thorow fear or temptation as at other times moving it to conceale the Devils counsell but out of distraction and oppression of spirit Now if this same soul find it selfe in the same condition before God when it sets to prayer it may lay the blame hereof on the greatnesse of its burthen and content it selfe in the assurance of as kind an acceptance of its sighs and groans as if they were drawn out in long prayers But if the straightnesse be not towards men or other imployments but only in duties to God-ward then enquire after farther causes whereof take these following 2. The admission of some late grievous sinne that yet is unrepented of Guilt is a tongue-tying thing When the man in the Gospel was taken without a wedding garment the Text sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was speechlesse Mat. 22. 12. his mouth was stopped with a gagge Great sins are great gaggs And 't is not only so with the unregenerate but with the Saints also See it in Davids example Psalm 51. 14 15. Deliver me saith he from blouds O Lord then my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse Open my mouth c. Davids lips had a padlock upon them guilt had locked them up He dared not speak to God whom he had so grievously offended And no wonder if Saints dare not speak where they are sure not to speed if they be dumb when they know God is deaf David knew well enough that sinnes make Gods ear heavy as he informes us Psalm 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer and the Prophet Isaiah tells us no lesse Isai 59. 1 2. The Spirit of prayer also will be grieved and depart from us if we defile his lodging he is a pure an holy Spirit Eph. 4. 30. In this case the counsel of Zophar to Job 11. 13 14. is very good If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thy hands towards God If iniquity be in thy hand put it far away c. So shalt thou lift up thy face confidently c. Search out the sinne and remove it by renewed repentance and the fresh application of the bloud of Christ by faith which is the fountain of Evangelical repentance and then try again the Spirit of Grace that enables thee to mourne will bee a Spirit of Supplication too Zech. 12. 10. 3. Sometimes Gods glory is the cause of thy restaints of spirit God intending to teach thee that all thy enlargements are from him alone We often pray in the strength of natural parts or gifts at the best and it may be we idolize these last in our selves and others Now God may in his wisedome leave us to straightenednesse of spirit in prayer to make us lesse depending upon those helps And this he will do to choose at such a time when afflictions are heavy upon us because that is a time if any be when it may be supposed necessity will enlarge parts and gifts to the utmost Afflictions are usually incitements and occasions of enlargement in prayer God makes account that at that time he shall hear from his people Hos 5. 15. and in our straits commonly we give God many faire words are rhetorical more then ordinary flatter with our lips Psalm 78. 36. A Scholar at the Vniversity that seldome writes and it may be if he do oftner then ordinary yet writes curtell'd letters to his friends at other times yet against Quarter-day when hee needs his pension will be sure not to fayle of a large letter and a bill of expences annexed Hence oftentimes the people of God are very fondly conceited of afflictions and under deadnesse of spirit are too apt to wish them out of a conceit that when they come they are able to make great use of them to quicken their hearts to prayer But the Lord chasteneth their foolish expectations divers times by stopping their mouths under those very troubles whence they hoped for great improvements and enlargements hereby teaching them that the Spirit of supplication as well as the Spirit of sanctification bloweth where and when he listeth John 3. 8. This case whenever it befalls any as we may ghesse when it doth so by our former valuation of gifts and conceits of improving afflictions c. calls upon such persons to give God the glory of his own peculiar attribute the preparer of the heart and the Spirit of its own office the Spirit of Supplication and call for and rely on divine assistance meerly in that work 4. Sometimes misapprehensions of God may be the cause of straightnesse in duty Thoughts that God is our enemy c. And then we deale with God as we do with our best friends many times in an humour we have a conceit that they have done us a discourtesie or are fallen out with us it may be upon slight reports or other as slender evidence and then our stomacks presently swell so bigge that we cannot so much as speak to them Pride and discontent will so swell a mans stomack like spleen winds up to a mans mouth that he cannot speak except to belch out the language of discontent and passion Sometimes we conceive God so offended at us that he casts away our prayer Lam. 3. 8. And where a man hath little hope to speed he will have very little heart to speak whereas hope to prevaile is the most fluent fountain of Rhetorick that can bee thus want of Faith makes the voyce of prayer stick in the teeth as we use to say The Spirit of Adoption only is the Spirit of Supplication and a man cannot pray so much to the purpose as when he can call God Father Then we cry 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 8. 15. When David was in that grievous trouble Psalm 116. What lets his tongue loose in prayer I believed saith he therefore I spake v. 10. Friends prayer is the child of Faith not Fancy not the voyce of Invention but Affection begotten not in the brain of an Oratour but in the heart of a child A child is very copious and fluent in expression commonly when he complains to a Father but will lye still and cry it out in a sullen mood and say never a word if a stranger aske what ayles it The cure in this case is Look over all your evidences remember dayes past and the years of the right hand of the most high thy songs in the night and his mercy and lovingkindnesse in the day Call to mind promises of everlasting love in and notwithstanding the heaviest afflictions apply them and labor to urge them Challenge God upon old acquaintance as Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. O Lord how comes it to passe now that I have lost my acquaintance with thee Lord return and visit me with thy ancient loving kindnesses Psal 25. 6. 2 After discovery and removal of the impediments and obstructions aforesaid Study your own case distinctly and clearly
said Cornelius do this or that as to say Send for Peter and he shall tell thee what to do Acts 10. 6. But God sends him to Peter and Peter must come and direct him in a set Sermon that God might keep up the credit of his Messengers and his standing Ordinances There are special promises to this purpose to be fulfilled to the people of God in publick Assemblies of the Church Isai 56. 7. I wil make them joyful saith God but where in my House of Prayer which was among the Jews the Temple and among the Gentiles any place of publick Worship Isai 60. 7. I will glorifie the House of my glory And 't is remarkable that in both places the Promises are made to the Gentiles when they should be converted as appears by the Context God would have an house of Prayer places of publick Assemblies in the Gentile Church and in them God hath promised to make his people joyful Come forth here all ye old Disciples experienced Christians and give in evidence from your experience Cannot you say that the banner of love which God hath spread over your souls was lifted up in these Banquetting Houses Hath he not here stayed your souls with flagons and comforted you with apples Cant. 2. 2 Prayer There is an holy Conference and Dialogue between God and the soul in holy Duties This of Prayer is the Duty in which we speak and the Word and Seals are the wayes in which God speaks Wee ask Counsel in Prayer God answers in them We ask strength and peace in this God returnes answers of peace in them and we reply in thanksgiving again God in the Word tells us what he is offended at in us we confesse it in Prayer he assures us we are pardoned in the Word c. We returne thanks in prayer again And indeed this is the way how to know Gods mind as we know mans mind by desiring a conference and proposing our doubts or dissatisfactions and receiving his answers when he gives them or pressing for them when he denyes or estrangeth himself Thus David used to enquire of the Lord. Psal 27. 4. And when he had enquired in prayer then he holds his peace and waits to hear what God will say Psalm 85 8. 1 Neglect not this way of conference with God Especially in the set seasons thereof They have a fancy among the Philosophers of two needles touched with the same Loadstone which being set in two Compasses written round with the letters of the Alphabet will conveigh intelligence from one friend to another at the greatest distance Thus each friend having recourse to his own Compass at fixed times shall find that as his friend at distance moves his needle to any letter his own without any touch of his will turne to the same so that by putting together those letters he may read his friends mind I have not faith enough to believe the conceit but I can make a good use of it in Spirituals wherein I am sure it is true Gods heart and thine are touched with the same Loadstone of love and if thou at seasons of conference shalt have recourse to the needle 1 John 4. 19 of thy heart and by the experience of holy affections in prayer shalt point out to God thy wants and burthens the heart of God by a sacred sympathy will work the same way and copy out thy case in his own bosome and then it cannot be long ere his fatherly compassions set the needle of his affections a turning towards thee again to produce a reciprocal assurance in thy heart by a like secret sympathy This the Scripture holdeth forth clearly See Jer 31 18 19 20. There Ephraims needle first turnes in confession Thou hast chastised me c. Then Gods needle falls to work presently to give him intelligence of Ephraims complaint Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself And when Ephraims story is done then God falls to turning his needle by way of answer to Ephraim My bowels are troubled for him Is Ephraim my dear son Yes that he is and he shall know it too For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Then comes the answer to Ephraims heart I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Thence in the Text the Spirit that is the witnesse from God to us is the Sollicitour within us to God The same Messenger that carries our Letters brings our Answer ver 16. Oh Friends you know not what mischief Satan doth to you by cooling your hearts in prayer nay by prevailing with you onely to neglect a set time of prayer publick or private If you appoint a friend a set time of meeting and conference so often every day and you fail him twice or thrice together especially when he knowes you have none but trifling businesses to hinder you how can you expect but that he should serve you in the same kind True a man may lay bonds upon himself in appointment of times of duty which as he may order the matter that is if he lay them so upon himself as to pronounce it absolutely unlawful upon any occasion to over-slip that very time may prove but snares to entangle his conscience but yet on the other side to set apart appointed hours for this duty as a convenient means to keep our heart from framing petty occasions from hour to hour to put off the duty and that with resolution not to fail at the appointed time but upon very weighty occasions and upon such failing at any time to resolve to make up that defect doubly as soon as the occasion is over sure is a very profitable way for the getting and keeping acquaintance with God And no question if God find as he knowes that very slight occasions divert us from meeting him at fit or set times but he will be out of the way at other times when our leasure will serve us to seek him But this by the way concerning set times of prayer 2. 2. A soul that wants the witnesse of Gods Spirit though he neglect not those yet he will not content himself with them but he must now and then visit the Throne of Grace in extraordinary wayes of duty adding fasting to prayer and spending whole dayes in following hard after God Certainly this duty is much neglected among Christians in these dayes to what it hath been formerly both in private and publick Surely when Gods Saints were more acquainted with it there was far more acquaintance with God then I fear if I may ghess at others condition by mine owne there now is There be some Divels saith our Saviour that wil not be cast out without prayer and fasting Mar. 9. 29. so may I say in this case there be some doubts that will not be cast out of the soul till a man try this way Not that fasting adds any thing to prayer in it selfe or by any proper efficiency of its own but it disposeth a man to
