por ion in them and not bee transformed to a spirituall state and frame of soule to love and delight in holy things and to despise that which is contrary And when he is in such a state what is all the world to him What cares he for riches or pleasures or honours when the soule sees incomparable better things Whom have I in heaven but thee and what doe I desire on earth in comparison of thee saith David When hee had a little meditated of the vanity of earthly things and saw the goodnesse of God to his children It is good for mee to draw neere unto God It is a speech of conviction the soule is convinced that it is good and best to draw neare to God in holy meanes and in holy duties to keep close to him and then it cries out whom have I in heaven but thee Therefore let us never rest in such a knowledge of holy things as doth not convince us of the goodnesse of them and of our interest in them so farre as may draw and worke upon our affections to imbrace those things When we finde our hearts and affections wrought on that holy things as they are excellent in themselves so they have an answerable place in our hearts that as they are holy and high and best so they have a high place in our hearts then a man is in the estate of a Christian or else a man may very well doubt of his estate when he can heare of heaven and happinesse and of the excellency of the children of God that they are heires of heaven c. and his heart bee not affected with these things he may well question himselfe doe I believe these things here are rich and precious promises but where is my precious faith to close with and to imbrace these things doe I believe them If Idoe how is it that I am no more affected with them and so let us stand in the meditation of the excellencies of Religion so long till our hearts be affected and warmed with them This will follow affections a desire to thinke oft of them as David joynes both together Oh! how doe I love thy law it is my meditation continually That that a man loves hee oft thinks of that stirres up love and love makes him oft consider of it and when it is thus with a man hee is in such 〈◊〉 condition as these holy Patriarchs fit to live and die by his faith They saw them and were perswad of them and imbraced them Therefore I say we may know whether we have this spirituall light whether wee have true faith or no if we have these imbracings if wee be so perswaded of them that wee imbrace them with delight and desire and love and joy if we make choyse of them and esteeme them highly and cleave constantly to that which is revealed to us then it is a divine light and perswasion because wee imbrace them Certainely there is nothing in religion divine unlesse the affections bee carried with it True faith carries the whole soule to whole Christ out of a mans whole selfe It carries the understanding to see and the will to chuse and to cleave it carries the affections to joy and delight and love it carries all Therefore those that when holy things 〈◊〉 discovered they have not a high esteem of them that they priâ—…e them not above earthly things that they cleave not to them with a disesteeme of other things that they joy not in them as their best portion that they doe not imbrace them there is no true faith at all for where there is true faith there is this imbracing God hath made the soule as I said for these heavenly things and when the soule and they close together there is a sweet imbracing then the soule is raysed above it selfe the soule is quieted and stilled and satisfied There is nothing in the world else will better the soule but the imbracing of these things nothing else will beautifiâ—… and adorne the soule in Godâ—… sight our soules are made forthem our desires are made to imbrace them our love and oâ—… joy to delight in them our wills to cleave to them and â—…ke choyse of them above other things We abuse our soules they are not made 〈◊〉 close and graspe with the world they are noâ—… made for thâ—…se things that are baseâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selves we abase our soules A coveâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himselfe wo sethan â—…is 〈◊〉 he is called the world because hee hath nothing in him better than the world If we imbrace Christ and the promises of salvation the things of anotherlife the imbracing of these rayseth the soule to bee excellent like the things and it doth 〈◊〉 and rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the heavic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middle pâ—…int of the earth and light bodies rest 〈◊〉 to their 〈◊〉 So the soule it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith resting in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soule â—…rying it to the thing it is made for 〈◊〉 these holy men in all the â—…yles and 〈◊〉 bles of tho world in all confusions thâ—… soules of these blessed 〈◊〉 rested in Christ. We may say of all earthly things as 〈◊〉 hath this sentence of them Micah 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hence here is not your rest so we may say to the soule concerning riâ—…hes and honours and friends here is 〈◊〉 yours rest You were not made to imbrace and to cleave to these things Our rest is in Christ and in the good things we have by him These good 〈◊〉 imbraced him with their whole soule This shewes that many men have not faith they know not what it meanes Where there is trâ—…e faith there is alway love and joy and delight in the things believed it carries the soule with it In what measure we apprehend the goodnesse of a thing in that measure our love is to it In what measure wee apprehend the greatnesse and fitnesse of a thing in that measure our affections are carried to it The understanding reports it to the affections of love and liking and they are naturally carried to that which the soule makes report of to bee usefull the understanding makes them follow it therfore it is a signe our understandings are not perswaded our eyes are not opened when wee love not good persons and good things when wee cleave not to them above all things Those that do not imbrace and cleave in their will and affections to good things let them say what they will they doe not believe If there were but a light conjecture in men if there were but a guessing that there were such a happinesse and that there were such horrible â—…orments for sinners that live in sinne they would live otherwise then they doe Therefore deadnesse in the affections discovers Atheisme in the judgment and heart it shewes there is unbeliefe for how is it possible that a man
should not be carried in his affections to a good that he is perswaded of and how is it possible he should not loath ill and dest 〈◊〉 things If he were perswaded that hell were such as it is and that these courses lead to hell and destruction and estrange him from the favour of God whose loving kindnesse is better then life it self if men were perswaded of 〈◊〉 things in any strength their soules would not be affected as they are Therefore if wee would know whether nature be corrupted or no we may do it by this You have some men that are conceited especially when they are in their ruffe and have all things plenty Divines talke much of the corruption of nature and such things they think all is well O! but do but lay these things together the excellency of the things promised and the terrour of the things threaâ—…ed and our â—…ndisposition to these things in regard of perswasion that we live as if we did not think these things to be true What a disposiâ—…on oâ—… soule is that that cals divine truths into question To believe the lies of our owne hearts and the temptations of the devill and the world that lies in mischiefe before the 〈◊〉 ved truth of GOD it selfe that is sealed 〈◊〉 the oath of God And yet the heart of man 〈◊〉 naturally carried to believe these things moâ—… than God himselfe Witnesse the lives of meâ—… who have dead carâ—… base affections 〈◊〉 regard of heavenly things they shew 〈◊〉 they are not perswaded of them notwithstanding all the sweete arguments and perswasions that the Scripture hath They doe not professe that they call them in question yet they live as if they made no doubt that they are all false It is a folly not to believe those things that are sealed by so many evidences as divine things are but it is more desperate folly to live as if wee did not believe them at all If these things were digested they would make us out of love with our owne naturall estate and to labour for a spirit of faith to perswade our soules both that those things are so indeed that God hath revealed and to get assured perswasion of our part and interest in them Indeed a dead faith is no faith at all it is the effect of the whole Epistle of S. Iames that it is no faith that is dead it doth not worke upon the heart and affections nor the life and conversation a dead faith is no faith at all Let us shame our selves therefore Lord doe I professe I see things above nature that I see Christ in heaven and see my selfe there and do I professe that I am perswaded that the word of God is true and am I no more affected where is my love where is my joy where is my comfort doth my heart runne after other things that professe my selfe to bee perswaded of better things Let us never rest but bee angry and wroth with our hearts and affections for they are made for these promises our precious faith is made to imbrace precious promises and to carry the whole soule to them And let us helpe this with complaining of our selves and with prayer Lord thou hast discovered excellent things in thy word and hast perswaded me Lord open my heart the heart is thy throne the heart and will and affections thou dealest with especially Lord incline my heart inlarge my heart The LORD hath promised in the new covenant to teach our bowels to love Lord teach my heart to love thee Thou hast opened my understanding to conceive holy things or else I had never beene able to understand thee and thy truth teach my bowels also to love teach them to cleave to the things take off my love my joy and delight from earthly things and plant them where they should be inlarge them the right way fill my heart with thy selfe as thou hast made it for thy selfe This should be our desire What be the affections wherby the soule imbraceth these good things it is perswaded of The soule imbraceth these things in the affections of faith and hope in the first place for faith is an emptiegrace in it selfe it is carried to somewhat out of it selfe that it imbraceth and layeth hold on and hope is with faith alway Together with the work of faith and hope there is a sanctifyed affection of the imbracing soule there is a love of the things promised which is imbracing and a love of the meanes and likewise joy and delight in them expressed by thankfulnesse As you see the Patriarchs in the story of Genesis when God discovered holy things to them aâ—…resh that he would give them the land of Canaan and the Messias to come and all that happinesse there was thankfulnesse presently they built Altars to God And which alway accompanies thankfulnesse humility As Abraham Genesis 17. 3. downe he falls when God made him such a large promise he fals downe on his face as if he were unworthy of such a thing so this disposition alway accompanies a soule that imbraceth together with faith and hope that leads the affections after them there is love expressed in a constant obedience and care of duty to God many wayes As it is an affection that will not bee concealed And joy and delight with thankfulnesse and humility considering the excellency of the things and our unworthinesse that we cannot but have this disposition alway thankfulnes and humility And likewise contentment to end our dayes a disposition that followes imbracing in faith for where imbracing of faith and love is in an imperfectestate there will be joy when that comes that makes way to full imbracing that is in heaven it selfe as Simeon rejoyced when hee imbraced Christ in his armes what did the old man thinke we when he came to heaven when Christ and he met there And Abraham rejoyced to see CHRISTS day with the eye of faith and likewise imbraced it with faith and that wrought joy What did Abraham then when he came to heaven when he see all ended there I say death that makes way to full enjoyning and imbracing in this very respect it is not only patiently entertained of Gods children but comfortably as letting them in to the good things that they esteeme above all the world besides to the possession of Christ to heaven and happinesse Let us consider of these things To come to direct us a little about this imbracing in faith and hope and love and joy and the whole soule when the soule as it were goes out to the things wee are perswaded of How shall this be wrought upon the soule This imbracing wee see it followes upon perswasion and perswasion followes seeing they saw them farre off and were perswaded of them and thereupon they imbraced them Therefore let us labour for a cleare understanding of divine things That which the eye sees the heart grieves for in ill and that that
would never have created the world the Father Sonne and Holy-ghost were happy in themselves and enjoyed one another before the world was but that God delights to communicate and spread his goodnesse there had never beene a Creation nor a Redemption God useth his creatures not for defect of power that he can do nothing without them but for the spreading of his goodnesse and thereupon comes all the subordination of one creature to another and all to him Oh that we had hearts to make way for such a goodnesse as God would cast into us if wee were as wee should be Gods goodnesse is a spreading imparting goodnesse It is a common distinction there is the goodnesse of the Fountaine and the goodnesse of the Vessell that is our goodness because we contain somewhat in us that is good the goodnesse of the creature that is but the Channell or the Cisterne but the goodnesse of God is another manner of goodnesse the goodnesse of the Fountaine The Fountaine begs not from the River the Sunne borrowes not light from the Candle God begs not goodnesse from the creature Ours is a borrowed goodnesse but his is a communicative goodnesse seek my face that I may impart my goodnesse The Sun delights to spread his beames and his influenâ—… in inferiour things to make all things fruitfull such a goodnesse is in God as is in a Fountaine or in the brest that loves to ease it selfe of milke I note it that wee may conceive aright of God that is more willing to bestow good then we are to aske it hee is so willing to bestow it that he becomes a Sutor to us seeke yee my face he seekes to us to seeke him It is strange that heaven should seek to earth yet so it is Whence comes this in God the at ribute oâ—… goodnesse the spreading goodnesse in his 〈◊〉 ture that he desires to impart and to commâ—…nicate himselfe There is no envie in God he hath none above him and therefore he labours to make al good There is a mysterie in it but if some bee 〈◊〉 good the fault is in themselvs as it is a prerogative in him to make some more and some leâ—… good so there is a fault in them that I 〈◊〉 no better it is my owne fault The prerogative belongs to God we must not search into that but every man may say I might have beene better and more enlarged I did not seeke his face that hee might take occasion to â—…nlarge himselfe towards me would wee be like our heavenly Father let us labour to have large affections to have a spreading goodnesse Two things make us very like God thâ—… much concerne this point To do things freely of our selves and to doe them farre To communicate goodnesse and to communicate it faâ—…e to many The greater the fire is the further it burnes the greater the love is the further it extends and communicates it selfe There are none more like God then those that communicate what good they have to others and communicate it as farre and remote as they can to extend it to many Our Saviour Christ you see what a world were beholding to him Heaven and earth were beholding to him and the nearer a man comes â—…o Christ the more there is a kind of felfeâ—…eniall to doe good to others Saint Paul had 〈◊〉 great measure of Christ in him he was conâ—…ent to bee bestowed for the good of the Church the care of all did lie upon him A â—…ublike mind is Gods mind a publike mind is a mind that loves to do good freely and largeâ—…y to others therefore God saith seeke my face that I may have better opportunity to empty my goodnesse to you Seeke my face that is seeke my presence the face is the glasse of the soule wherein we see the mind of a man seeke my face that is seeke my mind seeke my presence as wee shall see afterward I will speake no more of that point Gods warrant or command but goe on My heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seeke Here is the worke and obedience My heart said unto thee c. Davids heart was set in a good and sanctified frame by God it was betweene God and his obedience The heart is betweene God and our obedience as it were an Embassadoâ—…r it understands from God what God will have done and then it layes a command upon the whole man The hear and conscience of man is partly divine partly humane it hath some divinity in it especially if the man be a holy man God speakes and the heart speakes God speakes to the Heart and the Heart speakes to us And oft times when we heare conscience speaking to us we neglect it and as Saint Augustine said of himselfe God spake often to me and I was ignorant of it When there is no command in the word that the heart directly thinkes of as indeed many prophane carelesse men scarce have a Bible in their houses God speakes to them thus conscience speakes to them some broken command that they learne against their wils they heed it not but David did not so God said Seekeyee my face his heart answers thy face Lord will I seeke The heart lookes upward to God and then to it selfe My heart said It said to thee and then to it selfe First his heart said to God Lord I have incouragement from thee thou hast commanded that I should seeke thy face so his heart looked to God and then it speakes to it selfe Thy face Lord will I seeke It looks first to God and then to all things that come from it selfe My heart said it said of that point concerning the thing thou saidst seeke my face My heart said to thee David saw God in all his commandements Thou saidst to me seeke my face My heart said to thee I know the command is from thee I have to deale with thee in the command and incouragement and in the warrant I looke not to the words but to thee the authority and strength of them comes from thee My heart said to thee thy face Lord will I seeke Betweene the answer of David and Gods command and warrant the heart comes to thinke seriously upon the command and then to enjoyne the dutie This is to be considered because there is no knitting of these two together but by the heart the serious consideration of the heart when God faith seeke my face he answers I will seeke thy face How comes this returne The soule considers the ground of the returne before the returne A man when he doth any thing hee doth it from the principles of a man a holy man when hee doth a thing he doth it from the principle of a holy man and what is the principles and foundation of the practise of a holy man a sanctified understanding to tell him what God hath said and what he hath promised and wherein God hath discovered himselfe Well when the heart knowes
