himselfe our righteousnesse make himselfe under the law Gal. 4. 4. and to make up a full righteousnesse fulfill every part of it Rom. 8. 3 4. Is it thy continuance in sinne and the number and iteration of them that amazeth thee All fulnesse dwells in him who is our righteousnesse Col. 1. 19. and hath dwelt in him longer then sinne in thee and the righteousnesse of our Messiah is everlasting righteousnesse Dan. 9. 24. The merit of which an eternity of sinning could not expend or make void And is all this righteousnesse laid up for himselfe onely or for any other so as thou mightest never come to have interest in it No the top of our comfort is that Our righteousnesse is one letter of his Name and that our names are put into his For us it is and Ours it is ordained to be as much ours to save us trusting upon it as his owne to glorifie him Ours not for himselfe he had no need of it being God blessed for ever Ours not the Angells neither the good for they are justified by their owne nor the bad they are put out of Gods will for ever But ours who are the sonnes of men and among them theirs especially who are broken lost whose soules draw neere to the grave and their lives to the destroyers that come pray unto God and stay themselves upon it unto them God cannot deny it for it is theirs For he will render to man His righteousnesse Job 33. 22 26. So as his Sonnes Name also is al-sufficient to answer all objections for faith to rest upon So as they that know his name will trust in him Psal 9. 10. A second reason why his name is sufficient Reason 2 though you have and see nothing in you nor any promise made to any grace in you to rest upon is because even all those promises made to cōditions in us which we ordinarily looke unto are Yea and Amen onely in this his Name and his Sonnes Name That is the originall of them all the root the seed of them all his Name is the materia prima the first matter of all those secondary promises ex quo fiunt in quod resolvuntur his Name gives being to them all if it were not for the mercy grace truth kindnesse in him and the righteousnesse which is in his Sonne all the promises which are made what were they worth As the worth of bonds depends upon the sufficiency of the man who makes them so all these promises upon his Name Therefore now when you relye upon his Name having as yet no promise made to any thing in you to relye upon you then relye upon that which is the foundation of all those promises you then have recourse to the originall which is more authenticall then extract copies you relye on that which all those other are resolved into and therefore is sufficient though all the rest faile you in your apprehension Thirdly Reason 3 his meere Name is support enough for faith and may bee so because it is for his Names sake and his Sons Names sake hee doth all he doth and for nothing in us but meerely for what is in himselfe so Esay 48. 9 10. For my Names sake c. So also Ezek. 36. 22 32. For my Names sake and not your sake and Esay 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes For it he blotteth out transgression and pardoneth And if it be for his Names sake he doth all he doth and fulfilleth all promises made to us and to what is in us Then when thou seest nothing in thy selfe to which any promise is made nothing which may appeare to be any argument or motive that he will pardon thee then trust thou in that his Name that because he is God and hath mercy in him that therefore he will doe it For that thing which is the onely or maine motive to God himselfe to doe any thing for us must needs be when apprehended and beleeved the strongest and surest ground for our faith also to perswade the heart that he will doe it As it is in knowledge the knowledge of the causes of things causeth the surest knowledge So in faith the knowledge of the maine motive to God the cause of all causeth the greatest certainty of perswasion This then may direct poore soules in distresse what to venture all upon upon what ground to hazard soules labours endeavours faith repentance obedience and all upon his Name when they see nothing in themselves to which any promise belongs as David sayes Psal 73. 26. My heart may faile and my flesh may faile but God will never faile So I may say your comforts in prayers in hearing your joyes your earnest-penies you have laid up may be all spent in a dearth your owne graces and all promises made to them your owne hearts may faile and being creatures they use to faile againe and againe but Gods Name and his Sonnes Name rested on will never faile you Leane on these not by halves in distresse 1 Pet. 1. 13. but trust perfectly as the Apostle sayes on that mercy you heare is in God upon that grace revealed That is throw and cast your whole soules your whole weight upon it he onely hath perfect peace Isa 26. 3. whose minde is staid on thee Psal 61. 2. have not halfe thy soule upon that rock which is higher then thee but creep up and get all upon it and when all faile renew thy faith on his Name Thereon rest there die To this purpose may that of Solomon serve Prov. 18. 10. His Name sayes he is a strong Tower and the righteous flye to it and are safe Now what end is there and use of a Tower in a City but that when all outworkes are taken the walls scaled all fortifications forsaken houses left then a Tower holds out last and is a refuge to flye to So also when the devill and Gods wrath beleaguers thee round and encompasseth thy soul and the comfort of every grace in thee is taken from thee and thou art driven from and art forced to forsake all other thy holds and grounds of comfort then flye to the Name of the Lord as thy City of refuge as Heb. 6. 18. it is compared Say there is mercy in thee Lord and that is thy Name and there is righteousnesse in thy Son and that is his Name and I am directed to trust in thy Name in time of need and here rest and catch hold as on the hornes of the Altar and if thou dyest dye there Direction 8. THe eighth direction is To waite in the use of all meanes to Waite upon God thus trusting in his Name in the constant use of all ordinances and meanes of comfort Waiting is indeed but an act of faith further stretched out As an Allegory is but a continued Metaphor so waiting is but a continuing to beleeve on God and
