and help me to believe in Christ I shall be most certainly condemned by Christ For he that believeth not is †Enallage Temporis condemned already saith Christ John 3.18 4. Desire to believe as he Mark 9.24 For a desire of faith if true is faith Or thus as a worthy * Downam in his Christian warfare c. 42. Writer saith confidently Our desire of Grace Faith and Repentance if true are the Graces themselves at least in God's acceptation see Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they which hunger and thrist after righteousness Mark they are blessed who have such gracious desires as are called hungring and thirsting and therefore they cannot be without faith and the cause hereof is the blessed * Blessed Bolton Nobleness of God's Nature which by infinite distances doth transcend the noblest spirit upon earth now men of ingenious dispositions are wont to take sweetest contentment in prevailing over and gaining the hearts good wills and affections of those that wait upon them how much more then must needs spiritual longings gracious aspires and thirsty desires be kindly accepted with that most kind God whose most loving disposition passeth all mens kindness especially sith mens good turns turn many times to our good and benefit but our well doing extendeth not unto God Psal 16.2 Were all the sons of men Abrahams or Angels and as many in number as the stars of Heaven and as shining both with inward Graces and outward acts of piety as they are in visible glory yet could they make no addition to that incomparable Majesty above nor confer so much as one drop to that boundless and bottomless Sea of goodness or the least glimpse unto that Almighty Sun of glory If thou be righteous what givest thou unto him or what receiveth he at thy hands Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the Son of man Job 35.6 7 8. Our holiness helps him not our sins hurt him not it is only for our good that God would do us good no good nor gain accrues unto him by our goodness for what good can come by our imperfect goodness to that which is already infinitely good What glory can be superadded by our dimness to him which is already incomparably glorious Every infinite thing is naturally and necessarily uncapable of addition Possibility of which supposed implies contradiction and destroys the nature of infiniteness wherefore to return to my purpose sith desires are excepted with God for deeds let every one of you that would be assured of his salvation desire to believe to his salvation It is reported of Luther that when a certain poor student at Wittenberg would not be perswaded by any to believe or that he did believe and so was exceedingly troubled in his mind and left by all he was sent for and when he came did ask him when he said he neither did nor could believe but do not you desire to believe whereunto the poor student replyed yes with all my heart I do desire it why then said Luther you do believe whereat the poor Scholar was exceedingly comforted satisfied and perswaded that he did believe so you be satisfied in this point that if you truly desire to believe you do believe Our most gracious God * As in Abraham Gen. 22.16 17. read the place accepting the will for the deed and your affections for actions and so long so thirst * Dyke of self-deceiving cap. 19. so hunger after Faith as a Fame-lik after meat a Febricitant after drink a Mendicant after a piece of silver and you shall be satisfied For they that hunger and thirst after righteousness and so consequently after Faith which apprehends Christs righteousness shall be satisfied Mat. 5.6 and * Bern. de Lect. Evangel Serm. 7. so much as they can desire they shall receive 5. Labor to see an excellency in Christ surpassing all things and fixing thy heart upon him resolve to seek him without resting and seeking him to sell all for the gaining of him like the Merchant in the Gospel◠who seeking after him and met with him and seeing him to be a * For Christ is that pearl Hilar. in Loc. pearl of great price and so esteeming him above all sold all and bought him Matth. 13.45 46. For * Rogers of Dedham in his Doctrine of Faith e. 2. p. 128. then is Faith begun when namely a man begins to be of Kilians a Dutch School-masters and blessed Martyrs mind who being asked if he loved not his Wife and Children said Yes if the World were gold and were mine to dispose of I would give it to live with them though it were but in prison yet my soul and Christ are dearer to me than all O souls souls how do your hearts now stand affected are ye so resolved to sell all do you so prize Christ above all will you seek after him upon such terms if you will well for assuredly you shall have him and faith in him and with him O my God help this people so to prize thy Son help thy Sons to believe in thy Son I humbly pray thee 6. Labour to have your hearts over-powered with the evidence of truth and reason For we find by experience that though truth and reason and conscience and all make for it so as that we may