irrational to love Christ because his purpose and design is to take our hearts from the pursuit of all but God And until you know God to bee your happiness you will never understand the best reasons that I may not say the only that you have to love him That man loves Christ best that most fully knows God to be his eternal rest and blessedness and loves him as such 4. Direction Get a Gospel-knowledge of Christ both what hee was originally and what hee hath stooped and humbled himself to be for thy sake why hee came into the world how hee lived and dyed and what was the Covenant between the Father and him how hee is exalted and honoured by God and what great things are promised both by Father and Son to all that in Christ sincerely draw nigh to God Oh the sweet gales of affection which by spiritual Meditation upon Christ will begin to blow within us Wee cannot muse upon Christs dyiâ—g and rising again and inviting us to love him but the fire will burn A considering Faith in Christ will naturally bud and blossome into love 5. Direction Beleeve the reality of his love to theâ— I mean that hee did all that ever hee did for thee out of a hearty and real affection to thee and that hee still desires to have the match made up betwixt thy soul and himself This fond prejudice whereby souls put discouragements upon themselves is that which spoils many a match Do not weaken thy soul by making difficulties where there are none if thou hearest Christ inviting stir up thy self oh thou convinced soul as if thou heardest him even calling to thee by Name Beleeve it that Christ is never better pleased than when hee is loved and that hee came no less to procure thy love than to testifie his own The way to love Christ in good earnest is to beleeve that hee is so in his offers of grace to us 6. Direction Understand the world throughly and bee jealous of thy own heart therein Remember that of the Apostle who knew what it was to love Christ as well as any man ever did 1 Joh. 2.15 If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Wee may well enough add Nor the love of the Son We may offer to our Lord cor fractum or a broken heart but wee must not presume to desire him to accept our cor divisum or divided heart Remember that Christ and the World are two contrary each to other and the single stream of love cannot run two contrary waies at once If our hearts bee not crucified to the world the love of Christ will never live with in us 7. Direction Bee much in attendance on those means or Ordinances wherein Christ is evidently set forth and by his Spitit wooing souls to love him If Faith comes by hearing so no less certainly doth love Christ most commonly honours his own Ordinances and Officers in making up the match between himself and souls so hee did Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 8. Direction Go to God and Christ for love When you have gotten your hearts well warmed with the use of all the fore-mentioned means then go to God and Christ and turn thy Meditations into Petitions Plead hard and heartily all those moving Considerations which were set down to usher in these Directions God delights to honour prayer in this great work of his in drawing souls to Christ No Prayer no Faith And it is as true No Prayer no Love no Marriage to Christ I have done with the Directions of the first kind and have therein almost prevented my self from going any further it being a Rule in the spiritual as well as the natural growth that wee are nourished by the very same that gave us our first beings If wee know by what means wee came by our love at first and have but appetites whetted on to a further growth wee need little more And therefore having first perswaded you carefully to continue to practise over the fore-mentioned Directions I only add 1. Direction Consider much your own Experiences and the great advantages you have made by this grace I need not tell you what they are because yee know them well enough already and the sense of past advantage will best quicken to future diligence which is the second 2. Direction Bee constant in the exercise of that love yee have The best way to strengthen any habit is to bee often repeating its Acts. Wee cannot do any thing better to increase love than to be often acting love 3. Direction Get Faith more rooted and that will make your love to bee more inflamed If you would have fruitful branches you must keep the Root of the Tree fat and if you would have any Grace to thrive you must be sure to strengthen Faith 4. Direction Take heed you bee not willingly guilty of any known wickedness against Christ for this will cause Christ to withdraw it will occasion in thy heart a jealousie and that will bee an abatement of thy love Bee conscientiously diligent in all known duties 5. Direction Get thy heart daily more throughly crucified to the world and better acquainted with Heaven and the love of God The more you love God the more you will and must love Christ 6. Direction Bee much in the Communion of Saints and then especially when together with them thou mayest look on and admire the love of thy crucified Saviour in the Lords Supper They that are most where Christ is to bee enjoyed love him best And these are briefly the heads of Directions in answer to each of these Inquires They might have been more largely insisted on and pressed but this defect must bee supplied by your selves Remember again and with that I will conclude that it is not the knowledge of these Directions that will advantage you but the serious and diligent practice of them And so Grace bee with all them that in the diligent use of these means get and inflame their love to the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Wherein lies that exact Righteousnesse which is required between man and man MATTH 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do yee even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets THese words being brought in by way of Inference from something said before wee must look back a little to finde out the relation of them to the former verses At the 7th verse Christ commands to ask of God those things which wee want to incourage us to ask hee promises wee shall receive to induce us to beleeve this promise hee puts a temporal case Our earthly Fathers which are evil give us good things when we ask them how much more easily may wee beleeve this of a good God of infinite goodness Now as wee desire God should give us those things wee ask so wee should do to others and not only so but universally in all other things what wee would
but the drooping distressed Christian also questioneth all this because of the deceitfulness of the heart Alas the Scripture tells us that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things o From Jer. 1.9 The Papists cavils the drooping Christian doubts who can know it and if the heart of man cannot bee known how can wee say wee beleeve or love God For this consider these four things 1. Another man cannot know it I cannot certainly and infallibly know whether another man be sincere or what his heart is for it is the prerogative and excellency of God to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that knows the hearts of all men Act. 1.24 2. A wicked mans heart is so wicked and there is such a depth of wickedness in his heart that hee cannot come to the bottome of it 3. If a man cannot know all the secret turnings and windings of his heart yet hee may know the general scope and frame of his heart 4. If hee could not do this of himself yet assisted by the spirit of God which all beleevers have received hee might know the frame bent scope inclination of his own heart Thus far the first proposition that a man may know that hee hath sincere faith in Christ and love to God Now wee proceed to the second 2 Proposition which shews the connexion between grace and glory Second Proposition is this that there is an infallible connexion between justifying faith unfeigned love and eternal glory The Apostle tells us of some things that may bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.9 things that accompany salvation Having or containing Salvation that are contiguous to salvation that the one toucheth the other this must bee proved for else though I know I do beleeve and love God sincerely to day I can have no infallible assurance of salvation because this may bee lost before to morrow or before I dye Now this I shall indeavour to prove by these three following particulars 1 From the verity of Gods promises 1. The undoubted verity of Gods promises proveth an inseperable connexion between sincere grace and eternal glory Faith is the eye of the soul with it through a promise as through a perspective-glass can the soul have a view of Heaven and glory What greater certainty or security can a man have than the infallible promise of that God who is truth it self who will not deny his Word but the same Love and free Grace that moved him to infuse Grace into thy heart and to make the Promise will move him also to give the thing promised Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 5.24 Hee that beleeveth hath everlasting life Hee hath it in the Promise hee hath it in the first-fruits Rom. 8.23 But wee our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit The Jews by offering their first fruits did testifie their thankfulness to God for what they had received and hopes of the full crop in due time Hee hath everlasting life then it must not end Mark 16.16 Hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved Hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned As certainly as the unbeleever shall be cast into outer darkness so certainly shall the beleever be partaker of the glorious Inheritance of the Saints in Light The Promise is as true as the Threatning Act. 16.30 31. There you see a poor convinced wounded sinner under the load of guilt that had a sight of his lost undone deplorable condition coming to the Apostles and speaking after this manner Yee men of God yee servants of the Lord if there bee any way for mee who have been so great a sinner that have done enough ten thousand times over to damn my own soul if there be any certain way to avoid damnation I beseech you tell mee if there be any means by which I might certainly be saved as you pitty my sinful soul my bleeding heart my wounded conscience tell mee what it is declare it to mee What is the Apostles answer Beleeve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved The Apostles speak not doubtingly perhaps thou shalt be saved perhaps thou mayest be damned If thou get Faith it may be thou mayest get Heaven Alas what relief peace satisfaction would this have been to his wounded conscience But they speak peremptorily beleeve and thou shalt be saved So that prove thou that thou hast Faith and these Scriptures prove thou shalt have salvation The Connexion therefore will not be questioned if I beleeve I shall be saved this God hath promised but shall not a beleever lose his Faith in Christ and lose his Love to God for the Remonstrants grant that a beleever qua talis as a beleever cannot fall away not come short of glory but qui talis est Hee that is a beleever may fall away totally and finally and so cannot have assurance of salvation because hee hath no assurance that hee shall persevere in his beleeving and state of grace To this I oppose these places of Scripture 1 Thes 5.23 24. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body bee preserved blameless therefore preserved from Apostacy which is exceedingly blame-worthy till when till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is this a prayer and not a promise yea it is a prayer indited by the Spirit of God and hath a promise following it if you will read on Faithful is hee that calleth you who also will do it Here the Apostle that had the Spirit prayeth for perseverance and the Apostle that had the Spirit promiseth perseverance Certainty then of perseverance doth not make men careless in the use of means not prayers needless by praying a man obtains the thing promised and the certainty that hee hath by the promise of obtaining puts life into his prayers Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that hee which hath begun a good work in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth more safety than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will perform it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will finish it will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.5 Kept garrisoned by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Joh. 10.28 30. 1 Cor. 10.13 But will with the Temptation make a way to escape therefore they shall persevere for to enable the beleever to persevere in all tentations is to make a way to escape the destruction and hurt the tentation tendeth to God doth promise this absolutely Jer. 32.38 40. And they shall bee my people and I will bee their God and will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from mee They shall not forsake God because God will not
they little think any such Legacies are left by Christ to them yet their ignorance shall not frustrate Christs Love nay though they will not for the present extend their hand of Faith to receive it yet God will and doth keep Mercy for Thousands untill they will receive it Exod. 34.7 II. The second Use is an Use of Exhortation 1. Put in thy Claim for Mercy for thy Claim will hold not according to thy sense knowledge or belief that thou hast an Interest but according to the Truth of thine Interest Suppose thou shouldest promise to give to every one of thy children such a gift if they were good children Suppose one of your children who had obeyed your commands and had been very inquisitive to know your will I say suppose such a child should sit weeping because he thought he had not obeyed your commands and because he thought you were angry with him and upon that account would not come for your promised gift would you not therefore give it him nay would you not only be pleased with his obedience but that he took so to heart your supposed anger So O poor Soul that sittest weeping with thine eyes full of tears and thine heart ful of sorrow under the sense of Gods supposed displeasure shall not God wipe all tears from thine eyes and give thee the Promises he hath made to thee though thou through the sense of thine unworthinesse doest not believe thou hast any Interest in them 2. The second advice is that thou shouldest endeavour to obtain the Graces to which the Promises are made viz. Fear and Love of God and uprightnesse of heart c. whilst others are examining and going from Minister to Minister to know whether they have those Graces be thou getting of them For 1. Thou shalt be sure to get an interest in the Promises for they are made to such as have the Graces not to those that know that they have those Graces and if thou hast a Title thou shalt have possession 2. By getting greater degrees of Graces the trouble of examination will be needlesse it will save thee that labour whereas otherwise thou wilt perpetually be put to examination As for instance Thou findest a spark of fire and coverest it up again and lettest it lye wet to morrow thou wilt be as far to seek and wilt as hardly find the spark and know whether there be any fire to morrow as to day Another knowing where to have fire close by knows she can as soon fetch it from her neighbour as find it on her own hearth if there be but a spark or two she therefore fetches some and blows up into a flame and she layes on fewel to keep in the fire So thou knowest where thou mayest have Gods Love viz. from God who is near unto them that call upon him they know they may have it sooner by Prayer then find it by examination this they blow into a flame and as when the fire flames we may be sure there is fire without poring to find it So when thy Graces are in an eminent degree they are so apparent that one that hath but half an eye may see them 3. By getting the Conditions to which the Promise is made thou shalt often get what is better then the Promise it self for the Promise is often Temporal when the Condition is Spiritual III. Study much or rather Meditate much upon these great Gospel Mysteries of Christs Satisfaction of Christs Interest in the Fathers Love and of the Fathers delight to honour the Son by giving mercies and pardoning sinners for his sake Know that thou greatly dishonourest Christ when thou goest timerously to God for any Mercy in his Name and it greatly argues thine infidelity Suppose thy friend that was bound with thee for some great sum of money and he hearing there were Sergeants to arrest thee should put himself into their hands to sâ—ve thee from prison and he should be carried to prison and pay the debt and send thee word that he had paid the debt every farthing if thou shouldest notwithstanding be afraid to see thy Creditor or stirr abroad would it not argue that thou believedst not thy friend had paid the debt IV. Go then with Confidence to God in the Name of Christ since Christ hath bid thee or else thou hast strange thoughts of Christ Suppose a friend of yours should bid you go to such a great man for such a Courtesie and should tell thee that he had spoken to him in thy behalf and bid thee not fear for he could have any thing of him that he spoke to him for and should bid thee go to him in his Name and tell him he sent thee if thou shouldest stand considering what to do and shouldest fear that for all thy friend professed he had so great an Interest in that great man you should not find it so when you came to him would not this show that you feared your friend boasted of more Interest then he had Christ hath plainly bid us go to the Father in his Name from him and that we shall have any thing whatsoever if we doubt whether when we go to the Father in his Name we shall obtain doth it not plainly argue our low thoughts of Christs Interest in the Fathers Love and that Christ hath higher thoughts of his Interest in his Fathers Love then indeed he hath The sense of thine own unworthinesse should by no means hinder thee except thou wentest to God in thine own Name for the Question in this case is not how God loves thee but how God loves Christ Thou hast thoughts high enough of Gods Love to Christ if thou knowest that God loves Christ more then he hates any sinner in the World Thy thoughts are not high enough of Christs Love to thee if thou thinkest Christ will deny thee any thing nor hast thou worthy thoughts of Gods Love to Christ if thou thinkest God will deny Christ any thing or any one that comes to him in his Name whom he bid so to do for in so doing he doth not so properly deny thee as Christ Of the cause of Inward Trouble and how a Christian should behave himself when Inward and Outward Troubles meet Gen. 42. v. 21 22. 21. And they said one to another yea but verily we are guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distresse come upon us 22. And Reuben answered them saying Spake I not to you saying sin not against the child and you would not hear therefore behold also his bloud is required IN this Chapter we have the description of our Fathers the Patriarchs their first journey into Egypt for Corn to relieve their Famine in Canaan Herein is considerable 1. Their entertainment there it was harsh with much trouble more danger the great Lord Treasurer of Egypt would not know them but treats them roughly v. 7. takes
of the world can easily pass over the beams of raging wickedness in themselves and their own but they maliciously and proudly aggravate the motes of infirmity in the godly If they carry themselves unbecomingly by any impatience under the hand of God now they are hypocrites presently now they sink notwithstanding they would seem to have special interest in and acquaintance with God to bear them up Thus was Job censured even by his friends for which God censures them and that with wrath Job 42.7 Thus Gods People serve themselves but especially they have this measure from the men of the World They see them droop and walk heavily under some outward burden which they think is but ordinary they see them faint having drunk of the cup of affliction which is common but alas they consider not what may be the weight of their burden within what bitter ingredients may be in their Cup as to their inward man Now the Spirit is the man the mind is the strength and they are not aware how tender the love of God hath made that and how grieved and broken that may be upon some spiritual account between God and them Joab reproves David for mourning so excessively for Absolom at first sight we may think it strange that so eminent a Saint as David should so take on for an outward loss more as it seems than for the loss of Gods favour grace but Joab did not know and consider what visitation there might be within David while God stood over him with that outward rod how God might set on that outward blow with some inward smart and rebuke upon his Spirit in such an intimation as this O! David thou that wert so obliged to me more than thousands I 'll make thee know 't is an evil and bitter thing to provoke me and dishonour my Name as thou hast done thy child is dead Absolom is gone with a curse and Adonijah shall follow and now what hâ—st thou gotten by hearkening to temptations and pleasing thy self in the enticements of thy naughty heart no question but there were some such workings of God's displeasure within him and therefore no wonder he took on so heavily as Psal 39.11 therefore do not passe sentence upon the Godly in their extremities till thou canst hear and see all the bitternesse of their Condition 2. The second word is to the Godly 1. They which are not but Use 2 may be beset with this double perplexity 2. They which are 1. Art thou in a state of freedom and exemption blesse God thy lot is very comfortable but be not secure indulge not thy self with a perswasion that it will alwaies last For 1. Thou hast married Christ with his Crosse or not at all thou art delivered from the Curse indeed but thou art appointed to the Crosse and canst not with integrity except any part thereof that without or that within 2. Outward afflictions and troubles may be many and heavy one upon the neck of another and by reason of them though they come single thou maist endure an hard brunt and have enough to exercise thy whole strength of Faith and patience 3. Inward Affliction my come and that 's far more heavy and grievous the Soul is infinitely more tender then the body and yet scalding water upon the eye can very hardly be endured O then a wounded spirit who can bear that 4. 'T is not improbable nor unusual that both these rods may come upon thee at once and then thy Affliction is as a load upon a broken back now thou wilt have thy hands full indeed and very hardly be saved now thou wilt need not only all the strength which thou hast but all which thou mightst have had 2. You 'l say Sirs what shall we do I Answer as in natural distempers 1. You must take some preparatives and prophulacticks to prevent the disease if it may be or at least to break the strength of it if it doth come that we may not sinck under it 2 Some Cordials Restoratives and Therapenticks for the Cure of the malady when it is come I shall endeavour by the Grace of God to help you in these two Cases and conclude 1. Then for Direction by way of Preparation 1. Labour to be well seen in points of saving knowledge especially Direct 1 Fundamentals Ignorance I told you was the cause of Soul-distress and it is so the impregnable impediment of comfort most-what in the Godly they are not throughly informed they do not understand themselves well in the matter of the Covenant of Grace the Doctrine way benefit terms of it and the mistakes about it if they were clear in these things they would have a fairer way to comfort and more easily go to the wells of Salvation to draw water of life at any even the darkest time our Saviour prescribes this receipt in John 16.33 These things have I told you c. viz. the greâ—t things of the Gospel such as those v. 28. That I came from the Father i. e. to purchase all and I go to the Father i. e. to procure and apply all these things say the Disciples thou hast spoken plainly thou hast given us clear evidence and full information of these c. points of knowledge And what advantage did Christ's teaching and their learning and understanding of these great matters tend to That in me ye might have peace when in the World ye shall have tribulation Christ had promised he would not leave them comfortlesse Joh. 14.18 and this is the course he takes and the way he puts the Disciples into to prevent or prepare for Tribulation that it might not spoil them of their inward peace viz. Instruction and knowledge O! the Lord give you with utmost diligence to follow on to know and to work in what you know into your hearts So shall you have that within you which in dependence on Christ in the many points well understood will be of singular use and advantage to quiet and compose your Spirits in all your Troubles and Lâ—nguishments grounds of knowledge are grounds of support and comfort 2. In order to the forenamed second cause of this distemper be sure Direct 2 you be close with and often taking hold on God by renewed acts of Faith My Brethren Faith is not to be acted only at first for our entrance into the State of Grace but 't is our duty and wisdom to carry on the exercise of Faith for our continuance and progresse in that state and passage through all those temptations difficulties oppositions discouragements we are to meet withall therein Faith and Prayer must be as the breathing of our Souls in and out to keep the heart in life the just shall live i. e. every part degree and act of life by his Faith this again is the order the great Physitian of our Souls prescribes John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled why how shall they prevent or help it believe they were believers
was but a presumptuous Bravado He that promises to give and bids us trust His promises Commands us to pray and expects obedience to his Commands He will give but not without our asking Ezek. 36 37. Psal 50.15 2. Sincere universal spiritual cheerful constant Obedience They that expect to enjoy what God promises will be sure to perform what God enjoyns Holy trust takes it for a maxim that he that contemns the Commands of a God as his Soveraign has no share in the promises of a God as Alsufficient If we trust in the Son with a Faith of Confidence we shall be sure to honour the Son with a (i) Psal 2.12 Kiss of obedience Thus David Psal 119.166 I have hoped for thy Salvation and done thy Command As Faith shews it self by it's Works Jam. 2.18 So trust discovers it self by it's obedience Especially in the use of such means as God prescribes for the bringing about his appointed End If Naman will prove that he trusts the God of Israel he must go and wash in Jordan True indeed the waters of Bethesda could not cure unless the Angel stirred those waters and yet the Angel would not cure without those waters Paul trusted that himself Act. 27.24.31 and the men with him should all get safe to Land but then 't was with this Proviso that they all kept in the ship Gods means are to be used as well as Gods Blessing to be expected 3. Soul-ravishing Heart-inlivening Joy Thus David I have trusted in thy mercy my Heart shall rejoyce in thy Salvation Psal 13.5 If the Lord be our trust and strength he will be he cannot but be our joy and (k) Isa 12.2 song In whom believing let me add in whom trusting ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Thus trust and joy are linkt and lodg'd together in that Psal 64.10 The Righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust in him and all the upright in heart shall Glory See to what a Cue of Joy Habakkuk's trust had raised him Hab. 3.17 18 19. The Soul that truly trusts cannot but sit down under Gods shadow with great (l) Can. 2.3 delight His fruit must needs be exceeding sweet to our taste Is (m) Jon. 4.6 Jonah exceeding glad with the shadow of his Gourd how then must a Saint needs rejoyce in the protection of a God! And thus I have dispatcht the second General proposed viz. a full discovery of the Nature of trust in God what it is what it's ingredients concomitants effects I proceed to the third viz. III. What is or at least ought to be the Grand and Sole Object of a Believers trust Sol. The Text and Doctrine tell us It is the Lord Jehovah and he alone He is or at least should be 1. The grand Object of a Believers trust Put your trust in the (n) Psal 4.5 Lord. In whom should a Dying creature trust but in a (o) 1 Tim. 4.10 living God! In stormy and tempestuous times though we may not run to the Bramble yet we must to this (p) Isa 26.4l Rock for refuge When the Sun burns hot and scorches a Jonah's Gourd will prove Insignificant No (q) Psal 36.7 shadow like that of a Gods Wings 2. The sole Object of a Believers trust Holy trust is an Act of worship proper and peculiar to an Holy God No creature must share in it whatever we trust in unless it be in subordination unto God we make it our God or at least our Idoll True trust in God takes us off the hinges of all other confidences As we cannot serve so we cannot trust God and Mammon There must be but one string to the Bow of our trust and that is the Lord. More particularly we may not must not repose an holy trust in any thing besiâ—es God either within us or without us I. Not in any thing within us And so 1. Not in our Heads Understanding Wisdom Policy No safe leaning to our own (r) Pro. 3.5 Understanding Carnal Wisdom is but an ignis fatuus that misleads into a Bogg and there leaves us Thy Wisdom and thy Knowledge it hath perverted thee Isa 40.17 He that is wise in his own eyes will be found at last to stand in his own light 2. Not in our own hearts It is (g) Pro. 28.26 folly the height of folly to trust those Lumps of flesh that are so (h) Jer. 17.9 deceitful so desperately wicked 3. Not in our bodily strength and vigour Those hands that are now able to break a bow of steel will eftsoon hang down and (i) Eccl. 12.1 2 3. faint The most brawny Arm utterly unable to ward off or wrestle with the assaults of Death or Sickness Those Legs which now stand like Pillars of Brass will shortly appear to be what indeed they are but sinking Pillars of mouldring clay Raise the strength of man to its highest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet even then it cannot make so much as one (k) Mat. 5.36 hair either White or black 4. Not in any Natural or acquired Excellencys Be they what they will or should they be far more than they are Should all the Lines of Created Perfections meet in one man as in their Center yet surely that man in that his best estate is altogether (l) Psal 39.5 vanity and therefore not to be trusted in II. Not in any thing without us To trust in any Creature without us is to feed not so much on bread as (m) Isa 44.20 Ashes or rather on gravel stones which mâ—y easily break the Teeth but can never fill the Belly 1. Not in (n) Jer. 9.23 riches No not in the (o) Psal 52.8 abundance of Riches Though riches encrease our hearts must not be set upon them Riches when in their fullest flow are most (p) 1 Tim. 6.17 uncertain Wilt thou therefore set thine eyes on that which is (q) Pro. 23.5 not Though they seem to have a beeing yet they are indeed but fair faced nothings gilded vanities Or suppose they are yet the next moment they may not be Like Birds on the wing ready to take their flight Treasures then are not to be made our trust They cannot (r) Pro. 11.4 profit in the day of wrath Nay if we trust in our Riches on Earth never expect a portion in Heaven Sooner shall the (Å¿) Mar. 10.24 Camel go through the Eye of a Needle than such an one pass through the gate of glory 2. Not in (t) Psa 115.8 Idols Baal Dagon Ashtoreth and the whole pack of those senseless Abominations cannot save themselves much less can they preserve their bewitched Votaries 3. Not in man or humane Allies or Assistances Psal 62.9 10. Aegypt and all her Chariots when trusted in prove not supporting staffs but broken Reeds which run into the side and bear not up but wound the body 2 Kin. 18.24 Jer. 46.25 If the shadow of
and quarrelling against Gods Dispensations This was poor Jonah's great stumble Peevish man doest thou well to be angry and that with thy God yea saith He to the very death Jon. 4.9 The most foolish Answer that ever dropt from the mouth of an Holy man Humble Aaron was better instructed He knew It was no safe kicking against the Pricks That Nothing was to be got by striking again by repining against God but more Blows And therefore when God had killed both his sons at a blow He humbly Holds his a Lev. 10.2 3. peace his heart and tongue were both silent True indeed we may not be senseless and stupid under sufferings Had all the Martyrs had the dead Palsie before they went to the stake Their sufferings had been far less Glorious But yet though we may not be stupid or Stoical we must be patient and submissive Though we may not be like the Caspian Sea that neither ebbs nor flows yet we must take heed of being like swelling roaring waves and billows Though Gods Turtles may through infirmity flutter yet they may not be like Bulls when caught in a net raving I was c Psal 39.9 dumb saith David because thou didst it Away then with those surly looks that do as it were enter a protest against what we suffer nay more beware of those murmuring eccho's and replyes of Spirit within against God who though they seem to yield and run yet with the flying Parthian shoot their Arrows backward in discontent against God 5. All sinful and ungrounded Doubting of Gods love in and under sufferings How Gods Heart inclines cannot infallibly be gathered from Gods Hand Faith many times discovers Love in Gods Heart when it sees nothing but frowns on Gods forehead and knows that frequently when His Tongue chides His d Jer. 31.20 Bowels yearn Is Ephraim a dear son is he a pleasant child Is he Alas no Rather he is a pettish untoward undutiful child True but yet a child and therefore since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him Yea more Faith is so far from Arguing that God has thrown His Love out of His Heart when he Takes his Rod into His Hand that it rather from thence argues the quite contrary I am now therefore beloved because chastised Whom I love I rebuke and e Rev. 3.19 Amos 3.2 Heb. 12 6. chasten Faith knows that a Fathers Correction is so far from being an argument of wrath that it is one of the clearest Evidences of Love Better far to be a chasten'd son than an undisciplin'd Bastard No Anger like that Isa 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more and Ezek. 16.42 I will be quiet and I will be no more Angry Ephraim is joyned to Idols Let him alone Hos 4.17 Then is God most f Tunc maxime irascitur quando non irascitur Super omnem iram miseratio ista Bern. angry of All when he refuseth to be Angry 6. Fainting sinking desponding despairing under Gods Correction As Faith looks upon it as a great sin to despise the Lords chastening so it holds it for no small infirmity to faint when corrected by him Heb. 12.6 This was that for which David so roundly chid and rated His Soul why art thou cast down O my Soul why art thou so disquieted within me Trust thou in God Psal 42.11 If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is but small Prov. 24.10 It argues thee to be a man of a short narrow pusillanious poor low Soul to faint and sink in such a day Thus we have shewn you the Rocks the Dangerous Rocks which Faith warily avoids II. Faith heedfully looks to it's Ship or Bottom in which it sayles Wherein she views the Keel Ballast Sayls takes Care That these be Tite and in good Condition 1. The Keel Bulk or Body of the Ship in which Faith sails and That is Holy Contentation This was the Grand and Highest Lesson that ever a Believing Paul learnt and practised viz. * Phil. 4.11 In every estate Therewith to be content What some observe of that Earthly Angel That glory of Her Sex the Lady Jane Gray That she made misery it self seem amiable and that the night-cloathes of Adversity did as much become her as Her Day-dressing is much more True of Holy Contentation It renders every Condition even the Blackest lovely An afflicted Christian If contented may Truly say with the Spouse Can. 1.5 Though I am black I am Comely Faith therefore mainly looks to this and professes that though she cannot be satisfied with the whole World for Her portion yet she must will be and is contented with the least pittance of it for Her passage Has an Agur Food what though Course g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinary Commons Prov. 30.8 yet 't is Food Has John Baptist raiment what though of h Mat. 3.4 Camels Hair yet 't is Raiment and so long Faith looks upon Her self as obliged to be therewith content 1 Tim. 6.8 2. The Ballast that poyses the Ship and That 's Humility This is that that keeps the Soul steady and makes it ride out the Storm Pride is that which swells the Heart Now when a Member is swollen though it grows bigger yet it grows weaker and so the more unfit and unable to bear any burthen laid upon it T was Humility that steel'd Athanasius against all His Adversaries and sufferings in that he was as Nazianzen reports him as truely low in Heart as really High in worth The Humble Soul judges it self i Gen. 32.10 less than the least of mercies justly obnoxious to the greatest Judgments and therefore no wonder if it can patiently want or undergo any thing 3. The sailes whereby this well ballasted Ship is carried and that is Heavenly mindednesse This indeed is Faith's Top and Topgallant whereby it sails with a full forewind into it's Port and Haven Faith minds savours sets it's affection on things Above not on things below Col. 3.2 It 's Heart is where it's Treasure is in heaven Faith knows That mixture of Earth and dross much weakens the Soul and makes it unable to suffer whereas a Soul quickned with heavenly-mindedness that flyes high and looks beyond the Stars concludes that a little a very little of the dreggy creature will serve turn to pass it through this worldly Pilgrimage and this greatly enables for suffering and Thus Faith heedfully looks to her Bottom III. Faith accurately observes its Compass by which it steers Now there are several points in Faiths Compass or if you will there are several choice Maxims or Axioms of Faith by which a Believer sayles in and through the Blackest Storms and Tempests Such as These I. What ever the stone be that 's Thrown 't is the hand of Heaven flings it In all the evils we either fear or feel Faith looks beyond
about them if to the Inordinate love of women his fancy will be rolling upon carnal beauty and he will be firing his heart with unclean thoughts 5. Want of love to God and holy things men are loath to come into Gods presence for want of Faith and to keep there for want of love love fixeth the thoughts and dryeth up those swimming toyes and fancies that do distract us we ponder and muse upon that in which we delight were our natural hatred of God and of the means of Grace changed into a perfect love we should adhere to him without distraction we see where men love strongly they are deaf and blind to all other objects they can think and speak of no other thing but because our love to God is weak every vain occasion carrieth away our minds from him you find this by daily experience when your affections flag in an ordinance your thoughts are soon scattered weariness maketh way for wandring our hearts are first gone and then our mnids you complain you have not a setled mind the fault is you have not a setled love for that would cause you to pause upon things without weâ—riness Psal 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law doth he meditate day and night Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day David's mind would never run upon the Word so much if his heart were not there thoughts are at the command and beck of love where love biddeth them go they go and where love biddeth them tarry they tarry the Saints first delight and then meditate 6. Slightness and irreverence or want of a sense of Gods presence a careless spirit will surely wander but one deeply affected is fixed and intent Jonah when he prayed in the Whales belly could he have an heart to forget his work Daniel when he prayed among the Lions could he mind any thing else when we are serious and pray in good earnest we will call in all our thoughts and hold them under command This Question was put to Basil how a man should keep the mind free from distraction his Answer was Basil in Regulis brevioribus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is that this evil came from slightness of heart and unbelief of Gods presence for if a man did believe that God were before his eyes searching the heart and trying the reines he would be serious all things are naked and open to him with whom we have to do God looketh on and so do the Angels he looketh on the heart and will not you be serious Schollars that have a trewantly mind yet the presence of their Masters forceth them to their Books the Great God who telleth man his thought he seeth our desires and thoughts speak lowder in his eares than our words therefore possess the heart with a dread of his glorious presence and with the weight and importance of the work we are about were we to deal with another man in a case of life and death we would weigh our words and not rove like mad men 7. The Curiosity of the Senses these occasion a diversion 't is the Office of the fancy to present as in a glass whatsoever is received by the External Senses or offered by the memory and so the understanding taketh notice of it the wandring eye causeth a wandring heart Solomon saith Prov. 17.24 The fools eyes are to the ends of the earth first his eyes rove and then his heart the Apostle Peter saith of unclean persons that they have eyes full of adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the adulteress as the word signifieth the eye is rolled upon the object and then the dart by the fancy is transmitted to the heart Senses are the windows and doors of the Soul keep the Senses if you would keep the heart Job was at a severe appointment with his eyes Job 31.1 't is good when we go to God to renew these Covenants to agree with the heart that we will not go to God without it with the eyes and ears that we will not see and hear any thing but what concerns our work 't was a strange constancy and fixedness which * Josephus de Bellis Judaeorum Josephus speaketh of when Faustus Cornelius and Furius and Fabius with their Troops had broken into the City of Jerusalem and some fled one way and some another yet the Priests went on with their Sacrifices and the holy rites of the Temple as if they heard nothing though they rushed on them with their swords yet they preferred the duty of their Religion before their own safety and strange is that other Instance of the Spartan Youth in Plutarch that held the Censer to Alexander whilst he was sacrificing and though a coal lighted upon his flesh he suffered it to burn there rather than by any crying out he would disturb the rites af their Heathenish Superstition certainly these instances should shame us Christians that do not hold the Senses under a more severe restraint but upon every light occasion suffer them to trouble and distract us in worship 8. Carking and distrustful cares when we are torn in pieces with the cares of the World we cannot have a composed heart but our minds will waver and our dangers will recurr to our thoughts and hinder the exercise of our Faith God took special care of the Jews when they went up to worship that they might have nothing to trouble them and therefore he saith Exod. 34.24 none of the Nations shall desire the Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year and * Augustinus quest 161. in Exod. Augustine gives this reason of it lest they should be distracted with thoughts about their own preservation vult Deus intelligi ut securus quisque ascenderet nec de terrâ suâ sollicitus esset deo promittente custodiam and one of the arguments by which Paul commendeth single l fe is freedom from the incumbrances of the World that we may serve the Lord without distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 Thirdly Remedies I might speak many things by way of meer counsel about guarding the Senses the use and abuse of a forme c. but all these are but like external applications in Physick or topical medicines as the binding of things to the wrists of the hands c. which work no perfect cure of a disease unless the distemper be purged away therefore I shall speak to those things that are most effectual 1. Go to God and wait for the power of his Grace David speaking of it as his work Psal 86.11 Unite my heart to the fear of thy name fix it gather it together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Septuagint make it one the heart is multiplied when 't is distracted by several thoughts God hath our hearts in his own hand and we can keep them up no longer then he holds them up when he