to drive us out of it and then indeed he was a spirit of bondage to which he hath reference when he sayes to feare againe because he was once such to them and such the Holy Ghost then might bee and then witnesse to them that their estates were damnable for then it was a truth in tha they had lived in an estate of bondage whereunto damnation was immediately due and had they dyed in it had certainly fallen upon them But when once he by making a man a Son hath become the spirit of adoption to him then if ever he should put him into such apprehensions and feares againe he should witnesse an untruth Therefore for the comfort of them and all beleevers he tells them that he never crosseth nor reverseth his testimony of adoption but his office is to be ready as a witnesse to seale to it but our owne hearts and Satan But yet though the Iudge doth not condemne any more yet the Iaylor may trouble and affright us 1 John 3. 12. our own hearts may condemn us God may give Satan leave to cast us into prison to clap bolts upon us again and to become a lying Spirit of bondage to us as hee became a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahabs Prophets and he may give up our hearts to be fettered with the cords of our own sins Prov. 5. 22 and to be ensnared with its own inventions and feares and jealousies For a more distinct understanding of this §. 2. to manifest how it comes to passe that all this befalls Gods childe Yet the Spirit hath some hand in the distresse I will shew how farre the holy Ghost proceedeth in it and puts forth his hand towards it and what Satans work is where he strikes in and our owne hearts to worke further and deeper distresse then the holy Ghost by himselfe alone intended For unto these three severall hands is the whole to be ascribed the works of Gods Spirit and his concurrence therein carefully to be severed from Satans as light from darknesse at the first Thus farre then the Spirit of God may concurre in this darknesse that befalls his childe 1. Privatively 1. Privatively to withdraw his testimony He may suspend his testimony and the execution of his office of witnessing adoption hee may withdraw his comfortable presence and hide himselfe for a moment and conceale his love as other Fathers will sometimes doe As David did when yet his heart was towards Absolom He may not admit him to see his face he may shut a Sonne out of doores when yet he doth not cast him off Iohn 20. 23. He may retaine their sinnes as Christs expression is that is call in the patent of his pardon which he had passed under his hand and seale in earth Mat. 18. 18. that is in their owne consciences take it out of their hands and custody and call for it home againe into the pardon office in Heaven and there keepe it And also when Satan comes and gives in a false witnesse and evidence and our owne hearts thereupon likewise condemne us the Holy Ghost may stand by as it were silent and say nothing to the contrary but forbeare to contradict Satan by any loud testimony or secret rebuking him as he doth at other times as Zach. 3. 1 2. 2. Positively 2. Positive in 2. things He may further proceed 1. To reveale and represent God as angry with his childe 1. To represēt God angry by immediate expression of wrath on the conscience for such and such sinnes formerly committed and make him sensible thereof not barely by concealing his love but by making impressions of his wrath upon his conscience immediately and not by outward crosses only Thus Esay 57. 17 18. God not onely hid himselfe and was wroth that is expressed his wrath by hiding himself but I smote him and was wroth and v. 16. he contended and was wroth that is fought against him as an enemy as Esay 63. 10. and this with his wrath upon his spirit for it followes that the spirit was ready to faile and the soule which he had made so as it was the spirit which was the white God shot at and wounded and that so deepe that it was ready to faile and come to nothing which Solomon calls by way of distinction a wounded spirit which who can beare and differenceth it from all other afflictions upon the outward man which strike the spirit but through the cloathes of the body mediately for sayes he The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity that is all such outward afflictions wherein it suffers but by way of sympathy and compassion but when the spirit it selfe is laid bare and naked and wounded immediately by Gods wrath which only can reach it and wound it Who can beare this Thus towards Heman God did not only hide his face from him Psal 88. ver 14. but His fierce wrath went over him and thy terrors sayes he cut me off ver 16. not wounded him onely but even cut him off and and such impressions of immediate wrath as expressions and effects of Gods anger the Holy Ghost may make upon the spirit of his childe for it is a truth that God is angry and wroth with them when they sinne which anger he may make knowne not onely by dumbe signes in outward crosses and effects but by an immediate witnessing and plain and expresse speaking so much to their consciences and making them to feele so much by scalding drops of his hot displeasure let fall thereon And as other Fathers shew their anger by whipping the bodies of their children upon this ground as sayes the Apostle because they are the Fathers of our flesh Heb. 12. 9. So for the like reason may God shew his anger and chastise his children by lashing their spirits For he is the father of our spirits as he speakes in the same place And likewise our spirits and the very bones and marrow of them doe lie open and naked to him with whom we have to doe and his word and spirit being quick and powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword Heb. 4. 12 13. are able to divide and cut even to the bones and marrow as the same Author speakes Yet withall so as when he expresseth his wrath thus upon their consciences hee doth not witnesse that this is an eternall wrath which he hath conceived against them for it is but a temporary displeasure It is but for a moment as Esay speakes the indignation of a Father nor is it a wrath which revenging justice hath stirred in him Heb. 12. 6. but Fatherly affection And though the Spirit tells them that God is displeased yet never that they are accursed that is a false collection made out of it 2. By shaking over him the threatnings of eternall wrath Yet 2. The holy Ghost may proceed yet further herein so farre as to bring forth and shew
