but few that Receive Christ 11 Three sorts that come not to Christ 1 Such as Receive him not as he is 2 Such as delay their coming to him 3 Such as give not that place to Christ in their hearts that is fitting for him In the Treatise of Covetousness is shewed 1 It is the Duty of all as they would obtaine eternal Life to beware of covetousness 2 The Reasons of the Doctrine 1 Its a spiritual Sin 2 It over spreads the whole man 3 It s opposite to the Nature of Godliness and Religion 4 It s the Womb and seed of all Sin 5 It s a base Sin 3 The Dangerousness of covetousness· 1 It is hardly avoided 2 It s difficultly cured 4 You shal have all things needful for this life if you wil look after Grace 5 Your Life lies in Grace not in Riches 6 There is more to be feared than to be desired in Riches 7 We should Mortifie our desires after Riches In Book 1 Of Unbelief or the want of Readiness c. is shewed 1 What Vnbelief it is that is here spoken of 2 The best way to deal with Vnbelief 3 That Vnbelief is a sin against al the Attributes of God 4 That Christ will not bear with this Sin of Vnbeleif 5 That we should be quick and reâ—yd to beleeve 6 Motives to indeavor for readiness to beleeve 7 Helps to attain readiness in Beleeving In Book 2 Of Not going to Christ c. is shewed 1 That unbelief is a great Sin and exceeding provoking unto God 2 Several arguments provoking us to beleeve the greatness of the Sin of unbelief 3 Many Objections answered 4 Several sorts of this Sin of unbeliefe 5 Means to convince us that unbelief is so great a Sin 6 Though the Sin of unbelief be very great yet it 's pardonable 7 God hath pardoned unbelief and wil pardon it A Congregational Church is a Catholick Visible Church By Samuel Stone in New-England A Treatise of Politick Powers wherein seven Questions are answered 1 Whereof Power is made and for what ordained 2 Whether Kings and Governors have an Absolute Power over the People 3 Whether Kings and Governors be subject to the Laws of God or the Laws of their Country 4. How far the People are to obey their Governors Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians Vox Pacifica or a Perswasive to Peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious Mans Practice in Parliament time Barriffs Military Discipline The Immortality of Mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized The Bishop of Canterbury's Speech Woodwards Sacred Ballance Dr. Owen against Mr. Baxter Mr. Hookers New Books in three Volums One in Octavo and two in Quarto These Eleven New Books of Mr. Thomas Hooker made in New-England Are attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors Own hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer in the Seventeenth of John wherein is opened The Union beleevers have with God and Christ and the glorious Priviledges thereof Besides many other Gospel Truths there you have shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive al glorious Grace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ 3 That our Savior desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful Servants 8 That our Vnion and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven The first eight Books of the Application of Redemption By the effectual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost Sinners to God In which besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 Christ hath purchased al spiritual good for HIS 2 Christ puts al HIS into possession of al that good that he hath purchased 3 The Soul must be fitted for Christ before it can receive him And a powerful Ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for Christ 4 The work of God is free And the day of Salvation is while this Life lasts and the Gospel continues 5 God cals his Elect at any Age but the most before old Age. 6 The Soul is naturally setled in a sinful security 7 The heart of a Natural man is wholly unwilling to submit to the word that would sever him from his sins 8 God the Father by a holy kind of violence plucks His out of their corruptions and draws them to beleeve in Christ The Ninth and Tenth Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God Besides many other seasonable and Soul-searching Truths there is also largely shewed 1 The heart must be humble and contrite before the Lord wil dwel in it 2 Stubborn and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted 3 There must be true sight of sin before the heart can be broken for it 4 Application of special sins by the Ministry is a means to bring men to â—ight of and sorrow for them 5 Meditation of sin a special means to break the heart 6 The same word is profitable to some not to another 7 The Lord somtimes makes the word prevaile most when its most opposed 8 Sins unrepented of makes way for piercing Terrors 9 The Truth terrible to a guilty conscience 10 Gross and scandalous sinners God usually exerciseth with heavy breakings of heart before they be brought to Christ 11 Sorrow for sin rightly set on pierceth the hearâ— of the sinner throughly 12 They whose hearts are pierced by the Word are carried with love and respect to the Ministers of it And are busie to enquire and ready to submit to the mind of God 13 Sinners in distress of conscience are ignorant what they should do 14 A contrite sinner sees a necessity of coming out of his sinful condition 15 There is a secret hope wherewith the Lord supports the hearts of contrite sinners 16 They who are truly pierced for their sins do prize and covet deliverance from their sins 17 True contrition is accompanied with confession of sin when God cals thereunto 18 The Soul that is pierced for sin is carried with a restless dislike against it Six Books more of Mr. Hookers in two Volums in Quarto are printing Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations Visions 2. Natural Supernatual Dreams 3
and Earth upon the Frame or keeping it in being the Lord doth not appear more to be an almighty God in keeping Heaven and Earth in being then he doth appeare to be an Almighty God in keeping grace alive in the heart notwithstanding al the remainder of Corruption so that in this God hath Glory in another way then he hath from the Angels in heaven the power of God appeares in upholding of the Angels for if he did not uphold them they would fal into evil as Adam and the other Angels did but therein appeares Gods glorious power to uphold the Angels but the glorious power in upholding the Angels doth not so much appeare as the glorious power of God in upholding the hearts of the Saints in the midst of their corruptions this shal be a special argument that the Saints shal praise God for to al eternity when they shal look back and see what a condition they were in before their conversion yea in their conversion that though God granted them some grace yet what abundance of Corruption was in their hearts al that time and what a deal of stir they had to maintain that little grace they wil stand and admire to consider that it should be kept alive in the midst of sin that a little sparke should be kept alive in the midst of the Sea not only in the midst of the Sea but when the sea is tempestuous you yil say it is no great wonder that the fire be kept burning when the sea is calme but when al is in a storme and yet a spark of fire shal be kept alive in the midst of al the tossings of the waves you wil grant here is a mighty power now the keeping alive of grace in thy heart in the midst of so much corruption doth argue as mighty a power in God 2. The Lord doth so order it that stil his own people shal be under the burden of much coruption in this regard because that hereby the Lord draweth forth the exercise of faith in his son in which his soul takes infinite delight the soule of God takes infinite delight in beholding the working of the glorious grace of faith in Jesus Christ But you wil say wherein doth it appeare to be so glorious in regard of our corruption Thus for the Angels in heaven to believe in God that he wil be eternally good to them it is not so much as for a poor soul in the midst of al his corruptions yet to be able to Triumph in the free grace of God in Jesus Christ notwithstanding I am so vild filthy loathsome and abominable to myself and justly God and his Saints may count me a burden to them and cast me off for ever yet for al this my soul shal cling to him I wil cast my self upon him and look upon him as a gracious father a merciful God a God that loves me a God that rejoyceth in doing Good to me for the soul to exercise faith in the Grace of God in Christ it is a glorious thing only take heed you do not mistake it for presumption Object You wil say For men notwithstanding al their sin to beleeve in Gods mercy this is rather presumption then faith Answ True it is presumpion in many they mistake themselves but in others it is true faith and God delights in it and you shal know it by this it doth draw the heart to God and the soul never finds such a prevalent way to overcome those corruptions that are in it as to exercise their faith in the grace of God in Christ I beseech you mark the difference between presumption and faith in Christ presumption wil trust in Gods mercy notwithstanding their sin but that doth indeed foment their sin and makes them secure in their sin makes them the more secure in their sin but now when the soul shal by the true geminine act of faith rest in the free grace of God notwithstanding corruption if it be right such a soul feels no means in the world of greater efficacy to cure and prevail against corruption then this to trust in the free grace of God notwithstanding corruption and if thou findest it thus thou hast no cause to feare trust in Gods grace with confidence for it is that which is wel pleasing unto God and that which the Lord delights in and that which gives as much content to Gods heart as the exercise of any grace whatsoever and in that regard because the Saints shal never exercise such an act of Faith in Heaven â—s this God wil have this in this world 3. This is that that God sees doth drive his own people to him in prayer nothing drives the Saints to God with more earnestness in prayer then the feeling of the weight of Corruption upon them then they goe to God above al God never heares such strong cryes come up to heaven in regard of any affliction as this and by the way you may find by this how your hearts are when the hand of God is upon you in afflictions then you wil cry to God but I put this to you hath there not come as strong cryes to heaven upon the sence of your Corruptions as upon the sence of any Affliction whatsoever 4. The Lord hath glory in this in the exercise of the work of repentance and humility the keeping the Souls of his people in humility and the contrition of their Spirits that is exceeding pleasing to God the Lord is neer to a broken contrite heart a melting mourning spirit the Lord doth delight in the evangelical workings of repentance this pleaseth the Lord the work of humiliation mourning and sorrow for sin in an evangelical way is a grace that is acceptable to God God shal have none of that in heaven and he hath it therefore here 5. God hereby exerciseth his wisdome exceedingly in bringing light out of darkeness God doth many times turne not only the afflictions of his people to their good but he workes good many times out of sin not that hereby we should be bold and presumptuous in our sins we must take head of tempting God yet know this that God doth many times work exceeding much good unto the Saints even out of their sins by occasion of sin though their sin hath no efficacy in this but God takes occasion in this in otherwaies of his providences and workings of his grace to work good unto them 6. There is Gods justice in it also to lay a stumbling block before wicked and ungodly men for when they shal see that the godly that have the most grace they have much corruption in them stil they rejoyce perhaps in it and they little think that God aimes at the execution of his just judgment upon them that it should harden their hearts many wicked men they think their condition to be very good because they see so much corruption in the hearts of the godly and they are hardened therby but they little think
the flesh And spirit or of spirit not to make you make conscience of wicked actions but cleanse you from your very thoughts these promises wil clense from the filthiness of the flesh I perhaps they may a little serve the turne for them I but from the filthiness of the spirit the filthiness of the thoughts the Filthiness of the affections those inward spiritual wickednesses Of pride malice and the like May be you would count it a vild thing to be accused of whordom the Filthiness of the flesh I but what say you to the filthiness of the spirit of pride malice distrust earthly mindedness and such like these promises are to clense from the filthiness of the spirit aswel as of the flesh And then perfecting holiness in the feare of God it makes them fear God more and then it perfects holiness such a one as is acquainted with the promises of the Gospel is content with no measure of holiness but growes higher and higher til he comes to perfection Here you see the use of promises what a clensing nature promises have Oh my brethren be much exercised in promises lay up promises if you would get power over your corruptions And then one scripture more for this is that in 2. Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises The promises of the Gospel they are precious more worth then a world a beleever that knows the preciousness of the promises accounts more of them then of his estate What do you account precious that you may have your ships laden home with precious things I but to have your hearts filled with precious promises it is far better then these But now wherein do these promises appeare to be so precious It appeares by this whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature that by these great and precious promises you might be partakers of the divine nature that is of holiness of sanctification that is called the divine nature having escaped the corruptions that is in the world through lust By these the soul escapes the corruption that is in the world by lust and not only escapes the corruption of the world that is doth not live so wickedly as others do but comes to be made partaker of the divine nature through these promises So that Christ is the rest of sanctification because in him al promises are made they have a mighty clensing virtue to sanctifie the heart you would willingly have interest in promises and have the mercy that the promise holds forth now as you would have the interest in the promises and have the mercy that the promises holds forth so you must labor to feele the efficacy of the promises to clense your hearts and make you partaker of the divine nature Tenthly Christ is sanctification because in him al the ordinances are effectual the ordinances are effectual only in Christ Christ gave his ordinances unto his Church at first and then they come to be effectual through him It is not what you come to heare in the word but how much of Christ you have in the word you come to the sacrament it is not what you partake of there but what of Christ you get there it is not what you partake of there but what of Christ you get there it is Christ in the word sacrament and prayer that is the efficacy of al the ordinances the ordinances are but al as the vehiculum Christi the conveyance of Christ unto the soul And therefore we should when we come to any ordinance think with our selves what have we of Christ what have we of Christ here have we met with any thing of Christ here In the word prayer sacraments hath my heart been drawn neerer to Christ in them For certain it is that it is Christ that is the virtue and kernel of al the ordinances Hence it is that those that are acquainted with Christ and have been brought to him they come to profit more in one month now by the ordinances then they did in al their lives Before the ordinances were as empty things and liveless things to you but in Christ they come now to be made effectual Eleventhly Christ is our sanctification by sending the holy Ghost into our hearts for the holy Ghost comes from the father and the son we can never expect the saving work of the holy Ghost nor the sanctifying worke of the holy Ghost but through Christ for so Christ saith in that place in John 16.14 concerning the spirit He saith he wil send his spirit He shal glorifie me for he shal receive of mine The spirit the holy Ghost doth receive of Christ when he comes into the heart therefore if there be any sanctification by the Holy Ghost it must be through Christ he must receive of Christ he works from the father and from the son And therfore the scripture hath that phrase We are baptised into one spirit that is by being baptised into Christ having the inward work of baptisme we are made partakers now of that one spirit the Holy Ghost Now such is the excellency of sanctification as it cannot be wrought by any natural meanes but it must have the Holy Ghost to be sent into the heart and therefore the saints are said to be the temple of the Holy Ghost Now what ever worke of the Holy Ghost there is required for sanctification that must be in and through Christ and from Christ The Holy Ghost never comes to sanctifie any but the members of Jesus Christ for he is the spirit of Christ as wel as of the father and never comes to any but to the members of Christ in this work of sanctification There are some common gifts of Gods spirit that the heathens have but for this gift of true holiness it is only in the members of Christ that the holy Ghost doth come into Lastly Christ is our sanctification by his Kingly power swaying his scepter in our hearts and ruling there subduing our lusts as a king subdues rebels and walking and governing the hearts of his people Christ doth exercise a kingly power when any soul doth beleeve when Christ comes into any heart he comes into the heart to exercise a kingly power there to set up his throne in a kingly manner and by this he comes to sanctifie the heart and give rest And as in a kingdom there are mutinies seditions and the like so in the hearts of sinners there are mutinies and seditions even against God himselfe But now whenas the king sends forth power that very power prevailes against al things if it prevail in a way of justice al things are brought into right and due order again So here when Christ comes into the heart as king of righeousness and then as king of peace hereby he comes to bring rest and quiet unto the heart by his kingly power Carnal hearts they think that the kingly power of
