be advanced above all the World in our Affection so will he be preferred in our account and estimation Indeed how can we love him above all if we do not prize him above all 3. If Christ be precious to us then certainly we cannot endure to see or hear Christ vilified and dishonoured It will grieve us at Heart to see this Pearl trodden under Foot We could be more content to be vilified for him than to see him contemned How would it move us to hear and see a special Friend whom we most highly esteem reproached and abused As Jonathan was grieved for David because his Father had done him shame 1 Sam. 20.34 That Christ is generally so lightly esteemed yea so much dishonoured in the World and that many of ours make light of him this will be very greivous to us if indeed Christ be precious to us And as Jonathan took David's part there we shall be ready to plead for Christ We would not have him despised of any if we can help it We would be commending him to others and especially to ours 4. If Christ be precious in our account we shall be restless and unsatisfied till we have in some good measure cleared up our Interest and propriety in him As the Apostle Phil. 3.8 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord. One that sees how precious Christ is cannot but earnestly desire to know further that he is his Jesus and his Lord. A Believer who sees his All bound up in Christ lose Christ and lose all how will he pray search use diligence to have his Interest in Christ evidenced and made sure As if a Man's title to House and Land and all he had in the World be in question he would not rest till he had got his title cleared 2. Saving Faith is Sanctifying Act. 26.18 Sanctified by Faith Act. 15.9 Purifying their Hearts by Faith No Salvation without Sanctification 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth Saving-Faith and Sanctification are linked together The one necessarily inferreth and draweth on the other Rolloc in loc pag. 295. Spiritus nos Sanctificans emanat quasi ex Christi sanguine fide apprehenso nobisque applicato Faith is nor only a part of Sanctification as it is a Grace and as other Graces are but as some call it a Mother-Grace and a Root-Grace from whence other Graces spring it is introductive of Sanctification and of other habitual Saving Grace As upon our first believing in Christ and accepting of him we are thereby interested in him and united to him not only to be justified by his merit but also to be sanctified by his Spirit As we are said to receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3.14 And Eph. 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Indeed it is by the special influx or operation of the Spirit that a Man puts forth the Act of Faith at first and upon this the Spirit is further given to dwell in him or a principle of Grace renewing sanctifying habits are wrought in him seated in his Soul still disposing and inclining unto gracious Acts to a life of Holiness and Obedience Christ is said to dwell in the Heart by Faith Eph. 3.17 He dwelleth in us by his Spirit And it is Faith that letteth in Christ and the Holy Spirit into the Heart to dwell there Thus Faith ushereth in the Spirit of Sanctification And so if any Man be in Christ by Faith he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Compare Gal. 5.6 with 6.15 In the former you have Faith in the latter a new Creature Thou art not a true Believer if thou art not a new Creature And as we enter into a state of Sanctification by Faith So by Faith we make progress in it As the Life which the Apostle lived after he came in to Christ was by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He was still drawing vertue from Christ and receiving of his fulness even Grace for Grace As Faith hath respect to the several parts of the Word not only Doctrines and Promises but Commands and Threatnings too So it hath an influence on all other Graces and hath an hand in all acts of Obedience that a Believer performs as we see in Heb. 11. Therefore if you would know whether you have Saving-Faith enquire seriously whether you are Sanctified by Faith And to give you some help here 1. Where Sanctifying Faith is there is not only an outward but an inward change Sanctifying-Grace is properly and immediately seated in the Soul as its Subject and the Soul is really changed by it though not as to its substance yet as to its qualities The Heart is new-moulded There are new dispositions inclinations and affections in the Soul It acteth from a new Principle and aimeth at other ends The Body is not changed by Grace either in substance or quality immediately but being under the government of a Soul that is sanctified and being a part of one that is by Grace truly resolved for God and his Service it will certainly be engaged and used for God too according to Rom. 6.19 Indeed such cannot be sanctified who are not so much as outwardly reformed Such as were known to be common Swearers Sabbath-breakers Drunkards c. and are so still one may pronounce them Vnclean Vnclean 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified To be sanctified and to live and continue in gross known Sin are estates directly opposite Yet there may be an outward reformation without true Sanctification Sanctification connotates a change of Heart and Life both Not a bare abstinence from the outward act of Sin but a mortifying of it and a dying to it Not a leaving it in practise only but a forsaking it in affection too That the Heart which was set upon its Lusts is now turned and set against them it now loaths what it was formerly in love with Now is thy heart purified Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine Heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved It is not enough to have hands washed but our Hearts must be cleansed if we would be saved Psal 24.3 4. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord He that hath clean hands and a pure Heart What is it to live free from gross Sins to be no Extortioner Oppressor Swearer Drunkard Adulterer c. but to be like a whited Sepulchre which appears beautiful outward but within is full of all uncleanness as the Pharisees that outwardly appeared righteous unto Men but within were full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity What is it for one to change his Life and Course while his Heart and Mind is not changed Though he that was given to Stealing should steal no more and he that was given to Lying Cursing Swearing
1. I say how dark are such a ones apprehensions of the Sun compared with ours who enjoy its Light Spiritual Minds are for such an experimental Knowledg of God and Jesus Christ Yea they are for an appropriating Knowledg The more they know of God the more earnestly they desire and endeavour to discover their special propriety in God They cannot be satisfyed till they know him to be their God The more they know of Jesus Christ the more they long to know that he is their Jesus and their Lord. 2. Spiritual Minds are for knowing more of themselves There can be no Sound Knowledg without Self-Knowledg Nil prosunt lecta nec intellecta nisi teipsum legas intelligas Let a Man Read Study Understand never-so-much all his Knowledg is vain and unprofitable without an application of it to himself Job 5.27 Hear and know thou it for thy good In the Hebrew it is know thou for thy self or with thy self Many hear as for others are more ready to apply the Word to others than to themselves Such are not likely to get good by what they hear are no better for what they know The Word is compared to a Glass And it concerneth every one to look his Face in this Glass Yea it is not enough to look with a sudden Glance and so away again but we must continue therein to know what manner of Persons we are and ought to be Jam. 1.23 24 25. And Spiritual Minds are for Self-Acquaintance Spiritual Knowledg will put Souls upon and help in examining and proving themselves that they may know themselves 3. Spiritual Minds would know all the Counsel of God so far as concerneth them and especially they are for knowing what most nearly concerneth them Knowledg without Wisdom as one says is usually curious Dr. Manton on Jam. 3.13 p. 384. and censorious Sound Minds would be acquainted with the Word of God pro or con They are ready to receive it whether it make for them or against them And so The Ear that heareth the reproof of Life abideth among the Wise He that heareth reproof getteth Vnderstanding Prov. 15.31 32. See also Prov. 19.25 What a strict charge did Eli lay on Samuel not to hide any thing from him that the Lord had told him 1 Sam. 3.17 And when he was told of the evil determined against his House he did not fret and fume but said It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good So Hezekiah 2 King 20.19 But how few that would like to hear of their Sins or are willing to hear of the Judgments God has denounced against them in his Word Such Knowledg is too painful for the most They had rather sleep on in their Sins than be so disquieted God's Messengers are accounted their Enemies and Tormentors when they tell them the Truth Alas we can meet with but few in comparison that are for right things that will endure sharp reproof though needful to set them Sound But few that would have their Sores touch'd But a Sound Mind would hear and know the worst of it self It is the Prayer of such a one Make me to know my Transgression and my Sin What I see not teach thou me and wherein I have done Iniquity I would do so no more Search me O God and prove me and see if there be any way of Wickedness in me and lead me in the Way Everlasting Such would know their Sins to be humbled for them and to turn from them So likewise Sound Minds would know more of their Duty to discharge it These would be more knowing not only in matters of Faith but as well in matters of Practice Prov. 10.8 The Wise in Heart will receive Commandments The Wisdom of the Prudent is to understand his way In the point of his Duty here he would not be to seek Such have little time to spend have little Heart to spend time about such Notions though true that have little or no influence on the Heart and Life Others study those things most that do least concern them And are taken up with by-matters neglecting the main But wholsom words and the Doctrine of Godliness agree best with Sound Minds As the Psalmist says Psal 119.104 Through thy Precepts I get Vnderstanding And prayeth ver 27. Make me to understand the way of thy Precepts And again ver 73. Give me Vnderstanding that I may learn thy Commandments As John's hearers came and asked What shall we do What shall we do Luk. 3.10 12 14. Serious Minds make little account of that Knowledg which hath no influence on is not reducible to practice Now the Lord grant that we may be filled with the Knowledg of his will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding that we may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and encreasing in the Knowledg of God HEB. 10.39 But of them that believe to the Saving of the Soul SAving Faith is omnium virtutum radix Fundamentum as the Foundation in the Spiritual Building as the root of other Graces What Glorious things are spoken of Faith in Scripture Where is the Christian that will not acknowledg that doth not in some measure understand the usefulness excellency and the necessity of Faith A Christian could not live without it nor can he perish with it But the Question is How Saving-Faith may be known And wherein it is differenced from other Faith that is not Saving Indeed there is an Historical or Dogmatical Faith and there is a practical Faith there is a dead Faith and a living Faith there is a temporary Faith and a grounded and permanent Faith there is a counterfeit Faith and unfeigned Faith It ought to be our great care that we take not Leah for Rachel that we take not up with a Fancy instead of Faith Here first I shall shew what it is not 1. True Faith is not a blind implicite Assent to one knows not what Not a believing as the Church believes I grant as there is a general Repentance and humiliation so a general Faith As there is an Humiliation for unknown Sins when a Man is humbled and heartily grieved to think that he is more vile and sinful than he sees himself to be and to think that he is guilty of a multitude of Sins more than he is able to find out and discover in his Heart and Life whereby he is disposed to a particular Repentance for any of those unknown Sins as he cometh to a knowledg of them so there is a general and implicite Faith or Assent to Divine Truths contained in God's Word such as one hath not yet attained to the knowledg of when a Man believeth that whatsoever God saith in his Word is most certainly true and would yeild his Assent readily to any Truth which at present he has no knowledg of as soon as he sees the Scripture for it But this general implicite Faith and credence of the Word of God is
Article as Estius says because in it especially the Jews differed from Pagans or because it is the first Article of our Faith But he might questionless have added other Articles which the Devils as well believe and are convinced to be certain Truths They believed Jesus to be the Son of God Mat. 8.29 And that he was the Christ Luk. 4.41 The Devil that puts others upon questioning whether there be a God Or whether the Scriptures be the Word of God hath no doubt of these things himself He that would have Men Atheists or Infidels is far from being either himself Atheism and Infidelity are Sins which the Devil cannot be guilty of An Atheist or an Infidel is in that respect worse than the Devil himself Now certainly that Faith which the Devils have cannot be true Saving-Faith But the Devils have such a Faith as this they are clearly convinced that the Scriptures are the Word of God and that what God's Word holds forth is certainly true How absurd and irrational is it to suppose that the Devils that are Damned have that same Faith for the nature of it which the Scripture calls precious Faith and which it maketh the condition of Salvation And yet mistake me not I grant a Dogmatical Faith is included in Saving Faith As the Vegetative Soul is included in the Sensitive or as both these are included in the Rational Soul So a believing that there is a Christ that he is come in the Flesh and a believing the Word of Christ is included in our believing in him And indeed they that believe not what is spoken of him in the Gospel that believe not the Son of God his taking Mans Nature on him uniting it to his Person that there was such a one as Jesus Christ that was born of a Virgin that suffered was crucified at Jerusalem and rose again from the dead and ascended up to Heaven according to the Scriptures they that allegorize the true Christ out of Doors and only acknowledg a Christ within them they do not believe in that Jesus whom Paul preached whom all the Apostles preached whom the Father sealed I further grant that to believe with a Dogmatical Faith is part of Man's duty It is a setting to our Seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 And he that believeth not God hath made him a Lyer 1 Joh. 5.10 Think what an heinous Sin it is to give God the Lye If you deny his Truth