remedy Thus the rich man in the Gospel thought of nothing but taking his ease eating drinking and making merry till his Soul was required and lost and he was made to feel the torment and vengeance of eternal Fire 6. These careless Sinners who will not prove themselves their destruction will be sudden unexpected nay contrary to expectation and so will be the more terrible At present they mind not what they do but God remembers all their wickedness Hos 7. 2. And when he shall call them to an account for all what horrour and confusion will seize upon them They thought the Lord as little regarded their Sins as they did themselves and never expected after reckonings What all their good things shall be taken away which can last but for a short time and eternal evils shall come in their room when they shall find and feel themselves most miserable in the hottest lowest Hell and that'tis utterly impossible that ever their wretched condition should be alter'd Oh then they will curse their folly and madness who before did bless themselves and their foregoing presumption and security will make their pain and anguish and despair to be the more intolerable Vse 3. Of Direction And there are three great things which I shall give you directions concerning First How to prove your selves so as to attain unto an assurance of the love of God Secondly How to prove your selves before you engage in that Ordinance of the Lords Supper Thirdly How to prove and call your selves to an account every day that you may walk with the greater circumspection In the first place I am to direct you how to prove your selves so as to attain unto an assurance of the love of God Before I come to the directions themselves I shall lay down some Arguments to persuade all Saints to labour after this Assurance 't is pitty and Saint should be without it 't is pitty any of Gods Children should be ignorant of that most near and blessed and everlasting Relation in which they stand to him Now to make you prize assurance at an high rate and to give all diligence to get it Consider 1. Assurance of the love of God will inflame your hearts with greater love to him What the Apostle says in remarkable 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us When you know that all your Debts are remitted freely and that very much is forgiven you you cannot chuse but have much love unto him that forgave you Cos amoris amor Love is the whetstone of love Pray therefore for the manifestation of Gods love to you that the light of his countenance may warm your hearts and your Souls may love him with the greater strength and ardency Unbelieving doubts and fears have a natural tendency to chill and damp affection whereas when you know that you are the Children of God you cannot but love him as incomparably the best of all Fathers 2. Assurance of the love of God will fill you with joy and wonder The Apostle tells us that having received the atonement there followed joy in God Rom. 5. 11. And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Well may the assured Believer rejoyce for his name is written in Heaven And there are no Errata in the Book of Life no blots there made no name ever razed out which is down there And how may such an one wonder that the free grace of God should make such a difference between him and others between him and his former self When he was first loved he was worthy to be loathed he was loved freely for he was found lying polluted in his blood 3. Assurance of the love of God will take away the difficulty of Religion When once you know that God is yours Christ yours the Promises yours things present and to come yours you will not think much of any thing you are required to do or part with Apprehension that you are dear Children will make you follow God indeed Eph. 5. 1. and follow hard after him Apprehension that you are pleasant to him will cause you to take the more pleasure in him and in his service An assurance that God is ready to assist you in every piece of work he enjoyns you ready to meet you in his Ordinances and to be found of you when you seek him and that he will not forget your labour of love Heb. 6. 10. This will make you to love your labour for your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. 4. Assurance of the love of God will make earthly things contemptible in your eyes When you know your interest in the Fountain of living Waters how little will you value the broken Cisterns When the Psalmist had been assured that God was his portion for ever things on Earth became undesirable Psal 73. 25 26. The Apostle being persuaded of his title to things invisible and eternal he counts the things that are seen which are temporal not worth a look from him 2 Cor. 4. 18. And David is so far from fancying them that he prays he may never cast an eye or hanker after them any more Psal 119. 37. Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way They that know and believe the love which God hath to them are satisfied that his love hath provided far better things than the World can boast of or the men of the World know of Eye hath not seen Ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. Those believing Souls that were in assured expectation of a better Country than any in this World to wit an Heavenly Country they confessed they were Strangers and Pilgrims upon Earth Heb. 11. 13. Earth and the things of the Earth were very mean and inconsiderable in their eyes 5. Assurance of the love of God will be a mighty antidote and preservative against temptation with what confidence will it make you to look unto your Lord and Father for help against the Tempter and his grace will be sufficient for you 2 Cor. 12. 9. so that you shall be strong enough to resist the Devil and make him flee from you The Assured Believer can more easily silence Satan than others can because he has tasted and seen how good and gracious the Lord is he has experienced that peace in the God of love and peace which the World can neither give nor take away therefore he does the more contemn all the offers which Satan can make to him in the hour of temptation The assured Believer may cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now I have found real contentment now I have tasted true joy Earth cannot yield it Sin is the sure hindrance of it in God alone 't is to be found Temptation upon such an one is likely to have but
they be accomplished 2. Our Faith will be joyned with Godly sorrow and repentance Act. 20. 21. Testifying both to Jews and Greeks Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ The Hypocrites Faith is usually without Repentance he is stranger to godly sorrow and yet he is full of confidence or his repentance is without Faith he lies down like Cain or Judas under the burthen of his guilt and utterly despairs of mercy I grant that weak believers have strong temptations to despair But the God of hope bears up their hearts by an unseen hand so that they neither desperately destroy themselves nor come to this resolution since there is no hope but they must be damn'd they will be damn'd for something and so run out to all excess of riot If our Faith be true Sin will be our grief and detestation and there will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a change in our minds and rendring our hearts unto God 3. If we are in the Faith Christ is no longer a stone of stumbling but exceeding precious in our esteem 1 Pet. 2. 6 7. He is lookt upon as the power of God and the wisdom of God The wisdom of God in contriving such a way of salvation is admired and the power of Christ to save to the uttermost is believed The Apostle counted all things but loss dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord Phil. 3. 8. 'T is impossible a man should be a true Believer and not have an high value for the Lord Jesus His Person is precious He is the Fathers equal his Darling and the Brightness of his Glory He is the Angels wonder and they all are commanded to worship him Heb. 1. 3. 6. He is the Churches Head and supplies the whole Body with his fulness Eph. 1. ult And gave him to be Head over all things to the Church which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all And as the Person of Christ so the Blood of Christ is said to be precious 1 Pet. 1. 19. Ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot His benefits are precious True Faith counts Him altogether lovely and hinders any offence from being taken at him Matth. 11. 6. 4. Our Faith will purifie our hearts Act. 15. 9. And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith Faith is persuaded of the holiness of God and that he searches the heart and trieth and weigheth the spirits of the children of men 't is also persuaded that only the pare in heart shall see God or are fit to see him Mat. 5. 8. No wonder therefore if the consequent of Faith be a following after holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Faith moreover takes notice of the End of Christs dying which was that he might sanctifie and cleanse his Church and present it unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 26 27. and hence we have a plae for holiness which is very effectual to obtain it Finally Faith applies the promises of sanctification the promises of a new heart and of a new spirit Ezek. 36. 25 26. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And by such promises as these Believers who account them exceeding great and precious are made partakers of the Divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the World through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. 5. If we are in the Faith our faith will work and work by love Ephes 5. 6. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love The Apostle tells us that faith without works is dead as the body is dead without the spirit Jam. 2. ult Faith derives strength from Christ whereby we yield obedience to the will of God as well as relies upon his justifying righteousness But all works will not prove the truth of faith but such works as proceed from love We must pray because we love God we must hear because we love him we must live to him because we love him There is a threefold love to God of Desire of Benevolence and Complacency now though all that have true faith may not arrive so high as to delight in God yet all true believers do desire after God above all and they bear such good will to him as to wish him glorified more by themselves and others and this shews the sincerity of their love 6. Our Faith will be weary of its contrary and we shall cry with earnestness that the Lord would help our unbelief The man in the Gospel was very much troubled at his infidelity and therefore cried out with tears to Christ Lord I believe i. e. I believe in part and desire to believe more strongly help thou my unbelief Mat. 9. 24. Unbelieving injections against God against Christ against the Spirit of grace against the Word of truth are felt as so many buffets and blows upon an heart that truly believes The believer desires to have his Assent to the Word of God more strong that it may have the stronger influence and that his affections and actions may be such as may suit his believing every syllable of the Bible to be true He desires his reliance upon God upon Christ and upon the promises may be more firm and steady And oh what a value does he put a well-grounded assurance of the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8. ult 7. If we are in the Faith our faith will give us victory over this present world 1 Joh. 5. 4. 5. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even your faith The believer is so wise as nihil admirari to admire nothing in this world Our Lord Jesus himself had but little of this world and cared not for it when Satan offered him all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them he despised the offer The Apostles were poor in the world and yet the special favourites of heaven certainly the world is not a matter of extraordinary value Most Saints have had but little of it and those who have had much of it have lived above it Moses by Faith despised the pleasures of sin and the treasures of Aegypt and prefer'd even reproaches for Christ and afflictions with the people of God before them Though David was a King and wore a Crown of pure gold on his head yet his faith made him look upon himself as a
and Gold that ever was created is but dross in comparison of these riches To go to Ordinances and from them as the Door turns upon the Hinges and to remain just as we were will turn to no account nay to an ill account We are not to rest therefore in opere operato the work done but examine what light what heat what strength what grace what peace we gain by attending upon God or else we may live and dye like lukewarm and mistaken Laodicea who said she was rich and increased with Goods and had need of nothing and knew not that she was wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. 7. 'T is not amiss if there be some Self-proving every day that keeping of the heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. implies a daily watching and calling it to an account and that pondering the path of our feet required vers 26. implies both wariness before and a tracing our Steps afterwards to see whether they have been right or wrong step towards God or from him Pythagoras an Heathen advises every night to ask our selves such Questions as these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where have I sinn'd What have I done What duty have I let alone Thus bad and good deeds every night Will be thy chiding or delight In the seventh place I come to the Arguments persuading all to this examination and proving of themselves 1. Satan is very subtle he does endeavour to conceal and hide both Sin and Grace Sin in the wicked that they may not perceive the evil nature and tendency of it till it has actually and utterly ruin'd them and Grace in them that do believe that their hearts may be tormented with doubts and fears and straitned in thanksgiving unto God Satan is a lying Spirit and upholds his Kingdom by deceit and falshood His work is to fill Gods Children with false fears and his own with false hopes and he has many wiles and stratagems to do both 'T is good therefore to be aware of him and to be the stricter in searching of our selves that he may not impose upon us nor make us call evil good and good evil Let us take great heed for Satan is the Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12. 10. and will accuse them to themselves as well as accuse them before God he will transform a true Saint and make him look in his own apprehension like a meer reprobate And as he is the Accuser of the Brethren so he is the Excuser of the wicked and makes them say they shall have peace till the anger of the Lord and his jealousie smokes against them and eternal Vengeance overtakes them 2. The heart is deceitful above all things Jer. 17. 9. as it is unknown to others so it hides it self from the view of the man himself Need there is then of Self-examination The heart of man will represent Sin as profitable as pleasant as creditable and in fashion and that there is no such danger in the commission of it but that 't is time enough hereafter and easie enough to repent and obtain a pardon The heart will extenuate sin after 't is done and take notice of the mercy of the Lord but shut its eyes against his justice and holiness 't will call any thing almost by the name of saving-grace and from very weak and insufficient premisses conclude the State is safe Such cheats therefore must be more narrowly eyed and we must bring them to the Heart-searcher that they may be discovered 3. There is no Grace but has its counterfeit When abundance of Brass and bad Money is abroad there is the greater care to try before we take There is a world of counterfeit Grace at this day Many take themselves to be something when they are nothing and so deceive themselves every one therefore should prove his own work that he may have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Gal. 6. 3. 4. that is that he may have not only the good word of others but the joyful approbation of his own Conscience that his work is good and wrought in God There is a precious faith that ends in the salvation of the Soul and there is a counterfeit faith that dures only for a while and in time of temptation fails There is a saving knowledge which is life eternal and there is a notional knowledge which only puffs up him that has it and makes sorrow and stripes at last to be the more There is a sincere love to Christ that has a vehement flame which many Waters cannot quench which no Floods can drown and there is a love which is only a painted Fire a love in word and shew and not in heart and deed and truth There is a Zeal which God is mightily pleased with as that Zeal in Phineas and there is a Zeal not according to knowledge There is a true Humility which makes us like to Christ and gives the Soul rest and there is a shew of Wisdom and Humility to be found even in the Synagogues of Satan and Antichrist All grace therefore whether in pretence or true must be tried by the Word which if rightly applied is infallible in its decision 4. Many do actually go out of the World mistaken in themselves surely then we should be serious in Self-trial The foolish Virgins because their Lamps were burning and neatly trimm'd that is they profess'd and talkt high and made a glistering shew came with full expectation of admission into the Kingdom Therefore with confidence they knock and with confidence they speak Lord Lord open unto us Mat. 25. 11. But the answer is I know you not The Door contrary to their expectation is shut for ever against them and they are sentenc'd to burn too in Hell though their Lamps on Earth did burn and blaze in a glorious profession of Religion Some are brought in pleading with the Lord Jesus when He says He knew them not We have eat and drank in thy presence and thou hast taught in our Streets Luk. 13. 26. As if they should say Lord 't is very strange thou shouldst not know us None more flocked after thee than we did none were more forward to hear thy Word we were Guests at thy Table many a time and yet dost thou not know us Hear their pleas see their confidence of being let in and yet behold them thrust out unto Eternity 5. Hypocrites may go very far and yet remain but Hypocrites and miscarry Therefore we should examine and see that we go farther An Hypocrite may have a name that he is alive he may bend his Knee and lift up his Eye and speak as it were with the tongue of an Angel he may pray and prophesie so as to gain mans approbation but yet that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. How far did the Apostle Paul go before his Conversion
