inheritance with the Saints in light in joy unspeakable and full of Glory Whosoever hath the one here shall certainly have the other hereafter On this ground the Apostle exhorts all Christians that would make sure for Heaven and get a good evidence of their own Salvation to examine themselves whether they be in the faith yea or nay and prove themselves 2 Cor. 13.5 It is as if the Apostle had said Make sure of this that your faith is right and make sure of all if you have this grace you shall have Glory also Faith is the grace and the only grace whereby we are justified before God by it we eate of the Tree of Life Jesus Christ and live for ever It is therefore the fittest grace of all to satisfie Conscience in this weighty matter and to make up conclusions from about our eternall estate This Satan knows full well and therefore when he would flatter a man to Hell he perswades him that his faith is right good when indeed there is no such matter and when he would overthrow all hope of Heaven in a man and drag him into despaire he perswades him that his faith though never so good is but a feigned and counterfeit thing and the poore soul is ready to say Amen It mainly concerns all persons therefore that would here get a good Evidence for Heaven throughly to try their faith whether it be a shield of Gold or but a shield of Bâ—asle whether it be an unfeigned or but a feigned faith whether it be a justifying or but a temporary faith whether it be a faith that justifies before God or but only before men In the searching of thy Soul for this grace of faith or any other renewing grace thou art to have respect to the truth of it more than to the measure and strength of it Christ hath so he absolutely requires truth of belief but not strength of belief Nay he so esteems truth of belief that wheresoever he findeth it in the least measure he will accept it and reward it with Eternal Life he will not quench the smoking flax He will not suffer that soul that hath but the least grain of true faith to miscary But you will say What is this faith you speak of and how may it be discerned from a Temporary faith I will first describe it and then descry it as God shall inable me Justifying faith is a speciall work of the Spirit of God upon the Soul causing a man to lay hold on the speciall promises of Mercy and Salvation by Christ and all other promises which are in him yea and in him Amen and rest upon him that hath promised for the accomplishment of his word I judg it not necessary nor meet for me to take this description asunder or speak of the several terms of it and therefore pass it by In a word or two only I will briefly declare why I call this faith a work of the Spirit and why a speciall work of the Spirit 1. I call this faith a work of the Spirit of God because it is not natural were it natural it would be common but all men have not faith as the Scripture saith 2 Thes. 3.2 2. Few have this faith as the parable of the seed shews Mar. 4.2 to 9. it is a work supernatural and divine 3. I call this Faith a speciall work of the Spirit to distinguish it from that common work of the Spirit which is in unregenerate persons Having thus briefly described this Faith I am in the next place to descry it and distinguish it from all other this I shall do for brevity sake positively This Faith then as I humbly conceive may be discerned and differenced from all other kinds of faith by these concurrent and essentiall properties of it which here follow This Faith is bred fed and nourished ordinarily by the word preached as appears by Rom. 10.14 17. Secondly this Faith as it is begotten by the word so it is grounded upon the Word upon the written Word of God Not fancy but the Word is the ground of it It gives firm absolute and unlimited assent to the whole Word of God promises threatnings and commandements so farre forth as it doth apprehend it to be of God simply because it is of God the whole Word of God is the generall ground and object of it I consent to the Law that it is good holy and just and good saith a true believer Rom. 7. ver 16 12. Believing all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets Act. 24.14 But the more special object of it is the promises of the Gospel This Faith is seated in the heart the heart is the most proper subject of it With the heart man believeth unto righteousness saith the Scripture Rom. 10.10 Justifying Faith is not barely notionall but reall it is not a bare head-assenting But a heart-consenting what the understanding saith is true the will saith is good and embraceth it This Faith is an unfeigned Faith as is evident 1 Tim. 1.5 and 2 Tim. 1.5 An Hypocrites faith is but feigned faith but justifying faith is unfeigned how weak soever it be it is true and real it carrieth the whole heart to God in obedience as well as the whole outward man This Faith is a Christ-receiving faith it receiveth and embraceth whole Christ Christ as a Saviour and Christ as a Lord in all his offices Prophet Priest and King and it causeth him that hath it to give up himself wholly to Christ to be ruled by him in all things according to his Word Thus the Gospel tenders Christ and thus a true beleever receiveth Christ My Lord and my God saith believing Thomas of Christ and it is the property of justifying Faith thus to embrace Christ They gave themselves unto the Lord saith the Apostle of some true believers 2 Cor. 8.5 And this is universally true of all that are true believers they give themselves unto the Lord as aforesaid and that freely and voluntarily This Faith puts a price upon Christ above all things and cleaves to the Mercy of God in Christ as better then life both Positively and Comparatively To you which believe he is pretious 1 Pet. 2.7 He is the chiefest of ten thousand Fairer then all the Childrenof men He is altogether lovely As the Apple-Tree amongst the Trees of the Forrest So is my Beloved among the sonnes His mouth is most sweet His Love is better then Wine Thy loving kindness is better than Life saith the believing Soul to Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none that I desire upon Earth in comparison of thee What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in
the 1 chap. 27. and that which is spoken of believers in the primitive Church Act. 2.44 45.4.34 This Faith makes a man very industrious in labouring to keep a good conscience in all things and to walk inoffensively towards God and towards man in all things as appears in the Apostle Paul Paul having made a confession of faith and hope towards God Act. 24.14 15. in the 16. ver of the same chap. he declares how his faith did operate And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man And this Language of his doth plainly evidence That it is the property of a true faith thus to operate All these are real testimonies that true justifying Faith is no Idle Faith but operative and working It worketh by love This the Scripture aâ—firmeth Gal. 5.6 Neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth any thing but faith which worketh by love thence it is evident that true faith worketh by love And this is indeed the great distinguishing Character of it it worketh by love to God and the things of God and by love to man for Gods sake A true believer works all his works in love to God and Christ His whole labour in point of obedience is a labour of love he sees an unfathomed depth of Divine love declared toward him by God in Christ and this constrains him to love God in Christ again and out of love unto him that dyed for him to give up himself unto him and lay out himself for him The love of Christ constraineth me saith a true believer 2 Cor. 5.14 15. He is holy and blamelesse before him in love Ephes 1.4 My soule hath kept thy Commandements and I love them exceedingly saith a true believer Ps. 119.167 This Faith is alwayes accompanied with true repentance He that truely believes unfaignedly repents This is evident by the language of the Prophet Zach. 12.10 This Faith is alwayes accompanied with new obedience This Faith is a holy Faith it 's so called Iud v. 20. and it makes the subject holy in which it is inwardly outwardly universally holy though not perfectly holy in this life This Faith is a World-contemning and World over-coming Faith it contemns the World both in the good and evill of it as appears in Moses Heb. 11.24 to 28. Iâ— overcometh the world as saith the Scripture This is the victory that overcometh the world even your faith Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth c. 1 John 5.4 5. I may add to this and say It is a flesh-over-coming and a Devill-overcoming faith for howsoever a true beleever be many times put to the worse for a time and foiled by one or other of these enemies yet in the end he overcometh them all and is more then a Conqueror through Christ that strengtheneth him and overcometh for him This Faith is a heart humbling Faith it is the property of this Faith to make an humble heart as the Language of Christ Iohn 5.44 intimates How can ye believe saith he which seek honour one of a another A true beleever eyes God in all gifts and in all blessings Spirituall and Temporall and ascribes all unto free grace He and he only labours for and learnes of Christ heart-humility and groans under the sense of the want of it and hence it is evident that true Justifying Faith is heart-humbling Faith This Faith is a God-glorifying Faith it makes a man preferre God above himself and his glory above all things respecting not himself willing to deny himself unto the death to advance the honour of God and humbly to submit to the Will of the Lord in every thing as appears in Abraham Iob Eli David Paul and many other true beleevers Abraham was by this faith transported so far above himself that he willingly offered up his dear Isaac to advance the honour of God when he tryed him Iob was by this faith brought humbly and patiently to submit to the Will of the Lord in every thing as one desirous to advance his Name Ely was by this faith brought sweetly and humbly to submit to the good pleasure of the Lord When Samuel told him what evill the Lord would bring upon him and his house he meekly replies as one dâ—sierous to advance God in all It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good It is as if he had said let him do with me or to me what he will so he may have glory by it I am content David did the like 2 Sam 15.26 But above all the Apostle Paul is a notable example of this who was by this faith carried so farre above himself that he cared not what betided â—im sink or swim so Christ might be magnified thereby bonds and afflictions and death were nothing to him to undergo so Christ might have honour thereby Nay he would rather lose his eternall Crown then eclyps the honour of Christ as his Language Act. 20.23 24.21 13. does plainly evidence his resolution That Christ should be magnified in him whatever he underwâ—nt Phil. 1.20 Rom. 9.3 It is the property of a true faith to preferre God above all but an evidence of a strong faith thus to preferre God above all This Faith is a growing Faith True Faith how weak soever or how strong soever is alwayes accompanied with cordial desires and real indeavours to grow and increase and bring forth more fruit as the language of beleevers shews Lord increase our Faith said the Disciples to Christ Lord I beleeve help thou my unbeliefe saith another beleever I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press toward the mark saith a third Phil. 3.13 14. By all wâ—ich it is evident That true Faith is growing Faith A true beleever never thinks he hath Faith enough but still prayes for and labours after increase This Faith is a supporting Faith It is a Faith which a Christian may and must live by in all conditions as appears Hâ—b 2.4 The just shall live by his Faith He that hath this Faith we speak of shall live by it in prosperity and in adversity in life and in death Finally this Faith is permanent and persevering it holds out unto the death it is never totally lost a true beleever as he lives in the faith so he dyes in the faith the Apostle speaking of true beleevers saith These all died in the Faith Heb. 11.13 And true it is That a true beleever alwayes dyes in the Faith in the Faith of adherence if not of evidence this is vigour fit and but fit to give the denomination of a true beleever we are made partakers of the Holy Ghost if we hold the beginning of our coâ—fidence stedfast unto the end saith the text Heb. 3.14 These words plainly evidence that justifying faith is persevering faith it