you deny him to be God If he were not the God of Truth he were not the true God And further we must grant that the Word is a great gift of God that it is a wonderful favour that he is pleased thus to reveal his Mind and Will and make himself known to the Sons of Men. And that it is a work of the Spirit though but a common work which such may have as shall not be saved to bring Men to assent to the Truth All this is granted But yet though we know the Truth and cannot but assent to it in our Judgments if we do not embrace it with suituble Affections if we do not heartily cleave to it and sincerely submit to it our simple belief of the Truth is so far from being a Saving work that it will increase our Condemnation as our guilt is increased by it 3. True Saving-Faith is not a meer perswasion that my Sins are pardoned that I shall be Saved Some have gone this way Believe that your Sins are pardoned for Christ's sake and they are pardoned and you justifyed Believe that you shall be saved by Christ and you shall be saved A short cut to Heaven But how little need is there to teach Men Presumption or to encourage it But to shew you the Vanity of this conceit 1. All that hear the Gospel are bound to believe in Jesus Christ But all such are not bound to believe that they are pardoned justifyed and shall be saved 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ And what Duty is more pressed in the Gospel But where doth the Gospel command all to believe that they shall be saved How many alas that are in their Sins that are such as the Word of God condemneth Know ye not that the Vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Such as the Apostle speaketh of 1 Cor. 6.9 10. believe contrary to the Gospel if while such they believe that they are pardoned and shall be saved The Gospel calleth us to repent that our Sins may be blotted out And we have no ground to believe or hope that our Sins are pardoned till we repent When we find unbelief spoken of as the great condemning Sin we must not take it so as if Sinners were condemned because they would not believe that their Sins were pardoned Nor is it the sense of that Article in our Creed I believe the Remission of Sins that I believe my Sins are remitted Too many lay down this Conclusion that yet stand condemned by the Sentence of God's Word All impenitent Sinners are bound to believe that at present they are in a state of Wrath Heirs apparent of Hell that except they repent they shall perish they cannot be saved 2. Are we not justifyed by Faith Deny that and you deny plain Scripture Now we cannot be justifyed by Faith if we are first of all to believe that we are pardoned and justified Le Blanc Thes Theol. p. 212. §. 103. Quomodo enim possemus justificari per actum qui justificationem jam factam praesupponit Must we believe our Sins are pardoned that they may be pardoned Must we believe we are Justifyed that we may be Justifyed What can be more absurd Then we must believe what is not that it may be as we believe If the first Act of Faith be to believe that I am pardoned and justifyed then Remission and Justification must needs go before Faith The Act supposeth the Object In order of Nature Faith is before Justification otherwise we are not justified by Faith and in order of Nature at least we must be justified before we can truly believe that we are justified Therefore we cannot be justified by believing we are so It is a plain contradiction to say that we believe before we are justified and yet are justified before we believe 3. It cannot be the first Act of Faith to believe I shall be saved except instead of the Word some special Revelation besides the Word be the Ground of my Faith This is plain because it is not at all credible to me according to the Word that I shall be saved till I know I have Faith such a Faith as hath Salvation annexed to it by promise such a Faith as purifieth the Heart worketh by Love c. According to the Word only he that believeth with such a Faith shall be saved That I cannot believe according to the Word that I shall be saved till I find such a Faith
wrought and working in me Therefore this perswasion that I shall be saved cannot be the first Act of Faith If it be a perswasion grounded on the Word true Faith is presupposed to go before And the Apostle hath barred Mens expectation of special immediate Revelation here Rom. 10.17 where he concludeth that Faith cometh by hearing of the Word of God 4. Many have this confident perswasion that their Sins are pardoned that they shall be saved who have not true justifying Saving-Faith and therefore surely this cannot be the proper formal Act of true justifying Saving-Faith Many Hypocrites and meer out-side Professors yea many a wicked Man hath this perswasion How hard a thing is it to take down Sinners confidence Mr. Baxter We have need as one says to lay all our Batteries against this Bulwark of Presumption How many that will say they hope to be saved by Christ yea they never doubted of their Salvation in all their Lives They can argue that Christ died to Save Sinners and they are Sinners therefore he died to Save them If this be Faith the case of many a Presumer is not so dangerous but very happy 5. Many have true Faith and are justified and in a State of Salvation yet have not this perswasion that their Sins are pardoned dare not conclude that they are in God's Favour and such as shall be saved Therefore this cannot be the formal Act of Faith Faith could not be without its formal Act. If you make this the formal Act of Faith then you must say there is no true Believer but hath it Then there is no true Believer that walketh in Darkness But certainly a Soul may trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God while yet he walketh in Darkness and can see no Light Isa 50.10 Is it not the condition of many a dear Child of God to be in great doubts and full of fears about their Spiritual and Eternal Estate Should we not condemn the Generation of his Children many yea the greatest part of them as Children that have no Faith if we define Faith to be a believing that our Sins are pardoned and that we shall be saved Many a holy humble Christian goes on drooping even to his dying day and it is well if he come to this comfortable conclusion at last As one giveth this as part of the Character of a Christian H. Palmer Paradoxes p. 64. §. 73. He thinks sometimes God hath no Mercy for him and yet resolves to die in the pursuit of it And to tell poor troubled afflicted Consciences that they cannot have Faith who do not believe their Sins are pardoned is not the way to comfort them but to set them more on the Rack This would make the Hearts of many sad even such as God would not have made sad 6. Such a particular perswasion that my Sins are pardoned c. if it be sound and well-grounded is Knowledg and not Faith As the Apostle John hath it I think some nine or ten times Hereby we know Observe well 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have Eternal Life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God Where he clearly distinguisheth believing on the Name of the Son of God from their knowing that they had Eternal Life or that they should be saved What follows that ye might believe on the Name of the Son of God is not spoken of the first Act or beginning of Faith but of continuance and progress in it And it is plain that this particular perswasion of which I am speaking if it be sound and have any good bottom depends on two several Propositions one of which is laid down in Scripture as this Proposition He that believeth shall be saved The other is of a Man 's own Conscience or from the knowledg a Man has of himself But I believe From whence this Conclusion follows therefore I shall be saved So that it is not an Act of Faith properly but a rational Conclusion presupposing these two things 1. That all true Believers shall be saved 2. That I know my self to be a true Believer Now can that be a right description of Saving-Faith which necessarily presupposeth a Man to have Saving-Faith before and to know that he hath it Thus I have indeavoured to remove these unsound and false Notions of Faith Now I come to shew what it is Indeed you may meet with diverse sound descriptions of Faith something differing in words that yet agree in the thing I would not be one of those that make differences where there are none or make differences wider than they are With the Learned Placeus Faith is tenax atque efficax persuasio veritatis eorum Thes Salmur Par. 1. p. 32. §. 36. c. An holding and effectual perswasion of the truth of those things which are revealed to us in the Word of God and particularly of the Gospel-Promise of Remission and Salvation by Christ And as he addeth it is so in the Vnderstanding that it affects and determines the Will Le Blanc that Judicious Writer describes it to be Thes Theol. in Folio p. 210. §. 89. Assensum firmum practicum atque fiducialem adhibitum omnibus c. A firm practical and fiducial Assent given unto all things which are revealed of God but especially to the Promises of the Gospel In the late Confession of Faith this account is given of Saving Faith Chap. 14. §. 2. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth yeilding obedience to the Commands trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving-Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace In the shorter Catechism Faith in Jesus Christ is a Saving Grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for Salvation as he is offered to us in the Gospel Notwithstanding a difference in Expression yet here is an agreement in sense That I run not out too far I shall only note something of the Object of Faith and of the Acts of Faith The Object of Faith is thus distinguished There is the general and common or according to others the full and adaequate Object of Faith and that is the whole Word of God the Word of Truth so Faith assenteth to the whole Word of God as true Again there is the special Object of Faith and that is the Word of Promise so Faith consenteth to the terms or condition of the Promise and in this way relyeth on God and Christ for performance The Promise of Remission and Salvation by Christ Faith takes special
hold on by consent and affiance Or thus there is the primary and principal Object of Faith and the secondary and less principal Object The primary and principal Object of Faith are the fundamentals essentials and most necessary points of the Christian Religion Such Divine Doctrines Promises and Precepts without assent and consent unto which we cannot believe unto Salvation or be sound Christians Yet I shall not contend with those that make Christ the only Mediator and Saviour the principal Object of Faith forasmuch as I doubt not but we are agreed that the belief of all that is necessary to be known and believed of Christ doth suppose and include the belief of all other points that are absolutely necessary to Salvation And as he is the Chief and principal Means of bringing us to God the Scriptures have a chief reference and respect to Christ Luk. 24.44 Joh. 5.39 The secondary and less principal Object of Faith takes in other things contained in the Word that are of good use indeed Rom. 15.4 2 Tim. 3.16 But though all Scripture be of use and profitable yet all that is there written is not absolutely necessary to be distinctly known and explicitely believed And yet you may not hence infer that if you know and believe so much as is absolutely necessary to Salvation there needeth no more None are to stand at a stay in Religion All that are in the School of Christ must be making proficiency growin Faith and Knowledg We should diligently improve the means that the Word of Christ may dwell in us richly that we may be filled with the knowledg of his Will And further as a late Writer noteth there are points of Faith secondarily fundamental Fowler Design of Christianity p. 235. the disbelief of which cannot consist with true Holiness in those to whom the Gospel is sufficiently made known And all such Doctrines as are with indisputable clearness revealed to us the belief of these is absolutely necessary from an external cause though not from the nature of the points themselves viz. in regard of their perspicuity that nothing can cause Men to refuse to admit them but that which argueth them to be stark naught and to have some unworthy and base end in so doing or in the phrase of Scripture 2 Tim. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reprobate concerning the Faith Note one thing more touching the Object of Faith scil That more is taken into the necessary Object of Faith now under the Gospel than was necessary before The Mystery of our Redemption by Christ being more fully unfolded in the Gospel a more distinct explicite Faith in Christ is required of us than was required of those to whom less was revealed Revelatio est mensura Fidei Le Blanc Though Noah Abraham and all the faithful before Christ were justified and saved by Faith yet not by that special kind of Faith that such as live under the Gospel are saved by I mean there are new Articles of Faith relating to Christ his Office and Undertaking as Mediator essential to a Gospel-Faith that were not essential to Faith before the promulgation of the Gospel Nor did the Apostles themselves believe some of them till after Christ's Resurrection concerning whom excepting Judas we have no doubt but they were true Believers Next to shew you the special and proper Acts of Faith They speak much in a little that call Faith a practical Assent and a fiducial Consent I cannot exclude any of these three Acts Assent Consent and Affiance The two last are plainly expressed in the shorter Catechism and all three fully in the Confession of Faith forecited And so the learned and holy Bishop Vsher Body of Divinity p. 197. Edit 1648. to the Question What is true Saving-Faith Answereth It is such a firm Assent of the Mind to the Truth of the Word as flows into the Heart and causeth the Soul to embrace it as good and to build its eternal Happiness on it And it should not seem strange that so much is taken into the nature of true Faith As Divines now generally place it not in the Vnderstanding only or in the Will only but in both faculties conjunct if they be distinct faculties and not the very essence of the Soul disposed and acting differently towards the Object considered in a different notion and respect And methinks it is plain in Scripture that the Faith to which Salvation is promised doth not consist in one single Act for there are these diverse Acts even now mentioned attributed to it 1. It is an Assent An Assent to the Truth of the Word in general and particularly to the Promise of Salvation by Christ Though I shewed before that Faith consists not barely in Assent that this is not the whole of Faith yet we cannot deny but this is part of it We find Faith thus described again and again that we must acknowledg it one Act of Faith It would be strange indeed if a belief of the Truth be no part of Faith Then Martha answered nothing to the Question Joh. 11.26 27. when she said yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ So see Rom. 10.9 But how does Faith assent to Divine Truth 1. Faith assenteth really not feignedly A true Believer doth not only profess or confess with his Mouth but believes in his Heart as he professeth to believe 2. Faith assents firmly not waveringly It riseth higher than opinion It is more than a Semi-perswasion of the Truth As they said We believe and are sure Not as Agrippa almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian I grant that as all Christians have not the same measure of Spiritual-Knowledg and as there are different degrees of Faith so all Believers have not the same degree of firmness of Assent And Faith does not wholly exclude all doubtings but overcometh them Indeed sometimes very horrid thoughts arise or are injected that would put the Soul upon questioning all but they are not entertained but ordinarily abhorred and rejected as they come As one says Herb. Palmer Paradoxes p. 64. §. 72. He is sometimes so troubled that he thinks nothing is true in Religion and yet if he did think so he could not be at all troubled It is true thus a Believer sometimes is sore shaken yet not quite taken off from all but rather put upon earnest Prayer and indeavours to be more rooted and grounded in Faith So these shakings are wont to end in his more firm establishment And take the weakest Believer out of such a swounding-fit and he has ordinarily a deeper sense of Divine Truths and a stronger assent to them than others whose Faith is unsound though these may have a far greater measure of Notional Knowledg even such an Assent that he dare venture his Soul and all his hopes and concerns deliberately upon them 3. Faith assents freely In this sense it is true that with the Heart Man believeth Some are convinced of the Truth but sore