in the weighty concerns of another World Any thing satisfies him and makes him securely to say all is well If Satan tell him as he did our first Parents that he shall not surely dye Satan is believed the God of Truth and the Word of Truth being disregarded How many when they hear the Words Curse do bless themselves in their hearts and say they shall have peace though they walk on after the imagination of their evil heart therefore the Lord threatens that his anger and jealousie shall smoke against such and he will blot out their names from under Heaven Deut. 29. 19 20. Are they reproved for Sin They say All are Sinners whereas Penitents forsake presumptuous Sins and are willing to forsake all but these Self-deluders are hardly willing to forsake any They bear up upon this that God is merciful and yet they slight and abuse his mercy preferring their vanities and lusts before it and go on to injure his Justice and provoke him to Jealousie They are full of hope because Christ died and yet they thwart one great end of his Death and will not be the better for it for they refuse to dye to Sin and live to Righteousness 3. If it highly concerns all to prove themselves hence we may infer what an advantage it is to enjoy the light of the Word of God This is a Glass that flatters none It discovers what Sin is and where it is It calls Grace Grace and will speak peace to them that are the Sons of peace but on the contrary it will tell the Sinner though he be never so high in the World never so high in his vain hopes Thou art the man that lovest and livest in thy iniquity therefore thou art under wrath a Son of Death and in danger of eternal damnation This word convinces of Sin shews the necessity of turning unto God and is a great means of Conversion and afterwards by discovering of Grace it proves the joy and rejoycing of the heart The Unbelievers and Ungodly need this Word and ought to prize it for it shews them their guilt and a Mediatour their sore and also a Physician and faith is wrought by the hearing of it Rom. 10. 17. The Saints have loved this Word exceedingly Hark how the Psalmist cries out Psal 89. 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance 4. Hence we may also infer the benefit of a searching Ministery Seers that will see vain visions are not worth hearing and Prophets that prophesy only smooth things had better prophesy nothing at all for they prophesy nothing but deceit Such Prophets are guilty of the blood of Souls and utterly ruine them while they heal them slightly crying peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 6. 14. Such Pastors destroy the Lords Vineyard such Dawbers are not Builders of the House of God How sad is it when the blind lead the blind both they that are led and they that are the leaders fall into the bottomless pit of perdition But a plain dealing Minister that rebukes Sin sharply that gives warning in time to flee from eternal wrath that commends himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God that speaks as if he knew mens hearts and discovers their secret thoughts to them that is a Son of thunder to the wicked and a Son of consolation to the broken hearted and has the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to the weary and heavy laden Such a Shepherd is a great blessing to the Flock ought highly to be esteemed in love for his work sake and may be an happy instrument to save himself and them that hear him 5. Hence we may further infer the great necessity of the Spirits aid Unless he enlighten the eyes of our understandings we shall pass a wrong judgment upon our selves and every thing else also A subtle Serpent and a deceitful heart will be too hard for the most powerful Preacher breathing if the Spirit of the Lord does not second and set home the word preached The Spirit as I said before takes the Glass of the Law and holds it before the Sinner that he may see therein both his heart and life and then and truely not till then he will cry out Alass alass What have I been What have I done Where am I And whither will my Sins at last bring me The Spirit can charge Sin so home that there is no denial no excuse made The Sinner trembles confesses laments begs pardon consents to forsake his wickedness Thus Ephraim after he was instructed is ashamed and confounded because of his abominations The Publican being made sensible he was a Sinner cries out God be merciful And as the Spirit convinces the Sinner so he discovers to the Saint what God has given him not only the things themselves which are great and glorious but also the Saints interest in those things 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received not the Spirit of this World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know those things which are freely given to us of God 6. If it highly concerns all to prove themselves learn hence the hatred and subtlety of Satan in Staving men off from this duty All his subjects are a company of inconsiderate fools if they would but bethink themselves they would become wiser than to serve such a Master This Enemy cannot endure that wicked men should look downward to Hell for fear they should be awakened and affrighted nor that they should look inward into themselves for fear they should see themselves lost and look out for a Saviour nor that they should look upwards unto God for fear they should be converted and healed The Devil hates Souls therefore is unwilling that any care should be taken about them he cannot abide that any should inquire into their Spiritual state therefore he endeavours to divert them he allures some with wealth bewitches others with pleasures intoxicates others with applause and honour he represents Self-examination to be Self-tormenting and holiness a meer Hell upon Earth But in all this he shews his falshood as well as enmity What madness is it to listen to him as a Leader and Counseller who is both a Liar and a Murtherer 7. Hence we may learn the great Error of the Church of Rome in crying down Assurance and consequently discouraging Self-examination The Council of Trent Sess 6. has impiously determin'd and declared Certitudo remissionis peccatorum est vana omni pietate remota fiducia The Saints assurance of the pardon of Sin is a vain and ungodly confidence How have they here blasphemed against the Comforter in making all his joys and consolations which suppose Sin to be pardon'd altogether vain The Scripture speaks after another manner Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father 1 Joh. 4. 16.
We have known and believed the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life And v. 19. Hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our hearts before him This assurance was not the effect of a particular and extraordinary revelation peculiar to that first age of Christianity but was the result of those charcters of Grace which are to be found even in the Saints now as well as then The consolations of the Spirit were not confin'd to the Primitive times but as a Comforter he is to abide with the Church for ever Joh. 14. 16. And indeed those who walk in the fear of God may expect the comforts of the Holy Ghost without any presumption The Apostle bids us to draw nigh with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. And 2 Pet. 2. 10. We are commanded to give diligence to make our calling and election sure What impiety is it then to say that Assurance is an impious confidence What is it that the Church of Rome does not strike at She strikes at our Liberties at our Lives would clasp the Book of the Gospel and lock it up in an unknown Tongue She would baffle our very senses and lord it over our Consciences and exercise dominion over our Faith and rob us of our peace and comfort and joy in Gods Salvation Vse 2. It may serve for a great and just lamentation that this duty of Self-proving is so exceedingly neglected by the generality even of those unto whom the Gospel is preached Multitudes are as unconcerned what is likely to become of them in another World as if there were not a pin to chuse between Heaven and Hell as if eternal Life did not deserve to be desired and eternal Death were not worthy of their fear Men are willing to know whether they thrive in the World there is anxious enquiring what the Parliament does and what the times are likely to prove whether peaceable and prosperous or full of tumult and confusion But alass alass 't is no part of the enquiry of the most among us What Eternity is likely to prove to them whether an Eternity of horror and woe or an Eternity of joy and blessedness A great number live in the prophane and total neglect of God and godliness and will not give the Gospel so much as the hearing but truely there are also many who will pray attend upon the Word preached and profess high and talk religiously who never talk with themselves nor call their hearts to task nor speak such language as this to themselves O animula vagula blandula Quae nunc abibis in loca O my Soul in what state art thou And where art thou likely to be lodg'd when once thou hast left this earthly Tabernacle The consequences of this neglect of Self-examination are fatal and truely lamentable 1. These careless Sinners that prove not themselves know not themselves they know neither their Sore not the way of Cure their Sins are hid from them and so they must needs be strangers to Repentance and godly Sorrow they remember not their own wickedness so as to mourn and condemn themselves therefore God will remember it so to condemn and punish them He that is ignorant of himself must needs remain impenitent and hard-hearted and such do treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. 2. The not proving themselves is the ground of Sinners presumptuous confidence False hope cannot bear a serious Trial but they that try not themselves are full of such hopes and such hopes the stronger they are the more destructive The hope of them that are Hypocrites and forget God is compared to a Spiders Web 't is spun out of themselves but 't is easily cut off and they and their Hope shall perish together Job 8. 13 14. They that prove not themselves in how certain danger are they of building their house upon the sand And when the Rain descends and the floods come and beat upon their house 't will fall and great will be the fall of it Mat. 7. 27. 3. They that prove not themselves hide their faces and esteem not the Lord of Life and Glory they feel not their sickness they sancy they are whole and value not Physician they are more afraid to be cured of their Disease than to die of it They have no hunger and so they slight the bread of life they never were weary and heavy laden and so they mind not him that alone can give them rest they never were thirsty in a Spiritual sence so the invitation is not hearkned to to come and drink of the Water of Life freely for want of proving themselves they know not in what a most wretched and lost condition they are no wonder then if they neglect great Salvation and how shall such escape Heb. 2. 3. When the Apostle says How shall we escape He does not say what to intimate that the punishment which will follow upon neglecting the great Salvation whereof Christ is the Author is much sorer than tongue can utter or heart is able to conceive or reach 4. They that prove not themselves know not what they are doing they are breaking a Law most worthy to be kept with as great chariness as the Apple of our Eyes they are engaged in the service of Sin whose wages is Death and Hell they are the Devils Vassals who hates and strives to ruine those who serve him with the greatest labour they are provoking the Lord more and more to anger and provoking themselves to the confusion of their own faces 'T is very bad and sad work they are employed about and because they neither prove their work nor themselves they do not in a penitential way cry out What have we done But what they have done they will do still whatever comes on 't therefore the Lord complains Jer. 8. 6. I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying What have I done Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel 5. They that prove not themselves know not whither they are going these careless Sinners consider not that their most pleasant Sins will be as bitter and as deadly as the very gall of Asps at last that of Solomon is verified in them Prov. 14. 12. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death The end of that broad way our Lord speaks of his hid from the multitude which go in it They are blind and do not see afar off nay though Death is near at hand and Hell follows immediately upon Death yet they do not see it Woe unto them they fly from God and they run post haste towards ruine and do not understand what dreadful and everlasting destruction they are near till they have actually and utterly destroyed themselves and that beyond