him saith a believing Soul By all these places it is evident That it is the property of a true faith highly to prize Jesus Christ a true believer prizeth Christ in all things places persons and conditions above all things and beyond all time In the eighth place This Faith relyeth wholly on the Merit of Christ for Salvation for justification disclaiming all confidence in the flesh and excluding all boasting in our selves As appears by the Language of the Apostle Act. 4.12 and Phil. 3.3 9. And have no confidence in the flesh Not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ. Where is boasting then it is excluded By what Law of works Nay but by the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 This Faith opposeth the Mercy of God in Christ against all sinne as greater then all The Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sinne saith a believer speaking of believers 1 John 1.7 Because God hath said He shall Redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal. 130.8 All manner of sins and Blasphemies shall be forgiven unto the sons of men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Mat. 12.31 This Faith as it lays hold on the promises of God so it makes him that hath it carefully observe the Conditions of the promises on his part Lord I have hoped in thy word and done thy Commandements saith a true believer Ps. 119.166 thereby intimating That it is the property of a true faith thus to rest on Gods promises A true believer applies Christ unto himself and himself unto Christ the promises to himself and himself unto the promises unto the conditions of them It is the property of this Faith to adhere to Christ even when it cannot see him nor apprehend one jot of love from him when he hideth his face from the soul and speaks bitter things and doth bitter things unto the soul Behold saith Job I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him He hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him He writeth bitter things against me and maketh me possess the iniquities of my youth He putteth my feet in the stocks c. But concludes Though he slay me yet will I trust in him When God hid his face from Iob and he could neither apprehend his love in his Providences nor in his Promises yet he adhered to him still This the Scripture cals for Isa. 50.10 Therefore it follows that this a true believer in some measure doth It is the property of a true believer to adhere to Christ as Asahel adhered to Abner and Elisha to Elijah Asahel would not turn aside from Abner though he dyed by his hand Elisha would not leave Elijah what ever became of him As the Lord liveth and as thy Soul liveth I will not leave thee said Elisha to Elijah and so saith a true believer to Christ Take from me what thou wilt do with me what thou wilt I will not leave thee I will cleave unto thee still though I cannot see thee I will trust in thee I will dye in thine arms In the Twelfth place this Faith is a working Faith it is not idle but operative and working as the Apostle intimates Iam. 2. ver 20.14 Faith without works is dead and cannot save living Faith is working Faith justifying Faith though it do not justifie by working yet is still working It purifieth and clenseth and that not the outward man only but the heart also Act. 15.9 It Sanctifieth Act. 26.18 to wit sincerely universally soul and body and the spirit of our mind as the Scripture speaks It spurreth on to Obedience Active and Passive sincere universal and constant as appears at large Heb. 11. Where all those worthies there spoken of are said to have done and suffered all those admirable things there mentioned by Faith This Faith makes a man patiently wait on God for the accomplishment of all that good which he hath promised in his Word in a conscionable use of all those meanes which he hath ordained warranted sanctified and affordeth for the serving of his Providence and accomplishing of his Promises The former part of this assumption is evident by the Language of the Prophet Isai. 28.16 He that believeth maketh not haste And by that which is spoken of believers Heb. 6.12 The latter is as evident by the practice of the Saints David believing the Word of the Lord concerning his Sonne Solomon and his building of the Temple was very instant with the Lord to make good his Word and what he had Promised very carefull and conscionable in instructing his Son to walk with God in uprightness of heart according unto all the Commandements of the Lord and in providing materials for the Work of the Lords House and encouraging his Son to the Work as appears by the 2 Sam. 7. compared with 1 Chron. 28. and 29. Chapters Daniel believing the Word of the Lord concerning the return of the Captivity of Iudah was very instant with the Lord by fasting and prayer to accomplish what he had promised as appears Dan. 9.2 3. Hezekiah believing the Word of the Lord concerning his recovery out of a dangerous sickness diligently used the meanes that the Prophet directed him unto 2 Kings 20.7 And Paul to instance in no more beleiving that grand promise That the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head And that the God of Peace would Bruise Satan under his feet and that sin should not have dominion over him When buffeted by Satan Prayed frequently and Prayed fervently he besought the Lord thrice when the Law of his Members rebelled against the Law of his mind and led him Captive to the Law of sin He groaned under this burden bewailed his condition sought the Lord by Prayer for help exercised Faith on Christ And beat down his body and kept it under as appears Rom. 7.23 24. compared with 1 Cor. 9.27 The same Apostle believing the Word of the Lord concerning the preservation of himself and his companions in a dangerous voyage at Sea diligently exhorted them to use all good meanes tending unto their preservation sounded the depth cast Anchors abode in the ship c. Act. 27. All these meanes these Worthies used to serve the divine Providence and these examples plainly evidence That it is the property of true faith thus to depend on God for the accomplishment of his Word This Faith makes a man open-hearted and open-handed towards his Brethren in misery and want mercifull according to the Divine Rule ready out of a fellow-feeling of others misery bountifully cheerefully and constantly to do good unto all in misery according to ability but specially to the Godly not for his own glory but Gods for the honour of Christ and the Gospel as appears by the Language of the Apostle Iam. 2.15 16. Compared with
worth any thing in Christ 's account as his own language shews ' He that Loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Sonne or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me Matth. 10.37 3. That Love to Christ which fals off from Christ when tryals tribulations and persecutions come and will not beare the Cross for Christs sake when he cals thereunto is no sincere Love but an Hypocritical as Christ shews Mat. 10.38 He that taketh not up hiâ— Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me And further illustrates in the Parable of the ftony ground Mat. 13.20 21. That Love to Christ which makes not a man to account all things but loss and dross and dung for Christ and to set such a price on Chrift and his hopes by him that he resolves through the help of Christ to part with any thing which may hinder him from doing Christ faithful service how neare or dear soever it be or ought to be yea with life it self or whatsoever contentments may indeare it unto him when Christ cals him to it is no sound nor available Love as Christ shews when he saith If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his life also he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14.26 Hence it is evident in the next place That sincere Love to God is a very tender Love yea a Love more tender towards God then towards any thing else besides God Persons or things and will make a man willing rather to part with all persons or things How neare or deare soever then with God yea so tender a Love it is as it will not suffer a man to go in any way though never so pleasing to flesh and blood that he knows displeaseth the Lord nor transgress the least of Gods Commandements with knowledg without grief of heart as appears in the example of Ioseph and David Ioseph sincerely loved his God and this Love constrained him to contemn the carnall Love of his miftress and the carnal pleasure proffered him by her for fear of displeasing God David sincerely Loved his God and hence it was that his heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment a small matter one would think yet saith David He is the Lords annointed I have therefore transgressed his Commandement in laying violent hands on him and was therefore grieved his Love constrained him to grieve Hence it appeareth in the next place That sincere Love to God produceth and preserveth a tender Conscience a holy feare of God in the heart and soul and a holy hatred of all sin How shall I do this wickedness and sin against my God saith the soul that sincerely Loves God when tempted to sinne by the world the flesh or the Devil God hates all iniquity and he that fincerely Loves God hates what he hates therefore saith the Psalmist you that Love the Lord hate evill to wit because God hates it Sincere Love to God makes a man love the whole will of God I love thy Commandâ—mâ—nts saith David above gold yea above fine gold I esteem all thy prâ—cepts concerning all things to be right and hate every false way This Language of David shews That he loved the whole will of God even that which did cross and condemn that sinne which his nature was most prone to and it is the nature of sincere Love to God to make a man thus to love the Will of God A sincere Lover of God loveth not the Word of God the less but â—â—e more for discovering his darling sinne and so consequently he loves not nor esteems not the faithfull Ministers of the Word the lesse but the more for their faithfulnesse in discovering and opposing sinne predominate sinne whether personal or national Sincere Love to God is an obediential Love it makes a man Cordially obey the Will of God rather then any thing in the world besides This is evident by the Language of Christ If a man love me saith Christ to wit sincerely he will keep my words He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them He it is that loveth me ibid. v. 21. And by the Language of his beloved Disciple This is Love that we walk after his Commandements The great Character of sincere Love to God set by Christ and his beloved Disciple is obedience to wit Cordiall obedience to all the revealed will of God and hence it is evident That sincere Love to God is an obedientiall Love That this Love leads a man to obey God rather then any thing in the world besides is manifest by the carriage of such in all ages of the world in whose hearts the sincere Love of Christ hath dwelt The three Children in Captivity being commanded of men to do what they were forbidden of God chose rather to obey God then man Peter and Iohn being forbidden of men to do what they were commanded of God reply Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather then unto God judge ye and chose rather to obey God then man as the words following shew And thus it is with other sincere Lovers of God if God and man God and sin God and Satan come in competition or opposition all craving obedience If sincere Love to God be in the heart it will soone end the controversie and cause a man to obey from the heart God before all sincere Love to Christ will make a man think Christ's yoke easie and his burthen light his Commandements not grievous it will make a man obey actively and passively and resist unto blood striving against sinne as the Scripture speaks Sincere Love to God mortifieth in us the love of the world If any man Love the world the love of the father to wit the sincere Love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 This language of Iohn intimates thus much unto us to wit That where the sincere Love of God dwels it mortifieth the Love of the world to wit those things in the world which are properly said to be of the world and enemies unto God as all unchast Loves Diabolicall Love and inordinate Love of Carnall things The lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life all which are enemies unto God and his grace in us and cannot subsist with the Love of God being contrary unto it Sincere Love to God makes a man very sensible of Gods dishonour and grieve at it as Ionathans Love to David made him very sensible of the dishonour his Father did him and grieve at it so sincere Love to God makes a man very sensible of the dishonour done to God and grieve at it it makes him sensible of the dishonour done to God by others but most sensible of the dishonour done to God by himself and grieve at it This appears in David David