spiritual than for those everlasting Pleasures at God's right-Hand or are more for worldly Riches than for Treasure in Heaven True Faith would lay the World and worldly Things low in our esteem low in our thoughts Faith judgeth of them by the Word it weighteth them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary it compares earthly and spiritual things worldly and heavenly things things temporal and things eternal together Thus the World appears a vain empty worthless base and contemptible thing indeed to a Believer not fit for him to set his heart upon but to get under his feet * Non incurvet terrenum opus quem sâ—des coelestium erigiâ— Bern. And when worldly things come to stand in competition with God and Christ and Heaven a Believer cannot but account them Loss and Dung. An Unbeliever for want of Faith makes light of Christ and his Benefits makes light of a Crown of Glory of Heavens Happiness revealed and offered in the Gospel He looks on them but as pleasant Fancies and golden Dreams but things of Sense even momentary Pleasures and perishing Riches are more taking with him These he looks upon as real the other he accounts but imaginary or uncertain But a true Believer on the contrary has a sight of those things within the Vail by Faiâ—h Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Thus he hath found the hidden Treasure he has found the Pearl of great price he has made a discovery of the good Land that flows with Milk and Hony Faith is that Spy that gives him certain intelligence of the heavenly Canaan He is put out of doubt of the infinite Treasures that are in Christ of that fulness of Joy and the everlasting Pleasures that are in God's Presence in Heaven Though Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him yet God hath revealed them to such by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. The Spirit working Faith gives the Soul a view of them And hence it is that worldly things appear to be but empty Bubbles and meer Trifles compared with spiritual things with things above Thus the World's Markets are marred with a Believer He can no more value earthly things at the rate that Worldlings do He is clearly convinced that he should be an infinite Loser if he should throw away his Soul and forgo all Interest in God and Christ and Heaven for such poor Commodities as these are He knows where to bestow his best and most serious Thoughts his Heart and Affections better than on the World He sees worldly things to be valuable only so far as they may help him forward in God's service and in Heavens way but when they would be a hindrance and pull-back would be tempting him from Christ would take him off from his Duty from his main work and business of serving and glorifying of God and working out his own Salvation he looks upon them not only as vain Shadows but as deadly Snares Well Sirs Apply these things to your Hearts While the World either worldly Pleasures or Profits c. bear greatest sway while our Hearts and Affections are captivated by them and our Lives ruled and governed by them we do but vainly pretend to Faith The World loseth its commanding Power the World is in some measure conquered and subdued it is brought low where Faith cometh You have heard before that a true Believer accounts Christ precious and here you see that he contemns the World Indeed it cannot be otherwise but look how much Christ is raised in a Man's esteem so much the World and worldly things go down 2. True Faith overcomes a threatning frowning raging storming World A sound Believer will not forsake Christ his Truth and Ways for any thing the World can do or threaten Rev. 2.7 8. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Observe here the fearful and unbelieving are opposed to him that overcometh And the fearful and unbelieving are coupled together predominant carnal Fear and true Faith are inconsistent Such as are offended when Tribulation and Persecution arise such as in time of Temptation fall away were never sound Believers It is true Sometimes in an hour of Temptation a Believer is sore shaken but though he fall he shall arise and recover himself as Peter did and Cranmer and others He may fall but does not fall away Again it is true he may have many fears that he shall not be able to hold out in the time of Trial but he is safer for those Fears that cause a godly jealousy over himself that quicken unto Prayer that keep him on his Watch. Self-suspicion is a means to preserve and secure the Soul which Self-confidence would betray and overthrow But tormenting Fears I grant would shew Faith to be but weak yet notwithstanding a true Believer may have such Fears they are not predominant still he is kept by the Power of God and kept through Faith As by Faith Moses refused the Honour of being called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter and refused the Pleasures of Sin with the greatest Treasures in Aegypt as he thus overcame a flattering World so likewise by Faith he chose to suffer Affliction with the People of God and chose Reproaches for Christ and forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King Thus he also overcame a frowning and a raging World by Faith And all true Believers have the same Spirit of Faith though not in that heroical degree And Faith will teach a Man to account upon Sufferings All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer must look to suffer in and from the World 2 Tim. 3.12 A Man cannot follow Christ therefore except he deny himself and take up his Cross Again Faith concludes that Sin is far worse than Suffering That it is the greatest Folly in the World to run upon Divine Displeasure to avoid Man's Displeasure That the World cannot afflict any Torments on the faithful like those which God hath threatned and will most certainly inflict on the faithless Apostates Fire and Faggot is a light matter to that Fire and Brimstone which God hath prepared to be the portion of the fearful and unbelieving And further Faith concludes that all the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that is to be revealed That our light Afflictions which are but for a moment shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Thus true Faith will help us to overcome the World If we have this Faith then we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe and persevere to the saving of the Soul ACT. 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto
willing and desirous of Christ and his Grace that he would have them above all things that may stand in competition above all the pleasures or advantages of Sin and the World Yea he would have Christ though he was to beg with him to suffer with him He is willing to deny himself for Christ And so 4. He consents resolvedly and firmly Before Faith a Man is at shall I shall I He may sometimes have a sudden motion towards Christ but the Flesh and the World soon draw him quite another way But Faith quite turns the Scale Temporary Believers have some mind towards Jesus Christ they are a little in love with him by fits but their Minds soon change especially when they are threatned with persecution they are wont to take offence at the Cross and draw back they go not thorow with him But the true Believer is married unto Christ hath taken him for better for worse for richer for poorer to Love Honour and Obey him even until Death As the Apostle Phil. 3.8 For whom I have suffered the loss of all things Have suffered but did he not hereupon repent his bargain O no! he had as high an esteem of Christ as much affection for Christ as ever After all his Losses after his Sufferings for Christ he was still of the same Mind I have suffered the loss of all things for him says he and as it follows I do count them but dung that I may win Christ But you may ask here Who can tell whether he shall hold out or no Have not some gone a great way and yet fallen off again Answ 1. However this note is of use so far as to discover the unsoundness of their Faith who fall away As they that draw back are opposed to them that believe Such did never truly believe were never truly resolved for Christ Had they taken Christ without any sinful reserve they would have stuck to him A Believer falleth sometimes yet does not fall away He falleth forward not backward Still his Heart is towards Christ and his settled habitual prevailing resolution for Christ and so he riseth from his falls And therefore 2. If indeed we cleave to Christ with full purpose of Heart we may thence conclude that we shall keep to him Then we shall be kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And shall not be tempted above that we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 Having God's Promise here we should rest upon and not distrust his Power or Faithfulness Indeed to run ordinarily and wilfully upon Temptations is a thing contrary to Grace contrary to such an habitual resolution for Christ A Sound and Holy resolution to stick to Christ armeth the Soul and sets it on its watch against Temptations that would draw it from Christ and which is more sets the Soul under a Promise of a gracious Divine Protection Now let us see whether we thus consent unto Christ and to the terms on which Salvation is offered in and with him Do we consent entirely not partially seriously and deliberately heartily and willingly firmly and resolvedly So I come to a third Act of Faith which is 3. Affiance Faith is a firm Assent it is a practical Assent such as draws the will to consent and it is a fiducial Assent Of this I am next to speak The word Fiducia or Trust is oft used by Divines for confidence and full perswasion which is separable from true Faith But it may also be taken for resting or relying on God and Jesus Christ and being so taken it is an Act of Faith ordinarily put forth and however always included in Faith as to the habit of it A Believer resolves to venture and cast himself upon Christ how much soever he be in doubt of the event and issue As it was with Job Chap. 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him This Affiance relyance and recumbency upon Christ seemeth to be pointed at in the phrases of believing in and believing on him Which some would have translated trust in or trust on him As v. g. Joh. 14.1 Ye do trust or Do ye trust in God or on God trust also in me or on me As the word trust or hope is used Mat. 12.21 In his Name shall the Gentiles * That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for to Trust or Confide even in Exotick Authors Melancthon hath gathered many Instances to prove it In Loc. Com. de vocab Fidei Apud Chemnit loc Theol. par 2. p. 256. Vide etiam Chemnit Ib. p. 262. trust And Eph. 1.12 who first trusted in Christ Believing and Trusting are used as equivolent Psal 78.22 Because they believed not in God and trusted not in his Salvation Psal 2.12 Blessed are all they that put their trust in him qui se recipiunt ad eum that betake themselves to him The word properly signifies protectionis causâ aliquò confugere as Mollier to flee some whither for Protection As Chickens in danger run to the Hen. Christo mirè congruit verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hic enim congregat Filios suos instar gallinae Mat. 23.37 Hic est umbraculum nostrum Isa 25.4 Riv. in Pol. Synop. There is another word used Psal 22.8 He roled or let him roll himself his concerns his burthen on the Lord. Which is rendred He trusted in God Mat. 27.43 And Cant. 8.5 The Faith of the Spouse is expressed by her leaning or recumbing upon her Beloved Vid. I. de Dieu vel M. Pol. Synop. Faith is a relying and staying on the Lord. 2 Chron. 16.7 Isa 50.10 Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Et innitatur c. Tanquam fulcro Calv. Muscul in M. Pol. Synop. nè labatur omnem curam in illum velut pondus importabile conjiciendo Faith is a looking to the Lord Isa 45.22 Psal 123.2 Like the Israelites looking up to the Brazen Serpent Joh. 3.14 15. Faith is a committing our Souls with all that is dear unto us unto Christ to keep 2 Tim. 1.12 A depositing our greatest Concerns with him The believing Soul casts it self upon Christ ventures its All with him And no doubt but they that give us this description or they that put this into the definition of Faith scil that it is A resting upon Christ alone for Salvation no doubt I say but they were aware of that great errour and mistake formerly so common making Faith a full perswasion of the Heart c. As if Assurance was of the very nature and essence of Faith And so was that French Divine before cited that describes it Jo. Mestrezar to be A penitent Sinner's fleeing for succour to the Mercy of God in Christ Indeed it was very needful to correct that errour which both gave the Papists such advantage against us and gave such a wound to weak Believers who would conclude they had not Faith because they had not a full