him and shake over him the rod of his eternall wrath especially when hee hath provoked Christ by presumptuous sinnes already and to prevent his going on frowardly in the way of his heart And this both 1 by presenting to them and setting on all those threatnings which doe hypothetically and conditionally threaten even to beleevers eternall damnation such as that which wee finde Rom. 8. 13. If yee live after the flesh yee even you beleevers shall die for there is a truth in all such threatnings so conditionally propounded which reacheth Gods dearest children under a condition and with relation to going on in sinne to stoppe him and prevent him in which when he is a going on frowardly in the way of his heart the holy Spirit may bring home such threatnings to him with respect to such a course as he is entring into and accordingly stirre up the feare of that damnation thus threatned if he should goe on in those sinnes he hath begun to commit But to apply threatnings of eternall damnation simply to his person as that thou shalt dye eternally This the holy Ghost doth not speake to the heart of a beleever when he is a beleever And againe also 2 the holy Ghost may represent to him and minde him of all those examples of men in whom for their going on in sinne Heb. 10. ult his soule hath had no pleasure and of Gods dealings with them As how hee sware against many of the Israelites for their provocations of him that they should never enter into his rest and how he rejected Esau for the despisall of his birthright and all this with this end to startle and awaken him and with this intimation that for such and such sinnes God might in like maner deale with him For these and the like examples doth the Spirit of God set before the beleeving Hebrews Heb. chap. 3. and chap. 12. and the beleeving Corinthians 1 Cor. 10. from the 5. ver to the 13. to keep them in fearefulnesse to offend But to apply any such examples absolutely unto them so as to say thus God intends to doe with thee for such and such sinnes past and that God will never be mercifull This the holy Ghost doth not speake to a beleevers heart CHAP. IV. How Satan and our hearts increase this darknesse by false conclusions from the Spirits worke illustrated by the like in the illumination of Temporaries The Spirits work in both compared ANd now the Spirit of God having proceeded thus farre himselfe in causing such darknesse From which worke of the Spirit Satan and our hearts make false conclusions and terrors of conscience in them that feare him Sathan and their owne hearts unto which hee may and doth often further also leave them may take occasion from these dispensations of the holy Ghost which are all holy righteous and true to draw forth false and fearefull conclusions against themselves and their estates and start amazing doubts and feares of their utter want of Grace and lying under the curse and threatnings of eternall wrath at the present yea and further of eternall rejection for the future and that God will never be mercifull and so lay them lower and cast them into a further darknesse and bondage then the holy Ghost was cause of or intended Misinterpreting and perverting all these his righteous proceedings as interpreting that withdrawing his light and presence and hiding himselfe to be a casting them off Thus Heman Psal 88. 14. So likewise misconstruing that temporary wrath chastising and wounding their spirits for the present to bee no other then the impressions and earnest of Gods eternall vengeance and arguing from their being under wrath themselves to be children of wrath and misapplying the application of all those threatnings of eternall damnation made by the Spirit but in relation and under a condition of such and such courses for the future to bee absolute against their persons and to speake their present estate and because such examples of men cast off are presented to them to shew them what advantage God might take against them they mistaking thinke they reade their owne destiny laid before them in them and conclude that God will deale so with them And thus as the Apostle sayes of sinne Rom. 7. 11. That sinne taking occasion by the Commandement he misunderstanding the scope of it when a Pharisee it deceived him and thereby slew him and yet the Commandement is holy just and good ver 12. So Satan and our hearts by occasion of these dealings of the Spirit which are righteous and true as himselfe is who is the Spirit of truth and leades into truth doe deceive beleevers and lay them in their apprehensions among the staine whom God remembreth no more as Heman speakes Psal 88. 5. And as in these The like instanced in Temporaries so in other workes and dispensations of Gods Spirit it is ordinary for Satan and our hearts to practise the like delusions and false conclusions upon them To instance in those more common and inferiour workes of the Spirit on the hearts of men not as yet savingly regenerated The Spirit enlightning them together with impressions of joy and a tast of sweetnesse in the promises of the Gospell and of salvation revealed therein which under a condition of true repentance and conversion the Spirit of God doth make the offer and tender of Knowne unto their hearts Thus hee wrought upon the stony ground and in the Iewes by Iohns ministery Iohn 5. 35. which light and taste and revelation of this conditionall proffer tending in a way unto salvation by alluring their hearts to seeke it they often through Satans abuse of this good worke and the selfe-slattery of their owne hearts doe too hastily take to be that grace which accompanies salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on which hath salvation annexed to it from which the Apostle by that very expression Heb. 6. 9. doth difference those enlightnings ver 4. They thus mistaking these workes precursory to grace even as the Iewes mistooke Iohn that was but sent before to prepare the way for Christ to bee that very true Christ that was to come into the world and misunderstanding the entendment of Gods most blessed Spirit in such his dealings they make up too hasty a conclusion not meant by the Spirit in those promises And I instance in these the rather A comparison betweene the worke of illumination in them and of darknesse in these because these his dispensations of desertion which wee have in hand towards men already regenerated and those formentioned visitations towards such as often attaine not to regeneration are in an opposite way of comparison exceeding parallel and much alike in the dispensations themselves as well as in the differing false conclusions which are drawne from either and doe therefore exceedingly illustrate the one the other God withdrawing himself as much in their sense from those who are in covenant with him as hee drawes neere unto