withdraws his grace we lose our life and seriousness as meteors hang in the air as long as the heat of the Sun is great but when the Sun is gone down they fall as long as the love of God and the work of his Grace is powerful in us we are kept in a lively heavenly frame but as that abateth the Soul swerveth and returneth to vanity and sin We read Acts 16.14 15. that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia so that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul attention there beareth somewhat a larger sense then we now consider it in namely a deep regard to the doctrine of life yet this Sense of fixedness of spirit cannot be excluded go to God then pray him to keep thy heart together he that hath set bounds to the Sea and can bind up the waves in a heap and stop the Sun in its flight certainly he can fasten and establish thy heart and keep it from running out 2. Meditate on the greatness of him before whom we are 't is of great consequence in duties to consider whom we take to be our party with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 in the Word God is the party that speaketh to us thou shalt be as my mouth Jer. 15.16 as if God spake by us 2 Cor. 5.20 't is God speaketh and the Heathen King of Moab shewed such reverence that when Ehud said I have a message to thee from God he arose out of his seat Judg. 3.20 so in prayer you have to do with God you do as really minister before him as the Angels that abide in his presence Oh if you could see him that is invisible you would have more reverence * Omnino nos oportet orationis tempore curiam intrare caelestem illam utique curiam in quâ rex regum sedet in stellato solio circumdante eum innumerabili ineffabili beatorum spirituum exercitu ubi ipse qui viderit quia majorem numerum non invenit millia ait millium ministrabant ei decies centena millium assistebant ei quanta ergo cum reverentiâ quanto timore quanta illuc humilitate accedere debet è palude sua procedeus repens ranuncula vilis quam tremebundus quam supplex quam denique humilis sollicitus toto intentus animo majesti gloria in praesentia Angelorum in consilio justorum congregatione assistere poterit vilis homuncio Bernard de quatuor modis orandi A man that is praying or worshipping should behave himself as if he were in Heaven immediatly before God in the middest of all the blessed Angels those ten thousand times ten thousand that stand before God Oh with what reverence with what fear should a poor worm creep into his presence think then of that glorious all-seeing God with whom thou canst converse in thoughts as freely as with men in words he knoweth all that is in thy heart and seeth thee thorough and thorough if you had spoken al those things you have thought upon you would be odious to men if all your blasphemy uncleanness worldly projects were known to those that joyn with us should we be able to hold up our heads for blushing and doth not the Lord see all this could we believe his inspection of the heart there would be a greater awe upon us 3. Mortifie those lusts that are apt to withdraw our minds he that indulgeth any one vile affection will never be able to pray aright every duty will give you experience what corruption to resist what thoughts are we haunted and pestered with when we come to God God requireth Prayer that we may be weary of our lusts and that the trouble that we find from them in holy Exercises may exasperate our Souls against them we are angry with an Importunate beggar that will not be satisfied with any reasonable terms but is alwaies obtruding upon us every experience in this kind should give us an advantage to free our hearts from this disturbance the whole work of Grace tendeth to Prayer and the great Exercise and Imployment of the Spiritual life is watching unto Prayer Ephes 6.18 and that Prayer be not interrupted 1 Pet. 3.2 4. Before the duty there must be an actual preparation or a solemn discharge of all Impediments that we may not bring the World along with us put off thy shoos off thy feet saith God to Moses for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground surely we should put off our carnal distractions when we go about holy duties Gird up the loines of your minds saith the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1.13 an allusion to long garments worn in that Country 't is dangerous to come to Prayer with a loose heart My heart is fixed saith David O God my heart is fixed Psal 57.7 that is fitted prepared bended to Gods Worship the Soul must be set put into a dexterous ready posture Claudatur contra adversarium pectus soli Deo pateat ne ad se hostem Dei accedere tempore orationis patiatur Cyp. lib. De Oratione Domini There must be a resolved shutting of the heart against Gods enemy lest he insinuate with us and withdraw our minds 5. Be severe to your purpose and see that you regard nothing but what the duty leadeth you unto 't is the Devils policy to cheâ—t us of the present duty by an unseasonable interposition Sathan beginneth with us in good things that he may draw us to worse what is unseasonable is naught watch against the first diversion how plausible soever 't is an intruding thought that breaketh a rank in this case say as the Spouse Cant. 3. I charge you that you awake not my Beloved till he please such a rigid severity should you use against the starting of the heart if Sathan should at first cast in a thought of blasphemy that would make thee quake and shake therefore he beginneth with plausible thoughts but be careful to observe the first straglings * Est praeterea optimum ad attendendum remedium si imagines rerum irruentes non solum non advertas non excutias non examines sed ita te habeas quasi eas non aspicere digneris nam ipsum ad vertere examinare istas cogitationes evagari est jam adversarius aliquid à nobis extorsit c. Jacobus Alvarez yea be not diverted by thy very strivings against diversions and therefore do not dispute with suggestions but despise them nor stand examining temptations but reject them as blind Bartimeus regarded not the rebukes of the People but cryed the more after Christ or as Travellers do not stand beating back the Dogs that bark at them but hold on their course this is to be religiously obstinate and severe to our purpose Sathan contemned hath the less advantage against you when he is writing images upon the fancy do not vouchsafe to look upon them A Cryer in the Court that is often commanding silence
and jewels into the Sea another eagerly drinking down that which you knew to be the juice of Toads and Spiders or hugging a Viper and Scorpion in his bosome anothe stabbing himself in the breast another laughing at and licking his own plague sores and all of them reviling cursing striking spitting in the face and stabbing at the heart of those that any wayes endeavour to hinder them from destroying themselves or that will not do as they do and be as mad as themselves should we not pity them and with grief of heart say Wo is me that I live among such Why Sirs He that hath had any serious thoughts of Eternity that hath soberly considered the worth of an immortal soul that believes the Holiness Justice and Power of God that understands the evill of sin what a plague what a venome what a dagger at the sinners own heart sin is he cannot but see and know that every ungodly prophane sinner is much more an object of highest compassion than any I have now mentioned and therefore cannot but cry out Wo is me c. 3. It is a trouble to good men to sojourn c. with reference to themselves and their own concernments because they are sensible that such a condition layes them open to a great deal of danger and that 1. In regard of their graces for the want of the society of good men and the Ordinances of the Gospel is like the want of dew and rain to the grass or food to the body and therefore those who have tasted of the sweetness and fatness Psal 36.8.65.4 and know what a blessedness 't is to be satisfied with the goodness of Gods house cannot but mourn over the want of Gospel-Ordinances as the presence of the Sun beams make the flowers to be fresh and beautifull and yield a fragrant smell whereas the want thereof makes them look pale and wan and hang the head even so the enjoyment of good society and Gospel-Ordinances makes the graces of a beleever amiable and lovely and give forth their pleasant smell the want of which makes them very much to droop and languish And then on the other side the society of wicked men the venome and poyson of an evill example the alluring flatteries of the world on one hand and its frowns and threatnings on the other hand are of great force to nip and blast to dead and dull the graces of good men And therefore he who knows the worth and value of true grace that accounts it his riches his treasure his jewel his life Luke 12.21 and is sensible how much depends upon the life and vigour of Grace and Religion in his soul and understands how destructive the want of Gospe-Ordinances and the company of evil men are to his graces may well cry out Wo is me that I sojourn c. 2. In regard of their persons and the concernments of this life the enmity that is in the seed of the Serpent against the seed of the Woman doth not onely put forth it self in endeavours to ruine or weaken their graces but also to destroy their persons wicked mens malice against that spiritual life of grace in good men which themselves do not partake of doth soon improve into malice also against that natural humane life which themselves are also partakers of their desires to suck the blood as I may so say of good mens souls graces makes them delight to suck the blood of their bodies witness Cain 1 Joh. 3.12 the first that learnt this bloody trade by killing his brother for no other cause but because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous witness also Ahab and Jezabel Manasseh c. but the foul-mouthed witness to this black and sad rruth is the scarlet bloody Whore of Babylon Rev. 17.6 who is drunken with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus and therefore in Gods due time she shall have blood to drink those therefore who understand what an hellish fire of rage is in the hearts of wicked men how great their malice is against goodness and good men and what combustible matter our life and the comforts of this life be so far as they value these mercies have reason with David to cry out Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech c. And now the wofull condition of those that are deprived of Gospel Ordinances and sojourn where heavenly Mâ—nna doth not fall and who dwell among and converse with wicked and ungodly men as it calls upon us to bless God when it is not so with us and to pity and pray for those who have reason to take up such a complaint as David here doth so also to bethink our selves what we ought to do if the case were ours for you know the life of a Christian is very oft and very fitly in Scripture compared to a warfare and surely he is but a mean souldier and never like to come off with victory and triumph who doth not prepare himself for all kinde of assaults and doth not labour to fortifie every passage whereat he may be stormed and therefore 't is good for us to make the condition of others our own so that this question or practical case of conscience will offer it self to our consideration Quest How shall those Merchants and others keep up the life of Religion who while they were at home enjoyed all Gospel-Ordinances but being abroad are not onely deprived of them but liable to the Inquisition and other wayes of persecution for their Religion Before I answer the Case I shall a little open it and lay down some preparatory propositions for the right understanding of it and then direct our practise By Religion we do not understand any outward way or form any pomp and gayeties in worshipping God but such a due sense of our dependance upon a good and gracious almighty holy God for our being and well-being both in time and to eternity as doth powerfully engage the soul heartily to love God and sincerely to serve him in obeying his good and holy commands made known to us By the life of Religion we may understand either 1. The truth and reality of it in the soul in opposition to a soul dead in sin or 2. The vigour activity and livelinesse of Religion in opposition to a dead dull languid principle and both may be well included in the Question for as we are all concerned to endeavour by all fit and lawfull means not only to have our bodies kept from rotting and putrifying by the salt of a living soul but to have them active and vigorous sit for the employments of a naturall life Salillum animae Plaut and not stupified with lethargies and benumming palsies even so we ought to endeavour not only that our souls may be quickned with a true principle of Religion but that we may have such a lively vigorous and influencing sence of divine goodnesse upon them
that of the English Proverb be true it is here As good never a whit as never the better Indeed there is so much work on our hands such commands such promises to believe such corruptions to subdue such temptations to resist the careless of carnal failing in any of which will charge us with hypocrisie So many such subtle and powerfull adversaries to coâ—flict withall such a world such a flesh such principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places such deceitfull hearts deceitfull above all things to search and sift and purge from this leaven that it is impossible to be free of it without mighty striving contending and giving much diligence 2. If you would take heed of hypocrisie take heed of security There are no greater flatterers and no greater deceivers of themselves and others than hypocrites they flatter themselves in their own eyes Ps 36.2 all flattery is dangerous but self flattery of all other most dangerous and of all others in the business of salvation most pernicious It is the advice of the Devil and thy own hypocrisie to favour thy self flatter thy self hope well c. The advice of God is Lam. 3.40 Phil. 2.12 Ps 130.23 Search and try your wayes examine your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Yea call upon God to search you It is a fear of carefulness and sollicitude a trembling of jealousie and suspicion as to our own hearts not of diffidence or despair as to God that we are directed to Had the foolish Virgins had but this care this fear they had had â—yl in their vessels as well as Lamps Had those glorious professours in Matth. 7.22 had but this jealousie and suspicion they might have escaped that dismal sentence Depart from me you workers of iniquity Perhaps your faith may be but a fancy Iob 8.13 your hopes but presumptuous a spiders web Hos 10.1 Hos 7.14 Zach. 7.5 Psal 72.6 perhaps your fruit may be but that of an empty vine to your self perhaps your prayers may be but howlings for corn and wine perhaps your fasting may not be to God Commune much with your own heart and let your spirit make diligent search keep you heart with all keeping be jealous of every thing your heart hath to do with your affairs friends comforts recreations thoughts sollitudes graces Prov. 28.14 Prov. 23.17 Prov. 1. Eccles 12. Iob 28. Oh blessed or happy is the man that thus feareth always he shall never do amiss this is to be in the fear of God all the day long and this fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome the end of wisdome and wisdome it self for this will make a man wise to escape the wiles of Sathan and the hypocrisie of his own heart and so make him wise to salvation 3. Keep God alwayes in your mindes if we have all from him Rom. 11. ult we should be all to him If we live and move in him our hearts and mindes should be alwayes on him This is the cause of all the wickedness and hypocrisie in the world men will not seek after God God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 And this the ground of all the glorious performances of the Saints they saw him that was invisible as Micaiah saw the Lord in his Throne Heb. 11.26 27 and therefore feared not to deal plainly and sincerely with Ahab though on his Throne 1 King 22.19 When the Psalmist had convinced and reproved the wickedness and formal hypocrisie of ungodly presumptuous men he concludes Now consider this you that forget God c. Intimating this to be the reason of all ungodly hypocritical conversation a forgetting God Psal 50.22 The remedy must be contrary to the disease if we would be no hypocrites we must much remember think of and observe and eye God by faith Acquaint thy self with God and so good shall come to thee If men were acquained with God and did not forget him Iob 22.21 acquainted with his Omnisciency Psal 139.1 2. with his All-sufficiency Gen. 17.1 with the power of his anger Ps 90.11 Mic. 7.18 19. the infiniteness of his goodness Isa 55.7 8. they would conclude and live under the awe and power of such conclusions Oh then he is too great to be tempted and provoked too excellent to be sleighted and undervalued too good to be lost too wise to be deceived and this would suppress and supplant the leaven of the Pharisees hypocrisie 4. Be much and daily in the renewing faith and repentance If there be such danger of hypocrisie there is necessity of renewing faith and repentance for fear hypocrisie may be in them Rise and return as soon as thou art convinced of thy sin so did Paul so did Peter as soon as the Lord turned and looked upon him Gal. 1.16 Luke 22.61 If repentance were hastned after sin and thou wouldest take care and pains to break thy heart constantly for sin this would break it from sin A man should finde that it were an evil and a bitter thing to forsake the Lord Jer. 2.19 and that his fear was not in thee and a broken heart God would not despise because it is apparent that is no hypocritical heart And though former faith and repentance may be counterfeit and hypocritical Psal 51. yet ensuing and renewed faith may be sound and sincere and we have much ground to renew those acts whose soundness and validity we have much ground to suspect if all have been false or fained or partial formerly we have the more cause in a new act to give up and binde our souls sincerely to it and this will free you from hypocrisie 5. Put forth your greatest strength and care to mortifie those lusts and corruptions that are the fewel to hypocrisie pride vain-glory worldly-mindedness self-love These are the fewel of hypocrisie they beget it and they nourish it If the love of the world and worldly favour did not prevail much over men there would be no hypocrisie in the world and cherish and strengthen the graces which cannot consist with it but will be alwayes fighting against and opposing it as love to God humility self-denial heavenly-mindedness mortifying the flesh much commnion with God if these be in you and abound you shall not be barren nor unfruitfull but shall make your calling and election sure and so be out of the peril yea and much out of the fear of hypocrisie 6. Press the Lord much and urge him close with the promises of a new heart Eze. 36.25.26 Deut. 30.6 Ier. 32.40 of circumcising your hearts and causing you to love the Lord with all your heart of putting his fear into your heart If he urge and press you in his word with his precepts and your duty do you urge and press him as much in your prayers with his promises spread his own hand-writing and seals before him as Augustine relates his Mother did
out and if I love God I may thereby be sure that God loves me p 1 John 4.19 But Lord so far as I am able by searching to know my own heart I desire nothing more then to come q Jerem. 3.21 to Christ to receive Christ r John 1.11 to be one with Å¿ Gal. 2.20 Christ to be conformable to Christ t Heb 2.11 And Lord I dare say with Peter thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee u John 21.17 if prizing thee above all things in the world w Psal 73.25 if restless longing x Psal 119.20 for further acquaintance and more inward y Psal 106.4 communion if pantings after the secrets of thy z Psalm 25.14 presence fear of nothing more then to offend thee a Psal 119 1â—0 be infallible evidences of sincere love then I dare appeal unto thee that I love thee Therefore Lord perswade my soul thankefully to acknowledge that 't is in a safe condition On the contrary Thus Lord thou hast told me that if I live after the flesh I shall b Rom. 8.13 die But my heart life undeniably evidence that I mind nothing but carnality Therefore Lord convince me that there 's but a step c Job 21.13 but a d Psal 146.4 breath between me and everlasting death Thus Christians do but suffer and help your Conscience to do its office and then shall you have rejoycing in your selves alone and not in e Gal 6.4 another i. e. you will finde cause of rejoycing in the testimony of your own Conscience and not in others thinking you to be better then you are nor in your thinking your selves to be better then others Thus you have the offices of Conscience I come in the last place to speak of 4. The kinds of Conscience I know are coÌ„monly reduced to these 4. f Bâ—rn de consc p 1107. viz. Good quiet Good and troubled Evil and quiet Evil and troubled But intending the resolution of the Case before me in speaking to Conscience under the several kinds of it I shall speak to 8 kinds of Consciences The two first viz. the sleepy and the seared Conscience are peculiar to the worst of men The 4. next viz. the erring doubting scrupulous trembling Consciences are almost indifferent to good bad only the 2 former have a greater bias to bad and the 2 latter have a greater tendency to Good but the 2 last kinds viz. The Good and Honest and the Good and quiet Consciences are peculiar to Gods choisest favourites In treating of these I shall endeavour to acquaint you with the nature of each g But here I must say with Aug. non possum ut volo expl care quod sentio tamen quid moliar dicere peto ut non exâ—ectatis verbis meis sagac ssime si potâ—stis intelligatis Odi definire nam facilius est mihi videre in alterius definitione quod non probem quam quicquaÌ„ bene definiendo explicare Aug. T. 1. l. 2 de Ord. c 1. 2 p. 671. how to cure the evill how to obtain the good and hereby the Application will be entwisted with the Explication throughout my discourse I. The first and one of the worst kinds of Consciences in the world is the sleepy Conscience 1. The sleepy Conscience such is the Conscience of every unconverted person that is not yet under horrour their h Rom. 11.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camerarius in loc spirit i. e. their Conscience is asleep that as bodily sleep bindeth up all the senses and animal spirits so this spiritual or rather unspiritual sleepiness bindeth up the soul from all sense i Privatio omnis sensus judicij Illyr In pâ—aed loc of the evill of sin and want of grace and therefore in conversion Christ doth awaken k Ephe 5 1â— the Conscience The Disciples of Christ have their spirits waking when their bodies l Matth. 26 41 are slumbring i e. they have a gracious habit of watchfulness when they are overtaken with some carnal acts of sleepiness Christ complains of unkindness m Cantic 5.2 that his Spouse sleeps in the morning when he knocks for early entertainment but the unconverted let Christ stand knocking all the day till supper time n Revel 3 20. they will spend their day with their lusts and if Christ will knock and wait till the day of their life be almost spent then they 'l pretend to open but how long must God call How long o Pro. 6.9 10. wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thon arise out of thy sleep and they 'l answer Yet p Concessio ironica ethopaeiam habens pigroruÌ„ elegantissimam Jun in loc q. videmus conscientiaÌ„ veluti veterno aut lethargo aliquam diu sepultaÌ„ c. Episcop Inst theol l 1. c. 3. p. 11. Causes a little sleep a litle slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep The plain truth is thougn wicked men cannot quite stifle their consciences q yet their Consciences do but as it were talke in their sleep and they take no more notice of them then they do of their dreams Causes of a sleepy Conscience are besides the sluggishness of our depraved natures 1. A spiritual intoxicâ—tion all unconverted persons are drunk with the love of sin and therein behave themselves like Solomons r Prov. 23.34 35. Jacet in corona charchâ—sij i. e. Galea ubi maxima seÌ„titur maris agitatio Jun in loc â—ras the vulg Version which may serve for a paraphrase quasi sopitus gubernator amisso clavo i. usu rationis Tit. drunkard that lies down to sleep in the heart of the sea or upon the top of a mast in the very midst of the greatest soul danger He doth that daily which Jonah did once run away from Gâ—d and then composeth himself to sleep Å¿ Jonah â— 5 when God is pursuing him with judgments and dreams of nothing but impunity happines Love of sin is the Devils Opium whereby he casts the Conscience into a dead sleep that no arm but of Omnipotency can waken it He meets with something in the world which he likes better then the holy ways of God and therefore will not seek God t Ps 10.4 5 11 13. Justitiam ut ille apud Platonem Thrasymachus appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elegantem stultitiam they sleep then aiunt deum dormire aut oblituÌ„ esse eorum quae fiant in terris c. Aug. Steuch Eug. Enar. in loc Gods ways are always grievous to him he hath said in his heart I shall not be moved God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it he contemns God saith in his heart thou wilt not require it They wink and then conclude God doth not see them 2. Carnal conceits of grace and heaven At the best humane wisdom is their highest Guide
clear 2 Tim. 3.4 they loved God who loved pleasures more than God They may have Faith Simon Magus believed they may hate sin in others Acts 8.13 2 Sam. 13.22 if not in themselves Absalom hated Amnons uncleannesse they may delight in God and in his wayes Isa 58 2. They may have a zeale for God and such a a zeale as may prevail more with them than temporall things The Jewes were so zealous of the Law Rom. 10.2 and for the traditions of the Elders that they would have ventured their lives for them so Paul before his conversion how zealous was he Acts 22.3 4. Gal. 1.14 To come more particularly and closely to the question Though Conversion be wrought in an instant yet men have some praevious dispositions thereunto who live under the sound of the Gospel and obtain such knowledge as worketh in them several things which I shall shew unto you from Acts 2.37 38. v. And when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said men c. Many preparative dâ—spositions or qualifications they had unto repentance or conversion but they had not yet repented for Peter saith notwithstanding these repent 1. Men may be convinced of sin as these were they found they had transgressed the law of God and were guilty before him for they were pricked in their hearts Men may have strong convictions of sin and not converted from sin 2. They may mourn for sin and grieve that they have done such and such things These men had crucified the Lord Christ put an innocent person to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acutum animi dolorem significat Piscat saw themselves in an ill condition and thereupon mourned and grieved sorely as the word pricked intimates they had such grief as pained and afflicted their hearts There 's a How set upon Ahabs humiliation by the Lord himself Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself 1 King 21.29 3. They may be fil'd with fear and dread the threatnings and punishments of God due to sin This was the case here they had provoked the Lord against their soules felt their consciences condemning of them apprehended the judgements of God near unto them and so were possest with much fear lest the Lord should destroy them and therefore say Men and brethren what shall we do We know not whither to go where to hide our selves or what to do that we may escape the things we have deserved and fear 4. They may confesse their sin renounce it and reform much these Auditors of Peter being pricked in their hearts said What shall we do We have sinned and that greatly we confesse and acknowledge it before God and you it was a cursed act of ours we abhor it we will never do so hereafter They were sick of sin and vomited it up as they in Peter 2 Pet. 2.22 and would change their minds and manners walke in any way the Apostles should direct them The Merchant Mat. 13.46 sold all that he had for the pearle before he bought it This selling all is made by som Interpreters to be his restraint from all inward sin and his conformity to all outward duties This was much and yet not more than unconverted persons may attain unto Herod reformed many things the foolish Virgins went far as was said before they were Virgins free from spot and pollution they had Lamps visible professions they went forth to meet the Bridegroom they had some faith in him and affection to him else they would not have gone forth 5. They may justifie the Law and the Lord should he condemn them deal severely with them what shall we do say these persons we are guilty we have broken the Law which is holy righteous and good and so is God likewise who is the Author thereof if therefore we be condemned and must bear the curse and punishment of the law we must both justifie the Lord and it Men may accept the punishment of their iniquity and justifie the inflictors thereof man hath no cause to complain of the punishment of his sins It 's brought in by way of objurgation Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain for the punishment of his sins He may complain of his sins not of his punishment Many Malefactors after sentence passed on them do justifie both Judge and Law 6. Men may seriously consider the nature of their sin what circumstances it is cloathed with what aggravations it admits what crimson and skarlet is in it what light love mercies means ingagements it is against What shall we do say these troubled souls We have sinned against the light of nature the Law of Moses our own consciences the love of God and Christ towards sinners in that we have crucified Christ a man approved of God whom we knew had done many miracles wonders and signes Acts 2.22 and deserve not death oh what shall we do our sins are so dreadful It 's in mens power to lay to heart what wrong an infinite blessed holy God hath by their sins what mercies they keep from them how greatly they defile them what miseries and mischiefs they bring upon them what a weight of wrath hangs over their heads for them They may consider what checks of conscience they have stifled what motions of the Spirit they have withstood what precious seasons of grace they have neglected and slighted what paines they have taken to satisfie a lust how dear it hath cost them how carelesse they have been of their soules what a separation their sins have made between God and them They may mind and meditate on it that mans life is short the pleasures of sin but for a season that there is absolute necessity of turning to God Except you repent you shall all perish That turning is acceptable to God else he would not call for it nor make such gracious promises to it as are in holy Writ 7. They may come to it to see no help in themselves or in any creature whatsoever What shall we do say these wounded men we cannot help our selves we have no playsters that will stick no medicines which will heal we are wounded in our Consciences and as our hands so theirs are too short to help us it s not in humane power to bind up our breaches What shall we do men may see themselves helpless that they are without strength shut up under sin guilt and unbelief children of wrath and in a lost condition the Law cursing them and sentencing them to suffer 8. They may arrive to a resolution of doing or suffering any thing to be saved What shall we do we are resolved if we may find mercy and live to do whatever shall be commanded to suffer whatever shall be imposed The pride of their spirits was broken their hearts become teachable and tractable and their resolutions high for any thing to be done or suffered so was it with the Jaylor Act. 16.30 when men are in storms at sea or
should do it with our might Eccles 9.10 that is with our whole might God must have the heart the whole heart and the fervency of it Rom. 12.11 Be fervent in spirit serving the Lord lasiness and luke-warmness will not promote the work fervour and diligence may further it much see Prov. 2.3 4 5 6. and remember what the Lord Christ hath said Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knok and it shall be opened unto you How may beloved Lusts be discovered and Mortified MAT. 5.29 30. And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell MY Text is a part of Christs Sermon on the Mount I shall not hold you long in the Context or portall but onely passe through unto the words that I have read In the verse before our Saviour tells us that Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart This was spoken in opposition to the Scribes Pharisees and may be urged against many carnal Protestants that have but grosse conceits concerning the Law of God and in particular that the outward act of uncleannesse onely is the breach of the seventh Commandement Thou shalt not commot adultery Now our Saviour corrects this mistake That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart not will do it but he hath done it already there is a speedy passage from the eye to the heart And because the eye and the hand are many times used as principal incitements to this sin our Saviour gives his Disciples and us this serious and holy advice in the words that I have read If thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee c. The words contain a double Exhortation together with a double Reason and enforcement 1. A double Exhortation if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee 2. A double Reason and Enforcement For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell and so again ver 30. In the handling of these words I shall first speak to them by way of Explication and then by way of Observation 1. For the Explication of them I would entreat you to take into your thoughts these particulars 1 We must enquire into the meaning of these two expressions the right eye and the right hand most Expositors by far carry it that these words are to be expounded improperly and figuratively and here I shall not acquaint you how Popists Writers abound in their own sense concerning these words there are sweet truths that kindly and freely without straining may be deduced from this Scripture like the Bee I would not tear the flower I light on There are two Interpretations given of this place that I shall take notice of 1. There are some that by right eye and right hand understand our neerest and dearest comforts which we have in this world which must be parted with for Christs sake yet not absolutely but upon this consideration if they offend If thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee Now this is bona expositio a good Exposition as our Divines distinguish but not recta Expositio a right Exposition agreeable to the analogy of faith but not sutable to the scope and design of our Saviour in this place Therefore 2. There are others that by right eye and right hand understand beloved lusts as hard to be parted with as right hands or right eyes our Saviour mentions the right eye and the right hand because they are most prized as having more then ordinary of spirits and natural heat and so more fit for action I am sure this may be said concerning the right hand Indeed I conceive it an hard matter to prove that by divine appointment one hand should be more useful then the other but as God hath given us two eyes and two ears so two hands to use both indifferently and that if need required the one might supply the loss of the other if any methinks the left hand should be preferred because it is neerest the heart the fountain of life and activity but Christ takes them as he finds them as he doth in many other cases and as we have ordered the matter the right hand is more active and strong then the other and so more precious but to our purpose Some I say by the right eye and the right hand understand our beloved lusts it is the usage of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures in a figurative way to express corruption by the parts and members of our bodies so St. Paul Rom. 7.23 I see another law in my members Rom. 7.23 warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members and the same Apostle Col. 3.5 Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection c. as the members of the natural body need castigation 1 Cor. 9.27 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it into subjection so the members of the sinful body need mortification and here in the Text sin is expressed by the right eye and the right hand 2. If thy right eye offend thee in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scandalize thee hinder thee in a way of duty for you must note that obedience and holiness is often in Scripture represented unto us by a way to give you one place for all Psal 119.1 Psa 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord and men are said to be offended when something causes them to stumble or fall in this way Sâ—n is as it were a block or a stone at which men stumble and fall let him which thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 3. Pluck it out and cast it from thee cut it off and cast it from thee a Metaphor taken from Chirurgions whose manner it is when the whole body is endangered by any part to cut it off ne pars sincera trahatur but before I leave these expressions take notice of the Emphasis that is in them in these particulars 1. T is not said suffer thy right eye to be plucked out or thy right hand to be cut off but thou thy self pluck it
two Caleb and Joshua followed God fully Numb 14.24 Of the four grounds in the Parable only one held out Many of John Baptists hearers left him and fell away Joh. 5.35 Many of Christs hearers and disciples Joh. 6.65 Many of Peters 2 Pet. 2.20 Many of Pauls 2 Tim. 1.15 and 1 Tim. 5.15 Many of John the Evangelists hearers 1 Joh. 2.19 They went out from us because they they were not of us for had they been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us But none of these were ever sincere Christians and sound at the heart We wonder not to see an house built on the sand to fall or seed not having root wither or trees in the parched Wilderness decay Jer 17.6 or Meteors vanish or Blazing-stars fall or Clouds without rain blown about or Wells without springs dryed up So for Hypocrites to prove Apostates no strange thing and utterly to fall away There are four wills some have observed 1. The Divine will never alters or turns 2. The Angels will hath turned never returns 3. The will of man faln turned and in conversion returns 4. The will of Apostates after that grace received and abused turns away and never returns but becomes like the fallen Angels 2. Even Godly and gracious persons are subject to fall and therefore must not be secure they must work out their salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2 12. they are bidden to fear least they should fall short Heb. 4.1 Stand fast 1 Cor. 16.13 Take heed least they fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Look diligently least any fail of or fall from so is the other reading the grace of God Heb. 12.15 Take the whole armour of God that they may be able to stand Eph. 6.12 Even the very Elect have this root of bitterness and seeds of Apostacy within them Even Peter had sunk if Christ had not put forth his hand to save him from the water Mat. 14.31 and had been winnowed as chaff Luk 21.31 32 if Christ had not pray'd for him that his faith should not fail Let not him therefore that puts on his harness boast as he that puts it off 1 King 20.11 3. Yet a truly regenerate soul a plant of Gods planting by the water side a plant or graffe grafted into Christ and rooted in Christ can never fall away totally or finally Peter could not when Christ pray'd for him The Elect cannot Mat. 24.24 In the general Apostacy of the Christian world and the greatest persecutions under Rome-pagan and Rome-pseudo-christian Antichristian both times when all the world wandered after the Dragon and the Beast they who had their names written in the Lambs book held out and warped not Rev. 13.8 and 17.8 The elect are as Mount Sion that cannot be moved and are as fixed stars that fall not The house on the Rock stands firm in all weathers The Tree by the waters side Jer. 17.8 Seed in good ground Mat. 13. They who have a seed of God in them cannot so sin 1 Joh. 3 9 And they that are born of God 1 Joh. 5.18 They who are in the hand of Christ none can pluck them out Joh. 10.28 Yet as to the fallings of the Elect not presuming to tell you the minimum or summum quod sic we shall make those concessions or observations 1. We grant that the godly as well as others are subject to this Posit 1 falling-sickness having seeds of Apostacy in them and would certainly fall irrecoverably if left to themselves In te stas non stas Aug. By strength his own no man shall prevail or stand 1 Sam. 29. 2. Grace received truly sanctifying is not for his measure so great Posit 2 or for its nature so immutable and invincible but might be overhorn and would if not divinely supported and continually supplyed as the Widows oyl kept from decay fed by a spring of Auxiliary grace as Josephs bow abode in strength by the arm of God and his bough green and fruitful Gen. 49.22 23 24. Gratia gratiam postulat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15.10 sed by a well of living water so that it is not the grace in us but the grace with us grace supervening and additional which keeps us from falling Even the good ground were it not for the influence of the Sun and Rain would prove as the stony and Thorny Ground Posit 3 3. There is no such state of consistency in the effectually called But there is a daily combate and of times a great inequality in his Pulse sometimes Amalek sometimes Israel prevails and this war lasts not as that between the house of Saul and David for certain years but as that between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days 2 Sam. 3.1 1 King 14.30 Paul sometimes as in the third heaven cries out We are more then Conquerors who shall separate us from the love of God c. sometimes as under foot cries out Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Posit 4 4. Even godly persons may fall for once very fouly as Peter yea lye long as David it is hard to say how low they may fall and how long they may lye yet sin not unto death as the Sun is for many months absent from some Climates yet returns again so that they may then say with the Church Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise Micah 7.8 when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Posit 5 5. There may also possibly be a relapse or falling a new into the same act of sin through humane infirmity as Abraham twice denying his wife the Disciples twice contending for supremacy And as I will not say how oft thy brother trespassing and repenting is to be forgiven not to seven but to seventy times seven so I cannot say how oft through infirmity a sinner trespassing and returning with repentance may be forgiven Gods mercies and thoughts being so far above mans Posit 6 6. The Christian may as to his own sense be reduced to a very sad and low state 1. He is poor in spirit he mourns he hungers thirsts pants doubts dislikes all 2. He judgeth of himself as under present prevailency of corruption Carnal sold under sin a forced slave to it Rom. 7.14 3. As if nothing had been done yet and all was to do he begs O God create a new heart in me Psal 51. 4. He may be apt to conclude against himself I never did yet truly believe or repent and which is worse with Thomas I never shall believe 5. In this case he lies bound as Peter Joh. 20.25 Act. 12.6 7. and can't help himself till the Angel comes and strikes off the bands and opens the iron-gate 6. And as to comfort he may be at an utter loss walk in darkness Esay 50.10 judge himself cut off Ezek.