report upon the waies of God 5. They keep no proportion therein 6. They are kept off from Christ Page 65 Chap. 11. Of the Burden of Corruption And that there is Corruption in the Saints Being a Burden 1. Of Grief 2. Of Shame 3. Of Fear 4. Of Care 5. Of Labor and Toyl Page 72 Chap. 12. The Burden of Coruption set forth in eight particularâ— 1. It is a Sole burden 2. It hath al other burdens in it 3. It is a Continual burden 4. It makes al other things to be a burden 5. It is a burden to God himself 6. It makes the sins burdensome to all others 7. It makes him burdensome to himself 8. How greivous soever we cannot be rid of it in this life Page 81 â—hap 13. In what respects Corruption is a Burden 1. In that our nature is opposite unto the very nature of God 2. It presseth down every holy duty 3. It affords matter for any Temptation 4. Iâ— hath a Root from whence all kind of sin may spring 5. It dampeth all the activity of our Graces Page 87 Chap. 15. In what respects the stirrings and motions of coruption are very burdensom 1. They contitinually fight against the Spirit of Grace in the heart 2. They are sudden 3. They are full of confusion and disorder 4. They work very Malitiously 5. They watch opportunity to do mischief 6. They are very unseasonable 7. They are very prevalent Page 92 Chap. 15. The Reasons of the former point 1. Because corruption when it prevails weakens the heart 2. By it God is dishonored 3. By it our holy profession is scandalized 4. By it they over whom it prevails are made useless in their places 5. Thereby the means of grace are made unprofitable 6. Thereby our peace with God is disturbed 7. Thereby the assurance of our Salvation is shaken Page 98 Chap. 16. Why the Saints feel these things so burdensome Namely 1. Because the life of grace is a tender and delicate thing 2. Because grace keeps the Soul in continual acting And why God suffers corruption notwithstanding the burdensomness thereof to remain in the Saints Namely 1. That hereby be may shew forth his own power 2. Hereby their Faith be exercised 3. Hereby they are driven unto Prayer 4. Hereby stirred up unto Repentance 5. Hereby make known his Wisdom 6. Hereby manifest his justice in laying a stumbling block before the wicked 7. Hereby the Saints may be induced to long more after Heaven With two Consequences issuing from hence 1. The differences between the sins of the godly and the wicked 2. Why the Saints go on so sadly in their waies Page 103 Chap. 18. Of the Burden of outward affictions and the grievousness thereof laid open in three Particulars 1. In themselves they are a part of the curse of the Law 2. They hinder much in doing Service to God 3. They often help forward many strong Temptaions Why God wil have his Saints to be under this Burden Namely 1. Because he wil have his Servants to honor and obey him meerly out of Love 2. Because he knoweth that thus their corruptions may be best mortified 3. To be a stumbling block to the wicked Page 111 Chap. 18. Christs Invitation of Sinners laid down in these words Come unto me Opened in five Particulars 1. It is to look to Christ as an All-sufficient Savior 2. It implieth an unsettledness upon the Creature 3. A stirring of the heart after Christ 4. A laying of all our burdens upon Christ 5. A leaving of the Soul with Christ for life Page 116 Chap. 19. How Christ cals Sinners unto him set forth in two Particulars Namely 1. By an outward and general cal 2. By a Particular call to Particular Sinners And how to know the voice of Christ Page 124 Chap. 20 That there is nothing required of Sinners but to come to Christ with mne Consequences arising from hence and what hath been laid down in the two former Chapters 1. There it not any worthiness required in such as come to Christ 2. The Soul needs not to be troubled about the time and and measure of its Humiliation before its coming to Christ 3. Nor about what interest it hath in Christ before its coming to him 4. That the least degree of Faith will give the Soul interest in Christ 5. That the work of Faith is supernatural 6. That Faith is an humbling Grace 7. That Beleevers after their coming to Christ should be willing to do and suffer much for Christ 8. That they wrâ— are once in Christ shal never be east off 9. That they know not what to do when they loose their interest in Christ Page 130 Chap. 21. Nine Rules to be observed in right coming to Christ 1. Rest not in outward means that lead to Christ before Christ himself be enjoyed 2. Pitch rather upon Christ himself than upon the good things of Christ 3. Come with the whol soul 4. Keep Christ continually in thine Eye 5. Be convinced that whatsoever keeps thee from Christ comes not from God 6. Take heed and beware of all discouragements and hindrances 7. Keep the Heart stil tending to Christ 8. Give up thy self to Gods Spirit 9. Often renew the act of coming come often to Christ Page 143 Chap. 23. Nine means to draw Sinners to Christ namely That 1. He that caâ—s us is the Son of God 2. He is our neer Kinsman wherein three strong arguments are included First the terror of Gods glory is taken away Secondly He is infinitly inclined to do good unto the Sons of men Thirdly In uniting the divine nature with the humane he hath done a greater work than to save a soul 3. He is the mediator 4. He deserves that we should come to him 5. The soul gets infinite good by coming to Christ instanced in four particulars 6. We are miserable in our selves 7. Christ will certainly receive them that come to him which is opened in three particulars 8. We stand in great need of Christ 9. The not coming to Christ will aggravate all other sins With an answer unto some Objections Page 156 Chap. 23. The Doctrine arising from the dependance of the promise upon the Invitation That God will have us when we are coming to Christ to have respect to our selves Page 179 Chap. 24. Of the rest promised by Christ in general And that there is no Rest for a Soul out of Jesus Christ Page 186 Chap. 25. Six Reasons of the former Doctrine 1. The soul out of Christ is departed from God 2. Every man by nature is an enemy to God 3. Every man by nature is bound over to the justice of God to answer to what be can charge him with 4. In a mâ—n out of Christ there is every thing to disquiet him 5. Every one out of Christ is condemned 6. Such every moment may be plunged into a gulf of Wrath. Page 196 Chap. 26. Containeth I. A further consideration of the restless condition of men
where it is indeed heaviest 6. Feels the weight of Sin to be such as that no Creature is able to remove it 7. Had rather be under any burden then the burden of Sin 8. Doth notwithstanding the weight thereof justifie God 9. Doth not lie sullenly and dispair under it but attend for direction from God how it may be freed there from NOw you that are Burdened with Sin and labor under this you are those that Christ calls to himself to come to him that you may have rest unto your Souls For the opening of this I shal shew you First How the Soul is burdened with Sin in a right way so as Jesus Christ looks upon it and doth invite it to come to him How the Soul is wrought upon and what it feels in the burden of Sin that is here spoken of that Christ doth cal unto himself for to receive rest Secondly Why it is that the Lord wil have the Soul burdened for sin Thirdly Upon what ground it is that Jesus Christ hath such a desire to have the Soul come in to him and doth invite the Soul And so apply it For the Frst You that are weary and heavy laden Christ invites the heavy laden heavy laden what is that The first Burden of Sin First Those notions or truths that before lay floating as it were in the understanding Those truths of God and apprehensions of the evil of Sin that lay before as it were aloft in the understanding of a man now the Lord causes them to sink down within the heart And doth press the evil of Sin upon the Soul making the soul now not only to apprehend but to be sensible of Sin of the evil of it in the reallity of it it feels I say those truths that were but hovering in the understanding before now to settle upon the heart and to press the heart with the real apprehension of sin saith the Soul I heard talking of it before and I could speak of it before but now I feel it now saith the soul those things that were as notions before are the greatest realities that are in the world the Lord presseth them down upon the heart so as they are heavy upon the Soul so heavy as to be crushed as it were under them now al those vain reasonings al those vain hopes those shiftings that before the Soul had for to quiet it self they are now quite crushed under the real apprehensions of sin If there should be a Mill-stone upon the ground and a few light things put on the top of it and an other Mill-stone should be let fal upon them it would even grind them to pouder so before there were vain Hopes and vain reasonings in the heart But when God causeth those truths and the realities of them to press upon the heart it crusheth al those vain Hopes and vain reasonings to nothing The Second Burden of Sin Secondly The soul that finds al those Comforts that did attend sin before to vanish and come to nothing there is scarce any man or woman in the world or very few so vild as to delight in sin meerly because it is sin without any other consideration but sin as it hath some comforts attending upon it is pleasing unto the hearts of men as now there comes in perhaps som gain or pleasure to men and that gives content to them but when the heart is burden'd with sin the Soul feels sin so weighty as it is sensible of it as a dreadful evil notwithstanding al the comforts that do attend it Al the comforts that attend upon sin do vanish and come to nothing now the Soul can take no further contentment in any thing that comes in by sin that is the second thing it is so burdened with sin as it can take no contentment with any thing that comes in by sin whatsoever gain comes in that way it casts it off or whatsoever pleasure or other seeming accomodation sin is attended with the soul looks upon them al with disdain The third Burden of Sin Thirdly The Soul that is burdned with sin doth so feel the weight of it as that the back is bowed down and tyred at least makes it look upon it self as a vild and loathsom Creature and fit to be dealt withal as a vild and loathsom creature it is burdened so as the heart is in some measure tired with it The fourth Burden of Sin Fourthly Yea so burdened with sin as that it now trembles at the least thought of sin or temptation to sin fearing that if it should willingly comit any further known sin that it would so ad unto the burden as that it would press the soul down to eternall misery it is so burdened that it dares not ad any one sin more as far as it can at least it is afraid of adding any more sins least one more should sink it to Hell The Fift Burden of Sin Fiftly The soul Feels Sin heaviest where indeed it is heaviest when it is rightly burdened it Feels it heavy because of the wrath of God that is due to it But it is most heavy because it is against the Infinit Holy God and rule of righteousness there lieth the weight of al that by it I have Struck at the infinit holy God and bin an enemy to him as you have had opened to you at large Now when the heart is truely burdened with sin it feels Sin heaviest there as it is against Such an infinit blessed holy God that is so infinitely worthy of al honor from me The sixt Burden of Sin Sixtly When the heart is truely burdened with sin it is so burdened and feels such a weight as it clearly apprehends that no creature in heaven or earth is able to remove and take it away it is made so sensible of the weight of sin that it feels apprehends it self to lie under such a weight as no Creature in Heaven or Earth is able to take away if there comes not some power beyond the power of any Creature here must I lie downe and be prest eternally under this weight As suppose a poore man Should lie under a greivous burden in some ditch or the like and there comes it may be a child to him or there flies a Bird over him or there runs a dog by him But alas he thinks with himself I may lie long enough notwithstanding al these there must come some other Strength to help me or else I must surely perish So the soule lies under the burden of Sin and thinks Lord what a burden have I brought my self under so great that if al the men in the world or al the Angels in heaven should come to me they cannot help me they may speake good words to me but they cannot help me it is only the almighty power of god that is able to help me now the soul feels sin to some purpose when once it feels that there is no created power no finite power but
