Rev. 22.17 And let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Augustin Where there are sincere desires of grace there are the seeds of grace the conception of grace the buds of grace Sincere desires of grace are those holy seeds those divine beginnings of grace in the soul out of which grace springs and grows up to its measure and perfection O Sirs look as no man can sincerely seek God in vain so no man can sincerely desire grace in vain A man may love gold yet not have it but no man loveth God but is sure to have him Wealth a man may desire and yet be never the neerer for it but grace no man ever sincerely desired and missed it And why it is God that hath wrought this desire in the heart and he will never frustrate the desire that himself hath there wrought let no man say I have no faith no repentance no love no fear of God no sanctifying no saving grace in me Doth he see a want of those things in himself yes that is it which so grieves him that he cannot love God stand in awe of him trust in his mercy repent of sin as he should yea but doth he seriously and unfeignedly desire to do thus yes he desires it above all things in the world and would be willing as it were to buy even with a whole world the least measure or dram or drop only of such grace Now let me ask him who is it that hath wrought this desire in him Not the Devil for he would rather quench it than kindle it in him not his own corruption for that is naturally averse to every thing that is good it must needs then be the work of the Spirit of God who works in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure and who pronounceth all them blessed that thus desire after grace Kemnitius Ursini Catechis When I have a good desire saith one though it doth scarcely shew it self in some little slender sigh I must be assured that the Spirit of God is present and worketh his good work Wicked men do not desire the grace of the holy Spirit whereby they may resist sin and therefore they are justly deprived of it for he that earnestly desireth the holy Ghost hath it already because this desire of the spirit cannot be but from the Spirit Taffnies Book of the marks of Gods children Our faith saith another may be so small and weak as it doth not yet bring forth fruits that may be lively felt in us but if they which feel themselves in such an estate desire to have these feelings namely of God's favour and love if they ask them of God's hands by prayer this desire and prayer are testimonies that the Spirit of God is in them and that they have faith already for is such a desire a fruit of the flesh or of the Spirit it is of the holy Spirit who bringeth it forth only in such as he dwells in c. Then those holy desires and prayers being the motions of the holy Ghost in us are testimonies of our faith although they seem to us small and weak As the woman that feeleth the moving of a child in her body though very weak assureth her self that she hath conceived and that she goeth with a live child So if we have these motions these holy affections and desires before mentioned let us not doubt but that we have the holy Ghost who is the Author of them dwelling in us and consequently that we have also faith Again saith the same Author 1. If thou hast begun to hate and flie sin 2. If thou feelest that thou art displeased at thine infirmities and corruptions 3. If having offended God thou findest a grief and a sorrow for it 4. If thou desire to abstain from sin 5. If thou avoidest the occasions of sin 6. If thou doest thy endeavours against sin 7. If thou prayest to God to give thee grace all these holy affections proceeding from none other than from the Spirit of God Phil. 2.13 2 Cor. 8.10 12. ought to be as so many pledges and testimonies that he is in thee It is as impossible for us naturally to do the least good or to desire the least grace as 't is for a Toad to spit Cordials Sincere desires after God and Christ and Grace is sometimes the all that the people of God find in themselves This was all that Nehemiah could say of himself and the rest of his brethren Neh. 1.11 That they did desire to fear God's name And so the Church Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thy holiness And vers 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night So the Spouse Cant. 3.1 2 3. So David Psal 27.4 Psal 42.1 2. Psal 63.1 They must needs be sure of grace that have an unfeigned desire of it This is a Maxim that we must live and die with viz. That no man can truly desire grace but he that hath already grace certainly he that desireth grace hath grace to desire it It is an infallible sign that that man hath already some measure of grace that doth seriously desire to have it he would never seriously desire to fear God who stands not in some awe of him already nor he would never seriously desire to love God who has not in him some love to God already nor he would never seriously desire to believe who has not in him some faith already nor he would never seriously desire to repent that hath not repented already nor he would never seriously desire sanctifying grace whose heart in some measure is not already sanctified by the spirit of grace It is the very essence of righteousness saith one of the Ancients for a man to be willing to be righteous Angustine Pars magna bonitatis est vellâ— fieri boâ—um Sen. Ep. 34. And the poor Heathen could say It is a principal part of goodness for a man to be willing to be good It is natural for every one to desire his own natural good but to desire spiritual grace holiness sound sanctification faith unfeigned the true fear of God serious repentance c. is more than ever any natural man did or can do No man did ever desire to eat which had not eaten before nor no man did ever desire to believe that did not believe before all true desires after faith spring from faith as the root of them Certainly wicked men don't nor can't so much as desire saving grace Job 21.14 Isa 53.2 and that First Because grace is above the reach of nature 1 Cor. 2.14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The water riseth no higher than the springs from whence it came so natural men can ascend no
right hand doth Chap. 6.3 and therefore I shall not provoke you by sounding a Trumpet Ezek. 1.8 10.8 The Angels have their hands under their wings they do much good and yet make no noise There are some in the world that are like to them the Violet grows low and covers it self with its own leaves and yet of all flowers yields the most fragrant smell to others There are some charitable Christians that resemble this sweet flower Gentlemen and Ladies your respects and undeserved favours that have been many wayes manifested unto me hath emboldned me to Dedicate and present to you this Treatise as a real Testimony of my unfeigned love service gratitude and desires to promote the internal and eternal welfare of all your precious and immortal souls And wherein could I or any body else be more truly serviceable to you than in endeavouring to promote your assurance of eternal salvation which is the grand Design and Project of this Book 1 Pet. 5 1â— Now the God of all grace fill all your hearts with all the fruits of righteousness and holiness Gal. 5.22 23. unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding Heb. 10.22 and of faith and hope in this Life and at last crown you all and all yours with ineffable glory in the life to come To the everlasting arms of his protection and to the perpetual influences of his grace and mercy in Christ he commends you all who is to you all Your much obliged and affectionate friend and souls servant in our dear Lord Jesus THO. BROOKS The CONTENTS A Of the appearance of sin EIght Arguments to arm us against the appearances of sin 114 to Page 126 Of Assurance The sense and evidence of the least grace yea of the least degree of the least grace may afford some measure of assurance Page 17 18 19 20 That Christians may more easily attain to a comfortable assurance of their gracious estate than many I than mâ—st do apprehend or believe This is strongly and fully made good Page 25 to Page 57 There is a threefold Assurance Page 27 Perfection of Assurance in respect of degrees not attainable in this life Page 57 58 Assurance is not to be expected by any extraordinary way of Revelation Page 58 59 60 Assurance excludes not all fears doubts conflicts c. Page 351 352 B About Babes in grace The generality of Christians are but Babes in grace Page 339 340 C About changing a mans condition A godly man won't change his condition with men of this world for ten thousand worlds Page 200 201 About chusing Mo man can chuse God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness as their chiefest good but such who are really good Page 202 203 Of the commands of God He that hath a respect to all Gods commands shall never be ashamed Page 27 28 See O of Obedience About heart-condemning He whose heart does not condemn him in six things may have confidence towards God Page 29 30 About confession of sin The second part of true repentance lyes in confession of sin Page 234 235 236 There are eight properties or qualifications of true penitential confession of sin Page 236 to 255 Of the Covenant of grace When a Christian casts his eye upon his gracious evidences he must remember that he has to do with God in a Covenant of grace Page 83 84 85 86 87 The Covenant of grace is a Christians Fort Royal Page 363 364 In the Covenant of grace God stands engaged to give what ever he requires which is evidenced by an induction of twelve particulars Page 364 to 369 The Covenant is everlasting in two respects Page 370 373 374 The Covenant is a sure Covenant Page 370 371 372 About delighting in God Five Arguments to prove that no Hypocrite can delight himself in God Page 322 323 D Of desires That true desires of grace is grace proved by six Arguments Page 170 to 178 No man can sincerely desire grace for grace sake but he that has true grace Page 178 179 180 181 No man can sincerely desire every grace but he that has grace Page 181 182 No man can sincerely and graciously desire grace for gracious ends and purposes but he that has true grace in his soul Page 182 183 No man can sincerely desire and earnestly endeavour after the highest pitches of grace but he that has grace Page 183 to 186 No man can alwayes desire grace but he that has true grace Page 186 187 No man can sincerely desire to abound to abound and excel most in those particular graces which are most opposite and contrary to those particular sins which his natural temper constitution complexion c. does most expose him and incline him to Page 187 188 189 About the dominion of sin He over whom presumptious sins have no dominion is upright Page 29 Eight wayes for a man to know whether he be under the dominion of sin or no. Page 39 to 48 Against trusting in our own duties Three Arguments against trusting in our own duties Page 374 375 376 377 c. E Of Evidences Sound â—â—id Evidences are the best way to prevent delusions Page 4 5 Two special Rules are still to be seriously minded in propounding of Evidences for men to try their spiritual and eternal estates by Page 6 7. Seven Reasons why many men cry down Marks and Signs and deny sanctification to be an evidence of mens justification Page 337 338 339 340 341 342 'T is lawful and useful to make use of gracious evidences Page 342 343 Such Saints as are now triumphing in glory have made use of their gracious evidences c. Page 343 344 345 346 He that can find but one gracious evidence in his soul he may safely conclude that all the rest are there Page 347 What a Christian should do when his evidences are so clouded and blotted that he cannot read them Page 352 353 354 355 356 When a Christians evidences shine brightest his heart and the eye of his faith is to be most firmly fixed upon three Royal Forts Page 356 357 358 374 375 376 377 c. F Of Christians folly Eight Arguments to shew the folly of such sincere Christians who make their condition worse than ' t is Page 51 to 57 Of forsaking of sin There is a fourfold forsaking of sin Page 28 Of Free-grace When a Christians evidences are either clear or blotted it highly concern him to be still a living upon free-grace Page 356 357 358 359 G Of Grace and Graces Where there is any one grace in truth there is every grace in truth Page 7 8 9 The sense and evidence of the least grace yea of the least degree of the least grace may afford some measure of assurance Page 17 18 19 20 Probabilities of grace may be a great stay support and comfort to poor Christians that want assurance probabilities of grace are mercies more worth than ten thousand worlds
Sabbaths of God he is a prophaner of the Sabbaths of God in the account of God c. Look as every wicked man is as bad in the account of God as his desires are bad so every godly man is as good in the account of God as his desires are good he that sincerely desires to believe he does believe in the account of God Mr. Perkins in his grain of mustard-seed The desire saith one to believe in the want of faith is faith though as yet there want firm and lively grace yet art thou not altogether void of grace if thou canst desire it thy desire is the seed conception or bud of what thou wantest Now is the Spring-time of the ingraffed Word or immortal seed cast into the furrows of thy heart wait but a while using the means and thou shalt see that leaves blossoms and fruits will shortly follow c. Another saith Ursin Faith in the most holy is not perfect nevertheless whosoever feels in his heart an earnest desire to believe and a striving against his doubts he both may and must assure himself that he is indued with true faith And he that sincerely desires to repent Mr. Fox he does repent in the account of God Holy Bradford writing to Mr. Jo. Careless saith Thy sins are undoubtedly pardoned c. for God hath given thee a penitent and believing heart that is a heart which desireth to repent and believe Let thy desires be before God and he which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly thy desire is thy prayer and if thy desire be continual thy prayer is continual c. for such a one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deed for a penitent and believing heart indeed And he that sincerely desires to mortifie sin he does mortifie sin in the account of God and he that sincerely desires to walk with God he does walk with God in the account of God and he that sincerely desires to honour God he does honour God in the account of God and he that sincerely desires to deny himself he does deny himself in the account of God and he that sincerely desires to be weaned from the world he is weaned from the world in the account of God and he that sincerely desires to be conformable to God he is comformabâ—e to God in the account of God and he that desires to grow in grace he does grow in grace in the account of God and he that sincerely desires to improve mercies he does improve mercies in the account of God and he that sincerely desires to glorifie God in the hour of his visitation he does glorifie God in the hour of his visitation in the account of God A gracious man may make a better judgment of his estate by his sincere desires than he can by his duties and so a wicked man may make a better judgment of his estate by his desires than he can by his words or works I have been the larger upon this evâ—dence because of its great usefulness to weak believers But Seventhly No man can sincerely desire grace for grace sake viz. faith for faiths sake and love for loves sake and humility for humilities sake and uprightness for uprightness sake and meekness for meekness sake and holy fear for holy fears sake and hope for hopes sake and holiness for holiness sake and self-denial for self-denials sake c. but he that has true grace Mark no man can sincerely and seriously desire grace for the inward beauty glory and excellency of grace Psal 45.13 2 Cor. 3.18 but he that has true grace The Kings daughter is all glorious within though within is not all her glory grace differs nothing from glory but in name grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace at the full grace is glory militant and glory is grace triumphant grace has an inward glory upon it which none can see and love but such as have grace in their own hearts Wicked men can see no beauty no glory no excellency in grace why they should desire it or be taken with it Isa 53.1 2 3 4. and no wonder for they could see no beauty nor excellency nor glory nor form nor comeliness in Christ the fountain of grace why they should desire him and be taken with him Though next to Christ grace is the most lovely and desirable thing in all the world yet none can desire it for its own loveliness and desirableness but such as have a seed of God in them though grace be a pearl of price though it be a jewel more worth than the gold of Ophir though it be a beam of God a spark of glory a branch of the divine nature yet carnal hearts can see no glory nor excellency in it that they should desire it If carnal eyes were but opened to see the excellency of grace Mirabiles sui excitaret amores it would ravish the soul in desires after it but graces beauty and glory is inward and so it is not discerned but with spiritual eyes Plato was wont to say if moral vertues could be seen with bodily eyes they would stir up in the heart extraordinary flames of admiration and love 1 Cor. 2.14 ult I might say much more of grace Grace 1. Puts an excellency it puts a lustre and beauty upon mens persons Prov. 12.26 1 Pet. 34 5 c. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour and pray what makes him so but grace Dan. 11 2â— Wisdom makes a mans face to shine riches and honours and dignities and royal ornaments and costly fare and noble attendants don't put an excellency and glory upon man witness Antiochus Saul Haman Herod Dives c. but saving grace does the graces of the Spirit are that chain of pearl that adorns Christ's Bride 2. Grace puts an excellency upon all a mans duties By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain faith put an excellency upon Abels sacrifice 3. Grace puts an excellency upon all a mans natural and acquired excellencies it puts an excellency upon beauty honour riches name arts parts gifts Now how excellent and glorious must that be that puts an excellency upon all our excellencies 4. Grace makes a man conformable to God and Christ 5. 1 John 4.17 1 John 1.1 2. 2 Cor. 13.14 Zech. 3.7 Mal. 2.2 Prov. 2.11 12. Grace fits a man for communion and fellowship with Father Son and Spirit 6. Grace fits a man for the choicest services 7. Grace turns all things into a blessing 8. Grace fills the soul with all spiritual excellencies 9. Grace preserves a Christian from the worst of evils viz. sin 10. Grace sweetens death it makes the King of terrors to be the King of desires 11. Grace renders a man acceptable to God and that 's the heighth of a Christians ambition in this world 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are ambitious that whether