be over much cast downe peace will preserve you And if we doe not seeke the face of God now when we may enjoy his presence weâ—… shall never see his face in glory hereafter 〈◊〉 must now be acquainted with him or else we shall not when we would Therefore as we may injoy the presence of God in his Ordinances so in all our affaires let us seeke his face and blessing let us have what we have and doe what we doe in his blessing and assistance and not in the strength of wit and shifts Let us do what we do by divine strength and in confidence of his blessing That that we do by his strength we may expect his blessing on we cannot doe so by our shifts Let us in ure our selves in these courses and we shal find much peace and by long acquaintance with God we shall be able to commit our soules to him we shall be able to looke him in the face at the houre of death He that lookes God iâ—… the face often in prayer and seeking him may looke death in the face These things may be made effectuall if your hearts be prepared as the Scripture phrase is And because I mentioned preparing that is a word in Scripture that is set before seeking Rehoboam did not thrive he did not prepare his heart to seeke God Iehosaphat was blessed of God hee prepared his heart to seeke the Lord. Therefore let us come prepared to seeke God prepare our hearts to seeke him Thinke when I goe to the congregation I goe to seeke Gods face therefore come in humility and subjection And in all the courses of our lives let all of us prepare and set our hearts in frame to seeke God in all things and let us set upon nothing that we cannot depend on him for assistance and looke to him for a blessing And when wee cannot injoy his favour and blessing in any thing we were as good be without it as have it This is the way to have our wills in all things Christ the truth it selfe hath left â—…s this one sweete promise Seeke yee first the kingdome of God He speakes there of seeking our owne good what is the best thing wee should seeke for Seeke ye first the kingdome of God of grace and of glory the favour of God and the fruit of his favour grace Seeke those best things in the first place what then It is the way to have all things else as farre as they are for our good But we would have more we thinke if we seeke to God and depend upon Gods divine principles and rules it is a way to beggery and disgrace Oh no It is the way to have our owne desire in all things as farre as is for our good Let us seeke first the kingdome of God that God may rule and raigne in us and we shall raigne in the kingdome of God For other things God will bring it to passe I know nothow they shall be cast upon us He that is fâ—…ll for heaven and happinesse GOD will make him full for the world and successefull as much as he sees 〈◊〉 to bring him to heaven if God see any thing that would hinder him he must leave that to his wisdome Therefore let us labour to bee able from truth of heart to returne to the commandement and promise of God this sweete and gracious answer of the holy man David when God saith generally or particularly Seeke my face Thy face Lord will I seeke FINIS FAITH TRIVMPHANT In five Sermons on HEB. 11. 13. By The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr. of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE LUKE 7. 50. And hee said to the woman thy faith hath saved thee goe in peace LONDON Printed by T. B. for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-noster-Row 1639. FAITH TRIVMPHANT HEBR. 11. 13. These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seene them afarre off they were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth THis Chapter is a little booke of Martyrâ—… it discovers the life and death of the holy Patriarchs and by what meanes Gods Children are brought into possession of that that they have an interest and right unto upon earâ—…h it is by faith by faith we do and suffer all that we doe and suffer all that God hath ordained us to goe through till he have brought us and invested uâ—… to heaven which is prepared for us In the former part of the Chapter there is an induction the instances of perticular blessed Patriarchs and after he had named diverse particulars he summes them up in this generall All these died in faith In this verse there is First the generall set downe All these died in faith And then the particular unfolding of this They received not the promises having scene them a-farre off and were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on earth He sets downe their faith particularly hereby setting down what might hinder it and yet did not hinder it the not receiving of the promises They received not the promises and yet they beleeved the promises that is the things promised they were afarre off and yet they saw them They saw them that is the first degree They were perswaded of them that is the second They imbraced them that is the third They confessed they were pilgrims and strangers that is the fourth All these died in faith There is one faith from the beginning of the world as there is one Christ one salvation so there is one uniforme faith for the saving of our soules wee hope to bee saved by Iesus Christ as they were I doe but touch that Then againe here is implied a continuance and perseverance in faith All those died in faith that is they lived in faith and by saith till they died and then they died in faith Faith first makes a Christian and then after he lives by faith it quickens the life of grace and then he leades his life by that faith he continues in it till he come to death which is the period of all and then he dies by that faith But of perseverance to the end and the helps to it I spake at large upon another occasion therefore I omit it All these died in faith Faith carried them along all their life time till death it selfe Now that faith that helped them through all the difficulties of this life that faith by which they lived in that faith they died They dyed in faith In the faith of the Messias infaith of Canaan in faith of heaven For the Patriarchs they had not Canaan till many hundred yeares after it was a type of heaven they had not Christ till some thousands of yeares after So they died in faith of Christ of
the Covenant of grace they are operative and working when he commands us to beleeve and obey he gives us grace to beleeve and obey It is our selves that answere but not from our selves but from grace yet notwithstanding let us make this use of it letus search our selves though it be not from our selves that we answere Gods promise by faith and his command by obedience yet we must have this obedience though from him before we can challenge any thing at Gods hands It is arrogant presumption to hope for Heaven and Salvation before we have grace to answere all Gods promises and commands by a good conscience To come more particularly to the words some will have it the Questioning the Demand of a good Conscience but that followes the other For when wee answere truely the interrogatories in Baptisme when we beleeve and renounce then we may from a good conscience demand of God all the good in Christ we may cal upon him pray unto him hath not Christ died and made peace betweene thee and us And may we not triumph against all enemies when there is the answere of a good Conscience If Sathan lay any thing to our charge Christ died and rose and sits at the right hand of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people We may with a heart sprinkled with the blood of Christ now ascended into heaven answere all objections and triumph against all enemies wee may goe boldly to God and demand the performance of his promises Hence comes all the spirit of boldnesse in prayer from the answere of a good Conscience for that drawes all other after it Now to come more particularly to the words The answere of a good Conscience It would take up all the time to speake of Conscience in generall and it were not to much purpose I will take it as it serves my purpose at this time A good conscience in this place is a Conscience peaceable and gracious peace and purity make up a good Conscience To make this clearer there be three degrees of a good Conscience though the last bee here meant especially There is first a good Conscience that is troubled a troubled good Conscience and then a pacified good Conscience and then a gracious good Conscience A troubled good Conscience is when the spirit by conviction opens to us what we are in our selves he opens our sins and the danger and soulnesse of our sins whereupon our Conscience is terrified and affrighted Therefore this good Conscience whereby we are convinced of our estate by nature in itselfe it is a good Conscience and tends to good for it tends to drive us to Christ. There is a good Conscience therefore that hath terrour with it The second degree of a good conscience is that that comes from the other when we are convinced of sinne and of the Miserie that coms by sinne then that good conscience speakes peace to us when God shines upon the conscience by his spirit from whence there is peace that is a peaceable good conscience For God takes this course after he hath terrified conscience by his spirit and word then he offers in the Gospell and not onely offers but commands us to beleeve he offers all good in Christ and commands us not only so but invites us Come unto me all ye that are wearie c. Nay he beseecheth us We beseech you to be reconciled he takes all courses Now his spirit going with these intreaties he perswades the soule that he is our gracious Father in Christ Iesus Christ hath suffered such great things and he is God and man he is willing and able to save us Considering he is annoynted of God for this purpose hereupon conscience is satisfied and doth willingly yeeld to these gracious promises it yeelds to this command of beleeving to these sweet invitings This is a peaceable good Conscience Hereupon comes in the third place a gracious good conscience which is a conscience after we have beleeved that resolves to please God in all things as the Apostle saith Heb. 13. We have a good Conscience studying to please God in all things we have a good conscience toward God and toward men When the conscience is appeased and quieted then it is fit to serve God as an instrument that is in tune An instrument out of tune yeelds nothing but harsh Musique so when the soule and conscience is distempered and not set at peace it is not gracious So now you see the order there is a troubled good conscience and a peaceable good conscience and then a gracious heart forwhile conscience is not at peace by the blood and resurrection of Iesus Christ by considering him and by application of him there is no grace nor service of God with that heart but the heart shuns God it hates God and murmurs against God men thinke why should they doe good deeds when they beleeve not when they cast not themselves upon Christ and when conscience is not sprinkled with the blood of Christ they are able to doe nothing out of the love of God and whatsoever is not of faith and love it is sinne The heart cannot but be afraid of God and wish there were no God and murmur and repine till it be pacified That is the reason why the Apostles in the latter part of their Epistles they presse conscience of good duties when they had taught Christians before and stablished them in Christ because all duties issue from faith if they come not thence they are nothing if there be first faith in Christ then there will be a good conscience in our lives and conversations And from the gracious conscience comes the increase of a peaceable conscience there must be peace before we can graciously renew our Covenants to please God but when we have both these faith in Christ and a resolution to please God in all things there comes an increase of peace for then there is an argument to satisfie conscience when first of all conscience goes to Christ to the foundation I have answered Gods command I have beleeved and cast my selfe upon Christ I have answered Gods promise he hath promised if I doe so he will give me Christ with all his Benefits I have yeelded the obedience of faith hereupon comes some comfort here is the foundation of this obedience But then when Conscience likewise from this resolves to please God in all things in the duties to God and man hereupon comes another increase of peace when I looke to the life of grace in my owne heart For a working carefull Christian hath a double ground of comfort One in the command to beleeve and in the promise whether he hath evidences of grace or no but when he hath power by the spirit to lead a godly life and to keepe a good conscience in all things then he hath comfort from the evidence of grace in his owne heart from whence
spoken therefore of those that are of yeares of discretion we leave infants to the mercie of God Those therefore that are at yeares of discretion must have grace to answer the Covenant of grace by beleeving and renouncing To come therefore to our selves We that will answer to the Covenant made in baptism must perform it especially that that we then Covenanted what was that we answered that we would beleeve doest thou beleeve I beleeve every Article of the faith and doe you renounce the Devill and all his works I doe Therefore unlesse now we beleeve in Christ and renounce the Devill we renounce our Baptisme it doth us no good There are diverse kinds of people that overthrow their owne Baptisme Those that live in sins against conscience they doe renounce their baptisme in some sort those that feed their corruptions for in baptisme we are consecrated in soule and body to God we are given up to him we are not our owne his name is called on us we are called Christians therefore our eyes are not our owne our hands are not our owne our thoughts and affections are not our owne there must be a renouncing and a denyall of all sinne as farre as it is contrary to Christs spirit Those therefore that labour to feed their corruptions what doe they else so farre but renounce their baptisme and under the Livery of Christ serve the enemie of Christ the Devill that they should renounce Those that feed their eies with seeing of vanity and their â—…ares with filthy discourse those that suffer their feet to carrie them to places where they infect their soules those that instead of renouncing their corruptions feed them and their hearts tell them they cherish those corruptions they should renounce by baptisme what shall we think of these and yet they think to be saved by Christ. God is mercifull and Christ died when they live in a continuall renouncing of baptisme For a use therefore of exhortation if so be that this be the effectuall baptisme the chiefe thing that we ought to stand on this answer of a good conscience then I beseech you let us all labour for this eccho for this answer when God saith seeke yee my face to answer thy face Lord will I seeke When he saith I will be your God to answer we will be thy people when he saith in the Ministery beleeve to answer Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe let us labour to eccho this holie eccho is the answer in the Covenant of grace This answer of our faith is set downe in Scripture alway when it speaks of the estate of those that are in the Covenant of grace it is mentioned on our part that we take God for our God and Christ for our Christ My beloved is mine and I am my beloveds there is a mutuall owning of both sides Therefore if we would answer the Covenant of grace let us worke our hearts to answer when we heare in the Ministry and in the Covenant of grace answer Lord I desire to beleeve this And when there is any thing commanded let our hearts answer and desire God to bow our inward man to obedience that we may be plyable Let us labour to have that free spirit that holy David prayes for Psal. 51. That was stopped by reason of his sin for when we renew sins against conscience we stop the mouth of our prayers that we cannot goe to God we stop the mouth of conscience that we cannot goe boldlie to God therefore he had then lost that freedome of spirit Let us labour to be plyable to the spirit readie to answer God in all that we are exhorted to and to yeeld the obedience of Faith to all the Promises that is the state of those that are in the Covenant of Grace there is the answer of a good Conscience Therefore let us resolve to take this course if we would attaine the answer of a good Conscience First of all labour that our consciences may be convinced of the ill that is in us that we may have a good troubled conscience first that we may know thorowly what our estate by nature is And then labour in the second place to have prace and then rayse and renew our purpose to serve God in all things and to trye the truth of this let us put interrogatories to our selves let us aske our selves doe I beleeve doe I not daube with my heart doe I obey doe I willingly cast my selfe into the mold of Gods word and willingly obey all that I heare doe I not deceive my selfe let us propound these interrogatories God is greater then our conscience if we answer God with reservations I will answer God in this and not in this I will yeeld to religion as farre as it may stand with my owne lusts and advantage this is not the answer of a good conscience What is done to God must be done all what is done zealously and religiously hath respect to all Gods Commandements and promises to one thing as well as an another If our hearts tell us there are reservations from false grounds here is not the answer of a good conscience Therefore let us search our selves and propound questions to our selves whether we beleeve and obey or no and from what ground wee doe it And let us make use of our Baptisme upon all occasions as thus Satan hath two wayes of tempting One is he tempts to sinne and then he tempts for sinne to accuse our consciences to make a breach betweene God and us that we dare not looke upon God when he tempts us or our corruptions move us or the world by allurements would draw us to any sinne let us thinke of our Baptisme and the answer we have made there and make use of it is this agreeable to the promise I made surely I have renounced this shall I overthrow my owne promise I make conscience to make good my promise to men and shall I breake with God I have promised to God to renounce the flesh the world and the Divell to renounce all these corruptions Let us have these thoughts when we are solicited to sinne when proud nature would have us set up the banner of pride I have renounced these proud affections I shall overthrow my baptisme if I yeeld And so for the enlarging of our estates or for getting up to honour to please mens humours to breake the peace of my conscience these things we have renounced the world and the vanities of it in our Baptisme The life of many is nothing but a breach of their vow and Covenant in Baptisme How will they looke at the houre of death and the day of judgement that God should keepe his promise with them to give them life everlasting when they never had grace to keepe touch with him notwithstanding their ingagements in Baptisme and their so often repeating it at the Communion and their renewing of their vowes when they