quite against those duties opposite unto them there is a contrary streame in them they go against wind and tide you know what a burdensome thing it is for the boatman to go against wind and tyde he must put to a great deale of strength so it is heere til the soul come to beleeve in Christ and to have the spirit of Christ having onely conviction of conscience and being put upon duties there are such corruptions in the heart and such evil principles in al men naturally that are as wind and tide against those duties and yet saith concience you must do them though you find your inclinations to be never so strong another way yet conscience tels you you must do them and when God is pleased to put strength into conscience it wil make a man or a woman to go on in duty though it be never so cross to their own nature you wil say if it be cross to their owne natures why do they not leave it off No they dare not notwithstanding so it is true we shal show you afterwards that even godly men and beleivers are burdened with corruptions they have contrary principles to the duty too I but they are not so prevailing as with unbeleevers that are only legal It is a tedious thing you know to cast a stone upward not onely to cause a stone to move any way that is some trouble because you keep it from its center but to put it upon a motion that is quite contrary to the principle that is burdensome because al heavy things have principles in them that work downwards therfore to put them upon those things that are quite contrary to their natural principles it is a motion that wil cause burden and that because you keep them from their owne center so conscience may keep a man and woman from their own center from those wicked courses that their natures are inclined unto and al the while they are kept from the course that their natures do so strongly incline them unto it must needs be burdensome to them until God come and sanctifie their hearts they may be a great while without any sanctification many whose consciences are convinced may goe on in duties without sanctification in them The third Burden of Legal Performances 3. One that goes on in the performance of duties in a legal way meerly is weary and tired with what he doth and yet can find no strength comming in unto him no further ability to perform what conscience puts him upon then he had at first nay rather less ability Now this must needs be burdensome As suppose a man be put upon a work and if he have no mind to it that is tedious but if it be against the haire quite opposite to his disposition that is more tedious yet he must go on and he toyls and wearies himself and yet the more he works the more grievous it is unto him for he finds no strength comming but strength wearying rather his strength wears a way and no strength comes in to assist him and yet his work is as strong as it was that work must needs be burdensome so those that are meerly legal they go on stil in duty and the work is stil as strong but they are weaker many a man when he first sets upon a work is cold and benummed bur when he continues in the work he gets warmth and then it is not so burdensom unto him but if he continues in the work and is colder and colder this is very tedious to those that performe duties in a meer legal way conscience puts them upon it at first and they go to duty with some vigour but the truth is they grow more weary and the work is more tedious and yet conscience puts them upon asmuch work as at first when a man hath been at work and growes weary and desires ease and a cruel task-master shal come and tel him there must be no decrease of your work nor no increase of your strength this must needs be tedious thus those that performe duties in a legal way conscience puts upon them as much worke when they are weary and tired as at first here is the difference between the works of sanctification legal performances though they seem to be hard at first yet while the soul sets upon them there comes in strength and the more work the more strength they do not spend their strength and throw it away and grow more weary afterwards then at first but the more they have experience of the ways the more strength they have they grow warm at their work and being warm they get further and further strength and it grows easie unto them but it is not so with one that performes duties in a meere legal way some have been seven yeares in a profesion of religion and made conscience of their duties yet after seven yeares spent their hearts no more mortified then at first and they have got no more strength then at first their lusts are less mortified and their strength is less then at first and therefore their work must needs be grievous unto them The 4. Burden of Legal Performances 4. Those that performe duties in a legal way meerely while they are striving to do their duty they are contracting stil further guilt upon their souls they strive to do that that the law requires and in their very striving they are breaking of the law You wil say so godly men while they are striving to do their duty they sin also there is imperfection in the best I but yet their sin is done away in Christ their sin is not layed to their Charge but those that are meerly legal while they are striving they sin and contract Guiltiness upon their spirits and it lies upon them and they stand charged with it But then it may be said it were better that they did not strive no not so neither conscience must have them strive it would be a greater guiltiness if they should not strive though when they strive they stand charged with further evil then before now this is a greivous burden as now if a man were rowling a stone up a hil and as soone as he had rolled it up the stone should come down upon him again it would be a mighty tiresome work it is so with those that are meerly legal while they are in duty in working stil corruption brings them down againe and they contract continually guiltiness upon their soules The 5. Burden of Legal Performances 5. Those that performe duties in a meere legal way what they do they do meerly out of feare they are put upon it in a forcible and rigorous way they are put upon al their duties in a rigorous way meerly by force and constraint if you put a man to do a thing meerly by force it is very tedious to him and especialy when your forcing of him is with rigor as those that are slaves they are not only exhorted to
a kind of Burden the people of God feel under their Corruptions CHAP. XIII In what respects Corruption is a Burden 1. In that our Nature is opposite unto the very Nature of God 2. It presseth down every holy Duty 3. It affords matter for any Temptation 4. It hath a Root from whence al kind of sin may spring 5. It dampeth all the activity of our Graces THe third thing is to shew that Corruption is a Burden to them I. First For the corrupt Nature that is in them besides the act of sin this must needs be a burden to the godly to think I have a Nature contrary to God to think now and then that they sin against God this is not the burden but here 's the burden Oh! Wretched man and Woman that I am I have a Nature in me that is opposite to the very Nature of God to the infinite holiness of God himself though God hath made me partaker of the divine Nature yet stil I continue to be opposit to the Nature of God it self II. Secondly This is that which is as a heavy weight that presseth them down in every holy Duty so in that 12. of the Hebrews Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the Race that is set before us He speaks here of original sin the sin of our Nature especially it is a weight that lies upon our hearts in the performance of holy Duties when we are striving to get our hearts up to God This corruption of Nature keeps them down I remember the story of that good man that going abroad saw a Bird fluttering up and when it had got up it fel down again and then it would flutter up and then come down again and he looking wishtly upon it saw a stone tied to the Birds Leg and upon that the good man begins to weep just so saith he it is with me I would fain get up to God fain would have communion with God and somtimes I am getting up to God but straightway there is a weight that puls me down Do not you find it thus You that are conversant with God you that get somtimes alone in Duty to God and you would fain have your hearts raised to God but how are your Hearts brought down again and not only in these private Duties but after publick Duties a day of fasting and Humiliation somtimes Oh at night your Hearts are up and now you resolve you wil Live above the World And above al these things here below and you wil live more to Gods Glory but how are your Hearts brought down again by this corrupt Nature that is in you III. Thirdly Corrupt Nature is a burden because it affords matter for any temptation in the World there is no temptation to any kind of sin but our Nature affords matter for al kind of temptation what a burden is this if a ship be on fire in the midst of other ships and we know that there is a great deal of Gun-pouder in the ship that is on fire in the midst of the Rest would not he that oweth the ship be afraid and wil he not toyle and use al means he can that the fire may not take hold of the Gun-pouder I compare all the temptations to sin about us unto the fire now we are compassed about with the fire and what are our Hearts in them there is matter for the temptation to take upon as the Gun-pouder is matter for the fire to take hold of so our sinful Hearts are as ready to take upon every temptation as that is now is not this a great Burden That I should carry about me in my Heart matter enough to entertain al sin any sin in the World yea the sin of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost if I had not the mighty power of God to restrain me thus it is with the sinful Nature of man IV. Fourthly The sinfulness of our Nature is a burden in this respect to have not only matter to entertain temptation but it hath in it a Root from whence if God doth not come in with his Grace all kind of sin may spring up from it though there should be no kind of temptation many of us do cry out of the Devil and temptation when we are overcome by sin but consider what I say there is not only that evil in your hearts that you are ready to entertain all temptations but there is that evil in your hearts that would breed al kind of evils whatsoever though there should be no temptation though there were no Devil in Hel as thus now you know there are the seeds of weeds in the ground though it is true they do not come up to flowrish til the rain and the Sun draws them forth yet stil there are the seeds of those weeds so as they would come up in time though not so soon that except they be rooted up they wil come up in time so it is here there is not only injections of the Devil in us but our corrupt heart riseth to it it is one thing to have some filthy thing cast upon us and another thing to have the Body so rotten that a stinking steam should come from the Body it self one may have some unsavory thing cast upon him and so be unsavory but when the Body is rotten and that cast upon one that would be more unsavory so it is here may be the Devil may bring some temptation upon us and make some disturbance in our heart I but there is that in our Hearts that wil make as great a disturbance in our souls as the Devil can V. Lastly The sinfulness of our Nature is a Burden in this respect that it wil damp all the activity of our Graces the livelyness of our Graces now the Saints of God make it to be the joy of their Souls to be active and stirring for God but now this Corruption that we carry about with us damps al as now a candle if it were in a Coal-pit a Mine there would come a damp that would make the Candle burn dim so the Graces of Gods Spirit in the best of us all are but as a Candle in a Coal-pit thy heart is like a Coal-pit and God hath set up a Candle some Grace in thy heart that shines there but now though Christ takes care that all the damps of thy Corruption shal not put out thy Candle yet God somtimes dimmes this Candle that it doth not shine somtimes takes away the beauty liveliness and activity of thy Graces that though thou hast some life and burnings yet thou burnest but dimly before others with whom thou dost converse I do not now speak of the stirring of sin the working of sin that is the next thing that I shal open how that is a Burden to the Hearts of the Saints as for
so much as they do It is troublesome to fight with an enemy but it is a great deale more troublesom to have an enemy prevail and get the day and though it is true that corruption shal not get the day fully that is though it may prevail for a while in some skirmishes it may prevail Praelio but not in Bello as an enemy may in some skirmishes have the better of it but yet the other may Conquer at last and may get the day the day that is when it comes to a pitcht set Battel that is the Bellum and there he prevails if I can but prevail and get the day to be mine then it is not so much It is true the Saints of God they shal get the day at last but here as long as they live their corruptions often prevail and foiles them which is very grievous and burdensome to them CHAP. XV. The Reasons of the former Point 1. Because coruption when it prevailes weakens the heart 2. By it God is dishonoured 3. By it our holy profession is scandalized 4. By it they over whom it prevailes are made useless in their places 5. Thereby the meanes of grace are made unprofitable 6. Thereby our peace with God is disturbed 7. Thereby the assurance of our Salvation is shaken NOw for that to open it a little in the particulars to shew how burdensome it is to the hearts of the Saints when they do prevaile in any measure they do not put it off as carnal people do with this we are al sinners and it is Gods grace to keep us and Lord have mercy on us and the like no but they account the prevailing of corruption the greatest burden that they can goe under in the world and that in these respects I First Because whensoever corruption prevailes in what degree soever it weakens the heart it weakens the soul it may stir in the heart and if the heart doth repulse it and get strength against it the heart is not weak as before but if it prevail in any degree it weakens the heart now we know that which is weak is sensible of a burden quickly a sick man is a burden to himself and every thing is a burden to him now when any corruption prevailes it makes the soul sick and every thing is a burden to it and I beseech you consider here is a reason why you are so weak and are able to beare no other burdens If any body crosse you when you come home wife Children or servants cross you you cannot beare it if neighbours cross you you are able to beare nothing there is a reason in this that you do not think of you have weakened your hearts by some sin or other and broke your peace with God it may be and now your hearts come to be weake you are like a sick man that cryes out upon any thing one that is sick cryes out upon every thing wheras if he were strong healthful he could bear a hundred times more so you have brought a sickness upon your souls there is some sin that hath prevailed w th you prevailed over you and by that hath weakened your heart and your spirit now being weake you can beare nothing every thing is a greivous burden to you so that the prevailing of corruption comes to be burdensome in this respect because it weakens the heart and makes every thing burdensome to them II Secondly The Saints and people of God they account the priviledge of corruption to be the greatest burden in this respect because they know that now they dishonor God especially if it prevail so as to breake forth outwardly that it comes to an outward actual sin then it must needs be burdensome to one that is gracious for the name of the blessed God suffers by this my sin that hath prevailed al the while sin was but stirring in my heart and did not prevail the name of God hath not that dishonor as now it hath now when sin hath prevailed it dishonors God and therefore it is a burden unto the Saints III Thirdly It is a burden because it may be my holy profession is scandalized by it and is not this a burden howsoever many wretched men and women wil say they care not let others say and think of them what they wil but now Godly men and women when rhey think of this they cry out O What wil the wicked say of this how wil they blaspheme the name of God and dishonor the name of God and this wil be a burden to them because thereby their holy profession is scandalized IV Fourthly ' It s a burden because hereby they come to be made useless in the places where they live many though they may have some soundness of grace in them and may go to heaven at last yet their corruption prevailing over them they come thereby to be very useless in the places where they live they may live but themselves wil be burdens upon the earth for they are never like to be used to do any great service for God in the world they have so scandalized their profession by the prevailing of Corruption V Fifthly When corruption prevailes over the Saints as it makes them unprofitable so it makes the meanes of grace exceeding unprofitable too it hardens there hearts and they come to prayer hearing the word and Sacraments and find little good many of you complain you find not profit by prayer and hearing the word and Sacrament what is the reason such and such corruptions have prevailed over you it may be there are some sins that you live in that have prevailed over you and therefore no marvel you do not profit as you desire VI. Sixthly The prevailing of Corruption is a grievous Burden in this regard because it is that that doth extreamly disturbe ones peace between God and our Soul though there be many temptations yet if the heart can conquer them it hath more peace by that means never hath the soul so much peace as when there hath been strong temptations unto sin and a conquering over those temptations but if temptation conquer then there wil be a disturbance of our peace and that is burdensome to those that do know what peace with God doth mean VII Seventhly The prevailing of Corruption is a grievous Burden because it is that many times that shakes the assurance of those that are godly I know not what those men would make of the Lords Prayer Forgive us our Sins if so be that they think whatsoever sin they fal into yet stil they can keep up their assurance as much as before I say what would they make of that petition Lord forgive us our Sins at least to pray thus Lord cleer up the evidence of the forgiveness of our sins then it must needs follow that the falling into any sin and the prevailing of any Corruption must needs shake our assurance while we live here in this world now is not this a