other reason but because they will consequently rendring that yoak a hard one which Christ left easie and that burthen a heavy one which he would have light But now morall Good and Evil are not only such because God commands the one and forbids the other but because the things themselves are so essentially and unalterably As Mathematical truths and proportions are not such only because God will have them so but because the nature of the things cannot be otherwise Almighty power it selfe reveâ—ently be it spoken cannot make two parallel lines or surfaces meet though extended infinitely or the three angles of any straight-lined triangle amount to any lesse or more then two right angles in Geometry or in Arithmeticke alter the proportions between two and four to any other then that of double and half or between three and nine then that of a root and square or to name no more is it possible that a Seventh in Musique should ever become a Concord or a Vnison fifth or eighth a Discord for these things are in their very nature fixed and unchangeable they must be what they are or not be at all Thus there is an eternal Reason why that which is good should be so and commanded and why that which is evill should be so and forbidden which depends not so much on Gods wiâ—l as on his nature For if God could will that good should be evil and evill good he could deny himself and change his own unchangeable Divinity which is impossible And therefore I look upon that opinion of a modern ‖ Ziglovius Dutch Author though I would be so charitable as to believe he knew not and therefore meant not what he said as overthrowing all Religion The thing is this That God may if he please out of the vast soveraignty of his Will command all that wickednesse which he hath forbidden and make it out duty also forbid all that holinesse which he hath commanded and make it become sinne to us For my part I would choose rather to be an Atheist than to believe there is such a God as this in the world But I am sure the holy One of Israel cannot do so not through any defect but through infinite plenitude and redundance of all perfection Ex. Gr. There is an eternall fitnesse and comeliness that a reasonable creature should love and honour and obey it's Creator and contrarily an eternal horridness and indecencie that an immortal soul should forget contemn and affront the Father of spirits Now to affirm that God can dispence with the former nay make our fear of him or delight in him to be a sin and punish it with everlasting torments and to affirm that God can wink at or allow the latter much less command Atheism Blasphemy Pride Unthankfulness c. or make Hypocrisie Covetousness Revenge Sensuality to become duties and graces and reward them with everlasting happiness this were to utter the most hellish blasphemy and the most impossible contradictions in the world The heathen Plato in those divine discourses of his his Eutyphro and Theaetetus and otherwhere may well rebuke the madness of such Christians as this bold and vain speculator The sum of this Rule then is deeply possess and dye thy soul all over with the representation of that eveâ—lasting beauty and amiableness that is in holiness and of that horror and ugliness and deformity that eternally dwells on the forehead of all iniquity Be under the awe and majesty of such clear convictions all day long and thou shalt not fulfill the lusts of the flesh For the mind of man is wont to conceive before it 's own apprehensions and Ideas of good and evil as Jacobs sheep did before the Rods in the Gutter If thy notions of good and evil be right and clear thy lustings and desires will be from evil towards good all the conceptions of thy soul and their births will be fair and unspotted But if thy apprehensions be speckled confused and ring straked like his Rods the conceptions of thy mind thy lustings will be so too so great a truth is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dark ignorance and folly lies at the bottom as the root and foundation of all wickedness * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plato in Theateto every immoral man is a fool even when he commits a known sin yet then he may be said not to know what he doth Luk. 23.34 All the Reason in the world takes the part of holiness and sin hath not one jot of true Reason to plead or alledge in its own behâ—lf Understand thy self be no stranger to thy own breast know the Rule 3 frame and temper and constitution of thy mind The wise man's eyes are in his head but the fool walketh in darkness Eccles 2.14 it is a true and sober maxim of the Platonist Demophil in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as far as a man is ignorant of himself so far forth he is to reckon himself guilty of madness and distraction The Satyrist complains of this Vt nemo in sesè tentat descendere Juvenal nemo Dare to unlock thy bosom to ransack every corner of thy heart let thy Spirit accomplish a diligent search Feel the pulse of thy soul visit it often ask it how it doth Survâ—igh thy self and blush to leave any terra incognita any region of thy mind undiscovered God hath charged and entrusted every man with his own soul and what folly is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be busie in what doth not concern thee and neglect what chiefly doth so the affairs of thy own mind is any thing neerer thee or of such consequence to thee as thy self O let thy charity then begin at home Thou owest this duty to thy self to take an exact account daily of the posture and order of thy inward man With how great confusion doth the Spouse acknowledge this neglect Cant. 1 6. They made me the keeper of the vineyards but my own vineyard have I not kept If ever thou wouldst be dextrous in suppressing the first risings of sin enquire what advantages the tempter hath against thee where that nescio quid tenerum molle lieth in thy soul as Cicero calls it against which temptation plants it's chiefest battery and artillery what thine own iniquity is Psal 18.23 which is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sin that doth so easily beset thee Heb. 12.1 See what grace is principally wanting in thee which is weakest in what instances thy greatest failleur betrays it self in which of thy passions and affections thou art most peceable and what lustings of the flesh they are which give thee the frequentest alaâ—mb and threaton the greatest dangers be making these researches and explorations daily compare thy heart with the Law of the eternal God and with the dictates and maxims of thine own conscience See where thy greatest discrepancy and non conformity to these from time to time ariseth
the man that hath his quiver full of such artillery whose conscience is rich in these Memoirs Store thy mind with this sacred treasure Mat. 13.52 that as a Scribe instructed for the Kingdome of heaven thou mayest upon all occasions bring forth out of thy treasure things new and old Hold such Scriptures as are point-blanck contrary to the Temptation before thy conscience if it would turn away compell it to look upon them and think I am Gods creature I must obey him Did ever any rebell against him and prosper Terence eine ego ut adverser Is it wisely done of me to resist my Maker to try which is strongest a poor worme or the Almighty God And if the love of Gods commands will not constrain thee let the terrors the thunders and lightnings of his threats perswade thee which are all levelled against wilfull sinners And it is not safe standing surely in the very Canons mouth Peruse those two Scriptures and tremble to venture on any known breach of the Law of thy God Deut. 28.58 Isa 45 9. Rule 3 If all this effect nothing then draw the Curtain take off the vaile from before thy heart and let it behold the God that searcheth it Jer. 17.10 Heb. 4.13 Shew it the Majesty of the Lord see how that is described Isa 6.1 2 3. Ask thy soul whether it sees the living God that seeth it Whether it is aware whose eye looks on Gen. 16.13 14. Whether it hath no respect for God himself who stands by and whose pure and glorious eyes Hab. 1.13 pierce through and through thee Tell thy heart again and again that God will not be mocked that he is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2.3 and by him actions are weighed that he is a jealous God too and will by no meanes clear the guilty Bid it consider well and look to it self for God will bring to light every hidden thing of dishonesty he that now sees will judge it Speak to thy unruly lusts as the Town-Clerk of Ephesus wisely did to the mutinous Citizens Acts 19 40. Sirs we are in danger to be called in question for this dayes uproar there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this tumult Rule 4 If these great reall arguments be slighted try whether an argument ad hominem drawn from sense will prevail Awe thy lusts then with the bitternesse of thine own experience Consider how often thou hast rued their disorders what dismall consequences have followed upon their transports and how dearly thou hast paid heretofore for thy connivance at them Bethink thy self on such a fashion as this T'other day I was angry and behaved my self uncomely put the whole company or family out of order disobliged such a dear and faithful friend by my rashness and folly in uttering hasty words before I weighed them O how did I repent me afterwards how shamed and abashed and confounded was I when I came to my self So at another time thus and thus I miscarried my self and these are the fruits and cursed effects of my yielding to the beginnings of sinne and shall I go now and repeat my madnesse Had I not smart enough for my folly before but must I needs play the fool and the beast again Ask thy self what thou ailest to forget all the sighes and groans and bitter tears that thy lust hath already cost thee and yet would the impudent sin be committed once more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where are thy wits man Theoret in Cyclop if thou goest about it Sic notus Vlysses Was it so sweet a thing to lye under the horror and agony of a wounded conscience and under Gods rebukes in secret the last time that thou must needs venture again Why wilt thou hurt thy soule and become a Devil to thy self Why wilt thou needs break thy peace by consenting to sin and not only so but torment thy self and kindle a hell in thine own bosome and all this in despight of all thy warnings Ictus Piscator sapit the burnt child dreads the fire But it seems thou art in love with misery and weary of thy joy and comfort Thou hast a mind to be cursed wretchedness and woe and death are it seemeth grown so amiable in thine eyes as to become thy deliberate choise Thus upbraid thy self and do it so long and loud till thou fetchest thy soul again to it self out of that swoon and lethargy which besotteth it Give not over chiding and reproaching thy self till thou makest thy heart sensible and considerate Labour to cure thy lustings and affections in the first beginning of Rule 5 their disorders by Revulsion by drawing the stream and tide another way As Physitians stop an an Haemorragic or bleeding at the Nose by breathing the basilique vein in the arm or opening the Saphaena in the foot so may we check our carnal affections by turning them into spiritual ones and those eâ—ther 1 Of the same nature Ex. gr Catch thy worldly sorrow at the rise and turn thy mourning into godly sorrow If thou must needs weep weep for some what that deserves it Be the occasion of thy grief what it will losse of estate relations c. I am sure thy sins are a juster occasion for they brought that occasion of mourning upon thee be it what it will that thou art now in tears for Art thou troubled at any danger full of fears heart-aking and confusion O forget not the Mother-evill sinne let that have but it's due share and there will not be much left to spare of these affections for other things Is thy desire thy love thy joy too busy about some earthly trifle some temporall good thing Pray them to look up a little and behold thy God who is altogether lovely in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 and let everlasting shame stop thy mouth if thou darest affirme any thing in this wretched world worthy to be named once with the living God for Rivalship and competition in thy heart a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Max. Tyr. dissert 1. sure I am he is the fountain and measure of all goodnesse Let but the first and soveraign Good have its due of thy love and desire thy delight and joy and the remainder will be little enough for thy creature-comforts Oh how great a folly is it to dote on husks and overlook the bread in thy fathers house Jer. 2.12 13. 2 Turn thy carnall affections into spirituall ones of a contrary nature Ex. gr Allay thy worldly sorrow by spiritual joy Try whether there be not enough in Alsufficiency it self to compensate the loss of any outward enjoyment whether there wil be any great miss or want of a broken Cistern when thou art at the fountain head of living waters whether the light of the Sun cannot make amends for the expiring of a candle Chastise thy carnall fears by hope in God Set on work
the grace contrary to the lust that is stirring if it be pride and vain-glory in the applause of men think how ridiculous it were for a criminall to please himself in the esteem and honour his fellow-prisoners render him forgetting how guilty he is before his Judge If thou beginnest to be powred loosely out and as it were dissolved in frolick mirth and jovialty correct that vainnesse and gayety of spirit by the grave and sober thoughts of death and judgement and eâ—ernity Rule 6 If this avail not fall instantly to prayer and indeed all along the whole encounter with thy lusts Pray continually lift up thy heart to God with sighs and groans unutterable Oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down Tell him thy lusts are his enemies as well as thine tell him they are too strong for thee beg of him that he would interpose and make bare his arme and get himself a glorious name Awake Isa 51.9 awake put on strength O arme of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon Intreat him of all love to pity thee even by his very bowels and not to let the enemy triumph over thee Tell him thou knowest not what to do but thy eyes are towards him Bemoan thy self before him and plead his glory with him and his truth and faithfulness Spread his own gracious promises in his eyes Psal 27.14 Isa 40.28 29 30 31. Psal 55.22 1 Pet. 5.7 Such Ejaculations or Meditations as these are mighty usefull Gods children find them so in the very paroxisme and assault But if the Temptation continue get into thy Closet and humble thy self greatly before thy God throw thy self at his feet tell him thou wilt not rise till he hath given thee a token for good no thou art resolved there to lye hanging on him and not to let him go untill he bless thee O how welcome is every honest heart to the father of Spirits when it comes on such an errand and in such a manner to the throne of grace God cannot chuse but melt in pity and tendernesse over his poor desolate ones when he sees the anguish of their souls How can I give thee up O Ephraim my bowels are troubled for thee Jer. 31.20 Isa 49.14 they will not give me leave to forget thee Is Ephraim my dear son I do earnestly remember him I wil surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Give not over wrestling like Jacob Gen. 32.26 27 28. till thou risest Israel one who hast power with God and prevailest And it is worth observing that the Lord takes pleasure to be called the mighty God of Jacob and the Lord God of Israel as if he reckoned it an honour that once the worme Jacob wrestled with his omnipotence and overcame him he seems to glory in his being conquered and chuseth that for his name and for his memoriall throughout generations which is an everlasting monument that a poor frail man got the day of him So much doth the effectuall fervent prayer of the righteous prevail Perhaps sometime it may be requisite to joyne secret fasting with thy prayer It may be the Devil that tempts thee is of that kind that will not go out but by prayer and fasting Mat. 17.21 Thus Daniel lay prostrate at Gods feet till a hand touched him and set him upon his knees and the voice said to him O Daniel greatly beloved c. Dan. cap. 10. vers 2 3 compared with 10 11. with 18 19. verses When thou hast done this Rise up and buckle on the shield of faith Rule 7 which is able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one Ephes 6 16. Cloath thy soul with an heroick confidence in the power and faithfulnesse of thy God and in the name and majesty of the Lord of hosts bid battle to thy lusts and to all the powers of darknesse Prov. 7.16 Take heed of going out in thy own single strength for lust hath cast down many strong men wounded While thou art kâ—eping thine owne heart with all diligence forget not by faith to bring the great keeper of Israel in If any other man could have kept his own heart sure the man after Gods own heart could have done it Virg. Aeneid Si Pergama dextra Defendi possent etiam hac defensa fuissent But the matter of Vriah and Bathsheba stands on record to all posterity to the contrary For except the Lord keep the City the watchman waketh but in vain Psalm 127.1 Do not venture to grapple with the roaring Lyon but in the strength of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah who is also the Lamb of God and the great shepheard of Israel Isa 40.11 that carries his lambs in his bosome and whether should the pursued Lamb betake it self but into that shepheaâ—ds arms In time of trouble spirituall as well as other he will hide thee in the secret of his Tabernacle in his pavilion will he hide thee and set thee as upon a rocke Psal 27.5 He never fails the eyes of them that look up to him nor makes his people ashamed of their hope What time thou art afraid trust in him His name is a strong tower Cast thy care upon him and expect the same pity from thy God which the men of Iabesh-Gilead found from Saul when Nabash the barbarous Ammonite would have put out their right eyes To morrow ere the Sun be hot ye shall have help 1 Sam. 11.9 If the King of Israels bowels yerned over those poor men shall not the bowels of the God of Israel over those that fear him Yes upon his honour truth and faithfulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Serpens hebr he will not suffer that cruell Nahash to allude to the signification of the word that old Serpent to have his will upon them if he doth not come to day he will to morrow ere the Sun be hot Lift up your heads therefore O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory The LORD strong and mighty the LORD mighty in battle Psal 24.7 8. Thus was Joseph rescued from the Archers that shot at him and sorely grieved him His bow abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the arms of the mighty God of Jacob Gen. 49.23 24. Vse 1 Information I come at length to the Use We are to learn hence That our souls are not as they came out of the father of Spirits hands they appear as it were wrong risen in the world and begin to tread awry the very first steps they measure on the stage of Earth All the symptomes of degeneracy are upon them The best of men that ever yet blest the earth with their Residence upon it except that Son of man who was only so by the mothers side being by the Fathers
of all their sins Oh man whoever thou art that makest thy neighbour drunk by putting the bottle to his mouth that callest to thy brother saying â—ast in thy lot amâ—ngst us and let us have one purse that inticest the soule of the simple with a Come let us take our fill of loves and solace our selves untill the morning I tell thee thou art guilty of all their sins and mayest justly be punished with all their plagues for this Christians is a most Devilish practice to tempt and provoke others to wickednesse All sins indeed are devilish sins Per modum servitutis but some sins are devilish sins Per modum imaginis in all sins men bear the Devils yoak 1 John 3.8 but in some sins men bear the Devils image Five Sins especially the Scripture brands as devilish Sins and this is the chief 1. False accusation 2 Tim. 3.3 men shall be false accusers Devils sayes the Greek 2. Lyâ—ng John 8.44 you are of your father the Devil for he is a liar and the father of it 3. Pride 1 Tim 3.6 not a novice lest puffed up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil 4. Persecution Revel 2.10 the Devil shall cast some of you into prison i. e. devilish men-persecutors 5. Temptation as this is Get thee behinde me Satan sayes Christ to Peter when he tempted him Maâ—th 16.23 He that shall either hinder another of doing that good which is commanded or shall further another to the doing of that evil which is prohibited is justly chargeable with both their Sins 2. By compliance by consenting and complying with Sin and Sinners so a man makes himself partaker though he has no hand in 't yet if he has a heart in 't though he does not act it yet if he likes it and loves it and approves it though he does not persecute Gods Saints and Ministers yet if he saith Aha! aha so would we have it 't is enough to make him guilty before God Saul he had no hand in Saint Stephens death he did not cast one stone at him but because he looked on with approbation and stood by with consent Acts 8.1 Saul was consenting unto his death therefore was he esteemed guilty of his blood and murder and so himself confesses when God had awakened him and humbled him to repentance Acts 22.20 When the blood of thy Martyr Stephen was shed I was consenting to his death and so charges himself as guilty of it God looks not upon the outward man so much as upon the heart according to the frame and inclination of the heart according as the pulse of the heart beats so is every man in the account esteem of God if Sin has once storm'd the Fort-Royall of the heart though it never appears in the out-works the Garrison is lost That which is upon the stage of the heart after consent is as truly acted in the sight of God as that which appeares in the outward man by commission Matth 15.19 Out of the heart proceeds murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesses blasphemies Why beloved from the hand proceeds Murders and Thefts Eph 4.28 from the eye proceedes Adulteries and Fornications 2 Pet. 2.14 and from the tongue proceeds f lâ—e witnesses and blasphemies Psal 120.3 Oh but the heart is the forge of all You may murder a man with a thought as they say the Rasilisk will with a look such a poysonous thing a wicked heart is and let me tell you 't is the heart-murder and the heart-adultery and the heart-blasphemy and the heart-iniquity that God especially judges according to that famous place Jer. 17.10 I the Lord search the heart to give to every man according to his wayes i. e. according to what I see acted and done upon the stage of the heart sayes God he does not onely judge the actions but he judges the very intentâ—ons 3. By connivance by a sinfull dissembling flatâ—ering and winking at others in their wickednesse and sins so men become guilty of others sins Isa 9.16 The leaders of this people cause them tâ— erre 't is in the Hebrew the blessers of this people cause them to erre Beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beat fican es populum the blessers of men in wickednesse are the leaders of men in wickednesse he that shall wink at and flaâ—ter men in Sins when he knowes in his conscience that they doe wickedly he makes himself Captain and Master of mis-rule among them And thus we are too prone to be partakers of Magistraâ—es sins and Governours sins and great mens sins Patrons sins and Landlords sins If the Grandees of the world profane the Sabbath dishonour God rant and swear and scoff at Religion out of a base cowardly spirit or out of a carnall covetous heart we flatter them and let them alone it may be applaud them as he said Tu fa hunc Dominum te facit ille Deum doe but make him a Lord and hee straight-way makes thee a God as if we were not to distâ—nguish between the persons of men and the vices of men or as if so be we more feared a mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils than we do the immortall God who can frown us into hell in a moment Oh thâ—s is to be deeply guilty of other mens Sins See how sharply God by his Proâ—het taxes and reproves this dawbing in those wicked upholsters that sow pillows to every elbow Ezek. 13.17 and so forward Read it at leisure I fear this has been the Sin of former Times and Governments God grant it may not be the Sin of present and future Ages for men to connive at any that promote their own interests Alas my brethren methinks the interest of Piety and the interest of Conscience and the interest of the eternall God judge of quick and dead should swallow up all the interests of the world If Nebuchadnezzar himself should set up a golden Image and would have it worshipp'd I tell you 't is not treason for Sidrach Meshech and Abednego to say Wee are not carefull oh King to answer thee in this matter Dan. 3.16 Besides let not men deceive themselves for such persons as can so easily betray the interest of God will never be afraid if opportunity serve to oppose the soveraignty of man whose authority he bears and are not indeed Hushai's but Ziba's not Davids friends but Davids flatterers 4. By sufferance by permitting the sins of others so we become guilty by suffering others to sin whom we are bound in duty and may be able by authority to hinder and thus as in the former particular we are guilty of Magistrates sins in this particular Magistrates oft-times become guilty of our sins Kings and Rulers and subordinate Magistrates become oft-times deeply guilty of their peoples sins namely by sufferance by tolerating Errours and Heresies and Blasphemies on the one hand or by suffering wickednesse and profanenesse on the other That Ruler or Magistrate that shall suffer either loose
pure take heed of infectious places and infectious practices and infectious company Antid 3. Pray against them pray against prophaneness pray Augustines prayer Lord deliver mee from other mens sins Antid 4. Mourn for them mourn for the sins of the Nation and mourn for the sins of thy Relations for the sins of thy Brethren in their obstinacy that they will not bee reformed Christ came to sinful Jerusalem with weeping eyes and with a mourning heart oh Jerusalem David mourned for the wickedness of the times that hee saw Psal 119.136 Many walk saies Paul of whom I tell you weeping Thus did Gods people of old free themselves from National sins and particular mens sins When they could not bee reformers they turned mourners Jer. 13.17 And see how prevalent this is with God these mourners are the onely people to deliver a Nation or at least to deliver themselves from the sin and plagues of a Nation when God makes an overflowing scourge to pass through Ezek. 9.4 On the other side not mourning for the sins of others makes us adopt and espouse the sins of others Dan. 5.22 Antid 5. Reprove them Ezek. 3.17 18 19. If wee would not partake of the sins of others wee must reprove the sins of others Lev. 19. Ezek. 33.7 8 9. So the Apostle saith expresly Ephes 5.11 intimating that you do certainly approve them if you do not reprove them Reprove Heresie Blasphemy Drunkenness Oaths Sabbath-breaking Uncleanness and every sin you hear or see committed The Ravisht Virgin under the Law Deut. 22.25 was to cry out in this case God takes silence for consent As there is a holy silence to Gods Correction Aaron held his peace so there is a sinful silence under mans corruption Eli held his peace also Aarons silence was a good silence but Ely's silence was a naughty silence wee must bee silent under Gods correction but wee must not bee silent under mans corruption Levit. 5.1 Therefore saith St. Paul Reprove them the best way to avoid fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness and to free a mans soul from the guilt of other mens sins is to reprove them that is the Antidote against this infection Thus the Ephesians practised as St. Paul preacht St. Paul does not more advise them to this duty than St. John does commend them for this duty Saies the Holy Ghost there in Apoc. 2.1 2 3. compared together hast born and yet hast not born Gods Correction mans corruption I know thy patience and how thou canst not it is no breach of patience to bee impatient against sin and sinners But now beloved because this sword of Reproof is a very dangerous weapon if it bee not rightly handled an edge-tool that wee must bee marvelously chary how we meddle with There is required therefore a great deal of skill and prudence and wisdome and watchfulness to a right and successful managing of this duty Eccles 12.11 Hee that would fasten this nail of Reproof in the conscience of his offending Brother had need bee a very wise man Yea as I remember I siod Pelus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one can finde fault and reprove another for the same but to do it discreetly and seasonably and successfully requires a great deal of wisdome and to this end I shall give you these Rules Reproof is double 1. Ministerial and by way of Authority and Fraternal by way of Charity And here wee come to the second case viz. Reproof 1. Hee that reproves another must bee very careful that himself bee faultless and blameless as much as may bee otherwise hee is not acting his Charity but bewraying his Hypocrisie Thou that teachest another Rom. 2.21 22. This is Hypocrisie saith Christ Matth. 7.3 4 5. And here there are two things coucht in this 1. A man must bee faultless in reference to sin general as much as may bee that will reprove another The snuffers of the Sanctuary under the Law were of pure gold and it behoves that man that will bee a snuffer in Gods house to correct others to amend others and reprove others to bee very upright and circumspect in all things and then he may admonish with the greater Advantage Authority Efficacy Let the Righteous smite mee saith David c. Psal 141.5 A man of a strict and severe life and religious and righteous conversation carries a kinde of a Majesty and Authority along with him at which the guilty consciences of guilty sinners cannon but recoil as Herod did to John Baptist Mark 6.20 Though John had reproved him and touched him to the quick v. 18. And then 2. A man must bee blameless in reference to that sin hee reproves especially else in healing his Brother hee doth but stab himself if thou reprovest Pride in others and art proud thy self Covetousness and art covetous thy self Drunkenness and art a drunkard thy self thou dost but like David in Nathans Parable pronounce the sentence of thine own condemnation Rom. 2.1 But here I must enter one Caution none is exempted from this duty for unfitness no this thou oughtest to have done and not to have left the other undone 2. As hee must take heed that himself bee faultless so hee must be sure that his Brother bee faulty For otherwise it is not to reprove him but to reproach him and so instead of doing a Christian duty a man commits a devilish sin hee becomes an accuser of the Brethren instead of a Reprover of the Brethren Gal. 2.11 And here are likewise two things considerable 1. It must bee a truth that thou reprovest him for 2. It must bee a sin that thou reprovest him for 1. It must not be a conjecture or imagination or jealousie or rumour or hear-say that 's ground sufficient for Reproof for all these may be false and the Rule of Charity is quisquc praesumitur esse bonus nisi constat de malo but verily the guise of the world is far otherwise wee deal with our Brethren as the persecuting Pagans did with the Primitive Christians put them into Lions skin and into Bear skins and then bait them and tear them to peeces Alas the poor Christians were harmless meek Lambs but they disguised them and so abused them Thus 't is now Christians are apt and ready to put their poor Brethren into I know not what kinde of monstrous ugly shapes of their own imagining and devising or else of other mens traducing and reporting and without more ado they fall soul upon them This is not to imitate our Saviour Isa 11.2 3 4. Not from rumours but with righteousness and equity as God said in destroying of Sodome so should we say in reproving our Brethren Gen. 18.21 I will go down and see 2. It must bee a breach of some command Affirmative or Negative directly or reductively either the omission of that which is good or the commission of that which is evil wee must bee Cato's not Momus's As the Pharisees so Christ Mat. 19.3 So here is it lawful
their souls from death James 5.20 and hide a multitude of sins Now the principal Objects of this excellent duty are such with whom wee converse such to whom wee are obliged and connexed by the bonds and links of nature office or vicinity of habitation Hence was it that our blessed Lord while hee walked in the valley of his Incarnation exercised his Ministry most part among his kindred relations and neighbours at Nazareth Capernaum Bethsaida neer the Sea of Tiberias at Cana and other Regions of Galilee in which parts hee had receive his Education Andrew when hee understood the call of Christ the gret Saviour of the world John 1.41 hee presently seeks out his Brother Simon to bring him to the Messiah Philip after the like manifestation looks out for Nathaniel and in a great extasie of spirit John 1.45 cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write There are many instances of this nature both in the Old and New Testament Abraham and Joshua were famous in their Generation for this work they counted it their principal business they made it their great care to instruct their families in the fear and service of the great God Psal 101.2 David also ingages to walk in his house with a perfect heart that by his exemplary pattern hee might gain over his family to the Lord. Luke 5.29 Matthew the Publican wee read did invite all the Tribute-gatherers that were of his own Fraternity and Profession to a great Feast that they might sit down with Christ and feed upon his heavenly Doctrine John 4.53 The great man in the City of Capernaum brings in his whole family to the beleef of the Truth Act. 10.24 Cornelius the Roman Centurion who was quartered at Caesarea calls his Relations together to hear the Doctrine of Faith and Repentance The woman in the Gospel having found the lost groat after great pains and diligence calls in her friends and neighbours to rejoyce with her Luke 15.9 Crispus and the Jaylor and Lydia and Stephanas are eminent Examples of this duty by whose conscientious care and procurement it may bee supposed that their whole housholds came under the roof of Christ because presently after that wee have heard of their own personal Baptism wee finde their families also washed in that sacred Layer I shall not insist upon Arguments to prove the incumbent necessity of this duty or Motives to allure you to the practice of it I might deduce it as an inference consequent from the Law of Nature to use our greatest indeavours that our Relations might obtain an union to the best and highest good I might draw it from the. Divine Injunction I might excite your diligence from the consideration of the dreadful danger following its neglect Psal 78.5 from the comfort that will flow into thy bosome upon the exercise of it since it is a notable evidence of the sincerity of Grace in thine own heart None but such as have seen and tasted can cry out to others with an holy affectionate vehemency O come taste and see that the Lord is good P1sal 34.8 The Wine of the Kingdome having once warmed the hearts of Saints sends up vivacious spirits and fills their mouths with a holy loquacity I might further provoke thee to this excellent work by the rich benefit in gaining such to love thee whose affections will exceed all natural love whatever and by the great reward that shall ensue in the life to come For they that turn many to righteousness Dan. 12.3 shall shine as the stars for ever and ever O Brethren if families were holy then Cities then Nations would quickly prove Mountains of Holiness and Seats for the Throne of God Wee are apt to cry out of bad times Alas those unclean Nests of ungodly Families have been the causes of all the wickedness in all Ages and Generations to this day Therefore whoever thou art on whom the Grace of God hath shined study that holy art of Divine Reflection and Re-percussion of that light on others hearts which bring 's mee to an useful and practical question Quest You I say What course shall wee take what means shall wee use what method will you prescribe that wee may bee able to manage this important and weighty duty that wee may bee helpful towards the conversion and salvation of our neer Relations that are in the state of nature I confess this Question is of grand importance and being properly solved may prove of great influence in all places where wee are cast by Divine Providence There is scarce a family scarce a person living who may not bee comprehended within the verge and limits of this discourse Ans In answer therefore to it I shall spend the principal part of my time and that I may handle it the more distinctly I shall rank such as may desire satisfaction and direction in this weighty and excellent case under three forms or orders Such as are either Superiours Equals or Inferiors But before I enter into the main body of the Answer I shall crave leave to premise three things 1. That this Question is not to bee understood of persons in publick capacity and concernment as Magistrates or Ministers but of Family-Relations Kindred Co-habitants Neighbours Friends and Acquaintance of such as have frequent converse together in Civil Societies and often commerce in dealings but principally of Oeconomical Relatives or such as are nigh to each other by blood or affinity 2. That Saving-Conversion is in the power of God alone to effect as being the primary and principal efficient cause of all those gracious works that accompany salvation There is none able to kindle Grace in the heart but hee who hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Yet not withstanding all of us in our several stations as subordinate instruments may and must use all wholesome means that are of Divine Appointment conducing to such a blessed end 3. That there are different states conditions capacities and qualifications among such Relations whose conversion wee should endeavour Some being perhaps enormously and outragiously wicked others morally civil and yet further others possibly may bee conformable to the institutions of the external worship of God Of these I may speak Sparsim opere interâ—exto as the particulars will hear together with such other appendant cases that may hold some consanguinity with the General Question To begin then with the first branch Quest 1. What means Superiors principally in Family-Relations should use to draw on their Inferiors to rellish and savour the things of God True it is what Jerom saies fiunt Hieronym ad Laetam Tom. 1. p. 55. edit Lugd. 1530. non nascuntur Christian No man is born a Christian but an heir of wrath and divine justice For the obtaining of the New Birth thin in such as are committed to our charge I shall draw up directions under