more restrained either inwardly by the Spirit and by the conscience or outwardly by the Lawes and terrour the more mercifully God deales with men so the more free the current of the disposition runs in ill wayes the more wretched a man is Yea but will the heart of some Atheisticall person presently say what punishment is it as long as I have liberty in evill and meet with no hinderance in my courses and feele no harme but rather the contrary as many that get their riches by ill meanes and those great Papists those great Vsurpers wee see what estates they get to themselves I answer Spiritual Iudgements are so much the greater by how much they are lesse sensible because if they bee not sensible to us here they will bee the more sensible to us hereafter And those that have their will most here shall suffer most against their will hereafter It is the greatest judgement in this world for a man to have his wil in sinfull courses Hee that shall make an Idoll of his will especially a man that is in great place of Honour that shall make all wayes serve for the accomplishment of his will when he hath â—…t he is the most miserablest man in the world â—…or hee that hath his will most in courses unjustifiable shall suffer most against his will when he commeth to a reckoning such men therefore are the more miserable because such taking themselves to be absolute persons and their waies the best wais though they have many determents from their base courses yet they will heare no counsell and therefore the â—…rder to be reclaimed It doth not therefore take away from their punishment but rather aggravate it I beseech you let me presse this a little that these Iudgements are great Iudgements although wee doe not feele them when with a free consent we give our selves unto ill It is a heavie Iudgement when God leaves us to our owne lusts and takes away the guidance of his Spirit we had better that God should give us up to the Devill for a while to bee tormented we had better be in Hell if a man might come out at a certaine time then to bee given up all our life time to doe with our owne consent and will that which is liking to our owne will and lust because by yeelding to our own will wee yield to the Devill that rules in a Mans affections and will For a Mans affections when they are carried to evill they are the Chariots of Sathan when the Devil sees excessive sinfull affections as excessive sinfull joy and delight in sinfull pleasures he being about us is alwayes carried in these affections and carries us also strongly in the wayes that lead unto eternall perdition Wee judge when a man suffers some outward punishment as casting into prison or the losse of his sight oh hee is infearfull case but what is the case of a man blinded by Sathan and his owne lusâ—…s A man that is a slave to his owne base affections and by consequent to the Devill which rules in his affections and so consequently to damnation A man that lies under the wrath of God that hath no heart to repent If a man had spirituall eyes to consider the case of that man he would never pitty so much the case of those men that suffer outward losses as hee would pitty those which he sees to live and oftentimes to die in evill courses of life This should therefore be an use of direction to us that seeing we heare that God rules the hearts of men that hee takes away his Spirit and leaves men to occasions wee should pray to God to rule our hearts himselfe Lord take thou the rule of our hearts to governe them thy selfe It was a good prayer of the Ancient Church Oh God from whom all holy desires and all good counsels doe proceed c. Indeed it is hee from whom all good counsels doe proceed These ten Hornes they were ten Kings no doubt but as they were men of great place so of great parts but without Gods Spirit without his light the greatest and the wisest man is but mad he is as a man out of his wits puzzeled in darknesse and knowes not which way to goe When God gives men over to their own lusts to their blind affections they lead men to judgement they must needs fall into the pit Let us desire God to put into our hearts holy desires holy purposes for from him all holy desires come let us desire him not only to governe our estate and to preserve our bodies from danger but Lord keepe thou our hearts we cannot keepe our hearts of our selves doe thou bend our understandings bow our affections and our wils that they may run in the right way And to stirre us up to this the more wee must know that that Evill which wee do not we are beholding to God for as much as for the good wee doe Why doe not men having an ill disposition and corruptature doe ill Because God offers not occasions of ill if God should offer occasions they would commit the Evill as well as others It is God that puts into mens hearts to hate that Evill If God should take away his Spirit men would not hate evill when occasions are offered as these men did not when the occasion was offered They gave up their kingdomes and thrones to the Beast So that we are beholding to God for all the ill that we do not either it is his not offring occasions or else his giving us strength in the occasions This we forget Wee are apt to say this wicked man hath done this this good man is fallen into this this man hath done that but where is our devotion at this time we should rather say Lord it was thee for causes thou best knowest for if thou hadst left me especially when occasions were presented and offered and there was a correspondent corruption in my heart to close with the occasion I had fallen into the like sinne it was thy keeping and not my goodnesse One thing more the Beast is exprest before in Chapter 13. to bee lead by the Devill So that howsoever the Devill who by Saint Paul is called the God of this world and the Pope the subordinate Vicar to the Devill and so by consequence he is the Devill for the Devill the Dragon rules him Howsoever I say there be the Devill the God of this world and the Pope in this world the Vicar of that Dragon yet there is but one Monarch one that rules all both Devill and Pope and all the wicked limbs of both to his owne ends It was God that put it into the hearts of these Kings to give up their Kingdomes to the Beast It is he alone that is absolute that gives the liberty of the Chaine both to men and devils Thus farre they shall goe and no further It is a good saying of the Schooles There is no Ill so ill as there is
the Word in other countries and wee shall see them shortly as hereticall as they terme it even as London and England is Such a power there is in Gods Ordinance the Spirit of God accompanying it that it carries all before it it layes all flat it beats all strong holds downe before it What shall wee doe then By faith use the meanes that God hath appointed the weapons appointed and sanctified by God they are strong through God to beat downe all strong holds And take heed especially that we doe not build up the wals of Iericho againe nor suffer them to build them You know Ioshua pronounceth a curse upon al that should build the wals of Iericho he should lay the first stone in the death of his eldest Sonne and the last at the death of his younger and so as wee have it in the storie of Hiel it was made good I beseech you therefore let every one of us in our place labour to ruinate these wals of Iericho and take heed how wee build them againe or suffer any to build them againe What way have we to prevent their building that the wals of Iericho be not built again they goe about it what they can we see what course they take They have all the art of Hell to helpe them lies and equivocations How many Kings and great ones have they at this day to support and helpe them to keepe them from falling they doe all that they can to keepe life now how shall we prevent this that they build not up the wals of this spirituall Iericho againe First of all every one labour to doe what they can in their callings Magistrates to execute the Lawes of the Kingdome which as those say that are well acquainted with them are very beneficiall to the Church of God Therefore the Magistrates in their place should do what appertaines to them And so for Ministers the spirituall means whereby such heresies must be confounded it is by the breath of the mouth of Christ as it is 2 Thess. 2. He shall consume him with the breath of his mouth For things are dissolved contrary to that way that they were raised at the first and contrary to that way they were maintained Popery as it was raised so it is maintained by darkenesse and blindnesse and ignorance of the word of God and of divine truth the way to hinder it therefore from being built againe is to lay open divine truths and to plant the ministerie Every one must labour for this to be faithfull in their place and standing Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. They shall prevaile no longer because their madnesse shall be manifest How doth that follow The very manifestation of errour hinders the prevailing of it That is the way to hinder Popery from prevailing to manifest it by preaching and writing and such good meanes For the demonstration of errours to be so is a refuting of them For who would willingly be deceived Therefore the laying open of the madnesse of Popery and the folly of their devises it hinders their prevailing no man willingly would have his soule led into errour Therefore let us lay their errours open in the Ministerie and the grounds of them the danger of Popery how pernicious it is When this is discovered in the Ministerie men as they love their owne soules will take heed That is the way therefore to keepe the wals of Iericho from being built to set an able Ministerie every where and to countenance them and those that are Gods Captaines to fight his battels against them It is a world of hurt that comes to the Church by impropriations especially in the North parts as wee heare too much by reports In great and mighty Parishes to set up poore and weake men and others wholly to receive the Revenues and that is the reason of the swarm of dangerous Papists in those parts Oh! that these things had beene looked to in time The wals of Iericho had not beene built againe in those parts so much as they are This is one maine way the planting of an able ministery for this painted Harlot shee cannot endure the breath of the Ministerie it discovers all her painting it layes her naked and open she knowes it well enough Then againe take heed of the spreading of infections Men should bee carefull this way they build up their Religion thus that else would fall downe more and more Wee are so confident in our cause that we suffer men to reade any Popish Treatises They on the other side watch all things so that there cannot a Sparke of our light breake into them what by their Inquisition and other cou ses that they take Confidence in our cause hath made us carelesse and secure in this kind therefore care this way is one meanes to helpe it And then incouragement of good learning Popery fell with the beginning of good learning Religion and good learning came in together If I were in some place I should speake more of this for as I said before it is a darke Religion not onely in regard of the Religion it selfe but it growes and thrives with Ignorance and Barbarisme and not understanding of Arts and tongues they have helped very much towards the overthrow of these wals of Iericho Every one should contend for the faith once given As Saint Iude admonisheth every one the poorest man may contend with his prayers He that saith Thy Kingdome come what doth he pray for If he pray in faith he desires that God would pul downe all opposite Kingdomes to the Kingdome of his Sonne Christ that the Kingdome of Christ may come more and more in the hearts of his people that he may raign every where more freely and largely then he doth every one may helpe forward the Kingdom of Christ he may helpe forward Ierusalem and â—…ull downe Iericho every one that hath a ferâ—…ent devotion of prayer And by a holy life for when men are vicious and carnall they occasion God for not â—…oving and imbracing the truth to give them â—…p to Popish errours and such like Many waies there be to stop the building up of Iericho But this is one especiall which this day occasions that is thankfulnesse to God a thankâ—…ull Remembrance how God hath fought for 〈◊〉 how God hath by little and little ruinated the wals of this Iericho and hath helped us to build the wals of our Ierusalem A thankful Remembrance is a notable meanes to hinder the growth of Poperie For when we remember their attempts how God hath cursed and crossed them it will make us love our Religion that God hath witnessed to by so many Deliverances and it will make us hate theirs the more Therefore it was a worthy worke of that Reverend Bishop that set out in a Treatise all the Deliverances that have beene from Popish Conspiracies from the beginning of Queene Elizabeths time to this present it was a worthy worke beseeming
that once the heart hath enough from heaven-ward it hath enough from heaven God hath said and promised it then the heart by a worke it hath of it selfe speaks to it selfe and to the whole man to seeke God The heart will not stoop without reason the heart of an understanding man but when it sees the command first seeke my face then it answers thy face Lord will I seeke So that this command of God and this incouragement and warrant from God Seeke yee my face it was in Davids heart it was written and set and grafted in his heart and then his heart being awed with the command of God God hath said thus the heart goes again to God thou hast said thus Lord Thy face will I seeke See the depth of Davids speech when hee faith Lord thy face will I seeke It came from his heart root not only from the heart but from the heart grounded upon the command and incouragement of God Seeke my face there is the ground the heart digesting this thorowly this is Gods Command I understand it and understand it from God I see the authority from whence itcomes therfore I wil stirre up my selfe Thy face Lord will I seek I shall have occasion to speake somewhat of it afterwards in the next thing his obedience therefore I goe on Thy face Iehovah will I seeke Here is his returne againe to God that he will seeke the face of God I will seeke thy face in all my necessities then I will seeke to thee and in all thine ordinances I will seeke to thee whereinsoever thy presence is discovered thy presence is in all places especially in thine ordinances thy presence is in all times especially in the time of trouble and need in all times of need I will seeke to thee in all exigences I will seeke unto thee and in all thiâ—…e ordinances wherein I may find thee I know I may meet with thee there thou givest thy people meetings in thine ordinances it is thy walke therefore thy face Lord will I seeke where I may be sure to meet thee in thine owne way and ordinances So much for the meaning Thy face Lord will I seeke Here is first of all an Application and obedience from Application they be words of particular Application Thy face will I seeke God had given him a ground Seeke yee my face his heart makes the Application Thy face I will seeke applying the generall incouragement to himself in particular So that you may observe hence that The ground of all obedience of all holy entercourse with God is a Spirit of Application Applying the truths of God though generally spoken to our selves in particular It is spoken here in the plurall number Seeke yee my face but the generall implies the particular as London is in England Seeke yee my face all yee that are the people of God but I am one of them what though I be not named that tenent in Popery is against sense when a man is condemned by the law is his name in the law It is against such a fact hee is a Malefactor And so the particular is included in the generall Seeke yee my face David knew that reason taught him that and not Religion Now the ground of Application of divine truths to our selves in particular is this that the truth of God setting aside some circumstantiall things that arise sometimes to particular persons that sometimes limit the command to one person or the promise to one person cut off those distinctions all comfortable truths agreeto Gods people in all ages while there is a Church in the world Al truths are eternall truths die not as men doe David is dead and Moses is dead but this truth is not dead Seeke yee my face Paul is gone and Peter is gone we are the Davids and the Mose's the Peters and the Pauls now those truths that were good to them are good to us Whatsoever was written before was written for our comfort There is an eternall truth that runs through all ages of the Church that hath an everlasting comfort God hath framed the Scriptures not to be limited to the times wherin they were written as the Papists idly speak Bellarmine and others as if they were occasionall things that the Scriptures were written by occasion of such and such men and concerned only those times but the Scriptures were written for all times and it concernes a times to apply all truths to themselves setting aside those circumstances that are applyed to particular men which are easie to discern in Heb. 13 that that was said to Iosua Ios. 1. the Apostle applies it to the Church in his time and to all Bee not afraid I will not faile thee nor forsake thee it is a generall truth And Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse that whosoever beleeves as Abraham is a sonne of Abraham These truths are universall and concerne every one as well as any And so many other places of Scripture The promise of the blessed seed the beleeving of it runs from the beginning of the world in all ages to the comming of Christ. All other promises were but an inlargement of that that was the Mother-promise that is the ground of Application that the generall truths agree to all the Churches The truth of God is the portion of every child of God he may claime every promise and ought to follow the direction of every command The reason is because al the Church of God are Heires alike Heires of the Promise Children of Abraham Heires of salvation they have interest in Christ-alike in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen in whom all the promises have their making and their performance And by reason that there is an indifferent equality in regard of the maine things of all the children of God they have interest alike in all the benefits by Christ in all truths in all substantiall duties to God and all favours from God that is the ground of the equity of Application But if you will have the ground of the necessity of it nature will shew that for the truths are food if food bee not taken what good doth it doe without application The word of God is a sword what will a sword doe if it hangs up in a mans Chamber or if it be not used when the enemy approacheth The Application of the sword of the Spirit gives the vertue to it it is to no purpose else divine truths are physick if it be not applyed what use is there of physick There is a necessity if wee will obey God of a Spirit of Application there is nothing that will doe good but by application neither in nature nor in grace There must bee a virtuall application at least the heavens worke upon the earth there is no Application bodily the heavens are too high but there is a virtuall Application there comes light in and influence to these inferiour bodies therefore we