to Catechize himself about There must be Light in the Head that is of absolute necessity though it be not sufficient for there must be also Grace in the Heart to qualifie a man for the Lords Supper 2. The Communicant should further examine and ask himself this question Do I apprehend the danger of unworthy Receiving Is not the guilt of Blood heavy And what is it then to be guilty of the Blood of God But if I Eat and Drink unworthily I am guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. What a fearful thing is it to Crucifie the Son of God afresh To trample him under Foot and to esteem his Blood a common and an unholy thing My Heart rises against the Jews because they Mocked Scourged Buffeted Crucified the Lord of Life and Glory but this they did in his Humiliation here upon Earth And shall I dare to put an affront upon him now he is at the right Hand of the Almighty Majesty on High If I Eat and Drink unworthily I pull the Blood of Christ upon my Head instead of having my sin pardoned and my Heart cleansed and sanctified by it and I Eat and Drink my own damnation 3. Another question the Communicant should propound to himself is this Have I a right conception of Gospel Worthiness The Worthiness spoken of in the Gospel does not imply any Merit or Desert for Christ the Son is given out of the Transcendent Love of God and with him freely all things Rom. 8. 32. The Patriarch Jacob Acknowledged he could not lay claim to the least of all Mercies as a due debt Our daily Bread is a Gift and how much more the Bread of Life Worthiness therefore is as much as being disposed and made meet to Receive what the Lord in the Supper is willing to bestow When we are sensible of our own unworthiness and guilt and vileness then we are made meet to be accepted looking unto the Beloved and to be Justified by his Meritorious Righteousness When we are sensible how weak and empty and distempered our Hearts are then we are Worthy that is to say made meet to be strengthened and filled and healed by the great Physitian of Souls in whom it hath pleased the Father all fulness should dwell 4. The Communicant should ask himself Do I look upon admission to the Table of the Lord as a mighty priviledge He was no less then a King of Israel who thought it a great favour to be a doorkeeper in the House of God and what is it then to be a welcom guest at his Table What is it to be brought into his Banquetting House where the Banner over his People is love Cant. 2. 4. Our Lord in this Ordinance deals forth Light and Grace and Comfort bountifully Here Tears have been dried up fainting Souls have been revived and Faith ready to fail hath been strengthned and languishing Hope hath been made lively The Blood of Jesus Christ being applied has proved a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 medicine for every malady and hath sent away the sin distressed Soul both clean and calm both pure and also peaceable Is it not a mighty advantage and an Heart effecting and endearing sight to see the Blood and the Love of Christ streaming forth together Here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love that passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 19. Oh with what confidence may humble and hungry souls go to this Jesus who is so full of Love and so full of all besides which they Hunger after he would have none to content themselves with a little but his language is Eat O Friends Drink yea Drink abundantly O Beloved Cant. 5. 1. 5. The Communicant should ask himself Do I know what it is to discern the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11. 29. My bodily Eye beholds the Sacramental Bread and Wine but have I an Eye to behold something further and better If the Israelites in the Wilderness did behold an Healer and a Saviour when Moses lifted up the Brazen Serpent if the Beleivers under the Old Testament did see a Messiah in the legal sacrifices though as yet he was not manifested in the Flesh surely since the Son of God is come and has been actually offered up to bear the sins of many shall I not behold this Jesus in the Bread and Wine broken and poured out where he is so evidently set forth as Crucified What is it to discern the Lords Body Verily 't is to look beyond the outward Elements to the Body and Blood of Christ which thereby are represented and to relye upon that very Jesus who was Crucified without the Gates at Jerusalem for the Pardon and Mortification of our iniquities in particular and that our wants of Grace and Strength and Comfort may be supplyed out of his superabundant fulness Moreover the Beleiver should grow confident and be perswaded that as really as the Bread and Wine are given him so really Christ bestowes himself and his benefits upon him in this Blessed Ordinance Hark to the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 16 The cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we brake is it not the communion of the Body of Christ The Communicant should ask himself Do I see my self lost in my self and do I perceive 't is in vain to hope for Redemption any other way but by the Lord Jesus The Apostle has a notable expression when he speaks of being shut up unto Faith Gal. 3. 23. Intimating that all other doors are shut against the Sinner only the door of Faith in Jesus Christ is open We cannot reasonably hope for the Forgiveness of sin or Justification before God any other way but by him who is sufficient to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole World There were multitudes of sacrifices under the old Law which were appointed by the Lord him self and yet the sins of the Sacrificers could be done away by none of them The Apostle tells us plainly that 't is impossible the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away sin Heb. 10. 4. And if the sacrifices that were of Divine institution could not do it surely those of humane invention could do it lesse though never so costly though we should give our first Born for our Transgression the Fruit of our Body for the sin of our Soul Mic. 6. 7. No active Obedience that we can yeild can justifie us before God for the Apostle peremptorily asserts that there is no Law given which can give Life unto him that obeys it Gal. 3. 21. Nay further our greatest sufferings for Righteousness sake are insufficient to be our justifying Righteousness Therefore those who come out of great Tribulation are said to have washed their Robes not in their own Blood though that was spilt for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ but in the Blood of the Lamb Rev. 7. 14. 7. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Am I perswaded
premised 1. The Children of men do owe obedience unto God as their rightful Lord and Governour and consequently it concerns them to examine whether the Lord has been obeyed or other Lords have had and still have the dominion over them Man did not make himself neither is he able to perserve himself and he is farthest off from being able to redeem and save himself therefore man is not his own 't is impious in him to speak that language Psal 12. 4. Who is Lord over me But that God who gave him his being who holds his soul in life and alone can redeem and save his soul from wrath does justly lay claim to him as his subject and require obedience from him 2. The Sons of men are under a law which they are obliged to keep as a rule of righteousness God himself has given them a law which is holy just and good they are therefore to examine what respect they have had to this law Whether it has been kept as it ought like the apple of the eye Or whether it has been hated and broken and cast behind the back For sincere obedience and life and death and disobedience are joyned together Deut. 30. 19 20. 3. We are all of us not only under a law but under the eye of our Lord and Law-giver continually He compasses our path and our lying down and is acquainted with all our ways Psal 139. 3. And shall we be ignorant of our own ways His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men Psal 11. 4. When we would look more intently our eye-lids are more contracted Gods eye-lids are mentioned to signifie how intently he eyes when he tries the Children of men and shall not they prove and try themselves 4. Naturally we are prone to nothing but what is contrary to that Law and Rule we should walk by The Apostle sticks not to say that the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can it be Rom. 8. 7. And as the heart of man is desperately wicked so 't is deceitful above all things and it manifests its deceitfulness in concealing and hiding that it may hold fast its wickedness Those that have such hearts how jealous should they be of them How careful to prove and to pry into them And suppose there be a new nature given yet upon proof 't will be found that there is too too much of the old remaining 5. We are endued with a power of self-reflection and may take notice both of our hearts actions There is a law written in our hearts by nature which does in part discover what we should do and be but the Word of God much more fully informs us of our duty We may erect a Bar or Tribunal in our own souls and call our selves before it Conscience can first be Witness and afterwards a Judge And truly a right judging of our selves is one way to escape being condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 31. 6. All must be Summoned to give an account of themselves unto God at last Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us must give accout of himself unto God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether it be good or evil Should we not then try and prove our selves before hand repent of our evil deeds believe in the Mediator and throughly amend our doings that we may be found of our Lord and Judge in peace These propositions premised I shall open the nature of this duty of self-proving 1. Self-proving implies a serious Inquisition and Search into our selves Psal 77. 6. I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search And truly a diligent search is but needful for as Augustine observes Grande profundum est homo Man is a great deep and therefore 't is difficult for a man to sound himself and to come to the bottom of his own heart Job speaks of the secrets of nature and says there is a path which no fowl knoweth and which the Vultures eye though it be so piercing hath not seen Job 28. 7. But the secrets of the heart are more abstruse and hard to be found out The Heathen Poet advised Tecum habita Dwell with thy self our thoughts should dwell much upon our selves that we may find out the utmost of our selves Our whole man is to fall under our inspection our ways our words our senses our souls are all to be lookt over 2. Self-proving implies a fear of self-deceit The Apostle cautions against being deceived by man Eph. 5. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words against being beguiled by Satan 2 Cor. 11. 3. But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ He cautions also against self-deceit 1 Cor. 3. 18. Let no man deceive himself He that is not jealous over himself will easily mistake and may go out of the World mistaken and after death the mistake will be impossible to be corrected we must therefore take heed to our selves that our spirits deal not treacherously 3. Self proving implies using the Light of the Word of God This Word is quick and powerful and as the Anatomists Knife dissects all the parts of the Body and lays even the inmost of them open unto view so the Word like a sharp and two edged Sword does pierce through all and divides between Soul and Spirit i. e. between Nature and Grace for the natural man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the meaning may be that the Word discovers not only the corruption in the Affections and the inferior faculties of the Soul but also that depravation and sin which is in the faculties which are Superior and discerns what the intents and thoughts and reasonings of the heart are Heb. 4. 12. Unless we make use of the light of the Word we shall be lost in the dark while searching our selves The Word makes manifest the very secrets of the heart and hereby 't is plain that God who searches the heart is the Author of this Word and does accompany it 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. We find an Hearer convinced of all and judged of all the secrets of his heart are made manifest and worshipping God he acknowledges God is in the Preachers of a Truth 4. Self-proving implies comparing our selves with that Rule whereunto we ought to be conformed The Commands of God lay an obligation upon the whole man We are required to cleanse our hands and purifie our hearts Jam. 4. 8. We must be holy in all manner of Conversation and our affections must be set on things above not on Earthly things our Minds also and Consciences must be purged from their defilements Now a comparison is to be made between what we should be and what we are This bringing our selves to the right
Rule will discover our obliquities and cause us the better to understand our selves The Apostle in another case condemns the folly of them Who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves Let us remember Vivendum est regulis we must walk by Rule and that is the Word and by the Word we must at last be judged therefore 't is our wisdom to see whether heart and life are agreeable to it 5. Self-proving implies Self-accusing and self-condemning for what is evil Upon examination having found out our iniquities we must hold up our guilty hands at Gods Bar and acknowledge all we know all that Satan can justly lay to our charge Nay all that is down in the Book of Gods own remembrance Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my iniquity and my sin is ever before me And as upon the discovery of sin we are to be our own Accusers so also to judge and condemn our selves We must readily justifie the Lord in the greatest severities at present nay we must acquit him upon supposition of eternal severity if he should make us to feel his wrath and greatest indignation for ever 6. Self-proving implies approving and taking comfort in that grace and goodness that has been wrought in us by the Spirit As we are to be strict in the search after sin so grace is in no wise to be overlookt The least degree of true grace is great matter of praise nay will occasion eternal thanksgiving God does not despise the day of small things neither should we but must own the good things though but some good things which are in us in Christ Jesus Philem. 6. Breathings after God prizing of Christ weariness of sin and longing to be holy must in no wise be unobserved in this work of Self-examination 7. Self-proving will never be to any purpose unless there be a crying unto the Lord himself to search us that we may not pass a wrong judgment upon our selves What depth is there that He cannot fathom What can be concealed from him who knows all things Jer. 17. 10. I the Lord search the heart though 't is deceitful above all things it cannot deceive me I try the Reins David therefore prays Examine me O Lord and prove me try my Reins and my Heart Psal 26. 2. and Psal 139. 23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way ever lasting In the second place I am to shew what of our selves is to be proved 1. We are to examine and prove what is our common and allowed practice A Sanguine man is not denominated Pale as Aristotle observes when he is Pale through fear nor a Pale man Sanguine when he blushes through shame A good man may sometimes fall into that which is evil and a bad man may sometimes hit upon an action that is good The Tree is to be judged by the ordinary Fruit it bears The Apostle speaks of his manner of life that it was godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 10 12. But if it be our manner to be workers of iniquity our doom will be at last to be excluded the Kingdom Luk. 13. 26 27. 2. We are to examine what course we are resolved still to take If the wicked man will forsake his way and turn to God mercy is promised and abundant pardon Esa 55. 7. If the prodigal come home to his Fathers House he shall be received with joy his former riot being forgotten and forgiven so that the door of hope is open even to the ungodly man if he will but deny his ungodliness But if the enemies of God will not lay down their Weapons but refuse and rebel still this argues the state to be bad and destruction to be near the Lord may quickly come to a resolution to ease himself of such Adversaries Esa 1. 24. 3. We must examine what company is most acceptable to us If we we love the ungodly who hate the Lord if the wickedness of others whereby God is dishonoured is not the matter of our dislike as long as they thwart not but promote our secular and carnal interest if we like the company of Fools and Sinners are the worst Fools well enough 't is a sign we are Fools our selves Fools indeed who venture to be destroyed and to go to Hell for company Prov. 13. 20. But if the Saints are lookt upon as the most excellent ones and delighted in as the best Society Psal 16. 3. if we love them that are born of God it shews that we our selves are born of him 4. We must examine of what nature our Communication is The Tongue is the index of the heart and shews what is in it As evil Communications corrupt good manners so they are a sign of a corrupt heart from whence they proceed A Tongue that is not bridled but rails lies backbites and is obscene impious and prophane is an argument that Religion is but vain Jam. 1. 26. But when the Tongue not out of any carnal design but delightfully talks of the Word of God when we sit in the house when we walk by the way when we lie down and when we rise up 't is a sign the Word is in the Heart and that the Heart is renewed and changed by the Word Deut. 4. 6 7. 5. We must examine what thoughts as welcome guests are suffered to lodge within us 'T is said of wicked men that God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4. but wicked and vain thoughts are delightful and abide in them Proud revengeful covetous filthy and all sinful thoughts are vain thoughts because they are to no good end or purpose nay to very bad purpose Now if such thoughts as these lodge in the heart the heart is not washed from its wickedness and they will hinder salvation Jer. 4. 14. But if holy thoughts are cherished and there is a complacency in them more of them are desired and sinful thoughts are a burthen which the heart is weary of and does conflict with and wishes their expulsion This does speak a gracious frame of spirit 6. We must examine what power we have of Spiritual discerning The Gospel is hid from the natural man which proves him in a lost state 2 Cor. 4. 3. The things of the spirit of God are foolishness to him and he counts it the greatest wisdom to secure things visible That Rich man Luk. 12. thought he had been mighty provident and prudent in laying up goods for many years But if we are Saints indeed we have a faculty of Spiritual discerning and judge quite otherwise and our judgment is this and that judgment is true namely That all are fools and poor and miserable that are not rich in Grace rich towards God and that have made no provision for Eternity God called the forementioned Rich man a Fool upon this score And as the Lord calls the worldly-minded Fools