discourse by some sweet and heavenly diversions 2. Mannage your Reproofs with great prudence and discretion Thou shalt not hate thy â—rother in thy heart Rev. 19.17 thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him I might here divert unto a case almost co-incident and that is Quest When is it our duty to reprove such as wee see and hear committing of sin as wee pass by in the streets Answ This being the business of another subject I shall onely say thus much that if thou perceivest them by their haughty and scornful carriage to be such as will kick at rebuke Prov. 9.8 thou hast a Rule from Solomon Reprove not a scorner lest hee hate thee When by the wisest conjecture that thou canst make he is like to shew the properties of a brutish Mat. 7.6 swinish nature Cast not thy Pearls before Swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you But if he be a person likely to receive impressions and particularly if it be a trespass against thy self go tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee Mat. 18.17 thou hast gained thy Brother Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself Prov. 25.9 I have known admirable success in this case But in all such cases observe these three directions Prov. 25.11 Diog. Laert. in Arcesilao 1. Time your Reproofs seasonably words spoken in season are like Apples of gold in pictures of silver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This very point saies an antient is proper to a Philosopher to understand the season of all things I may say 't is much more the excellency of a Christian to feel the pulse of the soul and hit the disease in the very joynt as 't is reported of Galen that when Antoninus laboured under a distemper others not being able to declare where it lay this Physician by his expertness in the evidence of symptomes pronounced that his stomach was vexed with crudities and indigestion Castellan de vit medic p. 117. the Emperour cried out three times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That 's it that very thing is it which thou hast spoken As to our purposes it is adviseable sometimes not presently and immediately to fall bluntly upon the work lest thou thy self shouldest be in a passion Yet stay not too long lest thy holy zeal be cooled and both thou and hee forget or dissemble the Circumstances whereby Reproof might be the better fixed A seasonable time to intermeddle in these cases may be when a friend is under the holy hand of God in any affliction particularly in a sick-bed That time which is fit for bodily may be much more fit for soul-physick When thoughts of mortality and the leaving of all outward enjoyments do prepare and meliorate the way for spiritual impressions 2. Mix thy Reproofs with meek and gentle expressions Every Reproof should be like the Syrupus Acetosus of Physicians the Syrup of Vineger that carries with it a grateful sharpness Take heed thou go not to this work vested in thine own anger for though there may be in thee some holy zeal yet take heed of mingling too much of kitchen-fire Meek Reproofs are like Tents dipt in the balm of Gilead that both search and cure the wound together Let the Righteous smite mee Psal 141.5 saies David and it shall be a kindness and let hâ—m reprove mee it shall bee an excellent oyl which shall not break my head Such are the Disciples of the good Samaritan who poured in Wine as an abstersive Luke 10.34 and Oil as a suppling incarnative into the wound Such are the children of that prudent Matron who opened her mouth in wisdome Prov. 31.26 and in whose tongue was the Law of kindness And yet friends if wee be over-gentle the core of the wound will remain The Chyrurgian who hath taught his fingers too much tenderness and not willing to put his patient to pain may through cruel kindness occasion distorted limbs and lameness all a mans life Corrosives are as necessary as glutinous plaisters to eat down the proud flesh of our sinful sores Ely's sinful mildness procured the sharp sword of the Philistines to cut off his Sons and occasioned such dismal events that broke his own heart and his neck too In many Chymical operations Salt is a most necessary ingredient and causes things to ferment without the salt of Reproof in its due proportion bare words of advice will seldome work The temper of the person must be wisely considered In some too milde expressions lull them asleep in sin No great matter may they think which extorts but such gentle reflections In others that are quick and apprehensive Soft words do pacifie wrath Prov 15.1 Such as are of cholerick tempers whose gall doth much overflow their intestines Physicians are more careful of their Cholagôga of such ingredients in their purges that may exonerate and not augment their choler In all thy spiritual Physick labour to clear it up that thou givest no potion but what may tend to the health of his soul 3. Be sure thou be unblameable as to that which thou reprovest in another If thou doest the same things Rom. 2.1 for which thou rebukest thy Brother thou art inexcusable for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self Hee may well retort the Proverb upon thee Physician heal thy self Cast out first the beam in thine own eye Luke 6.42 and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy Brothers eye This is the first and principal work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to perswade thy self Arrian in Epictet l. 4. c. 6. Dost thou attempt to perswade others to that whereunto thou art not arrived thy self O vain man who will beleeve that thou art in good earnest that thou doest indeed abhor Idols Rom. 2. when as thou committest Sacriledge Obj. But some may object Shall wee never reprove others in any case till wee are clear our selves then who can perform this duty Answ I answer as to scandalous sins and such as grosly foul the conversation James 1.27 a man through grace may keep himself unspotted from the world But in matters of infirmity who can say that his heart or his life is free and clean In the former when thou hast washed thy hands in innocency then mayest thou deal with thy Brother In the latter James 3.2 since in many things wee offend all involve thy self in the same Reproof and it may be digested the more kindly I come now to the third and last branch of the Question and that is Quest 3. How wee shall deal with Superiours in case such are in the state of nature by what means wee may most effectually promote their conversion 1. Here I might inlarge by way of preface to shew that it is lawful in some cases for Inferiors to deal with Superiors though it be the
affections indeed most times are first wrought upon we are so sensual by nature When thou art once gotten into their hearts then press them with weighty Arguments drawn out of Scripture argue with them about the folly of sin See how Job handles the matter with his wife about murmuring and impatience against God Iâ—b 2.10 What shall wee receive good at the haâ—d of God and not evil Let them know that all the waies of God are pleasant waies and all his paths are peace Prov. 3.17 That the path to Heaven is a most sweet path to walk in Shew them the beauty of Christ the glory of Christ draw aside the curtain and unvail the mysteries of free-grace before their eyes Let them behold the Image of that blessed Saviour pourtrayed in Scripture As the Spouse did to the Daughters of Jerusalem run over all the excellencies of Christ and then conclude Hee is alâ—ogether lovely This is my Beloved Cant. 5.16 and this is my Friend O Daughters of Jerusalem Tell them what experience you had of the blindness nakedness miserableness of your own condition formerly when you were as they are now that you then thought of Religion as they do that it was but a peevish foolish unnecessary strictness Tell them how the case is mended with you how admirably through mercy 't is altered 3. Let your conversation be very exemplary so that what you perswade may be strongly confirmed by your own Example Both vice and vertue are learned by Presidents Alexander in his manners and gate did imitate his Master Leonides as long as he lived Hieron ad Laet. p. 56 57. Nihil in te in patre suo videat quod si fecerit peccet Let thy childe behold nothing in thy walking which if followed may prove sinful Be an example to others of holiness Id. P. 101. that they may not offend by the authority of thy Name Though thy precepts be short and concise let thine actions exemplifying those precepts be constant and perpetual Max. Tyr. dess 15. Deny your selves sometimes in the injoyment of lawful things which may not be expedient before Carnal Relations when you are upon this work Let Wives saies the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3.1 2. win their husbands by their holy conversation Walk so meekly so obediently so winningly by an amiable deportment that a wicked drunken husband may see the picture of grace in the life of a wife and may be forced to confess that grace of a truth dwelleth in her 1 Cor 7.16 Many times the unbeleeving husband may be saved even in this sense by the beleeving wife vice versâ David profest that he would walk in his house with a perfect heart Psal 101.2 As the water follows the finger in the Clay so may thy example lead them on to the things of God There is a secret reverence and awe upon the hearts of others when any in the family do walk worthy of the Gospel unto all well pleasing Fourthly and lastly After thou hast used all these fore-mentioned directions which lye couched in the bowels of these words in the Text my hearts desire is that Israel may hee saved For if he did heartily desire their good as he profest then he would use all good means proper and proportionable to that end But then hee adds his prayer to God for the same purpose and so must thou follow the example of our holy Apostle Alas all thy instructions without prayer will do no good Go to God to sanctifie all and to perswade their souls that you have a most single and sincere aim at their everlasting salvation Pray apart for them and if the condition of thy Relations will admit pray with them and therein couch some sweet reflections upon their souls Elijah when he was in prayer with company cries out 1 King 18.37 O Lord hear mee that this people may know that thou art the Lord God Joh. 17.20 18.1 Our blessed Lord also in that heavenly prayer to the Father makes most sweet and ardent mention of his Disciples who were present with him Job 1.5 Job he sacrificed for his children he sent for them and sanctified them and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all To teach us to pray for children distinctly one by one Abraham he begs of God Gen. 17.18 Prov. 31.2 Oh that Ishmael might live in thy sight and Bathshebah shee calls Solomon the Son of her vows Austin was the childe of Monica's prayers and tears Ask counsel of God as Manoah did Iudg. 13.8 that he would be pleased to teach you what you must do with your children Beg of God wisdome and direction that he would order providential seasons for their good let that be your great request in secret Oh that such a childe such a servant might be pull'd as a firebrand out of the fire Iude 23. and brought home to God Should ye have the wisdome of Angels if God do not come in to your help all your labour will be in vain Cry out with the poor man in the Gospel Lord have mercy on my Son Mat. 17.15 for he is sore vexed for oft-times he falleth into the fire and oft into the water sometimes into one sin sometimes into another whereby his soul incurs fearful and terrible dangers Commend thy childe to God whom thou hast begotten to death and damnation unless wonderful mercy interpose it self Sprinkle him with the holy water of melting tears beg of God that he may be delivered from the wrath to come by his Almighty Arm. Petition earnestly for the pardon of those sins for the rooting out that spiritual wickedness which thou hast been the means to propagate Pray it out fast it out weep it out before God Such Devils go not out without fasting and prayer Now I shall make some brief Application of the whole and so conclude Use 1. In the first place hence we learn the diffusive nature of holiness 2 King 4.3 it is like the widows Oil that filled all the vessels of her neighbours He that is holy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto God himself for communicatâ—veness as well as for purity in his small degree and measure The language of a Saint is Come let us sing praise Psal 95.1 2. let us come before his presence with thanksgiving Come yee Isa 2.3 and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his waies c. Use 2. To reprove such as do not perform their utmost that do not improve their skill and endeavour to the height in this excellent work Every childe is born an heir of Hell and wilt thou use no means to deliver his soul from death and to pull him out of the jaws of the Devil Oh thou ungodly Father that like Gallio takest no care in this matter God will require the blood
upon acknowledgement of my fault I would be forgiven and received to favour Now if we would be thus dealt with we must bear with others the best men need some grains of allowance Nullum unquam ingenium placuit sine veniâ no man was ever so perfect so accomplisht so unexceptionable but there was some thing or other in his carriage that needed pardon every man hath a particular humour we must give some allowance for that every man is subject to mistake we must allow for that too and if a man have committed a fault we must accept of an ingenuous acknowledgement and be ready to grant him peace There is a shame and disdain in humane nature of too vile a submission therefore we must not bring a man too low when we have him at advantage 5. In matter of report and representation of other men and their actions We must not take up a rash prejudice or entertain a sinister apprehension of any upon sleight grounds do not represent any man his words or actions at a disadvantage make the best of every thing A mans good Name is like a Looking-glasse nothing is sooner crackt and every breath can sully it Handle every mans reputation with the same tenderness thou wouldest have every man use towards thine Do not slander or defame any man or rejoyce to hear other mens miscarriages ript open do not account it an entertainment to censure and backbite all the World 6. In matters of trust and fidelity Where I place a confidence and repose a trust I would not bee deceived I must not deceive another nor let any man fall that leans upon mee If a man trust mee with the management of his businesse or lodge a secret with mee or put his life into my power or commit the care of his estate or children to mee after his death These are all ingenuous trusts and must be discharged with the same faithfulness we expect from others 7. In matter of duty and obedience Wee must give that honour to our Parents which wee would expect from our Children and pay that reverence to Masters which wee would exact from our Servants Wee must rise up before the gray head and give respect to old Age For let not us think but that the change of Relation and of Age will have the same effect upon us which it hath upon the rest of the World It is a folly to talk that when wee are Old wee shall be pleased with the insolencies of Youth when wee are Masters wee shall not be at all offended with the contemptuous carriage of our Servants that it will not touch our hearts to have our Children undutiful and void of respect to see the fruit of our body unnatural and unkâ—nde to us 8. In matters of freedome and liberty Which are not determined by any natural or positive Law wee must permit as much to others as wee assume to our selves and this is a sign of an equal and temperate person and one that justly values his own understanding and power But there is nothing wherein men usually deal more unequally with one another than in indifferent opinions and practices of Religion I account that an indifferent opinion which good men differ about not that such an opinion is indifferent as to truth or errour but as to salvation or damnation it is not of necessary beleef By an indifferent practice in Religion I mean that which is in its own nature neither a duty nor a sin to do or omit Where I am left free I would not have any mâ—n to rob mee of my liberty or intrench upon my freedome and because hee is satisfied such a thing is lawful and fit to be done expect I should do it who think it otherwise or because hee is confident such an opinion is true be angry with mee because I cannot beleeve as fast as hee Now if another do ill in doing thus to mee I cannot do well in doing so to another And do not say that thou art sure thou art in the right and he that differs from thee in the wrong and therefore thou mayest impose upon him though hee may not upon thee hath not every man this confidence of his own opinion and practice and usually the weakest cause bears up with the greatest confidence now if thou wouldest not have another that is confident hee is in the right to impose upon thee do not thou impose upon another for all thy confidence Wee should rather bee modest and say every one to our selves How came I to be so much wiser then other men which way came the spirit of the Lord from so many Wise and Pious men to speak unto mee Is it a peculiar priviledge granted to mee that I cannot bee mistaken or are not they most of all mistaken who think they cannot mistake If then I bee but like other men why should I take so much upon mee as if my understanding were to bee a rule and my apprehensions a standard to the whole World As if when another man differs from mee I did not differ as much from him why may not another man understand the thing better than I do or what crime is it if hee understand it not so well Were all mens understandings cast in the same Mould Is it presumption for any man to know more then I do or a sin to know less Job doth well reprove this self-conceit Job 12.2 3. His friends would needs bear him down and were very angry with him that hee was not of their minde and would not acknowledge all to bee true of himself which they said against him hee takes them up sharply No doubt yee are the people and wisdome shall dye with you but I have understanding as well as you and I am not inferiour to you who knoweth not such things as these Let not any man think that hee hath engrossed all the knowledge of the world to himself but others know the same things which hee doth and many things better than hee 9. In matters of Commerce and Contracts which arise from thence Now a contract is a mutual transferring of right when I buy any thing of another hee makes over the right of such a Commodity to mee for so much mony or other valuable thing the right whereof I make over to him Now in this kinde of entercourse wee are to bee governed by this great Rule In making of Contracts wee must agere bonâ fide deal honestly and truely in performing of contracts wee must liberare fidem satisfie the ingagement wee have made for thus wee our selves would bee dealt withall Now if any shall desire to bee more particularly satisfied What that exact righteousness is which in matter of Contracts ought to bee observed betwixt Man and Man I must confess this is a difficult question and to bee handled very modestly by such as acknowledge themselves unacquainted with the affairs of the World and the necessities of things and the particular and hidden
that hath abused mee for hee describing Religion by it's proper Acts tells us that pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and the Widdow in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the World so that that thing which in an especial refined dialect of the new Christian Language signifies nothing but morality and civility that in the language of the Holy Ghost imports true Religion Mark 12.33 34. when the Scribe told Christ that to love God with all the heart c. And our neighbours as our selves was more than whole burnt offerings and sacrifices it is said when Jesus saw that hee answered discreetly hee said unto him thou art not far from the Kingdome of God They that would have a Religion without moral righteousness talk indiscreetly and are further from the Kingdome of God than a meer moral man If wee neglect this part of Religion wee disparage the Gospel and abuse our profession wee are but pretenders to Christianity Plutarch speaks somewhere to this purpose hee had rather posterity should say there was never such a man as Plutarch than that hee was a vicious or cruel or unjust man I had rather a man should not call himself a Christian that hee should renounce his Title than that by his life and actions hee should represent Christians to the world as oppressors as unjust and treacherous dealers If men will only use Religion for to cover their unrighteousness I had rather they would put off their Cloaks and bee Knaves in querpo that every body may know them than that they should go like High-way-men in vizards and disguises only that they may rob honest men the more securely And to move you to the practice of this Rule I shall only offer to you one Consideration but which hath so much weight in it that it may be instead of many As you deal with others so yee shall bee dealt with With what measure you mere to others it shall be measured to you is a proverbial speech often used by our Saviour and which one time or other you will finde to be very significant God doth many times by his providence order things so that in this life mens unrighteousness returns upon their own heads and their violent dealing upon their own pates There is a divine Nemesiâ— which brings our iniquities upon our selves No man hath any vice or humour alone but it may be matched in the world either in its own kind or in another if a man be cruel and insolent A Bajazet shall meet with a Tamerlane if a man delight to jeer and abuse others no man hath so good a wit but another hath as good a memory hee will remember it to revenge it Hee that makes a trade of deceiving and couzening others hee doth but teach others to couzen him and there are but few Masters in any kinde but are out-done by some of their Schollars But however wee may escape the hands of men how shall wee escape our own consciences either trouble of conscience in this life or the worm of conscience in the next how shall wee escape the hands of the Living God how shall wee escape the damnation of Hell 1 Thes 4.6 Let no man go beyond or defraud his Brother in any matter for God is the avenger of all such Hee will take their cause into his own hands and render to us according to our fraudulent and cruel dealing with others Mat. 18.35 So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you c. What our Saviour saith Mat. 19.29 That there is no man that denies himself in Houses or Lands c. for Christs sake and the Gospels but shall receive in this life a hundred-fold and in the world to come everlasting life is true also here There is no man that is injurious to his Brother in houses or lands or good name or any other thing but shall probably receive in this world aâ— hundred-fold however without repentance in the world to come everlasting misery In the next world men will finde that they have but impoverished themselves by their ill-gotten wealth and heaped up for themselves treasures of wrath Read those words and tremble at them Jam. 5.1 2 3 4 5. Go to now yee rich men weep and howl for your misery shall come upon you c. Let us then be perswaded as we love God whom we have not seen as we love the Gospel which we read and hear every day would preserve the reputation of it as wee would better the world and the condition of man-kind as wee love our selves and our own peace and happiness to deal justly and equally with all men Till wee come to live by this Rule of Equity wee can never hope to see the world a quiet habitation But if this were practised among us Psal 85.9 10 11 12 13. then Glory would dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth would meet together Righteousness and Peace would kiss each other Truth would spring out of the Earth and Righteousness would look down from Heaven yea the Lord would give that which is good and our Land would yeeld her increase Righteousness would go before him and set us in the way of his steps After what manner must wee give Alms that they may be acceptable and pleasing unto God 1 TIM 6.17 18 19. Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high-minded nor trust in uncertain Riches but in the Living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal Life THe sum of these words is a Direction for Rich men how to make the best use of their Riches The ground or occasion of this Direction is to meet with an Objection which might be made against the discommodities and dangers of Riches noted before in vers 9 10. But they that will bee rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition V. 10. For the love of mony is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the Faith and peirced themselves through with many sorrows From hence some might infer as the Disciples did from the inseparable and inviolable bond of Marriage noted by our Saviour Matth. 19. If say they the case of the man bee so with his wife it is not good to marry So might some say if they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare c. then it is not good to be rich yea such as are rich may say Let us give away or cast away all that wee have rather than retain such Vipers as Riches seem to be To prevent such inconsequent inferences the Apostle giveth this Direction whereby hee sheweth
yet the left hand is often assistant to it Now though there should be any so neer unto thee as to be helpful and assistant or at hand yet let them not know it make known thy charity to none Quest May wee not give Alms if others bee by Ans Yea if need so require as at publick Collections or when in publick wee see one stand in need But wee may not do it with a mind to have it known our mind must bee free from all such conceit and wee must so do it as if wee were alone That Alms is not unacceptable which is given and seen of men but that which is given to bee seen of men Non est ingrata cleemosyna quae fit videtur sed quae fit ut videatur So that the scope of our Saviour in the fore-mentioned place is to take us off from all vain-glory in giving of our Alms that as much as in us lieth wee should indeavour to hide and conceal our good works from the eye of the world IV. Our Alms must be given wâ—th a compassionate heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misericordia with bowels of affection The Greek word so Alms is derived from a word that signifies Mercy which intimateth the disposition of the giver how hee should bee a merciful man whose bowels are moved at the misery of another and thereupon contributes to his need with bowels of compassion In giving wee must not only open our hands but our hearts also in pitty and compassion Psa 58.10 wee must draw out our souls as the Prophet speaketh as well as our purses to the hungry and afflicted which is implied under several expressions of Charity used in Scripture by the Holy Ghost as Hee that hath mercy on the poor happy is hee And again Prov. 14.21 Prov. 19.17 Hee that hath pitty upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord. And saith the Apostle Paul Put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy Col. 3.12 And saith the beloved Disciple John Who so hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother hath need and shutâ—eth up his bowels of compassion from him 1 Joh. 3.17 how dwelleth the love of God in him It is not sufficient to have an open liberal hand unless wee have also an open and compassionate heart for if the Sacrifice of our Alms-deeds be not mingled with the oyl and incense of mercy Beneficentia ex benevolentia manare debet Affectus tuus nomen imponit oâ—eri tuo Amâ— Offic. 30. and compassion it will not be acceptable unto God who will have Mercy as well as Sacrifice In contributing therefore to the relief of the poor let our inward affection go along with our outward-action As helps hereunto 1. Bee well informed in the benefit that compassion bringeth and that not onely to thy distressed Brother who is succoured but also to thy self to whom in this case a promise of mercy is made Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Mercy from other men and mercy from God himself 2. Well weâ—gh the common condition of all Eccles 9.2 how All things come aâ—ike to all as the Wise-man speaketh so as thou also art subject to the same distress whereunto others are brought and therefore as Aquinas saith wee should have compassion on other mens misery Pròpter possibilitatem similia patiendi Thom. 2. 2. quaestion 3. art 2. Heb. 13.3 for the possibility of suffering the like Which Argument the Apostle useth to the Hebrews saying Remember them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body that is say some as being members of the same body but rather as Beza and others interpret the place as being your selves in the body of flesh and frailty Ut qui sitis ipsi iisdem calamitatibus obnoxii Beza in locum Theodor. Epist 29. subject to the like miseries for so long as wee dwell here in these houses of Clay and carry about us this earthly Tabernacle wee are all subject to the like changes and chances which made old learned Theodoret to reach his helping-hand to those outcast Africans For when I saw quoth hee their pittiful estate I began to lay to heart the doubtful turnings and inversions of humane things and to fear lest I my self might fall into the like evils V. Our Alms must be given seasonably for as the Wise-man speaketh To every thing there is a season Eccles 3.1.11 and every thing is beautiful onely in its time and season And therefore it will be our wisdome so to observe the needs and necessities of other men that wee do not let slip any season or opportunity of doing good According to that exhortation of the Apostle Gal. 6.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As wee have opportunity let us do good The word in the Original translated opportunity properly signifies a seasonable time Quest Which are the most seasonable times of doing works of mercy Ans 1. When accidentally thou meetest with any fit objects of mercy Luk. 10.31 32 33 34. thou must not then pass them by with the Priest and Levite but with the good Samaritan presently pour the Oil and Wine of thy charity into the wounds of thy Brother forthwith contributing somewhat to his relief For misery being the proper object of mercy thou shouldest then extend thy mercy unto such as are in want and misery 2. When God by his providence hath any way blessed and encreased thy stock and store by prospering thy adventure at Sea or thy trading at home or by some great Legacy bequeathed thee by some of thy friends that is a seasonable time for thee to give out freely and liberally to the relief of the poor in testimony of thy thankfulness unto God for his bounty towards thee I know it is usual with most men upon the encrease of their stock and store to sacrifize to their own nets to ascribe their wealth to their own wit and policy and to say in their hearts Deut. 8.17 Their power and the might of their hand hath gotten them this wealth But mark what Moses saith in the next verse 18. Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God it is hee that giveth thee power to get wealth Seeing therefore what thou hast thou hast received from God whatsoever the means and instruments were of conveying it unto thee is it not most just and equal that in way of thankfulness thou shouldest set apart some portion thereof for the poor and needy 3. The Lords Day is another seasonable time of doing works of mercy according to the Apostles Rule and Direction Now concerning the collection for the Saints 1 Cor. 14.1 2. as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do yee Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him Where by the first day of the week is meant the
matter Good Lord what sloth stupidity negligence hath possessed our hearts surely if thou didst beleeve that thou mightest bee in thy grave to morrow wouldest thou not make sure of heaven to day if the lease of thy house be almost expired and the Land-lord hath given thee warning to provide thee another Habitation for hee will not suffer thee to renew it any more dost thou not presently enquire of thy friends and of thy neighbours Sirs can you tell mee where I may have a convenient dwelling I have but a little time in the house where I am and I have had warning to go out by such a day art thou not careful to have an house ready to go to upon the very same day thou leavest the former Alas man dost thou not know the lease of thy life is almost out nay dost thou not know that thou art only a tenant at will and God may turn thee out at an hours at a moments warning and yet dost thou not make sure of an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens hath not God given thee warning did thy head never ake was thy heart never sick surely if thou didst not forget thy own mortality thou wouldest be more careful painful diligent in thy business I see frequently men upon their sick-beds when they think they must dye begin to inquire after Heaven and how they may know their sins are pardoned and whether their souls shall be saved because the apprehension of the neerness of the grave doth rouze them and for all thou knowest thou though now in health mayest be as soon in thy grave as hee that lieth sick God can stop thy breath when hee pleaseth Art thou mortal look then after thy soul 4. Is not this too great a sleighting of the comforts of the Spirit of God of Christ and Happiness is there not so much excellency in all these and sweetness in discerning thy propriety to them as to provoke thee to diligence in making sure of them 5. Dost not thou know that others have looked long after it and dost thou think thou shalt come so easily to it others have prayed much and searched themselves often and yet have not been able to satisfie all their own doubts whether they have gone farther than ever any hypocrite went and dost thou think it will be so easily discerned whether thy heart be sincere with God many finde it a hard thing to distinguish betwixt the highest degrees of common grace in hypocrites and the lowest degrees of saving grace in a true beleever 6. Dost thou think that conscience will never be awakened to disquiet thee when thou canst not satisfie it about thy salvation will it alwaies be in this spiritual slumber dost thou think that sickness will never come and that death will never come and that trouble will never seize upon thee when thy conscience shall be so alarmed that thou wouldest give all thou art worth to know what shall become of thy soul oh then for an infallible evidence of Gods Love oh then that thou mightest know whether God will pardon thy sin and save thy soul oh dreadful case when thou comest to dye and conscience shall accuse thee for thy sloth when thou feelest thy spirit begin to fail and apprehendest thy self neer the grave and conscience rageth and is not at peace because thou dost not know whether thou shalt go to Heaven or Hell It is dreadful doleful sad to hear these complaints from a dying man oh woe is mee that I must take my farewell of all my friends and death is impatient of delay and yet I cannot say my sins are pardoned oh woe is mee though I lye a dying I cannot say my sins are pardoned within a little while my body must be carried from my bed to my grave but oh it breaks my heart that I cannot tell whether my soul my precious and yet too much neglected Soul shall be carried to Heaven by holy Angels or dragged down to Hell by cursed devils oh that God would grant mee a month or two a little longer that I may work out my salvation but thy conscience shall tell thee thou hadst time but thou didst mis-spend it thou hadst it but thou didst not improve it in getting this grand Question resolved Whether thou hadst made thy peace with God Consider now how dreadful it will be when conscience is awakened and thou in this case unresolved 7. If thou be a true Christian yet herein dost thou not act too much like the careless ungodly world they take no care to make sure of Heaven and wilt thou justifie their practice and harden them in it There are some carnal ones in the family a carnal husband or a carnal wife or ungodly children or graceless servants that minds not God nor care for their souls that look not after Heaven and wilt thou be guilty of incouraging them in their carelesness and hardening them in their forgetfulness of God by thine own remisseness but if thou wast serious in the use of means pressing following hard after God thy strictness might shame them out of their wickedness and might reflect upon themselves if such a one that lives so circumspectly and taketh such pains in duties and yet doubteth and fears and would fain be resolved what a careless wretch am I never to regard my own soul they are ignorant of God and his excellency of Christ and his beauty of Grace and its necessity and therefore desire them not nor care to make sure of them but God hath opened thine eyes to see all these Stir up thy self then to get a certainty of thine interest in them 8. Art thou not too much guilty of hypocrisie when thou goest to the table of the Lord and yet dost not give diligence to make thy calling and election sure nor to have the certain knowledge of the pardon of thy sin and of thy peace with God is not the Lords supper an ordinance for the helping the right receivers to assurance of the pardon of their sin in the blood of Christ is it not for that end a seal of the covenant of grace if thou sayest thou usest it for this end why then dost thou look after it no more when thou returnest from that Ordinance Having premised these things to awaken you and rouse you out of your sloth supposing that now you are resolved to take any course that can bee prescribed from the word of God That thou art one who weepest mournest complainest because thou dost not discern thy spiritual condition I shall lay down my advice to thee in these following directions 1. Direction 1. Get some Characteristical distinguishing signs of true saving grace by thy serious searching the word of God Directions to get assurance God hath told thee in his word who shall bee damned and who shall bee saved though not by name yet by the qualifications by which they are described In the Bible there are the statute laws of