in a way of sin but the gracious soul sayes with Job Job 34.32 If I have done iniquity I will do it no more He laments over sin and leaves it he confesses it and forsakes it and he is as willing to forgo it as he is willing that God should forgive it Seventhly All and if you please I shall give you many things in one godly sorrow is the fruit and effect of Evangelical faith it flows from faith as the stream from the fountain the branch from the root and the effect from the cause Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Look as all legal sorrow flows from a legal faith as you may see in Ahab's and the Ninevites so all Evangelical sorrow flows from an Evangelical faith They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn All gracious mourning flows from looking from believing nothing breaks the heart of a sinner like a look of faith all tears of godly sorrow drop from the eye of faith godly sorrow rises and falls as faith rises and falls faith and godly sorrow are like the fountain and the floud which rise and fall together The more a man is able by faith to look upon a pierced Christ the more his heart will mourn over all the dishonours that he has done to Christ the more deep and wide the wounds are that faith shews me in the heart and sides of Christ the more my heart will be wounded for sining against Christ Again godly sorrow is not an enemy but a friend to holy joy I have read of a holy man who lying upon his sick bed and being askt which were his joyfullest dayes that ever he had cryed out O give me my mourning dayes give me my mourning dayes again for they were the joyfullest dayes that ever I had The higher the springs of godly sorrow rise the higher the tydes of holy joy rise his graces will flourish most who Evangelically mourns most Grace alwayes thrives best in that garden that heart that is watered most with the tears of godly sorrow He that grieves most for sin will rejoyce most in God and he that rejoyces most in God will grieve most for sin Again the more a man apprehends of the love of God and of the love of Christ and the more a man tastes and is assured of the love of the Father and of the love of the Son the more that person will grieve and mourn that he has offended provoked and grieved such a Father and such a Son Remember this as a man's assurance of peace and reconciliation with God rises so his grief for sin rises the more clear and certain evidences a man has of the love and favour of God to his soul the more that man will grieve and mourn for sinning against such a God There is nothing that thaws and melts the heart that softens and breaks the heart like the warm beams of divine love as you may see in the case of Mary Magdalen Luk. 7. she loved much and she wept much for much was forgiven her a sight of the free grace and love of Christ towards her in an act of forgiveness broke her heart all in pieces A man can't stand under the shinings of divine love with a frozen heart nor yet with dry eyes the more a man sees of the love of Christ and the more a man tastes and enjoys of the love of Christ the more that man will grieve and mourn for all the dishonours that he has done to Christ The more an ingenious child sees and tastes and enjoys of his fathers love the more he grieves and mourns that ever he should offend such a father or provoke such a father who has been so loving and indulgent towards him Injuries done to a friend cut deep and the more near and dear and beloved a man's friend is to him the more a man is afflicted and troubled for any wrongs or injuries that are done to him and just so 't is between God and a gracious soul The free love and favour of God and his unspeakable goodness and mercy manifested in Jesus Christ to poor sinners is the very spring and fountain of all Evangelical sorrow nothing breaks the heart of a poor sinner like the sight of God's free love in a Redeemer A man can't seriously look upon the firstness the freeness the greatness the unchangeableness the everlastingness and the matchlessness of God's free favour and love in Christ with a hard heart or with dry eyes Ezek. 36.31 compared with vers 25 26. O! who is there that has but one spark of ingenuity that can read over that heart-breaking Scripture with dry eyes Isa 43.22 23 24. See Isa 57.17 18 19. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities Now a man would think after all this horrid abuse put upon God this would certainly follow Therefore I will plague and punish thee therefore my wrath shall smoak against thee therefore my soul shall abhor thee therefore I will shut up my loving kindness in displeasure against thee therefore I will shew no more mercy towards thee therefore I will hide my face for ever from thee therefore I will take vengeance on thee therefore I will rain hell out of heaven upon thee c. O! but read and wonder read and admire read and stand amazed and astonished read and refrain from tears if thou canst ver 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins The Prophets expression in that Zech. 12.10 is very observable They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only son Now 't is observable in a fathers mourning for an only son there is nothing but pure love sincere love hearty love but in a sons mourning for his father there may be and often is a great deal of self-love self-respect because the child may run and read in his father's death his own loss his own ruin his own undoing but in the father's mourning for an only son a man may run and read the integrity purity and ingenuity of the father's love and 't is only such a love as this as sets the soul a mourning and a lamenting over a crucified Christ The thoughts and fears of wrath of hell and of
that are in the soul faith is as the spring in the watch that moves the wheels not a grace stirs till faith sets it at work What is said of Solomons vertuous woman viz. Prov. 31.15 27 Heb. 11. Rom. 4.3 8.24 Zech. 12.10 That she sets all her Maidens to work is most true of faith faith sets all the graces in the soul at work We love as we believe and we obey as we believe and we hope as we believe and we joy as we believe and we mourn as we believe and we repent as we believe all graces keep time and pace with faith c. Now when your graces are most shining and your evidences for heaven are most sparkling O then give faith elbow-room give faith full scope to exercise it self upon the Lord Jesus Adams obedience to innocency was not more pleasing and delightful to God than the exercise of your faith on the Lord Jesus will be at such a time pleasing and delightful to him you are to look upon all your graces and gracious evidences as your highest encouragement to a lively cheerful 1 Joh. 5.13 Rom. 1.17 and resolute acting of faith upon the person of Christ the righteousness of Christ c. All a Christians graces and all his gracious evidences should be but as a golden bridge Gen. 45.19 21 27. or as Josephs wagons a means to pass his soul over to Christ afresh by a renewed exercise of faith When your graces and gracious evidences are most splendent then be sure that Christ be found lying as a bundle of myrrhe between your breasts and all is well and will be well Dear Christians Cant. 1.12 when your eyes are fixt upon inherent righteousness Plutarch in the life of Phocion tells us of a certain gentle-woman of Ionia who shewed the wife of Phocion all the rich jewels and precious stones she had She answered her again all my riches and jewels is my Husbands This is more applicable to Christ c. The precious stone Opalum is said to have the vertue of all stones the brightness of the Carbuncle the purple colour of the Amethist the amiable greenness of the Emerald but what are all these to Christ and upon your gracious evidences then let your hearts be firmly fixt upon the Lord Jesus Christ and his imputed righteousness Pauls eye was fixt upon his grace upon his better part Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Ver. 25. And with my mind I serve the Law of God And yet at the very same time his heart was set upon Christ and taken up with Christ Ver. 25. I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ Though Paul had an eye to his noble part his better part his regenerate part yet at the same time his heart was taken up with the Lord Jesus Christ as freeing of him from the curse of the Law the dominion of sin the damnatory power of sin and as translating of him into the glorious liberty of the sons of God I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ So in Col. 2.2 3. You have their eyes fixt upon grace and at the same time their hearts fixt upon Christ That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Their eyes were upon grace but their hearts were taken up with Christ So in Phil. 3.8 The Apostle had his eye upon the excellent knowledge of Christ But Ver. 9. his heart is taken up with the righteousness of Christ That I might be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Though Paul had his eye upon grace upon inherent righteousness yet in the very presence of his grace his heart was taken up with Christ and with his imputed righteousness as is evident in the Text. This is your glory Christians in the presence and sight of all your graces and gracious evidences to see the free grace of Christ and his infinite spotless matchless and glorious righteousness to be your surest sweetest highest and choicest comfort and refuge Look as Rebkekah was more taken with the person of Isaac than she was with his ear-rings Gen. 24.30 53 64 65 66 67. bracelets jewels of silver and jewels of gold So it becomes a Christian in the presence of his graces and gracious evidences which are Christs ear-rings bracelets and jewels to be more taken up with Christ than with them He that holds not wholly with Christ doth very shamefully neglect Christ Aut totum mecum tene aut totum omitte Grego Nazien Christ and his Mediatory righteousness should be more in a Christians eye and always lye nearer to a Christians heart than inherent righteousness Grace is a ring of gold and Christ is the sparkling diamond in that ring Now what 's the ring to the sparkling diamond 'T is not safe to pore more upon inherent righteousness than upon imputed righteousness 'T is not wisdom to have our thoughts and hearts more taken up with our gracious dispositions and gracious actings than with the person of Christ the righteousness of Christ the life of Christ the death of Christ the satisfaction of Christ c. Dear Christians was it Christ or was it your graces or your gracious evidences or your gracious dispositions or your gracious actings that trod the wine-press of your Fathers wrath that satisfied divine justice that pacified divine anger that did bear the curse that fulfill'd the Law that brought in an everlasting righteousness that discharged your debts that procured you pardon that made your peace and that brought you into a state of favour and friendship with God If you answer as you must none but Christ none but Christ O then let your thoughts and hearts be firstly mostly chiefly and lastly taken up with the Lord Jesus Though inherent grace be a glorious creature yet 't is but a creature Now when your thoughts and hearts are more taken up with inherent grace than they are with Christ the spring and fountain of all grace you make an idol of inherent grace John 1.16 Col. 2.2 3. and reflect dishonour upon the Lord Jesus A Christian may lawfully look upon his graces and his gracious evidences and a Christian ought to be much in blessing and praising of God for his graces and gracious evidences and a Christian may safely take comfort in his graces and gracious evidences as they are the fruits of God's eternal and unchangable love Isa 38.3 2 Cor. 1.12 but still his work should be to live upon Christ and to lift up Christ above all 'T is Christ 't is his Mediatory righteousness 't is free-grace that a Christian ought to make the