Long-Suffering should lead Sinners to Repentance Rom. 2.4 especially considering the proper tendency thereof For though eventually per accidens through Mens wickedness that despise and abuse Divine Patience and Long-Suffering many a man's Condemnation is increased and aggravated thereby yet per se in its own nature the Long-suffering of the Lord is Salvation 2 Pet. 3.15 This gives us time and space for Repentance and for working out our Salvation as there v. 9. The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance As also it is a Motive to Repentance God's forbearance and long-suffering preacheth and presseth to Repentance proclaiming God's unwillingness to punish his waiting to be gracious his waiting for the Sinners return Thus I say God's common Goodness and Patience exercised towards Sinners is to lead them to Repentance And much more should his special Grace and Favour vouchsafed to his People promote their Repentance See Ezek. 16.60 61 62. And when it is thus that the greater Sense and Experience we have of God's Goodness Grace and Mercy the better thoughts we have of God and the worse thoughts we have of our Sins and of our selves for Sin When we blush and are humbled and ashamed greatly to think how we have requited the Lord evil for good when by God's mercies we are brought to a loathing of our selves for our Iniquities this is child-like and ingenuous this is a comfortable Evidence that our Sorrow is after a godly sort 5. Do we mourn for Sin as that for which Christ suffered In Zech. 12.10 Where the Spirit of Grace and Mourning is promised to be poured out upon the Church and People of God It is said And they shall look upon me whom they have peirced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son c. That these Words have reference to Christ is evident from John 19.37 The Garden where Christ was in his bitter and bloody Agony and Mount Calvary where he was crucified are Schools whither we should go in our serious Meditations to learn to mourn for Sin Now are our Hearts softned in the Blood of Christ Do the thoughts of a bleeding crucified Saviour set our Hearts a bleeding for Sin A gracious Soul sees more of the evil of Sin in what Christ suffered than in all that ever he himself suffered or can suffer by it 6. Do we mourn for Sin as defiling as the deformity of the Soul As it is contrary to God's Image the Beauty of the Soul that which was and would be Mans chiefest excellency as it renders us unlike to an Holy God Many can be troubled in respect of the guilt of Sin as it exposeth to Wrath bindeth over to punishment who are not troubled for the Pollution and filthiness that is in Sin As Pharaoh could cry out of the Plagues that his Sin had brought upon the Land yet was not sensible of the Plague of his own Heart A gracious Soul groaneth under and is sadly burthened with his corruptions and sinful imperfections even when he may know that in and through Christ he is freed from Condemnation He is sick of Sin weary of it as one would be of filthy noisom Cloaths about him He cannot but with the Leper cry out Vnclean Vnclean And as Job Behold I am vile 7. Do we grieve for Sin as the Disease of the Soul as that which disableth us from serving God as we ought that greatly indisposeth us to that which is good Are we weary of Sin as the Prisoner of his Shackles as the sick Man of his Disease 8. Do we mourn for Sin as the partition-wall betwixt God and Souls as that which estrangeth us from God and God from us Carnal Men can be troubled when their Iniquities separate betwixt them and good things here but such as sorrow after a godly sort see far more evil in Sin as it separateth betwixt God and Souls They are oft thinking how they might enjoy more of God's gracious Presence were it not for their Sins As what is it but Sin that hinders our Communion with God Gracious Souls oft think how they might be refreshed with the Light of God's Countenance but that their Iniquities like Clouds are still interposing And this is Godly Sorrow when indeed Souls are lamenting after the Lord. Thus let us examine what are the Grounds and Motives of our Sorrow 2. Godly Sorrow may be known by its extensiveness and adequateness unto the Object if we do not make light of any Sin that we know and are convinced of There are many Sins which others lightly pass over and make nothing of which a gracious Heart is deeply sensible of and truly humbled for 1. A gracious Soul is humbled for original Sin as well as for actual Transgressions Such an one lays to Heart the Sin of his Nature as well as his personal Sins Indeed his actual Sins lead him to take notice of and mourn over original Corruption As when David came to confess his great Sin of Blood-guiltiness he traced it to the Fountain-head his being shapen in Iniquity Psal 51.5 As Paul cryed out Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death Such see their birth-Sin to be the Womb of all other Sins They cannot make light of natural Corruption the Fountain from whence so many impure Freams of actual Transgressions issue the Root of Bitterness which bringeth forth so much poisonous and deadly Fruit. Now what should such think of themselves who were never humbled for that sinning Sin were never sensible of the Corruption of their Natures Who will not believe that their Natures are so bad Who bear up themselves with this that they have as good Hearts towards God as the best while yet their Hearts were never changed And how little are they sensible of the evil of Natural Corruption who when Sin hath shamefully broken out when they have been unreasonably transported with Passion Revenge c. think to excuse the matter saying Alas they cannot help it it is their Nature But was Nabal ever the better for being of such a churlish Nature that a Man could not speak to him Sure they are not duly humbled for the Corruption of their nature who take this for an Apology or excuse Is it not so much the worse that the Nature of the Wolf is ravenous and the Nature of the Toad or Serpent is poisonous So that we are naturally prone to Sin it is no extenuation but an aggravation of our sinfulness 2. A Gracious Soul is for laying load of Sorrow upon its special Sin Such Sins whereby the Spirit is most grieved and Communion with God most obstructed and growth in Grace most hindered must needs be most grievous to a gracious Heart as they are found out Others may be ready to confess and seem troubled for common failings such Sins as the best of Men in this state of imperfection are not
of a Sermon that toucheth them but their trouble is soon over Vid. Dyke Deceitf of the Heart p. 92. They are as one says sometimes Sermon-sick but no otherwise than as Men are Sea-sick who are well again as soon as they come on Shore Yea this presently heals the matter with them they are ready to conceit that hereby they have made God amends And thus the Storm that was raised in their Consciences is laid and all is quiet again Sinners have their sad moods sometimes but like a Morning Cloud which is soon blown over and as the early dew which soon goes away Whereas a gracious Soul retains an humble broken frame of Heart for Sin has a Spirit of Mourning As the Psalmist says My Sin is ever before me I cannot look off from it neither can I think of it without Sorrow Even when he may have good hope through Grace that God is reconciled to him yet he cannot for all that be reconciled to himself He is still grieved at the remembrance of his Sins even when the Lord is pacified towards him We read Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that are mourning As the Participle there used may denote a continued act Yea one goes further and layeth it down as not improbable but that Godly Sorrow though without any bitter ingredients mixed with it shall be in Heaven All Tears indeed are wiped from those Blessed Eyes But the Question is of the Act of the Vnderstanding apprehending the evil of Sin and of the will disliking and being displeased with Sin whether these are not for the perfection of Nature and no oppression of it And whether a clearer sight and fuller taste of God's infinite Goodness which the Saints have in Heaven be not joyned or attended with a clearer and deeper sence and apprehension of the evil of their Sins committed here against so good a God Vid Symonds Case and Cure p. 239. Which I leave to the discussion of better Judgments 6. Godly Sorrow is a deep intense Sorrow not slighty and superficial It is called a great Mourning Zach. 12.11 As it is a mourning for Sin as the greatest evil As Sin is the greatest evil our greatest Sorrow should be for Sin If outward troubles be as a Thorn in the Flesh we should be pricked to the Heart with a sence of Sin Sin should be as a Sword piercing thorow our Souls As the Apostle Paul that was never heard to say O miserable Man that I am in regard of the Bonds and Afflictions that did abide him here in the World yet cryed out O wretched Man that I am in regard of a Body of Sin A Body of Sin was more grievous to him than all his Sufferings in the Body And proportionably to the measure of Grace any one attains to as he grows in Grace so his Sorrow for Sin riseth his displicence against Sin encreaseth But here two or three Questions are to be answered Quest 1. Are Tears necessary to evidence the Truth of our Repentance and Sorrow for Sin Answ 1. We find that the godly mentioned in Scripture ordinarily were such as could weep for Sin yea such as wept for the Sins of others As Ezra confessed weeping Chap. 10.1 Josiah his Heart was tender and he wept before the Lord 2 King 22.19 And what Floods of Tears think we did David pour out for his own Sins while as he says Psal 119.136 Rivers of Tears ran down his Eyes for the Sins of other Men And see a weeping Convert Luk. 7.37 38. Who even washed Christs Feet with her Tears So Peter after his great Sin in denying his Master went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26.37 2. Men are oft called to Humiliation and Sorrow for Sin in Scripture under the term of weeping See Isa 22.12 Joel 2.12 And Jam. 4.9 Be afflicted and mourn and weep 3. God hath promised such a frame to his People in general that they should lament after him and follow him with Tears See Jer. 31.9 and 50.4 4. Yet Tears sometimes may be repressed through excess of inward Sorrow The Heart is fullest of Sorrow sometimes when it has no vent Seneca Leves dolores loquuntur ingentes stupent 5. Some how great soever their inward Sorrows are have so dry a constitution as will not afford Tears Thus in regard of that difference there is in their natural constitutions sighs and groans are more to some than plenty of Tears to others And they may have far more inward Humiliation and Sorrow for Sin though they cannot shed one Tear than others who have Tears at will 6. Tears are not pleasing to God but as proceeding from a contrite Heart God is pleased with a contrite Heart though it cannot command one Tear when the greatest abundance of Tears are not acceptable without a contrite Heart There are hypocritical Sighs and Tears as there are hypocritical Confessions 7. But if we can weep freely for outward losses or crosses that befal us and yet never weep for Sin this is a shrewd sign that we are Strangers to Godly Sorrow Thou that hast Tears enow and too many to spend about thy Worldly Troubles sure it is not from the dryness of thy Brain or from unaptness in thy natural temper and constitution but from the hardness of thy Heart if thou never sheddest Tears for thy Sins Quest 2. Whether one truly gracious may not have more grief for some great outward Tryal as the loss of some dear Relation c. than he hath for Sin Answ 1. However it is de facto yet de jure every one ought to grieve more for Sin than for Affliction The Love of God requires it In the Afflictions that befall us the will of the Lord is done and whatever we suffer we should say The will of the Lord be done but in Sin his will is crossed and disobeyed There is nothing so contrary to God as Sin Yea as the love of God so a regular self-love requires it that we grieve most for Sin There is nothing so contrary to our Souls Interest and Happiness as Sin 2. We must distinguish betwixt grief as seated in the sensitive Faculty as it is a Passion and as it is seated in the rational Powers Understanding and Will So the Passion of Grief may be greater for some sadly pressing pinching and smarting Tryal and Affliction than for Sin in one that hath true Godly Sorrow As Grief is common to us with brute Creatures and as they say the Hart when taken by the Hounds sheds tears the sensitive Faculty and one truly gracious may feel a deeper impression of trouble from outward Afflictions that are nearer to our sences and yet the rational part has a deeper sence of Sin and is more disquieted for it As 1. The practical Vnderstanding and Judgment accounts Sin a greater evil than all Afflictions A worse kind of Evil. An Affliction may be grievous but Sin is odious and is accounted
known Duty shews Sin to have a negative Voice in thee and that thou chusest to obey Sin rather than to obey God 8. You may make a fair Profession yea may be very high in Profession and yet under the Dominion of Sin Luk. 13.25 26 27. Lord Lord open unto us We have eaten and drunk in thy Presence and thou hast taught in our Streets But he shall say I tell you I know not whence ye are Depart from me all ye Workers of Iniquity Visible Saints may be secret Workers of Iniquity Yea a Man may be not only a smooth Professor but an eminent Preacher and yet a Servant of Sin There have been Workers of Miracles who for all that were Workers of Iniquity Mat. 7.22 23. Judas was an Apostle and yet a very Slave to the Lust of Covetousness Next I come to give you some Notes whereby you may know whether you are freed from the Dominion of Sin Only that you may pass a right Judgment on your State you must take them conjunct and especially attend to the three last 1. If now you are freed from the Dominion of Sin then certainly you have been made sensible what a miserable Bondage it is to be in subjection to Sin you see Sin to be the worst Master any Man can serve that to be a Gally-slave to the Turk is not so bad as to be a Servant to Sin As I said before we are all naturally under the Dominion of Sin and so we continue till we feel what a cruel oppressing Tyrant Sin is We have no will to cast off its yoke till we come to be gall'd and pinch'd Did you never groan under its Oppressions I must say that is no good Sign But if thou canst no more have a good and favourable thought of the Service of Sin if thou canst not but look upon it as a far greater Evil to be given up to thy sinful Passions to thy corrupt Affections to be given up to thine own Hearts lusts I say if thou wouldest account this a far greater Evil than to be given up to the Wills and Lusts of the most malicious Enemies thou hast or canst have in the World this is an hopeful Sign thou art not a willing Subject and Servant of Sin Thus it was with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death He looked upon a Body of Sin as a more grievous Burden than all his Bonds Afflictions and Sufferings in the Body 2. So this is an hopeful Sign when if you might have your choice you desire more to be freed from your Corruptions than to be exempted from Affliction If you had rather be kept from Sin than excused from Suffering And if you can heartily welcom Afflictions and bless God for the sharpest Corrections may you find them a means of weakning your Corruptions The Dominion of sin is chiefly in the Will Now if you care not what you suffer here so that sin may suffer this way if you are willing that God should lay you low in the World so that it may bring down your Pride and lay your Lusts low if you could willingly stoop to any Cross to have your old Man a Body of Sin crucified on it this would