Heaven and the standing rule by which thou must bee tryed thou must stand or fall bee eternally blessed or everlastingly miserable as thy condition is consonant to or various from the infallible characters of saving grace contained in the Scripture Thou that hast deserved eternal death mightest know before the day of the general assize whether thou shalt bee acquitted or condemned But if thou know not how to gather these thy self go to some godly faithful Minister and desire him to give thee some Characters of a sincere Christian from the word of God wherein hypocrisie and sincerity are differenced and bee sure the signes thou tryest thy self by bee not short of saving grace or that will not hold tryal or bear thee out at the day of judgement I cannot here insert any partly because I have not room to croud them in partly because by what I have already laid down under that head that a man might know that hee is sincere beleeveth and loveth God something to this purpose might bee picked up 2. Direction 2. When thou hast thus furnished thy self thy next work must bee to set thy conscience on work and reflect upon thy own heart and upon the mâ—tions of thy will and compare thy self with the word of God The former sent you to study the book of Gods word this calleth upon you to study the book of your own hearts The other is a direct act of the understanding this is a reflect act to make a judgement of thy state whether there bee a transcript of those things in thine own heart for every beleever hath the Gospel-laws written upon the table of his soul by the spirit of God Assurance cannot bee had ordinarily without the examination of our own hearts for assurance is the certain knowledge of the conclusion drawn from the premises one out of the scripture the other by the reflect act of the understanding or conscience thus Hee that beleeveth and is justified shall bee saved that is the word of God then by the search of his own heart hee must bee able to say But I beleeve and am jusâ—ified and from these two doth result this assurance that hee may conclude Therefore I shall bee saved Luke 15.8 The woman that had lost a peece of silver did light a candle and swept her house and thereby found what she had lost Conscience is this candle the scripture is the fire at which it must bee lighted and self-examination is the broom whereby the heart is swept and so the state of the soul which before was not discerned comes to bee discovered But here take heed thy heart bee not rash in affirming or denying suspend the determination till thou hast made a narrow strict inquiry into thy soul as thou lovest thy soul do not presume as thou valuest thy comfort do not deny any work of the spirit of God upon thy heart but with thankfulness acknowledge any thing that thou canst discern to bee a fruit of the spirit Search throughly and judge impartially Say therefore to thy soul Deus est ocâ—â—us infinitus to make thy self more serious in this weighty work thou art now oh my Soul in the presence of the great heart-searching God that knoweth certainly what thy state and condition is what thy will heart and affections are thou must oh my Soul shortly stand at the bar of God as now thou standest at the bar of conscience and must bee searched judged by the Lord and have the sentence of life or death of absolution or condemnation according as thy state shall bee found to bee Consider oh my Soul thou art now about the greatest concernment in the world many have been mistaken many are now tormented in hell that once thought their condition was good it is not therefore for thee to flatter thy self and it is easie to bee mistaken and if thou shouldest bee mistaken it is as much as thy soul is worth if thy condition bee bad and thou conclude it to bee good thou wilt but go more merrily to hell It is as much as thy comfort is worth if thy condition bee good and thou conclude it to be bad thou wilt go more sadly to Heaven and wilt be unthankful to thy God and keep the glory from him and the comfort from thy self Thou art indited oh my soul arraigned and sound guilty that thou hast sinned against the Lord the question is Whether thou hast repented and are pardoned I charge thee therefore oh my soul that thou speak truly and answer rightly to these demands Art thou so far convinced of sin of the vileness of its own nature the evil in it the evil after it that thou art weary of it thou groanest under it thou loathest it and art unfeignedly willing to be broken from every sin without any reserve and what thou canst not extirpate that thou wilt bewail art thou so far convinced of thine own insufficiency to help thy self that all thy tears cannot wash thee and make thee clean all thy duties cannot save thee that though thou darest not neglect them as means yet thou darest not rely upon them as a Saviour so that thou seest the necessity of a Christ the suitableness of Christ the sufficiency and willingness of Christ offering himself unto thee in the Gospel calling to thee crying after thee saying ah thou poor miserable forlorn sinner thou hast undone thy self wilt thou now be cured thou hast wounded thy self wilt thou let mee apply a plaister of my blood my healing pacifying blood to thy bleeding soul to thy distressed disquieted conscience all that I expect from thee is to take mee for thy Lord and Husband to rule govern sanctifie and save thee thou hast withstood thine own mercy I have often asked thee and thou hast often denied mee but yet if now thou wilt receive mee behold I bring pardon along with mee and peace along with mee and eternal life and every good thing along with mee yet mercy is not gone it is not yet denied to thee When thou mayest gather such things from the Word of Christ put the question to thy self what sayest thou oâ— my soul thou hearest the gracious words of the Lord Jesus hee commands thee to come hee inviteth thee to come hee promiseth thee acceptance if thou come art thou willing or art thou not wilt thou persevere in thy former denial and be damned or wilt thou yeeld and be saved wilt thou consent to take him for thy Husband and subscribe unto his terms doth thy judgement value him above all and thy will chuse him above all and thy affections go out after him above all things in the world as a woman doth in all those three respects when shee taketh a man to be her Husband Art thou so far convinced of the excellency of the everlasting Glory of the Saints and the perfection of that Happiness that is above as it is a state or perfect Holiness as well as a state of real Happiness
that thou art willing to part with any thing that might hinder thee from obtaining of it and do any duty prescribed by God though displeasing to thy flesh and use them as means for the attaining of â—o excellent an end wouldest thou have him whatever it cost thee canst thou not be without him whatever thou be without then pass sentence for thy self concluding thy condition to be happy This is the neerest way to finde out thy condition not stand wrangling with thy self for thy former neglects any further than for thy humiliation and do not so much enquire what thou hast not formerly done as what now thou art really willing to do Besides this solemn set examination thou shalt finde it very profitable to get and keep a sight of thy spiritual condition to call thy self to an account every night before thou sleep where thou hast been that day what thou hast done what company thou hast been in what sin thou hast committed what duty thou hast omitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Carm. and mourn if thou hast fallen and return thy hearty thanks to God if thou hast walked carefully and circumspectly that day this counsel a noble Heathen did give to call our selves to an account before wee sleep 3. Direction 3. That thy assurance may be yet more compleat and full and thy comfort arising from the same more enlarged Fall down at the Throne of Grace and beg earnestly and pray importunately for the witness of the Spirit of God For as it is the Spirit that worketh grace in us so it is the Spirit that must discover the truth of that grace to us 1 Cor. 2.12 Now wee have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that wee are the children of God But beware thou take not Satanical delusions for the spirits perswasion or the conceit of thy own brain for the witness of the Spirit The Spirit never witnesseth any thing to any man contrary to what is revealed in the Word for hee is a Spirit of Truth and never speaks contradictions therefore if any man thinketh that he hath the witness of the Spirit testifying that hee is a childe of God and yet is not holy humble penitent hee is deceived but if thou hast the Graces of the Spirit and the Spirit witnesseth so much unto thy conscience and with thy conscience 1. It inflameth thy heart with love to God and Christ 2. It raiseth more hatred in thee to thy sin 3. Thou findest a mighty strength and power in it engaging thy soul to walk humbly holily with thy God 4. A wonderful cogency in it to be zealous for God in suffering â—ny thing for his sake and doing and obeying any thing that hee enjoyns thou hast incouragement to ask this of God because it is according to his will q Joh. 14.13 14 Joh. 14.21 Lord is it not according to thy will that I should be careful of my immortal soul and make sure its eternal Happiness and Salvation it is thy commaâ—d I should do so that I should examine my self whether I be in the Faith and whether Christ be formed in my heart Lord I have examined but yet I cannot clearly see it I see there is some grounds to hope it but yet I cannot confidently assert it Oh thou blessed Spirit of God clear up mine understanding and stir up and excite my graces that I may feel the actings of them in my soul and so better discern them Though this be arbitrary and not necessary yet do to mee as thou didst unto thy servant David when hee prayed that thou wouldest lift up upon him the light of thy countenance thou puttest gladness into his heart r Psal 4.6.7 4. Direction 4. Presse after the highest degrees of Grace and be much in the exercise thereof if thou wouldest clearly discern thy spiritual condition The weakness of thy grace makes thee doubt of the truth of grace The Christian must be like the Crocodile * As some affirm that grows as long as it lives and ceaseth to be when it ceaseth to grow The body of a man is continually growing till hee come to his perfect age and then ceaseth to grow for then though hee may wax fat and broader yet hee riseth not higher and his bones have no increase So when wee come to our full stature in Christ to our perfect age in glory wee shall grow no more because then wee shall be perfect but in our minority wee must be alwaies growing and a growing person is easily discerned to be a living person A Dwarf cannot see so far as a taller man nor be seen so far So a little grace cannot be so easily perceived amongst a croud of sins and corruption When grace at first is like Elijahs cloud 1 King 18.43 44. Little like a mans hand it was hardly discerned but when iâ— did encrease and the Heavens were black with clouds every eye could then perceive them Assurance is usually vouchsafed to Christians of the largest size Men put not up a great Mast or Sail in a little Boat bâ—t in a larger Vessel Animi quies motus virtutis est the moving activity of vertue is the settled rest of the mind that is able to bear it So also by the strong actings and exercise of grace it is discerned A man in his sleep when hee acts not reason cannot judge himself to be a man A man in a swoon when he cannot be perceived to breathe standers by know not whether hee be dead or alive nor hee himself Moral Habits are acquired and strengthened by frequently repeated Acts and more eaâ—â—ly discerned The fire lying raked under the ashes is not so easily found as when it being blown up breaketh forth into a flame Hee that hath strong love to God will sooner feel it and the more frequent it moveth and is upon the wing after God the sooner shalt thou know that thou lovest him The being of a thing is proved by its operation Operari supponit esse 5. Direction 5. Bee well acquainted and informed in the nature of the Covenant of Grace and the conditions thereof Whatsoever are thy doubts there is something in the Covenant of Grace that would be ground of satisfaction to thee is it thine own unworthiness here rich and free Grace is laid open is it thy long delay of coming in to God that now thou thinkest it is too late the Gospel will tell thee that Christ will not cast thee off if now thou come unâ—o him is it thy ragged torn imperfect obedience the Covenant of Grace accepts of sincerity though there be many infirmities the intention of the heart for the work of the hand the purpose for the performance where the sincere soul cannot do so much as hee doth really desire to do 6. Direction
6. Prize the society of the people of God that are acquainted with the workings of Gods Spirit upon their heaâ—ts Be much in communion with the Saints When they have been unfolding their doubts they have been in some good measure resolved this hath quickned their hearts when they have been dull and blown up the sparks of love in their souls to God that they have felt their hearts to burn within them s Luke 24.32 Psal 66.16 Mal 3.16 with love towards God 7. Direction 7. Keep a Record of all the experiences thou hast had of Gods goodness to thee and what thou hast formerly found t Psa 77.10 11. make it a means for the supporting of thy soul for the present and the future Such a time thou canst remember thou wast upon thy knees bemoaning thy self loathing thy self full oâ— sorrow and complaints and God took thee up in the arms of his love and spake like a friend words of peace and comfort to thy soul and bid thee be of good chear hee was reconciled to thy soul Hee filled thee full of sorrow and afterward filled thee full of joy hee cast thee down and raised thee up hee broke thy heart and bound it up hee came to thee as to Mary expostulating with thee sinner why weepest thou what aileth thee thou weepedst for thy Saviour and hee was by thee and shewed himself unto thee So much for the means to obtain this certain knowledge of eternal life but if by the use of these and the like directions the soul cannot get this assurance and though hee search and pray and grieve because hee hath not the light of Gods countenance shining upon him followeth the means and longs to know his estate and all things hee enjoyeth are lessened in his esteem because hee cannot see his interest in Christ whom hee doth most esteem To thee I will give these Directions Counsel to those that by these directions cannot yet obtain this assurance First Though thou canst not say thy condition is good yet do not say that thy condition is bad Though thou canst not affirm thou hast the faith of Evidence yet do not peremptorily say thou hast not the faith of Adherence though thou hast not the witness of the spirit for thee yet do not bear false witness against thy self canst not thou say thou art sure of Heaven yet do not say there is no hope of Heaven though thou canst not own Heaven as thine do not disown it if thou canst not prove it do not disclaim it It is strange yet ordinary to see many doubting Christians dispute against themselves and reason against their own comfort tell them of their longing after Christ their weeping and mourning for him they doubt it is not in truth if you say to them if you do not truly love him then let him alone and follow no more after him why do you grieve for him because you cannot finde him if you do not truly love him they will reply conscience will put a man on to do something when yet it may not bee done out of love to God if you aske can you take up with any thing short of Christ though indeed they cannot yet they will reply the heart is deceitful and they know not what they should do Frame not arguments against thy self when thou canst not frame them for thy self live by faith when thou canst not live by sense and comfort Take heed here of judging thy condition to bee bad by trying thy self by rules not so suitable to finde out the being and truth of grace as the growth and increase of grace And here 1. Say not thou hast no grace because thou hast not so much as thou seest others to have to take notice of the eminent degrees of grace in others to provoke our selves to labour after the same proportion is good but to argue for a nullity of grace because thou hast not such a quantity of grace as thou discernest in others is not rational Is there no water in the brook because there is not so much as in the river is there not light in a candle because there is not so much as in the sun wilt thou say thou art a begger because thou art not so rich as thy neighbours that have a full estate or that thou knowest nothing because thou knowest not so much as the greatest scholar Observe Peter in this case John 21.17 hee did not say when Christ asked him lovest thou mee more than these I love thee more than John or any of thy Disciples love thee but I love thee thou must love Christ more than thou lovest any thing in the woâ—ld besides or else thou dost not sincerely love him but thou must not conclude that except thou lovest him as much or more than others loâ—e him that thou hast no love at all unto him Yet this is ordinary I never was humbled so much as others have been I cannot mourn as others do enquire now after the truth rather than after the degrees and know thy humiliation is true First when thou art broken for and from thy sin so much bitterness upon the breast as weaneth the Châ—lde from it is sufficient Secondly that makes thee see a necessity of Christ and willing to close sincerely with him 2. Say not thou hast no grace because thou hast not grace proportionable to thy desires but rather hope thou hast it because thou hast such enlarged desires after it is not hee a froward unthankful Childe that saith his Father hath given him nothing because not so much as hee desireth 3. Say not thou hast no grace because thou seest corruption in thee more than before they were in thy heart before though thou didst not discern them the house is full of filth but while the shuts are up it is not perceived but take them down and you see it plainly not because there is more filth but because there is more light 4. Nor because of the indisposedness of thy heart to and dulness of thy affections sometimes in the time of holy duties Secondly When thou canst not get assurance make as much improvement of the grounds upon which thou mayest build u Psal 33.18 Psal 148.11 hopes of salvation The probable grounds thou hast thou wouldest not part with for all the world if thy heart is not full of joy through sense of Gods love yet thine eyes are full of tears and thy soul of sorrow through the sense of thy sin wouldâ—st thou change thy condition with any hypocrite whatsoever with the richest man that hath no grace I would not have thee rest satisfied with a probability but yet bless God for a probability of salvation is it nothing that one that hath disserved hell most certainly should have a probability that hee should escape it would not this bee a little ease to the torments of the damned if they had but a strong probability that they may bee saved but no hope
Faith cannot be meant here because it is said that they who have not this Faith must not think to receive any thing not the least if so then the highest degrees of Faith should be required for the obtaining the lowest degrees of Mercy but Scripture promises are made to the Truth and not to the degrees of Grace To Faith that is but as a graine of Mustard-seed to remove Mountains and to Love that is but a spark to be victorious Matth. 12.20 but I shall rather endeavour to shew you how Faith is taken here then how 't is taken in other places therefore To ask in Faith may he here spoken in reference to the Person that prayes viz. he that prayes must be in the Faith a faithful or Righteous Person The Scripture is full to this purpose as Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in mine heart though my tongue do not plead for it nay though it speaks against it though I refrain from it in my Life for one may love the sin we commit not and if I do so regard it in mine heart God will not hear my Prayers if I give it so much as a good look for so the Hebrew if I see iniquity in my heart if I take any pleasure in sin for David calls it painful iniquity for so in the Hebrew No Saint can live without committing sin but all Saints live without regarding it in their hearts So also James 5.15 The Prayer of a Righteous man avayleth much how much is not set down because it cannot be set down how much it avayles as much as they please they may have what they will but for a wicked man though his Prayers were effectual they avail not much since their desires are for temporals The other places are full to this point viz. that the Prayers of none but Righteous persons are accepted with God as John 9.31 Ch. 1.15 Prov. 28.9 1 John 3.15 I. To this may be objected that many unregenerate and profligate wretches have obtained by Prayer as scoffing Ismael Gen. 21.17 nay Ahab a man that sold himself to work wickednesse prevayled with God for an adjournment of the Judgment denounced I answer 1. This was done by way of Common providence or Gods Prerogative not by way of promise so that they could not reasonably expect that their Prayer should be heard 2. God did this to honour the Ordinance of Prayer As when our children come and tell us of some poor body though we may not think it sit to relieve him in respect of his wants yet we give him for fear we should hinder our children from acts of Charity for they not knowing our reasons of denying him relief will expound it to be our neglect of the poor So many times God may give to bad men lest good men should be discouraged from Prayer 3. God gives to wicked men when they pray oft-times for the strengthning of his peoples Faith for they may be sure if God hears the Croakings of Ravens he will heare the Mournings of Doves II. You may farther say are wicked men bound to pray since their Prayes are anabomination and they cannot ask in Faith I answer 1. Inability to pay a debt doth not acquit one from it nor Cancel the Obligation If one blows out the Candle one cannot excuse ones self for not working by saying that they could not work in the dark nor can a boy excuse himself from saying the Lesson he hath torn out of his Book 2. Because wicked men break others of Gods Commandments it cannot justifie them in the breaking of this sin doth super-induce a new Obligation viz. to punishment but doth not cancel their former viz. to Duty 3. Wicked men sin not in praying but in praying so 4. Doubtlesse the wickedest man in the World is bound to desire Grace III. But doth not this make God a respecter of persons since he will hear none but his own Children and them that love him if a Judge should favour his relations in Judicature be should be unjust I Answer No God is no respecter of persons by doing thus 1. Because the Prayers of Saints are better as well as their persons nearer for the Prayers of the wicked are lazy irreverent bruâ—sh wanton Prayers Hos 7.14 if God's People should pray so God would not hear them neither 2. If Unbelievers could pray better than Saints yet God might acquit the Saint and condemn the Unbeliever as a Judge may passe Sentence against one who hath paid ninty and nine pounds of an hundred and acquit another who hath not paid a farthing if his surety hath paid it 3. Though in matter of Justice we are not to respect persons Levit. 19.15 yet in matters of favour we may Gal. 6.10 This may be the first meaning of the words but not the only nor as I conceive the chief Therefore II. To ask in Faith is to believe that all we say in Prayer is true when we confesse our selves to be grievous sinners we are to think our selves to be as great sinners as we say we are when we call God Almighty our Father we are to believe him to be so Then the poor Soul will say Alas I cannot pray in Faith for I cannot say our Father since I do not believe that I am his child how then can I call him Father I Answer 1. Thou mayst call him Father for he is thy Father if thou shouldest see diverse children playing some untowardnesse in the street and should see a man that passed by go and single out one of them and correct him and yet the child should follow him would you not say he was the father of that child for a strange child would flye from him or flye at him if he should strike him Dost thou not follow God when he corrects thee be of good comfort God is thy Father and thou art his child When that pretious man Mr. Murcot was in great anguish fearing tht God was not his Father these words were impressed on his mind If I am not thy Father why dost thou follow after me Nay not only God is thy Father but thou thinkest so also When Naamans servants called him father what did they mean but to shew that tâ—ey acknowledged that he carryed himself rather as a Father than a Maâ—â—er When the Prodigal returned though he acknowledged that he was not worthy to be called his son yet he called him Father since he had fayled of nothing that might be expected from a loving tender Father Mayst thou not call God thy Father upoâ— this account hath he not dealt with thee in abundance of tender Compassion nay more than the tenderest Parent in the World Give God the glory due to his goodnesse call him Father for thou mayst truly say he hath dealt so with thee The same Mr. Murcot being troubled upon the same account viz. the fear that God was not his Father had these words come into his mind with power viz. If I am not thy
Conscience is pacified with the blood of sprinkling as to what the Word declares concerning thee though not as to what thou feelest and where the Judge acquits there Conscience which is the Serjeant cannot condemn but that 't is not alwaies set right according to the Word Motive 2 2. But O! the terrour of having sin upon the file against us and doest thou remain in sin unrepented The terrour of being yet and going on in sin Doest thou go on to adde sin to sin not caring how many sins thou loadest thy Conscience withall as if there were no time of reckoning Numb 32.23 Be ye sure your sins will finde you out Sic mihi semper contingat tractare beare amicos non dulcibus verbis sed sanis terroribus Bern. Do not say Hast thou found me O my enemy or as the wicked one Art thou come to torment us before our time But as thou lovest thy soul take all I say in good part for God knows I speak out of tender respect to your eternal good Consider then 1. The innumerable number of sins thou standest guilty of Ps 19.12 Who knows the errors of his life Methinks there is no sad sight in the world but the sinner in his sins Suppose you had seen Herod covered over with worms alas what is this to one worm of Conscience Suppose you had seen every member in the Senate run upon Caesar to give him a stab would not you have given him over for dead a thousand times Brethren every sin you commit is an envenomed knife to stab you at your very heart Suppose again you should see a malefactour at the Bar for a Capital crime the evidence clear O! you will say 't will go hard with him but when you see another and another and many other Indictments sworn home against him and every one touching his life will you not say there is no hope he is a dead man and all the world cannot save him Remember this is thy case and it will be certainly called over If one poyson be enough to dispatch a man without an antidote what doth that man mean that drinks off a thousand poysons and refuses the antidote of the blood of Christ If one sin â—e as a thousand milstones to sink all the world into the bottom of hell what doest thou mean to tye so many thousand milstones about thy own neck 2. Old debts vex most the delay of payment increases them by Use upon Use and the return of them being unexpected a person is least provided for them We count old sores breaking forth incurable Augustus wondered at a person 's sleeping quietly that was very much in debt and sent for his pillow saying Surely there is some strange vertue in it that makes him rest so secure My brethren if one debt unto Gods Law be more then the whole Creation can satisfie what do any of us mean to rest secure with so vast a burden upon our Consciences and account O! take heed thou beest not surprized and arrested with old Debts O! thou remembrest former iniquities against us Psal 79.8 3. God will call over and charge thy sins upon thee when all the sweet is gone Thou makest a shift to swallow the hook with pleasure when 't is covered with the sweet bait O! but when that 's digested or disgorged and the naked hook piercing and raking thy heart what wilt thou do then O! how bitter is the Pill when all the sugar is melted off Now this will be thy case Job found but a taste of it and O! how he cries out Job 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me i. e. bitternesses 4. With old sins must come old wrath Rom. 2.4 5. Thinkest thou that thou shalt escape the judgement of God What and despisest the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance not knowing that the goodnesse of God doth not only give thee a space of but leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest tunnest up against thy self wrath against the day of wrath c. There be three sorts and degrees of wrath will come with old sins 1. Wrath for old sins 2. Wrath for the forbearance of that Wrath. 3. Wrath for the abuse of that forbearance O! what wilt thou do in the day of thy visitation 5. The former admonitions c. nips of Conscience will come again and they with the present will be unsufferable beyond all that can be expressed This is their terrour here say they he besought us and we would not hear and saith Reuben Said I not to you did I not tell you warn you what it would come to and ye would not hear O! he which hardens his neck to reproof shall surely be destroyed O! timely and fair checks and warnings obstinately rejected are the wracks of Conscience the sharp sting and teeth of the worm thereof 6. And what will now become of thee as the Lord lives thou wilt come to thy distracting misgiving thoughts Yea but and verily we are guilty c. Methinks saith Luther every cloud is loynd with thunder against me Thou wilt take every visitation from God as a messenger of death nay that God himself sets in against thy life Suppose you saw two desperate enemies grapling closing in upon each other O! account for every particular God comes to the sinner as to Adam in the cooll of the day in his cold sweat Gen. 3.8 when his Sun is setting and he is going to make his bed in the dark his life and Soul sits on his pale trembling lips ready to take her flight inâ—o Eternity and whereas thou wert before as the deaf Adder or the wild Asse snuffing up the wind or the Dromodary traversing his way without all regard of any check now taken in thy month Oh! my contempt of the means of Grace Oh! my prophaning Sabboths Sacraments Oh! my breaking bonds of Oaths Covenants Promises and casting away cords of discipline and government Oh! my malice against God's People Oh! my hardening my heart against the Word and the Rod c. as the rankling thorn in the flesh pains most when thou goest to bed 5. Before this in a time of outward Calamity and distresse and this is the second Doctrine from the special Circumstance when they were troubled And now Direct 2 2. This Inward horrour and trouble of mind falls in even to Gods People with outward Trouble This is the Case here the Patriarchs the children of the Promise are in distresse and danger by their Brother Josephs seeming severity toward them And they said one to another we are verily guilty c. with the pressure on the outward man comes a snare upon the Conscience If any find it oâ—herwise as there are some with whom when there is a storm without there is a calm within and when a storm within there is a calm without let them blesse God but in the experience of Gods People it is often found that
makes the earth shake 5. It ariseth from Satan When the eye of Conscience is most open Reas 5 he is most busie to present either that which may close it or that which may trouble it when the heart is most tender he is most ready to bruise and wound it In affliction he would make breaches between God and us us and God and us and our selves if we must needs be sensible of them gulphs out of which there is no redemption he temp s us unto sin in prosperity and then for sin in adversity as we find in Jobs Case even in those which he knows are out of his reach where least strength and ground to do any thing there he is most malicious as it appears in his bold attempts upon our Lord If he cannot run thee upon a rock yet he will disquiet thee with a tempest if he cannot rob thee of thy grace yet he will of thy peace and comfort 6. It ariseth from the weakness of faith and strength of sense apprehending Reas 6 God in affliction as our enemy especially if there be some willing correspondence between us any thing which God hates God is a terrour to us Thus Sense wrought in Job 33.10 Behold he findeth occasion against me he counteth me for his enemy Also 16.12.14 and in the Church Lam. 2.4 5. God hath bent his bow like an enemy c. and ver 5. O! if thou comest to that of Jacob Gen. 42.36 Surely all these things are against me and in them God against me it is sad with thee This is the triumph of Faith If God be with us who can be against us This the shreek of the Fainting God is against me and then who can be for me 7. It ariseth from Gods withdrawing Thus with Christ when God Reas 7 would make his condition sad and his burden heavy indeed the Father and his own Divinity withdraw and withhold their comfortable influential presence from the apprehension of the Humane Nature and when was he thus spiritually afflicted But when most outward trouble came upon him when his Murderers the Traytor were upon him and his life drew near to the grave as it was prefigured in David Psal 116.3 when the sorrows or dangers of death compassed him about then the terrours of hell took hold upon him i. e. terrours arising from this the withdrawing of the Divine Love and Countenance Mar. 14.34 Now come his astonishing dismaying fears and sorrows pressing even to death making him as it were to shrink from the great work of his own mercy Now he cries out as his Type My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal 22.1 Mat. 27. The perpetual shreek of them which are cast away When we can with David encourage our selves in our relations to 1. Sam. 30.6 and interest in God then every even the heaviest burden even death it self is light and we can in Christs strength shake it off or run away with it as Sampson with the Gates of the City But as when the Sun is down or eclipsed the flowers fold up and droop or when the face before the Glass turns away the face in it vanisheth Even so when God hides his face and we doubt of our Title and Interest we are troubled and then we are as Sampson when his Covenant broken and his locks the sign thereof cut we are as other men our strength is gone any cord will bind us any burden sink us Isa 64.7 Reas 8 8. I might add It may arise from our disacquaintedness with afflictions as to our expectation and resolution But for Use 1. A word to them which are yet in their sins out of Christ And it is 1. Of Conviction 2. Counsel 1 Conviction and terrour to them which are out of Christ If Gods People be lyable to inward and outward trouble at once wherein yet there is not a drop of wrath What shall the visitasion of the rest be wherein there is not a drop of saving pity If they may be so hardly put to it which yet are ever secretly and mightily supported what shall they do that have no strength but their own to bear up under the mighty hand of God Surely if they smart sevenfold the wicked must be avenged seventy times sevenfold If the cup of affliction by reason of the bitter ingredient of inward perplexity be so bitter to them what becomes of them for whom the dregs of that Cup are reserved The godly may stand condemned at their own Bar but the wicked at Gods too and nothing remains to them but a certain expectation of execution without a change O! if Jacob halt sure Esaus back and bones must be broken If the righteous be by reason of sharp afflictions within and without scarcely saved to whom yet all afflictions are through grace ever sufferable short and sanctified where shall the sinner appear when his sins and sorrows shall meet together There be three daies wherein thou shalt never be able to hold up thy head and yet thou must appear First A day of extream Calamity Secondly Of Death Thirdly of Judgment Oh! remember how sad it goes with the godly in a day of outward Calamity because of inward trouble joyning with it through gradual want of Knowledge Faith and Evidence the venome of sin unmortified malice of Satan not yet quite troden under their feet and the withdrawing of Gods Grace and Countenance in part And consider how thou wilt speed which hast no saving Knowledge no Faith no Interest art under the raign of sin and Satan whom the holy and jealous God cannot endure to behold but with revenge and execration Psal 27.13 David had fainted in his affliction had he not believed c. Surely then thou must utterly faint because thou hast not obtained an heart to understand and believe to this day The Children of God notwithstanding all their inwâ—rd and outward pressures can say as Paul sighs for them all 2 Cor. 4.8 9. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed so as there is no way to escape or bear up We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not quite destroyed But if thou lookest not to it betimes such a day will come upon thee as wherein thou shalt be so beset with trouble that thou wilt be absolutely concluded and shut out from all relief so perplexed that thou wilt despair so pursued by the avengers of bloudâ— that thou wilt be quite forsaken of heaven and earth so cast down that thou wilt be utterly destroyed and dashed in pieces Oh! if trouble such trouble may seize on Gods dear ones what reprobate fear and astonishment shall take hold on thee that art a stranger a slave an enemy and yet secure and presumptuous in that condition 2. It is a word of Counsel to thee as to be an alarm to thy security so an Antidote to thy presumption and censoriousness in reference to the godly The men