stranger upon the earth Psal 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were 8. If we are indeed in the Faith our faith will make the next world evident and desirable 'T wil prove the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the good and true Spy which searches the heavenly Country which is promised and brings back word That that Celestial Canaan is very glorious that an innumerable company of Angels are there and the Spirits of just men and all made perfect that God the Judge of all is there seen face to face and there is Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant crown'd with and in his Fathers throne that there is no need of the Sun or of the Moon to shine for the glory of God doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. finally that sin and sorrow are eternal strangers but there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore And Faith giving such a report of the world to come no wonder that 't is judged worth seeking and that with an holy violence Mat. 11. 12. The Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force 2. We are to prove our selves whether Christ be in us yea or no Christ and Satan divide the world all that have not Christ in them Satan has possession of he is the Spirit that works in the children of disobedience Now whether Christ be really in us may be thus proved and discerned 1. If Christ be in us he has entred by the door of the understanding we cannot be totally ignorant of him True Faith cannot be without knowledge Rom. 10. 14. How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard We must know who and what he was that undertook the work of our redemption how else can we rely upon him He is near a kin to us as Man and is a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. and surely he was able to finish that work which he undertook for he is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9. 5. We must also know the benefits of Christ that we may know what to rely upon him for now these benefits are most necessary suitable and excellent as pardon of Sin adoption to be the Sons of God sanctifying grace and endless glory Nay Christ is all in all and Christ being given nothing will be denied Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 2. If Christ be in us our very hearts have been opened to receive him When Christ has knockt at the door we have given him admission it has been our souls language Come in thou blessed Lord wherefore standest thou without And this receiving of Christ is indeed believing in him Joh. 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name The heart has been convinced that 't is most highly rational to give entertainment to this Lord of life and glory He uses the strongest arguments for admission makes the greatest offers delivers all out of the depths of misery and advances them to be Saints Sons Priests Kings who shall Reign most gloriously and happily to Eternity that do indeed embrace him 3. â—f Christ be in us the dominion of Sin and our Idols have been thrown down When Darius the Persian Emperour offered half his Empire to the Conquering Alexander Alexander gave this Answer That in the Firmament there was but one Sun and there must be but one Emperor in Persia and therefore continued his Wars till Darius had lost both Life and Kingdom In like manner there cannot be two Rulers in one heart If Christ be there no iniquity has the dominion any longer Where Christ is he works a change so that persons are no longer foolish disobedient and deceived they no longer serve divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3. 3. And whatsoever has been idolized be it profit pleasure applause now 't is disesteemed that Christ alone may be exalted 4. If Christ be in us we approve and value his Kingdom as well as his Priesthood We shall like and love the Lord. Jesus as a Prince upon the Throne consenting that that Throne should be our hearts as well as a Priest upon the Cross and shall be very desirous to be more fully subdued to him His Yoak is judged easie and his burthen light Mat. 11. ult Christ is really no hard Master though the World think him to be so They that are in Christ and experience what kind of Ruler he is and that he rules by a Law of Faith and Love and Liberty are very glad of his Kingly Office It was matter of praise and thanksgiving to the Apostle that he and other Believers had been made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and also that God had delivered them from the power of darkness and had translated them into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1. 12 13. 5. If Christ be in us his Word is entertain'd and abides in us also We cannot slight that Word which discovers Christ and was the great means to bring us to Him Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly says the Apostle Col. 3. 16. And hearken what Christ himself speaks Joh. 15. 7. If ye abide in me and my Words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done to you Oh with what gladness do Believers give entertainment to the Word since they may have what they will if the Word abide in them and this Word will rectifie their judgments and regulate their wills so that they shall will nothing but what is truely for their good and what is really for their good shall most readily be granted Now Christ and his Word abide together But Christ is rejected if his Word be not received Joh. 12. 48. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my Word hath one that judgeth him the Word that I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day 6. If Christ be in us we have the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. The Apostle does so plainly intimate this truth that he asserts the want of Christs Spirit undoubtedly shews there is no interest in him If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his As all the Members of the Natural Body are animated and acted by the same Soul which in a special manner shews it self in the Head so the same Spirit which is without measure in Christ the Head does animate and act all the true Members of his Body mystical Now where the Spirit of Christ is he enlightens the mind opens the eyes of the understanding he makes a
believe a lye This the Apostle tells us will end in damnation 2 Thes 2. 11 12. I grant that true Saints may fall into Error but the Elect of God shall not finally be deceived in those doctrines which are fundamental and of absolute necessity to be believed in order to Salvation True Saints do still hold the Head and build upon the Rock Christ though some of their building may be wood and hay and stubble Those therefore who deny the Lord that bought them and make light of the blood of Jesus the price of the Churches redemption are none of the Sheep of Christ and will bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. 9. They never were but in a state of Nature who are total and final Apostates Such are compared to the stony ground and in time of temptation falling away Christ says they had not root in themselves Mat. 13. 21. so 1. Joh. 2. 19. If they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest they were not all of us The utter Apostate shall be fill'd with his own ways and ripen himself apace for ruine Gods Soul shall have no pleasure in him his drawing back will be to perdition Heb. 10. 38 39. and his last state worse than his beginning Thus the Word describes a State of Nature 2. In the second place I am to describe out of the same Word of God and give the signs of a State of Grace and to shew you what are those things which accompany Salvation Now the Scripture pronounces them in a safe and good estate 1. Who come to the light and are willing to be searched True Gold does not fear the Touchstone and true Grace can abide the trial sincere Souls upon this very account like that preaching best which searches most whereas unsound Israel could not bear the words of the Prophet Amos 7. 10. There is a kind of Spiritual instinct in true Believers which inclines them both to a jealousie of themselves and a desire to have their hearts laid open whereas Hypocrites love the dark and are contentedly nay gladly ignorant of themselves Our Lord speaks very plain Joh. 3. 20 21. Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be discovered but every one that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Doest thou like the Word when 't is most quick and powerful When 't is most sharp and piercing Doest thou bring thy heart to the Lord and say Search it O God Even throughout and look into every corner and let no corruption lye concealed let not so much as one lust be hid or spared This willingness to be thus examined and proved and to have the reins and heart tried argues truth of grace 2. They are in a State of Grace who are truely contrite and broken because of Sin Psal 34. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit He that is indeed contrite has been convinced of Sin by the Spirit of God and has been made to see the evil in it and the evil that will follow upon it His sin and his misery have been perceived He is grieved because he has sinned against the Lord and wishes that his sorrow might be more abundant because his sin has so much abounded and he laments over a corrupted heart and nature which inclines him to nothing else but sin His heart troubles him which is so hard as well as wicked He accuses himself he judges himself before God he loaths himself in his own sight And now all sin is hated he will divorce the Herodias and consent that the Benjamin should go Nay the sin which was like Benjamin the darling is a Benoni matter of the greatest sorrow This hatred of all sin argues spiritual and saving understanding Psal 119. 104. Through thy Precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Sin ruines none but those that love it Those that hate it generally implacably and to the death shall never dye and be destroyed by it Certainly thou art sincere if thou hatest thy lusts that formerly were thy Lords and if thou canst truely cry with David Psal 119. 133. Order my steps in thy Word and let no iniquity have the dominion over me 3. Those are in a State of Grace who receive Jesus Christ the Son of God To reject Christ binds all our guilt upon us and fixes us under wrath and 't is in effect to refuse Salvation But to as many as receive him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his name Joh. 1. 12. If Christ be rightly and indeed received he is received just as God offers him as a Prince to Rule as well as a Saviour from Wrath to give Repentance as well as remission of Sins Act. 5. 31. Christ must be received as an able Saviour as a willing Saviour as the onely Saviour and the whole of that Salvation whereof he is the Author must be valued When he is received there is a consent to cast all that offends him out of the heart to make room for him and truely all of Christ is welcom His strictest commands his mortifying and sanctifying Spirit his Yoak his Burthen his Reproach his Cross are welcom for his sake as well as his Crown If we do not sit down and count the cost and first of all well understand and then fully agree to the Articles and Terms on which Christ is to be received we may easily deceive our selves 4. Those are in a State of Grace who desire after God above all and yield and give themselves unto the Lord. The Psalmist was a sincere Saint who said Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee i. e. none as my great help as my chief happiness besides thee And notice is taken of the grace of God bestowed upon the Churches of Macedonia because they gave their own selves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8. 5. If thy eyes have been opened to see that God is a far greater good than the Creature and a greater good to thee and thou desirest and chusest the Lord himself who is so gracious and alsufficient as incomparably the best portion and art as willing to be his portion as to have him thine this willingness shews thou art of the number of his people and that his powerful grace has been at work in thee Psal 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power God is called the portion of Jacob and Israel is styled the rod of his inheritance Jer. 10. 16. God and his people chuse each other 5. They are in a State of Grace who hunger and thirst after righteousness Our Lord pronounces such blessed and if he
are but for a season Job 20. 5 8. Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon Earth that the triumphing of the Wicked is short and the joy of the Hypocrite but for a moment Though his excellency mount up to the Heavens and his head reacheth to the Clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they which have seen him shall say Where is he He shall fly away as a dream and shall not be found yea he shall be chased away as a night vision 3. Better their false peace which must quickly end should be disturbed by Self-trial than that it should cease by their Trial at Gods Bar. The ungodly cannot carry a false peace along with them into another World The rich man in the Gospel that fared sumptuously every day carried none of his good things with him when he died his pleasure then came to a full stop and we read of nothing he met with but evil things torments flames endless and unquenchable Luk. 16. and then the rich man saw it had been better before to have broken off his sinful pleasure by Self-reflection and Repentance 4. Though a false peace upon Self-examination be banished yet there may a true peace be obtained in the room of it Be not unwilling to look into your selves though you find matter of sorrow for godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal 126. 5. And Christ pronounces the mourners blessed for they shall be comforted Mat. 5. 4. Case 2. The second Case is this Is it not time enough hereafter for Sinners to search and look into themselves Then when prosperity and youth are gone and affliction and old age are come What necessity is there to put themselves upon the rack presently Ans 1. The longer they defer the more afraid they will be to begin and so it may never be done in this World especially considering that delay will make the work more difficult and grievous The larger the scores are the more loath they will be to look them over and the more peccant and wicked the heart has been the more unwilling it will be to be called to account therefore 't is best to begin this very instant and 't would have been better to have begun before 2. Sin is so great an evil that none can be too soon convinced of it nor too soon converted from it as on the other hand Grace is so excellent that we can never be too early enriched with it and assurance of the love of God so desirable and delightful that it can never be too soon obtained Why should there be a delay in the search after Sin This Enemy should speedily be inquired after since if let alone it may ruine us suddenly before we are aware 3. If Sinners refuse to mind the Lord and themselves in the time of youth and prosperity God may refuse to have any regard to them in the time of their distress Now is the accepted time now they may seek the Lord and search themselves to good purpose but whether the time of affliction may be an accepted time or no is questionable The Lord threatens to laugh at the calamity of some and to mack when their fear comes and that he will not be found of them Prov. 1. 26 28. They that refused to hearken and stopt their Ears and made their hearts like an Adamant Stone see what came to pass at last great wrath came upon them they were scattered with a whirlwind and as he cried and they would not hear so they cried and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts Zach. 7. 13. 4. Why should such a short lived creature as Man delay to examine himself What is his life 'T is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4. 