said Cornelius do this or that as to say Send for Peter and he shall tell thee what to do Acts 10. 6. But God sends him to Peter and Peter must come and direct him in a set Sermon that God might keep up the credit of his Messengers and his standing Ordinances There are special promises to this purpose to be fulfilled to the people of God in publick Assemblies of the Church Isai 56. 7. I wil make them joyful saith God but where in my House of Prayer which was among the Jews the Temple and among the Gentiles any place of publick Worship Isai 60. 7. I will glorifie the House of my glory And 't is remarkable that in both places the Promises are made to the Gentiles when they should be converted as appears by the Context God would have an house of Prayer places of publick Assemblies in the Gentile Church and in them God hath promised to make his people joyful Come forth here all ye old Disciples experienced Christians and give in evidence from your experience Cannot you say that the banner of love which God hath spread over your souls was lifted up in these Banquetting Houses Hath he not here stayed your souls with flagons and comforted you with apples Cant. 2. 2 Prayer There is an holy Conference and Dialogue between God and the soul in holy Duties This of Prayer is the Duty in which we speak and the Word and Seals are the wayes in which God speaks Wee ask Counsel in Prayer God answers in them We ask strength and peace in this God returnes answers of peace in them and we reply in thanksgiving again God in the Word tells us what he is offended at in us we confesse it in Prayer he assures us we are pardoned in the Word c. We returne thanks in prayer again And indeed this is the way how to know Gods mind as we know mans mind by desiring a conference and proposing our doubts or dissatisfactions and receiving his answers when he gives them or pressing for them when he denyes or estrangeth himself Thus David used to enquire of the Lord. Psal 27. 4. And when he had enquired in prayer then he holds his peace and waits to hear what God will say Psalm 85 8. 1 Neglect not this way of conference with God Especially in the set seasons thereof They have a fancy among the Philosophers of two needles touched with the same Loadstone which being set in two Compasses written round with the letters of the Alphabet will conveigh intelligence from one friend to another at the greatest distance Thus each friend having recourse to his own Compass at fixed times shall find that as his friend at distance moves his needle to any letter his own without any touch of his will turne to the same so that by putting together those letters he may read his friends mind I have not faith enough to believe the conceit but I can make a good use of it in Spirituals wherein I am sure it is true Gods heart and thine are touched with the same Loadstone of love and if thou at seasons of conference shalt have recourse to the needle 1 John 4. 19 of thy heart and by the experience of holy affections in prayer shalt point out to God thy wants and burthens the heart of God by a sacred sympathy will work the same way and copy out thy case in his own bosome and then it cannot be long ere his fatherly compassions set the needle of his affections a turning towards thee again to produce a reciprocal assurance in thy heart by a like secret sympathy This the Scripture holdeth forth clearly See Jer 31 18 19 20. There Ephraims needle first turnes in confession Thou hast chastised me c. Then Gods needle falls to work presently to give him intelligence of Ephraims complaint Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself And when Ephraims story is done then God falls to turning his needle by way of answer to Ephraim My bowels are troubled for him Is Ephraim my dear son Yes that he is and he shall know it too For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Then comes the answer to Ephraims heart I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Thence in the Text the Spirit that is the witnesse from God to us is the Sollicitour within us to God The same Messenger that carries our Letters brings our Answer ver 16. Oh Friends you know not what mischief Satan doth to you by cooling your hearts in prayer nay by prevailing with you onely to neglect a set time of prayer publick or private If you appoint a friend a set time of meeting and conference so often every day and you fail him twice or thrice together especially when he knowes you have none but trifling businesses to hinder you how can you expect but that he should serve you in the same kind True a man may lay bonds upon himself in appointment of times of duty which as he may order the matter that is if he lay them so upon himself as to pronounce it absolutely unlawful upon any occasion to over-slip that very time may prove but snares to entangle his conscience but yet on the other side to set apart appointed hours for this duty as a convenient means to keep our heart from framing petty occasions from hour to hour to put off the duty and that with resolution not to fail at the appointed time but upon very weighty occasions and upon such failing at any time to resolve to make up that defect doubly as soon as the occasion is over sure is a very profitable way for the getting and keeping acquaintance with God And no question if God find as he knowes that very slight occasions divert us from meeting him at fit or set times but he will be out of the way at other times when our leasure will serve us to seek him But this by the way concerning set times of prayer 2. 2. A soul that wants the witnesse of Gods Spirit though he neglect not those yet he will not content himself with them but he must now and then visit the Throne of Grace in extraordinary wayes of duty adding fasting to prayer and spending whole dayes in following hard after God Certainly this duty is much neglected among Christians in these dayes to what it hath been formerly both in private and publick Surely when Gods Saints were more acquainted with it there was far more acquaintance with God then I fear if I may ghess at others condition by mine owne there now is There be some Divels saith our Saviour that wil not be cast out without prayer and fasting Mar. 9. 29. so may I say in this case there be some doubts that will not be cast out of the soul till a man try this way Not that fasting adds any thing to prayer in it selfe or by any proper efficiency of its own but it disposeth a man to
thorow fear or temptation as at other times moving it to conceale the Devils counsell but out of distraction and oppression of spirit Now if this same soul find it selfe in the same condition before God when it sets to prayer it may lay the blame hereof on the greatnesse of its burthen and content it selfe in the assurance of as kind an acceptance of its sighs and groans as if they were drawn out in long prayers But if the straightnesse be not towards men or other imployments but only in duties to God-ward then enquire after farther causes whereof take these following 2. The admission of some late grievous sinne that yet is unrepented of Guilt is a tongue-tying thing When the man in the Gospel was taken without a wedding garment the Text sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was speechlesse Mat. 22. 12. his mouth was stopped with a gagge Great sins are great gaggs And 't is not only so with the unregenerate but with the Saints also See it in Davids example Psalm 51. 14 15. Deliver me saith he from blouds O Lord then my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse Open my mouth c. Davids lips had a padlock upon them guilt had locked them up He dared not speak to God whom he had so grievously offended And no wonder if Saints dare not speak where they are sure not to speed if they be dumb when they know God is deaf David knew well enough that sinnes make Gods ear heavy as he informes us Psalm 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer and the Prophet Isaiah tells us no lesse Isai 59. 1 2. The Spirit of prayer also will be grieved and depart from us if we defile his lodging he is a pure an holy Spirit Eph. 4. 30. In this case the counsel of Zophar to Job 11. 13 14. is very good If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thy hands towards God If iniquity be in thy hand put it far away c. So shalt thou lift up thy face confidently c. Search out the sinne and remove it by renewed repentance and the fresh application of the bloud of Christ by faith which is the fountain of Evangelical repentance and then try again the Spirit of Grace that enables thee to mourne will bee a Spirit of Supplication too Zech. 12. 10. 3. Sometimes Gods glory is the cause of thy restaints of spirit God intending to teach thee that all thy enlargements are from him alone We often pray in the strength of natural parts or gifts at the best and it may be we idolize these last in our selves and others Now God may in his wisedome leave us to straightenednesse of spirit in prayer to make us lesse depending upon those helps And this he will do to choose at such a time when afflictions are heavy upon us because that is a time if any be when it may be supposed necessity will enlarge parts and gifts to the utmost Afflictions are usually incitements and occasions of enlargement in prayer God makes account that at that time he shall hear from his people Hos 5. 15. and in our straits commonly we give God many faire words are rhetorical more then ordinary flatter with our lips Psalm 78. 36. A Scholar at the Vniversity that seldome writes and it may be if he do oftner then ordinary yet writes curtell'd letters to his friends at other times yet against Quarter-day when hee needs his pension will be sure not to fayle of a large letter and a bill of expences annexed Hence oftentimes the people of God are very fondly conceited of afflictions and under deadnesse of spirit are too apt to wish them out of a conceit that when they come they are able to make great use of them to quicken their hearts to prayer But the Lord chasteneth their foolish expectations divers times by stopping their mouths under those very troubles whence they hoped for great improvements and enlargements hereby teaching them that the Spirit of supplication as well as the Spirit of sanctification bloweth where and when he listeth John 3. 8. This case whenever it befalls any as we may ghesse when it doth so by our former valuation of gifts and conceits of improving afflictions c. calls upon such persons to give God the glory of his own peculiar attribute the preparer of the heart and the Spirit of its own office the Spirit of Supplication and call for and rely on divine assistance meerly in that work 4. Sometimes misapprehensions of God may be the cause of straightnesse in duty Thoughts that God is our enemy c. And then we deale with God as we do with our best friends many times in an humour we have a conceit that they have done us a discourtesie or are fallen out with us it may be upon slight reports or other as slender evidence and then our stomacks presently swell so bigge that we cannot so much as speak to them Pride and discontent will so swell a mans stomack like spleen winds up to a mans mouth that he cannot speak except to belch out the language of discontent and passion Sometimes we conceive God so offended at us that he casts away our prayer Lam. 3. 8. And where a man hath little hope to speed he will have very little heart to speak whereas hope to prevaile is the most fluent fountain of Rhetorick that can bee thus want of Faith makes the voyce of prayer stick in the teeth as we use to say The Spirit of Adoption only is the Spirit of Supplication and a man cannot pray so much to the purpose as when he can call God Father Then we cry 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 8. 15. When David was in that grievous trouble Psalm 116. What lets his tongue loose in prayer I believed saith he therefore I spake v. 10. Friends prayer is the child of Faith not Fancy not the voyce of Invention but Affection begotten not in the brain of an Oratour but in the heart of a child A child is very copious and fluent in expression commonly when he complains to a Father but will lye still and cry it out in a sullen mood and say never a word if a stranger aske what ayles it The cure in this case is Look over all your evidences remember dayes past and the years of the right hand of the most high thy songs in the night and his mercy and lovingkindnesse in the day Call to mind promises of everlasting love in and notwithstanding the heaviest afflictions apply them and labor to urge them Challenge God upon old acquaintance as Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. O Lord how comes it to passe now that I have lost my acquaintance with thee Lord return and visit me with thy ancient loving kindnesses Psal 25. 6. 2 After discovery and removal of the impediments and obstructions aforesaid Study your own case distinctly and clearly
you have a tender heart that is deeply affected with every known sinne c. O sir will such a person often-times say I find no such things in me and if there were I fear it is all in hypocrisie Friend you do well in fearing hypocrisie but you do not well in not owning what God hath wrought in you for fear of hypocrisie Indeed it is not good to boast of the good that is in us when wee have temptations from the approbation of others to glory in it neither is it good to deny what is in us when we have a call thereunto by those who are sent by God to examine our estate which they can never do nor can they know how to deal with us if we deal not plainly in confessing what we know and find in our selves And it falls out too often that such denyalls as I said before are the fruit of unthankfulnesse which oftentimes causeth us to overlook and in a kind of comparative way to deny what we have received because we have not as much as we would have As it falls out in the covetous men of the world and there is a sinful spiritual covetousnesse too that are ever complaining they have no money no bread to put in their mouths c. whereas indeed they mean they have not so much as they would have This is an unthankful denyal of Gods providence towards them in bestowing on them what they have And thou maist judg the like of thy self in this case Saint Paul was of another temper Rom. 7. he makes many sad complaints of himself I am carnal sold under sin in me there dwelleth no good thing how to perform that that is good I find not when I would do good evil is present with me I see a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind c. O wretched man that I am c. yet still he mixeth acknowledgments of the grace that he hath received I am carnal saith he sold under sin yet saith he I blesse God my judgment goes with the Law I think it holy just and good whence though I am over-byassed many times unto evil yet I allow it not I would do better then I do and I hate the evil that I am captived unto In me there dwelleth no good thing but mark the Epanorthosis or correction of himself as if he had spoken a word too large What said I there is no good dwelling in me let me not be mistaken I mean in my flesh for so much the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 18. will bear for though I have no power to do yet I have some good in my spiritual part I can will that that is