sincerely loved God and this made him grieve at the dishonour other men did to God but most of all at the dishonour which himself had done to God the consideration of this made his heart pant and his strength fail and made him go mourning all the day long Sincere Love to God makes a man prize the light of Gods countenance and the apprehension of his Love in Christ above all things in the world Lord Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me this putteth gladness into my heart more then corn and wine Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for his love is better then wine This is the language of sincere lovers of God and Christ and a clear evidence it is of the truth asserted and lively demonstrates the judgement and affection of a sincere lover of God and Christ. Sincere Love to God makes a man delight in communion with God by prayer meditation and the use of all his other Ordinances here and long for the marriage-day of the Lamb to the end he might enjoy a more near Union and sweet Communion with Christ his well-beloved and be perfectly conformed unto his holy will as the language of sincere lovers of God shew My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before him Oh God! thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee c. I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all Come Lord Iesus Come quickly This longing desire to depart and to be with Christ and to have Christ come to consummate the mysticall marriage though it be a fruit of love yet it is not an inseparable property of sincere love neither is it in all that sincerely love God nor in all in whom it is is it at all times alike but in those only which apprehend the love of God in Christ towards them and at such time as they apprehend it and this is not every sincere lovers portion here therefore a Christian ought not to judge his love to God unsound onely because he wants this longing desire to be with Christ and to have Christ come to consummate this mystical marriage but to have recourse to the foresaid properties of sincere love for the tryall of his love when this fails and to such as follow Sincere Love to God is a constant growing love and an everlasting love it holds out in all times and seasons and variety of conditions prosperity and adversity praise and persecution health and sickness plenty and poverty liberty and bonds yea in death it self and after death through all eternity death doth not terminate this grace but perfect it therefore saith the Apostle of a sincere lover he dwelleth in love and of this love It never faileth A man that sincerely loves God continues to love him when he hides his face from him and he cannot see him nor one glimpse of his favor neither within him nor without him yea when he frowns upon him and shewes himself marvelous unto him as Iob speaks and the Arrows of the Almighty stick fast in his soul And Satan and his own Conscience deluded by Satan tells him He shall never see the face of God with comfort And however God carryes himself towards him yet he dares not from thence take leave to vary his carriage towards God but loves him still for better for worse and obeys him to the utmost of his power which shews in the next place That he that sincerely loves God loves him for nought That man may be said to love God for nought who loves him principally for himself and not for his who loves him because he is of all things most lovely who had rather have God without all then all without God for his portion Who had rather have a houseless Christ a harbourlesâ— Christ a hated and a persecuted Christ thâ—â— all the honours pleasures and riches of the world without Christ Who had rather have grace without glory then glory without grace Who had rather have the Gospel and Gospel-Ordinances in power and purity with poverty and trouble then peace and plenty without them Who had rather Christ should reign then himself Who desires Christ may encrease though he himself decrease and truth live though he die Who preferrs the interest of God and Christ before his own interest or any interest whatsoever Who labours more to get and to keep a good conscience then a good estate in the world In a word he that loveth God more then these earthly contentments he and he only may be said to love God for nought and to love him sincerely as Christs language to Peter intimates Lovest thou me more then these as if he had said If thy love be not more to me then to these earthly things it 's worth nothing in my account if it be â—ore to me then to â—hese if it adhere to me with the loss of these â—hat shews it is not for these but for nought that thou lovest me and this argues thy love sincere Sincere Love to Christ is very industrious and it makes the Subject in which it is very industrious in following after the Lord and the things of the Lord and the more it aboundeth the more industrious the soul is in following after her beloved this is evident by the language and practice of such as have sincerely loved the Lord in all times I follow after saith the Apostle My soul followeth hard after thee saith another sincere lover of God Early will I seek thee c. and the Spouse in the Canticles sought night and day after her beloved Mary Magdalen and other lovers of Christ were very industrious in seeking after him All which evidently demonstrates the truth asserted to wit That sincere love is very industrious Sincere Love to God and Christ makes the soul unsatisfied in thinking and speaking of the divine Excellencies Wisdome Beauty and Majesty of God and Christ Love of what kind soever delights in the comtemplation of the object which it fastens on the soul delights to be still thinking and speaking of her Beloved whatever it be as every ones experience can teâ—â— him the soul that sincerely loves God doth no less See an instance of this in the Spouse in the Canticles she thinks of her Beloved aâ—d speaks of her Beloved as one unsatisfied with the thoughts and praises of him as one resolved to win if it were possible all the world to love what she loved and this lively demonstrates the sincerity of her love and the nature of sincere love Sincere Love to God is a soul-warming affection it warmeth that heart in which it is with a spirituall heat with a holy zeal for God and the things of God yea so warmeth it that many waters cannot quench it nor floods drown the fire
believeth all things loveth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6 7. It is a heart-softening affection a heart-mollifying love This is intimated by the language of the Apostle Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfullness of sinne Hence it is evident That if our love one towards another were such as it should be and did operate as it should do it would soften and mollifie our hearts Congruous love is mollifying Here note two or three things Christians frequently complain of hardness of heart in these dayes and not without cause but few I believe take notice that want in love is the cause of it Strangeness weakens cools and abates love nothing more this it doth in man towards God and in man towards man and as love abates and strangeness grows the heart contracts hardness more and more Probatum est Whilest the Galatians love towards Paul continued they were pliable within and without they would have parted with any thing to have done him good but when once their love abated their hearts were hardned towards him and his message too Love and intimate converse melts the heart nothing more strangeness hardens it nothing the like intimate converse with God encreaseth love to God and melteth the heart intimate converse with the godly-wise doth the like Our great hardness of heart and unprofitableness under the great meanes of grace in publick I may truly say hath in great part sprung from the gross neglect of the duties of Christian love and the great strangeness that is grown amongst Christians in these times where we meet but in complement usually But when God shall give his people one heart and one way to serve him with one consent when their love shall abound one towards another and operate without these obstructions of division in judgement and affection they shall then have hearts of flesh and not of stone as appears by Ier. 32.39 and Zeph. 3.9 compared with Ezek. 36.26 which places have reference to one and the same time It is said of Leviathan Job 41. That the flakes of his flesh are joyned together they are firme in themselves they cannot be moved His scales are one so neer another that no Air can come between them They are joyned one to another they stick together that they cannot be sunderâ—d The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Leviathan of Heaven and Earth and his people are his scales and the flakes of his flesh and were they so joyned together in Christian love and society that no Air of temptation could come between them they would be firm in themselves and so stick together that they could not be sundered yea in their neck would strength remaine and sorrow would be turned into joy before them I wish all the Saints to whose view this may come may take these things into consideration Great is the latitude of Christian love of love congruous to the rule of God for they whose love is congruous to the rule of God Grudge not a one against â—â—e other Speak not evil one of another Do not bite and devour one another Deviâ—e â—ot evill one against another Do not oppress over-reach or defraud one another iâ— any matter Render not evill for evill unto any man Say not I will do so to him as he hath done to me I will â—ender unto the man according to his deeds They bear not false witness against their Neighbour nor bear witness without cause against their Neighbour nor deceive with their lips Lay not wait against the dwelling of the righteous Spoil not his resting place Adde not affliction to the afflicted Rejoyce not in their enemies fell much less in their brothers Hate not their brother in heart Stand not against the blood of their Neighbours out of desire of revenge nor upon a politicall account Are not as Cain who slew his Brother They judge not their Brother nor set at nought their Brother Give no offence willingly to any but endeavour as much as lawfully they may to live peaceably with all men They put away all bitterness and wrath and anger and â—lamour and evill speaking with all malice Love one another as God gave us Commandement Love one another as Christ hath loved us Love as Brethren Love without dissimulation cordially unfeignedly out of a pure heart fervently Love not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth They walk in love abound in Love grow in Love speak the truth in Love serve one another in Love continue in Love are kindly affectionated one towards another with brotherly Love Rejoice with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep In honour preferre one another have compassion one of another are pitifull are courteous one towards another tender hearted if rich they are rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate shew mercy with cheerfullness they beare one anothers burdens If strong beare the infirmities of the weak support the weak beare one with another aâ—d forbeare one another Forsake not the assembling of themselves together but exhort one another daily edify one another and comfort one another with the Word of the Lord Teach and admonish one another consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good works confess their faults one to another This I think is meant at least chiefly of faults committed one against another and pray one for another Pray for all men even enemies Do good unto all but especially unto the houshold of Faiâ—h they are not overcome of evill but labour to overcome evill with goodness they do as they would be done by in all things they esteem very highly in Love for their works sake their lawfull and faithfull Ministers especially those in whom they have propriety They receive one another as Christ received us to the glory of God and be at peace among themselves Then again He whose Love to his brother is congruous to the Rule of God goes not up and down as a tale-bearer He seeks not his own but his brothers good labours to avoid whatsoever may offend or weaken his brother or be a stumbling block unto him labours to please his brother for his good to Edification He loves his Neighbour as himself doth good freely looking for nothing again He saies not as Cain Am I my brothers keeper but watches over his brother for his good and reproves his brother in Love according to Christ's Rule privately and publiquely if need be informs against his brother in such place and case as Christ commands him and with-draws from his brother in case of
scandall or contempt of the Churches lawfull constitutions and censures or in case he cause divisions or offences in the Church contrary to the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures mourns for his brother and praies for him in such cases Labours to restore his brother in the spirit of meekness when overtaken in any fault and returns to him when he turns to the Lord. Forgives him and comforts him and confirms his Love towards him He forgives his brother his trespasses from his heart as often as he offendeth and repenteth freely as Christ forgave us For Christ's sake and as God hath forgiven us All these qualifications the Scripture cals for in my Love towards my Brother as these quotations in the Margin do manifest Therefore that Love towards man which is congruous to the holy Scripture must needs have these qualifications in it ergo But here the soul conscious to its own wants and failings will be ready to reply as the Disciples did to Christ when he told them how hard a matter it was for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven who then can be saved said the Disciples so the soul will be ready to say here if all this be in that Love which is congruous to the rule of God who then can say his Love is congruous to the rule of God surely none for in much of this we faile all He that truly wills desires and indeavours to do all this that Christ may have the honour of it doth it in a Gospel-sense and in Gods acceptation who accepts the will for the deed where ability is wanting this must be granted otherwise no Child of Adam could conclude on the affirmative Now for other appearances of Love they are these What a man Loves he prizes accordingly What a man loves he delights in accordingly What a man Loves he desires to enjoy what a man loves he cannot hear reproached reviled and spoken against but with grief of heart This needs no proving every ones experience will testifie the truth of it Wouldest thou know whether thy Love to God and thy Love to man be sound and such as demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soul or not then go through what hath been said in this little Epitomie touching Love to God and Love to man and consider whether thy Love be truly such yea or nay and if thou findest it truly such though but weakly conclude thou maist safely to thy comfort that thy Love is such as really demonstrates thou art beloved of God and indued with the holy Spirit of God savingly For Love indeed and in truth argues that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him as the Apostle affirms 1 Ioh. 3.18 19. Therefore if thou upon a true tryal findest by this that hath been said that thou hast any truth of Love to God and thy Brother argue not against thy self or thy Love but bless God for that Love thou hast and labour to grow and increase in Love to God and man