14. How quickly may Death arrest him and summon him before the Lords Tribunal Some are well in one hour sick the next and dead the third nay some are well and sick and dead the same hour if not the same minute Defer not then to look into thy state and heart speedily since upon the sudden it may be said to thee Render an account of thy Stewardship for thou shalt be no longer Steward Luk. 16. 2. Case 3. The third Case follows which is this How shall Sinners that all their days have been careless of and utter Strangers to themselves manage this business of Self-examination Ans 1. Let them get alone not to be speculatively wanton or project for the World or to please themselves with vain and proud and towring imaginations but that they may seriously bethink themselves what is likely to become of them for ever Let them get out of the croud and hurry of worldly business and shake off carnal company and be at leisure to understand their Souls condition Certainly a Soul that is of greater value than all the World is worth minding is worth saving 2. Let the thoughts of God and of Eternity make them serious especially considering how much God has been provoked and how near they may be unto Eternity Time is posting away from them and Death is making great haste towards them and immediately after Death they enter upon Eternal state and how sad will it be if it be a state of eternal woe 3. Let them cry unto God for his Convincing Spirit When the Spirit is given and truely the Lord is ready to give his Spirit unto all that ask him he does discover that in Sin that before was not perceived he makes Hell to become naked and takes off that covering that was upon destruction He holds before Sinners the Glass of Gods holy Law that in that Glass they may behold their hearts and lives shews unto them that the characters of Gods Enemies agree to them and that their spot is not the spot of his Children Deut. 32. 5. Then Sin will revive and Sinners die that is become sensible they are the sons of death and wrath and in great danger of Eternal ruine Now they are to hold up their hands and cry Guilty Guilty and to lament and bemoan themselves as Ephraim did to see themselves in such a lost condition 4. Let them be very inquisitive what they shall do that they might be saved Thus were those Jews that were prickt at the heart Act. 2. and thus was the trembling Jaylour Act. 16. A lost estate being perceived is not to be rested in none ought to be contented to be damned but they must inquire what they must do to escape the wrath to come and they must give themselves to prayer in good earnest and use the other means of grace and the sense of their sin and misery should make them the more servent in crying for that mercy and grace which they so highly stand in need of Case 4. The fourth Case this When Sinners upon Self-trial have found out the badness of their State is there any
18. Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Ephraim had the seal of the Covenant administred to him in infancy which was Circumcision and therefore he calls the Lord his God and has the greater encouragement to cry to him to circumcise and turn his heart unto himself And surely under the New Testament the Covenant is not made more narrow nor our arguments and encouragements fewer to plead for converting grace Let Sinners therefore beg that as they have been baptized with Water in the Lords name so they may be justified by the blood of Christ sanctified by his Spirit and effectually turned unto God Till the Lord does turn you you must needs remain unconverted And when once you are made earnest that you may be sincere Converts you are earnest for that which is most agreeable to the will of God and 't is a sign that the work is already begun There could never be strong desires to be turned if the heart were not in some degree turned to desire it Case 6. The sixth Case is this How far may Sinners go and yet fall short of Grace and Heaven This is of great concernment to be fully resolved that we may not be mistaken in our selves therefore I shall be the larger upon it Many with Agrippa are almost persuaded to be Christians that are not Christians altogegether Many with him in the Gospel are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven who yet never come thither the case such is sad for they are miserable after they were near to happiness they are like a Merchant that is Shipwrackt and loses all and himself too within sight of shore they sail as it were by Heaven to Hell and their being once so near Heaven will make Hell the more doleful and intolerable Now how far Sinners may go and yet still remain but in a State of Nature I shall shew in these particulars 1. They that have no true grace may own and acknowledge the Christian Faith to be true 'T is affirmed of Simon Magus that he believed Act. 8. 13. The miracles that were wrought by Philip for the confirmation of the Gospel gained his assent that it was the Gospel of God and of undoubted truth In like manner Nicodemus while a Stranger to Regeneration was convinced and did confess that Christ was a Teacher sent from God Joh. 3. 1 2. Now as I go along I shall shew wherein such as have no grace do fail that the unsound may be convinced of their hypocrisie and the truely gracious may be the better able to discern their sincerity Though the forementioned persons believe the truth of the Gospel they do not apply it to themselves nor heartily embrace the goodness of the Gospel but prefer their lusts their pleasures and their profits before Gods Kingdom their assent is weak and does not influence their Consciences affections and conversations and so proves ineffectual to Salvation Jam. 2. 14. What doth it profit if a man say he hath Faith and have not Works Can Faith save him And v. 26. As the Body without the Spitit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also 2. They that have no grace may solemnly be admitted into the visible Church Simon the Sorcerer was baptized and yet Peter tells him afterwards that he was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Act. 8. 13 23. Multitudes of the Jews of old were circumcised in their flesh whose hearts were never circumcised Jer. 9. 25 26. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom and the Children of Ammon and Moab for all these Nations are uncircumcised and all the House of Israel are uncircumcised in their hearts How many by Baptism are admitted into the Church of Christ and rest herein not caring to partake of the Blood of Christ and least of all to partake of the Spirit of Grace and Holiness which are signified by the Water in that institution What did it profit the Jews that they were circumcised in their flesh if after they did not answer their infant Cirumcision by a circumcised ear and heart and an holy and obedient Conversation And in like manner what will the being baptized with Water avail if the filthiness of Sin be not purged but loved and there be not an answer afterwards of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3. 21. 3. They that have no true grace may be forward in profession and by talking at an high rate attain unto some reputation for Godliness thus Sardis had a name and fame that she liv'd and yet was dead Rev. 3. 1. But these forward Professors when unsound drive on some carnal design as the ravenous Birds when they soar never so much aloâ—at have their eyes downward and are looking after something that they may prey upon Under all their profession their hearts they neglect and suffer them to be full of pride and passion and love of the World they have no desire after inward purity and besides they wilfully and wofully fail many times in their dealings with men and in regard of those duties which in their capacities and relations are incumbent upon them 4. They that have no true grace may engage in all the publick Ordinances that Christ has instituted they may pray and hear and be admitted unto Communion and Church-fellowship and yet not be the real Members of Christ and be shut out of the Kingdom Those persons had eat and drank in our Lords presence and had heard him teaching many a time unto whom he speaks after this terrible manner There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of Heaven and you your selves thrust out Luk. 13. 26 28. These hypocritical engagers in Ordinances seek not the Lord himself in his Ordinances His favour and the communications of his sanctifying Spirit they prize not they desire not and though Ordinances leave them as proud and wanton and unbelieving and earthly-minded as they found them they are unconcerned for to have better hearts than they had is not any piece of their design 5. They that have no true grace may attain to a great measure of notional knowledge That Servant who was beaten with many stripes did know the will of his Master Luk. 12. 47. We all have knowledge says the Apostle 1 Cor. 8. 1. unsound as well as sincere An Hypocrite may have great light in his understanding but that light makes him high-minded his knowledge is without affection to Spiritual things his head is very clear but his heart is very cold He is acquainted with the truth but he holds it in unrighteousness Is it not a sad sight to see Children that have the Rickets with great Heads but Arms weak and unable to do any thing and Legs small and feeble and unable to go Here is
them to the bettering of their actions 12. They who have no true grace may arise so high as to have some kind of joy This joy was in the hearers compared unto the stony ground Mat. 13. 20. Ezekiels hearers flockt to him with rejoycing because of his most pleasant utterance and taking gifts wherewith God had enriched him and 't is very likely that their attendance upon the Prophets Ministery did yield some quiet to their Consciences which else would have been very troublesome if the Ordinances of God had been wholly neglected Besides the great and glorious things of the Gospel may cause some kind of joy at the hearing of them as other glad tidings do affect us especially of some good that is possible to be obtained When the love of God in Christ is set forth his abundant Grace the sureness of his Covenant and the glorious and eternal rest which remains for his People the Hearers that are not savingly wrought on may have some little taste of the good Word of God and of the powers of the World to come as well as be made partakers of the common gifts of the Holy Ghost And all this may cause some kind of joy But their joy is without precedent sorrow for Sin and though the interest of the Flesh and World prevails yet this joy remains the truth is it has no solid foundation no sanctifying effect and will last but for a moment To conclude this since the confines of unregeneracy extend so far since there may be so much where there is not saving grace Oh pray that you may not rest here Be unsatisfied in the proving of your selves till you find that you outstrip all the Hypocrites that ever were 'T is necessary to exceed them 't is not enough to equal them but Oh how sad will it be to fall short of those who fall short of the Heavenly Kingdom In the second place I proceed unto those Cases that relate unto a State of Grace the resolution of which will be very helpful in the examination and proving of your selves Case 1. The first Case is this How shall we know when we are savingly Enlightned Those that are saved are made light in the Lord the eyes of their understandings are enlightned by the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation and yet there is an illumination which Hypocrites have How then shall saving illumination be distinguished 1. Where saving illumination is the light is marvellous 1 Pet. 2. 9. That ye should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into marvellous light When God by a word of power says Let there be light in a dark mind that light makes a marvellous discovery and the Soul is fill'd with wonder for what was concealed is now manifested and indeed the Apostle says Whatsoever does make manifest is light Eph. 5. 13. He that is enlightned sees his danger and marvels that before he should be so fearless and secure He sees the vanity and emptiness of the Creature and marvels that he should so idolize and dote upon it He sees the sinfuless of sin and marvels that he should be so eager to serve it and love that which is so abominable and hateful He sees the Lords al-sufficiency and marvels that he could live so long without Christ and without God in the World and for so doing calls himself foolish and ignorant and a beast before him And that the scales should at last be made to fall off from his eyes that he might know the things of his peace this is marvellous kindness and grace indeed 2. Saving illumination humbles Job says Mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42. 5 6. To know and be proud is not to know as we ought to know He that understands God and himself aright will have high thoughts of God but he will be low in his own eyes If we are acquainted with the glorious holiness and spotless purity of the Lord we shall be abased because of our own pollutions the discovery of his perfections will humble us because of our infirmities David upon this discovery crys out he is a worm and Abraham that he is but dust and Job behold I am vile what shall I answer thee 3. Saving illumination determines the heart and prevails with it to come to Jesus Christ Joh. 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me When God does shine into the hearts of any he gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. Christ is the Image of the invisible God and most of God is to be seen in Christ here is the most glorious display of his abundant Wisdom Justice Power and Love hereupon the Lord Jesus cannot but be lookt upon as desirable and all things are accounted dung and loss that he may be gained 4. Saving illumination removes prejudices Assoon as ever the Psalmist came into the Sanctuary and understood the different ends of the righteous and the wicked his envy at the ungodly their prosperity and his prejudices against purity and innocency as if it were in vain ceased Psal 73. The carnal mind disputes as it thinks with strong reasons before against Religion but when the Word makes any truely wise presently presently these imaginations are cast down and the high thoughts against the knowledge of God are brought into captivity 2 Cor. 10. 5. The Lord of Rochester that was a great Disputer against God and Christ and Godliness when once enlightned he made this notable acknowledgment That all the seeming contradictions and absurdities of the Word of God fancied by men of corrupt minds and judgments were now vanished and the excellency and beauty of it appeared to him being come to receive the truth in the love of it Then also he cryed out That that absurd and foolish Philosophy which was so much admired by some and propagated by Hobs had undone him and many more of the best Parts in the Nation 5. Saving illumination does not rest in speculation but effectually urges unto practical godliness They who know the truth as it is in Jesus do put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts They that are renewed in the spitit of their mind do put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4. 21. 24. When the grace of God does bring Salvation it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Tit. 2. 11 12. And indeed if rightly instructed we shall obey with a willing mind for we shall see plainly that Sin is the worst that God is the best Master that Christs Yoke is easie his ways pleasantness his paths peace and at the