good and that will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is alwayes at hand I have good wishes and desires in readinesse upon all occasions I do not the good that I ought to do yet I would do it I delight in the Law of God in the inward man Sin lawes it and lords it in my members but I have another Law in my mind so that with my mind i. e. in my judgment and resolved bent of will I serve the Law of God and there is a special Emphasis in that Pronoune my self that followes ver 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I my selfe serve the Law of God that is even I though I complain so against my self yet must needs say so much for my self to the praise of God I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Here is an excellent example for thee that sittest in darknesse and art ever complaining against and defying thy self do not deny the grace of God that is not so much a denyal of thy self as Gods goodnesse and the Spirit of Grace If thou witnesse against the Spirit dost thou think the Spirit will witnesse for thee Thou denyest the Spirit the very medium by which he would testifie to thy good condition Take notice also of the peevishnesse of thy spirit Thou hast long wooed Christ to accept of thee and be married to thee and Christ hath sent thee Love-tokens by his Spirit to assure thee that he owns himself to be thy busband Now Christ expects the duties of a wife from thee now thou questionest whether thou art married or no and not only questionest but peremptorily denyest all his Love-tokens or at least extenuatest them and settest light by them Think what a sin this is No wonder now if the Spirit that Messenger that brought them take offence at such dealing and refuse to testifie to thee who art resolved to question his testimony bee it never so cleare 4. An unwarrantable thrusting off those Promises and comfortable truths which God in the Ministry of the Word or otherwise brings home to our condition and snatching greedily at all the terrible places of Scripture and denunciations of wrath as our portion I have knowne those that have thrust away with both hands all that might make for their comfort as that that belongs not to them O the cursed pride of our hearts When will men leave prescribing to the infinite wise God When people please themselves in their sins then they will hear no Minister except he sing a cursed requiem to their spirits preach pleasing things and cry Peace peace And when the soul is under trouble for sin then God must denounce judgments in every Sermon speak to them in thunders and lightning from Mount Sinai answer them cut of the whirlewind or else they will not hear him Believe it no soul receiveth good by the Word but that soul that thinks every Word of the Lord good and labours as it is proper to its condition to apply it Satan in times of unregeneracy hath an Art to make the Word unfruitful by causing a mans heart to stand loose from the Law to rub off the eating corroding plaister and say This concernes such an one and such an one but not me And after our conversion he keeps the Word from fastning comfort to the soul and assuring the heart by a like Artifice True these are comfortable truths and concern such and such but not me This was the Psalmists case in desertion and is thine in the present darknesse My sore ran in the night my soul refused to be comforted Psal 77. 2. Indeed friends if you refuse to receive comfort when the Spirit offers it no wonder if when you would have it the Spirit refuse to offer it None of Gods offers are refused by the creature gratis God will stand upon other termes when we come to his shop after wee have once refused a good bargain once offered 5 A groundlesse surmising of an irrecoverablenesse in our condition from such and such threatnings of Scripture as concerne us not This followes from the former When a soul is willing to hear all Thunder and Cannon shot from the Word ordinarily the divel hath two or three places of Scripture from whence he playes thick upon the soul Those are two places in the
of such a temptation before hand as a Physician keeps that body low in flesh which he sees inclined to evil humours though it be not actually distempered by them Now if thou cooperate with God in this designe as possibly it may be this he aimes at surely thou wilt hasten thy deliverance from thy present darkness 6. Labour to live by faith in the mean time For as I told you before in the directions to the getting of Assurance so I tell you now in the way of recovering lost Assurance the main work is to exercise an holy reliance upon God in a condition so sad and uncomfortable as this must needs be This we find hath been the practice of the Saints of God in the like cases Psal 27. 13. David had been in a great straight not only in regard of his Exclusion from Ordinances but even in the sad conclusions which he drew thence to the distempering of his spirit See how he closeth all I had fainted saith he except I had believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living Job speaks bigger words Though hee kill me I will trust in him Job 13. 15. q. d. Satan tels me and my own misgiving heart many times seconds him that these troubles will make an end of me I shall never come alive out of them Well saith Job be it so lot him kill me if he will if I were now a dying and dropping into Hell yet I will hold fast for all that he shall not be rid of me so If I goe to hel I 'll pul him after Our Saviour Christ also in his Agony cryes My God though he were a forsaking God This is a sweet frame of Spirit when God seemes to hold loose and man holds the faster for it God spurns at a poor soule and he layes hold of his foot God sayes Jacob let me goe and Jacob saith no I will not let thee goe except thou bless me Gen. 32. 26. The advice is plaine Isa 50. 10. I urged this place before in the directions for procuring Assurance and there told you that there is a parity of cases and so a proportion in the means which are to be used for recovery in the soule that never had and the soule that hath lost assurance This must needs be a special way For 1. This frame of Spirit speaks strength of faith A small strength will serve to hold one that is willing to stay but when a strong man putteth out all his strength to wrest himselfe out of a friends importunate embraces it had need be more strength then ordinary that holds him or fetcheth him back then This is that by which the strength of Abrahams faith is discovered in another case he was saith the Apostle strong in faith he was mightily enabled by faith what to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe to believe he should have a Sonne when he was past all probable hopes of one Rom. 4. 18 19 20. And thus it is in thee it is an evidence of strong faith when thou canst say let my heart tell me never so much God hath cast me off and there is no help for me in God yet I will not let goe my confidence and the hold that thereby I have upon him here is strong faith See Mat. 15. 24 25 26. The womans faith was admired by Christ upon this account that she would play the dogg and fall at his feet when he rated her away O woman saith he great is thy Faith Persons are apt to think that Assurance of Gods love when a soule walks in the clear light of Gods countenance and lives high thereupon is a strong faith But I tell thee friend there is more strength by far in that faith that depends upon God in darknesse and desertion that trusts when a man can see no light The truth is the life of Assurance is in a sort a life of sense and feeling and it is rather a life above faith a life of enjoyment Faith is the evidence of things not seen saith the author to the Hebrews Heb. 11 1. Assurance in proper speech is the first fruits of heaven and it's life is a life of sense and fruition not of faith As the Apostle saith of hope in this Chapter Hope that is seen is not hope ver 24. So say I of faith faith that is seen is not faith Faith is a friend made especially for a time of distance between the soul and its comforts and is appointed as a meanes to derive the benefit of them to the soul during that state of distance 2 Besides 't is no wonder if God be taken with the actings of faith in such a season seeing strength of faith gives glory to God Rom. 4. 20. And he cannot long withdraw from a soul that so much glorifies him upon so little encouragement I may say to thee as Christ to Thomas Hold this course and thou art a blessed man Others see and believe But blessed are they that have not seen and yet believe Joh. 20. 20. 3. Besides lastly this frame of spirit must needs keep down many of those murmuring despairing and in a sort blasphemous misapprehensions concerning God and his promises which length of soul-troubles is apt to plunge a man into And certainly the lesse iniquity there is breaking forth in our desertions the sooner they will be over Now faith in such a season maintaines good thoughts of God and defends him and takes his part against the calumnies of Satan And God that sees and knows this therefore how can he but take this kindly If an husband absent himselfe a while from a wife and she be ready upon every whisper of slanderous gossips to suspect her husbands fidelity in his absence and give out speeches tending that way can it be expected that any husband should take pleasure in such a wife Wil he not rather chuse to stay away stil and be suspected for somthing as we say rather then live under constant suspicions for no cause But when the heart of an husband may be secure of this that his wife is confident of his faithfulnesse and her heart quietly rests in him absent as well as present let suspicion suggest what it will surely he cannot but be exceeding tender of such a wife and much taken with her company God sees your jealousies of him in darknesse and observes how apt you are to censure him in his absence Doe not thinke this is the way to bring him back againe He will make you entertain better thoughts of him ere he returne Quest But how shall I exercise faith in desertions What shall I believe A. Believe in general most things that seem most contrary to thy present sense and moral probabilities For in soul-troubles the fancy is the principal part possest by distrustful imaginations and Satan in that fortifies himselfe against all the power of those truths that might be means of consolation to the soul And therefore the way to
in himself before he presumed to testifie of 1 John 5. 1. 6 10. the most eminent Works of the Spirit in the heirs of Heaven He hath shewn Believers that their right by the Gospel is good in Law when it is sealed by the Oath of God by the Spirit of God and by the heart bloud of Christ who is the end of the Law for righteousness to them that believe Ephes 1. 13. Rom. 9. 1. 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. 1 John 5. 13. 19. 20. Rom. 8. 16 17. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Rom. 10. The single testimony of a deceived heart is no Authority but when the Spirit hath inlightned and renewed a soul he leaves an Impresse upon the heart and a Certificate in the conscience which cannot deceive Let the Reader beg the Spirit of Grace and Supplication that he may read this excellent Treatise with the same spirit wherewith it was written And let them that cry down Learning and Vniversities see and confess that the Spirit breathes upon learned souls and makes their Learning instrumental to discover the Mysteries of godliness even the deep things of the Spirit with more glory and advantage then when he works upon duller souls who have not Learning enough to prize Learning or grace enough to blesse God for sanctifying of that learning which discovers the danger of their ignorance The Lord blesse the Labours of this practical Preacher and teach us to grow in knowledg and grace that we may not be led away with the error of lawlesse or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boundlesse men nor fall from our own stedfastnesse so prayes Your Servant in the Gospel FR. CHEYNELL REader the Authors distance from the Presse must plead for him and it Thy indulgence it is hoped will pardon the rest which in this review are overseen and correct these Errata's before thou readest ERRATA Page 22. l. 10. r. this for the first p. 28. l. 22. r. him in p. 34. l 27 r. with a guard p. 59. l. 32. r. had your p. 61. l. 30 blot out may p. 78. l. 10. r. read and amend the Title of the Chapter according to the Contents after the Book p. 83. l. 26. r. Saint p. 96. l. 10 r. never leaves it p. 104. l. 12. r. nest p. 116. l. 6. r. the wound sleight p. 130. l. 8. r. that is p. 145. l. 21. r. hope p. 145. l. 5. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 28. r. your patience p. 152. l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more cutting beyond p. 189. l. 5. r. Scripture p. 203. l. 7. r. all lay p. 216. read the whole sentence following For although c. after 1. Immediatly in the next page p. 229. l. 19. r. to them p. 252. l. 8. r. seal p. 278. l. 25. r. measures p. 289. l. 23. r. wrought p. 298. l. 16. r. exercise p. 339. l. 2 3. r. particular to p. 343. l. 12. r. bought p. 367 l. 6. r. hasitancy p 397. l. 15. r. manner p 419 l. 15. for them r. it p. 438. l. 25 26. r. the real p. 497 l. 22. r. accompanied p. 579. mar r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 589. l. 18. r. wrings I might add p. 87. l. 8. r. expectation l. 31. r. peccatur p. 179 l. 6. r. occasions p. 234. l. 8 r. possible p. 237. l. 10. r. a crown p. 245. Title r. this evidence p. 301. l. 4. r. humiliation p. 321 l. 10. r. As in p. 324 l. 12. for them r. it p 352. l. 24. r. yet p. 450. l. 28. r. is p. 456. l. 24 dele the. p. 516. l. 15. r. to p. 526 l. 2. r. Spirit in CONCERNING THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE CHAP. I. What it is in the Apostles sense BEing resolved by Gods assistance to handle Theologically and practically those two grand mysteries of godlinesse the souls spiritual trouble and peace in their nature manner of working proper differences from any other workes and the several cases arising from the practical view of those heads we will first begin with that work which in the Elect of God is usually first wrought viz. Spiritual trouble Now because the consideration of a work as it relates to the efficient and other causes and that of a condition or state as it relates to the subject in whom it is wrought are both in notion and practise distinct and seeing both of these considerations will frequently offer themselves to us in the course of this Treatise with relation to the subject in hand therefore I have taken the rise and spring of my Meditations from such a Scripture as affords us both conjoyned viz. that of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8. 15. Where the Apostle as it is a work or effect by a metonimy calls it the Spirit that works to fear as it is a condition or state he calls it Bondage And being to consider it as a work or impression of such a cause upon such a subject and reducing that subject to such a condition he very fitly joyns both notions and considerations into this one character or description The reception of the Spirit of Bondage to fear whence we will take our rise for a brief view of these heads 1. The efficient cause the Spirit 2. The effect of that Spirit which is the inward condition or state of the soul in which it is Bondage 3. The impression wrought by this effect in the subject reduced thereby to this condition fear 4. The way or manner of this work and communication of influence from the efficient whereby it is effected Receiving 5. The persons in whom this operation is wrought and who thereby are reduced to this condition and feel the impression thereof Ye 6. The time of this work of the Spirit and condition of the patients in whom it is wrought implied in the whole frame of the verse which is during the time of Transition from Nature to Grace from alienation and enmity to adoption and friendship 1. What this Spirit is who is the efficient cause of this work hath not a little perplexed Interpreters Chrysostome and out of him Oecumenius and Augustine and divers modern Writers both Popish and Reformed understand this whole clause concerning Jewish Pedagogy or discipline under which God held them under the Law of Moses The two Spirits here received saith Augustine are suted to the times of the two Testaments Evidentissimè duoruÌ„ Testamentorum distinct a sunt tempora illud enim ad timorem pertinet novum autem ad charitatem Aug. in locum the Old pertains to a season or work of fear the Now to that of love So says Calvin he calls the Old Tastament Vetus Testamentum Calv. Inst Gua. in loc a spirit of Bondage because it begets fear in mens minds And with him joyns Gualther So Chrysostome who goes â—arther then any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum in â—ocum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in locum Logem prâ—ponit nud aÌ„