therefore they labour to be voluntarie It is a good saying there is no vertue in men that doe things against their wils for that is vertue and grace that comes from a man from his owne principles from cheerfulnesse God loves a cheerfull giver I might inlarge this but I doe but take it as it may strengthen the point our obedience to God it must be pliable and cheerfull and voluntary Againe obedience if it be true it is perfect and sincere looking to God Thy face Lord will I seeke we must eye God in it and Gods commandement and not have a double eye wee must not looke to our own selves it must be perfect obedience that is opposite to that which is hypocriticall that is the best perfection for the perfection of degrees is not to be attained here but this perfection of soundnesse is to be laboured for as wee see here it was a sound obedience Thy face Lord will I seeke I will not seeke thy favours and blessings so much as thy face It was perfect obedience as perfection is opposed to unsoundnesse It was likewise a professed obedience before all the world in spight of Satan Thy face will I seeke let the devill and the world doe what they can let others doe as they will but as Iosua saith If you will worship other Gods if you will fall away doe But I and my house will serve the Lord what if his house will not serve the Lord If my house will not serve the Lord I will So wee should all be of Iosua's mind I and my house will serve the Lord let the world goe which way it will In blessed Saint Pauls time oh saith he There are many of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping who are enemies to the Crosse of Christ whose end is damnation who mind earthly things What doth Paul in the meane time oh but our conversation is in heaven we swim a contrary way we care not to let the world know it our conversation is another way So our obedience must not only be present and pliable and perfect but a professed obedience that is to breake through all the oppositions of the Devill and the world with an invincible resolution to bâ—…eak through all difficulties and scandals and examples of great persons and of this and that if we will goe to God and say truely Lord thy face will I seeke Let other men seeke what they will let them seeke the face and favour of others thy face will I seeke thou shalt be in stead of all to me as indeed hee is Againe as it is a professed so it is a continued a perpetuall obedience hee is resolved for the time to come Thy face will I seek not onely now and then turne my back upon thee afterwards but I will seeke thy face till I see thee in heaven I see thy face in thine ordinances in the word in thy people where two or three bee gathered thou are among them I will see thy face as I may till I see it in heaven so here is a perpetuall resolution Thy face I will seeke Lastly theâ—…e is one thing more in this obedience and answer to Gods command that his answer to God is an answerable answer that is the answer and obedience is sutable to the command Gods command was seeke my face his answer is thy face Lord will I seeke So the point is that Our obedience to God must be proportionable to that that is commanded It must not be this or that devised by men when the Lords eye is on you in this place and gives you a charge to doe thus the obedience must be sutable when he saith seeke my face wee must obey thy face Lord will wee seeke Therefore it may in some poor sense be compared to an Eccho we returne obedience in the same kind the Spirit of God teacheth the children of God to doe so to answer God in al the things hee doth I know not a better evidence of a child of God then this answering Spirit How shall I know that God loves me I love him againe therefore I know hee hath loved me first it is an undoubted argument How shall I know that God hath chosen mee I chuse him Whom have I in heaven but thee and what is there in earth in comparison of thee It is an undoubted Argument shall I be able to single out God to be instead of all to me and hath not hee chosen me first Can there bee any thing in the Current that is not in the Spring before It is impossible I know God I looke on him as my father certainly he hath shined on me first I have said to him thou art my God certainly he hath said before thou art my servant If I say to him thou art my God certainly he hath said before I am thy salvation hee hath begun for this is the order God begins he saith Seeke my face then if wee have grace to returne answerable obedience to God Thy face Lord will I seeke when thou biddest me Lord I will love thee I will chuse thee and delight in thee thou shalt bee my God if we have this returning spirit back againe we cannot have a better argument that God loves us then by answering Gods course This is that that Saint Peter hath in 1 Pet. 3. that that doth all in Baptisme it is not the washing of the filth of the body but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the answer or the demand of a good conscience but answer is better the answer of a good conscience cleanseth in Baptisme What is that In Baptisme dost thou beleeve saith the Minister in God the Father Almighty I doe beleeve that was the answer dost thou beleeve in God the Son I doe beleeve dost thou beleeve the Forgivenesse of sins the Resurrection of the body and the life everlasting I doe beleeve dost thou renounce the Devill and his workes I renounce them that is the answer of a good conscience where that is from the heart there God hath spoken to that heart before and there is obedience to purpose Thy face will I seeke it is that that brings comfort not the washing of the water it is not the eating of the bread and drinking the wine and hearing the word of God when there is not the answer of a good conscience when we say we beleeve and we will doe this to doe it indeed Lord I will beleeve I will goe out of the Church with a purpose to practise what I heare Here is the answer of a good conscience when wee mingle what we heare with faith and labour to practise it or else it will doe no good Our obedience must be sutable and answerable as I said before if it be a direction to follow it if it be a command to obey it if it be a threatning to feare it if it be a comfort a promise to rest upon it Let
there be a sutablenesse of obedience to the word thereafter as the word is Let us have a spirituall desire to these things to imitate the holy man of God as we desire to share in his comforts I will follow this point of the answerablenesse of obedience a little further and then come to the particular of seeking Let our obedience bee every way answerable first let the heart thinke what God saith what God commands and promiseth let the heart take the word of God the second time and ruminate on it and goe over it againe Let us looke into the word and see what is commanded and what is promised and then let the heart goe over it againe And then upon that all eage it to God Put case a man be in trouble Lord thou hast commanded Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will bâ—…re thee Psal. 50. Let the heart thinke of it and goe over that incouragement it is rather an incouragement then a command though indeed God lay a command on us to be good to our own soules it is a duty to love our selves Therefore he commands us to goe to him to seeke his face as though wee wronged him by disobedience when wee injure our selves by our peevishnesse as indeed we doe God loves us better then we love our selves let us thinke of the command and invitation thou hast commanded mee Lord and incouraged mee to come I am now in trouble experience teacheth me I come to thee thou hast said He that sitteth in darknesse and seeth no light let him trust in the name of the Lord. I am in darkenesse and see no light now I trust in thy name let the heart thinke of the promise and then alleage it to God and come with an obedient answer and cast it self upon him and trust in him We are in want perhaps and see no issue no supply thinke of Gods gracious promise I will not faile thee nor forsake thee I come to thee and claim this promise I am in covenant with thee c. So wee should take the promise thou hast said At what time soever a sinner comes to thee with a repentant heart thou wilt forgive his iniquities and though his sins were 〈◊〉 scarlet thou wilt make them as snow and white as wooll my soule thinkes of that command and I come to thee Thou hast bid all that are wearie and 〈◊〉 laden in soule that are troubled in conscience with the sense of their sins to come unto thee my heart thinkes of thy command and invitation I come to thee I am weary and heavie laden First let us thinke of the incouragement that is our warrant and then yeeld present obedience And then what will bee the issue what will spring from it when the heart and obedience joyn with the command that there is a meeting that they concentrate the heart and obedience God bids the heart obey the heart saith I doe obey when these meet the issue must bee exceeding comfortable it cannot be otherwise When the obedient heart meets God in his command in his promise In all perplexity of busines Commit thy way to the Lord and hee shall establish thy thoughts Prov. 3. Prov. 13. and other places Lord I commit my wayes to thee establish my thoughts and designes agreeable to thy will because thou hast bid mee commit my wayes to thee In the houre of death let us commend our selves to God as to a gracious and mercifull Creator 1 Pet. 4. Lord I commend to thee my soule who art the Creator of my soule and the Redeemer of it here is an obedience answerable what can be the issue of it but comfort Therefore let us learne by the example of this blessed man that when he had but a hint from God seeke yee my face answers Thy face Lord will I seeke Faith will see light at a little crevice when it sees an incouragement once a command it will soone answer and when it sees a promise halfe a promise it will welcome it it is an obedient thing The obedience of faith it beleeves and upon beleeving it goes to God As the servants of the King of Assyria they catch the word presently Thy servant Benhadad so faith it catcheth the word To put God in mind it is an excellent thing with the Prophet whosoever penned the 119. Psalme whether David or some other Remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust As it is Nehem. 1. Remember Lord hee puts God in mind of his promise and so it is good often to put God in mind Lord thou hast made such and such promises I know thou canst not deny thy selfe if thou shâ—…uldest deny thy word thou must deny thy selfe thy word is thy selfe Remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust If I be deceived thou hast deceived mee for thou hast given me this promise and this command This is an excellent way to deale with God as it were to wrastle with him By tâ—… promise thou hast quickned me Psal. 119. Wheâ—… I was dull and dead hearted then I thought oâ—… such and such a promise I alleage that promise and apply it by a spirit of faith and that quickned me And indeed as I said God hath made us fit to answer him and wee should study in all things to returne unto him by his spirit whatsoever God doth the heart should returne back againe love for love knowledge for knowledge seeking for seeking chusing for chusing He begins with us he chuseth us he loves us he seekes us and wee if ever we intend to be friends with God and to entertaine a holy communion as all that shall be saved must doe we should labour to have our hearts to returne to God what wee find from God first Thy face Lord will I seeke To come more particularly to this seeking which is the particular of the obedience and of the application Thy face Lord will I seeke Seeking implies that our happinesse is out of our selves it implies that there is somewhat in our selves in the application to which there must be some happinesse therefore wee goe out of our selves to seeke It is a motion and it is out of an apprehension of some want a man seekes out of some want or out of some losse or out of some duty Ether hee hath losse and therefore hee seekes or else hee wants and therefore he seeks or else he owes respect and dutie and therefore he seekes it is somewhat without a man that moves his seeking God need not seeke the creature hee hath all fulnesse in himselfe Indeed his love makes him seeke for our love to bee reconciled to him But the creature because his happinesse is out of himselfe in communion with God the Fountaine of all good he must seeke Christians must be Seekers This is the generation of Seekers Psal. 24. All mankind if ever they will
God now in Christ's For there is enmity betweene the nature of God and the nature of man of sinfull man but that Christ hath taken our nature now and made it lovely to God and God lovely to us Christ Emanuell God and man God with us hath made God and us friends therefore now we must go to God in that Emanuel in Christ that Ladder that joynes heaven and earth together See Gods face shining in Christ his gracious face and this will incourage us to go to God together with our wants goe not to absolute God a god without a mediator for then God is a consuming fire In the next place when we goe to God and seeke to God be sure to seeke his favour and grace in the first place If we want any particular thing protection or direction or comfort in distresse goe not for that in the first place but let us see in what tearmes God and we are let us be sure that reconciliation and peace be made For if we seeke to God in our particular wants and have not made our peace before but have sought to other gods to men and to our shifts God may say you seeke to me Goe to the gods you have served to the great men you have served to the riches you have trusted unto goe to your shifts Therefore first make peace and reconciliation with God before you seeke other things If a man have offended a great person he doth not goe and seeke particular favours till first he have made peace and taken up the quarrell Let us take up the quarrell between God and us by repentance and a promise of new obedience get reconciliation that way and then seeke for particular favours after For what if God give you particular favours if they bee not from his grace and favour what will they doe us good What will all that a reprobate wretch hath doe him good What will his favours his riches and honours and preferments doe him good when he dies when hee shall conflict with the anger of God when he shall see hell before him and see heaven shut Hee seeth he hath all from a generall providence and as a reward for his care in this world God answereth him with a civill inlargement for his civill obedience but he hath his reward heaven he hath not hee cared not for it what will all doe without the love of God in Christ therefore I beseech you let us first seeke the favour and mercy of God in Christ. And then for particular things goe to him as the exigence is for in God there is a supply for all turnes and that is the ground of seeking for our seeking it must be a wise seeking now it were not wise unlesse there were a supplie in God for every want whatsoever it is If the creature could doe any thing without God we should upon good ground make that God If any thing could raise us without God I mean to comfort we might seeke to them and make them God upon good reason but what can they doe In anger God may let a man enjoy favours as the fruits of his displeasure but what can they doe without him They can doe nothing Therefore it must be the supreame cause the highest cause the great wheele that turnes every little inferiour wheele in the world they turne with the great wheele of divine providence and goodnesse therefore goe to him as the first cause Againe in seeking the favour of God we must search our consciences to come with pure and cleane hearts to God to seeke him If we regard iniquity in our hearts God will not heare our prayers Wee come to God with a purpose to offend him if we come not with a purpose to leave our sins why do we come God will not regard our prayers We must come with pure consciences to God as it is excellently set downe Psal. 24. 3. Who shall assend into thy hill O Lord who shall stand in thy holy place He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart And then he saith after This is the generation of them that seeke him those that have cleane hands and a pure heart Thou hast foule hands thou art a briber a corrupter thou hast an impure heart thou art a filthy creature thou hast lived in such and such sins cleanse thy hands and thy heart This is the generation of them that seeke him If a man seeke the pure and holy GOD with an uncleane heart and uncleane hands if he be corrupt in his hands and in his heart that is the fountaine he may seeke God long enough before hee finde him and if he see GOD it is in anger Againe if we would seeke the face and favour of God let us study the word hard study the promises as I said before bind him with his own word thou hast said thus I alleage thy owne word Iacob when he wrastled with God Genesis 32. then he saw God he called the place Penuell that is the face of God because of seeing God Vpon wrastling when the heart by faith wrastleth with God by the promise Lord thou hast done this though I feele no comfort yet I will rest upon thee that place will bee Penuell The face of GOD will bee there GOD will shew himselfe And let the extremity be what it will seeke God in extremity alleage the Word of God in extremity What word have you for extremity In the mountaine God will bee seene His face will be seene in the mount that is when there is no other help whatsoever God is a present helpe in trouble Psal. 46. He is the God that comforteth the abject that none else can comfort And he that is in darknesse and sees 〈◊〉 light let him trust in the name of the Lord. And though I were in the valley of the shaddow of death if the Lord be with me I will trust in him Psal. 23. And though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee saith Iob. In extremity seeke God then and find out words and promises then as the Scripture is large in that kind for then there is most need of seeking God Lord if thou help not now none can help And this is the difference betweene a true Child of God and another in the time of extremity Saul seekes to the witch but David seekes to God as here Lord thy face will I seeke Many things upbraided David no question with his sinne and the affliction he was in Thou seeke God thou hast offended him and now thou indurest some signe of his displeasure a heavie case beloved somtimes especially in the time of extremity then conscience saith I am in extremity and withall God followes mee with such and such sins a guiltie conscience meetes me in my prayers to God and upbraids me thou hast done so and so that if there be not faith and a word of God to lay hold on in extremity