sorrow when the heart is grieved it is so hard and can sorrow no more for Sin Such an heart will carefully shun whatever has an hardning effect and oh how is that promise prized and the accomplishment of it longed for Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And when once Sinners are sensible so as to inquire and seek unto the God of Israel to do this for them here is a good work begun in them I grant such may fear sometimes they are judicially hardned but that very fear plainly shews the contrary if they were under such a judgment they would cease to be afraid of it 2. It argues a beginning of a work of Grace when a Sinner is troubled to see such an opposition in his corrupted nature against God and desires to be turned indeed Thus Ephraim bemoans himself that he was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke and he cryes to be instructed and that God would shew his power and grace in the turning of him Jer. 31. 18. and vers 20. we find the Lord owns Ephraim as his dear Son as a pleasant Child and says he does earnestly remember him and will surely have mercy upon him It argues a new nature when we are weary of the old and that the bent and inclination of the heart is really changed when backwardness unto what is good begins to be burthensom 3. There is a work of Grace where there is a resolution to go unto God and confess all Sin unto him without hiding any through a desire to keep it When David thus without guile does resolve upon Confession God resolves upon Remission and forgives him presently Psal 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and my iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Selah Hark what Solomon says He that covereth his Sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy And the Apostle speaks a great word 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness O thou sensible and drooping and trembling Soul who comest unto God with black Bills of Indictment against thy self Is all thy wickedness down there that thou knowest Hast thou not left out one or other that is a darling Oh no here are all down and the darling sins in a special manner acknowledged and aggravated and I am willing to forsake all as well as to have the pardon of all If it be so chear up for Confess and be saved is the Gospel language When David said I have sinned against the Lord Nathan answers The Lord hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not die 2 Sam. 12. 13. 4. There is a work of grace where there is a desire to believe He that searcheth the heart takes notice of the desires which are there and as a desire to kill is Murther as a lusting after a Woman is Adultery so a desire after that which is good is accepted A desire to repent is repenting and a desire to believe is believing Abraham is said again and again to have offered up Isaac because he had a will to do it at Gods Command though actually he never did it Heb. 11. 17. which shews the truth of that passage of Augustine Coronat Deus intus bonam voluntatem ubi non invenit facultatem Where there is a defect of ability God does own and crown a real willingness Such desires must needs be very pleasing unto God who willeth that his grace should be earnestly desired and therefore says the same Father Desiderare auxilium gratiae est initium gratiae Grace is begun when Grace is desired When once a Sinner desires with his heart to believe and cries out with the man in the Gospel Lord help my unbelief Mar. 9. 24. When he desires that his heart may be set wide open that Christ who knocks there may enter in when he desires to receive Christ just so as Christ is willing to be received and to rely upon him as the onely Mediatour and Saviour renouncing all other Confidences Here is saving faith most certainly 5. There is a work of Grace where there is a weariness of other Lords and a willingness to submit unto Christ the Lord of Glory 'T is a good sign when there is a consent to cast off the yoke of Sin and to take on us the easie yoke of Christ for none but they that are truely gracious are willing to be delivered from the power of darkness and to be translated into the Kingdom of the Son of God Col. 1. 13. If we dislike the bondage of corruption and are unwilling to be led captive by Satan at his will if we look upon our selves as foolish and deceived while we were disobedient and served diverse lusts and pleasures Tit. 3. 3. If we count the Service of our Lord Jesus freedom and freedom indeed and lust against the Flesh which counts his Commands grievous certainly the Spirit of the Lord has begun to set us at liberty our eyes have been opened our hearts changed Voluntas non esset libera nisi liberata The will would not be thus free to be subject unto Christ unless it had been made free by Him 6. There is a work of Grace where there is a desire to fear the name of God Neh. 1. 11. Let thine ear be attentive and so it was unto the prayer of thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name That Soul is renewed that would fain stand in awe of God and of his Word and has a will to do good though evil is present and the Flesh is weak The weakness of the Flesh Christ excuses as long as he saw the Spirit of the Disciples was willing to have done their duty Mat. 26. 41. That which was Gods wish concerning Israel of old is it thy wish concerning thy self Oh that there were an heart in me to fear the Lord and to keep all his Commandments always that it may be well with me for ever Deut. 5. 29. This is certainly the breathing of the new creature In such there is a consent to be the Lords and to serve him and a trouble when they are overpowr'd by sin and temptation and a jealousie lest they should be deceived which shews that their desire to fear and obey the Lord is the more honest and sincere 7. There is a work of Grace where there is an uncontentedness without God before the Sinner was without Christ and liv'd without God in the World as he thought well enough Eph. 2. 12. but the heart being savingly changed cannot be put off with the World or any thing therein for its portion as the Needle being toucht by the Loadstone
never ceases trembling till 't is turned towards the Northern Pole so the heart of one that has grace cannot be quieted or satisfied without the God of Heaven Pliny in his Natural History l. 36. c. 4. tells us that the Diamond which is a Stone of far greater value being put near the Loadstone ferrum non patitur abstrahi does not suffer the Loadstone to draw the Iron to it The World will lose its magnetick and drawing vertue when once the Lord has toucht the heart and manifested himself Gracious Souls had rather have God theirs than all the World theirs they see the Creatures unsuitableness and insufficiency and that their Souls do then return unto their rest when they return unto their God Case 8. The eight Case follows which is this How may Grace be discovered under Spiritual Desertion Although the Lord never quite leaves his people yet he may withdraw the sense of his Presence suspending the quickening and comforting influences of his Spirit and then they that before were like Eden or Sharon are become like unto the Desart before they resembled a Tree whose leaves are fair and the fruit plentiful and good But under desertion they are like a Tree in the Winter season the Sun being withdrawn when neither Fruit nor Leaves appear Now how shall the Saints be known to be Children of Light when they thus walk in darkness I answer 1. Saints under Desertion are troubled at Gods absence What perplexity was there in the Spouses Spirit when her Beloved had withdrawn himself Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my Soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer 'T is as real a sign of true love to mourn at the Lords absence as to rejoyce in his presence for they who grieve when he withdraws will be glad when he returns Thou didst hide thy face says David and I was troubled Psal 30. 7. God may hide his face from a true Believer but a Believer shews himself to be so by being troubled when God hides his face 2. Saints under Desertion justifie the Lord in deserting of them though holy Job stands stiffly in the vindication of his Uprightness against his Friends who charged him with Hypocrisie yet withal he consesses his Sins unto God Job 7. 20. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men And chap. 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth Deserted Saints dare not charge God foolishly but lay the blame of what they endure at their own door they have been proud of enlargements therefore God has justly left them to be straitned they were unthankful for comforts therefore just it is their sorrows should return they were not so watchful against Sin 't was righteous in God to hide his face nay they confess he would be righteous if he should be favourable no more but cast them off for ever 3. Saints under Desertion endeavour to find out the cause of Gods deserting them that it may be removed Hark what Job prays for Job 13. 23 24. Make me to know my transgression and my sin wherefore hidest thou thy face and countest me for thy enemy As the Seamen were willing that failed with Jonah to know for whose sake the Tempest was so furious upon them and as Joshua was desirous to find out the man that had taken of the accursed thing and proved the troubler of Israel So Deserted Souls cry unto God to discover what has offended him and grieved his holy Spirit And as Jonah that raised the Tempest was thrown overboard as Achan that troubled Israel was stoned unto death so having found out their Sins that have disturbed their peace and provoked their God they consent to have them throughly mortified that which is meet they say unto God I have born thy displeasure I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 31 32. 4. Saints under Desertion though the actings of faith may not yet fear is more evident in them Esa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Deserted Believers though they cannot with confidence call God their Father which is their trouble yet they are resolved to obey him as their Lord when he seems to fly from them they are afraid of losing him therefore they lament and follow after him No wonder that Gods withdrawing raises fear in his people for ordinarily Desertion speaks Divine displeasure and is so very sore a trial and distress that the continuance of it may very well be feared 5. Saints under Desertion are troubled for want of quickening as well as want of comfort therefore they cry for the return of the Spirit that he may revive their graces and make them lively and vigorous and active in the Service of God as well as restore peace and consolation Deadness certainly was Davids burthen when he prayed so often that the Lord would quicken him Deserted Saints do feel the prevalency of the body of death therefore they do look and they have reason to look unto Him who came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly Joh. 10. 10. 6. Saints under Desertion are unsatisfied till God return that 's their language Psal 90. 13 14. Return O Lord how long And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants O satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our days Their life lies in his favour weeping continues while his face is hid when their God comes their joy comes to them again And as they are desirous that God should turn to them so also that themselves may be healed and turned unto God The Church had revolted and God was angry angry not only at their Sins but also at their prayers in this sad case the Church is earnest for her own recovery and return to God as well as for the shining of Gods face upon her therefore she cries once twice thrice Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved Psal 80. 3 7 19. Case 9. The ninth Case is this How Grace may be discerned under the prevalency of that sad and black distemper of Melancholy The torture of this malady strangers to it cannot conceive but they that are afflicted with it do know their own bitterness And the advantage which Satan hath hereby is unconceivably great 'T is ordinary for him to represent the Lord unto Melancholick ones as furious and revenging and implacable and irreconcilable as hating them from everlasting to everlasting Oh whath dismal thoughts have they of themselves The darkness and confusion of their heads they call judicial blindness the deadness
into exercise that it may be the more apparent Little Grace is nearest unto no Grace much Grace is nearer unto Glory When Grace lies dormant as it were and asleep in the Habit it may be doubted of but when 't is vigorously acted the Truth of it will more easily be granted Thus the Hare when she sits close is not perceived but when she is started then she is visible to all Pray therefore to resemble the Thessalonians whose Faith did grow exceedingly and whose Love abounded 2 Thes 1. 3. And that your Faith may work and your Love put you upon labour this is the way to have your spiritual estate cleared up to you 5. Find out and avoid what really nourishes and keeps up your Doubts and Fears Entertain not high Thoughts of your selves your gifts your parts your attainments for deadness and darkness and doubting will follow upon spiritual pride Check the spirit in you which lusteth unto Envy Jam. 4. 5. Abhor all lascivious thoughts and motions at the first rising of them Let not any Earthly enjoyment get too high a room in your Heart nor too large a share in your Affections Suffer not your Spirits to be ruffled and disordered by passion and peevishness In short connive at no corruption but mortifie all your members upon Earth Col. 3. 5. Not sparing the right Hand or right Eye For if you deal gently with any of your lusts and suffer them ever an anon to prevail they will render your condition doubtful and will be a strong impediment unto Assurance and Consolation 6. When you are proving your selves heed not Satan in his unreasonable injections You need not doubt but this Accuser of the Brethren will be very busie and use many wiles to hinder you from attaining peace of Conscience The Christians comfort which is the Christians Heaven upon Earth is the Hell and Torment of this envious Spirit therefore he does what he can to hinder it He starts a great many captious questions in the minds of Humbled and Awakened ones How do you know but that you are of the number of the not Elected Is not the day of Grace past and the Spirit quite gone Are you not judicially blinded and hardened Can you ever hope for an interest in and sense of the Love of God who have been such rebels heretofore and such revolters and back-slinders since a profession of Religion Sometimes this Enemy of souls will charge those that are sincere with hypocrisie in a most peremptory manner he tells them that all their duties are a meer Abomination that they have not one jot of saving Faith that they are meer strangers unto godly sorrow and repentance that they have nothing at all of the Love of God in them Calumniare audacter aliquid haerebit Satan charges boldly and thereby hopes something will stick whereby the soul will be disquieted But such injections as these are not to be regarded because they come from him that is called a Lyar and it may be known they proceed from him because he proves not what he injects by Scripture nay he overlooks all that the Scripture speaks for the souls encouragement And his design in these injections is to make duty neglected to drive souls to despair and to lay aside the profession and practice of Religion Be altogether deaf to Satan perceiving his evil design and pray that the God of peace would bruise Satan under your feet Rom. 16. 20. 7. Add not unto the Word of God Prov. 30. 6. My meaning is this believe nothing either for or against your selves but accoring to the written Word of God rightly understood and applyed Many question their state because their Hearts are so dead in Prayer because they find so much hardness and unaffectedness under Ordinances Mercies Afflictions because they fall so exceeding short of what they would fain both be and do But where does the Word tell you that where there is true Grace all deadness and hardness of Heart is removed Or that none are real Saints but who are absolutely perfect in Holiness The Apostle Paul found evil present with him when about to do that which is good Rom. 7. 21. And the beleiving Galatians had flesh as well as spirit and this flesh was very active and lusted against the spirit so that they could not do the things which they would have done Gal. 5. 17. You have spiritual life else you would not have spiritual sense to feel and be weary of remainders of corruption you would not have a will to be and do good and still to be and do better if God had not wrought will this in you 8. Be sure not to thrust away that consolation which the Word of God hands forth to you but humbly and thankfully accept it Though the Heart be naturally deceitful above all things yet so far as 't is renewed it deals truly and sincerely and Conscience being enlightned by the Word of God is to be credittd in its Testimony 1 Joh. 3. 21. Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God If therefore upon the strictest search your Hearts do witness for you that there are good things in you towards God as it was said concerning Ahijah the Son of Jeroboam 1 King 14. 13. If you find that God is preferred before the World that you are willing to receive the Son as the way to the Father and that you consent nay earnestly desire to be sanctified throughout by the Spirit You should not dispute against your comfort but gladly accept of the peace of the Gospel for you are the Sons of peace You will grieve the Spirit of God and add to your own grief if you will not heed the Scripture speaking plainly for you and for your relief and if your Souls refuse to be comforted Ps 77. 2. Take heed of rash answers of your selves that you are rank Hypocrites and that all the grace you have is but common or counterfeit unbeleif is not to decide but the Word is to judge concerning the sincerity of Grace and if the Word speak peace you are not to keep your selves under trouble 9. Hold on in self-proving and praying and resolve never to give over trying and crying tell you know you are the Lords and have the light of his Countenance Tell him that his favour is better then life and that you know not how to live much less do you know how to dye without the sence of his Love Be thankful for hopes and probabilities but rest not there till you can speak as the Spouse in the Canticles Chap. 6. 4. I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine And as the Apostle Paul does Gal. 2. 20. The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me Beg that the Spirit may put all out of question and seal you to the day of Redemption The Spirits Testimony is of absolute necessity to bring us to an Assurance that we are the Children of God Now this Testimony