in their day have laid down such things for evidences or characters of grace which being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary will be found too light But here a mantle of love may be of more use than a lamp and therefore Secondly Many yea very many there are whose graces are very weak and much buried under the earth and ashes of many fears doubts scruples strong passions prevailing corruptions and diabolical suggestions who would give as many worlds as there be men in the world had they so many in their hands to give to know that they have grace and that their spiritual estate is good and that they shall be happy for ever Now this Treatise is fitted up for the service of these poor hearts for the weakest Christians may turn to many clear and well-bottomed evidences in this Treatise and throw the Gantlet to Satan and bid him prove if he can that ever any prophane person or cunning hypocrite under heaven had such evidences or such fair certificates to shew for heaven which he has to shew The generality of Christians are weak they are rather Dwarfs than Gyants 1 Pet. 2.2 3. 1 John 2.12 13 14. Isa 40.11 they are rather bruised Reeds than tall Cedars they are rather Babes than men Lambs than sheep c. Now for the service of their souls I have been willing to send this Treatise into the world for this Treatise may speak to them when I may not yea when I cannot yea which is more when I am not Famous Mr. Dod would frequently say He cared not where he was if he could but answer these two Questions 1. Who am I And 2. What do I hear am I a child of God and am I in my way But Thirdly Some there are who are so excessively and immoderately taken up with their Signs Marks and Evidences of grace and of their gracious state c. that Christ is too much neglected Where Christ was born they were all so taken up with their guests that he was not minded nor regarded when others lay in stately rooms he must be laid in a manger Luke 2.7 and more rarely minded by them their hearts don't run out so freely so fully so strongly so frequently so delightfully towards Christ as they should do nor as they would do if they were not too inordinately taken up with their Marks and Signs Now for the rectifying of these mistakes and the cure of these spiritual maladies this Treatise is sent into the world we may and ought to make a sober use of characters and evidences of our gracious estates to support comfort and encourage us in our way to heaven but still in subordination to Christ and to the fresh and frequent exercises of faith upon the person blood and righteousness of Jesus But O! how few Christians are there that are skil'd in this Work of Works this Art of Arts this Mystery of Mysteries But Fourthly Some there are who in these dayes are given up to Enthusiastical Fancies strange Raptures Revelations and to the sad delusions of their own hearts crying down with all their might all discoveries of Believers spiritual estates by Scripture Characters 2 Thes 2.9 10 11. Marks and Signs of Sanctification as carnal and low and all this under fair pretences of exalting Christ and maintaining the honour of his Righteousness and Free-grace and of denying our selves and our own righteousness Though sanctification be a branch of the Covenant of grace as well as Justification Jer. 33.8 Ezek. 36.25 26 27. yet there are a sort of men in the world that would not have Christians to rejoyce in their sanctification under a pretence of reflecting dishonour upon their free justification by Christ. There are many who place all their Religion in opinions in brain-sick notions in airy speculations in quaint disputations in immediate Revelations and in their warm zeal for this or that form of worship Now that these may be recovered and healed and prevented from doing further mischief in the world I have at this time put to a helping hand But Fifthly No man can tell what is in the breasts in the womb of divine Providence The Brathmanni had their graves before their doors The Sybarites at Banquets had a deaths head delivered from hand to hand by every guest at the Table The Egyptians in the midst of their Feasts used to have the Anatomy of a dead man set before them as a memorandum to the guests of their mortality The poor Heathen could say that the whole life of man should be meditatio mortis a meditation of death Dwell upon that Deut. 32.29 Prov. 27 1. no man can tell what a a day a night an hour may bring forth Who can sum up the many possible deaths that are still lurking in his own bowels or the innumerable hosts of external dangers which beleaguer him on every side or how many invisible arrows flie about his ears continually and how soon he may have his mortal wound given him by one of them who can tell Now how sad would it be for a man to have a summons to appear before God in that other world before his heart and life is changed and his evidences for heaven cleared up to him The life of man is but a shadow a post a span a vapour a flower c. Though there is but one way to come into the world yet there are many thousand wayes to be sent out of the world and this should bespeak every Christian to have his evidences for heaven alwayes ready and at hand yea in his hand as well as in his heart and then he will find it an easie thing to die The King of terrors will then be the King of desires to him and he will then travel to glory under a spirit of joy and triumph We carry about in our bodies the matter of a thousand deaths and may die a thousand several wayes several hours As many senses as many members nay as many pores as there are in the body so many windows there are for death to enter in at Death needs not spend all his arrows upon us a Worm a Gnat a Fly a Hair a stone of a Raisin a kernel of a Grape the fall of a Horse the stumble of a Foot the prick of a Pin the pairing of a Nail the cutting one of a Corn all these have been to others and any of them may be to us the means of our death within the space of a few dayes nay of a few hours Don't it therefore highly concern us to have our evidences for heaven cleared sealed shining and at hand Naturalists tell us That if a man sees a Cockatrice first the Cockatrice dieth but if the Cockatrice sees a man first the man dies Certainly if we so see death first as to prepare for it as to get our evidences for heaven ready we shall kill it but if death sees us first and arrests us first before we are prepared
Promises of God are a Christians Magna Charta his chiefest evidences for heaven Page 9 10 Q. How may a person come to know whether he has a real and saving interest in the promises or no. This great Question receives nine Answers Page 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. All great Promises are made over to faith and repentance Page 26 27 The promises prove an inseparable connexion between true faith and eternal glory Page 48 49 50 51 52 Many scores of promises will be of no use to a Christian if he may not lawfully come to the knowledge of his gracious estate in a discoursive way arguing from the effect to the cause Page 346 347 Of being poor in spirit To such who are poor in spirit the kingdom of heaven belongs Page 30 31 32 Of prizing grace No man can really prize grace above a thousand worlds but he that has true grace in him Page 200 Of purity of heart They that are pure in heart are blessed and shall see God Page 36 37 38 39 R Of Relapses A true child of God may relapse into the same sin again and again Page 278 279 280 281 That a child of God does not relapse into the same sin in such a manner as wicked men do relapse is made good seven wayes Page 281 282 About receiving of Christ Such as receive Christ aright are the Sons of God Page 26 About Repentance There is a Repentance that does accomcompany salvation Page 217 See sorrow for sin see confession of sin and see turning from sin Of Christ's Righteousness When a Christians evidences are either clear or clouded it highly concerns him to have his heart fixed upon the Mediatory righteousness of Christ Page 359 360 361 Five admirable comforts the Mediatory righteousness of Christ will afford to every gracious soul Page 361 362 363 Remedies against fears Two Remedies against those fears that many times rise in a gracious soul Page 388 389 390 S Of Satan Satan is a grand enemy to the peace joy comfort settlement and satisfaction of every poor Christian Page 340 341 Of Scripture All men and women that are desirous to know how it will go with them in another world they must peremptorily resolve to be determined by Scripture in the great matters of their interest in Christ Page 20 21 22 23 24 Of sin many weighty things about it A universal willingness to be rid of all sin is an infallible evidence of the truth of grace in a mans heart Page 88 89 90 91 92 A constant habitual willingness to be rid of all sin is an infallible evidence of the truth of grace in the soul Page 92 93 A transcendent willingness a superlative willingness to be rid of sin is an infallible evidence of the truth of grace in the soul Page 93 94 95 96 97 That soul that does not allow himself or indulge himself in a course of sin or in the common practice of any known sin that soul is certainly a gracious soul Page 97 98 99 That soul that conflicts most with heart-sins and is mâ—st affected and afflicted with spiritual sins he is certainly a gracious soul Page 99 100 101 102 That soul that abstains from sin and whose heart rises against sin because of the evil nature of it c. that soul has certainly a principle of grace a seed of God in him Page 102 103 104 105 106 Where there is an irreconcileable opposition in the soul against sin there is a saving work of God upon that mans heart Page 106 107 108 Where the very prevailings of sin are ordinarily made serviceable to high and holy ends there certainly is a saving work of God upon that mans soul Page 108 109 110 Where a bare naked command of God is commonly of that power force and authority with the soul as to curb sin and restrain the soul from sin and to fence the soul against the encroachments and commands of sin there is certainly a saving work of God upon that mans soul Page 111 112 113 Constant desires and earnest and constant endeavours to avoid and shun all known appearances of sin evidences the truth and reality of grace in the soul Page 114 115 116 He that sets himself mostly resolutely habitually against his bosom sins his constitution sins c. he has certainly a powerful a saving work of God upon his soul Page 126 127 That soul that would not willingly wilfully resolutely maliciously wickedly habitually c. sin against the Lord to gain a world that soul is certainly a gracious soul Page 201 202 Paul layes down eight aggravations of his sins and all to greaten and heighten them Page 244 245 246 247 Many indulge their lusts Page 338 339 Of sorrow for sin When a mans sorrow for sin is sinful shewed in six particulars Page 87 Sorrow and grief of heart for sin committed is that first part of repentance to which the promise of forgiveness of sin is made Page 218 219 Eight ways whereby men may know that their sorrow is true godly sorrow that it is that very sorrow that is a part of true repentance Page 219 to 229 There are seven concomitants or companions that attend and wait on godly sorrow Page 229 230 231 232 233 234 Of the Spirit Without the light of the Spirit our graces shine not Page 347 348 349 T Of thirsting They which truly hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed Page 32 33 34 Of time and times Christians should take the mâ—st compendious time for the casting up of their spiritual accounts Page 69 70 There are seven times seasons or cases where a Christian should not cast up his spiritual accounts Page 70 to 74 Of turning from all sin to God The third part of true repentance lyes in turning from all sin to God Page 254 255 256 First that turning from sin which brings a man within the compass of the promise of forgiveness of sin is a cordial turning from sin Page 256 257 Secondly a true penitential turning is an universal turning a turning not from some sins but from all sins Page 257 258 Eight great Reasons why the true penitent turns from sin universally Page 258 to 269 In answer to an Objection it is declared that a true penitential turning from all sin consists in six things Page 269 to 274 Thirdly a true penitential turning is a constant a continued turning from sin Page 274 275 276 277 Q. But in what respects is a true penitential turning from sin such a turning from sin as never to return to sin any more in what respects is the penitents turning from sin a continued and stedfast turning from sin Sol. This is a very sober serious weighty Question and bespeaks a very sober serious and satisfactory Answer and therefore 't is answered First Negatively from 277 to 282. And Secondly Affirmatively from Page 282 to 284 A true penitential turning from sin includes a returning to God sin is an aversion from God
vile and unworthy otherwise be saved Now mark answerable to the evidence that a man hath in his own soul that faith and repentance is wrote in him so will his hope and assurance be weaker or stronger more or less If a mans evidence for the truth of his faith and repentance be dark and weak and low and uncertain his hope and assurance that is born of these parents as I may say must needs partake of its parents weakness and infirmities and be it self weak and dark and low and wavering and uncertain as they are from which it results â—ope and assurance ebbs and flows as the evidence of a mans faith and repentance ebbs and flows Assurance can't be ordinarily had without a serious examination of our own hearts for assurance is the certain knowledge of the conclusion drawn from the premises one out of Scripture the other by a reflect act of the understanding or conscience thus He that believes and repents shall certainly be saved that is the voice of the Word of God then by the search of a mans own heart he must be able to say but I believe and repent and from these two doth result this assurance that he may safely conclude therefore I shall be saved And O that all Christians were so wise as seriously to ponder upon these things Thirdly a godly man may argue thus He that hath respect unto all Gods commands shall never be ashamed Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto a l thy câ—mmandments Shame is both the temporaâ—â— deternal fruâ—â— sin Rom 6â—â— Dan. 12.2 He that is so honest and faithful with God as to do his best shall find that God will be so gracious as to pardon his worst And this Gospel indulgence David does more than hint at in those words Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments Or as the Hebrew has it Then shall I not blush when my eye is to all thy commandments The Traveller you know hath his eye towards the place where he is going and though he be yet short of it yet he is putting on and pressing forward all he can to reach it so when the eye of a Saint is to all the commands of God and he is still a pressing forwards toward full obedience such a foul shall never be put to shame it shall never be put to the blush but it shall be able living and dying boldly to appear in the presence of the Lord. Mark the Psalmist doth not say when I obey all thy commandments but when I have respect to all thy commandments and that implies an inward aw and reverential eye towards every duty God requires You know to have respect unto a thing is this When that of all others swayes most with us as when a Master commands such a business the servant will do it because he respects him and at his command he will go and come though he will not at the command of any other But I have respect unto all his commandments therefore I shall never be ashamed Fourthly a godly man may argue thus He that loveth the brethren is past from death to life and consequently is in Christ 1 John 3.18 19. But I love the brethren therefore I am passed from death to life and so consequently am in Christ Fifthly a godly man may argue thus He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall certainly find mercy Prov. 28.13 But I confess and forsake my sins 1. In respect of my sincere desires 2. In respect of my gracious purposes 3. In respect of my fixed resolutions 4. In respect of my faithful and constant endeavours therefore I shall certainly find mercy Sixthly a godly man may argue thus He that hath the testimony of a good conscience he may rejoyce in that testimony 2 Cor. 1.12 Isa 38.3 But I have the testimony of a good conscience therefore I may rejoyce in that testimony Seventhly a godly man may argue thus He over whom presumptious sins has not dominion is upright Psal 19.13 keep back thy servant from presumptious sins let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright But presumptious sins has not dominion over me therefore I am upright Mark unfeigned willingness to part with every sin and to mortifie every sin is a sure sign of uprightness a sure sign of saving grace when a man is sincerely willing to leave every sin and to indulge himself in none no not his darling sin it is a most certain sign of his integrity and sincerity as you may evidently see by comparing of these Scriptures together Psal 17.1 3 4. Psal 119.1 2 3 6. Job 1.8 and Chap. 2.3 Psal 18.23 I was upright before him Oh but how do you know that how do you prove that how are you assured of that Why by this that I have kept my self from mine iniquity Doubtless there is as much of the power of God required and as much strength of grace required and as much of the presence and assistance of the Spirit required to work a man off from his bosom sins from his darling sins from his beloved sins as there is required to work him off from all other sins a conquest here clearly speaks out uprightness of heart Eighthly a godly man may argue thus He whose heart doth not condemn him 1. Of giving himself over to a voluntary serving of sin Or 2. Of making a trade of sin Or 3. Of allowing of himself in any course or way of sin Or 4. Of sinning as wicked men sin who sin studiously resolutely affectionately delightfully customarily wilfully or with their whole will or with the full consent and sway of their souls Or 5. of indulging conniving or winking at any known sin Or 6. Of living in the daily neglect of any known positive duty against light and conscience or of an ordinary shifting off of any known service hat God requires of him in that place or station wherein God has set him may have confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is boldness liberty of speech towards God 1 John 3.21 But my heart does not condemn me 1. Of giving my self over to a voluntary serving of sin Nor 2. Of making a trade of sin Nor 3. Of allowing my self in any course or way of sin Nor 4. Of sinning as wicked men sin viz. studiously resolutely affectionately delightfully customarily wilfully Nor 5. Of indulging conniving or winking at any known sin Nor 6. Of living in the daily neglect of any known duty against light and conscience therefore I may have confidence or boldness towards God I may use liberty of speech with God I may use the liberty and freedom of a favourite of heaven I may open my heart to God as favourites do to their Prince viz. freely familiarly boldly When Austin was converted and his heart sincere with God he could bless God that he could think of his former evil wayes which were very bad without