what will become of the poore soule It is swallowed up No question David was now in pangs and many things offered to thrust him off and he might say I have many things to discourage me yet thy face Lord will I seeke for deliverance out of trouble and for pardon of sinne Set the promise of God and the pardon of sinne above all extremity whatsoever God is the God of all and above all he is the God of comfort if comforts be wanting hee can make them a new In the want of means and when meanes are against us let us see lie to God Ionah in the Whales belly that was a creature that might have consumed him with heate When he was in the belly of hell he called unto God If a man be as low as hell if he have a command to come and a promise it will fetch him thence therefore alleadge the promises and the word What a miserable taking are they in that in extremity have no acquaintance with Gods word with the promises or good examples that have stored up nothing Alas they are in the middest of a storme naked in the middest of warre and opposition disarmed they lie open to all assaults Therefore as you love your own soules gather grounds of comfort treasure up promises and holy truths that in extremity you may say with David upon good ground Lord thou hast said thus and thus and in this extremity I come to thee Thy face LORD will I seeke breake through all feares and discouragements whatsoever alleadge the command of God and the promise of God and the incouragements of God my discouraged heart saith thus and Satan saith thus but Lord thou sayst thus seeke my face shall not I believe and obey God more than the devill or mine own lying false heart therefore except we will betray our soules to temptations and betray the comforts that wee have let us seeke GOD in all extremities I desire you to remember these directions and bee incouraged to seeke to God joyne the seeking in extremity with the seeking him in his ordinances If we doe not seeke him in his ordinances in the time of peace let us never thinke he will be so familiar with us in the time of trouble If wee be not acquainted with him in his ordinaces in prosperity in extremity he will be farre off Therefore seeke the face of God now in all his ordinances that is the way to have provision of strength against all other extremities whatsoever It is a great comfort in extremity to one that hath sought God in his Ordinances before Foolish Atheisticall men seeke not the wisedome of God in his Ordinances God cries to them and they regard it not but then they cry to God and God will not answer them but laugh at their destruction And as it is in Zachary you cry and I will not heare because I cryed and yee would not heare When GOD speaks and we regard it not we shall cry and he will not regard it Therfore as we desire his presence in the evill day let us labour to heare him now Let us search his will what hee requires of us and what he will doe for us and labour to be armed with obedience against the time of distresse And let us seeke him betimes now presently seek the favour of God you that are young In the morning early will I seeke thee Psalm 63 In the morning of your yeares In the morning of the day it is good to seeke God before the heart be possest with other businesse that he may blesse all our affaires Seeke his face that his blessing and direction and strength may be upon all Let us set upon things in his wisdom and strength and hope on his blessing And in the morning of your yeares early put not off for here is the mischiefe if weâ—… seeke not God early betimes the heart wiâ—… be hardened and willgrow worse to morroâ—… we shall be more unfit then to day Theâ—… those that seeke in their sicknesse and at thâ—… houre of death that is selfe-love it is grace to seeke God for himselfe out of old acquaintance and love but to seeke him in sicknesâ—… only and to neglect his ordinances it is meeâ—…ly selfe-love As a malefactor that carries himselfe ill in prison and then seekes the judges face at the barre when God arraignes 〈◊〉 man at the barre then to seeke him it come from selfe-love But that obedience we owâ—… to God is to seeke him out of a new nature oâ—… of love of Gods goodnesse and grace whâ—… we seeke him in extremity not out of the loâ—… of grace but to escape the danger of hell and damnation such seeking seldom proves good Many make a great shew of repentance and turning to God many of those prove false Hee that is good in affliction onely is never good Therefore put not off seeking Gods facâ—… by prayer and the use of all good meanes Many men first settle their estates and then send for a Physitian and the divine laâ—… of all when they are sicke Oh but seeke God first and above all things in the world or else wee have adulterous Idolatrous hearts to make the face of man our Idoll or health ouâ—… Idol we should seek Gods face above all The Scripture sets him out sweetly to us â—…erefore one way to encourage us to seeke to â—…OD is to present to our soules GOD under â—…ose sweete tearmes He is a rock in the midâ—…st of the waves Hee is a habitation in the â—…ddest of a storme thou art our habitation â—…e is called a hyding place he hath the shadâ—…ow of his wings to coverus let us flie under â—…e shaddow of his wings hee is presented â—…eetly to us in Christ. Therefore let us have â—…course to him upon all occasions and now â—…w that we may be familiar with him that â—…e may bee acquainted with him now in the â—…yes of our youth and he wil know us in age â—…d sicknesse if we be not acquainted with him â—…w hee will not acquaint himselfe with us â—…en therefore seeke his face now and above â—…l things seeke it And can we have more incouragement â—…here was never any that fought the face of â—…od that went away sorry It is said of some â—…ood Emperours that never any man went sorâ—… out of their presence either they had the â—…rant of their sutes or good words God sends â—…one sorry away there are none that come â—…to the presence of God but they are the bet â—…er for it they goe away more chearefull and â—…ore satisfied their consciences are quieted â—…hen they poure out their soules to God There is the peace of God which passeth understanâ—…ing preserves their soules as it is Philip. 4. In â—…othing be carefull but let there bee thanksgiving for favours received and let your requests be 〈◊〉 knowne to him and the peace of God shall preseâ—… your hearts and mindes You shall not despaire and
that You know Gods manner of working is in contrary estates when we die faith sees life when we most apprehend our sins faith sees the forgivenesse of sinnes when we are in the greatest mystery faith hath so quicke a sight that it sees happinesse and glâ—…y through all It sees a farre off notwithstanding the interposing of any thing contrary by flesh and bloud Faith is sometimes called tast and by the name of other senses but especially by the name of sight As in sight there is both the light outward and a light in the eye and the application of the light in the eye to the object so in faith there is a light in the things revealed a promise and discovery of it by the light of the Gospell and an inward light in the soule answerable to the inward light in the eye for a dead eye sees nothing and a quick living eye sees nothing without the light of the ayre So there is a double revelation by the word and by the spirit the spirit works an eye of faith in the soule and then it discovers to it the things of God They saw them a farre off God created a new eye in the soule a new sight which they had not by nature for even as the natural eye cannot see things that are invisible so the naturall man cannot see the things of God which are seene not by a naturall but by a supernaturall eye eye hath 〈◊〉 seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared 〈◊〉 his children 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. The eye there-therefore that must see things a farre off it must bee a supernaturall eye and the light that must discover them must be the light of Gods truth for reason cannot see the resurrection of the body and the life to come and such glorious things as the word of God reveales to us If you aske why this sight of faith is so necessary this supernaturall sight I answer nothing can be done in religion without the supernaturall eye of the soule nothing at all for a man may see heavenly things with a naturall eye and be never a whit the better a man may see the joyes of heaven he may heare much of heaven and happinesse and forgivenesse and thinke oh these are good things but yet notwithstanding he doth not see these things with a supernaturall eye he doth not see these things to be holy and gracious and to be fit for him he wisheth them with conditions but not with the altering of his disposition As a man may see an earthly thing with a heavenly eye because he sees God in it and there is somewhat of God in it to lead him to see him so a man may see heavenly things with a carnall eye as Balaam wished to die the death of the righteous A carnall man may be ravished with heavenly things but he must look upon them as things sutable or else all is to no purpose How doth faith see this how comes faith to have this strength Because faith sees things in the power of God it sees things in the truth of God he 〈◊〉 Iehovah he gives being to things therefore as God Almighty gives being to things in their time when they are not so faith in his promises sees that these things will bee it sees things in the truth of God in the promise of God there it hath these eyes to see a farre off It selfe is wrought by the mighty power of God in the soule for it is a mighty power for the soule to neglect the things it sees to neglect riches and honours and pleasures and to stand admiring of things that it sees not for a man to rule his course of life upon reasons which the world sees not because there is a happinesse to come and a God that he believes in c. It is a mightie power that plants such a grace in the heart faith is wrought by the mighty power of GOD. As it selfe is wrought by the power of God so it layes hold upon the power of God that the promises shall be performed In all the promises it sees and layes hold on the mighty power and truth of God and therefore it hath such an eye Our duty then is to labour to have our faith cleare to have this eye of faith to have a strong faith a strong sight When is the sight of faith strong When it is as the faith of these Patriarchs was There are three things that make a strong sight that makes us conceive that he sight of faith is a strong sight When the things are farre of that we see then if the eye see them it is a strong sight a weake eye cannot see a farre off Secondly when there are clouds betweene though the things be neare yet when there are clouds betweene to breake and pierce through them there must be a strong sight Then thirdly when there is but a little light when there are many obstacles in the middest and to breake through all by a little light to seethings remote here is a strong eye and this was the sight of these blessed men they had a strong eye For the things they looked on were remote a farre off diverse thousands of yeares they saw Christ by faith the soule mounted up on the wing of faith it flew over many thousands of yeares in a moment and see Christ the Messias and see heaven it selfe typi fied in Canaan So swift is the eye of faith it mounts over all in a moment As the eye of the body in a moment can looke to the vâ—…sible heavens so a strong faith it sees Christ in heaven And then betweene them and that they looked to what difficulties were there Blessed Abraham who was a type of Christ how many difficulties had he besides other of the Patriarchs We see God commanded him to slay his sonne a command one would thinke against reason against affection against hope it was faith against faith as it were It was against reason in the eye of flesh Now in this case to strive against all these difficulties what a many clouds must Abraham breake through here against sense and against affection hee must hope against hope hee must have faith against faith he must deny affection hee must goe and take his only begotten son Isaac and he must be the executioner and butcher himselfe and slay him for a sacrifice Here must be a strong faith in the power of God that must see God raysing Isaac from the dead as he did after a sort for when he was bound for a sacrifice ready to bee slaine he caused a Ramme to be taken in the thicket and to be offered and Isaac escaped It was a strong faith to breake through all these Indeed blessed Abraham saw more excellency and power in the work of God then in his beloved Isaac So faith that is strong it
grounds of divine truth that hath a majesty and a spiritualnesse in it selfe but it was meerely wrought out of forraine grounds Now we see a meaner man that hath his knowledge wrought by the spirit of God the same spirit seales that knowledge to him with the word of God that indited the Scripture and acted the holy men of God that wrote the Scriptures As his portion is incomparably great so he is perswaded of his interest in those good things the same spirit that convinceth him of the truth and of the certainty of the things it convinceth him likewise of his part in them and this supernaturall perswasion together with his interest in those good things perswaded of sets downe the soule so as it will not move he holds out in persecution because he hath felt the worke of divine truth in his soule he hath found the spirit of God casting him downe and raysing him up to comfort therefore he holds out in his perswasion in all tryalls and never apostatizeth from that estate and condition And so for unfruitfulnesse in conversation notwithstanding all those motives we have in the word of God a man that is not convinced spiritually of those excellent things he goes on deadly as if there were no motives because the spirit of God hath not sealed them to his spirit hee hath not given him an apprehension of the divine incouragements wrapped up in the promises in the Scripture and when death and danger come for the most part such men are desperate notwithstanding all their learning and knowledge literall that they have For it will not hold water all knowledge that is not wrought by the spirit of God sealing divine truth to the soule with some evidence of the power of it it will not hold out in the tryall all Especially when Satan with his fiery darts comes with strong temptations for the soule never felt the working power of the word It feeles then the temptation it apprehends the poysonfull fiery temptation but it hath not so inwardly digested the truths of the spirit and therefore is surprized with the horrour and spaire there is not wrought in heart an deexperimentall feeling of knowledge and therfore the heart cannot beat backe the temptation When the Devill shall come and tell men you have beene thus and thus and they have not felt the truth of that they seemed to believe conscience tels them it is true I have heard and read such and such things I never believed them they never sunke deepely into my heart when temptation shall bee nearer the soule then the truth shall bee when temptation presseth sore they are swallowed up of despaire therefore let us labour that our generall knowledge from the word and our particular knowledge and perswasion that it may be spirituall Now how doth the spirit worke this particular perswasion I answer the spirit of God workes it in the soule together with the word the spirit and the word goe together All the men in the world cannot perswade the soule without the spirit of God joyne Paul preached but God opened Lidia's heart We have it not of our selves it must come from without from Gods spirit opening our eyes and perswading and convincing our hearts God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Sem no creature can do it it is passive it is said here they were perswaded That perswasion that is sound that carries a man to heaven by which hee dies in faith 〈◊〉 must be from the spirit of God All the words of the ministery and all reasons nothing will do it but God God must perswade thesoule Now what doth the spirit here The spirit enlightens the understanding which I spake of before it opens the understanding in perswasion it doth propound arguments and motives from the excellency of the things promised and the priviledges of religion and the good things we have by Christ c. and together with propounding these excellent incouragements and motives the spirit strongly works upon the disposition upon the will and affections it works upon the soule and so doth perswade and convince And thereupon comes imbracing which I shall have occasion to speake of afterward The soule being perswaded imbraceth Now this perswasion is not only by propounding of arguments by the word and spirit but likewise a working upon the will from whence there followes an inclination of the will and an imbracing of the things wee are perswaded of For let all the arguments in the world bee brought to a man to perswade him that God will be mercifull to him in Christ tell him of the free offer Whosoever will let him come in all that will a large offer let him joyne to that offer of mercie the inviting Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you a sweete inviting Ioyne with the invitation a command it is his command that wee should believe in his son Iesus let him strengthen that command with the threatning he that believes not is damned already Let a man remove all objections that the soule can make of its unworthines Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you though you groane under the burden of your sinne Let a man object againe I have nothing worthy in my selfe Why come and buy though you have no money Let him strengthen all these proposalls with examples of the mercy of God to Manasses to Peter to Paul a persecutor to Mary Magdalen and the like let all these arguments be wondrous effectually propounded the soule will not yeeld unlesse Gods spirit joyne with these arguments and all in that kind and convince the soule of our particular interest in these things and perswade the will to imbrace these things offered That God hath reserved in his own power to bring our hearts and the promises together to bring our hearts and divine truths together Let there be never so much set before us in the ministery he hath reserved this prerogative and authority that our hearts and the truth should close together to imbrace them in hearing All things depend upon the spirit when we doe not regard the spirit in hearing and reading c. Let all the things the Scripture hath be propounded and set on with all the excellency and eloquence that may be GOD hath reserved it to himselfe by his spirit to give faith to perswade our soules that these belong to us and to incline and draw the will I have shewed you then the kinds of perswasion generall and particular and how it is wrought by the spirit that unlesse this perswasion be wrought by the spirit we shall never hold out in it though we have all the arguments in the world we shall be disobedient Disobedience comes when things are not discovered by the spirit and apostacie when the perswasion is not wrought by the spirit and desperation when the knowledge is not spirituall Now the