of such a temptation before hand as a Physician keeps that body low in flesh which he sees inclined to evil humours though it be not actually distempered by them Now if thou cooperate with God in this designe as possibly it may be this he aimes at surely thou wilt hasten thy deliverance from thy present darkness 6. Labour to live by faith in the mean time For as I told you before in the directions to the getting of Assurance so I tell you now in the way of recovering lost Assurance the main work is to exercise an holy reliance upon God in a condition so sad and uncomfortable as this must needs be This we find hath been the practice of the Saints of God in the like cases Psal 27. 13. David had been in a great straight not only in regard of his Exclusion from Ordinances but even in the sad conclusions which he drew thence to the distempering of his spirit See how he closeth all I had fainted saith he except I had believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living Job speaks bigger words Though hee kill me I will trust in him Job 13. 15. q. d. Satan tels me and my own misgiving heart many times seconds him that these troubles will make an end of me I shall never come alive out of them Well saith Job be it so lot him kill me if he will if I were now a dying and dropping into Hell yet I will hold fast for all that he shall not be rid of me so If I goe to hel I 'll pul him after Our Saviour Christ also in his Agony cryes My God though he were a forsaking God This is a sweet frame of Spirit when God seemes to hold loose and man holds the faster for it God spurns at a poor soule and he layes hold of his foot God sayes Jacob let me goe and Jacob saith no I will not let thee goe except thou bless me Gen. 32. 26. The advice is plaine Isa 50. 10. I urged this place before in the directions for procuring Assurance and there told you that there is a parity of cases and so a proportion in the means which are to be used for recovery in the soule that never had and the soule that hath lost assurance This must needs be a special way For 1. This frame of Spirit speaks strength of faith A small strength will serve to hold one that is willing to stay but when a strong man putteth out all his strength to wrest himselfe out of a friends importunate embraces it had need be more strength then ordinary that holds him or fetcheth him back then This is that by which the strength of Abrahams faith is discovered in another case he was saith the Apostle strong in faith he was mightily enabled by faith what to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe to believe he should have a Sonne when he was past all probable hopes of one Rom. 4. 18 19 20. And thus it is in thee it is an evidence of strong faith when thou canst say let my heart tell me never so much God hath cast me off and there is no help for me in God yet I will not let goe my confidence and the hold that thereby I have upon him here is strong faith See Mat. 15. 24 25 26. The womans faith was admired by Christ upon this account that she would play the dogg and fall at his feet when he rated her away O woman saith he great is thy Faith Persons are apt to think that Assurance of Gods love when a soule walks in the clear light of Gods countenance and lives high thereupon is a strong faith But I tell thee friend there is more strength by far in that faith that depends upon God in darknesse and desertion that trusts when a man can see no light The truth is the life of Assurance is in a sort a life of sense and feeling and it is rather a life above faith a life of enjoyment Faith is the evidence of things not seen saith the author to the Hebrews Heb. 11 1. Assurance in proper speech is the first fruits of heaven and it's life is a life of sense and fruition not of faith As the Apostle saith of hope in this Chapter Hope that is seen is not hope ver 24. So say I of faith faith that is seen is not faith Faith is a friend made especially for a time of distance between the soul and its comforts and is appointed as a meanes to derive the benefit of them to the soul during that state of distance 2 Besides 't is no wonder if God be taken with the actings of faith in such a season seeing strength of faith gives glory to God Rom. 4. 20. And he cannot long withdraw from a soul that so much glorifies him upon so little encouragement I may say to thee as Christ to Thomas Hold this course and thou art a blessed man Others see and believe But blessed are they that have not seen and yet believe Joh. 20. 20. 3. Besides lastly this frame of spirit must needs keep down many of those murmuring despairing and in a sort blasphemous misapprehensions concerning God and his promises which length of soul-troubles is apt to plunge a man into And certainly the lesse iniquity there is breaking forth in our desertions the sooner they will be over Now faith in such a season maintaines good thoughts of God and defends him and takes his part against the calumnies of Satan And God that sees and knows this therefore how can he but take this kindly If an husband absent himselfe a while from a wife and she be ready upon every whisper of slanderous gossips to suspect her husbands fidelity in his absence and give out speeches tending that way can it be expected that any husband should take pleasure in such a wife Wil he not rather chuse to stay away stil and be suspected for somthing as we say rather then live under constant suspicions for no cause But when the heart of an husband may be secure of this that his wife is confident of his faithfulnesse and her heart quietly rests in him absent as well as present let suspicion suggest what it will surely he cannot but be exceeding tender of such a wife and much taken with her company God sees your jealousies of him in darknesse and observes how apt you are to censure him in his absence Doe not thinke this is the way to bring him back againe He will make you entertain better thoughts of him ere he returne Quest But how shall I exercise faith in desertions What shall I believe A. Believe in general most things that seem most contrary to thy present sense and moral probabilities For in soul-troubles the fancy is the principal part possest by distrustful imaginations and Satan in that fortifies himselfe against all the power of those truths that might be means of consolation to the soul And therefore the way to
in himself before he presumed to testifie of 1 John 5. 1. 6 10. the most eminent Works of the Spirit in the heirs of Heaven He hath shewn Believers that their right by the Gospel is good in Law when it is sealed by the Oath of God by the Spirit of God and by the heart bloud of Christ who is the end of the Law for righteousness to them that believe Ephes 1. 13. Rom. 9. 1. 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. 1 John 5. 13. 19. 20. Rom. 8. 16 17. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Rom. 10. The single testimony of a deceived heart is no Authority but when the Spirit hath inlightned and renewed a soul he leaves an Impresse upon the heart and a Certificate in the conscience which cannot deceive Let the Reader beg the Spirit of Grace and Supplication that he may read this excellent Treatise with the same spirit wherewith it was written And let them that cry down Learning and Vniversities see and confess that the Spirit breathes upon learned souls and makes their Learning instrumental to discover the Mysteries of godliness even the deep things of the Spirit with more glory and advantage then when he works upon duller souls who have not Learning enough to prize Learning or grace enough to blesse God for sanctifying of that learning which discovers the danger of their ignorance The Lord blesse the Labours of this practical Preacher and teach us to grow in knowledg and grace that we may not be led away with the error of lawlesse or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boundlesse men nor fall from our own stedfastnesse so prayes Your Servant in the Gospel FR. CHEYNELL REader the Authors distance from the Presse must plead for him and it Thy indulgence it is hoped will pardon the rest which in this review are overseen and correct these Errata's before thou readest ERRATA Page 22. l. 10. r. this for the first p. 28. l. 22. r. him in p. 34. l 27 r. with a guard p. 59. l. 32. r. had your p. 61. l. 30 blot out may p. 78. l. 10. r. read and amend the Title of the Chapter according to the Contents after the Book p. 83. l. 26. r. Saint p. 96. l. 10 r. never leaves it p. 104. l. 12. r. nest p. 116. l. 6. r. the wound sleight p. 130. l. 8. r. that is p. 145. l. 21. r. hope p. 145. l. 5. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 28. r. your patience p. 152. l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more cutting beyond p. 189. l. 5. r. Scripture p. 203. l. 7. r. all lay p. 216. read the whole sentence following For although c. after 1. Immediatly in the next page p. 229. l. 19. r. to them p. 252. l. 8. r. seal p. 278. l. 25. r. measures p. 289. l. 23. r. wrought p. 298. l. 16. r. exercise p. 339. l. 2 3. r. particular to p. 343. l. 12. r. bought p. 367 l. 6. r. hasitancy p 397. l. 15. r. manner p 419 l. 15. for them r. it p. 438. l. 25 26. r. the real p. 497 l. 22. r. accompanied p. 579. mar r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 589. l. 18. r. wrings I might add p. 87. l. 8. r. expectation l. 31. r. peccatur p. 179 l. 6. r. occasions p. 234. l. 8 r. possible p. 237. l. 10. r. a crown p. 245. Title r. this evidence p. 301. l. 4. r. humiliation p. 321 l. 10. r. As in p. 324 l. 12. for them r. it p 352. l. 24. r. yet p. 450. l. 28. r. is p. 456. l. 24 dele the. p. 516. l. 15. r. to p. 526 l. 2. r. Spirit in CONCERNING THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE CHAP. I. What it is in the Apostles sense BEing resolved by Gods assistance to handle Theologically and practically those two grand mysteries of godlinesse the souls spiritual trouble and peace in their nature manner of working proper differences from any other workes and the several cases arising from the practical view of those heads we will first begin with that work which in the Elect of God is usually first wrought viz. Spiritual trouble Now because the consideration of a work as it relates to the efficient and other causes and that of a condition or state as it relates to the subject in whom it is wrought are both in notion and practise distinct and seeing both of these considerations will frequently offer themselves to us in the course of this Treatise with relation to the subject in hand therefore I have taken the rise and spring of my Meditations from such a Scripture as affords us both conjoyned viz. that of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8. 15. Where the Apostle as it is a work or effect by a metonimy calls it the Spirit that works to fear as it is a condition or state he calls it Bondage And being to consider it as a work or impression of such a cause upon such a subject and reducing that subject to such a condition he very fitly joyns both notions and considerations into this one character or description The reception of the Spirit of Bondage to fear whence we will take our rise for a brief view of these heads 1. The efficient cause the Spirit 2. The effect of that Spirit which is the inward condition or state of the soul in which it is Bondage 3. The impression wrought by this effect in the subject reduced thereby to this condition fear 4. The way or manner of this work and communication of influence from the efficient whereby it is effected Receiving 5. The persons in whom this operation is wrought and who thereby are reduced to this condition and feel the impression thereof Ye 6. The time of this work of the Spirit and condition of the patients in whom it is wrought implied in the whole frame of the verse which is during the time of Transition from Nature to Grace from alienation and enmity to adoption and friendship 1. What this Spirit is who is the efficient cause of this work hath not a little perplexed Interpreters Chrysostome and out of him Oecumenius and Augustine and divers modern Writers both Popish and Reformed understand this whole clause concerning Jewish Pedagogy or discipline under which God held them under the Law of Moses The two Spirits here received saith Augustine are suted to the times of the two Testaments Evidentissimè duoruÌ„ Testamentorum distinct a sunt tempora illud enim ad timorem pertinet novum autem ad charitatem Aug. in locum the Old pertains to a season or work of fear the Now to that of love So says Calvin he calls the Old Tastament Vetus Testamentum Calv. Inst Gua. in loc a spirit of Bondage because it begets fear in mens minds And with him joyns Gualther So Chrysostome who goes â—arther then any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum in â—ocum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in locum Logem prâ—ponit nud aÌ„