the inward and outward man before they come Now secondly what shall they do that are already under them Negative Do not go about to settle thy mind by diversion or turning Direct 1 thy thoughts another way nor think that time will wear off this trouble for this will but encrease thy disquiet in it self or in the causes of it and wear off the sense of thy condition which is occasional and preparative to thy well-grounded peace and settlement 2. Design not a little ease the sore that is but skin'd over will break out again and be more dangerous put in therefore for a cure and that not partial but through Positively take this course upon the sense of thy condition and the Direct 2 actual knowledge of the fundamental matters of the Covenant of grace First and immediately come at least look unto Christ for faith and then by faith looking to him as the Author of Faith believe i. e. consent with all thy heart to receive him and rest upon him on the terms of the Gospel to be saved by him only in his own way at his own rate this is the course David Jonah the Church in the places aforenamed took this is the course the Lord prescribes Isa 50. ult Who. c. Let this child of light and such thou art if thou takest this course Fearest to sin against God and hearkenest to this word I now speak sitting in darkness and seeing no light there is the depth of trouble of mind trust in the name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God His name is the Lord God gracious c. Emanuel a Saviour Exod. 33.19 spreading his arms all the day long any time before the night of Death close thy eyes and Christs bowels even to the disobedient and will in no wise cast out or lose any that come unto him upon all his own terms Thou dear troubled heart how wilt thou heal and settle thy self what wilt thou do Wilt thou first make satisfaction by thy mourning humiliation reformation purpose of amendment and so commend and ingratiate thy self to Christ Thou nestlest upon a false bottom and thy heart deceives thee sound rest and peace is not to be had this way if it be thy first principal or only way On the other hand are you willing to let Christ let you into heaven and not lead you his own way i. e. under his Government in all things then you run away from Christ and cannot be saved by him as such But dost thou freely and willingly consent upon the sense of thy lost condition to take Christ for all purposes for Grace and Glory Thou art welcome to him and let this be thy rest in coming to him burdened and weary willing to take his yoke upon thee Mat. 11.28 He saves thee to the utmost only upon coming Let this be satisfaction and settlement in thy trouble from whatever cause it comes Oh! how clear is this way according to the contents of the Covenant of Grace which is thus Christ stands alwaies ready to receive any that is willing to come to him upon his terms and will never cast them off Object Oh but if he were my God and my Christ I would come to him and believe in him Sol. Your coming thus to him upon his own terms makes him yours gives the interest and shall give the true rest Object Oh! but I have long stood out against his invitations and rejected his importunities Christ hath called graciously and I have heard His Spirit hath knockt and my Conscience hath pressed me to believe and come and yet I have stood out and now I may expect he will throw me away with indignation I have denied mercy so many times and mercy will surely now deny me and here comes in thy trouble Sol. No he will not in any wise cast thee out if thou art willing to come He knew that all that belong to his grace till they are effectually called and quickened and drawn to close with mercy in the offer will serve him thus and therefore he waits still and still till they can be gotten to be willing to accept and close with him and then for certain he closeth with them Object Oh! but I have made my address and seemed to come to him and have made profession and been taken for a Believer many years but I have falsified with him I am a studied hypocrite and have compassed God with lies Surely then there is no mercy for me Sol. All this ariseth from thy ignorance of the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace which calls thee to believe upon the sense of this also Suppose all this though these sad workings of thy doubts and troubles are no bad signs being but part of thy Combat yield all against thy self if there be no other way and it may be there is no better way in this juncture yet now be willing on Gospel terms and it is done and thou mayst be at rest as if all thy former work had been true and it may be it was true but however one or the other thy way is immediately to come and that shall be cleared up afterward and if thou hast doubled with God thou wilt the rather be afraid to do so still Object Oh! but now come This would be only self and slavish fear my necessity compels me now I can make no other shift There is no ingenuity in such a faith as I am like to put forth in this my extremity Sol. Thou must yet bewilling c. and all is well The occasion of believing alwaies extremity and necessity for none ever came to Christ as long as they could make any shift without him but the cause if thou comest is the mighty power of God to make thee unfainedly willing upon all the terms thou art no less acceptable to God because thou art constrained by Grace upon the pinch of thy necessiâ—y to come Rom. 11.32 Hos 5. ult God puts thee to this pinch that he might hear of thee in that latter place it is as if God had said Well I have called again again and used variety of means with this people but all in vain I will take anoâ—her course I will leave them go to my place hide my self that trouble and horrour and anguish shall take hold on them and what then Shall it be unseasonable and too lâ—te to come No then they will and shall seek me early see how welcome a sinner is in this case to Christ The Prodigal he runs his course spends all in riot and luxury and was reduced to utter extremity and then he bethinks himself of coming home I will go there be many mansions in my Fathers house and I perish for want of bread being upon this knowledge of his Fathers fulness drawn Luk. 15. and upon sense of his own lostness driven he comes And what salutation do you think his Father might give him What are you come indeed In good time
to take upon him to speak unto the Lord. This Example of Abraham I shall endeavour to draw forth for our Practise and Imitation He who is made to us a Pattern of Faith may be to us a Pattern of true Worship and such apprehensions or conceptions Abraham had of God in speaking to him Such conceptions of God we are to have in our Prayers and performances to him For which end I shall lay down this General Proposition Doct. That such as speak to God or speak of God such as draw near to God or have to do with God in any part of Divine Worship must manage all their performances with right apprehensions and due conceptions of God The truth of this General Proposition I shall endeavour to manifest and make clear by laying down Four particular Propositions which must give evidence to it The First Proposition is this That we cannot have any true right apprehensions or conceptions of God except we have a true knowledge of him Such as have not known God have slighted him Who is the Lord saith Pharaoh that I should obey him I know not the Lord Exod. 5.2 Such as know not God nor desire to know him are so far from drawing near to God that they drive him as far from them as they can they say unto the Almighty Depart from us who desire not the knowledge of his wayes Job 21.14 What Counsel Eliphaz gave Job whom he supposed to be a greater stranger to God than indeed he was may be an useful instruction to us Job 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God To know God and to be known of God is our highest priviledge Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace the reason why any are real enemies to God is because they know not God and the reason why many think God is an enemy to them is because they are not acquainted with God so intimately as they should Acquaint thy self with God saith he and thereby Good shall come unto thee But what Good and how shall this Good come It is partly exprest v. 22 23 24 25. but more fully v. 26 27. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face to God Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee and thou shall pay thy vows So that except we know God aright and have some acquaintance with â—im we cannot delight our selves in God we cannot make our prayer to him nor lift up our face unto him The Second Proposition is That we cannot know any thing savingly of God further than he is pleased to manifest and make known himself to us No man can make known God but God himself Moses who had seen as much of Gods glory as any man when he desired a further manifestation of Gods glory in a higher measure or degree than formerly he had seen he goes to God himself for it Exod. 33.18 I beseech thee shew me thy Glory The great Promise Christ maketh to them that Love him and keep his Commandments is the manifestation of himself to them by Himself Joh. 14.21 I will manifest my self to them for none else can A Disciple puts a Question to him about it vers 22. Lord how is it that thou milt manifest thy self to us and not to the World We have a clear Answer to this Luke 10.21 this very Doctrine which is so much matter of indignation to the wise and prudent of the World is matter of rejoycing and exaltation to the Spirit of Christ and he said I thank thee O Father that thou hast hid and thou hast revealed For so it seemed good in thy sight Hence is that of our Saviour John 17.25 O righteous Father the World hath not known thee but these have known The Third Proposition is That the clearest manifestations of God to us and such as can beget in us right apprehensions and due conceptions of him are made out to us In and By Jesus Christ Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Therefore no man ever did or can apprehend any thing of God truly that is upon a saving account but in and by Jesus Christ The Divine Essence or Godhead no man hath seen or can see in it self 1 Tim. 6.16 Something of this Eternal Godhead is manifested in the works of Creation Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of God viz. his Eternal Power and Godhead are clearly seen in the things that are made But yet this knowledge of God in the Creature could not bear down the vain Imaginâ—tions or Idolatrous conception of God in mens hearts as appears vers 21.23 Much of the Eternal Godhead is manifested in the works of Providence God doth great things past finding out and wonders without number Yet loe he goeth by us and we see him not he passeth on also but we perceive him not Job 9.10 11. God is Invisible in himself and Incomprehensible in his works Job made it his work to trace God in his works Job 23.8 9. Sometimes God was working forward or before him sometimes backward or behind him Sometimes on his right-hand sometimes at his left hand Job follows him up and down if he might apprehend him and the reason and designe of God in all his works but he could not perceive him God hid himself from him Much more of the Eternal Godhead was manifested in his most righteous and holy Law But the manifestations of God here affrighted them that saw it the People cry out Let not the Lord speak any more to us lest we dye and Moses himself said I exceedingly fear so terrible was the sight of God there Heb. 12.21 Hence it will follow that the clearest sweetest most comfortable manifestations of God to us and such as can beget in us right apprehensions and conceptions of God are made out to us only in Jesus Christ who is the Image of the Invisible God Coloss 1.15 In whom God hath made such discoveries of himself as can no where be seen but in Christ He is the expresse Image or Character of his Fathers Person Heb. 1.3 The exact resemblance of all his Fathers excellencies in their utmost perfections therefore when Philip desired him to shew them of the Father to give them a sight to satisfaction John 14.9 10. He that hath seen me saith Christ to him hath seen the Father Believe it Philip I am in the Father and the Father is in me In the works of Crearion God is a God above us In his works of Providence a God without us In the Law a God against us In himself a God Invisible to us Only in Christ he is Emmanuel God manifested in our Flesh God in us God with us God for us Hence follows the Fourth Proposition That the manifestations of God to us in Christ are those which alone can beget those due apprehensions and right Conceptions of God with which we must
whether there be any profit in his service Job 21.14 15. and Job 22.17 when those mercenary hypocrites had lost their worldly profits preferments which they had gained by the profession of Religion when the tide was turned and prophanness only countenanced they cast off all and said It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances Mal. 3.14 15. But he that cometh to God must have such apprehensions of him as render him Gracious as well as Glorious Merciful as well as Righteous for we come to God sitting on his Throne of Grace Heb. 4. ult and we have to deal with mercy for supply to all our needs And he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 Why did David prefer the lowest place or office in the House or Church of God a Porters plâ—ce before the highest preferments in the Tents of ungodliness Psal 84.10 He gives the reason Ver. 11. For the Lord is a Sun and shield A Sun to confer all good a shield to preserve from all evill He will give Grace and Glory what can a man desire more Yet if there be any good thing beside Grace and Glory he will not withhold it such a bountiful Master is God in his House and such a one his Servants apprehend him Now we cannot have right apprehensions and due conceptions of the Grace Mercy Good will of God to us but from the manifestations of God in Jesus Christ It is God in Christ reconciling the World to himself and beseeching us to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5.19 20. When God gave Moses a sight of his glory in the Clift of the Rock I will saith God make all my goodness pass before thee and he proclaimed the name of the Lord Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God Mâ—rciful Gracious Long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin He presents himself in his richest robes of State and all his Attribuâ—es arrayed in a Livery of Grace Nor can we have right apprehensions of God as a bountiful rewarder of his Servants but through the manifeâ—tations of himself to us in Christ for we cannot expect the reward of Debt but of Grace God in Christ and upon the account of Christ is â—he most bountiful Rewarder So Christ tells his Disciples Joh. 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall my servant be also If any man serve me him shall my Father honour We serve the Father in serving the Son never was service rewarded with such honour For saith Christ The Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and believed that I am sent of God Joh. 16.27 4. Abraham had such apprehensions of God as did beget a comfortable perswasion of faith for his acceptation with God in that his drawing near to him It is the mind of God that such as come to him should have such apprehensions of him as one that will accept them embrace them when he discovers nothing but wrath and displeasure against them that stand in opposition against him Isa 27.4 5. Fury is not in me Let a man take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me That holy man knew that all his happiness consisted in the enjoyment of God therefore he said It is good for me to draw near to God but was he sure God would accept him I have put my trust saith he in the Lord God Psal 73.27 28. Now such apprehensions of God as beget a faith of acceptation with God in our approaches to him can spring only from the manifestations of God to us in Christ that is supposed by judicious Interpreters to be spoken of Jesus Christ Jer. 30.21 who is said to engage his heart to approach unto the Lord and God saith I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach unto me Christ hath boldness and liberty full security of acceptation with God and hereby he hath procured us liberty boldness and acceptation with God Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing we have a great high Priest passed into the Heavens Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace Heb. 10.19 21 22. Having boldness to enter into the Holiest And having an high Priest over the House of God Let us draw nigh to God with truth of heart and full assurance of faith Ver. 2. For the acceptation of our persons and services Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him From what hath been laid down we may conclude That such apprehensions or Conceptions of God wherewith we are to draw near to God to perform every duty and every part of Divine Worship must flow from the manifestations of God in Jesus Christ The Use Use I shall make of this Point is to inform Christians how much it concerneth us to acquaint our selves more intimately with God as he hath manifested himself in Jesus Christ In whom alone we can have right apprehensions and due Conceptions of God without which we cannot perform aright any kind of Worship to God 1. Without due apprehensions and conceptions of Goâ— we câ—nnot perform any part of that Natural Worship we owe to God we cannot love him feâ—r him trust in him pray unto him praise him c. 2. Without the right apprehensions and due conceptions of God in Jesus Christ we cannot perform aright any part of his Instituted Worship 1. For all the Ordinances of Gods Instituted Worship as the Sacrifices and Sacraments under the Law so the Sacraments and other Ordinances under the Gospel seem to have immediate relation to and near dependance on Christ God manifested in the flesh You may observe they consist of two parts The one Natural the other Spiritual The one Ex ernal the other Internal The one as it were the Body the other the Soul of it The one representing the Humanity the other the Divinity of Jesus Christ So that every Oâ—dinance of Worship is as it were a representation of Christ Incarnâ—te 2. The Divine Essence or Godhead in Jesus Christ seems to be the proper object of all Worship The School-men have concluded to which I find our learned and pious Divines have given their assent That the Essence of the Godhead is the primary and proper Object of Worship Dr. Owens Commun with the H. Ghost Chap. 8. This Divine Essence is wholly in Christ Col. 2.9 In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily In that Body or Humane Nature of Chrâ—st the fulness of the Godhead dwelt not locally as Locatum in loco or contentum in continente but by personâ—l Union And the Divine Essence as it is in Christ seems to be the pâ—oper Oâ—ject of all Gospel-Worship It was so under the Law in Types and Figures and such was the Tabernacle and Temple Worship in its
Pro. 17.17 All Times 2. Quamdiu The Duration of this Trust How long Sol. All the day long Psal 44.8 All our lives long All the dayes of their Appointed Time must Gods Job's not only Wayt but Trust till their change come Yea for ever Isa 26.4 nay for ever and ever Psal 52.8 Having thus unlockt the Cabinet The Jewel or Truth that we find laid up in it is This. viz. It is the great indispensable Duty of All Believers at All Times Observation to Trust in the Lord and in Him Alone All that I have to say on This practical Truth I shall Couch under these six Generals 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Trusting in God is a Believers Duty 2. What it is To Trust in God 3. What is and ought to be the grand and sole object of a Believers Trust 4. What are Those sure and stable Grounds Those Corner stones on which the Faithful may firmly Build Their Trust in God 5. What are Those special and signal seasons which call aloud for the exerting of This Trust 6. How Faith or Trust puts forth exerts demeans bestirs it self in such seasons 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Trusting in God is a Believers Duty The Lord is or at least he should be The (e) Meton Adjuncti Actus pro Objecto Confidence of All the ends of the Earth Psal 65.5 Trust in the Lord with All thy Heart Prov. 3.5 On the Arm of His Power Isa 51.5 On the (f) In verbis ejus So Chald. Paraph. renderâ— our Text. Word of His Truth In his faithful Promises in His freest mercies Psal 52.8 In His full Salvation Psal 78.22 2. What it is To Trust in God Sol. 1. Negatively To presume on God To Tempt God To conceive false Hopes of Gods gracious favour and protection whilst in a way of sin is Not To Trust in God To gallop down a precipice and To say Confidently I shall not fall To cast our selvs down headlong from a Pinâ—cle of the Temple and yet To expect the protection of Angels Matth. 4.6 7. To Teach for Hire and To Divine for Money and yet to (g) Mic. 3.11 lean upon the Lord saying is not the Lord among us None evil can come upon us To bless a mans self in his Heart and to say he shall have peace though he walk in the imaginations of his evil heart Deut 29.19 All this is not to Trust in God but To Trust in (i) Job 15.31 Vanity and to spin the Spiders web Job 8.13 14. 2. Positively and so more generally and more particularly 1. More Generally To Trust in God is To Cast (k) Ps 55.22 our burthen on the Lord when 't is too heavy for our own shoulder To Dwell in the secret (l) Ps 91.1 places of the Most High when we know not where to lay our Heads on earth To look to our Maker and to have respect To the Holy One of Israel Is 17.7 To (n) Isa 36.6 lean on our Beloved Can. 8.5 To stay our selves when sinking on the Lord our God Isa 26.3 In a word Trust in God is that High Act or Exercise of Faith whereby the Soul looking upon God and casting of it's self on His goodness power promises faithfulness and providence is lifted up above carnal fears and discouragements above perplexing doubts and disquietments either for the obtaining and continuance of that which is good or for the preventing or removing of that which is evil 2. More particularly Fot the clearer discovery of the Nature of Divine Trust we shall lay before you It 's Ingredients Concomitants Effects I. The Ingredients of Trust in God They are three 1. A clear knowledge or Right Apprehension of God as Revealed in His Word and Works They and They only That (o) Psal 9.10 Know Thy Name will Trust in Thee The grand Reason why God is so little Trusted is because He is so little Known Knowledge of God is of such necessity to a Right Trust that it is put as a Synonyma for Trust I will set Him on high beause He hath (p) Psal 91.14 Known i. e. Trusted in my name 2. A full Assent of the Understanding and Consent of the will to Those Divine Revelations as True and good wherein the Lord proposeth Himself as an Adequate Object for our Trust This Act the Greeks expresse by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latines by Credere Fidem habere Testimonium recipere The Hebrews by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All importing Believing or giving credit to Thus the Israelites are said To (q) Ex. 14.31 believe the Lord and his Servant Moses And Thus the Soul that Trusts looks upon the words of Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (r) 1 Tim. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as faithful and worthy of All Acceptation 3. A firm and fixed reliance Resting or Recumbency of the whole Soul on God Or a firm perswasion and special Confidence of the Heart whereby a Believer paticularly applies to Himself the faithful Promises of God and certainly Concludes and determines with himself That the Lord is Able and willing To make good to him the good promises he hath made This indeed is the very Formality of Trust one of the Highest and Noblest Acts of Faith This is That which the Greeks term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which Paul so frequenly useth in several of His Epistles Thus Abraham is said to be strong in Faith giving glory to God and was fully (Å¿) Rom. 4.21 perswaded that what he had promised he was able and willing to perform This the Latines call Fiducia The Schools Fiducia fidei The Hebrews by a word that signifies To lean on or cast the weight of ones body on for support and stay Thus Isa 10.20 The house of Jacob shall no more stay upon him that smote them but shall (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firmiter innitetur incumbet stay upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel in Truth Thus for the Ingredients of Trust 2. The Concomitants of an Holy Trust and these are 1. An Holy quietness security and peaceableness of Spirit springing from a full perswasion of our safety By this the Soul is freed from distracting cares and jealousies about our state and condition Hence that of the Prophet Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pacem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pacem peace whose mind is staied on thee because He trusteth in thee An holy security I say not a carnal security like theirs mentioned Zeph. 1.12 that were setled on their lees that said in their hearts the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil nor like that of the Scarlet whore Rev. 18.6 that saies in her Heart I sit as a Queen and shall see no sorrow No but an Holy security as we have it Prov. 8.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower The Righteous runneth to
the Providence of God ring the changes of mens Estates all the world over Now exalted and lifted up within a while deprest and cast down Now honourable eftsoon abased the rich becoming poor Naomi becoming Mara Hills levelled into Valleys and great Mountains becoming Plains That spoke of the wheel which is now aloft as that Captive King told his Conquerour is quickly turn'd to the ground and brought low The best earthly estate is in it self a tottering estate No o Psal 30 6 7. Summis negatum est stare diu mountain so strong but may soon be moved What we call substance Faith knows is but a shadow and hath no continuance There is no assurance in any earthly inheritance How soon doth God sequester it from us or us from it These Externals cannot be held with all our care nor kept with all our policy and power The best of earthly excellencies may soon be taken from us Jobs p Job 19 9. Crown quickly falls off from Jobs head Not only is all flesh grass but all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field Isa 48.6 Not only is man of a brittle Constitution in nature but all the perfections which he hath be they either Moral or Civil accomplishments on this side grace are brittle too Reason Scripture Experience abundantly attest this truth The q 1 Cor. 7.30 fashion of this world saith the Apostle passeth away As fashions in the world alter and change every day so doth the fashion of this World Creature-comforts are not so properly Possessions as r Quod miraris pompa est Ostenduntur istae res non possidentur dum placent transcunt Sen. Epist 110. Pageants which whilst they please us pass away from us in a moment Those we have here are running banquets delicate and served in with state but soon over 5. Faith makes yet a farther discovery and finds that these Creature-comforts are false deceitful lying Vanities Which appears 1. In the report they make of themselves and of their own worth If you look upon the bill of the creature it puts down not only an hundred for fifty but a million for a mite Like the Title pages of some empty Pamphlets more in them than in the whole Book 2. In the Promises which they make to us It promises that in the enjoyment thereof we shall be happy whereas we are both poor and miserable in the fullest possession of the Creature unless God himself be our portion It promises to ease us of our cares yet it doth but multiply them like drink to a dropsie-man so far from slaking that it enflames the thirst Riches are not food but fuel to our desires and are so far from satisfying that they but widen the throat They do not allay our appetite as bread doth when received and digested but enflame it as oyl doth when cast into the fire It promiseth to protect us but performes no more than the great tree doth from a soaking and lasting storm It promises to continue with us though Father and Mother forsake yet it will not whereas it usually proves like Absoloms Mule then apt to go from under us when we most need it Thus the Creatures are deceitful i. e. They are objectively deceitfull through the deceitfulness of our hearts and lusts we are deceived about them if not by them They frustrate our expectation when our hopes of advantage by them are at the highest seldom or never make good to the enjoyer what they promised to the expectant Like Ionah's Gourd when most needed then they wither Like Hesters invitation of Haman to a Banquet with the King which fill'd his bladder with windy hopes but soon after ended in his Ruine 6. And lastly Faith knows that Creature-comforts are Å¿ Isa 55.2 unsatisfying Vanities This the Philosopher saw by the dim eye of Nature concluding That the World being Orbicular of a round figure could never fill up the Corners of an heart which is Triangular The Câ—eature were a God to us if it could do this to us Kindle thirstings it may but quench none Câ—n beget a thousand fears and cares but quiet none Here the eye is not * Eccle. 1.8 satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing The soul still crying out Give give It is God alone satisfies Psal 36.8 9. It is only a God in Christ that can give the soul rest Mat. 11.29 God would not rest from his works of creation till man was formed Man cannot rest from his longing desires till God be enjoyed and then and not till then can an holy David sing a Lullaby to his soul t Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Faith having thus exprest her judgment concerning the true Nature and worth of Creature-comforts concludes her work in three resolves 1. In the midst of these my enjoyments I must take heed that my heart sits loose from them These handsome Pictures must be only hang'd on the wall not glued to it Though riches encrease I may not must not set my heart on them Thus the Psalmist Psal 62.10 Use them I may love them I may not 1 Joh. 2.15 16. My affections may perchance pitch but must not fix on these things below Col. 3.2 Look upon them I must with an holy indifferency and use them as if I used them not * 1 Cor. 7.31 possess them as if I possessed them not The zeal of my Spirit must be for Heaven and heavenly things My soul must press hard only after God as Davids did Psa 63.1 8. 2. Though I have all these comforts yet I may not must not inordinately immoderately carnally delight and rejoyce in them Thus the Apostle enjoyns 1 Cor. 7.29 It remains that both they that have wives be as if they had none and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it As we are apt to underdo to do too little in heavenly things so we are apt to overdo or to do too much in worldly things Our two great faylings are viz. That we do but make use as it were of those things we should enjoy and that we enjoy those things we should only make use of Oh the Divine Art of holy moderation in the use of our sweetest worldly enjoyments is known and practiced by few 3. And lastly As I may not over-love them nor inordinately delight in them saith Faith so least of all may I put the least trust or confidence in them I must not in the least lean upon them Not say to Gold to sine gold Thou art my confidence Job 21.24 i. e. My soul may not securely rest and rely on gold or golden enjoyments as if these could stand by me when all friends fail as if these would not see us want any thing nor suffer us to be wronged as long as they last
disturbeth the Court more than they that make the noise So disputing with our distractions increaseth them they are better avoided by a severe contempt 6. Bring with you to every holy Service strong spiritual affections our thoughts would not be at such a distance from our work if our affections were more ready and more earnestly set it is the unwilling Servant that is loath to stay long at his work but is soon gone could we bring our selves more delightfully to converse with God our hearts would hold our minds close and we would not straggle so often as we do therefore see you do this or you do nothing I was glad saith David when they said unto me come let us go into the House of the Lord Psal 122.1 Were we of this frame of spirit many directions would not need Now what should hinder us from being thus affected Are not the Ordinances of God the special means of our communion with him And the throne of grace the very porch of heaven Can we be better than in Gods Company pleading with him for our souls good and waiting for his blessing Therefore let us be glad and rejoyce in his presence and you will not easily find such out-strayings of mind and thought 7. Remember the weight and consequence of the duties of Religion that is a cure for slightness you are dealing with God in a Case of life and death and will you not be serious With what diligence and earnestness doth an Advocate plead with a man in a Case wherein he himself is not concerned either for the life of another or the inheritance or goods of another * Si cum sublimi homine non dicam pro vita salute nostra sed etiam pro alicujus lucri commodo supplicamus totam in cum mentus corporis aciem defigentes de nutu ejus trepida expectatione pendemus non mediocriter sormidantes ne quid sorte ineptum incongruum verbum misericordiam audientis avertat quanto magis cum illi occultorum omnium cognitori pro imminenti perpetuae mortis periculo supplicamus c. Cassian Col. 23. c 7 and wilt not thou plead earnestly with God when thy soul is in danger when it is a Case of Eternal life and death as all matters that pass between God and us are Certainly if we did consider the weight of the business the heart would be freed from this garish wantonness if Christ had taken thee aside into the Garden as he took Peter James and John and thou hadst seen him praying and trembling under his Agonies thou wouldst have seen that it is no light matter to go to God in a case of the salvation of souls though thou hast never so much assurance of the issue for so Christ had the frequent return of Christian duties maketh us to forget the consequence of them In hearing the Word be serious it is your life Deut. 32.46 Hearken unto the words of the Law for this is not a vain thing because it is your life thy everlasting estate is upon tryal and the things that are spoken concern your souls every act of communion with God every participation of his grace hath an influence upon Eternity say therefore as Nehemiah in another case Nehem. 6.3 I am doing a great work I cannot come down Can you have a heart to mind other things when you are about so great a work as the saving of your souls 8. Let every experimental wandring make you more humble and careful If men did lay their wandrings to heart and retract them even every glance with a sigh the mind would not so boldly so constantly digress and step aside all actions displeasing are not done so readily therefore it is good to bewail these distractions do not count them as light things * Haec omnia nonnullis qui sunt crassioribus vitiis involuti levia atque a peccato paene aliena videntur scientibus tamen perfectionis bonum etiam minimarum rerum multitudo gravissimâ— est Cassian Col. 23. cap 7. Cassianus speaking of these wandring thoughts saith The most that come to worship being involved in greater sins scarce count distraction of thoughts an evil and so the mischief is encreased upon them It is a sad thing to be given up to a vain mind and such a frothy spirit as cannot be serious therefore if we do soundly humble our selves for these offences and they did once become our burden they would not be our practice * Hooker on Acts 2 37. One saith that Huntsmen observe of young dogs that if a fresh game come in view they leave their old sent but if soundly beaten off from it they kindly take to their first pursuit the application is easie did we rate our hearts for this vanity and pray against the sins of our prayers with deep remorse this evill would not be so familiar with us 9. A constant heavenliness and holiness of heart if men were as they should be holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.14 In all manner of conversation In solemn duties good and proper thoughts would be more natural and kindly to us they that live in a constant communion with God do not find it such a tedious business to converse with him if they have any excursion of thoughts it is in their daily work and the offices of the common life which they are ever seasoning with some gracious meditations and short ejaculations When they are in duty they are where they would be constant gravity and seriousness is a great help to them Men allow themselves a lawless liberty in their ordinary conversations and then in Prayer they know not how to gather up their hearts such as men are out of prayer such they will be in prayer We cannot expect that pangs of devotion should come upon us all of a sudden and that when we come reaking from the world we should presently leap into a heavenly frame 10. The next remedy is frequent solemn meditation If the understanding were oftner taken up with the things of God and our thoughts were kept in more frequent exercise they would the better come to hand There is a double advantage comes to us by meditation 1. The soul gets more abundance of heart-warming knowledge and therefore will not be so barren and dry which certainly is a cause of wandring Psal 45.1 My heart inditeth a good matter and then my tongue is as the pen of a ready Writer A man that boyleth and concocts truths in his heart hath a greater readiness of words and affections There is a good treasure within him Mat. 12.35 out of which he may spend freely * Gobbet of Prayer one expresseth it thus He thâ—t hath store of gold and silver in his pocket and but a few Brass farthings will more readily upon every draught come out with gold and silver than brass farthings So he that hath stocked his heart with holy thoughts will not find carnal musings so
praise to God for all or any of his benefits promised or bestowed and that with our hearts Filliucius out of Aquin We praise God for all his perfections we thank God for his benefits lips and lives Some affirm that much of Religion is seen in piety to parents observance to our betters and thankfulnesse to our benefactors God is indeed all these to us Yet the proper notion of our thankfulnesse refers to God as our benefactor every benefit from God makes the receiver a debtor thankfulnesse is rather the confessing of our debt then the paiment of it and for as much as we are bound alwaies to be thankfull it doth acknowledge we are alwaies beholden to God and allwaies insolvent Now a child of God is bound to be thankfull to God above all men because 1. He is more competent then any other 2. He is more concerned then any other I. More competent by acts of reason and grace too All that the Scripture speaks as to the duty of thankfulnesse may be referred to these Heads 1. To know and acknowledge the Lords mercies 2. To remember them i. e. to record and commemorate them 3. To value and admire them 4. To blaze and proclaim them In all which a gracious soul is much more competent then a meer natural man though indued with quick understanding strong memory and great eloquence For the Spirit of God hath inlightened his soul and taught him this lesson he is principled for it he is a well tuned instrument his heart boyleth with good matter and his tongue is as the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 as David speaks on this occasion when he spake of the praises of the King in his Song of Loves This Spirit of God in a thankfull soul is as the breath of the Organ without which the pipes make no sound yea as the breath of the Trumpetter by which the Trumpet gives a certain and melodious sound This is it that makes that noble Evangelical spirit yea that heavenly Angelical spirit in Christians See a place for it Eph. 5.18 19 20. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns c. giving thanks alwaies for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ shewing that what wine doth in Poets and good fellows it makes them sing and roar out Catches by which they make musick to the devil so the Spirit of God in Saints is the principle of all true thankfulnesse and holy joy towards God and indeed there was a very gracious frame of spirit this way in Primitive Christians II. More concerned as hâ—â—ing received more then others to whomsoever much is given of them much is required Luke 12.48 a proportion of duty according to the degree of every portion of mercy whether you consider what is given or what is forgiven you There are two things which every gracious soul will acknowledge No man saith he in the world hath deserved less of God than I and none hath received more of God than I how much then am I concerned to be thankful I have read of a holy man that was seen once standing still with tears in his eyes and looking up to heaven and being asked by one that passed by why he did so said I admire the Lords mercy to me that did not make me a Toade that Vermine being then casually at his feet The least common mercy affects a gracious soul that knows his desert nothing but misery 2 Sam. 9 8. Mephibosheth bowed himself and said What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am When David had told him he should have his Lands and eat bread at his Table When the Lord spares our lives and gives us common mercies we must admire and adore his goodness And this leads me to the second general Question Quere 2 Why and upon what grounds Christians are bound to give thanks in every thing Answ 1 It is the will of God in Christ Jesus The will of God in Christ Jesus is the clearest Rule and the highest Obligation to any soul for the performance of any duty O that men would now adaies study more act by and hold fast to this rule And ask conscience in the performance of every duty is this the will of God in Christ Jesus It was meet that this duty of thankfulness should be prest and practised under the Gospel because it argue a spiritual and noble frame of Soul the highest pitch of grace which is a true Gospel frame David under the Old Testament had a New Testament heart in this particular his Psalms which were all penn'd upon emergent occasions are all Tehillah and Tephillah Prayer and Praise his Heart and Harp were so tuned to the Praises of God to Psalms of Degrees to Hallelujahs that some have thought the Lord is praised with those Psalms in Heaven Zach. 12.8 Greg. Hom. 20. in Ezek. Yet is it promised under the Gospel that he that is feeble shall be as David which some understand as to Praise and Thanksgivings upon the account of Gospel grace More punctually this is the will of God in Christ Jesus i. e. Jesus Christ shews us the duty of thankfulness both by Pattern and by Precept for he was not only usherd into the World with Songs of Thanksgiving by Angels Luk. 1.46 68. Luk. 2.13 14 20 29. by Zachary by Mary by Simeon by the Shepherds c. but the Lord Jesus himself was a great Pattern and President of Thankfulness all his life long and in this also was a true Son of David He thanked God frequently and fervently I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent Matth. 11.25 and hast revealed them unto babes when his Disciples preached and cast out devils Thus also when he raised Lazarus Father Joh. 11.41 I thank thee that thou hast heard me When he was to eat common bread Mark 8.6 Luk. 22.19 he blessed it with giving of thanks Much more consecrated bread Thus was he a Pattern of thankfulness he did in every thing give thanks In like manner we find him reproving the nine Lepers for their unthankfulness which shews that he held out thankfulness as a duty Luk. 17.16 17. personally he gave a Pattern and Precept for it Now though this were enough to shew it the will of God in Christ Jesus yet these words reach further namely to shew that is the strain of the Gospel in the Apostles Doctrine and Practice for they through their Commission and the great measure of Gods Spirit in them declared the will of God in Christ Jesus They worshipped Luke 24. ult and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God Amen What the Apostle Pauls spirit was in this by whom so