manner is by removeing contratraries and moving the heart and drawing it With the word of man God enters into the very will and affections for as hee made the soule and framed it so hee knowes how to worke upon it and to draw it sweetly by reasons but yet strongly that it may be carried to the things revealed GOD at the same time workes strongly by carrying the soule and sweetly with reasons For God first comes into the soule by divine light by reasâ—… â—…nd then he sinkes into the soule by his spirit â—…o draw the soule to these reasons without this we never yeeld to those reasons but stand â—…ut in rebellion GOD perswades the soule sweetly of the â—…ruth by shewing a man the goodnesse of it and â—…he sutablenesse to our condition and the reasons of it how they agree to our nature hee doth not force the soule but doth it with reasons and arguments sweetly And â—…e doth it strongly that the soule when it is perswaded would not for all the world bee of another mind it is so strong that the perswasion and â—…he promises are stronger then the temptations of Saran and the corruptions of the â—…esh or then the candals of the world that nothing â—…an separate us from Christ nothing can drive â—…s from our faith and hope the perswasion is â—…et so strongly upon the soule because it is a divine perswasion It is a strong worke to perswade the soule For the spirit of God When it brings a light into the soule it brings agreat many graces with it when it shines upon the soule and discovers better things it brings other graces â—…o perswade and to imbrace the things it discovers As it is an infinite mercy and goodnesse of God to discover to our soules such excellent things as we may be perswaded of as if 〈◊〉 estate to be such as indeed it is above our 〈◊〉 prehension in this world neither eye hath 〈◊〉 nor â—…are heard nor hath entred into the heart 〈◊〉 man the things that God hath prepared for 〈◊〉 that love him so likewise it is Gods infinite worke of power to frame the soule to be perswaded of this it is as mâ—…ch power to 〈◊〉 the soule to this perswasion as it is mercy 〈◊〉 discover them in a manner there is such 〈◊〉 ward rebellion and distrust in the soule 〈◊〉 ling these truths into question as if theâ—… things were too good to be true Considerâ—… our owne unworthinesse and vilenesse 〈◊〉 the excellency of these things laying theâ—… together the unbelieving heart of man 〈◊〉 prone to unbeliefe above all other sinnes 〈◊〉 can hardly conceive that there are such thinâ—… for Gods children except the heart be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tily wrought on unlesse together with 〈◊〉 swasion there be some worke in the soule whence it may gather by the work of the spirit that they are those to whom such good things belong because the spirit of God hath singâ—…ed them out and set his seale and stampe on them above other men by some evidenceâ—… of grace It is another manner of worke then the world takes it to be For as I said before together with the Scripture there must a spirit of perswasion goe there is a secâ—…et messengeâ—… goes with the outward peech both of the preacher and of the Scripture or else all the â—…guments will not be to purpose they will be â—…f no efficacy As the Israelites they had arguments and â—…otives enow to perswade them of Gods love â—…nd care to them yet notwithstanding GOD â—…ave them not a heart Deut. 29. In Christs â—…me what miracles did they see yet their â—…earts were hardned because God together â—…ith his shining in the outward meanes did â—…ot subdue the rebellion of their wiâ—… and afâ—…ections and therefore the more they saw â—…he more they were hardned the Scribes and â—…harisees and some of their desperate folâ—…owers Well then considering that the spirit doth â—…his great worke let us labour that our knowâ—…edge may be spirituall that our perswasion of divine truth in generall and our part and â—…ortion in divine truth that it may bee spirituâ—…ll for as Saint Paul divinely and excellentâ—…y sets it downe 2 Cor. 2. 10 11. that as no â—…an knowes the things that are in man but the spiâ—…it that is in man so no man knowes the things of Gods word divine truths nor his part and porâ—…ion and interest in them but by the spirit of God If wee bring the Engine of our owne â—…it and parts to Gods truth â—…o sermons and â—…ookes wee may never be the better if wee â—…ome not with a spirituall intention with â—…everent and humble hearts and implore the â—…eaching of the spirit that together with the revelation of the word there may beeâ—… 〈◊〉 ving of the vaile by the spirit that vvith 〈◊〉 outwâ—…rd teaching there may bee the inwarâ—… teaching of the spirit that with the 〈◊〉 opening the â—…are there may be the opening 〈◊〉 the hearâ—… that he that hath the key of 〈◊〉 may open and inoline and perswade the 〈◊〉 that hee may perswade Iaphet as the Scripâ—… phrase is It is facâ—…legious presumption to come 〈◊〉 holy places and to set upon holy duties 〈◊〉 heare or read the word of God without 〈◊〉 ting up our hearts to God for his holy 〈◊〉 We cannot plow without his Heifer Can 〈◊〉 know the mind of God without the 〈◊〉 God What arrogancy is this to thinâ—… 〈◊〉 be saved and the spirit never tell us with 〈◊〉 word so but it is only a presumpâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a sacrilegious surpation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods glory The spirit of God knowâ—… 〈◊〉 things are in God towards us and reveales 〈◊〉 our spirits Gods inward love to us The 〈◊〉 â—…eacheth us to know the things that are 〈◊〉 God Wee only know the good that Gâ—… meanes us by his owne 〈◊〉 and therefore let us labour every day more and more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall and heavenly minded And above all things to make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our desires as it 〈◊〉 Luke 11. to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirit he will give his holy spirit to them that 〈◊〉 it it is the best and the chiele gilt of all 〈◊〉 this makes our knowledge heavenly our 〈◊〉 swasion heavenly and sound and constant in â—…e and death And this spirit carries the whole soule with it this spirit makes us like the word of GOD because it is spirituall it makes us so and we love it in our inward man and consent to it and joy in it Whereas naturally there is inward rebellion in the greatest Scholler in the world against the word of God the heartriseth against divine truths they are as opposite as fire and water as heaven and hell The proud heart of man slights the promises of mercy as nothing to petty things of the world it slights the comforts of the word to carnall comforts and the Commandements of GOD in respect of the commandements of men The proud man
the truth of the promises then the will and affections they joyne and imbrace those things the will makes choyse of them and cleaves to them the affection of desire extends it selfe to them the affection of love imbraceth them the affection of joy delights in them Spirituall conviction alwayes drawes affection For God hath framed the soule so that upon discovery of a good oâ—… of it selfe it doth stretch out it selfe to imbrace that object the good thing presented it cannot be otherwise We see the eye it cannot but delight in beautifull objects so the understanding of itselfe it delights in true things and the will in things that are good that are delightfully good or spiritually and conveniently good to the person it cannot but be so The author of nature God doth not overthrow nature but preserves it in its owne worke therefore where hee gives a light to discover and perswade both of the truth in generall and of our particular interest in those things hee gives grace likewise to the will and affections to that part of the soule that is carried to good things to imbrace them and upon discovery of evill in that part of the soule that is affected to evill there is an aveâ—…sation and loathing of things that are in convenient and â—…itfull it must needs 〈◊〉 in the light of reason We may know whether the spirit of God have wrought any thing in 〈◊〉 by oâ—… imbracing of good things for as I said Godhath made our soules thus when the soule 〈◊〉 convinced of the truth and goodnesse of a thing and isperswaded the affections will alway follow that that is shewed to be the best Now when the spirit of God discovers to the soule the excellencies of religion to bee above all other excellencies whatsoever That the favourof God is better than life itselfe and discovers to the soule the vanity of all other things then comes the soule to imbrace them for the soule cannot but 〈◊〉 which the understanding being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 best and best for me in comparison of all other things this is now at this time all things considered best for mee to doe hereupon comes imbracing alwayes the affections follow spirituall perswasion There bee two maine branches of faith One is spirituall conviction and perswasion that things are so good and that they belong to us Another branch of faith is to goe out and close and meet with the things Vpon discovery of the excellency of the things the heart opens it selfe to let in those things It is in grace as it is in nature the heart is open upwards and pointed downeward 〈◊〉 the heart and soule of a man opens to heaven ward when those things are discovered by the spirit to bee best the spirit opens and closeth with those things A man may know what he is in religion by his affections by his affection of love for the affection of love will open to the things that are discovered to bee best whereof heeis perswaded and his affection of joy hâ—… will delight in those thingâ—… and his affection of griefe his heart will bee shut to things that are contrary and his affection of zeale in the pâ—…sute of the meanes and in opposing that that is an enemy to that good it is alway so the heart imbraceth what wee are perswaded of God hath made the affections of the soule for supernaturall things hee 〈◊〉 made our understanding to conceive of the heavenly light and those prerogatives and priviledges and hee hath made our affections to imbrace those heavenly things And then a man is in his right subordination in his right state under God he is framed as he should be he is in a right frame of soule when his soule is convinced of the excellency of the best things and when his affections of joy and love and delight of zeale and trust and all are set on those things For then a man is raysed above the condition of an ordinary man such a man is come to his perfection hee is come out of that cursed estate that naturally all are in for now the soule is set upon things that make it better than it selfe For the soule is as the things are it is carryed to when the soule is perswaded of heavenly things and of its interest in them and is carryed to them by the sway and weight of the affections of love and joy and delight which is called here im bracing then the things imbraced transforme the soule to be like them as they be heavenly and glorious and excellent there is nothing in the world to be named with them all else is â—…g and drosse then a man comes to bee holy and heavenly and spirituall hee is raysed in a condition farre above others above all othermen though hee bee never so meane in the world when his soule is enlightned and answerable to the light there is heate when there is light in the understanding and heate in the affections accordingly to imbrace then the soule is in a right temper a man is a holy and happy man therefore no wonder if upon perswasion and sight they imbraced those things Let us trie the truth of our estate by our affections by our imbracing of good things by opening our hearts to the best things by our joy and delight in them Is there a holy wonderment at them Oh! how I love thy 〈◊〉 and one day in thy courts is better than tenne thousand elsewhere and Oh the depth of his mercie and one thing have I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life When the soule stands in admiration of God and good things when it is ready to welcome Christ and heavenly things and the state of religion now away all former vanities away all lusts of youth away all confidence in beauty and strength and riches all these are but dung to the soule the soule hath seene better things there is a discovery of better things and now the respect of all other things falls downe in the soule when there is a discovery of better things The soule cannot doe otherwise when it is convinced supernaturally the same spirit that discovers better things opens the soule to â—…low them it is so with every soule that hath the true worke and stampe of the spirit in it it is set upon heavenly things it saith with Saint Paul I account all dung and drosse in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. There is an attractive a drawing magneticall power in heavenly things when they are propoâ—…nded to the soule by the spirit to draw the affections and to make us spirituall like themselves Let us therefore labour more and more to have our affections wrought upon As wee are in our affections we are in religion It is impossible that a Christian should be spiritually convinced that there are such excellent things belong to religion and that hee hath his part and
The Spirit of God in every Christian saith come and that is not in vaine the desires of the Spirit of God must be fulfilled therefore he shall come and the Spirit of God stirres up our spirits to say come There are all kind of proofes arguments for it It is an Article of our faith it is laid here for a ground and therefore I will not inlarge my selfe in it but come to the next point Christ will appeare and We shall also appeare with him in glory We shall appeare and appeare with him and appeare in glory with him Christ himselfe his glory is in some sort hid now for though he be King of the Church yet wee see what enemies are in the Church and Satan ruffles in the Church a great while and the nearer he is to his end the more he rageth so that Christs glory seemes to be hid but Christ then shall appeare and his Church shall appeare with him in glory Why shall wee appeare with Christ and be glorious with him I answere this is cleare partly because it is Christs will in Iohn 17. Father I will that where I am they may be also It is Christs last Testament that we should be where he is and be glorious with him and Christs will must be fulfilled Againe consider what we are to Christ how neare wee are brought to him and then this will be cleare that when Christ shall appeare in glory we must appeare with him for Christ is our Husband and we are his Spouse when Christ comes to be glorious therefore his Spouse must be glorious now is but the time of contract the time of the marriage solemnity shall be at the appearing of Christ therefore when he shall appeare we shall appeare with him in glory Christ in his owne person distinct from his Church is now glorious as a head but Christ mysticall is not glorious Christ mysticall suffers there are many members that are not yet called Some are abased some are not brought to the fold And Christ hath a care of his mysticall body as of his naturall body and as that is glorious in heaven so hee will bring all his members to be one glorious body He gave his naturall body to redeeme his mysticall body therefore as he is glorious in that in heaven so hee will be glorious in his mysticall body in every beleeving soule at the last when hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints as the Apostle saith 2 Thess. 1. Hee is glorious in himselfe now then he will be glorious in his Spouse And then from the ground of predestination Rom. 8. We are predestinate to be conformed to Christ that he might be the first borne among many brethren Now Christ being glorious and we being predestinate before the world was to be like unto Christ first in abasement to be abased for him that was abased for us to suffer for him that suffered for us and to be conformed to him in grace there must be a time to be conformed to him in glory From the ground of Election there must be a state of glory our glory must be revealed when Christ shall come and appeare I will presse no more reasons that we must be glorious at the second comming of Christ as well as himselfe Wherein stands this glory To cleare this point a little I will not be long in it because indeed this glory is such as eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man The Apostles speake not much of it they speak of it in negative tearms by denying imperfections It is an inheritance incorruptible immortall c. And when it is resembled to earthly things it is compared to a banket to a marriage c. But this glory it shall be in body in soule in the whole man In soule there shall be the knowledge of those mysteries of salvation that now wee are ignorant of Now wee are in the Grammar schoole but that shall be as the University Then we shall know things more clearely we shall see God face to face and then our soules shall be raised to be capable of more knowledge and grace Now the vessell of our soule is not capable to know that that we shall then they are not capable as they shall be in heaven Saint Paul himselfe was not capable therefore when he was taken up into the third heavens least he should be proud of his revelations he was faine to be abased Wee are not capable we cannot know the glory of heaven in a full measure now but then God shall inlarge the heart and sanctifie it that we shall have strong spirits and holy understandings and affections to understand holy things we shall know God face to face There shall be a proportion betweene the glorious things in heaven and our soule there shall be a heavenly soule for a heavenly place where as yet it is not so I forbeare to shew the particulars of the glory of the body the Apostle Paul sets it downe 1 Cor. 15. It shall be a spirituall body it shall be guided by the Spirit and the body it shall not then need meats and drinks but God shall be all in all Now our life at the best is fed and cloathed by the creatures then all shall be taken out of God himselfe God himselfe shall be All in all The presence of God and of Christ our Saviour shall supply all that we have now other wayes Now comfort is conveyed from this creature and from that but whatsoever comfort we have now dropped by the creatures we shall then have all in him and in fulnesse and for evermore So we shall be glorious in soule and body And in our whole man the Image of God and Christ shall be perfectly restored we shall be like Christ reserving the difference between the head and the members reserving the difference of a naturall Sonne and of sonnes adopted he shall be more glorious then we we shall be glorious as much as we are capable off in all fulnesse of joy and grace and dominion over the creature in freedome from ill and readinesse to good we shall be glorious sons of God I need not to be long in unfolding these things When shall this be When he shall appeare saith the Apostle we shall also appeare with him in glory It is carryed indefinitely to stoppe curiosity there is no time set downe but when hee shall appeare c. In a word when all the Elect shall be gathered together It is not meet that our bodies and soules should be glorified till all Gods people be gathered together As in a family they doe not sit downe till all the servants be come in and then they sit downe together so in this great family of God the Saints in heaven and earth there shall not be perfect glory till all be gathered and saved And then what a blessed time will