fear O to what a height of holy boldness and familiarity with God had this man of God arrived to But Ninethly a godly man may argue thus To such who are poor in spirit the Kingdom of heaven belongs Mat. 5.3 By poor in spirit is not meant poor in substance that not being a thing praise worthy in it self Chrysost in loc but the broken and humble in heart who hath no high thoughts or conceits of himself but is lowly in his own eyes as a young child Blessed are the poor in spirit that is non habentes inflantem spiritum who hath no lofty or puffed up spirit Augustin Hilar. Tertullian The poor in spirit are those that are lowly being truly conscious of their own unworthiness Nulli pauperes spiritu nisi humiles none are poor in spirit but the humble Blessed are the poor in spirit that is blessed are they whose spirits are brought into such an humble gracious frame as willingly quietly and contentedly to lye down in a poor low condition when it is the pleasure of the Lord to bring them into such a condition Blessed are the poor in spirit that is blessed are they who are truly and kindly apprehensive and sensible of their spiritual wants poverty and misery There are some that are poor in estate and others that are poor in spirit and there are some that are poor spirited in the cause of God Christ the Gospel and their own souls and there are others that are poor in spirit there are some that are spiritually poor as all are that are destitute of grace and others that are poor in spirit there are some that are Evangelically poor and others that are superstitiously poor as those Papists who renounce their estates and vow a voluntary poverty The poverty that hath blessedness annexed to it is only an Evangelical poverty that see their need of God's free grace to pardon them that see their need of Christs righteousness to cloath them that see their need of the Spirit of Christ to purge change and sanctifie them that see their need of more heavenly wisdom to counsel them that see their need of more of the power of God to support them and of the goodness of God to supply them and of the mercy of God to comfort them and of the presence of God to refresh them and of the patience of God to bear with them c. that see their need of greater measures of faith to conquer their fears and of greater measures of wisdom to walk holily harmlesly blâ—mlesly and exemplarily in the midst of temptations snares and dangers and that see their need of greater measures of patience to bear their burdens without fretting or fainting and that see their need of greater measures of zeal and courage to bear up bravely against all sorts of opposition both from within and from without and that see their need of greater measures of love to cleave to the Lamb and to follow the Lamb whither ever he goes and that see their need of living in a continual dependance upon God and Christ for fresh influences in-comes and supplies of grace of comfort of strength whereby they may be inabled to act for God and walk with God and glorifie God and bring forth fruit to God and withstand all temptations that tend to lead the heart from God and that see nothing in themselves upon which they dare venture their everlasting estates and therefore flie to the free rich sovereign and glorious grace of God in Christ as to their sure and only sanctuary Luke 18.13 Phil. 3.9 Blessed are the poor in spirit that is blessed are they that are truly apprehensive and sensible of their spiritual poverty that see themselves fallen in the first Adam from all their primitive purity excellency and glory There are five things we lost in our fall 1. Our holy Image and became vile 2. Our Sonship and became slaves 3. Our Friendship and became enemies 4. Our Communion and became strangers 5. Our Glory and became miserable And that see an utter inability and insufficiency in themselves and in all other creatures to deliver them out of their fallen estate But I am poor in spirit therefore the Kingdom of heaven belongs to me Tenthly a godly man may argue thus Such as are true mourners are blessed shall be comforted Mat. 5.3 That is such as mourn for sin with an exceeding great mourning that mourn for sin with a funeral sorrow as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that mourn for sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beati lugentes Blessed are they that mourn The way to Paradise is through the valley of tears Some report of Mary Magdalen that she spent thirty years in Galba weeping forâ—er sins as a man mourneth for the loss of his only Son Zech. 12.10 or as Jacob mourned for Joseph or as David mourned for Absalom or as the people mourned for the loss of good Josiah 2 Chron. 35.24 25. That mourn for secret sins as well as open for sins against grace as well as for sins against the Law that mourn for sin as the greatest evil in the world that mourns for his own sins Ezek. 7.16 as David did Psal 51. or as Ephraim did Jer. 31.18 19. or as Peter did Mat. 26.75 or as Mary Magdalen did Luke 7.38 And that mourns for the sins of others as well as for his own as David did Psa 119.136 158. and as Jeremiah did Jer. 13.17 or as Lot did 2 Pet. 2.7 8. or as they did in that Ezek. 9.4 That mourns under the sense of his spiritual wants that mourns under the sense of his spiritual losses as loss of communion with God loss of the favour of God loss of the presence of God loss of the exercise of grace loss of the joyes of the Spirit loss of inward peace c. or that mourn not only for their own afflictions and miseries but also for the afflictions and miseries of Joseph as Nehemiah did Neh. 1.2 3 4 or as Ieremiah did Ier. 9.1.2 or as Christ did when he wept over Ierusalem Luke 19.41 42. or that mourns because he cannot mourn for these things or that mourns because he can mourn no more or that mourns because God has so little honour in his heart in his house in his life in the world in the Churches But I am a true mourner therefore I am blessed and shall be comforted Eleventhly a godly man may argue thus They which truly hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed and shall be filled Mat. 5.6 They are not therefore blessed because they hunger and thirst but because they shall be filled blessedness will be in fulness not in hunger but hunger must go before filling that we may not loath the loaves Aug. de verbis Domini Serm. 5. Or they that are hungring and thirsting as the Greek runs being the participle of the present tense intimating that where ever this is the present disposition of
higher than nature Spiritual things can neither be discerned nor desired but by those that are anointed with the eye-salve of the Spirit The natural man is dark and blind and he sees no beauty nor excellency in grace that he should desire it or be in love with it Man in his natural estate is without Eph. 2.12 There are five withou t s 1. Without Christ 2. Without the Church 3. Without the Promise 4. Without hope 5. Without God in the world Now every natural man being under these five withouts how is it possible that he should have any serious desires after grace Such is the corruption of our nature that if you propound any divine good to it it is entertained as fire by water or wet wood with hissing propound any evil then 't is like fire to straw 't is like the foolish Satyr that made hast to kiss the fire 't is like that unctious matter which Naturalists say sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed Rom. 8.7 The contrariety and enmity that is in every natural mans heart against God and Christ and grace and holiness may sufficiently satisfie us that the natural man is a meer stranger to serious and sincere desires after God or Christ or grace or the great things that belong to his everlasting peace Such sincere and serious desires as these Oh that Christ were mine Oh that I were married to his person Oh that I were cloathed with his righteousness Oh that my soul were adorned with his grace Oh that I was filled with his Spirit Oh that he would be my King to rule me and my Prophet to teach and instruct me and my Priest to make an atonement for me Oh that I might enjoy choice and high communion with him Oh that I might sin no more against him Oh that I may do nothing unworthy of him Oh that after death I might live for ever in the enjoyments of him c. I say such serious and sincere desires are not to be found in the natural mans breast Secondly Because grace is contrary to nature The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God Rom. 8.7 Fire cannot desire water nor water fire because they are contrary one expelling the other for either the water will quench the fire or else the fire will lick up the water So here nature would have a man love himself and seek himself and exalt himself but grace will have a man love God and seek God and exalt God c. Take nature when 't is most adorned enriched raised elevated c. yet then you shall find it at enmity with God and grace Ergo c. Thirdly Because grace is not only above nature and contrary to nature but it is even a hell to nature grace and holiness is a hell to a natural man See my Treatise on holiness page 64 65 66. Look as a glorified estate would be a hell to every wicked person Coelum est altera gehenna damnatorum saith one of the Ancients Heaven is another hell to the damned so would a gracious estate also Grace puts a man to take up the Cross of Christ to deny his natural self his sinful self his religious self his relative self and to give up a mans self to the strictest and exactest wayes of God and to crucifie his lusts and to pull out his right eye and to cut off his right hand c. And oh what hard work is this yea what a hell is this to nature c. Fourthly Wicked men don't nor can't so much as truly and seriously desire saving grace witness their daily withstanding and slighting the offers of grace Compare these Scriptures Prov. 1.20 ult Chap. 8.1 12. Ezek. 24.13 Mat. 23.37 Luke 19.41 42 c. Fifthly Wicked men don't nor can't so much as truly and seriously desire saving grace witness their common ordinary habitual provoking vexing quenching resisting and grieving of the spirit of grace Turn to these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Isa 63.10 Act. 7.55 Eph. 4.30 Sixthly Wicked men don't nor can't truly and seriously desire saving grace witness that enmity hatred rage and madness that is in them against the Saints whose hearts and lives are enamel'd with grace Gen. 3.15 Psal 34.21 Psal 44.10 Job 31.29 Amos 5.10 c. I have read of a desperate wretch that when he came to die he gave good portions to all his children but one and to him he would give but twelve pence and being asked the reason of it he made answer he was a Puritan I have heard him say said his wretched father That he had a promise to live on let us now see whether a promise will maintain him or no. Certainly wherever there are true serious desires after grace there is a dear love to those upon whose hearts the work of grace is past Now by these short hints 't is evident enough that wicked men don't nor can't sincerely seriously desire grace certainly such that are poor in spirit and that mourn for their spiritual defects and that hunger and thirst after grace and holiness after a righteousness imparted and a righteousness imputed must confess themselves to be in a blessed estate and consequently in a state of grace for what true happiness is there out of it or else they must contradict our Saviour and charge truth it self with untruth who hath pronounced them blessed that are so qualified so affected Were this well weighed and seriously considered of how would it comfort refresh support and stay up many a troubled soul and what a well-spring of life would this be to many a wounded spirit Doubtless the greatest part of a Saints perfection in this life witness Pauls own ingenious confession after fourteen years conversion Rom. 7.15 18 19 21 22. say some and who ever went beyond him and how exceedingly do most fall short of him consisteth rather in will than in work and in desire and endeavour more than in deed There is so much good in good desires that it is the main that the godly have to speak of and to reckon of make an inventory of a Christians estate and search every room if you find not these you find nothing and if you set these down in the inventory you set down even all he is worth for another world Daniel is called a man of desires and so is every gracious man a man wholly made up of gracious desires Dan. 10 11. Mark God makes a judgment upon the sons of men according as their desires stand he that desires to steal he is a Thief in the account of God and he that desires to commit adultery he is an adulterer in the account of God and he that desires to oppress he is an oppressor in the account of God and he that desires to deceive he is a deceiver in the account of God and he that desires to persecute he is a persecutor in the account of God and he that desires to prophane the
Hebrew runs Any way of pain or of grief or of provocation that is any course of sin that is grievous or provoking to the eyes of divine glory A real Saint can neither allow of sin nor wallow in sin nor be transformed into the image of sin nor mix it self with sin 'T is possible for a sincere Christian to step into a sinful path or to touch upon sinful facts Gal. 6.1 Prov. 16.17 and now and then in an hour of temptation to slide to trip and to be overtaken unawares but his main way his principle work is to depart from iniquity As a true traveller may now and then step a few steps out of his way who yet for the main keeps his way keeps the road or as a Bee may now and then light upon a thistle but her main work is to be gathering at the flowers or as a Sheep may now and then slip into the dirt or into a slow but its main work is to be grazing upon the mountains Certainly O soul if sin be now thy greatest burden it shall never hereafter prove thy eternal bane God never yet sent any man to hell for sin to whom sin has commonly been the greatest hell in this world God has but one hell and that is for those to whom sin has been commonly a heaven in this world That man that hates sin and that daily enters his protest against sin that man shall never be made miserable by sin Sin in a wicked man is like poyson in a serpent it is in its natural place it is delightful to a sinner but sin in a Saint is like poyson in a man's body it is offensive and the heart rises against it and is carried forth to the use of all divine Antidotes whereby it may be expelled and destroyed nothing will satisfie a gracious soul but the heart bloud of his lusts Now he shall never be damned for his sins whose heart is set upon killing his sins Seventeenthly Such a poor soul that dares not say that God is his God or that Christ is his Redeemer or that he has a work of grace upon his heart yet can say with some integrity of heart before the Lord that if God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness were offered to him on the one hand and all the honours pleasures profits delights and carnal contents of the world were offered him on the other hand he had infinitely rather ten thousand thousand times chuse God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness than the contrary Certainly such a soul has true grace in him and a saving work past upon him for none can freely seriously habitually resolutely chuse God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness as their summum bonum chiefest good but such who are really good 1 John 4.19 Deut. 7.6 7 8 9. 