truly say Amen to what is said yet the heart is stubborn and will not yield but stands out like a contentious Adversarie which though he be overthrown in every trial yet will begin again So the heart though it be answered and overcome with Arguments and Pleas and Reasons again and again yet will begin again to plead against it self For say some when they are non-suited and have nothing to say Ministers are mercifull and good Christians compassionate will not discourage us but did they know our hearts what base unclean Cages they be they would judge otherwise than they do Therefore I say give over quarrelling and be satisfied and perswaded when Truth and Reason tell ye that ye ought to yeild and to believe because the Lord of Life and God of Truth hath said Him that cometh to me whatsoever his heart be or have been and whatsoever his former life have been for he saith not unlesse he have a base filthy heart Again him that cometh to me though he have been the vilest wretch that ever the Earth bore though a notorious Belialist a beastly liver a filthy fornicator an insatiable Drunkard an unreasonable Extortioner I will in no wise cast him out John 6.37 O my Brethren what could Christ say more Christ you see speaks for you and will you have us speak against you nay will you speak against your selves O be overcome by Reason overcome by Truth for Reason tels you that you ought to yield when your Reasons are answered and Truth commands you to submit when you are so well promised by the God of Truth 7. Beg Faith for it is the
will by Gods help only advise me what I shall say unto him when I come before him Believ Urge him upon his prophetical Office by vertue whereof he is bound to turn thee from iniquities Act. 3.26 Soul O thou great Prophet and heavenly Doctor who being come from * Joh. 3.2 God God of God light of light teachest what no other Rabby can teach canst do what no man else can do even turn men from their iniquities O turn me also from mine iniquities and save me from my sins and let not so many lessons thought by thy Servants who are but men be lost in me that look beyond them unto thee who art both God and man ordained by God to turn man from sin which is the greatest folly he being the greatest and wisest Doctor yea Wisdom it self Christ I perceive O Christian soul that needs thou wilt be taught of God without whose teaching the Doctrines and instructions of men are all in vain Cor. 3.7 and I see that thou groundest thy request upon a sure and everlasting Rock even upon the Word of truth * 1 Pet. 1.23 which abideth for ever and cannot be denied and therefore as I have said that he who cometh unto me shall in no wise be cast out John 6.37 So be sure that I will not reject thee neither who so comest unto me to * Mat. 11.29 learn of me who am sent to * Deut. 18.15 turn thee from thine iniquities more and more that they may not have dominion over thee Soul I am perswaded that thou wilt do even as thou hast said Lord Jesus for it 's impossible that God should lie Heb. 6.18 and therefore I will even rest on thee and put my whole trust and affiance in thee for my turning from mine iniquities casting away all self confidence and self-relying on an arm of flesh for in vain is the help of man without thee who madest man and causest me also at this time * Ps 119.49 to trust in thee and to disclaim * Acts 3.26 all power and abilitie in man to save and to Jer. 31 1â— turn himself or any other man The Twelfth Conference Wherein the believing soul makes use of Christ's Kingly Office against sin BEliev. O King of Kings and Lord of Lords I that am most poor come to thee that art most rich 〈◊〉 I being most miserable come to thee that art most merciful being most weak to thee that art most strong and being most sinful to thee that art most holy and good desiring thee that of thine infinite mercie thou wilt deliver me out of my misery and according to thy power subdue the strength and potency of Satans tyranny and according to the vertue of thy Kingly Office wilt debilitate weaken the force and power of sin that it may not reign Christ Dost thou believe that I am such a King indeed and thy King who not only can but also will subdue thy sins Believ I do believe it and therefore O my King and my God Psal 84.4 rule thou in my heart even in the midst of thine and mine enemies Psal 110.2 and so rule as that my Soul may rule my Bodie Reason my Soul Grace Reason and I my whole self may be wholly and solely subject to thy holy will it self both inwardly and outwardly and that eternally O Lord thou hast said Ask and ye shall have Luke 11.9 I ask help let me have it Christ Thou shalt have it must have it for I am so tied by the Promise which I have made as that I cannot denie thee what ever thou dost request me because I have said that every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Luke 11.10 Believ I will extoll thee my God O King and I will bless thy Nâ—â—â—â— for ever and ever Psal 45.1 2. every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation therefore my mouth shall speak the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Psal 145.21 The Thirteenth Conference Wherein the believing soul returns from the vain things of the world to Christ and maketh use of the sacred words precepts to resist sin craving assistance of Christ BEliev. O my Soul why dost thou range so and wanderest here and there whereas here is not thy rest Soul You do well to recall me for I am apt to go astray like a lost sheep and to forget both God and my self and to mind the vain things of this vile world Believ So thou art and therefore seeing thou art thus sensible of it return unto thy rest O my Soul Psal 116.7 and flie thou hence like a Dove even like Noah's dove which finding no rest any where for the sole of her foot returned into the Ark floting upon the waters Gen. 8.6 so do thou return from fleeing abroad unto Jesus Christ typified by that Ark who hath promised thee rest Mat. 11.28 Soul You say right so I ought to do and therefore I will seek no farther abroad nor think so much upon such vain and transitory things as I have done but rather come back again to him who doth so lovingly invite me saying Return return O Shulamite return return and I will say unto him * Luk. 15.18 I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Spouse but thou canst cure me as well as call me and make me as clean as ever was any believing Soul and therefore Take away all mine iniquities and receive me graciously Hos 14.2 Christ I will do it only sin no more Joh. 5.14 and be not so worldly and so vain hereafter as thou hast been in times past Soul I hope I shall never be so overtaken again only do thou * Jer. 31. turn me and I shall be turned and subdue sin in me as thou hast promised me Ezek. 36.26 Mic. 7.19 keep home my thoughts and fix them upon thy self and then I cannot possibly be so wordly Christ I see thou wilt needs hold me fast by my word and I cannot go from it because I cannot deny my self being the truth it self and therefore * Luk. 7.50 go in peace thy faith hath saved thee for lo I whom by thy faith thou didst embrace and urge by the Word of Promise which I have spoken as I am God who cannot lye Heb. 6.18 even I my self will do that for thee which thou canst not do without me that is I will more and more subject this vile world unto thee and abject thy worldly lusts and affections from thee and deject the strong mans holds in thee and reject his Satanical proffers by thee and eject even all his wicked injections and suggestions out of thee that they not be noxious and hurtful unto thee Soul O
gift of God Phil. 1.29 say as Rachel Give me children or else I die Gen. 30.1 So Lord give me Faith or else I die and he will not say thee nay For every one that asketh receiveth saith Christ Luke 11.9 Ask therefore and say Lord thou hast said every one that asketh receiveth O let me receive for one or how else can it be every one if I may not for one Prayer is the souls recourse to the fountain of life and a Christians address to the God of all power to fetch power and help in a time of need Heb. 4. ult Go therefore O dear Christians to the Christians God for power and help in this time of need Go and cry and say with that poor man in the Gospel Lord help mine unbelief Mar. 9.24 Lord help my poor soul to believe Beloved no less power is here required for you to be able to believe being dead than was for the raising of Christ from the dead Eph. 1.19.20 see the place and place your selves therefore before his Throne of grace that you may get grace and power to believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places And thus beg power to believe and to be good and do not think that it is in * Vt Platonici Stoici aiunt apud Clem. Alex. l. 1. c. 61 your power to have faith in God when all your power must come from God * Videatur Concil Arau s c. 24. It is man's greatest weakness to presume upon his own strength when his greatest strength is but weakness and therefore I press and perswade you to beg which if ye do as ye ought I assure you in the words of Christ that it will not be long before you get faith in Christ not long neither before ye will be blessed with that heavenly Assurance of the Saints which cometh by Christ Christ not being able to deny you because he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 and not deny himself because he is Truth it self John 14.6 and being Truth it self hath said Ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Luke 11.9 Thus labour by all these holy waies and means to believe and when your carnal friends shall go about to hinder thee saying what needs all this praying and all this weeping and all this running to Sermons say would ye not have me to live if I do not believe I cannot live Again say Would ye have me be assured of nothing I will be by Gods grace assured of something and especially of my salvation Again if Satan seek to hinder you from striving and praying that ye may not believe yet pray and use all the means