is a sluce-gate to the current of Gods grace and favour Jupiter rained a shower of gold into Danaes lap but God will never rain a shower of grace joy and comfort into a sluggards heart If you loose the blessed sight of God here in ordinances you shall lose the beatifical sight of God hereafter in glory 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord then have we the kernel of a duty every thing else is but a shâ—ll when our employment is on Earâ—h and our enjoyment in Heaven when we have so sought Gods Face that our face comes away shining and we have so poured out our hearts to God that God hath powred out his heart to us that we return home like Bees loaded with honey filled with the comforts of the Holy Ghost VII Consider the infinite and wonderful glory greatnesse majesty of him you appear before and approach unto in your duties A God you are not able to conceive nor I to expresse See how the Scripture shadows him out unto us and indeed it is but a shadow in comparison of his substance Isa 40.12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out Heaven with the span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance vers 15. behold the nations are as a drop of the bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing vers 16. and Lebanon is not sufficient to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering vers 17. all things before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity Quae participatione nobis veneranda sunt in comparatione ejus memoranda non sunt Greg. Mor. l. 18. c. 27. Ex pede Herculem By this glorious description we may guesse and that is all at enough in God to scare us from coming to God in a dull and drowsie manner the Heathens who worship'd the Sun for their god durst not offer up any thing but a flying horse to him in sacrifice our God is more glorious swift seeing than ten thousand Suns therefore we should no◠〈◊〉 to offer up any thing but a winged Cherubim or swift flying 〈◊〉 to him in service VIII Consider how industrious and indefatigable an adversary you have that lies alwaies in ambush to wrong you yea to ruine you Sathan is the unwearied Peripatetick who walks up and down for prey and spoil Job 1.7 now the dull soul is his prey a slug ship is a purchase for the Pyrat and a sluggish soul for the Devil it is holy and wholsome advice given by Peter 1.5 8. Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour Mr. Hugh Latimer 's Sermon preached in the shrouds at Pauls Church in London 18. Jan. an 1548. of the Plough pag. 21. Prius conditionem complexionem uniuscujusque perspicit tum tentationis laqueos apponit Greg. Mor. lib. 9. the Devil saies pious and plain Latymer is the most diligent Bishop in England he is ever at his plough no Lording nor loytering may hinder him his office is to hinder Religion to maintain Superstition to set up Idolatry to teach all kind of Popery where his plough goes there away with Books and up with Candles away with Bibles and up with Beads away with the Light of the Gospel and up with the Light of Candles yea at noon-days How should this quicken us to be active for God and our soul that have an enemy so active alwaies against God and our soul You need not quicken a Mariner to Make out all the cloath he can that knows a Pyrat hath him in chase at stern timor addidit alas fear will spread the sails which are the wings of the ship the Devil the great Pyrat of souls to make prize and pillage of us and our graces hath us in daily pursute how careful should we be to fill the sails of our souls with the strong gales of the Spirit that he may neither overtake us nor take us IX Consider when you slothfully perform duties you do but mock God to act in the Service of God slothfully is interpretativè to act scornfully Wine is a mocker Pro. 20.1 i. e. Wine immoderately taken makes men dull dronish sluggish sleepy actions in a serious business are mocking actions drowzie service to God is but a mockery of God Gal. 6.7 God is not mocked i. e. God will not bear mockery X. Consider how active Christ was in doing us service he did omnem movere lapidem He was so enlarged about the thoughts of doing the work that he was straitned untill he was about it Luk. 12.50 I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned untill it be accomplished i. e. I have a death of the Cross to suffer for Mans Redemption and I am pressed with an Antiperistasis untill I have finished it Or else as Grotius renders it I am with child of my Passion and how do I long for my delivery I am in pain untill I am in pain much like some women who breed their children with more pain than they do bring them forth When that day of his travel came it was the day of his triumph Plutarch Col. 2.15 Triumphing over them in it The Atheniâ—â—â—â—â—â—ru being informed by the Oracle That the People whose King should be slain in the Battel should be Conquerours disrobed himself went into the Enemies Quarters in the habit of a poor man with a burden on his back that he might steal a death to make his People Conquerours Christ disrobed himself of the Garments of Glory assumed the form of a servant endured contradictions of sinners held his peace when falsely charged that he might steal a death for his People that so they might be more than Conquerours Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame Shall Christ give you such a Copy of activity and will you blot and blur it with sloth and sluggishness Oh look on your Copy and fairly write after it 10. Beg the quickning Spirit this is instar omnium none like it as David said of Goliaths sword Sloth is the Kings Evil of the soul and none but the King of Heaven can cure it by his hand which is his Spirit Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Idlenesse is the souls prison sloth is her shackle the Spirit of God only can knock off her fetters and give Goal-delivery to her Rom. 8.26 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities of ignorance dulnesse deadnesse
sluggishnesse and enables yea ennobles us with gratious copious filial affections even groans and sighs that are unutterable expressions not to be expressed Cant. 1.4 Draw me and I will follow thee there is her Praier and her promise and there is no doubt of her performance she will as certainly follow as the Iron the Load-stone or the Card the North-pole Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come O South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Awake and come there is the Praier O North and South wind there is the Spirit the soul that is the Garden gratious affections they are the Spices that flow out But some pretious Soul whispers in mine ears I blesse God I am not troubled with this lethargy my sails are so filled Quest that my mill goes and grinds nimbly only I am afraid the wind blows not from the right quarter pray therefore satisfie my conscience in this case Whether my activity in duty proceed from the Spirit of God We may easily be deceived by our enlargments Answ because there are many winds and gales blowing from several quarters which may set the soul in active going and doing as popular applause high opinions of the Preacher taking expressions in praier flourishing novelties and notions in a Sermon satanical infusions common and ordinary inspirations of the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to reprobates Heb. 6.4 5 6. All which or any of which way so draw and delight the heart that as Orpheus pipe they or it may make the heart dance in a duty and yet for all this it may be possible yea probable the heart may dance after the Devils pipe Ezek. 33.32 the resolution of this case would have been fitter for some antient experienced Master of Assemblies whose Bible is more in his heart than head than for so weak and worthlesse a person as I am who may truly say with Agur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 30.2 Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man Yet seeing Providence hath laid the lot at my door to use Peters words a little altered Acts 3.5 Though silver and golden experiences and expressions I have none yet such as I have I shall willingly impart and communicate to you If you will lend me your patience I will give you my pains in resolving this weighty and worthy case of Conscience how a Christian may know whether his activity in duty be from the Spirit of God I shall commend to you these eight Characteristical Notes as so many Touch-stones 1. When we have beforehand earnestly praied and prepared our souls for such activity when you say and do to your soul as Jehu did to the worshippers of Baal 2. Kings 10.19 I have a great Sacrifice to offer O my soul warn and summon in all the powers and parts of soul and body be sure that not one be wanting and so by reading meditating and Prayer get our souls into a holy frame and gratious posture and humbly yea heartily also beg and beseech of God to carry us on Eagles wings through the duty we are drawing near to if we mount and soar aloft as Aquilae in nubibus Eagles to Heaven in that duty we may safely and surely conclude that activity is from the Spirit When Mariners buy a wind of the Witches as they do in Lapland and other places and they have it at every place and point according to the purchase of the one and the promise of the other they may undoubtedly conclude that wind came from the spirit of the Devil When we beg a wind from God and we enjoy it at the time according to our desire we may upon good ground say that wind came from the Spirit of God this will appear very clear if you please to lay together these four things 1. It is Gods Prerogative to hear Prayer Psal 65.2 Oh thou that hearest Prayer unto thee shall all flesh come 2. It is Gods Promise to hear Praier Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it spread thy sails by Prayer and I will fill them by my Spirit Luke 11.13 He will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it 3. It is Gods usual course to perform his Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that very kind Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to hear I said not to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Isa 45.19 4. It hath been the constant practise of Gods people to look after their Praiers to see what successe they have had Prayers come not out of the Ark of their souls as the Raven did never to return but as Noahs Dove to come back again with an Olive branch into the soul Psal 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Saints do not shoot the arrows of their Prayers as children do shoot them away and never mind them but as Archers that shoot their arrows up into the air and stand expecting their returns down again if our activity come from the return of Prayers it must be from the Spirit When Elias prayes so fervently that fire might come down from Heaven and consume the sacrifice and it did so the people might justly cry out the Lord he is God the Lord he is God 1 Kings 18.37 39. So when we pray for fire and fervour to come down from Heaven on our service and it comes we may cry the Spirit of God the Spirit of God 2. When our activity carries us supra sphaeram activitatis above the reach of any creature when dust is carried up on high the wind does it when dust and ashes are carried up on high in a duty the wind of the Spirit does it If a Chymist dissolves a stone into drops of water we may be sure some help higher than a creature hath helped him If a heart of stone shall be dissolved into drops of water in a duty it must be some help higher than a creatures must do it if Ganymedes be carried up to heaven it must be by the help of Jupiter if the soul be carried up to Heaven so in a duty that an extasie rather than an activity it is by the help of the Spirit if our spirit cries in a duty with sighs and groans that are unutterable it was enabled by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.26 when we are carried through difficulties doubts duties dangers that seem impossible impassible by reason of the Lyons in the way and the Lyons in the streets that stand open-mouthed to devour us Pro. 26.13 Then to venture through all fire fury faggot this is of the Spirit of God When Daniel shall continue active in Prayer three times a day with his windows open that all might see him when there were Lyons in the way indeed Dan. 6.10 When Luther in outward streights shall have such
the best grains of Corn and then sell the rest sometimes they falsifie their weights Hos 12.7 He is a Merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand But he who makes Religion his businesse is regulated by it in the Shop he is just in his dealings he dares not hold the Book of God in one hand and false weights in the other he is faithfull to his neighbour and makes as much reckoning of the ten Commandements as of his Creed 4. Religion hath an influence upon his marrying He labours to graft upon a religious stock he is not so ambitious of parentage as piety nor is his care so much to espouse dowry as virtue * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys In a word he seeks for a meet help one that may help him up the hill to Heaven this is marrying in the Lord. That marriage indeed is honourable a Heb. 13.6 when the husband is joyned to one who is the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 Here is the man that makes Religion his businesse who in all his civill transactions is steered and influenced by Religion Religion is the universall ingredient 5. He who makes Religion his businesse is good in his calling and relation relative grace doth much grace Religion I shall suspect his goodnesse who herein is excentricall some will pray Character 5 and discourse well but it appears they never made Religion their businesse but took it up rather for ostentation than as an occupation because they are defective in relative duties they are bad husbands bad children c. If one should draw a picture and leave out the eye it would much eclipse and take from the beauty of the picture to fail in a relation stains the honour of profession He who makes Religion his businesse is like a Star shining in the proper orbe and station wherein God hath set him Character 6 6. He who makes Religion his businesse hath a care of his company he dares not twist into a cord of friend ship with sinners Psal 26.4 I have not sat with vain persons Diamonds will not cement with rubbish 'T is dangerous to intermingle with the wicked least their breath prove infectious Sin is very catching Psal 106.35 36. They were mingled among the heathen and learned their works and served their Idols which were a snare unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epictetus if you mingle bright and rusty armour together the rusty will not be made bright but the bright will be made rusty He who makes Religion his businesse likes not to be near them whose nearnesse sets him further off from God and whose imbraces like those of the Spider are to suck out the precious life The godly man ingrafts into the communion of Saints and hereby as the Siens he partakes of the sap and virtue of their grace he who makes it his businesse to get to Heaven associates only with those who may make him better or whom he may make better Character 7 7. He who makes Religion his businesse keeps his spirituall watch alwayes by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. He watcheth his eye Job 31.1 I have made a covenant with mine eyes When Dinah was gadding she was defiled Gen. 34.1 When the eye is gadding by impure glances the heart is defiled 2. He who makes Religion his businesse watcheth his thoughts least they should turn to froth Jer. 4.24 How long shall vain thoughts lodg within thee What a world of sinne is minted in the phancie a child of God sets a spy over his thoughts he summons them in and captivates them to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 3. He who makes Religion his businesse watcheth his passions passion is like gunpowder which the Devill setting on fire blowes up the soul Jonah in a passion quarrels with the Almighty Jonah 4.1 9. He who is devoted to Religion watcheth his passions least the tyde growing high reason should be carried down the stream and be drowned in it 4. He who makes Religion his businesse watcheth his duties Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray First he doth watch in prayer the heart is subject to remisnesse if it be not dead in sinne it will be dead in prayer a Christian watcheth least he should abate his fervour in duty he knows if the strings of his spirituall Violl slacken Col. 3.16 he cannot make melody in his heart to the Lord. Secondly he doth watch after prayer as a man is most carefull of himself when he comes out of an hot bath the pores being then most open and subject to cold so a Christian is most carefull when he comes from an Ordinance least his heart should decoy him into sinne therefore when he hath prayed he sets a watch he deals with his heart as the Jews dealt with Christs sepulchre Matth. 27.66 They made the sepulchre sure sealing the stone and setting a watch A good Christian having been at the word and Sacrament that sealing Ordinance after the sealing he sets a watch 5. He who makes Religion his businesse watcheth his temptations Temptation is the scout the Devill sends out to discover our forces 't is the train he layes to blow up our grace Satan ever lies at the catch he hath his depths Rev. 2.24 his methods Ephes 4.14 his devices 2 Cor. 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is continually fishing for our souls and if Satan be angling we had need be wâ—â—ching He who makes Religion his businesse is full of holy excubation he lies sentinell and with the Prophet stands upon his watch-tower Hab. 2.1 Solomon saith of a virtuous woman her candle goes not out by night Prov. 31.18 the good Christian keeps his watch-Candle alwayes burning 8. He who makes Religion his businesse every day casts up his Character 8 accounts to see how things go in his soul Solomon saith know the state of thy flock Prov. 27.23 a man that makes Religion his work Lam. 3.40 Seneca is carefull to know the state of his soul before the Lord brings him to a tryall he brings himself to a tryall he had rather use the looking-glasse of the word to see his own heart than put on the broad spectacles of censure to see anothers fault he playes the Critick upon himself he searcheth what sinne is in his heart unrepented of and having found it out he labours by his tears as by the water of jealousie Numb 5.22 to make the thigh of sinne to rot He searcheth whether he have grace or no and he tryes whether it be genuine or spurious he is as much afraid of painted holinesse as he is of going to a painted Heaven He traverseth things in his soul and will never leave till that question whether he be in the faith be put out of question Here is the man making Religion his businesse 2 Cor. 13.5 he is loath to be a spirituall bankrupt therefore is still calling himself to account and wherein he comes short he gets
understand it or 2. For an expression of the prolonging of his sojourning for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to draw forth or to prolong and thus the Septuagint renders this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Arabick Syriack and vulgar Latine versions follow with some others and the next verse seems to favour this sense ver 6. My soul hath long dwelt c. but either way gives us the same ground of complaint only the first sense doubles the ground of the Psalmists trouble and the other suggests the circumstance of the long continuance of his sojourning By Kedar is understood part of Arabia the inhabitants whereof are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bochart ut sup or dwellers in tents because they had no fixed and setled habitation but were robbers and lived upon the prey Now we are not to suppose that David did really sojourn and dwell among these barbarous people but he speaks this of his wandring about from place to place without any setled habitation and to set forth the cruelty and inhumanity of those among whom he dwelt he doth expresse it thus Woe is me that I dwell c. as if one living among professed Christians who deal with him more like savages than Christians should say Woe is me that I sojourn among Turks and Saracens And thus you see Davids present condition which he bewails is his absence from Jerusalem and the Tabernacle or place of Gods solemn worship and his converse with wicked and ungodly men and then these two truths lye plain before us in the words It is oftentimes the lot and portion of good men to be deprived of the Doct. 1 society of the godly and of opportunities of publick serving God and to dwell among and converse with wicked and ungodly persons It is a real ground of trouble and sorrow to a good man to be thus deprived Doct. 2 c. 'T was that which here made David proclaim himself in a state of woe and misery 'T was that which the Apostle tells us did vexe the righteous soul of Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 and which made the holy Prophet Elijah even weary of his life 1 King 19.4 You may easily imagine what a sad heart a poor lamb might well have if it be driven from the green pastures and still waters and forced to lodge among Wolves and Foxes where it must feed upon Carrion or starve and be continually in danger of being lodged in the bellies of its cruel and bloody companions unless lome secret over-ruling hand do restrain their rage and feed it with wholesome food and truly such is the condition of those that follow the Lamb of God in holy Lamb-like qualities when deprived of green pastures and still waters of Gospel Ordinances and forc'd to converse with wicked and ungodly men In handling of this Point I shall first lay before you the grounds of it and then adjoyn such practical application as may be usefull and profitable The grounds of this Truth do partly refer to God partly to wicked men and partly to the godly themselves if in such a condition a beleeving soul either look upwards or outwards or inwards he will see much cause of grief and trouble 1. With reference unto God and that upon a double account 1. It is a real ground of sorrow to a beleeving soul to be deprived of occasions of solemn blessing and praysing God the soul that is full of the sense of the goodness of God that knows how many thousand wayes the Lord is continually obliging it to love and bless him cannot but be afflicted in spirit to be kept from making its publick acknowledgements of divine goodness The Psalmist tell us Psal 65 1. that Praise waiteth for God in Sion that is in the publick Assemblies of the Church and truly 't is a grief to a believing soul not to wait there with his thank-offerings not to pay his vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people Psal 116.17 Psal 66.18 in the Courts of the Lords house c. not to declare to all that fear God what he hath done for their souls 2. It is a real ground of sorrow to live among those that are continually reproaching and blaspeming the Name of God to see sinners despise the goodness of God and trample upon his grace and mercy and scorn his love and kindness and kick at his bowels and spit in his face and stab at his heart who is our God our Father our Friend our good and gracious Lord and King This must needs make the beleeving soul cry out Woe is me that I live among such Let us suppose a person that hath been hugely obliged by a Prince to love him and that indeed loves him as his life if this Prince should be driven from his Throne and an usurper get into his place would it not be great affliction and sadning to the spirit of such a person to live among those who every day revile reproach scorn and abuse his gracious Prince Why Sirs if you and I be true beleevers we know that the Lord is our Soveraign King Prince such a one who hath infinitely more obliged us to love him than 't is possible for any Prince to oblige a subject we do love the Lord as our lives nay better than our lives or else we love him not at all must it not then be matter of grief to hear ungodly sinners who have driven God away from their hearts souls where his Throne should be set up and who have let that grand usurper the Devil set up his throne within them and among them and who daily say unto God as those wicked ones Job 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes to hear such curse and swear and blaspheme God and in their lives by wicked ungodly courses do him all the despight dishonor that they can bring his Name to the Tavern to the Stews upon the stage and there foot and defile the great and glorious Name of God with the worst of polutions Certainly Sirs he cannot account God his Friend his Father his good and gracious Prince whose eye doth not run down with Rivers of tears to see men so far from keeping Gods Law 2. It is a trouble to good men to sojourn c. with reference to those wicked ungodly persons among whom they live it grieves their souls to see sinners run into all excess of riot eagerly pursuing hell and damnation greedily guzling down full draughts of the venome of Asps and the poyson of Dragons it pities them to see sinners stab themselves to the heart and laughing at their own plague sores jeasting away God and heaven and eternal happiness If any of us should see a company of men so far besotted and distracted as that one should rend and burn the Evidences of a great Inheritance which others labour to deprive him of another should cast inestimable pearls
Isa 51.12 and against our earthly desires let us remember that if we gain the whole world and lose our own souls we shall be incomparable losers by the bargain Matth. 16.26 On the other side when ambition vain-glory or humour would urge us to unnecessary sufferings let us remember that God who is Wisdome it self hath no pleasure in fools Eccl. 5 4. nor delights in those sacrifices which are not presented to him by prudent consideration and sober resolution but by the folly of a precipitate zeal and however where the heart is right and full of love God may accept of the love and pardon the weakness yet he no way delights in the sufferings which men bring upon themselves unnecessarily by rash imprudent carriage whereby they betray their lives and liberties to the lusts and rage of men and draw on their enemies to blood and cruelty and upbraid the wisdome of those who are not so rash as being less real to God and Christ and make others have hard thoughts of that Religion which cannot consist with prudence and wisdome 2. Be much in the exercise of those acts of true Religion which are beautiful in the eyes of all even the worst of men the Apostle Peter intimates the security of an evidently good and holy life 1 Pet. 3.13 And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good the chief pieces of Christian Religion are such as Papists Turks and Infidels must needs acknowledge to be good To visite the fatherless and widows in their affliction To wrong no man To do to others whatever we would that others should do to us Now when we cannot without danger exercise some other perhaps more questionable parts of Christian Religion then 't is good to be so much the more in the practice of these undoubted pieces of a Christian life and zeal in these things will force those without to approve whereas zeal in arguing for or in practising other things may cause them to hate and persecute us zeal in arguing and disputing brings on evil words and evil actions but zeal in the practice of unquestionable duties produceth good deeds in our selves and forceth good thoughts and good words if not good deeds from others In a word hot disputing and cold living or zeal in smaller and luke-warmness in greater matters is the ruine of grace in our selves the confirming of sin in others and the needless hazarding our outward concernments and betraying them rashly to the violence of wicked and ungodly men 3. In your converse with those who are without chuse mostly to insist upon common and acknowledged principles rather than controverted points if I were to live among and converse with Papists I would chuse much rather to urge them to abstain from lying drunkenness malice c. and to have good thoughts of God to have a continual sense of their dependance upon him and therefore continually to recommend themselves unto him by holy prayer to be meek and patient and charitable rather than to dispute how many Sacraments there be or how the bread and the wine is the body and blood of Christ for good counsel and sober exhortations speak love to mens souls whereas disputes and arguings are usually thought to proceed onely from love to our own notions and a desire to oppose others and indeed if men did not place too much of their Religion in opposing others they might much more safely and much more profitably converse with those of different opinions yea of different Religions 4. When you do touch upon controverted points rather enquire and propound than positively assert and violently oppose though I judge the Masse of Rome as by them used to be a piece of as grosse Idolatry as the world can shew yet were I to converse among Papists I would not fall foul upon them as the grossest Idolaters but as more desiring truth should be honoured than they reproached I would calmly and meekly propound my reasons as grounds of doubting rather than clear demonstrations for sure it is that a sudden and violent assault will cause an adversary to gather up his strength as violently to oppose whereas a calm propounding of reasons or doubts may work him to a serious consideration which is the first step to the discovery of error and acknowledging of truth for the one kindles a desire of knowing the other a desire of opposing yea of persecuting 5. When you think your selves bound to reprove the sins of others let it be done with a due consideration of the circumstances of time place and persons and indeed there 's scarce any part of a Christians converse with others that more requires prudence and wisdome than that of reproving others and great care is to be had that a reproof may at the least be well taken if not hearkned to and that it may do the reproover no hurt if it do the reprooved no good 6. On all occasions expresse a willingnesse to do for the best to believe as others believe and to do as others do if you could see sufficient ground and reason for it and indeed this may be a great help and security for obstinacy is usually made one essential part of an Heretick and then he that is heartily willing to close with every revealed truth may be in an errour but cannot be an Heretick and therefore every expression of a mind not obstinately bent upon its taken up notions nor doting upon its own conceptions but inricht with an ingenuous freedome to acknowledge its mistakes and own truth when once clearly discovered though formerly disowned is like so much water upon the fire of rage kindled in the hearts of persecuting enemies to quench or abate it for to the reason of any that will but consider it cannot but appear most unreasonable to urge a person to believe what he cannot see any ground for or to do what he would be willing to do if it were not sin that is a provoking God and hazarding his own eternal welfare 7. Be sure to use no means to secure from persecution or procure the enjoyment of publick Ordinances but such as are well-pleasing to a good and a holy God 't is not long since it was the peculiar honour of the Popish Faction to depose or murder Kings blow up Parliaments subvert States and Kingdomes to procure their liberty or secure themselves from suffering and if any others have ventured upon such practices I hope God hath taught them by his providence what they would not learn from his word that affliction is rather to be chosâ—n than sin and that 't is better to wait upon him in the way of his Judgements that is in a way of duty than to out-run God and think to secure our selves by sinfull and unjustifiable courses Let those therefore who prosess to believe that their God is a God hearing prayer and that bottles up the tears of his people and is able to do what he pleaseth let
main and principall weapon of their warfare is quick and powerfull Heb. 4.12 a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and it casts down imaginations and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Therefore while we have this Word and Spirit 2 Cor. 10.5 it is possible though difficult to discover the hypocrisie of our own spirits and to direct others to find out theirs It is not a poor souls fearing and doubting his hypocrisie accusing Caution 3 and charging himself with it crying out of himself as a wretched man by reason of it that concludes and determines he is such See David in Psal 51.10 11 12. charging himself so and the Church accusing her self of erring from Gods wayes and having their hearts hardned from his fear Isa 63.17 and yet their own expressions in the Verses before Vers 15 16. manifest the frame of their spirits to be exceeding tender and humble Holy Mr Bradford would many times subscribe himself in his Letters John the hypocrite and a very painted Sepulchre Fox his Acts and Alon. Agur one of the wisest men living condemns himself for being more bruitish than any man and not having the understanding of a man Prov. 30.2 And David one of the holiest and devoutest men living upon an ordinary temptation viz. the prosperity of the wicked was very apt to charge the wayes of God with unprofitablenesse Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency Psal 73.13 but afterwards seeing his errour he chargeth it so upon himself that he upbraids and condemns himself for foolish and ignorant Vers 22. and a very beast before God It is usuall with the best men to have the worst thoughts of themselves 1. Partly because as God will give most grace to the humble so there is great need of giving more humility to those that have most grace 2. Partly because where there is true grace there is an insatiable desire of more The children of God have never enough of communnion with God nor of conformity to him they seldome look back and say this thou hast but still presse forward to this thou hast not and this thou maist and this thou must have Phil. 3.12 13. 3. And partly because as there is much difference between faith in its direct and its reflected act between knowing God and knowing that we know him between believing and knowing that we believe so there is between having sincerity and finding a feeling of it constantly between not being hypocrites and a constant confidence of it which would amount to no lesse than full assurance This is not granted to all and seldome to any at all times that so there may be a season for the exercise of other graces humility fear and trembling fear of sollicitude Phil. 2.12 2 Pet. 1. and diligence in making our calling and election sure And this is to be remembred and observed viz. That God likes us never the worse that Satan is so much our enemy but much the better that by humility lowlinesse of mind and self-denial we seem to be our own enemies 4. Nor are they foul failings nor dangerous fallings into grosse Caution 4 sins if a man die not impenitently in them that do constitute an hypocrite indeed raigning sin doth The falls of Gods people may be Horrendae tempestates flenda naufragia The greivous falls of Gods people do evidence there is hypocrisie in them but not that they are hypocrites David was guilty of adultery and murther and puft up with exceeding pride and vain-glory in the multitude of his Subjects and strength of his Kingdome but Davids repenting and rising again cleared him from being an hypocrite so that the spirit of God testifies from his own mouth that he was upright and kept himself from his iniquity Psal 18. i. e. from the raign and continuance of it and after his fall he was called a man after Gods own heart Thou hast not been as my servant David who kept all my Commandments and followed me with all his heart to do that only which was right in my sight 1 King 14.8 The Lord overlookt his adultery and murther for indeed he had put away his sin or made it passe over as it is in the Original that is to Christ Hezekiahs heart was lifted up and he renderd not according to the benefit done unto him 2 Chron. 32.25 26. 2 Chron. 29.2 but Hezekiah was humbled and the wrath of God came not upon him all his dayes he was not an hypocrite no he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father David had done So Peter denied and forswore his Master after many warnings and many promises to the contrary yet he repented and wept bitterly his fall shewd him to be a weak frail man but proved him not a hypocrite Job confessed himself a sinner Iob 13.23 and that many were his iniquities and transgressions but Job would never confesse himself an hypocrite Iob 27.5 6. no he would keep his integrity till he died for it is not the falling into sin or the being guilty of it Psal 66.18 but regarding iniquity in the heart that denominates an hypocrite otherwise all men were hypocrites for certainly all men are sinners Rom. 3. all shut up under sin Caution 5 5. Nor is it backsliding into the same sinnes that makes a man an hypocrite David had gotten into a way of lying to save his life viz. 1 Sam. 21. in the 2d verse he told one lye in the end of the verse another and in the 8th verse another He prayes that God would take from him the way of lying And the promise of mercy and pardon is not only to sinnes but backslidings I will heal their backslidings Hos 14.4 Ier. 3.22 And such are invited to return to God Return thou backsliding Israel and I will heal your backslidings Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Indeed to be bent to backsliding is a dangerous sign of prevailing hypocrisie and yet some in this case shall turn and walk after the Lord. Hos 11.2 8 9.10 We do not read of the people of God that they did revolt and backslide into the same grosse sinnes after repentance nor David into adultery nor Peter to faintheartednesse nor Paul to persecution But yet this may be so and provision is made in that case by the promise of healing backslidings Though it cost them dear to recover their peace after revolting into grosse sinnes after pardon and peace spoken and it will lye upon their consciences as an heavy aggravation of their sinne and â—olly 1 King 11.9 Psal 85.8 But yet it doth not conclude that all was done in hypocrisie before and that they were but meer hypocrites no more than Solomons falling and Idolatry which he repented of witnesse the book of Ecclesiastes