daily REPENTANCE ANother grace of the holy Spirit of God demonstrating his saving habitation in the â—oul is Repentance to â—â—t true Gospel-Repentance I sâ—ith the Lord will pour upon the house of David the Spirit of grace and supplications And they shall look upon him whom they have prâ—â—â—ed and they shâ—ll mourn for him c. Zach. 12 10. This Text plainly points out unto us two things 1. That wheresoever the holy Spirit of God dwelleth savingly in what soul soever he resideth as a sanctifier there he worketh true faith and Repentance 2. That in whomsoever these graces are wrought they are a true and real testimony of the holy Spirits saving habitation in that soul â—or as much as it is proper and peculiar unto the Spirit of God alone to work these in the heart of man Here Note three or foure things 1. That the grace of Repentance though it be a distinct grace from faith yet is it an inseparable concomitant of justifying faith coupled with it in infusion and he that totally wanteth either hath neither Secondly Note That faith and love and Repentance and every other renewing grace habitually considered are coequal the habit of every grace being infused together So that where there is one grace in truth there is every grace in truth in the habit of it in some measure And thirdly That although every grace of the Spirit habitually considered be coequal yet these actually considered and according to their manner of working and appearing in us precede each other faith precedes love and faith and love precedes Repentance Repentance being a fruit of faith and love Fourthly That grace to wit renewing grace and glory are inseparably linked together He that hath the one shall certainly have the other for this grace is the earnest of our inheritance Lastly Nâ—te That this grace of repentance is a renewing grace a speciall work of the Spirit of God in man aâ—d a grace that he worketh in all that truly beleeve and love That Repentance is a renewing grace a special work of the Spirit of God in man is evident by those special promises which are made unto it in holy Scripture of spiritual and eternal blessednesse He that confesseth and forsaketh his finne shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 If my People which are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and turn from their evill wayes then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sinne c. 2 Chron. 7.14 And the Redâ—emer shall come to Sion and to them that turn from transgression in Iacob saith the Lord Isa. 59.20 Again When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely dye if he turn from his sinne and doe that which is lawful and right He shall surely live he shall not die none of his sinnes that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live Ezek. 33.14 15 16. All sins all manner of sinns and Blasphemies shall be forgiven unto him Mark 3.28 Matth. 12.31 compared Though your sinnes be as Scarlet they shall be made as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Isai. 1.18 and Act. 11.18 True Repentance is called Repentance unto life By all which it is evident That it is a renewing grace a special work of the Spirit of God in man Repentance being a special work of the Spirit of God in man and an inseparable concomitant of a Justifying faith is therefore a true touchstone to try our selves and our spiritual estate by and such an one as all must try themselves by that will gather to themselves a true testimony of their eternal happiness by Christ and make their Calling and Election sure in the subject But what is this grace of Repentance How may it be defined Repentance is a Divine quality wrought by the
Spirit of God in the soul whereby a sinner is so much touched in heart for his sinnes that he truly turns from them all unto the Lord. I think it not necessary nor meet for me to discuss the termes or genus of this description But here Noâ—e 1. That repentance unto salvation is an Evangelical grace a Gospel-grace The Law knows no Repentance cals for none nor works none it is the Gospel and the Gospel onely that knows Repentance cals for it and works it Moses cals not for Repentance but Christ doth Mar. 1.15 That this Repentance consisteth of two Essentiall parts to wit contrition and conversion humiliation and reformation therefore he that would make a true trial of his Repentance must have recourse unto both of these That it is Evangelical contrition and not legall that is the first Essential part of Repentance unto life it is cordial reformation and not feigned that is the second Essential part of Repentance unto life But what is this Evangelicall contrition and how may I discern whether I have it or no Evangelical contrition is a godly sorrow of soul for all sinne arising from the apprehension of a gracious God displeased by sinne and thou maist discern it by this which here follows 1. Evangelical sorrow springs out of the Love of God and hatred of sinne and increaseth the Love of God and hatred of sinne in the soul the Love of Christ constraineth the soul to hate sinne and to mourn and grieve for sinne and the bitterness of this sorrow and grief for sinne sweeteneth the Love of God in Christ unto the soul and inbittereth sinne And hence it comes to pass that the soul loves Christ more and hates sinne more after it hath once felt this sorrow and been soked in it then ever it did before 2. Evangelicall sorrow is mixed with faith The Evangelical mourner bewailes his sinne and rests on the mercy of God in Christ and the promises which are in him yea and in him Amen for the pardon of his sinne and the mortification of his corruptions and grace to amend Faith of adherence is an inseparable concomitant of Evangelical sorrow although faith of evidence be not so He that sorrows for his sinne and rests not on Christ for the pardon of his sinne his sorrow is legal and not Evangelical desperation and not contrition 3. Evangelical sorrow is mixed with hope The Evangelical mourner mourns not without hope he hath hope of obtaining mercy even in the deepest of his sorrow for sinne as appears by his carriage in his mourning He despaires not but seeks to God for mercy his sorrow drives him to God and not from God as is evident by the example of the Prodigall in his deepest distresse he despaires not but goes to his father for mercy but had he not had hope of obtaining mercy he would have despaired had he not had hope of obtaining mercy he would never have gone to his father to seek it 4. Evangelical sorrow is mixed with Joy being mixed with Faith and Hope the Evangelical mourner looks upon his sorrow as a sacrifice with which God is well-pleased and therefore Joys that he can sorrow that he can offer this Sacrifice to God The Sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart and spirit A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise saith the Scripture Psal. 51.17 And this the contrite heart beleeves and therefore Joys when it can sorrow 5. Hence it comes to passe that the Evangelical mourner is an agent as well as a patient in the action of mourning He strives to provoke and quicken his dull heart and soul to mourn and thinks no labour too much to bestow to bring his soul to a godly manner of mourning He desires nothing more then to turn his Carnal mirth into Godly mourning Be afslicted and mourn and weep saith the Scripture Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heavinesse Jam. 4.9 This this soul labours wonderfully to do and nothing grieves him more than that he cannot more grieve for sinne He labours to make his carnall mirth the matter of his spiritual mourning and wishes O that mine eyes were a fountain of tears that I could weep day and night for the sinne of my nature and the sinne of my life and the iniquity of my People 6. Evangelical sorrow is a heart-mollifying sorrow it softeneth the heart and makes it very tender and pliabâ—e sensible of the least sinne and the least displeasure of God for sin Hearts broken with evangelicall sorrow are like broken bones very sensible of every touch Hearts broken with Evangelical sorrow are very pliable to the will of the Lord above all other Lord what wilt thou have me to do saith a contrite soule Act. 9.6 as if he had said declare thy will Lord and I am ready to obey it to the utmost of my power whatever it be Such as the measure of this sorrow is such usually is the softness of the heart and the pliability of the will the more of this sorrow the soul hath the more tender is the heart made thereby and the more pliable is the will the less of this sorrow the soul hath the less softening hath the heart and the less yielding is there in the will to the Will of the Lord. 7. Evangelical sorrow is a heart meekening sorrow it meekeneth the heart and maketh it humbly stoop to the yoke of Christ and patiently bear the Chastising hand of Christ during the good pleasure of Christ. I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute judgment for me saith the contrite soul Mich. 7.9 It moderateth anger and maketh all calm within and without 8. Evangelical sorrow is a heart-humbling sorrow it maketh the heart humble and lowly The more of this sorrow there is in the heart the more humble it is and the less of this there is in the heart the prouder it is the more fearless and careless it is of sinne I am no more worthy to be called a Sonne make me as a Servant or any thing the meanest imployment in my fathers house is too good for me saith the contrite soul. I am but a walking-dunghill and fitter to be set on a dunghill then on a Throne saith the contrite soul. 9. And hence it is that the soul evangelically contrite admires free grace in every favour that it receives spiritual or temporal and is the thankfullest soul of all others for mercies received What shall I render unto the Lord for all his mercies towards me saith a contrite soul This soul speaks to it self in the language of the Lord to Ierusalem I was polluted in my blood and cast out to the loathing of my person and no eye pitied me to do any office of love unto me And then the Lord had compassion on
sorrow it consumes the body of death it brings a consumption on sinne it weakeneth the power of naturall corruption and warreth succesfully against the most Giant-like corruption it comes from the heart of a sinner and it goes to the heart of sinne 16. Finally Evangelical sorrow is a reforming sorrow it makes a man truly turn from sinne from all sinne unto the Lord and this is indeed the great distinguishing Character of it and that which demonstrates the truth of it contrition without conversion is not Repentance unto life He that sorrows for his sinne and turns not from his finne unto the Lord his sorrow is but a sorry one Humiliation without Reformation saith one is but a foundation without a building and reformation without humiliation is but a building without a foundation a building which will not stand Humiliation and Reformation God hath coupled together in his Gospel-Promises wherein Repentance is fully described Therefore Repentance unto life must needs consist of both these Evangelical Contrition and true Conversion are so coupled together that they cannot be sundered wheresoever sorrow for sinne is found it is attended with true turning from sinne unto the Lord. And this is the second essential part of true Repentance And this the Scripture cals conversion Repent and be converted saith the Apostle in the forecited place Act. 3.19 it is as if he had said mourn for sinne and turn from sinne if ever you would have your sinnes to be done away He that truly turns from sinne turns from all sinne He that turns not from all sinne doth not truely turn from any sinne God requires a sinner to turn from all his transgressions and he that truly turns from sinne doth this He turns from all sinne in affection in purpose and resolution he allows not himself in any known sinne he loaths all sinne and conscionably indeavours to forsake all sinne and get every corruption mortified therefore saith the Apostle Godly sorrow worketh Repentance unto salvation his meaning is it produceth Reformation to wit a true turning from all sin unto the Lord. He that truly turns to the Lord doth it not feignedly as Hypocrites do but unfeignedly cordially with his whole heart as the Prophet speaks with full purpose of heart to walk in all the wayes of God This the Apostle cals Repentance unto Salvation and this is attended with carefulnesse and circumspection for time to come cleering of our selves or apologie for our selves of our detestation of our fact indignation or exceeding anger with our selves for our offences Feare to wit feare of relapsing into our former sinnes again vehement desire to wit after strength and assistance from Christ for the present and future time Zeal to wit in the performing of all good duties contrary to our former special sinnes Revenge to wit a holy revenge on our selves subduing of the body and keeping it under lest it should hereafter be an instrument of sinne as it hath formerly been All this is evident by the language of the Apostle in the forecited place 2 Corinth 7.11 Wouldest thou then know whether thy Repentance be Repentance unto Life or no whether it be such as truly demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soul and the truth of thy faith yea or nay thou must then have recourse to both the parts of true Repentance fore-mentioned to wit contrition and conversion and if by what hath been said it appears to be truly such know that it is a sure argument of thy eternal happinesse bless God for it and labour to grow in it OBEDIENCE ANother work of the holy Spirit of God on man demonstrating his saving habitation in man and a