for the principle of life out of my self This is the second thing that is here noted Come to me that is first behold me see and beleeve that I am the great mediator that is come into the world to save your souls and then secondly let there be an unsetling of your hearts a taking your hearts off from whatsoever you were setled upon heretofore that so you may be removed from thence and that you may take another course for your life in Christ and happiness in him Thirdly Come unto me that is let there be a working and a stirring of your hearts after me Christ calls for the heart of sinners after he comes to be revealled to them they should be in a working stiring disposition making after the Lord Jesus Christ for union with him to the utmost that possibly they can the thoughts should be working and the conscience working and the wil opening it self to receive in the grace of God and the affection should he stirring and the whole soul should be in a working disposition after him Incline your eare and come as if Christ should say though you are under great burdens yet do not you sink under them in a discouraging way and lie down in a dul and a heavy way No but let your hearts be stirring working and acting after me continually have a care of this to keep your hearts in a stirring and working way after Christ and the grace that is offered to you in Christ this is that which young beginners should observe in a special manner if God be beginning to work upon your hearts you should have a great care to keep your hearts in a stir-working acting frame and disposition after Christ and above al things in the world take heed of a dul heavy dead spirit at this time when God cals you to come to Christ as the Apostle saith of himself in Phil. 3.14 I press hard after the mark so it should be with every poor soul that God is drawing after Christ it should be alwaies in a comming disposition and they should press hard toward the mark of the high prize of the calling that is set before them Christ is set before thee God sets his son before thee with the treasure of grace and thou shouldest press and follow hard after God as it is the expression of David in one of the Psalmes 63 8. a hard following stirring and working of the soul after the Lord as David said to his son Solomon in 1. Chron. 22.16 Vp and be doing and the Lord wil be with thee so I say to al unto whom the grace of God is offered they must not be dul and sullen but up and be doing As the Apostle speakes in 1. Phil. 20. According to the earnest expectation the word that is translated earnest expectation in the original signifies to stretch out the neck to look after some good that I would fain have come that is the propriety of the word in the original text so this should be comming to Christ that is when Christ is propouned in the gospel there should be the stretching out of the soul in looking after the Lord Jesus and a working of the soul after Jesus Christ keeping the soul working and stirring after Christ Many poor souls whom God is beginning to work his grace upon loose abundance of time and comfort for want of this of keeping their hearts in a working and stirring frame after Christ they spend their time in the afflicting of their soules but they do not keep their hearts working towards Jesus Christ As Jacob said to his sons when they wanted bread in Cannaan saith he We have heard that there is corn in Egipt and why do we stand looking one upon an other saith Jacob to his sons had you gon saith he you might have been come back again and brought us bread by this time so I say to many burdened souls hast thou not heard that there is grace and mercy in Jesus Christ had thy soul bin working stirring and kept in an acting frame after Jesus Christ thou mightest have bin returnig and have gotten rest to thy soul by this time thou standest looking unto this thing and the other thing and poring upon thy corruptions hadst thou kept thy heart continually stirring in a working frame after Christ the work might have been done by this time Fourthly Come to me that is saith Christ come and lay al your burdens upon mee come and role your hearts upon mee whatever burden it is either of your soules or afflictions outwardly what ever your feares and troubles are yet come and do you cast al your burdens upon me I am content to beare them al. That is a special work of faith for the soul to role it self upon Jesus Christ to cast it self with al its burdens upon the infinite rich free grace of God in Jesus Christ as if Christ should say is it the burden of sin I have borne the burden of sin already Is it the wrath of God that is a burden to you come and cast this burden upon me I have born the wrath of God Or is it the burden of the Law I have borne that burden for you I was made an offering for you I was made under the law to deliver you from under the law Is it the burden of any affliction That was upon me It is true the burden of corruption was not upon him but Christ wil deliver us from that too Come to me and whatever burden is upon your souls cast it upon me role your souls al your burdens upon me saith Christ and I wil give you rest Fifthly and lastly Come to me that is come and leave your soules with me and commit them to me for life for salvation for peace for whatsoever good you would have be willing to betrust me with your souls be willing to betrust me with al your comforts be willing to betrust me both with your present and with your eternal estate in al your transanctions with God and dealing with God trust me withal that is comming to Christ When Christ bids us come to him it is as much as if he should say come to me and leave your souls leave al your care and commit to me al that you have and whatsoever you are commit your selves wholly to me to be disposed of by me for al good whatsoever and I wil take charge of you I wil ingage my self and al my faithfulness to have a care of you and suply you in al your wants and strengthen you under al your burdens and carry you through al difficulties and bring you at length to life and salvation and perfect rest together with my Father and my self that is the meaning of Christ when he saith Come to me So the Apostle in 1. Tim. 2.12 I know in whom I have beleeved and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him That which I have committed to him what is that
that is his very soul his life his peace his comfort al his happiness he had committed to him and so left al with him Now then take al these together and when Christ cals the sinner to come to him that is O! Sinner first beleeve this that I am the great redeemer that is come into the world to stand between Gods wrath and your soules and to make up peace between God and you and let there be an unsettling of your hearts from whatsoever heretofore your Souls did Rest in Creature comforts your own Righteousness Duties self respects and ends whatsoever they are let your hearts be taken off from them all and let your hearts now be in a stirring working disposition towards me let all your whole Souls be stretching forth to me and come and cast all your burdens upon me and leave your Souls with me and I will take care of them thus come to me Now then when any soul that is thus Laden shall answer to this cal of Christ and shal say Lord I come here is the very voice and answer of Faith when the Soul can say Oh! Lord I come I see thee to be the blessed Mediator between God and my Soul and for whatsoever my heart hath setled in heretofore Oh! Lord it shal be no more and my heart begins to stir after thee and I stretch forth my Soul to thee O Blessed redeemer and here I cast my burdens upon thee none can ease me but thy self and I leave my self with thee I commit all to thee and betrust all that I have or can do my eternal estate with thee Lord I come here is the soul that comes to Christ Then may the Soul be said to come to Christ when there is an answer in these five Particulars All this is contained in this word COME though you cannot apprehend it til it be unfoulded as a piece of needle work when it is foulded up there is all the work indeed within but we cannot see it til it be laid open and spread before us then we can see all that is in it So though there be many expressions in the Scripture that we understand not yet there they be but this is the work of the Ministry to spread them and to lay them before you and lay them open to you that you may see the Grace of God in another manner when they be unfolded now thus doth Christ call those that are Laden to come to him CHAP. XIX How Christ calls Sinners unto him set forth in two Particulars Namely 1. By an outward and general call 2. By a Particular call to Particular Sinners And how to know the voice of Christ YOu will say how and in what manner doth Christ call to me Christ is in Heaven I cannot hear Christ call to me Now for the call of Christ First There is a general cal in the word there Christ calls under the sound of the Gospel to come to him but this call is rather a command of Christ then an invitaion to shew unto al what is their Duty to do rather then to invite them But now there is a more special call unto those whom the Father hath given to Christ and though they make use of the general call in the word yet there is a special call to them that is Christ by his Spirit doth open the Riches of the Gospel of the Grace in him to their Souls by his Spirit inwardly he doth shew them to their Souls Others come and hear the outward cal that is when a Minister of God shal come and open the Gospel and there shew how God hath given his Son to us he hath taken our Nature upon him and died for sin and tel them that God requires all here in the Gospel to beleeve in his Son they hear his outward cal I but they whom the father gives to Christ have the Spirit of God sent together with the word to open the Riches of Christ that though they have heard it a hundred times before Yet when the spirit comes there is a shewing of the beauty and Riches of the Gospel more then ever that allures their Souls to come to Christ Secondly Not only this but the Lord when he cals such as shall indeed have mercy by Christ and have his invitation to be effectual he doth give a Particular cal unto that Soul besides the general cal God doth not only in the word cal sinners and saith Christ came to save Sinners and those that were lost but Christ comes in Particular to such and such Souls and cals them in a Particular special manner For the Ministers of God they are bound in the Preaching of the Gospel to give a general invitation to come to him but God beside the general hath a Particular cal there is a voice of God in Particular to the Soul that he intends to bring to his Son such a one hears a voice behind him as the Scripture speaks saying this is the way to Salvation the way you have gone all this while is not the way to life you will perish in that way Christ is the right way As thus I will open it in the general and Particular call by this similitude A Prince that hath had many of his subjects Traitors yet he is pleased to send forth a general Proclamation makes a Proclamation to those subjects and makes it in general tearms that though you have been thus and thus Traiterous against me yet I am content every one that will come to such a place at such a day and submit himself he shall have a pardon here is the general Proclamation and this is incouragement to come But now suppose there were some poor Traitor that because sensible of his wickedness and how unreasonably he hath dealt with his Prince and may be sits alone bemoaning his condition and troubled in his spirit and thinks with himself how shall I be able to see the Face of my Prince Oh! woe to me for the wickedness of my waies Suppose the Prince should come by and behold such a one take notice of him that is got into some corner or other and is there smiting of his Breast and lamenting his condition that he should so provoke his Prince as he hath done And should call this poor creature and say to him Oh thou poor Creature that art in such a place come thou to me For so is the work of faith God comes in particular to the soul doth not only come in general but after his general Call when he doth see the soul troubled the Lord doth give a particular Call to him and saith O! thou poor Creature thou art under this burden and thus sensible of it and lamentest that thou hast lived thus and thus and made such a breach between me and thy soul do thou come to me And the truth is till God speak in particular to the soul the proclamation of God in general will not bring in sinners so Christ doth
saith to it regard not the stuff let your Heart be wholly taken off from all Creature comforts that are most dear unto you it is all but stuff here is Heaven here is the Riches of Heaven the Riches of Christ is yours and then doth the Soul come to Christ indeed when it laies all upon Christ and is satisfied with him alone RULE IV. Fourthly When thy Soul is making towards Christ labor to keep him continually in thine Eye and look upon him in his excellency Glory and beauty keep the object before thee all the while thou art coming towards him As it is in any journey if I am going to a place and I can see the journeys end it is in mine eye I can see the steeple before me of the place that I am going unto when the Marriner can see the harbour that he is going unto this is comfortable So the Soul that comes to Christ must resolve and say I must keep him in mine Eye in his lustre Beauty and Glory that so I may see a greater good in Jesus Christ than in all things else that the goodness that is in him doth out-bid all good whatsoever Now this is a great help to come to Christ for one of the greatest hinderances of the Soul in coming to Christ is this that it looseth the sight of Christ in coming and the Devil propounds other spectacles before its Eyes in coming and so it lookes into the deep pit of its own Heart and sees no other matter but discouragement whereas it should keep up its Eyes upon Christ the Son of God who is opening his Arms ready to imbrace it And there is a secret power and influence that comes from Christ unto the Soul to draw the Soul to him So long as the Soul keeps Christ in his Eye as the poor Woman said If I can but touch the hem of his Garment Nay you may go further then so and have a degree of Faith Nay If I may have but a sight of Christ I say there is that in the sight of Christ that will draw the Heart unto Jesus Christ As they say of some kind of creatures the very sight of them will kil a Man that if they do but see you or you them there will come poyson from them that wil kill you say the Naturalists But I am sure it is true of this that if you can keep Christ in your Eye the very sight of the excellency of Christ wil be of excellent vertue to draw the Soul to Christ And therefore you that are coming to Christ observe this some that are coming to Christ it fares with them as with the Children of Israel when they were going to Canaan they had gone a pretty way and made some progress but then they fel into discontent when they found a little discouragement and upon that they were brought back again and wandred forty Years up and down in the Wilderness and this was the punishment of their murmuring and discontent So it is with many that are going out of their natural State unto Jesus Christ they are come very near to him many times and then fal into fits of discontent pining fretting and discouragement and so are brought back again and made to wander in the Wilderness of discouragement for many Years together RULE V. Fifthly Labor throughly to convince thy Soul of this thing that whatsoever sorrow for sin whatsoever humiliation whatsoever trouble of spirit keeps thy Heart from Jesus Christ it is not of God but rather from thine own