doth conclude him an hypocrite when he built the Temple and was the Jedidiah the beloved of the Lord. 6. Nor is it every degree of tendency to hypocrisie that denominates Caution 6 a man an hypocrite and brings him under the condemnation to have his portion with hypocrites For there is the seed of this as well as of all other sinnes in the heart Ier. 17.9 and the holy Prophet Jeremy cries out the heart is deceitfull c. he meant his own heart as well as others and Solomon the wisest man gives this advice keep thy heart Proverbs were experiments his own and David the devoutest saith all men are lyars all deceitfull and there are the remains of hypocrisie in the best the reign of it is only in hypocrites hypocrisie may have its presence but not predominance in the sincerest children of God Thus you see what doth not conclude an hypocrite though it come very near 2. Now I shall shew what cannot cleer and acquit a man from an hypocrite though it proceed very fairly and very farre which makes it so difficult to discover this leaven of the Pharisees hypocrisie 1. It doth not acquit and discharge a man from this charge of hypocrisie That they hear the Word with some delight that they believe with some faith so did the stony ground Matth. 13. That they take some pains for it so did they Joh. 6. That they perform some duties in obedience to it so did Herod Mark 6. That they are morall and without blame in some things outwardly Matth. 19. so was the young man That they are zealous against some publick corruptions so was Jehu That they have illumination and excellent knowledg by a common work of the spirit so have the Devils Judas and those apostates Heb. 6. That they had some sweet tasts and relishes from the Word imbraced so had they in Heb. 6. and no doubt Ananias and Saphira had Nor doth this acquit them and set them out of danger that they have some serious cares and fears about their salvation so had Felix so had the sinners in Zion they were afraid Isa 33.14 fearfullnesse hath surprized the hypocrites they were afraid of dwelling with devouring fire and everlasting burnings Judas and Spira had fears to purpose Rom. 8.15 and the spirit of bondage is but a common work of the spirit if it rest there in Pharaoh there was fear but no sincerity in the Devils fear but no penitency nor is it some reluctancy against sinne by an awakened conscience Herod had so and Pilate had so Baalam so nor many desires of good Baalam desired to die the death of the righteous The five Virgins desired Oyl there be the desires of the sloathfull that even kill them desires like the turning of a door upon hinges Pro. 26.14 never the farther off Desires of the wavering man Iam. 1.6 7. the double-minded man when a man hath some mind to grace Aug. in Confess but more to lust as Augustine that prayed for grace and chastity but his heart secretly prayed the while not yet Lord. There may be powring out of prayers as the Ninevites Ionah 3.8 they cried mightily they powred forth a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Esa 26.16.17 and yet they brought forth but wind When he slew them then they sought him Psa 68.34 36. and they returned and enquired early after God neverthelesse they did but flatter him with their mouth and lied to him with their tongues c. Nor is it some hopes Matth. 25. Job 8.13 Luk. 18. If all this cannot save a man from the guilt of hypocrisie and portion of hypocrites what shall If these come short of Heaven where shall they appear that come farre short of them Oh then who can be saved Streight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life Luk. 13.24 Phil. 2.12 and few find it Salvation work is to be wrought out with fear and trembling Beware then of the leaven c. How then may we know how it is with our souls whether we are in the number of hypocrites and tending to their portion whether this deluding destroying predominating damning leaven of hypocrisie be in us Sign 1 1. A loving of the world and the things of the world the lust of the flesh 1 Ioh. 2.15 16. the lust of the eye and the pride of life this is a fearfull evidence of hypocrisie for it is inconsistent with and destructive of the love of God Matth. 22.37 and the loving God above all things is the very essence the summa totalis of sincerity and whatsoever contraries this is the very essence of hypocrisie I know there be many subterfugies and evasions and it is an hard matter to convince men that they love the world in St Johns sense But if a man make these lusts of the eye of the flesh and pride of life honours riches carnall and sensuall pleasures his aym his interest his chief delight If the heart and affections be let out to these things immoderately If the sweetest freest thoughts of the soul be let out to them either about the getting enjoying or desiring or admiring or advancing them If the activity and indeavours of the soul bend and are imployed chiefly this way though there may be many excellent performances expressions affections yet the leaven of the Pharisee is there and sours all and all the rest is but in hypocrisie This leavened all Baalams pretences divinations all his goodly expressions and professions both to God the Angel and men that he would do nothing speak nothing but what God would have him as much as to say he would be upright and sincere Iude 11. yet still he looked after the reward Balacs promotion this was the errour of Baalam he followed the wages of unrighteousnesse and this leavened all Judas his hearing and conversing with Christ his over-officiousnesse Some conceive from Judas his kissing Christ in the garden c. that he was more than ordinarily familiar and officious about him and made more pretences of love and service to him but he appeared a painted sepulchre an hypocrite he loved the wages of iniquity it was the world and hypocrisie were predominant in him and now he is gone to his own place the place and portion of hypocrites he was as it were out of his place or in an others place all the while before and this leavened all the Pharisees almes fastings prayers professions and pretences Luk. 16.14 they were covetous saith one Evangelist and they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Ioh. 12.43 saith another and that is in effect they loved the favour of men more than the favour of God in short they loved the world 1 Ioh. 2.16 Mat. 6.24 1 Cor. 7.27 30. and the love of the Father was not in them There can be no serving God and Mammon if we cannot moderate and temperate
mans end be to stop the mouth of natural conscience onely or onely to avoid danger and wrath to come These may be the works of a Saint but yet the ends of an hypocrite And omnis actio nisi modificata à fine suas quas avertere amittit laudes Balaam spake religiously multiplied Altars and Sacrifices but his end was not God but the wages of iniquity Jehu destroyed Ahabs house executed vengeance Gods judgements against that wicked Family resolutely and throughly destroyed Baal c. but his ends were carnal the establishment of the Kingdome to him and his Family Ahab and the Ninivites fasted in sackcloath but it was meerly to avoid the judgement threatned Hos 7.14 The Israelites cried and prayed but they did but howl for corn and wine The Jews in Captivity fasted but did you at all fast to me even to to me saith the Lord. It seems men may pray Zach. 7.5 and yet not cry to the Lord fast and yet not to the Lord. It is the end dignifies or debaseth the action rectifies or adulterates it Look to your ends if you would not be hypocrites If your end be less than God his glory and pleasing of him You are but empty Vines and bring forth fruit to your selves Simplicity in ones ends accompany sincerity in the actions Hos 10.1 2 Cor. 1.12 when not fleshly wisdome but the grace of God carries and governs the action then we may have rejoycing else all may be in hypocrisie Sign 5 5. If thou canst not bring thy heart to suffer for the Name of Christ when thou hast a good Cause and a good Call and amongst the good people of God though thou hear the word and receivest it with joy Mat. 13.21 for a time yet when perscoution ariseth because of the Word by and by thou art offended if there be no more deep rooting of it in thee Luk. 8.13 but in temptation thou fall away it is apparent thy heart is but stony ground and thou art leavened with hypocrisie If your faith cannot bear the trial if it be not furnace faith tryed faith it is not precious faith it is but common faith counterfeit faith it will not be found to praise honour and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.7 nay if thou canst not in some cases choose to suffer afflicton with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11.25 26 27. It is apparent thy faith and thy heart is not right thou hast not a thorough respect to the recompence of reward thou dost not see him that is invisible Mat. 16.24 That man that cannot will not deny himself take up his cross and follow Christ he is not a true Disciple of Christ and in the end will finde that in saving his life he hath lost it Sathan and Antichrist must be overcome by the blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.11 and by the word of the testimony and by not loving our lives to the death c. and he that will not suffer with Christ shall not reign with Christ and if tribulation occasion men to go out from us Rom. 8.17 it is because they were not of us for if they had been of us 1 Joh. 2.19 they would no doubt have continued with us Tribulation is the touchstone it will distinguish sincerity from hypocrisie 1 Cor. 13. and though it is true a hypocrite may sometime suffer yet he that will never suffer must be an hypocrite Rom. 8.17 if we suffer not with him we shall not reign with him 6. If thou imbracest and favourest any iniquity in thy heart if there Sign 6 be any corrupt lust or ungodly way that thou art so wedded to Psal 66.18 that thou canst not wilt not be divorced from but huggest it in thy bosome hidest it pleadest for it though it seem never so harmless and tolerable yet if it be against Gods Law though thou makest many prayers with the Jews and performest many services Isa 1.16 17 18 and doest many things with Herod and hast many glorious and gracious expressions with Baalam yet thou art in the gall of bitterness Mark 6. and bond of iniquity Thy heart is a divided heart Hos 10.2 Jam. 1.6.7 thou art a double unstable person thy prayers will not be regarded and all thy services will be rejected by the All-seeing jealous God before whom all things are open and naked and with whom thou hast to do Heb. 4.13 because if thou regardest iniquity in thy heart the rise and root of all thy duties and performances is but the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Me thinks beloved this should startle us and I wish it may if any of you should be prickt at the heart and tremble at this word of God and ask me what shall we do that we may acquit our selves from this leaven of hypocrisie and be saved from the wrath it exposeth us to I should answer 1. Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many will seek Luk. 13.24 but shall not be able that is be very serious and throughly resolved and industrious in a case of this weight and concernment Be diligent that you may be found of him in peace 2 Pet. 3.14 Deut. 32.46 47 Set your heart to these things for it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life c. It is so weighty a business that it is work enough for all your life and it will be your life of consolation from which will flow peace and joy and assurance Make but this out clearly that thou art no hypocrite that hypocrisie is not predominant in thee but that in simplicity and sincerity of heart thou hast thy conversation not with carnal wisdome thou hast then occasion of much rejoycing 2 Cor. 1.12 but if thou art negligent in this thy doubts and fears will hang upon and keep thee low to thy dying day nay it were well if that were all for to be negligent in this business is as good as to do nothing for it is to do nothing to purpose and that is to have all thy work undone and to be undone thy self for ever Most hypocrites did seek to enter in Baalam Herod the five foolish Virgins had they strove they had entred in at the strait Gate Wishings and wouldings and sloathfull desires to heaven will not place you out of danger of hypocrisie for very hypocrites have done as much but striving indeed setting your whole heart to it being very diligent to purge out this leaven Phil. 2.12 working out your salvation with fear and trembling giving all diligence to make your calling and election sure this will place you out of danger 2 Pet. 1.10 11 and give you an abundant entrance into the Kingdome of our Lord. If ever
pursued presently into act if they convince you of any neglected duty fall immediately upon the practise of it If they make you more resolute against any carnal or worldly lust betake your selves presently to the mortifying of it If they kindle any holy affection to Christ or his people give some real expression thereof without delay If they revive any languishing grace let it be forthwith exercised This was Davids practice Psal 119 60. you will finde this one of the best expedients for the fixing and securing of those good motions which are raised in your mindes and hearts by the Ordinances When the blossoms of a fruit-tree are once knit though the flourish thereof be gone and you see nothing but the bare rudiment of the expected fruit yet you think it more secured from the injury of frosts and winds than if it were still in the flower good motions when they are once reduced into act are thereby as it were knit and brought to more consistency They are then well past one of their critical periods where most miscarry and so are more like to live and continue with you Besides the act strengthens that good motion and disposition which leads to it and so makes you more ready for another act and that disposeth to more acts and those to better and repeated acts beget a habit and this as the Philosopher tells us is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something that will stay by you The hearts of the people being raised by Hezekiahs zealous speech 2 Chron. 29. they were kept up in that posture till the work designed by him was finished till Religion was restored and reformed and how came this to pass Why the thing was done suddenly vers 36. he pursued the peoples good inclinations and brought them into act suddenly he struck while the iron was hot When your hearts are heated by the Ordinances set immediately upon your work the primus impetus affords a great advantage if it be improved possibly in the vigour of it you may overcome those great dfficulties and oppositions which have been too hard for you formerly and may otherwise give you impediment hereafter and this being mastered your progress will be easier you may go on towards heaven under the power of the Ordinances with less interruption and fewer intercisions of these divine influences Jam. 1.22.23 But be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiving your own selves for if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer i. e. if he do it not presently as appears by what follows he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a glass for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and streight way forgetteth what manner of man he was The glass discovers what spots and sullages are in his face that he may wash them off or what is disordered about him that he may correct and compose it but if he do not this presently if he put it off till some occurence divert him from the thoughts and remembrance of it his looking in the mirror will prove but a loss of time a vain curiosity Your use of the Ordinances is like to prove no better if you practise not what they lead you to without delay its like to be no other than such a viewing of your selves in a glass a meer fruitless speculation 5. You must take much pains with your hearts if you would have them retain the vertue and efficacy of the Ordinances The effect of them should be as a nail fastned in a sure place but the heart is so hard and knotty a piece that you cannot drive it in without many blows it will require all your strength to force it in far enough and all your care and watchfulness to keep it in when it is there They grosly mistake Christianity who take it to be consistent with our carnal ease and slothfulness who place it in notions or opinions in fair shews and a specious profession in forms gestures or external observances in conforming to this or that mode of Worship or Discipline It were well for the World if one could be a Christian at such an easie rate but they that please themselves with such conceits they erre not knowing the Scriptures The action of a Christian is all along in the New Testament expressed by striving wrestling running and combating exercises wherein he that will not be worsted must intend all his spirits stretch all his sinews put forth all his strength he that is a Christian indeed he must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 6.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.12 13 14. Heb. 12.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 13.24 his daily course must be a combating as for victory a running as for a Crown a striving as for life The power and life of holiness can neither be attained nor upheld without an effectual use of the Ordinances the Ordinances will never be effectual to purpose unless the vertue of them abide upon the heart now it meets with such reluctancy and opposition from the heart so far as it is unrenewed that it can never be fastned there without striving and strugling and earnest contending it must be done in despight of our own ease and carnal humours and natural inclination and all the resistance of the body of death If you think this too much you think much to be Christians indeed however you pretend to the name Those that are acquainted with their own hearts finde it very hard to get them raised to a spiritual and heavenly temper very difficult to get them pullied up though they have the advantage of the most powerfull Ordinances to any good posture and when with much ado they are got up exceeding difficult to keep them there Alas we seem to be forcing a weighty stone up a steep hill when with much toyl we have got it near the top take but our hands off a little leave it but to it self and down it runs further in a moment than we can get it up again in some hours Our way to heaven lyes up the hill that which is spiritual and heavenly is above us the natural bent and tendency of our hearts is downwards as there is no getting them up without toyl and pains so when we have raised them a little leave them but to themselves grow but a little remiss and negligent and down they run on a sudden we shall quickly finde them at the bottome of the hill in a carnal lukewarm earthly temper When our hearts are effectually touched and raised and moved in the use of Ordinances there 's no keeping them in a quick and lively motion without striving and strugling and as it were forcing them on with might and main The influence of the Ordinances falling upon a sloathfull soul is quite lost and meerly thrown away upon it Prov. 12.27 The sloathful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting So he loseth all his former labour because he will not take a little more
pains a sloathfull soul loseth all the advantages he gets by following the Ordinances for want of care and industry to retain and improve what he hath gotten 6. Comply with the Spirit of God These influences both as to the rise and continuance of them are from him When you comply not with him you grieve the Spirit and provoke him to withdraw and when he withdraws these influences will be discontinued If you detain the truth in unrighteousness if you confine it to your mindes so as the power thereof descends not upon your hearts and affections comes not forth in your lives and actions you do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imprison the truth and that is a great affront to the Spirit of Truth If when the Spirit of God calls you to take up the Cross to leave all to follow Christ contentedly and cheerfully in a low reproached afflicted condition or if when he calls you up to a higher degree of self-denial mortification and holiness you hang back or turn aside and refuse to follow his conduct this grieves the Spirit of holiness If you decline his institutions for other devices shrink back from the work you are engaged to when it grows hazardous strain your consciences to secure your outward enjoyments will not be influenced by him further than is consistent with your ease credit safety and worldly interest you dishonour the Spirit of wisdome This provokes the blessed Spirit to withdraw and when the fire is gone the heat will not long continue If you refuse to continue under the influences of the Spirit in some things its righteous with him not to continue them upon you in others If you fear the displeasure of man more than the grieving of him if you lean more to the hopes of this life than his supports and consult with flesh and blood instead of being directed by the wisdome which is from above it will be no wonder if he give you over to your own conduct and intermitting his own leave you under the influences of your carnall fears and worldly hopes 7. Be frequent in the use of Ordinances good impressions do most usually wear off in the intervals of holy duties and the longer these are the more danger there is therefore make these interims as short as may be by quick returns to the Ordinances It is observed that places under the line are not so hot as some climates at a further distance from it this reason is given for it those under the equinoctial though they have the Sun more vertical and the beams falling perpendicularly cause a more intense heat yet the nights being of equal length with the dayes the coolness of those long nights doth more allay the heat than where the nights are shorter Long intermissions of holy duties are like long nights you may finde them by experience to be great coolers if you live under more powerfull Ordinances than some others yet if they be more frequent and diligent in the use of what they have they are like to have more spiritual warmth than you and that with less allay and intermission Besides when the advantage you have got by one Ordinance is declining and wearing off the use of the same or of some other may revive and recover it if you take it speedily before it be too far gone Further a slieght impression such as is not like to last long may be re inforced for a longer continuance if you lay your selves quickly under the instrument that first made it When Elijah had once tasted of the provision the Lord made for him in the Wilderness he laid him down saith the Text as having enough but the Angel calls him to it again for saith he The journey is too great for thee 1 King 19.6 7. Hereupon he arose once more and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat forty dayes and forty nights vers 8. Once tasting will not serve your turn a little will not be enough so long a journey as yours is will spend much nothing but a frequent an often repeated use of the Ordinances will furnish you with such strength as will last you many dayes 8. Finally Look up to God for the continuance of this influence pray and pray in faith Seek him and depend on him for it He will be found of those that seek him Matth. 7.7 You have his promise for it and dependance on him obliegeth him too the expectation of the poor shall not perish Psal 9.18 it is not for his honour to fail those whom he hath incouraged to rely on him an ingenuous man will not do it much lesse the faithfull God This course David tâ—kes in the Text he prayes and encourageth his faith while he is praying by that interest which the faithfull have in the Lord by virtue of the Covenant O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever yea the Lord himself leads us to this Deut. 5.24 27 29. the people were much affected in that they had heard the Lords voice vers 24. this brought them up to a noble resolution vers 27. Speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto them and we will hear it and do it Hereupon the Lord thus expresseth himself vers 29. O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep my Commandements alwayes c. What greater incouragement can we have to desire this of God than that he expresseth himself desirous we should have it Faith is the main strength of prayer and the great supports of faith are these two that he is able and that he is willing These are to faith like the two pillars of the Temple 1 Kings 7.21 and the names of them there expressed are very apposite He set up the right pillar and called the name thereof Jachin i. e. he will establish he is willing and he set up the last pillar and called the name thereof Boaz i. e. in him is strength he is able Now faith hath both these pillars to support it in this businesse that the Lord is able to continue his influences you will not question I hope He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power which worketh in us Ephes 3.20 and that he is willing he puts it out of question when he useth such an expression as amongst men signifies a passionate desire O that there were such a heart in them c. now saith the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that which one is both able and willing to do shall be done Both reason and faith see ground enough to conclude this Pray then and pray believing for as the Lord is able to do it so it is according to his will and whatsoever you ask according to his will believing it shall be done Matth. 21.22 Thus much for what you are to practice there are some things to be avoided if you
hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving that you may abound in hope So much for the possibility of this assurance Now I come to the second part of the Question to speak to those that know not that they have eternal life and discern not their spiritual condition and those may bee of two sorts 1. Some that for want of diligence in the use of means are uncertain what their condition is 2. Such as have made inquiry and long earnestly to bee resolved in this great Question whether they bee converted changed and shall bee saved or no and yet cannot finde it out I would speak a few things to the first of these because the greatest part know not their condition through their own carelesness and negligence that through the slothfulness of their own hearts on the difficulty of the work or multiplicity of worldly care and business are yet in the dark That examine their shop book oftener more diligently than they do the book of their own hearts that make oftner enquiry whether they grow rich than whether they wax good If I may judge of other mens hearts by mine own in this point and not bee thought to have too hard and uncharitable thoughts of them I would conclude we are all guilty of negligence in this case and therefore walk in the dark and remain in uncertainties about the salvation of our immortal Souls which should bee the first thing wee should make sure of because it is of the greatest and everlasting concernment Ah Christian chide thy own slothful lazy negligent heart shame thy self out of this carelesness what canst thou eat and drink and sleep and trade as quietly as if thou wert past all danger And yet thou dost not know whether thou shalt be damned or saved Awake oh my soul rouse up thy self and look after thine eternal state it is no matter whether thou art rich or poor honourable or contemptible the great question that with the greatest seriousness is to bee resolved is whether thou hast grace or no whether Christ bee thine or no certainly careless persons should bee stirred up to looke after their eternal state and those that are diligent need some considerations to make them more diligent and therefore the Apostle Peter writeth to those that had obtained like precious faith with himself calling upon them urging and exhorting them to make their calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 For this end let mee propound these following Questions to thee that art negligent in this great concernment and as thou readest give thy self a sober serious answer 8. Questions propounded to slothful christians 1. Is it nothing to thee to live in the dayly neglect of a commanded duty is it not the injunction of thy Lord whose servant thou dost profess thy self to bee that thou shouldest give all diligence in this matter and wilt thou not give any at all or not at all proportionable to the waightiness of thy concernment herein might not this raise doubts and jealousies in thy soul that thy condition is not good because thou art not diligent to know and to prove it to bee good especially when thou dost consider that thy Lord commands thy diligence herein Mightest not thou question the sincerity of thy obedience to any of Gods commands for want of the universality of it extending it self to all Gods commands tell mee Christian why hath God given us this charge read 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure is it not the same God that commands thee to Pray that commands thee to make sure of Heaven didst thou never read these words or hast thou read them and thrown them by and thought this counsel is not fit to bee followed nor this command to bee obeyed what canst thou say for thy neglect look a little into the Text what is it that you are commanded to make sure of house or land if it had been so it is like thou wouldest have obeyed but it is something better infinitely better whether thou are effectually called eternally elected and is this to bee done slothfully carelesly or doth not God require thy diligence thy utmost diligence nay all thy diligence nay thy speedy diligence without delay thy painful diligence without indulging thy self in thy sloth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy continual diligence without weariness or till thou hadst got a certainty of thy state and shouldest thou not do this rather than any temporal concernment shouldest not thou make sure of grace rather than of riches of heaven rather than the earth of an interest in God rather than of earthly possessions 2. Is it not a shame that wicked men should daily use more care to make sure of fading vanities Operose nihil oguit than thou dost use to make sure of better more lasting riches what is not the soul better than the body or are things temporal better worth than things eternal how do they cark and care what must we eat what must we drink how shall we be sure of something to keep us when wee are old dost thou do thus for thy soul how shall I get my sins pardoned my nature sanctified and my soul saved how shall I bee sure of an eternal heavenly house above when this mouldring cottage of my body is tumbled down doth it not shame thee to see the diligence of worldly men that if they buy house or land they looke narrowly to the writing and ask advice and counsel whether the title will bee good that hee may bee sure and not defrauded The Old userer will not let forth his monies but hee will have good sufficient security both for principal and interest because hee saith and knows it is good to bee sure nay yet further doth it not shame thee that many men should take more pains for hell than thou dost for heaven and to bee sure of damnation than thou dost to be certain of thy salvation how do they daily drudge in the waies of wickedness committing sin with greediness with both hands heartily with their whole soul as though they should not come to hell sure enough or soon enough while thou art dull flat listless in thy duties to God and not praying heartily as for thy soul do not wicked men take more pains in breaking the sabbath than thou dost in keeping of it and do not they scorn duties more than thou dost prize and practise them But further 3. Dost thou not too much forget thine own Mortality dost thou indeed consider that thou art hasting into an eternal state and must within these few years months yea weeks enter into an unchangeable condition dost thou indeed beleeve Heaven or Hell is before thee that eternal death or eternal life are at the end of this fading short momentany life or dost thou judge it to bee indifferent whether bee the place of thine everlasting abode what is the
already O! but they must still in reference to every change and condition or occasion of life especially in order to this that they may not be troubled in trouble that the storm get not into their hearts to shake and shatter them within they must believe i. e. they must be much in the acting and exerciseing of Faith upon the grounds thereof 't is sad that I shall now say We come to some Christians in their dumps and despondencies shew them the Promise Christ in it the way to it they are so to seek that they scarce know what we mean we are as Barbarians to them they are ready to faint under our hand before we can as it were stanch their bleeding or apply any plaster or cordial or make them understand their way and ground of support and comfort and all this for want of use and exercise of Faith the acting of any faculty where life is not come to the declining state as it never fares with the life of Grace strengtheneth that faculty and that person can readily even in the dark to his rest or cordial where he uses himself to be therefore take a Christian which makes conscience to bear his waight on the ground and object of Faith Christ in the promise of free grace to a sensible lost undone sinner let World and Divel conspire to trouble him and God try him saith he I know not what to do but I 'll try my old way 't is good for me to draw near still I 'll do so still as I use to do Psal 73.25 I 'll cast my self down and away upon free grace in Christ in the promise I 'll lay the waight of my sinking spirit there I 'll renew my hold life expectation there this is my old path I 'll never be turned or beaten out here This Christian in this strength may challenge all the gates of Hell This was Davids course Psal 71.5 Thou art my trust from my youth Es 26.3 c. thence was it that he could say in Psal 56.3 At what time I am afraid I will trust in thee his shield and sword was alwaies in his hand therefore he could make use of it when fear and inward trouble offered themselves affraid alas who is not but what course will you take then even what course you use to take i. e. believe use Faith alwaies and have it now Direct 3 3. In reference to the third and seventh cause of trouble of mind coming in conjunction with trouble in outward things viz. short and dim Evidence give all diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you do so you shall never fall i. e. under the power of sinne and wrath which make up the spiritual burden but so an abundant entrance shall be administred to you into the Kingdom 2 Pet. 1.10 c. i. e. you shall have a safe and secure peaceable quiet comfortable well assured passage through all the straights and storms we can meet withall on this side the Kingdom even death it self rest upon Christ alwaies by Faith of adherence on Gospel terms and you are safe but rest not sit not down with this Faith for 't is not enough to comfort you in an evil day though to support it is O! but I have laboured and waited and yet cannot obtaine But go on and thou canst not misse it for 't is promised Es 32.17.57.19 Rom. 8.16 c. and thou shalt have assurance in thy greatest need better affliction find thee in this work and persuit then put thee upon it as for certain it will to thy cost When affliction comes then first for a man to begin to put the question am I in Christ am I in the state of Grace favour of God c O! thou wilt find it hard to get above thy fears but Psal 46.1 God is a very present help in time of trouble i. e. for assurance in a darksome state when thou canst make no shift without it do thou very much seek God for it in thy freedome and thou shalt be sure of it in thy need he will be very much found Hebr. as before give all diligence to make and thou art sure 4. Add hereunto in order to the promoting of a well-grounded evidence Direct 4 and assurance a prudent observation of and careful attendance to the doubts which arise upon occasion about your condition there is no Christian attains to that degree of assurance but is sometimes troubled with doubts viz. such as these 1. I was never humbled enough my sore was never searched to the bottome can my cure be done with so little paine 2. I never knew the beginning or manner of my conversion can Grace like dew come without noyse in in-sensible degrees Surely I am at best but a resined moralist 3. I can be heartily and excessively afflicted for outward losses c. but sin as sin is not such a burthen to me and the losse of God's favour goes not so near me 4. I can pour out my heart in vain delights but have little livelinesse of affection for Spiritual things 5. I grow heavier and heavier in duties and I think were it not for shame I should be ready to lay them aside and tread them under foot so little joy do I take in them so little good do I get by them and the like Now what dost thou shift off and let passe these and other like doubts without endeavouring by what means thou canst to salve and assoyl them with some resolution and satisfaction this will be of ill consequence I 'l tell thee what will come of it they will return upon thee and be as motes in thy eyes gravel and thorns in thy feet when the hand of God is upon thee where is if they were well weighed there would scarce a scruple be found in them Direct 5 5. To meet with the fourth cause of the disease which is some sin returning c. cast up thy Spiritual Accounts and set them even every day observe thy particular sins offences breaches which we are ever making between God and us humble thy self in a heart-breaking Soul-grieving particular acknowledgment of them and strengthen thy self and set thy self aright by a particular application of Christ in the grace of the promise in reference to these particular offences so acknowledged Sins that through negligence escape thy observation will return to make cracks and flaws in thy Evidence which affliction will find out to thy terrour and disquietment but if thou takest this course the word is for thee i. e. Joh. 1.9 if we confesse and Lev. 26.40 and now if this or that sin return what mayst thou say truth Lord Psal 32.5 I am guilty and my guilt thou doest justly suffer to be awakened in this evil day and hour of temptation but Lord thou knowest this and this sin in paticular hath been my burden under which I have poured out my heart in groans and complaints imploring and