shew the prevailing bent of your Will is not to sin but against it 3. Another hopeful Sign that a Man is not under the Dominion of Sin is when he would no more defend it no longer take its part Willing Subjects are ready to stand up for the defence of their Prince when others oppose him And when a Man will plead and contend for sin when he cannot endure to hear his Sin spoken against when his Heart riseth against any faithful Minister or consciencious Christian that reproves him and tells him of the evil of his Sin when he is an Enemy to such and takes them for his Enemies that set against his sin does not this shew that Sin has the command of him that he is a willing subject to it But if thou desirest to see Sin laid out in its colours to see the vileness of it if thou takest it well to be plainly told of any Sin thou hast been guilty of and hast no more an heart to plead for or excuse it if thou art willing to hear any thing from God's Word that makes against it and does no more stand for it but readily takest part with the Word against it it is to be hoped thou art fallen off from Sin that it has lost its Dominion 4. Another hopeful Sign is if thou wouldest no longer maintain its Government by paying Tribute to thy Lusts wouldst make no more provision for them if thou art for cutting off Provisions from them preventing the Occasions of Sin what thou canst But on the contrary if it is thy care and study to serve and gratify thy Lusts if thou payest Tribute willingly and freely to them if this is a work a business thy Heart is set upon to make provision for them if thou carest not what charge thou art at to maintain thy Pride if thou grudgest not to lay out to serve thy Pleasure and Voluptuousness c. This shews thee still under the Dominion of Sin that thou art so forward to maintain it 5. This is a good Sign when a Man's will and purpose is set to withstand resist the Motions and Commands of Sin when he resolves strives watches ordinarily and prayes earnestly against those Sins which most haunt him As suppose thou art subject to fall into sinful Passion yet if when thou fallest into it thou canst truly say and the Lord knows it is besides and against thy purpose it is the Evil thou wouldest not it is a thing thou seriously resolvest and strivest and criest against this shews it has not full Dominion Sin may tyrannize over a Child of God though it does not reign in him Where true Grace is Sin cannot reign a Man cannot fully heartily consent to obey and be subject to it The Will so far as it is renewed and sanctified is against it Indeed through the Remainders of Corruption and by the Prevalence of Temptation he is oft drawn to that which is sinful but then he is as one taken captive and his Will is to be free Where Sin does but tyrannize not reign the Soul would not be under its Yoke it wrestles and struggles to get free And as under the Law if the betrothed Damsel cried out it was a Rape not the Sin of Whoredom she was not to dye if she cryed out Deut. 22.26 27. So Sin is not reigning and mortal where the Heart and Will is against it the bent and Resolution of the Soul is against it and the Soul is crying out earnestly for help though as to particular Acts it is oft overcome It is one thing to fall into the Dirt so a Man may do who desires to keep his Garments clean and another as the Sow does with delight
should we love the appearing of Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 how should we rejoyce to think of the day when Christ will come and take us up to himself to enjoy God in Glory If it be so desirable to enjoy his presence here how much more to enjoy his presence in Heaven So this would shew that we love God if we are looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God as 2 Pet. 3.12 and if we heartily lament it that we are at so great a distance from him that we enjoy so little of him and desire the clearest manifestation of his love and the nearest fellowship with and fullest fruition of him above all the riches pleasures and honours in the World Then certainly we are taken with him Yet it is granted many times such as have the love of God in them cannot find in themselves such willingness to be absent from the Body to be present with the Lord as would become them and which they would attain unto But generally it is because they are clouded and full of doubts and fears about their spiritual estates or because they are conscious of present great unpreparedness they see themselves so unmeet for Heaven They are ashamed that the Bridegroom should come and find them so unready But yet they would not build Tabernacles and set up their rest here They could not be content with the World for their Portion might they always enjoy it They look higher And if they may not hope at last to come to the enjoyment of God in Heaven they must despair of ever being as they would be But alas how many are there who might they but have their lives perpetuated here and so enjoy the World for ever would never think of Heaven would desire no other Heaven and when they desire Heaven it is only in a second place when they can enjoy the World no longer but if they were put to their choice they would not leave Earth for Heaven And they desire not Heaven at all for the enjoyment of God there and to live in the perfect love of God and full conformity to him but only to be free from trouble and secured from the pains and torments of Hell and to enjoy a Paradise of delights to please their senses The Heaven that cornal minds are for is but a dream a fancy of their own That which is the Heaven of Heavens scil the full enjoyment of God in his love and likeness they have no mind to 8. If we have set our love upon God then our thoughts are much upon him Thus the Psalmist proved his love to the Word of God Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day As he says ver 24. Thy Testimonies also are my delight Where the Septuagint read my meditation It was his delight to meditate on them Thus his love to God was acting in frequent and most pleasing contemplations of God As it is the covetous Worldling's delight to think on his riches and the Sensualist's delight to think on his pleasures so his meditation of God was sweet to him Psal 104.34 which shewed his love to God As the Lover delights to behold the party with whom he is enamoured The thoughts of the soul are its glances and serious meditations its fixed looks And if we have set our love upon him our most intent and powerful affecting thoughts are fixed on him Our best our most deliberate advised if not our most frequent thoughts are on God The soul is where it loves rather than where it lives You may be in company with one that is deep in love you may talk to him and yet he little minds you or your discourse his thoughts are elsewhere taken up with his beloved Therefore when you see one mindless of his business you will oft say surely he is in love So indeed the the soul that loves God is much with him in its thoughts As the Psalmist would remember him upon his bed and meditate on him in the night-watches And sayes he when I awake I am still with thee Thus one that loves God will ordinarily have his thoughts on God both lying down at night and rising up in the morning So when he is at work in his Calling his thoughts are ever and anon ascending up to God And when he is in Company he oft leaves his Company unespyed his heart and thoughts going out after God But now when it is so that a Man does what he can to banish God out of his thoughts when the thoughts of God are unwelcome guests are not kindly entertained when God is not in all his thoughts from morning to night at least not with his good will surely such a one does but vainly pretend to love God How canst thou say that thou lovest him when thy heart is not with him when thy thoughts are not on him Such as love not to think on him it is plain they are great strangers or rather enemies to God in their minds 9. If we love God we shall delight to speak or hear of him to put us in mind of him or to set forth his praise It will be pleasing to us to hear of God and the things of God if we hear the things that are right To hear his Word and to hear Men speak well of him according to his Word So we shall delight as to think on his Name so to make mention of his Name Though we shall dread to speak slightly carelessly of him though we shall abhor the abusing and profaning of his sacred and reverend Name we shall desire to speak reverently and affectionately of him Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Where the heart is full of love to the World a Man's delight will be to speak of worldly things such as he loves most And he cannot relish other discourses but it sounds harsh is unpleasing to him On the contrary when the heart is taken up with the love of God it will be ones delight to speak of him and to speak in his praise to speak good of his Name As we are forward upon all occasions to speak in the commendation of those whom we most affect so if we love God we shall be speaking well of him we are oft setting forth his goodness we love to speak of his excellencies and of his glory 10. If we love God it will be a great grief to us to see or hear God dishonoured Psal 69.9 The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me He took them to himself Yea to hear himself vilified would not have moved him so much When Shimei cursed him he could hear and bear it patiently So if we love God we shall be grieved at those that rise up against God with the Psalmist Psal 139.21 22. we shall count those our enemies that are enemies to God Who could endure to see his friend abused to see his Father wronged If we have the love
heart to Pray to Read and Hear the Word c. It is noted of the Hypocrite Job 27.9 10. When trouble comes upon him will he delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God 17. If we love God indeed we shall desire to love him more and more and to express our love more and more We shall never think we love him enough or that we do enough for him or that what we do in God's service at any time is done well enough It will be our unfeigned desire to honour God more and to serve him better As the Psalmist 71.14 I will yet praise thee more and more Love in the Heart will set the Head on contriving the Tongue on pleading the Hands on working for God Love is kind is bountiful Amicorum omnia communia If we have the Love of God in us we shall desire that all we have may be at his service that our parts interest estate may be imploy'd and improved for him Love to God will put us upon holy Projects for God As it is very pleasing to us to serve a special Friend it will be our joy and delight to serve God to act for his Glory to do any thing to promote his interest And such as abound in Love to God will also abound in the work of the Lord. Whereas a Soul without Love is like a Bird that has lost his Wings or like a Chariot without Wheels it moves very heavily What such may seem to do for God is done without heart with no alacrity or delight but rather with pain and trouble further than self-interest and self-love carries them out Thus if what is done for God be done grudgingly and if we are weary of his service and if we are setting our selves bounds and think we have done enough already these things would not shew any love to God 18. If we love God it will be a joy to us to see others active for God Though we shall be ashamed to think how little we have done for God though it will grieve us that we can do no more yet withall it will be a pleasing sight to us when we can see his Interest and Honour promoted and advanced be it by others Though we shall desire in our places to do as much as those that do most for God yet it will be no eye-sore to us when we see others out-stripping us We shall honour them the more and shall desire to imitate them we shall not envy or stomach them But if we are offended at those that are more forward and zealous if we grudg that any cloud us by their shining brighter if we have a secret dislike of those that excell in Holiness and Vertue and quite out-do us in the service of God though the Lord hath more honour by them this is an ill sign a sign that we prefer our own interest before Gods interest and prefer our own reputation before his Glory and so that we love him not as we ought 19. If we love God we shall be ready not only to act but to suffer for him too Be willing to suffer any thing for God rather than forsake him Amanti nihil difficile Love makes any cross tolerable They that endure temptation or trial and they that love God are made all one Jam. 1.12 True Love is fugatrix timoris et animatrix confessionis according to Tertul. Many Waters cannot quench Love Where this divine spark is kindled it oft flameth forth more the more it meeteth with opposition It is intended by an Antiperistasis as Fire burns hottest in cold frosty weather How oft have the Faithful rejoyced in tribulation gloried in their sufferings Though we are not to run upon Sufferings uncalled yet how many have counted it à joy and pleasure when they have fallen into them I grant some may be carried on to suffer for God and his Truth who are only animated with vain-glory or with a vain proud conceit of meriting highly by their sufferings and not with a principal of Love Yet that Mans Love to God is to be suspected or rather concluded unsound that will not carry him through sufferings and tryals here He that loveth Father or Mother Wife or Children Liberty or Estate or Life it self more than God does not love him sincerely If we had rather incur God's displeasure than Man's had rather forgo an interest in God than forgo Estates in the World for him if we had rather venture on an everlasting separation from God than lay down our lives here for him surely we care little for him 20. If we love God we shall love others for his sake Love all Men love Enemies and especially love the Godly for his sake The Love of God includes under it the Love of our Neighbour and Love of the Brethren As it is well defined thus It is a Grace whereby we love God for himself above all and all others for God and in God 1 Joh. 4.20 21. If a Man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a liar c. And this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God loveth his Neighbour also Here I should say something of Love to Men. 1. Of Love to Men in general 2. Of Love to Enemies in particular 3. Of Love to the Godly in special 1. The Love of God will incline the heart to love all Men As it is a thing that God requires And as there is something of God to be seen in all Men Yea more than in Sun and Moon or the most excellent Creatures in the World that are without life and void of Reason All Men are worthy of our love as they are God's Workmanship as they are reasonable Creatures and capable of enjoying God and Happiness though such in a special manner are worthy of our love who are more especially God's workmanship being created again in Christ Jesus It is true the Damned are none of our Neighbors but removed quite out of all society with us and out of all capacity of ever loving and enjoying God And such as have sinned unto Death if we can certainly know them we may know to be utterly outlaw'd and lost Creatures to all Eternity for whom there remains nothing but a certain fearful expectation of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the adversaries But excepting such do we bear an universal Good-will to Men for God's sake with respect to his holy VVill and Command and to his Honour and Glory Then certainly it will be our Prayer and hearts desire that his way may be known upon Earth his saving health among all Nations And then we cannot but pity those that sit in darkness and in the region and shadow of Death And then we shall have aking and bleeding hearts for those that enjoy the Gospel and ordinary means of Salvation but plainly reject the counsel of God against themselves and will not attend to the things of their peace Then it will affect us