corruption it is not of God in thee except you will say it 's of God as an affliction it is not of God but suffering the Devil to try thee but whatever sorrow it be for thine own wretchedness or unworthiness if this keep thee off from Christ and discourage thee from coming to Christ convince thy Soul of this that it is not the gracious work of God in thee but the troubling of the Devil in thee The truth is many poor sinners when they are once troubled for their sins they take a kind of Satisfaction in this they think this is a good thing and they are glad of it I grant you trouble for sin is a good thing and you are to be glad of it but if your trouble for sin hinder you from coming to Christ and makes you think because you are so unworthy you may not come to him this trouble is not mixt with godly sorrow be convinced of this RULE VI. Sixthly Take heed of all kind of discouragements and hinderances in your coming to Christ but then take heed especially of all determinations take heed of insnaring your Souls by determining against your selves as saying surely the Lord will never shew mercy to me the time is past the Lord hath forsaken me I have used so much meanes so long time and God is not yet come to me No The Lord never intends good to me Oh! Take heed of these determinations for they are sinful wherever they are there can be no just cause in thy Heart be it as vile as it will for such determinations as these are and know when thou givest way to such determinations as these thou dost but insnare and fetter thy Legs by this and then thou sayest thou canst not come to Christ Christ calls to thee and thou art infettered with thy own thoughts for so one may lay fetters upon ones own Legs by ones own thoughts to hinder this spiritual coming to Christ As if a man should tie fetters about his Legs and say when he is called to come to such a place I cannot come Do not sit down and say I shall never have Mercy and I am one that belongs not to the election of Grace and I shall never come to Christ take off such thoughts when thou art about coming to Jesus Christ RULE VII Seventhly At those times when thou canst not feel thy Heart active as thou desirest to go after Christ yet keep thy Heart stil towards Christ keep it tending that way Why cannot I go to Christ Christ calls me to go to him Oh! I have a dead Heart and a heavy dull Heart yet I know I am neerer Christ there than if I should neglect his Ordinances I wil present my Soul where Jesus Christ is and may be he may cast in some Vertue into my Heart to make it more stirring after him but however I am resolved upon this I will not turne away from Christ I will keep my Heart where I am howsoever If I can go no further and here I will stand and here I wil look and I will cry to him and cry to God as the Church doth Draw me and I will run after thee and though I cannot beleeve yet here I will stand and sigh and cry and cal and if I perish I will perish crying to God that God would draw my Heart Oh draw draw our Hearts and we will run after thee Blessed Redeemer dost thou cal us
of the name of God there was a time that my soul was under these as wel as any but now the Lord hath delivered me and brought me under another Covenant brought me to his son to Christ and he hath undertaken to satisfie the Law for my soul and so the beleever stands upon the shoar and prayses God and this makes him love Christ so much the more prize Christ so much the more and bless the name of God that ever he heard the voice of the Gospel sounding in his eares and therefore it is not tedious and grievous to him to heare the dreadful threatnings of the Law he knowes how to make a holy use of them his heart is drawn neerer to God by it as wel as by the promises of the Gospel It is an ill signe when men and women cannot indure to heare the threatnings of the Law a dangerous signe that they are under those threatnings if they were not under them it would not be troublesome to them to heare them but they that are delivered from them they know how to make use of them Many men and women wil say when they hear of the terrors of the Law what doth this but harden us the hearing of the terrors of the Law doth more harden us but if thou wert acquainted with the Gospel thou wouldest be softened by hearing of the terrors of the Law because thou wouldest prize Christ more And therefore beleevers must not look upon them as things that no way concerne them though they be not under them to be cast by them yet they do concerne them nearly and therefore God would have those things revealed even to beleevers because of many gracious uses that beleevers are to make of those things The 2. Lesson Secondly from what hath been delivered both from the burden of the law and the rest in being delivered from it this Lesson may be learned Here we may see how beleevers are in the course of their lives to mix humility with confidence they may learne how to be humble and yet how to be confident how to rejoyce and yet how to tremble there is no such way to learne the mixture of humility with faith and confidence and the mixture of joy and trembling as this is know the Law and the bondage under it and then the rest that is to be had in Christ this wil teach thee to be sensible of thy own wretchedness and what a condition thou art in naturally and yet how to be confident in the grace of God in Christ This wil teach thee how to feare in regard of what thou art in thy self and yet to rejoyce in regard of what thou art in Jesus Christ in the rest thy soul hath Got in Jesus Christ Many people do not know how to mingle these two together if so be they be humbled for their sins then they are dejected in their spirits they cannot tel how to exercise humiliation for their sins and faith and confidence in Gods grace together they think the humiliation for sin wil hinder Gods grace and therfore they cannot indure to hear of such things as tend to beat them down to humble them for their sins but they say they must beleeve altogether in Gods grace aad the other wil bring them to despair Certainly thou art not acquainted with the mystery of Godliness if thou doest not understand how these two may stand together to be deeply humbled for thy sins and yet at the same instant of time the soul to be raised with the Mercy of God in Christ both together It is true vices are opposite one to another but graces are never opposite one to another those that understand the Mistery of Godlyness they know how to mingle these two together at one and the same time You know that the scripture saith that Godliness is a mistery Great is the mistery of Godlyness and indeed Godliness consists in the skil that a Christian comes to have to know at the same time how to be humbled and yet to be confident yet to be beleeving and one the other side to rejoyce and yeat to feare many cannot rejoyce but they grow loose and wanton with their joy and others cannot feare but their hears grow lumpish and dead if they do feare now the heart that understands what it is to be under the Law naturally and what rest Christ hath brought unto us in delivering us from the Law can tel how to rejoice in trembling and to beleeve in humiliation and there is no such way to make such a mixture of both as to understand what it is to be naturally under the Law and what the rest is that we have in Christ I confess these things wil not perhaps come so ful upon the hearts of those that do not in some measure remember what we have said hertofore both from the burden of the Law and the rest that we have in Christ those wil not be able to make so much use of this that I am speaking of I could wish these things would have come altogether but we cannot do al things at once The Third Lesson Thirdly A further thing that is to be learned from the deliverance we have in Christ from the Law it is this here appeares plainly that the way of Life and salvation is above nature it is supernatural for that that I have opened in the rest we have in Christ from the law teacheth you that beleevers are not to stand or fal for their eternal estates by any worke of the Law if they performe any worke of the Law this doth not bring them to eternal life if they breake the Law this doth not cast them down unto death therefore the way of life and salvation is supernatural for nature can teach a man no further then this that he must serve God if he do thâ— God wil bless him and love him and if he sin against God God wil afflict him and chastise him nature can tel of no way how a man should be saved but only by serving of God and by doing the workes of the Law nature teacheth a man nothing else but this together with the other that if he doth that that God forbids he must expect the wrath of God and to ly under Gods wrath and beyond this nature cannot go Now then for to heare of such a thing as this is that my soul shal not depend upon what I neglect nor my eternal life shal not depend upon what I do that is a high mystery that is infinitely above nature I do not say what the neglect of Gods wil doth deserve of eternal perishing yea even in beleevers but now they are under the Covenant in Christ they have the rest in Christ that their souls shal not be cast one way or other by what they do or what they leav undon though if they neglect his wil the Lord may make them to know it here while they live in this world And if upon this any
have been at liberty so as they have been as conscientious in performing of duty as before but now their duty is made the joy and delight of their souls they have gone to them with rejoycing and made the Commandements of God to be their inheritance and the joy of their hearts and their duties are as sweet to them as the hony and the hony comb Now this is the argument that we are upon that in Christ there is rest from this burden Christ gives ability unto beleevers those that are his members to performe duties with freedom of spirit and indeed evangelical duties are duties performed with freedom that is the difference between legal performances and evangelical one is done as a burden and the other is done with freedom of spirit Now I shal shew unto you how Christ gives this freedom Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty you know the scripture I suppose now this freedom of spirit in the performance of duty comes by Christ these waies First when the soul is come to Christ it hath rest because Christ renders God unto the soul in a gracious way Christ takes off the terror that was before of God takes off that from the heart The reason why duties are performed as a burden to those that are legal is this because they tender them up to God but so as they look upon God as a terrible judg they must do what God requires I but when they come into his presence they come into his presence as a judg being very terrible Now when the soul comes to Christ Christ renders God very amiable and loâ—ely unto the soul of a Christian renders God the father as his father or her father For so Christ saies I go to my father and your father to look upon God not only as a father but our father as being the father of our Lord Jesus Christ So beleevers in the performance of duties look upon God as a father in a double relation He is my father he hath begotten me a new to himself and so he is my father he is my father he hath adopted me to be his child but he is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ too and Christ is mine two so that I have an interest in the fatherhood as I may so speak as the father of Christ I go to my father and your father So when beleevers come to tender up any service to God as a duty they come to God as their father and as to the father of their redeemer too now this brings a mighty deale of ease unto the heart of a beleever in the performance of duty a great deal of difference there is between a fathers calling the child to him and a rigid severe master or judge calling of one to him When the child heares that his father cals him he runs and loves to be in the presence of his father but when one saith to a servant your master calls you he knows not whether he be called to be beaten with stripes or no. This is the difference between legal performances and evangelical those that are in Christ when Christ calls them to duty you must go into the presence of your father and of the father of your blessed redeemer you must go to duty in him Come go to prayer saith Conscience to one they cannot but go indeed but when they go to prayer their heart is struck with feare terror and discouragement in prayer but Conscience saith to one that is a beleever come you must go to prayer what is that but come you must go before your father and injoy communion with your father the father of your redeemer cals you to have communion with him how doth your heart spring to come into the presence of such a father So that Christ renders them lovely to his father and so delivers them from the burden that they are under in legal performances Secondly In Christ beleevers when they performed â—uties they do not tender them up unto God as satisfactory for any thing that is past but meerly to be testimonies of their love and thankfulness for what they have received now duties are a great deal more easily done this way then another It is true they wil gather arguments from their former neglect to stir them up to do the more I but now they are not called upon to their duties to make God amends and satisfy for what is past for that would be a burden for such as performe duties in a legal way and are not acquainted with the doctrine of the Gospel they know not how to satisfy God but only by doing so much the more by how much the more they have neglected heretofore I have neglected God al the time of my youth and now conscience begins to be awakned and tels me I must serve God and perform duties and I had need be more diligent now that I may make up and satisfy for what I have neglected before Now when we perform duties in this way they are very burdensom As suppose a man hath run in debt and he is set up in a trade I but whatsoever he gets it must be to satisfy what debts he is run out in before this must make him go on in much heaviness he thinks that whatsoever he gets must go to satisfy what he hath run into before But now take another man that hath run into arrerages and hath a freind a kinsman that coms and layes down al the debts that he owed and gives him a stock sayes now you are a Freeman once again go on whatever you get shal be for your self this man goes on a great dealemore livelier then the other just thus it is between the consciences of those that performe duties in a legal way and the consciences of that perform duties in an evangelical way One that is legal conscience tels him of such arrerages that he hath run into with God and whatever he can do for time to come is too little to satisfy for what he hath neglected before now conscience puts him upon it do he must serve he must obey he must I but he doth it with no heart at al I work and I obey I do but whether this wil make up the arrerages for what is past I do not know Now a beleever performes obedience but it is upon other termes Christ comes and layes down a price and discharges him of al former arrerages and puts a stock of grace into the heart and says unto him now live and imploy this your stock in the service of God and trade with it get more comfort and more grace with it and you shal have the benefit and the good of every holy duty that you performe the good and benefit shal come to your souls Now such a soul goes unto duties in a cheerful way and they are no burdens at al to it because he performes them not for satisfaction of any arrerages behind