26.17 18 19. Look as our love to God is but an effect of his love to us We love him because he first loved us so our chusing of God for our God is but an effect of God's chusing us for his people we chuse him because he first chose us Such who in their serious choice set up God and Christ above all other persons and things such God will certainly make happy and blessed for ever God never did nor never will reject those or damn those who really chuse him for their God and for their great all The greatest part of the world chuse their lusts rather than God and the creatures rather than Christ Luke 12.21 they chuse rather to be great than gracious to be rich in this world than to be rich towards God to be outwardly happy than to be inwardly holy Mat. 10.42 to have a heaven on earth than to have a heaven after death and so they miscarry for ever That soul that with Mary has chosen the better part that soul with Mary shall be happy for ever every man must stand or fall for ever as his choice has been But Eighteeenthly Canst thou truly say in the presence of the great and glorious God that is the searcher of all hearts Psal 139.23 24. that thou hast given up thy heart and life to the rule authority and government of Jesus Christ and that thou hast chosen him to be thy Soveraign Lord and King and art truly willing to submit to his dominion as the only precious and righteous government and as the only holy and heavenly sweeâ— and pleasant profitable and comfortable safe and best dominion in all the world and to resign up thy heart thy will thy affections thy life thy all really to Christ wholly to Christ Isa 26.13 and only to Christ Canst thou O poor soul look up to heaven and truly say O dear Lord Jesus other Lords viz. the world the flesh and the devil have had dominion too long over me but now these Lords I do heartily renounce Isa 33.22 I do utterly renounce I do for ever renounce and do give up my self to thee as my only Lord beseeching thee to rule and reign over me for ever and ever O Lord though sin rages and Satan roars and the world sometimes frowns and sometimes fawns yet I am resolved to own thee as my only Lord and to serve thee as my only Lord and my greatest fear by divine assistance shall be of offending thee and my chiefest care shall be to please thee and my only joy shall be to be a praise a name and an honour to thee O Lord I can appeal to thee in the sincerity of my heart Psal 65.3 Rom. 7.23 that though I have many invincible sins weaknesses and infirmities that hang upon me and though I am often worsted by my sins and overcome in an hour of temptation yet thou that knowest all thoughts and hearts thou dost know that I have given up my heart and life to the obedience of Jesus Christ and do daily give them up to his rule and government and 't is the earnest desire of my soul above all things in this world that Jesus Christ may still set up his Laws in my heart and exercise his dominion over me Now certainly there is not the weakest Christian in all the world but can venture himself upon such an appeal to God as this is and without all peradventure where such a frame and temper of spirit is there the dominion of Jesus Christ is set up and where the dominion of Christ is set up there sin has no dominion for the dominion of sin and the dominion of Christ are inconsistent and therefore such a soul is happy and will be happy to all eternity But Cant. 8.5 Acts 11.21 22 23 Psal 71.16 Isa 61.10 Nineteenthly That man that will venture his soul upon Christ and that will lean upon Christ and cleave to Christ with full purpose of heart and that will cleave to his bloud and cleave to his righteousness and cleave to his merits and satisfaction in
the face of all fears doubts disputes cavils and objections and though it cannot clear its title to Christ yet will stay and hang it self upon Christ for life and happiness that man is certainly a Believer and will be everlastingly saved Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 if I must die I will die at his feet and in the midst of death expect a better life Mat. 15.22 to 28 that man acts faith to purpose that can love a frowning God and hang upon an angry God and follow hard after a withdrawing God Psal 63.1 8. yea and trust in a killing God as here Job had his Feverish sits and his impatient slips and yet he kept up his heroical resolution to lean upon the Lord whilst he had but one minute to live and this speaks out not only the truth but also the strength of Job's faith in the midst of his extraordinary combats when the soul is peremptorily and habitually resolved to cleave to the person of Christ and to cleave to the merits of Christ Gen. 2.24 Ruth 1.14 15 16 17. Est 4.16 and to cleave to the transactions of Christ with the Father for the salvation of sinners as the wife cleaves to her husband or as the child cleaves to the father or as Ruth cleaved to Naomi or as the Ivy cleaves to the Oak with an If I perish I perish then 't is safe then 't is happy then 't is out of the danger of hell then 't is within the Suburbs of heaven God never did nor never will cast such a man to hell whose soul is drawn forth to a secret resting saying leaning and relying alone upon Christ for the obtaining of all that good and all that glory that he has purchased and his father has promised But Lastly That man that makes it his principle care his main business his work of works to look to his heart to watch his heart and to reform his heart that man doubtless has a saving work of God upon his heart There are two things which a gracious soul most looks at his God and his heart Though a gracious man looks to the cleansing of his hands yet his principle care is the reformation of his heart the cleansing of his heart according to that of the Apostle James Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded And that of the Prophet Jeremiah James 4.8 Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Man must labour after a clean inside as well as a clean outside the conversation must not be only unspotted before the world but the heart also must be unspotted before God the heart is as capable of inward defilements as the body is of outward defilements 2 Cor. 7.1 O Sirs though heart-defilement is least taken notice of yet heart-defilement is the worst defilement and the most dangerous defilement in the world heart-defilement is spiritual defilement Eph. 6.12 Vide â—â—za and spiritual defilement is the defilement of divels which of all defilement is the most hateful odious and pernicious defilement The hypocrites only care is to keep his life from defilement but the sincere Christians care is mainly to keep his heart from defilement for he very well knows that if he can but keep his heart clean he shall with more ease keep his life clean if the fountain be kept pure the streams will run pure The heart is the spring of all actions and therefore every action is as the spring is from whence it flows if the spring be good the action is good that flows from it if the spring be evil the action is evil that flows from it Mâ—â— 2.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things Certainly the great work of a Christian lieth with his heart the reformation of the heart is the highest and choicest part of reformation Prov 23.26 because it is the reformation of the noblest part of man and is that which God looks most after The reformation of the heart is indeed the heart of reformation there is nothing reformed to purpose till the heart be reformed if the heart be naught all is naught if that be very naught all is very naught if that be stark naught all is stark naught but if that be reformed all is reformed A gracious man's watch is mainly about his heart Create in me a clean heart Psal 51.10 Psal 86.11 Psal 119.36 Psal 119 80. Psal 27.8 See Psal 119.2 Acts 8 37. Heb. 8.10 Jer. 31 33. O God and renew a right spirit within me Unite my heart to fear thy name Incline my heart unto thy testimonies Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed When thou saidest seek my face my heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek Psal 119.10 With my whole heart have I sought thee Ver. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not unto covetousness Rom. 1.9 The heart of man is the fountain of life or death and therefore sin in the heart in some respects is worse and more dangerous than sin in the life and hence 't is that the sincere Christian doubles his guard about his heart Luther hit it when he said I more fear what is within me than what comes from without the storms and winds without do never move the earth 't is only vapours within that causeth earth-quakes as Philosophers observe Mat. 23 25-30 Hypocrites as our Saviour testifies are all for the outside they wash the platters and the cups and beautifie the tombs like an adulteress whose care is to paint and set a fair face upon a foul matter but now a sincere Christian Psal 50.23 though he has a special respect to the well-ordering of his life yet his main business and work is about his heart O that this ignorant heart were but more enlightned O that this proud heart were but more humble O that this prophane heart were but more holy O that this earthly heart were but more heavenly O that this unbelieving heart were but more believing O that this passionate heart were but more meek O that this carnal heart were but more spiritual O that this luke-warm heart were but more zealous for God and Christ and the Gospel and the great concernments of eternity O that this slight heart were but more serious O that this dull heart were but more quickned O that this dead heart were but more enlivened c. The highest and hardest work of a Christian lieth with his heart Mark common light common conviction education enforcement of conscience principles of common honesty and morality the eye of man the fear of man the examples of man the laws of man and
and diligent guard about them that nothing may pass in or out that may be either displeasing provoking or grieving to them But Fourthly The word signifies to keep as a man keeps his life Job 10.12 Thy visitation hath preserved here is Shamar my life Now with what care with what diligence with what labour with what watchfulness do men labour to preserve their natural lives what a guard what a watch do men daily set about their lives the same they should set about their hearts But Fifthly Men should keep their hearts as they keep a rich treasure of money or jewels or plate Now to preserve a rich treasure what locks what bolts what bars All our spiritual riches are in our hearts A good man may say with Bias omnia mea mecum parto all my goods I carry about with me what chains are made use of Our hearts are jewels more worth than all the Kingdoms Crowns and Scepters of this world There are few men that know how to value a God a Christ a Gospel a Covenant of grace a Heaven or their own hearts as they should What are mountains of gold and rocks of pearl to the heart the soul of man The heart is that pearl of price for which a man should venture his all and lay down his all O then what a guard what a watch should a man continually keep upon his heart The heart is Camera omnipotentis Regis the presence chamber of the King of heaven and upon this account it becomes a Christian alwayes to keep a guard upon his heart he keeps his heart best who keeps it as his choisest treasure c. But Sixthly Men should keep their hearts as a fond father keeps his only child the fond father will still keep his child within doors he will still have him under his eye and in his presence that so no hurt no harm may befal him day or night Our eye should be still upon our hearts or else they will give us the slip and play the wantons with us But Seventhly Men should keep their hearts as Lovers keep the love-tokens that are mutually sent one to another they love to be often a looking upon them and a thinking of them and a talking of them and will be sure to keep the strictest and the strongest guard upon them So a Christian should still be a looking upon his heart and a thinking upon his heart and a speaking of his heart either of the badness of it or of the wants of it and a keeping of the strictest and strongest guard upon his heart But Eighthly A man should keep his heart as a man keeps his house when he is afraid and in danger of being robbed by thieves in the night O! how wakeful and watchful and active will a man now be but what 's a man's house to his heart A mans heart is in ten thousand times more danger than his house and accordingly his guard should be most about his heart But Ninthly A man should keep his heart as men keep their gardens that are full of choice rich rare ripe fruits and dowers Now what care cost and pains men are at to keep such gardens you well know And O that you did but every day more and more experimentally know what it is to spend your greatest care and pains about your hearts which are Christ's garden his bed of spices where all graces flourish Cant. 4. ult Tenthly and last A man should keep his heart as spruce men and women do their fine cloaths O they won't endure a speck a spot upon them 'T is your wisdom and O that you would more and more make it your work to keep your hearts from all sinful specks and spots Let not others be more careful to keep their outsides clean than you are to keep your insides clean for what are clean cloaths to a clean heart 'T is better to go to heaven in ragged cloaths with a clean heart than to go to hell in fine cloaths with an unclean heart Doubtless that man that makes it his business to keep his heart as men keep dangerous Fellons or Traitors or as soldiers keep their Garrisons or Castles when closly besieged or as the Priests and Levites kept the Sanctuary of God or as a man keeps his natural life or as a man keeps a rich treasure or as a fond father keeps an only child or as Lovers keep their love-tokens or as a man keeps his house when he is in danger to be robbed or as a man keeps his pleasant garden or as spruce men and women keep their fine cloaths that man is doubtless a true Nathaniel a man that has a work of God past in power upon his soul yea that man whose sincere desires and whose gracious purposes and fixed resolutions and faithful endeavours is to guard and watch his heart according to the particulars we have now hinted that man without a peradventure is a gracious man and one that has the root of the matter in him and shall be happy to all eternity Look as no man can hear as he would and should nor pray as he would and should nor believe as he would and should nor repent as he would and should nor walk as he would and should so no man can keep his heart as he would and should but if a man makes it his great business and work to keep his heart to watch his heart to reform his heart to better his heart he is accepted of God and shall be blessed for-ever 'T is one of the greatest and cleerest evidences of grace for a man to make it his greatest business work and concernment in this world to keep his heart alwayes in a gracious frame Cant. 5.2 2 Kings 22.19 2 Chron. 32.26 James 5.11 Eccles 5.1 2. Col. 3.1 2. 2 Cor. 7.11 to keep his heart alwayes in a wakeful frame in a watchful frame in a tender frame in a believing frame in a repenting frame in an humble frame in a patient frame in a serious frame in a heavenly frame and in a jealous frame for the more gracious the heart is the more suspicious it will be Satan has a strong party a numerous party an old party a subtil party in all our hearts and therefore it highly concerns us to watch our hearts with a holy jealousie O Sirs God hath never said Above all keepings keep your Shops or above all keepings keep your Estates or above all keepings keep your Flocks or above all keepings keep your Bags or above all keepings keep your Friends or above all keepings keep your Bodies or above all keepings keep your Names or above all keepings keep your Conversations but he hath said above all keepings keep your hearts Look Fron. lib. 2. as the heart is the fountain of natural life and if it fail life fails and therefore it is strongly secured with ribs about it it is guarded in a castle of flesh and bones so is the soul the fountain