Now if you ask Can such a one fear God above all in whom carnal fear at any time prevailes The Answer is He may have the habit though the act for the present be suspended No Grace here is perfect And as our love to God sometimes lies buried as it were under carnal self-love and inordinate love to creatures yet so as it will have a resurrection and new quickning if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and sincere so our fear of God being imperfect may for a time be born down with carnal fear yet will it get the upper hand again The true fear of God overcomes ordinarily in its conflicts with carnal fear and though it may be giving ground sometimes it shall overcome at last As some of the Martyrs upon the first onset seemed to turn back but they came on again and so stood stoutly to it 4. The true fear of God may be known by the effects of it 1. One principal effect of the Fear of God is a flight from sin I say it will cause us to flee from sin As we read of Job chap. 1.1 that he was one that feared God and eschewed evil And Nehemiah chap. 5.15 so did not I he did not durst not do as others had done before him because of the Fear of God Pro. 16.6 By the Fear of the Lord Men depart from evil On the contrary Psa 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no Fear of God before their eyes Though the wicked will not say so much with his lips yet indeed his Life proclaims it Though the Psalmist did not hear it in his words yet his works forced him to conclude that there was no Fear of God before his eyes They that forsake the Lord thereby shew that his Fear is not in them Jer. 2.19 such as care not to walk contrary to God it is plain they fear him not All impenitent Sinners that go on in their trespasses that persist in a course of rebellion they are so far from fearing God that they are daily sending up challenges to Heaven daring God's Power and Justice Psal 10.13 wherefore doth the wicked contemn God How unreasonable how impious how insufferable is it that wicked wretches should be so insolent to contemn God yet so it is the wicked are so far from reverencing that they plainly contemn God So he that being often reproved and threatned yet hardneth his neck by his impenitency by his incorrigibleness does even set God at defiance as if he bad him do his worst Remember this they that fear God fear to sin against him But you may ask further May we not avoid sin at least some sins and not from God's Fear Yea I grant it may be so But now if we forsake sin from a principle of Godly fear 1. In general we are departing from all known sin we dare not allow our selves in any sin we know of We knowing that all sin is displeasing to God if we fear to displease God we must fear to allow our selves in any sin Particularly 2. The Fear of God will cause us to flee from the Vices of the times as we discover them from sins that are most in fashion Let Swearing and Forswearing be never so much in fashion yet we shall fear an Oath if we fear God If all the World should wonder after and agree to worship the Beast yet so should not we because of the Fear of God No though we might seem to be left alone as Eljah thought he was Let a sin be never so much pleaded for countenanced and generally practised yet these things will not take with us while we hear God saying Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate if we have the Fear of God in our hearts and before our eyes Rather we shall have a greater care to keep our selves from such sins the stronger temptations we have to them 3. We shall fear sinning in secret too Knowing that God sees in secret that there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves from him As Joseph said to his tempting Mistress How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God He was awed with God's all-seeing eye upon him as much as if the eyes of all the World had been upon him Lev. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the Deaf nor put a stumbling-block before the Blind but shalt fear thy God If one does curse the Deaf he hears not if one puts a Stumbling-block before the Blind he sees not who he is that does it O but yet God hears and he sees And such as are endued with his Fear will not dare to commit sin upon this presumption that Men shall not know cannot find it out This would be a strong aw-band and powerful restraint ordinarily to keep them from deliberate sinning that they can commit no sin out of God's sight who cannot but be displeased at sin where ever he sees it 4. If we fear God and forsake Sin in his Fear then we shall fear to displease him in smaller matters too We shall fear to allow of the least Sin Though there are Sins of daily incursion that we cannot wholly avoid yet they not are allowed of As the Apostle says Rom. 7.15 That which I do I allow not If we sometimes speak vainly rashly or sometimes have our Passions sinfully moved if dulness and distractions over take us and disturb us in Holy Duties yet we can say we allow not of such things We are ashamed of them grieved and humbled for them and desire to watch against them 5. Again We shall fear sinning against God more than suffering from Men. As Chrysostom when threatned by Eudoxia said I fear nothing but Sin It we fear God we shall not fear Creatures so much 6. So we shall fear Sin more than the Scourge more than affliction Our fear is first and chiefly of offending and displeasing God and secondarily of the punishment That Fear which is not so much of the Sin and Offence as of the Lash and Scourge is but servile Fear 7. So we shall not only fear but also hate Sin As there is love in our Fear of God there will be hatred in our fear of Sin because so offensive and contrary to God Thus we shall not barely abstain from but abhor that which is evil Prov. 8.13 The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil Thus it will cause us to forsake Sin in practice and affection both Do we not know that not to hate Sin the abominable thing which God hates must needs be displeasing to God yea we are at least secretly in league with Sin so long as we do not hate it 2. Another chief effect of true Fear is subjection to the Will of God Obedience to his Commands Hereby we must try the soundness of our Faith As that which is called Faith Gal. 5.6 is called The keeping the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7.19
and life both he cannot be humble with that Humility which is necessary for a sinner It is not enough for a sinful creature to have a sense of his deficiency his wants and imperfections as he is a creature but such a one must also have a sense of his defection and degeneracy a sense of his corruptions and transgressions as a sinner And though it seemeth scarce to deserve the name of Humility for a disloyal unworthy ungrateful creature that has fallen from God to the World to Sin and Vanity that has gone a whoring from God to follow strangers for such a one to lye low in self-abhorrence to see himself to be vile this I say scarce deserves the name of humility yet is it the beginning of Christian Humility yea a chief part of our Humility here There is an Humility that some learn from their being reduced to a low estate in the World They are fallen into Poverty Disgrace c. and now they do not look so big or carry so high as they were wont to do But know thy Humility is not right if it be upon such worldly accounts only and not upon the account of thy sins 3. True Humility is most inward A shew of Humility is not enough To be cloathed with Humility in the Apostle's sense is more than to wear mean clothes Though I must needs say that an humble mind and a proud garb are things that do not suit together O that they that use to cloak their Pride with the pretence of Decency would consider whether Humility be not more comely and would not more commend them in the eyes of God and all sober Men Humility is certainly more lovely in its plainest gravest dress than stinking pride with all its painting patches powders though clothed in Purple and tricked up as fine as fingers can make it The ornaments of pride are a real disgrace a shame to those that wear them O but Humility that is an Ornament indeed an Ornament in the sight of God of great price But then we must see that we are humble in God's sight Jam. 4.10 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord. True Humility is by the sight and knowledg of God as before and is such in God's sight and not only in appearance to Men. All Grace as it is from God so it has respect to him Herein lieth the sincerity of Grace that it is what it is before God and not only before Men. Humility does not affect making a shew That is Pride which makes one affect a seeming to be humble So it is not to be liked when one affects a speech or attire different from the most grave and sober to be counted more humble Let us look to our hearts We may not hang out those flags of Pride some do and yet Pride may have full power and command within We may appear humble to Men but are we humble in the sight of God are we lowly in heart We may have learnt an humble carriage but are we humble in spirit as Pro. 29.23 or of an humble spirit Isa 57.15 4. True Humility as it is Humility of heart so the heart is really for it Humbleness of mind and a mind to be humble are inseparable I had occasion to touch on this before yet methinks something more should be added As humiliation and sorrow for sin if it be right and kindly is voluntary as the fear of God if it be genuine and child-like is free so is true Humility Indeed there is a voluntary Humility condemned Col. 2.18 A preposterous Humility Like that of the Papists in worshipping and invocating Saints and Angels accounting it too great boldness to come to God only in and through Christ not considering how great boldness and presumption it is for sorry sinful creatures to set up other Mediators and Intercessors with Christ and so to come to God in a way that he has not appointed or allowed Such may think it great Humility but rather may we not say with the Apostle they are vainly puffed up by heir fleshly mind Let Men be never so free and forward in such self-devised seeming humble wayes of Worship God is not pleased with them And yet our Humility must be voluntary too in a right sense or it is not right We must be willingly vile in our own eyes and desire to be thus more vile to lie lower in our own thoughts Some there are mightily cast down and far out of conceit with themselves and their own estates looking on themselves as lost and undone All this may be and yet no true Humility There is a wide difference betwixt an awakened storming Conscience and an humble and contrite heart where the heart is humble a Man would see his sins would loath himself for them desires to lie as low as God would have him Where the Heart is not humble but only Conscience is awakened and terrified a Man hath no such desire His Sins are brought to his remembrance are set in order before his eyes when he has no will to search and finde them out 5. Humility prepares the Heart to receive and submit to reproof And this is a great sign of Humility if we could more patiently bear others admonishing and reproving us than hear their vain applauses or undue praises of us The Humble would account those enemies to them who shall this way tempt them to proud and high conceits of themselves but will acknowledg such their best friends which help them further to see what is amiss in themselves to their further humbling But a Scorner loveth not one that reproves him Pro. 15.12 The Proud have their stomacks rising against those that in great faithfulness tell them of their faults * Ea quae ipsi sponte dicunt aliis ab aliis patienter audire non possunt Bern. de adr Dom. Ser. 4. They are so far in love with themselves that they cannot endure to hear any thing amiss of themselves They care for none but such as have the knack to humour and flatter them 6. Humility is not for excusing extenuating Sin but for a free ingenuous and hearty confession of it The proud Pharisee had not a word of confession Luk. 18.11 he was all for setting forth his own vertues Though complementally he gave God thanks yet it was really and designedly to usher in his own praise The humble Soul is quite in another strain not for justifying himself but ready still to accuse and condemn himself He neither hides nor pleads for his Sins but is willing to see them and ready to acknowledge and aggravate them To be bold in sinning but ashamed to confess Sin Cur te pudet peccatum tuum dicere quem non puduit facere Bern. are signs of a graceless heart And to be quick-sighted in spying faults miscarriages in others but to overlook ones own and to be forward to aggravate the faults of others but to make light of ones own miscariages are