heart I am not able to do it but now mark how the Gospel runs in the Deu. 30.6 And the Lord thy God wil circumcise thy heart the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with al thy heart and with al thy soul that thou maist live· The Lord wil do it the Lord commands me to do it and yet withal the Lord saith that he wil do it I might instance in a great many other particulars that the Lord requires first what we should do and if we be left here now it is hard indeed but then if we can find a promise where God promises that he wil do it for us this wil be easier to us And indeed this is the diffierence between the Law and the Gospel the Law commands us what to do and gives no strength but the Gospel never commands us to do any duty but there is a promise that engageth the Lord to help the soul in the performance of that duty And now is not here rest for the soul when the soul shal look upon the large extent of the duty that the Law of God requires of it The Law requires of me to love the Lord with al my heart and with al my soul and with al my might and to keep his commandements and statutes and to circumcise my heart Lord what shal I do in this Now then when the soul can look upon Christ the covenant of grace consider that that runs thus that the Lord wil circumcise my heart that I may love the lord with al my heart with al my soul that I may keep his commandements his statutes that God doth as wel ingage himself to inable me to do the duty as he doth require me to do the duty now here is rest unto the soule I wil conclude this particular with this one similitude as it is with the body Physitians observe that together with every veine where the blood runs there runs likewise an artery together with the veine now the artery is the vehiculum of the spirits that are in the body of a man that puts liveliness and quickness into the body So for al the world thus it is in regard of the commandements of the Law and the Promises of the Gospel I compare the Commandements of the Law unto the veines they are these duties required of thee in the whol course of thy life but if thou hast veines of blood and hast no arteries no spirit thou wilt be but dul though the blood be ful in the veins yet there wil be little strength But now there is the spirit that goes along in the arteries that gives life to the veines So now they that are under the Law they know many duties that they ought to do I but except they have the promises of the Gospel to goe along with them they have little life little activity to do the duty Therefore Christians when you heare any duty out of Gods word that you ought to performe consider here is the duty here is the veine I but where is the artery there is a promise in the word that goes along with the duty to inable me to performe the duty Now if I take both together I may go on in the way of Godliness with a great deal of ease and quiet and no duty needs to be troublesom to me The want of the knowledg of this one thing makes the lives of many people to be very disconsolate and makes them go on deadly and dully in the performance of duty whereas if they would make use of this one thing when they are put upon any duty to search and find out in the word the promise wherein God inables us to do the duty and plead the promise and say Lord thou requirest the performance of this duty but thou hast promised to inable me to do it I say if thou wouldst do thus thou wouldest find that thy duties would not be burdensom to thee but thou wouldest say wel I see my soul hath rest in Christ in the performance of al those services that heretofore have been very greivous and burdensom to me Object I But you wil say We have many promises in the Gospel to inable us but the promises are conditional and I may forfeit the promise by not performing the condition Answ To that I answer We have in the Gospel absolute promises as wel as conditional promises there is some promises that depend upon no condition at al but only beleeving as that promise where the Lord saith I wil take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh what condition is there does God say that if you first repent and performe such and such duties that I require of you then I wil take away your heart of stone No that is an absolute promise And so likewise that promise I wil put my feare into your heart that you shal not depart from me God doth not make this promise with condition You wil say Why then hath not al their stony hearts been taken from them because the promise is absolute I answer it is absolute from any precedent condition but yet God would have us come to the promise and close with the promises and cast our souls upon it he does not promise to do such and such things upon condition that if you wil do such and such things before then I wil do this and that for you no but only this do you cast your soul upon the promise and depend upon it and when thy soul is at a loss in regard of conditional promises when thy heart misgives thee and tells thee that thou hast not performed the condition of such such promises that therfore they do not belong to thee and thou canst not for the present have comfort in the conditional promises then make use of absolute promises and cast thy soul upon them and they wil bring in the conditional promises and know this that al conditional promises depend upon absolute promises in the Gospel and as when thou canst not make use of conditional promises thou maist go to absolute promises so when thou makest use of absolute promises thou shalt be inabled to do what is required of thee in conditional promises And here is the difference between the Law and the Gospel the Law requires and doth not give strength to inable to do what it requires but the Gospel requires and gives strength to performe what it requires Sixtly There is rest unto those that come to Christ in this because when they performe duties in Christ they do not performe them that they might have life or that they might have pardon that they might get life by them or that they might obtain pardon by their duties but they performe them now as the fruit of their life and as a fruit of their pardon and this is a great deale of rest and ease to the heart in the performance of duties There are many
tiresome to the flesh then any other work But now Schollars though it is tiresome to the flesh they can go on and make it easy to them why because they find sweetness in their work it is not with them as with â—ther men other men work that they may have wages afterwards but al the while they are about their work they have truths come in and heavenly notions comes in to them while they are about it and so makes the work easy unto them this is happiness of a Christian that the while he is in his work the sun of righteousness shines upon him and there is sweetness comming in unto him and herein is rest and ease in the performance of duty Tenthly and lastly When the soul comes to Christ it finds abundance of rest in holy duties because now it hath the love of God shed abroad in its heart and that makes every thing delightful to it the love of God is shed abroad in the heart you know Jacob because he loved Rachel though he was abroad in frosty nights he accounted it nothing because he loved Rachel Oh! when the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of a Christian then there is nothing that he doth but is delightful to him it makes every thing easy For that is a certain rule that love is ashamed to mention any difficulty you never hear love to complain of any thing to be heard and those that complain of holy duties to be heard certainly they want the love of God Now you have heard in these ten particulars wherein the ease and rest of spirit in performance of holy duties doth appeare there is much more to be said in the latter end of the Chapter when it is said that Christs yoke is easy and his burden light which if God give opportunity we shal come unto APPLIC I. Now from al this first here you may see the happiness of a Christian you do not think that a Cristian is happy here but he shal not have only heaven hereafter but his way to happiness is heaven here Oh how good is the way of the Gospel that gives us rest in our way to heaven such rest that al the malice in the world and of 〈◊〉 cannot disturbe the peace and rest of a Christian II. Hence we see the reason why true beleevers do persevere you hear oftentimes speaking of the doctrine of perseverance you are ready to thinke I but is it certain the soul that once comes to have true Grace shal certainly persevere yes certainly one that is once come to Christ wil not go from him again why because there is so much rest in holy duties It is true those that are drawn to holy duties they wil not abide as it is said The son abides in the house but a servant abides not alwaies in the house So such as perform duties in a legal way they wil be gone they wil not abide but now one that is come into Christ and hath a son-like disposition he continues As we say in phylosophy no violent thing or motion is perpetual and indeed those that performe duties in a legal way a hundred to one but they wil prove Apostates at last but one that performes duties in an Evangelical way wil continue and hold out unto the end III The maine use of al is to stirr up the hearts of those that are Godly to know what the Gospel means to exercise much faith in Christ that they might have much comfort in performance of duties Do not content thy self that thou doest duty but think with thy self Oh I have heard of such a way that Christians in performance of duty find a great deale of rest and ease why should not I get that way Thou hearest of it Oh! that thy soul might be unquiet til thou comest to understand the way then your duties would be more sound more spiritual more supernatural more acceptable then they are The Lord loves a cheerful giver and so he loves a cheerful server you love to heare your servants sing at their work but if you set your child or servant about a work and he goes heavily and dully about is grumbling and pineing and think you to be a hard master then he doth but a little work so they that perform duties in a legal way the truth is they perform little duty and that is not acceptable but when a soul comes to find rest in duty it makes it more spirituall more plentiful and more acceptable and those duties are very pleasing unto the Lord. CHAP. XXXVI Sheweth the Rest from the remainder of Corruption to be Sanctification and that to be a great Rest Laid open in six particulars 1. It is the right temper of the heart 2. In it the soul doth in great part attain its end 3. In it the Soul lives the life of God 4. It raiseth the soul above the region of al troubles 5. It turnes every thing to good 6. It is the beginning of Glory YOu may remember when we handled the point of the load that was upon sinners we shewed that the remainder of corruption was a great burden it was so great a load that it made the Apostle cry out Oh! wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death How that was a load hath been already opened That which we have now to do is to shew what rest is to be had in Christ against this fourth burden Come to me saith Christ al you who are sensible of the corruption of your heart and find the remainder of sin that is in your heart to be a burden come to me I wil give you rest against that We are not now to speak of the rest in deliverance from the trouble of soul in the sense of the guilt of sin that was before spoke of but now we are to speak of the rest in giving power against the remainder of corruption that there is in the heart This rest is the rest of Sanctification that here we are to speak of I wil give you rest And in this point there are a great many of useful and sweet things that might require very large handling but I shal endeavor as much as I can to contract al within a few things for this rest of Sanctification There are in it these five things to be followed that ye may see cleerly the method that I shal proceed in and so go along with me First I shal shew you that Sanctification is a great rest to the soul or deliverance from corruption is a great rest to the heart of a beleever there is much rest in Sanctification Secondly That this rest it is in Christ al our Sanctification and helping against corruption is in Christ Thirdly How Christ comes to be this rest unto the Soul Fourthly Some consequences that wil follow from this consideration of Christs being the rest of Sanctification unto the heart Fiftly Conclude with exhortation to come unto
Christ for this rest Sanctification the Rest from Corruption I. Sanctification is great rest unto the soul of a beleever the truth is there is nothing troubles the heart of a strong beleever but only the want of his Sanctification nothing in the world I say troubles the heart of a strong beleever but that It is time a weak beleever is troubled for want of the apprehension of the pardon of his sin a weak beleever hath trouble of spirit stil in the sense of the guilt of sin but a strong beleever gets over that A weak beleever hath trouble by the Law stil because through the weakness of his faith he is not able to make use of the Covenant of grace that God hath brought him into so as to deliver himself from trouble that way a strong beleever gets over that A weak beleever performes duties but there is a great deale of legality in his performance of them that many times they are troublesom to him but a strong beleever gets over that burden but now the remaining corruption that is in the heart none in this world gets over this Indeed in great part the strong beleever hath got power there also a great deale more then the weak one hath done but the cheife burden that lies upon a strong beleever in this world is the remainder of corruption that is yet in him And so for the next burden of affliction the strong beleever gets wel over that too but this is one cheife burden of the strongest beleevers that the world hath that yet there is much remaining corruption in them As it was in Paul though a strong beleever saith he Oh wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death as you heard it formerly opened to you so that sanctification is a special rest that beleevers have it is a rest 1 In this regard because it is the right temper of the heart As corruption was a burden because it was the distemper of the heart as sickness is a burden so sanctification it is the right frame and temper of the soul and so brings ease and rest unto the soul If your bodies be distempered with sickness you are a burden to your selves by it you know not what to do a sick body first lies down in one place and then in another and wil change roomes and change beds change postures because he is a burden to himself Let the distemper be gone let the body be put into a right temper and now he hath rest now he can sleep quietly now he hath ease in his body his pain is over Now sanctification is the health of the soul then the soul comes to be healthy when it comes to be holy holiness is the due temper of the heart and therefore it is rest 2. Sanctification is the rest of the heart because in that the soul doth in great part attain its end now what is it that the soul rests in so much as in its end every thing rests when it comes to its end the end is as the proper place in which every creature rests now by sanctification the soul doth attain its end in great part as First it attains the end that God intended in the making of it a man or woman now they attain in great part the end for which they are born thou art born to that end that thou mightest be holy that thou mightest live here in this world unto God which by sanctification thou dost that is the end God aymed at the end why thou art borne why thou camest into the world Secondly It is the end of al Gods wayes towards thee a special end of al the passages of Gods providence to thee of al the workings of God towards thee in this world of al the wayes of his providence to thee that thou mightest be godly that thou mightest live to him to his praise Thirdly It is the great end of Christs coming into the world Christ came into the world that he might purchase a peculiar people Zealous of good works and that he might sanctifie them unto himselfe Fourthly It is the end of al Gods ordinances towards thee why dost thou enjoy any ordinance but that they might sanctifie thy heart Fifthly It is the end if thou beest one that is in any measure Gods already it is the end of thy desires what are the desires of a gracious heart but that he might be holy to God and be freed from the body of death Sixthly It is the end of thy Labor what dost thou endeavor after what dost thou labor after if thou beest Godly but that thou mayest be more Godly that thou mayest be more sanctified surely that which is the end of our comming into the world that is the end of al Gods wayes towards thee that which is the end of al Gods ordinances which is the end of thy desires and the end of thy Labor that must needs be rest in attaining that thou must needs attain Rest 3. Sanctification is rest unto the soul in that the soul lives even the life of God the soul doth not only live to God but lives in God and therefore must needs live in Rest You have a notable expression for that in 1. John 2.24 Let that therefore abide in you which we heard from the beginning if that which ye heard from the beginning shal remain in you ye also shal continue in the son and in the father You shal continue in the son and in the father When the truths of the Gospel working on the heart unto holiness abides in the heart such a soul doth abide in the son and in the father lives in God and therefore must needs have rest must needs have rest there where it lives in God It s true the Saints they live in the world but as they live in the world so they live in God even in God here 4. Sanctification it must needs be rest unto the heart because that is a principle that raiseth the soul above the region of al kind of trouble and molestation As the Philosophers tel us that here in the inferior region there are stormes tempests changes and alterations but in the region on high the third region that is above stormes tempests winds and blusterings there is nothing but quiet nothing but peace there It is true while the heart of a man or woman is grovelling here below in the world as al are til God raiseth them by Grace their spirits are ful of trouble vexation and molestation There is no peace to the wicked saith my God but he is like the troubled sea which casts forth mire and dirt As you heard in the opening of that scripture But now when God gives grace and sanctifies the heart the Lord raiseth the heart above these regions of trouble raiseth it on high gets it up in the highest region there is nothing but quiet calme peace ease and rest unto the soul 5. Sanctification is rest