of spiritual life 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 5.13 c. and runs invisibly through all the body Fountains were to be kept pure by the Roman Laws of the twelve Tables and the heart that is the spring and fountain of all actions is to be kept pure by the Laws of the great God Men keep the heart principally from hurt because every wound there is mortal O that men were as wise for their souls God's eye is mainly upon the heart The heart well guarded and watcht keeps all in security Alexander was safe while Antipater kept the watch so all within that little world Man will be safe while the heart is strongly guarded The heart is the fountain the root the store-house the primum mobile the great wheel that sets all a going and therefore above all keepings keep your hearts 'T is a foolish thing to watch the out-works and leave the Fort-Royal without a guard so 't is a foolish thing to watch the out-works the eye the ear the tongue the hand the feet though these must all be watcht and to leave the heart which is a Christians Fort-Royal without a guard Omnia si perdas animam servare memento If all things else must needs be lost Yet save thy soul what e're it cost He that makes it his business to watch and weep and sigh and groan most over his own heart he doubtless is in a gracious estate he that makes it his work his daily work his greatest work 3 John 2. his work of works to keep a continual guard upon his heart he certainly is in a blessed estate he that lamentingly cryes out O that my soul did but prosper as my body O that my inward man were but in as good a frame as my outward man O that this proud heart were but more humble O that this hard heart were but more softned O that this carnal heart were but more spiritual O that this earthly heart were but more heavenly O that this unbelieving heart were but more believing O that this passionate heart were but more meek O that this slight heart were but more sericus O that this blind heart were but more enlightned O that this dull heart were but more quickned O my heart my heart when wilt thou be better O my God my God! when shall my heart be better O bring it into a gracious frame and for ever keep it in a gracious frame He that thus lamentingly cryes out of his heart he certainly has an honest heart and will be happy for ever O Lord my memory is weak and my utterance is bad and my understanding is dark and my gifts are low and my affections are flat and my temptations are strong Psa 39 22 23 24 and my corruptions are prevalent but thou who art the great heart searcher thou knowest that I would fain have my heart in a better temper I had rather have my heart brought into a gracious frame and kept in a gracious frame than to have all the riches of the Indies than to be an Emperor yea than to be King over all the earth If it be indeed thus with thee thou art blest and shalt be blest for ever 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not I know the Apostle speaks this in point of alms but 't is applicable to the case in hand and to a hundred other cases God measures his people not by their works but by their wills if their wills be to be more holy humble heavenly and to have their hearts alwayes in a most gracious frame then they are accepted of God for every good man is as good in the eye of God in the judgment of God and in the account of God as he would be Not long before famous Mr. Banes died some friends that were with him in his Library which was an excellent one fell a commending of it I saith he there stand my books but the Lord knows that for many years lost past I have studied my heart more than Books O no Minister to him no Scholar to him who studies his heart more than his books nor no Christian to him who studies his heart more than his day-books or more than his Shop-books or that studies his heart more than his counting-house or that studies his heart more than a good bargain c. That man is for heaven and heaven is for that man who makes it his greatest business in this world to watch his heart to guard his heart the hypopocrite looks most to externals but the sincere Christian looks most to internals the hypocrites main watch is about his lips but a sincere Christians main watch is about his heart the hypocrites main work lyes without doors but the sincere Christians main work lyes within doors All know that know any thing that both nature and grace begin at the heart but art begins at the face A painter doth not begin a picture at the heart a picture hath but a face but an outside And as nature begins at the heart but art at the face so grace begins at the heart but hypocrisie at the face at the outside of Religion Every man is that really that he is inwardly Rom. 2.28 29. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Certainly that man that makes it his great business to watch his heart and to keep his heart alwayes in a gracious frame that man is a gracious man 'T is true our hearts are like our watches seldom got to go well and when they do go well how hard a work is it to keep them going well The motions of our watches are not constant sometimes they go faster and sometimes they go slower and often they stand in need of mending Though in these and many other respects our hearts are like our watches yet if we make it our grand work to keep a constant guard upon our hearts and our main design in this world to have our hearts brought and kept in a gracious frame our spiritual estate is good and we shall be happy for ever c. In my other Writings there are variety of special evidences which the Christian Reader if he please and if need require may make use of in order to the further clearing up of his gracious estate and therefore let these twenty suffice at this time And thus much for this Chapter c. CHAP. III. Now in this Chapter I shall treat of sound saving repentance of repentance unto Life yea of that Evangelical repentance that hath the precious Promises of remission of sin and salvation running out unto it My purpose at this time is not to handle
turning from sin shall find no more sweetness in that grand promise of pardon Prov. 28.13 than devils or damned spirits do Look as one sin unforgiven will as certainly undo and damn a man as a thousand so one sin unforsaken will as certainly undo and damn a man as a thousand The true penitent is as willing to turn from all his sins as he is willing that God should pardon all his sins But Eighthly and lastly There is in every penitent a sincere hatred of sin a universal hatred of sin Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil Prov. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil True hatred is to the whole kind Arist Amos 5.15 Hate the evil and love the good Psal 119.104 Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Ver. 128. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Ver. 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Ver. 163. I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love True hatred is universal 't is of the whole kind he who hates a toad because it is a toad hates every toad he that hates a serpent because it is a serpent hates every serpent he that hates a wolf because 't is a wolf hates every wolf he that hates a man because he is holy hates every man that is holy and so he that hates sin because it is sin hates every sin and therefore he can't but turn from it and labour to be the death and ruin of it Holy hatred is an implacable and an irreconcilable affection you shall as soon reconcile God and Satan together Christ and Antichrist together heaven and hell together as you shall be able to reconcile a penitent soul and his sin together A true penitent looks upon every sin as contrary to the Law of God the nature of God the being of God the glory of God and accordingly his heart rises against it he looks upon every sin as poyson as the vomit of a dog as the mire of the street as the * Pliny saith that the very trees with touching of it would become barren menstrous cloth which of all things in the Law was most unclean defiling and polluting and this turns his heart against every sin he looks upon every sin as having a hand in apprehending betraying binding scourging condemning and murdering of his Lord and Master Jesus Christ and this works him not only to refrain from sin but to forsake it and not only to forsake it but also to abhor it and to loath it more than hell it self The penitent soul will do all he can to be the death of every sin that has had a hand in the death of his Lord and Master he looks upon the sins of his body to be the tormentors of Christ's body and the sins of his soul to be the tormentors of Christ's soul to be those that made his soul heavy to the death and that caused the withdrawings of his father's love from him and that forced him in the anguish of his soul to cry out Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And this raises up in him a universal hatred of sin and a universal hatred of sin alwayes issues in a universal turning from sin Now these eight arguments do sufficiently prove that a true penitential turning is a universal turning a turning not from some sins but from all sins But some may be ready to object Object and say Sir this is a hard saying who can hear it who can bear it John 6.60 who shall then be saved for if a man repents not unless he turns from every sin then there is not a man to be found in all the world that repents for there is not a man in all the world that turns from every sin that forsakes every sin c. 1 King 8.46 For there is no man that sinneth not Prov. 20.9 Who can say Job 9.30 31. Psal 130.3 2 Chron. 6.36 Job 14.4 Psal 51.5 Ponder upon these Scriptures c. I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin It is a question that implyes a strong denial Who can say it and say it truly that he is pure from his sin surely none He that shall say that he has made his heart clean and that he is pure from his sin sins in so saying and commonly there are none more unclean than those that say they have made their hearts clean nor none more impure than they that say they are pure from their sin Eccl. 7.20 For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not These words in their absolute sense are a full testimony of the imperfection of our inherent righteousness in this life and that even justified persons come very short of that exact and perfect obedience which the Law requireth James 3.2 For in many things we offend all or as the Greek has it we stumble all 'T is a metaphor taken from Travellers walking on stony or slippery ground who are very apt to stumble or slide This Apostle was worthily called James the just and yet he numbers himself among the rest of the sanctified ones that in many things offended all The Apostle does not say in many things they offend all but in many things we offend all We that have more gifts than others we that have more grace than others we that have more assurance than others we that have more experiences than others we that have more preservatives to keep us from sin than others even we in many things offend all nor the Apostle doth not say in some things we offend all but in many things we offend all the Apostle speaking not of the singular individual acts of sin but of the divers sorts of sin nor the Apostle does not say in many things we may offend all but in many things we do offend all 1 John 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us The Apostle does not say if thou sayest thou hast no sin thou deceivest thy self as if he spake to some particular person only but if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves nor the Apostle does not say if ye say ye have no sin ye deceive your selves as if he intended weak or ordinary Christians alone but if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves we Apostles we that in all grace and in all holiness and in all spiritual enjoyments exceed and excel all others even we sin as well as others He that is so ignorant and so impudent so saucy and so silly as to say he has no sin sins in saying so and has no sincerity no integrity nor no ingenuity in him Ver. 10. If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us As much as in us lyes we make
why others don 't much mind them or take any great notice of them But The fourth Proposition is this If this way of trying our spiritual estates by holy and gracious qualifications were not both lawful and useful then certainly the holy Spirit would never have prescribed it nor never have prest men so earnestly upon it as we find he has done in the blessed Scripture Take a taste 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith Psal 4.4 Vide Chrysostom on the words Gal. 6.3 4. 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. prove your own selves The precept is doubled to teach us to redouble our diligence in this most needful but much neglected duty of self-examination The final tryal of our eternal estates doth immediately and solely belong to the Court of heaven but the disquisitive part belongs to us Here are two emphatical words in the Greek First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examine your selves The word in the general signifies to take an experimental knowledge of any thing that is either uncertain unknown or hidden most men are great strangers to God to Christ to Scripture and to themselves and therefore saith the Apostle Examine your selves Now if there were not sure marks and infallible signs whereby men may certainly know what their present estate is and how 't is like to go with them in another world the redoubled commnad of the Apostle would be in vain The second Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prove your selves The original word signifies a severe and diligent inquisition into our selves so as to have a full experience of what is in us Doubtless the Apostle would never call again and again upon us to try and examine our selves whether we be in the faith if it were not lawful to come to the knowledge of our faith or of our being in the state of faithful Christians in a discursive way arguing from the effect to the cause So in that 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure The Greek word translated give diligence is very emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies to do a thing not in an overly lazy careless way but to do a thing with industry vigilancy and unweariedness of spirit Now it is granted on all hands that election cannot be made more sure in respect of God or it self but only in respect of us that we may be more perswaded of it Election cannot be made more sure than it is already for those whom God hath elected shall be certainly glorified but we must make it sure on our parts Rom. 8.29.30 that is we must labour to have a real bottom and grounded assurance that we are elected by God in his eternal decree to obtain life and glory by Jesus Christ There is a double certainty 1. There is certitudo objecti a certainty of the object so our election is sure with God for with him both it and all things are unchangable 2. There is certitudo subjecti the certainty of the subject and so we must make our election sure to our selves in our own hearts and consciences Now the means whereby we are to come to this assurance is by adding grace to grace and by causing those several graces to abound in us This is the way of wayes to make all sure to us Now by these Scriptures 't is most evident that we stand engaged to make our election sure by holy signs and marks But The fifth Proposition is this That other precious Saints that are now triumphing in glory have pleaded their interest in God's love and their hopes of a better life from graces inherent Grace in the working of it is often compared to life Now look as natural life is discerned by the actions thereof as by so many signs so also is supernatural life I 'le only point at some of those Scriptures among many others that clearly speak out this truth the first Epistle of John James 2.17 ult Job 23.10 11 12. and the whole 31. Chapter of Job Psal 119.6 Isa 38.2 3. Neh. 1. ult 13.14 c. Now all these Scriptures do evidently prove that the precious servants of the Lord did take their graces for precious signs and testimonies of God's love of their interest in Christ and thereby received much comfort peace and satisfaction And truly to deny the fruit growing upon the Tree to be an evidence that the Tree is alive is to me as unreasonable as it is absurd Certainly 't is one thing to judge by our graces and another thing to trust in our graces to make a Saviour of our graces There is a great deal of difference betwixt declaring and deserving Christians they may doubtless look to their graces as evidences of their part in Christ and salvation and the clearer and stronger they are the greater will be their comfort and assurance but not as causes No man advanced free grace like Paul no man debased his own righteousness like Paul he counted it but dung and dross and no man exalted the righteousness of Christ like Paul Phil. 3.6 7 8 9 and yet by this way of signs he gathered much comfort and assurance 2 Tim 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness How plainly how fully doth he here conclude his right to the crown of life from his fighting a good fight his finishing his course in a way of grace and holiness and his keeping the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is boasting they boasted in the testimony of their consciences O the quiet and tranquility that arises from the testimony of a mans sincerity both in heart and life By this great instance you may clearly see that a Christian may greatly exalt Christ lift up free grace tread upon his own righteousness as to justification and at the very same time take comfort in his graces and in his gracious actings So in that 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of a good conscience that in godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world His joy was founded on the testimony of his conscience but from what did his conscience testifie from his sincere conversation Again take that memorable instance of Job God hid his face from him the arrows of the Almighty stuck fast in him Satan was let loose upon him the wife of his bosom proved a tempter to him a tormenter of him his most inward acquaintance deserted him reproached him and condemned him as an hypocrite God writ bitter things against him and made him to possess the iniquities of his youth all was clouded above him and he stript of all the outward comforts that did once surround him so that he had nothing left to stay him to refresh him to support him and to be a comfort and joy to him Job 1.8 2.3 but the