and visits their hearts from on high who are as yet strangers to him The needle of Gods favour and love varying as much that I may so allude towards Hell in their Compasse who shall be saved as it doth heaven-ward in the other many of whom arrive not thither Mar. 12. 34. and as they are brought nigh to the kingdome of heaven as Christ told him so of true beleevers it may be said that their soules doe often draw neere to hell in their owne sense and apprehension and the paines of hell doe take hold upon them And as the other are enlightned as Balaam was so they are left to walke in darknesse and see 〈◊〉 light and doe taste of that wrath which the Law threatens as those other taste the goodnesse of that salvation the Gospell offereth God out of a temporary anger chastising them for a moment as with a temporary favour he shineth upon the other That as they for a season rejoyce in that light John 5. 35. So Gods dearest children may bee for a season in much heavinesse as the Apostle speakes 1 Pet. 1. 6. and walke in darknesse And as the similitude of the dealings themselves runne along so farre in a parallel line of comparision So it holds in the false apprehensions which Satan and our hearts doe make out of both and the cause of the mistake in each is also alike For Gods dealings with those Temporary beleevers being so like to those dealings towards such as receive a state of adoption from him They thence too hastily conclude their acceptance unto life And on the contrary Gods dealings with these Temporary despairers as I may so call them being so like in their sense to his proceedings with those hee cuts off for ever they in like maner as hastily conclude I said in my haste sayes David their eternall rejection Onely in the issue they prove unlike tending but to their present discomfort through their frailty but in the other through their owne willing neglect their enlightnings turne to their destruction So as to conclude wee must warily sever the worke of Gods Spirit herein from that of Satan and our owne hearts not attributing such desperate conclusions to the Spirit Thus that depth of sorow wherewith that humbled Corinthian was well nigh swallowed up 2 Cor. 2. 7. is ascribed unto Satan when ver 11. it is made and termed one of his devices which word doth in part referre to the Corinthians sorow Thus David also imputes that his questioning Psal 77. Whether God would be mercifull to him ver 7. unto his owne heart this is My infirmity sayes he ver 10. So as the blame herein is to be divided betweene Satan and our hearts CHAP. V. How our owne hearts are the causes of this darknesse The principles therein which are the causes of it TO speake more particularly of either First that our own hearts should be the causes and producers of such distresse and darknesse when the holy Ghost thus deales with us is at all no wonder because 1. As we are creatures §. 1. there is such a weaknesse and infirmity in us as David speakes 1. By reason of our weaknesse as we are creatures by reason of which if God doth but hide himselfe and withdraw his presence which supporteth us in comfort as in being we are ready presently to fall into these feares of our selves The Psalmist saith of all the creatures Psal 104. 29. Thou hidest thy face and they are troubled and this by reason of their weaknesse and dependance upon God And no lesse but farre greater is the dependance of the new creature upon Gods face and presence that it cannot be alone and beare up it selfe but it failes if God hide himselfe as Esay speakes Chap. 57. Especially now in this life during the infancy thereof whilest it is a childe as God speakes of Ephraim Hos 11. 1. then it cannot stand or goe alone unlesse God beare it up in his armes and teach it to goe as he speaks there ver 1 3. And then also as children left alone in the dark are afraid of bugbeares and they know not what and are apt to stumble and fall which is by reason of their weaknesse So is it with the new creature in its childhood here in this life It was my infirâ—â—â— sayes David and againe Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30. 6. There is not onely such a weaknesse in us as wee are creatures But 2. Also an innate darknesse in our spirits as we are sinfull creatures §. 2. since the fall 2. Of an innate darknesse as we are sinfull creatures our hearts of themselves are nothing but darknesse and therefore no wonder if when God drawes but the curtaines and shuts up the light from us that our hearts should engender and conceive such horrid feares and doubts Thus in the 2. Cor. 4. 6. The Apostle compareth this native darknesse of our hearts unto that Chaos and lumpe of darknesse which at the first creation covered the face of the deepe when he sayes that God who commanded light to shine out of darknes hee referreth to the first creation Gen. 1. 1 2. hath shined into our hearts even of us Apostles to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ So that no longer then God continues to shine either the light of comfort or of grace no longer doe our hearts even of us beleevers retaine light in them And if at any time he withhold that light of comfort in his face when yet he continueth an influence of grace Then so farre doe our hearts presently returne to their former darknesse And then doth that vast wombe of darknesse conceive and forme all those feares and doubts within it selfe Considering withall that our hearts are a great deepe also so deepe in darknesse and deceitfulnesse as no plummet can fathom them Deceitfull above all things who can know it Jer. 17. 9. Darknesse covereth not the face of this deepe only but it is darknes to the bottome throughout darknesse No wonder then if when the Spirit ceaseth to move upon this deepe with beames of light it cast us into such deepes and darknesse as Heman complaining speakes of Psal 88. 6. and frameth in it selfe such hideous apprehensions and desperate conclusions of a mans owne estate Especially seeing 3. §. 3. There is so much strength of carnall and corrupt reason in men 3. Principles of carnall reason ready to forge and invent strong reasons and arguments to confirme those sad feares and darkened apprehensions and those drawne from those dealings of Gods Spirit mentioned For as it is said of the Gentiles that when their foolish heart was darkened that is when left and given over to their own naturall darknesse they became vaine in their imaginations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the originall hath it in their reasonings Rom. 1. 21. and this even