dyed in Egypt How often have we longed for quails for our lust bin discontented at Gods allowance and thought all we had even precious manna gracious meltings for sin a tender fear of offending God an holy importunity in following after God c. nothing if we were not presently assured of his love and kissed with the kisses of his mouth Think how much of unbeliefe impatience pride peevishnesse unthankfulnesse despaire hard thoughts against God wearinesse of his service unjust censures against your selves blasphemous murtherous thoughts c. hath God past by and in all these provocations kept you from falling off from your present convictions and the benefit of them and held you in his hand and conducted you through the wild and roaring wildernesse till he hath brought you to Canaan 4. The multitude of those who perish under convictions and notwithstanding them nay perish the deeper for them When a man considers that the same troubles of spirit which drove Judas to the Gallowes and Cain to despair and to many thousands under the means of grace become barely means of hardening the heart and increasing their condemnation prove to him the throws of a new birth the rough passage to a Kingdom of liberty and glory the straight doore to a pallace of spiritual peace and comfort Distinguishing mercy is engaging mercy And distinguishing mercy is greatest when to the persons distinguished every thing is common but that very distinction As if in a common guilt some are pardoned whiles others dye and in a common disease some perish and others are preserved so here in common soul troubles one man despairs and sends himself to hell the sooner another presumes and fends himself thither the surer c. Others are effectually converted and eternally saved Oh what a deep engagement to thankfulnesse is this 4. Pitifulnesse and tendernesse to other persons in that condition Our own experience may tell us what grievous burthens soul troubles are and how much need there is that those that are with young should be gently led Our Saviour was pleased to submit to temptation for that very reason that he might be a mercifull high Priest able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. But I have spoken to this also before CHAP. XXII Several considerations to humble such as have gone through this work ineffectually II. HEnce also let all those be exhorted that have been under these troubles of spirit and have gotten over them without any real work of conversion or saving grace attained by them to 1. Labour seriously to bewail the inefficacy of such hopefull means for their good O friends 't is a sad thing to come out of any trouble muâ—h more such a trouble as this is and get nothing by it What a complaint do the Church make in relation to their temporal afflictions Isay 26. 17 18. We have been with child we have been in pain we have brrught forth wind c. That that comforts a woman in her throws is the hope of a child and this is that that makes her forget it when it is over John 16. 21. But if a woman fall into grievous pains and all proves but a Tympany or an abortive conception or a monster this will not quit the cost of such throws and therefore when shee thinkss on this time she bewails it ever after Much more should such an affection as this possesse a man when he considers how near he was to the Kingdom of God as Christ saith to the Scribe Mar. 12. 34. To perish within sight of the harbour and so to come within a stride of the goale and misse it O how vexing a thought should this be 'T were well if it were so with most men in this World whiles they have time to repaire their losses Hereafter 't will be a trouble to eternity irremediable and that irremediablenesse will be the greatest part of the trouble Here to help this work may be considered that hereby 1. The Spirit of God is disappointed quenched resisted 'T is Gods Spirit that hath contested with thy proud obstinate rebellious heart and 't is that Spirit whom thou hast so often repulsed That Spirit is a free spirit and is not bound to move any more Psal 51. 't is a Spirit of grace and if he move not Zach. 12. 10. thou canst never recover again and when he hath been so repulsed how canst thou expect his farther attempts God doth justly resolve many times concerning such persons as Gen. 6. 3. That his spirit shall strive no more 2. Your hearts are hardened Believe this for a certain truth that the more the heart is melted and softened if it grow hard again it grows the harder for it Thence 't is it may be for I am not certain the sin against the Holy Ghost is there meant that the Apostle saith it is impossible to renew such to repentance when they fall away Heb. 6. 6. impossible that is as to the strength and power of ordinary means that work on other men and if God convert such an one it is by an act of his absolute power besides the ordinary regulated way of his proceedings So is the word taken Mat. 19. 26. that that is impossible with men i. e. which is beyond the reach of men to conceive how it can be done is possible to God Now for such a man to be converted is impossible to men not only in that he hath no power in nature to effect it for so is every mans conversion impossible but in that a man cannot rationally judge him capable of benefit by any of the ordinary supernatural means of conversion The Word of God and whatever other means of conversion will grow so familiar with such a man that all that was affecting in them will through acquaintance grow contemptible and sinnes which at first view and in a mans first convictions appeared fearful and terrible having once or twice affrighted the soul and done no more will afterwards lose their monstrousnesse by a frequent fruitlesse view of them nay hell it selfe as bug hears to children after they begin to find that there is nothing in them but the name will appear but an old wives fable and its fire but a painted flame such as scares more then it hurts and so no wonder if all these restraints removed such an one 's latter end be worse then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. ult Sins before softenings are like weeds in a ground which before plowing and harrowing wee hope to root out thereby but afterwards they are like invincible weeds that no plough or harrow will tear up and therefore such ground is nigh unto cursing 3. Conscience is checked and discouraged That tendernesse which before possessed it upon every sinne is in a great measure lost and whereas it before passed a right censure concerning thy estate now it is grown partial and flattering For there is no man can get out of soul troubles without the leave of his
with such a faith as he believes the Bible to be true in every part of it and this appears in those that are under a Spirit of Bondage Produce such and such promiâ—es to them they will say true these promises are excellent promises and will no question yeild abundance of marrow to them to whom they belong but they can see nothing in them that belongs to them Here is a full well but they have nothing to draw or it is a well inclosed it is not free for them 2 Particular When the Spirit helps the soul to single out such a word and opens a door of hope to the soul that it hath a share in it and this is that that makes way for and is compleated in the Minor of the former Syllogisme which I call 2 Conviction of Case Thus the Spirit enlightens the conscience to apply the Promise to its self by owning the condition of it The Word saith Such and such persons are children of God the renewed conscience enlightned by the Spirit saith This is my case I am such a person Now here the Spirit either enlightens a man to see himself under that condition by working a present assent to the truth of this Minor Proposition As suppose an Argument from the Promise He that believeth hath everlasting life but I believe Ergo. The assent to this Minor Proposition I believe may be wrought by a sudden work of the Spirit as soon as the major Proposition whereon it is grounded is apprehended and so it is a work somewhat neer of kin unto that of the first branch of Mediate Testimony wherein the testimony was supposed to be by the word yet without Argumentation Or else as usually by eliciting and drawing forth the soul to such an assent by a farther evidence of Argument For it is very seldom seen but that such souls as have been exercised with a Spirit of Bondage are not easily brought to own any good in themselves so that even the Spirit of God hath much ado to answer all the cavils of Satan and their own suspicious hearts in point of gracious self-Justification which such souls are much afraid of and not more difficultly brought to any thing then to own this Proposition But I believe or the like Now in such a case the Spirits work is longer and he is fain to bring many more Arguments to confirm this Minor True saith the soul he that believes hath everlasting life but I am none of those Believers and therefore quid ad me What doth this Promise concern such an unbelieving wretch as I am Then the Spirit satisfies the soul in the Minor by producing such proofs of Scripture as evidence faith in the Subject in whom it is such as purifying the heart love to God his wayes his Actâ— 15. 9 Gal. 5. 6 Zech. 12. 10 people grief for sin c. And possibly goes farther and proves those graces to be in the soul by farther Marks drawn from the acts of them which discover the habit whence they proceed This is a work of conviction I told you before and may be done by many Arguments or few according to the light that accompanyes them to the soul Nor is there any reason why Dr. Crisp and his followers should cry down this way of getting assurance by Marks and Signs as uncertain seeing the doubting soul will find something that seemes faulty in every grace which is presented to it as an evidence Object If the Spirit say say they Thou art a Believer because thou hast love that is a fruit of faith the soul may stil doubt Whether it have love if love be manifested by delight in Gods Commandments c. the question will still be Whether that delight be sincere or counterfeit pure or mixed ingenuous or self-ended and therefore say they there can no judgment be made certainly concerning a mans Justification by his sanctification or concerning sanctification by the operations of particular graces Ans To this we answer True these graces whiles I barely endeavour to discover them by my own reason may be still subject to question and so can make no firme assurance But in the soul that is graciously assured this way the Spirit of God rests the heart upon an ultimum quod sic convinceth him by that which is most visible in him and stops the mouth of cavilling reason from perplexing the Question any more As a wise Moderator in a Dispute that when the Argument hath been spun out so long by a wrangling companion that there can be no more said but in away of groundlesse cavilling and angry reflections c. breaks off the Dispute checks the wrangling Antagonist and determines the Controversie by his own sentence upon the whole matter So when a man 's own cavilling heart and Satan helping it have picked out all the flawes possibly in his evidence for heaven and have left no stone unturned to invalidate it and withal the Spirit hath enabled a man to plead to all exceptions of moment and yet these wrangling companions will not be satisfied at last the Spirit makes a man to see that there is nothing can be said that hath not been answered but only such wranglings as deserve no answer but scorn and so determines and enables the soul to determine the great Question by inferring the conclusion with undenyable evidence I know not why this way the Spirit of God assuring should not be lesse subject to question then immediate assurance Seeing in a time of darknesse that is as questionable and will require as long a debate to satisfie the soul whether indeed it were the voice of the Spirit or a mans owne heart and Satan colluding with it to deceive a man Let any man shew mee that 't is easier for a man to be certainly convinced that the Spirits immediate testimony is true and proceeding from the Spirit then that such and such fruits of grace the matter of its mediate testimony are not counterfeit and I have done pressing this Argument any more 3 The third thing the Spirit doth is to infer the conclusion of the grand Syllogisme in a conviction of a gracious and happy estate thus therefore Thou art a child of God an heir of glory justified sanctified c. For all these termes and many more are of equal import to the case in hand the concluding any thing in a man that necessarily accompanies salvation concludes the certainty of salvation to that person and seals up assurance In the former two acts the Spirit is the candle of the Lord without a man in pointing out the word and within a man in the application of his case to the Word and in this he acts the part of a just determiner of the controversie upon this evidence a Judg in the conscience quitting and justifying the Prisoner and this is his sentence of Absolution and therefore when it is pronounced by his Ministers as most commonly it is 't is called loosing the