mans eternal salvation by Christ is Obedience to wit sincere and Cordial Evangelical Obedience to the revealed Will of God This Obedience and this onely God requires and accepts of his Elect in and through Jesus Christ. That this Obedience is a work of the Spirit of God in man appears both by Argument and by Scripture 1. By Argument thus Naturally the heart of man is obstinate stubborne and disobedient to the Will of the Lord deceitfull above all things and Hypocritical in all its wayes doting on Legal and never minding Evangelical Obedience and nothing can make such a change in the heart and soul of a man as of stubborne and disobedient of Hypocritical and deceitfull to become sincere and Cordial in Obedience and of a doter on Legal to become an Evangelical obeyer of the Will of the Lord But the Almighty Spirit of God whose proper office it is to renew the Image of God in fallen man Therefore this Obedience must needs be the work of the Spirit of God in whomsoever it is By Scripture this is evident likewise I will put my Spirit within you saith the Lord and cause you to walk in my statutes and keep my Iudgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 Hence it is evident That it is the Spirit of God which works the heart of man to Obedience That this Obedience is a work of the Spirit of God in man demonstrating his saving habitation and sanctifying operation in man is evident by the language of the Apostles We are his witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to wit savingly to them that obey him to wit Cordially and Evangelically Act. 5.32 And by that of Peter We are Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience 1 Pet. 1.2 That this Obedience is such a work of the Spirit of God in man as demonstrates his eternall salvation by Christ is farther evident by these Scriptures following Christ being made perfect became the Author of eternall salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Obey my voyce saith the Lord and I will be your God and ye shall be my people Jer. 7.23 If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people and ye shall be unto me a kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation Exod. 19.5 6. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 7.21 He that doth the Will of God abideth for ever 1 Joh. 2.17 By these Texts it is evident That thâ—s Obedience is such a work of the Spirit of God in man as lively demonstrates his eternal happiness Quest. But what is this Obedience you speake of How may it be defined Sol. It is a special work of the Spirit of God in man whereby he is inabled to apply Christ unto himself according unto all his promises and himself unto Christ according unto all his Precepts Under these two general heads the whole work of Obedience is comprehended as is evident from the words of the new Covenant I saith the Lord will be your God
the 〈…〉 one holy 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 He is 〈…〉 from the 〈…〉 old thing◠〈…〉 new as this Text speaketh He is one whose heart and spirit principles and practises are all new and holy He is one who having received a new life from Christ desires and endeavours to live as a new Creature unto Christ only one that in every condition labours to live for the honour of Christ and so as he may truly say To me to live is Christ to me thus and thus to live is for the honour of Christ he is one in whom the name of Christ is glorified and the Gospel held forth one who in all things whatsoever he doth in word or deed labours to do all in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ to the glory of God by him one who desires and endeavours to have his whole conversation such as becometh the Gospel of Christ and to have every thought brought in subjection to the Obedience of Christ. He is one who though he have fleshly lusts in him doth not make provision to fulfill them he doth not habitually design and take thought how to fulfill them but how to mortifie them he is one who though he walk in the flesh doth not warre after the flesh but against the flesh He makes not his liberty an occasion to the flesh He is one who though he cannot live without sinne doth not allow himself in any known sinne but hates every false way and groans under the remainder of the old man in him as his greatest burden He is one that carries a holy jelousie over hâ—mself and all his wayes and thence labours to keep a spirituall watch within and without He is one that worships God in the Spirit and puts no confidence in the flesh one that servs God in newness of Spirit not in the oldness of the letter one that labours to be filled with the Spirit He is one whose conversation is in Heaven whilst he is on Earth one that delights in the Law of God after his inward man he delights to do the will of God He is one of another Spirit then the world hath one that walks by another rule then the world doth to wit the Word of God He is a growing Creaâ—ure he grows in grace He forgets what is behind and reacheth forth to that which is before He aims at perfection and presseth towards this neark He is one that lives in Christ as a branch in the Vine and brings forth fruit in him He is one in whose Nostrils the whole body of death and every part and member of it stinks one that labours to abstain from all appearance of evill and to be holy and blameless before God out of Love to God He is one that minds the things of the Spirit is led by the Spirit and walks after the Spirit He is a world-contemning and a world-overcoming Creature He is one that labours to deny himself and take up his cross and follow Christ as Caleb did to wit fully and as David did of whom God saies He followed me with all his heart to do that only which was right in mine eyes And as Ruth followed Naomi as Elisha followed Elijah and Asaebel followed Abner he would not leave Abner though he died by his hand A new Creature is one that counts himself a stranger and a pilgrim in this world and lives like a stranger a and pilgrim in this world one whose Conversation here declares that he minds desires and seeks after a better Country then this world affords to wit an Heavenly He is one that makes it his chiefest work to glorifie God and save his soul one to whom the Talent of time is very precious one that labours to use every Talent wherewith he is inâ—rusted according to the will of his Lord and for the honour and glory of his Lord one that labours so to walk before God here that whether present or absent he may be accepted of him one that labours to Honour God by using lawfull things lawfully as well as by shunning things unlawfull in themselves He is one that labours so to keep his account here that he may give it up with joy when the day of account comes He is one that doth not commit sinne one that seeks not his own but Christs and his Brothers good one whose affections are set on things above more then on the things below He is one to whom the Preaching of the Cross of Christ to wit the Gospel is the wisdom of God and the Power of God one who being born again as a new born Babe desires the sincere and nourishing milk of the word that he may grow thereby one that hears the voice of Christ speaking in his word by his Ministers knows it and obeys it and declines the voice of a stranger He is one to whom the whole Word and Will of God is sweet every bitter thing in it sweet He accounts no truth gall and wormwood as some phrase it He is one to whom all Gospel-Ordinances are sweet and delectable He is one that deserts not old truth to follow new light but makes it his sunne to discover the verity of it He is one that receiveth the Ambassadors of Christ to wit the lawful and faithful Ministers of the Gospel as Christ himself and esteems them very highly in love for their work sake He is one that delights in the Law of God after his inward man one that labours to live by saith in every condition prosperity and adversity one to whom the yoke of Christ is easie and his burden light one to whom none of Christs Commandements are grievous He is one that continuâ—th in the word of Christ in the love of it in the belief of it in the obedience of it He is one faithfull unto the death He is one which how high soever he be in place in parts in gifts or grace is low in his own eyes little in his own fight his heart is lowly still hence it comes to pass that when he hath done his best to follow the rule of righteousness he abhâ—rs himself for his unrighteousness and accounts himself a wretched man Finally he is one that is joyned to the Lord Iesus Christ and one spirit with him All this and much more then this the Scriptures affirm to be in a new Creature as all that are acquainted witâ— the holy Scriptures know Who so desires to be better informed touching a new Creature may consult learned Dr Preston on a new Creature but a prefect enumeration of all the qualifications of a new Creature is no where to be found but in the holy Scriptures which indeed do picture him to the life and to them I refer the Reader for full satisfaction herein and for the benefit of those which are unacquainted with the Scriptures or want time or ability to collect a cleare and sound evidence of a new Creature from the Scriptures I will reduce this
it is true and reall the work is begun within in the heart and spirit that is made new first although perfectâ—d last words and actions which are but the effects of these causes appear before them and give demonstration of them but these as the cause must needs preceed the effect A man by a common work of the Spirit of God on him may be made another man then formerly he was and yet not be a new Creature He may have another heart then formerly he had and yet not have a new heart He may be qualified with moral grace in a high degree and inabled to do much for God and yet not be a new Creature as appears in Saul and Iudas when God brought Saul to the Kingdom of Israel according to Samuels propâ—esie The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and â—e became another man and the Text saies God gave him another heart 1 Sam. 10. ver 6 9. A heâ—rt other wayes qualified then formerly And Saul was valiant and prosperous in his enterprises against the Philistins and gifted for ruling yet Saul never was a new Creature he never had a new heart Iudas when called to the Apostleship by Christ was by the Spirit of Chrift gifted for the work whereunto Christ called him he was made another man then he was before yet was he not made a new Creature he never had a new heart He was gifted for the Church but not for his own salvation There is a vast difference between being made another man and being made a new man as these instances declare Neither Saul nor Iudas ever were new Creatures nor ever had a new heart nor any renewing grace wrought by the Spirit of God in them A new heart is proper and peculiar to a new Creature fit and but fit to give the appearance of a new Creature The Creature therefore is to be accounted new only as it can derive newnes from within newnes from the heart and spirit all without may be new all the apparel new and yet the person old that weares it so all without may be new in appearance profession words and actions all new and yet the Creature old still the newness of the Creature consists chiefly in the renovation of the inward man I say chiefly not only A new Creature is one all glorious within one that hath the root of the matter within him as Iob speaks to wit integrity in his inward parts a new heart and spirit He therefore that will judg aright of his own spiritual estate must needs begin where God begins at the heart and spirit he must confider whether he have a new heart or not Quest. But you will say What is a new heart And how may I discern whether I have a new heart yea or nay Ans. A new heart considered according to its formality is a heart wherein Christ is formed a heart indued with renewing grace and acted by it a heart made one with the Lord a heart wherein Christ is resident and president And it may be discerned by divers appearances Take this discription of a new heart in which expression you like best it comes all to one it is not my work nor purpose to speak of the terms of this description therefore I passe from it to the appearances of a new heart 1. A new heart is a heart washed from wickednesse this is intimated by the Language of the Lord to Ierusalem Jer. 4 14. O Ierusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saved c. Quest. But you will say How shall I know whether my heart be washed from wickedness or not Ans. I will mention only one Character of a heart washed from wickednesse which is this In a heart washed from wickedness vain thoughts do not lodg as welcome guests and if not vain thoughts then much lesse wicked thoughts this is plainly hinted in this Text wash thy heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodg within thee it is as if the Lord had said Thy willing lodging of vain thoughts within thee plainly demonstrates thy heart is not washed from wickednesse for were thy heart washed from wickednesse vain thoughts would not nay they could not lodg within thee as welcom guests Vain thoughts may and oftentimes do arise in the best and most holy man or woman alive but they do not lodg with such a person as welcome guests Object But may some say I cannot from this conclude that my heart is washed from wickedness but rather that it is not washed from wickedness for I find that vain thoughts do not only arise in me but lodg with me abide with me long and many times with delight I do not only think vain thoughts but many times bid them welcome Ans. This know that every one whose heart is washed from wickednesse beares the Image of a double person he beares the Image of a person washed and of a person unwashed of the old man and of the new and so farre forth as he is washed and clensed he doth decline and hate vain thoughts but so farre forth as unwashed and unregenerate they are welcome and pleasing to him The heart that is washed from wickednesse is not perfectly but imperctfely washed hence it comes to pass that there is in it both a detesting of and a delighting in the same thing at the same time vain thoughts lodg not with the regenerate part of the man as welcome guests whatever they may do with the unregenerate part Vain thoughts as Satans souldiers may quarter upon a man whose heart is washed from wickednesse will he nill he but they are not welcome guests but wearysome guests to him so farre forth as washed Whosoever therefore can find that he doth truly hate and decline vain thoughts ought not hence to conclude that his heart is not washed from wickednesse nor that he hath not a new heart but rather to conclude with the Apostle Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me it is no more I as washed and sanctified that welcome these guests but it is sin that dwelleth in me that doth it 2. Secondly Another appearance of a new heart is purity a new heart is a pure and simple heart That which is in Ezekiel called a new heart is by Christ called a pure heart Mat. 5.8 and a blessed heart which plainly declares that a new heart is a pure heart A pure heart is of all other the most sensible of its impurity it still finds more impurity then purity in its self and therefore goes to Christ for more cleansing stills to the Blood of Christ to the Spirit of Christ to the Ordinances of Christ with the desire and language of David Create in me a cleane heart O Lord and puts that promise in suit Ezek. 36.25 A pure heart will not mix with any impure thing but is still purging it out it is like