defilement that then our consciences are as apt to fall into feares and doubts and self-condemnings even as much as when he withdrawes the assistance of his grace those other faculties are to fall into any other sinne And therefore as the Law of sinne in the other members may be up in armes and prevaile so farre as to leade us captive unto sinne So may the guilt of sinne in our consciences remaining in part defiled by the same reason prevaile against us and get the upper hand and lead us captive to feares and doubtings and cast us into bondage CHAP. VI. The third efficient cause Satan His speciall malice in this temptation commission accesse to and advantage over us in this temptation by reason of the darknesse in us THus far our owne hearts upon the holy Ghosts deserting become authors unto us of this darknesse But herein beleevers wrestle not alone with flesh and blood and the darknesse thereof but doe further conflict also with those spirituall wickednesses the Princes of darknesse Ephes 6. 12. about their interest in those heavenly priviledges as the phrase there used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee well interpreted even with Satan and his Angels Whom this Apostle compares to a roaring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that seekes whom hee may devoâ—re 1 Pet. 5. 8. And like as when God makes this naturall darknesse and it is night then the young Lions creepe forth and reare after their preâ— as the Psalmist sayes Psal 104. 20 21. So doe these roaring Lions now when A God hath withdrawne the light of his countenance and night comes on and those dampes and fogges of jealousies guilt begin to arise out of a mans own heart then come these forth and say as Davids enemies said in his distresse Come let us now take him for God hath forsaken him Let us now devoure him and swallow him up with sorow and despaire And as God sayes of those enemies of his Church Zach. 1. 15. I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction So when God is angry with his childe and but a little and doth hide his face but for a moment yet Satan watcheth that houre of darknesse as Christ calls it Luke 22. 53. and joynes his power of darknesse to this our naturall darknesse to cause if possible blacknesse of darknes even utter despaire in us Now concerning Satans working herein 4. things in generall premised to explaine Satans working herein wee will as in the former more distinctly treate thereof by way of explication of it 1. More generally 2. More particularly 1. In generall First §. 1. Satan he hath a speciall inclination and a more peculiar malicious desire Satan hath a speciall inclination to this kinde of temptation to vexe and molest the Saints with this sort of temptations of doubts and disquietnesse that God is not their God so as all other his temptations unto sinne are but as the laying in and barrelling up the gun-powder and making of the train for this great plot of blowing up all He tempteth Peter to deny his Master Satan desires to winnow you but hee hath a further reach a designe upon his faith which Christ foresaw and therefore did mainely bend his prayer against it But I have prayed that thy faith faile not Satan hoped by that grosse sinne to have drawne him into despaire Wee may likewise observe how hee did place this temptation in the forefront of those three assaults which hee made upon Christ who as in his obedience so in his temptations is made a compleate example unto us for hee was tempted in all things that is with all sorts of temptations and also like us for the maner only without sinne Heb. 4. 15. Now he tempted him not onely to vaine hopes when hee shewed him the glory of the whole would and to presumption to throw himselfe downe headlong from an now 〈…〉 ground But first and primarily to jealousies and distrusts between him and his Father and between his humane nature and the divine For when Christ had newly received that testimony from all the three persons the Father proclaiming him to bee his Sonne from heaven the Spirit descending on him at his baptisme it being the speciall grace and institution of that ordinance to seale up adoption and regeneration then comes Satan and tempts him to question that voice that it might be but a delusion and Christs humane nature never having done any outward miracle as yet as appeares Ioh. 2. 11. he would now have had him taken this occasion in the extremity of his hunger by commanding stones to become bread to make tryall whether he was the Sonne of God or no and hypostatically united to the second person which if God should not doe for him then to question his Son-ship and thinke all this to bee but a delusion This was the meaning of it If thou be the Sonne of God command these stones to be made bread c. withall insinuating that God leaving him even destitute of daily bread which parents that are evill give unto their children and not a stone instead of bread might seeme to occasion an if whether he was the Son of God or no. The reasons of this are The reasons 1. Above all graces in us hee is the greatest enemy to faith Therefore 1 Thess 3. 5. the Apostle was jealous of Satan in nothing more then in this lest he had been dealing and tampering with and perverting their faith I sent to know of your faith lest by some meanes the tempter hath tempted you For faith in God is the greatest enemy unto Satan it quencheth all his darts Ephes 6. 16. By standing stedfast in which we resist him so that he flyes from us 1 Pet. 5. 9. As therefore faith is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 6. that worke of God and the master-grace So despaire and doubting is the master-peece of Satan Rom. 15. 13. And in faith he is envious especially at the joy of our faith And as comfort is the most proper work of the Spirit and most pleasing work to him So is discomfort and distresse the proper worke of this evill Spirit And againe 2. as he is most opposite to the holy Spirit So he delights to blaspheme his worke in our hearts to us by perswading us that all is counterfeit 3. Hee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that envious one and the maine object and marke of his envy is this That God should be our God who hath cast off him and therefore when he sees he cannot separate between God and us really hee will endevour to cast and raise up jealousies that he is not our God in our apprehensions he endeavoured to raise jealousies betweene God and our first parents God knowes you shall be as gods c. As if God had forbidden them that fruit out of an envy towards them of a better condition and the like hee endeavoured betweene Christs humane