The longer you go without the Spirits testimony the more difficultly will you obtaine it the more will your hearts be instructed in Satans Sophistry to elude Arguments of comfort if you be such as look towards God the more experience wil you have of your own hearts deceitfulnesse so-that you will deal with them as we ordinarily do with common lyars hardly be perswaded to believe their Testimony when they speak the truth concerning you If you be such as neglect both grace and assurance know that the more difficultly will you bring your selves to accept of grace the longer you delay it the heart will be hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3. 13. The Spirit grived c. And if you get grace a thousand to one if you get the witnesse of the Spirit to testifie that you have it Though God give such men grace as put it off to the last yet it were too great an encouragement to others to delay in like manner if he should ordinarily let them know it 'T is no easie matter at any time to get it much more difficult when delayed Many souls for many years together eat no pleasant bread and when they drink mingle their drink with weeping their sleep departeth from them and all the comforts of their lives are overcast with a sad cloud of darkness they go from sea to sea to wait on the Ordinances rise many a night to pray when others sleep chasten their souls with fasting and go heavily all the day long and this as I said for divers years together and this in the flower of their years and strength and yet with much ado can get little more then some flashes of comfort now and then some gleams of light as I told you before to save them at a desperate pinch and after long exercise in a doubtful medly of hope and fear a sad twilight of sorrowes and supports at last recover this testimony in and to their hearts that they are the children of God And therefore 't is not to be thought that persons who out of wilfulnesse or spiritual sloath put off the procuring this blessed certainty to themselves till old age or the approaches of death should suddenly leap out of a certain damnable estate into an assured certainty of salvation Sure the stream of Promises in the Word is least favourable to such persons and it is a thing most righteous in the eyes of reason it self that God should be as slow in giving as they are in seeking this assuring testimony CHAP. XI Certain Hindrances of getting Assurance of our Adoption removed Quest BUt how shall I get the testimony of the Spirit and thereby be assured of my Justification and Adoption Answ 1. There are divers Hindrances to be temoved and then divers Directions to be followed Hinderances are 1 A secret murmuring frame of spirit against Gods present dispensations towards thee as if God dealt very hardly and contrary to his wonted course with thee As if God had set thee up as the only mark of his displeasure which discontent is secretly augmented by the enjoyments and attainments of others Such and such have attained such and such comforts and walk cheerfully but God keeps me in the dark like them that art dead long ago And then as the children of Israel in the wilderness the soul many times quarrels at God for doing what he hath done and wishes any change even to what it was or the worst that can be Would God say they we had dyed in Egypt nay would God we were out of the world any way rather then to be thus tossed up and down in these tempests of spirit to be made Satans Tennis-bals the gazing stocks of the world and a terrour to our selves c. Friend who ever thou art that art in this frame of spirit know the Holy Spirit wil not be wrought to smile on thy heart by these means Such a dogged sullen frame of spirit will but procure thee the more lashes and continue thee the longer in the wilderness Israels murmurings kept them forty years in the wildernesse hereby they vexed Gods holy Spirit Isai 63. 10 and so dost thou and thou maist expect a proportionable dealing at Gods hands 2 A kind of delight in complaining against thy self and taking Satans part many times in bearing false witness against thy own soul Sometimes a kind of sinful humility sometimes an apprehension of ease in venting the causes of their trouble and sometimes a designe of provoking others to humor them in applying those corrasives and terrors to them which they think are their portion makes many persons liberal in charging themselves in this sort And somtimes Satan helping them they are apt to lay more load upon themselves then indeed belongs to them aggravating their sins beyond measure and condemning themselves for the vilest creatures upon the face of the earth And by constant use I know not what kind of pleasure grows out of such libelling themselves and they are never so well as when they are in that tune I grant a serious moderate and discreet complaining of our sins and wants to such from whose advice and prayers we may expect good and for this reason that we may get their advice and prayers they knowing our condition particularly and being thereby enabled to help us by such a through knowledge of our case is not onely lawfull and expedient but necessary But to be always in season and out of season urging these indictments against ones selfe and meerly for this reason that we may put from our selves those comfortable truths which are indeavoured to be fastened upon us doth but more indispose us to peace and satisfaction of spirit and teach Satan an art of troubling us everlastingly with our own liking and approbation Take this for a certain rule That soul that will not open to the Spirit of Adoption till he can find no matter of complaint against himselfe may go mourning all his days and thank himself for it 3. An unthankful denyal of the works of Gods sanctifying spirit in the heart Which are the material ground of all regular assurance from the Spirit of Adoption or at least mitigating qualifying and extenuating them This ordinarily accompanies the former A soul that delights it self in picking quarrels against its own peace will not bee easily brought to own any good concerning it self Tell a man in this frame Sir you are one of Gods called ones for you have had experience of a gracious change upon your heart You now hate sin count it your greatest burthen which once you loved and judged it your greatest comfort you have an unsatisfiable longing after Christ not only in his merits but in his graces and the communication of his holinesse and all the World will not satisfy you without him you have an heart perfectly broken off from all your old company and all your delight is in the Saints that are upon earth and them that excell in vertue
you have a tender heart that is deeply affected with every known sinne c. O sir will such a person often-times say I find no such things in me and if there were I fear it is all in hypocrisie Friend you do well in fearing hypocrisie but you do not well in not owning what God hath wrought in you for fear of hypocrisie Indeed it is not good to boast of the good that is in us when wee have temptations from the approbation of others to glory in it neither is it good to deny what is in us when we have a call thereunto by those who are sent by God to examine our estate which they can never do nor can they know how to deal with us if we deal not plainly in confessing what we know and find in our selves And it falls out too often that such denyalls as I said before are the fruit of unthankfulnesse which oftentimes causeth us to overlook and in a kind of comparative way to deny what we have received because we have not as much as we would have As it falls out in the covetous men of the world and there is a sinful spiritual covetousnesse too that are ever complaining they have no money no bread to put in their mouths c. whereas indeed they mean they have not so much as they would have This is an unthankful denyal of Gods providence towards them in bestowing on them what they have And thou maist judg the like of thy self in this case Saint Paul was of another temper Rom. 7. he makes many sad complaints of himself I am carnal sold under sin in me there dwelleth no good thing how to perform that that is good I find not when I would do good evil is present with me I see a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind c. O wretched man that I am c. yet still he mixeth acknowledgments of the grace that he hath received I am carnal saith he sold under sin yet saith he I blesse God my judgment goes with the Law I think it holy just and good whence though I am over-byassed many times unto evil yet I allow it not I would do better then I do and I hate the evil that I am captived unto In me there dwelleth no good thing but mark the Epanorthosis or correction of himself as if he had spoken a word too large What said I there is no good dwelling in me let me not be mistaken I mean in my flesh for so much the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 18. will bear for though I have no power to do yet I have some good in my spiritual part I can will that that is good and that will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is alwayes at hand I have good wishes and desires in readinesse upon all occasions I do not the good that I ought to do yet I would do it I delight in the Law of God in the inward man Sin lawes it and lords it in my members but I have another Law in my mind so that with my mind i. e. in my judgment and resolved bent of will I serve the Law of God and there is a special Emphasis in that Pronoune my self that followes ver 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I my selfe serve the Law of God that is even I though I complain so against my self yet must needs say so much for my self to the praise of God I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Here is an excellent example for thee that sittest in darknesse and art ever complaining against and defying thy self do not deny the grace of God that is not so much a denyal of thy self as Gods goodnesse and the Spirit of Grace If thou witnesse against the Spirit dost thou think the Spirit will witnesse for thee Thou denyest the Spirit the very medium by which he would testifie to thy good condition Take notice also of the peevishnesse of thy spirit Thou hast long wooed Christ to accept of thee and be married to thee and Christ hath sent thee Love-tokens by his Spirit to assure thee that he owns himself to be thy busband Now Christ expects the duties of a wife from thee now thou questionest whether thou art married or no and not only questionest but peremptorily denyest all his Love-tokens or at least extenuatest them and settest light by them Think what a sin this is No wonder now if the Spirit that Messenger that brought them take offence at such dealing and refuse to testifie to thee who art resolved to question his testimony bee it never so cleare 4. An unwarrantable thrusting off those Promises and comfortable truths which God in the Ministry of the Word or otherwise brings home to our condition and snatching greedily at all the terrible places of Scripture and denunciations of wrath as our portion I have knowne those that have thrust away with both hands all that might make for their comfort as that that belongs not to them O the cursed pride of our hearts When will men leave prescribing to the infinite wise God When people please themselves in their sins then they will hear no Minister except he sing a cursed requiem to their spirits preach pleasing things and cry Peace peace And when the soul is under trouble for sin then God must denounce judgments in every Sermon speak to them in thunders and lightning from Mount Sinai answer them cut of the whirlewind or else they will not hear him Believe it no soul receiveth good by the Word but that soul that thinks every Word of the Lord good and labours as it is proper to its condition to apply it Satan in times of unregeneracy hath an Art to make the Word unfruitful by causing a mans heart to stand loose from the Law to rub off the eating corroding plaister and say This concernes such an one and such an one but not me And after our conversion he keeps the Word from fastning comfort to the soul and assuring the heart by a like Artifice True these are comfortable truths and concern such and such but not me This was the Psalmists case in desertion and is thine in the present darknesse My sore ran in the night my soul refused to be comforted Psal 77. 2. Indeed friends if you refuse to receive comfort when the Spirit offers it no wonder if when you would have it the Spirit refuse to offer it None of Gods offers are refused by the creature gratis God will stand upon other termes when we come to his shop after wee have once refused a good bargain once offered 5 A groundlesse surmising of an irrecoverablenesse in our condition from such and such threatnings of Scripture as concerne us not This followes from the former When a soul is willing to hear all Thunder and Cannon shot from the Word ordinarily the divel hath two or three places of Scripture from whence he playes thick upon the soul Those are two places in the
it Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye heard ye trusted and after ye believed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aor 1. Postquā credidisseti◠not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dum credidistis or trusted ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise and received its earnest See also 1 Joh. 5. 13. Now coming to Christ receiving Christ applying Christ for Justification is sufficient qualification to enable a man to receive the Sacrament with profit Because where spiritual life is there is a right to all such food as may strengthen it 2. The Sacrament is a Seal of the Covenant in all its promises Now Promises become mine by claim and relyance If then I have right only to one Promise nay if I can but lay claim to one I may come to the Sacrament to have that sealed to me Suppose this I find my heart made weary of sin and account it the greatest burthen in the world I apply my self to Christ to ease me of it hereupon I lay claim to the Promise thus Lord Jesus thou hast done thus for me blessed be thy name whereas I accounted sin a pleasure once now I account it a burthen make good thy Promise to me ease me I claim this on the credit of thy Promise Mat. 11. 28. If hereupon I come to the Sacrament desiring God to seal to this Promise which I lay hold upon I cannot be said to come unworthily though I have no witnesse in my heart from the Spirit that I belong to Christ I told you before that it is the claiming of Christ and standing to that claim and being resolved to adventure my soul upon it that entitles me to him and that that entitles me to Christ gives me a right to the Sacrament as I said but now upon the former head Object But let this faith be what it will I must know that I have it ere I come else it is in vain to require Examination before I come And if so then 't is all one for substance to be assured that I am in Christ and to be assured that I believe in him because believing in him necessarily implies being in him Answ Sacramental Examination doth not presuppose a necessity of a certain or assured knowledg that I have the graces which I examine my self for But only a finding those acts in my self which ordinarily those graces appear in my heart dealing plainly and faithfully with it self in the search and my earnest desire and endeavour that they may be true though at present I see not that they are true supposing that I see nothing of weight according to the rule of the Word to judg them false Nay if I should see cause to condemne those former acts which I took for gracious as false and unsound yet upon that conviction if I seriously labour to set them right now I ought not to keep from the Sacrament for that but to draw nigh and from thence to expect strength to prosper my endeavours and give me evidence in Gods time of the reality of them If this were not true then every Christian under desertion and doubting must be excluded from the Sacrament And surely if so the fittest persons that can be will be debarred there being none more fit for a strengthning Ordinance then such souls To exemplifie the present case A man examines his faith repentance c. he finds some such acts as look like the acts of those graces yet he doubts whether they were true or no he therefore examines faith by the rule of the Word purifying the heart working by love over-coming the world Repentance by hatred of sin of all sin sincere endeavors of future obedience some such things as these he sees no sufficient ground to conclude he hath not and yet he thinks he may deceive himself in thinking that he hath them Here is his case What shall this man do Shall he come to the Supper or no I answer Yes For I am fit for the Sacrament when my heart doth not upon good grounds condemn me Unwarrantable Scruples do not unfit me it is not required that my heart do alwayes clearly absolve me See what John faith in this case 1 Joh. 3. 20. If our hearts condemne us not he doth not say if they actually absolve us many needlesse Scruples may hinder that but if they condemn us not it must be meant of the conscience enlightned by the Word An ignorant wordlesse conscience its absolution or condemnation is nothing in this case but an enlightned conscience then have we confidence i. e. ground of confidence towards God And by consequence ground of approach to those Seals in which this confidence is bestowed and encreased 2 It is not necessary to a worthy participation of the Lords Supper that I be able satisfactorily to evidence to my owne heart the truth of every grace required thereunto One grace sometimes may be more conspicuous then another And it is sufficient it I can see any thing in my self of the new creature though I know not how to improve it by Argument to prove such or such a grace thereby For example sometimes repentance may be more conspicuous to a man then faith sometimes love more visible then both sometimes a man may be able to see neither of them all distinctly yet he sees something which he cannot but acknowledg is a fruit of a mighty and supernatural change and this change he finds he cannot rest till it be increased and improved to greater perfection If he can see nothing else yet he finds earnest and hearty desires after Christ not only as a fountaine of pardoning but also of purging grace These desires as far as he can judg are not counterfeit though many times weak Now in such a case as this the soul must consider that Christ hath promised not to break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax Though a mans grace be very infirm if it be not a staff but a reed and a reed too not firm but bruised and though the kindlings of grace be but in smoaking flax a Metaphor taken from those that kindle a fire that put some pilled stalks of flax or straw or some such combustible thing under the wood to make it burn which if it be moist will not flame out by and by but smoak a while and then kindle though grace be but yet an embryo as fire in smoaking flax which a man can scarce tel whether it wil burn or no yet God will not quench that is he will make much of it as a servant doth of a little spark of fire in a wisp of straw and gently blow it up till it flame Isai 42. 3. He is to consider moreover that he ought to conclude from these smal measures as far as he is groundedly perswaded that they are true that though he cannot see faith repentance love yet where these desires are they are good signes of a gracious change though yet but in the beginning and a gracious change
only by stupifying the consciences of profane wicked men which occasions their crying Peace to themselves though they walk in the wayes of their own heart but even in civil and moral men he can many times counterfeit the work of the Spirit of God and give a false peace in a serious and seemingly regular way 1 I shall not here speak much of those sudden irradiations of joy and comfort wherewith he can fill men only thus much that in all ages he hath had advantage over credulous spirits by sudden raptures and exstasies It hath been an old Art as the stories of the Anabaptists will sufficiently inform us by which he hath deluded millions of souls Now those exstacies proceed originally from disturbing and discolouring the phantasie that it may apprehend objects as he thinks fit to represent them And no question he may thus abuse the fantasie by the representation of false matter of comfort and joy and set it home with so strong an appearing evidence that a man may verily think that it comes from God himself Certainly Satan if as was abovesaid he can transform himself into an Angel of light can second these delusions with visions of an heavenly appearance possibly he may usurp the name of Christ himself I knew such a case once in mine own experience A woman not till that time noted to have had any ordinary At Pool about ten yeers since proportion of knowledg on a sudden in child bed is taken with abundance of joy and Christ himself as she fancied appearing to her giving her a revelation against Infant Baptism and perfuming her of which she was so confident that she would ask those that were about her whether they did not smel those perfumes I that had a little before spoken against Anabaptistical revelations was sent for to be confuted by so pregnant an example and she told me as much I gave her good advice told a friend I suspected an imposture and departed Within a few days after the woman was grown perfectly distracted and then the Devill put on his own blacks and appeared in his own colours and she smelt him in every thing and her sweet perfumes ended in filthy stenches c. I have before shewn you the rules by which you may judge of such immediate and reasonlesse raptures of assurance I shall only adde here If you will discern them mark the end of them for which they are given Que. How shall I know that will you say Answ Thus. Observe what is infused with them Satan seldome useth this Art to any soul but he withall infuseth some erroneous doctrine or other or stirs up to some or other irregular practice The End of that dealing of his with the party before mentioned was to scruple her in point of Infant-Baptisme as she confessed to me and his end in others is to propagate one error or other as appears in these days of delusion by ordinary experience A like revelation there was in these parts lately concerning which more may be said shortly in print to perswade a woman to leave her husband who by that very suggestion discovered it to be a delusion because it was quite contrary to the word Now a Christian must be so confirmed in the fundamental points of Religion and so well satisfied in all things that concerne the practice of Godlinesse that he should be able even hereby to discover Satans impostures by the Rule before I laid down The Spirit of God always moveth according to the Word In a word you may do well to demurre to such an evidence 'T is not good to be too hasty in owning such extraordinary perswasions at the first dash as we say A man offends not that rejoyceth under them with trembling If they come in seasonably to encourage me to any unquestionably good duty I may at present act in the strength of them But afterwards I may safely desire an evidence from a known rule whereby I may regularly be certified that they are indeed from God Nor will such a suspension of my full assent to them bee charged upon me as any affront to the Spirit of God supposing him to be indeed the Author of them or as an act of unbelief but will be kindly taken as an act of holy warinesse proceeding from a soul that puts a due valuation upon the word and desires as it ought to make it in all things a light to its feet and a lantern to its path Psalm 119. 105. God himselfe hath told me that the written word is a surer word of prophesie then immediate Revelations 2 Pet. 1. 19 and he tells me moreover that I do well to take heed to it as to a light shining in a dark place 2. Nor shall I tell you at large How far Satan may concurre in giving assurance from marks and signes though certainly he may do much this way or how far he may misapply Scripture it selfe to delude men into a false peace though this he may do also The joy of the close Hypocrite and of the meere civill Justiciary are evidences of this imposture every day to be found almost in every Congregation where the word is preached in a convincing searching way every such person hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his preservative or Antidote of this kind by which he keeps the word of God at a distance from his heart when it approacheth with conviction of sin Most of both sorts can plead good desires love to the brethren strictnesse in religious duties and moral conversation c. And though in all these they be miserably mistaken yet how ever for the present these gâ—ounds stop the mouth of conscience and give a present repulse to the power of a shaking sermon we will take these things for granted 2. It is as undoubtedly true that Satan thus misrepresenting Arguments a mans own spirit may consent to him and make use of them and so by deluded Reason argue himself into a strong perswasion that he is a child of God when there is no such matter Nay I doubt not but the very same Arguments which delude one man in this case may truly satisfie another and the application of the same Scriptures Satan playing the Sophister whith his reason may give a false perswasion to one man which by the convincing evidence of the Spirit may give a sound assurance to another But let me not here be mistaken I say not that these Arguments and Scriptures may Caution be managed the same way in both For seeing the conclusion is false which in a delusive assurance is to be inferred there must also be some falsehood in the premisses As in Temptation when Satan came to Christ to tempt him to break his neck the conclusion which he would perswade him to entertain from that place in the Psalm was wicked and false viz. that it is lawfull for a man wilfully and without a calling to endanger his own life therefore he must needs juggle in