to have so much sin conveyed to us by Adam by propagation but thus As we may read in Rom. 5. By one man sin came into the world Now Adam he was the head of the first Covenant and by being the head of that al mankind are looked upon as members of the first Adam he being the head in that notion of the Covenant in that consideration Adam was not looked upon as a parent only as the first father but as the head and we are not looked upon only as the children of Adam but as members so that al men were looked upon as one in Adam and therefore the Scripture speakes but of two men the first Adam and the second Adam that look as sin is conveyed to us being members of the First Adam and he being the head of the First Covenant so grace comes to be conveyed unto the soul by our being members of the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ being the head of the second Covenant here is the way of conveyance of holiness our union with Christ So that now the holiness that is in Christ comes to us by virtue of the mistical union As by virtue of the natural union of the members of the body with the head there comes animal spirits to the members of the body so by virtue of our mistical union with Christ our head there is conveyed holiness and grace to strengthen us against our corruptions As the oyntment did run from Aarons head 〈◊〉 â—to the rest of his members so Christ that is anoytâ—â—at hath the oyl not only of gladness but holiness too doth descend down to al his members by virtue of the union they have with him And for that end you have a most famous scripture in Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death It is a scripture that hath very much in it What doth he mean by the Law of sin and death The Law that is the mighty power that there is in sin and so in death that comes by sin in the hearts of unbeleevers There is a Law of sin the strength of sin I speak of sin hath strength going along with it hath power with it So a Law of sin there is in the hearts of men they are compelled to sin as I may so speake as a man is compelled to a thing by a law a law of sin though this be no excuse to them And let them know that so far as they are compelled to sin they are compelled to death to But how shal this Law of sin and death be overcome Marke the words The Law of the spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the Law of sin and death The Law of the spirit of Life here is two gradations that is the holiness that is in Christ that is likewise a Law as wel as the corruption that is in the heart The corruption in the heart hath a strength in it and the holiness of Christ hath a strength in it too So that when grace comes into the heart the heart goes on in a way of holiness in a holy kind of necessity We can do nothing against the truth saith the Apostle But yet there is a necessity of willingness goes along with it too there is a Law of Love and kindness but by this word of Law is meant a strong impetuousness a mighâ—y power that carries the soul on to holiness Again secondly it is the Law of the spirit and of the spirit of life the holiness of Christ it is a holiness that is ful of life First it is Life And secondly it is the spirit of Life Now the spiriâ— of life is a higher degree then life as the spirit of a thing hath the quickning of the thing in it beyond what the whol bulke of the thing is When the spirit of herbs or any such thing is extracted you know those spirits have much quickning in them beyond the things themselves so the spirit would express the mighty activity in the holyness that comes from Christ it is life it is the spirit of life and then it is the Law of the spirit of life Oh my brethren you see then here that Godliness is no dul thing it is no heavy thing no poor weake contemptible thing but it is the life it is the life of Christ it is the spirit of life and it is the Law of the Spirit of life he speakes of grace when it comes to that as the Law of the spirit of life There is but two things in sin the Law of sin and death and in grace there is life and the spirit of life and the law of the spirit of life and al this in Jesus Christ It is not in our owne resolutions purposes endeavours but in our union with Jesus Christ and this it is that brings grace unto the heart though there be much corruption before yet the soul being thus one with Christ and looking upon Christ as the head of the second Covenant and doth draw virtue from Jesus Christ a mighty strong virtue to help the soul against corruption and quicken it in the wayes of God and thus comes the rest to the soul by Christ in sanctification Carnal hearts they know no way in the world how to get grace they heare talking of grace and leaving of sin but they know not how to get it and they wil go and pray read heare and the like I but you must know that grace lies in another way then you think of for you think it must come from God I but it must come from God in a mistical way through Christ Perhaps some of you hearing the mysteries of the Gospel understand this that as God is the fountain of al grace so it must be conveyed by Christ as through the cisterne I but you must understand also that you must have it from God through Christ as he is a head unto you and you are the members through a mistical union that your souls must have with Christ so as you be made one with Christ you must be made one with Christ As the member can never receive any spirit from the head except it be united to the body it is not by being tied to the body If you take an arme of flesh and tie it to a mans shoulder it wil never receive life that way but it must have a natural union Just thus your common Professors that meerly have the name of Christians and are not spiritually united to Christ they are like to Armes tiâ—d on to the shoulder or to wooden legs that are fastened upon mens thighes that want legs they have some use of those legs to help theÌ„ a little to go I but those legs have not virtue and life conveyed from the head So your common Christians they have some knowledg of Christ they are only fastened to Christ as a wooden leg is fastened to a mans
heat of the furnace and as the heat you know consumes stubble combustible matter put into it so there is that heat in the love of God shed abroad in the heart by Christ that consumes the lust of the heart and the soul growes up into holiness thereby It is with the heart of a Beleever as it is with the fruites of the earth you know that the frost may keep down some weeds but it is the sun-shine it is the beams of the sun and the warme beames that makes the fruit to ripen and to grow up that fruit that growes in the sun is soonest ripe your grasse that growes in the orchard is sowre and the beast wil not eate it and other herbs that grow in the shade comes to no maturity nor to be so good as those that grow in the sun fruit that growes upon the wal how quickly doth that grow ripe whereas the other that grows in the shade withers so there are some that live altogether under Legal feares and trouble of conscience perhaps they have somtimes fruite but it is sour fruit it is not so sweet fruite as comes from those that are under the sun-shine of the Gospel that have the shine of the love of God upon their hearts their fruite is sweet and they thrive better and looke more lovely and live a more amiable and lovely life then the lives of others And this is another way how Christ comes to be our sanctification in shedding abroad the love of God into the heart and that the scripture is ful of how the love of God is shed abroad in Jesus Christ Ninthly Christ is our Sanctification in this respect becaus al the promises of the Gospel are made to us in him he is the foundation of al the promises that are in the Gospel they are al made good in him they have a boundance of sanctifying power in them Christ is our sanctification I say because it is through him that the promises are made which hath a mighty sanctifying power As for the First In 2. Cor. 1.20 For al the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us Al the promises of God in him are yea in him amen al Gospel promises are made unto us by christ that is a very useful a notable meditation to consider of al promises that they come unto us from Christ an excellent meditation to set out the excellency of Jesus Christ that in him are al the promises they are in him yea what is the meaning of that That is they are confirmed to us in Christ in him they are made certain to us they are made good in him or as some of your books read it thus For al the promises of God in him are yea and I find it is I know not whether it be in your books but Calvin Beza and other interpreters say it is read in some copies thus Therefore in him let them be yea and Amen unto the glory of God by us Al the promises of God in him are yea that is they are made certain things in Christ as the foundation therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Beza saith it is read therefore let them be Amen in him unto the praise of God That is as God hath made al promises in him as certain so let us look upon Christ and see the promises of God in him and beleeve in them and so by our faith say Amen unto the promises that are made in him unto the glory of God so shal we Glorifie God when we shal look upon the promises by our faith and say Amen unto our soules Now the word Amen signifies firme and sure that is the meaning of the word Amen Sometimes it signifies at the end of our prayer so be it Amen it is an Hebrew word that signifies so be it let it be O Lord as we have prayed and according to thy promise that is the meaning of the word Amen when you conclude your prayer with Amen It is a word that is used for faith and it is the expression of faith after we have made our prayer and that is the meaning here therefore al the promises in him are yea they are made in Christ and affirmed in Christ as certain therefore in him let them be Amen unto the soul let them be as firme and certain things unto us for us to rest upon unto the glory of God by us and thereby shal we glorifie God ye have so many precious promises in Christ but now they are unto the glory of God by us we by faith say Amen to them and we make them as firme and sure unto our soules by the exercise of our faith upon them So you may understand in some measure this scripture which hath exceeding much in it thus you see by Christ the promises are made to us Quest I but you wil say How doth this help our sanctification Answ I answer exceeding much there is nothing helps the sanctification of the soul of a beleever more then the promises of the Gospel those that are exercised in the promises of the Gospel they grow more abundantly in sanctification then others The promises of the Gospel are channels not only of mercy for our salvation but of holiness for our sanctification and for that you have a most excellent scripture 2. Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us clense our selves from al filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God It is as ful a scripture as I know any here you may see what use the holy Ghost would have you make of the promises of the Gospel and of mercy It may be you think that seeing there is such promises of mercy you may take more liberty to the flesh but that is not the reasoning of the spirit he would not take more liberty therby but seeing we have such promises saith he let us clense our selves from al filthiness filthines cannot stand with beleeving of promises And marke he saith from al filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit So that it is not enough for you to say you have as good a heart towards God as any others I thank God my heart is right my spirit is right I but you must clense from al filthiness of the flesh as wel as of the spirit and these promises if you have the right use of them they wil be mighty clensing And marke from al filthiness it is not enough to clense from some gross filthiness that is that you do not live in the grost sins that others of the world live in and that your neighbors live in that you are not whoremungers drunkards cheaters prophaners of the saboth and the like but these promises wil cleanse from al filthiness that is there shal be no filthiness that shal stick to you as to the wicked and ungodly but it wil clense gradually by degrees from al Filthiness of
Christ we should seeke rather for holiness and sanctification from Christ then that we might have peace Would you know the reasons you say you tel us that Christ is our sanctification but we have not found such sanctification from Christ to increase holiness but what is the Reason you have exercised your faith upon Christ mainly that you might have peace that you might have enlargement and comfort as others have and that is the reason that your holiness is scant if you had exercised your faith in Christ that you might have holiness then you might have had more peace Saith Christ be it unto thee according to thy faith so in this case Christ saith to every beleever be it according to thy faith according to what you exercise your faith so be it unto you As do you exercise your faith for peace and comfort and mainly for that you have some peace and comfort but you shal not have so much holiness but do you exercise your faith for holiness most then you shal have most holiness Now certainly a true christian prizeth holiness rather than peace and I know no surer argument for the truth of grace and the difference between an hipocrite and one that hath true grace than this the hipocrite would have holiness that he might have peace I but the true beleever would have peace that his peace might increase his holiness Secondly Another rule is this Though Christ doth give in grace increase of sanctification and holiness yet do not depend upon what Christ gives in for the present but stil keep thy heart sensible of the need of new supplies There is many Christians when they have been at duty and have exercised faith upon Christ for this rest of sanctification and have got somewhat some enlargement and some quickening of spirit and some resolution in the way of God here they rest and now they think they are wel they think to live upon this stock a great while But now we are to pray for our daily bread and to depend upon Christ for new supplies of grace and holiness every day every moment according to every worke that we are set about to go to Christ for new supplies as if we had nothing at al given us before and Christ wil be wel pleased with this that though we have never so much Grace yet to go to him to renew our faith as if we had none at all that iâ— as strongly I do not mean that we should apprehend that we have none at all but as strongly and eagerly to exercise faith upon Christ for new supply of holiness as if we had none at all and indeed those that seem to have none exercise Faith in Christ most Thirdly For Conclusion of all take this as a Rule