heavenly which concern our souls and estates hereafter Now the contention being about heavenly things and spirituall blessings it cannot bee transacted but by reasonings suitable that is spirituall false reasonings abstracted from sense and fancy and in this respect they are termed spirituall wickednesses because in such wickednesses they deal trade in especially or as much as in those that are sensuall as tempting to unbeliefe despaire blasphemy against God of which sort are all those teÌ„ptations we have now in hand And that he is able to convey and suggest such spirituall thoughts and reasonings of what sort soever appeareth many wayes as by injecting blasphemous thoughts against God such as doe sometimes transcend the wit and capacity of the receiver of them and is manifest likewise by Sauls prophesying even from the immediate dictating suggestion of an evill spirit as is expresly said 1 Sam. 18. 10. in the like maner to which haply the Sibylls also propheyed but more evidâ—â— it is in all those damnable heresies which have been broached in all ages as in the primitive times among the Romanes the broachers whereof are made the Emissaries of Satan therefore Rom. 16. 〈◊〉 Paul having branded them unto the Romans that taught false doctrines among them and having instructed them against them hee gives this encouragement about them ver 20. That God should treat dawne satan under their feet shortly having respect to Satans work in those errors mentioned v. 16. Satan being the main author of them Thus in the Church of Thyatira those cursed heretiques who applaâ—ded themselves and were admired by their followers for the depths and profoundnesse of the learning shewne in those heresies they broached Depths as they speake Rev. 2. 24. But if they call them depths sayes the Apostle I will call them Depths of satan Depths of satan as they speake for the devill was the master and the author and suggester of them so in after-times Apostacy is ascribed to spirits of errour that is Devils which he foretelleth men should give heed unto 1 Tim. 4. 1. in the working of satan 2 Th. â— 9. it was He that sharpened their wits and pens Now then by the same reason there is no reasoning about our estates though never so spiritual but he can suggest it as well as he did those depths of heresies to the broachers of 〈◊〉 So as Satan cannot onely make those false reasonings which our owne hearts forge more specious and probable and suggest further confirmations of them which are enough to add unto this darknes but he is also able to put in new which himself invents of what kinde soever they be Secondly To suggest them in such a maner as to take and deceive us he is not simply able to suggest them but to insinuate them in such a maner as to take with us and deceive us yea and often to set them on with a deep impression Therefore in those places forementioned it is not simply said that there should be spirits which should suggest errors but so suggest them as that men should give heed unto them 1 Tim. 4. 1. and 2 Thess 2. where the working of those very same spirits is set forth ver 9. it is not onely said that they were sent as from God to delude but with strong delusions such as should have a strength put into them to prevaile so as that men should beleeve them So also that lying spirit which God sent and who perswaded Ahab by a lye in the mouthes of his false Prophets commission is not simply given to him to suggest a lye but so as it should prevaile with Ahab so 2 Chron. 18. 21. And the Lord said thou shalt entise him and thou shalt also prevaile And as he is thus able when God gives leave to delude wicked mens understandings with false reasonings in matters of heresie and false doctrine by reason of that totall darknesse that is in them So he is able if God give leave as sometimes he doth to bring strong delusions upon the mindes of Gods children also through false reasonings about their owne estates by reason of that darknesse which in part remaines in them by meanes of which he may work the same effects for a time and in a certaine degree in a godly man which in another as was before observed Thus the beleeving Galatians especially some of them were so farre bewitched as his word is as for a time to assent to that great errour in point of justification And this by reason of that folly and darknesse which remained in them as he intimates when he sayes Oh ye foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth Gal. 3. 1. And if in the very doctrine of Justification it selfe beleevers were thus for a time deluded which is rare then much more may they and ordinarily are they misled in the application of faith in the beleeving their owne personall justification which is the point in hand A caution Onely this is to be added here for caution sake That it is true that Satan cannot enforce an act of assent to any falshood upon the understanding of any man For how then should they have all beene dawned for beleeving that lyed 2 Thess 2. 11 12. which should not have been unlesse it were their owne sinne which is as true of all other temptations as that Though Satan pat the thought into Iudas heart John 13. 2. yet his owne conscience ownes it wholly as his owne act Mat. 27. 4. I have sinned c. Neither yet doth hee is immediately concurre to produce such an act of assent in us Tentationis potest esse causa efficacax at non peccati potest necessitarehomines ad sentiendam tentationem non ad consentiendam as God doth when hee worketh saith in us for then Gods power and assistance in working good should bee no more then Satans in working evill And yet the Scripture phrases goe farre in ascribing unto Satan herein when it sayes of those that beleeved not the Gospell that the god of this world hath blinded their mindes that beleeve not 2 Cor. 4. which notes out a superadded working of blindnes unto their own naturall blindnes As also when he sayes that the Prince of the aire is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that workes effectually c. Ephes 2. 2. And also that of the Corinthians whilest unregenerate who as then are said to be caried and led away after dumbe Idolls 1 Cor. 12. 2. All which phrases would seeme to argue not onely a further power of working on mens judgements then when one man doth endeavour to corrupt and perswade another man in a morall way because he suggesteth indiscernably and with more frequency and importunity and holdeth the minde more to the object and presenteth an army of confirmations at once and is able so to marshall them as the minde can scarce resist and puts all these upon the Spirit with a violent and imperious