premised because God hath promised that you shall be heard and he will do his best for you when Satan shall do his worst against you The Lord give you hearts to pray and hearts to believe that believing you may be assured that you shall be saved so prayeth from his heart your faithful friend to his your best friend who is a hearer of prayers and can do abundantly above all that you or I can ask or think or conceive to him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end 3 Medium Now this and the rest of the ensuing Mediums are properly and chiefly provided for Saints who do believe for which cause and for whose sake I call this Tract the Saints Assurance à potiori Amen Eph. 3.20.21 3. Labour to live as spotless a life as you can possibly for * 1 Joh. 3.3 every man that hath this hope in him What hope that he shall see God v. 2. namely in ‖ Irenaeus l. 4. c 37. Christ and by himself purifieth himself even as he is pure Observe every man that hath this hope and so consequently whose soul is safe whose faith is sound whose heart is sure Again observe purifies himself that is labours to be pure and how is that even as he namely God himself is pure O height of holiness O profunditie of purity are there any such in the world say the men of the world Yes saith the Apostle there are such which though they are not without sin yet are not * 1 Joh. 3.9 1 Joh. 1.9 under sin that is under a reigning sin pressing hard towards perfection which is to be pure as he is pure that is aspiring to it and climbing after it and towards it as Johnathan's Armor-bearer after his Master I remember what a * Anselm de Simil. Father saith that he had rather be in Hell than lie in any sin against God and I have been much taken with his saying God grant that by it you also may be so taken as that you may not be so often overtaken But to the Law and Testimony for all the Fathers Who is she that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun Cant. 6.10 Observe how Christ praiseth his Church for her transcendent pureness and surpassing fairness Some spots she hath and therefore she is assimilated to the Moon as well as Sun and yet called fair because she alloweth them not and because of that Christ seeth them not No no even Balaam could say He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversness in Israel Numb 23.21 Again She is fair as the morning for she is * Instar diluculi quando aurera incipit tenebras dispellere Paraeus partly clear and partly dim like that wonderfull day which is only known to the Lord not day nor night Zech. 14.7 for so is the * Vide Chrysost in Rom. 13.12 Morning and so is she not altogether day because of sin remaining in her nor altogether night because of sin resisted by her and so and after this manner fair and clear and pure but farther what saith Christ of her Thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 that is no spot * Rom. 7.15 allowed no spot approved for whilst she is able to stand she stands and * Heb. 12.4 striveth against sin so do you labouring to cleanse your selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 and that by the Spirit Rom. 8.13 For as any one blemish in the face mars beauty and one dram of poison spoils a whole box of precious Ointment so if you let alone but one sin to reign in you and over you that one will spoil all even all your fair carriage and all your confidence for no * Si unum in locum collata sint omnia mala cum turpitudinis malo non erunt comparanda Cicoro 2. Thusc evil like the evil of sin to spoil a man When Phocas the Roman Emperor had built a most fair and stately Pallace there was a
Lord Jesus * Rev. 22.20 come and do it yea be thou like a Roe or young Hart upon the mountains of Bether or of * Cant. 2. ult Nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat divisionem division making hast to fulfill thy Word in me for lo I am even divided in two having a will and a will or a will which is against a will a will regenerate warring against the will unregenerate and yet but one will thus divided as it were in two so as that * Gal. 5.17 I cannot as I should overcome this vile world but mine eies are towards thee O Lord who only canst must end this quarrel and therefore I say with David make hast to help me O Lord my salvation Psal 37.22 Christ Surely I come quickly Rev. 22.20 Soul Even so come Lord Jesus The Fourteenth Conference Wherein the believing Soul desires Christs presence that it may be able to overcome the world BEliev. Thou must overcome thy self in many things O my Soul if thou wilt come to enjoy a more perfect peace and tranquility being freed from many doubts fears discomforts and discontents which many times surprize thee Soul Which be those many things wherein I must yet more overcome my self Believ First of all thou art too soon and too much angry and passionate yea and thou lovest pleasure too well yet even fine sights and dainty fare and money and mens applause and vain talk and idle sports and slandrous reports again thou