the Doctrines of Faith c. which he had acquainted them withal from their first vocation but it includes even those Doctrines of comfort which precede in the number of those Truthes they being part of what Christ had told them 2 The Court of Conscience It will be needful having once verified the evidence by the test of the Word to lay it up against a day of tryal Divine Truths must be laid up in the heart for Direction and divine Experiences for Consolation in an evil day This Courts Recorder is Memory and its Records in such a day are of especial use and importance Records of Gods dealing with others formerly see Psalm 119. 52. I remembred thy judgments of old and have comforted my self i. e. Those judgements by which thou hast caused thy people to triumph over their enemies in former times So also of our own experiences see both together Psal 77. 5 6 The holy man had been utterly at a losse had it not been for this Recorder and yet it seemes he had been too to blame in the laying up his evidence so that it cost much search before he could find it I communed with my heart and my spirit made diligent search the Septuagint reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my spirit digged as we do for hidden treasure that must have much rubbish removed ere we can come at it But their sense is grounded upon a different reading of the word in the Hebrew Others read Scopabam I swept it seems by his carelesse keeping he had suffered his evidences to be thrown inâ—… dusty corner among waste papers and he was fain to sweep for them ere he could find them but however when he found them he made excellent use of them for by them he recovers strength to check his present unbelief I have considered the dayes of old ver 5. and I call to remembrance my song ver 6. I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High ver 10. and I will remember the works of the Lord c. v. 11. And these remembrances prove a great strengthning to his Faith in that hour of temptation David hath some Psalms to bring to remembrance Psalm 38 and 70. And Christ hath left Ordinances for this end The Word 2 Pet. 1. 12 13. and Sacraments Do this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22. 19. in remembrance of me And there is the same use of the communion of Saints which is the special means of keeping fresh one anothers experiences by conference and communication Therefore it will be a very good course to charge memory to record carefully all the visits and smiles and embraces of Gods Spirit together with all the passages which may confirm the truth of them afterwards As we do in Evidences concerning a temporal estate we record the Sealing dayes and the Witnesses and the considerations of the conveyance So in this case bid memory put down At such a time in such a place upon such a Prayer Sermon when I was in such an exigency and there was but an haires breadth between me and despair such a sad cloud was scattered the Spirit of God by such a Promise gave me as much comfort and joy as my heart could hold and I then set to my seal that God is true by believing Joh 2. 33 And I was confirmed in the reality of these experiences by a following assistance against such corruptions or strength against such temptations or power more then ordinary to walk in wayes of spiritual communion with God c. This course being carefully taken it cannot be imagined how great an awe it will cast upon a mans jealous and suspicious heart that it will scarce dare to entertain a doubt against an Evidence so clear and so carefully recorded Except Satan can imbezel the Records or corrupt them by the concurrence of our treacherous memories in some considerable passages 't is in vain he knows to commence a fresh sute against the soul The soul in such cases will as the Psalmist have recourse to those Records and clear his Title against such disturbances Psal 77. suprà CHAP. XXVII The Means to strengthen these Evidences IN the second place 2 Strengthen your Evidences daily 1 By strengthning Ordinances 1 The Word heard read meditated upon all these in their proper place and time are to be used with care David alwayes keeps up a fainting Assurance with a word My soul melteth for heavinesse strengthen thou me according to thy word Psal 119. 28. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me Psal 50. Vphold thou me according to thy Word c. Psal 116. Promises are the food of Faith Cordials of Hope the crutches of Patience the principal feathers in the wing of Prayer Threatnings caution us against those courses as will weaken Assurance Precepts direct us in such wayes as will continue and improve it Examples are so many ruled cases as they say in Law which may adde light to a man when there is need to search records as before said The whole Word is the fewel that maintains the fire of Assurance and Meditation blowes up the coals 2 Prayer And this applies the Word it is a souls perpetual plea against all litigious molestations If Satan or a mans own heart at any time call his Evidences into question away flyes Prayer to God and pleads Promises and Examples holy Presidents and stops the mouth of Temptation this way 'T is that way of continual intercourse with God that brings a man dayly returnes of holy familiarities which cannot but nourish a constant perswasion of his unchangeable Love as mutual Letters maintaine a good intelligence among friends 3 Sacraments As they are remembrancers of the death of Christ and Ordinances appointed for the Sealing of the benefits thereof to the soul by particular applicatory signes and tokens must needs be means not only to give as hath been shewne before but also to confirm and continue it And upon this account 't is no wonder if Christ in the Institution of the Lords Supper require a frequent attendance upon that Ordinance 1 Cor. 11. 25. As oft as ye drink it implies frequent drinking it All our faith is grounded upon the death and satisfaction of Christ and the frequent reduction of those grounds of faith to our consideration must needs strengthen it habits of the mind are strengthned by a frequent repetition of those actions by which they were first begotten and produced Now though gracious habits are not gotten in the strength of natural or moral powers as natural or moral habits are yet they are produced as I before have shewed by a supernatural power in a natural method and order And therefore though no grounds apprehended by the understanding can of themselves beget faith yet a divine power never produceth them but by the representation of some grounds And therefore the representation of the death of Christ as it is held forth by God in all its
interest in God Is it not by laying hold on him under some Scripture encouragement The absolute promises as we usually call them of the first grace and acceptance in Christ belong to any that can lay hold of them Friend begin again and lay hold upon such Promises as thou didst at first fasten upon and do not let them go And never dispute whether thou hast an interest or no But if thou think thou hast not labour to get an Interest by laying hold on them Tell Satan and thy deceitful heart that God never sayes I will give a new heart to you provided you be in Christ or I will give you Christ upon condition you be first in Christ Were not this an absurd condition Were it not a contradiction Doth Christ say Whoever comes to me I will in no wise cast out that is if he be in me before he comes Object Yea but thou wilt say All these Promises are conditioned by Gods Decree of Election and if I be not in Christ by Election at least none of them belong to me Answ True that is thou shalt never have the 1. Real and actual benefit of them None can have grace but whom God hath given to Christ As many and as many only as the Father hath given to Christ shall come to him Joh. 6. 37. But yet thou hast a Legal Right such a right as will ground a plea in the Court of Heaven from the general Termes in which they are delivered and thou canst not exclude thy self nor can the Devil or thy own misgiving heart exclude thee justly except thou or he could see Gods book of Life and Death Plead then the Plea God hath put into thy mouth and in so doing God will shew thee thy interest in them from eternity by giving thee assurance of thy present actual title to them in his own time and way 2. The decree of Election is the Divels usual common place whence he draws his most effectual Arguments of trouble and disquiet to the Saints of God And thou may'st if by no other mark discover the roaring Lyon by his paw in this common beaten path and haunt of his And so much the more palpably is he to be discovered by the peremptoriness of his suggestions in this kind when ever you find your selves under a strong and preremptory perswasion of your non-election you may be assured the Devill hath an hand in it Because the Spirit of God never peremptorily discovers to any man his reprobation For if he should he would defeat his own ordinances and motions upon the hearts of such men and by consequence be the proper Author of all such sinne as is the proper issue of such a desperate conclusion 7. Cease disputing over thy evidences and turn disputing into praying The longer thou disputest in this case the more thou wilt entangle thy self Hardly ever did a soul in desertion recover his assurance by disputing over his evidences Satan is so subtile a Disputant that he will perplex an Argument when it is clearest He is a juggler that can cast a mist before the eyes of Saints many times even by clear day-light much more can he do it by candle-light or star-light But of this more hereafter 8. Set upon a serious endeavour of advancing in holynesse If thou canst not enjoy the face of God yet in his absence make much of his picture follow the work of mortifying corruptions and growing in grace It is true it is an hard matter to make any considerable progresse in holinesse as to the practice and exercise thereof in a day of desertion but a man may grow in the principles and grounds from whence holinesse is derived into the practice A man may fortify his resolutions and lay new engagements upon his heart to the practise of holinesse when God shall give him enlargement A man can do little work in the night yet he may contrive and methodize his work and consider and resolve what to do when the day appears And God will the sooner come again when he finds there is so much preparation made for him When David had set his heart and house in readinesse Psalm 101. he expects a visit from God O when wilt thou come to me ver 2. Gods promise herein may be our encouragement To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Ps 50. ult 9. And lastly be industrious in comforting others In discourses with others under soul-troubles labour always to defend Gods cause against Satans See what thou canst â—ay to others on Gods behalfe how thou canst answer their objections satisfie their doubts encounter their tentations As he that teacheâ—h another teacheth himselfe so he that supporteth comforteth another may find himself supported with his supports and comforted with his comforts ere he is aware Those doubts and objections which are seemingly unanswerable when a man deales with them in his own heart wil appear many times very slight and inconsiderable when urged by another We are all apt to admire that in our selves which we slightly esteem in others from self-love and are no lesse apt to terrifie our selves with those fancies which we easily see to be ridiculous in others through the confusion of our spirits and the mist that Satan casts before our eyes Now when a soul finds that pleading for God against his own doubts in another He is able to deal with them succesfully hee will see cause to reflect upon himself and say Why should not I yeild to the evidence of that Truth which I expect should satisfy another Why should not I follow mine own counsell Why should I not conquer Satan in mine own as well as anothers behalf If I expect the cordialls I administer to another should cure mine own distemper in him why should I not try their efficacie upon my self in the same case These directions being duly followed will in Gods time recover thee that Assurance which Satan or thine own corruption and Gods just displeasure have deprived thee of And thus much for the second Thesis CHAP. XXXIII The third Thesis laid down and explained Thesis 3. NOw come we to the third Thesis of this part of the Treatise and that is That When Gods holy Spirit hath once been a Spirit of Adoption to any soul he never more becomes a Spirit of Bondage to that soul For saith the Apostle ye have not again received the Spirit of Bondage For the explaination of this point know that this Doctrine holds true of all the works of the Spirit of Adoption mentioned in the first Thesisof this part Any work of true grace or peace in the soul for ever dischargeth the soul out of the prison of the Holy Spirit But I shall handle this principally in reference to the witnessing work of the Spirit which hath hitherto been drawn through the whole web of this discourse Only in the beginning I must give this short hint for the sakes of those who else