sense of his integrity and the evidence he had of his own uprightness his own righteousness Job 27.5 Till I die I will not remove my integrity from me Ver. 6. My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job was under great afflictions sore temptations and deep desertions now that which was his cordial his bulwark in those sad times was the sense and feeling of his own uprightness his own righteousness the sense and feeling of the grace of God in him kept him from fainting and sinking under all his troubles So 1 Joh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandments c. In these words two things are observable First that where there is a true knowledge of Christ there is an observation of his commandements Secondly that by this observation of his royal Law we may know that our knowledge is sound and sincere He speaks not of a legal but of an evangelical keeping of his commandements A conscionable and serious endeavour to walk in a holy course of life according to God's will revealed in his Word is a most certain mark or evidence that we have a saving knowledge of God and that we are his children and heirs of glory Such who sincerely desire and unfeignedly purpose and firmly resolve and faithfully endeavour to keep the commandements of God these do keep the commandements of God evangelically and acceptably in the eye of God the account of God So ver 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked Here you may observe two things First that by faith we are implanted into Christ Secondly that we discover our implantation into Christ by our imitation of Christ Such as plead for sanctification a an evidence of justification don't make their graces causes of their implantation into Christ or of their justification before the throne of Christ but they make them testimonies and witnesses to declare the truth of their real implantation into Christ and of their being justified before the throne of Christ So 1 Joh. 3.14 We know we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren The Apostle makes this a great sign of godliness to love another godly man for godliness sake and the more godly he is the more to love him and to delight in him Now mark this love of our brethren is not a cause of our translation from death to life for the very word translated supposeth such a grace such a favour of God as is without us but a sign of our translation from death to life But of this I have said enough already as you may see if you will but read from page 189. to page 200. of this Book But The most ordinary and safe way of coming to assurance is the discoursive way in which a believer from the fruits and effects of grace infers he hath the habit and from the habit concludes his jâ—stification adoption and as this is a way least subject to delusion so it is also most suited to a rational creature whose way of acting is by discourse and argumentation The sixth Proposition is this There are many scores of precious promises made over to them that believe to them that trust in the Lord to them that set him up as the great object of their fear to them that love him to them that delight in him to them that obey him to them that walk with him to them that thirst after him to them that suffer for him to them that follow after him c. Now all these scores of promises are made for the support comfort and encouragement of all such Christians whose souls are bespangled with grace But now if we may not lawfully come to the knowledge of our faith love fear delight obedience c. in a discoursive way arguing from the effect to the cause What support what comfort what advantage shall a sincere Christian have by all those scores of promissory places of Scripture Doubtless all those scores of promises would be as so many Suns without light as so many springs without water as so many breasts without milk and as so many bodies without souls to all gracious Christians were it not lawful for them to form up such a practical syllogism as this is viz. The Scripture doth plainly and fully declare that he that believeth feareth loveth obeyeth c. is blessed and shall be happy for ever But I am such a one that doth believe fear love obey c. therefore I am blessed and shall be happy for ever Now although it must be granted that the major of this Proposition is Scripture yet the assumption is from experience and therefore a godly man being assisted therein by the holy Ghost may safely draw the conclusion as undeniable O that you would seriously consider how little would be the difference should you shut out this discoursive way betwixt a man and a beast if a man should assent to a thing unknown through an instinct and impression and should to one who asks him a reason of his perswasion be able to return no other answer but this I am perswaded because I am perswaded But The seventh Proposition is this That the Scripture giveth many signs and symptoms of grace so that if a man cannot find all yet if he discover some yea but one he may safely conclude that all the rest are there he who hath but one in truth of the forementioned characters in this book hath seminally all he who hath one link of the golden chain hath the whole chain Look as he who hath one grace in truth hath every grace in truth though he doth not see every grace shining in his soul so he that hath in truth any one evidence of grace in his soul he hath virtually all And O that all weak dark doubting Christians would seriously and frequently ponder upon this Proposition for it may be a staff to uphold them and a cordial to comfort them under all their fears and faintings But The eighth Proposition is this Without the light of the holy Ghost our graces shine not our graces are only the means by which our condition is known to us Rom. 9.2 the efficient cause of this knowledge is the Spirit illustrating our graces and making them visible and so helping us to conclude from them 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God Our graces our sanctification as well as our election vocation justification and glorification are freely given to us of God and the Spirit of God is given as well to discover the one as the other to us Mark the things freely given us may be received by us and yet the receit of them not known to us therefore the Spirit for our further
heart Ver. 23. Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand Ver. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory Ver. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Ver. 26. God is the strength or rock of my heart and my portion for ever Ver. 28. It is good for me to draw near to God So the Church in that Micah 7. When God had hid his face from her Ver. 7. When she sate in darkness Ver. 8. When she was under the indignation of the Lord. Ver. 9. When the righteous man was perished and there was none upright among men Ver. 2. And when her enemies rejoyced insulted and triumphed over her Ver. 8. ver 10. Yet now even now she keeps up in her soul very high precious and honourable thoughts of the Lord. Ver. 7. My God will hear me Ver. 8. When I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Ver. 9. He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness I might give you twenty more instances but enough is as good as a feast Dear Christians when your graces are not transparent when your evidences for heaven are blotted and when the face of God is clouded O then keep up in your hearts high precious and honourable thoughts of God and Christ and of his Word and wayes Acts 27.20 c. When your Sun of righteousness is set in a cloud when great darkness is upon your spirits when all Moon-light and Star-light of your graces and gracious evidences fails you Psal 22.3 yet then say with David Thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel and with Ezra Thou hast punished me less than mine iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 Neh. 9.33 and with Nehemiah Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly and with the Church The Lord is righteous Lam. 1.18 In the darkest night and under your deepest soul-distresses say Well if I perish if I should miscarry for ever yet I will maintain and keep up in my heart high and precious and honourable thoughts of God and Christ Say well though my graces are obscured and my evidences for heaven are blurred and soyled yet I shall to my last breath say the Lord is good and his Word is good and his wayes are good yea though he should slay me yet I will trust in him Job 13.15 and entertain noble and glorious thoughts of him This is the way of wayes to have your graces cleared and strengthned your evidences brightned your comforts restored and your assurance confirmed But The twelfth Proposition is this viz. That it is the great duty and concernment of Christians to keep the evidences of their gracious and happy condition alwayes bright and shining Christians should make conscience of blurring and disfiguring the golden characters of grace in their souls The least character of grace in the soul is more worth than all the gold of Ophir yea more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds Eph. 4.30 Psal 51.11 12 and therefore every gracious Christian should be marvellous careful that he does not by wilful omissions or sinful commissions cloud dim or darken the least character of grace such as blot or lose their evidences for heaven they lose the comfort of their lives in this world Satans master-piece is first to work Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory by committing this or that hainous sin and then his next work is to rob them of their evidences for glory that so though at the long run they may get safe to heaven that yet Jacob like they may go halting and mourning to their graves Satan knows that whilst a Christians evidences are bright and shining a Christian is temptation-proof Satan may tempt him but he can't conquer him he may assault him but he can't vanquish him Satan knows that whilst a Christians evidences for heaven are bright and shining no afflictions can sink him nor no opposition shake him nor no persecution discourage him nor no outward wants perplex him and therefore he will use all his power and policy all his arts crafts and parts to draw poor Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory Satan knows that a man may lose one friend and easily get another lose his Trade in one place and soon get a Trade in another place lose health and get it lose an estate and get an estate c. But if he loses his evidences for heaven he knows it will cost him many a prayer and many a sigh and many a groan and many a tear and many a sad complaint before he recovers his lost evidences and therefore his grand design is to plunder a Christian of his evidences for heaven O Sirs keep but your evidences for heaven alwayes bright and shining and then heavy afflictions will be light and long afflictions will be short 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. and bitter afflictions will be sweet and then every evidence fainly written in your hearts will be a living comfort to you in a dying hour When the tokens of death are upon your bodies and you shall see the lively characters of grace shining in your souls Luke 2.29 you will then cry out with old Simeon Lord now let thy servant depart in peace and with the Spouse Make hast my beloved Cant. 8. ult and be like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices Rev. 22.20 Phil. 1.23 and with the Bride Come Lord Jesus come quickly and with Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ When a man's evidences for heaven are either lost or blotted and blur'd then he will be ready to cry out wiâ—h David O spare me yet a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be seen no more Isa 38.3 and with Hezekiah to turn his face to the wall and weep There are four things that above all others a Christian should labour to keep 1. Christ 2. His own heart 3. The Word 4. His evidences for heaven bright and shining But The thirteenth Proposition is this viz. It is the high concernment of every Christian either when he is in the dark or when his graces shine brightest and when his evidences for heaven are clearest and his springs of comfort rise highest then to have his heart and the eye of his faith most firmly fixt upon these three royal Forts or these five Cities or refuge It must be granted that though our graces are our best jewels yet they are imperfect and do not give out their full lustre they are like the Moon which when it shines brightest hath her dark spots and therefore a Christian had need have his eye his heart fixt upon the five following royal Forts
of Refuge But The second Royal Fort that Christians should have their eys their hearts fixed upon Imputed righteousness seem◠to be prefigured by the skins wherewith the Lord after the full cloathed our first parents The bodies of the beasts were for sacrifice the skins to put them in mind that their own righteousness was like the fig-leaves imperfect that therefore they must be justified another way whether their graces or gracious evidences sparkle and shine or are clouded and obscured is the Mediatory righteousness of Christ Beloved there is a twofold righteousness in Christ First there is his essential and personal righteousness as God Now this essential personal righteousness of Christ cannot be imputed to us But then there is Secondly his Mediatory righteousness that is that righteousness which he wrought for us as Mediator whereby he did subject himself to the preceptt to the penalties commands curses answering both Gods vindictive and rewarding justice This is communicated to us and made ours by virtue of which we stand recti in curia justified in God's sight The Mediatory righteousness of Christ is the matter of our justification Now this Mediatory righteousness of Christ includes First the habitual holiness of his person in the absence of all sin and in the rich and plentiful presence of all holy and requisite qualities Secondly the actual holiness of his life and death by obedience By his active obedience he perfectly fulfilled the commands of the Law and by his passive obedience his voluntary sufferings he satisfied the penalty and commination of the Law for transgressions Mark that perfect satisfaction to divine justice in whatsoever it requires either in way of punishing for sin or obedience to the Law made by the Lord Jesus Christ God and Man the Mediator of the new Covenant Osiander was of opinion that men were justified by the essential righteousness of Christ as God which opinion is largely confuted by Calvin in his Institutions as a common head representing all those whom the Father hath given to him and made over unto them that believe in him This is that righteousness that is imputed to us in justification No other righteousness can justifie us before the throne of God Look as Christ was made sin for us only by imputation so we are made righteous only by the imputation of his righteousness to us as the Scripture clearly evidences 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Jer. 23.6 The Lord our righteousness A soul truly sensible of his own unrighteousness would not have this sentence The Lord our righteousness blotted out of the Bible for ten thousand thousand worlds 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ Jesus is made unto us of God wisdom righteousness c. And pray how is Christ made righteousness to the believer Not by way of infusion but