closure with him He that can thus distinguish seasons of applying the Law and Gospel let me say of him as Luther of him that knowes the difference between them Sciat se esse bonum Theologum Let him know he is a good Divine indeed CHAP. XXI Four main Duties pressed upon them THis Truth also affords seasonable and sutable Exhortation to four sorts of persons 1. To those that have been in this condition and have had a good issue of it 2. To those that have been under it and have lost both the sense and fruit of it 3. To those that are yet under it 4. To those that yet are altogether strangers to it The first of whom we shall speak to in this Chapter viz. 1 To those whom the Spirit hath led through the wildernesse so as after all their difficulties to cause them to rest on the other side Jordan I commend these Duties to them 1 The practice of Humility Pride is in no person so odious as in him that as Solomon speaks comes out of prison to reigne Eccles 4. 14. Thence God alwayes minds his people of the Wildernesse and of Egypt to keep their hearts low in Canaan Deut. 8. 2. 3 14 15 16 17. I have read of a King who being advanced to the Throne from a Agathocles Potter would alwayes be served in earthen ware to mind him of his original And heard of a Doctor who attained to great dignities in our memory who preserved as a monument the very skin breeches in which he came first into the University And truly let the choicest of Gods Saints consider the fears and terrors the tears and sighs and groans of the state of bondage let him think how often he hath layen at Gods doors and begged for a crum of Grace a grain of Comfort how often he hath with the returning Prodigal been willing to take it for a great engagement if he might but be admitted among Gods hired Servants or with the poor woman in the Gospel if she might but have the gnawing of the scraps that fell from his table and think whether a proud lifting up the head to a self-boasting and self-pleasing frame be a sutable issue of such a condition a proper conclusion from such premises Pone hostes vulnúsque tuum solitúmque timorem Post clypeúmque late mecum contende sub illo Saith Ajax in the Poet to Vlysses who from being his submissive petitioner for protection in the field was now become his confident Antagonist and Competitor for Achilles his arms in the camp And think how God may then mind you of those former passages and that with just indignation if now you any way lift up the heele against him 2 Watchfulnesse considering 1. That although the Holy Spirit be not the Author of it yet fresh sins may occasion the reducing you into the same troubles True thy condition being once in Christ can never be so unsafe as formerly but it may be altogether as uncomfortable nay perhaps more uncomfortable then it was before I say more uncomfortable because your sins will have aggravations then that they were not capable of before and the hopes which you have been raised unto by conversion and it may be comfort will increase the misery of your falling from them That which I have said before concerning the ends of the Spirit in bringing us into such an house of bondage would afford us a new meditation here it being our duty to accomplish the ends of the Spirit in all his works And therefore I shall for the farther prosecution of this head refer you to the fourth of those ends before mentioned only remember what I say Sins after conversion may make us doubt whether ever we were converted and so make us act over all our former Tragical parts again which ever wee passed through before conversion even sins of omission and I cannot but think that the Apostle may intend some such intimation 2 Pet. 1. 9 He that lacketh these things i. e. that neglects to grow in grace as is pressed in the preceding verses is blind c. and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sinnes i. e. may question whether ever he were or no and the following words more encline me to this interpretation It follows Wherefore the rather brethren labour to make your calling and election sure c. v. 10. 2. That Sathan watcheth all advantages to reduce you back again if not to a state of condemnation yet to an apprehension of it Keep your evidences and your assurances ever in your eye Watch against temptations that tend to enslave you again So will a captive to the Turk when once escaped take heed of staying within the reach of his cruel task-master But I shall take up this again hereafter on the fifth Doctrine and thither refer you 3. Thankfulnesse which will also be heightened by these considerations 1. How important a work it is that God hath wrought in you It is a work that accompanies salvation for whom he calls he justifies and by consequence glorifies Rom. 8. 30. So that although it were troublesome in working yet you may blesse God however seeing it is thus wrought to all eternity O how little was the trouble to the benefit of it 2. How many difficulties and improbabilities such as quite damped your hopes and sunk your spirits you met withall in that dangerous passage It may be there be those that can say At such a time I was quite beaten off from all my hopes I said from day to night he will make an end of me Is 38. 13. And I shall surely one day perish by the hand 1 Sam. 2◠1. of Saul I am cast out of thy sight Jonah 2. 4. I have fought many a single combate hand to fist as we say with the red dragon the old Serpent the roaring Lion and I have even been ready to crosse the cudgels and give out in the perplexity and agony of my spirit nay I have even fallen out with my self and been out of love with my very life and thought my present condition so bad that hell it self would amend it and have been within an hairs bredth many a time of sending my self thither with my own hands and the Lord hath stepped in and taken hold upon me even on the pits brinke and now here I am through his goodnesse a monument of his mercy in the land of the living The living the living they shall praise thee c. Isa 38. 17 18 19. 3. The many provocations peculiar to that condition which you were guilty of in your darknesse Here follow me again with your experiences ye redeemed of the Lord let you and I read over Psalm 78. and 106. and let us look back upon our wildernesse-sins how oft did we speak against God saying Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse How often have we murmured because of the length and tediousnesse of our troubles and wished that we had
dyed in Egypt How often have we longed for quails for our lust bin discontented at Gods allowance and thought all we had even precious manna gracious meltings for sin a tender fear of offending God an holy importunity in following after God c. nothing if we were not presently assured of his love and kissed with the kisses of his mouth Think how much of unbeliefe impatience pride peevishnesse unthankfulnesse despaire hard thoughts against God wearinesse of his service unjust censures against your selves blasphemous murtherous thoughts c. hath God past by and in all these provocations kept you from falling off from your present convictions and the benefit of them and held you in his hand and conducted you through the wild and roaring wildernesse till he hath brought you to Canaan 4. The multitude of those who perish under convictions and notwithstanding them nay perish the deeper for them When a man considers that the same troubles of spirit which drove Judas to the Gallowes and Cain to despair and to many thousands under the means of grace become barely means of hardening the heart and increasing their condemnation prove to him the throws of a new birth the rough passage to a Kingdom of liberty and glory the straight doore to a pallace of spiritual peace and comfort Distinguishing mercy is engaging mercy And distinguishing mercy is greatest when to the persons distinguished every thing is common but that very distinction As if in a common guilt some are pardoned whiles others dye and in a common disease some perish and others are preserved so here in common soul troubles one man despairs and sends himself to hell the sooner another presumes and fends himself thither the surer c. Others are effectually converted and eternally saved Oh what a deep engagement to thankfulnesse is this 4. Pitifulnesse and tendernesse to other persons in that condition Our own experience may tell us what grievous burthens soul troubles are and how much need there is that those that are with young should be gently led Our Saviour was pleased to submit to temptation for that very reason that he might be a mercifull high Priest able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. But I have spoken to this also before CHAP. XXII Several considerations to humble such as have gone through this work ineffectually II. HEnce also let all those be exhorted that have been under these troubles of spirit and have gotten over them without any real work of conversion or saving grace attained by them to 1. Labour seriously to bewail the inefficacy of such hopefull means for their good O friends 't is a sad thing to come out of any trouble muâ—h more such a trouble as this is and get nothing by it What a complaint do the Church make in relation to their temporal afflictions Isay 26. 17 18. We have been with child we have been in pain we have brrught forth wind c. That that comforts a woman in her throws is the hope of a child and this is that that makes her forget it when it is over John 16. 21. But if a woman fall into grievous pains and all proves but a Tympany or an abortive conception or a monster this will not quit the cost of such throws and therefore when shee thinkss on this time she bewails it ever after Much more should such an affection as this possesse a man when he considers how near he was to the Kingdom of God as Christ saith to the Scribe Mar. 12. 34. To perish within sight of the harbour and so to come within a stride of the goale and misse it O how vexing a thought should this be 'T were well if it were so with most men in this World whiles they have time to repaire their losses Hereafter 't will be a trouble to eternity irremediable and that irremediablenesse will be the greatest part of the trouble Here to help this work may be considered that hereby 1. The Spirit of God is disappointed quenched resisted 'T is Gods Spirit that hath contested with thy proud obstinate rebellious heart and 't is that Spirit whom thou hast so often repulsed That Spirit is a free spirit and is not bound to move any more Psal 51. 't is a Spirit of grace and if he move not Zach. 12. 10. thou canst never recover again and when he hath been so repulsed how canst thou expect his farther attempts God doth justly resolve many times concerning such persons as Gen. 6. 3. That his spirit shall strive no more 2. Your hearts are hardened Believe this for a certain truth that the more the heart is melted and softened if it grow hard again it grows the harder for it Thence 't is it may be for I am not certain the sin against the Holy Ghost is there meant that the Apostle saith it is impossible to renew such to repentance when they fall away Heb. 6. 6. impossible that is as to the strength and power of ordinary means that work on other men and if God convert such an one it is by an act of his absolute power besides the ordinary regulated way of his proceedings So is the word taken Mat. 19. 26. that that is impossible with men i. e. which is beyond the reach of men to conceive how it can be done is possible to God Now for such a man to be converted is impossible to men not only in that he hath no power in nature to effect it for so is every mans conversion impossible but in that a man cannot rationally judge him capable of benefit by any of the ordinary supernatural means of conversion The Word of God and whatever other means of conversion will grow so familiar with such a man that all that was affecting in them will through acquaintance grow contemptible and sinnes which at first view and in a mans first convictions appeared fearful and terrible having once or twice affrighted the soul and done no more will afterwards lose their monstrousnesse by a frequent fruitlesse view of them nay hell it selfe as bug hears to children after they begin to find that there is nothing in them but the name will appear but an old wives fable and its fire but a painted flame such as scares more then it hurts and so no wonder if all these restraints removed such an one 's latter end be worse then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. ult Sins before softenings are like weeds in a ground which before plowing and harrowing wee hope to root out thereby but afterwards they are like invincible weeds that no plough or harrow will tear up and therefore such ground is nigh unto cursing 3. Conscience is checked and discouraged That tendernesse which before possessed it upon every sinne is in a great measure lost and whereas it before passed a right censure concerning thy estate now it is grown partial and flattering For there is no man can get out of soul troubles without the leave of his