againe to an assured soul would not be a sure and infallible Testimony contrary to the truth of the preceding Doctrine When a man is found in two contrary tales we know not which of them we may believe A man could never this supposed have solid comfort from the Testimony of the Spirit seeing he knowes not how soon hee may recant it and testifie the quite contrary CHAP. XXXV The causes of Legal Terrours in Saints Quest WHat then is the cause of those Legal terrours which after Conversion and Assurance many times surprize the hearts of Gods people Answ The main and principal cause is Satan who combining with our own suspitious and distrustful or melancholy spirits or by divine permission or lastly by taking the work of Gods Spirit out of his hand brings us into this darknesse Psal 143. 3. The enemy hath persecuted my soul he hath made me to dwell in darknesse like those that have been long dead I have long ago buried all my comforts and they are almost quite out of remembrance And the great cause of all this is the enemy of my soul called the enemy by a special Emphasis because the most deadly malicious enemy the Saints have He sowes all manner of Tares of corruptions tentations doubts in Gods field the hearts of Saints Now this he doth as but now I hinted 1 Partly by combining with our owne suspicious hearts and increasing jealousies when there is no cause of sadnesse as many times he doth The heart that knowes its own wickednesse and deceitfulnesse many times rejects sound and solid joy in the Holy Ghost as a delusion meerly upon suspicion and warinesse occasioned by its former experienced liablenesse to self-deception Now here Satan strikes in and increaseth the jealousie that the heart hath of it self As a malicious tale-bearer that finds suspicions ready to break out ever and anon between friends is at hand perpetually to blow the coals and hinting to them both severally such and such presumptions of each other till at last he have weakned all mutual confidence and made an irreparable breach between them Fie fie saith the old Serpent wilt thou believe these comforts and joyes are real and from the Holy Ghost Dost thou know thy owne heart no better Dost thou not remember how it spake peace to thee heretofore and all the Ministers in the Countrey could not perswade thee that thy condition was not safe then and since dost thou not remember how when thou wentest to examine and search thy self it hid sins by pretences and excuses and Apologies And why should it not deceive thee now as well as then Now here many times the soul gives up and yeilds to Satans suggestions and damns all its comforts for meer fantasies and dreams and all its Assurance for an imposture Nay it may be if the soul plead the marks and tokens of the Spirits concurrence in that Testimony then Satan begins to take the matter upon himselfe Alas saith he and dost thou not know that Satan can turne himself into an Angel of Light and by 2 Cor. 11. 14. consequence easily cheat a credulous heart into a belief that his delusions are the testimonies of the Spirit of God c. Sic not us Ulysses Art thou so unacquainted with that subtil enemy that thou canst take every fair pretence of his for Gospel and adventure thy soul upon it 2 Partly by combining with a meer melancholy distemper Melancholy is musing and thoughtful 'T is a temper of body which is the Divels Anvil whereon he hammereth all manner of temptations all manner of deadly weapons to wound the soul He hath a mighty power upon the fantasie and can suggest things to it as he pleaseth The phantasie or imagination is the Looking-glass of the soul in which all things by reflection are first discovered to it Now 't is easie for Satan to represent in this glass what bugbear shapes he pleaseth to affright the soul withal by a kind of fixed entertainment of the thoughts with such objects of terror and affrightment to make such strong impressions upon the whole soul abused by meer phantasies as no reasonings or perswasions whatsoever can remove That strange affection of the phantasie which some say perswaded Nebuchadnezzar that he was a real beast Dan. 4. and the frequent parallels to this in Wierus de praestigiis Virg. Eclog. 8. humane Writings render such an Interpretation not incredible many times is the infirmity of good souls that dwell as was said of Galba's wit in the bodies of the most Ingenium Galbae malè habitat dreggy part of living earth of a melancholy constitution So that 't is no wonder if Satan acting the phantasie many times the soul really be perswaded into horrid apprehensions of its owne condition And to strengthen the belief of the soul in such delusions he can present strange spectra images and representations of terrour to the very outward senses by which such inward apprehensions are oftentimes fortified and increased He doth like a cunning Fisher mud the water that his nets may be lesse discerned And thence in such cases persons under such a condition are 1 Many times to believe others more then themselves as suspecting such delusions of their own fancies 2 To labour after means of removing bodily distempers that the soul may be more it self being lesse clogged with a distempered body the body in such a case is the souls prison 3 To admit of lawful avocations from the continued meditation of such subjects as by their fixing on the fantasie are hard to be removed The very humor of melancholy is a dull heavy humour that must be stirred as much by exercise as Physick And so must the fantasies that it begets be cured by avocations 3 Partly by the permission and allowance of God God giving the soul over in some cases into his hands as he did Job once to do with him what he will only sparing his Job 2. 6. life for some notorious affronts offered to his Spirit and abuses of his favour to some bold intrenchments upon his Majesty and Authority or some other like cause And in such a case God withdrawing it is no hard matter for Satan to improve such a sensible defect and decay of influence to infer a souls utter rejection by God The truth is we live much by sense as well as fantasie not only in humane affairs but even in Divine And when faith is at low water as ordinarily it is upon Gods with-drawings then is sense most predominant Now the Divel can make strange conclusions appear undeniable in such cases if you will allow him to argue from what you feel Dost not perceive will he say to the soul that God casts out all thy prayers regards not the voice of thy groanings how he will not be perswaded to give thee one smile though thou wooe him never so much And wilt thou contrary to all sense and experience still believe that he
thee sure enough for one while for recovering either thy evidence of that or thy ability in this For thou shalt never want lets to prayer if those will make thee doubt thy sonship and thou shalt never but doubt thy sonship if thou wilt take those lets for a sufficient confutation of thy relation and wilt thereby be kept from prayer again which is Satans aime to lead thee in a ring of mistakes everlastingly 3. Thou canst not pray But canst thou not groan neither If thou canst the Spirit of Adoption may be in a groan as well as in a prayer Rom. 8. 26. I shall have occasion to adde more concerning this on the last point CHAP. XLI The Case of decayes in spiritual affections deadnesse burthensomnesse of duty and several others occasionally thus far also stated Object BUt if it were well with me I should love and delight in holy things more then I do I find it a burthen to me to draw nigh to God in any Ordinance my affections that should be lively are dead and I know not how 't is with me but I find I am an unprofitable lump of clay and there is little difference between a meer block me Answ This case I confesse hath much discomfort in it But as discomfortable as it is yet it is not unsafe Indeeed were a Saints foundation of his own laying there could nothing more weighty and considerable be objected to shake it But our foundation is the foundation of God and that stands sure under our greatest deficiencies uncertainties But to answer that which occasions thy present trouble 1. Troubled spirits have not so much distinct and undisturbed reason in them as to find fanlt with the Devils Logick else I could tel them 't is a meer inconsequence that such or such a soul is now dead lumpish therefore it was never truly assured of the love of God For the allowance of this consâ—quence affirmes this falshood that it is impossible for one that hath had true assurance to bee afterwards in a spiritual swound as to the excercise of grace or gifts in duty which that it is a falshood as black as Satan himselfe that suggests it the Saints of God from their own experiences abundantly testifie and the Scriptures in the exhortations that they give to the Saints to blow up the gifts of God that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in them suppose they may be like fiâ—e covered with ashes and may look as if their fire were quite out 2 Tim. 1. 6. And when they bid us quicken the things that are ready Apoc. 3. â— to dye they suppose some life even where graces are most languishing Apoc. 3. 2. Object Yea Sir could I be assured it were but a swound I should take comfort but I fear I am quite dead dead and buryed and a great stone upon the graves mouth that will never be removed and Gods seal upon it too that it may not be so Answ If thou werst quite dead thou wouldst be past fearing it But the present fear demonstrates that yet there is life Fear is a passion that ariseth from apprehension of an imminent danger If a tower be tumbling upon a dead corps he fears it not because he apprehends it not and apprehends it not because he is dead Nay thy fear discovers that it is not so much as a compleat swound that thou art in but a palsey rather seizing upon thy outmost parts whiles thy heart is still sound and sensible 'T is such an half-sleep as the Churches when her heart was awake all the while Cant. 5. 2. Methinks there are certain pretty contradictions in the apprehensions of a troubled spirit You shall hear him complain he is not humbled when the very visible brokennesse of heart in his complaints confutes him and he is dead when he gives evidence against his conceit by his passionate sense of his condition I shall as soon believe a child when he layes his head in his mothers lap and says I am asleep as thee when thou sayest I am dead and yet complainest Object But my complaints signifie nothing and my fears just as much as my complaints I complain out of forme because I know not what else to say when I am examined concerning my condition I must maintain discourse and I am a notorious hypocrite in all this therefore I pray you think not better of me then I am for any thing you hear from me A. 1. Yet more contradictions Thou art affraid men should think too well of thee and thou endeavourest to make thy self as vile as may be lest they should do so and is this a signe of an Hypocrite 2. Besides friend let me aske you and let your conscience deal faithfully with your self and me do you not come unwillingly to make these complaints to any body Is it not the meere sense of such burthens as if you should smother would oppresse you utterly that drives you to speak these things of your selfe and which also had not they been drawn from you by discourse you rather resolved to have kept to your selfe And call you this hypocrsie for a poor slave under an intolerable burthen to groan to save his heart from breaking by giving it some vent 3. Take heed of hypocrisie rather in this evasion and others of the like kind If it be hypocrisie to endeavour to seem what we are not then I fear complaints of hypocrisie many times are not altogether free from it It may be it is not intended by thee to deceive Gods Ministers and people into a worse conceit of thee but it is materially no lesse then I tell thee Beware of it 4. Tell me dost thou not tell God the same stories as well as thou canst which thou tellest thy Minister or fellow-Christian Object Yea But may I not play the hypocrite with God too Ans Take heed of hearing false witnesse against thy self and tel me again Dost thou not complain to God with an hearty and earnest desire of being relieved of the burthen of deadnesse that oppresseth thee Wouldst thou not purchase deliverance from it if God would put thee to it upon those terms at any rate Ob. Yea but 't is but forme still 't is but a discourse for want of another subject to speak of And so 't is in prayer to God I must say something and I know not what else to say Answer But why should such discourse be more frequent in thy mouth then any other both to God and man were it not that the matter of it is much in thy heart out â—f the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. 34. 2. Discourses that are of meere forme are most commonly formed discourses But thy complaints both to God and man are rough-hewed confused distracted mis-shapen things it appears there is no Art in them by the discomposure of them no forme by their confusion 3. Either there is really in thee that evill which is