Cain may prosper in the World as well as an Abel and a glutton excell a Lazarus in these contingent things An Ahithophel through his policy may enjoy prosperity while a Paul suffereth all adversity A sonne of Beliall may weare Purple and Scarlet and fare deliciously every day while a Sonne of God weares sheep-skins and goats-skins and lives upon Gods Providence A Nebuchadnezzar may have successe in his enterprises as well as a Ioshua for a time Philistins may triumph while Israelites are led captive A Iudas may have as good natural parts and supernatural transient gifts as a Paul or a Iohn as a chosen vessell or a beloved Disciple yea happily more A Iesabell may be as beautifull in the eye of man as a Rebeckah A Pharisee more exemplary in a form of Godlinesse than a Nathaniel an Hipocrite may be more like a beloved Child of God in his own eyes and other mens too than a true Child of God A foolish Virgin may have as faire a Lamp in her hand as a wise By all which it is evident That none of these things are sufficient to denominate a man beloved of God after a special manner nor to render him an Adopted Son of God In these words the Apostle lays before us things quite contrary to these to wit chastisement and scourging as signs of Gods love Here is love written in Characters a hand that every one cannot read a hand that few can read right Here is love wrapped up in a rod which none but a loving and beloved child can draw out or well apprehend none but a child savingly indued with the Spirit of his Heavenly Father can see his love when he feels his rod or argue his sonneship from his chastisement To fetch an evidence of Gods Love and a mans own Adoption from Gods Chastisements and Scourgings is peculiar to a Child of God and it is his prerogative thus to do It is not every Adopted Child of God neither that can thus argue his sonneship I am Chastised of God therefore I am beloved of him I am scourged more than many others therefore doubtlesse I am beloved more than others It must be a child grown to some maturity in grace that must thus conclude Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth c. Love as attributed unto God is not a quality as it is in man but an effect of tree grace and it is either more generall or more speciall Of the more generall Love of God towards man we read in Mar. 10.21 where it is said of the young man that came to Christ That Iesus beholding him loved him Of the more speciall Love of God towards some we read Ierem. 31.3 2 Thes. 2.16 Iohn 13.1 The more generall or common Love of God is manifested in and by his common gifts and dispensations such as the young man that came to Christ was indued with to wit great place in the World great possessions morall righteousnesse desire of and indeavour after eternall life with the injoyment of temporall felicity and predominate corruption But the more speciall Love of God towards man is manifested in and by his Fatherly chastisements and scourgings as this Text tels us Whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth c Whom the Lord loveth after a speciall manner he sooner or later certainly chastiseth He scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth unto glory The Chastisements of God are many for number various for kind differing in measure duration and immediate causes but my purpose is not to discuss these but to consider when Gods Chastisements of what kind soeever are sure and certain pledges of his more speciall and eternall Love towards a man which to find out I will premise these foure things First That Chastisements and sufferings from God are not pledges of Divine love towards all A man may be Chastised of God and yet not be beloved of God but hated as Esau was All things saith Solomon come alike to all and if all things then Chastisements alike to all Eliphaz tels us That a man is born to trouble it is as incident to him as to the sparks to fly upward Job 5.7 Troubles are Chastisements and these do not argue love to all that are visited with them The second thing premised is this That although Chastisements and scourgings are not pledges of Gods Love to all yet they are to some Thou in very faithfulnesse hast afflicted me saith the Psalmist Psal. 119.75 The third thing premised is Who they are to whom Chastisements and scourgings are pledges of Divine love they are pledges of Divine love to them and to them only to whom all things work together for good to wit to the Adopted Children of God When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world saith an Adopted Son of God of himself and his brethren 1 Cor. 11.32 The fourth thing premised is When Chastisements and Scourgings are pledges of Divine love and that is when they are sanctified Sanctified chastisements and they only are pledges of Gods speciall love toward man Quest. But how shall I know whether Gods chastisements be sanctified â—o me or not Answ. Chastisements sanctified have many appearances many effects they produce whereby they may be known a few of which I will mention instead of many 1. Chastisements sanctified make a man to reflect on himself read himself over and call his sinnes to remembrance as appears in Iosephs brethren Gen. 42.21 and Iob 7.20 2. Chastisements sanctified lead to repentance Ephraim was by chastisements sanctified brought to repentance Ier. 31.18 19 and so was Manasseh and the Prodigall By which it is evident That Chastisements sanctified make a man turn from his evill way unto the Lord they make a man turn to him that smiteth they regulate the whole man and conform him to the whole Will of God they better his Obedience Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have learned to keep thy Word saith David Psa. 119.67 and it 's said of Jesus Christ Though he were a Sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5.8 3. Chastisements sanctified make a man humble vile in his own eyes My soul hath them still in remembrance saith the Church of her afflictions and is bowed in me Lam. 3.20 I am black saith the Spouse when under the sun of persecution by my Mothers Children Look not upon me because I am black c. The Churches afflictions were sanctified and hence it was that she was humbled by them and become vile in her own eyes 4. Chastisements sanctified wean a man from the world mortifie in him the love of the world and deaden his affections to the noblest vanities of the world they draw the heart from all things here below and work it to a holy contempt of them and inhance the price of grace and glory 5. They drive the soul to God and indeare communion with him they will make a
Demonstration I shall speak something from this Text as God shall enable me and somewhat of the other to wit the seal of Confirmation from another Text if the Lord permit and so conclude this work Before I speak further of this seal of Demonstration or the appearances of it I will here premise six things First That as a Merchant sets his seal upon his wares by which he demonstrates such and such wares to be his and distinguisheth them from all other so God sets his seal upon his people to wit this seal of regeneration by which he demonstrates them to be his and distinguisheth them from all the people in the world profane morall hypocriticall This I may call Gods broad-seal sealing a soul to the day of redemption Secondly This seal God sets upon all his wares all his adopted children are sooner or later sealed with this seal every reall Saint every one that is effectually called hath this seal of Demonstration set upon him regeneration wrought in him Gods Image stamped upon him But all the children of God have not this in like measure the impression is not alike visible in all neither to the parties themselves nor to others some bear this impression as babes others as men grown up to some maturity all Gods adopted children bear this impression truly but none of them perfectly in this life The third thing premised is this That this seal of Demonstration to wit true regeneration is of absolute necessity unto salvation for Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 No man shall ever inherit the kingdome of glory that hath not this seal set upon him in the kingdome of grace Christ will own none of these wares for his in that other world whom he doth not thus seal in this world it stands not with his justice to own such The fourth thing premised is this That this seal of regeneration demonstrates to God to man to others and to a mans self except in some cases that he is Gods He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes. 2.13 Fifthly This seal of regeneration is such as others may discern therefore I call it a seal of demonstration The Image of God if once stamped in truth upon the soul cannot be hid no more than fire in a mans bosome the love of God in the heart will shew it self in the outward man Nay this seal of regeneration is many times more obvious unto others than unto the parties themselves This seal is so lively stamped on some of Gods people that it shews it self very eminently in the eies of others when they that have it cannot nor will not behold it in themselves The sixth and last thing premised is this That this seal of regeneration whereever it is truly stamped by the holy Spirit of God is Gods mark and the soules earnest for Heavens eternity The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Psal. 4.3 The person thus sealed is a sequestred person sequestred for the Lords use sealed unto the day of redemption Where note That this seal of regeneration doth confirme and make sure the love of God unto the person on which it is set as well as the other though not alwayes to the apprehension of the person Object But Satan doth many times counterfeit this seal and thereby cheats and cosens many a soul He counterfeiteth holiness and perswades the soul that is but seemingly regenerate that he is truly regenerate and him that hath but civill holiness that he hath saving holiness and by this sophistry of his cheats and undoth many a soul How shall I then come truly to discern whether the demonstrative seal set upon my self be indeed the seal of the holy Spirit of God or but the counterfeit set by Satan Answ. 1. Wheresoever there is true regeneration wrought by the holy Spirit of God Satans seal which is upon our soules as we come into the world is cancelled corruption is not barely restrained but mortified The body is dead because of sinne as the Scripture speaks the soul is bent against every sinne it allows not it self in any known sinne it hates all sin but where Satan counterfeits this seal corruption is but restrained the heart loves it still and cherisheth some one sinne or other 2. The soul â—hus sealed by the holy Spirit of God beares the Image of God the Image of God is stamped upon it as the seal is so is the print which it makes the Spirit of God is a holy Spirit and the soul that is sealed by it is a holy soul He is renewed in the spirit of his mind Holiness is stamped upon his heart and spirit and from thence spreads it self through the whole man and through the whole life from the time of conversion regeneration wrought by the Spirit of God makes the heart pure and holy as well as the outward man therefore the Apostle calls it Holiness of truth Ephes. 4.24 and saith in another place The Spirit is Life because of righteousness Christ makes it a note of a good man that he can derive goodness from within Luk 6 45. Therefore I may safely pitch upon it That Holiness engraven upon the heart and spirit of a man and from thence declaring it self in the whole man and in the whole life is vigor fit and but fit to give the denomination of a soul thus sealed regeneration wrought by the Spirit of God is begun in the inward man it is universall and goes through every faculty of the soul and every part and member of the body through the whole life and conversation he that is truly sanctified is sanctified throughout and holy in all manner of conversâ—tion he that is sealed by the holy Spirit of God beares the Image of God in all these But Satans counterfeit seal of Demonstration stamps his own image he is seemingly an Angel of light whilest really a Devil and he that is thus sealed by Satan resembles him in this he is a seeming Saint a reall Devil So Christ spake of Iudas Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a Devil He that is thus sealed by Satan hath Holiness painted on his outside but wickedness graven on his heart as is evident in the Scribes and Pharisees who were thus sealed by Satan they were outwardly holy as Christ shews at large Mat. 23. but inwardly very ugly and rotten and therefore calls them whited sepulchres not sealed soules Civill Holiness may and many times doth enable a man to carry himself civilly and holily in the eies of men but saving Holiness makes a man studious and carefull to approve himself unto God in his very thoughts and affections and in the motions of his heart as well as the motions of the outward man yea this is that which he is most carefull of and industrious about that is sealed