of the Spirit supposes that we are convinced of Sin and Righteousness it also supposes that we are sanctified in Heart and Life in a degree and long for perfect Holiness The Spirit then heightens the actings of Grace and evidences the Change he has wrought and makes us plainly to perceive and feel that we hate our sin prize our Redeemer and Love and Fear and Desire after our God And this real change in our Heart being evidenced then our relation unto God is also shewn that we are the Children and Heirs of the Lord Almighty that his love to us is Everlasting and his kindness shall never depart from us Satans mouth is now stopt and the Spirit causes the Conscience from the Word to be quieted and satisfied clouds are scattered doubts and fears are removed consolation is strong and joy unspeakable and glorious Thanks millions of Thanks be unto God for the Mighty Comforter Who gives a check to Hell and says Let their be Light and Joy where before there was darkness and doubtting and sorrow Who evidences Electing Love from Everlasting and causes Triumph and Rapture of Spirit in assured expectation of glory to Everlasting 10. Let me add one Word more having attained Assurance of the Love of God Take the right course to keep what you have gotten Here I shall name a few particulars 1. Be low in your own Thoughts if you continue humble God will continue to re vive and comfort you Esa 57. 15. 2. Offer unto your God and Father Thanksgiving If you are thankful for the light of his countenance that 's the way to have his face still to shine upon you 3. Take heed of presumptuous sins David lost his joy when he ventured to be unclean and bloody nay take heed of lesser sins for these will dead the Heart grieve the Holy Ghost and dispose to greater 4. Be very serious in the Ordinances of Christ if the House if the Table of the Lord be neglected you will kill your comfort frequent the Lords Temple if you would see his Beauty that is his glorious holiness and have a continued sense of his Love Ps 27. 4. 5. Study the unchangeableness of Gods Love in Christ and the sureness of his Covenant This will be matter of perpetual gladness to see your selves in the Heart and hands of the Father and of Christ from whose love none can separate you Rom. 8. ult out of whose hands none can pluck you Joh. 10. 28 29. 6. Walk continually in the fear of God This is the way to have the Spirits Consolations Acts 9. 31. Then had the Churches rest throughout Judea and Samaria and Gallilee and were edified and walking in the Fear of God and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplyed 7. Use this World as not abusing it 1 Cor. 7. 31. If you are too much taken with worldly comforts your spiritual ones will abate but if in reference to earthly things you rejoice as if you rejoyced not your joy in the Lord will be the greater Look upon your selves as strangers and that this present World is but the House of your Pilgrimage then Gods statutes will be your Songs and fill you with the greater joy Psal 119. 54. 8. Husband your time to the best advantage and have the end of time in your eye Dye daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. If you think much of your dissolution it will make you so wise as to keep your Evidence for Heaven clear and to take heed of blotting them that you may have them to shew when stepping into Eternity In the second place I am to direct you how to prove your selves before you engage in that Ordinance of the Lords Supper To come to the Lords Table is a duty which Christ commanded when he was dying And if the words of a Dying Father or of adying Friend are remarked and remembred how much more the command of a dying Redeemer The circumstance of time is very observable which the Apostle mentions 1 Cor. 11. 23 24. The same night in which he was betrayed the Lord Jesus took the Bread and break it to set forth his own being bruised and wounded killed for the Transgressions of his People He bids his Church Do this that they might remember what He their Head had suffered for them When the Pass-over was instituted and was eaten at Evening and the Children of Israel were brought out of the Land of Aegypt out of the House of Bondage Moses says It was a Night much to be observed unto the Lord Exod. 12. 42. Oh! How much more is that time to be observed when Our Lord Jesus wrought a far greater and more glori-Redemption and Deliverance when being himself delivered for our offences and raised again for our Justification he saved his Church from the Wrath of God the Devils power the Dominion of sin the sting of Death and the vengeance of Eternal Fire Upon the first day of the week Christ ceased from his own works as God did from his upon the seventh day of the week There remaineth therefore the Greek Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbath or rest unto the People of God Heb. 4. 9 10. This Ordinance of the Supper is in no wise to be Administred unto all though they be never so ungodly We are indeed to Preach the Gospel to every Creature but there must be at least a professed subjection to the Gospel or else persons are not to be admitted to this Holy and Heavenly Banquet Those who are for Railing in the Communion Table I wish they were for a Spiritual Rail of Scripture Discipline and that in the Administration of these sacred Mysteries there were a separation made between the Precious and the Vile In the more pure and ancient times two sorts of Persons were debarred from the Lords Table the Catechumeni and the Lapsi the ignorant and not well instructed in the Faith and those who had fallen into scandalous sins And why should either of these be admitted now to eat and drink Judgment to themselves To prevent the incurring of the guilt instead of receiving the benefits of the Blood of Christ the Apostle prescribes self-examination Now That he who would be a welcom Guest at the Lords Table may prove himself thorowly and to purpose let him seriously and as in the Presence of God propose unto himself these following Questions 1. Am I acquainted with or a stranger to the great things of the Gospel Do I know the Mystery of God and of the Father and of christ Or is the black vail of ignorance still upon my Heart The Apostle speaks of some who have need to be taught which are the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5. 12. And am not I one of that number How can I pretend to Faith in Christ or Love to God if I have not so much as a notional knowledge of either The Communicant must have some Knowledge of the fundamental Doctrines of the Christian
the great interest and business of us all to please him Though others live without God in the World and forget him days without number yet we should be under the powerful impressions of those great Truths That God is All-Seeing that God is All-sufficient and we should walk before him and be perfect for the Eyes of the Lord run too and fro through the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose Heart is perfect towards him 2 Chron. 16. 9. 13. Ask thy self What care have I had to adorn the Gospel this day and to win those who are without to a love and liking of Religion The wicked hate instruction and cast the Word behind them they will not be at the pains to look into the Book of the Gospel and therefore let them be able to read the excellency and the efficacy of the Gospel in the lives of those that are Professors With well doing we should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men We should be Blameless and Harmless the Sons of God without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation among whom we should shine as Lights in the World Phil. 2. 15. Calling your selves to an Account thus every day will make the Authority of Conscience to be more own'd and reveverenced The Heart will be the better kept within bounds when it knows it must be Catechised at Evening and severely chidden for every Transgression By this course the practise of Repentance will be promoted if there be a falling into sin and we shall rise and recover the sooner and if we are enabled to walk before God in Truth from day to day and keep a Conscience void of offence we shall the more thankfully and comfortably take notice of the Grace of God in us and with us by which we are what we are and which is not bestowed upon us in vain 1 Cor. 15. 10. And if every day we should thus prove ourselves Vpon the Lords Day we should do it much more We should not be so Sacrilegious as to wast any of that hallowed Time We should examine whether our Hearts took their flight to Heaven at first waking and continued there without descending all the Day We should examine whether God had our thoughts and the very cream and strength of our Affections and the World and the concernments of it were made to stand by while our Hearts did Worship We should examine whether our discourse was altogether spiritual whether Earthly Employments and Recreations were laid aside and whether our Souls did indeed rest in God and Jesus Christ And resist Satan and disallow of every thing which might be a Distraction Deading and Disturbance We should seriously reflect upon our secret Duties and our manner of engaging in publick Ordinances and see whether God was pleased and manifested his Gracious Presence Power and Love And whether our Souls were indeed profited and delighted in the Closet in the Family in the Sanctuary Every Sabbath is indeed a Golden season of Grace which it much concerns us to improve and we should be unsatified unlesse we endeavour to spend it after such a manner in the Affectionate and delightful admiration and Worship of the Lord as the Saints in Heaven do celebrate an Eternal Sabbath VSE IV. Shall be of Exhortation unto the duty in in the Text be perswaded all of you to examine and prove your selves And that the Word of Exhortation may be the more prevalent it shall be particularly directed unto several sorts of Persons First Let Wicked men that are notoriously ungodly prove themselves And truly such at the first view of themselves may presently perceive whose they are Satan works more openly in these scandalous Children of Disobedience and leads them Captive in the sight of all Their Cursing and Swearing their hating of Gods Word and Sabbath and Messengers their Fornication and Adultery their Stealing Injustice and Lying their Covetousness and Drunkenness and Railing at Religion and Abhorring all that are serious These things are the Devils Badg and Livery and plainly declare that such person are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of Iniquity Oh you that declare your sin as Sodom and hide it not You cannot deny your wickedness pray be at last convinced of it and think what will be the end of the course you are taking Let these five words of advice be acceptable 1. Look about you and see innumerable Evils compassing you about Psal 40. 12. How vast is the number how heinous the nature and how high and horrid the aggravations of your inquities Your sins are as Scarlet and Crimson indeed your Trespasses are grown up to the very Heavens and notwithstanding your great Abominations you have been impudent and hardhearted Your Necks have been like an Iron sinew and your Brows Brass and your Hearts like an Adamant-stone you have refused to be ashamed and to return The least of all your sins is enough to damn you and should not the consideration of so many and such great ones daunt and fright you That God who is to judge you knows what you have done He has compassed your Paths has heard your words has lookt into your Hearts is acquainted with all your wayes Psal 139. 1 2 3. And has not forgotten any of your evil works and wickednesse Let all this fill you with trouble and make you tremble 2. Look within you and take notice of a Fountain of sin there The Lord that searches the Heart of man gives it a very bad report Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the Wickedness of man was great upon the Earth and every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only Evil continually And Christ who knew what was in man expressely tells us that out of the Heart of man proceed all the Evils whereby he is defiled Matth. 15. 19 20. Satan indeed is your Enemy and he showes himself so in Tempting you to Evil but all your sins are properly your own Hearts Off-spring the principal blame is to be laid at your own door Your corrupted natures make you Devils Tempters Enemies to your selves destroyers of your selves Jam. 1. 14 15. Every man is Tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when finished bringeth forth Death 3. Look above you and behold an angry God a God angry particularly with you and can you stand before his indignation Take notice of the Mountains quaking the Hills melting the Rocks overturned the Heavens Astonished the Devils trembling when the Lord is Wrath and do you think that you can prosper if you harden you selves against him His Wrath is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of men Rom. 1. 18. When that Wrath is felt how heavy will it be found 4. Look beneath you and see a flaming Furnace That 's a dreadful fire indeed which never shall be quenched which will always