Prayer that God will make the waters of the sanctuary healing waters to you that he will give your souls a special and particular visit in an ordinance that he will not suffer your fleece to be dry when others round about you are wet that he will open your eyes that you may see wonders out of his Law Psal 119 18. and open your hearts that you may feel them too that you may not be dead hearers or bare hearers that the Law may not be a meer representing glasse to shew you the black-moors skin and leopards spots but an operating glasse working your very hearts and soules to loath and abhor them and fly to the fountaine opened in the Gospel for sin and uncleannesse to wash them out The reason why the word wounds so few is this People seldome or never lift up such a prayer as this before they come and therefore t is no wonder if they come and goe stones and blocks and a convert even when the Gospel is abundantly dispensed bee as rare as a black Swan that Gods Ministers and those of the richest annointings every where complaine that they have laboured in vaine and spent their strength for nought Isa 49. 4. in comparison to what successe there hath beene formerly to the labours of others 3. Thou canst set thy selfe in a grave reverend and attentive positure of body in the Congregation stir thy selfe up when thou art sleepy and dull with the thoughts of the greatnesse glory and Majestie of him with whom thou hast to doe For this is but the same moral preparation that you would bring to the hearing of an earthly great man Thus had Cornelius and all his family set themselves in a readinesse for Peters Sermon Act. 10. 24 25 33. And we see how effectual it was upon them ver 44. whiles Peter yet spake the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard True the Spirit of God can and doth often times meet with such as come on purpose to scoff at a Minister and his Doctrine and such as have come to catch a Minister in malice God hath caught them ere their departure in mercy And therfore even from this ground I wish with my soul that I could but prevaile with people to heare the word even the bitterest enemies for who knows but God may spread nets for them at that very time Saul was a spreading his nets to take the Saints at Damascus and at the same time God caught him True Paul was not at an ordinance but that so much more aggravates the miraculousnesse of Gods mercy in his conversion But sundry examples God hath made in ordinances of this kind A more especial example we have John 7. 32 45 46. yet lest God should hereby give encouragement to men in such insolent acts of rebellion God hath not made any promise to any such hearers nay hee expresly threatens them Ezek. 33. 30 31. Son of man saith he the people are speaking against thee still by the wall and in the doors of the houses c. Come say they and let us hear the word of the Lord i. e. in a scoff come let us go hear a preachment to day c. for my part I am not so skilled in their language as to be able to repeat it at large They sit before thee as my people and they hear thy words but they wil not do them Now the next words are read very variously as you may see in the Margin of your Bibles with their mouth they shew much love but the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so shir gnagabim afterward a song of loves They make loves or jests their mouths are full of scurrilous laughter as at a filthy song c. These were more modest then divers of ours for it seemes they did this but in corners ut supra but wee meete with those that can scarce refraine such carriage in a Congregation But what saith God to them see v. 33. When these things come to passe i. e. the truths they set so light by then they shal know i. e. by sad experience that there was a Prophet among them and see what things those are in the preceding part of the Chapter God doth usually prepare people to receive a preacher before he doth them good by the word see Gal 4. 14. Reverend attendance upon the Word is certainly a great meanes to fit the heart for serious impressions from it As in any affaires of weight there is nothing that is more apt to impresse serious thoughts then the reverence which we beare to the managers of them Thence all affaires of justice are dispensed in such a way of solemnity as may stir up reverend thoughts in those present this is the use of scarlet Robes and Halberts and Trumpets and standing uncovered in civill Courts 4. 'T is in thy power to call in such stragling thoughts as carry thy heart away from the businesse in hand For certainly I have power of mine owne thoughts and I can command them if I have many businesses off from one to the attendance of another and if I have one of more serious importance then all the rest I can fix them upon that And when the heart is fixed on a businesse it is most likely to be affected Transient objects are quickly forgotten but objects that are long in our eye which we take a through view of remain longer Now I shal easily grant here that a natural man cannot by his longest dwelling upon such a subject affect his owne heart but I say still that hee may thereby put himselfe into a positure of soule as is most likely to be affected The very reason why he T people but now spoken of Ezek. 33 32 did not make benefit of the word was because their hearts were after their covetousness whilst they sate before the Lord. Gather in your stragling thoughts at such a time with considerations of this nature that t is God speakes that the things he speakes are of nearest concernment to you that you heare them now and perhaps may heare them no more this opportunity may be the last or it may bee however this the last time that you may heare such a Sermon so close so particular that if man thy equal much more thy better spake to thee a thing that concerned thee far lesse nay not at all thou wouldst in good manners hear and mind what he said 5 Minding what is thus preached it is very hard if thy memory without much adoe with it will not carry away somthing of what thou hast heard if not I am sure to most it is an easie thing to helpe memory with their pens And truly friends let mee tell you this if you were now at the barre to be tryed for your lives you would if you distrusted your memories have your note book by you and write down all material passages and if you could not your selfe you would desire some friend to helpe you and
should you not take like care when the word of God is passing judgment upon your souls I confesse that if wee watch not over our hearts much of the life and power of a Sermon may be lost at present to a man but that evil is not necessary here a man neede not take every word but only what most conconcerns or affects him and hee may be affected in hearing without being prejudiced in writing what he hears Friends I feare few families among us for want of putting themselves to this paine hear as they â—hould for afterwards Now a truth laid â—p in memory may perhaps worke afterâ—ard when a man is minded of it againe although a man go away at present and follow his sinful courses As pills may be taken over-night and a man may sleepe well upon them and all night think nothing of them but when hee awakes in the morning they then will worke Yea Sermons â—penned if they be not as ordinarily written only to serve the turne for a formal repetâ—tion at home and never looked on afterward may many years after they are preached do thee good 6. T is in thy power before thou comest when thou art there and when thou departest thence to lift up a Petition to God that hee will handle his owne hammer with his owne hand make the word mighty through God to break down strong holds and overthrow whatever within thy heart opposeth his own glory and thy salvation T is no hard matter when a word is spoken that suites thee to lift up an Ejaculation Lord set home this word Lord thine own word needs thine own blessing and special application to make it effectuall Lord fasten this nayle and clinch it firmely in my heart 7. 'T is in thy power when â—hou comest home to sit downe and meditate seriously upon what thou hast heard to repeat this word in thy family and confer of it with others and to apply it occasionally to others the word that thou dost another good by may do thee good too For all these acts are constantly performed by rational men in worldly affaires and certainly the change of the object doth not take from mee the power of my owne act upon it so long as both act and object are still suitable each to other now although the spiritual nature of the word be not sutable to a carnal and unsanctified apprehension yet the sound of it and its Grammatical and common sense is and I require no more of thee in these acts then may make use of these as far as they may be improved in a serious way as thou wouldest confer and discourse with a Lawyer about thy estate or a Physician about thy health 8. 'T is in thy power to endeavour to improve this word in a rational way As suppose it speaks conviction of sinne to exercise such an act of application as this this is my sin if of judgment to exercise such an act as this this is my case if direction or motive to apply it thus why should not I doe thus and thus as I am directed and exhorted Heart what have you to say why I should not follow this counsel that is given me This is called communing with a mans owne heart Ps 4. 4. and enquiring what have I done Jer. 8. 6. 9. You can desire and importune the prayers of others in the condition you are in God may heare such as are his own people for you when hee will not hear your selves You wil doe so in temporal plagues So Pharaoh Exod. 8. 8. And in special Simon Magus Acts 8. 23. 10. It is in my power to check my heart for those unreasonable prejudices which it hath against the word and to labour the removal of them Imean to endeavor to reason my self out of them 'T is true no total removal of prejudice against the word can be wrought but by grace it is grace only that kills the enmity of the heart against God but reason may silence and suppresse them for the time as a Judge in the Court may command silence at present but cannot except hee can cut out the tongues of men force them to â—ee totally silent and perpetually So reason can It cannot dig up the roots of prejudice but it may consider the word praescinded and abstracted 1. From all prejudicate fancies and conceits If I have prejudice against the preacher that hee sayes what hee doth out of spleene c. why cannot I put my heart upon this issue But let the mans intentions be what they will what is it that hee sayes c. So Eliah though certainly he had a legal prejudice against the raven if at least I may call that a prejudice that judged him an unclean bird according to the Law that brought him food yet saith Eliah here is food God and I have no other lawfull way of supply if the meat be wholsome I will eat it 1 Kings 17. 4. 6. A man is beholding to a watchfull enemy 2. If against his meannesse and contemptiblenesse of person want of parts and learning plainnesse of preaching c. Why cannot I in reason consider The richest mines are in the most barren and mountainous grounds That 't is the ordinary garbe of Princes to go clad in bare cloth which is often more worth then many a gallant Courtiers cloth and trimming That when God does good upon men and takes them most his greatest Art is to hide Art and there is reason for it because even humane skill loves not to be seen in the outside of every work and the Artificer loves to shew most of his skill where you would least expect it c. 3. If that he is not of thy own way or opinion Reason may plead for him For either thy way and opinion is good or bad if good thou wilt hear what can be said against it know thy adversaries weapons and play and so wilt be the better able to guard thy selfe If bad 't is a great mercy to be convinced of it c. Yet would I not in all these be misunderstood For 1. In all these I so affirm these acts to be in the power of the creature as not to exclude the common and sometimes especial influence of the Spirit upon them to produce them It is in these actions as in those other rational acts of ours concerning the affairs of this World which are in the power of nature to perform but yet the Spirit of God always in a common but sometimes in an especial way draws out those acts so as may be most for Gods glory and our good so though it be in the power of Nature to go to Church and sit reverently and hearken out a Sermon yet that I go at such a time and that possibly much against the grain of mine own inclination that I observe such and such truths and lay them up and meditate on them when I come home c. more then others this is the Spirits
fight for it Satan and Numb 13. 23 a mans corrupt heart are apt to discourage a soul under Bondage from hence What profit Job 21. 14 Lam. 3. 8. is there in serving God c. Thou prayest and he casteth out thy prayer thou hearest and art in trouble still Now God props up his people against such temptations by such Promises to all and performances to most of his Saints Reas 5 God doth it to wean his people from this world Now Lord lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation sayes Simeon when he had seen Christ in the flesh Luke 2. 29. And when a soul after long troubles of spirit recovers the assurance of Gods love O what poor things are all the treasures of the world to him Lord saith David lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and then take corn and wine and oyl who will Psal 4. 6. And then let the eyes of wicked men be even ready to strut out with sat and let them have all that they can wish yet saith he in another place I will not change portion with them for the Lord is the strength of my heart c. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and bring me to glory Psal 73. 25 26 27 28 A man that is called to be a Favourite to a King will quickly grow into a dis-esteem of his shop and retaile Trade his sheepfold or cow-stal Take no care for your stuff saith Joseph for all the fat of the Land of Egypt is yours Gen. 45. 20. So saith God to an assured soul Take no care for these earthly things thou hast in heaven a richer and more enduring substance Reas 6. Because God delights to hear from his Saints often Not only as a Master from a Servant nor as a rich man from a beggar nor as a Conqueror from a Captive but as a Father from a child as a husband from a Spouse Cant. 2. 14. The voyce of a Spouse of Christ in the cleft of the Rock i. e. relying on him upon assurance of his love is sweet Joseph could not abide long under the mis-apprehensions his brethren had of him My Lord and Thy servants Joseph thought were strange Titles to that of Brother hee longed to hear them call him by a name of relation so saith God Hosea 2. 16. to an afflicted Church CHAP. VI. A Question concerning the mediate and immediate Testimony of the Spirit HOw doth the Spirit testifie our Adoption For although divers godly Divines are of a different judgement in the point of immediate evidence yet I cannot be perswaded but that there is something in the work of the Spirits testimony which may deserve to be so expressed Ans Two wayes 1 Immediately 2 Mediately I. Immediately wherein the Spirit acts as in illumination and infusion of good motions into us by his secret influence upon the heart quieting and calming all those waves of distrust and diffidence concerning its condition by his own immediate power without the present application of any Scripture grounds to convince a mans reason that his testimony is true I shall parallel it with the motions of the Spirit thus As the Spirit many times excites a man to such or such a duty by laying his hand immediately upon the heart and therewithal a kind of secret force and power inclining the heart to obey those motions and as it many times opens the heart to such and such spiritual impressions by a physical injection of holy motions into it and warming the heart to receive them so in this case when a poor soul sits in darknesse and sees no light sometimes upon a sudden a light from heaven compasseth it about and it is it knowes not how in a moment as it were taken up into the third heaven its fears are banished by a soft whisper from the Spirit of God in the heart Thy sins are forgiven thee and this is in such a way that though the spirit of a man really believes it and is immediately calmed by it yet it cannot tell how it comes to passe And so it is sometimes in overcoming temptations a soule some other times is enabled to knock them to the ground by a scriptum est as Christ did Matth. 