imputation not by putting righteousness into him but by putting a righteousness upon him even his own righteousness by the imputing his merit his satisfaction his obedience unto them through which they are accepted as righteous unto eternal life Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Christ's righteousness is his in respect of inhesion but it is ours in respect of imputation his righteousness is his personally but ours meritoriously Look as there is a true and real union between us and Christ so there is a real imputation of Christ's righteousness to us And a gracious soul triumphs more in the righteousness of Christ imputed than he would have done if he could have stood in the righteousness in which he was created This is the crowning comfort to a sensible and understanding soul that he stands righteous before a judgment-seat in that full exact perfect compleat matchless spotless pearless and most acceptable righteousness of Christ which is imputed to him The righteousness of Christ is therefore called the righteousness of God Rom. 3.21 22. Rom. 10.3 Phil. 3.9 because it is it which God hath designed and which God doth accept for us in our justification and for and in which he doth acquit and pronounce us righteous before his seat of justice Luthers great fear was that when he was dead this glorious doctrine of free justification by the righteousness of Christ would be sent packing out of the world That we are freely justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us is the very Basis foundation and state of Christian Religion whereby it is distinguished from all other Religions whatsoever Jews Turks Pagans and Papists explode an imputed righteousness yea Papists jeer it calling it a putative righteousness Well Sirs remember this once for all viz. That the Mediatory righteousness of Christ is the life of your souls and will afford you these most admirable comforts First In this righteousness there is enough to satisfie the justice of God to the utmost farthing The Mediatory righteousness of Christ is so perfect so full so exact so compleat and so fully satisfactory to the justice of God as that divine justice cryes out I have enough and I require no more I have found a ransom and I am fully pacified towards you Ezek. 16.62 63. But Secondly This Mediatory righteousness of Christ takes away all our unrighteousness it cancels every bond it takes away all iniquity and answers for all our sins Lord Isa 53. Col. 2.12 13 14 15. here are my sins of omission and here are my sins of commission but the righteousness of Christ hath answered for them all here are my sins against the Law and here are my sins against the Gospel and here are my sins against the offers of grace the tenders of grace the strivings of grace the bowels of grace but the righteousness of Christ hath answered for them all When a cordial was offered to one that was sick O said he the cordial of cordials which I daily take is this The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sins O Sirs 1 Joh. 1.7 it would be high blasphemy for any to imagine that there should be more demerit in sin Rom. 8.1 33 34 35. in any sin in all sin to condemn a believer than there is merit in Christ's righteousness to absolve him to justifie him But Thirdly This righteousness of Christ presents us perfectly righteous in the sight of God It is that pure fine white linnen garment whereby our nakedness is covered before the face of God And to her was granted that is to the Lambs wife that she should be arrayed in fine linnen Rev. 19.8 clean and white for the fine linnen is the righteousness of Saints or the righteousnesses or justifications of Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Greek is plural Some by righteousnesses understand the righteousness of Christ imputed and the righteousness of Christ imparted but I rather close
with those who say it is an Hebraism the plural righteousnesses noting that most perfect compleat absolute righteousness which Christ is pleased to put upon his people Upon the account of this righteousness of Christ the Church is said to be without spot or wrinkle Eph. 5.27 and to be all fair Thou art all fair my love Cant. 4.7 Col. 2.10 there is no spot in thee And to be compleat And ye are compleat in him which is the head of all principality â—nd power Rev. 14.5 And to be without fault They are without fault before the throne of God And so Col. 1.21 And to present us holy and unblamable and unreprovable in the sight of God But Fourthly This righteousness of Christ will answer to all the fears doubts and objections of your souls How shall I look up to God the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I have any communion with a holy God in this world the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I find acceptance with God the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I dye the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I stand before a Judgment-seat the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ Your sure and only way under all temptations fears conflicts doubts and disputes is by faith to remember Christ That was a rare speech of Luther Ipsâ— videret ubi anima mea mansura sit qui pro ea sic solicitus fuit ut vitam pro ea posuerit let him see to it where my soul shall rest who took so much care for it as that he laid down his life for it and the sufferings of Christ as your Mediator and Surety and say O Christ thou art my sin in being made sin for me and thou art my curse in being made a curse for me or rather I am thy sin and thou art my righteousness I am thy curse and thou art my blessing I am thy death and thou art my life I am the wrath of God to thee and thou art the love of God to me I am thy hell and thou art my heaven O Sirs if you think of your sins and of God's wrath if you think of your guiltiness and of God's justice your hearts will fail you and sink into despair if you don't think of Christ if you don't rest and stay your souls upon the Mediatory righteousness of Christ But Fifthly and lastly The righteousness of Christ is the best title that you have to shew for a Kingdom that shakes not Heb. 12.28 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. 2 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4. for riches that corrupt not for an inheritance that fadeth not away and for an house not made with hands but one eternal in the heavens The righteousness of Christ is your life your joy your comfort your crown your confidence your heaven your all and therefore whether your graces or gracious evidences do sparkle and shine or are clouded or blotted yet still keep a fixed eye and an awakned heart upon the Mediatory righteousness of Jesus Christ for that 's the righteousness by which you may happily live comfortably die and boldly appear before a Judgment-seat But The third Royal Fort that Christians should have their eyes their hearts fixed upon whether their graces or gracious evidences sparkle and shine or are obscured and clouded is the Covenant of grace The Covenant of grace is a new compact or agreement which God hath made with sinful man out of his own meer mercy and grace Deut. 4.23 Isa 55.3 54.7 8 9 10. Jer. 31.31 Psal 50.5 c. Hos 14.4 Tit. 3.6 Eph. 1.5 6 7. Chap. 2.5 7 8. Rom. 9.18 23. Jer. 32.38 39 40 41. Ezek. 36.25 26 27. wherein he undertakes both for himself and for faln man wherein he engages himself to make faln man everlastingly happy All mankind had been eternally lost and God had lost all the glory of his mercy for ever had he not of his own free-grace and mercy made such an agreement with sinful man This Covenant is called a Covenant of grace because it flows from the meer grace and mercy of God There was nothing out of God nor nothing in God but his meer mercy and grace that moved him to enter into Covenant with poor sinners In the Covenant of grace there are two things considerable First the Covenant that God makes for himself to us which consists of these Branches 1. That he will be our God 2. That he will give us a new heart a new spirit 3. That he will not turn away his face from us from doing of us good 4. That he will put his fear into our hearts 5. That he will cleanse us from all our filthiness and from all our Idols 6. That he will rejoyce over us to do us good Secondly here is the Covenant which God doth make for us to himself which consists in these things 1. That we shall be his people 2. That we shall fear him for ever 3. That we shall walk in his Statutes keep his Judgments and do them 4. That we shall not depart from him Upon many accounts I may not enlarge on these things but by these short hints 't is evident that the Covenant of grace is an entire Covenant made by God both for himself and for us O Sirs in the Covenant of grace God stands engaged to give whatsoever he requires 1 Chron. 28.9 First He requires us to know him and he has engaged himself that we shall know him Jer. 24.7 I will give them a heart to know me that I am the Lord. And Jer. 31.34 They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them Heb. 8.11 But Secondly The Lord frequently requires his people to trust in him Psal 62.8 Isa 26.4 2 Chron. 20.20 And he has engaged himself that his people shall trust in him Zeph. 3.12 I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. But Thirdly The Lord frequently commands his people to fear him Deut. 6.13 Chap. 8.6 And he has engaged himself that they shall fear him Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Hos 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness But Fourthly The Lord frequently commands his people to love him Deut. 11.1 Psal 31.23 O love the Lord all ye his Saints And he has promised and engaged himself that his people shall love him Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul But Fifthly The Lord frequently commands his people to call upon him and to pray unto him Psal 50.15 1 Thes 5.17 c. And he has promised and engaged himself to pour upon them a spirit of prayer Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of
mixt with a little heavenly-mindedness and what a deal of unbelief have we mixt with a little faith O Sirs in the great business of your access to God and of your acceptance with God Rom. 3.20 to ver 27. Phil. 3.8 9 10. and of your reconciliation to God and of your justification before God 'T is best safest and noblest to bottom your faith hope and expectation infinitely rather upon imputed righteousness than inherent righteousness upon what Christ has done for you than upon what he has done in you Inherent righteousness is stained imperfect impure but imputed righteousness is pure and perfect if there were any stain or any imperfection in that it could not justifie us it could not save us it could not secure us from wrath to come Such evidences as are not fetcht from any thing in us nor from any things done by us but are fetcht by faith from our free justification and from Christ's full satisfaction which he hath wrought for us will be found the most full the most sweet the most refreshing the most comforting and the most satisfying evidences Christ is all fair all perfect all pure and therefore let him be most in your eye and most upon your hearts but here take heed that you don't look upon your graces or your gracious evidences as poor low weak contemptible things as too many do for the least of them is more worth than heaven and earth and they may yield you much comfort much support much refreshing and much satisfaction though they can't yield you that full comfort nor that full satisfaction as Christ himself can yield as Christ's satisfaction can yield as free justification can yield Though children and friends can't yield to a Wife that full comfort content delight and satisfaction as her Husband does yet they may yield her much comfort much content much delight much satisfaction The application is easie But Secondly Consider That Christian that hath free-grace that hath free justification that hath the Mediatory righteousness of Christ that hath the satisfaction of Christ that hath the Covenant of grace most constantly in his sight and most frequently warm upon his heart that Christian of all Christians in the world is most free from a world of fears and doubts and scruples which do sad sink perplex and press down a world of other Christians who affect a life of sense and who daily eye more what Christ is a doing in them and what they are a doing for Christ than they do eye either his active or passive obedience Christ hath done great things for his people and he has suffered great things for his people and he has purchased great things for his people and he has prepared great things for his people and yet many of his own dear people are so taken up with their own hearts and with their own duties and graces that Christ is little eyed by them or minded by them and what is this but to be more taken with the streams than with the Fountain with the leaves blossoms and fruit than with the Tree it self with the bracelets ear-rings and gold chains than with the Husband himself with the Nobles that wait than with the King that is waited on And this is the great Reason why so many Christians who will certainly go to heaven do walk in darkness and lye down in sorrow But Thirdly Trusting in our own duties and resting on our own righteousness and not on Christ's solely is a close secret spiritual Isa 58.1 2 3. Zech. 7.5 6. dangerous and unperceivable sin which the nature of man is exceedingly prone unto The Pharisees were mightily given up to trust in their own righteousness to rest on their own righteousness Mat. 6. chap. 23 Luke 18. and to boast and glory in their own righteousness and this prov'd their mortal disease their damning sin trusting in their own righteousness had so besotted and benummed them that they had no mind no heart to open the gates of their souls that the King of glory might enter in And this was that which undid the Jews Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God And 't is observable the Apostle useth an emphatical word of a Jew Rom. 2.17 Thou restest in the Law Look as there is nothing more pleasing to Christ than the renouncing of all confidence in our own duties and righteousness so there is nothing more provoking to Christ than the setting up of our own duties and righteousness This is a secret Imposthume that kills thousands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou art secure in the Law as in some admirable priviledge and signal testimony of Gods love This was Bernards temptation when being assisted in duty he could stroak his own head with bene fecisti Bernarde O Bernard this was gallantly done now chear up thy self It was the saying of a precious Saint That he was more afraid of his duties than of his sins for the one made him often proud and the other made him alwayes humble It was good counsel Luther gave Cavendum est non solum à peccatis sed à bonis operibus We must take heed not only of our sins but of our good works Duties can never have too much diligence used about them nor too little confidence placed in them they are good helps but bad Saviours it is necessary we do them but it is dangerous to rely upon them If the devil cannot disswade us from performing Religious duties then his next work will be to perswade us all he can to rely upon them to make Saviours of them because this will as much gratifie Satan and as certainly ruin our souls as if we had wholly neglected them O man thine own righteousness rested in will as certainly and eternally undo thee as the greatest and foulest enormities This soul-sickness is that spiritual Idolatry that will undo thee for thou makest thy self a Saviour and thy duties a Saviour and sayest of thy duties as they did of the golden Calf These are the gods that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Open wickedness open idolatry slayes her thousands but secret idolatry a secret resting upon duties slayes her ten thousands multitudes bleed inward by this disease and die for ever Open prophaness is the broad dirty way that leads to hell but Religious duties rested in is as sure a way though a cleaner way to hell prophane persons and formal Professors shall meet at last in one hell Ah Christians don 't make Religious duties your money lest you and your money perish together The Phenix gathers sweet odoriferous sticks in Arabia together and then blows them with her wings and burns with them So do many shining Professors burn themselves with their own duties and services You know in Noahs floud all that were not in the Ark though they climb up the tallest Trees and the