not remember what hath been betweene mee and thee in prayer in such a chamber at such a time Hast thou never a piece of a broken ring betweene him and thee no love passage no love-token that could not passe betweene him any whom he had not betrothed himself unto in kindnesse Hosea 2. 19. produce it at such a time as this And if thou shouldest discerne no grace in thee thy self yet desire him to look into thy heart be bold to enquire of him if he can see nothing there which himselfe wrote never to be blotted out if there be not some spark of love to him and his feare which himselfe put there and aske him if hee knowes his owne hand And for thy comfort know that when thou canst not reade it thy graces being much blurred yet hee can reade his owne hand at any time and will not deny it Thou maist be yet bolder Yea desire him to look into his own heart and therein to view the Idea he had of thee those secret ancient thoughts he bore towards thee frō all eternity And if at first he seems yet silent at it then desire him to look upon thee again ask him if he doth not know thee and if he hath not knowne and taken thee for his from everlasting and engraven thee in the palmes of his hands and table of his heart with such deep and lasting letters of loving kindnesse as are not as yet yea which will not for ever bee blotted out Tell him thou darest referre thy selfe wholly to what past between him and his Sonne concerning thee and let his owne heart cast it Appeale to Christ as thy surety and a witnesse thereof for thee who was privy to all his counsell whether thou art not one of those he gave unto him with a charge to redeem and save And desire him to look into Christs heart also if thy name bee not written there with his own hand and if that Christ did not beare thy name written up in his heart as the high Priest did the names of all the Tribes when he hung upon the Crosse and when he ascended into the Holy of holies Thus Habakkuk putting up a prayer in the name of the Church hath taught us to plead Hab. 1. 12. Oh Lord Art not thou from everlasting my God and mine holy One It was a bold question yet God dislikes it not but approves it and presently assents to it in a gracious answer to their hearts ere they went any further for their next words and those abruptly spoken by reason of a suddain answer are an assurance of this Wee shall not die God being put thus to it and his own thoughts being spoken could not deny it he acknowledgeth it was true And thus whilest thou maist bee a speaking blindfold as it were casting anchor in the dark yet speaking his very heart he haply may owne thee and fall upon thy neck and kisse thee And if yet after continuall praying thus thou findest still no comfort no answer from him but hee seemes rather even to shut thy very prayers out as Psal 22. 2 3. then expostulate as David doth Psal 70. 4. Why shuttest thou out our prayers and wilt not heare us pray for alas thought he we have nothing else to helpe us in the time of need but prayer And if prayer will doe no good I am undone say And if through all these discouragements thy condition prove worse and worse so as thou canst not pray but art struck dumb when thou commest into his presence as David Psal 77. 4. I am so troubled I cannot speake then fall a making signes when thou canst not speake groane sigh sob Chatter as Hezekiah did bemoane thy selfe for thine owne unworthinesse and desire Christ to speak thy requests for thee and God to heare him for thee 1 Iohn 2. 3. Christ he is an advocate with the Father and pleads no bad case nor was ever cast in any suit he pleaded And if still haply after many yeares he ownes thee not but is growes darker and darker suppose even till thy death approacheth or to such extremities that he seems to thee to cast thee off for ever so as thy distresse boils up to such thoughts as these That there is no other remedy but thou he must part then in the middest and depths of such sad feares and apprehensions downe upon thy knees once more and notwithstanding fall thou a blessing him for all those glorious excellencies of holinesse kindnesse grace wisdome c. which are in him the beauty of which first tooke thy heart and made thee enamoured with him though thou shouldest bee never like to bee the better for them Blesse him for all the mercy hee shews to others by which they have occasion to magnifie him though thou shouldest be found unworthy Blesse him and those who shall for ever live with him who doe stand about him and see his face and enjoy him ever What sinnes thou thinkest thou shalt be condemned for by him condemne thy selfe for first and still ask forgivenesse of them what service thou hast any way done him which he had any glory by get thy heart to say thou repentest not of it but art glad of all done for him and wishest it had been better What mercies thou hast tasted of from him confesse thy selfe unworthy of and thanke him though thou shouldest never partake of any more such dispositions as these in such extremities doe often appeare in the hearts of Gods children and desire him that hee would but preserve good thoughts of him in thee that thou maist not blaspheme him And when thou art agoing asinking into hell in thy owne apprehensions see if hee calls thee not back againe See what himselfe saith Ier. 31. 18 19 20. Ephraim is my sonne his deare sonne my pleasant sonne as hee sayes there and yet hee beganne to speake against him as bitter sharpe words as ever hee hath done against thee and tooke him up severely and lookt sternly on him as if he had meant never to have had mercy on him upon which Ephraim falls a crying being thus snibd and a bemoaning himselfe as I have taught thee to doe and being yoked as thou art to tame him he acknowledgeth it was justly done having beene a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke and Ephraim began to be ashamed confounded not able to looke up for sinning against him and seekes after repentance and that from him without whose help hee was not able to turne to him Turne thou me and I shall be turned and to challenge him and his eternall love Thou art the Lord my God Well sayes God though it bee long since I spake against him and I have suffered him long to lie thus plunged in misery yet I remember him still his teares his sighes will never out of my minde and though he thinks that I had forgotten him yet I remember him and my bowels are troubled for him as much