breaking out of desires They are the breath and vapour of the soule Let us consider what is set highest in our soules what we desire most of all Oh! a Christian soule that hath tasted of the loving kindnesse of the Lord accounts it better then life it selfe It is not Corne and wine and oyle he desires but Lord shew me the light of thy countenance The desires of his heart are large to serve God and to doe good more then for the things of the world He desires earthly things but as instruments for better things and this is the desire of every sanctified soule in some measure Let us hence make a use of convinction of the folly of base men that live in the Church and yet come not so farre as Balaam that come not so farre as those that shall goe to hell They turne over all Religion to a Lord have mercy upon us and Christ dyed for us and we hope we have soules to God ward as good as the best and to a few short broken things They turne Religion to compendiums to a narrow compasse and make the vvay to it wide and broad and complaine of Preachers that they straiten the way to heaven This is the disposition of worldlings whereas alas there must be a righteousnesse that must exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises there must be a righteousnesse from an inward principle there must be a strong constant desire of righteousnesse more then of any thing in the world before we can be assured of our interest and part with Gods people Let us take heed that we delude not our selves this way But to come to an use of direction How may we so carry our selves as we may have a spring of blessed desires a spring of holy desires that may comfort us that we may have our interest and portion in the state of Gods people That we may have these desires let us desire of God the spirit of revelation desires follow discovery for desires are the vent of the soule upon the discovery of some excellency it beleeves Therefore let us beg of God the spirit of revelation to discover the excellent estate of Gods people And because this is given in the use of meanes let us present our selves with all diligence under such means as where we may have somewhat of the Kingdome of God that the riches of Christ being unfolded our desires may be carryed to such things for there is never any discovery of holy and good and gracious things to a Christian soule but there are new desires stirred up Our soules are like a mill that grinds what is put into it so the soule it workes upon the things that are put into it if it have good desires and good thoughts put into it by good meanes used and by prayer it feeds upon them let us alway therefore be under some good meanes that good thoughts may be ministred unto us that may stirre up gracious desires for the soule to worke upon Let us be in good company Saul among the Prophets we see hee prophesied and the heart is kindled and enflamed when we are among those that are better then our selves especially if their hearts be inlarged to speake of good things but to come nearer That we may have holy and gracious and constant desires let us take notice and make tryall continually of the state and frame of our soules which way for the present they are carryed in what current our desires run If they runne the right way to heavenly things it is well if not take notice what drawes and diverts and turnes the streames of our desires the false way let us thinke what the things be and the condition of those things that drawes our desires downe and make us earthly and worldly whether the pleasures or profits or honours of this life The way to have better desires is to weane our selves from these things by a constant holy meditation of the vanity of these things that the soule is carryed after Salomon to weane his heart from these desires from placing too much happinesse in these things he sets them before him and saith they were vanity and vexation of spirit Let us set them before us as nothing as they will be ere long Heaven and earth will passe away the world will passe away and the concupiscence and lust of it Let us consider the basenesse ficklenes and uncertainety of things that our soules are carryed after and this will be a meanes to weane them from them And the soule being weaned from earthly things it will run amaine another way Let us study therefore to mortifie our base affections and study it to purpose to cut off the right hand and to pull out the right eye spare nothing that God may spare all that God may have mercy upon us and spare us let us spare nothing These lusts they fight against our soules And as I said before feed our soules minister unto them better thoughts continually Those that are governours of those that are yong season them while they be yong with good things for while the soule is not filled with the world and while covetousnesse and ill lusts have not wrought themselves into the soule good things and good desires are easily rooted and planted and grow up in the soule As letters graven in the body of a tree they grow up with the tree and the fruit of the tree growes up with the tree and therefore the twigs breake not with the greatnesse of the weight of it because they grow up together so plant good things in those that are yong inure them to know good things to hate ill wayes plant in them blessed desires and inure them to holy exercises and good duties that good exercises may grow up with them as the fruit wth the tree We see what 〈◊〉 hard matter it is to convert an old man to draw the desires of a carnall worldly man to heaven when we speak of good things to him his soule is full of the world what is in his brain the world what is in his heart the world So he is dry and exhausted of all good things and that that is in him is eaten up with the world It is a great improvidence in those that governe youth that they labour not that their desires may be strong to the best things And let us all both young and old labour for heavenly wisedome that when good things are ministred to us from without or good motions stirred up by the Spirit of God to close with them and not to quench those motions and resist the Spirit but to imbrace those motions and cherish them till they come to resolutions and purposes and actions If we have a motion stirring us up to repentance let us ripen it till it come to perfect repentance till we repent indeed and have turned from all our evill wayes and turne to God with full purpose of heart
Conscience Upon the preventing of an objection and removing their false confidence hee positively sets downe what that is that doth save in Baptisme saith he it is the answer of a good Conscience The Scope of the words should have moved the holy Apostle to have said thus not the putting off the filth of the Body but the putting off the filth of the soule but instead of that hee sets downe the act of the soule which is an answer of a good Conscience to God by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ. Where first of all you must know this for a ground indeed it is a hard place of Scripture I will only take that that I think fittest and rayse what observations I think fit for you that out of that you must know for a ground that There is a Covenant of Grace Since God and Man brake in the Creation there is a Covenant which we call a Covenant of Grace God hath stooped so low hee hath condescended to enter into tearmes of Covenant with us Now the foundation of this Covenant is that God will bee our God and give us grace and glory and all good in Christ the Mediator of the new Covenant Christ is the foundation of the Covenant the Mediator of the Covenant a friend to both to God as God to man as man God and man in himselfe and by office such is his office as to procure love and agreement betweene God and man He being the foundation of the Covenant there must be agreement in him Now Christ is the foundation of the Covenant by satisfying Gods justice else God and wee could never have come to good tearmes nor conscience could ever have bin satisfyed For God must bee satisfyed before conscience bee satisfied Conscience else would thinke God is angry and he hath not received full satisfaction and conscience will never bee satisfied but with that that God is satisfied with God is satisfied with the Death of the Mediator so conscience being sprinkled with the blood of Christ applying the death of Christ conscience is satisfied too Now what doth shew that the death of the Mediator is a sufficient sacrifice and Satisfaction The Resurrection of Christ for Christ our surety should have laine in the grave to this day if our sinnes had not bin fully satisfied for Christ is the foundation of the Covenant of grace by his humiliation and by his exaltation whereof the resurrection was the first degree Now in this as in other covenants there is the party promising making the Covenant and the parties that answer in the Covenant God promises life everlasting forgivenesse of sins through the death of Christ the Mediator we answer by faith that we relye upon Gods mercy in Christ this is the answer of conscience Now this sound answer of conscience it doth save us because it doth lay hold on Christ that doth save us Christ properly saveth us by his death and passion An argument of the sufficiency of his salvation was his resurrection hee is now in Heaven triumphing but because there is somewhat in us that must lay hold of this salvation it is attributed to that that is the instrument of salvation that is to the answer of a good conscience Now this answer of a good conscience doth afford us this observation that There must bee something in us before wee can make use of what good is in God or Christ. In a Covenant both parties must agree there must bee somewhat wrought in us that must answer or else we cannot clayme any good by the promises in Christ or by any good that Christ hath wrought that is the answer of a good conscience Or else Christ should save all if there were not the answer of a good conscience required that only Gods elect children have But to shew the reasons of this that there must on our part be this answer The reason is partly from the nature of the Covenant there must bee consent on both sides or else the Covenant cannot hold there are Indentures drawn between God and us God promiseth all good if wee believe and rest on Christ we again rest upon Christ and so have interest in all that is good There is a mutuall engagement then in the Covenant God engageth himselfe to us and wee engage our solves to God in Christ and where this mutuall engagement is there the Covenant is perfect as here there is the answer of a good conscience That is the first reason then from the nature of the Covenant there must bee this answer The second reason that there must be somewhat in us is because when two agree there must bee a like disposition Now there must bee a sanctifying of our Nature from whence this blessed answer comes before that God and wee can agree There must bee a correspondency of disposition of necessity this must bee for wee enter into tearmes of friendship with God in the Covenant of Grace Now friends must have the same mind there must be an answering Now this answer is especially faith when we believe and from Faith sanctified obedience that is called the resti pulation or engagement of a good conscience to God when the promise is made wee engage our selves to believe and to live as christians Now from this that there must be an answer in us an engagement on our part I beseech you let us in generall therefore know that wee must search our own hearts for the evidence of our good estate in Religion let us not so much search what Christ hath done but search our owne hearts how wee have engaged our selves to God in Christ that we believe and witnesse our believing that wee lead a life answerable to our Faith renounce all but Christ. This mutuall engagement is in the forme in Baptisme that was used by the Apostles and by the ancient Church for wee know that in the ancient Church that they that were Baptized they were questioned doe you believe I doe believe Doe you renownce the Flesh and the World and the Divell I doe renounce them These two questions were made now when they answered this question from a good conscience truly faithfully and sincerely then they had right in all the good things by Christ. Something alway therefore in the Church was required on our part Not that wee answer by our owne strength for it is the Covenant of grace why is it a Covenant of grace not onely because the things promised are promised of grace but because our part is of grace likewise we beleeve of grace and live holily of grace every good thought is from grace it is by grace that we are that we are All is of grace in the new Covenant meerely of grace God requires not any answering by our strength for then he should require light of darknesse and life of death There is nothing good in us he requires obedience that he may worke it when he requires it For his commands in
have beene sick How can we looke for performance on Gods part when we have not had grace to performe our part but our whole life hath beene a satisfying of our base lusts Let us make that use in temptations to sinne let us fetch arguments against sinne from our Baptisme from the answer that we made then for we must make good now that that was made then or else it is in vaine Againe when we are solicited by Satan to be discouraged let us consider that we are baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost and consider that the promise is made whensoever we repent without any expection of time nay though we have broke with God for Satan will use that as a chiefe weapon thou hast fallen thou hast fallen yet as it is Ieremiah 3. Though a man will not take his wife after a breach yet God transcends us hee is God and not man therefore after breaches if wee yet answer his command and his promise for the command of beleeving is upon us while we live if we beleeve and confesse our sins we shall have mercie if we come cast our selves upon Christ. Therefore after relapses let not Satan abuse them to make us despaire Baptisme is a seale of our faith and faith is enjoyned us all the dayes of our life all this time of life is a time of grace and we are commanded to repent and beleeve Let not Satan therefore discourage us after sinne let us goe to our Baptisme it is a seale to us of faith and repentance whensoever we beleeve and repent When we are solicited to distrust in God for the things of this life any way as if God cared not for us let us consider that we have answered that we beleeve in God the Father Almightie therefore he is our Father he knowes what is good for us and he loves us he is an Almightie God it is an article of our faith that we have answered to let us make it good upon all temptations in that kind Dothnot God care for us he had an Arke for Noah in the worst times when the flood overwhelmed the whole World So if there be the answer of a good Conscience he will have an Arke for his Noah's to save and protect and defend us he is a Father Almightie Let us know the grounds of our Religion the Articles of our Faith the grounds and foundation of our Faith let us consider the good things promised there and consider withall that wee have all ingaged our selves to beleeve those things and to make use of our faith upon all occasions Those that cannot read if they have no other let them looke on these two Bookes the Booke of their Baptisme and the Booke of conscience they would be sufficient to instruct them some people pretend Ignorance consider what thou art Baptised to the grounds of Religion consider there what thou hast renounced consider in particular whether this thing that thou art moved to be Gods or the Divells command and answer Satan and thy lusts by not answering of them give them their answer and tell them a good conscience must answer Gods command and promise but they must have their answer by denyall by this answer of a good conscience Those that cannot read and are not learned let them make use of the learning of their Baptisme There is a world of instruction and comfort a treasurie of it in Baptisme I dare be bold to say if any Christian when he is tempted to any sinne to despaire or discouragement if he consider what a sollemne promise he hath made to God in Baptisme it would be a meanes to strengthen his Faith and to arme him against all temptations There is no man sinnes but there is a breach with God first in wronging the promise hee hath ingaged himselfe to in Baptisme Wee all that are heere have beene Baptised let us learne to make more Conscience of this Blessed Sacrament then wee have done and let us labour to have the answer of a good conscience at all times What a comfort is it when our hearts and Consciences makes a gracious answer to God in believing and obeying and in renouncing all Gods and our enemies What a comfort is such a Conscience It will uphold us in sicknesse in death and at the day of judgement in all ill times in this life A Conscience that hath answered God by believing his promises and hath renewed the Covenant to obey God in all things what a wondrous peace hath it Let the Devill object what he can let our unbelieving hearts object what they can yet notwithstanding if it bee a renewed sanctified Conscience it can out of the privity of its owne act say I have believed I have cast my selfe upon Gods mercy in Christ I have renounced these motions and suggestions and courses and though I bee overcome with temptations yet I heartily hate them What a comfort is this Conscience it is either the greatest friend or the greatest enemy in the world It is the chiefest friend when it is privy to it selfe of this resolute answer that it hath obeyed God in all things then Conscience is our friend it speakes to God for us at all times Then againe at the houre of death what a comfort it is that we have this answer of a good conscience especially at the day of judgement when we can looke God in the face a sincere heart a Conscience that hath laboured to obey the Gospell and to keepe Covenant with God it can looke God in the face for what in the covenant of grace goes for perfect obedience but sincerity and truth God requires that when the heart can say with Hezekias Lord thou knowest that I have walked perfectly before thee Lord I have believed and laboured to expresse it in my life and conversation though with much weakenesse yet in truth This sincerity will make us looke God in the face in the hour of death and at the day of judgement and in all troubles in this life A Christian that hath the answer of a good Conscience hee hath Christ to be his Arke in all deluges Christ saves us not only from hell and damnation but in all the miseries of this life If any thing come upon us for the breach of Gods Covenant as God threatneth Levit. 26 to send warre and famine c. For the breach of his Covenant what a comfort is it then for such as have kept the Covenant For then God hath an arke for such in ill times for every deliverance in evill times it comes from the same ground as the deliverance from hell doth why doth God deliver me from hell and damnation because he loves me in Christ and that moves him to deliver me in evill times if I keepe a good Conscience and that love that gives mee Heaven gives me the comforts of this life if I labour to have this answer