time of judgment and 't is part of their plague that God will laugh at their destruction Prov. 1. 26. 27. Be-fool thy selfe and be-beast thy selfe before God that thou shouldest be so improvident as to neglect the providing of any materials to build thee a shed against a storme or to think that thou shouldest never see a time in which thou shouldst have need of God Say Lord thou art just but I am wicked It is righteous with thee to stamp my punishment with the very image of my sin Thou art righteous though thou shouldst never open my lips or my heart though thou shouldest seal my condemnation to my soul by sealing up both my heart mouth and not suffering me so much as to open my mouth to petition for a pardon 3. Earnestly gâ—oan and sigh hefore the Lord as thou canst desiring him that he will not take against thee the advantage which thy provocations have given him that he will enlarge thy heart and bestow upon thee the Spirit of supplication And who knowes whether in praying that thou mayst pray God may not teach thee to pray 'T is not for nothing that God bids even carnal men to pray Act. 8. â—… Though they cannot pray acceptably without the Spirit sure 't is because in his ordinary way of dispensation the Spirit of prayer is given in praying as the spirit of faith is given in hearing though we cannot hear acceptably without faith Me thinks the words hold forth no less Luke 11. 13. He gives the Holy Spirit to them that aske him We cannot aske the Spirit as we ought without the Spirit yet we get the Spirit in asking 4. Think not thy present estate utterly irremediable For though there be a time when God will not be found of sinners though they seek the blessing with tears Heb. 12. 17. yet know that there is no time in which he excludes a penitent and sincere hearted petitioner And the reason why many a prophane Esau failes in finding is because he failes in seeking If thy heart be now so affected as is before described know God hath in part heard thee in giving thee an heart so seriously affected with its own barrennesse deadnesse and impenitency and know farther that barrennesse felt and complained of and groaned under is no more barren but occasionally fruitfull in many sweet affections though yet thou be straightened in expressions And there may be more prayers in one groane from an heart that is sensible of its own inability to pray then in many large discourses and â—rations to God from a formal and customary devotion 5. Shouldst thou dye in this condition with thy face towards heaven yet thou mayst dye with hope that thy present seed time of tears shall end in an harvest of joy that though thy mouth be shut on earth yet seeing God hath opened thy heart it shall also be opened in heaven The Thiefs prayer on the Cross was an effectual prayer though but a short one Let that keep thee from despair but let it not encourage thee to presume He that made but one prayer in his life and that at the hour of death yet that one prayer prevailed to open Paradise I fear his example hath occasionally shut it to thousands of presuming sinners that have presumed upon the same admittance yet as to thee whose heart God hath opened I dare present it as an encouragement Tell me not God opens not thy mouth if the heart be open 't is far more then if the mouth were never so enlarged One sigh in secret of a broken heart is more then many loud howlings of frighted Formalists and Hypocrites That key that opens the heart will open heaven too 6 And lastly Now resolve in the strength of Christ and the Covenant of Grace which hath layd help upon him for thee that if ever thou get out of the present trouble if ever thou be enabled to break these bars of indisposition streightnednesse of spirit thou wilt never be so neglectful of maintaining the acquaintance thou hast gotten with God as thou hast been in getting it And take heed for time to come that thou performe thy resolutions in that kind Take heed prove not so ungrateful or ill-natured as to look no more after God when once the present turn is served and thou thinkest thou canst go alone Let God see that thou seekest his acquaintance for his own worth and excellency not meerly for mercenary ends and thy own necessities Lest God deal with thee for time to come as men use to deal with those that haunt them only when they have need of them lest he resolve not to be at home when thou knockest for him henceforward and avoid all occasions of being spoken withal walk on the other side of the street that hee may not meet thee and be occasioned to take notice of thee and know thee afar off look high Psalm 138. 6. and keep distance and either in judgement shut up thy mouth and heart to prayer again which he may easily do 't is but with-holding the supply of the Spirit and thou art as dead as a doornaile as we use to say or else open it in a greater judgment to let thee tire and weary out thy selfe with such cryes and howlings as hee is resolved to turne the deafe ear unto And that is an heavy judgement to have the mouth opened in prayer and heaven shut against it Lam. 3. 8. 2 If thou be one of that holy generation of Seekers not above duty but under it Psalm 24. 6. Hast by a constant intercourse with God entered an holy acquaintance with him in former times and therefore takest it ill that thou canst neither send to him nor hear from him now that at so needful a time thou hast lost thy wonted correspondence and canst not because all thy wonted posts of holy and flaming affections and importunate expressions are stopped give him intelligence of thy condition 1 Do not judg over harshly of thy self because thereof For it is a thing under the greatnesse of trouble incident to the best of Gods Saints and is not so much to bee imputed to them as to the burthens that oppresse them Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent Little troubles are loud but great ones dumb 'T was Hezekiahs case Isaiah 38. 14. Lord I am oppressed The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a Verb of the third Person and Feminine Gender saith one of the Rabbins hath relation â—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 12. which we translate a pining sicknesse and 't is as much as if he had said My wasting Disease hath so spent my very spirits that I am grown a meer stock so dull and stupid that I cannot perform any duty of Religion as I would And 't is the usual complaint of most of Gods people that the weaknesse of their bodies in such a condition much deadneth the vigour and activity of their spirits 'T was Jobs case chap. 6.
3. My grief is heavier then the sand of the sea therefore my words are swallowed up Verba mea semesa sunt so some render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fract a sunt corrupta sunt therefore my words are broken mangled words Broken expressions are the very gobbets of a broken heart Others read it as we Verba mea absorbentur my words are devoured or swallowed up My sorrow feeds so upon my spirits that it devours my very words and doth not leave me so much as the slender ease of a complaint A metaphor taken from the quicksands in the sea that swallow up a ship hulk and masts and sayles and passengers and all at a morsel as it were to which he alludes as appears in that he compares his grief to the sands in the former part This heart-oppression like a known melancholy disease in the night with which some persons are troubled so oppresseth the brest that a man cannot speak This was Hemans disease an holy man too Psal 77. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak Nay farther a Saint may be so low under hatches in affliction especially in soul-troubles under the Spirit of Bondage or spiritual desertion that his very eyes are shut as well as his mouth Mine iniquities saith David have taken hold on me so that I cannot look up Psal 40. 12. If this be thy case then be sure God pities thee the more by how much the less thou art able to speak for thy self As we use to pity little children and persons that are dumb and are sensible of the injuries done to them more then to others Alas poor souls we use to say they cannot speak for themselves Nay we pity an horse and such other unreasonable creatures when misused upon the same account Alas poor dumb thing who would use a dumb creature so Sure then God must needs be more tenderly pitiful to a soul in such a condition And our Mediator our Advocate in heaven must needs be the more eloquent in pleading for the Saints his Clyents when they are under such a tongue-tyed condition Alas saith Christ poor soul Father hear me for him he cannot speak for himself His condition speaks aloud for him because it hinders him from speaking 2 Know there be secret wayes of acquainting God with thy straights and pressures when the more visible and sensible outlets and avenues of the soul are all blocked up They that are skilled in the Military Art have sometimes shot intelligence in a bullet in the head of an Arrow when the City or Castle hath been besieged on all parts so closely that no ordinary way of correspondence with their friends hath been left open And this intelligence though it bee short and small in bulk yet may be as pithy and as much in substance and use as a whole sheet of paper written all over We starve or We want Ammunition or men to man our works so A few dayes and without relief we can hold out no longer is as good intelligence as can be in such a case It may be thou canst not tell God a large story how 't is with thee nor limne out thy sad case in lively colours canst not paint thy present death to the life or give light enough by thine expressions to discover the darkness of thy afflictions as David Hezekiah have done when they recovered their tongues again but yet thou canst say Lord I want Lord I am sick Lord I faint Lord I dye c. Thou canst with the Publican say Lord be merciful to me a sinner Luke 18. 13. With David in his troubled condition But thou Lord how long Psal 6. 3. With Hezekiah under his fainting fit thou canst chatter Lord I am oppressed undertake for me or ease me Isai 38. 14. And if thou canst not do so much yet thou canst set thy selfe as in the presence of God and even out of the mouth of hell look towards his holy Temple cast a begging look as children do towards some Sweet meats they dare not ask for towards the Throne of Grace so Jonah did Jonah 2. 4. Thou canst sigh and groan Now this is sufficient intelligence to God whose blessed Spirit speaks in these groans and he understands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the general bent inclination and affection of the Spirit and from it can pick out his meaning because he searcheth the heart Rom 8. 27. As a Nurse can make english of the stammering broken speech of the child nay the mother sometimes knowes by the looks of the child what its mouth waters for and a skilful Antiquary can write an History out of the broken Inscriptions of old coynes and Monuments of Antiquity because he is acquainted and useth to commune with those kind of fragments And take this for a certain rule a man may have much of the spirit of prayer who hath very little of the Gift of prayer and so may be streightned very much in this when his heart runs over with the abundance of that 3 Yet is not this condition to be rested in it being that that keeps the soul in a famishing estate but the Saints of God ought by all means to endeavour the recovery of their freedom and liberty of spirit and expression in duty as knowing that much of the comfort support and strength of their spirits is abated whiles they are thus tongue-tyed And therefore for recovery out of this spiritual distemper I would prescribe these Helps 1 Examine carefully what it is that streightens the spirit and shuts the mouth which may be 1 The greatness of your burthen as before And that you shal know by these two Marks 1 If it indispose you to all other imployments as well as to prayer Thus 't was with the Author of Ps 102 the Title of the Psalm tells you his condition he was one whose spirit was over-whelmed and how doth that appear My heart saith he is smitten like grass and withered a metaphor taken from frosts that nip the grasse and intercept the juice that should come from the root to the blades and so it becomes withered so saith he the extremity of my trouble withers and shrivels up my very heart so that I am like a dead saplesse thing But it may be he was only so in the matters of God and then it might possibly be his sin No he was so in all humane affaires too I forget saith he to eat my bread verse 4. No wonder saith hee if I bee withered in the affaires of my mind when I grow even carelesse of my very body I forget to eat my bread 2. If it shut up the heart in complaining to man as well as in complaints to God A troubled soul goes to a godly Minister it may be and thinks to utter to him all that is in the heart and fain would unloade it selfe in his ears but finds it selfe so straightened it can scarce say a word that it came for and that not meerly