the light of this fire which carnall men not born againe content themselves with is that excusing which naturall conscience upon the performing any outward act of just dealing hath in such mens hearts mentioned Rom. 2. 15. And the walking in the light of this fire What by walking in the light of the fire is resting therein all their dayes not endevouring to have their hearts changed and to get a new principle of grace and of love to God fetcht from Christ as the spring of all Vse THe first Vse is Vse 1 seeing so many offer up but common fire to God Examine what fire we offer up to God it is good you examine whether that righteousnesse you think to please God with be any more then fire of your owne kindling First 1. The originall of it That righteousnesse which is kindled in thy heart and blazeth in thy life whence was it first enkindled examine the original of it Was it kindled in thee by fire from heaven that is by the Holy Ghost comming downe in Gods ordinances on thee as fire burning up thy lusts 〈◊〉 thy heart dissolving the workes of the devill enkindling sparks of true love to God zeale for his glory which are above the reach of mans naturall ability or is it no more then that whereas every man hath some sparkes of ingenuity and honesty towards others and of sobriety and of devotion to a Deity raked up in the ashes of corrupt nature for even the heathen had the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2. 14. which sparkes thou living in the Cuurch where civility and religion is professed civill education naturall wisedome and the accusings of naturall conscience enlightned have blowne up to some blaze to some just dealing common care of serving God yet know that if there be no other principle nor no more it is but fire of your owne kindling and you will lie downe in sorrow Secondly 2. The fuell examine what duties are especially the fuell of that fire in thee in what duties is that righteousnesse thou thinkest thou pleasest God with chiefly spent and exercised are they principally the duties of the second Table of just dealing with men and sobriety and it may be thou bringest withall a stick or two of the first Table to this fire that is some duties thereof such as for thy credit thou must not omit as comming to Gods ordinances of publique worship This fuell if there be no more argues 〈◊〉 but common fire for looke into the chimneys of the heathen thou shalt finde the most of all this practiced and in that thou dost put the chiefest of thy religion in them it is argued to be but a fire kindled of those sparks which are raked up in nature for those coÌ„mon sparks which are in all mens hearts are especially those of the second Table But now if it were a fire from heaven theÌ„ though those would not be left undone yet the chiefest heat of thy heart would be to the duties of heaven of the worship of God publique and private when men practise but so much righteousnesse as is necessary for them to doe if they will live in the world in any comfort or credit as to be just and sober is necessary as also to frequent Gods ordinances for the state we live in enjoyns them But when mens zeale and fervour contends also and lives upon such duties which the world regards not as mourning for sinne taking paines with the heart in private between God and a mans own soule and feeds upon heavenly things and thoughts and is such fire as the world quencheth it is a signe t is more then common fire Thirdly 3. By warming onely the outward man in these duties common fire warmes but the outward man as that fire doth which you feele daily it heats you not within so common righteousnesse contents it selfe with bodily exercise a formall performance of duties publique and private but fire from heaven heats first within heats the heart within as at the hearing the Word did not our hearts burn within us say they so it heats the heart in prayer makes a man fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Fourthly 4. What incentives enflame it examine what bellowes cherish and keep alive that fire of righteousnesse that is in thee and makes it flame that is what motives set thee awork to doe what thou dost if worldly ends make thee abstaine from sinne and to be just in thy dealings as credit with the world and feare of disgrace or the accusings of conscience onely or feare of hell or hope of heaven this is but common fire but if love to God the consideration of his mercies his eternall love and the love of Christ zeale for his glory if these be the bellowes the fire is heavenly But if when thou art to be moved with such as these they stir not thy heart It is but common fire The second Vse is Vse 2 to take heed of walking in the light of such fire that is resting in it for salvation and contenting your selves with it as most in the world doe and as the Iews here did for you will lie down in sorrow if you doe But you will say wee doe not trust in this our owne righteousnesse for we professe Christ and beleeve in him which added to this is enough I answer That though you professe Christ yet1. unlesse you have had a light that hath discovered to you that all the righteousnesse you have by nature and emproved in nature is a false righteousnesse you doe then as yet rest in your owne righteousnesse and rely not wholly on Christ So Phil. 3. Paul first sum all to be drosse and dung counted it losse that he might which râ—st it implies he could not have him els Men though they seem to take Christs Title as many will procure the Kings Title for a living to make all sure yet they keep and stick to and plead their own but you must give up that first and rely wholly on Christ or hee will not save you 2. Hee that doth not daily above all things directly and immediately aime at and seek out for Christs righteousnesse and maketh it not the chiefest of his thoughts prayers and businesse is restlesse without it rests in his owne for so when he had given up his title in his owne hee mainely endeavoured after this to bee found in Christ Phil. 3. Thirdly you will seeke from Christ a new righteousnesse of sanctification also for you will see that the common righteousnesse of nature and education will not please him and Christ must be made sanctification to you 1 Cor. 1. 30. aswell as righteousnesse Thus Nicodemus though a civill man afore yet when he came to Christ his old civility would not serve without being borne againe and becomming a new creature so as you must not think to make a supply or addition unto Christ with fire of your owne kindling you must have