land when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall he be put to death Now then the advice of Job's wife is this Curse God and die that is if thou cursest God the law of blasphemy will reach thee thou wilt be stoned to death and so have a speedy cure of all thy sores and sorrows Thus Mr. Caryl gives the sence page 281. and better it is to dy painfully then live miserably if she had intended a word of counsel unto him that notwithstanding all the sad Providences upon him yet he should bless and praise God under them why should she add and die this would not have made him culpable before man much less more provoked God against him and certainly Job's reply clears it up vers 10. Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh Nabal implies as well a wicked person as a fool as Psal 14.1 Nabal hath said in his heart there is no God and sure this person is a fool upon a Religious and moral as well as a natural account 2. Satan by this means would best reach the end he proposed and prove the truth of what he had asserted chap. 1.11 Put forth thy hand now and touch all his substance and he will curse thee to thy face So chap. 2.5 Oh the experience of tempted Saints is the best Expositor of this place they will tell you what sharp and sad assaults have been made upon them and what hard thoughts of God have been injected into them Oh that this might more caution us not to entertain any unworthy thought of God which in its kind is blasphemy as heart-adultery is adultery Oh bewail and beware of the Ranters spirit t is probable he began with an undervaluing thought of God which was the Serpents head and then that finding wellcome as the seed and spawn of an opinion and sect he wrigled in his whole body and tail also by bold and blasphemous oaths curses and Atheistical conclusions Ah friends it s our wisdom obstare principiis to stop the first leak that is sprung to scatter the first puff of this smoak which riseth from the bottomless pit least it gather into such thick clouds about our souls that it dims our eyes damps our comforts and deads our hearts also and in all our temptations it would be much our wisdom to consult the experiences of the Lords