the Apostle speakes of what a comfort is this in the worst times Those that live in Rebellion and make no Conscience of their vowes and covenants to God that they have made and repeated oft-times and renewed in taking of the Lords Supper but goe on still in their sinnes alas what comfort can such as these have how can they look for an answer from God if any promise that hee hath made when their lives are rebellious their conscience tels them that their lives doe not witnesse for God in keeping covenant with him but they rebell against him their hearts tell them they cannot look to heaven for comfort they carry a hell in their bosome a guilty Conscience they doe not labour to be purged by the blood of Christ nor labour for the spirit of God to sanctifie them in renewing them to holy obedience to God Those that have their conscience thus stained especially that purpose to live in sin they can looke for nothing but vengeance from God It is not knowne now who are the wisest people In the times of trouble and at the houre of death at such times it will be knowne that they are the wisest people that have made Conscience of keeping their Covenant with God of renewing their Covenant with God first in all things that they would serve him better and then when they have renewed their Covenants with God as we have cause now indeed if ever to renew them when wee are warned by publike dangers or when wee have cause to take occasion to renew our Covenants that we made with God in Baptisme to bind our Consciences to closer obedience and those that have renewed their Covenant and have grace to keepe it those are wise people Wee see in the current of Scripture in dangerous times there was still renewing of their Covenants with God And those that God delights in he puts his spirit into them that they shall be able by the helpe of his spirit to keep their Covenant in some comfortable measure and those God will chuse and marke out in the worst times FINIS THE SWORD OF THE WICKED In two SERMONS Being the leading Sermons to that Treatise called The SOULES Conflict BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE PSAL. 57. 4. Their Tongue is a sharpe Sword LONDON Printed by E. P. for N. B. and R. H. 1639. THE SWORD OF THE WICKED PSAL. 42. 10. As with a Sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say unto me daily where is thy GOD THE Psalmes are as it were the Anatomy of a holy man they lay the inside of a true devout man outward even to the view of others If the Scripture be compared to a body the Psalmes may well bee the heart they are so full of sweet and holy affections and passions In other portions of Scripture God speakes to us in the Psalmes holy men especially David who was the pen-man of most of them speakes to God wherein we have the passages of a broken humble soule to God Among the rest in this Psalme David layes open varietie of passions His condition at this time was such as that he was an exiled man from his owne house and his owne friends and which grieved him worst of all from the Tabernacle the house of God It was upon the occasion of Saules persecution or of Absaloms his sonne but I take it rather of Sauls that hunted him as a partrich in the wildernes Hereupon you have a discovery how this holy man of God stood affected with this case and condition of his First hee layes open his griefe his griefe ariseth from his desire hee that loves most and desireth most he alwayes grieves most and all other affections have their scantling from love which is the first borne affection of the soule Therefore before he layes out his griefe he sets out his desire to the house of God the want whereof grieved him most of all As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soule after thee Oh God As the chased Hart panteth after water so the soule thirsteth for God for the living God â—…h when shall I come and appeare before God Then after his desire he layes forth his grief My teares have bin my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God Grievances never come alone but as Iobs Messengers they come one after another even to Gods Children when he is disposed to correct them they are multiplyed therefore here is not only a griefe of want that he was debarred of those sweet comforts which hee had before in the Tabernacle but here is likewise a griefe from the reproach of his enemies that tooke occasion from his disconsolate estate to upbraid him Where is thy God My teares have bin my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God He dissolves the cloude of his griefe into the showr of teares my teares have bin my meat They were so plentifull that they did feed his soule as it were Then he sets downe another ground of his grief from the remembrance of his former happinesse as usually that doth make the griefe raw and more sensible for fâ—…ix miser maxime miser he that hath binne happy in former time and now is miserable is most miserable of all because his former happinesse makes him most sensible therefore of all men in hel the torment of great men is most because they had most sence of comfort in this world mighty men shall be mightily tormented that is all the privilege they shall have in hell Therefore to aggravate his griefe oh saith he when I remember what comfort I had formerly in the house of God I poure out my soule It was not enough that he poured out his teares or words but I poâ—…re out my soule for in former times I went with the multitude to the house of God and lead a goodly traine to the house of God The picture of a good Magistrate and a good master of a family hee goes not alone to the house of God but hee leads his traine he is attended on by his servants David went not alone into the house of God but with the multitude with the voyce of them that kept holiday Well hee had griefe enough his heart was full of griefe Now in the next verse he takes up his soule and expostulates with himselfe why are thou so sad oh my soule and why are thou disquieted in me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance So you see here he is not so flat in his griefe that he gives over-long way to it but hee even fals a chiding of his soule why art thou cast downe oh my soule why art thou disquieted within me oh but yet griefe will not be so stilled affliction is not
he foments malice and cherisheth that malicious poysonfull disposition and a malicious disposition never wants malicious words As one saith of anger and furie it ministreth weapons so we may say of malice and hatred it ministreth words alway a malicious heart will never want words They say to me daily these are but circumstances but yet they are somewhat considerable for they tend to the aggravation of the disconsolate estate of this holie man that he should meet with such wretched men that had no pittie at all on him but say to him dayly Where is now thy God You see then from hence that God is a God as the Prophet saith oft times hiding himselfe that God vayles himselfe oft times to his children Not onely from the eyes of wicked men that they thinke godly men deserted of God but sometimes from the very sence and feeling of Gods children themselves they are in such desertions that they are faine to complaine that God hath hid himselfe and is as a stranger to them This is the state of Gods children in this world though God love them dearely as the apple of his eye and as the signet on his hand yet notwithstanding his carriage to them is oft times so strange that those that looke upon their estate in this world thinke they are men as it were for lorne and destitute of God And this estate must needs be Because of necessitie there must be a conformitie betweene us and our Saviour it was so with our Saviour my God my God why hast thou forsaken me God was never nearer him in all his life then then and yet he cryes out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And as he spake so the rest thought of him as if he had beene a man forsaken and so here they say to this holy man where is thy God Therefore let us lay up this likewise for the strengthening of our faith in the like case that we be not overmuch discouraged if God hide himselfe if others thinke our estates miserable and our selves thinke our selves so it is no strange matter it was thus with David he was so neglected of God that they thought God had cleane forsaken him where is thy God Our life is now hid with Christ as the Apostle saith Colos. 3. We have a blessed and glorious life but it is hid in our head Even as in winter time the trees have a life but it is hid in the roote so a Christian hath a blessed condition at all times but his glory and happinesse is hid in his head and there is a cloud betweene him and his happinesse Therefore let us support our selves with this in all times was God gone from David indeed when they said Where is thy God Oh no God was as neare David now as ever he was nay rather nearer God was never nearer Moses then when he was sprawling upon the water in that Arke they had made for him He was never nearer Daniel then when he was in the Lyons Den God came betweene the Lyons teeth and Daniel and as I said he was never nearer our Saviour then when he was on the Crosse. And he was never nearer to David then when they said where is thy God When trouble is neare God is never farre off that is an argument to make God neare Lord be not farre off for trouble is neare And extremitie and danger and trouble it is Gods best opportunitie to be with his children how ever he doe not helpe for the present oft times Where is thy God David might rather have said to them where are your eyes where is your sight for God is not only in heaven but in me Though David was shut from the Sanctuary yet Davids soule was a sanctuary for God for God is not tyed to a sanctuary made with hands God hath two Sanctuaries he hath two heavens the heaven of heavens and a broken spirit God dwelt in David as in his Temple God was with David and in him and he was never more with him nor never more in him then in his greatest afflictions they wanted eyes he wanted not God Though sometimes God hide himselfe not onely from the world but from his owne children yet he is there howsoever their sorrow is such that it dims their sight as we see in Hagar so that they cannot see him for the present he sometimes lookes in their face as we see Mary she could not see Christ distinctly but thought him to be the Gardiner There is a kind of concealement a while in heavenly wisedome yet notwithstanding God is with his children alwayes and they know it by faith though not by feeling alwayes As we know what Iacoh said God was in this place and I was not aware when he slept upon the stone and had that heavenly vision So it is with Gods people in their trouble God is with his Church and children and wicked men are not aware of it Christ is in them and they are not aware of it Christ was in the Saints when Saul persecuted them and Paul was not aware of it Saul Saul why persecutest thou me who art thou Lord saith he alas he dreamed not of Christ. How ever wicked men of the world thinke yet God is neare his owne children in the most disconsolate condition that can be It is when they say where is thy God as if a man should aske what is become of the Moone betweene the old and the new when the darke side is towards us when we see no Moone at all for a time till the new come The Moone is neare and more enlightned with the Sunne then then at other times and is nearer to him So in affictions how ever the darke side of Gods children be toward the world that they cannot see them yet their light side is towards God God shines upon them and enlightens them more then at that time with solid comfort that keepes them from sinking then at other times therefore it was an ignorant question of them to aske where is thy God It shewed they were Ignorant of the passages of Gods dealing with his children as indeed none are greater Atheists then your scoffers Where is thy God As if God had beene onely a God of observation to be observed outwardly in all his passages toward his children whereas as I said he is a God hiding himselfe oft times and he shewes himselfe in contrary conditions most of all most comfortably his worke is by contraries But these carnall men were Ignorant of the mysteries of Religion and the mysteries of Divine providence towards Gods children therefore their question savours of their disposition where is now thy God Thus briefely I have gone over their disposition and carriage towards the holy man David That they were enemies of hostile nature and disposition they reproached him and dayly and that in his Religion where is thy God I beseech you let us look to it in time that it may
a land that devours the inhabitants It was a speech discomfortable and it wrought so that it made them all murmur and be discouraged It is not to be thought what mischiefe comes from speech cunningly handled This malitious speech Where is thy God and what is become of all thy devotion at the Tabernacle that thou didst frequent so and drewest others a great trayne with thee what is become of all now When weake men that had the beginnings of goodnesse in them should see a man reproached for this questionlesse it would dampe the beginnings of goodnesse oh would not this goe to the heart of David to see insolent men to quench good things in good men with reproaches Well wee see what reason the holy man David had to bee so sensible of this reproach for they said unto him daily where is thy God Now therefore to make some use of it to our selves let us enter into our owne soules and examine with what spirits and feeling wee heare God reproached and religion reproached and hindred and disgraced any kind of way if we be not sensible of this and sensible to the quick we may suspect wee are not of Davids spirit that was a man after Gods owne heart It was a cutting of his bones when they came to disparage his Religion and profession and to touch him in that Shall a man see men forsake Religion and goe backeward and desert the cause of God and see it oppressed and not be affected with all thiâ—… certainly he hath a dead soule That which hath no griefe when there is cause of griefe certainely it is to be accounted but as dead flesh That heart is but dead flesh that is not touched with the sence of religion And to come a little nearer to our times when we can heare of the estate of the Church abroad the poore Church in the Palatinate in Bohemia and those places you see how like a canker superstition is growne up amongst them when wee heare of these things and are not affected and doe not send up a figh to God it is a signe wee have hollow and dead hearts No question but if wee were there among those malignant spirits that are there their speeches are daily such as these wicked mens were to David what is become of your reformation what is become of your new Religion where is that now I pray You that doe upbraid us with Idolatry what is become of your Religion no question but they have these â—…casmes and 〈◊〉 speeches dayly and those that have the spirit of God they are grieved to the heart If wee have the spirit of God and of Christ in our breasts and any thing of the spirit of David and of holy men we will grieve at this The Apostle St. Paul when Elyâ—…as laboured to stop when one was to be converted hee breakes out Then childe of the Devill and enemy of all good why dost thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of God A man that is not fired in this case hath nothing at all in him when we see-wicked men goe about to pervert Religion and overturne all and we are not stirred at it it is an ill signe Let us therefore take a tryall of our selves how we stand affected in case of Religion He that hath no zeale in him hath no love by an Antiperistasis a opposition of the contrary encreaseth the contrary if a man have any goodnesse if it bee environed with opposition it will intend the goodnesse and encrease it Lot shewed his goodnesse in Sodome the more because of the wickednesse of the Sodomites when a man is in vile company and heares Religion disgraced and good persons scoffed at and will not have a word to justifie good causes and good persons hee hath no life at all of Religion for if hee had he would then have more Religion then ordinary the contrary would then intend and encrease the contrary There was a blessed mixture of many affections in this griefe of the holy man David when hee said their words were as a sword in his bones There was great griefe not onely for himselfe as a man being sensible of reproaches for men are men and not out of corrupt nature but out of the principles of nature they are sensible of reproaches here was griefe in respect of God and in respect of himselfe and here was the love of God and the love of Religion in this grief Here was zeale in this and a sweet mixture of blessed affections a sweet temper in this when hee saith their words were as a sword in my bones Let us make a use of tryall bring our selves to this patterne and thinke if wee doe come short of this then wee come short of that that should bee in us But especially let us consider with what hearts wee entertaine those dolefull and sad reports of forraine Churches and with what consideration and view wee looke upon the present estate of the Church whether we be glad or no. There are many false spirits that either are not affected at all or else they are inwardly glad of it they are of the same disposition that those cursed Edomites were of Psalme 137. Downe with it downe with it even unto the ground I hope that there are but few such amongst us here therefore I will not presse that But if wee bee dead-hearted and are not affected with the cause of the Church let us suspect our selves and thinke all is not well The fire from Heaven is not kindled in our hearts our hearts are not yet the Altar where God hath kindled that heavenly fire if we can heare Religion disgraced and good causes goe backward and not be affected Curse yee Meroz why because they went not out to helpe the Lord. If those bee cursed that doe not helpe as they can by their prayers then surely they are cursed that are dead-hearted that are not affected at all that joyne with the persecutors that cry downe with it even to the ground say Aha so we would have it If those be cursed that helpe not forward the cause of the Church at least by their prayers and strive and contend for the faith once given what shall we thinke of those that are not affected at all nay which is worse of all that hinder good causes that are scorners of Religion and good causes what shall wee thinke of those wretched spirits how opposite are they to the spirit of David To adde one thing more wee may learne hence the extent of the commandements how to enlarge the commandements Our Saviour Christ when he came to preach the Gospell hee began with the enlargement of the commandements shewing the spirituall meaning and extent of the law he that calleth his Brother Racha or foole is in danger of hell fire and he that lookes on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart You see here the Prophet David when hee speakes of their reproach he