4. but sometimes it is stirred up to decline them and abhorre them by a secret rising of the spirit against them and to club them downe by meere force setting the bent of the will and affections against them without any present direct recourse of the soule to the written word And of this kinde is that worke of the Spirit stirring up in us sighes and groans in prayer that cannot bee uttered whereas at other times it furnisheth us with abundant matter of prayer from the promises and other straines of Scripture useful thereunto And thus as I said in conveying the evidences of Gods love the Spirit can and surely oftentimes doth alter the whole frame of a mans Spirit by a secret irradiation of comfort a man cannot tell how for as there is a kind of spiritual instinct in the soul by which it doth the things that are pleasing to God after conversion though many times it knowes not the principles upon which it acts so is there a secret and spiritual faculty in the divine nature that is infused unto us by which when the Spirit speakes peace to the soule it closeth with it without any reasoning or recourse to evidences as at other times As saith a learned man there is in the eye lumen innatum Rutherf on Jo. 12. p. 100. and in the eare aer internus a certaine imbred light to make the eye see lights and colours without and a sound and air in the eare within to make it discerne the sounds that are without so is there grace a new nature and habitual instinct of heaven to discerne the consolation of Gods spirit immediately testifying that wee are the sons of God There are some secret and unexpressible lineaments of the Fathers countenance in this child that the renewed soul at first blush knowes and ownes it But for the understanding of this you must observe with mee these few particulars for explication of this secret of experimentall godlinesse 1. That although the Spirit may testifie this immediately without any expresse and formall application of a word yet he never testifies but according to the word i. e. to subjects capable thereof and in such wayes as they are discovered to be capable by the word so that the Lords speaking peace to the soul being in the Scripture bound up to persons under certain qualifications the Spirit never speaks peace but where those qualities are real though not alwaies visible in the soule As for example if a man that feels not sin a burden heavyer then all the world that throwes away all duties of religion never prayes reads heares meditates nay goes on in some sinful way without remorse be filled with joy and peace and assurance
long and after a few minutes more be spent it may be this night this hour the foot of death may tread me into the earth I carry a Jewel in this earthly Cabinet that is more worth then all the world If Satan lay hands on it I am infinitely miserable to all eternity and whether if I dye this night the divels may not come to fetch away my soul I know not O if I could dye into another world once and have hopes to live again and recover my condition if it proved worse then my expectation I might adventure one of those lives upon an uncertainty but when as I must dye into eternity that my Sun must set and never rise again that what is said of a war is more true of death that in it non licet bis errare that though the tree that is cut down through the sent of water may grow again yet when a man dyes he cannot live again in this world Job 14 9 10. 14 but must measure out either wo or happinesse by the minutes of eternity O what is it worth to have the Spirit of God testifie that we are his children new born to the Inheritance of the Saints in light O how precious a mercy is it to have the zeal and earnest of that Spirit to assure it beyond Question 2. I am assured of this also that without the witnesse of the Spirit you cannot so fully have your hearts untyed from wordly encombrances It is true indeed that a soul that hears of the excellency of Christ and the glory of those things that are within the Vail may be convinced by the Spirit of God to adventure all that he hath for them but 't is still with fear lest he should miscarry in the losse of both As a Merchant that is fully assured that there is Merchandise in the Indies that is more precious then those English Commodities that he adventures for it may be drawn to put his whole estate in hazard that he may make a voyage thither but still there are misgiving and distracting cares attend this adventure O saith he I have put all I have into such a bottom indeed if it return safe I may be a hundredfold gainer but sea and Pirates may rob me of all my hopes and then I am lost both in my present estate and future expectations So a man to whom the Gospel is preached upon the presenting Christ as infinitely precious to the soul may be brought to deny himself and forsake all to follow Christ out of hopes to enjoy him but 't is with much fear True saith he if I get Christ I am an infinite gainer But if Satan cheat me or if Christ will not entertain me then I am of all men most miserable I have lost all my comforts my portion of this life and eternity too And therefore till the soul be sure of Christ it ever casts an eye backward as Lots wife on Sodom though Grace check those fears and keeps the soul on in its course yet still I say it meets with many temptations to think upon its adventure especially if Christ frown a while and to wish that it were to do again and many sad strâ—glings of spirit it hath with these temptations 'T is an hard thing for a poor soul to adventure all the world and have nothing in hand for it but only to expect its returnes hereafter What sayes the worldling A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and that Cardinal Give me my part in Paris and take who will my part in Paradise And as some say now as well as in the Apostles time Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye 1 Cor. 15. 32 and after death we know not where we shall fare better But a man that gets the witnesse of the Spirit is like one that adventures for a present Commodity a Commodity in hand a thousand times beyond his price or hath the earnest of his bargain put into his hand is certainly assured of the faithful delivery of the whole at an appointed time He never looks back upon his bargain so as to be tempted to repent it but rather as rejoycing that for so little he hath gotten so much See how the Apostle triumphs in this Phil. 3. 7 8. and 2 Cor. 4. 17. and those Saints Heb. 11. 9 26 35 and 10. 34. 3 I am assured also that you cannot be assured of your state of Adoption but by the Spirit of God The Arguments from which carnal men draw their evidences for Gods love how weak how fallacious are they God lâ—ts me thrive saith one therefore he loves me Ah fool so doth the Grazier fat his beast for the day of slaughter My conscience never troubles me saith another O mad man 't were thy happinesse if it did No more doth the man in a Lethargy complain of pain and yet he is the nearer to death for it But I live under the Gospel and go to Church c. Thou shalt lye the deeper in hell for that if it prevail not with thee to conversion But I pay every one his due So did many millions that are now in hel Heathens and Pharisees But God is merciful and I hope will have mercy on me at the last Though he be so he hath damned many millions in hell already that had as much confidence in his mercy as thou But I am not such or such a sinner So said the Pharisee Luke 18. 11. and yet was unjustified The Angels sinned but once and that it is likely in thought and are in hel and many thousands are there that have sinned far lesse then thou But Christ hath dyed for all men and so I have a share in his bloud O desperate Delusion Doth not Scripture say He laid down his life for his sheep and are all his sheep are not the most of men goats and shall be set at his left hand Might not all the damned in hel have hoped for heaven upon that ground as well as thou And are they not disappointed But I have gifts more then ordinary I can pray and expound Scripture and convert and build up others And yet thou maist be like sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. Those that are converted they seek Assurance in unlikely wayes too till they receive the Spirit of Adoption One resolutely chears up his heart and as it were enforceth himselfe to take comfort and to be at peace in the assurance of his good condition without following God in Duties and Ordinances for it Another begins to idolize his Duties c. and now sure saith he my estate is good for I hear attentively pray affectionately shed tears over my sins abundantly c. Another reasons himself into this perswasion fetching from the Word such and such grounds which he perswades himself suites his condition and thence concludes all wel And you shall see hereafter how fallible these are 3
The longer you go without the Spirits testimony the more difficultly will you obtaine it the more will your hearts be instructed in Satans Sophistry to elude Arguments of comfort if you be such as look towards God the more experience wil you have of your own hearts deceitfulnesse so-that you will deal with them as we ordinarily do with common lyars hardly be perswaded to believe their Testimony when they speak the truth concerning you If you be such as neglect both grace and assurance know that the more difficultly will you bring your selves to accept of grace the longer you delay it the heart will be hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3. 13. The Spirit grived c. And if you get grace a thousand to one if you get the witnesse of the Spirit to testifie that you have it Though God give such men grace as put it off to the last yet it were too great an encouragement to others to delay in like manner if he should ordinarily let them know it 'T is no easie matter at any time to get it much more difficult when delayed Many souls for many years together eat no pleasant bread and when they drink mingle their drink with weeping their sleep departeth from them and all the comforts of their lives are overcast with a sad cloud of darkness they go from sea to sea to wait on the Ordinances rise many a night to pray when others sleep chasten their souls with fasting and go heavily all the day long and this as I said for divers years together and this in the flower of their years and strength and yet with much ado can get little more then some flashes of comfort now and then some gleams of light as I told you before to save them at a desperate pinch and after long exercise in a doubtful medly of hope and fear a sad twilight of sorrowes and supports at last recover this testimony in and to their hearts that they are the children of God And therefore 't is not to be thought that persons who out of wilfulnesse or spiritual sloath put off the procuring this blessed certainty to themselves till old age or the approaches of death should suddenly leap out of a certain damnable estate into an assured certainty of salvation Sure the stream of Promises in the Word is least favourable to such persons and it is a thing most righteous in the eyes of reason it self that God should be as slow in giving as they are in seeking this assuring testimony CHAP. XI Certain Hindrances of getting Assurance of our Adoption removed Quest BUt how shall I get the testimony of the Spirit and thereby be assured of my Justification and Adoption Answ 1. There are divers Hindrances to be temoved and then divers Directions to be followed Hinderances are 1 A secret murmuring frame of spirit against Gods present dispensations towards thee as if God dealt very hardly and contrary to his wonted course with thee As if God had set thee up as the only mark of his displeasure which discontent is secretly augmented by the enjoyments and attainments of others Such and such have attained such and such comforts and walk cheerfully but God keeps me in the dark like them that art dead long ago And then as the children of Israel in the wilderness the soul many times quarrels at God for doing what he hath done and wishes any change even to what it was or the worst that can be Would God say they we had dyed in Egypt nay would God we were out of the world any way rather then to be thus tossed up and down in these tempests of spirit to be made Satans Tennis-bals the gazing stocks of the world and a terrour to our selves c. Friend who ever thou art that art in this frame of spirit know the Holy Spirit wil not be wrought to smile on thy heart by these means Such a dogged sullen frame of spirit will but procure thee the more lashes and continue thee the longer in the wilderness Israels murmurings kept them forty years in the wildernesse hereby they vexed Gods holy Spirit Isai 63. 10 and so dost thou and thou maist expect a proportionable dealing at Gods hands 2 A kind of delight in complaining against thy self and taking Satans part many times in bearing false witness against thy own soul Sometimes a kind of sinful humility sometimes an apprehension of ease in venting the causes of their trouble and sometimes a designe of provoking others to humor them in applying those corrasives and terrors to them which they think are their portion makes many persons liberal in charging themselves in this sort And somtimes Satan helping them they are apt to lay more load upon themselves then indeed belongs to them aggravating their sins beyond measure and condemning themselves for the vilest creatures upon the face of the earth And by constant use I know not what kind of pleasure grows out of such libelling themselves and they are never so well as when they are in that tune I grant a serious moderate and discreet complaining of our sins and wants to such from whose advice and prayers we may expect good and for this reason that we may get their advice and prayers they knowing our condition particularly and being thereby enabled to help us by such a through knowledge of our case is not onely lawfull and expedient but necessary But to be always in season and out of season urging these indictments against ones selfe and meerly for this reason that we may put from our selves those comfortable truths which are indeavoured to be fastened upon us doth but more indispose us to peace and satisfaction of spirit and teach Satan an art of troubling us everlastingly with our own liking and approbation Take this for a certain rule That soul that will not open to the Spirit of Adoption till he can find no matter of complaint against himselfe may go mourning all his days and thank himself for it 3. An unthankful denyal of the works of Gods sanctifying spirit in the heart Which are the material ground of all regular assurance from the Spirit of Adoption or at least mitigating qualifying and extenuating them This ordinarily accompanies the former A soul that delights it self in picking quarrels against its own peace will not bee easily brought to own any good concerning it self Tell a man in this frame Sir you are one of Gods called ones for you have had experience of a gracious change upon your heart You now hate sin count it your greatest burthen which once you loved and judged it your greatest comfort you have an unsatisfiable longing after Christ not only in his merits but in his graces and the communication of his holinesse and all the World will not satisfy you without him you have an heart perfectly broken off from all your old company and all your delight is in the Saints that are upon earth and them that excell in vertue
it Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye heard ye trusted and after ye believed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aor 1. Postquā credidisseti◠not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dum credidistis or trusted ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise and received its earnest See also 1 Joh. 5. 13. Now coming to Christ receiving Christ applying Christ for Justification is sufficient qualification to enable a man to receive the Sacrament with profit Because where spiritual life is there is a right to all such food as may strengthen it 2. The Sacrament is a Seal of the Covenant in all its promises Now Promises become mine by claim and relyance If then I have right only to one Promise nay if I can but lay claim to one I may come to the Sacrament to have that sealed to me Suppose this I find my heart made weary of sin and account it the greatest burthen in the world I apply my self to Christ to ease me of it hereupon I lay claim to the Promise thus Lord Jesus thou hast done thus for me blessed be thy name whereas I accounted sin a pleasure once now I account it a burthen make good thy Promise to me ease me I claim this on the credit of thy Promise Mat. 11. 28. If hereupon I come to the Sacrament desiring God to seal to this Promise which I lay hold upon I cannot be said to come unworthily though I have no witnesse in my heart from the Spirit that I belong to Christ I told you before that it is the claiming of Christ and standing to that claim and being resolved to adventure my soul upon it that entitles me to him and that that entitles me to Christ gives me a right to the Sacrament as I said but now upon the former head Object But let this faith be what it will I must know that I have it ere I come else it is in vain to require Examination before I come And if so then 't is all one for substance to be assured that I am in Christ and to be assured that I believe in him because believing in him necessarily implies being in him Answ Sacramental Examination doth not presuppose a necessity of a certain or assured knowledg that I have the graces which I examine my self for But only a finding those acts in my self which ordinarily those graces appear in my heart dealing plainly and faithfully with it self in the search and my earnest desire and endeavour that they may be true though at present I see not that they are true supposing that I see nothing of weight according to the rule of the Word to judg them false Nay if I should see cause to condemne those former acts which I took for gracious as false and unsound yet upon that conviction if I seriously labour to set them right now I ought not to keep from the Sacrament for that but to draw nigh and from thence to expect strength to prosper my endeavours and give me evidence in Gods time of the reality of them If this were not true then every Christian under desertion and doubting must be excluded from the Sacrament And surely if so the fittest persons that can be will be debarred there being none more fit for a strengthning Ordinance then such souls To exemplifie the present case A man examines his faith repentance c. he finds some such acts as look like the acts of those graces yet he doubts whether they were true or no he therefore examines faith by the rule of the Word purifying the heart working by love over-coming the world Repentance by hatred of sin of all sin sincere endeavors of future obedience some such things as these he sees no sufficient ground to conclude he hath not and yet he thinks he may deceive himself in thinking that he hath them Here is his case What shall this man do Shall he come to the Supper or no I answer Yes For I am fit for the Sacrament when my heart doth not upon good grounds condemn me Unwarrantable Scruples do not unfit me it is not required that my heart do alwayes clearly absolve me See what John faith in this case 1 Joh. 3. 20. If our hearts condemne us not he doth not say if they actually absolve us many needlesse Scruples may hinder that but if they condemn us not it must be meant of the conscience enlightned by the Word An ignorant wordlesse conscience its absolution or condemnation is nothing in this case but an enlightned conscience then have we confidence i. e. ground of confidence towards God And by consequence ground of approach to those Seals in which this confidence is bestowed and encreased 2 It is not necessary to a worthy participation of the Lords Supper that I be able satisfactorily to evidence to my owne heart the truth of every grace required thereunto One grace sometimes may be more conspicuous then another And it is sufficient it I can see any thing in my self of the new creature though I know not how to improve it by Argument to prove such or such a grace thereby For example sometimes repentance may be more conspicuous to a man then faith sometimes love more visible then both sometimes a man may be able to see neither of them all distinctly yet he sees something which he cannot but acknowledg is a fruit of a mighty and supernatural change and this change he finds he cannot rest till it be increased and improved to greater perfection If he can see nothing else yet he finds earnest and hearty desires after Christ not only as a fountaine of pardoning but also of purging grace These desires as far as he can judg are not counterfeit though many times weak Now in such a case as this the soul must consider that Christ hath promised not to break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax Though a mans grace be very infirm if it be not a staff but a reed and a reed too not firm but bruised and though the kindlings of grace be but in smoaking flax a Metaphor taken from those that kindle a fire that put some pilled stalks of flax or straw or some such combustible thing under the wood to make it burn which if it be moist will not flame out by and by but smoak a while and then kindle though grace be but yet an embryo as fire in smoaking flax which a man can scarce tel whether it wil burn or no yet God will not quench that is he will make much of it as a servant doth of a little spark of fire in a wisp of straw and gently blow it up till it flame Isai 42. 3. He is to consider moreover that he ought to conclude from these smal measures as far as he is groundedly perswaded that they are true that though he cannot see faith repentance love yet where these desires are they are good signes of a gracious change though yet but in the beginning and a gracious change
such a defiling sullying thing is the guilt of sin For sin making a man obnoxious to the Law occasionally ingenders to See in the case of David Psalm 51. 12. bondage Gal. 4. 24. 2. Nor will the glory of God permit him to seal assuring evidences of his love to such whose conversation would reproach him for admitting them to so much intimacy As to a Covenant-interest in God so it is in Covenant peace when a wicked man claims it God stands upon termes of defiance Psal 50. 16. What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thy back To whom then will God indulge such a boldnesse See ver 5. Gather my Saints together and vers 23. who so ordereth his conversation aright to him will I shew the salvation of the Lord. 3. Regular assurance as I have told you before ariseth from the discovery of grace Now the more large the matter of my assurance is the more must my assurance be Me thinks the connexion of these four verses in Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. shews this When grace that appears to us teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts c. See what follows then we are most likely to look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And that prayer of the Apostle for his Ephesians speaks it as loudly That God would grant them to be strengthened by the spirit c. to be rooted and grounded in love And what then That Eph. 3. 16 17 18. ye may comprehend with all Saints the length and breadth of the love of God 5. Follow the guidance and conduct of the Direct V. Spirit in all things Stifle not any motion of the spirit Quench not the Spirit 1 Thes 5. 19. Grieve not the Spirit by unkind repulses And that is pressed upon this ground Eph. 4. 30. by which ye are sealed to the day of redemption Certainly if wee sadden the Spirit the Spirit will not comfort us And there is nothing that saddens the Spirit of God more then the dishonour and unkindnesse of a repulse Great men if they shew extraordinary favours to us they expect we should observe them and be ready to serve them at every nodd and beck 1. He that will be a favourite in a Princes Court and enjoy his constant smiles must be very carefull of all punctilio's of observance If you will obtain the holy Spirits smiles you can surely do no lesse then observe every breathing of the Spirit and follow him where ever he leads See v. 14. of this Chapter in connexion with my Text. They that are led by the Spirit of God those are they that receive this Spirit of Adoption to call God Father 2. The Spirit best knows the mind of God towards thee and the season and way wherein the Love of God will break out to thee and if thou misse of following any motion of the Spirit thou mayst put thy selfe out of that very way wherein thou mightest have found comfort and assurance The Spirit it may be urgeth such or such a duty and thou neglect'st it How knowest thou but hadst thou been guided by the Spirit in such a motion thou mightest have obtained that that thou longest for When the Spirit blowes thou must hoise thy sailes and be assured that gale can carry thee no whither but to the region of peace and comfort When the Angel conducted Peter out of Prison he follows his deliverer step-by-step So when the Spirit comes toward thee to deliver thee from the Spirit of Bondage take heed thou leave him not one step And the caution which God gives to the Israelites when he brought them out of Egypt is very usefull here Exod. 23. 20 21. Behold I send an Angell before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voyce povoke him not c. Apply it to the present case If God send his Spirit before you beware obey his voyce c. Qu. But how shall I know the motions of the Spirit of God from temptations and the motions of my own heart Answ 1. Thus The Spirit of God always moves according to the Word If I leave the word in any thing I cannot follow the Spirit 'T is clear that that Spirit is a Spirit of truth and therefore cannot contradict Joh. 14. 17. himselfe and those things which he delivers in the Word hee cannot deliver 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. 21. the contrary to them in my heart The true evidence of the Spirit of God in the heart is dependance on the Word of God 1 John 4. 6. 2. The Spirit of God alwayes presseth to some Duty or other some exercise of holinesse or other And when any motions arise in our hearts prejudicing it against any ordinance or duty of Religion this prejudice is no motion of the Spirit We receive the Spirit in hearing Gal. 2. 1 2. Pray by the Spirit Eph. 6. 18. 3. The Spirit moves regularly and orderly makes not duties and ordinances to clash and enterfere The present opportunity of an ordinance is the season of the Spirit If the Spirit come in a private ordinance it is in its season if in a publick in its season Publick ordinances separated from are not the badge of the persons that have but that want the Spirit Jude 19. CHAP. XIX A Case What is to be thought of a man that as to his own sense and other mens lives and dyes without any experience of this Testimony Qu. SUppose I never attain the Testimony of the Spirit but live and dye in a state of darknesse as to assurance of Gods love what think you of my case Answ 1. I suppose thou labourest after it diligently and constantly in the use of all the means prescribed and other such Otherwise I have nothing to say to thee in this case but this that that man is neither fit for assurance here or glory hereafter that thinks much of his pains to attain them But supposing as I said I say to thee farther 2. I know no place of Scripture that says No man shall enter into the Kingdom of God that knows not of it before hand I readily yeeld the Papists teach all believers a doctrine of desperation when they tell us that no man can be assured of Salvation till he come to heaven and I am confident that occasioned many of our Protestant Divines engaged in the Controversy against them to make perswasion of salvation of the essence of justistifying Faith But I conceive they needed not to have bended the bough so much that way to set it straight 'T is no good rule for Christian disputants which is observed by cunning tradesmen Iniquum petere ut aequum ferant to aske double that they may perswade those with whom they deal to give a sufficient price I believe this proposition