Torment but never quite consume and make an end of those that are burning in it We read that sinners must dwell with Everlasting Burnings Our Lord tells you that in Hell the Worm dies not and the Fire is not quenched and he says this thrice nay six times together that man may believe and fear Mar. 9. 43. 48. And into this Hell the wicked shall be turned and all the Nations that forget God Psal 9. 17. This is as certain as 't is certain God is true and Powerful and Just and Holy 5. Look the very worst of you into the Gospel and behold the Lord Jesus stretching forth his hand all the day long even to them that are Disobedient and Gain-saying Rom. 10. 21. Stretching forth the hand is as much as inviting sinners to come to him and offering Salvation to them He has Justified and washed and sanctified and saved as bad as you And if you will at length consent to be sanctified as well as saved and come to him he will do both for the most guilty and defiled among you Oh! Look to Jesus whom you have slighted and cry to be drawn to him Secondly Let meerly Moral men prove themselves These have very great need to search themselves that they may not be undon for ever by self-confidence When I speak of Morality I do not mean an universal respect unto the precepts of the Moral Law for such a kind of respect only those who are truly Regenerate and Religious yeild unto the Lords Commands But by Morality I understand an external Righteousness and freedom from more gross and notorious iniquities such a Moralist was the Pharisee who said God I thank thee I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers Luke 18. 11. And such Morality was to be found in the Apostle Paul while he was Graceless before his Conversion Touching the Righteousness of the Law I was blamelesse says he Phil. 3. 6. Now Persons upon Examination may know themselves to be but meerly moral by these following signs 1. Meerly moral men are great strangers to the Corruption of their own Natures Hereupon they think themselves to be whole and do not apprehend any necessity of a new Birth of having a New Heart given to them When Nicodemus the Pharisee came to Christ Christ told him of the Corruption of Nature That which is Born of the Flesh is Flesh and except a man be Born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3. 3. 6. The Apostle Paul while a Pharisee was alive in his own Thoughts though really dead in Trespasses and sins Moral men not knowing what they are by Nature continue securely in a state of Nature and suppose they have no need of the Blood and Spirit of Christ whereby alone they might be Justified and Renewed in order to Salvation 2. Meerly moral men though blameless in their Lives yet their Hearts are allowed to be wicked The Pharisees of old were against actual Murther but allowed of Malice Envy and Revenge they were free from gross Adultery but made nothing of Evil Concupiscence Therefore our Lord. Matt. 5. does at large shew the spirituality and extent of the Law of God and how it lays an obligation upon the very Heart unto Purity and Meekness and Love as well as requires external Conformity to the Letter of it in the Life and Conversation What kind of Hearts have these Moral men What Pride and high Thoughts of themselves what hatred is allowed to lodge in them What Ignorance and Contempt of Communion with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ How exceeding suitable and desirable are the Wealth Preferments and Delights of this World but their Hearts are meer strangers unto the Love of God and delight in him and rejoycing in Christ Jesus And which is worst of all they think this is needless and that their Hearts are so good they need not be changed and made better 3. Meerly Moral men do rest in their own External Righteousness and rest upon it They are confident that good living and giving every man his due is enough though the mean while the World and the God of this World fill their Hearts They act as if that Precept were not in the Bible My Son give me thy Heart Prov. 23. 26. As if they had never read of Davids practise Psal 25. 1. Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul And as they rest in their own external Righteousness as if inward Holiness were not required so they rest and rely upon it as if this were enough to justifie them before God and to purchase their acceptance and Salvation But this ruines them and cuts them short of the Righteousness of the Son of God Rom. 10. 3 4. For they being Ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that Beleiveth Thus you meerly moral men may know your selves And oh That you would be advised 1. To Consider that Morality can neither justifie it self nor you It cannot justifie it self because 't is meerly external a piece of Pageantry and Hypocrisie for want of inward purity and how then can it justifie you before that God who is so glorious in Righteousness and Holiness You certainly stand in need of Christ as well as the greatest sinners in the World and must needs to Hell without Him The Apostle Paul was a great Moralist before he was a Christian but when his Eyes were open Christ was valued as the onely Justifier and Saviour of sinful and lost man and says he I desire to be found in Him not having my own Righteousness Phil. 3. 9. 2. Pray that the Commandment may come with Power and shew your sins even those that lye hid in your very Hearts and make you sensible of your damned and lost Estate Rom. 7. 9. I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I died Notwithstanding all my confidence of my Goodness and good Estate before I saw my self by Law a condemned and dead man and no hope of life without Jesus a Mediatour 3. Be sensible of the necessity of the New-Birth and cry for the Spirit Those that are born again are born of the Spirit of God Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit This Spirit God is willing to give to all that ask him seeing indeed their need of him Begg hard for the Spirit that by him you may be enlightned convinced of sin and set at Liberty from it that you may be drawn to Christ and changed into the glorious image of God which does consist not in Righteousness meerly external but in Righteousness and true Holiness Thirdly Let unsound Professors prove themselves Why should such entertain a confidence which the Lord will reject Why should they joyn with a subtle Serpent to deceive themselves Oh! that they
sin deserves thy hatred does not thy Lord deserve thy love What and where hadst thou been if he had not loved thee and given himself for thee Thy Lord is every way excellent the chiefest among ten thousand altogether lovely the most admired among the visible Creatures the finest Gold the richest Jewels nay the shining Sun in the Firmament are but poor similitudes and faint shaddows to set forth his incomparable perfections The Heavens are not clean Angels themselves are black when compared with Jesus who is the image of the invisible God! This high this glorious and beautiful One became flesh and sin and a Curse for thee so that his love is incomparable as well as his loveliness O my soul set open all the flood-gates let thy love even all of it run in a strong and undivided stream towards him Love this Lord Jesus in sincerity love him with greater ardency love him with the greatest constancy Here is no danger of excess no danger of defilement or a snare in thy loving Christ as there is in loving of the Creatures Study him better and thou wilt see new beauties in him daily grow in knowledge that thou mayst grow in grace and love Let thy desires grow stronger and stronger his fulness can easily satisfie them Rejoyce in Him with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory and cry out with an affectionate and holy impatiency Come Lord Jesus come quickly Appear the second time without sin unto Salvation MEDITATION XLIII How much is mine if Christ my beloved is mine What unsearchable riches have I an interest in No match comparable to that with Christ either for the excellencies of the person or the largeness of the estate What poor offers doth the World and the God of the World make me They talk much of honour and wealth and mirth and pleasure but these afford no true contentment for that short time they are enjoy'd and they perish in the very using Death does quickly come with a convincing demonstration and proves the richest man a meer beggar the greatest Prince a contemptible clod of the Earth the fairest and most admired beauty a skinful of dirt Can Satan offer any thing that is Everlasting No good thing I am sure that is so Indeed Everlasting pains Eververlasting burnings Everlasting wrath he will bring all unto that are led Captive by him at his pleasure but these Eternal evils he does most studiously conceal and hide But this is the commendation of My Lords Benefits that they are permanent and durable The Treasures wax not old the one thing needful cannot be taken away the inheritance is incorruptible and the Kingdom he will give his followers cannot be moved MEDITATION XLIV If Christ is mine the Father is mine How sweet were those words which come out of my Lords mouth quickly after he came out of the Grave Go tell my Brethren I ascend to my Father and your Father unto my God and your God All the Attributes of God are engaged on my side His wisdom will be my guide his power and truth my guard and shield His presence will be with me wherever I am and his Grace sufficient for me in all my troubles and Temptations All my desire will be before him and my groaning will not be hid from him and he can easily furnish me with the good things I desire and deliver me from those evils which make me groan before him I shall not want while the All-sufficient God is my Shepherd my state is secure and safe for my God is unchangeable He will never turn away from me to do me good and his Grace will establish me and hinder my departing he will uphold me with the right hand of his Righteousness and guide me with his Counsel and afterwards receive me to his Glory Be not thou cast down or discouraged O my Soul be not disquieted within me Hope thou in God and continually praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God MEDITATION XLV If Christ is mine the Spirit is mine The same soul does animate and Act the Head and the Body the same Spirit is in Christ and in all his true and living Members The Spirit of Wisdom and Illumination will enlighten me and make me able to judge all things after a right manner The Spirit of truth will lead me into all necessary truth so that I shall be ignorant or mistaken in nothing which is needful to be understood and known in order unto Salvation This Spirit will make me hold the Head and from him I shall derive not only a directing light but a vital influx which will quicken me and make me alive more and more abundantly Glorious Spirit Thou art the Lord and Giver of Life without thee the Word of Life is dead and proves a savour of Death unto Death Without thee Ordinances are without efficacy without thee my Heart is cold and comfortless I grieve that I have grieved thee Oh let me be thy Habitation and thy Temple let me see thy blessed light let me feel thy glorious power and know by more abundant experience what thy peace and joy means The lusts of the flesh which defile thy Temple let them be destroyed mortifie the deeds of the Body fill me with Grace and make me fit for Glory Let the least check of thine restrain me every motion of thine let it be obeyed Let me perpetually have an ear to Hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches MEDITATION XLVI If Christ is mine the Creatures are also mine The Sun was created to give me light and to make me admire the God that made it The Stars observe their courses for my good The Ordinances of the Heavens which alter not at mans pleasure may serve as an instruction to me that Gods Covenant when Earth and Hell have done their worst shall be kept and stand fast for ever the Earth is Fruitful the Sea does Ebb and Flow the Rain descends the Beasts and Fish and Fowl do multiply to do me a kindness The Ground was made for me to tread on the Air for me to breath in and though such mercies as these are vouchsafed to wicked men yet they are given to me in another way My Lord has bought them for me with his blood for with him they are given to me they are not a trap a snare to me as they are to others but they are truly blessed to me as well as given The higher Creatures are also mine Paul and Apollo and Cephas nay the very Angels are said to be ministring Spirits and are ready to Minister to me and to guard me Those loving humble Spirits have a charge given them concerning the Members of Christ and willingly look after them that are the Heirs of Salvation MEDITATION XLVII If Christ be mine Death is also mine as well as Life Death is terrible indeed to Nature and causes the frame thereof to be dissolved but my Lord has reconciled this last Enemy 'T is really mine
was once a Child of Wrath and Disobedience I am become an Heir of God and a Joint-Heir with Christ unto that inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled and which fadeth not away Nay my Lord who has loved me and washed me from my sins in his own blood hath made me a King and a Priest unto God and his Father and I must reign for ever for of this Kingdom which I have now a Title to and a sure promise of there shall be no end Oh rich Oh free Oh glorious Grace I am at a loss for an expression high enough to set forth the thousandth part 〈◊〉 my Lords incomparable kindness my shallow Conceptions cannot reach what is incomprehensible Therefore I must be silent in a joyful admiration MEDITATION LIII What shall I render unto the Lord My All is due my All is too little and by rendring my All I secure my All and so am still more benefited and I become more my Lords debter I find my self most happily puzzled with my Lords goodness He gives himself to me and requires that I should give my self to him but in so doing not He but I receive the benefit All the retributions thou requirest O my God and Father are but to do my self more kindnesses Duties are my priviledges All thy precepts are for my profit and my peace and pleasure to obey them Thou art beyond all compare the very best Master Oh let my ear be boared for I will serve thee for ever let my Heart be circumcised that I may love thee Eternally There is a sweetness in the acting of every Grace There is great peace in keeping of thy law there is an amiableness in thy Tabernacles thy power and thy glory are seen in thy sanctuary and though that word Suffering may sound harsh yet upon experience suffering will be found the most delightful paâ—â— of Christian obedience MEDITATION LIV. My Lord did not stick at suffering and why should I Why should the Cross daunt me If I will be indeed Godly Persecution is to be expected The old Serpent is full of hatred and so are his seed and their hatred is implacable But when I consider my Lords love and power and presence Hells Malice and the Worlds Rage become contemptible times of suffering are times of the sweetest solace Those are not unreasonable injunctions Count it all joy when ye fall into divers Temptations and Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven The Spirit of glory and of God does rest upon his suffering Saints so that they glory in tribulation they rejoyce in it as a dignity when they suffer shame for the name of Jesus they are gainers by their losses they gain an hundred fold in this World besides the Kingdom in the other World MEDITATION LV. O my soul follow thy Lord though he lead thee in rough ways and paths of great affliction If sufferings abound consolation shall abound and grace shall be sufficient The Cross of Christ though the outside of it be affrighting yet it is lined with love and easily born And if it should come to pass that Life must be taken away What better use can Life be put to then to lay it down for the Testimony of Jesus The painfullest deaths have proved many times most pleasant What raptures of joy have the Martyrs had at the stake and in the flames Prudentius of old observed Mors Christianis ludus est That Death was but a sport unto the Christians Remarkable is that passage of Bainham the Martyr when his arms and legs were half consumed by the fire he spake these words O ye Papists you look for miracles and here now you may see a miracle for in this fire I feel no more pain then if I were in a bed of Down it is to me a bed of Roses Resolve therefore O my soul undauntedly to undergo whatever tribulaon thou meetest for the sake of Righteousness Rely upon thy faithful God who will not suffer thee to be tempted above what his Grace shall enable thee to bear with joy as well as patience MEDITATION LVI Thy death O Lord is to be shewn forth till thou comest 't is proper for me to think of thy coming and to rejoyce at the thoughts of it My Lord and Redeemer will certainly appear the second time without sin to Salvation And when he shall appear I shall be like him and appear with him in glory Time and days do fly away apace and the comming of my Lord draweth nigh That will be the day of my open absolution of my full and compleat Redemption of my joyful and triumphant Coronation How full of glory and of love will be the face of Jesus then Ah! where shall the ungodly and sinners then appear How will the greatest and the stoutest of them even the Kings and Cheif Captains and mighty men tremble and call to the Rocks and Mountains to fall on them and cover them from the face of him that sits upon the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb But though most of mankind be full of horror I if I am a true Believer shall be full of joy and after I have been openly acquitted own'd and crown'd before Men and Angels Whither Oh whither will my Lord carry me Into those Mansions he is gone to prepare into the presence Chamber of the King of Glory Where God himself will be All in All. MEDITATION LVII I find some sweetness in the way and means of grace what shall I find in the end if in vale of Tears such joy be found what will be enjoyed in a paradise of delight if in the midst of labours and fightings and temptations I find so much satisfaction what contentment will an Everlasting rest afford me Augustine speaks excellently Soliloq cap. 35. Intra in gaudium sine tristitia ubi erit omne bonum et non erit aliquod malum ubi erit quicquid voles et non erit quicquid noles O gaudium vincens omne gaudium laetitia sine dolore lux sine tenebris vita sine morte ubi juventus nunquam senescit ubi decor nunquam pallescit ubi amor nunquam tepescit gaudium nunquam decrescit ubi dolor nunquam sentitur gemitus nunquam auditur ubi triste nihil videtur ubi malum nullum timetur quia summum bonum possidetur Enter O my soul into joy without sadness Where there shall be a presence of all good an absence of all evil where there shall be every thing which thou desirest nothing at all that thou dislikest O joy surpassing all other joys Gladness without Grief Light without Darkness Life without Death There Youth shall never grow old Beauty shall never fade Love shall never wax cold and Joy shall never be diminished there sorrow shall never be felt one sigh shall never be heard