Servants may take comfort in Hezekiah though a King found no such Cordial in the World He could take comfort in this even when sick unto death when he had received the Sentence of Death Isa 38.1 3. And this was their rejoyceing who had little in the World to take comfort in 2 Cor. 1.12 when they were as sorrowful and having nothing yet they would not have parted with the joy of their Sincerity for all the World God is so pleased with Sincerity that where he sees it he is ready to overlook Infirmities As true Gold has its grains of allowance Heb. 8.10 12. And all the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as walk before him in Truth and Sincerity He will be a Sun and Shield to such and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 They shall have his favour and countenance here His Countenance doth behold the Vpright Psal 11.7 They have his most gracious and benign Aspect And they shall be taken into and enjoy his Glorious Presence hereafter Whereas an Hypocrite shall not come before him the Vpright shall dwel in his presence Psal 140.13 Who shall dwel in God's holy Hill The Psalmist tells you Psal 24.3 4. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart Psal 15.1 2. Such as walk uprightly Thus indeed the end of the perfect and upright Man shall be peace perfect peace and endless happiness But there is a twofold Integrity or Uprightness There is a Natural or Moral Integrity and there is a Spiritual Integrity 1. There is a Natural or moral Integrity which is the effect of common restraining Grace As God gives the Consciences of some natural Men that power and quickness that in many particular actions they are seen to carry well following the dictates of their Consciences Thus they are kept from gross Sins and shew forth many commendable Vertues and that not out of Cunning but of Conscience Their Consciences will not suffer them to do otherwise As Joseph's Brethren said We are true Men we are no Spies So many natural Men are true to their Principles Many of the Heathen of whom we read in their Writers were just honest plain-dealers would speak as they thought and what ever they lost or suffered would not break their words they were homines quadrati Square-men and such indeed as quite shame and will condemn many that are called Christians who having banished or seared Conscience live in those sins that many an honest Heathen would have chosen to die rather than commit And the Lord himself gives testimony to the Integrity of Abimelech so far that if he had known Sarah to have been another Man's Wife he would not have taken her to his House Gen. 20.6 Yea I know thou didst this in the Integrity of thy heart Yet we have no ground to suppose that Abimelech at that time was a Saint a truly Upright Man 2. There is a Spiritual Integrity which is the effect of special renewing Grace The effect of God's writing his Laws in the heart When being renewed in the spirit of our mind we put on the new Man which after God is created in Righteousness and Holiness of Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eph. 4.23 24. When not only a Man's Conscience but his Will also is for that which is right not only in some particular actions but in his general course When a Man intirely without reserve resignes and gives up himself to God heartily resolved for God and ordinarily acting for him with respect to his Will and to his Honour and Glory in what he does Thus Integrity includes both being Vpright in heart and being of upright Conversation Psal 11.2 with 37.14 They that are upright in heart will be of upright conversation will walk uprightly and none can be of upright conversation none can walk uprightly without an upright heart This uprightness is perfect for kind though but imperfect as to degree As a Child has all the parts of a Man though not in that full proportion as a Man hath but is growing toward it But that Integrity which may be found in a natural Man is but an imperfect Embrio or a False-Conception Sincerity and Uprightness to speak properly is not a particular distinct Grace but a necessary mode of all true Grace It is the right mode of every Grace and of every good Work too So we read of the Sincerity of Love 2 Cor. 8.8 of Love unfeigned 2 Cor. 6.6 And of Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Sincerity in a Christians Graces is as a Golden-twist in a Bracelet or Neck-lace of Pearls it goes thorow every Grace or as the Veins in the Body that run thorow all the Parts and Members Yea Sincerity is as the Soul of Religion without Sincerity we can have no more than a form of Godliness like a dead Carcass Now to shew how Sincerity and Uprightness may be known O that I might be a welcom Messenger to some to shew some their Uprightness who cannot rest but long to be satisfied in this Point 1. The Upright Man though simple plain is not stolid Though there is an holy simplicity joyned with Sincerity 2 Cor. 1.12 yet a brutish stolidity gross ignorance and integrity are utterly inconsistent Pro. 19.2 3. That the Soul be without Knowledg is not good In our old Translation thus For without Knowledg the mind is not good The foolishness of Man perverts his way Indeed ignorance is both Mother and Nurse of Impiety but no friend to Integrity Prov. 2.13 Walking in the wayes of darkness is opposed to keeping the paths of Vprightness As the Simple and such as err are put together Ezek. 45.20 Pro. 1.22 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity There is a simplicity that is no vertue It is the Man of understanding that walketh uprightly Pro. 15.21 Not the fool Pro. 19.1 He is perverse Some rest in their good meanings and boast of their good and honest hearts while they have no care to know what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God such are not upright 2. The Upright Man is for knowing the whole Will and Counsel of God He is willing to hear of his duty to learn his whole duty He would not stop his ear against any Message that comes from God The single eye sees best Mat. 6.22 It would not shut out any light that comes from above from the Father of Lights The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Sincerity some would have taken from the Eagles trying of her young holding them forth to the full view of the Sun who as they say rejects those as spurious and not her genuine brood which cannot with open eye behold the Sun or as most take it the word is translated from Wares that are right good that one is not afraid to shew and bring forth into the light of the Sun When Men hate the Light and will not come into the
Light it argues unsoundness But he that doth truth cometh to the Light Joh. 3.20 21. To do Truth and to walk in Truth is as much as to walk with an upright heart 2 King 20.3 And such as are for walking in Truth are for coming to the Light for knowing the Truth the Will and Word of God the rule they are to walk by Mic. 2.7 Do not my Words do good to him that walks Vprightly Annon placebunt verba mea as some Will not my words please him Yea indeed it will do much good it will please them well to hear from God to know more of his mind He that hath ears to hear let him hear We have that expression often All have not ears to hear as the Upright have But where the Lord has a mouth to speak the upright Man has an ear to hear He will say still Speak Lord thy Servant heareth The Upright heart is that good and honest heart Luk. 8.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad verbum pulchro bono quod non modo bonum videri sed esse studet Brugens in Pol. Synops which is both ready to receive and careful to keep the Word The Sincere Milk of the Word will readily down and agree well with Sincere hearts Upright words words of truth will be very acceptable Eccl. 12.10 to true upright hearts False deceitful and unsound hearts are willingly ignorant and willing to be deceived in many points But a plain honest heart would pray as the Psalmist Psal 119.29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy Law graciously And as it is in Job what I see not teach thou me When such come to the Word they can say with Cornelius Act. 10.33 Now are we here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God They would entertain every Divine Truth welcom every Word of God They would chuse the way of truth when discovered how cross soever to their worldly interests or to their former apprehensions and opinions As Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of Truth And v. 162. I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great Spoil As the Truth and Will of God was further revealed to him he was very much joyed as one that had got a rich prize And thus an Vpright heart and a corrupt mind will not dwell together That the Upright Man has a will and desire to know the whole Counsel of God so far as is his concern and duty this is a special preservative from undoing errors and mistakes in Religion Psal 37.31 The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide Pro. 11.3 The Integrity of the Upright shall guide them And v. 5. The Righteousness of the Perfect shall direct his way Pro. 13.6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way Prov. 21.29 As for the upright he directeth his way If he has been drawn into error into by paths he does not harden his face as resolved to persist in his course but looks about him considers and so comes to understand his errour and to see the right way which his heart is for walking in 3. The Upright Man is willing to be searched is for self-searching Truth seeks no corners though it may sometimes be driven into corners Such as deal with deceitful Wares will keep their Shops dark or use false-lights but if you mean honestly and your Commodities be right you are not unwilling to bring them into the light And he that will neither deceive others nor be deceived himself certainly that Man is not in a way of studied Hypocrisie See how the Man after God's heart prayeth Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me The meaning may be that he would have God to discover him more fully to himself as well as clear up his integrity to others God's searching and trying Men is not for his own information but to make them known to themselves or others The Psalmist was so willing to have his heart searched that he prayes earnestly for it Search me O God and try me c. And this is an hopeful sign of Sincerity if thou art for strict and serious Self-examination and much in it As a godly Minister told me a little before his death That it was some stay to him then that he had loved uses of Examination that it was very pleasing to him to read or hear that part of the Application of the Word soundly prosecuted Hypocrites are for enquiring into others for a narrow observing and censuring of others rather than for searching and examining themselves Hypocrites use to be quick-sighted abroad but have no mind to look home love to be great strangers at home As decayed Tradesmen broken Chapmen have no delight to look into their Books of Accounts so Hypocrites those deceitful Chapmen care not for looking into the Books of their own Consciences 4. A sound upright Heart will approve of sound and wholesome admonition and reproof To take reproof well as it is a sign of an humble Self-denying spirit so of an upright heart And one that desires to walk uprightly will be glad to be told of it when he has stepped awry or turned out of the way Let the Righteous smite him it shall be a kindness Psal 141.5 If sound and wholsome Admonition will not down with us it would shew our hearts unsound An upright heart would not hate him that reproveth would not abhor him that speaketh uprightly They were Lying Children which said to the Prophets Prophesy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesy Deceits Isa 30.9 10. The upright heart is for right things whilst the unsound heart is more for pleasing Deceits And the Hypocrite can worst of all endure to hear any thing against his beloved Bosom-sin As Herod could not bear it when John told him of his Herodias Mat. 14.3 4 5. 5. The upright Heart is not for hiding Sin but for a plain and hearty confession of it The word translated Perfect mark the perfect Man signifies Plain or Simple Perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Upright The perfect upright Man is a plain Man As Jacob was a plain Man Gen. 25.27 it is the same word He hath not those cunning shifts as others use Simplex sine plicis He cannot fold and wrap up an evil Matter as others will do As Job an upright Man had not the art to keep his Sins close Job 31.33 If I had covered my Transgressions as Adam or after the manner of Men by hiding mine Iniquity in my bosome The plain Heart knows not how to cover Sin The upright Man is one in whose spirit is no guile Psal 32.2 He has no will to dissemble or conceal his Sins or to excuse or extenuate them Some think the Psalmist looks especially to that plainness freeness open-heartedness in Confession whereunto
Apostle James gives James 1.26 If any Man among you seem to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue but deceiveth his own Heart this Man's Religion is vain Some will seem to have a care of their Actions who have no care of their Words Words are but Wind with them And as a Learned Man observes 'T is the Hypocrites Sin Dr. Manton on Jam. 3.2 pag. 357. They abstain from grosser Actions but usually offend in their Words in boasting Professions and proud Censures A sound upright Man would not offend so much as in Word James 3.2 Such as have no care to bridle and govern their Tongues to keep them under a Law the Apostle tells us their Religion is vain So an ordinary allowance of any known Sin as accounted little will not stand with Uprightness which engageth the Heart against all known Sin 7. Sometimes an Hypocrite will seem very strict and tender in lesser matters and very nice and scrupulous about some things lawful whilst he makes no bones of Sins indeed and very great Sins if he can but get any cover for them Like those Mat. 23.24 who would strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel They that would not have eaten with unwashen hands yet care not how they defiled them with Oppression with cruel and unjust Practices such are far from the Path of the Vpright The upright Man indeed would abstain from the appearance of evil and much more from apparent Evils 8. An Hypocrite whatever Sins he may seem to abandon and forsake yet has some beloved Sin and generally some flesh-pleasing or gainful Sin that he knows not how to part with which he hides in his bosom But here now I come to the good old mark of Sincerity as one calls it which Divines have used to lay down The upright Man has a special care to get down and keep down any such Sin or Sins as he finds himself most inclined unto And here we may apply that of the Psalmist Psal 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity Indeed I find a learned Man referring this to that passage 1 Sam. 26.9 11. where David would not take the fairest opportunity to revenge himself on Saul to get rid of his greatest Enemy When had he consulted with Carnal Reason that would readily have prompted him with speed to dispatch his Enemy to provide for his own safety yet he resolutely withstood the Temptation and what Corrupt Nature would have inclined him to and neither would himself lay violent hands on Saul nor suffer Abishai to do it Thus the greater temptations one has to Sin if they are heartily resisted si caetera sint paria it is a greater evidence of ones Integrity and Uprightness As in Joseph Gen. 39.9 and Job Job 2.3 and David here But divers give the sense which is to my present purpose though indeed the words may be taken more largely I kept my self from mine Iniquity i. e. From the Sin unto which by Nature Constitution or the like he was most prone So that is an upright heart indeed which is turned against its Bosom-sin He is an upright Man who hath not any Sin that he would not gladly part with 10. Uprightness and Sincerity are more directly opposite and in a special manner contrary to such Sins as these viz. a way of Hypocrisie a way of Lying and walking by the false line of Carnal Policy 1. Sincerity is most opposite to Hypocrisie The Hypocrite desires to seem good rather than to be good Of Machiavil's mind he thinks the name and repute of being Religious and Consciencious may be of use to his designs but that the thing it self would be a burden The sincere upright Christian would be better than he seems the Hypocrite is only for making a shew He feigns himself to be what he is not and makes a shew of doing what in very deed he does not The upright Man is one in whose spirit there is no such studied guile There is a state of Hypocrisie when Men pretend to be devoted to God and his Service while it is nothing