hast not laid aside yet thine envy thy malice and thy revengefulness thy high mindedness and self-conceitedness and thy sloathfulness and evil thoughts yea while the very steps of thy best beloved are yet hot in thee thou dost even intromit adulterous and most ignominous thoughts of pride and revenge and lusts and strife and worldly gain and vain delights and graceless talk and those ears which a little before did drink in the Word spoken by the everliving God himself are pestilently infected and those eies which were even lately baptised with sacred and precious tears are horribly contaminated and that heart which was recently and newly visited of the celestial Bridegroom is wofully soiled and polluted and that tongue which did decant sing and say the praises and songs of God pitifully abused Soul All this is most true I cannot deny it and therefore wo is me that I have so loving and gracious a God and Saviour who may now justly say unto me what could I have done more unto thee that I have not done for thee Isa 5.9 thou wast not and I created thee thou hast sinned and made thy self Satans bondslave and I redeemed thee thou didst go astray in the worlds circumference with the ungodly and I elected thee from among them I gave thee grace whereby thou mightest overcome this vile world * Jer. 3.1 but thou hast played the harlot with the world and neglected that grace and faith which I * Jude v. 3. delivered unto thee Again I would fain have made mine * Joh. 14.23 abode with thee continually and therefore I have often knocked at the door of thy heart saying open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my undefiled for * Cant. 5.2 my head is filled with the dew and my locks with the drops of the night by reason of my long waiting for thee but thou hast not opened unto me and therefore what an unhappy creature am I that have so horribly and detestably abused and offended the Lord my Creator which made me Christ Thy case indeed is grievous O perplexed Soul but yet despair not for * Joel 2 1◠the Lord thy God is gracious and merciful and slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil and therefore he saith Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me Jer. 3.1 Soul Are not these they words O my Lord and my God did not they issue out of thy sacred mouth And are they not writen for my learning that I even I through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Ro. 15.4 Chr. Yes verily for the whole word of God is my word and I am Gods word Rev. 19.13 Yea God himself John 1.1 who spake these words for thine everlasting comfort S. I believe it I believe it sweet Jesus dear Saviour who art * Joh. 20.28 my Lord and my God and therefore though my sins be great yet will I not despair nor be out of hope having so great and loving a Saviour who casts away none but those that will cast away themselves O my dear Love Christ which ever burnest with love and art * Gregor Nazianz more merciful than I can possibly be sinful have mercy upon me therefore and pardon all my grivous offences and hainous transgressions where with I have transgressed and sinned against thee Inflame me also with the inextinguible flame of thy love so as that I may love nothing in this world more than thee O my sweetest Love and most merciful Redeemer Christ Jesus Jesus I see thou wilt needs have a pardon and me too whom thou desirest to love more than all things and so consequently to enjoy above all things and therefore as both the one and the other thou dost desire so both thou shalt have a pardon first which may put away thy guiltiness and me too as by whom thou mayest must overcome thy worldiness being wounded with arrowes of my love and indued with sufficient strength and power from above by me in me and for me that the world may not as it hath in times past overcome thee Soul And wilt thou give thy self unto me indeed sweet Lamb dear Saviour who also hast * Gal. 2.20 given thy self for me Christ Yes verily for I cannot deny my self 2 Tim. 2.13 being * Hos 11.9 God as well as man a meer man may deny himself when a woman will marry him and have him but I cannot do it if the poorest creature that is will have me believing on me I cannot keep my self from such a poor Soul but I must and will give my self unto it because I have bound my self to do it by the word of promise Jo. 6.51 Jo. 14.23 Rev. 2.17 Soul O the joy and O the comfort which these sweet words of thine distill into me sweet Saviour For now I am fully perswaded that thou my beloved art mine that I am thine Cant. 2.16 and that this vile world shal have no such power over me as it had formerly and that nothing in this world shall be dearer unto me than thou my dear Saviour and therefore I am even bold upon that assurance which I ground upon thy word of promise to bespeak thee in the Language and praise of thy dear Spouse saying Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth thy love O my love is better than wine Can. 1.2 Yea my beloved shall even lie all night betwixt