againe to an assured soul would not be a sure and infallible Testimony contrary to the truth of the preceding Doctrine When a man is found in two contrary tales we know not which of them we may believe A man could never this supposed have solid comfort from the Testimony of the Spirit seeing he knowes not how soon hee may recant it and testifie the quite contrary CHAP. XXXV The causes of Legal Terrours in Saints Quest WHat then is the cause of those Legal terrours which after Conversion and Assurance many times surprize the hearts of Gods people Answ The main and principal cause is Satan who combining with our own suspitious and distrustful or melancholy spirits or by divine permission or lastly by taking the work of Gods Spirit out of his hand brings us into this darknesse Psal 143. 3. The enemy hath persecuted my soul he hath made me to dwell in darknesse like those that have been long dead I have long ago buried all my comforts and they are almost quite out of remembrance And the great cause of all this is the enemy of my soul called the enemy by a special Emphasis because the most deadly malicious enemy the Saints have He sowes all manner of Tares of corruptions tentations doubts in Gods field the hearts of Saints Now this he doth as but now I hinted 1 Partly by combining with our owne suspicious hearts and increasing jealousies when there is no cause of sadnesse as many times he doth The heart that knowes its own wickednesse and deceitfulnesse many times rejects sound and solid joy in the Holy Ghost as a delusion meerly upon suspicion and warinesse occasioned by its former experienced liablenesse to self-deception Now here Satan strikes in and increaseth the jealousie that the heart hath of it self As a malicious tale-bearer that finds suspicions ready to break out ever and anon between friends is at hand perpetually to blow the coals and hinting to them both severally such and such presumptions of each other till at last he have weakned all mutual confidence and made an irreparable breach between them Fie fie saith the old Serpent wilt thou believe these comforts and joyes are real and from the Holy Ghost Dost thou know thy owne heart no better Dost thou not remember how it spake peace to thee heretofore and all the Ministers in the Countrey could not perswade thee that thy condition was not safe then and since dost thou not remember how when thou wentest to examine and search thy self it hid sins by pretences and excuses and Apologies And why should it not deceive thee now as well as then Now here many times the soul gives up and yeilds to Satans suggestions and damns all its comforts for meer fantasies and dreams and all its Assurance for an imposture Nay it may be if the soul plead the marks and tokens of the Spirits concurrence in that Testimony then Satan begins to take the matter upon himselfe Alas saith he and dost thou not know that Satan can turne himself into an Angel of Light and by 2 Cor. 11. 14. consequence easily cheat a credulous heart into a belief that his delusions are the testimonies of the Spirit of God c. Sic not us Ulysses Art thou so unacquainted with that subtil enemy that thou canst take every fair pretence of his for Gospel and adventure thy soul upon it 2 Partly by combining with a meer melancholy distemper Melancholy is musing and thoughtful 'T is a temper of body which is the Divels Anvil whereon he hammereth all manner of temptations all manner of deadly weapons to wound the soul He hath a mighty power upon the fantasie and can suggest things to it as he pleaseth The phantasie or imagination is the Looking-glass of the soul in which all things by reflection are first discovered to it Now 't is easie for Satan to represent in this glass what bugbear shapes he pleaseth to affright the soul withal by a kind of fixed entertainment of the thoughts with such objects of terror and affrightment to make such strong impressions upon the whole soul abused by meer phantasies as no reasonings or perswasions whatsoever can remove That strange affection of the phantasie which some say perswaded Nebuchadnezzar that he was a real beast Dan. 4. and the frequent parallels to this in Wierus de praestigiis Virg. Eclog. 8. humane Writings render such an Interpretation not incredible many times is the infirmity of good souls that dwell as was said of Galba's wit in the bodies of the most Ingenium Galbae malè habitat dreggy part of living earth of a melancholy constitution So that 't is no wonder if Satan acting the phantasie many times the soul really be perswaded into horrid apprehensions of its owne condition And to strengthen the belief of the soul in such delusions he can present strange spectra images and representations of terrour to the very outward senses by which such inward apprehensions are oftentimes fortified and increased He doth like a cunning Fisher mud the water that his nets may be lesse discerned And thence in such cases persons under such a condition are 1 Many times to believe others more then themselves as suspecting such delusions of their own fancies 2 To labour after means of removing bodily distempers that the soul may be more it self being lesse clogged with a distempered body the body in such a case is the souls prison 3 To admit of lawful avocations from the continued meditation of such subjects as by their fixing on the fantasie are hard to be removed The very humor of melancholy is a dull heavy humour that must be stirred as much by exercise as Physick And so must the fantasies that it begets be cured by avocations 3 Partly by the permission and allowance of God God giving the soul over in some cases into his hands as he did Job once to do with him what he will only sparing his Job 2. 6. life for some notorious affronts offered to his Spirit and abuses of his favour to some bold intrenchments upon his Majesty and Authority or some other like cause And in such a case God withdrawing it is no hard matter for Satan to improve such a sensible defect and decay of influence to infer a souls utter rejection by God The truth is we live much by sense as well as fantasie not only in humane affairs but even in Divine And when faith is at low water as ordinarily it is upon Gods with-drawings then is sense most predominant Now the Divel can make strange conclusions appear undeniable in such cases if you will allow him to argue from what you feel Dost not perceive will he say to the soul that God casts out all thy prayers regards not the voice of thy groanings how he will not be perswaded to give thee one smile though thou wooe him never so much And wilt thou contrary to all sense and experience still believe that he
thee sure enough for one while for recovering either thy evidence of that or thy ability in this For thou shalt never want lets to prayer if those will make thee doubt thy sonship and thou shalt never but doubt thy sonship if thou wilt take those lets for a sufficient confutation of thy relation and wilt thereby be kept from prayer again which is Satans aime to lead thee in a ring of mistakes everlastingly 3. Thou canst not pray But canst thou not groan neither If thou canst the Spirit of Adoption may be in a groan as well as in a prayer Rom. 8. 26. I shall have occasion to adde more concerning this on the last point CHAP. XLI The Case of decayes in spiritual affections deadnesse burthensomnesse of duty and several others occasionally thus far also stated Object BUt if it were well with me I should love and delight in holy things more then I do I find it a burthen to me to draw nigh to God in any Ordinance my affections that should be lively are dead and I know not how 't is with me but I find I am an unprofitable lump of clay and there is little difference between a meer block me Answ This case I confesse hath much discomfort in it But as discomfortable as it is yet it is not unsafe Indeeed were a Saints foundation of his own laying there could nothing more weighty and considerable be objected to shake it But our foundation is the foundation of God and that stands sure under our greatest deficiencies uncertainties But to answer that which occasions thy present trouble 1. Troubled spirits have not so much distinct and undisturbed reason in them as to find fanlt with the Devils Logick else I could tel them 't is a meer inconsequence that such or such a soul is now dead lumpish therefore it was never truly assured of the love of God For the allowance of this consâ—quence affirmes this falshood that it is impossible for one that hath had true assurance to bee afterwards in a spiritual swound as to the excercise of grace or gifts in duty which that it is a falshood as black as Satan himselfe that suggests it the Saints of God from their own experiences abundantly testifie and the Scriptures in the exhortations that they give to the Saints to blow up the gifts of God that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in them suppose they may be like fiâ—e covered with ashes and may look as if their fire were quite out 2 Tim. 1. 6. And when they bid us quicken the things that are ready Apoc. 3. â— to dye they suppose some life even where graces are most languishing Apoc. 3. 2. Object Yea Sir could I be assured it were but a swound I should take comfort but I fear I am quite dead dead and buryed and a great stone upon the graves mouth that will never be removed and Gods seal upon it too that it may not be so Answ If thou werst quite dead thou wouldst be past fearing it But the present fear demonstrates that yet there is life Fear is a passion that ariseth from apprehension of an imminent danger If a tower be tumbling upon a dead corps he fears it not because he apprehends it not and apprehends it not because he is dead Nay thy fear discovers that it is not so much as a compleat swound that thou art in but a palsey rather seizing upon thy outmost parts whiles thy heart is still sound and sensible 'T is such an half-sleep as the Churches when her heart was awake all the while Cant. 5. 2. Methinks there are certain pretty contradictions in the apprehensions of a troubled spirit You shall hear him complain he is not humbled when the very visible brokennesse of heart in his complaints confutes him and he is dead when he gives evidence against his conceit by his passionate sense of his condition I shall as soon believe a child when he layes his head in his mothers lap and says I am asleep as thee when thou sayest I am dead and yet complainest Object But my complaints signifie nothing and my fears just as much as my complaints I complain out of forme because I know not what else to say when I am examined concerning my condition I must maintain discourse and I am a notorious hypocrite in all this therefore I pray you think not better of me then I am for any thing you hear from me A. 1. Yet more contradictions Thou art affraid men should think too well of thee and thou endeavourest to make thy self as vile as may be lest they should do so and is this a signe of an Hypocrite 2. Besides friend let me aske you and let your conscience deal faithfully with your self and me do you not come unwillingly to make these complaints to any body Is it not the meere sense of such burthens as if you should smother would oppresse you utterly that drives you to speak these things of your selfe and which also had not they been drawn from you by discourse you rather resolved to have kept to your selfe And call you this hypocrsie for a poor slave under an intolerable burthen to groan to save his heart from breaking by giving it some vent 3. Take heed of hypocrisie rather in this evasion and others of the like kind If it be hypocrisie to endeavour to seem what we are not then I fear complaints of hypocrisie many times are not altogether free from it It may be it is not intended by thee to deceive Gods Ministers and people into a worse conceit of thee but it is materially no lesse then I tell thee Beware of it 4. Tell me dost thou not tell God the same stories as well as thou canst which thou tellest thy Minister or fellow-Christian Object Yea But may I not play the hypocrite with God too Ans Take heed of hearing false witnesse against thy self and tel me again Dost thou not complain to God with an hearty and earnest desire of being relieved of the burthen of deadnesse that oppresseth thee Wouldst thou not purchase deliverance from it if God would put thee to it upon those terms at any rate Ob. Yea but 't is but forme still 't is but a discourse for want of another subject to speak of And so 't is in prayer to God I must say something and I know not what else to say Answer But why should such discourse be more frequent in thy mouth then any other both to God and man were it not that the matter of it is much in thy heart out â—f the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. 34. 2. Discourses that are of meere forme are most commonly formed discourses But thy complaints both to God and man are rough-hewed confused distracted mis-shapen things it appears there is no Art in them by the discomposure of them no forme by their confusion 3. Either there is really in thee that evill which is
when the Spirit suggests matter of prayer as in expressions Without all question the Spirit when hee supplies will not supply the lesse materiall part of prayer and not the more principall and momentous A man of a nimble invention and a fluent tongue may be able to speak high strains of Rhetorick in prayer but is the heart warmed sutably to the expressions If the stream run only from the teeth outward as we say 't is not supplied from a divine spring 5. If the heart be warmed also yet I ask doth its warmth produce the language of prayer or rather the language it Some good natures as we call them will weep at a passionate discourse either of their own or another mans The heart is first hot where the expressions are from the Spirit It may be expressions may add to the quantity of heart-affection in duty as on the other side dull expressions will much take off from the edge of a good affection But whence was the rise of thy heate in the substance of it from without or from within A natural mans expressions in prayer are the spring of his affections a godly mans affections are the spring of his expressions 3. Adde also that the fayling of expression in prayer is much our own fault 1. Sometimes we over-prize it In desiring it too sollicitously when absent in rejoycing and pleasing our selves too fondly when present discomforting our selves when we want it as if we wanted the Spirit because we have not a wished supply of the gift and laying the foundation of our hopes of acceptance upon that when present which we may be accepted without 2 Studying more to pray then praying that we may pray Spiritual abilities for prayer of whatever kind they be are usually fetched in by prayer Luke 11. 13. as water in the well is fetched up by putting water into the pump Whiles we are asking God hears and that he may enables us to aske He giveth the Spirit to them that ask him 3. Want of meditation I mean not of expressions but things Well studyed matter yeilds plentifull expressions the Poet observes Verbaque praevisam rem non invita sequuntur Horat. art Poet. Well-conceived matter is never stifled in the birth for want of the midwifery of apt expressions 4 Want of acquaintance with the Word of God Many people complain they have a great dearth of expressions in prayer but the cause of it is in themselves They do not study the Word of God which as it is a compleat magazene of matter so it is the best and most genuine spring of expression in prayer The language of confession petition thanksgiving which the Saints of God use in the Scripture is in a sort a supply from the Spirit fetched in by industry For it is all of it indited by the Spirit to our hands Those are surely therefore the most acceptable meet expressions to send up to heaven which first descended from heaven There is a strange vein of expression in prayer that conceited persons affect in these dayes which a man if he compare with Scripture will easily conclude to be a gibberish of a wanton age unknown to the Saints of God in former times The Spirit of God loves to indite your prayers when hee doth supply your defects that way in his own familiar expressions which are those of the Scripture CHAP. XLIX Saints are informed what deadens them in prayer Where also a case what to be done when a Saint cannot call God Father and in case some sinne streighten him As also how to maintain boldnesse and fervency in prayer NOw to apply this usefull point 1. In the first place this lets many poor souls under darknesse know whence that deadnesse and flatnesse of spirit which they are ever complaing of in prayer doth proceed They do what they can to darken their evidences and take delight in finding matter of charge against themselves to the shaking of them and yet take it ill that they cannot have that freedome and liberty and livelynesse in prayer which they desire This is as if they should cut off their own legs and then complain that they cannot go They clip the very wings upon which prayer should raise it self heaven-ward and then they complain they cannot fly so high in duty as they would Qu. But what shall I do if by reason of this darknesse I cannot call God Father with confidence Answ 1. Acknowledge with sense and feeling that unworthinesse of thine which discourageth thee Say Lord I confesse I am unworthy to be called thy sonne as the Prodigal doth and endeavour as much as thou canst to fill thy face with shame and confusion in the sense hereof 2. Acquaint him with thy particular straightnesse of spirit and the cause of it tell him what tyes thy tongue that thou wouldst pray but thou darest not own any relation to him desire him for his own glory to discover that relation to thee that may embolden thee to his service 3. Maintain notwithstanding this thy claim to God as thy Father upon those promises upon which at first thou didst believe God warrants every soul to call him Father that is brought to a desire to become his child None ever call'd God Father out of a sincere desire to that relation and the duties of it from whom God refused to accept of the title We never find God quarrell with any upon this account for calling him Father except they were such as denyed him filial duty and reverence Supposing then that thou canst not call God Father upon evidence of particular faith yet do it upon grounds of relyance such as his offers invitations promises plead that promise of Relation 2 Corinth 6. 