so Isa 48.1 Their hearts are rotten and false to God and still in league with their Lusts Now a state of Hypocrisie is plainly inconsistent with true Grace Sincerity and Uprightness Again There is Hypocrisie in some particular Acts and in some Degree As to seem more affected intent and fervent in Duty in hearing the Word Prayer c. or to seem more eminent in this or that Grace than one is really This partial Hypocrisie as we may call it though very sinful may stand with Vprightness in the main Only take this note along with you That as an upright Man espies and reflects upon it he cannot but loath himself for it He has worse thoughts of himself for this and he is working it out It is not a thing that he allows Reigning and allowed Hypocrisie is a clear proof of an unsound insincere Heart The upright Man is one in whom is no allowed guile He is humbled for what Hypocrisie he finds in himself he hates he resists it Though Hypocrisie be sometimes present with thee if it be not prevalent if it has not dominion over thee it will not prove thee an Hypocrite Hypocrisie is not a burden to an Hypocrite it rests in his heart as in suo loco in its natural seat and proper place Further If others have better thoughts of thee have an higher opinion of thy Gifts and Graces than there is real ground for yet if it be without thy affecting or seeking by dissimulation or feigning to be better than thou art and if it be contrary to thy will and liking it is no fault of thine but the other's Error and Mistake Yea further If thou art putting thy self oft upon good Discourse as thou hast opportunity though alas thou findest thy heart dead and dull little affected with the things of God at present of which thou chusest to discourse yet this is not to act the part of an Hypocrite it is not the Sin of Hypocrisie when thy end in speaking is to affect thy own heart and those that hear thee which is good and not to seem more affected than thou art When thou dost not design to set off thy self but indeed to edifie thy self and others so far thy heart is right and sincere though it be not so warm and lively as it ought to be And what is here noted of Christian Conference the like may be said of praying with others c. 2. Sincerity and Uprightness have a peculiar contrariety also to a way of Lying or deceitful Speaking Mentiri est contra mentem ire to speak contrary to ones mind or thoughts And how contrary is this to Plain-heartedness The Upright will speak uprightly Isa 33 15. His words are of the uprightness of his heart Job 33.3 A righteous Man hateth Lying Prov. 13.4 That it is a false slander to say of such Though they will
and alacrity Spiritual Joy where it comes exceeds and as we may say swalloweth up carnal worldly Joy The Joy of the Holy Ghost is far more pleasing than the Joy of Harvest 10. That is a kind of Spiritual Joy when we heartily unfeinedly rejoyce in the good of others Spiritual Joy is promoted especially by the Spiritual good of others The good found in others As when Barnabas saw the Grace of God among the Disciples at Antioch he was glad Act. 11.23 And when Paul and Barnabas had declared the Conversion of the Gentiles they caused great Joy unto all the Brethren Act. 15.3 So Titus was comforted in the Believing Corinthians and Paul rejoiced much on their account 2 Cor. 7.7 So David rejoyced to see the Peoples forwardness 1 Chron. 29.17 And now have I seen with Joy thy People which are present here to offer willingly unto thee Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the House of the Lord. Again when the Good vouchsafed to others is matter of Joy to us Especially the Good of God's Chosen This may be spiritual Joy To rejoice and be glad with Jerusalem when she is rejoicing to be comforted with her consolations as Isa 66.10 11. when it is not from a selfish but a publick spirit this is good But they that rejoyce in iniquity or rejoyce at others Calamities they who rejoice over God's People in the day of their destruction or of their distress their Joy is so far from being right Spiritual Joy that it is devilish 11. Spiritual Joy is such as cannot be kept and maintained but in a way of holy walking and working Righteousness As it is Joy to the Just to do Judgment Pro. 21.15 So the Lord meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh Righteousness Isa 64.5 These things have I spoken unto you says our Saviour that my Joy might remain in you and that your Joy might be full Joh. 15.11 Now what things were those see v. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you And v. 10. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love Thus we can have no more evidence of the soundness of our Joy than we have of the sincerity of our Obedience Psal 64.10 The Righteous shall be glad in the Lord. Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Bonum vinum ex hydria purificationis hauritur as Bernard speaks alluding to that Joh. 2.6 c. Spiritual Joy is drawn out of a pure Conscience A Conscience that is peaceable but not pure is a meer cheat Never expect to have Spiritual Joy in a course of Sin Such a course as grieves the holy Spirit of God will never bring a Man to true Peace and Joy 12. Spiritual Joy quickens and enlargeth the heart in God's Service Joy dilateth and enlargeth the heart * Laetitia q. laetitia So does Spiritual Joy It enlargeth the heart in Duty It is a great furtherance in God's service Rom. 14.17 18. Spiritual Joy is as Oil to the Wheels It makes Souls like the Charoits of Aminadib How are Souls carried out for God when Spiritual Joy fills their Sails This raiseth the Soul Trouble of Spirit is dejecting Why art thou cast down O my Soul And dejected spirits drive on but heavily in Duty But Spiritual Joy elevates the Soul To serve the Lord with gladness is to be raised in his Service Spiritual Joy will make Souls more vigorous This would strengthen weak hands and confirm feeble knees The Joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8.10 When Daniel hears the voice of Joy and Gladness Dan. 10.19 O Man greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong yea be strong he could say When he had spoken unto me I was strengthened and then he said let my Lord speak for those hast strengthened me But there is no true comfort or pleasure to be taken in such Joy as does not further fit us for our work and duty Such Joy is but a flash 13. As was noted before of sound Hope Spiritual Joy is a special incentive to praise and thankfulness As it comes in usually in a way of Prayer So it is wont to carry out the Soul in Praises As we find these joyned Psal 9.2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing praise to thy Name O thou most High And Psal 68.3 4. Let the Righteous be glad let them rejoice before God yea let them exceedingly rejoice Then it follows Sing unto God sing Praises to his Name Nothing puts the Soul in better tune for praising God than Joy in him When a Soul is thus raised and lifted up by him it will be for extolling and lifting him up Psal 30.1 I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up And v. 11 12. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing Thou hast put off my Sackcloth and girded me with gladness To the end that my Glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever So Col. 1.11 12. Giving thanks unto the Father there followeth joyfulness Now hath your Joy this effect are you much in God's praise 14. Spiritual Joy can keep alive and keep the Heart alive in the midst of outward troubles Hab. 3.18 Loquor quod expertus novit inexpertus ignorat to borrow the expression of Bernard I speak what the experienced Christian knows though the unexperienced neither apprehends nor beleives it Spiritual Joy will hold up a Mans Head in such afflictions under which others Hearts that know nothing of it would quite sink and be overwhelmed Yea in sufferings for Christ and Righteousness sake this Joy is so far from being damped that it is ordinarily more heightened not checked this way but increased 2 Cor. 1.5 As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Though Men may strip the Faithful of their outward enjoyments yet this inward Joy no Man can take away Joh. 16.22 The Believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 Manifold Trials here could not dash the Joy of those who by Faith foresaw their future glorious Triumph 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations In this sense also the Joy of the Lord is our strength helping to bear the Cross not only patiently but chearfully As the Apostles departed from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ Act. 5.42 Spiritual Joy is an Heavenly Spark that floods of Trouble and Persecution cannot quench And while Heaven smiles on a Saint he cannot but rejoice though the World frowneth This Note may discover the Joy of many to be unsound That Joy which openeth at the smiles of the World and shuts at its frowns is not a flower of the Sun
of the World than we are at God's command and that habitually and ordinarily it is plain we prefer our selves and honour the Creature above God and while it is thus how can we say that we love him If we love God we shall follow him and love to walk in his ways As they said of their Idols Jer. 2.25 I have loved strangers and after them will I go Had they loved God indeed they would have been for following him and not strangers The counsel of a special friend is much regarded and surely if we love God we shall not despise his counsels Psal 119.128 I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right He approved of them all he would not have any one of God's Laws nulled and abrogated To love the Lord to walk in all his ways and to cleave to him are conjoyned Deut. 11.22 And to love the Lord and to walk ever in his ways Deut. 19.9 So the love of God will incline souls to sincere impartial and constant obedience 14. If we love God we shall desire to be more like him Eph. 5.1 Be followers of God as dear Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitators though we cannot be like him in respect of those Attributes stiled incommunicable Our first Parents fell from God when they affected to be as Gods And in some other respect too we may not be like him We may not act for our own glory as God does This would entrench upon the glory due from us to God and cross the end of our beings Yet if we love God we shall desire to be like him so far as we may There is an assimulating vertue and power in love We are ready to imitate those we love Their example is very moving and is wont to take much with us If we love God we shall desire that we may have hearts after his heart to love that which he loves and to hate that which he hates Amicorum idem velle idem nolle We shall desire to be holy as he is holy and merciful as he is merciful and perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect Though it is impossible for any Creature to be as holy as merciful as perfect as God is Though an equality here is not to be thought of yet a likeness and similitude a conformity to God in our measure such as we may attain to we must study and endeavour and this the love of God would put us upon But if we rather wish that God was altogether such a one as our selves if we rather desire that he would come down to us and comply with allow of our crooked Tempers and Manners than to have our souls raised up to him by the restoring of his Image and a divine Nature wrought in us it would shew indeed that we are little taken with him but rather how little cause soever there is for it we are still in love with our sinful selves 15. If we love God we shall highly account of his favours We shall not despise common benefits as coming from him but we shall most prize any special Love-token he hath given us We set a value on Mercies according as God's love appears in them When Tamar had got Judah's Signet and Bracelets she would not part with them for a Kid. One would have prized a kiss of Cyrus above the golden Cup he gave him The soul that loves God will value spiritual Mercies above temporal enjoyments The consolations of God will not be small in such a ones account His comforts will be more desired longed for or if enjoyed will more delight and refresh the soul than any worldly comforts And the more we love God the more we shall praise him for any intimations and expressions of his love We shall delight to tell others what he hath done for our souls as the Psalmist Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul Psal 103.1 2 3 4. This would in part shew we love God for himself and not only for his Benefits if indeed we set the highest value and account on those Benefits wherein we might read his special love But they that would account more of the Birth-right than of the Blessing and set more store by Corn and Wine than they could do by the light of God's Countenance shew little love to God 16. If we love God we are for putting a good construction on his severest dispensations We would not take any thing unkindly from him We are not for entertaining hard thoughts of God Si mihi irascatur Deus num illi ego similiter reirasear non utique sed pavebo sed contremiseam sed veniam deprecabor Ita si me arguat not redarguetur à me sed ex me potius justificabitur Nec si me judicabit judicabo ego eum sed adorabo Bern. in Cant. Scr. 83. though he shew us hard things We shall desire to keep up good thoughts of God still but have worse thoughts of our selves When he afflicts us we shall fall out with our selves fall out more with Sin not be displeased at him We shall still follow him even though he walk contrary to us as Isa 26.8 9. When we are chastened of him we shall not censure his dealings but judge our selves We shall be ready to justify God and to condemn our selves acknowledging God to be righteous and to punish less than our iniquities deserve If we cry to God and he seem not to hear we shall not hereupon take pett but conclude with the Psalmist Psal 22.2 3. Yet thou art holy Indeed we shall be ready in our troubles to complain to him as we use in trouble to complain to our friends but we would not complain of him If we love God Afflictions will not ordinarily drive us from God but rather drive us nearer to him If he shews his displeasure it will grieve us most that we have displeased him that we have offended our good and gracious Father that we have provoked the God of Patience a God so rich in Mercy And so we shall be for humbling our selves and making our peace with him But if when we are afflicted instead of accepting of the punishment of our Iniquities and humbling our selves and seeking his face our hearts do nothing but fret against the Lord we are strange Children We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence and if we are not much rather in subjection to the Father of Spirits we shew not a childlike disposition And how sad is it if in our afflictions we are ready to say with him of whom we read This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer How sad is it when Crosses that should crucify and deaden our hearts more to the World have this contrary effect deadning them towards God and towards holy Duties That we have less heart to serve God have less