by the holy Spirit of God his chief work is within doors his principall care desire and endeavour is to approve his heart unto God and so walk that he may be accepted of him and glorifie him Then again civill Holiness springs from morall principles good education and the like but saving Holiness springs from love love to God is the root out of which it springs as the Apostle shews Eph. 1.4 The soul that is thus sealed by the Spirit of God his Holiness springs from love to God The love of Christ constraineth him thereunto The soul that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God dares not sunder what God hath coupled together to wit Holiness towards God and Righteousness towards men a man truly regenerate is carefull of both witness Paul Act. 24.16 He makes conscience of all sinne and of all duty he warrs against all sinne and hath râ—spect unto all Gods Commandments The soul thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God is one in whom sinne dwelleth as a Rebell and ruleth as a Tyrant only He is one that is of all men the most sensible of and affected with carnallity in himself I am carnall saith he sold under sinne Rom. 7. He is one that serves the Lord with all humility of mind Act. 20.19 The more holy and the more righteous a soul sealed by the holy Spirit of God is the more humble he is Christ and Paul were notable examples of this He that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God is a world-overcoming creature a flesh-overcoming creature and a Devil overcoming creature He is more than a Conquerour over all these through Christ that hath loved him and sealed him by his Spirit He is one that is a new Creature and of this something hath been already spoken in this Treatise to which I refer the Reader for a farther discovery of a regenerate person In fine He that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God is one that holds on his way and grows in grace I joyn these together so doth Iob The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17.9 This seal of the holy Spirit of God hath this priveledge above and beyond all other seales the impression which it makes remaineth and increaseth This seal of Demonstration if once truly stamped by the Spirit of God on a soul abideth there the impression never weares out This annointing abideth as Iohn speakes 1 Ioh. 2.27 Truth of grace in the heart and it abideth there and the heart abideth in the truth When God gives a man truth of grace he gives it him to have and to hold for ever the soul thus sealed beares in it the marks of the Lord Jesus unto the death and most eminently after death in glory This seal of the holy Spirit of God is lasting and everlasting True regeneration seales a man to the day of redemption but this it could not do were it not a lasting substance This may suffice to discerne the reality of this seal of Demonstration by to wit true regeneration and to distinguish it from that counterfeit set by Satan I do not intend an innumeration of the qualifications and appearances of a regenerate person here but only endeavour to discry him and distinguish between him and one but seemingly regenerate and therefore strik◠〈◊〉 and proceed to the other seal of the holy Spirit of God to wit the seal of Confirmation mentioned before and for this purpose shall pitch upon Rom. 8.16 Spirits witness with our spirits Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God THis is the last but not the least evidence that a child of God hath in this life for Heaveâ—s eternity of this I â—ay say as David said of 〈◊〉 sword There is none like that give it me There is no testimony to that of the Spirit of God witnessing with our spirits to satisfie conscience to resolve all doubts remove all scruples and end all controversies about our eternall estate When the Spirit of God beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God to wit by grace and adoption the soul then enjoys heaven upon earth and hath meat to eat that the world knoweth not of It is sealed unto the day of redemption indeed with a seal of Confirmation and it knoweth that it is so The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God Hence it is evident That no mans own spirit can truly assâ—re him of the love of God towards him nor â— his adoption unless the Spirit of God concur and bear witness with his spirit no more than a mans own Deed or Seal can assure him of what is delegated or assigned unto him by another Neither is it the Spirit of God alone simply and singly considered that doth this but it is the Spirit of God concurring with our spirits the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that doth assure us of the love of God and our adoption When the Spirit of God by a speciall work of his upon our soules convinces them of the speciall love of God towards us of our Justification and Sanctification and we by faith assent thereunto then doth the Spirit bear witness with our spirit according to the meaning of this Text as I conceive then is the soul sealed unto the day of redemption with a seal of Confirmation And this is that seal which I am now to speak of and that which this Text points at This may be called Gods privy seal sealing a soul unto the day of redemption Of this seal the Apostle speakes Ephâ—s 1.13 In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise c. Before I speak of the appearances of this seal of the Spirit of God I shall here note two or three things This seal of Confirmation God sets upon some of his people but this he doth not set upon all his people the Spirit of God doth â—hus bear witness with our spirits in some of Gods children but it doth not thus bear witness with our spirits in all Gods children Neither doth it thus bear witness at all times in those in whom it doth at some the Scriptures afford frequent examples of this 2. This testimony or witness of the Spirit of God in whomsoever it is proceedeth from and dependeth on free grace and is a token of royall favour to whomsoever it is granted it is Christs golden Scepter held up to the soul. 3. This seal or testimony of the holy Spirit of God though it be the ratifier of our Redemption and Salvation in our hearts yet it is not the meritorious cause of it neither is it absolutely necessary unto salvation 4. This seal of the holy Spirit of God on whomsoever it is set is an earnest and but an earnest of that inheritance which he shall one day be
forth to God in supplication and thanksgiving this is evident by Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.15 26. The soul thus sealed by the Spirit of God longs after and delights in approaches to God and God approaches to it in all his holy Ordinances Let me see his countenance let me hear his voice saith the soul thus sealed for sweet is his countenance and his voice pleasant it delights to meditate on and walk with its God it doth not leave off duty but performs it more conscionably and spiritually In the fift place sound assurance produces fruitfullness the soul that is by the Spirit of God assured of the grace and favour of God towards it is usuâ—lly the fruâ—tfullest in righteousness as is evâ—dent by the language of the Apostle Col. 1.6 After the Colossians knew the grace of God in truth they were more fruitfull in righteousness than ever Sound assurance of the love of God produces care and industry in the work and wayes of God as is evident by the language of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 8. We know we are confident saith he of himself and other Believers and what follows Therefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him ver 9. These mens assurance produced not carelesness and sloth but care and industry and it is the property of good assurance so to do This condemns that Popish Tenet That assurance of salvation is the destroyer of all piety and charity And it condemns that assurance that is fruitless or careless In the sixt place Sound assurance produces joy 1 Pet. 1.8 Faith of evidence and joy are inseperably united they are Twins born at once and if assurance die joy dies with it In whomsoever the Spirit of God is a Spirit of Confirmation he is a Spirit of Consolation the soul that is assured of the love of God towards it cannot but rejoyce in it spiritual Consolation doth not spring so naturally from any thing as it doth out of the witness of the Spirit joy may be I mean some kind of joy where assurance is wanting but assurance never goes without joy spirituall joy There is a generation as Solomon tels us which in the midst of laughter their heart is sad and there is a generation which in the midst of sadnesse their heart rejoyceth And those which are thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God are they such is the power of sound assurance that it will make I mean instrumentally the heart to joy whilst the outward man sorrows it will fill the heart with joy unspeakable and full of glory whilst the outward man is filled with shame and contempt yea sound assurance is for the most part then strongest and shews it self with most vigor and light somenesse within when the greatest damp of outward discomforts lye upon the person and the world most frowns upon him or persecutes him for his frowardnesse and faithfulnesse in the cause of God When Paul and Silas had much cause to sigh for their usage amongst men they then sang and rejoyced Act. 16.25 When the Apostles did suffer shame for Christ then did they most rejoyce Act. 5.41 When the People of God were spoiled of their goods and spoiled in their persons then did they rejoyce and whence sprang their joy in this disconsolate condition but from their assurance They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and induring substance Heb. 10.34 Assurance of Gods favour produceth joy according to its measure and degree assurance of hope produceth joy assurance of faith produceth more joy The riches of the full assurance of understanding most of all The joy that springs from assurance is a heart strengthening joy a life lenghtening joy and a joy that no man can take from us it is a soul inlarging a shame despising a God-glorifying a world-overcoming and a sin-overcoming grace In the seventh place Sound assurance produceth humility this seal of confirmation when set by the Spirit of God doth work the soul to more humility of mind then usually is in others The Apostle Paul is a notable instance hereof he was thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God when he said I am perswaded that neither Death nor Lfe Angels Principalities nor Powers nor any other thing shall be able to separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord and then did be serve the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears as himself saith Act 20.19 Sound assurance is heart-humbling heart-molifying Sound assurance leaves not the soul without a holy jelousie of it self nor without a Christian watch This is evident in the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.38 39. compared with 1 Cor. 9.26 27. I am perswaded saith he that neither Deaâ—h nor Life nor any other Creature shall be able to separate me from the Love of God c. Yet was he not hereby taken off from but rather incited to a holy jealousie of and watchfulnesse over himself and all his wayes as appears by the forecited place Sound assurance and holy jealousie may well stand together and he whose assurance is void of holy jealousie and watchfulnesse hath great cause to be jealous of his assurance Sound assurance is not the destroyer but the Nurse of holy jealousie and watchfulnesse Neither is holy jealousie an enemy to but a preserver of sound assurance In the ninth place Sound assurance works the heart to more contempt of the world and the things of the world then others usually attain to and it doth mightily quicken and spur forward the soul to more holinesse hatred of sinne and zeal and courage in the cause of God Moses and Paul are pregnant examples of this of the effects of this seal in Moses we may read in Heb. 11. v. 24 25 26 27. Exod. 32.31 32 and in Paul Phil. 3. v. 7 to 15. Act. 20. v. 19 to 25. In the tenth place Sound assurance will bide the trial and it is willing to be tried it shuns not the light but comes to the light that its reality might be made manifest Sound assurance is not usually injoyed long without some buffetings of Satan the soul that is tâ—us sealed by the Spirit of God hath uâ—ually some thorne in the flesh some messenger or other of Satans to exercise it and humble it thus it was with the Apostle Paul when thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God as appears by 2 Cor. 12.7 and thus it is with other of the Children of God who are thus sealed by the Spirit of God as each mans experience will witnesse to this I set a probatum est Sound assurance of the Love of God makes the soul long for the full fruition of it this seal of the holy Spirit of God moves the soul nothing more to desire to be dissolved to be with God how long Lord saith this soul come Lord Iesus come quickly I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ
An upright heart longs and desires still to be more upright it groanes under the guile that it finds remaining in it self and warrs against it and longs to be delivered from it An upright heart is a heart perpendicularly directly and chiefly for God in all its aimes and ends it exalts God in all things and above all things because he only is to be exalted Uprightnesse exceedingly desires and indeavours to improve every price in its hand to the glory of God the giver Ioh. 7.18 An upright heart is not satisfied with its own tryal but desires God should try it and goes to God to do it Thus did upright David Psa. 26.2 139.23 24. And upright Iob. Let me be weighed in an even Balance saith he Iob 31.6 An upright heart can comforâ—ably appeal to God in its worst condition except in some cases viz. in case of ignorance of its own integrity or in case of some guilt charged upon it by God conscience or Satan or in case of some Temptation wherein Satan by his sophistery mis-represents him to himself and fantacy joyning with Satan gives a false Idea and representation of things to the understanding whereby it comes to passe that conscience doth accuse when it should excuse in such cases an upright heart cannot nor dares not to own its own integrity nor appeal to God but if it be not hindered by the interposition of some one of these or the like it can comfortably appeal to God in its worst condition as is evident by divers examples as in Hezekiah 2 King 20.3 and in Iob Job 23. ver 10 11 12 Chap. 16.17 and in Ieremiah Jer. 12.3 David 1 Chro. 29.17 Paul 1 Thes. 2.10 An upright heart is a soyl wherein the immortall seed of the word takes kindly rooting springs up and brings forth fruit in some measure more or lesse as Christ affirms in that Parable Mark 4.8 Integrity or uprightnesse is a growing and spreading plant it is a plant which how small soever it be at its beginning if once planted grows greater and greater it is alwayes greater at last then at the first This Bildad hinted to Iob Job 8.7 and this Christ plainly affirms in the Parable of the mustard seed Mat 13.31 32. Uprightnesse is a plant that will thrive though in a barren soyl Finally Integrity or uprightnesse is an abiding plant It is a plant that will live under a torrid or a friged Zone a plant that will bide the hottest Summer and the coldest Winter my meaning is it will hold out in the hottest persecution and in the greatest defection An upright heart abides in the truth and the truth abids in it The upright do hold on his way Job 17.9 An Hypocrite may professe the truth and go farre in the profession of it for a time but he will not alwayes abide in it sooner or later he will fall off quite as is evident by those Texts quoted in the Margin but an upright heart will hold on its way hold out upright in crooked times it will hold fast its integrity whatever it part with else as God and an upright man affirms Iob 2.3 and 27.5 6. As an Hypocrite will not abide in the truth no more will the truth abide in him Truth may be in an Hypocrite for a time but it will not abide in him God doth sooner or later take it quite from him but truth in an upright heart it abideth there so saith the Apostle The annointing which ye have received of God abideth in you 1 Joh. 2.27 Truth in an upright heart is in its proper element and therefore abideth there These appearances of an upright heart which I have collected from the bare Word I thought not amisse here to insert and for brevity sake I will multiply no more but proceed to the fourth appearance of a new heart 4. A new heart is a self loathing heart as appears by Ezek. 36.26 compared with ver 31. A new heart will I give you saith the Lord and what follows Then shall ye remember your own evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight c. Thence it is evident that a new heart is a self-loathing heart it loaths it self for all its iniquities and for all its abominations for all its guilt of sinne and for all the filth of sinne that it sees in its self for its inward corruptions as well as its outward transgressions 5. A new heart is an obedient heart a heart made pliable to the Will of God as appears by the fore-cited place Ezek. 36. A new heart will I give you saith the Lord v. 26. And cause you to walk in my Statutes and keep my judgments and do them ver 27. Hence it is evident That a new heart is a heart pliable to all the revealed Will of God a heart on which the Word of God and the Works ofGod make impression and it is therefore called a heart of flesh Ibid v. 26. 6. A new heart is a heart new principled it hath in it principles above nature above morality to wit Divine principles principles of grace by which the whole new man is acted 7. Another appearance of a new heart is this A new heart is alwayes accompanied with a new spirit A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you saith the Lord Ezek. 36.26 A new heart and a new spirit are here coupled in infusion by the Lord which shews they are twins born together they alwayes go together live everlastingly together this David pointed at Psal. 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me c. David knew that where God gave a new heart he gave a new frame of spirit also and therefore he puts both into his bill when he put this promise in suit When God makes the heart new he makes the spirit new also he frames it of another fashion points it towards another course raiseth it from Earth to Heaven meekeneth it and makes it more easie to be intreated 8. The principles then being new and the spirit new where the heart is made new it must needs follow in the next place by necessary consequence That the life and conversation is new also for these being made new cannot but produce newnesse of life therefore I conclude this thus A new heart alwayes produceth a new life if the heart be new the life will be new also Christ if truely formed in the Creature is formed in every part of the Creature in the whole man in the whole life and conversation of the man from his convertion and new birth This is the last but not the least demonstrator of a new heart of a new Creature and such as without which no man can ever safely conclude that his heart is new or his Creation new He hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the World that we should be holy and blamelesse before him in love Eph. 1.4 This therefore is vigor fit and but fit to give the appearance of a new heart of a new Creature Thus much of the second appearance of a new Creature he is one that hath a new heart 3. In the third place A new Creature is one that lives in Christ the new ftock as a branch in the vine And brings forth fruit in him That a new Creature is one that lives in Christ the new stock is evident by the Language of the Apostle in this Text If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature hence it is evident that he is in Christ or else he is not a new Creature first in Christ and then a new Creature as Dr Preston doth well observe A new Creature is one that hath his abiding in Christ one that lives in Christ as his stock If you ask him the question that the two Disciples asked Christ Master where dwellest thou He may say in Christ. That a new Creature is one that lives in Christ and hath his abiding in him as his stock is evident by the language of Christ Ioh. 15.6 If any man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch withered c. That he bringeth forth fruit is evident by the Language of Christ in the 5 6. verses of that Chapter He â—hat abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth foâ—th much fruit And not only beareth fruit but beareth fruit in Christ as a branch in the vine as the Language of Christ in the 2 v. of that Chap. implies Every branch that beareth not fruit in me he taketh away Hence it is evident That a new Creature is one that beareth fruit in Christ as a branch in Christ the true vine and this is that which distinguisheth him from a meer morall Creature both may be fruitfull in righteousnesse and bring forth much fruit as appears in the Scribes and Pharisees who were a generation fruitfull in righteousnesse and brought forth much fruit and so do many others which have but morall grace as appears Mat. 7.22 23. But herein lyes the difference as to this point between a meer morallist and a new Creature A meer morallist brings forth fruit in himself that is from his own principles by a common assistance from Christ he being but self and in the state of nature still and he brings forth fruit to himself as Ephraim did to his own honour and praise and glory self is his utmost end in all he doth but a new Creature brings forth fruit in Christ he is fruitfull in righteousnesse as a branch in Christ the true vine his fruitfulnesse issueth out from supernatural and Divine principles from a special work of the Spirit of Christ in him Quest. But how may I discern whether my fruitfulnesse in righteousness issue from a common assistance of the Spirit of Christ to wit naturall and moral principles only or whether I be fruitfull in righteousnesse as a branch in Christ the true vine Sol. 1. Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse issuing from natural and moral principles only is not universal but partial but he that is fruitful in righteousnesse as a branch in the vine is fruitful in every good work at least in his aime and indeavour 2. Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse issuing from moral principles is usually more exemplary in circumstantials then in substantials more in mint and annise then in judgment and mercy but he that is fruitfull in righteousnesse as a branch in the vine sunders not what God hath coupled together but places substantials in the vant-gard in the first place 3. Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse issuing from morall principles is usually more in the eyes of men than in the eye of God Such as are fruitfull in righteousnesse from their own principles are more studious to make all things seem good and glorious in the eyes of men than they are to approve the righteousnesse of their hearts or wayes to God but he that is fruitfull in righteousnesse as a branch in the vine is more studious and carefull to approve the uprightnesse of his heart and actions to God in all things than to make things seem good in the sight of men He is more desirous to be fruitfull then to seem fruitfull 4. Fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse proceeding from naturall and morall principles is usually attended with much pride inwardly in heart if not outwardly in expression and the more fruitfull this man is the more proud he is contrarywise fruitful in righteousnesse as a branch in the vine is attended with much humility a man that is fruitful in righteousnesse as a branch in the vine sees that he hath no sap but what he hath from the stock into which he is ingrafted no sufficiency in himself to any good he sees that his good motions affections and actions flow all from Christ and therefore he humbly ascribes all to Christ The glory of all his fruitfulnesse he layes on Christs shoulders he shall beare the glory saith this soul he dares take none to himself though tempted thereunto by Satan but sayes of Christ as Mephibosheth did of Ziba Let him take all who is all in all Who am I and what am I that I should offer after this manner Thus his being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse redounds to the Glory of Christ who is his righteousnesse The more fruitfull a branch in the vine is the lower he is That fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse proceeding from natural and morall principles only is attended with these forementioned effects is evident in the Scribes and Pharisees who were men very fruitfull in righteousnesse from their own principles yet did pick and chuse in the wayes of God Tythe mint and annise and omit the weightier matters of the Law and of the Gospel too strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel as Christ tells them Mat. 23. were very industrious to make all they did feem good and glorious in the eyes of men but cared not how rotten their hearts were the more fruitfull they were the more proud they were all this Christ taxes them with Mat. 23. and thereupon cals them not new Creatures not fruitfull branches in the vâ—nt but whited Sepulchers graves fools blind Hypocrites c. That fruitfulnesse in righteousnesse proceeding from Divine principles from a Christian as a branch in the vine doth produce effects contrary to these forementioned is evident in David and Paul and other fruitfull brancheâ— of the true vine They were not partiall in the wayes of God but had respect unto all Gods Will Psal. 119.128 their great care was to approve their hearts and their wayes to God as appears Psal. 139.23 119.80 compared with the 2 Cor. 5.9 Their fruitfulneffe did not produce pride but humility as appears by the language of as fruitfull a branch as ever was Eph. 3.8 Less than the least c. In the fifth place Fruitfulnesse