Those Christians that do most converse with Jesus Christ in the blessed way of the Gospel those will increase most in Grace and they have this by way of Sanctification I wil give you but only that one Scripture in way of allusion to apply it to this in Acts 4 13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived they were unlearned and ignorant men they marvelled and they took knowledg of them that they had been with Jesus Peter and John had much boldness they had strength of Grace they had much boldness notwithstanding all their opposition But how came they by it they were unlearned men ignorant men poor weak men in regard of their naturals and yet they had got aboundance of Grace so as to make their profession of Christ with boldness notwithstanding all the rage of their potent adversaries and the people wondred how they could get such strength as they had but saith the text they took knowledg of them that they had been with Jesus It was that that did so raise their spirits it was that quickned them and inlarged their Hearts so much with Grace that they had been with Jesus that they had conversed boldly with Christ Now I would apply this in a spiritual sence that as Peter and John did grow to that height and strength of Grace by conversing bodily with Christ much more may Christians grow to a height strength and fulness of Grace by much converse with Jesus Christ Converse with Christ in a way of Faith and that will mightily enlarge thy Heart in Grace And the truth is when you see any Christian that perhaps his natural parts may be but weak but yet you see him grow in Grace mightily he hath a mighty large Heart for God and hath much spirit in prayer and his conversation is very holy and convincing you may conclude this man and this woman to have been with Jesus Christ that is converst much with Jesus Christ Would you know whence it is that you see many poor Christians not long since how they have grown in holiness and you think they have got a great deal more than you have got they can depend upon God more and can rejoyce in tribulation more and they have more spiritualness and more Savor in their conversation and find a great deal more sweetness in the waies of God than you whence is it Their means perhaps is not more their outward means their parts in Nature is not more whence grows it then Would you know whence They have been with Jesus they converse much with Christ and you may have it too The Reason why you have been a professor perhaps twenty or thirty years and you now grow old and yet perhaps weak still and it is as much as can be said of you that there is some hope that there is some good in you but for the seeds and sparks of divine Nature that are in others spirits there is no such matter at all what is the Reason because they are not acquainted with this drawing of Sanctification from Christ by the exercise of Faith Wel thus much shal suffice for this Rest the rest of Sanctification the Rest of holiness that brings abundance of Rest unto the Heart according as that encreaseth so doth holiness encrease CHAP. XLIV Sheweth that a beleever hath Rest in Christ in all troubles he can meet with in the world which is laid out in four Particulars 1. All afflictions are at his disposal 2. In him the curse is taken away 3. They stand with Gods love 4. They are measured by God NOw we come to the fifth Burden you may remember the fifth Burden was The Burden of outward affliction come to me saith Christ you that are burdened with the guilt of your sins you that are burdened with Legal performances you that are burdened with remaining corruption that is in you come to me and I will give you Rest Now what Rest have been from all those you have heard Now Lastly come to me you that are under the burden of afflictions for that is a Yoak as we opened when we handled the point of being Laden the Burden of affliction bodily afflictions or spiritual
affliction but if he be a beleever and have the exercise of Faith then all afflictions wil be no more but as if a poor Woman were married to a great prince and had all the nobles about him and all kind of dainties upon his table and he should hear the Rain rattling upon the tiles that is in the windy wether abroad what would this be to hinder the Rest of such a ones spirit The truth is had we but the exercise of Faith all outward troubles in the world would be no more to us no more trouble then this is If thou wert come to Christ and married to him and come to sup with him there would be that satisfaction unto thy Soul in Christ that al outward troubles would be no more at all then the rattling of the Rain upon the Tiles to such a one that hath al content within dores You are not yet acquainted with such blessed things that are in Christ who are troubled at any thing in the world certainly the soul that is acquainted with that will say it hath enough let what will become of my estate of my body of my House of my Lands yet I have enough in Christ how have the blessed Martyrs cryed out of the fulness of Rest in Christ I remember one German Martyr that suffered much from his enemies he said I verely beleeve that there is not a merrier Heart in this world then my self As Jacob had more blessed visions when he lay abroad in the night and laid his Head upon the stone So the Children of God have more visions many times of God in the times of their affliction their Veins are filled with blood and bones with marrow al the capacities of their soul is filled with spiritual joy and that keeps out affliction As if a man have filled his belly with good chear and especially if his veines be ful of blood and bones ful of marrow he can bare hardness the better So when the soule comes to Christ he fils the veins ful of blood and bones ful of marrow I mean thus he fils al the capacities of the soul with heavenly consolations and that bares out any trouble or afflictions whatsoever and thus there is peace and rest unto the soul CHAP. XLVI Containeth the conclusion of the last doctrine in the two former Chapters shewing how unbeseeming a thing it is for a beleever to be troubled in affliction THere might be divers other things named as by coming to Christ there is the spirit of prayer and so the soul hath rest when it can go and power forth it selfe to God in prayer But to conclude this You see by al this how infinitely unbeseeming it is for a beleever one that professeth himselfe come to Christ to be troubled in affliction Christ makes this promise that if he comes to him he shal have rest Surely either thou art not come to Christ or thou hast not exercised faith in Christ Either thus thou chargest thy self for one not come to Christ or one that hath not exercised faith upon Christ or else thou chargest Christ with unfaithfulness by thy discontentment For Christ here professeth to the wotld that al that come to him shal have rest that thou hast not rest but that a little trouble doth disquiet thee thou either art not come to Christ or dost not exercise faith or else thou chargest Christ with unfaithfulness now if thou hast not rest which way wilt thou have it fal Oh let it fal upon thy unbeleeving heart let it fal upon this that thou dost not renew thy act in comming to Christ for it is not meant of coming to Christ at the first but of renewing the act of coming to Christ and this exhortation belongs to Godly men and women that have already come to Christ by faith I say it belongs to them to come to Christ come you to Christ again and again Now thy disquiet and trouble in time of affliction doth argue that thou art either no beleever at al or hast not renewed the act of faith My brethren the wayes of many that we hope are beleevers are such as if so be they had no use of faith at al in time of affliction or as if faith were only of use to save their soules and not to give rest unto the soul here in this world or as if it were of no other use but as a sun dial in a garden to shew the time of the day when the sun shines but in stormy cloudy weather there is no use of it And dost thou make no more use of thy faith then of the sun dyal in thy garden to shew thee how it is with thee in the day of prosperity but the truth of thy faith should be a dyal to make thee know how it is between God and thy soul in a cloudy day And therefore you having now heard where the rest in regard of outward affliction lies Oh do you repair hither for rest you vex and fret and trouble your selves Why because you have not as others others can have rich tables fine houses and accomodations and al things for their content in this world but know that now the Lord hath presented to you a way how to have rest to your souls in time of poverty Labor to know Jesus Christ that was made poor for you There is as plain a way for you to come to Christ as for the richest in the world and Christ wil be as ready to entertain you as the richest It is likely that al your endeavours may come to help you so forward as to make you rich in this world I but to give rest in this world nothing can do it but your coming to Christ And above al this may serve to help us to lay up against the time of trouble that however things go in this world yet you may have rest to your soules in Christ CHAP. XLVII Sheweth that beleevers are often under inward affliction and spiritual desertions I Shal now speak of the rest that Christ gives unto the soul in regard of inward afflictions those inward afflictions are spiritual desertions that is when the Lord shal be pleased to absent himself from the souls of his people and leave them in such darkness of spirit though they be beleevers have interest in Christ yet they may be left for a time by God so as their spirits wil be extreamly afflicted with sorrow and feare and trouble because of Gods absence from them and indeed there is no affliction like to this affliction there is no condition so restless as this condition is Now this is that that every one is not acquainted withal carnal people think that these afflictions are only conceits imaginations and melancholly but the saints know what these afflictions are that they are the most real afflictions in the world these spiritual desertions for God to withdraw himself from his people We read of such an affliction that a godly man was
of the Father and throughly pleads their cause Fourthly In thy spiritual desertion thou must look up to Christ to seek the fulfilling of that promise of his that he makes to his disciples to send to them the comforter When Christ was to leave his disciples he saith Be of good cheer I will send the comforter to you and therefore be of good cheer Christ doth comfort his disciples against his absence he was to go from them and leave them in regard of his bodily presence Now Christ was so careful of his poor Servants that when he was to leave them in regard of his bodily presence he tels them he wil send the comforter to them that is the Holy Ghost shal come so much the more fully and he shal manifest me unto you Now plead this promise of the Lord Christ in the times of spiritual desertion and say Oh blessed Redeemer wert thou careful of thy disciples that when thou wert to leave them in regard of bodily presence that thou wouldst send the Holy Ghost that should come to testifie of thee and reveal thee to them and bring things to remembrance Oh much more wilt thou have compassion of a poor Soul from whom thou art absent in a spiritual way it is a greater affliction to want thee O blessed Redeemer in a spiritual way then to want thy bodily presence and therefore there is a great deal more need that the comforter should come in now to supply the want of spiritual presence then bodily presence Fifthly In the time of spiritual desertion if thou canst find no evidence at all nothing at all to satisfie thy Soul then go to Christ in the very same way that thou wentest to him at first better to do so then to lie groveling and sinking under thy Burden If thou thinkest that yet thou hast nothing that all is nothing all is lost and the like go again in the same way that thou wentest at first unto Christ thou art not in a worse condition then thou wast then when thou wert an enemy and thou foundest ease and rest in him at first now renew that work that there was in thy Soul at the very first There are many people in the time of spiritual afflictions and desertions they spend so much time in looking after old evidences whereas the truth is they might get new ones sooner then the old ones As somtimes a man may spend a great deal more time in looking after an old Key of a Box then in making a new one he might make a new Key with a great deal less trouble and it would not be so much prejudice to him to have a new Key made as to look the old one He may look up and down and spend a great deal of time that may be more worth then to make a new one So it is with the Soul in time of trouble and under spiritual desertion it is looking about for its old evidence and to such and such works of Grace and cannot find them and is poring and cannot be at quiet til it can find those former signs and marks that he had before I say such and such may sooner get new ones then find the old ones If a man have writings perhaps he cannot find such a writing he may be at less charge to have new ones writ over again then to look the old ones so thou wantest the evidences of thy Grace and canst not find them I say renew thy Grace upon Christ again and thou maist get thy evidence new writ over again and have it with less cost then to look after the old ones Sixtly Be sure in time of thy desertion to keep good thoughts of God though thou hast no comfort in them for the present yet beleeve it there is comfort in Christ and whatever becomes of thee acknowledg Christ to be faithful Christ is to be thy Lord and thy king and let thy Heart Love him and strive at the least â—o do so It is true the sence of his Love wil inflame Love again yet at that time when thou canst not have the sence of his Love yet resolve to Love him and Love his waies You know Christ when God seemed to forsake him yet at that time when he was upon the Cross when human Nature could not but see he had need of Gods presence but then he cryed out My God My God And so in Psalme 88. The example of Heman O God of my Salvation He speaks yet stil wel of God and cals God the God of his Salvation· O God of my Salvation he speaks yet stil wel of God and cals God the God of his Salvation O God of my Salvation stil keeps good thoughts of God And so the Church in the Canticles when Christ had withdrawn himself from her yet she would cal him her beloved and go up and down asking for her beloved and where her beloved was so let the soul in time of desertion Keep good thoughts of God Seventhly And Lastly If thou canst not have Rest in Christ resolve thou wilt never find rest in nothing else that thy Heart shal be restless til thou hast rest in Christ Perhaps in the time of desertion there comes one to thee and saith Christ hath forsaken thee go and have comfort elswhere look for it other where or may be the tempter wil come to a poor deserted Soul as he did to Christ in Matth. 4. When Christ was a hungry then comes the tempter to him and saies Command that these stones be made Bread As if the tempter should say thus do do not you see how your Father hath forsaken you that he will not afford you bread take a course for your self So here just thus it is for all the world with a troubled Soul the Soul is troubled the Lord is withdrawn from the Soul and now comes the tempter and saith you see you cannot have comfort you have praied all this while and you cannot get comfort Peace and Rest now therefore seek for Rest elswhere Oh take heed of this a deserted Soul should abandon such temptations and resolve that it wil be content to be in a restless condition to al eternity if it cannot have Rest here As it is with those that do ill offices if there be any breaches between Father and Child or one freind and another they take the advantage of that and say do not you see your Father regards you not though you be in such need he wil not regard you nor help you come therefore and take my counsel I will shew you how you shal live a better life and so when they would withdraw one friend from another those that would do ill offices they go and take advantage of the breach so doth the Devil when the Lord is withdrawn from the soul and the soul is in a deserted condition then comes the Devil to draw the soul to unlawful waies he wil be sure to take the advantage to do al ill