18. 4 Ask spiritual good things of him under the obligation of that relation And urge him with his Fatherly bowels in Jesus Christ to all poor souls that come unto God through him Call him Father at adventure upon Christs score and see whether he can disclaim the name The advantage of this will be the hearing and granting of thy petitions and the Answer of prayer will be an evidence of thine Interest No greater foundation of Assurance then the Answer of our Prayers Psal 66. 19. See what a kind of Argument the holy man drawes Assurance from in that place If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer But verily God hath heard me That is the Minor Proposition the Conclusion is natural therefore I do not regard iniquity in my heart So in this Case the Argument will be undenyable God heareth none but sons But God heareth me Therefore I am a Son Quest But suppose some Sin of a deeper dye then ordinary straighten me and weaken my confidence in approaching to God Answ 1 Then sensibly confesse and bewaile that sin before God Acknowledge that thou dost not only deserve the darkning of thine own faith but also the darkning of his face and that not only here but
of love between thee and my soul I but Lord now thou art a stranger to me and there passeth little of common courtesie between us Lord why dost thou make thy self strange to me Cause thy countenance to shine upon me as in the dayes of old So we use to recover familiarity with friends call old passages to mind and this occasions discovery of the reasons of that alteration of countenance and carriage and produceth new mutual engagements 2 A renovation of that Covenant of friendship between thy soul and God Assure him in the strength of Jesus Christ that thou wilt omit no office of kindnesse and respect for time to come but wilt every way to thy utmost ability walk worthy of a renewed acquaintance if he will re-admit thee to such an intimacy Such a condition I am perswaded David was in Psalm 101. O when wilt thou come to me ver 2. And then he vowes what he will do to maintain familiarity with him if he will receive him to the same intimacy as formerly I will walk in my house with a perfect heart c. CHAP. LV. A Case How boldnesse and holy fear may bee joyned in prayer This boldnesse and fear wherein each of them consists explained Quest BUt I may possibly be too bold and I hear the Saints of God in Scripture described by a trembling fearful frame of spirit in the presence of God How may I bring both these together this boldness and that fear Ans To answer this I will shew you First Wherein the boldnesse that becomes a Saint in the presence of God consists and so how far I may be bold 2 And then What this fear and trembling is that should be joyned with it 3 That and how these may be joyned 1. Boldnesse 1 A Saints boldnesse before God consists in 1 The liberty of the exercise of prayer it self that a Saint may at any time in any place upon any occasion addresse himself to God and expect visits from him A man is bold with a friend to whom he is admitted at any hour whom he visits perpetually and is visited by him without any exception of times or observance of seasons which yet were proper for a stranger O the invitations and entertainments that an holy soul gives God and God gives to it back again Come my people saith God enter into thy chambers Isai c. and hide thee I have gathered my mirrhe with my spice c. Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O my Beloved Cant. 5. 1. And on the Churches part O when wilt thou come to me Psal 101. 2. Why standest thou afar off O Lord Psalm 10. 1. c. When I awake I am still with thee Psal 139. 8. 2. In the matter of prayer wherein 1 A soul communicates to God all its counsel and so layes all its burthens upon the Lord as we use to do upon a friend that we may make most bold withal yea even those things that he would be ashamed and afraid to utter to the most familiar friend in the world 1 Pet 5. 7. Casting all his care upon the Lord and that confidently tumbling Cum pondere curarum nostrarum non debemus diu luctari sed statim eo nos levare in Dominum illud conjicere in Gerh. 1 Pet. 5. 7. it upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that by and by as soon as it troubles a Saint he heaves it off presently from his own shoulders upon Gods So Hezekiah spreads Rabshakehs paper before the Lord Isai 37. 14. 2 A soul begs of God any thing he wants A man makes bold with a friend when hee fetcheth every thing he wants from him comes now for money anon for rayment another time for food and other necessaries and all that his friend hath he makes bold to ask for and hath it for asking and Christ emboldens us to this Joh. 15. 7. Ask what you will and it shall be done to you that is whatever is in Gods power to give whatever hee hath not bound himself from bestowing whatever may be for his true glory and our true good God saith as one friend doth to another If any thing I have wil do you a pleasure make bold to ask it and it is at your service As we say to a welcome Ghost Sir Make as bold in my house as if you were at home So saith God Soul make as bold in heaven my house as in thine own nothing shall be denyed thee that heaven will yeild I have read that Luther made bold upon this encouragement Domine said he fiat voluntas mea Lord let my will be done A bold speech but in a clear case falling under a plain Promise implying a clear truth A Saint may expect the performance of his own will when his will is Gods will Both these are in one verse of David Psal 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Thou knowest my secrets and my wants 3 In the manner of prayer 1 A Saint may speak to God in downright plain language as to a friend A man need not study complements when he deales with such an one If he were to deal with an earthly great man especially to whom he is a stranger he must place every word in order and scare dare utter any thing but in Court language God looks not after fine expressions but warm affections 2 God accepts of imperfect and broken expressions when we can speak no better lispings and stutterings of children are welcome to a Father when through infirmity the child is able to speak no better Davids groaning Psal 38. 9. Hezekiahs chattering Isai 38. 14. 3 A Saint may use fervency urgency and importunity of petitions So Jacob Lord I wil not let thee go except thou blesse me Gen. 32. 26. As a man who may be bold with his friend takes him by the coat when he is departing holds him fast and tells him in a way of familiar power and jurisdiction as it were Sir you shall not go hence to night c. So in the case of Moses God is fain as a friend detained by such an importunate inviter as is before mentioned to intreat Moses to let him go Exod. 32. 10. This is exprest by our Savior by an elegant similitude Luke 11. 5 6 7. 8. of one friends importunity with another at midnight an unseasonable hour and when the friend is in bed at rest c. So the Saints use to knock and if knocks will not make God hear they call Where is the God of Eliah 2 Kings 2. 14. if God seem to sleep they awaken him Psal 44. 23. Give the Lord no rest Isai 62. 7. 4 A Saint may have confidence of audience and acceptance Hebr. 10. 22. Let us draw nigh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in full Assurance of faith 1 This appears in the Saints besetting of God with promises that God cannot any way get off if he
time of judgment and 't is part of their plague that God will laugh at their destruction Prov. 1. 26. 27. Be-fool thy selfe and be-beast thy selfe before God that thou shouldest be so improvident as to neglect the providing of any materials to build thee a shed against a storme or to think that thou shouldest never see a time in which thou shouldst have need of God Say Lord thou art just but I am wicked It is righteous with thee to stamp my punishment with the very image of my sin Thou art righteous though thou shouldst never open my lips or my heart though thou shouldest seal my condemnation to my soul by sealing up both my heart mouth and not suffering me so much as to open my mouth to petition for a pardon 3. Earnestly gâ—oan and sigh hefore the Lord as thou canst desiring him that he will not take against thee the advantage which thy provocations have given him that he will enlarge thy heart and bestow upon thee the Spirit of supplication And who knowes whether in praying that thou mayst pray God may not teach thee to pray 'T is not for nothing that God bids even carnal men to pray Act. 8. â—… Though they cannot pray acceptably without the Spirit sure 't is because in his ordinary way of dispensation the Spirit of prayer is given in praying as the spirit of faith is given in hearing though we cannot hear acceptably without faith Me thinks the words hold forth no less Luke 11. 13. He gives the Holy Spirit to them that aske him We cannot aske the Spirit as we ought without the Spirit yet we get the Spirit in asking 4. Think not thy present estate utterly irremediable For though there be a time when God will not be found of sinners though they seek the blessing with tears Heb. 12. 17. yet know that there is no time in which he excludes a penitent and sincere hearted petitioner And the reason why many a prophane Esau failes in finding is because he failes in seeking If thy heart be now so affected as is before described know God hath in part heard thee in giving thee an heart so seriously affected with its own barrennesse deadnesse and impenitency and know farther that barrennesse felt and complained of and groaned under is no more barren but occasionally fruitfull in many sweet affections though yet thou be straightened in expressions And there may be more prayers in one groane from an heart that is sensible of its own inability to pray then in many large discourses and â—rations to God from a formal and customary devotion 5. Shouldst thou dye in this condition with thy face towards heaven yet thou mayst dye with hope that thy present seed time of tears shall end in an harvest of joy that though thy mouth be shut on earth yet seeing God hath opened thy heart it shall also be opened in heaven The Thiefs prayer on the Cross was an effectual prayer though but a short one Let that keep thee from despair but let it not encourage thee to presume He that made but one prayer in his life and that at the hour of death yet that one prayer prevailed to open Paradise I fear his example hath occasionally shut it to thousands of presuming sinners that have presumed upon the same admittance yet as to thee whose heart God hath opened I dare present it as an encouragement Tell me not God opens not thy mouth if the heart be open 't is far more then if the mouth were never so enlarged One sigh in secret of a broken heart is more then many loud howlings of frighted Formalists and Hypocrites That key that opens the heart will open heaven too 6 And lastly Now resolve in the strength of Christ and the Covenant of Grace which hath layd help upon him for thee that if ever thou get out of the present trouble if ever thou be enabled to break these bars of indisposition streightnednesse of spirit thou wilt never be so neglectful of maintaining the acquaintance thou hast gotten with God as thou hast been in getting it And take heed for time to come that thou performe thy resolutions in that kind Take heed prove not so ungrateful or ill-natured as to look no more after God when once the present turn is served and thou thinkest thou canst go alone Let God see that thou seekest his acquaintance for his own worth and excellency not meerly for mercenary ends and thy own necessities Lest God deal with thee for time to come as men use to deal with those that haunt them only when they have need of them lest he resolve not to be at home when thou knockest for him henceforward and avoid all occasions of being spoken withal walk on the other side of the street that hee may not meet thee and be occasioned to take notice of thee and know thee afar off look high Psalm 138. 6. and keep distance and either in judgement shut up thy mouth and heart to prayer again which he may easily do 't is but with-holding the supply of the Spirit and thou art as dead as a doornaile as we use to say or else open it in a greater judgment to let thee tire and weary out thy selfe with such cryes and howlings as hee is resolved to turne the deafe ear unto And that is an heavy judgement to have the mouth opened in prayer and heaven shut against it Lam. 3. 8. 2 If thou be one of that holy generation of Seekers not above duty but under it Psalm 24. 6. Hast by a constant intercourse with God entered an holy acquaintance with him in former times and therefore takest it ill that thou canst neither send to him nor hear from him now that at so needful a time thou hast lost thy wonted correspondence and canst not because all thy wonted posts of holy and flaming affections and importunate expressions are stopped give him intelligence of thy condition 1 Do not judg over harshly of thy self because thereof For it is a thing under the greatnesse of trouble incident to the best of Gods Saints and is not so much to bee imputed to them as to the burthens that oppresse them Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent Little troubles are loud but great ones dumb 'T was Hezekiahs case Isaiah 38. 14. Lord I am oppressed The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a Verb of the third Person and Feminine Gender saith one of the Rabbins hath relation â—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 12. which we translate a pining sicknesse and 't is as much as if he had said My wasting Disease hath so spent my very spirits that I am grown a meer stock so dull and stupid that I cannot perform any duty of Religion as I would And 't is the usual complaint of most of Gods people that the weaknesse of their bodies in such a condition much deadneth the vigour and activity of their spirits 'T was Jobs case chap. 6.